Pre-Pregnancy - Tink Introduction

As written by Tink, friend of BINSI

“Birth is the sudden opening of a window, through which you look out upon a stupendous prospect. For what has happened? A miracle. You have exchanged nothing for the possibility of everything.” William MacNeile Dixon.

Hello BINSI Readers! This is Tink coming at ya, sharing and entering the pre-pregnancy experience. I want to thank Kim for inviting me and allowing me to contribute to the BINSI blog party. Kim is an amazing friend and doula, and a hard core participant in my kickboxing classes. In these months to come I will be blogging about my experience of getting pregnant. Our first child. Fun stuff! My opening quote from Dixon touches upon the excitement of birth. More than ever in my life, right now I am elated to create, carry, and care for a little human of my own. For about a year now, my brain buzzes with all sorts of scenarios of being a mom. I accept the responsibility that I am shaping another human's life and their character. I've even already thought about how I need to make sure none of our 4 cats slip into the baby room during sleepytime and decide to climb in the crib to curl up next to the little bundle of warmth. I'm sure any cat would be thrilled to sleep next to a baby. The cat thinks: You're about my size and you're so warm, I'm going to snooze right here next to your head. SCORE! Yikes. No, no score. Baaaaaddd idea.

The 411: I'm 30 years old, known my husband, J, since May 2000 and been married since October 2006. I'm fortunate to not have a desk day job. I am a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, cycling instructor, and last but not least, a Colorado certified professional physical education teacher. I get paid to play and kick ass. (T: Am I allowed to say that Kim?! K: Of course, that's what you do (you kick mine all the time)!! ) I love my jobs. That's actually how I met Kim! She was coming to my boot camp classes and over the months we got to know each other better. Her husband, Paul, would rock out in boot camp too.

Back to the reason I am here...J and I have always wanted children it was just a matter of WHEN. The conditions revolving around "breeding" (as J sometimes so eloquently calls it) were, as most couples desire, to be in strong financial standing, when health insurance will kick back in (that's another story), in my early 30's, and timing it so around when the baby would arrive J would be done with his M.Ed. program. We're counting on higher level of education=higher salary. There's no question in our minds that one of us will absolutely stay at home with the kiddo. J would be happy being a stay-at-home dad however the cards are in my favor right now. (Yessssssss! )

As it stands now we are in the practicing stages of getting pregnant. I have become swept up, though now trying to relax and disconnect, with an overload of Internet information that tells me everything that factors into getting pregnant. Ignorance is almost bliss. After reading how to read cervical mucus, time when intercourse "should" occur, and count number of days between cycles, I have concluded baby making is quite the scientific process. I say "almost" because it is important to be informed and educated. I've also read and heard numerous times that focusing too hard on getting pregnant makes it hard to get pregnant. J is 35 and I've heard that taking Vitamin C (thanks, Seester) can increase sperm mobility. Honey, here's some orange juice.

On the note of focusing "too much" on getting pregnant is detrimental to getting pregnant, I have already informed J of the days I am ovulating, or when it is nearing. I've been off birth control since January (after being on it for 10 years), already gone through 3 seemingly-normal menstrual cycles, and have taken a casual approach. If it happens this month, awesome. If not, no big deal. Then there's that little voice inside my head that says, What if you can't get pregnant? I imagine many women have thought that, brooded over it a bit, and perhaps shed a tear over what could be. The possibilities of where an active imagination can drive you are endless! All sorts of crazy scenarios take over. My mother and sister (Seester) assured me that they had no trouble getting pregnant and that I probably won't either. A friend of mine got off birth control, thinking it would take a few months for her body to adjust to nature however immediately 9 months later she had a beautiful baby girl. My college roommate thought forgetting to take her pill one time would be fine. Then she literally had a wedding night conception. ONE day she forgot! Sheesh. One of the baby websites I read told me that 85% of women who were on BC were pregnant within the year after the stopped taking BC.

I'm a glass-half-full kind of girl. I am resilient, tough, optimistic. I look forward to writing more. We'll see how and where this journey goes. In the meantime, don't call me tonight. I have plans. Peace out~Tink.