In the light of day things don't seem so grim. As he was leaving for work this morning Rob leaned down and kissed me on the forehead and said, "You know; I don't want this to come across wrong but I am not the least bit worried about this thing...You know what I mean?"
I do know what he means. I worry enough for the both of us and it totally clouds my judgment on things. I am glad that he has a clearer view. Its a great comfort to me. He's a good man. I am glad he's around. :)
P.S. The ultrasound is scheduled for Monday afternoon.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The good the bad and the ugly...
So, I'm blogging the good and the bad right? I have a lot on my mind tonight as I had a little spotting again tonight. It's frustrating to be experiencing this again at 18 weeks.
I had several episodes of this early on and was worried at the time of each event but each time a follow up ultrasound showed a lovely normal heartbeat. At this point in my pregnancy it's a little unusual to see it again but it does happen so I'm keeping my chin up. (Wish it wasn't late at night because I'd really like to see if my Midwife would like to give a little listen with her doppler if it was day time.)
So...I'm just going to try to take this odd little event in stride (it has ceased now) and see what we find out at the ultrasound next week. I really wish I was past the point where I feel movement. It would bring me a lot of peace to know the baby is squirming around...hmmm...hang in there Trace...(Am I being my own doula here? What's with that?)
I had several episodes of this early on and was worried at the time of each event but each time a follow up ultrasound showed a lovely normal heartbeat. At this point in my pregnancy it's a little unusual to see it again but it does happen so I'm keeping my chin up. (Wish it wasn't late at night because I'd really like to see if my Midwife would like to give a little listen with her doppler if it was day time.)
So...I'm just going to try to take this odd little event in stride (it has ceased now) and see what we find out at the ultrasound next week. I really wish I was past the point where I feel movement. It would bring me a lot of peace to know the baby is squirming around...hmmm...hang in there Trace...(Am I being my own doula here? What's with that?)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
18 weeks
The baby is nearly 18 weeks now. We had an ultrasound last Wed. which showed that he/she weighed (as far as they can tell) roughly 7 oz. and is about 7 in. long both of which are right on for last week. We had hoped to find out the baby’s gender but it seems that our little one likes to hide from the transducer apparently not a fan of ultrasound.
The kids were all there in the room and as soon as the image of the baby popped onto the screen there was a universal “Awwww!!!” from all of them since it was a very clear full body profile shot of head, torso, and legs. One of them said, “I see it’s spine…” One said, “There’s it’s skull…” They were all very impressed.
Personally; for me it was kind of surreal. Other than my growing girth I have yet to feel pregnant in any way. I haven’t felt the baby move yet and there is sort of an odd denial about the whole thing as if it just isn’t real yet. So when she put the wand on my belly and suddenly there was a baby on the screen I actually let out an involuntary gasp---like I was surprised there was actually a baby in there! I think the fact that it took so long to get pregnant this time makes it feel fleeting somehow. I can’t wait to actually start to feel movement. I think that will concrete things a bit emotionally. Besides; there is NOTHING in the world like the feeling of life moving inside of you. It is absolutely amazing.
In my previous pregnancies I have always felt movement for the first time during my 18th week and we will be having our diagnostic ultrasound around 19 weeks so I guess we’ll have another chance at finding out the gender then so we have a couple of fun milestones coming up really soon. I’m trying to be patient but I confess I am very eager for both. I will keep you posted when they are fulfilled.
Midwifery appointment update
Yesterday we had an appt. with our Midwifery team Stephanie Soderblom and Kate Cunningham. We actually were not supposed to see them again until Mar. 8 which would be closer to my 20 week mark but last time I was in I had my OB blood panel drawn and we found out that I was pretty severely anemic. My hemoglobin was at 8.0 which is very low. It should be around 12. Many women become anemic in pregnancy around 26-28 weeks because their blood volume increases so vastly that the hemoglobin becomes diluted. I was barely at 15 weeks and already well below the norm.
Because of this Stephanie suggested a particular iron supplement called Floradix which has been shown to improve iron deficiency anemia. She also asked me to add in (vitamin C. which helps iron absorption) and a sublingual b vitamin and asked me to come back after a few weeks of use to see if there is a change.
