Forty-Ninth Step

Well, I'm back again! I took an unintentional break while my mom got married, my husband had a birthday, and my energy has been limited this 3rd pregnancy. Only 2.5 weeks or so until baby! Unless I am 5 days late like usual. I have decided instead of trying to post everyday (I almost made it 50 posts before my "break"), I'm going to just post when I do a RNM step. So there will be less guilt and more realness, because sometimes my steps were just thinking what I did that day and trying to incorporate it into the blog. Ha! As if you couldn't tell. I'll also just keep you posted on what's going on with us, like most blogs do.

For this step I communicated my needs and wants in order to plan the birth I've always dreamed of but have not gotten to experience yet...a water birth. Robert didn't want to set the tub up again because we didn't get to use it at all with Charlie since he came so fast (less than 2 hours). He had to deal with the tub and felt like he missed a lot of the birth, and it still only got 1/3 of the way full. So we are filling it in advance and draining it every 72 hours until I go. I'm glad to have the option if it works to have this babe in there!! It's so gentle for baby, and the warm water helps tissues soften and stretch, and with my big babies, I'll take all the help I can get!! My midwife thinks this one is smaller; I say it depends on how long I am pregnant. If I'm 5 days late, that's another 1/2 lb. right there! We will see, very soon...

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.