Eh, I can't win 'em all.
Anyhow, we made the drive to our midwife's mid-way office for our initial consultation/prenatal visit. It's a good sign when the front door is open and there are children everywhere! The boys were absorbed into the roving mass of happy children while we retired to your traditional midwife's office: a bedroom-style room with comfy pillows, writing desk, and private bathroom.
We like them. We really, really like them. We may have freaked them out a bit, but on our end, we truly like them. The primary midwife has nine children of her own, all homebirths. She has "mojo", which no amount of certification or training can emulate, and she also has a wonderful midwifery education to back up the mojo. She laughs readily, has a stockpile of herbs to make an Navajo shaman jealous, and we felt very comfortable with her expertise and philosophy. Her partner, who has been practicing with her for years, also has good mojo and a comfortable manner. She has six children, all homebirthed, and her first child was a breech birth. They get it. I'm glad.
We agreed to having the apprentice midwives available and involved. There's no better way to learn than to be there, and we feel that we owe it to the midwifery community, and the future of birthing options, to be an active part of the process. Both of the ladies today were just great: enthusiastic, comfortable with their own skin and the situation, and happy to be doing what they are doing. We could not have asked for a better situation! Well, a better attitude from The State toward midwifery would be nice, but that we will work on now that we are here. *grin*
The apprentices both had their children there, and they were absolutely adorable. One of the little girls likes to play midwife. She's about two. She came up to me with the tape measure, wanting to measure my fundal height. It was so sweet. What could I do but lay back down and cheer her on. She laid the tape from my pelvis to my eyebrows, then poked around my tummy until she found the baby. She smiled and said, "Yup! Looks good!" What a cutie pie, and what a positive attitude toward pregnancy already. My heart absolutely melted into a warm, fuzzy puddle. I wish more people were that comfortable with it. Another little one who wormed his way into our hearts was this precious little roaming, rambling ball of giggling fat. He's nine months old, into everything, and thought Zorak was the funniest, greatest thing since dry diapers! They had a blast playing together. Smidge stayed with me until he hit his comfort level, then he was off to "find the brothers", and he never looked back. *sniff, sniff* Bittersweet, but good.
General health is all good. Measuring right on target, blood pressure good, proteins good. You know, normal prenatal stuff. She does want me to increase my Vitamin C intake, as well as overall greens and... alfalfa. (Am I the only one who didn't see that last one coming???) Anyhow, they also gave me a recipe for a tea to drink daily. I've got to order some of the herbs for it, but I think I can get most of them at our local crunchy shop.
In all, exciting, yet not-so-much in a blogging sort of way.
On the House Front:
Houdini didn't call today with a closing date. So I called him to find out why the blazes not. He said, "If the appraiser gets the new form to me in the morning, it'll be Friday, but most likely Monday or Tuesday." I freaked! "WHAT?!?!? We won't know anything for another week?!?!?" Oh! No. We should close by then. *pause, breathe, pause again* Close, you say? By Tuesday, you say? Are you toying with my hormones? No, he is serious. Or at least he thinks he is, and right now that's about all I've got to go on. So I'm going to cling to for now.
Tomorrow? The library! And perhaps, the market! Oh, 'twill be a decadent day for our home! Ahhhhhh.
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
11 comments:
We had the same attitude towards apprentice midwives. It meant that I got measured and had the baby's heartbeat listened to about 4-6 times per visit, but since I was just kicked back on the couch while this went on, I had no complaints. :) I'm really happy that you clicked with this one.
I'll keep my fingers crossed that Houdini manages the great escape from the apartment.
Your enthusiasm makes me want to go ahead and have another one! What do you think my daughter would do if her mother announced she was going to have a baby? hee hee
I *loved* working and talking with the apprentices. We even had two at the birth, though they really just observed and didn't do anything. In fairness, there wasn't really anything for them *to* do.
Love all the kids at the office. When I had my first baby, I brought him along to my OB's office for my 6-week check. She ignored him, and the office staff let me know that I should try to make other arrangements for my children when I had an appointment. Ummm ... I have a better idea. How 'bout I walk out and never come back? :)
O.K.,I want a picture of you, in the rocking chair with your prego belly, on your deck, looking relaxed in the now cooler air. I want that picture!
See? This is why you guys rock! We had an apprentice come with John's birth, and with Smidge, our midwife was just barely no longer an apprentice herself. It's good. It's very good.
Steph, it's funny what clicks with us, and will cause us to walk. out. Isn't it?
Melissa, believe me, *I* want that picture, too! LOL! In time, right? In time... you know, come to think of it, I'm stealing your mantras. And your Jessica Simpson glasses! Cough 'em up! ;-)
Dy
Fittsy/Rebekah, yes, we are having a homebirth, and with an AL midwife. One of the ladies in our church uses the mw in TN - she really loves her. Our MW is also friends w/ her and had wonderful things to say about her.
If you would like to talk with our midwife, please email me. tbowmommy at yahoo dot com. State Law is not as, um, absolute, as it seems at first. We had a great discussion with our midwife about the ins-and-outs of it, and I'm walkin' around with an "I *heart* my midwife"/ "HOMEBIRTH" book bag. ;-) Seriously, lmk if you have any questions at all. You do have choices in Alabama.
Dy
I'm so glad to hear that everything went well at the appointment, that the baby seems to be doing fine, and that you like your midwives! They sound absolutely great. I totally agree with you on the apprentice thing - I just met my midwife's new apprentice and she's great. Sure, I get measured more and groped (err... palpatated) more, but I really don't mind. I love their enthusiasm and I love hearing my midwife teach them, slowly and gently, through little tips and suggestions throughout the appointment. It is a learning experience for me too!
ROFL!! Start packin' honey!
That's so awesome about your midwives. I did the Bradley method with Jeremy, my second, and I wanted to do a home birth. When I told my parents, my normally even keeled and difficult to shake father was, umm, freaked to say the least. He wanted to know where we would do it, on the dining room table? LOL I said no, in the bed. He said, with a straight face, good, because I don't think I would EVER be able to eat here again, LOL!
We ended up not doing a homebirth,:-(, because we live in a police state and could possibly be jailed. *sigh* I love NJ
Great news all around Dy!!! :-)
Oh I am so glad you hit it off with them! That is very cool.
I wanted to do a homebirth with my last one but my hubby is a First Responder and he had to watch a video on emergency delivery,which I guess kind of freaked him out. So he put the kabosh on the idea.
I am hoping if I ease into it this time, maybe I will still get my way?;)
I also did the Bradley method with my last one and I loved it.
Laney - yeah, you do need to get out of there. :-) When are ya comin' south? *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*
Jules - if DH wants to talk other men about it, he could probably contact Geo (Jess' dh) or Zorak. I think there are definite valid points that men have that can be addressed well only by other men who have been through the same process. They "get it", and that's a good thing.
Dy
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