babyblog

He's not a baby anymore :-(

Harry's big bed finally arrived yesterday... and although he was rather cross to see us removing his cot from his room, he was absolutely delighted by his new 'big boy bed' and the Lightning McQueen covers (from the only thing he ever watches - the movie 'Cars' which he loves).

When I put him to bed last night I was terrified that he'd immediately get out of the bed and start arsing around - that bedtime would never again be an easy process. This is basically what happened when we switched Dylan into a big bed - we had 2 years of bedtime struggles. As soon as there was nothing to stop him getting out, he got out. And the only way to get him to sleep ended up being to lie down with him (one of those I WILL NEVER DO THAT parent things I had sworn would never happen in our home) until he dropped off. If you left, he screamed the house down. He would also wake up multiple times in the night and come in to our room to be re-settled (or climb into our bed, arghgh).

Needless to say, I've not been looking forward to going through this with Harry. Of late he's been so easy to put to bed, especially since we stopped the daytime nap, he's been exhausted and happy to go to bed at the end of the day. Also well, he's still my baby, in his cot, snuggling down with his blankets. But , the cot has to go to a new home (new baby) and I figured we should do it now so he doesn't feel evicted.

So the bed arrived...... he was extremely excited, wanted to get into it immediately and not get out. Then at bed time after his bath, he kept looking to his room saying 'my bed, my bed'. so after drying him off and getting him into his PJ's I carried him into it, tucked him in on the far side by the wall so he wouldn't fall out, and left quietly, fingers crossed, but fully expecting to see him again within a few minutes.

But no! A miracle happened! He lay there for about 20 mins singing to himself and finally dropped off......... sleeping through, waking this morning and singing to himself again, waiting for someone to come in! Hurrah! Long may it continue this way, lol.

George Henry Orgill !

My cousin Joanna had a baby boy this morning - George Henry (fab name) ! I am so thrilled for her and she now has one of each, he joins Alice who was born a few weeks after Harry in 2004 :) I was convinced she was having another girl - then again last time I was convinced she was having a boy so what do I know! I am also almost jealous that she's had a lovely little boy - boys are so gorgeous and lovely! aww.

Braxton Hicks

Apparently your body feels these 'practice contractions' more and more with each subsequent baby. No shit. They are often quite painful too. I've been getting loads of them.... and ouch, they really bloody hurt.

Generally speaking I'm a walking mass of discomfort at the moment. For saying I didn't have much of a bump or gain much weight in the first few months, I've suddenly 'bloomed' and am enormous, giant bump, very uncomfortable, almost the way I'd expect to feel at 9 months pregnant - not at 6. I have non stop heartburn which wakes me in the night, my stomach is sore and painful with these BH contractions, I get exhausted from doing anything, I can't walk far without needing to sit down, my ankles are swollen, and generally MOAN MOAN MOAN MOAN MOAN I feel like crap.

Oh and I'm also having bad dreams. Last night I dreamt that I had the baby and she was really ugly and had a hooked nose, thin lips and acne. Great.

There, I feel better for venting.

Before and After (Kitchen)

Although not strictly finished yet, I thought I'd upload a few of the kitchen too which is the other 'major' project that we've done. There's been 4 major projects in the last 18 months - the kitchen, the playroom, and the downstairs hallway and bathroom as shown yesterday.

Here's a couple of shots of the kitchen 'before'

And here's some of the kitchen 'after'. All work done by his nibs and yours truly! (yes, I even built cabinets). We basically gutted it again - even ripped up the nasty vinyl tiled floor and laid a new subfloor before putting ceramic tiles down, and re-walled and re-ceiling'd too before installing kitchen and tiles etc. It took FOREVER! but I am pleased with the results... really pleased.

Ow

I've got a pain in my left side, sort of right at the bottom of my bump. I think it is probably what is known as 'round ligament pain'and probably brought on by doing too much yesterday. But it bloody hurts :(

I now have to tidy up because G's parents arrive on Weds. I haven't got the energy .. blah. Fingers crossed the cleaners will be here before then!

