Yes, I Have a Midwife
While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I took a class called Women and Their Bodies in Health and Disease. One of the sections of the class was on birthing, and it was quite slanted toward midwifery, natural birth, water birth, etc. I had never thought of these types of births prior to the class, but after reading a lot of documents, research and seeing videos I knew that when I had kids, I was going to have a midwife and a water birth, if possible.
Fast forward about 7 years and here, I am – pregnant and big as a house. (The twins comments have not stopped and for the record, I am measuring EXACTLY where I should be, so there, all you people who say I am huge to my face). Matthew has always known that I wanted a midwife, so when we started talking about getting pregnant, I made an well-woman appointment at Vanderbilt Midwives, and I loved them immediately. Since getting pregnant, I have fallen even more in love with them. Amazing, smart, talented women who just seem to get it. The only downside is that Vanderbilt does not have a tub for water births, but maybe they will by baby number two.
The documentary The Business of Being Born just came out. I highly recommend that everyone see it – even if you are done having kids, or only ever schedule c-sections, etc. I think it does a really great job of talking about natural birth, midwives, and the benefits. Check out the trailer and let me know what you think.
I think it is awesome you are going to have a midwife and wish I would have checked into it more. I will say that one of my dear friends was my nurse in some form for all three and she was amazing…I guess I almost had my own midwife with her supporting and guiding me through delivery!
I agree – seeking out the resources you need for the birth experience you want is great. I saw The Business of Being Born and have read a lot about natural childbirth, but I chose to have an epidural with my first child. I had a wonderful birth experience because this choice worked for ME. It’s different for everyone. In the end, I was thankful I chose an epidural – my son was born weighing 11 lbs. 2 oz. and was 22.5 inches long! The doctors had no clue he’d be that big. You’ll do great, Jessica. Just know that the birth experience is only the first chapter in Elias’ amazing life.
I also think it is great that you have chosen to use a midwife. I think I was naive when I had my babies and didn’t really look at all of the options that are available. The trailer is very good and I may just have to check that movie out 🙂
I had a midwife with both of my children and complete natural birth. K came in 13 hours and was completely text book, the whole transition time…perfect, pushed for 30 minutes, would have been less but his head was HUGE 🙂
as for V, 2 1/2 years later…let’s just say 1 hour! 4 hours of medium labor, got the hospital and the moment I relaxed she came in 1 hour tops! it was crazy. I honestly believe it’s because I didn’t slow it down with an epi! 🙂
So you’ll do great. Just remember to focus and practice all those different posistions because they really will come in handy.
oh and I stayed in the tub (nonbirthing one) until I was ready to push with my son. IT WAS PERFECTION! 🙂
oh and the great thing I felt at the end of both births was completely ready to get up and take care of that baby, no groggy me and both of my children nursed directly after coming out. Seriously! I thought that bond truly was important 🙂 I can’t wait to hear about your experience!
This is my first post – been lurking for a while now…. I think you are beautiful and am so excited for you! I had 3 natural childbirths. The closest birth center is about 45 minutes away and that made me nervous, so I decided to go natural in a hospital. It is the BEST feeling in the world. I’m one of the weird ones who LOVES giving birth. I know you can do it – tell yourself that it will be about 24 hours of intense pain, but that is it. You will make it through. Cherish the memories. 🙂
I haven’t seen the movie but I have seen the trend they are talking about in the preview–c-sections, pitocin, etc. My 2 labors were both with pitocin because my water broke and we “up against the clock” in regards to an infection. Craziness! I don’t know that the doctors are always to blame–they are in a difficult position–they need things to go smoothly (too many lawsuits) and the hospital/insurance companies put a lot of pressure on them.
I do think this trend is changing slowly. My SIL in pregnant and has chosen a hospital that is open in their use of widwives and NO pitocin (unless absolutely necessary). The “birthing business” is realizing they need to attract “customers” and this is what women want–less interventions, more midwives, more natural births..
I think I “found” your blog thru Angie’s blog re: Audrey and hers thru “Nitty Gritty”.
Being that said…I’m from near Madison, WI and wondered if you’re a Wisconsite by birth. I’m finding your blog interesting re: the subject of pregnacy. I got to enjoy it twice (and I did enjoy it..despite the discomforts). I do wish you well with child-birth etc. etc. etc. Back-in-the-day (I could be your baby’s granmother) I wish they’d done things like they do now. Pre-birth preps (arrrgghhh), dad’s NOT in the birthing room, and the list goes on. I’d have had “rooming in” and I’d have nursed and I’d have made sure that my husband got to experience the whole event (regardless of his propensity to being “light-headed” in hospitals).
i think you are amazing to take on the natural childbirth option. my first birth was pitocin and ended in a c-section and i didn’t want that again so i opted for a home birth the second time around-all natural. and third baby came at the hospital with a midwife-all natural. i would have to say there is something about the labor that i just amazing when you can feel every little thing. i also had a doula with the last two babies and i highly recommend having one. all three births were completely different and i would only want to change that nasty c-section. but thank god that i have three healthy babies. good luck to you and your birth and your sweet god sent baby.
It’s a long story how I got here, but when I saw your haircut and read that you’re having a midwife…I had to comment. You’ll understand the first when you see my picture beside this comment.
I insisted on a midwife for both of my children. We live in a remote location and, when we started thinking about number two, we had to travel 1 1/2 hours to get to the nearest midwife. It was worth it to me though. She was invaluable in my care and, to this day, I cherish her friendship.
Glad to “meet” you. Stop by and say “Hi.” sometime.
Jessica,
I came to this site through Angie’s site and you seem like such a sweet person and a wonderful friend to her. I also think it’s great that you are opting for a natural child birth, but I also wanted to mention something else– please don’t be so set on the birth of your baby boy that you get upset if it doesn’t go exactly the way you had envisioned it. I just got done watching the video that you recommended and it was pretty good except at the end where the French man talks about how the mother does not bond with her baby if it is delivered by c-section. That is so totally not true. It almost makes me mad! I know because I had a vaginal birth with my first baby, my son. It was wonderful. Then I became pregnant with my daughter and found out early on that she was breech. My docs did not deliver breech babies vaginally, so I was going to have to have a c-section. I was devistated. I did everything I could to try to get her to turn. She wouldn’t budge, so the dreaded c-section took place, and it ended up being wonderful, too. In each case, my beautiful babies were born and I bonded just as strongly with my c-section delivered baby daughter as I did with my vaginally delivered son. I nursed them both– actually my daughter longer than my son (15 months with my son and my daughter is 17 months now and we’re still going!). I look back and wish I hadn’t worried so much about the c-section, because it was needless worrying. I will pray for a wonderful, healthy delivery with as little intervention as possible for you, but in the end, how your precious son comes out does not matter as much as it seems it does when you make out your birth plan. You will love him and you will bond not matter what. Do your best, God will be with you, but most of all DON’T WORRY ABOUT HOW THE BABY COMES OUT (if something happens and it’s out of your hands). You’ll do great. I can’t wait to hear about how you had a successful, wonderful, natural child birth!
I cried at the end. Thanks for sharing that trailer as I’ve not heard about the film yet. We took Bradley Method classes when I was pregnant with S but didn’t have enough money to have a midwife at the hospital. I still managed to make it through without the meds or epidural but it was still so hard that I know I’ll need one for any more births.
Congratulations on the new one! I hope the day goes as smoothly as possible.