Healthy = Good ( or, ruminations on childbirth)

[sage_laurel]

LittleMan and fireMan are all better now, thank God. Now its just me puking . But other than the nausea and the total, all-encompassing fatigue, i feel pretty good. Looking forward to the second trimester, though. Thats the best part of the whole thing - other than getting the baby at the end, of course. No clue what flavor of baby this is... any

Comments

[ladydi75]

I must totally admire your commitment to doing everything the way nature intended... my experience was not as organic as yours (I was induced at the hospital, gratefully had an epidural), but baby boy's cord got tangled around his neck, he went into distress, I had the episiotomy from hell, and they still had to vaccuum his little head out because my OB (a totally realistic mother of three whom I LOVE) did everything she could not to give me the emergency "slice and dice" (although it came close...)

And I work with a girl who had a VBAC with NO issues at all -- very quickly and easily. If anyone else can do that, it's you, Laurel. Glad to hear everyone is better -- hope you're feeling well, too!

[djarum99]

So glad the boys are better, and that you found yourself a midwife. I have friends who have had successful VBAC's, and ladydi is right, if anyone can make it work, you can.

I read about Ina Mae's work 20 years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter, and was determined to have a midwife. I found the only practitioner within a 100 miles, and fell in love.She provided excellent care, held my hand and told me I'd be a great mother, met me at the hospital at 4 a.m. and advocated for me through the whole thing. When the ob-gyn didn't show for over an hour after the birth, she stitched me up. When the pediatrician (whom I'd never met - he didn't have time before hand) finally appeared, he looked me over like a window display at Sears and said "huh; she has a tattoo;" my midwife gave him a look that would burn down buildings and said "your patient (the baby) is over there." Found a new pediatrician, and still love that midwife.

Hope you have the same wonderful experience that I did, and that the first trimester is almost done :)

[sage_laurel]

First meeting with this midwife is this week, but I have emailed with some of her prior clients, and they all say the same thing - AWESOME. she's a naturopathic physician, dietician, massage therapist and draws all her own labs as well as being a RM. One-stop shopping! Ive heard her labr massages are to die for

[gedicht]

I love how people are allowed to call women trying to birth naturally and without chemicals "terrible mothers." *grumble* Amazing, how many hospital staff members don't know anything.

My mom blew her back out when she gave birth to my brother, so she had no choice but to have me in a hospital. She wasn't dilated enough when the contractions started, and the nurse without getting the doctor drew up a needle of drugs to stop the contractions, insisting that with a bad back my mother had no way of knowing how far into labor she was. The doctor came in, asked the nurse if she was trying to kill a newborn, or just herself, because he wouldn't want to be next to a mother that just lost her child, and then guided mom through my birth, which happened fifteen minutes later.

My mom would say you're far safer at home. ^_^

[piratemistress]

taking kids to protest marches, even whether or not you need to take out your nipple ring to breastfeed.

LOL. More power to ya.

Don't tell anyone I ever said I thought myself psychically inclined, but my odd spidey-sense says girl.

[sage_laurel]

Hmm.. girl would be a-ok with me. Though we're screwed if its a gil, cus we can't agree on ANY girl names.

We'll find out what it is in late June. So, until then...the mystery continues...

[requialexa]

I know this is really late, but seein' as how this is my area of expertise, I shall add to your list: Read Birthing from Within and see if you can find a class nearby. Written by midwives in New Mexico and full of great info.

Oh! And for the littleMan: Welcome with Love, a picture book story about a sibling born at home! Made my son cry real tears because he never got to see his brother's placenta! A beautiful book that you prolly own already :-)