Our Natural Birth Plan

 This is the birth plan that John and I have prepared. We want as natural of a birth as possible and will be having a hospital birth after we labor at home as long as we can. I'm happy to answer any questions about our preferences or why we made a particular selection or decision. 

(Look for my *notes* for commentary on a particular decision or wording)

I know that all over the internet you read that you shouldn't let your birth plan go more than one page. We talked to our Midwife about this - she said she didn't mind a longer birth plan. Particularly since we broke ours out into stages of labor, so if you don't have time to read it all - you can get the highlights of what is relevant at the time. We went ahead and broke out each part onto it's own page so that once we moved past that stage, it wasn't there as a distraction if someone needed to read it quickly.

We wrote our birth plan using several different resources out there - there's no point in reinventing the wheel if you don't have to. Check out some of these other great natural birth plans that we used when researching: Our Biggest Influence - Young Nesters

A great printable Birthplan check list if you'd rather go that route! Ultimate Guide to Mommy Survival

Another great birth plan & some excellent ideas on what you should include - Going Green with the Grizls 
And in regards to what newborn procedures we wanted - Modern Alternative Pregnancy

Our Birth Preferences

Pre-Admission Requests

• To only entertain the idea of artificial induction of labor if: Labor is unusually delayed & there is medical urgency.
• If induction of labor is necessary, breaking the sack of waters and wait a reasonable period of time to see if labor can progress without the use of artificial induction medications (such as pitocin).
• If there are no signs of infection after the sac of water breaks, to delay induction for a reasonable period of time. 
  
  *We never intend for our birth preferences to be the final word, we recognize that birth is a natural process and at times "going with the flow" is necessary. By phrasing "reasonable period of time" we felt that we were flexible to what the doctors recommend, but still expressing that we'd really like to not use artificial induction if at all possible. I really like that it leaves a wide gap of flexibility to decide in the moment if necessary*
• To remain at home as long as possible before going to the hospital.

For Hospital Admission & Throughout Labor

We request:

• For our nurses, doctors and support staff to support our goal of a natural birth and in the absence of medical urgency, not preform any procedures that could unnecessarily prevent or prohibit our desire for the most natural birth possible. 
• The opportunity to discuss our birth preferences with our assigned nurse.
• To return home until labor progresses if less than 4 cm dilated and no medical reason to suggest a hospital admission is warranted.
• To self-hydrate after admission and opt for a Hep Lock rather than the routine IV preparations. 
  
  
  *I would have preferred to not have a Hep Lock either, I'm not a fan of stuff in my veins - it's very uncomfortable for me. However, it's our hospitals policy that at least a Hep lock be in place for an emergency situation. I can be flexible & I understand their concern so we conceited on this issue*
• To have only intermittent monitoring of FHR after admission & To be free of blood-pressure cuff between readings.
• Maintain dimmed lights and a quiet environment in the room during labor. 
  To be allowed to wear my own gown and be afforded as much modesty as possible.
  
  *I wish I didn't have to put the part about modesty in here, BUT, after a visit to L&D I learned the hard way that if I don't want to be exposed to a whole host of strangers that I still have no clue why they were in my room, I should go ahead and mention that I'd like my lady bits covered when possible.* 
   
• To have my husband, John and Doula, Susan present during birth.
• To respectfully decline to participate in the taking of pain scale information and any offer of medication or labor-enhancing procedures unless requested.
  *This was a hot topic issue for me! I did not want the distraction from focusing on things other than the pain or my coping techniques to have to stop and think about how much pain am I in to answer a question that I think is inaccurate anyway. My pain level 5 may not be anyone elses, the medical staff has nothing in my background to compare what I respond with to my ability to cope with pain and therefore is null in my opinion. I also don't want someone offering drugs because I look like I'm in "pain" or that what I'm doing is "hard". I don't want to be given the options to distract from what I'm working towards. I of course know that the options are there & what options there are so if I decide I need assistance, I know how to ask for it*
  

During First-Stage Labor

• To walk and move freely during labor.
• To change positions and assume labor positions of choice.
• Minimal number of vaginal exams-with permission-to avoid premature rupture of membranes and increased risk of infection.
• In the event labor stalls, I prefer to try as many natural methods as possible to stimulate labor.
• To be fully apprised, consulted and afforded the time to make an educated decision (barring medical urgency) before the introduction of any medical procedure.
• To enjoy labor tub or shower.
• The option for music (I will provide).
• My husband to be allowed to photograph or take video.

