Last week I finally convinced myself that it was time to take Abbie's crib bumper out of her crib. Between the suffocation hazzard and the possibility of her somehow stepping on it to climb out of the crib (not that she's that mobile yet) I decided that she'd be better off without it. I was concerned that she would have trouble sleeping, since with the bumper she couldn't see out of the crib without sitting up, and without it she can see the whole room through the crib rungs. But she's done pretty well falling asleep.
The trouble is her pacifier. Now, originally, I didn't want to use a pacifier at all. But she turned out to be pretty colicy for the first 6 or 7 weeks of her life, so we chose the lesser of two evils (using a pacifier vs. us going insane). I've been hoping to have her completely weaned from this piece of plastic by 12 months. Not only do the orthodontic ramifications get worse after 1 year, but also the habbit gets harder to break. So we've stopped giving her the pacifier during the day, and are only using it in her crib to help her fall asleep.
The only problem with this is, when she wakes up in the middle of the night, Matt has to get up, go to her room, search for the pacifier and then put it back in her mouth.
Now that the crib bumper no longer acts as a barrier, Abbie has taken to chucking her pacifier across the room. And this kid has good distance.
So last night, at 3:30am, Abbie wakes up crying. Matt goes in to re-give the pacifier to her, but he cannot find it! (We still have no idea where she hid the stupid thing). After about 10 minutes of searching, Matt comes back into our room completely exasperated. At which point, we decide it's time to get rid of the pacifier.
Cold turkey.
So today has been challenging. Abbie isn't used to going to sleep without something to suck on, so her naps have been few and far between. I'm expecting the same thing to happen tonight and for at least the next few days.
But my resolve is staying strong!!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Considering homebirth
Matt and I have been talking a lot recently about birthing our next baby at home. No, I am not pregnant yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But it's never too early to start considering options, especially since Matt and I don't agree yet about the idea of homebirth.
There are several reasons why homebirth appeals to me. I love the idea of being in a familiar and comfortable place for such an important event in the life of our family. I love that the fluidity of the birthing process would be unbroken by a journey to the hospital and all the hospital procedures that must happen pre-birth. I love the idea that Matt and I would get to know our midwife and build a relationship with her through normal prenatal visits in our home rather than having to travel to an office, wait in line, feel rushed on busy days, etc. I love that we would have continuous contact with the baby, and that Abbie and the baby would be introduced as soon after the birth as possible. I love that there would be no rushing the baby off for any procedures soon after birth. I love the expectation of a normal labor and birth, with the norm being minimal use of drugs and technological interventions. I love the possibility of a flat rate, too! (I remember trying with all my might to keep my terror at bay when I woke up in the hospital at 7:00am on May 20, realizing that I had already spent 12 hours in the hospital and having no idea how much that would cost us!! That is not where my concentration should have been!!!!!) Also, since Matt and I have been trained in the Bradley Method, I am confident that, given the right atmosphere and a supportive midwife, we could have a peaceful and intervention-free birth. I have also talked with several friends lately who have birthed their babies at home and rave about the experience. Although I know my sample is limited, none of these women had any trouble or needed any interventions.
But there are several components of homebirth that make me nervous as well. The first and biggest concern is the standard: what if something goes wrong???? Can I get to the hospital in time??? We live about 20 minutes away from the closest hospital, but with traffic the drive could feasibly take twice as long. Another major concern is finding the right midwife. Right now, I have three names, but only two that are licensed and very experienced; the other is licensed but relatively new to the field. When I say I want to find the "right" midwife, I mean that I want her to be licensed and experienced as a minimum; I also need her to agree with my birthing philosophy and, ideally, to be a Christian. I doubt any midwife would deny the powerful component of spirituality in the birthing process, but spirituality without the Lord...well, I wouldn't want to go there. The third main concern is cost, and if our insurance would cover any of it. I've been told that most insurance companies will flat-out deny covering homebirth at all, but if you submit the claim after the fact, most will usually pay at least some of the cost. I'm not sure if Matt would add anything to this list, but these pretty much sum up the factors of my nervousness.
Unfortunately, there are no birthing centers in Kentucky. The options are hospital or homebirth. When I was pregnant with Abbie, we chose to stick with my current ob/gyn practice first of all because I liked the doctors, and secondly because a close friend of mine had had two really good (hospital) birthing experiences with them. The Bradley Method sounded right up our alley, so we were trained and hired our instructor to be our doula, hoping to strengthen our chances of a normal intervention-free birth. Everything was in place! Then my water broke two weeks early, without any contractions. From there, Matt and I made compromise after compromise, leading us to go to the hospital before active labor started, begin pitocin which entailed constant monitoring along with a horrendous blood-pressure check every 30 minutes, stay in an uncomfortable hospital room all night and all day, and ultimately agree to having an epidural--not only did I have to labor on my back (which is the absolute worst birthing and labor position because I was working against gravity) with my legs in sturrups (who else can attest to the humiliation and discomfort of this experience???), but worst of all, I was not able to feel my own baby being born. Also, because I was in labor so long, several different nurses took care of me, and my midwife was not able to stay with me the whole time. I didn't know those nurses and they didn't know me.
