That'll teach me to write half a post and leave it on my computer for the next day :(
Chris is visiting and makes a great house guest. We're learning a lot about fine wine and coffee and botany and all kinds of stuff. We just had baby eels on toast with cream cheese after a day at Cabo de Gata. Yum! My skin is oily and salty and hair is tangled... oh, the sea. I love it.
So here's the rant about home births. I'll try to remember it best I can. Grrr.
First, three of my classes asked me this week if I am pregnant. I can't decide if it's because I'm showing or there's a rumor going around. You decide. (16 weeks today)
We decided to have a home birth for a lot of reasons.
1) We don't want to have a c-section, and over 30% of all women in US hospitals (compared to between 10% and 15% in other developed countries according to the World Health Organization) have them for reasons that I don't think are necessary. In case you don't know what that is: "When doing a C-section an ob/gyn doctor first makes sure that the patient has adequate anesthesia. We commonly use epidural anesthesia. On unusual occasions the patient may need to have general anesthesia, which involves going completely to sleep with a tube in the throat and the use of a ventilator device. Once the patient is numb, a cut about the size of the distance from your wrist to the tip of your ring finger is made in to the skin. In most cases, this incision is made from side-to-side, just above the pubic hair line (sometimes called a "bikini cut"), while in some parts of the world, and in some emergency situations, an up-and-down cut is made from below the belly button to the top of the bikini line. (Most doctors prefer bikini cuts because they heal and look better, and cause less pain after leaving the hospital). After cutting through the skin and underlying fat cells, the doctor will make an incision through the remaining tissue, then will enter the abdominal cavity. The bladder, uterus, ovaries, tubes, and intestines are all visible and sometimes have to be moved out of the way before cutting into the uterus (womb). After entering the uterus through a cut a little larger than the baby's head, the baby is carefully grasped, and the surgical assistant pushes on the top of the uterus to deliver the baby through the hole in the uterus. The umbilical cord is clamped and cut, and the baby is handed to the nurses or doctors who care for newborn babies. The ob/gyn will remove the placenta, stitch up the uterus, inspect the ovaries and tubes, then close the different tissue layers and put staples or stitches into the skin." I guess I don't feel like having doctors wiggle around my organs when they don't have to.
2) I don't want to be drugged out. I've discovered that women's bodies are built pretty well to handle labor, funny enough. For example, your brain excretes endorphines during labor to deal with the pain. And the baby twists around to wiggle out just as your body pushes at the right time. With drugs your body and the baby's body's timing gets off and then more drugs are needed to fix that which interfere with other things like endorphines and pain relief and then more drugs are needed... generally not a good thing to start if you can avoid it.
3) I want to be in charge of who comes in and out of my space as well as when I can move around, when I can eat and drink, and what positions I want to try. Being on your back is actually the worst position for labor.
4) People ask if I'm nervous about not being in a hospital and if it's safe to be at home and what if something goes wrong. Read about it yourself cuz I'm feeling too lazy to post links. It's very safe, and I'm not nervous especially with the midwife we found. If something goes wrong there will be a hospital close, but I figger that I'm young and healthy with no risk factors. Also, women have been doing this for a pretty long time. I'm not the first nor the last to give birth.
5) Most of all I believe that pregnancy and childbirth is not a sickness and does not require emergency medical attention. On the contrary, I suspect that having a child will be a spiritual occasion. I don't think there's a better space than home.
Shower time. Next post: Why it's a felony in MO to provide midwifery services.
7 comments:
CONGRATULATIONS! (And it's totally showing)
When do you guys come back stateside?
Greg:
We are coming back stateside on May 30th.... we are flying into JFK airport but haven't found anything that will get back to KC that night so we will probably get KC-side on the 31st of May. We are hoping to get there early (which shouldn't be a problem) b/c we would really like to squeeze in a shindig so we could see everyone that night (the 31st is a Saturday). We haven't talked about the time yet; not sure if we will want to rest during the day or crash early at night but we'll figure all of that out. Plus, we're kinda hoping to do it out in the farm in Harrisonville but we would like to see everyone we could.
Speaking of the float trip, Mary (I just read your comment....), Chris Conatser would like to come to the float trip but we haven't talked to anyone else, as of yet. So, Truman fellows!, who wants to come floating on June 21st? Lemme know ASAP!
HOLY GEEZ! We officially bought our last bit of tickets from JFK airport to KC. We arrive at 11:10 in the am on 5/31! Fantastic!
I think you're starting to show my dear. :) You have me very interested in this Missouri felony thing. I hope you guys are doing well. I can't wait to see you in May.
We need to talk for a moment, guys. I've been asked a question from a couple of my friends out there in digital land. It's regarding this last post, really, just that second picture, the one with Suzy and that strange bearded man playing the guitar.
I suppose one of the most entertaining ways to address our situation is with a quick poll: raise your hand if you think that Greg can grow a massive facial bush like that ::looking around at everyone that overestimated Greg's facial bush potential::
For those of you that raised your hand, thank you, thank you. I do appreciate your belief in my cosmetic makeup. But to everyone else that doesn't have faith, I am furiously unable to develop anything beyond my pale skin and stubble patch.
The dark-skinned, heavily-robed-in-face hair individual in the picture is our Belgian roommate, Neil. Apparently Belgians do it all hairy-like.
On a brighter note, Suzy is still coming along perfectly and we find out the sex of the kid in about 2 weeks!
We all know the sex of any child you and Suzy produce will be 'Lots'
'Lots and lots' really.
The poor thing will be cursed with the libido of, well, you two combined.
Thanks for clearing that up.
11:10 AM? That works great!! Let me know 1st thing(email my work email) when you guys figure out times and a loaction for the welcome home party. I will assist in getting the information out to everyone via text. I am totally down to have it in Harrisonville, afterall you guys deserve to be "home" your first night back.
As for the beard, Greg. I will just grow one for you...all over my body that is.
Take care guys.
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