The Sorrowful Mysteries: The Agony in the Garden (Part 1)

[I've been praying and meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary lately, as they have really been on my mind as I prepare for Gianna's birth. The Mysteries, which include Jesus' agony in the garden, the scouring at the pillar, crowning with thorns, carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion, don't really seem like a traditional kind of prayer for someone who will be giving birth soon (more normal would be "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" or "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." etc...), but these meditations have brought me great peace and happiness and I'd like to share bits of those thoughts with you. ]


The First Sorrowful Mystery – The Agony in the Garden (Matt 26:36-41 or Luke 22:40-45)
Following the last supper, Jesus goes to Gethsemane with Peter, James, and John, asking them to pray and "keep watch" with him. Jesus goes further on to pray alone and in agony, his sweat becomes like drops of blood, three times saying "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done."


When I (or any woman, for that matter) go into labor, although I will have people near me and even in the same room, like Chris and my midwives, my experience of this time will be completely different from theirs. Like Peter, James, and John, they may even fall asleep at some point! Although I will not be alone, the pain and emotions I experience will be separate from them. I know there may be many times that I will want to give up or have the "cup" taken from me, but I know that I, like Jesus in the garden, will not be truly alone, because my Heavenly Father will be with me.

Jesus, I unite my suffering with yours in the garden of Gethsemane; be with me at my time of need, most merciful Lord. 

Did you miss the first post? Read my Introduction to the Sorrowful Mysteries here

The 5 Sorrowful Mysteries: Introduction

I've been praying and meditating on the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary lately, as they have really been on my mind as I prepare for Gianna's birth. The Mysteries, which include Jesus' agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, crowning with thorns, carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion, don't really seem like a traditional kind of prayer for someone who will be giving birth soon (more normal would be "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" or "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want..." etc...), but these meditations have brought me great peace and happiness and I'd like to share bits of those thoughts with you. 

 Intro to the Mysteries and Childbirth:
In general, I've thought a lot about the what and whys of the pain of childbirth, because in our 21st century society, it's a common notion to believe that "pain and suffering" should not exist.

 But what if this pain and suffering in childbirth exists to make us holy and more like Christ? What if it's part of God's loving plan for our salvation? What if God wants to use natural childbirth as a way to empower women to make them stronger wives, mothers, and daughters of Christ and to help them to truly know that they "can do all things through Christ"? (Obviously, I'm speaking in the case of normal births which are approx 90% of all births, not if medical intervention is medically necessary!)

Two popular birth-related Bible verses:  (*all emphasis in Bible verses mine)
*Genesis 3:16, God says "I will intensify your toil in childbearing; in pain, you shall bring forth children."
*John 16:21, Jesus says "When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world." 

At face value, it seems a little dramatic, right? God says I'll make having babies painful, but then afterwards it'll be joyful and awesome. I've found that there's so much more though. If our God is loving and just, why would he want women to experience such pain? The simple answer is in the question--because He loves us, but as to the real rhyme and reason of how that love is manifested in birth pangs? The full picture comes into focus when we have greater context (it's always, all about context!). 

Reading a couple verses before in *John 16: "Are you discussing with one another what I said, 'A little while and you will not see me, and again a little while and you will see me'? Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor...."

Now the puzzle pieces begin to come together. Throughout the Bible, in fact, references to the pain of childbirth are connected with (either obviously here, or more hidden throughout the OT) Jesus' death. Understanding of the pain of childbirth and joy of a child comes to fruition in the context of Jesus' death and glorious Resurrection! 

In childbirth, God gave women a powerful way to be "like Christ" in his Passion/death (pain of bearing a child) and Resurrection (joy after birth of child). It's a way that is not easy, not really pleasant, but incredibly special, in that no man every gets be so closely united to Christ in this way, as a woman is. And this was the plan, from the very beginning! Oh how much He loves us! Jesus' death on Good Friday gave meaning to pain and suffering, making it holy and redemptive.  

 Jesus tells us to "pick up your cross and follow me" (*Matt 16:24) and "come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me....and you will find rest..." (*Matt 11:28-29). “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Cor 1:18) It may seem silly in the “modern world” to experience pain in childbirth, but God intended this pain for women for a purpose; this is the “cross” He desires for us. It is not a cross that we construct for ourselves that causes unnecessary suffering, but the cross designed for us as women to carry, one that fits us perfectly. With that cross (pain of childbirth), we can join Jesus in our sufferings, learning from him how to make our pain holy and redemptive, and finding rest in Him. 

