Check-Up
Chubby and I had a check-up. Everything looks good for both of us. My blood pressure is nice and low and I am measuring just right for 25 weeks. Chubby's heart rate sounded just right. Sarah Graves and Lovie were able to come in and listen to his heartbeat. I think it is so neat that Sarah Graves has some idea that a baby is in my tummy and she loves him already!
I met with Anjli, the midwife who attended Sarah Graves' birth and we had a good discussion about some of the things that happened during her birth, what could be done in the future, and what wasn't likely to happen again. My two big concerns were that last time I ended up pushing on my back and it took a long time and didn't seem like the most productive way to go about it. I wanted to know if I ended up pushing that way because I didn't ask for anything else or if there was any other reason. She felt Sarah Graves' low heart rate was the biggest reason for that. Her heart rate had to be monitored and the nurses at the time felt the most comfortable doing that with mom on her back. Anjli feels like the hospital has made some changes and the nurses are more comfortable with natural birth and different ways of pushing, so there is probably better opportunity to do it differently this time.
My other big concern was how many people came in just to watch the birth. I hated opening my eyes while pushing and seeing faces of people that I had never met and who weren't doing anything to assist. Aaron can tell you that one thing I hate is for people to stand and watch me work and that is all these people were doing while I was doing some deeply personal and very difficult work. Anjli established that in the room I will have to have a nurse, midwife, and a post-partum nurse for the baby. We can ask other non essential people to leave and it has been suggested to me that a sign go on the door letting people know that it is private and to ask before entering. I like the idea of that because the last thing I want is to look up and see a sea of faces watching me like a circus side show.
We also talked about the retained placenta that I had last time. Anjli and others in the birth community that I have spoken to feel like it is unlikely that it will happen again. Anjli also suggested that a bit further into the third trimester I should start drinking red raspberry leaf tea to help strengthen the blood supply and the uterus. She also said it would help give me energy overall, which who wouldn't want that?
Anjli calmed a lot of my concerns about going back to the hospital for this birth. I have given serious thought to having a home birth, but the complications of Sarah Graves' birth have left me a little uneasy about it and I really like Margaret, Anjli, and Dr. Bootstaylor at Intown Midwifery. I wish I could accurately describe how calming and warm Anjli is. You can't help but feel at ease in her presence.
I met with Anjli, the midwife who attended Sarah Graves' birth and we had a good discussion about some of the things that happened during her birth, what could be done in the future, and what wasn't likely to happen again. My two big concerns were that last time I ended up pushing on my back and it took a long time and didn't seem like the most productive way to go about it. I wanted to know if I ended up pushing that way because I didn't ask for anything else or if there was any other reason. She felt Sarah Graves' low heart rate was the biggest reason for that. Her heart rate had to be monitored and the nurses at the time felt the most comfortable doing that with mom on her back. Anjli feels like the hospital has made some changes and the nurses are more comfortable with natural birth and different ways of pushing, so there is probably better opportunity to do it differently this time.
My other big concern was how many people came in just to watch the birth. I hated opening my eyes while pushing and seeing faces of people that I had never met and who weren't doing anything to assist. Aaron can tell you that one thing I hate is for people to stand and watch me work and that is all these people were doing while I was doing some deeply personal and very difficult work. Anjli established that in the room I will have to have a nurse, midwife, and a post-partum nurse for the baby. We can ask other non essential people to leave and it has been suggested to me that a sign go on the door letting people know that it is private and to ask before entering. I like the idea of that because the last thing I want is to look up and see a sea of faces watching me like a circus side show.
We also talked about the retained placenta that I had last time. Anjli and others in the birth community that I have spoken to feel like it is unlikely that it will happen again. Anjli also suggested that a bit further into the third trimester I should start drinking red raspberry leaf tea to help strengthen the blood supply and the uterus. She also said it would help give me energy overall, which who wouldn't want that?
Anjli calmed a lot of my concerns about going back to the hospital for this birth. I have given serious thought to having a home birth, but the complications of Sarah Graves' birth have left me a little uneasy about it and I really like Margaret, Anjli, and Dr. Bootstaylor at Intown Midwifery. I wish I could accurately describe how calming and warm Anjli is. You can't help but feel at ease in her presence.
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