Wish list

Week 12 day 5

Wish list for things I want for pregnancy and beyond:

The pregnancy.

• I want to start swimming again, its a low impact exercise and should help me build up muscles that will help me feel better (must remember to talk to my wonderful landlady about going swimming with her)
• I want a normal dull pregnancy with no exciting medical emergencies.
• I want to have as few stretch marks as possible (must remember to start using moisturizer on my tummy)
• I want to find out whether my baby is a boy or a girl at the 20 week scan (I already have a feeling that it's a boy, but I want to find out for sure)
• I want to be able to feel my baby kick me now dammit! (that one I'll probably have to wait till 18-20 weeks)
• I want to have a baby shower! (OK, OK, I just want presents, I like presents!)

The birth.

• I want my baby to not be born early! a little bit late is fine, but early is not!
• I want to try to have a natural birth with no pain killers (very brave of me I know, and may go out the window as soon as things get started, but I want to try)
• I want no medical interventions like forceps or a C-section (I realize this might become necessary for the baby, and if it becomes necessary I will, but if I can get away with it, I don't want it)
• I want to have a water birth (I know my local birthing center has one, it might not be available, but fingers crossed!)
• I want to try hypno-birthing (this is quite fascinating actually, it works on the idea that if your really scared when your giving birth then all your muscles tense in the wrong ways and blood goes to the wrong places, which is what makes everything hurt, and because it's hurting, you get more stressed, so it hurts more. Hypno-birthing teaches you relaxation techniques, like deep meditation and a kind of self hypnosis, and aims to change your perspective so your not terrified of giving birth. apparently its very effective at giving you calm, pain free births. it sounds great in practice!)
• I want Coyote with me to hold my hand.
• I want to hold my baby as soon as its born, I don't care if its covered in gunk!
• I want to breast feed as soon as possible after birth.
• I want to have a couple of hours of skin on skin bonding contact with baby after birth (OK, basically, once I get my baby in my arms, no one is taking it away from me for a while!)

After birth

• I want Coyote to persuade his crappy boss to give him paternity leave!
• I want to breast feed for at least 6 months (and I have no problem breastfeeding for longer if baby doesn't want to ween yet, I think my personal cut off point is one year)
• I want to teach baby sign language (children can't really talk until they are 2, but they can use sign language from 9 months, so even if its really basic things like the sign for 'hungry' and 'nappy' the child can then communicate its needs, it also helps when baby is ready to start talking because it already knows what communication is supposed to be like. I've already got a book and have been learning some!)
• I want to start reading to baby from day one! bed time story is just essential (me and Coyote already have story time together)

and after that...I probably just want what normal parents want, I want my child to be healthy and happy and live a contented life.