Come Hell or Broken Water

If there is a natural way to induce labor, believe me we have tried it--except for Castor Oil, which I cannot find in Korea (gee shucks). The breast pump gives me the best contractions but is the least enjoyable. Acupuncture is relaxing and the signs on the way are a bonus!

This view is me looking down at my tummy.
Five in my tummy, one in each hand, more on my inner calves, feet and pinky toes,
then they burn the herbs (also at the pinky toes)

And I thought my feet were bad. Seems like these pics would have
showcased a better "after" with a little mani/pedi, no?
 And I think the pic to the right is to correct bowed legs?
I had no idea that was something people didn't like about themselves.

The most popular procedure in Korea is blepharoplasty or eyelid surgery.

Kyle and I stayed busy through the due date and the weekend with all our various natural induction strategies and stocking up at Costco for my parents' visit .  And while we had not achieved active labor by Sunday, I felt like I could use a couple more days to try to go "on my own" rather than being induced.

After talking to our Doula Sunday night, we made the decision to ask our doc to let us go a few more days.  I just really wasn't ready and felt true anxiety about being induced. I even cried. I really surprised myself.  Lisa (our Doula) said that it was our decision and that if we felt that strongly that we should talk to our doctor. I must say, I appreciate that Lisa is able to support and inform without offering an opinion.  On Monday Dr. Kwon agreed to delay the induction until Thursday.  Note: From what we've learned, Korean docs do not like to let people go past their due date. Dr. Kwon, very comfortable dealing with expats, has been most agreeable to our wishes, mostly because I have had such an "unremarkable" pregnancy.

Kyle took the week off in anticipation of our labor being induced on Tuesday. He was a very good sport, indeed, about supporting me in delaying the induction, even though he was scheduled to be off work. He was like, "It will be just the two of us hanging out, it will be fun!" And it has been. I told him he could go into the office, but he admitted--mostly because of the little episode of anxiety Sunday--that he would rather be here to keep me relaxed and calm. Yes, he is really that sweet.

Staying relaxed has been a challenge for both of us, I will admit, but not because of Baby C. More because of this:

Living Room
(we spent the day upstairs playing Wii and having a picnic lunch using our ironing board as a table)

Kitchen
(needless to say we ordered out for lunch)

Pete hasn't really had a problem staying relaxed.

Demonstrating the proper use of a body pillow

Anyway, contractions are more severe as time passes (pretty brutal one right now actually) even though they are not yet steady for more than four or five hours. I don't know what happened, but I no longer feel anxiety about the induction.

I feel like my body is ready and I feel positive about the result that might come from giving my body a little push, where on Monday I felt like I was racing against a deadline and was usurping my own natural process.

So, come hell or broken water, Baby C will be on his or her way!

:)sbc

PS--I finally had a "gender" dream last night: Twins. African American. Girls. I remember in my dream putting my arm against their bodies and being like, "Yeah, that is pretty close." So much for having a dream about the gender!

When I told my mom my dream this morning, she said that I am ready because I am now hallucinating. Hahahaha!

Can't Hurt, Might Help

Baby C is pretty smart. I think he or she is waiting until our house doesn't look like this anymore:

Remember the movie "ET?" That's my house right now

This is the work being done on the bathroom. Coming right along (really, they do work fast).

Wednesday's acupuncture appointment went well.  The facility is in an area called Gangnam. Very high rent, very pro-plastic surgery, very alternative medicine-y. This is one of many curious signs in the subway:

It's a chair that melts your butt away? No idea. Digging the stirrups, though.
 Wonder what the blue chair does. I can only imagine.
Oh, maybe that is her "after" and now she can fit into tiny chairs?
If only I could read Korean.

Dr. Royer is a very nice Austrian who knows my friend and Yoga teacher Katja, providing a nice ice breaker. After the small talk he put a few needles in my toes, inner shins, belly and one in each hand. It did not hurt (and, hey, it might help). Then, his assistant came to burn the herbs...moxum or something. I don't know. My job is to chill out, so that is what I do while she chats with me. 

Wednesday night I had contractions strong enough to wake me up. After about a half hour, I thought about getting into the bathtub to just relax and let the contractions keep coming, but they must have stopped because I fell back asleep.

