SPD

The first half of this pregnancy really has been smooth sailing, other than this one irritation that got to the point that I had to address it.

It started at around week 15. I would feel pain in the front of my pubic bone which was especially bad at night. Rolling over bed was sometimes excruciating. At first I thought this was just a common pregnancy symptom, but as the weeks went on and it got a little worse I began to wonder what the problem was. At one point I couldn't possibly stand on one foot to put on socks or shoes and that is when I realized this was not just normal pregnancy stuff.

After looking into and talking to my midwife it turns out that I have a condition called SPD. It probably sounds worse than it is (too close to STD, although it's nothing like that). It stands for Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction. It occurs when the pelvic bone starts to spread too early. The pelvic bone joints are not designed to allow movement, EXCEPT for when a woman becomes pregnant. A hormone called relaxin is produced which loosens all the pelvic ligaments in order to allow the pelvis slight movement at the time of birth. For some reason, the ligaments occasionally loosen too much and too early before birth. This means they can't keep the pelvic joints stable so the pelvis moves. All this is made worse by the increased weight of the growing baby and sometimes the symphysis pubis joint actually separate slightly. The result is pain in the pubic area.

Some of the symptoms are "sharp pain and discomfort when rolling over in bed" or "inability to stand on one leg", which described my condition to a T! I was so relieved to find out I wasn't imagining this, and that I could actually put a name on what I was feeling. After all, knowing is half the battle. Unfortunately the other half of the battle isn't that simple. The other half is figuring out what to do about it and there is no clear answer on this one. One option is going to a chiropractor, which I am considering. At this point with our given financial position I am just kind of praying and weighing (my options that is). The severity can range from mild to severe and I am just hoping that my case will not be that severe.

The Prego Progress Pics

Well, yesterday I attempted to do my maternity photos on my own during Z's nap time and I wish I hadn't. Setting up the backdrop, lights, tripod, camera, and getting myself pulled together was too much. Not to mention the running back and forth to hit the shutter and then pose. Ugh, what was I thinking?

So far I have done the first and second photos in a series of 3. In the end it will include one from each trimesters.



I have definitely been growing. I have gained over 10 pounds so far and the belly button that used to be a never ending mysterious hole has now stretched into an almost flat, but very wide dimple. The baby weighs aproximately 1 pound so I am guessing that she has at least 7 more to gain before the big day. I am sure my husbands t shirt will be stretched to the max by then!

Look Back and Laugh: Donuts

My friend Hannah took this photo at her son's birthday party. The girl on the left is asking Z where his baby sister is and that is my belly pooching out on the right. He is aware that there is a baby on the way, and that he is going to be a big brother. He knows that her name is Sedona, but the cute thing is he calls her "donut"! My only concern is with as much as we have been rehearsing the details of our growing family he is going to start telling people that I have a "donut" in my belly. The thing is, depending on the time of day that could be totally true.

Half Way There

Can you believe October is almost over. I guess I better do my monthly maternity update. For starters, in case there is anyone that didn't catch it in my last post, we did find out that we are having a GIRL! My mom was in town and got to be at the sonogram when we found out. The next day we made pink cupcakes and brought them to the Wednesday night dinner we have at our church. When it was time for dessert I ripped off the tin foil in front of everyone, and they all reacted with cheers and applause. It was one of those unforgettable life moments.

There were many other milestones that took place this past month. For starters I am at 21 weeks, which means I have crossed the halfway mark. I can feel the baby kick now and J has been able to feel her movements some too. Then last week I started feeling braxton hicks for the first time. I know it doesn't typically happen until the third trimester so it scared me a little, but they are not at all frequent or painful so I should be okay. Hopefully that just means that my body will be really prepared when the time comes. Speaking of getting prepared I have already started nesting. ME, NESTING!? I thought that it typically happened right before the baby came, but I read from several sources that it commonly begins at 5 months. Well, in that case I am right on schedule! I've suddenly had this extreme urge to clean and organize and what's even more bizarre is that I have actually gone through with it. I don’t know if this nesting stage will continue on into the 3rd trimester when my energy level begins to mellow out again, but I will take what I can get.

Last but not least I got to park in a designated expectant mother parking spot at Babies R Us.
Pretty big deal if you ask me. There is more to share and I will be posting all week. Hopefully with some new maternity pictures. For now I’ve got to go load the dish washer, and finish stacking up the boxes for J to take up to the attic, and then sweep the floors, and maybe mop too and…

A final word and special announcement

All week I have been talking about women and the ongoing struggle with body image. I know it's a sensitive subject, but it's a big issue and if it isn't dealt with it has the power to destroy lives. That is why as a woman I feel I have some responsibility in changing the way women define their self worth and it all starts with how I view myself.

