| Dad's Diary |
| Archived Journal |
| Week 37 Volume I The Health Update Erika went in to see the midwives yesterday for a regularly scheduled appointment. There are 3 midwives in this practice and we had only seen two of them as of yet. So, this time they wanted us to meet the third one, mainly so we had met them all before the big day (the 3 split up the birthing duties so it's possible we could have this one in the delivery room with us). This midwife was very nice and will be easy to work with. However, she had a much more "full participation" philosophy than I am used to. She had me find the baby's heartbeat and had both Erika's mom (who went along to the appointment) and me pinch Erika's stomach to feel the baby's head. I think the midwife was a little disappointed at my less-than-euphoric reaction at all this. I mean, it was fine and all, but, as you know, I prefer leaving this stuff to the professionals (that's what they get paid for, right?)--and I'll have plenty of time to feel the baby's head after he's born! So, while I'm sure a delivery with her would go great, I would be a little less enthusiastic about it, because I could see her goading me into "catching" the baby or making me feel guilty about not cutting the cord or something like that. Tick, Tick, Tick Also, at this appointment, the midwife said that although the official due date is still May 15, first mothers are often 1-2 weeks late in delivering. So, we could be right back where we started at May 29. Erika's head did a slow drop when she heard that. It's been more and more uncomfortable for her every day and the thought of going to work for 3 more weeks in this state is a little depressing. But, overall, she's really doing great despite the discomfort and even voluntarily took the bus to work today. Amazing. Next time: The Cuisinart Philosophy Week 37 Volume II The Health Update Erika has caught a poorly-timed cold and cough. It's not real serious, but she is coughing and wheezing a little. She's tired and needs to rest. After all, she'll need her energy soon. Luckily, right now she's cutting some Z's. Otherwise, she is feeling pretty good and we even took public transit one-way today to work. The Cuisinart Philosophy So, we had our meeting with our interim pediatrician the other day. It went fine and was very brief. She said the purpose of the visit was for us to ask her any questions we had. She also laid out a schedule of visits we are supposed to make after the baby is born. I think it's 2-weeks, 2-months, etc., but I need to double-check those with Erika. I knew we should've written those down. However, the pediatrician is very good at returning messages as I've already found out, so I'm sure we can call her to find out when we need to come in with the baby. According to our friends, this pediatrician is known for her philosophy that unless your child has gotten their hand caught in the Cuisinart, they don't have to come in for a special visit. As someone who has not gone to the doctor in over 5 years (horrible, I know, and I always say I'm going to go but never get around to doing it), I can relate to this philosophy. However, I wonder what sort of parent I will be in that regard. Just because I stay away from the doctor doesn't necessarily mean I'll be that way with the baby. Actually, I encourage everyone to go to the doctor except myself. At the first sign of illness for the baby, though, I'll probably be dialing 911. Only time will tell. Next time (with apologies to Bullwinkle): With Friends Like These... or Closing Time |