Okay, so maybe not...

So maybe I'm not back into posting after all. 11 weeks now of nothing! I am 26 weeks along and can honestly say I haven't given labor and birth much attention, therefore I've learned nothing interesting which I could post. My sister-in-law is now approaching her time... and I got tired of my latest cloth-diaper-sewing obsession... so I'm actually giving birth some of my mental space. I'll try to post some articles or videos or something of interest soon.

Oh, and we have a boy:)

I'm back!

After almost a month and a half of not thinking about birth, I think I'm back:) Back to obsessing, probably... poor Derek. He has to listen to me all the time! I don't have anything interesting to share right now, but hopefully I will soon.

I am 15 weeks today. Somehow the last 5 weeks went alot faster than the first 6 (you know, from 4 weeks when you find out, till 10). I've seen my new OB twice. So far, so good. I'm working on my exhaustive list of questions for the poor guy. We'll have an ultrasound in 5 weeks. If you are all very good and post lots of comments, then maybe I'll let you know if we're having a girl or a boy;)

Does anyone want to share your birth plan? I'd love to read it for ideas and to see how you phrased things. I'll post mine eventually, after it's actually done, which is gonna be quite some time.

Here's a link for Letisha. I had referred to this alot when I was pregnant with Eliana but forgot about it until this afternoon. http://www.babycenter.com/average-fetal-length-weight-chart Apparently our baby is nearly 4" long and 2 1/2 oz!

This is neat too http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-15-weeks

How do you like the new blog template? The last one died on me and I didn't feel like figuring out why, so I just set up a new one. Let me know if it's too bright.

9 week update

I don't have much to say, but I thought I'd update anyway:) I'll be 9 weeks on Friday, but won't be able to post then, so I'm posting now. This is our third baby to make it to 9 weeks:) First one to 7 weeks. Second to barely past 4 weeks. Second to 39 weeks, 6 days, and 23 hours:D Fourth to 39 weeks exactly:)

I am, of course, quite tired! Napping every day and not staying up too late seems to do the trick. I've tried very hard in the past to eat the perfect diet, but... well, I get tired of food. So this time, no checklists, no requirements, I'm just trying to eat a variety at each meal.

I've never had morning sickness, for which I'm quite thankful! This time is slightly different though. Although I still haven't had any nausea, I've had food aversions and cravings. I've come close to almost feeling nauseous, just an overall icky feeling, which is also new for me. But still feel very good, and again, I'm very thankful:)

Now if I'd had two boys already or two girls, one might laugh and say this baby must be the other sex! But if I've had a girl and a boy.... then what does a different pregnancy mean now??? lol:) Maybe it's an alien baby. Or twins... that would be so weird...

Update in a few months may include pictures, but... somehow I think a 9 week picture wouldn't be very interesting:) Oooh, I have an idea.... here's a picture:)

Baby at 8 weeks. Not actual size;)

Garrett is going to die of starvation, so he thinks (it's 5:30pm and he hasn't had supper yet - GASP!) and Eliana is bothering him. Time for me to go...

Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born

Definitely go find that book and read it. I'm really liking it!! I'd write about it, but being 8 weeks pregnant has left me with the 1st-trimester Mush-Brain. So I dug up Maggie's old post, where I first heard about the book. Go read her review:)

Just for the record, I don't agree with the parts about evolution either. But excellent book. Go read it. How's that for a review?;)

(Amazon.com) Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born by Tina Cassidy

Another interesting video

A little on the extreme side of things, but not too much:) I enjoyed it.

Another beautiful birth

An unassisted twin homebirth:) My sister-in-law's friends.
http://twinstwobabies.blogspot.com/2007/07/birth-story-pictures-very-long.html

"Normal Birth" video

"When pain is to be borne, a little courage helps more than much knowledge, a little human sympthany more than much courage, and the least tincture of the love of God more than all."
~C. S. Lewis

Another excellent video - Everyday Miracles: A Celebration of Birth

Realbirth: Choosing a Birth Environment

Choosing our birth place

Ultimately it all boils down to prayer. With each child I have prayed countless times that God would direct us. With Eliana's hospital birth, I learned that although many woman are walked all over and mistreated, it's not an evil place in and of itself. I had previously feared the hospital but through knowledge and experience, found that you CAN have a beautiful birth there!:) With Garrett's home birth... there's no doubt God's hand was in that. Physically speaking, it would have happened exactly the same way if we'd be planning to go to the hospital. I believed I was in such early labor that we wouldn't have left home yet. But instead of having supplies at hand, knowing what to do, and having someone to call while it happened, who came to our home after, we could have panicked, called 911, been carted off to the hospital immediately following the birth. And I learned how beautiful birth really is:)

I have been praying for over a year now that God would show me where our next baby should be born. A few months ago, I officially ruled out home. I can give you my human reasons why, but in the end, it's all about God. Is this birth the exception? Perhaps there will be a reason we need to be there. Or maybe Garrett was the exception. I don't know. But I do know where I will be most comfortable.

Beyond that most important reason, the primary subreason which lead me to this choice is location. We are 35 minutes from the nearest hospital. This was once acceptable to me, but no longer is. These two things (God's leading and location) are the absolute driving factors in my decision.

There is another thing I've been giving thought to. This is a matter of a woman's preference. IF there was a need to transfer from home... would I want to? With Garrett, each time I considered a specific birth possibility, I thought about the need for transfer. And I was okay with that. But for some reason, I feel differently now. The idea of having to climb into the car in the middle of hard labor, possibly with a serious problem, just weighs me down. I hate the thought of it.

I often wonder if I'll receive MORE questions about choosing a hospital birth AFTER a perfect home birth, than when I chose home in the first place! I know it's a truly rare thing to do:) I want people to know that it's not based on fear. I believe that, generally speaking, home birth is as equally safe as hospital birth. I am the last person to say that I fear birth. And I hope that Alabama legislators come to their senses soon and allow midwives to catch babies legally. We need that here.

And on lighter issues, once that decision was made, there are certainly a few perks to giving birth in the more typical location. I won't have to pay extra to get a hearing test for my child. I won't have to make an extra trip to see the pediatrician when my child is just a few days old. We'll save a few dollars (not a huge amount, since our insurance covered half of our home birth). None of these things play into my decision:) Just perks.

I realize the risk of intervention that comes with a hospital birth. I make no apologies for my choice. Please pray that I can find an obstetrician who is patient and concerned more with mother and child than policies and timelines. Pray that we can be respectful of each other and work together to make it beautiful.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." Eph. 3:20-21

Some links for others who may be trying to make a decision as well....
Choosing a Place of Birth
Home Birth study
Birthing Choices:Health Care Providers and Birth Locations
Practices that support normal birth
The Home Birth Choice

Praise God!

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.

O Lord, how great are Your works!

February/March 2008

Psalm 139:16, 92:5