Made the Switch

Since my last failed epidural with Emily, I have been thinking about what I would do for any subsequent births. I knew I wanted to go the natural route and just assumed I would continue with my doctor (or, another doctor in the area). The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that natural childbirth in a hospital setting is not what I want. I don't want to have to fight to be comfortable (i.e., not having an IV, being able to use the shower/tub, not having continuous monitoring, etc). Even if my doctor is totally supportive of my choices, there is no guarantee I will have my doctor at delivery and I would be dealing mostly with the nurses, which can be hit or miss. I would also like to skip the 48 hr hospital stay my doctor requires after delivery, as long as baby and I are both healthy.

So, after a lot of research and discussion between Kyle and I, we decided to make the switch to a birth center run by three CNMs (certified nurse midwives). I met several of the office staff and one of the midwives last week and am very excited about continuing my care with them. Some friends of ours that we met through Kyle's work delivered their first son 2+ years ago at the birth center and had a great experience. They are now planning a home birth for their baby due in April with the same midwives. Their positive experiences really help to alleviate any fears we might have.

The birth center has 3 exam rooms and 2 delivery rooms, each equipped with a tub to labor/deliver in. The delivery rooms have full/queen size beds, instead of the standard hospital bed. They also have the ability to perform NSTs, ultrasounds, and routine testing (such as the glucose tolerance test at 28 weeks). They even have a movie room to sit in for the hour between drinking the sugar drink and having the blood work done. There is also a kitchen to be used for delivery, as they allow and encourage you to eat/drink during labor.

We also found out that they will be able to monitor me if/when I need it for preterm labor and they have the capability in their office to give me IV fluids and terbutaline, if necessary, to stop any contractions that come my way. The birth center is very close to a hospital if a transfer is needed any point before, during, or after labor. If necessary, they also refer patients to the same high risk group I am already seeing, so I have the option to continue my care with them, as well. Another big plus is that the average stay after delivery at the birth center is 3 hours, assuming all went well with labor/delivery and mom and baby are doing well.

My first appointment with the birth center is tomorrow and I'm excited to get to meet another one of the midwives and for Kyle to see the birth center for the first time. It is fairly small and in a strip center type location, but they are in the process of building a new facility set to be completed in July. So, who knows, I *might* get to be one of the first to deliver in the new facility.

Early Ultrasound was Wrong

As you may or may not recall, our perinatologist made a guess at the sex of this little one during our NT scan a few weeks ago. She guessed girl. We found out today, though, that she was wrong. Our second little boy is on his way in July and we couldn't be more thrilled. Kyle is especially happy, as this means he will not have to paint. :P

Our NT scan and accompanying bloodwork came back great and today, at our anatomy scan, our little guy looked healthy with a heartbeat of 152 bpm. Dr. G decided to check my cervix to make sure it was long and closed (it was) and we found out that I will be considered high-risk for the remainder of this pregnancy due to the preterm labor scare with Emily.

We discussed how difficult it was for me to know when/if I needed to go to the hospital with Emily as I often had mild contractions 5 minutes apart or less. I ignored the advice of my regular OB, Dr. T, because I would have been in the hospital daily for these contractions. So,to avoid that this time, starting at 24 weeks (6 weeks from now), I will see Dr. G for cervical length checks once a month and possibly biweekly fetal fibronectin tests (fFN) until 32 weeks. If my cervix stays strong and the fFN tests come back negative, I can monitor my contractions at home unless they get strong and/or are accompanied by bleeding.

Assortment of DIY Pro Pics

These are my DIY *pro* pics (obviously, not really pro). Since I got my DSLR, we are determined to make it a good investment and not paying for pro pics anymore unless it is a really, REALLY special occasion. So, here are some I have done recently, including some of Emily's 1 yr pics.

*Kason's 2 yr pics*






Emily, 7 months


Emily (7 months), Kason (25 mos)


Kason (26 mos)

*Emily's 1 year pics*

Emily's Birthday Post

As you know, our little girl turned 1 a few weeks ago. The last year with her has been more wonderful than we could have possibly imagined. It has been so exciting to watch her and Kason interact with each other and to see how much they love each other. Seeing the love that they share makes welcoming #3 a little earlier than expected a little less scary.

Her personality is so much different than Kason's was at this age. It is so fun to watch and see the differences between the two. Emily is not exactly shy, but also not especially outgoing. She loves to smile at everyone, though (then, quickly bury her face into momma's shoulder). It is true what they say: sugar and spice and everything nice. She is such a sweetheart and a cuddler.

While not officially a toddler, she is getting so close. The past few days, she has gotten so much braver with taking steps and can string 3, 4, even 5 together. She is so proud of herself and loves to be cheered for. Kason loves it, too and is enjoying helping his little sister learn to walk.

She is trying to say lots of things now and has quite a few words. A few that I can think of are: mama, dada, Kason (comes out Kay), hi, bye, baby, banana, Kason, all done, more (mo as she signs 'eat')... We haven't worked with her a lot on signing, but she has had the important ones down for months (more, all done, eat).

She loves to be ticked, bouncing on our knees, her baby doll and My Pal Violet, playing peek-a-boo, swinging, singing (Itsy Bitsy Spider is her fav!), and stealing Kason's toys. :P She doesn't have quite the love for books that Kason did at her age, but she is starting to. Her favorites right now are Let's Dance Little Pookie and Look Who's Talking on the Farm.

She has 6 teeth now (4 on top, 2 on bottom) and loves to use them to eat! Now that she is on table food and whole milk, she is beginning to put on some pounds more consistently. Still tiny, though...weighing 19lb 6.5 oz (19%) at her 12 month appointment. She was 29 in (49%), though, so long and lean. We are, unfortunately, still battling her reflux and she is still taking meds twice a day for that. We are hoping to take her off of it by 15 months, but as of this point, even lowering her dose causes her to wake up in pain. So, I don't know if that will be realistic or not.

We are so excited to see what the next few months will bring and looking forward to warmer weather and lots of outings this spring.

Our dear, sweet Emmy--Mommy, Daddy, and Kason love you right up to the moon...and back!