Before and After (Downstairs Bathroom)

DSC_3540


Originally uploaded by katybops.

This was actually even more hideous than it looks in this photo (believe it or not)

And now for the "after" shots! Again - pretty much totally rebuilt. G demolished the walls and put new ones up before tiling, lay all of the tiles you see, a new shower pan, new loo, new sink unit, new shower head and tap, and repainted everything!

Before and After (Hallway)

DSC_3544

Originally uploaded by katybops.

A few blog-from-flickr posts to show the progress we are making on the house. It feels like slow progress but when I see the 'before' pics it makes it all worthwhile!.

The hallway has litterally been rebuilt - all the "gorgeous" faux wood panelling ripped off, the office-style hung ceiling pulled down and the dirty brown carpet throw out. Then we had proper walls and ceiling put in, G put recessed halogen lights up, and in the last 3 months has replaced all 9 of the blasted doors and trim work which has taken *forever*. Last job has been to paint all of the blasted doors and trim (really hideous job) and repaint the hallway.

Double Whammy

Yesterday I bumped into an acquaintance who double-whammied me with the 2 things I do not want to hear while pregnant this time.

1. 'Are you sure there's only 1 in there?"

I'm pregnant. We have big tummies. And actually she's small for growth at the moment - so what you're basically saying is that I'm fat.

2. 'You must be so thrilled to be finally having a girl at last'

Yes I'm pleased but it's not something we were trying for and kept trying so that we got a girl, and I would have been very thrilled to have a boy too. I was thrilled to have a boy last time funnily enough. Suggesting otherwise diminishes that.

So piss off.

Discomfort

My stomach hurts when I wear any of my maternity Jeans. They dig in to the bump and cause me pain and discomfort. The only pair of trousers that I own that are comfortable are black jersey ones which have a bleach stain on the leg (thus not really "outdoor" attire). I have ordered some new ones but I am not hopefully.

I also ordered a couple of things from the NEXT catalogue in the UK. A very odd experience indeed. Firstly - their online store is closed at night. WTF. Secondly, when I went back during the day I added 3 things to my bag and checked out. It asked me what my address was so I put my grandmothers in (she's always home to receieve deliveries!) and my mum was going to post them over to me here. I clicked OK and rather than ask me for any payment details it said "OK, we'll deliver tomorrow". Curious - are clothes from Next actually free ??

Anyway - tomorrow came and the clothes arrived. Mum read me the account number off the label so that I could check into it - I ended up having to call them of course. I explained to the woman on the phone that I was confused why I hadn't been asked to pay and she told me that they'd run a credit check against my grandmothers address and given me an account with a 300 quid limit! ASTONISHING. I voiced my incredulousness and explained that I am in America - how dare they do that without any proof of my ID, any permission, that I don't actually live there, etc. She had no answer.

Then I said look - let me pay for the clothes.... and she said no, I can't, the only way to pay is with a credit card registered to the address the clothes were sent to! UNBELIEVABLE! I told her this was not an option and that she had to accept my credit card - no luck. I said look the only way you're going to get paid, and I do want to pay, I will happily pay right now, is if you let me use my credit card or, in the event a US credit card is not good enough, my mothers credit card - and she doesnt' live at that address either. No go. After some discussion it was agreed that my mum could send a cheque. Jesus fucking christ. There should be a law against it.

Oh - and before I forget - the squirrel exterminator has been back next door. I think that they should have employed my method of getting rid of the thing - stand outside and shout FUCK OFF at it. It worked and was free.

Lumps

Thanks to the Lovenox shots, my stomach is covered in hard unpleasant lumps and I have a feeling they are never going to go away :( The drug kills any tissue that it meets and thus you end up with lumps of dead cells. Lovely. Fragmin didn't do this (the type of shot I had last pregnancy). Bring back Fragmin.