Thursday started with acupuncture and then I met up with Dorie in Itaewon for "Sip and See" at Julianne's. Julianne is a friend and a designer and had a little art show/sale at her house.

Some pieces from a Chinese artist that Julianne reps.

Pieces from a Vietnamese artist

A little closer view

Next acupuncture is tomorrow morning. I will be sure to take a picture of more of the funny advertisements--maybe of the toe surgery poster, it's a good one. 

:)sbc

Estimated Due Date

Today is my estimated due date. Key word: Estimated. :)

We had a doc appointment Monday and everything (amniotic fluid, placenta, baby's position, blood pressure, etc) is fine...so we wait until Baby C--who has an estimated weight of 4kg (8.8 lbs)--says go.  Dr. Kwon will let us go to week 41 before she checks levels again.

I spent the morning at flower class, followed by a long, leisurely lunch with Nicole, Dorie and Susan.

Susan, me, Nicole at Susan's "wig party" a few weeks ago. Super fun!

I ended my afternoon at the Multicultural Center, in my continued quest to conquer GMarket (imagine if Ebay and Target had a baby...this would be GMarket) once and for all, but still couldn't get my domestic credit card to work (which really begs the question of having a domestic credit card if they do everything in their power to not let anyone but Koreans use them). The ladies there are so nice, they couldn't get my stuff to work either, so they put my purchases on their card and I gave them cash. And, they are going to establish my account for me online with the Korean version of the site and hopefully next time I will click right through!  Still no luck on the Dreft, but I'll keep looking.

Tomorrow we'll start with the usual Wednesday morning Yoga at my house, and then I have an acupuncture appointment at 4pm as recommended by our Doula. I have never been, so I am looking forward to it. Then we might have a baby. Or maybe we'll wait another day :)

:)sbc

PS--As I write this, Kyle is on the stairmaster and singing along to his ipod and from what I can tell, the current song is Michael Jackson's "Bad." So cute.

Nesting, Nesting, One-Two-Three

Today I am 38 weeks and three days pregnant.

38 weeks, three days

        

28 weeks

35 weeks

This morning I thought it might be fun to practice swaddling.
On Pete.
If you know Pete, you know that he loves three things: Me, food and being under a blanket.

A solid swaddle for sure

Signature Pete move: getting his face under the covers

Success! Fully hidden

Poor guy has no idea what is about to happen to our lives

But, let's give Pete some credit because he can certainly sense something is up. He stays close (closer than normal) and causes drama at meal time by slowing picking through his food and making little messy piles around the kitchen. Today he brought me a little mouthful and left it at my feet. Perhaps watching me bend to clean it up is amusing?

Messy

The baby's room is unpacked and mostly set up, just waiting on the wall decor (on its way). Oh, and the baby--waiting on that, too ;).

:)sbc

Spring Seoul Shower

Today I enjoyed a Baby Shower hosted by my good friends Dorie, Susan and Katja and attended by several of the friends I have made during my time in Seoul.

Events like this are especially fun because of the differences in our cultures. At least three of the guests had never been to a baby shower in their lives. It's just fun to learn all the little nuances.  The English call diapers nappies, strollers are prams and pacifiers are dumb-dumbs. In Sweden there is a special place (a petting zoo, if I recall) that has a tree that kids visit to hang up--literally and figuratively--their pacifiers and start life as a big boy or girl.  Then there is the gender guessing. The Kiwis think I am having a boy because I want fruit all the time. The Americans think it's a girl for the same reason.  I could go on and on.

It was so fun and I feel so loved.

Stork Cake
Made of expertly placed and decorated cupcakes--Genius!

Dorie, Susan, Shelby, Katja

My cupcake-cake and my nappie-cake

Delicious!
(I took the cupcake with the baby's face)

                

L to R: Paula, Nikki, Frances, Karin, Terri, Sue and Jesica

Jesica and Dorie

Paula and Frances

Jesica and Susan

Stephanie and Julianne

A very generous Spa Package from the group makes a girl smile :)

Year of the Rabbit:  Custom drawing on rice paper. Really cool.

I was very impressed by everyone's creativity. Shopping gender neutral is hard enough, but shopping gender neutral in Korea for western items must have been really challenging!

Thanks to all my lovely expat friends who help make Seoul feel just a little closer to home.

:)sbc