                     For Pain Relief I’d like to use:

• Acupressure
• Breathing techniques
• Self Hypnosis
• Massage
• Bath/Shower
• Natural suggestions given by Doula/Midwife.

During Birthing

• To assume a birthing position of choice.
• To push instinctively and to be allowed to progress without time constraints as long as Baby & Mom are doing fine.
• To not have an episiotomy.
• To allow amniotic sac to rupture on its own.
  
  

Following Birthing

• Immediate skin-to-skin contact, with baby placed on mom’s chest.
• Delayed Cord Cutting - the cord to be clamped and cut only after pulsation has ceased.
• Once the cord stops pulsating, Dad cuts cord.
• Wait for natural placenta delivery without intervention
• No cord traction, manual removal or use of Pitocin for removal of placenta unless necessary and only after consulting Mom.
 

 

For Baby

We request:

• To have bright lights temporarily removed at moment of birth and until baby is moved to mother’s chest.
• All Newborn procedures to be done in our presence:
• If birth went as planned and Baby is healthy: APGARs & cleaning to happen at my chest.
• Please only perform PKU, Vitamin K & hearing/sight test on baby after bonding time, no Prophylactic Eye Ointment administered
• Delay Hep B immunization until after hospital stay
  Option to delay or abstain from bath, or if administered, do so in the room with Mom 
• That father and baby stay with mother throughout the hospital stay.
• Breastfeeding several times during the first few hours of baby’s life.
• Breastfeeding only.  No bottles, formula, pacifier, or artificial nipples.
  
  *For newborn procedures we opted in for the Vitamin K shot & PKU tests because of our increased risk for Cystic Fibrosis. We would need to know ASAP if baby girl does have CF which would be made known through the PKU, or heel stick, test. As for Vit K; CF patients tend to have lower levels of naturally occurring Vit K, plus newborns tend to be Vit K deficient anyway. We figured it couldn't hurt.*

In the event of a C-Section I would like:

         
To make sure other options have been exhausted

An epidural for anesthesia

In the event that a C-Section is necessitated, that father will hold the baby after C-section birth and bring baby to mom for viewing and eye contact.  In absence of urgency, father continues to hold baby for bonding.

  *For the C-Section part, we put this on an entirely different page to stick behind the rest of the plan. I didn't really consider having an "incase of" plan for Cesarian, but our Doula encouraged it - she is a VBAC mom and never planned on having her own c-section. While I really don't want a C-section and lots would have to go wrong for us to make it to that point, it's still nice to know that the things that matter most to me in the event that it is necessary are noted & that I've given it thought.*

Count Down to Baby {37 Weeks!!}

We are getting a lesson in patience this week. I'm having to work really hard to manage my anxiety (and blood pressure) and just let things unfold as they may and be okay with it.  At our appointment on Wednesday, we learned that our OB Practice is pulling out of one hospital ("plan a") in town and moving to the other ("plan b"). In many ways, this is great news - we wanted to deliver at the "plan b" hospital originally but it didn't work out. "Plan B" has a level 3 NICU (whereas "plan a" has none...) and is a much friendlier hospital for natural birth from what I've heard.

Where this gets complicated is that the last day that the Doctors will maintain privileges at "plan a" is 10/24. The OBs have already established privileges at "plan b", but they have not come through for the midwives in the practice yet.  So what that means for me is, until my Midwife is allowed to practice at "plan B", she can only deliver at "plan a" until 8 am on the 24th. Then, if the privileges still haven't come through, she can't deliver for us at all and one of the random OBs that I don't know will be the attending physician.

We're doing our best to stay calm and do what we can (but we'll see how that is going if nothing has changed by our appointment next week... lol).  I'm pre registering at "plan b" incase we end up there and was able to get squeezed into their Labor/Delivery/Recovery tour this evening.

So, if you would please Pray that "plan B" hospital gives the Midwives rights ASAP. My Midwife said it could be an any day thing, but you never know how long these things can take and of course labor could be an any day thing too!

