Updates and Opinions

Baby bump pic at 14 weeks, 6 days. More to come soon, promise!
These have been very busy past few weeks! Whew.... definitely need to slow it down now.
We just got back from spending a long weekend in Myrtle Beach to celebrate our anniversary. On the actual day of our 2 year, we were in the midst of the Great Nashville Flood. That was insane and I still cannot believe the devastation that's all around us. We are very blessed in that there was no flooding in our subdivision, but just miles from us in all directions, serious destruction. It's so sad to hear about all the families that have lost their homes and pets. It just blows my mind away to see pictures of Opryland.

I promised I would blog about my decisions regarding my birth experience. I know people either tell me I'm crazy or think that I'm crazy. It's really hilarious because medical professional friends are all telling me what a wise choice I've made. So there you go. For my pregnant friends reading this, I'm not trying to persuade you that I'm right at all. And I'm certainly not trying to scare you. These are just my thought and opinions. If you disagree with me, it's really ok, I promise.
I have to say that I'm an educated Registered Nurse so obviously I'm making this decision with a really good understanding of some things that people who aren't medical professionals may not understand. And it's my birth and my husband is 100% on my side about all of it.
And I must start off by saying, I have prayed about my decision, a lot! And i feel peace about it. There has been quite a few confirmations that simply made me feel a bit better about my decision. Mostly I continue to pray protection around me and my unborn child. I have had such an easy pregnancy and I ask Him daily to let that continue and to have an easy labor and birth. I want my experience that I've chosen to be surrounded by His powerful and beauitful presence. I want those who are present to be in awe of His grace and beauty as we witness a new life being born.
I've decided to go with a midwife and have a home water birth. Now, I wouldn't have to do this at home if we lived in a community where there are birthing centers or even if the hospitals had birthing tubs. Vanderbilt has one tub, just one, and it's first come first serve. I flat out refuse to deliver there because I will end up with c-section since they are so eager to cut. You can only labor in the tub until 6cm anyways, so what good does that do.
If you don't know anything about water births, and you are being judgemental right now, I encourage you to research it, then you can be judgemental.
Aaron and I are not hippies. And my friends know I am not hard core about stuff but I am a huge believer in empowering woman. Birth in America has been commercialized as a money making business. AND, woman go into their birth experiences frightened because of all the horror stories they heard or all the intimidating hospital equipment they see.
Once again, if you are being judgemental about me having a natural birth, I encourage you to research it. Then be judgemental.
I want my birth experience to be peaceful. I want music playing. I don't want some doctor pulling or vacuuming my baby out, much less deciding to spilt my abdomen open if it's really not all that necessary. And let's be honest, a lot of "intervention" that happens in the hospital is unnecessary.
I also know that some intervention is necessary. If there's an emergency or if a woman is high risk, then by all means, you need to be in a hospital. But for me, the best fit right now is a water birth. My only option for that is at home, which sucks but that's how it is.
I don't want an epidural. i seriously do not want anything being injected into my spine. It has too many side effects and it does affect the babies. I want to breastfeed so I do not want having an epidural to affect my little baby's ability to latch on.
Now, there are plenty of women out there who have had a medicated birth and have had NO problems whatsoever. And for those women, I am truly happy. I just would rather not put myself at risk for having an episiotomy or end up with c-section.
We are going to take a Hypnobabies birth class... research it...and I know mentally I can do this. A woman's body was created to push a baby out without much intervention. That's how God made us! You will actually push involuntarily when it's time because your body knows what it is doing. That's how it was made. You just have to listen to it.
Am I stupid enough to think it won't hurt? Absolutely not. I will be trying the Hypnobabies method and be in water, which both minimize pain greatly. I want peace, I want dim lights, I want music, I want soothing comforting words. I want our little baby to be brought into the world, showered with love and comfort from Mom and Dad. I want to hold that brand new baby straight form my womb and love on it and sooth it. That's what I want. And that's really ok.
If you don't want that, that's ok too. Obviously, this is my blog where I share my own thoughts and opinions. It doesn't mean you have to agree with me. I really don't care if you do or don't. I'm just expressing my own personal thoughts and feelings.

