2 posts tagged “cnm”
This Week:
1. Shared my 4D ultrasound pictures with the team and family at school. Everyone's first reaction was, 'wow', and 'look at all that detail'. I don't talk about the pregnancy that much with the majority of the staff, so it was refreshing to hear everyone's congrats and positive responses.
2. Mamasource: I used this website to assist a fellow pregger who is in need of a post partum doula, then I saw all the great responses she received. So I replied to a posting from a mom looking to find a better school for her child. It so happens that one of the schools she's interested in, is the same school that one of my cohort members is the president of the board. Small, small world.
3. Prenatal appointment and maternity tour: CNM says, Vida is head down, she's growing well, and heartbeat is 125. Maternity tour: The UCLA hospital is getting a new maternity wing, not ready until May 4th. The old/original side is where I will give birth, the rooms are not so bad. There are plantation shutters painted on the walls and pretty landscape murals, home-like cabinetry, and labor and delivery occur in the same room. Babies room in with mom. I asked a lot of questions, the one that received the most overwhelming response from the other couples was: "You mentioned, that a woman can labor in whatever position is most comfortable, what about delivering in her position of choice?" The director asked who my doctor was, I replied the "CNMs". To which she said I would be fine and can deliver squatting if I felt like it. Another woman followed up because she has an OB, like the rest of the couples. The director said it would be up to the doctor's discretion.
How crazy is that?!?! You are carrying the baby but the 'medical professional' gets to tell you how you will birth the child you carried for 10 months! I realize that's the norm but the women were surprised. One of the woman, Rosy, stayed behind to talk to me about my experience with the CNM group. Rosy wants to try for a VBAC but isn't receiving the support she needs to pursue that decision. She was considering switching but the OB care felt impersonal. I think I convinced her to come to the 'other side'. She asked how did I know to choose them, simple, I knew what kind of birth experience I wanted.
4. 4D Ultrasound, take 2: Last Sunday, the 16th, P, Nana, and I went to Treasured Moments to take a sneak peak at Vida. We had attempted the previous sunday at 2:30 after a lovely and super filling lunch at Porto's cafe/bakery. Well, that was a bad idea, she was in a deep sleep. The pictures posted above are from the 16th.
5. Baby Shower planning: Since we ate at Porto's after the 4D sonogram on the 2nd visit, we stopped upstairs where 'specialty' cakes are ordered. We placed our order for the baby shower on the 15th and the 16th. These cakes are so delicious. I will make sure to take good pictures and post after the shower.
6. Nursery prep: Cleaning out the 'office'. Packing up items we don't use, sort items for Goodwill or trash, post the futon and some other items on Craigslist, in order to make room for the upcoming painting project. We decided green, still torn between three shades: honeydew, garden (something), and something a little darker. I figure we'll do the actual painting the first weekend of March and just wait for the furniture to arrive. I can't wait until I can place her clothes and items in drawers and add decorations to the walls, etc.
Last week:
1. Not much on the baby front, plenty of busy activity at work. I did notice Vida's kicks and punches increasing in strength. Vida's Godmother finalized the invites and sent them out. They're so cute, pink with polka dots and a cute stroller embellishment on the top.
...and to think I thought February was going to be a slow month...so I look at my March calendar and it looks so wide open. Mmm, not so much because my grad work really picks up, along with some EOY (End of Year) projects. So I keep waiting for this 'slow' period to creep up, maybe April?
If I stop working on the 1st, I can see the next 18 (+ or - 14) days being a little slow. I will DEFINITELY stop working on Friday, April 18th. We'll see how I progress...
.
Pablo and I were notified by our doula that a screening of Ricki Lake's movie, the Business of Being Born, would screen in Hollywood on 1.16.08. It was painless to convince Pablo to see it, so off we went. What was awesome was that the screening was organized by DASC and Ricki and Abby Epstein (the filmmaker) were there for Q&A after the show. In the theater we were surrounded by like-minded people, there were some infants there but if they were fussy, mom or dad took them out for a bit. During the Q&A I had the opportunity to ask a question: "How did you communicate your desire/decision for a homebirth to familiy members and how did you get your husband on board?" That was the gist of my question. I asked it because those discussions were not reflected in the movie. Ricki gave the stronger answer regarding the communication required, Abby mentioned to direct them to the movie and its website which list the stats and facts of the safety of home birth. Home birth isn't for everyone, you have to 'qualify' first, any great midwife would tell you if you were at risk and better off in a hospital setting. I strongly recommend the movie, you don't have to be pregnant to get something out of it. It's a documentary and gives an inside look to the industry of birth in America.
For Pablo and I the first time around will be in a hospital but I won't have an ob/gyn catching the baby (unless there were complications). A CNM will handle it and I am determined to not leave our home until it's absolutely necessary somewhere between 5-minute apart and 3-minute apart contractions...the CNM at our last visit on Tuesday, said when you call us and we speak to you on the phone, we'll be able to tell you if it's time. Hmmm....in that case I have some time because the last time I spoke with the CNM on-call was when I was experiencing kidney stones and developing excruciatingly uncomfortable pain. When I had her on the phone she waved it off as a pulled muscle and advised me to take Tylenol. I think I endured 90 more minutes of increasingly uncomfortable pain before I demanded Pablo take me to the ER.
After the screening, I connected with a Kari J, holistic doctor, and Ana Paula Markel, a doula. Ana Paula is very involved with DASC, she's pretty amazing, having had her first 2 children by c-section and her last 2 by successful VBAC. Our CNM, recently asked us if we had participated in childbirth classes and we said no (Pablo's not that interested). Personally, I don't want to select a 'method' and rely on it as my plan. Also, I am not interested in a 4 or 6-week series. I am looking for a 2-3 day option. Ana offers classes of 'confident childbirth'. I will follow up with her and take advantage of her course offerings...soon...very soon.
As you've probably already noticed, I love to gather and pilfer through information. I read Observant Midwife's critique on BofBB before seeing it and helped me to gain more out of it. I don't know in what manner, except in that I saw it from a midwife's perspective as well as that of an expectant first-time mommy. The Observant Midwife brings a wealth of experience along with a tremendous talent for birth photography. Pablo asks if I want filming or pictures taken at the birth, ONLY if they were as poetic and beautiful as her's. She captures the strength of the woman as the miracle unfolds.