Date: 10/4/13

Due Date: 10/22/13

Weight Gain: I lost 3 pounds since my last Midwife appointment at 36 weeks, so I'm down a pound overall for the pregnancy.

My baby is the size of a: Baby?!? Pretty sure comparisons are a tad bit silly at this point, but she's the size of a small watermelon (but when was the last time you saw a baby that looked like the size/shape of a watermelon?!?).

Symptoms: Morning sickness is back in full swing, though I am quite grateful that it seems restricted to the actual morning!!

Cravings: CAFFEINE!! Could be the fact that I'm exhausted, can't sleep & work has me quite stressed out. So, when I can physically sleep I can't stop dwelling on payrolls, cash flow and random other stupid junk enough to sleep!

Sleep: (see above...)

I am loving: That the nursery is pretty much finished! Many thanks to the Bestie, Lauren, for coming over and helping out with the last few items that needed our attention.

I am looking forward to: Meeting our baby girl! We have another meeting with our Doula on Monday - I love getting together with her!

I'm freaking out about: Labor & not knowing when I'll go into labor not to mention where we will deliver or who will deliver the baby.

Best moment this week: Hearing baby girls heart beat at the Midwifes office!

Milestones: Baby girl is FULL TERM!!!
Also, I was Strep B negative so we're good to labor at home as long as possible as we planned for in our birth plan (post coming soon)!!

Movement: Poor baby girl is getting pretty cramped, so she still wiggles around and I get the occasional jab or kick; but most movement is quite restricted.

Exercise: We've been walking daily, I'm doing everything I can to speed this process up!!

Diet: I'm eating like I have been all pregnancy, but I really don't have an appetite. Though baby girl has dropped, she is clearly going to be a long one; she is still pushing on my lungs & stomach so there isn't much room for food in there.

Goals for the upcoming week: We still have a few items on our Nesting List & we've made quite a long Hubby To Do list for things around the house.
Get some stuff out of storage: Baby stuff for my Dad's house, Exercise ball, chest freezer, owl night light.
Return duplicate gifts to stores, complete registries.
Shopping Projects: Buy baskets for the changing table & peg board, Order Milestone Stickers for Baby Girl, buy Plastic Drawer storage for last of clothes that don't go in the closet and there isn't room in the dresser for. Get a Slip cover for living room chair.
Mommy needs to: order extra parts for breast pump & boil/sanitize parts. Check that Daddy's bag is packed for the hospital, pack Mommy's postpartum bag.
Daddy needs to: Install the doorbell, vacuum all the carpet, mow the yard, re-hang the guest room curtain, hang a new window shade in the laundry room.

Nursery:
Print/buy and hang wall art for the Peg Board

Bump watch:

Baby Poll with Prizes!

<<POLL CLOSED>>

This Momma-to-be is ready for Baby Girl to come meet us Earthside!!

I want to know your guesses on when she will come & her sizes - so my first ever giveaway for the most accurate guesses regarding my first ever child!

I will give two $15 Target Giftcards; the first to the closest guess on baby weight (pounds & ounces) and the second for the date and time (hour and minutes) of her arrival!

To enter just leave a comment with your guesses and please make sure that you are not a no-reply blogger! If you are uncertain if this applies to you, leave your email address in the comment section just in case! 

Rules are simple - if your guess is the closest, you win (you can win both cards if your guess is the closest on both weight and date)! I'll email both winners within a couple of weeks of Baby girls arrival to get mailing addresses etc. & I'll post the winners & their guesses on the blog. 

If you're a no reply blogger & you don't leave your email address, I will have to move on to the next best guess.

The Poll Closes Saturday, October 12 at 11:59 pm CST 

-or-

When I announce the birth on the blog if before then!

So that you can make educated guesses, here are some random facts regarding the pregnancy:

- My official due date is October 22, 2013 (according to my sonogram).

- According to my last period date, my due date is October 14, 2013.

- According to the sonogram in week 34 Baby Girl is head down, and at the Midwifes' office she said that the baby is at -2 station already.

-Braxton Hicks are a common occurance for me, so my body is getting ready!

- My mom delivered in the 42nd week with all 4 of her pregnancies.

