*~ Weekly chat thread Jan 10-16 ~* - Page 6

[labortrials]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

The midwife I'm seeing has a "point system" set up with some of the other holistic health providers around town... each client gets 6 or 7 "points" that can be cashed in during the pregnancy. So an hour of pregnancy massage, a one hour reiki session, 4 1.5 hour long prenatal yoga classes (those are all 2 points each)... or you can cash in a bigger amount and attend Birthing From Within, Bradley, or independent "holistic birthing" classes (5 points). And her clients get a discount on her acupuncture service... and given how wonky my moon cycles are (always have been) I'm thinking I may stick with her post-babe for some system balancing work (she's certified in acupuncture an CTM).

How cool is this!!??!! Let us know how the alternative ms treatments work for you.

Here's a link to a prenatal belly dancing video that I've thought about buying. Anyone know anything about it?

[wombatclay]

Belly dance kicks butt. I've been studying belly dance since '93 (the woman teaching this class is the woman I took my first classes with oh so many moons ago ) and although I was initially trained in very classic/traditional belly dance I've developed a HUGE fascination with American Tribal Style and Tribal Fusion. I adore Rachel Brice and Sharon Kihara. MMMmmmm...

I don't know if anyone here followed the Pagan Summer Camp this past summer, but I "hosted" a week and every day I included belly dance "stuff". If you search the pagan resource thread over in Spirituality you'll find the link, but if you search YouTube you can find some amazing pregnant dancers. It's really inspiring!

And yes, belly dance is a wonderful way to prepare for birth... if you've never danced then go slow and gentle and don't do anything that feels funky (you'll probably want to avoid hip twists and really fast shimmies) but there are some great prenatal videos (that same thread had links) though I've never used a specifically prenatal dance dvd so I don't know how good they are.

[mama*pisces]

I've decided on a midwife!! :

She was recommended to me by four different mamas - I finally met with her today, and there is no doubt in my mind that she is who I'm supposed to birth with. She's a little older(I'm actually her oldest daughter's age, let's put it that way ), and I originally thought that I wanted someone younger, but she's awesome. She's the most expensive one out of all three I interviewed(though not by much, only 200 more than the second one I interviewed), but her price includes a birth tub that I can use - of choice even. I was kinda surprised at that, I wasn't expecting to meet more than one midwife that had tubs for her clients to use. That was kinda the deal closer for me I think, though I think I would have liked her the best either way.

SO excited! But now, my appointment's been pushed back. I was going to go to my first appt with the other MW this coming Tuesday. I have to go on either a Tuesday or a Sunday, so dh can come with me, and she's not available until a week from this Sunday. But that's not too far off.

The only thing I'm slightly disappointed about is that she generally listens to the heartbeat with a fetoscope, which I do prefer over a doppler. But what I didn't know is that you generally can't hear the heartbeat until 20 weeks with the fetoscope. I'm not totally against the idea of using a doppler, so maybe I'll see if she can try with a doppler at least just once - I have a pregnant friend that had one rented out, but not sure if she still has it or not. I don't want to get an ultrasound til 20 weeks, but I'm dying to hear my bebe's heartbeat!

So, anyway, there's my happy news.

[labortrials]

Mia, that's terrific! Must be such a relief to have that figured out!!

[Jilian]

Congrats Mia! Does she have a doppler? Most MWs use them during labor so I'm pretty sure they all have one. My MW uses a doppler until 20 weeks then switches to a fetoscope, maybe you could ask your MW to do that.

[mama*pisces]

Yeah, pretty sure she has one. I mentioned wanting to hear the heartbeat soon though, and she said that I would have to get an ultrasound.(?) I don't know, I'll have to ask her again.

[labortrials]

Mia, she should be able to find the HB with doppler around 10 weeks or so. I wonder why she's telling you you'd have to have a u/s!

[Coconut Chronicles]

Mia that is awesome news!