Seventeenth Step

This step was to take care of myself with my pregnancy. I had an appt. with my midwife, and had the wonderful time of just talking and relaxing at her home, asking questions and then finally getting to hear the heartbeat and measure "how big." Everything was fine, and my urinalysis test strip was PERFECT she said. She said she hadn't seen one that perfect for a long time. So I got a gold star for the day, even though I really caught up in the weight dept. (I had gained maybe 8 lbs. by 22 wks, but I am making up for it now)! So I'm 28 wks. now, and the baby will be here in no time! Since we have home births, it is such a joy to have a continuous care provider for prenatal care, the birth, and postnatal care. I love my midwife!

For more on home birth, go to storknet.com or gentlebirth.org, or do your own search on home birth on Google. I definitely believe women should give birth where they are most comfortable, but that they should also do the work of being as informed as possible about the risks and benefits of their birth choices. Some books I recommend are The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin (a little zany, but some good stats), The Christian Woman's Guide to Childbirth by Debra Evans, The Christian Childbirth Handbook by Jennifer Vanderlaan, and there are many more. To get your own test strips to check your pH, hydration, protein, sugar, etc., go to saveontests.com.