- As of my 34 week appointment, I was measuring 34 cm for my uterus (so right on track).
At my 36 week appointment, I measured 37 cm (so 1 cm ahead).

- I have only gained 1 pound above my pre-pregnancy weight.

Evidence of my nesting from the last weekend!

Count Down to Baby {36 Weeks}

It seems so crazy that we're at the tail end of the pregnancy (36 weeks, 4 weeks to go until due date!), in one week it is considered full term & perfectly acceptable for us to have Baby Girl! I'm just really struggling to wrap my mind around the fact that we're between one and five weeks from meeting her! (And then I struggle to accept that there is roughly a 5 week window there, making it difficult to plan life and the changes we're about to have!)

We had our last shower this past weekend so now we're just putting everything away and deciding what we "have to have" that's left on the registries verses "nice to have". It's all a little daunting, particularly since we've come full circle to face my fear of the "bottle wall" again. (I mean how can there be so many different options that all claim to be the best??)

I'm also beginning to slightly panic about the fact that I don't know everything (duh). I've just always considered myself to be well informed and I do my research, so things I don't already know I make it a point to learn. Then my world came crashing down the other day when John and I were hanging and folding clothes for Baby Girl and he asked how he should know if it was pajamas to fold for the drawer or clothes to hang in the closet?  I calmly replied "if it has footies on it, it's pajamas" - how foolish of me! 

There are these lovely adorable garments that have footies that are clearly not pajamas but not obviously an outfit. Now I'm terribly paranoid that I will dress my child in pajamas to go out of the house without realizing it and everyone else in the world will know what I've done because they have somehow deciphered the pajama verses outfit code and stand there and judge my poor parenting. Oh, and how the heck am I supposed to pair back up these adorable 3 piece sets with the pants, jackets & onsies after they have to be washed in 3 seperate loads due to their colors and mixed in with the 50 bazillion other outfits we've been gifted? I'm grateful I tell you, but it's stressing me out!! 

Now that I'm doubting my ability to dress my child, I'm sure I'll fail as a parent in every other aspect and will have some catastrophic "oh you didn't know that?" incident that will involve CPS by 6 weeks old. Anyone else have this fear? Nope? Just me? Yup - I know I'm loosin' it!

Weight Gain: 1 pound for the pregnancy!

Maternity Clothes: A very sore subject! I'm so disappointed in my maternity shirts! None, not one of them is long enough on me now! So I either wear a dress (but all of my dresses are summer dresses and it's beginning to actually get cool around here) or I wear my too-short shirts with my pants and just deal with the tacky stretch belly band showing. :(  No way can I justify spending more money on clothes now that we're in the final stretch... Grrr.....

Stretch Marks: Have bred like a bunch of gerbils and now mar my previously porcelain skin all across my belly.

Belly Button In or Out: Out & quite the entertainment for my shower guests when Baby Girl moves and makes it stick out further or suddenly jut back in. It's hard to hide it behind clothes when you're as round as I am these days.

Wedding Ring on or off: On, but I think I may finally have to take it off - I'm swelling slightly all the time now and I'm worried I'll have a bad water retention day and not be able to get it off.

Symptoms:I'm throwing up again, not sure why that joyful symptom reappeared.

Cravings:  Food is pretty revolting to me to be honest.

Aversions: None!

Sleep:It could be better, but it has certainly been worse!

I am loving:That her nursery is almost finished & our house is showing obvious signs that we're about to have a little baby in it!

I miss: Sushi, cold cut sandwiches, pina coladas, & Monster energy drinks.


Best moment this week: The last 2 weeks we have been so blessed by our friends & family with our baby showers! "Thank you" just doesn't seem adequate to the wonderful ladies that have hosted them for us & Baby Girl!

Milestones: We have made it to the weekly OB appointment mark! She could come at any time, but no later than 11/5 (since they won't let me go past 42 weeks)!


Exercise: We live about 6 blocks from my Dad's house, so I've started leaving my car there & walking from our house to his in the mornings. It's always my intention to walk home when I park the car there in the evenings but it's either been too hot (which shouldn't be an issue anymore!), or I'm just far too exhausted to even contemplate the walk so I con a brother into driving me the 6 blocks home.

