Birth Ball Exercises

I've gotten my birth ball out, and DH aired it up for me to the precise specifications.  Well, I'm sitting on it, and it feels a  lot better.  I can't kneel, so what are some other exercises I can do on a birthing ball?  Just so you know, I'm expecting answers from all my midwife, doula, nurse, and experienced followers!

Swine Flu and 16-Week OB Appointment

Well, my OB appointment on Monday marks my 16-week milestone.  I can't believe it has gone so quickly!  He checked the heart rate - 156.  Any guesses as to what it will be?  He said baby and mommy are healthy and apparently happy :)

He brought up flu shots.  I told him we don't do flu vaccines.  Then he brought up the H1N1 vaccine.  We don't do that one either.  But I told him I thought I had already had it.  We talked about fever and other symptoms.  He said he would go ahead and mark it down as swine flu and wouldn't bother worrying about the vaccine.  I felt safer getting the swine flu than getting the vaccine.  Not that I wanted the swine flu, but it's a lot safer than that vaccine, in my opinion. 

He asked about the AFP test (I think that's what it's called) for my next visit.  Not quite remembering what that one was, I asked what the results of the test could do for me.  He said I could either continue the pregnancy or choose to terminate it.  Such a nice way to put murdering my baby!  I told him that I wouldn't be doing that test because there was no way I was going to abort, no matter what the test might find.  That just makes me sick to my stomach!  I'm so glad he's not pushing me to do this or some other tests.  He actually seemed very glad that abortion was not an option.  That's a relief to me :)

Pregnancy Cravings

For my last pregnancy, I had a Bradley birth, and I was very impressed with how well this method worked for eliminating the need for pain medications and other interventions. Part of the Bradley plan is to follow a specific diet while you are pregnant, and I was very strict about the things I would allow myself to eat. Once I found out I was pregnant, there was absolutely NO cheating whatsoever. So this time I have followed the plan. (Except for once, one the first day of school - our homeschooling group met at the donut shop, and I allowed myself one glazed donut.) Since then, no cheating on anything.

I am a firm believer that pregnancy cravings can reflect what a woman is needing in particular at that moment. For example, ice cream and pickles could mean an extra need for dairy and salt. This being the case, I have had 4 cravings in particular from the very beginning, and I can't for the life of me figure out what my body needs more of. Fried bologna, hot dogs, my mother-in-law's homemade apple pie, and the biggie - key lime pie! Every time I get hungry, this is all I can think of, especially the key lime pie. Now the hot dogs and fried bologna - I thought that was telling me I needed more protein or something. But just the thought of say hamburger meat makes me ill. Just in case, I'm making double-venison stew for supper. With the apple pie, I thought it meant I should eat more fruit, say apples. So I ate three apples the other day because I would eat one every time I wanted that forbidden pie. It didn't put a dent in that dumb craving. And I have absolutely no idea why I'm wanting that key lime pie so badly. But it's for sure I can't have it. Diabetes runs in my family, and I certainly don't want to tempt gestational diabetes by eating sugary stuff!

What could this mean!?!?!?

I am desperate for some answers if anyone has any.

First OB Visit

Yesterday morning was my first visit with my baby doctor. Everything is going fine, and since the pregnancy is confirmed by a professional, DH doesn't have weird feelings about me telling folks anymore :) Since all due dates in his office are magically changed to a Monday, so was mine... By my calculations, I would have been due April 14th. By his, it's now April 12th. It's a Monday, of course! Everything seems to be going well. He asked me how I was feeling when he first walked in. Sick, as usual. So then he offered me a prescription for something for nausea. I told him that was o.k., that I didn't think I really needed it. But it did serve to remind me that he's a doctor, and he sees pregnancy as something I need to be delivered from, as medically as possible.

Oh well. At least he still looks enough like Santa Claus I can pretend.