Baby Update

Here is an update on baby news: I am now 28 weeks along. I just went for my diabetes screening. I was borderline with Savanna and Bradley, and had gestational diabetes with Benjamin. I was always told that if you contract diabetes with one pregnancy, you will have it with all future pregnancies. Not the case this time. The tests came back perfect, and I have been testing my blood sugar at home and all is well there too. I am very relieved! I am much more informed about nutrition now, and have recently cut out white flour and refined sugar from my diet. I have also been walking and doing my yoga regularly, so I'm sure all of those areas helped tremendously.

Grandma Kathleen's baby gift arrived this week too- a beautiful jogger stroller! It's still in the box, but when we assemble it (by "we" I mean James), I will post a picture, along with Emma's beautiful bassinet!

I've also been talking to a dear friend of mine, Dawnmarie. She has many gifts, but the one that stands out the most to me is that she is a natural-born healer. She has a deep love for people, and is extremely in tune with their needs and the Spirit. She also recently went to school to be a hypnotherapist. She has helped me a lot over the years, and I was discussing my plans with her for my upcoming birth. I had some issues in my past births and some post-partum depression, so she gave me some great tips to combat my fears of repeating these experiences. I thought I'd pass them on in case it could help others.

First of all, Dawnmarie whole-heartedly believes we create our own experiences. Even in a situation, such as birth, where a woman is under stress and pain is involved, she believes a woman can overcome these odds and have the positive experience she desires. She told me to start collecting things around my house that make me feel calm. We talked about setting up the birthing area (we are doing our 3rd water birth at home) with these comfort items along with any music or candles, etc. that might help me relax. I love harp music so James helped me make a CD of harp music to play, and I love the smell of coconut oil so I found some coconut scented candles at the local drug store. Dawn told me since I am doing a water birth, that I should take a bath every day until the birth, play the music, light the candles, etc. and visualize the birth that I want. Over time I will begin to associated those "birthing" items and rituals with relaxation and achieving my goals of a healthy, quick delivery. She gave me some other great advice such as not entertaining ANY negative thoughts about the birth or listening to others who want to share their gory birth stories. Just decide want I want, visualize it, and make it happen.

I am a big believer in "mind over matter." Every successful guru out there will tell you to create detailed goals, affirmations that support those goals, and then literally envision yourself obtaining your goals until there is no longer a question of "if" but "when." Good stuff. I feel much more calm about what lies ahead, and I feel confident in my abilities to have our final birth be full of what the others lacked. Isn't it funny how sometimes it takes someone else to reaffirm what you already know and believe? I love you, Dawnie. Thanks for being in tune with the Spirit..again! :)

(For my So. Cal peeps, here is Dawnmarie's website. Along with her hypnotherapy services, she has created some phenomenal seminars geared at helping others overcome their fears and achieve their dreams. Check her out at: www.dreamconversions.com).