Sunday, October 25, 2009

We are so ready for you, Baby G.

Dear little baby G:

We aren't technically your mommy and daddy yet as you haven't been conceived, but I wanted to let you know that we are more than ready for you to be here with us.

Every month that passes that you haven't started your life growing inside me leaves us that much more empty and restless inside.

We try harder and harder to make sure we're doing everything right - to give you the best possible place to live for 9 months (and beyond) - and I really hope you decide to finally join us.

Your daddy and I were in San Francisco visiting your Auntie J. and got to hold a baby. He was so sweet and adorable. When your daddy held him, the little baby fell asleep in his arms. It was then that we both realized that you are the only thing we want in life.




We love you so much and can't wait for you to be in my belly growing into our baby.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Stay tuned...

I've been wanting to post a lot this week, but between work going into psycho crazy mode and then me realizing I'm half way through the semester and not giving anything (and having the grades to show for it) I found that I really didn't have time.

I have an update to the lady I wrote about on 10/2 regarding her VBAC. Apparently someone at CNN realized this was insane and a follow-up article came out on October 15th. Kudos to CNN, big thumbs up to the ACOG (never, ever thought I'd say that), and double boo to Banner. Why the thumbs up to he ACOG - because they had this to say to Banner:

Banner Health, which owns Page Hospital, says it decided to stop performing VBACs at Page when ACOG, the obstetricians' group, established guidelines for hospitals that Page Hospital was not adequately staffed to satisfy.

The ACOG guidelines recommend "24/7 coverage of both physician and anesthesiologist," and that "two physicians be immediately available during the entire period of labor," Banner Health said in a statement.

But ACOG spokesman Gregory Phillips says that's not what the guidelines say. "These appear to be Banner's interpretations of the stated recommendation," says Gregory Phillips.

The ACOG guidelines recommend that doctors consider several factors when determining if a VBAC is possible. For example, two criteria that can be considered are whether there's physician availability throughout active labor, and whether anesthesia and staff can be available for an emergency C-section.

Since the ACOG guidelines came out in 2004, more and more hospitals have refused to do VBACs. Today, nearly half of hospitals won't do VBACs, either because the hospital has banned them or because doctors won't do them, according to a survey of nearly 3,000 hospitals by the International Cesarean Awareness Network, a grassroots group that has fought against VBAC bans.

Typically, health care professionals rally around other health care professionals in these types of situations regardless if they are 'right' or 'wrong.' Mardsen Wagner calls it camaraderie and talks about this in his book (that I'm half way done reading) Born in the USA.

Anyway, the fact that ACOG is telling Banner, in a sense, that they're wrong feels like a win to us. I'll take it where I can get it.

=

On a personal note, S. and I are still at this trying to conceive game and growing very impatient. I know it's all in Jesus' hands and so does S., but some days are easier to accept than others. I've also started bringing up talks of adoption. Research on that subject has started, and we decided to give to spring of next year before we get fired up on adoption. I'm actually really excited about adopting. It's something I've always wanted to do, my heart has always felt a calling.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to apologize to all the ladies who waited a while to get their little one and my advice was always "relax, let it happen, stop trying, etc." I understand now why it was so frustrating to hear, how nice you were by grinning and saying "thank you", and how you really just wanted to tell me to be quiet. I appreciate all of the "advice" I've been given on the subject, really I do, but after a year of attempting to produce an offspring and getting the same retort, I'm going slightly crazy here.

Steven and I can not wait until we can post pics of our new family member (whether from our blood lines or someone elses).

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Mothering

I really love the Internet. Information is available in an instant and supporting debates becomes easier when you can back up your opinion with facts.

This is probably why the natural birthing movement is seeing great momentum. One blogger links to another who links to another (so on and so forth). The same is with magazines, news articles, books, movies, etc. Everyone is very open with their information.

Skip to my latest find - Mothering magazine. I signed up for a year digital subscription and am captivated. I'm sure many of the future articles that I'll add to my list on the right will be from this magazine.

Mothering.com

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Birth Advocacy

I feel like I hit the jackpot of birthing info today. Every day I try to research something new, I usually bring it back to my natural birth board online if it hasn't been brought up, and I save it for future use in my favorites.

Today I got not one, not two, but 3 pieces of great information to add to the hopper and I really want to share this with you.

1.) The Lie of the EDD: Why Your Due Date Isn't when You Think

This article was found on the blog of www.mothersnaturally.org, posted on August 15, 2009. Take a look and read through it. I found it overwhelming considering the increasing rates of low birth weight babies, babies with lung development issues, etc. It is thought that just because your baby is "term" it is perfectly safe to come out.

2.)Midwifes & Mothers in Action

Midwifes & Mothers in action is a culmination of midwifery organizations banded together to promote midwifery, midwifery awareness, and life state midwifery bans - all at federal level. Please forward this information on to others - donate, volunteer, get involved.



3.) Citizens for Midwifery

I found this site after combing through MAMA's site seeing how I could get involved. I realized this organization is exactly what I needed. And I decided to join. So now I am an official member of the Citizens for Midwifery!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

I'm a bird, I'm [in] a plane!

We got a treat this morning when our good friend (who also happens to be the world's greatest vet) asked S. and I if we'd like to take a morning flight over LA with him.

We both shouted "hooray!", jumped up and clicked our heels together, and rushed through our grocery shopping at the local Farmer's Market.

We took off from Torrance airport in a 4-seater Cessna. It was my absolute first time in a tiny, single-engine plane and for all intents and purposes, S.'s as well (you see he flew in one once so long ago he doesn't even really remember it except to say that he remembers being in one).

I got to fly copilot! We flew over LAX, through Santa Monica, Hollywood, around downtown LA, followed the 710 through Long Beach, saw the Queen Mary, and zipped around the Palos Verdes Peninsula, back in through Redondo Beach and home to Torrance.

It was so beautiful and surreal. And I near about got airsick in the plane. It took everything in me not to, well, you-know-what. My lesson learned is to keep Dramamine with me at all times - especially since we'll probably have more impromptu plane rides in our future!






Saturday, October 3, 2009

We know how to celebrate.

How can we top our 1st Anniversary at Disneyland (the place where it all took place the year before)? Easy! A B&B trip to Napa filled with wine, Thomas Keller (Bouchon and Ad Hoc were included in the culinary trip - next time: French Laundry), and Cyrus. So, what do we do for 3rd anniversary? Head back to Disneyland! But wait - we already did that. Ok, how about get into the most exclusive club in Disney? PERFECT!

We ate, drank, and moused it up at Club 33 (courtesy of a very awesome friend).


Friday, October 2, 2009

People Amaze Me

I was reading the natural birthing blogs I'm following yesterday and came across an article that was published on 9/30 that got under my skin.

Hospital Policy Pains Expectant Mom

"Joy Szabo, pregnant with her fourth child, stands beside the message she wrote protesting Page Hospital’s recent general ruling that will prohibit her from giving birth naturally.
PAGE – A pregnant woman’s pleas not to have an unnecessary caesarean are being ignored by Page Hospital administrators..." (Lake Powell Chronicle, 2009)

Apparently, we aren't allowed to make decisions anymore on how we birth our children, otherwise the hospital will get a court order. Thanks, so much, Medical Community for supporting us. Maybe we'd give you our business again if you'd take that self-righteous stick out of your behind and listened to us instead of fighting with us and telling us we're stupid.