Goals for the upcoming week:Finish out my to-do lists! I've already re-classified some items as unnecessary for before her birth though it would have been nice to get them done.

Nursery: It's almost finished!! I need to hang curtains & find a home for some of the clothes living in our crib right now. We do have a section of wall that could use some wall art, but I'm planning on hanging some pictures of Baby girl once she comes & some of our Maternity pictures, but we don't have those back yet. It may just have to remain blank until after she comes.

Bump watch:
It doesn't depict the actual size of my baby bump very well, but I thought it was fun - we took this on our nightly walks in a local park. (What it does show, is how large I feel!!)

Bumpdate {34 Weeks}

Date: 9/9/13

Due Date: 10/22/13

How far along?:  33 weeks, 6 days - so basically 34 weeks. About 5 weeks to go!!

Weight Gain: I've lost 3 pounds since our last doctors visit, so no weight gain for the pregnancy.

My baby is the size of a: Very large, bladder crushing, pelvic bone bruising Pineapple.

Maternity Clothes: I can't seem to find shirts that are long enough to cover my belly & the stretchy part of my pants anymore. :(

Wedding Ring on or off: On - but there are days I take it off depending on how badly my hands are swelling.

Symptoms: The last week or so I've started experiencing really painful Pelvic pain. She is head down and sitting quite low (the one + from our L&D visit was getting an unexpected sonogram!) which explains a lot of the pain - it just doesn't alleviate it. Other than not being able to sleep between the pelvic pain & round ligament pain - I'm doing pretty good!

Cravings:  Snow Cones & Key Lime Pie.

Sleep:Stress (from work) + Very large whale like belly + Pelvic pain (and the cold ice pack I try to use on it at night) = No sleep for me!

I am looking forward to: Our Baby showers this weekend & next! Getting the last of the stuff for her nursery & getting that all set up and finalized!


Best moment this week: John and I had a stay-cation in Fort Worth this weekend. It was great and exactly what we needed with all the stress & changes that are coming!

Worst moment this week: The worlds most expensive hospital visit to L&D that included an hour and a half wait in the ER waiting room because L&D was full ((though we did call ahead!) and there were 3 other laboring moms waiting with me). Turns out my water didn't break -  I apparently peed my pants (oh joy!) and was experiencing Braxton Hicks.

Emotions: Not really pregnancy related, but work and my ever-growing to do list plus recent car problems really has me quite stressed. 

Milestones: Nothing in particular, but we're in the home stretch!!
Oh! We just scheduled our last bi-monthly OB visit, next we go weekly!!

Movement: Tons! Though poor baby girl is quickly running out of room!


Exercise: Not any scheduled or routine exercise. We've been walking a lot on the weekends! I think that greatly contributed to the weight loss since the last visit two weeks ago.


Goals for the upcoming week:We've officially hit the point that I knew was coming - busy season at work! It will 100% be a miracle if some of these things get done at this point because I sure don't have the time/energy.
Install a Doorbell, Hospital Paperwork (& call and fight about their inability to properly file my insurance resulting in their delusional idea of how much we are "estimated" to owe and want paid before Baby Girl comes), Mail those darn thank-yous I keep forgetting about!, Finish packing Hospital Bags, Hang Pegboard in the nursery & figure out the art for it, install the carseats & attempt some of the junk on my Nesting List ...
.... Whew! (Cue Panic!)

Nursery: It's really coming together! I'm very happy with it and hope that after our showers I will have time to take pictures of the finished room & post them!

Bump watch: I don't have a belly picture for this week, I kept meaning to take one but realize that if I wait until I have time to take a picture at a mirror or con John into it I'll never make this post... SO, I'm big and pregnant, much like last week and much like I will be next week. ;)

The beginning of the end

As we draw to the end of our pregnancy we're very aware of the fact that this is the end of life being just the two of us.  I think I'm more worried about this than John is, but I also saw what life was like in a house full of kiddos - granted that was from a child's perspective but I'm still nervous about what this will mean for us as a couple when little-one comes along. 

So, in the last few weeks of life as Two, I'm trying to do as much as I physically can and make the most of each day!

This past weekend was a crazy one!!

Friday we left work early and headed to Dallas for the SMU vs. Tech game! We had a great time cheering our team on, even in the miserable heat!

