Yesterday I met with one of the midwives at the Greenhouse Birth Center, where we'll be having this baby in December or January (please, God, let it be December!).
We chose the birth center because a number of women whom we respect (including my OB-GYN, my chiropractor, my yoga instructor, several of my friends, and several women from church) have given birth there in a gentle, supported, home-like setting, as opposed to the cold, institutional setting of the hospital. The birth center is definitely the most supportive setting for a natural labor because they have birthing tubs, birthing stools, and tremendous knowledge about how women naturally give birth. The hospital, which has about an 85% epidural rate and a 30% cesarean rate, does not have tubs, stools, or much to offer to deal with the pain of unmedicated labor.
Another aspect about the birth center that I love is that they believe in educating women about their options and then empowering them with the ability to make their own knowledgeable decision. For example, they don't do routine ultrasounds at 20 weeks, but provide women with the pros and cons of the procedure and let the mothers make the decisions for themselves (yes, I will be getting a 20-week ultrasound -- I can't resist knowing who this baby is!). I love that women are treated as partners in their pregnancy, as opposed to simply statistics and routines.
As soon as I found out I was pregnant, I knew that I wanted something more than the hospital for this labor and delivery, so I checked with my OB, who is a wonderful, open-minded, yet highly respected doctor with seven of her own children, one of whom was born in her bathroom and another who was born at the birth center. She said that I was a perfect candidate for the birth center and she would certainly support my decision to transfer my care there, since she also recognized that the hospital couldn't provide the type of birth I wanted.
So my first appointment at the Greenhouse Birth Center was yesterday. I spent two hours there, answering questions about my medical history, eating and exercise habits, my first pregnancy and delivery and my hopes for this one. This is yet another aspect that I love about the birth center: no OB would ever have time to see a patient for two hours at a time, but the midwives are able to provide that level of personal care. (I must add, however, that this appointment was rescheduled from last week because there was a woman in labor at the time of my first appointment, so they asked me to come in at a different time. I appreciate that they didn't try to squeeze me in during her labor because I know it means I'll also be receiving their full attention when I am in labor.)
At the end of the appointment, I got to hear the baby's heartbeat, which was between 140-150 beats per minute, which is textbook perfect (most babies range between 120 and 160 beats per minute). It was so reassuring to hear that sweet little heart rate, especially at a time when my symptoms have all but vanished but I'm not yet feeling those tiny flutters of baby kicks -- sometimes I wonder if there's really a baby in there! Hearing a perfect little heartbeat made it all real again.
My next appointment is on July 21, and that's when we'll set up my ultrasound to see the baby and to find out the sex. I'll have the ultrasound at my OB's office, since they are clinical partners with the birth center anyway and all testing procedures are performed through them. It provides a nice level of continuity to know that I'm still connected to my OB's office, yet I'm able to have this idyllic experience at the birth center.
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