There is a quote by Naomi Wolf, author of The Beauty Myth, that says:

"A Mother who radiates self-love and self-acceptance actually VACCINATES her daughter against low self-esteem."

I remember the first time I heard this quote, before I ever had any children, and it just resonated in me. I need to have love for myself, not in a way that is proud or self-seeking, but as David said in the Psalms to recognize that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. To stop obsessing over how I look or feel like I am perceived and start to focus my energy outward. I always felt like someday I would have a daughter and I could tell her how pretty she was all day long, but if I had a hatred toward myself and my body then my efforts to encourage her would be useless.

Earlier this week I found out that we are going to have a girl! I feel blessed and honored to have a daughter. Her name will be Sedona. In 2006 we traveled to Sedona Arizona and absolutely fell in love with the place.


For someone who has spent their whole life in the suburbs it was refreshing to be in a place that is surrounded by natural beauty. We didn't have any children at the time, but we felt like if we ever had a girl her name would be Sedona. If you were to look up the meaning or popularity of the name Sedona you probably wouldn't be able to find much information. Believe me I know because that is what I did.

It is not a very common name, which just makes me like it that much more. It means a lot to us though because the name represents the beauty of God's creation and as Sedona grows up and goes through good times and bad I want her to know she is in fact a beautiful creation. Even as she stays nestled in my belly right now every part is coming together as the designer has intricately formed and created her to be. What a miracle she is. What a miracle we all are. I can't wait to meet my beautiful little girl.

Captivating

In 2006 I read a book that really helped contribute to the transformation that I shared about in Monday's post. I loved the book so much that I even lead a Bible study to discuss the some of the book's concepts with other women (the first and only time I have ever done that). The book is called Captivating and was written by best selling author John Eldredge along with his wife Stasi. The book talks about the heart of a woman and how each of us has within us the desire to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, and to unveil beauty. The book uses scriptures, movies, songs, quotes, and life experiences as part of the unveiling the mystery of a woman's soul.

There are a lot of wonderful eye opening, heart changing, revelations in the book, but the part about beauty really delves into the body image issue that most of us women struggle with. It does not try to squash the idea that we want to be desired, to be found attractive or beautiful, instead it nourishes it. The book encourages cultivating beauty in the way God intended it to be.

For me this book is one of my all time favorites and I personally would recommend it, although when I was doing some research online and read the Captivating wikipedia article it states that it is "a popular and controversial book in the American/Christian market." I never knew it was consider "controversial", but then again what isn't? At least everything that I am involved in seems to be. I am not saying the whole book is flawless, but you can use your own discretion.

In conclusion, it's a great book that I recommend, especially involving some of what I have been talking about this week. I know it's been out for a while, but if you haven't read it you may want to look it up, or if your like me and it's been a while it may be worth reading again.

Things That Encourage Positive Body Image

Yesterday I ranted a little, and believe me it was light, about negative images of women in marketing. I could go on and on about that, but I really only touched on the Ralph Lauren ad scandal. That is not to say however that there is nothing out there that makes me feel like someone got it right. Here are just a couple of the products that encourage me that the state of women's individuality, inner, and outer beauty are not all going down the toilet!

First of all I believe Dove has done a phenomenal job over the past few years taking a realistic and encouraging approach to beauty products. From the young girl ashamed of her body contemplating not eating lunch, to the middle aged career woman feeling pressure to have surgery in order to succeed in life, Dove has inspired millions to feel comfortable in their own skin. Their campaign for real beauty is something I can definitely give my stamp of approval. Thank you dove for choosing your own unique path in the marketing industry and encouraging us to do the same in our own lives.

Next up is All You magazine. I know this is a far cry from high end fashion magazines or tabloids, which were my guilty pleasures at one time, but I have actually really come to appreciate All You. I subscribed to it just for the coupons ONLY, but in the end was more impressed with the way they represent mothers and women altogether.

I've looked at my fair share of parenting and maternity magazines, but they still only feature a certain type of woman (this is not just about size, but also race, facial features, and age). So unless you look at O magazine and get to see Oprah, who is still airbrushed to the max, it's hard to come by a magazine featuring real women, which All You does, so I give props there.

What about you? Have you seen any ads, products, or magazines that represent natural beauty in a positive light? These are just a couple the things that encourage positive body image that I happen to love and it's a part of Things I Love Thursday at TheDiaperDiaries.net. Check it out.