In other news, I had a good OB appointment yesterday. Horrifically I had gained 11lb since my last visit a month earlier. She asked what I've been eating. When I told her about the Protein drinks she was horrified that I'd been told to drink them and said they would be why the weight is piling on.

I explained that the Perinatologist had said he wanted me to so that the baby grew more....... and she started to review the Ultrasound report. While she was doing that I told her that every time I go and see the Peri I end up quite stressed with a diagnosis of something wrong and she looked up and immediately said "I want you to see another Perinatologist". It became apparent that she doesn't have alot of time for the one I see, that she believes he's too over zealous at diagnosing and medicating. So I have a new one to start seeing as of next appointment. She said that the new one will be 'far more moderate and realistic'.

She also said that in her view there is nothing whatsoever wrong with a baby in the 45th percentile! If the baby drops down to the 15th or 20th THEN we'll consider protein but right now all it is doing is adding weight to me which is bad.

All in all I came away very reassured. Next time I see her in 4 weeks we'll be doing the diabetes test plus the paperwork to get booked in for the c/section!

Depression - or lack thereof

As regular visitors to this blog will know, I've suffered with periodic depression over the years. Periodic meaning that mostly I've had it and occasionally I've gone off the meds only to go back on them again a few months later.

Anyway - I was talking with someone about depression in pregnancy and it suddenly occured to me that I have not felt even remotely depressed in a few months. So much so that I haven't even thought about it, it's never occured ot me, I've not worried about it, I've not given it the time of day. This is an extremely unusual thing because in the past even when on medication I've been aware of it 'lurking beneath' as it were.

Also, having come off the meds this time a few months before becoming pregnant I was feeling very up and down for quite time, and when I did become pregnant the down days were definitely winning for a few weeks... pregnancy hromones making things worse. So what changed?

I have also been researching a bit more on the MTHFR thing that I have, and the more I read the more I realised it is linked to depression.

Basically there is a known link between depression and Vitamin B / Folate deficiency, especially in Folic Acid, B6 and B12. If you have this MTHFR thing, you are not processing those B vitamins properly and you tend towards high homocysteine levels - thus the link and people with it are far more susceptible to depression. Here is an excerpt from something I found online.

***
People with either low blood levels of the B-vitamin folic acid, or high blood levels of the protein homocysteine, (a sign that you are not getting enough B6, B12 or folic acid) are both more likely to be depressed and less likely to get a positive result from anti-depressant drugs. In a study comparing the effects of giving an SSRI with either a placebo or with folic acid, 61% of patients improved on the placebo combination but 93% improved with the addition of folic acid. But how does folic acid itself, a cheap vitamin with no side-effects, compare to anti-depressants?
Three trials involving 247 people addressed this question. Two involving 151 people assessed the use of folic acid in addition to other treatment, and found that adding folic acid reduced HRS scores on average by a further 2.65 points. That’s not as good as the results with 5-HTP but as good, if not better than antidepressants. These studies also show that more patients treated with folate experienced a reduction in their Hamilton Rating score of greater than 50% after ten weeks compared to those on anti-depressants.
Having a high level of homocysteine, a toxic protein found in the blood, doubles the odds of a woman developing depression. The ideal level is below 6, and certainly below 9. The average level is 10-11. Depression risk doubles with levels above 15. The higher your level the more likely folic acid will work for you.
Folic acid is one of seven nutrients – the others being B2, B6, B12, zinc, magnesium and TMG – that help normalise homocysteine. Deficiency in vitamin B3, B6, folic acid, zinc and magnesium have all been linked to depression. Having a low intake of these nutrients means your brain is good at ‘methylating’ which is the process by which the brain keeps it’s chemistry in balance. So it makes sense to both eat wholefoods, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, high in these nutrients and supplementing a multivitamin.
Side effects? There are none, except lower risk for heart disease, strokes, Alzheimer’s and improved energy and concentration. However, if you are vegan and B12 deficient, taking folic acid on its own can mask the symptoms, but the underlying nerve damage caused by B12 deficiency anaemia can persist. So, don’t take folic acid without also supplementing vitamin B12.
****

There is also an interesting link, I think, in that depression can be hereditary as is the MTHFR defect, so it would explain a lot!

