27 Weeks - What is Hypnobirthing??

27 Weeks

I found this handy chart at Babycenter.com. Even though I know what week we are, I couldn't figure out how to convert that into months or trimesters! Problem solved. We are wrapping up the second trimester this week. We can't believe that she is almost 2 lbs already, but even more unbelievable is that she will gain 4-6 more pounds!! 27 weeks is a big milestone. Baby would now be likely to survive on her own (with LOTS of medical interventions!). I had a minor set back this week with lots of lower back pain and early morning leg cramps...that slowed us down a little early in the week! Hopefully it isn't a sign of what's to come. Now I'm back to feeling great! We have an appointment with our midwives on Tuesday, so we get to check in on baby!

This week we are going to session 3 out of 5 of Hypnobirthing! We are really liking the class so far, and feel like Hypnobirthing is a good match for us. The basic idea is using self-hypnosis to remove the fear and tension from birth in order to let your body do its thing. It feels very familiar to yoga, and is a perfect compliment with some of the things we have been working on in my prenatal yoga class. Jason has been a great birth partner, and is excited about knowing how to help me and the baby "work together" during labor. This video tells about some more of the advantages of Hypnobirthing. Last week we continued to work on relaxation methods, birth breathing, and "prenatal parenting." We are supposed to be working on bonding with the baby. Luckily, I've been reading to my baby every day...and teaching her math and phonics and science...she listens to me talk and sing all day long! We also think she will come out knowing "Bow Down to Washington" and "Tequila!" That's just as good as classical music, right? Jason talks to her a lot, and we both work hard to make sure she is safe and healthy and feels secure in her little world.

She has also been working on bonding with her cousins. Jack (after trying to jump on her), talked to her and sang her a song. We finally spilled the beans to Kenley, and she gave the baby and me a big hug. Also, she's decided the baby should be named either Kenley or Sugar. Add those to the list! We are looking forward to introducing the belly to the BIG Brehm family this weekend at Thanksgiving!