First Midwife Appointment

So on Monday I had my first appointment with my Midwife and my first peak and my little baby growing inside me. This was the first time I met my midwife in person. I've talked to her probably 10 times over the phone (making sure all of my supplements, training program, and races are okay), but meeting her in person was much better. I love her! I don't know why I didn't get a midwife the first time I was pregnant! She's so much better than my OB was.

First, she's a woman, so that right there makes her a little more understanding and me a little more comfortable than I was with my male OB. Second, she has 15 years of experience, so I feel good about her delivering my baby safely. And third, probably the most important for me, she's never once missed one of her patient's births. Hallelujah! She will be there with me through the entire labor, not let anyone push me around, and she is well aware of all of the methods of natural child birth that I want to try. And with her there, the nurses are not allowed to do ANYTHING to me without her written order. I feel so much better knowing that this time around I will have a professional there to support me, the ENTIRE labor AND delivery, and it's someone I will know and be comfortable with, someone who will know my birth plan and be totally supportive of my wants and needs and not try to push her own agenda.

This time around, I have to go natural, no epidural. I have no moral objection to epidurals, but since the epidural I got with Ryker nearly killed me (literally, my heart almost stopped and my blood pressure dropped so dangerously low they had to put ephedrine in my IV), I will not even consider an epidural this time around. I also didn't like how last time some of my nurses were really pushy and coerced me into things I didn't want to do, like get an epidural when I wasn't even feeling pain yet. Anyway, I am beyond thrilled I'm going with the midwife this time around and she does not have any plans in December or January, so baring some big unforseen circumstance, she will be there with me from beginning to end. Yeah!

Anyway, at my first appointment she did a breast exam and found two worrisome lumps; one in each of my breasts. So now I get to go to the hospital and get an ultrasound on each of those and make sure everything is okay. It probably is, but better safe than sorry.

Then the best part, she did an ultrasound for my baby and I got to see my little baby blob for the first time! I love every chance I get to see my baby during pregnancy. So originally my due date was December 25th based on the calendar. I wrote everything down so my midwife and I were pretty sure that was the date. However, in the ultrasound, little baby blob is measuring small. Therefore, my new due date is January 3rd. Personally, I think I will still come in December. Mostly because Ryker started off measuring small too, but when he was born at 36 & a 1/2 weeks, he was 6lbs 9oz and fully developed, making my original due date with him much more accurate. My original due date with Ryker was January 5th and he was born on December 29th, so he would have only been a week early instead of 3 and 1/2 weeks early.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this baby comes sometime after Christmas, but before New Years. That close to the end of the year, it would be great to get that nice tax break :)