Well if you know me well then you know that the minute I got home from my appt. I pulled out all of my nutrition books and midwifery texts and started pouring over information about anemia and b vitamin deficiency. I made myself a list of things to avoid (phosphates for one---a preservative found in lunch meats and hotdogs which is notorious for blocking iron absorption) and things to add in such as high protein foods, green leafy vegetables and citrus and committed myself to improved nutrition. I confess up until then; despite the fact that I know better; (Note to clients: Do as I say not as I do!) I’d been slacking A LOT in the nutrition department.
Jump ahead to yesterday: Kate drew my blood again and this time everything came back in normal ranges. Whew! I am really glad to know that the nutritional changes and supplementation has been paying off and once again this was a testament to me about the importance of excellent nutrition in pregnancy.
I always say that everything that goes into your mouth in pregnancy should be of benefit to your body and your baby. Of course that is easier said than done when there are Ghirardelli chocolates left over from Valentines day on your nightstand. But truth be known I have found a balance there too. I think it’s important that those kind of indulgences just NEVER replace the things your body needs. In other words a Snickers bar does NOT count as lunch just because it has peanuts in it.
We will be watching this anemia thing closely and stay on top of the supplements that seem to be improving it...now if I could just stay hydrated...
Because of this Stephanie suggested a particular iron supplement called Floradix which has been shown to improve iron deficiency anemia. She also asked me to add in (vitamin C. which helps iron absorption) and a sublingual b vitamin and asked me to come back after a few weeks of use to see if there is a change.
Well if you know me well then you know that the minute I got home from my appt. I pulled out all of my nutrition books and midwifery texts and started pouring over information about anemia and b vitamin deficiency. I made myself a list of things to avoid (phosphates for one---a preservative found in lunch meats and hotdogs which is notorious for blocking iron absorption) and things to add in such as high protein foods, green leafy vegetables and citrus and committed myself to improved nutrition. I confess up until then; despite the fact that I know better; (Note to clients: Do as I say not as I do!) I’d been slacking A LOT in the nutrition department.
Jump ahead to yesterday: Kate drew my blood again and this time everything came back in normal ranges. Whew! I am really glad to know that the nutritional changes and supplementation has been paying off and once again this was a testament to me about the importance of excellent nutrition in pregnancy.
I always say that everything that goes into your mouth in pregnancy should be of benefit to your body and your baby. Of course that is easier said than done when there are Ghirardelli chocolates left over from Valentines day on your nightstand. But truth be known I have found a balance there too. I think it’s important that those kind of indulgences just NEVER replace the things your body needs. In other words a Snickers bar does NOT count as lunch just because it has peanuts in it.
We will be watching this anemia thing closely and stay on top of the supplements that seem to be improving it...now if I could just stay hydrated...
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Somewhere UNDER the pedestal...
This is my blog. Some blogs are a political forum. Some blogs are religious standards. Some blogs are just for fun. I keep a blog so that I can write about the current events of our lives. I am generally a happy and upbeat person so I generally write happy and upbeat posts. A few months ago when things were not great I didn’t write about much because I wanted to keep the blog happy and upbeat but then I just didn’t blog. Today when something happened that is really eating at me I decided: You know what? It’s my dadgum blog and not everything that happens in my life is happy or upbeat so if I want to vent on my blog I’m going to! So now you have been warned so if you don’t like it stop reading now.
So here is what happened: One of my children came in to me today and tell me that the child of one of our friends said to my children that they shouldn’t talk to her or her brothers anymore because it will make their “mommy mad” because---and I quote; “You guys say bad words and do naughty things.”
You know that sinking feeling in your gut…the one that makes your throat close up a little and your eyes to well with tears…the one that makes you think, “Can I rewind the last 10 seconds of my life and have it not happen? Yeah…I had that feeling.
Not sure that there was full understanding on the part of my child and hoping that he had misunderstood, I called Caleb in (being that he is 10 years old and smart and truthful) and asked him---independent of the other child, “What happened this morning? There was a conversation about you guys playing with friends and it went how?” He repeated it verbatim only with a little more hurt and insult in his voice since he is also sensitive and kind and couldn’t quite understand the reason behind the venom with which this particular personal attack came from this other child.
Well I wasn’t sure what to say to him because I’m afraid that I don’t quite get it either. I can only say that not all naughty talk is potty talk. Some naughty talk is gossip and malice toward others. Some naughty talk is putting other people down to make yourself (or your children) seem taller. Some naughty behavior is about judging others and treating them like they are beneath you in some way.
