Unmedicated, natural childbirth in a homebirth setting is our ultimate goal as many of you already know. We will not be at a hospital to deliver Tater, we’ve opted to hire a trusted and very capable midwife to attend our delivery. Our midwife is knowledgeable in birth complications, remedies, norms and knows when hospital transport is necessary, that is what we hired her for.

We aren’t delusional and we aren’t swearing off modern medicine, we just want a chance to labor and birth the way nature intended. This is why we are having a birth professional at the delivery (some opt to birth unassisted), if hospital transport is necessary we’ll do it in a heartbeat via the recommendation of our midwife.

I am a firm believer in a woman’s innate ability to procreate and deliver her child naturally as this is what her body was designed to do. When a low risk woman is able to trust her body, tap in to her instincts, eliminate her fears and allow the natural birth process to unfold with confidence she can have her natural childbirth.

This is where the emotional and mental preparation comes in to play for us. Now is our time to work through any birth fears or concerns we may have and to ensure we are 100% at peace with the natural birth process. I am focusing on the powers of positive energy and am feeling great about my body’s capabilities.

Last night I even got a little homebirth suggestion via a dream… Either my subconscious is helping me brainstorm and prepare or Tater is helping me via my dreams but I awoke with such a sense of peace and even a touch of anticipation for labor to begin.

My dreams have always been my source of enlightenment. I’ve developed dance combinations in dreams, awoke with solutions to problems and now am being prepared for my birth via them.

The revelation was Tibetan singing bowls. Tibetan singing bowls are music to my ears. They make me super relaxed, we learned this one night by mistake when a John Tesh radio broadcast was on and a singing bowls album was featured. It was the most relaxing and centering music I have ever heard. You can listen to samples here…

Last night in my dream I was reminded of the impact this music has on me and I was urged to obtain this music to play during the birth. I also own my own mini Tibetan singing bowl (thanks to N’s mom) so I plan to bring it along for playing during labor.

I also was particularly interested in trying the guided Hypnobirthing meditation CDs during labor (and have registered for it via amazon) but since they are so expensive I am thinking they might not happen. Anyway, the singing bowl music is another great idea and I am looking for some tracks I like and can download to my iPod right now.

I am thinking singing bowl music, low lights and N will get me through labor just fine. I am not scared at all. I know it’s not going to be all roses and sunshine, labor is hard work but it’s nothing I can’t handle with the help of my support system.

Now I want to know: What did you use to relax or focus you during your labor? I know some women bring a picture or statue to focus on. Others pick an animal to intimidate, some like upbeat music, dancing, others like candle light, etc. So what floats your boat?

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I thought it would be cool to try recording some of Tater’s movements so I can show her once she is older. I captured a few short/ good videos of her. You can see them here and here.

Last night we had thunderstorms, which N and I both love very much. We had windows open enjoying the fresh cool breeze and we loved hearing the rain/ thunder. Unfortunately the pets decided the weather was their cue to act completely insane all night.

Once N and I finished watching our recorded episode of American Idol at around 2am we went to bed (by the way tune in to American Idol next week to see my old choir buddy Scott MacIntyre’s performance).

Anyway, The cats stayed up all night bouncing off the walls. There were several times when they jumped on our faces/ pillows as a means to “springboard” up to the headboard where they like to perch. Also, there was all sorts of fighting between them for access to the fresh air coming through the open window in the bedroom. Basically they kept us from really falling fully asleep which means we awoke unrested and grumpy today.

N went to pick up a vacuum that was offered up on freecycle this morning (since ours has melted and the manufacturer wont replace it) but the person giving the vacuum forgot to leave it out for him to pick up. So we still have dirty carpets… I was hopefull vacuuming was going to be possible soon, oh well. One less chore right?

By the way all the cats are laying on or near me right now in bed snoozing as I write this. Hang on I am going to yell and jump on the bed a bit to wake them all up…

Okay, I am back now!

I was gifted Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth(among other things that I’ll share about soon) and am already hooked on reading it. Also my newest Mothering magazine just came in the mail so I am reading like crazy today, I was missing having good stuff to read so now I am excited to read again. Yay!

Our letter goes off to the landlords tomorrow so keep your fingers crossed that they let us out of here early! We are also looking at several other possible rental homes tomorrow. Hopefully we find something!

