The first one was that I finally finished an engagement scrapbook that I made for my friend, Annabel. Her mom asked me if I would make one for her and I thought it would be a wonderful thing that she could always treasure. I spent many, MANY hours on it and I feel like I did my best. There are some amazing scrapbookers in this world - and I am not one of them unfortunately. But I'm decent and it almost doesn't matter. Because what matters most is capturing the memories. So here is a picture of the album cover(I won't include pics of each page). The entire album was based on these colors. I found an awesome line at Archiver's that just screamed Annabel (Teresa Collins Posh line) and it streamlined the process.
The other project that I wanted to figure out/do was hire a doula for my upcoming birth. I wanted to share a few thoughts about that here briefly.
I can't really share all the details here or reasons for why I am doing this, but I have wanted to -for a long time- have this next baby without drugs (if I can). By choosing this, I hope others don't feel that I am judging them if they don't choose this route. It really is true that each woman is different and cares about different things and so I know that natural childbirth is not for everyone. But for me, it is really something that has always been in my head and I think if you have that desire, it doesn't go away until you get to experience it.
Here are the main reasons why I'm choosing this method:
Incidentally, I chose to hire a doula because hiring a midwife is similar to having a doctor. A midwife can do medical things such as check the cervix, check the heart rate, etc. Since I have a doctor I feel like more what I need is someone who can just help me through labor and prepare for it. I didn't feel like I could do it with just Jeff and me. I felt like I needed someone with a lot of experience and someone who understood me and would be with me through the entire labor.
1. I believe that natural childbirth is the healthiest and safest way to bring a baby into the world (generally). This is widely known and accepted and proven even by the medical community (though not really encouraged, sadly).
2. I will have more control over what happens to my body in the hospital if I don't start having interventions (enducing, pitocin, epidurals, etc.) to begin with.
3. I feel a strong desire to experience what it actually feels like to have a baby. I feel it could be an amazing learning experience. I also feel completely terrified! I HATE pain and discomfort. I'm kind of a princess. And I live my life in such a way to avoid health problems if at all possible. That is why pregnancy is hard for me I think. But I do feel I have something to learn from this.
People always use the word "empowered". Maybe that is it. My sister Jennifer has said that when she had to take care of one of her children that died before turning one, that it taught her a lot about herself and boosted her self esteem because SHE was the one who took care of him. So maybe this will be something like that for me.
4. I feel a desire to experience what women throughout the ages - including my pioneer ancestors - experienced. I keep having the thought that if I ever go back to acting (or even anything artistic) that this experience will be a huge resource for me. When I tell women of my mother's generation that I want to do this, I usually get a "you're crazy" kind of look followed by an admission that, "yes, I'm glad I had the experience". My own mother had 5 natural births and 1 epidural. She has said before she'd rather have had 1 natural and 5 epidurals. But she does always say that she is glad she got to know what it is like to go naturally.
So that is basically it! Jeff is supportive but also thinks I am a little crazy I think. He has said that some women are more apt for this sort of thing than I am - which is probably true. But he is supportive and I'm grateful for that.
I am fairly determined to go this route, but as we all know, labor doesn't always go as planned. If the baby is turned funny or something I might change my mind. But I really hope that this will be a wonderful experience for us and planning for it to be so. I invoke your prayers and good thoughts now so that I will continue to have a healthy pregnancy and a wonderful childbirth.
If you'd like more details, I'm pretty much an open book. You can feel free to ask me anything.
Also, if you're interested in seeing my doula's (Heather is her name) website, I will also include that here. http://www.birthangel.net/
I love it Annie. And I chuckled at your mother's admission of preferring one natural and five epidurals. I did one natural and knowing what I'm up against, I must agree with her :)
ReplyDeleteI had plans for natural child birth with Celia but it did not go according to plan and I'd taken the Bradley childbirth classes and read the books and everything. And because it so did not go according to my plan, I think I was a tearful wreck because I had worked so hard and pumped myself up to get through and had failed (though none of it was my determination but rather circumstances beyond my control).
But Christian taught me what I wasn't missing :) One trip through the ring of fire was all I needed! Good luck ... I know you can do it.
Mealtimes hard?... tell me about it. I was just telling Celia the other day as she was helping make dinner, that the best meal ever is the one immediately after the baby's birth :)
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