It's more just asking Jesus to "get me through this"-- it's uniting myself to Jesus on the cross and participating in his Passion, knowing that Good Friday brings Easter Sunday and that soon there will be a child to rejoice much about.  

Jesus, be with me in suffering, and rejoice in my joys. 

Stay tuned for Part 1--The Agony in the Garden....

Week 34 Update and usual randomness

6 weeks to go!

I have the iPregnancy app and the weekly updates are getting pretty boring now that I’m on the home stretch. Basically every weekend it tells me I should be feeling more and more miserable (thankfully not yet) and that baby is getting fatter (hopefully). Apparently, by the end of the week Gianna could weigh as much as 6 lbs! I literally can’t fathom that, but it’s super awesome!

And here are your picture updates for Week 34. (BTW, this is the 2nd time I've typed 24 instead of 24 34...wow...3rd time...wonder what that means lol)

 And now....the silliness ensues.

 Because it's not the Rachel...

 Unless there's a ridiculous face involved.

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Chris and I watched Jim Gaffigan’s Mr. Universe stand up special recently . In the portion below, he jokes about home birth, hospitals, midwives, having 4 kids, Sarah McLachlan’s dog commercials, and bed time. FRIGGIN HILARIOUS. Watch it!!! 

I promise. It. Does. Not. Disappoint. :-)

(p.s. his “McDonald’s” bit from this special is also hilarious as well)

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We lead quite the charmed life here in Tyler, TX,  I have an egg farmer and am part of a raw milk co-op. It's pretty cool to know where your food comes from.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm farm fresh eggs fryin’ on the skillet. Deb at Jaggerbush Farms pretty much rocks.  I bought 5 dozen (at $2/dozen) my first trip (2 weeks ago) and we’ve only got 9 eggs left!

This weekend, we picked up our first gallon of raw milk from Trimble Farms ($6/gal). Bottled on Thursday, picked up on Friday, and Chris and I enjoyed 2 HUGE glasses with an impromptu homemade half batch (really I halved the recipe and only cooked half of it and refrigerated the rest…portion control LOL) of cookies this weekend! 

 Yes, that is a chocolate finger print on the label. 

 

This is Chris's "I'm a G" face. Because we have raw milk. Yes, we are that lame cool.

In the future, we definitely hopefully will not consume over ¼ gallon in one sitting, but we were so excited! This morning I used part of the gallon to make some homemade yogurt. I’m eager to see/taste the difference from my normal yogurt (which I usually have pasteurized 2% milk, this is raw whole milk) and although I won’t be able to “see” it, it will have LOTS more probiotics—yummmmmmy for my belly.

So we're just here, getting ready for Christmas with lots of DIY projects and baking, livin' the good life :-)

11 Reasons to Eat your Placenta ;-)

Hahahahahaha. But seriously. Kind of. Just keep reading. I've taken a lot from this article at Passionate Homemaking, so I'd suggest reading that one as well.

The idea of "eating" your placenta after giving birth is not new at all. In our modern world the whole thing seems pretty disgusting, right? But here are some things to consider...

God made women to make babies and tied the whole baby-making bonanza up into a natural, beautiful, genius fertility process (if you're on artificial contraception, this doesn't happen though). He made the womb a nourishing place to grow a child. He created women's bodies to allow for the impossible to be possible (baby leaves womb via small...hole..., pardon the crude/prude description). Logically then, why wouldn't He also have a plan for after the baby is born, to help restore the mother's health and strength, so that she could take care of herself and her family?

It's not very logical, is it? 

God did in fact plan for our own bodies to be nourished and restored postpartum--the placenta. During pregnancy, the placenta acts as a fetal life-support-ish system for the baby, but it's job doesn't (have to) end at delivery--it can act in a similar way for a mother, nourishing her after delivery as well. The placenta has lots of natural iron, protein, and other essential hormones that a woman lacks after delivery. To be more specific:

