Research is so neat! I love to read all I can about things that interest me, and what interests me right now is my baby! So while I love books (I've read many on the subject of birth, etc.) the internet is a wonderful resource. Not only can I read facts about different types of births, I can read about other people's experiences and opinions!
There is a particular forum I belong to at babycenter.com where I get to see a lot of opinions. Not all of them very educated (sorry to judge, but it's my blog and I can judge if I want to...yes I just sang that.) I've noticed a lot of posts about women visiting their OBs and what it is like. Often times women will post that they were scolded about their weight, or they are freaking out about something the OB said that they didn't understand. Now, I have no doubt that there are some fabulous OBs out there. These are just a small sampling of some women's experiences.
Before I was actually pregnant, I suspected that I was pregnant while I had an IUD in. I decided to go to the OB to get it checked out. It was a great appointment. The woman was so nice. I wasn't pregnant, but we decided to take my IUD out so that my boyfriend and I could start trying for a baby (he and I had discussed this previously.) I left feeling great!
As soon as I got a positive pregnancy test I called up the same office to make an appointment with that nice lady, only to be informed she wasn't an OB. Maybe it was my ignorance, maybe she introduced herself as a nurse and I missed it...but it didn't matter. When I heard she wasn't an OB and was not the woman I would be seeing, I felt betrayed and lied to. I made the appointment with another person who I had never met, but cancelled it shortly there after.
I think the expectations that are created within us throughout life of what pregnancy and doctors appointments are supposed to be like, may have something to do with us accepting circumstances without question. I am so glad that something clicked in my brain to not accept the standard, to look outside the box...
I had no expectation of what it would be like to visit a midwife when I started out. I just hoped it wouldn't be like a doctor's office or hospital where I never feel comfortable. I thought it might be helpful to some women if I shared my experience from my visit last night which was my 16 week visit. I may go back and chronicle some of my other visits as well.
I know this may not be the case for everyone, but this is...
What An Appointment With My Midwife is Like:::
Last night my appointment was at 6 PM. We scheduled it later in the day so Josh's daughters could go with us and hear the baby's heartbeat. My midwives work out of Cascade Birthing Center in Everett, WA. Upon entry you find yourself in a living room type setting with a TV, comfy couches, arm chairs, and beautiful photography of babies and pregnancy.
There was no one at the front desk (everyone was busy with appointments) so we sat in this area and Josh's girls played with a bunch of toys that were in a box on the floor. They spread out and soon the room was filled with giggles and laughs.
There is one primary midwife at this birthing center named Darlene. But in order to have 24/7 coverage there are two others. This week I met a different midwife named Jane for the first time. When she came out to greet us she introduced herself and took us into one of the birthing rooms. There are two birthing rooms at this facility. Josh's daughters immediately commented about how it was like a nice hotel.
There is a particular forum I belong to at babycenter.com where I get to see a lot of opinions. Not all of them very educated (sorry to judge, but it's my blog and I can judge if I want to...yes I just sang that.) I've noticed a lot of posts about women visiting their OBs and what it is like. Often times women will post that they were scolded about their weight, or they are freaking out about something the OB said that they didn't understand. Now, I have no doubt that there are some fabulous OBs out there. These are just a small sampling of some women's experiences.
Before I was actually pregnant, I suspected that I was pregnant while I had an IUD in. I decided to go to the OB to get it checked out. It was a great appointment. The woman was so nice. I wasn't pregnant, but we decided to take my IUD out so that my boyfriend and I could start trying for a baby (he and I had discussed this previously.) I left feeling great!
As soon as I got a positive pregnancy test I called up the same office to make an appointment with that nice lady, only to be informed she wasn't an OB. Maybe it was my ignorance, maybe she introduced herself as a nurse and I missed it...but it didn't matter. When I heard she wasn't an OB and was not the woman I would be seeing, I felt betrayed and lied to. I made the appointment with another person who I had never met, but cancelled it shortly there after.
I think the expectations that are created within us throughout life of what pregnancy and doctors appointments are supposed to be like, may have something to do with us accepting circumstances without question. I am so glad that something clicked in my brain to not accept the standard, to look outside the box...