(On another note about Friday, President George W. Bush did the coin toss... I think I may be the only person in the whole stadium that didn't get a picture because my *brand new* dumb phone decided to freeze up right then!)

Saturday was a busy day! We had Maternity pictures that morning! Then the afternoon was spent with a friend in town from the football game. We met up back in Dallas and toured the new George W. Bush Library & Museum. I loved the Library! It was so interactive and really family friendly! I was surprised to see so many pregnant ladies, new mommas and families with little ones there!

I'm not thinking she will adjust well to not being the only baby...

Sunday we kind of took the day to relax. We were entertaining house guests so we didn't make it to church. It was a day of errands, necessary to-dos (like the grocery store) and loving on our fur-babies!

Monday (Happy Labor Day!) was spent with family! Probably the last holiday family gathering until Baby Girl arrives!

It was requested that I make my Moms Banana Pudding - It isn't difficult, but it is laborious. It was so yummy. Just the way I remember her making it! I love making things from recipes in her handwriting!

I'm so excited for this upcoming weekend! It is the only weekend in the month of September that we didn't have something scheduled; so, we're going to do a BabyMoon/Stay-cation. 

We decided that going on a big trip wasn't a wise decision budget wise, especially since we moved and bought a vehicle this summer; but now that we're nearing the end of the "Two of Us" days we really feel the need for a little get-away. (The only one we will have had since our Anniversary/Birthday extravaganza back in January) We're going to Fort Worth (just an hour down the road) and we plan to tour the Botanical Gardens and the Water Gardens (neither of us have seen either) and then that evening go on one of our favorite outtings as a couple - the Drive in Theater (one of the things we miss most about Lubbock!)!! 

Any other fun activity recommendations for Fort Worth??

Budgeting for the Busy

Budgeting is a huge part of our lives. John and I embody those statistics that randomly pop up about how much a marriage discusses/revolves etc around money. Today alone we have exchanged 16 texts about finances and our budget. Thankfully we are on the same page about how we should manage our money so we aren't (usually) in the statistical group that fights about finances.

My very favorite budgeting tool is YNAB - but just as I said in my YNAB post, "it takes dedication and work" to log each and every transaction into the program. Getting behind even one day can throw off our budget by quite a bit.

Life has been really busy here of late. We've gotten moved and are working on settling in and setting up house, but I'm also ginormous pregnant! If I'm struggling to keep up with recording our finances now, I doubt it will get much better come October when we have a little-one in tow. So, we have regressed to our old days of budgeting and I'm so happy!

Before our days of YNAB and now that I need to take a step back, we are using Mint.com to manage our finances. 

Unlike other programs and softwares, Mint automatically updates your transactions and codes them for you. The most I ever have to do to manually enter information is occasionally correct where an item was applied (ie a haircut being applied to the grocery budget) or split a transaction between more than one category. 

Safety?  While I'm not an expert in computer stuff, I feel perfectly safe giving my information to Mint to compile my finances in their program. I know several other people who use this program and none of them have ever had issues either. You can't actually move or touch your money through the program - all you can do is see what you have done with it.

This is different than other budgeting ideas in terms of you are only seeing what you've already done with your money. SO, if you go a bit crazy on a weekend shopping spree Mint is only useful as a tool to tell you where your money went, you're not telling it where to go or giving it a "job". BUT, Mint does have a budgeting tool! You lay out how much you will spend in each category & you can get email alerts as you are nearing (or exceeding) the allotted amount in that line item on your budget.

Privacy: A feature that I really like is the log in - for YNAB you can just click on the icon & there's all your account balances and information from the past however long. It doesn't show account numbers, but someone can see how much money you have & where it is. With Mint you have a username and password to access your account. Much like your bank website or other financial institution, if you're inactive for a certain period of time it logs you out.
(Handy if you're at work and get distracted & walk off from your desk!)

OH - and did I mention that this is FREE?!? Mint.com is 100% free! I am a firm believer that everyone should have a budget! Even if you make way above your cost of living - you need to have a plan for that money honey! The only way to make your money work for you is to plan out where & how you spend it! So, if you're new to budgeting and just want to get your feet wet, this is a great way to do so! 

(All of these images are screenshots from Mint.com not my actual account information)