The known ingredients that give the placenta its healing properties are:
Gonadotrophin: the precursor to estrogen, progesterone and testosterone
Prolactin: promotes lactation
Oxytocin: for pain and bonding; produced during breastfeeding to facilitate bonding of mother and infant. In pharmaceutical form this is a very addictive drug because it promotes a feeling of connectedness with others
Thyroid stimulating hormone: boosts energy and helps recovery from stressful events
Cortisone: combats stress and unlocks energy stores
Interferon: stimulates the immune system to protect against infections
Prostaglandins: anti-inflammatory
Hemoglobin: replenishes iron deficiency and anemia, a common postpartum condition
Urokinase inhibiting factor and factor XIII: stops bleeding and enhances wound healing
Gammaglobulin: immune booster that helps protect against postpartum infections.
(Source)

So, by eating your placenta, the benefits to be reaped include: higher milk supply, resulting in better baby weight gain, better baby bonding, faster recovery, much lower chance of postpartum depression/general baby blues, boosting energy levels, alleviate postpartum bleeding, nourishing the body with essentials depleted at delivery...just to name a few.

Our God is certainly an awesome God and made a plan at the creation of the universe to help women after childbirth. Who am I to think I'm somehow "above" this plan or to think it's "gross"? As Paul says in often quoted Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". In that case, I guess my placenta is a like a shield of armor to help me in the battle of becoming a mother, so SIGN ME UP!!!

LUCKILY for me though, I live in the 21st century. I don't have to literally eat my placenta postpartum to reap all these benefits. In fact, I never even have to touch the thing. Once I deliver Gianna and placenta, the midwives will bag it up, and Chris will drop it off at Tiffany K's house, owner of Mom's Health First, and in a couple days, we get to pick up a jar of pills. If I can swallow nasty black strap molasses, I can certainly swallow a gelatin capsule that tastes like nothing.

While I know this idea of placentas is not ideal dinner conversation or anything, it doesn't make sense to be so grossed out by it or to be taboo to talk about. Just as in cooking a whole chicken we would want to not only use the meat, but also use the left over carcass for chicken broth, so too when life gives you babies, you use to "left overs" to make placenta pills! Hahahahahahahahahaha Makes perfect sense, right......? :-) :-) :-)

If you're interested in learning more about the benefits of placenta encapsulation, a quick google search will give you A TON of good resources. Enjoy that "food for thought" ( hahaha, I crack myself up)

**also, small note, if you deliver birth at a hospital, you have a right to your placenta, it is yours afterall! Let your doctor/nurse midwife know and it can be saved for you after delivery**

Less than 7 weeks!!!!

 I can't believe time has gone by so quickly, she'll be here before we know it! And don't forget, if you haven't weighed in on G's birth stats, do that here. (Which reminds me...I have a few more to add oops!)

I had a dream last night that G had just been born but I was coming into the dream at the point where we were already home. I picked her up and she had a HUGE (Christopher) head and already had over 10 teeth!!! She was unfathomably large for a newborn...like 4 month old baby sized.  However, she was literally perfect and so adorable, with barely any light light brown hair. 

Yesterday, we rearranged our bedroom furniture so that Gianna's stuff will fit better and that there's space for a reading/rocker nook. I used a super low tech way to "design"...graph paper and cut outs drawn to scale. To, note, Gianna has legs, she is just swaddled in the drawing of her in the crib. Just wanted to clarify :-) (see below) 

It's been a fun/weirdish couple of weeks. Some random updates:

• 2 weekends ago a man offered me his seat. Official pregnant lady stuff. Yay!
• I forgot to take my prenatal vita/food goodies for most of last week and turns out...that makes me feel like a good for nothing tired horrible human. Good to know they do their job for keeping me alert and happy hahaha. 
• Last week from Sunday-Saturday I didn't have a phone, as I left/lost it at T/R's house. Although I'm not a phone addict, I realized how useful my phone was. Like calling Chris to ask a question while I'm at the store. Getting on the spot directions. One more thing to not take for granted :-)  
• Gianna tries to butt her way out of my right side throughout the day. She's also a huge fan of the right rib. Just likes to put her butt all up in there so that my rib is literally burning all day.
• I'm working through our "things to buy before G gets here list", like ordering cloth diapers (I decided on Kawaii...they're BumGenius knockoffs), changing table pad and cover, diaper pail for cloth diapers, cloth diaper pail liner, diaper bag...I suppose that's pretty important so I'll get on that....soon...

  I believe this me at 31 weeks +1-2 days. I love that tank top, I got it in May for $1 at Target. 

