birthing plan.

my wishes for our birth plan are to deliver at home without all the distractions & unnecessary interruptions. without the medical world involving what they deem responsible steps to a healthy birth. but allowing mother nature & strong, supportive women to help me to do what is natural. what my body was put here to do, bring this little peanut into the world.

we have found some awesome midwives, mary & nedra, whom we really, really liked. we have found a doula, leigh, whom we loved. between the three of these experienced ladies, who have delivered well over 2500 babies, i believe bryan & i can do this. with a hospital & it's maternity ward about 2 minutes & 1.5 miles away from our house, i'm confident, if for some reason we couldn't we'd make it in time for the medical interference, now necessary.

i understand how this might make our friends & family uncomfortable & uneasy. i respect that. it's a nontraditional approach to what's worked for you & for almost every woman we know that's given birth. how could it be so wrong for me? i may not be able to ever explain it well enough to satisfy your curiosity... but it just is. women all over the world (outside of this country) still predominantly give birth with midwives in attendance. it's still believed to be a natural process instead of a medical emergency, where interference by way of drugs is the natural occurrence. i have talked with many women and they can't fathom doing this without drugs & think i'm nuts. i understand that as well. it wasn't until i found out that i was pregnant that i began to give this any serious consideration. the drugs may not have a lasting effect on the child or me... but it does have an effect. getting any drug at all increases the need for a c-section which i'm highly against unless deemed necessary.

(please understand these are my beliefs & i do not wish to change any expecting mother's mind nor is it my wish to make anyone that has chosen a different path for themselves to feel bad about their decision. i respect your right to make the decision- this is just my opinion.)

i want to experience this completely. i don't want to be numbed for even a second. i was meant to feel this pain, endure this process & survive this process. i was meant to enjoy it in it's entirety. i'm strong, healthy & very capable. as is every woman, we've just been told for centuries now -why? -what's the point? you don't get any medals or trophies for doing it naturally? so what's the point?

i believe the point is that we miss something crucial if we aren't fully aware of what's going on. if our body isn't awoken to the reality of child birth & the hormones released with the intensity. it's one day, possibly a little longer, hopefully a little shorter. am i really that weak? do i really want to rush the process? do i really want to disturb mother nature & mess with what god created... the process of not only a child being born but a mother & father as well?

i also believe that in a hospital i wont be fully comfortable or relaxed, which will inevitably cause this process to go less smoothly. i'm nervous that the medical staff, who makes their living by the beds being filled & emptied quickly, do not have my same ideals of a natural birth & instead will push me to hurry things along.

unfortunately, at this time we do not have a birthing center in phx, which i would have gladly met bryan halfway & gone there.

i can do this. i'd love your support. we'd love your support. we hope you come to peace with our decision, but if you don't... please know that this is our decision & although we respect your opinions... we hope you keep them to yourselves. instead please be positive & send us silent prayers of hopefulness.

in a couple months there will be a new baby boy in this world. i get teary eyed thinking about it. i have wanted this, this very experience my entire life. i can't think of anything more fulfilling than raising a child. i've had some amazing examples of how to be a good parent. so i want to thank you. bryan has as well. we owe a lot to our parents who i think, have done a fabulous job.

but now it's our turn and we are ready for this...

you are welcome to visit the web pages of our doula & midwife. if you do -please read the birthing stories... they're beautiful.