Obviously your average Doctor is not likely to put 2 and 2 together with this but the reason I have become convinced that it is the case for me is that I've realised my depression went away completely after I started taking the Folic Acid/B6/B12 prescription (high doses).

And other pregnant women diagnosed with MTHFR that I've spoken to ALL have depression problems too!.

Feeling Guilty...

There is an exterminator, specializing in Squirrels, at the house next door but one. I think our Squirrel found a new home after we boarded up her entrance!

24 weeks

Getting there! This bit of pregnancy has begun to drag. The actual days are not dragging but each week seems to get no further along! The baby has constant hiccups and is very active, moving all of the time. I have decided that I'm sick of all the medical intervention that I'm getting and the worrying over growth and whatever else they have worried me about recently and that I need to stop worrying about it all because it's nearly all amounting to being nothing and the worrying is for nowt. Sick of it.

Still don't know what we're doing on the house front. We might've decided to leave it another year - I'm not sure. I wish we could decide because it's stressing me out. Ideally I would like to move but it's a $$$$$ issue really, the cost of moving in the US is *astronomical*..... something like $50,000 with all the realtor fees and escrow fees. So whatever you make on the house you have to then minus off for that and a new mortgage becomes that bit more (that loads more) expensive if you're looking to buy somewhere that costs approx. the same as you are selling for. I just don't know, working out the finances, if we can make a leap big enough once we factor that in, without making the payments go up dramatically!

Smoothies

So, on the advice of some friends, I've taken back the Chocolate flavour protein powder and replaced it with 'Natural' (i.e. flavourless). That way I can mix it in anything - milkshakes, smoothies, etc.

Last night me & G made Smoothies to put it in.... they were delicious. I am supposed to have 2 protein drinks per day but I'm not sure if the below constitutes a healthy choice to have twice a day - any advice, anyone?

1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1/4 cup frozen bananas
1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup fat free vanilla frozen yoghurt
1 scoop protein powder (20g)

It tastes wonderful but is it too sugary?

More Medical Musings

Saw the Cardiologist on Monday - all is looking well. Wants me to half the dose of the beta blockers incase my BP is getting a bit too low. Echo was normal, with a little fluid around the heart more than usual due to the swelling but to be expected as it is also seen in hands and feet.

Had scan today. Had to go on my own because Dylan is sick, off school with a fever, and Gareth ended up having to stay behind and look after him and Harry. Had a different Sonographer today and she was alot nicer than the Ginger one that has been doing them until now! She did a 3D picture for me - which I would post but I think that our daughters nose looks a bit weird in it so I'm not going to :P (It's a picture issue, not that she has a weird nose!). She looked very cute and the tech had to chase her around as she was very active. She also had the hiccups and I've now realised what that feeling is when she just moves very suddenly and repeatedly - it happens quite often! Dylan used to do this too when I was pregnant with him.

The Perinatologist aka Dr Luka Kovac off of ER came in and said that all looks good. Her growth is down a little more - 45th percentile this time. Obivously I immediately worried about this but he told me not to. He also told me to drink lots of protein shakes and sent me away with a particular brand to buy.

I spoke to my friend with the twins after the appointment because obviously growth was a big issue for her, and she said that protein is known to be excellent to promote growth in a baby... it gets full benefit from protein unlike from fats and carbs. Studies show babies do alot better when the mother consumes these...... and if you're having multiple births you have to drink them multiple times daily - thankully I only need to have 1 or 2 a day as they are VILE.

