15w2d picture

I had an OB appointment this morning and all is well. The top of my uterus is right underneath my belly button (what?!?!) and the baby's HB is strong and steady in the 150s.

I've been doing a lot of reading and research lately about natural childbirth and I've decided (with Nick's support) that's the route I'm going to take to deliver the baby. This can mean a lot of different things, but what this means to me is:

• No IV
• No Pitocin
• No Epidural
• No constant fetal HB monitoring
• Ability to move around and labor in different positions
• Have the room be quiet and lights dimmed
• No episiotomy (I'd rather tear naturally than get cut)
• Delayed Apgar tests
• Baby to breast immediately following delivery to stimulate contractions 

So my Dr. today definitely didn't seem supportive of my wishes and said "Don't be afraid of the epidural" and I said "I'm not, I just don't want one and I want me and my baby to be aware after birth and not out of it" To which she replies "An epidural doesn't make you out of it" and then "Don't have your expectations up here and then realize you can't have the birth you were planning for" Fair, but really, come on now, I'm trying to tell you what I want and I feel like you're dismissing it. Then she also says "I require you to be hooked up to an IV the whole time" Well that just makes me moving around to different positions a LOT harder. Not to mention the fact that I'll be needing to pee all the time, baby can put on water weight and the IV can interfere with breastfeeding immediately after birth. I just don't want it if it's not necessary, which I don't believe it is.

I left my appointment this morning feeling really frustrated and out of control. So I decided to take some control and I switched health care providers. I'm going with a MW practice (which has 1 OB). All the MWs there, and the OB, are supporters of natural birth and the hospital (a different hospital from before) are supporters too. I literally can't believe I just changed Dr's at 15 weeks! I know a lot of people do that, but I'm all of a sudden nervous about the choice that I made. I truly hope it was the right one!

So that appointment with my new provider (a midwife this time) is on May 15. Then I'll have the A/S at a MFM a week later. 

And I'm trying to sign Nick and I up for Bradley classes as well (a method of natural childbirth). I'm really hoping after all this effort that I'm able to have a natural birth, but at the end of the day, all I want is for my baby to be healthy.

Now I'm nervous also about calling the OBs office and getting my records transferred. Eeeks - can someone say awkward?!

Oh and here is a bump picture from today. Callie wanted to join in with the fun!