Dear Husbands

At one point (or more) in your pregnancy there might be tension between you and your spouse.  I found that to be true at the very end of the pregnancy as we were patiently(Lol) waiting for our baby to be born...... we were both getting more and more frustrated with each other until I wrote this.....feel free to give it to your husbands, it really helped me and my husband get back on track. ~Kellie

Dear Husbands,

Pregnancy is not easy on anyone is it?  The woman you knew as your wife is now a ball of hormones, wearing your ring.  Its hard to know the right thing to say or do, you don't feel appreciated for the extra duties you've taken on around the house and with the other kid(s), and sometimes its hard to feel the love.  Unfortunately for you, when dealing with a ball of hormones you've got to be bigger and stronger. What ever you do...don't feed the beast!  As your role of the supportive Husband, you need to lift her up and show her love...even when it might be incredibly difficult. One minute she is smiling and the next she is in tears and biting your head off...choose to forgive her and show her love.... give her a kiss, and a hug and simply tell her you love her.  Remember that she is not herself right now and try to remember what she is enduring as well-  Her world has completely changed, she is the protector of this little being you created together and that's a lot of pressure.  Her body has completely changed and will continue to do so, making everyday tasks uncomfortable and difficult which can be very frustrating. She is not getting much sleep at night.  You, as the Husband, cant possibly understand what she is going through and that might make her feel isolated and alone...your presence, support and affection is still very much needed even though you might not feel like it is.

I understand it must be frustrating to come home and there she is, again, laying on the couch....must be nice. But what she's really doing is trying to ease her back pain and avoid taking any pills that could harm your baby, so maybe cut her some slack.  And know the closer she gets to having your baby, the more important it is for you to be forgiving, supportive, loving and her source of strength. The end of a pregnancy can be a very emotional, frustrating, and lonely time for a woman, and as the Husband you can choose to make it easier or harder for you both. Please remember 2 things, 1- This is only temporary. 2- When you don't know what to do: kiss her, hug her and tell her you love her...that's it.

Love,
Your pregnant Wife

Why would anyone do this to themselves????

My co worker said that I am in the stage of "Why would anyone do this to themselves?" in my pregnancy, which made me laugh...because even though I am literally in the final weeks, yes I will admit this is true! 

 I missed work yesterday because my sciatic nerve made it nearly impossible for me to walk...its better today, but I still have it flare up when I move wrong... One of the things I am looking forward to is feeling physically strong and capable again.

Every day I look in the mirror and check out my nose...I'm looking for signs of the 'bout to birth nose"...see exhibit "A" from my last pregnancy.....

Ah, it will happen when its supposed to happen.....I'm just excited to meet the newest member of our family!
Its just a weird feeling being on the verge of such a life changing moment....but not quite there, lol.  Very soon another piece of my heart will be out in the big bad wild world, exposed....Lord help me....

Public Service Announcement

People, people, people......

I am becoming a recluse.....because EVERY WHERE I GO I ANSWER THE SAME QUESTIONS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

It always starts off with....."How are you feeling?"

Then here comes the terrific ten...

1. When are you due?
2. Are you having twins?
3. Are you ready?
4. What are you having?
5. Got a name picked out yet?
6. What does your son think about it?
(ummm, he's 18 months old)
7. Is your husband excited for another boy?
8. Are you gonna go for the girl?
OR are you sad your not having a girl?
9. Do you think you will have more kids?
10. Which hospital are you going to? (here we go...)

I make a great effort to make a run for it before they can hit all 10....because I know the VERY NEXT PERSON I TALK TO WILL ASK THE EXACT SAME QUESTIONS! Even strangers at the grocery store stop me and to ask the top 4 questions....

My hubs...when he pays attention....can recognize the look on my face and come save me..although I know he deals with this himself quite a bit.

So I have a proposition....can we agree to a 3 question maximum? That would be great.

I have joked with my hubs that I am just gonna get a marker and write all my answers on a white t-shirt and wear that anytime I go out in public or to a party...lol.

