was born gently at home,
in the water,
into our hands!
December 15, 2008
10:37pm
8lbs., 10oz.
21 inches
Welcome to the world, sweet baby!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
She's here!
Karis Rhea-Noel
was born gently at home,
in the water,
into our hands!
December 15, 2008
10:37pm
8lbs., 10oz.
21 inches
Welcome to the world, sweet baby!
was born gently at home,
in the water,
into our hands!
December 15, 2008
10:37pm
8lbs., 10oz.
21 inches
Welcome to the world, sweet baby!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
What I'm looking forward to
First of all, let me say that I've officially never been pregnant this long before. Abbie was born at 37 weeks and 6 days, which means that I have now been pregnant 2.5 days longer than I was last time. The funny thing is, I remember being SO ready for Abbie to come starting at like 34 weeks... partially because I was working a full-time desk job that made my swelling worse and made the days draaaaaag on and on. I am so happy about how much more comfortable I am this time. It's the chiropractic, I'm telling you! (Even though I had to cancel my appointment this past Monday because Abbie's 18-month check-up overlapped my appointment time.)
But as Karis' birth draws nearer, I am starting to think of all the things about labor and birth that I'm looking forward to:
1. The possibility of having some time to myself. If my labor starts during the day while Matt is at work, I am planning to have a friend take Abbie and spend some time laboring by myself at home. As strange a plan as this may sound, I think it will help me relax and get into a good labor pattern.
2. The impulsive drive to nest! There are some small preparation projects that, because I've been focused on wrapping the semester up, I haven't been able to get to yet. I'm hoping to have a surge of energy during early labor when I can get some of these done.
3. Spending uninterrupted time with Matt, and all the back massages he's going to give me! He was an awesome co-laborer during Abbie's birth, and I'm hoping that during this birth, since we'll be at home, he'll feel even more free to really "be with" me.
4. Feeling natural labor. Strange perhaps, but true! Since my labor with Abbie was induced with pitocin (the drug of the devil!!!), my contractions were extremely (and unnaturally) uncomfortable and persistent for over six hours. Even if my natural contractions are this uncomfortable, I'll be experiencing the power of my OWN body, and will not feel afraid that I might be hurting my baby. I'm excited to experience just how strong my body is!
5. Laboring in water. Huge tub, warm water up to my neck, being weightless, being able to change positions easily....need I say more?!
6. Feeling Karis being born. Because I had an epidural with Abbie, I literally felt nothing except pressure during pushing and when she was being born. I'm sure some women would be jealous of how "well" my epidural worked, but for me it was a real disappointment. I felt disconnected from what was happening, and it seemed like I had lost all control of the situation; I never felt the "urge" to push, so instead several nurses took to coaching me. I'm really looking forward to being able to follow my own body's cues of when to push, for how long, when to back off, etc. And to feel Karis actually being born is going to be SO cool!
7. Bringing Karis up out of the water and seeing her face for the first time. Matt got to catch Abbie, I get to catch Karis!
8. The peaceful atmosphere that we'll create after the birth. Karis' umbilical cord will be left intact for a few hours after the birth (we won't cut the cord until ALL the blood has drained from it), and I will nurse her as soon as she's ready. Candace and her assistant, Amy (an RN) will do all the newborn exam procedures right there with us, and then we'll just get to BE together as a family in our own home, with no nurses rushing in an out, no postpartum room to transfer to, no drugs to recover from.
9. Living the birth story that we'll get to tell all our friends and family. I'm excited that this story is yet to be written and lived! Will labor be fast or last for days? Will my water break first? Will it be night or day? Will it snow? How will Abbie greet her baby sister? No matter what happens, I welcome this experience. I am ready.
But as Karis' birth draws nearer, I am starting to think of all the things about labor and birth that I'm looking forward to:
1. The possibility of having some time to myself. If my labor starts during the day while Matt is at work, I am planning to have a friend take Abbie and spend some time laboring by myself at home. As strange a plan as this may sound, I think it will help me relax and get into a good labor pattern.
2. The impulsive drive to nest! There are some small preparation projects that, because I've been focused on wrapping the semester up, I haven't been able to get to yet. I'm hoping to have a surge of energy during early labor when I can get some of these done.
3. Spending uninterrupted time with Matt, and all the back massages he's going to give me! He was an awesome co-laborer during Abbie's birth, and I'm hoping that during this birth, since we'll be at home, he'll feel even more free to really "be with" me.
4. Feeling natural labor. Strange perhaps, but true! Since my labor with Abbie was induced with pitocin (the drug of the devil!!!), my contractions were extremely (and unnaturally) uncomfortable and persistent for over six hours. Even if my natural contractions are this uncomfortable, I'll be experiencing the power of my OWN body, and will not feel afraid that I might be hurting my baby. I'm excited to experience just how strong my body is!
5. Laboring in water. Huge tub, warm water up to my neck, being weightless, being able to change positions easily....need I say more?!
