I don't know if this happens to you guys as well - but, whenever I'm close to a deadline, instead of panicking, a strange calm overtakes me. My mind gets split in two. There will be one half urging me to get to work on whatever it is, screaming and running about, throwing a scene. The other half will opt for a laid back attitude where procrastination is dominant.
At the moment,I've got a list of things that need to be done before the end of next week [for obvious reasons], however the only thing I feel like doing is sleep. Knowing that this will be the last few moments of complete silence I will be getting for a while makes me appreciate it more and wanting to savour it.
Tomorrow I've got another prenatal class. I must remember to let the midwife know that this may very well be my last one so that if there is any important info she needs to dish out, I'll be sure to obtain it.
Oh, and just in case you were wondering what the doll I was making is, here's the finished result:
As silly as it may sound, the idea that Creature will be popping out soon is strange. People around me, as well as myself, got used to the pregnancy. To think that there will be another major change happening puts you back to square one where you have to learn how to deal with it all.
I'm quite looking forward to finding out whether Creature is a boy or a girl. It will be odd not calling him/her Creature after having used that nickname for so long!
I have been pondering this subject for a while... I've already clarified why embarrassing photos are taken... What I cannot figure out though, is why children are encouraged to make complete and utter fools of themselves on video, only to have it uploaded on Youtube.
A lot of the internet sensation children happen to be of the overly obese variety too - which to me is quite concerning. Not only are the parents of the children in question willing to have the world take the piss out of their child - with the possibility of that episode coming back to haunt them later on in life... but they are also willing to ignore their child's apparent health issues.
Yes, chubby children can be cute. Cute only lasts until their weight becomes a cause for bullying, as well as bringing along health problems. Those worthy of the title 'Mum' and 'Dad' will have done their best to safeguard the health of their child whilst in utero. Why should it be any different once they pop out?
A brief article I received by e-mail yesterday also made me think that maybe, not enough people invest the time to ensure their children are being encouraged to be healthy when under someone else's supervision. You'll know how much thought I have been giving to Childcare once I return back to work if you have been following this blog. It is not possible for me to understand how anyone can do any less when it comes to choosing who to trust with their child's well-being, and where to 'dump' the child whilst they [i.e. parent[s]s] are unavailable.
As a Nerd myself, I value the academic aspect of pre-school facilities. I cannot deny though, that unstructured play is vital as well. Running around, playing pretend, making up stories and games - all of this is a staple in childhood. Or rather, was, back in "my days". I would want my child to know the joys of imagination and creativity - not just to act like a trained monkey.
By allowing your child to potentially get hurt - within reason - you're also teaching them coping mechanisms and giving them the chance to earn their Battle Scars. When I was younger, my legs were always full of bruises and my knees were constantly scabby and scraped. I recall a few occasions when such injuries were incurred, and to be honest, they are memories I treasure.
Bottom line is this: Allow children to be children. Take care of their health, and don't throw obstacles in their way that might leave long-term damaging side-effects. It is uncalled for and to me, pure evil.
A few weeks ago I came across the most amazing story I had read in a while. It was the story of a baby who was born clinically dead - but after a couple of hours of being held by his mother, he slowly came back to life. I was amazed.
Clicky here to read and watch the story of how a certain Ms Kate Ogg revived her son.
OK. Now that you've watched it, don't tell me it didn't make you teary-eyed. I found it spectacular. What this mother did is referred to as Kangaroo Care.
So, what's Kangaroo Care?
In simple terms - it is skin-to-skin therapy of sorts provided by parents usually to premature babies - however it is also beneficial for full term babies too. All it consists of is holding Baby skin-to-skin against you, instead of having layers of clothing/blankets in between you. By holding Baby on your chest, it will be the closest thing to recreating the uterus environment for him/her - which is pretty reassuring.
The idea behind it is that Baby is allowed to listen to your heartbeat and feel your warmth which is reassuring to Baby - especially after such a traumatic experience such as Birth.
By being in contact with your naked skin, it also helps Baby regulate their body temperature more smoothly than what any incubator can achieve.
After reading the aforementioned article, I mentioned it to my midwife on my next visit, and she informed me that skin-to-skin contact is something they encourage even over here. Awesome! That to me indicates that Malta is catching up with the rest of the world when these matters are involved.