 This was yesterday, at 33 weeks on the dot, in my gyms clothes. I should really start to wear make up and look nicer for these pictures. Someday....maybe week 39. Chris and I walked to the movie theatre to watch Life of Pi, and then to Ross and Taco Bueno, so I though it merited workout clothes.

 Remember how I was saying that I don't look "as pregnant" as a result of how I stand? I wanted to show y'all the difference. In the above picture, I'm standing with my tailbone tucked in and my spine elongated (so as to not have any added strain or pressure on the low back...even non pregnant people should stand like this!) so that the core muscles are engaged. In the picture below, I've stuck my butt out a la typical preggo fashion. Result? Instant back ache, and look a lot bigger and more uncomfortable. So today, everyone, your task-- TUCK THE TUSHIES IN!

It’s time for something fun! BIRTH BETS!

***EDIT*** Updating with some birth guesses see bottom ***EDIT***

I know that taking a poll or making a list on what day/time/weight Gianna will be born has no real indication of reality. But. It's fun! And, I love to make lists and analyze data. So therefore, let us make bets!

Here is some background that may help you:

1. I was almost 9 lbs at birth (full term) and my sisters were close to 8.5 (Morgan 2 weeks early) and 7.5 (Breana was 1 month early)
2. Chris was something like 5.5 lbs at birth and his brother Corey was around 6 lbs. Both of them were full term.
3. The women on my mom's side of the family tend to have larger babies, in the 8.5-10.5 lb range
4. At my 20 week ultrasound, G measured at about 1 lb, which was 2 weeks ahead of what was "average". Ultrasound "weights" aren't always super accurate though.
5. I'm measuring exactly on target week by week at my midwife appts.
6. I am "due" on January 27th, a Sunday.
7. Gianna does her serious growing from Sunday night to Monday morning. I know it's weird that I know that. I appreciate her predictability. It may be good to know if you're betting on a Sunday vs. Monday birthdate.

My guess is January 27th, early morning (like 6 am), and 9 lbs. 

Chris's guess is January 25th, 3 pm, 9 lbs. He says the time is a WAG (wild a** guess--LOL)

Don't let our first-timer guesses influence you though...the sky is the limit....sort of. Now it's time for you guess! Leave a comment on the blog, send me an e-mail at rachel.l.rendall@gmail.com, or text me your guesses. Remember I need 3 things:

1. Birthdate
2. Time of birth (you can approximate by giving a range like early morning, late at night, afternoon, etc or a specific hour)
3. Birth weight

I'll compile all the data (Yes. Yes, I will do this and enjoy every second of it in my full dork-dom glory!!!) and report to y'all. Then when G makes her grand entrance we'll see who is the closest!

Bet away!! It's like Vegas, but without guilt and losing money and in the end there's a baby! What could be better??!?!?!?!?!

The Bets are ON:
Chris: January 25, 3 pm, 9 lbs

Rachel: January 27, 6 am-ish, 9 lbs
Morgan: January 23, 3 am, 9 lbs 2ishoz 

Renee: January 22, 3 am, 7 lbs 8 oz

Aunt Karen: February 2, 6:15 am, 9 lbs 6 oz
Grandma Baldwin: January 18, 7 pm, 6 lbs 11 oz
Breana: January 27, 12:45 am, 9 lbs 8 oz 
Rebecca: January 22, 3 pm, 7 lbs 7 oz 
Cari: January 26, 5-5:30 am, 9 lbs 3 oz 
Marcela: January 26, 3 pm, 9 lbs 6-8 oz
Joanne U: January 22
Kristin: January 27, 8 pm, 8 lbs 8 oz
 

More of my favorite things...Thanksgiving Style!

And Yes, it's food again! Plus some things I've very thankful for in this 31-32nd week of my pregnancy.

Have left over Thanksgiving ham and turkey? Here are two yummy solutions.
My favorite (food) things, post-Thanksgiving Style

If you've got a leftover ham bone, make a big ole pot of pinto beans!!
Pinto Beans (serves 8)

Ingredients
4 cups Pinto Beans (dry!)
1 Ham hock/ham bone (or 4 slices thick bacon or a couple chopped up slices ham)
1 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoons Ground Black Pepper
1 teaspoon chopped garlic (2 cloves)
1-2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Rinse beans in cool water; pour into a pot, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. After 2ish hours, add seasonings...taste...and add whatever else you want. They're absolutely delicious with this "best honey cornbread" recipe from moneysavingmom.com. (YES, you could just use a couple boxes of Jiffy mix, but this is so much more yummy!!!) Add a "dollop of daisy" and some fresh cilantro for garnish and you have a party! This is literally one of the cheapest things you could ever make and it's DELICIOUS! (recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman: Beans and Cornbread)


