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February 14, 2003
I feel like I have a lot of little things to talk about, so hopefully I can remember them all and stay somewhat coherent!
Our biggest news... Aden pottied in the toilet last night! We have not been actively working on potty training, but we did buy a potty seat last month because Katie's mom had started talking about potty training. It always seems that girls potty train earlier than boys so I've been assuming that Katie will be ready long before Aden is. But he has been fascinated with the seat, especially in the evening around bath time. I've been encouraging him to sit on it whenever he wants, for as long as he wants, and we talk about pottying. There's no pressure but I figured that if he got the idea that the potty seat was a fun place to be, it would be easier later.
At first Aden had an attention span of about 5 seconds, which was fine. A few nights ago he sat for longer, maybe 5 minutes. And last night I got him undressed and he wanted to sit on it and almost immediately I could hear him going! I never would have guessed how exciting that moment would be! I was so amazed, I laughed and clapped and told him how awesome it was. Call me crazy, but honestly, I think the only other bodily function that has ever inspired such amazement in me was Aden's birth!
Aden seemed kind of surprised by it all and kept laughing, talking, and pointing to his penis! Later, after his bath, he wanted to sit on the seat again and even though he didn't go, he kept laughing and clapping for himself. Today he did the same for me when I was going! It's all just really funny. And he looks so grown-up sitting on that seat! I know this was a fluke more than anything, but it is a first step... that first little connection has been made in his brain. Wow. My boy is growing up!
On to other things... I still don't have any pictures of my hair, so I can't show anyone what I look like as a red-head. But I really like it and I'm getting tons of compliments! Who can resist that?
Tomorrow night Derek and I are going to a Valentine Ball sponsored by Beta Sigma Phi, a social organization I'm in. It's a formal/semi-formal occasion being held at the Country Club, isn't that fancy? I'm mainly looking forward to getting all dressed up, especially since I found an awesome velvet dress on sale for only $25! My mom and I went shopping, which was so much fun. We haven't gone dress shopping in a long time, I felt like I was going to prom! The dress is long, mostly black, and sleeveless, with a kind of low, draped neckline. I felt ready to go to the Oscars when I tried it on, LOL! So I'll have to tell you all about our evening in my next entry. Or maybe I can get a picture taken of me, in my dress, with my red hair!
Weaning is still going the same, Aden asks to nurse sporadically but it's always very brief--literally a second or two. I spend more time opening and closing the bra than he spends nursing! I don't think he even gets anything, in fact I'm wondering if there's much milk there anymore.
Now, to step on my soapbox... I was outraged this week to find out that both of the hospitals in a larger city an hour from us have completely stopped allowing women to have a VBAC. Apparently this is because of several practices that became more common in the 90s, including using only a single row of sutures to close the c-section incision in the uterus and increasing the use of labor inducing/augmenting drugs that cause the uterus to hypercontract. The combination of the two can slightly increase the VBAC risks and the consequent risk of malpractice suits if anything goes wrong.
Not that this affects me personally, but it still just makes me so mad. The rate of unnecessary c-sections is so high already and it carries with it an enormous cost, both financial and emotional. I know there are women out there who truly need c-sections, and in those circumstances it is a wonderful and necessary procedure. I also know there are women who have an emergency c-section after a long and horrible labor and they're more than happy to just schedule their c-section next time. I don't always agree with that practice, but if they're making an educated and informed choice, more power to them. But what about the women who believe their first c-section was unnecessary and don't want to go through that again? What about the women who needed a c-section for valid but non-reoccurring reason, like a breech baby?
There is a lot of research that supports the safety of VBACs and there are a lot of women who need the emotional closure of a VBAC to feel fully healed after a traumatic c-section. I know the doctors and hospitals are just covering their butts, but surely there are other alternatives for these women. For instance, wouldn't it be more logical to learn to manage women's labor without inducing or augmenting it with drugs? Contrary to current medical beliefs, women CAN labor and deliver babies all on their own without induction or augmentation. Midwives all over the world help women do this very successfully. And don't even get me started on all of the things that could be done to decrease the need for c-sections in the first place! Arrgh! I'll stop for now, but I just wanted to make all women aware of what's happening. I know that these hospitals believe that they're doing what is safest, but really they're taking away these women's power to choose, and I don't think that is okay in any way. Inform them, make it as safe as possible, but don't take it away.
Let me know what you think! In case you haven't noticed, I have very strong opinions on many subjects surrounding pregnancy, labor, birth, and breastfeeding. As this diary becomes less about breastfeeding and more about me, I will no doubt be talking more and more about these thoughts, opinions, feelings, and beliefs. This is especially true as Derek and I begin to talk about TTC again, because once I'm pregnant there will be no stopping me on these topics, LOL! So buckle your seatbelts, there might be turbulence ahead!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
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