My Body, My Baby, My Birth

Pregnancy and birth has become so high tech. Makes you wonder what they did all those years ago when women just got pregnant and nine months later had their baby.

Here are some of my thoughts and views regarding my pregnancy and birth.

My First Prenatal Appointment: Although I was having regular blood testing in the beginning of this pregnancy for low progesterone levels, I did not have the first prenatal appointment until 17 weeks. The group of midwives we chose were eager to help me over the phone before hand as I needed though. I love the attention that I get from such nurturing care. I spend 5 minutes in the waiting room and 45 minutes in my appointment....not the other way around.

Routine Testing and Procedures During Pregnancy: So many tests are dne while you are pregnant - many of which have declined! I give a urine sample at each appointment which is very inevasive. I plan to have an iron test done which involved a stick and is fairly inevasive. I have opted out of taking tests like glucose and many of the other unnecessary (in my opinion) blood testing and other screenings. And, I definitely steered clear of the flu and swine flu vaccines.

Ultrasounds: Before I was pregnant, I vowed not to have an ultrasound. But, when I began spotting at 5 weeks and it continued until week 12, I felt it best to ensure the safety of the baby and pregnancy. However, I am not a fan of ultrasounds. There is too much evidence out there that shows ultrasounds to be very dangerous to the health of the baby. Have you ever had an ultrasound and your baby was moving and kicking around a lot? The technician may have even joked about how much your baby was moving. Did you know that the ultrasound waves sound like a freight train to your poor, innocent little baby. Their tiny ears are just trying to acclimate to normal noises like the voice of Mommy and Daddy. Imagine how harsh those loud sound waves must be like.

Because we have not an ultrasound with this pregnancy since the bleeding at 12 weeks, we will not find out the gender of our little one. People's reactions are very interesting. Some say, "Oh, that is wonderful. There are so few surprises in the world." Others say, "I am too much of a planner to not find out." I find the latter response amusing. You see, I am a first born and a Virgo. I plan, organize, and research to the max. But, when it comes to having a baby, I prefer taking a simpler approach.

Childbirth Classes: Whether you birth at home, birth center, or hospital, I highly recommend taking a childbirth class to prepare you for the birth. We are taking The Bradley Method with my friend Donna. Bradley encourages the father to play a large role in labor and birth of the baby. It teaches many techniques to support a natural birth and avoid unnecessary interventions. ABC News did a recent report on the best childbirth classes to take. Check it out here.

Our Place of Birth: Home. For us, we could think of no better place than our home to welcome our little baby. It is a peaceful, quiet, safe place for my husband and I to have a calm and relaxing birth experience. And, our baby will be born into an environment free of bright florescent lighting, gloved and masked care givers, and cold, stark air. ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) states "Choosing to deliver a baby at home is to place the process of giving birth over the goal of having a healthy baby." All I can say to that is that those doctors have obviously never had the joyful experience of welcoming a baby into the world in a homebirth setting. They must often see babies born under severe distress due to the birth they highly intervened in with the use of drugs, induction, and/or cutting them open to get the babies out. I believe that my body and baby will be just fine at home. It is just pure, natural instincts for a woman to know how to have a baby. What kind of birth she decides to have is largely based on her ability to not be afraid of her own body's normal, natural function to give birth.

As a mother-to-be, I feel very strongly about the choices we have made about this pregnancy and the birth of our first born. I know this isn't for every mother and her baby, but it is right for us.