This next one's not as cheap to make initially, but if you buy bell peppers and chop/freeze, wild rice, and orzo in bulk, you can make this recipe over and over again on the cheap with chicken! I promise it is worth it! I am making this for a COP Core Team Mtg this weekend and I. AM. SO. EXCITED. Even my super picky eater sister Breana loves it.
Turkey Orzo Casserole (makes 6-ish servings)

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup green onions (I usually add more...love me some green onions)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.5 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth (store bought or make your own)
1.5 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups shredded cooked turkey or chicken
1.5 cups cooked wild rice
1.5 cups cooked orzo
1 cut grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons copped fresh parsley (again, I usually add more)

Melt butter in large skillet and  cook bell pepper and green onions until they're soft (about 5 min). Sprinkle flour over veggies and stir. Stir in broth, milk, and salt. Bring to simmer, and stir until mixture thickens, and then remove from heat. Heat oven to 350. Stir turkey, wild rice, and orzo into veggie mixture. Spoon into greased 11x7 or 13x9 glass or ceramic casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley. Bake 30-35 min or until bubbly and hot! If you're serving a large crowd, this recipe is incredibly easy to double, but I do suggest using the largest dish you have 13x9 or bigger (or just get one of those delightful disposable ones from the DollarTree!) and you make have to extend baking time, depending on your oven. **this recipe can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until dinner time 

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My Favorite things about this pregnancy (besides the obvious miracle growing in my belly!


I'm in the last 25% of my pregnancy and am now finally to have a little bit of the achy back and definitely grumpiness and more tiredness in general. I'm sure part of this is that we just finished moving and we worked SUPER HARD, and then basically jumped in a car and drove to Houston for Thanksgiving and I'm recovering a little bit from all of that, but truthfully, I am pregnant and getting fatter each day (LOL) and that's okay.

I do, however, also have much to be thankful for about this pregnancy:

• I am thankful that I still have not had really any heartburn and have not experienced any annoying things that all the pregnancy websites said I would (like swelling, constipation, sleepless nights, etc...yeah yeah, TMI)
• I am thankful that I am able to move around and exercise like a mostly normal human
• I am incredibly thankful for for pelvic rocks and my prenatal pilates video because they literally make any lower back discomfort disappear
• I am thankful for normal weight gain and mostly healthy eating (haha to that statement for last week's Thanksgiving binge) during pregnancy. Something to note: I have not had any specific cravings at all.
• I am thankful for no sickness (other than morning sickness from 5-10 wks) and no need to take any sort of medicine what so ever during this pregnancy (I did take 2 tylenol about a month ago for a killer migraine, but that's it, I promise!)
• I am thankful that I am still able to sleep soundly (thanks, Calcium supplements!!!)  and that I have the TIME to sleep 8-10 hours.
• I am thankful for knowing to "tuck my tailbone in" when I stand/walk so that I don't have a horrible sway back, and thus, much less lower back pain.I think this is also why I don't "look" as pregnant--it's all in the posture!

Is it possible that at any moment one of these things could change? Sure. But for now, they make the very slight discomfort of pregnancy seem just that....slight. And for THAT, I am VERY thankful!

That reminds me....I've got some prenatal pilates videos to attend to :-)

**ALSO coming up this week: BIRTH BETS! Get excited. 

Midwives, Birth Centers, and Natural Childbirth...OH MY!

Chris and I have pretty strong opinions about pretty much…everything (SURPRISE!!!). That’s not to say that we’re inflexible or unable to make concessions, but once we’ve done our research (and we love to do research…see my reading list at the bottom), we’re pretty set in our ways.I've been asked and questioned a lot, so I thought I'd get it out into the open.
BIRTHPLAN: (God willing) I will give birth naturally at a birth center (Childbirth Services, owned by Thalia Hufton, LMP, CPM) with midwives.

QUESTION: ARE YOU CRAZY?
ANSWER: No.

FOLLOW UP Q: Why no OB/GYN and delivering at a hospital?
ANSWER: I'm stubborn and I don't want to ;-) I am a healthy woman in a low-risk pregnancy. If I had lots of health issues and was in a high-risk pregnancy, would I be doing the same thing? No.  

