Goodnight Mom

On the second visit to my OBGYN, Dr K, she told me that according to a medical calculation I have a 61% chance of having a successful vaginal birth if I wanted to try labor. Sometimes referred to as TOLAC (trial of labor after cesarean) and VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). I was only 12 weeks pregnant at the time. It felt super early in the pregnancy to even think about birthing plans, but she wanted to bring it up to give me plenty of time to think about it. Her job as my doctor is to share information about the risks. Both options, another c-section and VBAC, come with potential risks. For the past 18 weeks, I’ve been trying to figure out what the risks are and what I feel most comfortable with. I’ve been trying to figure out what is the best decision for me and this baby. The most up-to-date figure I can find is from 2013, when the average success rate for women in the U.S. who attempted a trial of labor after one previous cesarean was 70%.  Most literature encourages TOLAC/...

OK, it’s time for the obligatory body image blog post.  Before discovering I was pregnant, I had been going to the gym regularly. I was motivated. The gym was close to work and I could go swimming on my lunch break. I used YouTube videos to guide my full body workouts. My husband Steve and our friend Greg joined another gym closer to home, and their activity encouraged me as well. I had put on nearly 10lb from a 3 week vacation in England (thank you Cadbury’s ). I was uncomfortable in my clothes; it didn’t feel great. I just wanted to reset my eating habits and my exercise habits to lead a more energetic life.  And it was working! In two months I lost my vacation weight. My arms were looking more toned and I really loved the curves at my waist and hips. Yes, I still had my belly. Til death do us part. I love that little squish (mostly!), regardless of what mainstream society tells me to think about it. After months of working out I felt confident to ride my bike aro...