Anyway - I am a little worried about the growth. I kept saying to him - is it OK - and he kept saying yes, we are not worrying, we may worry later if it continues to trend downwards dramatically but the protein should sort it out. He told me to come back in 3 weeks for another scan. It was meant to be 4 wks but he said I could come back in 3 as I would be worrying about it.

It's funny as having had 2 large boys I'm not used to this. I was a small baby at birth - born 2 wks past the due date - so maybe there is an element of genetics involved here? Maybe it is nothing? Who knows. I am going to attempt to not think about it. Ha.

I see the OB on Monday, maybe I'll ask her.

Real Estate Update

The good news is, the real estate lady thinks that we can ask 180k over what we paid for this house based on the increase in the market and (far more so), the work we've done on it. V pleased about this.

There will be a number of things needing to be done in order to make it sellable - alot of painting, alot of finishing of jobs that are not done, some re-carpeting, a massive amount of de-cluttering, and a huge overhall of the garden. While we can do most of this ourselves, I think realistically we'd have to get someone in to do some of it so there'd be immediate cost implications.

The sticking point for me is that in order to get the most out of the market we would need to list this place basically at the same time that the baby comes which is obviously not going to be easy, to say the least. It'd mean having this place completely immaculate, no clutter, no mess, not one hair out of place..... with guests staying. Which I don't think is particularly viable, really. So I guess we'd have to aim to do it at the beginning of June..... or mid July (by which point the market will have slowed).

I dunno if I need the stress along with a new baby.

But the houses are so very tempting. And staying in this house another year is so not very tempting.

23 Weeks

I'm not really keeping a close eye on how many weeks pregnant I am (I had to look it up) but I think all is fairly on track. I'm definitely feeling pretty big now. I don't think I'm quite as big as I was with the boys but I'm certainly carrying this little lady alot differently. My arse is enormous, as are my hips and thighs, my stomach not as big.

According to the 'your baby at 23 weeks' page I was just reading, I might notice a little swelling now. No shit. Bit late there. Meanwhile the beta blockers which I'm on seem to have had little effect on the swelling that I do have, but I am starting to get used to them I think- in that I am no longer too tired to get off the couch. I see the Cardiologist next week for a followup appointment. I also have another scan next week.

This pregnancy has started to affect my brain. I pranged the car yesterday (the insurance are going to love me - a ticket for speeding and a crash all in one month) outside Dylans school. Totally my fault - misjudged how much room I had. Thankfully the other person wasn't too angry!

Meanwhile, we have an estate agent coming round this afternoon to talk about how much this place might be worth if we sold without finishing the work. Fingers crossed. Am I mad contemplating moving house immediately after a new baby is born? Yes.

Oh and if you want something to completely infuriate the crap out of you - try playing this http://www.weffriddles.com It's a collection of riddles and I am completely addicted and hooked (and often extremely stuck!).

Celiac (Coeliac) Disease

It looks like G's mum probably has Celiac's Disease (I'm going to use the American spelling because I live here and frankly the extra O seems pointless!).

It is a hereditary condition and I'm going to bet that G has it too. And, worryingly, I wouldn't be surprised if Dylan has it also. They both exhibit classic gastro-intestinal symptoms common to Celiacs. I also read that people with Celiacs are 3 x more likely to develop Type 1 Diabetes. Hmm - well check that one off the list too. Gareth's going to get a blood test for it today. Fingers crossed but with a resigned look on my face.

My friend has it -and her two small children have it too. They have to live with a Gluten Free diet. They manage, but from what I've seen of it, the replacement foods that you can get are vile. And I always pity the kids at birthday parties because they can never have cake, or pizza. She has to bring their own for them.

It's possible to still eat well, you have to avoid wheat, barley and rye which basically means no bread, pasta, anything with flour in. And it is in a surprising amount of things as a filler. Sausages. Gravy. Forget any fast food. Chocolate. Most store-bought ice-cream and yoghurt. The list is endless. You have to be extremely careful what you buy to avoid it. I have tried several of the gluten free products at my friends house and they're all a bit nasty. I think you're better off just avoiding them , having rice-flour pasta is just not the same!