So you may be asking why I'm opposed to the hospital and I'll explain.
You can't have food and water, but you need nourishment as you labor! Ok, whatever. I mean labor is hard work, why would you do it starving and thirsty?
You have someone checking on your pain level constantly... i mean constantly. And the hospitals aren't staffed with the right number of nurses for them to be patient with you and labor with you. It's just easier for you be numb and lay there because it really does make their job a bit easier. It's not their fault, it's just the way it is now. There are really great L&D nurses out there but there are impatient ones as well. That's life. So here you are, scared about the pain (which makes the pain worse... research!) and you've heard all these god awful horror stories so at some point you give in, go ahead and get epidural because you are scared you won't be able to handle it and then it will be too late. That's just what happens.
And I don't want to be induced. With an induction, the pitocin drip is hanging which means now you are having medically induced contractions, not natural contractions. The med. contractions truly are PAINFUL!! So yes, I will want an epidural, which really isn't what I want at all!
So now you're chained to a bed, you can't walk and move around, which all helps progress labor, and labor most likely now will slow down. If you don't progress much at all, then it's off to have c-section. If you do get to push, it's when someone tells you too, not when your body tells you too, and you end up pushing ineffectively and most likely end up with an episiotomy. It happens all the time. And sometimes, a vacuum or forceps have to be used. Poor baby. He/She went from a nice peaceful water environment to a loud, bright, noisy scary hospital room. That's their first life experience. Has anyone ever though how these babies must feel?

Am I trying to convince all women to go natural? Not at all. I understand some people can't handle pain or a hospital makes them feel safe. That's really ok. This is just what I want. It's funny because in other countries, home births with midwives are way way more common.
Unless there is some emergency, I would much rather save thousands of dollars and deliver at home. I want to do it natural and the hospital environment is just not a great place to try and do it natural, unless you have a doula and then the doula and nurses butt heads which makes everything way more stressful.
I've determined because of my view points and beliefs, that I will be a disagreeable patient in the hospital. I don't agree with hospital policy so that means I will be labeled "difficult patient." I've worked in a hospital before, I know all about those patients that are "difficult." The whole staff talks about them and I will get nurses who give me attitude because they think I'm being dumb. I would rather not go through any of that with my first birth experience.
If you disagree with the points I've made, it's really ok. I just encourage you to make an informed decision, and research what I'm talking about before you just decide I'm temporarily insane. And if you just want to think I'm insane, then go for it. It doesn't bother me. But, I've had so many medical professionals tell me I've made a good decision and that I will be very happy. That speaks volumes!
And I don't want to get started on my soapbox about health insurance. Seriously, I work a full time job and still pay expensive premiums every paycheck to cover my insurance. And to top it all off, I have to pay an additional 20% for EVERYTHING!!!! Every test, every doctor visit, the hospital stay, the nursery stay, the epidural, the sheets on the bed, the tubing used for the IV, I mean 20% of everything. C'mon that is just plain RIDICULOUS. And of course, we make too much so I don't qualify for any of the free services like WIC, food stamps or even Medicare. If you have any of those things, I'm not hating on you at all. That's awesome. It just stinks that I work hard and we don't get anything for free. Our system is messed up... and I'm afraid the changes that are coming are only going to make it all so much worse.
So there you go... I'm opinionated this morning. I hope I didn't offend anyone. It truly wasn't my intent at all. I'm just expressing my own personal thoughts. Doesn't make them right. And of course, I've never birthed a baby in the hospital before so I cant say that any of this is from my own personal experiecne. But I educated on pregnancy, labor and birth all day long. I have a pretty good understanding of these things.
Please don't send hate in the comment section. Thanks! :)