Incidentally; it should be noted; in case you are unfamiliar with my children and their widely known reputation for being good kids---they are in fact---good kids. The only kind of “bad words” that I know for a fact have been said in front of these friends are; GASP!~ “stupid”, “dummy”, perhaps “idiot”…not F-Bombs, not profanity, not even potty words per se.
The words which have been said on occasion are typical “kid” words which we actually do not permit in our house but which now and then slip into bickering and kid behavior. I do not approve of them yet neither do I think that my children are on a highway to Hell because of the occasional use of them. (P.S. It’s okay that I said “Hell” there because it is a reference to a place in this scenario but if you feel more comfortable about it just try to pretend that the Ls in that word are hockey sticks.)
So my children are not perfect. They are kids. They are not finished being molded or raised and we certainly have a long road ahead of us. But they are GOOD kids and I am happy to say that they are neither arrogant nor self righteous. They pretty much look on everyone as equals. They are about as non-judgmental as kids come. We have worked hard to teach them that every person deserves love, respect and the “benefit of the doubt” regardless of their looks, their background, their religious beliefs…the list goes on.
Just because someone is different than you doesn’t make them less than you.
The top of a pedestal can be a very lonely place.
I think I’ll hang out with the other sinners beneath it. Christ did. He mingled with sinners and lived among them and yet in His perfection He did not shun those who were not perfect, he embraced them.
Rob and I are comfortable with the notion that if; after we raise our children; they manage to grow into kind, loving, compassionate, charitable, Christ-like adults who occasionally say “darn” or “heck” we will still consider it a job done well. If on the other hand, they never say a single bad word but they are holier than thou and hypocritical then I think that would be the biggest heart break of all.
The good news is that I think we might be headed in the right direction. While I sat shaking my head about this situation and now blogging about it (clearly I am not totally over it); my children came to a wiser and more charitable consensus on how to handle the situation. They talked it over and what they said to me is this:
“It doesn’t matter what they think because it’s not true. Besides even if it was true, Heavenly Father loves us all no matter what." Then they told me that they will still love these friends even though they had said naughty things to them because: "...that is what Heavenly Father would want us to do."
Maybe it is me who will learn from them.
So here is what happened: One of my children came in to me today and tell me that the child of one of our friends said to my children that they shouldn’t talk to her or her brothers anymore because it will make their “mommy mad” because---and I quote; “You guys say bad words and do naughty things.”
You know that sinking feeling in your gut…the one that makes your throat close up a little and your eyes to well with tears…the one that makes you think, “Can I rewind the last 10 seconds of my life and have it not happen? Yeah…I had that feeling.
Not sure that there was full understanding on the part of my child and hoping that he had misunderstood, I called Caleb in (being that he is 10 years old and smart and truthful) and asked him---independent of the other child, “What happened this morning? There was a conversation about you guys playing with friends and it went how?” He repeated it verbatim only with a little more hurt and insult in his voice since he is also sensitive and kind and couldn’t quite understand the reason behind the venom with which this particular personal attack came from this other child.
Well I wasn’t sure what to say to him because I’m afraid that I don’t quite get it either. I can only say that not all naughty talk is potty talk. Some naughty talk is gossip and malice toward others. Some naughty talk is putting other people down to make yourself (or your children) seem taller. Some naughty behavior is about judging others and treating them like they are beneath you in some way.
Incidentally; it should be noted; in case you are unfamiliar with my children and their widely known reputation for being good kids---they are in fact---good kids. The only kind of “bad words” that I know for a fact have been said in front of these friends are; GASP!~ “stupid”, “dummy”, perhaps “idiot”…not F-Bombs, not profanity, not even potty words per se.
The words which have been said on occasion are typical “kid” words which we actually do not permit in our house but which now and then slip into bickering and kid behavior. I do not approve of them yet neither do I think that my children are on a highway to Hell because of the occasional use of them. (P.S. It’s okay that I said “Hell” there because it is a reference to a place in this scenario but if you feel more comfortable about it just try to pretend that the Ls in that word are hockey sticks.)
So my children are not perfect. They are kids. They are not finished being molded or raised and we certainly have a long road ahead of us. But they are GOOD kids and I am happy to say that they are neither arrogant nor self righteous. They pretty much look on everyone as equals. They are about as non-judgmental as kids come. We have worked hard to teach them that every person deserves love, respect and the “benefit of the doubt” regardless of their looks, their background, their religious beliefs…the list goes on.
Just because someone is different than you doesn’t make them less than you.
The top of a pedestal can be a very lonely place.
