I just read some great news. Though it only confirmed what I already knew. Check it out!
"Moderate physical activity during pregnancy does not contribute to low birth weight, premature birth or miscarriage and may actually reduce the risk of complications, according to a Michigan State University professor who contributed to the U.S. government's first-ever guidelines on physical activity" ("Guidelines urge physical activity during pregnancy," Physorg.com).
I should say that, although I was dead set on exercising through this pregnancy, I've been woefully inactive for the past month or two (or has it been three?). But this little news flash may be just the boost I need to get back out there and run again. Maybe I'll even go tomorrow?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
You Are a Queen
Perhaps you've heard of Stephanie Nielsen, or Nie. Her story is all over the blogosphere these days. She and her husband were in an airplane crash and both received burns over large portions of their bodies. They are still in the recovery process, and the blogging world has rallied around them through donations, auctions, and messages of good will. It's really a beautiful thing. Her sister has been keeping the world updated on their progress through her blog. And she's been moderating Nie's blog, reposting many of her past posts. One of them was a beautiful account of the home birth of Stephanie's son. I had to link to it. I love the sentiment... we are all queens... Check it out here.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Prego Pic #1
Two days shy of 11 weeks.My first appointment with Tiffany, the midwife, last Friday went well. It was still too early to hear the heartbeat, but I'm "definitely pregnant" (surprise, surprise) and everything's looking good. Tiffany, who confessed that she "loves looking at pregnant women's pee," said my urine looked great. "You can tell a lot about a pregnant woman by the looks of her pee," apparently. It appears I've already gained at least 10 pounds, and I'm measuring big (like last time) because my uterus is tipped. The clinic was okay. I wasn't wild about all of the staff members and it's in a sort of sketchy part of the valley, but the overall experience was good. I look forward to meeting the other midwives!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Decisions, decisions...
I've been pre-occupied over the last month and absent on this blog because I'm 9 weeks pregnant! About a month ago, I was embroiled in a difficult decision-making process. It was eating at me and consuming my thoughts almost all day everyday. The question was... should I plan a home birth for this baby?
I've spent the last 5+ years researching birth, and I am a definitely believer that home birth is a wonderful option for low-risk women. (My two previous pregnancies and births were smooth and problem-free, so I anticipate remaining low-risk this time around.) I would vehemently defend each woman's right to choose home birth. And I have often wondered over the last several years whether my third child might be a home birth.
The decision was made all the more interesting by our insurance situation. I won't go into too many details, but home birth was looking really really appealing just for the mere fact that it's so much cheaper (as long as you don't transfer to the hospital). My husband, who has long feared the idea of a birth at home, was even coming around to the idea when he found out how much money we could save.
I agonized over this. I contacted a whole slew of home birth midwives to find out their rates and ask some questions. I google-mapped all the nearest hospitals to see how long it would take to transfer in the event of an emergency. I read and read and prayed and prayed. I had dreams of giving birth and strained to remember... was I at home or at the hospital?
In the end, I decided to go with a Certified-Nurse-Midwife-attended hospital birth. I think if we lived closer to a hospital, I would have chosen a home birth in a heartbeat. But it just didn't feel right this time. And I have had two great hospital birth experiences in the past, so I feel confident I can have another one.
I have my first appointment with a midwife named Tiffany this Friday. I look forward to hearing my baby's heartbeat and getting a feel for the clinic I'll be visiting for the next 7+ months. Here we go!
I've spent the last 5+ years researching birth, and I am a definitely believer that home birth is a wonderful option for low-risk women. (My two previous pregnancies and births were smooth and problem-free, so I anticipate remaining low-risk this time around.) I would vehemently defend each woman's right to choose home birth. And I have often wondered over the last several years whether my third child might be a home birth.
The decision was made all the more interesting by our insurance situation. I won't go into too many details, but home birth was looking really really appealing just for the mere fact that it's so much cheaper (as long as you don't transfer to the hospital). My husband, who has long feared the idea of a birth at home, was even coming around to the idea when he found out how much money we could save.
I agonized over this. I contacted a whole slew of home birth midwives to find out their rates and ask some questions. I google-mapped all the nearest hospitals to see how long it would take to transfer in the event of an emergency. I read and read and prayed and prayed. I had dreams of giving birth and strained to remember... was I at home or at the hospital?
In the end, I decided to go with a Certified-Nurse-Midwife-attended hospital birth. I think if we lived closer to a hospital, I would have chosen a home birth in a heartbeat. But it just didn't feel right this time. And I have had two great hospital birth experiences in the past, so I feel confident I can have another one.
I have my first appointment with a midwife named Tiffany this Friday. I look forward to hearing my baby's heartbeat and getting a feel for the clinic I'll be visiting for the next 7+ months. Here we go!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Hargadon for Congress!
Check out this press release outlining Dr. Mike Hargadon's response to the AMA's resolution calling for anti-home-birth legislation. His words are so right on...
"Is this about safety or better birth outcomes? No, it's about money and it's about the AMA trying to protect its turf, plain and simple. . . . Midwifery is a fast-growing industry. More families are choosing to have births attended by a midwife, rather than by an OB/GYN. It also costs significantly less to give birth outside of a hospital setting. So it comes as no surprise that the AMA would support making homebirthing illegal. They're losing money and losing market share."
"Here you have a group of women who are successful and doing what they love. We need more of this in health care, not less. Midwives are giving people what they want and doing it in an affordable way. But the AMA wants to tell us it isn't safe, and run these successful women out of business or make them subservient to AMA. It's blatantly sexist, it's anti-freedom, and if this legislation passes, it will increase prices."
But I really hope he's wrong about this...
"My hope is that the Congress wouldn't be so foolish as to try to legislate birth choice. But if you want to know what Congress will do, just follow the money. In this election cycle alone, the AMA Political Action Committee has donated almost $740,000 to Congressional candidates and other party committees. My opponent, Congressman Elijah Cummings, has received $5000 in donations from them in the past four years. So my fear is that the AMA has already bought this legislation."
We cannot back down.
"Is this about safety or better birth outcomes? No, it's about money and it's about the AMA trying to protect its turf, plain and simple. . . . Midwifery is a fast-growing industry. More families are choosing to have births attended by a midwife, rather than by an OB/GYN. It also costs significantly less to give birth outside of a hospital setting. So it comes as no surprise that the AMA would support making homebirthing illegal. They're losing money and losing market share."
"Here you have a group of women who are successful and doing what they love. We need more of this in health care, not less. Midwives are giving people what they want and doing it in an affordable way. But the AMA wants to tell us it isn't safe, and run these successful women out of business or make them subservient to AMA. It's blatantly sexist, it's anti-freedom, and if this legislation passes, it will increase prices."
But I really hope he's wrong about this...
"My hope is that the Congress wouldn't be so foolish as to try to legislate birth choice. But if you want to know what Congress will do, just follow the money. In this election cycle alone, the AMA Political Action Committee has donated almost $740,000 to Congressional candidates and other party committees. My opponent, Congressman Elijah Cummings, has received $5000 in donations from them in the past four years. So my fear is that the AMA has already bought this legislation."
We cannot back down.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)