typealice

One of the things that has surprised me the most about becoming pregnant is how much I think about it. There’s nothing in particular I think about- I’m not contemplating names or nursery designs, I’m not worrying about money or if I’m going to be a good mother. I’m not worried about Clive’s abilities to be a good father or the health of the child. It’s like a constant ringing in my ears: I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant. I’m starving because I’m pregnant. I’m tired because I’m pregnant. I’m crying because I’m pregnant. I’m throwing up again because I’m pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant. Pregnant.

Names:
We have a girl’s name picked out. No ifs, ands or buts. We’ve known what we’d name a daughter since before we seriously started thinking about children. I have no idea what the middle name would be.

We have no boy’s names picked out. This will take some research. We want our children’s names to mean “ocean”, so it’s a matter of searching through world languages to find a world that means “ocean” that we think will be a suitable boy’s name. The only name that has been brought to the table so far was by me. “Cortez,” and it was quickly dismissed. The Sea of Cortez is where Clive and I went for our first “date.”

Breastfeeding:
I will be breastfeeding. There will be no other method of feeding the baby besides this. I hope to have Clive responsible for burping the baby and partaking in other baby-chores (not just diaper changes!) in order for he and the baby to bond. I plan on breastfeeding for at least two years.

Sleeping Arrangements:
We will be co-sleeping. A friend of mine said it best: “Co-sleeping is safe, healthy, SO much easier for a breastfeeding mother, and so much better for baby. I can’t imagine what it would be like for a baby, whose universe goes from being one where he’s the perfect temperature, never hungry, always safe to being plopped alone in a dark room, behind bars, feeling cold, heat and hunger for the first times. We could not do that to our son. We want his needs met as soon as possible, so that he develops trust in us as his parents and protectors.” We’ll stop co-sleeping when it seems right. I’m not putting a deadline on it.

Being a Vegetarian:
I will continue to be a vegetarian throughout my pregnancy. Unless I go crazy and want to eat a chicken nugget.

On top of being a vegetarian while pregnant, I will be raising our children vegetarian until they can choose for themselves if they want to eat meat. Clive doesn’t have any issues with this, and for that I am lucky. I believe that a vegetarian diet is healthier than a meat eating one, and I refuse to cook meat. If/when the child wants to eat meat, I will recommend/enforce a no-red-meat diet.

Where We’ll Live:
We’re moving to Nova Scotia to have the baby and raise the baby for its first year, probably. We’ll leave Ontario around mid to late-July. I am so close to my family, I wouldn’t want to do this without them. I’m looking forward to being near the ocean and my homeland. I have always felt a strong connection to Nova Scotia, and am looking forward to living there for the first time since 2004 (and even then, I’d only lived there for a couple of months). I haven’t lived in Nova Scotia for a long period of time since 2003, and I miss it dearly. I will miss our friends in Ontario, but I hope to be able to visit a couple of times (flights from Halifax-Toronto are cheap!) to visit Clive’s family and friends. I also expect visitors shortly after the baby is born and onwards.

Birth Options:
I haven’t thought a lot about birth options, but I’ve had it in my mind for the past several years that I will probably end up taking meds during labour and delivery. I will probably try to do it natural, but can absolutely see myself taking the epidural. I see no shame in my being a complete wimp.

Midwife vs OB:
I really want a midwife. I should know this week if I have been approved to get a midwife in the London, Ontario area. I hope to talk to midwives in Nova Scotia this week to see if they’ll take me for the last two months of my pregnancy.

Vaccinations:
I don’t know anything about vaccinations. I am going to have to do some research. They’re a hot topic for mothers-to-be and new mothers.

Circumsizion:
If we have a son, there will be no circumsizion.

Religion:
We will never baptize our children. Ever. Unless they’re adults and that’s what they choose to do.

Diapers:
We’ll be using cloth diapers. I’m also going to do some research on Elimination Communication, and I like the idea a lot (the less poopy diapers, the better!), and may try to do both methods.

Baby Wearing:
I’m going to practice baby-wearing as much as possible. I’m going to try to sew a sling (or ten) similar to this. I’ve seen better designs, but I like the minimalistic versions without a lot of extra fabric. Some of them are really bulky, and I don’t like them at all.

What I Don’t Want:
I don’t want baby decorations or clothing that has to do with the following: Sesame Street characters (Big Bird, Elmo, Oscar, etc), Disney characters, Dora the Explorer etc. Acceptable things are: unrecognizable ducks, teddy bears, frogs, elephants and dinosaurs (etc). I would rather have a Mod style for baby bedding/decorations (see these eBay listings for what I mean).

I don’t want a changing table or a crib. I will want a moses basket or a bassinet for the baby when they’re really young (mostly just so I have a place to put them down, not as an alternative to co-sleeping). I don’t think I’ll use the changing table, and I think it’d just be a waste of money.

What I Do Want:
I really want a Boppy. I’ve heard they’re one of the best breastfeeding tools out there, and they look great for when the baby is older.