what sort of pregnancy/birth are you planning?

[geo_girl]

Hi there,

We are planning a very "medical" pregnancy with our midwife.

I very recently completed chemotherapy & radiation for cancer, and wasn't planning on getting pregnant again (actually, was told we couldn't get pregnant again ).

so we are doing all of the ultrasounds, as well as an amnio.

We are planning a hospital birth with our midwife...the security of a hospital setting, but with only our midwife in attendance, unless otherwise required.

We haven't told anyone about the pregnancy yet, but are anticipated incredulous looks and lots of, "are you SURE" questions.

what are you hoping for? anticipating?

hope you are all having a great day,
cheers,
charlene

[BlessedNotStressed]

[jamie79]

I am planning a birth center birth. I meet with the midwife next Thursday (the 14th) and I am sooo excited! I have had 2 inductions/medicalized births and am just feeling so blessed to be able to do this again and in a way that *I* want it.

We will have to meet with a doctor that she recommends early on and again at the end, just to have some repertoire (sp?) with a doctor, in case an emerency arises. I also have been into my regular OB for my HCG levels and Progesterone levels, but that is all I am using them for.

I am so excited!!

geo_girl, that is amazing that you are pregnant after all of that. Congrats! Congrats to all the mamas here!

[petit_bleuet]

Well. I have my first appointment with my OB/GYN on the 18th and then I can tell ya if I'm keeping him or dumping him.

If he'll let me do what I need to do and won't push interventions and drugs on me then I'll have a regular old hospital birth with an OB. If he's too restrictive and medical I'll find a m/w and have a hospital birth with a m/w (what I did with DS).

[RoseRed]

We had a less than satisfactory hospital birth with A and so are planning a home birth.
My midwife will be so excited when she hears I am expecting again - I first contacted her in march 2008 - then spent 8 months trying to get pregnant only to loose at 12 weeks.

Because of that we won't be telling anyone until my daughters birthday in august - if my belly stays small until then.

[nummies]

My first birth was with a midwife in a hospital and was one of the most traumatic experiences of my life. I will not be going that route again.

I am planning a homebirth with two midwives (they work as a team) who are amazing! I am so excited to have a very hands-off pregnancy and birthing experience. I am ready for my healing to begin. I will have two ultrasounds. One around 6.5 weeks to check for twins (we had two eggs release for our IUI) and one around 20 weeks to check the placenta location (mine was marginally low in our last pregnancy). Other than that, we aren't doing any other monitoring/ testing.

[Vespertina]

Planning a homebirth.

[CTH3989]

I am planning an unassisted homebirth.

[fascha]

I'm planning to birth at home in water, with my awesome doula from when DS was born, as well as a midwife.

[acordio]

Planning our 1st homebirth:

[marinak1977]

Probably a family friendly hospital birth. I am 32 and this is my first, so I'm feeling more safe that way. I am pretty strong willed so I think I can get what I want. I really liked my first appointment with my OB today, so I'll be staying with her for now.

[umbrella]

If all goes well, I'll use a nearby birthing center for prenatal care and labor/delivery.

[merrywearer]

there are wonderfully awesome midwives at a local hospital, and we are planning a birth there with them. Because of my very traumatic first birth, DH isn't on board with a homebirth until the fourth child, even though he knows that it's statistically safer for low risk pregnancies, our first birth was THAT traumatic.
I know I can have an excellent one there, bc I had a pretty excellent one there with my second child.
I will have my doula, who is the homebirth midwife I assist, and my best friend and my mom for my support, in addition to the midwife, nurse and hubby.
I'm hoping for very little medical people in the room.
I'll be laboring at home for as long as possible

[JayJay]

Well, we are planning a VBAC! It's been just about seven months since the cesarean and I am not having any trouble at all with pains or anything of the sort, in fact, I healed very quickly in the first place, so yes, we are planning a VBAC and I am NOT okay with a cesarean. For me, it felt like my most sacred part was being violated...I didn't like it at all...

Anyway apart from that, my midwife last time will be my doula this time, and I am having regular checkups with a new OB who will be fabulous. So more medicalized than last time, but with a really awesome, birth and woman centered OB who has been helping women birth for 30+ years and is very respectful of the process.

I will be having ultrasounds, yes, because that is the only time we got to see Josie alive and honestly, it will be reassuring. I most certainly don't want to put a downer on you all with my siggy or my story, but for me personally, a medicalized but natural pregnancy is going to be comforting in a way, as long as I am treated respectfully and not like a nutcase or any kind of "case".

When it comes to the birth, we are planning on doing much of the labor at home, and then moving to the hospital car park in the van where Harry and my awesome friend and doula will help me get pretty much fully dilated

Then, we'll be staggering into the hospital going "uh, I am going to push a baby out" - haw haw No heplock, not "do you want pain meds?" every five seconds, no pressuring into a cesarean...

Thats the plan, anyway January can't come soon enough!

*HUGE hugs* to all and may all your dreams come true! XXXXX

[Mimi37]

We are planning to do prenatals/birth with midwives at a freestanding birth center that offers water birth (yay!) Can't say for sure I'll want to birth in the water, but after last time I know I'll want the option!

[Bubblette]

I have a GP appointment on Friday and from there hope to have a referral in hand to start interviewing midwives.

Ideally I'd really like to do prenatal and delivery with a midwife. I'd really love a low key, hands off pregnancy. Pregnancy is after all a normal event! not a medical event. I have to admit I wouldn't mind a couple of ultrasounds just to see the baby! There is a, reportedly, wonderful birthing center in the city that we'll probably end up going to. I'm interested in a home birth but DH isn't, and my family has a pretty strong medical background which would cause a lot of flipping out should I decide to stay home. Plus this is my first.... so I can see why DH would prefer it not be at home.

[cahwilson]

I am planning on a homebirth with a midwife. I have an OB who I love and is natural birth friendly but none of the hospitals allow birthing in the water. We have no birth center either. So really there was no choice! We have decided on no ultrasound unless something warrants it (or I cave)! Hoping to treat any ailments during pregnancy naturally and just to stay healthy.

[Lizbiz]

I'd like to have another homebirth, but I'm just not sure it's possible. I'm in China now, and so I'll have to give birth either here or in Thailand. China doesn't really have professionally trained homebirth midwives. I'm going to check out a hospital in Nanjing (where I live) next week with a friend who's planning to deliver here. So I have a lot of thinking and homework to do.

I think we'll have a couple of ultrasounds with this pregnancy just because we're so far from home and we're very uninsured. With our last, we opted out of most things, all ultrasounds included. I'd consider a UC, but maybe for our third child - I'm just not ready to go it alone quite yet - especially here - if I needed to transfer, it could get really really messy and things could go very wrong.

So... we'll see - I'll be aiming for the most natural peaceful birth possible in China.

[seaheroine]

We're planning another homebirth here...I think I'll wait a week or so before I call the midwife and let her know. We were really happy with her last time.

[Kidzaplenty]

My pgcy is likely to be very "medical", as last one I developed Pre-E/HELLPS. So, I will be monitored very closely for a reoccurance. I have also had high b/p since that time, so that, too will have to be monitored closely.

I have, though, begun the Brewer's Diet, added massive amounts of protein to my diet, as well as herbal supliments of Milk Thistle and Dandelion. So I am hoping to curb off any problems before they begin.

As for birth, I am planning a UC, unless I have problems as I did last time.