I had no expectation of what it would be like to visit a midwife when I started out. I just hoped it wouldn't be like a doctor's office or hospital where I never feel comfortable. I thought it might be helpful to some women if I shared my experience from my visit last night which was my 16 week visit. I may go back and chronicle some of my other visits as well.
I know this may not be the case for everyone, but this is...
What An Appointment With My Midwife is Like:::
Last night my appointment was at 6 PM. We scheduled it later in the day so Josh's daughters could go with us and hear the baby's heartbeat. My midwives work out of Cascade Birthing Center in Everett, WA. Upon entry you find yourself in a living room type setting with a TV, comfy couches, arm chairs, and beautiful photography of babies and pregnancy.
There was no one at the front desk (everyone was busy with appointments) so we sat in this area and Josh's girls played with a bunch of toys that were in a box on the floor. They spread out and soon the room was filled with giggles and laughs.
There is one primary midwife at this birthing center named Darlene. But in order to have 24/7 coverage there are two others. This week I met a different midwife named Jane for the first time. When she came out to greet us she introduced herself and took us into one of the birthing rooms. There are two birthing rooms at this facility. Josh's daughters immediately commented about how it was like a nice hotel.
Suite 1
Suite 2
While the girls looked around with their dad, I got comfortable on the bed. Jane sat there with me. Here are some highlights of the things we talked about. I'm not sure of the exact wording, but you can get an idea:
WEIGHT
Jane: Have you been weighing yourself?
Me: Yes, this morning I weighed in at 256.5 (Note, I started the pregnancy at 251)
Jane: Great.
Me: I'm surprised I haven't gained more weight.
Jane: You know, you may gain ten more pounds, you may gain 50 more pounds. As long as the baby is growing and healthy it doesn't matter.
Um.....WHAT?! This completely conflicts with the stories that I hear about women getting scolded by their OBs for gaining weight. However, it totally jives with how I feel about my pregnancy. I am just not overly concerned about gaining weight. This was really nice and reassuring to hear.
ULTRASOUND
Jane: Did you want me to have the place call you to schedule an Ultrasound or do you not want one?
Me: I thought that we were required to have one around 20 weeks?
Jane: You don't have to have one, no. I think they are good for this reason......but you should do what is best for you.
Me: Can I talk about it with my boyfriend and get back to you?
Jane: Absolutely, I'll go ahead and have them call you, but if you decide not to have one just let them know. You can always have one later in the pregnancy, this is just a really good time during your pregnancy where you can see the entire baby in the picture. If you wait until you are further along you might just get a big picture of your baby's bottom."
Okay, how can you not smile at that? And I am so grateful that I was given an option, and that it is my/our choice. After discussing it my boyfriend and I decided that we will get the ultrasound. It may not be the crunchiest choice, but it is one of those things that I have looked forward to.
HEARTBEAT
Jane proceeds to get out the doppler to hear the heartbeat. She first shows Josh's daughters how it works by finding their heartbeats. What fun! I won't script this part, but first she felt around my belly. She told me my uterus was the size of a cantaloupe! And the baby was the size of a coke can! When she looked for the heartbeat the baby was moving and kicking a lot, and she explained all of this while she was doing it. When she did find it we all listened for a while, and I'm rather proud of myself that I held back the tears for as long as I did. When the tears did come, she said, "It's okay. This is wonderful and emotional. There is a life inside of you!"
SHOES
When I got off the bed, the most amazing thing happened. Jane put my shoes on for me. She said she understood how it probably wasn't comfortable for me to bend over at this point. She was right! I have been trying not to complain, but bending over doesn't feel good anymore! She recommended I invest in some slip-on shoes soon.
That was it. It took about 30 minutes and then we made my next appointment with the midwife. I was with Jane the midwife the entire time, no nurses. She made my appointment with me. There was no waiting alone in an overly bright sterile room. There was no lofty language that I didn't understand (I even told her that I had been having Vagina Lightning and she knew exactly what I was talking about...round ligament pain.)
I am so thankful for my midwives in the birthing center. Even if something were to happen later in pregnancy and I had to deliver the baby at a hospital, at least my pregnancy was spent in a comfortable setting with warm supportive women!
Thank you for reading.
For more information on Cascade Birth Center please see: http://cascadebirthcenter.com/
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