I’m at 33 weeks pregnant and am in the middle of the maternity class gauntlet. Jodi’s earlier post about Birthing Classes inspired me write up some of my experiences. 

Lamaze Class at A Local Hospital 

My husband and I signed up for a four week Lamaze class taught through a local hospital. We barely made it through the first class and never went back. Our problem was really with the teacher and not the class, but oh what a big problem it was! 

Right off the bat, the instructor had an unfortunate voice. Loud, nasal… annoying. My willingness to ignore the voice and concentrate on the message may have been a mistake. It turns out that when a screechy harpy voice is mixed with condescension, unsubstantiated claims, anti-doctor paranoia and anti-vaccination messages, the voice quickly becomes intolerable.  » Continue reading “Birthing and Parenting Classes – My Experiences So Far”

First of all I want to announce that I am 5 1/2 months (22 weeks today,  Thursday March 26^th,2009) pregnant with our first child! It’s a boy, and my belly is getting bigger by the day.  My husband has been sweet and wonderful and has decreased his teasing of me to a bare minimum. 

As you may know, pregnancy attracts advice. Most of my friends have been fantastic and have only given me the good and welcome sort of advice, meaning, the advice is either based in scientific fact or admittedly anecdotal and offered as something that helped them and I should take or leave as I see fit. The annoying advice has come from acquaintances and strangers. 

» Continue reading “Smile and Nod”

Part One: Acupuncture & Wheatgrass

It happened again recently that I ran into an acquaintance who was doing acupuncture to help fertility. This happens all the time in LA, really, where many people believe in acupuncture, and where many, many women (at least in my circle) have put off having children until their late 30s or early 40s. I admit that I tried acupuncture myself, at a time when I was diagnosed with serious fertility problems. I spent a couple hundred dollars on sessions with needles and some pills with herbs. I never did take the pills, because I started some actual, medical fertility treatments and didn’t want to combine the medicine I was taking with an unknown element. And then, I decided the acupuncture was silly, so I stopped going.

My travails with infertility pretty much sealed the deal on my becoming a skeptic (or you could say a critical thinker, rational mom, or what have you), because I was embittered by my encounter with alternative medicine and supplements. » Continue reading “How Infertility Made Me a Skeptic”

Elyse over at Skepchick has posted this excellent article that is a wonderfully soothing, reassuring, uplifting and funny letter to all mothers-to-be on how to be rational, relax, enjoy your pregnancy, and not listen to bonehead advice. She tells some refreshing truths that you might not find in your typical “pregnancy is a miracle” book.

Favorite quote:

You may hate being pregnant. Even if you feel great physically. You may not bond with your baby. You may not feel overjoyed and amazed whenever your baby kicks. You may find it annoying. You may feel gross having a person inside you. This is not a sign that you will be a terrible mother. Once your baby is here, you will love it.

If you are, or a lady you love is, currently building a human, check it out!

I’m in my third trimester. I have an obsession with the divine combination of chocolate and peanut butter, no ankles, and breasts that would make the ladies in National Geographic envious.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was elated. My husband and I tried for about 6 months before the baby-making miracle finally occurred. However, looking down at the double pink lines was not as joyous as I had envisioned. I was actually somewhat nervous.

No. I was really nervous.

I grew up in Pennsylvania in a very—and I mean very—Catholic family. I was raised Catholic, baptized Catholic, received all the sacraments, went to Catholic school, attended CCD classes, and I attended church every week—twice—until I was 18.

I moved to South Carolina about 2 and a half years ago to further my career. I now live on the Buckle of the Bible Belt in Upstate SC, home to the most churches and dive bars in the tri-state area.

Oh, and I’m an atheist. So’s my husband.

» Continue reading “Pregnant on the Buckle of the Bible Belt”