Looking back on the experience, I can see how all these factors contributed to my labor failing to progress without intervention. I can only imagine that the calm, familiar atmosphere of our own home, an attendant working with us whom we KNOW, and the expectation of a normal, intervention-free labor and birth would contribute to a better experience. (This will be a cheap shot, but isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results?)
So, I invite your comments. What do you think of homebirth? Have you or someone you know birthed a baby at home? Are there other considerations that I haven't included here?
Also, check out these links:
Homebirth myths disputed
Donna Galati, the most qualified midwife in Lexington
Sara Hood, another midwife in Central KY
There are several reasons why homebirth appeals to me. I love the idea of being in a familiar and comfortable place for such an important event in the life of our family. I love that the fluidity of the birthing process would be unbroken by a journey to the hospital and all the hospital procedures that must happen pre-birth. I love the idea that Matt and I would get to know our midwife and build a relationship with her through normal prenatal visits in our home rather than having to travel to an office, wait in line, feel rushed on busy days, etc. I love that we would have continuous contact with the baby, and that Abbie and the baby would be introduced as soon after the birth as possible. I love that there would be no rushing the baby off for any procedures soon after birth. I love the expectation of a normal labor and birth, with the norm being minimal use of drugs and technological interventions. I love the possibility of a flat rate, too! (I remember trying with all my might to keep my terror at bay when I woke up in the hospital at 7:00am on May 20, realizing that I had already spent 12 hours in the hospital and having no idea how much that would cost us!! That is not where my concentration should have been!!!!!) Also, since Matt and I have been trained in the Bradley Method, I am confident that, given the right atmosphere and a supportive midwife, we could have a peaceful and intervention-free birth. I have also talked with several friends lately who have birthed their babies at home and rave about the experience. Although I know my sample is limited, none of these women had any trouble or needed any interventions.
But there are several components of homebirth that make me nervous as well. The first and biggest concern is the standard: what if something goes wrong???? Can I get to the hospital in time??? We live about 20 minutes away from the closest hospital, but with traffic the drive could feasibly take twice as long. Another major concern is finding the right midwife. Right now, I have three names, but only two that are licensed and very experienced; the other is licensed but relatively new to the field. When I say I want to find the "right" midwife, I mean that I want her to be licensed and experienced as a minimum; I also need her to agree with my birthing philosophy and, ideally, to be a Christian. I doubt any midwife would deny the powerful component of spirituality in the birthing process, but spirituality without the Lord...well, I wouldn't want to go there. The third main concern is cost, and if our insurance would cover any of it. I've been told that most insurance companies will flat-out deny covering homebirth at all, but if you submit the claim after the fact, most will usually pay at least some of the cost. I'm not sure if Matt would add anything to this list, but these pretty much sum up the factors of my nervousness.
Unfortunately, there are no birthing centers in Kentucky. The options are hospital or homebirth. When I was pregnant with Abbie, we chose to stick with my current ob/gyn practice first of all because I liked the doctors, and secondly because a close friend of mine had had two really good (hospital) birthing experiences with them. The Bradley Method sounded right up our alley, so we were trained and hired our instructor to be our doula, hoping to strengthen our chances of a normal intervention-free birth. Everything was in place! Then my water broke two weeks early, without any contractions. From there, Matt and I made compromise after compromise, leading us to go to the hospital before active labor started, begin pitocin which entailed constant monitoring along with a horrendous blood-pressure check every 30 minutes, stay in an uncomfortable hospital room all night and all day, and ultimately agree to having an epidural--not only did I have to labor on my back (which is the absolute worst birthing and labor position because I was working against gravity) with my legs in sturrups (who else can attest to the humiliation and discomfort of this experience???), but worst of all, I was not able to feel my own baby being born. Also, because I was in labor so long, several different nurses took care of me, and my midwife was not able to stay with me the whole time. I didn't know those nurses and they didn't know me.
Looking back on the experience, I can see how all these factors contributed to my labor failing to progress without intervention. I can only imagine that the calm, familiar atmosphere of our own home, an attendant working with us whom we KNOW, and the expectation of a normal, intervention-free labor and birth would contribute to a better experience. (This will be a cheap shot, but isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results?)
So, I invite your comments. What do you think of homebirth? Have you or someone you know birthed a baby at home? Are there other considerations that I haven't included here?