I think I’ll hang out with the other sinners beneath it. Christ did. He mingled with sinners and lived among them and yet in His perfection He did not shun those who were not perfect, he embraced them.
Rob and I are comfortable with the notion that if; after we raise our children; they manage to grow into kind, loving, compassionate, charitable, Christ-like adults who occasionally say “darn” or “heck” we will still consider it a job done well. If on the other hand, they never say a single bad word but they are holier than thou and hypocritical then I think that would be the biggest heart break of all.
The good news is that I think we might be headed in the right direction. While I sat shaking my head about this situation and now blogging about it (clearly I am not totally over it); my children came to a wiser and more charitable consensus on how to handle the situation. They talked it over and what they said to me is this:
“It doesn’t matter what they think because it’s not true. Besides even if it was true, Heavenly Father loves us all no matter what." Then they told me that they will still love these friends even though they had said naughty things to them because: "...that is what Heavenly Father would want us to do."
Maybe it is me who will learn from them.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Alien child?
My mom went in to her closet to get a pair of shoes this morning and when she reached for them they didn't budge. She grabbed them again and pulled harder...and there they sat---unmoved---seemingly attached to the shelf they were sitting on.
That is because they were; in fact; attached to the shelf they were sitting on. That is because they had been glued there by someone. So, who is the first person that she calls? Me. And why did she call me? Because I am the mother of HIM. To which HIM do you think I am referring? Take a shot in the dark.
My response: Give us about 5 minutes and we'll be right over so you can talk to him. She says, "I'm not mad you know...we've all been cracking up about it over here." I said, "I know. And I am not going to say a word to him about it because I want to be standing there watching when you ambush him." Incidentally; neither one of us have mentioned anyone's name in this whole conversation...it's just a given.
So I make an excuse to my kids about how I need to go on the internet and we are going to run to grandma's for a minute. We arrive, walk into her room and she holds up her shoes which have now been pried off of the shelf and have glue and paint residue spots on the heels.
HE just gets a big sheepish grin on his face, shrugs his shoulders and innocently says, "WHAT?"
I don't know what planet this kid came from.
That is because they were; in fact; attached to the shelf they were sitting on. That is because they had been glued there by someone. So, who is the first person that she calls? Me. And why did she call me? Because I am the mother of HIM. To which HIM do you think I am referring? Take a shot in the dark.
My response: Give us about 5 minutes and we'll be right over so you can talk to him. She says, "I'm not mad you know...we've all been cracking up about it over here." I said, "I know. And I am not going to say a word to him about it because I want to be standing there watching when you ambush him." Incidentally; neither one of us have mentioned anyone's name in this whole conversation...it's just a given.
So I make an excuse to my kids about how I need to go on the internet and we are going to run to grandma's for a minute. We arrive, walk into her room and she holds up her shoes which have now been pried off of the shelf and have glue and paint residue spots on the heels.
HE just gets a big sheepish grin on his face, shrugs his shoulders and innocently says, "WHAT?"
I don't know what planet this kid came from.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
15 weeks
This is what our baby looks like about now. I can't believe how quickly the growth has accelerated and how big it is at this point. I don't know WHY I'm surprised because by the looks of the telltale "bump" on the front of me you'd think it was much bigger.
(Although according to my prenatal appointment my uterus is measuring ahead a bit. My midwife asked if we were sure it's one and she is not the first to ask so let me quickly dispel any rumors---according to the four early ultrasounds we have already had it is just one.)
The baby is now just about 4 inches long and approximately 2-2.5 ounces. The baby's hearing is now beginning to develop a bit more acutely so I guess I should think about NOT blaring my music in the car anymore. :) Seriously though I love this stage because I usually start reading books to my babies around 16 weeks and it feels like a special time for the two of us. I don't have anything but analogical evidence to support it but I swear it's the reason that all of my kids are bookworms.
I haven't felt the baby move yet but we have seen it move on an ultrasound and as I mentioned in a previous post it kicked the doppler at our appointment so I am REALLY eager to start to feel movement. It really is just weeks away and I can't help but feel a little giddy remembering that feeling and looking forward to it again soon. I'll keep you posted on that. :)
Is that safe?