Ahhh, I should be grateful that people care ...but I am a moody pregnant woman....

So please take all this into consideration when talking to a pregnant woman....YOU will be her favorite person to converse with if you don't pepper her with the same questions as everyone else!

AND,  under no circumstance is it appropriate to ask the question...

Was this one planned?
or
Was this one an accident?

I will tell you that you are being very rude...just like I told the person who asked me this over the weekend...

This little angel was not planned, but he was not an accident....
When you know the recipe to make a baby, and then you follow the recipe...it shouldn't be a huge surprise for ya...right?

Preparing for Homebirth

Slowly but surely I am almost completely ready for my homebirth!  I figure a lot of you are curious about what that entails...

2 weeks ago I went to see Dr. Rice, who looked over the charts Toni has been keeping regarding my pregnancy, weight gain, baby positioning & heart rate, glucose & protein screenings, blood pressure & so on...she said everything looked great, gave me her stamp of approval, and wrote me out the typical prescriptions for a homebirth.  The prescriptions are all for after I have given birth & only if needed: shot of pitocin to help my uterus contract & get back to normal, another scrip is to immediately stop any hemorrhaging (if it occurs), a shot of Rhogam since I am RH negative (if the baby has a different blood type than mine), and there's one more....ohh this pregnancy brain....I cannot for the life of me remember, I'll get back to you on the last one...lol. -----> eye ointment for the baby!! Thats what it was!

Prescriptions- DONE!

My midwife Toni has given me a checklist to get everything ready....And I have put all the supplies where they will be easy for everyone to find...in the babybed!  I will not want to be bothered every time they need to find something...I have it all very easy to get to!

Order the Homebirth Kit- DONE!

The Homebirth Kit has things like sterile gloves, cord clamp, nasal suction for baby, antiseptic stuff, pads...all kinds of things we'll need

Wash & sterilize towels, sheets and washcloths- ALMOST DONE

I have already washed everything but for sterilizing....and ya'll are gonna love this....I have to bake it all in paper sacks in my oven, haha isnt that country????  200 degrees for a hour so its not a fire hazard or anything.

For the Waterbirth 
I got a little kiddie pool with the preferred dimensions ($30 instead of $300 for a regular birth pool)
Brand new water hose to fill it (new for sanitary purposes) 
Pool liner (for sanitary purposes)

Contact list is on the fridge for the Hubs for when I go into labor

Birth Certificate is filled out (as much as it can be)! YES we have a name!!! Sorry,  I'm not going to tell you until he's born! Its different....but awesome! 

In case we need to go to the hospital:
- Birth plan- several copies printed
- bag- still need to pack
- car seat is ready in car

Guest Post: Rebecca's end of pregnancy pep talk!

35 weeks and counting

By Rebecca Dundore, Doula Educator – Intuitive Doula and Gentle Hands Doula Services 

The countdown is starting. You have swollen feet, your back is stiff and you can’t sleep with this beach ball in your shirt one more night! Advice is probably washing over you till you’re numb and slightly paranoid all at once. As my mother used to say, “Wait till you cannot stand it one more minute…then it is about 2 more weeks.” Waiting can be almost torture, but if you use your time well it can be worth it.

Take a deep breath. Make your choices and prepare yourself emotionally, mentally and spiritually for the adventure of a life time. It is going to be a wild ride and the best thing to do is prepare for the challenge. You may feel like this is an impossible task. How can you prepare? Here are a few practical things to help you. Each woman’s needs are unique and so there is no good formula to follow. I cannot guide you into an easy labor. In fact, easy labor is rare. You might be that mom that things just go so perfectly for, but it is always good to be prepared for a lot of …well…blood, sweat and tears! Be mentally prepared to do the hardest work of your life and try to mentally get the picture of a marathon runner. You’re about to do something so hard that you will think it is impossible. Only a true rock star can do what you’re about to do. 

So how do you equip yourself for such a task? 

- Trust your instincts. A mother’s intuition starts before birth and only grows with time. This means not only listening to your body’s needs, but your own emotional needs too. Don’t be a martyr, take time and energy to really care for your needs. 

