Hollywood stars ... a step behind

I learned in the checkout-line headlines yesterday that J. Lo. recently had a baby shower ... a high tea! Naturally I had to read the story and found out that my own tea party shower was far superior to hers :) They had mini hamburgers and green apple martinis ... doesn't even start to compare to this amazing spread of mini sandwiches and individually crafted (and delicious, I must say) tiny treats. Here's a picture - and a belated thanks especially to Pam, Marissa, Eduardo, my mom and Aunt Margaret for hosting such a lovely party - and to Joe, the waiter with a bow-tie :)

birth art

I'm reading a book about a birth class / philosophy called "Birthing from Within" that is designed to help women (and the guys) recognize (and get over) their ideas about birth. The theory is that our society gives us lots of terrible images about the horror of something that is actually quite normal and natural (and not necessarily very painful, if approached in the right way). The book encourages practicing 'birth art' as a way to get in touch with your hidden fears and replace them with positive images. Although I generally consider myself exceptionally un-artistic, Joey and I have done a few projects together and we've both been surprised by how fun it is. So here's my faceless little indigenous clay lady - an image of strength and openness and a reminder to me that childbirth is not something to be feared but a part of the universal human experience.

birth plans

Some of you out there know that we have chosen to deliver with a midwife rather than having an OB, and lots of people ask me questions about that, so I thought I'd clear the air a little ... First of all, no I am not going to deliver at home (at least, I don't plan to!). I don't think there's anything wrong with home-births, I've just seen too many complications and I want the security of being close to all of modern medicine, just in case. The midwives are a hospital-based practice at OHSU and they do all of the same pre-natal care and birth preparation that an OB would do, but they take a different approach. They view pregnancy as healthy and birth as a normal human process (rather than a medical procedure). This means that they approach the birth with the least amount of intervention necessary. A few examples:

• my midwife won't require me to wear a fetal monitor (straps around the belly that monitor contractions and baby's heart rate) unless there's reason to think the baby is in distress
• I'll be allowed to move around - in and out of the tub or shower, walk around, be in a variety of positions (rather than being confined to the bed with my feet in stirrups)
• They won't pressure me to have an epidural except in the occasional case where it's indicated
• I won't have an IV in my arm
• We'll be allowed lots of 'bonding time' and baby won't be 'stolen' right away for measurements and bathing
• the midwife is present to support both the parents throughout active labor, rather than showing up just to 'catch the baby' as an OB would

However, if something goes 'wrong', we'll be in the same birth unit that I would with an OB, and the full operating room, anesthesia, forceps and magic of modern medicine are right around the corner - hopefully just for peace of mind. Midwives aren't for everyone; some people like knowing that an MD is in control to keep them as safe as possible, but I strongly believe that this is something that my body knows how to do, and we want to go through the whole process with as little intervention and as few external distractions as possible. Joey is excited about our birth preparations too and says he is looking forward to being my "birthing companion" (very P.C.).