The Pink Kit and Poke/Kick

Today was a really big day, we went to an all day independent antenatal class/workshop. Wow was it good and well and truly worth every cent of the money that we paid. This might sound a bit airy fairy but it was to do with breathing, relaxation and helping to open up the pelvis during labour to assist the baby's birth and also understanding the physiology of what it happening to my body. It was based around the work of a woman by the name of Wintergreen (her whole name) who has created something called the The Pink Kit. We also learnt that Jochen has a really important role to play as my support, not just to sit and hold my hand, give encouraging words and a bit of a massage as I was previously thinking would happen. It will be Jochen's knowledge of me, how I deal with pain and his understanding my body language that will help him to know what I need to do, focus on, breathe through or relax that will be so essential. He will also help me to prepare my body beforehand with massage and stretches so that it is able to deal with the birth hopefully easier and quicker and to use those same techniques during the birth to help open up more room for the baby to travel through. It will be a real team effort and something that we will really be able to share together.

I was so scared of labour before this workshop, actually terrified is probably a better description, but I'm now feeling a lot more confident that we can do this without having lots of intervention, painkillers or an epidural. Jochen and I can do this together to help Ernie come into this world in the best way possible and if for some reason we do need some of that intervention I will know that we have done everything we could. It is nice not to feel so scared anymore, or at least in a more reasonable way. For the first time I actually believe that I can do this and that I will be able to manage the pain in a way that will not harm Ernie.

Anyway, on to Ernie. Our busy little kicker is still busy kicking. Some days it feels like she doesn't stop but I suppose it just depends on what I'm doing as to how much I notice it. Occasionally there has even been a slippery, slidey type feelings - very strange and quite weird. Even more interesting the game that Ernie and her father seem to have developed - a game which I have called poke/kick. A very simple game, with very simple rules - Jochen pokes me in the stomach, Ernie kicks me back. Fun for the whole family. Well those two anyway. Ernie really does seem to be responding to the poking and when you think about it she has done this since the first time I felt her move at 16 weeks. It's not so fun for me when Jochen decides to play this game in bed at night just before he goes to sleep, yes I do mean he. First he stirs her up, then he rolls over, goes to sleep and starts snoring. I'm left being seriously kicked for a good while afterwards and lay there tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable whilst attempting to block out the sledge hammer noises coming from Jochen's side of the bed. Apparently this is all just practice for the lack of sleep that I will have once she has arrived.

Have I mentioned how much I love my little girl lately.... well I do... and I really can't wait to meet her in another 13 weeks or so.