-Do not invite fear to the party! This is your big day and while hard or even bad things can happen, inviting your fears to feed on your big day will not help anything and can actually cause more pain and more stress for you! Hold those things in check. A great thing to do while you sit around waiting for labor to start is to prepare things that will inspire and encourage you when labor gets hard. Things like a picture of your baby, a proverb or verse that speaks to you, songs and birth affirmations. Take the time to plan these out. You may not use them in labor at all, but they could be just the ticket to get you over those hurdles that intimidate you the most. Start instilling a can-do attitude in yourself now. Don’t confuse this with the often mistaken attitude that it will be easy because I’m having a good outlook. It will likely be hard, but you can do hard things. Sometimes fears stem from past experiences that we would never guess are connected to our births. You may need to take the time to list your fears and track where they are coming from. It might be appropriate to burn your list once you've gotten down a little more into the root problems. 

-Make a birth plan and talk it over with your birth team (doctor, midwife, doula, spouse, friends, etc.). Try not to get all crazy-detailed with this. Tips for a great birth plan include: bullet points, one page, positive wording. You don’t want to find out that your doctor always does an episiotomy as he/she is cutting one – talk out all the details and be willing to move on to someone that’s supportive. This can be very hard emotionally, but a good bedside manner is not the same as real support. Find out before labor starts exactly where your care provider stands on things that matter to you.

-Check on the position of your baby. A lot of moms these days have what is called “back labor” or a “sunny-side-up” baby. These can be much slower and more intense. A great website for this is www.Spinningbabies.com . This website is dedicated to helping moms get their babies into a great birth position. Along with this, I often have moms see a chiropractor. If your baby is sunny side up (OP), breech or transverse a good chiropractor can often help you correct the problem before labor starts. Also, using a birth ball (exercise ball) to sit on during meals and when watching TV can help with this.

-Things that can indicate you’re about to start real labor can be a burst of energy or an energy crash. A sudden increase in discharge is also common. You might get some blood streaks and large amounts of mucus or just a lot of fluid. Abdominal cramps and loose stool can be a sign of labor’s dawn. Nausea, throwing up, strange food cravings…these can all happen. Sudden shifts in mood are often common for pre and early labor. A surge of new hormones can make one mom very energetic and can depress another. 

-Talk openly about your fears, worries and needs. Those supporting you may not remember that you really get bad headaches when you’re stressing…remind them to keep their eyes open for your signs of stress. Common things are: neck pain, jaw tension, hunched shoulders, clenched fists, eyes shut very tight, breathing very fast or holding the breath a long time, disconnecting emotionally (seeming calm but panicked on the inside), etc. If you have particular triggers that you’re worried about please be sure to talk those over too. Your whole birth team does need to know if you have been through any kind of abuse. They don’t need details, but a little information can help them avoid pushing you into trauma memories.

-Your birth is not going to be like anyone else’s. Like a finger print, your birth is going to be unique and no one can tell you it has to be done their way. Don’t let anyone belittle your plans or put you on the path to self-doubt. Choose wisely what is best for you and your baby. 

-Breath.

You can visit Rebecca's website at
 http://gentlehandsdoulaservices.webs.com

Vernix

My Husband and I took a Birth Bootcamp Re-Boot Class the other evening.  It was a great refresher class on the different stages of labor, the Hubs' role as my coach and how he can help me relax.  We talked about lessons our previous birth experience taught us and what each of our expectations are this time around.  It was a great way to get the conversation going between us, and get our heads in the game....like, this is really about to go down!!  I really appreciated having the instructor there to bring up points and considerations that we hadn't though of. Even though birth can go 100 different ways, it does feel comforting to be as prepared as you are able to be in situations like this.

We also watched some home birth videos, which really reminds you of the work that you put into having a baby!  It was funny, one of the babies in the video was covered in the white creamy vernix...which of course grossed out my husband....but there are so many benefits of the Vernix...