Unless your in sub-zero temperatures, I would recommend you give this a shot - you only stand to gain from it really. Kangaroo care benefits you as a parent as it promotes attachment and bonding, improves parental confidence, and helps to promote increased milk production and breastfeeding success.Kangaroo care arguably offers the most benefits for preterm and low birth weight infants, who experience more normalised temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate,increased weight gain, fewer nosocomial infections and reduced incidence of respiratory tract disease Additionally, research has indicated that preterm babies who experience this kind of care have improved cognitive development, decreased stress levels, reduced pain responses, normalised growth, and positive effects on motor development.It also helps to improve sleep patterns of infants, and may be a good intervention for colic. Earlier discharge from hospital is also a possible outcome Finally, kangaroo care helps to promote frequent breastfeeding, and can enhance mother-infant bonding.
Win-win situation that doesn't cost you a penny!
So on this insomniac note, I'll leave you with Australia's finest!
We've all heard of them. But how many people actually know what the Old Wives' Tales are all about?
Wikipedia describes them as:
Old wives’ tales originate in the oral tradition of storytelling. They were generally propagated by illiterate women, telling stories to each other or to children. The stories did not attempt to moralise, but to teach lessons and make difficult concepts like death or coming of age easy for children to understand. Also these stories are used to scare children so they don't do certain things.
These tales were often collected by literate men, and turned into written works. Fairy tales by Basile, Perrault, and the Grimms have their roots in the oral tradition of women. These male writers took the stories from women, with their plucky, clever heroines and heros, and turned them into morality tales for children.
Let's have a look at a few of them.
If a pregnant woman sees something ugly, she will have an ugly baby.
Have you ever seen a newborn baby? They are ugly creatures for the first couple of days!
A full moon was believed to cause a woman to go into labor and give birth.
If this were true, no pregnancy would be brought to full term since there is a Full Moon every 28 days. If the Full Mood brought on labour, it would mean that the first Full Mood to rise would lead to a miscarriage.
Using a string, hang your wedding ring over your pregnant belly. You are having a girl if the ring swings back and forth and it’s a boy if it swings in a circle.
I wonder how accurate this method is. To be honest, this is a variant of the pendulum which is used for divination purposes. I don't feel that it is accurate at all since someone's hand can very easily tremble without anyone realising it, thus influencing the outcome. Also, how would this work for unmarried mums-to-be?
The Mayan tale adds the mothers age at conception and the year of conception. If the result is a even number then mom is having a girl. If the result is an odd number then a boy is on the way
According to this, Creature will be a boy.
If you have acne while pregnant, it’s a girl. It’s thought that acne during pregnancy is caused by the extra hormones.
Extra hormones are there regardless of gender.
People believe that if you are craving salty foods while pregnant, you can count on having a boy. If you crave sweets, fruit, and orange juice, you are having a little girl.
Now, this is one thing I don't believe in. I'm nearly at the end of the pregnancy, and my cravings have not changed. Whatever I used to crave before the pregnancy, I crave now. The one exception I might make is Chocolate Milk. Then again, I believe cravings are nothing more than your body telling you that you need this or that. When it comes to the milk, it makes sense since milk contains calcium, and a higher quantity of calcium is needed throughout the pregnancy to help build the fetus's bones.
The person that is most aggressive in bed at the time of conception is the opposite of what the baby will be.
Ok.... what if both parties were equally as aggressive?
If the pregnant woman is graceful throughout her pregnancy, she’s having a girl. If she becomes clumsy, she’s having a boy.
Seeing as clumsiness increases the bigger you get - due to a bigger shift in your centre of gravity..... I don't know what to make of this one. If I were to blieve this tale, Creature's gender changed a few weeks ago from girl to boy.
If a pregnant woman prefers to lay on her left side, she’s having a boy. If she prefers resting on her right side, she’s having a girl.
One's preference entirely depends on the fetus's positioning. Since Creature tends to shift his/her bulk on the left side, I tend to sleep on my right side more often than not.
If you had a smooth pregnancy with no morning sickness, it’s a boy. If you were sick or felt really nauseous during your pregnancy, it's a a girl.
If you ask me, if you have had a smooth pregnancy, you were bloody lucky.
And last but not least, my personal favourite!
If you are really moody, you are having a girl since you have another extra girl hormones in you. Your pregnancy will make you smile and be more happy if you are having a boy because there’s a little penis inside you.
