Midwifery

Let's give a little background. I've been into natural health for several years now. I went vegan originally in 2008, and have done that back and forth, always trying to find the healthiest balance. I work at Whole Foods in the Whole Body section, which is herbal supplements, natural vitamins, homeopathic remedies- both topical and internal, and natural body care.(we also have reference books, books on an Eco friendly lifestyle, cook books, local artist jewelry, etc). So, I've been studying natural remedies for a long time. I've never been a fan of medicine. My mom always took us to doctors that didn't use antibiotics as a default when we were growing up. I don't even take ibuprofen or Tylenol. I avoid antibiotics like the plague, and I always seek the natural option first. I've known for years that I wanted to give birth naturally. Thankfully, I have a few friends, and I have coworkers that have the same mind set. One of the girls I work with delivered with a midwife in a birthing center and said it was the most amazing experience of her life. Another girl is in nursing classes in order to become a midwife, and several others have studied about I and are very much into the woman being in control of her body, rather than doctors telling you what to do. It's a good environment to be in when I have questions. They have given me literature to read, etc.

Pregnancy is viewed as such a scary thing for a woman. We dont know anything about it! Most of us weren't raised in a hippie commune, or a close community of family, where all the women around you have gone through natural child birth, along with their mothers, grandmothers, etc. women have been giving birth for centuries, so it's funny that we view it as such an unnatural and terrifying experience. But how are we supposed to feel when there is a lack of ready information, and a lack of experienced women who did it the old fashioned way?

We are lead to believe that doctors are gods on earth and we are helpless, ignorant, unqualified patients. Most doctors guide you to the decision that is best for them and their schedule, not what is best for you and the baby. Knowing all this already made me scared to have a hospital birth with a team of physicians and nurses who don't study anything natural, who scoff at herbal remedies, and who only took a measly semester of basic nutrition in med school. They also push unnecessary testing on you. They're very persistent! I was really mad when they kept asking me the same questions about tests I had signed "no" to. They acted as if I was being stupid and would change my mind later.

I already knew I wanted a natural birth- no medical intervention, no rush, no drugs, no inducing labor, and I wanted to be able to move around. I have really liked the idea of a water birth for several years. Water is so soothing, it helps with the stress on your body, and it's an easy transition for the baby to go from amniotic fluid to water. Plus, I think it's beautiful.

But being pregnant is foreign to me, and it's scary sometimes. What if something went wrong? Good midwives still have plenty of medical training. And a lot of centers are super close to, or in the same complex as a hospital, so if something looked funny, you could still easily make a transfer in time. So, I have been to both a midwifery and a regular OBGYN so far. Because I'm young and scared, part of me is like- just go to the doctor! But then, the other part is more trusting in my body and in God's design and would rather go to the midwife. It's a difficult decision when I feel still uninformed.

Last night, I watched The Business of Being Born, which is produced by Ricki Lake. She had her first baby in a hospital and felt kind of robbed of the natural experience. She had her second child at home with a midwife. It was reassuring for me in my beliefs I'm glad I watched it. I feel like I need to go interview a bunch of different midwives and birthing centers before I make an appointment there. I can't have a home birth, because we don't have a home. I wish we were in new york, so that I could use the awesome woman in the movie. :)

I have a lot of work to do...

~15 weeks, 4 days~