I really hope my guys don't have it. It'd mean a change for all of us. And I think it would be incredibly difficult for Dylan. I guess that when G's parents come over in a couple of weeks time we're going to have a Gluten Free couple of weeks though, so we'll get some experience in it!

Oh no, here we go again

G has decided that we should move house. Basically I think he's sick of the DIY that he's been doing weekend after weekend after weekend since we moved into this place 19 months ago. Which is of course understandable. He thinks we have raised the value of it enough to buy a big new house ala Canada, if we move a little bit (but not too much) further out... which is where most of my friends live and the difference between a 15 min journey to work and a 30 min journey to work.

It's all very speculative really because we have no idea what the value of this place is and until we do know that we can't know if it is worth moving. It would have to have increased in value enough to afford us a nice big place which didn't need work doing to it and didn't increase our mortgage very much!

To that end I've asked a realtor to come around and give us a valuation next week.

Meanwhile, these are his reasons for moving and they are pretty hard to argue with.

1. We would be happier in a new house with a more typical layout.
2. We would have more time to spend together as a family without DIY to do every single weekend.
3. The money we have aside to remodel the bathrooms etc here would maybe be better spent on moving to a better house.
4. We would have a neighbourhood more like Canada (good for the kids) although still reasonably close to town.
5. The kids could play in the back garden

The schools are pretty good out there... so that would be a good thing too.

But again as I said, very speculative. What G is hoping is that we've raised enough equity on this place to get away with tarting up the various unfinished projects that we have going on without having to start any other major ones like bathrooms. And then move. I don't know if this is realistic, but I guess we'll see!

Tiredness

These new beta blockes are making me feel like a zombie. I'm so exhausted. I don't have the energy to get up and do anything at all. I think I'm getting a cold or something too which isn't helping, but overall I"m just SO TIRED ALL THE TIME. There are not enough hours in the night for me to sleep - I'm currently managing something like 10 by going to bed early but I would sleep more if I could.

The baby at least is active. I was laughing last night at how much she is going to be her mothers daughter. I have been having some horrible headaches in the afternoons of late... so horrible that on occasion Tylenol is just not working and I have to take some with Codeine to get out of pain. Whenever I did this when pregnant with Harry he would quiet for hours - I guess it made him sleepy. This one is bouncing all over the place with it, loves it.

Delightful remarks by 2 yr olds

Harry: (at top of voice, no matter where you are) A POO! A POO!
Us: (quietly) Oh, you did a poo?
Harry: YES!! (points at bum) RIGHT THERE!!!!

or

Harry: (at top of voice, no matter where you are) A POO! A POO!
Us: (quietly) Oh, you did a poo?
Harry: NO!! ITS GAS!!!

I need a treat

Having sat around for the last few weeks being stressed out, feeling crap, I need a treat. So, I've booked Harry into the daycare for a couple of hours this afternoon while I a) swim for a short while... apparently to be submersed in water will reduce the swelling..... and b) go to the spa for a facial. I had wanted a massage but they couldn't fit me in. Still, a facial will be bliss. As will an afternoon off from the usual grind.

22 Weeks

In some ways this whole pregnancy thing seems to have slowed down of late - the last few weeks have not hurtled past at breakneck speed like the first few months did. But in other ways I can see that due date looming and getting closer and closer and am scared that we won't have enough time to get everything done or be mentally prepared.

Since I started the new medication a few days ago I'm feeling extremely tired and lethargic. My heart rate, so far, has not slowed down - but I am not feeling wired and agitated and literally feeling it pounding in my chest all of the time. The DR said it would take some days to really work so I will hang in there.

The baby is doing constant somersaults and twists and turns in my belly and G was able to feel her move for the first time the other day. I have even seen a 'protruding limb' on a couple of occasions when she's been really active.

