We had planned on having an ultra-sound free pregnancy this time around.
God had other plans.
We are home birthing people. Our first was born 3 weeks and 1 day late at home rather quickly. Baby and Mom were wonderfully healthy and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world. It was awesome. Two hours after his birth we were all cleaned, fed, and back in our beds as a family of three.
This pregnancy I am convinced God is using to give me empathy for other pregnant moms. I had morning sickness and an intense craving for junk food I have battled. I had an aversion to vegetables and I could no longer stomach quinoa. I am still tired at week 25, although I think I have only myself to blame on that one. And now we have a second ultrasound scheduled for next weekend in which we find out if we take the home-birth or highly medical c-section route. This is a weird place to be.
We are not anti-medical people. We do think we are overdependent on the medical system in all areas of health care and see this especially in giving birth. Yes, the hospital is definitely there for many scenarios but we don't believe a healthy pregnancy, baby, and momma are one of them. We would feel comfortable trying a breech birth at home and our 1st got stuck against my pelvic bone and with a little change of position on my part he was "un-stuck" (actually I would have received an "emergency" c-section twice in our labor with Asher, but that's for another day). Alas, placenta previa is not something the hubs and I, or our wonderful midwife are about to attempt, nor should we. So we wait.
I am actually quite content with either way this plays out. If we need a c-section, so be it. We would actually be more comfortable knowing ahead of time them to have to leave home after hours of natural labor to enter a hospital where some people would look down on us or treat us differently. We would be able to go to my OB that I prefer in a bigger city.
We are pretty excited about this opportunity at a second ultrasound though. I know I said that we weren't planning on having any, but it sure it nice to see a healthy active baby on that screen and there is no sound more thrilling than a baby heartbeat over the speakers. I get to hear the heartbeat at every midwife appt, but seeing little squirmy limbs is so cool. Now to just make it through an ultrasound at 26 weeks without "accidentally" learning the gender...
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI wondered if you had placenta previa! Is it a total previa?
We go to a midwife in Columbus, but I did have the standard ultrasounds just "because."
(Don't worry... I doubt you'll "accidentally" see the gender. :) We had no problem at 20 weeks. Although I realize baby is a lot bigger 6 weeks later! I hope you don't have an oopsie. :))
Anyways. At my 20w ultrasound, we found out that I have a marginal previa. Ugh. I know I shouldn't be irritated - baby is doing awesome. And I know that almost all marginal previas do "grow" up with the uterus. But I hate that I have to have a 3rd trimester ultrasound to find out whether or not everything can go as "planned" - in my head's little perfect-world-Bradley-method plan.
Ahem. That was my little rant. :)
I hope you have good news at your ultrasound!
And either way, I hope we both just have cute and healthy little babies this spring!
I love that you mentioned that perfect-world-Bradley-method plan! We loved that class and found out immediately with our first that the laying-on-your-side-relaxing-position was the worst one to be in! Ha! It was partial at 11 weeks and I'm sure that things will be fine this weekend. Good luck to you too!
ReplyDeleteWhat?! I know nothing of this not laying on my side thing!
ReplyDeleteWe haven't actually started the class yet. lol.
p.s. I noticed that my name only says "Michelle" and there's no picture of me. haha. It's Michelle Brauchler... in case you didn't already figure that out. ;)