"The power of vernix is truly astounding.  Its main benefits are its various antimicrobial properties, which help protect a newborn against a wide variety of infections.  A secondary benefit is that vernix is highly moisturizing.  To such a degree that many cosmetic companies have researched it."   via birthbliss.wordpress.com

 You can read more and see all the sciency stuff about vernix at the link above....its recommended to delay your baby's bath just after birth and rubbing in the vernix...like lotion so your baby benefits from all the good stuff.

I wonder if I can steal some vernix to put on all these stretch marks, lol....

Hugs & Dates

Wow, time has really flown by so fast....yet, sometimes not fast enough, lol  

The end of a pregnancy can be so grueling, uncomfortable, and just plain exhausting!  I only sleep 2 hours at a time right now because my body is equipped with a timer that goes off when my bladder accumulates approx 2 tablespoons. So then I hoist this tank-like body out of my bed to sleepwalk to the bathroom, step on a kid toy or a husbands shoe, curse a little...eliminate the 2 tablespoons and roll my eyes and go back to bed....oh wait, my body has realized I am trying to go back to sleep...cue the acid reflux...

In 2 hours I will do it all over again....I wish I could talk myself into just wearing an adult diaper, lol...but I just cant bring myself to do it.

2 times in the past week I've revisited the morning sickness stage (if you know what I mean) and I've also had a pulled muscle in my neck for the past 5 days....its been rough, I need a hug.

All of this has put me in a negative and depressive mental state and I want to turn that around asap... so for starters I will be reducing my hours at work to part time for the next 2 weeks and on maternity leave after that to get ready for the baby. Part time starts today and that has already lifted my mood tremendously....I can nap! Its time to take care of ME!

Oh yeah,  to get ready for birth i've been eating 6 dates every day...whaaa? I know it sounds weird but read this....

" a study published in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology which concludes that eating 6 dates daily during the last four weeks of pregnancy “significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labor, and produced a more favorable, but non-significant, delivery outcome”.  Some significant findings:

• Cervical dilation was significantly greater in the date-eating mamas upon arrival at the hospital

• 83% of mothers who consumed dates had their membranes intact upon admission at the hospital 

• 96% of the women who ate dates went into labor on their own

• Use of Pitocin (synthetic Oxytocin) was significantly lower in women who consumed dates (28%), compared with the non-date fruit mothers (47%)

• The latent phase of the first stage of labor was almost 7 hours shorter in the date-eating mothers compared with the non-date fruit eaters (510 min vs 906 min). Not bad for eating a few dates!
•  the study demonstrates a significant reduction in the amount of postpartum bleeding experienced by women who consumed date fruit compared to women who received synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin). 

So I thought...why not? 

Ready for Maternity Leave

You know what sounds good on the radio? An out of breath radio personality who is 8 months preggers and a touch moody.  Seriously, I have to take a breath about every third word I say....at least it seems that way, lol...I've gotten into the habit of taking in a big breath of air before I speak so maybe it helps...who knows, who cares, lol.  I am ready to be gone from here, I am OVER hauling this bulk up 2 flights of stairs at work every day.  I have a date circled in red on my calendar as the last day here before maternity leave....I am so ready for that date to be here! It is the only thing that is keeping me somewhat productive at work...knowing there is an end in sight, where I can just sleep in, relax, spend time with my sweetness, and mentally get ready for birth.

I think this kid is settling a little lower now, kinda dropping.  I say that because I am feeling new sensations "down there"....being the polite lady that I am, I would describe it as feeling like lightning bolts are zapping your whoo-ha...its just occasional, not 24/7...when it happens I just stop (more like freeze up) and just wait for it to pass and then carry on. I remember this with my first pregnancy so I am not worried about it.  I hate it when it happens at work though....I get looks from co-workers....I work with mainly guys so anytime I sneeze or hiccup they think I am going to have the baby. 

Ok, I'm tired of typing.  

Some healthy stalking & Home birth

Home Birth is taking over the WORLD!!!! Haha, not really, but I was excited to see Channel 13 in Houston have positive story on Home Birth and show video of a water birth!!!

