My uterus hasn’t really gotten bigger since the last appointment and yup the Lizard has shifted around noticeably. This is neutral to good. She thinks dropping the irritating birthing class is a great plan and she also thinks my attitude about pain in birth is a really awesome thing.
She told me that 3% of births in this country happen completely naturally. This is pretty interesting because most of the studies I have seen have indicated that around 95% of births can/should happen completely naturally. Awesome. We have passed Brazil as the C-section leader of the world.
No wonder I feel like generic people are telling me that I *have* to have an interfered with labor. It really is the norm. (I’m not saying that anyone reading this qualifies as “generic people” in my life.)
Yay! Sounds like good news.
So no ultrasound, then?
Sounds like I may be asking for the name of your midwife in the future. I unfortunately think I’m doomed to be in the majority, but you can be damned sure I’m closer to your attitude about such things, and plan on seeking natural methods as much as possible when the time comes.
Sunshine Tomlin. We’ve had really good luck with her so far.
Yay for doing it your way. 🙂
*snuggle*
You seem to do well at finding the right professionals to support your needs. In addition to the midwife, I’m thinking of the therapist. Go you!
I agree – if the birthing class isn’t giving you what you need, drop it. If you didn’t get a useful textbook as part of the class, I could loan you mine. I doubt birthing has changed a whole lot since last year…
There’s also a Dr. Sears Birth Book that was pretty good, or you might want to find a Bradley method class: http://www.bradleybirth.com/
It’s all about careful selection and lots of browbeating. 😉 (Uhm, I’m kidding. Kind of the point about my awesome care people [acupuncture, therapy, midwife] is that they wouldn’t stand for that kind of shit.)
I actually don’t think we will try for another birthing class. We still have the HypnoBirthing class and I think that is going to be sufficient for our needs.
So lizard isn’t getting too big for what you want to do….
I’m in awe of your strength and determination…..
A friend of mine is six weeks further along than me, and until just recently she was going through the doctor I fired:
They required her to pre-pay for a cesearian.
Now she’s seeing a midwife. I’m sure glad I switched!!
The Business of Being Born
I’ve heard mostly good things about this new documentary. It’s available for instant viewing on netflix right now. Sounds like something you might be interested in checking out.
*love ya*
Re: The Business of Being Born
I’ll look for it, thanks!
I feel like I remember hearing that many insurances won’t pay for birth any other way but in a hospital with a C-section and/or lots of drugs.
I think that’s ridiculous.
Good for you birthing a kid the way that’s right for you! People have done it FOREVER. I don’t doubt you’ll be a-ok.
Not intending to be negative, but as I’ve already lost one of my best friends from childhood to childbearing, PLEASE make sure you’re in easy access to a hospital.
I know you mean well. You are still completely fucking irritating.
You are not legally allowed to do home birth in this state unless you live within easy transferring distance. I can get to 3 hospitals within 5 minutes.
hey!
can i *please* be irritating, too?
huh? can i? huh? PLEASE?!?!!?
when my kids were born one came out natural-like.
the other one (the girl) turned and headed north.
we waited 20 minutes.
then my wife’s BP and baby’s heart rate began to drop.
my daughter was scooped from her mom
in 3 minutes flat.
the lesson we learned was that nobody steers that particular bus.
shortly afterward, my wife was made to feel
like a damned-shit-ass-fucktard failure over the c-section
by a “good” friend who was also pregnant.
i banned that bitch from my house
using such verbal violence that
she hasn’t returned once for more than 15 years.
sure enough,
when it came time for her to have her kid
she endured 36 hours in hard labor
before accepting surgery.
in the process she nearly killed her baby.
because she forgot that in every pregnancy
there are always at least two people involved.
the mom
and
the kid.
i *know* you won’t forget.
but please be on guard against
anyone trying to convince you otherwise.
My midwife and I have had extensive conversations about transferring and when “more extreme methods” would be appropriate. For me, it’s perfectly acceptable to use those methods if there is an actual problem that cannot be solved in non-invasive ways. And I’m pretty fucking set on having a live kid after birth so I will go to some lengths to do anything possible to have that kid survive. 🙂
That said: many c-sections are the result of interfered with labor. They aren’t necessary. That’s what I want to avoid. Pitocin, while it does serve a good and necessary function in a very small number of cases, is drastically overused and it often leads to fetal distress and a mandatory c-section. Epidurals semi-regularly lead to c-sections because the mama can’t feel anything to push. I could keep going, but I don’t wanna. 🙂
I’ll transfer if I have to and I can be there in five minutes.
hooray for common sense!
y’know, you’re pretty smart.
for a grrl….