FOLLOW UP Q2: But aren’t midwives just crazy hippies without medical training?
ANSWER: No. Many began as nurses and then went to midwifery school/apprenticeship. Some are direct-entry, but still go to  midwifery school and do an apprenticeship. They use natural methods for pain management and laboring, but have things like oxygen, IV for antibiotics/fluids, etc on hand if needed.

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I’d like to first summarize the birthing situation in the US compared to other countries. The US, while spending more money per capita on birthing women than ANY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED NATION, has THE HIGHEST maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates.

Fun Fact #1: Countries with lowest infant mortality rates have midwives attending over 70% of births, while the US has midwives attending only 7%.

Let’s stack the US against the Netherlands, the nation with lowest maternal/infant mortality rates.

	US	Netherlands
% midwife delivery	7%	70%, 1 in 3 at home
# deaths per 1000 born babies	6.71	3.5
c-section rate	20%	5%
Episiotomy rates	33+%	10%

The Netherlands also has higher “maternal satisfaction rates” for births and much lower percentages of malpractice lawsuits related to births. Obviously, it’s hard to exactly compare countries with different socio-economic factors, but the point here is still clear. There is data that compares apples to apples though. 

Fun Fact #2: After controlling socio/economic factors, for Nurse-midwife attended births, the risk of infant death, neonatal mortality, and low birth weight delivery was 19%, 33%, and 31% lower, respectively.  

There’s more to my decision to use a midwife than some “fun facts” though, and I’d like to share the more personal side as well. The idea of being chained to a hospital bed hooked up to an IV and continuous monitors and being on a hospital time clock sound like a nightmare to me. I want to walk around if I want to walk around, sit in a corner if that sounds good, take a bath if that helps with pain. I want to eat and drink whatever I want whenever I want. I don’t want to be hooked up to anything (they check fetal heart rate every 15 min). While I won’t be eating a steak dinner (I don’t even really like steak much) while giving birth, I will have the freedom to birth the way I want to birth, as long as the baby has a steady heart rate, whether that be in the water, on a bed, squatting, on my side, standing up…whatever (although, truthfully, it makes sense to let gravity help…probably no handstand birthing…LOL)

Who knows?! Using a midwife gives me the freedom of choice and doing what feels best for baby and my body at the time. And I know that it will be MY birth experience, not the hospital’s cookie cutter formula for what, when, how, and how long a birth should be. I have the freedom to be myself. 

I have loved my “check-ups” at the birth center (a house), about 5 minutes of clinical stuff, and then 25 minutes of sitting on a bed and talking and asking questions about birth stuff or natural supplements or even cloth diapers…really getting to know the women that will help support me throughout labor and delivery. 

I also love knowing that midwives believe that all births are normal unless proven otherwise and that giving birth is not a sickness, it’s a natural part of women’s lives. I love knowing that they trust me and my body to work efficiently to get G out. I love knowing that they will be there the WHOLE time and be as involved or uninvolved as I want, encouraging me and giving me personal suggestions and feedback. I love that they’ll teach Chris how to catch the baby and that as long as she’s breathing; she never has to leave my side once she’s born, unless I want Chris to give her a bath. 

To sum up, I believe in low-tech birth (midwife) for low-risk pregnancies. It’s cheaper (about $3000 for midwife care vs. about $10,000 for vaginal hospital birth) and more holistic. I’m not saying that our choice is the “right” choice for everyone though.

Do I agree with medical interventions if they are medically necessary? YES!
Do I believe home birth or birth center birth is for everyone? No, but I DO think it’s right for my family!
If there are complications in the birth, will I hesitate to go to the hospital for intervention? NO!

I know our decision and views aren't the norm, and that's okay--we have educated ourselves well and I'm confident that we've made the best choice for us with the research we have done and the information available.

Oy vey, there’s lots of other things to talk about…like pain and placenta encapsulation, but I think this is enough to chew on for one day from the Rendall crazies. :-)

Reading List:
The Business of Being Born (actually it’s a movie…available online on Netflix), NaturalChildbirth the Bradley Way, Husband Coached Childbirth, Baby Catcher, GivingBirth, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, any midwifery website, including local birth centers, midwiferytoday.com, American College of Nurse Midwives