Also, check out these links:
Homebirth myths disputed
Donna Galati, the most qualified midwife in Lexington
Sara Hood, another midwife in Central KY
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Snow Day
Today was Abbie's first time in the snow. I don't think she really knew what was going on :-)
Monday, January 21, 2008
P.S. I am NOT legend.
Matt and I decided to go to the movies last night to celebrate our 3 year anniversary (wahoo!!). We had both seen previews for Will Smith's new movie, I Am Legend, and thought that it would be a fabulous movie. I used to be a huge horror movie fiend, and I could take all the blood and guts you could cram into one movie. Of course, I was terrified of going anywhere near the sliding glass door in my parent's kitchen at night for like two weeks after watching those movies, and I was convinced that if I opened the shower curtain, a corpse would be hanged from the ceiling, but all in all, I used to have pretty tough skin. And even now, 28 Days Later is still one of my all-time favorite movies (along with The Three Amigos, but that's beside the point)--it sends my heart rate through the roof every time I watch it! So, I Am Legend--no problem.
The movie opens like I expected: a virus had been mutated as an experimental cure for cancer. 3 years later, it has mutated into a killer virus that has spread over the earth and killed the entire population, except Will Smith and his dog who of course must drive around a disrepaired New York City (in a mint-condition red mustang--who wasn't expecting that!) hunting for their next meal. Cool. I'm getting into it. And then things start happening. Disturbing things. In a flashback, an infected zombie person smashes into the car Will and his family are in. Then Will has to board up his house at night and sleep in the bathtub with his dog and a bazooka while freaky noises are heard swarming around the house. Ok, maybe I'm getting a little scared. Then the dog runs into a pitch-black building after a deer, and Will is trapped in there with, who else, a whole pack of zombies! Who chase him! Ok, yeah, I'm getting freaked out. But I can handle this. Then Will Smith captures one of the zombies to bring to his lab and experiment on. (He's a scientist trying to find a cure for the infection.) He administers the injection. The zombie's heart rate drops down to normal, her temperature starts to fall. Looking good, looking good....THENALLOFASUDDEN SHE WRITHES AND SCREAMS AND NEARLY JUMPS OFF THE TABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's when Matt and I decided that it really wouldn't be all that fun for me to spend 2 and a half hours of my life with my fingers plugging my ears and my eyes squeezed shut.
So we left.
Bummer. That was a sucky anniversary date! We were just about to leave the theatre when our friend Charlie (who works there and also got us in for free--thanks man!!!!) suggested that we just go to another movie that just started. Alvin and the Chipmonks was out... One Missed Call--absolutely not....The Water Horse, perhaps..... AH! P.S. I love you. A cute chick flick filmed in Ireland. Perfect :-) So that's what we ended up seeing. And although Matt was in as much pain watching a chick flick as I had been watching zombies, it turned out to be a pretty good date. :-)
The movie opens like I expected: a virus had been mutated as an experimental cure for cancer. 3 years later, it has mutated into a killer virus that has spread over the earth and killed the entire population, except Will Smith and his dog who of course must drive around a disrepaired New York City (in a mint-condition red mustang--who wasn't expecting that!) hunting for their next meal. Cool. I'm getting into it. And then things start happening. Disturbing things. In a flashback, an infected zombie person smashes into the car Will and his family are in. Then Will has to board up his house at night and sleep in the bathtub with his dog and a bazooka while freaky noises are heard swarming around the house. Ok, maybe I'm getting a little scared. Then the dog runs into a pitch-black building after a deer, and Will is trapped in there with, who else, a whole pack of zombies! Who chase him! Ok, yeah, I'm getting freaked out. But I can handle this. Then Will Smith captures one of the zombies to bring to his lab and experiment on. (He's a scientist trying to find a cure for the infection.) He administers the injection. The zombie's heart rate drops down to normal, her temperature starts to fall. Looking good, looking good....THENALLOFASUDDEN SHE WRITHES AND SCREAMS AND NEARLY JUMPS OFF THE TABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's when Matt and I decided that it really wouldn't be all that fun for me to spend 2 and a half hours of my life with my fingers plugging my ears and my eyes squeezed shut.
So we left.
Bummer. That was a sucky anniversary date! We were just about to leave the theatre when our friend Charlie (who works there and also got us in for free--thanks man!!!!) suggested that we just go to another movie that just started. Alvin and the Chipmonks was out... One Missed Call--absolutely not....The Water Horse, perhaps..... AH! P.S. I love you. A cute chick flick filmed in Ireland. Perfect :-) So that's what we ended up seeing. And although Matt was in as much pain watching a chick flick as I had been watching zombies, it turned out to be a pretty good date. :-)
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)