Probably the MOST frequently asked question I get when people find out that I have had 3 homebirths with a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife) and that I’m planning one for this baby is: Is homebirth safe? I am NEVER offended at this question and ALWAYS happy to answer any questions people have about homebirth. Before getting into that; I would first answer the question “Is it safe?” with a couple of questions of my own:
1) Knowing me like you do; do you really think I would do anything to risk any one of my children’s safety? 2) After working in the birth industry for 16 years (and educating myself far before that) don’t you think I might have checked into the safety of homebirth before making such a decision?
With that said, I can quickly answer both of those questions for you: I wouldn’t do anything to risk my children’s safety and I have studied in depth the safety and efficacy of homebirth and the fact is it is about as safe as birth gets.
To quote the conclusion of a recent British Medical Journal (BMJ) study: “Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States.”
You can read this study in it’s entirety HERE.
It is an excellent study which provides specific statistical information and is worth the reading and far more interesting than these rantings so if you want to skip my little commentary and go directly to the study; it will answer the question “Is homebirth safe” with far more efficiency than I will be able to.
Some information which has affected my views on birth and my decisions about how I feel I can give birth to my own babies with the least risk and best outcome is as follows:
*The United States is ranked 42nd in the WORLD for maternal mortality rates and has the second worst newborn death rate in modern world; yet 99% of births are in hospital in the U.S. This does not provide me with a lot of evidence that our industrialized and modern nation has improved upon birth safety with all of our intervention and medicalization of it.
*Conversely: The countries with the lowest infant and maternal mortality rates (i.e., The Netherlands) also have the highest home birth rates.
Mortality rates aside, there are other factors of safety and satisfaction to be considered. The BMJ study further cites the following statistics: “Medical intervention rates included a transport rate of 12.1% (women who intended to deliver at home when labour began but were transferred to hospital). Epidural rate of 4.7%, Episiotomy rate of 2.1%, Forceps use1.0%, Vacuum extraction 0.6%, and caesarean section 3.7%; these rates were all substantially lower than for low risk US women having hospital births.”
I could continue to cite study after study, and give a list of books and authorities which have influenced my decisions but it basically comes down to my answer being:
YES~ Homebirth is very safe.
I am a low risk mother who is under excellent prenatal care and observation. I believe that birth on the whole is safe and is a natural function of the human body. I believe that when left to its own processes will take place without incident and that it is the cascade of interventions that begins to set complications in motion.
Now and then (rarely) there are complications that arise which require further intervention and when those occasions arise I’m grateful for modern science and our access to it. However; in the absence of those rarities I believe that the less you mess around with labor the more normal it remains. It’s ONE of the reasons I choose to homebirth. (Sometime I’ll tell you about the other reasons…the ones that are less science based and more emotionally based. There are some good aspects to those as well.)
In the meantime; rest at ease that neither myself---nor my baby--- is at risk because of our choice to birth at home. Truth be told; in almost any other country but ours it would be considered perfectly normal and as great as our nation is, when it comes to birth we are in a crisis. Maybe we should be looking elsewhere for advice on healthy outcomes.
1) Knowing me like you do; do you really think I would do anything to risk any one of my children’s safety? 2) After working in the birth industry for 16 years (and educating myself far before that) don’t you think I might have checked into the safety of homebirth before making such a decision?
With that said, I can quickly answer both of those questions for you: I wouldn’t do anything to risk my children’s safety and I have studied in depth the safety and efficacy of homebirth and the fact is it is about as safe as birth gets.
To quote the conclusion of a recent British Medical Journal (BMJ) study: “Planned home birth for low risk women in North America using certified professional midwives was associated with lower rates of medical intervention but similar intrapartum and neonatal mortality to that of low risk hospital births in the United States.”
You can read this study in it’s entirety HERE.
It is an excellent study which provides specific statistical information and is worth the reading and far more interesting than these rantings so if you want to skip my little commentary and go directly to the study; it will answer the question “Is homebirth safe” with far more efficiency than I will be able to.
Some information which has affected my views on birth and my decisions about how I feel I can give birth to my own babies with the least risk and best outcome is as follows:
*The United States is ranked 42nd in the WORLD for maternal mortality rates and has the second worst newborn death rate in modern world; yet 99% of births are in hospital in the U.S. This does not provide me with a lot of evidence that our industrialized and modern nation has improved upon birth safety with all of our intervention and medicalization of it.
*Conversely: The countries with the lowest infant and maternal mortality rates (i.e., The Netherlands) also have the highest home birth rates.
