Sunday, April 13, 2008

Always so full

Of great ideas when I get back from spending time with the girls. I've often talked about how my girlfriends, sister and mom are the greatest support team I have out there when it comes to parenting. The majority of the girls weekend away was spent about how to raise kids. Not necessarily how, but different things we've tried, what we have read, what we have learned - it's a big round circle sharing, where it's not like any one of us is trying to tell the other how to do it, we just listen, talk it out and maybe offer advice. It's great. I've learned so many things from them.

One of my dearest and closest friends, is part of a program and has volunteered to be a birth companion. It's a program where single women who are pregnant sign up with, and they are matched with a companion to go to pre-natal classes with, to be there for, to talk to, to listen, etc... for the whole birthing process. They are in delivery with them too! She's super excited for the birth too. It got me all excited about having another baby.

Anyways - they saw a movie called "The Business of Being Born" and she said it's amazing. I have to see it. It talks a lot about C-sections, and how now in the US, 40% of births are C-sections (and lots of women are opting to do a C-section and tummy tuck at the same time). Which is scary. C-sections, while not dangerous, are not the best/safest way to delivery a baby. I had a C-section. My birth story is almost exactly like the ones they talk about in this documentary. My water broke - they induced me (telling me that if you don't have the baby within 24 hours of your water breaking you can get an infection which is not the truth), then they gave me morphine (which I didn't know was accompanied with the risk of my baby being born dopey, which he was), which didn't work anyways, and then they gave me an epidural (which I still don't regret, at all), and they told me his heart rate was too high. When you're 9 months pregnant, hooked up to monitors, in a hospital, and your doctor tells you you have to have a C-section, all you can hear is "your baby's heart rate is too high", I just thought - do whatever you have to do, get him out safely. Well, maybe it wasn't the case. They may have just been pushing me to get the baby out so they can move onto the next patient. Free up a bed. Now honestly, I have no idea. I have no idea if I needed a C-section, or if I went a couple more hours if he would have come out naturally. Right now I don't really care. Carson was healthy, there were no problems, I could nurse him, I never had to bring him back to the hospital after we went home (which was actually early, I had to get out of the hospital, I don't like hospitals too much), so it doesn't really matter how he came out.

But - this time I am definitely getting a midwife. I don't think I want to go back to an obstetrician (wait for 2 hours in the office to go in for only 5 minutes), who doesn't really tell me anything I don't already know. Don't get me wrong, I quite liked my doctor. But if I can get the same information and be more comfortable with a midwife? Darn tootin' I'm gonna do it.

I'm not pregnant, I'm just hoping I will be lucky enough to get pregnant again

I shouldn't have to say this, it's my blog, but that was hard for me to admit, about the c-section so I appreciate no snotty comments about how I should have known that. Please.

3 comments:

Marathon Someday said...

I loved this post.

Did you know that I had a doula for my birth? I felt like she was a buffer between me and the doctors. Isn't it sad, that I couldn't trust them?

And the birthing companion program thing is SO cool!

I miss you - send me an e-mail soon, okay?:-)

Marathon Someday said...

Quick question for you - what kind of shoes does Carson wear?

I'm looking for one's with sturdy support for R. She has Robeez (the new shoes) for daycare, but I need another pair for the weekends. When they cost $40 (for a few months, if that), it's worth the research!

Running with Scissors said...

Great post! I just had a midwife during my pregnancy, but I think that's pretty standard in Aust. You only have a doctor if there is complications, which thankfully I didn't have.

BTW: Love the "Thomas" toy. On the day you posted that I'd bought Guy two Thomas jigsaw puzzles. They are great. Big pieces for little kids. He's getting one for his birthday in Oct. and on for Christmas. xxxx