6. Feeling Karis being born. Because I had an epidural with Abbie, I literally felt nothing except pressure during pushing and when she was being born. I'm sure some women would be jealous of how "well" my epidural worked, but for me it was a real disappointment. I felt disconnected from what was happening, and it seemed like I had lost all control of the situation; I never felt the "urge" to push, so instead several nurses took to coaching me. I'm really looking forward to being able to follow my own body's cues of when to push, for how long, when to back off, etc. And to feel Karis actually being born is going to be SO cool!
7. Bringing Karis up out of the water and seeing her face for the first time. Matt got to catch Abbie, I get to catch Karis!
8. The peaceful atmosphere that we'll create after the birth. Karis' umbilical cord will be left intact for a few hours after the birth (we won't cut the cord until ALL the blood has drained from it), and I will nurse her as soon as she's ready. Candace and her assistant, Amy (an RN) will do all the newborn exam procedures right there with us, and then we'll just get to BE together as a family in our own home, with no nurses rushing in an out, no postpartum room to transfer to, no drugs to recover from.
9. Living the birth story that we'll get to tell all our friends and family. I'm excited that this story is yet to be written and lived! Will labor be fast or last for days? Will my water break first? Will it be night or day? Will it snow? How will Abbie greet her baby sister? No matter what happens, I welcome this experience. I am ready.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Happy 18 month birthday, Abbie!
Today is also Abbie's 18 month birthday. It literally feels like last week that we celebrated her 1-year birthday! Here's what she can do these days:
~Run
~Go to sleep at night without a pacifier (we're still working on the nap...)
~Dance to any song she hears (swaying her upper body from side to side or spinning in a circle)
~Use a fork and spoon, as long as Matt or I load it with food first
~Walk across a parking lot holding my hand
~Put big Legos together and take them apart
~Fit some shapes into her shape-sorter (but gives up quickly if she can't find the right space!)
~Say mama, dada, puppy, baby, breakfast, juice, ball, that, Amen, up, and bed. She also has words for banana, Elmo, and Lucy
~Follow simple directions (like getting her ball, picking up her book, going to her couch, and handing something to me that she's not supposed to have
~Play with a baby doll--patting it, kissing it, hugging it
~Use sign language for drink, food, thank you, please, and all done.
~Give real kisses and hugs
Happy 18 months, Abbie!
~Run
~Go to sleep at night without a pacifier (we're still working on the nap...)
~Dance to any song she hears (swaying her upper body from side to side or spinning in a circle)
~Use a fork and spoon, as long as Matt or I load it with food first
~Walk across a parking lot holding my hand
~Put big Legos together and take them apart
~Fit some shapes into her shape-sorter (but gives up quickly if she can't find the right space!)
~Say mama, dada, puppy, baby, breakfast, juice, ball, that, Amen, up, and bed. She also has words for banana, Elmo, and Lucy
~Follow simple directions (like getting her ball, picking up her book, going to her couch, and handing something to me that she's not supposed to have
~Play with a baby doll--patting it, kissing it, hugging it
~Use sign language for drink, food, thank you, please, and all done.
~Give real kisses and hugs
Happy 18 months, Abbie!
My accomplishments today
have been many!
--FINALLY got my mop of hair that was engulfing my face cut and layered. It's still just as thick (and will be until probably 6 months postpartum), but finally managable. I do plan to get it permed again after Karis is born.
--Bought mineral make-up from my hair stylist who mixes all-natural cosmetics here in Wilmore. What can I say, I am addicted to supporting local business.
--Made chicken salad for lunch. I desperately need the protein, but I've been putting off making it since Monday.
--Enjoyed Abbie's 3 hour nap. These are becoming more and more common. Thank the Lord!
--Got the dog's nails cut.
--Went to WalMart to buy the last few supplies we need for our homebirth; all that's left on the list is a drinking water-quality garden hose. Hmm...
--And most impressively: I won a war against Anthem to cover my midwife as an in-network provider!!!!!!! This feat entailed being on the phone for a solid 3 hours (yes, that's what I did during naptime), talking to six different people at Anthem, calling all seven nurse-midwives within a 30 mile radius of my home that would be covered by Anthem to confirm that they do not in fact attend homebirths, and confirming with Anthem that, as far as my benefits are concerned, birthing at home is covered no differently from birthing in a hospital. To quote Batman Begins:
Bruce Wayne: "I'm supposed to understand all that?!"
Lucus Fox: "No. I just wanted you to know how hard it was."
Ahhh...a victorius day!
--FINALLY got my mop of hair that was engulfing my face cut and layered. It's still just as thick (and will be until probably 6 months postpartum), but finally managable. I do plan to get it permed again after Karis is born.
--Bought mineral make-up from my hair stylist who mixes all-natural cosmetics here in Wilmore. What can I say, I am addicted to supporting local business.
--Made chicken salad for lunch. I desperately need the protein, but I've been putting off making it since Monday.
--Enjoyed Abbie's 3 hour nap. These are becoming more and more common. Thank the Lord!
--Got the dog's nails cut.
--Went to WalMart to buy the last few supplies we need for our homebirth; all that's left on the list is a drinking water-quality garden hose. Hmm...