Mortality rates aside, there are other factors of safety and satisfaction to be considered. The BMJ study further cites the following statistics: “Medical intervention rates included a transport rate of 12.1% (women who intended to deliver at home when labour began but were transferred to hospital). Epidural rate of 4.7%, Episiotomy rate of 2.1%, Forceps use1.0%, Vacuum extraction 0.6%, and caesarean section 3.7%; these rates were all substantially lower than for low risk US women having hospital births.”
I could continue to cite study after study, and give a list of books and authorities which have influenced my decisions but it basically comes down to my answer being:
YES~ Homebirth is very safe.
I am a low risk mother who is under excellent prenatal care and observation. I believe that birth on the whole is safe and is a natural function of the human body. I believe that when left to its own processes will take place without incident and that it is the cascade of interventions that begins to set complications in motion.
Now and then (rarely) there are complications that arise which require further intervention and when those occasions arise I’m grateful for modern science and our access to it. However; in the absence of those rarities I believe that the less you mess around with labor the more normal it remains. It’s ONE of the reasons I choose to homebirth. (Sometime I’ll tell you about the other reasons…the ones that are less science based and more emotionally based. There are some good aspects to those as well.)
In the meantime; rest at ease that neither myself---nor my baby--- is at risk because of our choice to birth at home. Truth be told; in almost any other country but ours it would be considered perfectly normal and as great as our nation is, when it comes to birth we are in a crisis. Maybe we should be looking elsewhere for advice on healthy outcomes.
Monday, February 1, 2010
First Prenatal Appt.
Well, as indecisive as I tend to be I also have strong instincts and when I listen to myself sometimes they work out.
In researching midwives one name kept coming back to me: Stephanie Soderblom. Interestingly it is not the first time I have thought about using her as a midwife. I have been familiar with her reputation for a long time and have always heard great things about her.
Well last week I finally made some calls and set up appointments for interviews. I purposely set hers up to be the first interview and kept thinking that if it went well I would just cancel the others. It went WELL. She pre-empted all of my questions with answers that just clicked with me. Often times she would make a statement that answered a question I hadn't even thought to ask but realized I was very curious about. I felt pretty much instantly connected to both her and her assistant Kate Cunningham. They make a great team and they fit our family like a glove. We couldn't be more happy with our decision to go with them.
So today we had our first prenatal appt. The kids all came to both the interview and the prenatal appt. Their comfort with the midwife and her comfort with them is a huge priority for us since we believe that birth is about the whole family.
We got to hear the baby's heartbeat tonight; this was the first time the kids were able to be there for that and they all smiled really big when they heard the "horses hooves". They also thought it was great when the baby kicked the doppler and it made a loud noise.
After our awesome appointment we took the kids to Rumby Island Grill for dinner and had teryaki chicken and brown rice: the first food I was able to get in all day since I have been a little sick today and yesterday. YUCK. All in all it was a fun family home evening with one of the better activities we have had in a while.
We also talked with the midwives about our ultrasound and it looks like we will go for that in a little over a week. YAY!! Love to see our sweetpea and hopefully find out the gender. Can't wait.
In researching midwives one name kept coming back to me: Stephanie Soderblom. Interestingly it is not the first time I have thought about using her as a midwife. I have been familiar with her reputation for a long time and have always heard great things about her.
Well last week I finally made some calls and set up appointments for interviews. I purposely set hers up to be the first interview and kept thinking that if it went well I would just cancel the others. It went WELL. She pre-empted all of my questions with answers that just clicked with me. Often times she would make a statement that answered a question I hadn't even thought to ask but realized I was very curious about. I felt pretty much instantly connected to both her and her assistant Kate Cunningham. They make a great team and they fit our family like a glove. We couldn't be more happy with our decision to go with them.
So today we had our first prenatal appt. The kids all came to both the interview and the prenatal appt. Their comfort with the midwife and her comfort with them is a huge priority for us since we believe that birth is about the whole family.
We got to hear the baby's heartbeat tonight; this was the first time the kids were able to be there for that and they all smiled really big when they heard the "horses hooves". They also thought it was great when the baby kicked the doppler and it made a loud noise.
After our awesome appointment we took the kids to Rumby Island Grill for dinner and had teryaki chicken and brown rice: the first food I was able to get in all day since I have been a little sick today and yesterday. YUCK. All in all it was a fun family home evening with one of the better activities we have had in a while.
We also talked with the midwives about our ultrasound and it looks like we will go for that in a little over a week. YAY!! Love to see our sweetpea and hopefully find out the gender. Can't wait.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