Its about a 2 1/2 min video of the newscast, clip of the birth and an interview with the mom- you can watch it Here!

Also, Maria Sotolongo was mentioned during the story and that she is doing a documentary of 10 homebirths...so then I went on an internet stalking spree to find out more about her & this! 

Well, it appears she has already filmed all of her homebirths and its a done deal...I was so ready to share my birthing face to the world, darn!  Its probably prettier in my own mind anyway...

Here is the trailer for her documentary, called Breathe.

So then I did a little more stalking research and she has a cool blog...she is expecting a baby boy next month as well, and its refreshing to read that she is having the same exact struggles as I am!  Moodiness, sleep deprivation due to getting up 1800 times to pee during the night....

She also has a really awesome post on why she chooses homebirth. I love reading other people's passion for home birth....

It made me think...isnt it funny that there are so many blogs and women (like myself) that are just "ate up" with all this birthing naturally at home stuff???? I mean there are a gajillion blogs about how beautiful and awesome it is and what a fulfilling experience it can be. There are great documentaries that are so educational...like The Business of Being Born.

I can tell you from my own experience, I do have this deep desire to spread the word myself and I really cant tell you why....seriously, why do I care what you do? It really annoys me! I wouldn't want someone trying to talk me into to having a hospital birth...but for some reason I really want you to consider, I mean really entertain and evaluate the idea of natural child birth and even birthing at home!

But at the same time I know several women who have had satisfying hospital births with the epidural and a cool Doctor, they were happy with their experience...but they dont have blogs specifically reaching out to women to go that route, why is that?

Its a phenomenon that baffles me....maybe it will pass when I birth out this kid.

Let me also add that I am not trying to say that if you give birth in a hospital & use pain meds you are doing it "wrong"...I am genuinely not trying to offend anyone...You do you, I do me.....I am just exploring & making fun of my own personal need to promote what I'm doing....  

Guest Post Lindsey: Motherhood begins in the womb

From Kellie:  I have been SOOOO whiny lately, a "Negative Nelly" if you will...frankly I am annoying myself! I am so ready to not be pregnant anymore...I'm ready for my boy to be here and to start figuring out what life with 2 little boys will be like.  The other part of me wants to relish in this last bit of life as a pregnant woman and not take it for granted....so I reached out to the person who I know LOVES being pregnant and asked her for a guest post....

“Motherhood begins in the womb.” I saw this on a poster in church this morning. Indeed, there is something deeply spiritual about being pregnant. It is one of the few, if only, times we get to directly participate with God in a miracle. A life growing inside of you, intimately in tune with all your emotions, what you eat, how you move—directly dependent, literally, on everything you do. Could anything be more beautiful, more profound, than motherhood?

It is tragic to me that we live in a world that robs women daily of the beauty of motherhood: babies taken from their mothers immediately after birth, when those first few minutes are so crucial to bonding; robbing babies of the ability to smell the mother’s pheromones right after birth and just lay on her chest, and allow mother’s and baby’s heartbeats to coincide; bombarding women with societal standards of beauty so they grow to loathe the baby bump and rounding out of the body in preparation for birth; the outside pressures of “doing it all,” and yet in all reality it takes a village…..

If I could encourage pregnant women of one thing, it would be to relish your pregnancy. Relish your pregnancy and the beauty and miracle it represents. Realize it is one of the greatest sacrifices you will make as a mother—you have to eat and drink differently, take supplements, move differently……and THINK differently. When you feel negative or have a bad attitude, your baby feels all that. In times of stress your body produces chemicals (hormones) in response to that stress, some not good. Your baby is being bathed in those hormones. Try to be mindful of the deleterious effects a negative attitude can have on a fetus. Now sure, we all have our down times, but being chronically miserable in your pregnancy is such a tragedy!! Think about what stress does to your own body. And realize what stress does to your baby. At this point I would like to put a plug in for a wonderful book and philosophy on natural birthing called Hypnobirthing: The Mongan Method, by Marie Mongan. The breathing and visualization can be used during your pregnancy, not just at birth. You deserve to take a few moments each day to breathe deeply, pray for and think about your baby, listen to soft music or read to your baby. Connect with your baby, which sometimes can be hard to do while in the womb, especially for first time moms. Call your baby by name, refer to him or her by name to others. It helps to make you more conscientious of the life inside of you.

