Thanks for hosting, gracious!!
Where'd you get your user name?
My name is Jodi Marie Hammond. Jmhammond was assigned to me in law school as my username for my e-mail account, so I kept using it for things to keep it simple for me to remember. Nothing too creative...
What is most exciting to you about this birth coming up?
SOOOO many things. I guess if I HAD to pick one, it would be that it's going to be a homebirth. I NEVER knew I (and DH for that matter) had such a passion for birthing, until we did it, and had several close friends have babies in hospitals. I never really had PPD, but had a crazy dissapointment after my birth and PP stay in the hospital with DS. It wasn't anything tragic, just lots of little things that added up. Only then did I realize that I had other options and that they were SAFE and effective at helping women experience more satisfying birth. I saw a MW at a birthing center for the baby we lost through m/c in September, but had pretty awful care there and refused to go back when we got the double lines. DH was fully in agreement. We were kind of "forced" into homebirth as a choice and are now REALLY excited about it and what it's going to mean for our experience as a family.
You are planning a homebirth this time, are you nervous or more confident?
WAY more confident. I had a quick, unmedicated birth with my son in the hospital, but TONS of interventions: vaccum extractor, even though I only pushed for 20 minutes and he was TINY (5 lbs, 13 oz), the internal monitor they stuck in his scalp, an IV, a pulse/ox monitor, a BP cuff, EFM, contraction monitor, the works, AND to boot a doctor I'd met ONCE delivered me and CUT me, even though I didn't wany any of that. My OB had kindly said that a "birth plan was something for people who want to swing on a trampoline or something during birth, we avoid all those things (referring to epis, IVs, etc) in most cases anyway, you don't have to have it in writing." I now really believe in my body's ability to birth. I AM nervous about pain management, I remember that IT HURT, A LOT!!
I'm a wimp.
How is your DH feeling about the homebirth?
At first, he wasn't thrilled with the prospect, but agreed that we didn't have many better options. He agreed to meet with the MW, and we both love her and feel loved and supported BY her. He has become a GREAT advocate. I'm at work now, but when I have a chance later at home I'll try to remember to post something he wrote about our decision from an e-mail he sent his cousin who is scheduled to be induced tomorrow...
Speaking of him, how did you guys meet?
We were working at a church camp in the summer. I was in college working as the archery instructor and he came at the end of the summer to be a counselor for three weeks. It was ALMOST love at first sight, he asked me to marry him on night #3 and we've been married 7.5 years now.
How did you first find yourself on MDC?
I started cloth diapering my son @ 3 months. I hadn't read any parenting books before my son was born b/c I wanted to really learn how to be a parent through experience, prayer, and cooperation with DH after he was born. B/c I attend a protestant Christian church, much of the parenting "advice" I got from people was VERY counter-intuative to me. My DH and I feel we want to parent our kids in the way God parents us as our heavenly father, and "crying it out" didn't seem to match that idea. I was relieved when I foudn MDC, heard of Dr. Sears, and started to get some support for what I felt like was the "right" way to parent for our family
What do you like to do for fun?
read birth stories and books about birth (even when I'm not pregnant...), play online computer games with my mom (she's in WA state, I'm in AZ), hang out with hubby chatting, play or read to DS, pedicures, read, laugh, eat out with good friends
Are you employed? If so, as what, how long, what are your plans? If not, before.....
Yes, I am a prosecuting attorney, I work for the Maricopa County Attorney's office in the Major Crimes-Vehicular unit prosecuting felony vehicular crimes, like DUIs. I graduated law school in May, 2005, started working here in August 2005, passed bar in October 2005. I've been in this unit for almost a month... I was in Preliminary Hearings and Juvenile before being here. I won my first jury trial last week!
How are you feeling about wardrobe options?
Funny you should ask... I broke out the maternity clothes this morning. I'm wearing a maternity outfit today, except the pantyhose, which I'm still SQUEEZING my tummy into regular ones, even though they kind of make my gut look weird, I'm too cheap to buy the maternity ones... In general I LOVE most of my maternity clothes, and really only need a few work options to complete a decent wardrobe for myself.
How have your thoughts about parenting changed since before you were a parent?
The only thing I "planned" to do with DS was nurse him like crazy on demand for at least a year.
Everything else has come to me through prayer, intuition, support, encouragement from like-minded mamas and creative problem solving with DH. I never thought I'd be a hippy cloth diapering, slinging, crunchy mama, but I'm SO glad I am. Most of the people in my world think I'm VERY granola, especially the women I work with!
Do you and your partner have an easy agreement on parenting issues thus far?
YES!! This has been a major answered prayer. We still have the spanking "debate" sometimes, and there are some things I've chosen to defer to him on b/c he spends most of the time with DS, although it has really surprised and encouraged me how like-minded we are. We are both VERY passionate about parenting, DH often is telling me stories about friends who make comments to him about parenting that leave him feeling disgusted or wondering why everyone doesn't just think like us, or why it's so hard for people to just sacrifice for their kids. It's really a blessing I never take for granted!
Any current vents or struggles?
I wish I could feel more movement, and I wish my mom was more supportive of my homebirth, b/c I want her there but am committed to saying no if she can't be fully supportive. I'm struggling to remember to take my pre-natals and NOT spend too much money eating out during the week.
What are you proud of right now?
That I won my first jury trial on Friday and that my son knows how to spell his name!
Favorite color?
Black, hands down
What would your ideal vacation be?
An Alaskan cruise OR anywhere in Europe
In the last year, what sticks out most?
My miscarriage in September. It was the most difficult thing I've ever experienced, and today was my due date.
Any funny moments or stupid ones that are fun to share? (I just had a stupid moment that's where the question came from.)
Almost daily I forget whether I work on the 6th or 7th floor and have to take a minute in the elevator to figure out where I am, whether I'm going up or down, and where I need to go... Yeah, almost daily!
What did you envision your life to look like at your age when you were 20?
I never would have thought I'd be living in AZ, but everything else seems to be right on track, I was married when I was 20, so I kind of knew where the next few years would head.
How many children would you like to have?
8 DH wants 3, we compromise @ 5, but we'll see
What are you craving? Any foods that are now yuck that before were fine?
I kind of have a meat aversion. I'm not having any major cravings, but have been eating an inordinate amount of pickles (I know could I be any more text book pregnant) or those banana peppers that aren't too spicy. I do love the fresh tomatoe salsa from Chipotle and have made a few batches at home trying to immitate with little success. I've been eating way more hummus also.
Whew! Thanks ladies!
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