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Also, another internet buddy in Australia, Veronica, just had her little one with midwives (in about 90 minutes!). If you haven’t already and are interested stop on by their blogs, read their stories and congratulate them on their great natural births!

If you have posted a home birth story I would love for you to enter the URL below and share it with us! I love reading them and know others also find them educational to read.

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Other than the prenatal visit and the face of nasty we did have the pleasure of sightseeing throughout Nashville and neighboring areas of Tennessee. We stayed at a cheap Red Roof Inn Saturday night and had linner at Whole Foods that day (linner is a combo of lunch and dinner. A un-word N uses for fun).

We were both really beat by about 5pm-6pm that day. After all we did wake up at 5am to make the trip out to Summerfield. So we checked in to our hotel after our linner and then we laied down for a nap after the prenatal appointment. I got to put a hot compress on my spider bite before napping and we also got some natural cortizone type cream for the bite at Whole Foods.

We have no Whole Foods in Evansville (or any decent natural food store for that matter) so hanging out at the Whole Foods in Tennessee was a treat for us. We also stocked up on my favorite breakfast item, Strawberry Hemp Granola! 2 pounds wont last long but it sure is a great treat!

Sunday morning after a good nights sleep we awoke and headed out to sight see. We took a guided tour of the Carnton Plantation in Franklin, TN and had a blast. For some reason we enjoy guided tours of old historic places. While in Flagstaff, we attended a tour of the Riordan Mansion in Flagstaff, AZ that we also really enjoyed.

Anyway the Carnton Plantation is not only cool because it is an old plantation house with tons of history. It is also noteworthy because it was a civil war field hospital during The Battle of Franklin and is now a final resting place for 1,481 men who were killed during the Battle of Franklin.

Carrie McGavock, wife of John McGavock who resided at Carnton Plantation was in the midst of The Battle of Franklin on November 30th 1864 when the Army of Tennessee passed around her home headed toward battle. Carrie took in hundreds of wounded and dying Confederate soildiers during battle and the day following battle. The florrs of the home are still stained with the blood of those who were treated there.

It was a very educational and historic place for us to visit and we had a great time learning and reflecting upon the history of our country. We even kind of like the outlying areas of Nashville and would consider living there.

It was an amazing place for us to visit because as natives of the west coast we never really got to visit and take in all of the sights and locations that played such a huge role in civil war history. Sure we are well aware of the way Native Americans, Cowboys and Hispanics have shaped the west coast’s history but we’ve never been face to face with civil war history so we really enjoyed the day.

Oh and I got the stress cracks on my MacBook fixed up at the Nashville Apple Store. We didn’t have an appointment with the genus bar because no appointments were available during the time we were going to be there, so we talked with a concierge about the cracks and explained we were from out of town. They were nice enough to out us on a waiting list, in case someone was late for or failed to show up for their scheduled appointment.

We waited about an hour in the store but they managed to squeeze us in and they even fixed my cracked MacBook at no cost, right there in the store. It only took them 15 minutes! We figured I would have to send my Mac out for repair and that they couldn’t fix it in store. Amazingly they did and were super friendly about it too!

So all in all the trip was lots of fun and also a great success. We found a place to have our natural birth, got to have some fun while learning about civil war hisstory, got the MacBook fixed and we may have even found the place we want to live after N’s 3 year contract is up here in Evansville. Productive don’t you think?

The post Some insect ate my face and we had fun sightseeing in Tennessee! appeared first on Updates from Ryder Family Farm.

My blood pressure was 100% normal despite my worries about the heart racing and pounding I’ve experienced. We asked the doc about said heart pounding and were told it is completely normal for pregnant ladies due to increase in blood volume, just like we already read. Interestingly enough my diet modifications (spinach and generic ensure drinks) have decreased the frequency of the heart pounding. I told the doctor this.

I know many of you will be able to recall how peeved I was about my doctor being judgmental of my weight and body size back when we were trying to conceive. Well it seems I’ve found another doctor who insists on doing the same damn thing! What is it with these doctors and their judgments?

Today my OBGYN commented that I was going to be one of those “trim pregnant ladies with a huge basket ball sized bump on my tiny frame” while she was finding Tater Tot’s heartbeat. Innocent enough right?

Then she told me to eat a candy bar once in a while… Seriously she said it like 5 times today throughout the visit and it really started to piss me off. She obviously doesn’t know me because she thinks that I am afraid to eat chips and sweets, that is the complete opposite of the truth guys!