I have been browsing around for girl clothes and find myself largely uninspired by small baby outfits. There's lots for when they get a bit bigger but the newborn stuff is all a bit lame. You can't buy a decent babygrow in America for one thing. I'm hoping nice family members will send me some M&S , Next, etc things ;-) (even Tesco would do!).

Yesterday I went to the mall with Harry, my friend and her twins. We browsed the various baby shops and I managed to get a new wheel for the Bugaboo stroller which had a flat (possibly slashed) tire. I also bought Harry some new shoes, some 'Geox' ones like his brother has. He is so hilariously proud of them. He allowed the lady in the shop to fit them to his feet and then pranced around in them saying NEW SHOES! NEW SHOES!. Of course he had to wear them home, and when we got back he proudly showed them off to Dylan and his Dad the second he saw them. Perhaps the shoe-fetish gene which has skipped past me, has found itself in him!

In Dylan news, I just signed him up for spring training for football (or Soccer as they call it here). The kids from his team are all doing it - basically a training course every sunday for 3 months with professional coaches teaching them skills and whatnot ($$$$$). Thing is, the others are doing it..... and if he wants to play with the team again in the Summer (which he does) I think he needs to do some work on his game which is not the best, unfortunately. It's not just a social activity! At least he'll stay on a constant with the others in terms of improvement, that's if he doesn't dramatically improve from this (which I hope he does!). He is a little dubious about the whole thing but I think he will get alot out of it.

MSN Messenger Users

(From Microsoft)

Every time you start a conversation using i’m, Microsoft shares a portion of the program's advertising revenue with some of the world's most effective organizations dedicated to social causes. We've set no cap on the amount we'll donate to each organization. http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Home/

If you don’t have windows live messenger 8.1 you need to download it: http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Join/

If you already have version 8.1 of Windows Live Messenger do this:

1. From your Contacts window, click the arrow next to your name and select "Options".

2. Next to your name, type one of the following codes, including the asterisk, for the cause you'd like to support.

Text Code Cause
*red+u American Red Cross
*bgca Boys & Girls Club
*naf National AIDS Fund
*mssoc National Multiple Sclerosis Society
*9mil ninemillion.org
*sierra Sierra Club
*help StopGlobalWarming.org
*komen Susan G. Komen for the Cure
*unicef The US fund for UNICEF

3. Click "OK" to complete the sign-up process.

Circumcision

I don't know why, as I am having a girl, that I keep reading and getting riled up by Circumcision threads on the pregnant-women message board that I visit, but I do. I can't help it.

America is the only place that a large percentage of parents still routinely practice circumcision shortly after birth on boy babies. This is despite the AMA, AAP, WHO, etc all telling them that there is no medical reason to do so.

I was worried, when we moved here, that my boys would be the odd looking ones in the shower at school if they were not circumcised. Or as they got bigger, women not wanting to go near them because they are not cut. I am not joking, I had several girlfriends in Canada who said they had never seen an intact penis and if they did come across one they'd be repulsed and not want to go out with the guy!

Thankfully the rates are dropping, especially here on the West Coast, so they should be in the company of approximately 50% of boys not snipped at school.]\

But OMG the women on this BBS wind me up. So many (mostly mid west) saying that it must be done or their son will get penile cancer, or be 'dirty', or 'must look like daddy'. FFS. And you cant reason with them either. They don't care what the rest of the world says. They are right. They know if they don't cut part of their sons dick off that he is going to be eternally filthy and disgusting and will not accept any of the literatore to prove otherwise.

The worst argument for it that I heard today was someone who works in a care home for old people. She said that they were circumcising old men because otherwise they were not clean. And that it was so tough on old people that it should be done at birth to prevent this happening. Dear God. So rather than clean the people in their care they're removing parts of their body. Why not pull their teeth out too, save brushing them?

I really should leave it alone.