back to baby

My mom sent me this link this morning and you can bet I bought one immediately.  Mr Nikki, upon seeing the pictures, even practically demanded it.  Cute, to say the least.  Cute, happy baby, environmentally friendly, safe and everyone in Europe uses it! Sold!

Mr Nikki sent me this link, about a hospital who refused to consider letting a woman have a vaginal birth for her second child since she’d had a c-section for the first.  To say it pissed me off is an understatement, especially some of the comments people left.  People are incredibly ignorant about having babies, and incredibly forgetful that women have been doing it since the beginning of freakin’ time.

This pregnancy thing has been quite a journey for me and what really got me going, if I haven’t mentioned it already, was watching that documentary, “The Business of Being Born.”  I was hesitant, because I thought it would be all hippy crunchy and… well, kinda gross.  And I did roll my eyes once or twice.  But I was in the middle of watching it when Mr Nikki got home from work (this was when I was only about 10 weeks along) and as soon as he walked in the door, I started ranting about the ridiculousness and stupidity of birth in America today.  And luckily someone (I’d say OddHues, but she doesn’t seem to BLOG ANYMORE! BOO!) told me about the midwives at UCLA and I am SO SOLD on natural childbirth.  Which y’all know very well by now.

What you don’t know is that I’m so sold on it, and feel so passionately about it, is that, lately,  I’ve seriously been contemplating the idea going to school to study midwifery.  Funnily enough, when I did a quick search, one of the top schools for such a program is UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON in SEATTLE.

Now tell me, doesn’t THAT make you wonder?  I am a big believer in signs and meant-to-be’s and if you’re not now, after I tell you that – then you’re in serious denial.

Part of the reason I’ve been considering it is that I’ve always had thoughts of wanting to do MORE, to do something that matters.  I’ve dragged a half-complete Peace Corps application with me for the better part of a decade.  Clearly, I can’t run off to S Africa for 2 years now.  But midwifery feels like something that would make  a difference and it IS something I’ve gotten to feel very passionate about.  And, quite frankly, it’s acceptable to say that you’re a midwife at the age of 60, where saying, “I’m a web coder,” won’t fly quite as well.  I’ve been thinking a lot about other things I want to pursue (I still have fantasies of finishing out a Masters in literature or Chinese history but then I’m left thinking… and do what?  Midwifery is pretty clear what I’d do.)

It’s finally happened.  Being pregnant has actually made me get in touch with my touchy feely feminine side.

Hell’s minions are having a snowball fight in the fiery underworld, as we speak.

Along those lines, I’ve also occasionally had ideas about having Nugget at home, versus the hospital, once or twice and it greatly amuses me to watch Mr Nikki’s face when I say such a thing.  It contorts from a look of panic to forced calm as he squeaks out something about supporting whatever decision I make.  I don’t know that I’d actually do it, but right now I’m deeply bothered by the idea of giving birth to Nugget, and then having his first couple nights out in the world being spent alone and away from me.  That hospital nursery thing bugs the shit out of me.  I don’t like it.  Not one bit.  It feels harsh & unnatural and while we’re at it – I’m not to keen on the idea of having to stay at the hospital for a day or two myself, either.  I feel like, if you just have a baby, the family should all be together, immediately, day & night.  I know that some mothers manage to keep the baby with them in the hospital – and I’ll certainly inquire about that, but I’m still bothered about being in a sterile, unhomey hospital for our first day together and being separated from Mr Nikki.  Seems wrong.  Very wrong.

So we shall see.  I say I doubt I’d have him at home, but I’ve been known to do crazier things at the last minute.

4 thoughts on “back to baby

  1. Sarah

    I gave miss Rikki mad props for that documentary — it made me kind of sad because I wish I had gotten more comfortable with birthing and stuff before I had Silas. Kinda made me want to go again!

    Also – my friend, after having her first, enrolled in a Masters in Public Health and Nursing so she could be a midwife. She totally feels the empowerment of being a mother and wants to help other women feel it, too.

    Have you checked out local hospitals? The new cool thing to do at these places is to have ‘ birthing centers’ not just maternity wards with babies behind glass and mom being shuttled from room to room based on what phase of labor and delivery she’s in. I delivered in one, and stayed in the same room for the whole thing with my husband, entertained a few guests, then had Silas in there with me – in my bed – the whole time. (except when he had to be naked and blindfolded and in one of these http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UR6_hWgyQjQ/SDDnmz1XujI/AAAAAAAAAVo/SCshMhzHjtY/s400/Gini_light.jpg )

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  2. Nikooru

    That documentary was amazing, wasn’t it?? I was all set to hate it, but now I wish every woman would watch it.

    I just had a long conversation with my prenatal massage woman about the hospital thing. She said they let her keep him with her the whole time, too… WHEW! I wish I’d known about the birthing center thing earlier! I’ll have to ask what my options are at the hospital… though, seeing as I haven’t had any troubles or anything that need to be monitored so far, it’s totally feasible to suddenly switch to a birthing center. (Actually, just did a quick look while writing this & saw that my hospital has some sort of birthing center facility now… !)

    Cool!! Did your friend just enroll recently or is she working as a midwife already? How is she enjoying it?

    PS, SOME DAY we were making our way to Boston and we so have to hang out. Would love to meet you!

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  3. velvet

    i had both my boys at an independent birth center (not at a hospital) with a midwife, and it was awesome. and i went home 2 hours later after i had them 🙂 and you can TOTALLY switch to a birthing center whenever you want! definitely check out if your hospy has one!!

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  4. Sarah

    yah nikki – we’re totally going to hang when you move here and force our kids to be bffs too to facilitate us hanging out. 🙂

    wow @velvet! two hours after and you went home?!?!? that’s truly amazing. what did you do to prepare yourself for delivery that let you do that?

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