Planning

Now that I've hit the third trimester, it's time to start planning for Dot's arrival. And by planning, I mean that all I have so far is a crib and lots of cloth diapers. I've got to pick out a car seat (Graco Snugride 35--but what pattern?), get the other nursery furniture picked out, decide on new carpet and paint colors, and get things set up.

But I've also got to plan for the literal arrival of this baby. I know that the important thing is healthy baby and healthy mommy, but I still think it's important to know what I would like to get out of the birth experience. For instance, I would prefer to not have drugs (pitocin, epidural) constantly brought up. If I need the epi, I'll ask for it. If there's a GOOD reason for pitocin, that's fine. But I don't want it if the only reason is because labor is going slowly. This baby will come in his/her own time.

I don't want to lay flat on my back the whole time. For that matter, I would prefer to only be on my back if I choose to be. Gravity can't do it's job if I'm laying down, which just makes everything that much harder.

I want my baby handed to me immediately. Sure, I want to know how much he/she weighs and how long he/she is, but that can wait a few minutes. I want Sean and me to be able to enjoy those first few precious alert moments. As much as our families may not like it (sorry, Mom!), that information is not life or death and doesn't have to be determined and reported immediately.

I want to be able to breastfeed and ask for help, and to not have the "help" be the offer of formula supplementation, or to be told that I must use it or sugar water. God made me perfectly able to provide all the nourishment that my baby needs to survive.

Does all this mean that I'm going to be super demanding? NO! It just means that I would like as few interventions as possible. Women have given birth for thousands of years, and many still give birth with no medical help. While I'll be in a hospital setting, I want to have as normal a birth as possible!