Natural-Leigh

Happy Wednesday! Lynn and Leigh here to report on yet another exciting lunch club. We were nominated to write the blog today because lunch club conversations tended to revolve around us.

Lunch Club today began with a riveting analysis of Lynn's extra polished look today. Now, this is coming from Leigh here, because Lynn is denying the fact that she put extra effort into her straightened hair this morning. A little background... Lynn is attending a "friends" concert tonight. Lynn straightened her hair extra carefully for this "friends" concert. Lynn is looking to catch someones eye... hmm. Well, according to Beth and I, this must be. But she is denying that this "friend" is potentially any more than a "friend" despite the fact that after lunch it started to pour and she yelled, "I'm gonna scream!". Straightened hair = date.

So next up, Birthing class. Babies are always a popular topic at lunch club due to our 3 baby watches. Babies and giving birth (despite Steven with a ph's cringing). Now last night was my (Leigh's) second birthing class. I was telling my coworkers about my giggle fit in the middle of our breathing excercises and how my husband was trying to get me to concentrate saying... "breathe... relax your jaw! It's all in your mind." Which only made me giggle more. Before I even finished telling my story, everyone interrupted me with, "Relax your jaw??" YES... a relaxed jaw = a relaxed pelvis. Doesn't everyone know that? Well, now you do. (Disclaimer - some words have been changed to protect the innocent.)

RELAXING THE MOUTH: There is an unconscious neuromuscular association between the pelvis and the mouth, so that if your pelvic floor muscles are tense (and they are often hard to relax when the baby is pushing against them), you can help relax them by intentionally relaxing your mouth and jaw. This is why during labor, and especially during pushing, it is important to have the lower jaw dropped and the mouth gently parted and loose. It is also why vomiting and laughter often increases dilation and the relaxation of the pelvic floor.

http://www.moondragon.org/pregnancy/relaxationpractice.html

Oliver seemed quite intrigued by the whole birthing process. He curiously asked Leigh, "Will you be keeping your placenta?" Well, no Oliver, we won't be. But he informed us all that people in other countries eat their placenta. Very nutritious. When everyone gave him a look for asking such a weird question he replied, "What? She could be like that." Jorge then dubbed Leigh "Natural-Leigh". Apparently, midwives and natural birth equals natural nut job.

Now in order to take your placenta home from the hospital, you must sign off for it and fill out a bunch of paper work. When you take it home, the hospital freezes it for you. For what you ask? Well there are people out there that use the placenta to fertilize the growth of a new tree. Very symbolic. Steven with a ph muttered a witty comment that many of us missed. According to Liz, it involved something with the placenta and popsicles, but he wouldn't repeat it for us. Let's just leave it at that. Oh, and to wrap up the placenta convo, Oliver asked, "what does the placenta look like?" If you really want to know, google image it. We won't post links for fear that no one will ever want to bear children again.

On a lighter note, Disney came out with new celebrity advertisements.

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-10-30-disney-photos_N.htm

Now that's all for today. Yes, it is still raining here in our town. As the thunder and lightening began, Lynn yelled one last,"SHUT UP!" So much for not caring about her hair.