Thoughts on home birth

it's time to blog as if people really read/care about what i'm writing anyway...i feel it might be therapeutic to just type randomness as it pops up. after all, both noah, and the little guy i nanny are sleeping.

i am currently addicted to co-sleeping and nursing my little guy as i see how happy it makes him. i think my husband loves co-sleeping too, because even though our feet are the only parts that get to "cuddle," he seems okay with it. Just the other night i went to lay sleeping noah in his arms reach co-sleeper next to our bed, and caleb said, "aw, you're gonna lay him in there?" in kind of a sad, dejected sort of way. it was cute. we love having our little guy in bed with us. what can i say, as caleb put it, "you're a modern hippy, kymm."

having noah in a tub, at home was one of the coolest experiences i've ever had. caleb and i were able to play guitar hero and eat cereal (my fave) during my labor. we practiced all the things we learned in hypno-birthing classes, which helped me through transition-since i didn't even know i was in transition! who needs an epi? honestly, i still give the glory and praise to God for allowing us to have the unmedicated, safe home birth that we did. i prayed and prayed for it to turn out exactly how it did, and he honored that-what a treat.
from about 14wks until noah arrived i enjoyed being pregnant and learning as much as possible via books and research about pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding. i think it helped me to read up and really do my homework because all too often women are lambasted with advice and [horror] stories about what pregnancy & birth supposedly are.
i shutter to think about where american obstetrics and gynocology are going. there is a complete lack of trust in the human body, and perhaps, had i not had enough faith that the Lord designed my body to give birth to a baby [naturally] than i too would be strapped to a bed enduring all that the AMA (& ACOG) perfers to practice.
the truth of the matter is, 90% of women who GO to the hospital WILL have an epidural and a possibly/probably a series of other interventions. and the real truth of the matter is, in the back of every woman's mind-that's okay. i knew that if i went to a hospital that i would for sure give in, and need an epidural. a home birth, or birth center was simply the only way FOR me. what i think is abundantly clear, is that women are made to feel that their bodies are inadequate, and will not be able to carry out the great task of birth on their own. it's simply not true, not for the 95% of all women who have healthy pregnancies.
i know that the fear factor kicks in. as soon as i knew i was in labor the pain did something to my mind that made me scared. what if i did need to go to the hospital to manage the pain? luckily, i stuck it out. the fear was real though...maybe it was the oxytocin kicking in, and rather than fear it was the protective motherly vibe? who knows. what i am saying, is that i understand why women feel they need to have babies in the hospital...i just wish the "old way" of doing things weren't frowned upon so blatantly so that women were able to really choose.

i guess that's all for now...i better go check on noah-i traded our baby monitors in for an electric pump so now i get to burn calories by running up and down the stairs to check on him every 10-15min LOL