Waiting waiting!

We are all sick with colds in our household. Our place smells like eucalyptus and chicken soup right now.

I'm two days "late" according to my recent short cycle dates. The last two cycles have been 25 days. This would have been Friday.

I have decided not to test until Tuesday which would be day 29 of my cycle.

I wonder...

I've been browsing birth blogs- of course with a focus on homebirth and birthrights... Here is a brilliant post about the latest phenomenon trending on Twitter #twitterbirth- where labouring women and support people (including professionals!!) "tweet" the progress of the labour... Even a twitface addict like me thinks this is going too far! Click here to read the post! Follow her on Twitter @BirthRoutes

Another exciting thing to happen is that I have been in touch with an old friend (actually a close friend of my sister-in-law, but a friend to me in her own right) who is currently studying to become a midwife and is apprenticing under Melbourne  based Independant Midwife Joy Johnson. I have asked if she would like to be a part of my birth team and she said she would love to and would do it for free as she will still be in training however has already attended a lot of births and has been a nurse for quite some time so would be great in an emergency situation. I also feel comfortable having her involved as Joy's outlook on normal birth at home resonates with mine and I know my friend would enjoy and work well with my midwife. I will be a part of my sister in law's birth team in late September with this  training midwife in attendance so I will get to see her in action!

More news- I have been invited to assist at a two part active birthing workshop for parents to be in July. This will be run by Victoria Marshall Cerins from Birthready- a friend, doula and childbirth educator who has taught me so much about trusting my body and knowing that we women are designed to birth babies and there is a much smaller need for medical intervention than is supported by the mainstream medical model of birthing . I am so appreciative of the opportunity to learn more and help to teach people about how birth can be.

Women creating...

An example of a traditional Indian door/wall hanging called a Toran.

Today I participated in day one of a six week women's community project called "the women's welcome textile project". It is a funded project run by the local neighborhood house and the aim is to create a Toran, an Indian welcome door hanging to have pride of place in the front of the centre.

The hanging will be created using hand made felt and embroidery and each woman will be taking home a piece to adorn with whatever feels right. The project worker described it as putting a piece of our heart into the work.

It's a lively concept. The group is made up of Australian, Indian, Bangladeshi, Bosnian, Ethiopian and Vietnamese women- not all of whom speak English but it just doesn't matter at all. It's so practical and visual so talking is just a bonus. I feel so blessed to be involved in this project and tapping into that ancient act of being with women and creating together.

I will take photos as the project progresses!

The waiting game and the mind games...

When trying to conceive, time just slows down doesn't it?

The time between menstruation, ovulation and then from ovulation until the next bleed is due- and waiting to see if it happens or not!

I got a bit eager on Monday and took a pregnancy test- of course it came back negative because it was too early even if I am pregnant! (What's that about? Pfft! I'm a loony!) I think I took it so that I don't get too upset when (if) I menstruate this cycle. I have been getting my hopes up because I had some light pink discharge on Saturday which may or may not have been an implantation bleed. Plus my breasts have been really heavy and tender which also could just be pre menstrual symptoms.

Sometimes I wish I didn't know so much about the body, conception, birth etc. Then I'd be blissfully ignorant about what my body is or isn't doing!

http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/index.php
Check this blog out- there is a wonderful podcast from The late (Spiritual Midwife) Jeannine Parvati Baker.