Well Adjusted Babies by Dr. Jennifer Barham-Florani

This is my favourite baby book so far. Ok, so it's the only one I've fully read, but it's a good one! I'm reviewing good ideas I read in the book-

"Your thoughts have a direct physical effect on your body. Affirmations are a useful method for improving physical and emotional well-being."

Some affirmations for pregnancy:
-I welcome the changes occurring in my body and I feel radiant.
-I listen to my intuition and am guided each day on how to nurture my body with good food, rest and exercise.
-Today I express health and peace of mind
-I am centered and ready for our beautiful birth
-My body is designed to carry life and give birth.
-I am a wonderful mother. (Yippeee!)

Those are just some, but I'm sure I'll incorporate my own meditations full of praise and thanksgiving and receiving God's peace. I do think this is a wonderful step in preparing my mind and spirit. I want to write these affirmations/medidations on little cards and stick them around my house.

'One of the most common complaints for new mothers is that they feel that they are not encouraged enough during the pregnancy to plan ahead for motherhood and that too much focus is placed on the birth itself. As a result, many women feel completely daunted during the first four to six months of motherhood.'

Hmmmm. Do you mom's out there agree? The book suggests things to do to connect with the baby... allowing myself time to be 'still,' nurturing myself (even every evening!) with things like a candle-lit bath, evening walks, etc.. Again, the purpose of these times being to slow-down, relax, and think about/connect with the baby.

Lastly,

'Plan a pre-baby holiday...'

The book suggests that around 30 weeks Mark and I should take a mini-holiday... to reflect on our relationship (as once the baby is born she says it takes tremendous effort from each partner to focus on the relationship). She says 'indulge in the romance now and tell each other stories of what it's going to be like to share your world with a baby.'

I'm already thinking about where we could go, but of course, money is always an issue. Well, if we have a car by then... we can find somewhere to go. This is where house-swapping can come in handy. Sometimes it's nice just to be in a different environment.

This is all so exciting to me, although it still doesn't feel completely real. I continue to feel tired and achey, and not too interested in food, although I am eating. I haven't had any unusual cravings, although I try to listen to my body... is it thirsty? hungry? for what? Today when I got home, sparkling water sounded good and I'm still drinking it now. I unfortunately have been eating a lot of Rice Bubbles (Crispies) and Corn Flakes, mostly because of convenience... and I guess the blandness appeals to me too.

How my baby's growing:

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from my baby's hands and feet, his/her eyelids practically cover their eyes, breathing tubes extend from their throat to the branches of their developing lungs, and their "tail" is just about gone. In their brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. The external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether I'm having a boy or a girl. Either way, my baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting (wow!), though I still can't feel it.