My Pregnancy: Week 27

The last week of my second trimester was a good one, especially for Dave!

Dave had two vehicles, neither of which were car seat approved, so he sold his old Jeep and upgraded with his new dadmobile a 2014 F-150 with 34K miles, a huge cab with plenty of room for car seats and dogs, and all the extra towing crap he wanted.  It's easier to drive than I expected, super quiet, and we won't have to borrow a truck anymore (which we've done 3 times in the past 2.5 weeks).  It was a great purchase!

We also officially booked our doula this week!  We're using our Hypnobabies instructor Keli Engleson.  To save a few bucks, we booked her Birthing Day package instead of the full package (which would have additionally given us 2 prenatal and 1 postnatal visits with her).  Since we've already taken the class with her, we didn't think we were missing out on too much and we can always book a postnatal visit with her after the birth.  I'm really excited, I am confident that having a doula will be a huge help in having the birth that I want.

I know a lot of people don't really understand the role of a doula.  From Keli's website:

My roll as a doula is focused on what the mother and couple needs so that the mother can rest assured that her physical and emotional needs will be met throughout her labor and birth. I work with you before labor and delivery answering questions about what to expect, providing information and your options for you to make informed decisions, assisting you in developing a birth plan, teaching you active labor postures and techniques, therapeutic relief, along with providing continuous support during labor and birth and the initial postpartum period.  During labor and delivery I provide continuous, knowledgeable physical and emotional support and answer questions you and your partner have about what’s happening.

People have suggested that Dave could be my doula... but how many births has Dave attended?  Keli will not replace Dave as my birth partner, however she will bring years of experience and a level head to my birthing time.  So when I am experiencing the most intense sensations of my life and Dave isn't sure how he can help me, she will be able to show him some massage techniques or show us an alternative position I can try.  Or when the doctors are pressuring us into a non medically necessary intervention and in the heat of the moment we forget everything we've learned, she will be there to present us all the benefits, risks, alternatives, and evidence based information. 

Otherwise the rest of the week was all about the beach!  We celebrated the 4th of July down in Cape May with visits from my mom, sister, and Shayna all while being pampered by my in-laws.

I didn't do any formal workouts all week, but I did ALL the walking.  Somehow my pregnant booty survived going out 5 nights in a row.

After the fireworks on the 4th, we went out for a ridiculous night of karaoke.  Kimber, Pete, Shayna, and I all got our time to shine on the stage, but the grand finale was when I rapped Missy Elliot's Work It and the crowd went wild!  It was absolutely hilarious and I couldn't stop giggling when it was over and everyone was coming up to high five me.  On our way out, some girl came up to me and said I gave her hope for her future self.  It was such a fun night.

And now, goodbye second trimester!