 I remember once looking in the mirror, pregnant with my first child. I don’t remember, however, exactly how far along I was, but I noticed all these very apparent blue veins running all across my chest. My face lit up as I realized what was happening: my body was getting ready for the milk production and it had set up a factory of veins to get the plumbing ready. I was so in awe at God’s creation, how He created my body to “know” when to make changes in preparation for my baby. And while not pregnant I can agree that veins can be unsightly, they were beautiful to me for what they represented. And if you have never breastfed, you are missing out on one of the sweetest, most intimate times with your baby. I successfully breastfed my first and third babies, but my milk dried up at 4 mths on my second baby. I tried everything. Supplements, lactation consultants. everything. But I was so stressed out with balancing a 16 mth old and a newborn, and for some reason failed to trust my body’s ability to produce , that I worried myself to drought. Literally. Chronic stress dried up my milk. And I was devastated. I went into a mini depression, because although I had a deep desire to breastfeed, I couldn’t. So I know firsthand how stress can affect a baby. And there are other reasons women can’t breastfeed, and for those of you out there, I know the hurt. But there are tragically mothers out there who are misinformed and don’t want to breastfeed, or give up in the hospital because the nursery nurses have conveniently started a bottle for you.

Don’t let the world rob you of that experience if your body is able!!! Try. Let other mom’s who know how to breastfeed help you—trust me, there are tricks of the trade. Ah….I digress. Just love your pregnancy. Love the fact that your body “knows” to widen the hips—there was a time in history when being voluptuous was beautiful and a sign of wealth and health.

I am admittedly one of those women who loves to be pregnant. I am better pregnant. I wish I could be chronically pregnant. It gives me a sense of purpose. I know that I am needed. Pregnancy is not about me, but about my baby. And that intense desire to do and be all that I can for my child is the driving force behind why I am so passionate about natural childbirth. Motherhood begins in the womb.

About the author: Lindsay and Kellie go way back and have shared many adventures together. With a degree in genetics and biochemistry, Lindsay went on to enter med school as an MD/PhD student. She now holds the greatest , most difficult, most rewarding job worldwide: stay at home mother of three.

Body after Baby

Yesterday, as I was counting the stretchmarks on my belly trying to decide if they are courtesy of this boy or the one before, I started thinking about body after baby.  I've got it so good right now, this basketball belly is the focal point of my body so I don't have to worry about muffin top, back fat or love handles...but soon that will end. After I birth this biggun' my belly will look like a mostly empty beanbag chair hanging from my torso.  A beanbag with purple and white racing stripes, thats my future...frowny face.

Of course I will be able to work out regularly after the baby is born.....I'll just get up at 3:30am, work out for an hour, be at work at 5am till 1pm and then take care of my 2 boys from 1p until they go to bed....simple, not exhausting at all!  

I shall look like this in no time!

Awe crap, I'm gonna be mushy for the rest of my life.  

There's a cool movement trying to raise awareness of being kinder and embracing your body after you've had a baby,  The 4th trimester Project. Thats nice, but me thinks I will still be a little sad at the state of my body....

Ahhhh, But I have a solution.....I shall wear my baby! 

Until he is 45!

Dont they look so happy?  I'm no Nancy Drew, but I dont think thats her baby....

Look how it covers up all the problem areas for the mom! Although this is a poor example as this "mom" seems pretty fit and not mushy at all. I have one of these Moby wraps and I think I waited too late to strap Callan into it, he would only last about 15 min in it....I think you have to get them used to it early on.  The one I have is lime-ass-look-at-me-green, it was given to me :).  I would prefer a more subtle tone....maybe I can dye it...prob not.

