Week 24, Day 4

I feel incredible! This my friends, is a major breakthrough. Multiple times in the past week and a half I've definitely been downright depressed, overwhelmed, sad, -insert various form of hopelessness here-. I'm not sure why. I think it was a combination of getting probably 20 hours of sleep total on beach reach, the marathon weekend working and to SA afterward and the miserable game of catch up on homework (and papers/tests/etc) due the week I went back to school. Then yesterday and the birthing class... to sum it up in two words: oh, brother.

We watched a birthing video. One of those - hospitals are evil, doctors are ridiculous, blah blah - sorts of movies. I'm pretty good at filtering through that. I, being a nursing student, appreciate healthcare and doctors and medicine. I think you can have a "normal" birth in a hospital - and for those women who don't have a "normal" birth - well, medical advances have probably saved countless lives of women and children over the years. So there.

But what I saw in the video that really got me thinking was this woman giving birth, I think at a birthing center, and also hearings tons of testimonies of women who were describing birth experiences in which they were describing exactly that: an experience. And to tell you the truth - I hadn't given much thought to the experience I wanted to have at birth.

So we left our birthing class and I spent the rest of the night in pretty much silence. Crying at random times and wanting to just process internally. Because here is how I felt: up until yesterday I felt powerless to influence my birthing experience. One of my greatest fears about giving birth was my strong desire to not use medicine. For me - I just don't want it. I do not want an epidural. But I was afraid that in the hospital I would be influenced, pressured, somehow given the epidural beyond my control. The staff would somehow convince me - Matt wouldn't know whether he should or shouldn't ease my pain - etc. Also, I don't really LIKE my Ob. She is certainly nice and pleasant - but she seems almost nervous and expectant that a problem will come up. And, I've also only probably seen her less than 25% of the time I've gone to the doctor. And when I do go to the doctor - I don't feel like they know me (they have twice used the wrong name on documents for me and I had to correct them - once on a sonogram and once on a lab order). And, can I just say, that as sweet and enduring as the medical assistant is - she absolutely sucks at drawing blood. It's painful and bruises every time. All this make for a less than positive experience. At least not like these starry eyed woman in the video were describing.

So, because I heard mentioned in my class "birthing center" - which I had never heard of before - I googled them in Austin. I found one, close to our house, and started reading about what it is. And what it is - is amazing.

The staff consists of nurse-midwives. This means they are all registered nurses AND registered midwives. Having worked in healthcare - I am fully aware of the expertise a nurse carries in her given field and also the extent of what kind of care a nurse is capable of giving (despite the presence of a doctor). I looked at all the pictures - saw all the beautiful rooms available - how big the beds are, all the different options and places to labor in - each room has a huge shower and large tub, as well as a big comfy looking bed and rocking chairs, etc. And I started to feel excited. Visions of Melanie from Gone With the Wind filled my head...

Most of all these rooms looked conducive to the things I know I do want at my birth: peace, Kimberly and Alberto singing in the background, soft lighting, slow paced atmosphere.

So I decided to go. Post prenatal yoga I went.. had to wait for the lunch hour to be over... and went back and had the most positive experience ever. The receptionist was insanely nice. She answered all my questions - had someone take over at her desk so she could sit down with me and apologized that she couldn't give me a full tour because two women were in labor. She was pleasant - listened to my concerns - learned my name - was interested in ME as a person and my baby.

And - they believe in medicine. The list of pros are... overwhelming. Let me just make a list of all the amazing things about this place:

-they perform every kind of medical routine prenatal procedure - urnialysis, testing for gestational diabetes, fetal heart tones, blood pressure, fundal height measurements, etc.
- they perform sonograms when a mother requests or if they decide it is neccessary
- the hospital is literally 3 blocks away so in an emergency situation transport is easy and quick to that facility.
- 10% of all their patients need to go to the hospital - usually for a labor which is not progessing. if you have to be taken to the hospital - the midwive stays with you until you deliver so you aren't left alone in a place where no one knows you.
- they don't offer epidurals - but do have a pain medication option for women who need it. i heard of one testimony in which the woman was delivering while she had the flu! i think she took the medicine.
- every midwife is also a nurse.
- the total cost - of ALL prenatal labwork, tests, visits plus labor and delivery costs plus check ups after you deliver as well as everything a peditrician would do for your infant for the first two months is 4500. my insurance pays 60/40. Our bill is 1800... considerably less than what we've been looking to - plus the doctor visits, etc. (oh had I found this place sooner...)
- the never take the baby out of the room. all baby check up/etc is done in the same room.

I am so excited. I could seriously talk about it forever. I feel empowered to have a birth the way I want it. I trust the staff there to perform things the way I want them done - without surprising me in any way at the end.

Most of all - they encourage that birth is a normal process - not neccessarily one you need tons of medical intervention for - but they are completely willing to offer you medical help if you need it. amazing!
i've found a perfect fit!

Matt and I go back for a tour of the rooms on 4/15 and I have my first prenatal vist on 4/21 and will have visits every two weeks after that.

AND! There is a family waiting room and a full kitchen for family/our use. Unlike in a hospital - I can eat and drink as I like. We really want a lot of people to join us in the waiting if they can - friends, family... Matt also wanted them to have a BBQ and with that kitchen well, I think they can do whatever they want.

Here is the website:
www.austinabc.com

Enjoy! Watch the video tour or click on the pictures. It looks as amazing in person as it does in this video.