Honestly I am a big fan of anything that is filling and does not require cooking, that means plenty of refined sugars and carbs – too many! Those empty carbs and the sugars are a big factor in my inability to gain weight.

Anyway, I tried explaining this to her and also reminded her that my grandfather is diabetic and that I am working hard to improve my diet and nutrition right now, especially since my nutrition is affecting my baby’s growth. She said my nutritional focus was good but that I should really focus on eating to gain more weight, I totally disagree. To me eating a well balanced nutritious diet is better than eating candy bars and chips just to gain pounds of extra weight.

Oh and by the way I weighed in at 110 today despite having a nasty stomach bug last week that completely depleted everything (if you know what I mean). That is 2 pounds of gained weight from last month, not where I had expected to be but there is some major growth happening.

Be sure to check out tomorrows Weekly Winners post where I share my bare baby bump with you in comparison to the shot taken at 11 weeks, you’ll see the growth!

Oh, and while I am complaining about the doctor I might as well illustrate why the doctor is useless. The whole bedside manner and attitude of the staff working at the local woman’s center (where I see my OBGYN) just isn’t my idea of good care.

First off they act inconvenienced that N is along and interested in the prenatal visits, they ignore him and do not make any attempt to involve him in the visits at all. They block his view, refuse to talk to him and are really annoyed when he asks questions or participates in the conversation.

Second issue for me is I just feel like I am being rushed through this OBGYN assembly line. I sign in with the recptionist, then go to pee in a cup, next the nurse weighs me and takes us to the exam room, takes my pulse then we wait for the doctor. The doctor comes in, is not warm or friendly, finds the baby’s heartbeat, then she wants us to ask her questions, she gives us vague answers to those questions while acting awkward, inconvenienced and while avoiding making eye contact. Then the visit is over we go to billing and book our next appointment.

Literally the appointment took 10 minutes, the only benefit to us was hearing little Tater Tot’s heart beating… By the way Tater Tot’s heartbeat is super strong and so loud now! The heart beat is now found directly under my belly button as opposed to last month when the heart beat was real close to my right inner hip area.

Now back to my ranting: I am sorry I am not just a paycheck or an incubator and I am angry that our medical system thinks it is okay to treat us in this way! I am a person, specifically a first time mom to be who needs support, encouragement and guidance.

I’ve never done this before and I need a bit more than to be rushed through a medical assembly line. I know that the more people they can see the better for their bottom line but that is not better for the patients.

I just don’t want a cold, judgmental person providing me prenatal care much less getting me though the delivery of my baby!

Pregnancy and delivering a baby are very personal, intimate and emotional experiences. Having a good relationship with the practitioner is a big deal. *warning* graphic detail ahead! I mean that practitioner will be down between your legs viewing areas you normally wouldn’t show a stranger, pressing on your parts and guiding your child in to the world.

You are putting your life and the life of you child in this persons hands. Anything can happen during labor so wouldn’t you want someone you can trust, whom you are comfortable with and who has the same ideals as you about childbearing on your side?

How can OBGYNs hope to be a part of this very intimate experence when they can’t even look you in the eye while answeing your questions?

My mamma taught me that my private parts are only for those whom I have a trusting and loving relationship with… The doc is just not fitting the bill!

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Updated late the evening of 1/8/08

After a kind email from Donna B I got out my What to Expect When You’re Expecting book and looked up average weight gain. Here is what it said:

1st Trimester– It says “a good goal for the 1st trimester is between 1 and 4 pounds”.

I weighed 100 when I got the positive pregnancy test and put on 8 pounds by the end of the first trimester.

2nd Trimester- It says “your weight gain should pick up to an average rate of about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week during months 4 though 6 (totaling 12 to 14 pounds)”.

Well today is the first day of my 16th week of pregnancy which means I am now officially 4 months pregnant. I gained 2 pounds between week 15 & 16 so that seems normal to me, it is more than the 1 1/2 pounds per week recommended and I even lost weight due to sickness!

Granted I am still an under weight gal so gaining more than a pound or so per week is allowable in my opinion but according to the info in the book, I am gaining a bit more than it says is the norm, that is good right?

I would have liked to hear what the doctor thought my weight should have been, too bad she wouldn’t give me a number when I asked.

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