The hubs can wear the baby too!

Pshah right!

My hubs would not be caught DEAD wearing this contraption! 

He is way too tough for that! False advertisement!!!

There is a wrong way to wear your baby, FYI...Never wear a baby facing out

You can really jack up their hips...

 BAD!

Well we took a little detour this morning didnt we?

Patience for your baby to be born

Its no secret we are living in a very impatient world now-a-days.  It seems this has carried over into childbirth as well.  Of course we would all love to pop out those babies quickly with little or no pain, but that's just not what childbirth is, at least for those of us that tell the truth, lol.  If you want to have a baby you are going to have to put in long hours of work, plain and simple. Peace and Patience is key.  There is no cookie cutter recipe of a normal labor and birth. My midwife Toni had 10 babies and shared with me 10 different birth stories.  There are, however, red flags and signs of distress, which should be taken seriously,

 no doubt. 

1st test with patience----Your due date!! Yes, the computer generates this magical date for you...but I'd take that date and throw it out the window...which is exactly what I did this time around!  My first experience with this was in the days leading to my due date and the two weeks that I went past..... my poor husband, mother and myself were pestered and hounded by our friends and family members daily, with multiple texts..."no baby yet??", "still no baby?", "when are you going to induce?", "I cant believe they are letting you go this long!".
Geesh, talk about PRESSURE! Impatience!

 **don't ever be those people**

God knew when my baby was ready, not a computer!  Make no mistake though, I know that medically necessary inductions are vital and I am not discrediting that.  In my own little world I have a problem with inductions of convenience or impatience.  Finally Doctors are realizing what Midwifes have been saying all along, there is a 5 week variance on a woman's "due date"...I think it should be changed to a "Due Month"...

but then again, who am I? lol...

"The study published in the journal Human Reproduction suggests that even with incredibly accurate information, choosing a due date is largely a guessing game — something that surprised the researchers." Read more HERE, or just google it.

2nd test of patience----Your Labor!  Expect the long haul and if you have a quick birth, then lucky you!  I personally am going to mentally prepare for a lengthy labor and will be ready to put in the long hours, even though the "advice army" (aka-everyone) never hesitates to tell me, "oh, 2nd babies always come quicker!" Yeah, well I'm not going to count on that and then be disappointed. 

Peace and patience...

Doctors are now urging patience and allowing longer labors to reduce C-sections.
Read this story HERE

"allowing" longer labors, how nice of them...*eye-roll

Here's a clip from that article that just KILLS ME....

"Before 1955 there was essentially no quantitative data on the length of labor. Then Emanuel Friedman said we should study this. He studied 500 women, and, of those, he said here are the 200 women who have idealized labors. We then managed 4 million women a year for the next 50 years based on 200 women. It's not that the wrong approach was taken; it's that we started science and then didn't continue to do the science."

So if this is true, where else have they failed to
"continue to do the science"?  
Also, the example of 200 women became the standard expectation of birth??? I'm speechless

According to that article: Today 1 in 3 births are C-sections, a 60% increase since the 1990's.  I find this so alarming.  A lot of people say the "cascade of interventions" is to blame for the rising rate of c-sections....induction--->failure to progress--->pitocin---increased pain--->epidural--->failure to progress--->C-section  (condensed version)...Google it.

Some say the blame falls on Doctor being scared of an "unfavorable outcome" if they don't interfere, so they are rushing for a c-section so they don't get sued.  Other say the Doctor gets more $$$$ from 

insurance with a c-section.

Maybe its all of the above and more...I don't know, I have elected to do as much as I can to not be rushed and pressured during my birth, that's why I am using a midwife....this loving woman who will let me be, all the while making sure that my son and I are safe at all times.
 Do know this, my goal is a natural birth, but I will thank the good Lord above and praise the surgeons skilled hands if I end up needing a c-section.  It is not the end of the world , I certainly know this.  C-sections have saved numerous lives and are a necessary surgery in some cases, us modern women are lucky to have that available. 

 But 1 in 3 births is just crazytown.