--And most impressively: I won a war against Anthem to cover my midwife as an in-network provider!!!!!!! This feat entailed being on the phone for a solid 3 hours (yes, that's what I did during naptime), talking to six different people at Anthem, calling all seven nurse-midwives within a 30 mile radius of my home that would be covered by Anthem to confirm that they do not in fact attend homebirths, and confirming with Anthem that, as far as my benefits are concerned, birthing at home is covered no differently from birthing in a hospital. To quote Batman Begins:
Bruce Wayne: "I'm supposed to understand all that?!"
Lucus Fox: "No. I just wanted you to know how hard it was."
Ahhh...a victorius day!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Diagnosis: Pregnancy!
As could have been expected, I've been having a very difficult time getting my insurance company to cover my unconventional maternity care. When I started the authorization process back in July (when I first started seeing Candace), the information I received from BCBS seemed too good to be true: midwives are completely covered as in-network providers! Yipee! It seemed to cut-and-dried...I should have been suspicious.
Just yesterday I found out that because Candace is not a CNM, I have to request an exception for my care from her to be covered. This will be considered out-of-network, which I've deduced means that we'll be paying more and our insurance will be paying less. Between yesterday and today (in all my copious end-of-semester spare time) I've talked to about eight different employees who have all passed the buck to someone else. After all these conversations, I'm still not sure that the authorization process has officially begun. What's worse is that because I've been seeing Candace since July, I have to obtain retroactive authorization as well as authorization for future care. Gah! Obviously, they want to discourage me and make this process impossible so I just give up and pay the full amount (which will still be less than if we were to have Karis in the hospital).
Is it just me, or have you experienced major frustration when it comes to communicating with insurance companies? Don't get me wrong; I'd rather experience this kind of frustration with a private insurance company of my own choosing than have to jump through bureaucratic hoops of the sort I'm sure our new president-elect will establish in the coming years....but that's beside the point. I'm an educated person! Yet somehow the insurance jargon confounds me. I feel like I should know far more than I do, but am prevented from even understanding the basics of my coverage.
Plus, the insurance world simply doesn't appreciate unconventional maternity care. Although my plan covers CNM's, three people I spoke with required education regarding the difference between CNM's and CPM's (Candace's certification), nor will they accept the fact that there ARE no CNM's within a 30 mile radius who will attend homebirths, even if I wanted to be cared by one!
Anyway, I wanted to share a disturbing but hilariously ironic conversational interchange I had with one of the BCBS employees yesterday afternoon. This came after a long explanation of my situation and desire for my maternity care to be covered:
Employee: "Ma'ma, what is your diagnosis? Pregnancy?"
Me: (Taken-aback laugh) "Uhh...yes. That's a funny question."
Employee: (Embarrassed chuckle) "Well, I just assumed..."
Regardless of whether or not our insurance pays us back, I wouldn't have traded Candace's midwifery care for a traditional ob's "care" for anything. I've felt so confident and calm throughout this pregnancy because I have been cared for by a professional who is accessible, knows me, has taken the time to listen to my dreams for this birth, and has exceptional expertise and experience. This is worth almost any price...although I'm still hoping that BCBS comes through for us!!!
Just yesterday I found out that because Candace is not a CNM, I have to request an exception for my care from her to be covered. This will be considered out-of-network, which I've deduced means that we'll be paying more and our insurance will be paying less. Between yesterday and today (in all my copious end-of-semester spare time) I've talked to about eight different employees who have all passed the buck to someone else. After all these conversations, I'm still not sure that the authorization process has officially begun. What's worse is that because I've been seeing Candace since July, I have to obtain retroactive authorization as well as authorization for future care. Gah! Obviously, they want to discourage me and make this process impossible so I just give up and pay the full amount (which will still be less than if we were to have Karis in the hospital).
Is it just me, or have you experienced major frustration when it comes to communicating with insurance companies? Don't get me wrong; I'd rather experience this kind of frustration with a private insurance company of my own choosing than have to jump through bureaucratic hoops of the sort I'm sure our new president-elect will establish in the coming years....but that's beside the point. I'm an educated person! Yet somehow the insurance jargon confounds me. I feel like I should know far more than I do, but am prevented from even understanding the basics of my coverage.
Plus, the insurance world simply doesn't appreciate unconventional maternity care. Although my plan covers CNM's, three people I spoke with required education regarding the difference between CNM's and CPM's (Candace's certification), nor will they accept the fact that there ARE no CNM's within a 30 mile radius who will attend homebirths, even if I wanted to be cared by one!
Anyway, I wanted to share a disturbing but hilariously ironic conversational interchange I had with one of the BCBS employees yesterday afternoon. This came after a long explanation of my situation and desire for my maternity care to be covered:
Employee: "Ma'ma, what is your diagnosis? Pregnancy?"
Me: (Taken-aback laugh) "Uhh...yes. That's a funny question."
Employee: (Embarrassed chuckle) "Well, I just assumed..."
Regardless of whether or not our insurance pays us back, I wouldn't have traded Candace's midwifery care for a traditional ob's "care" for anything. I've felt so confident and calm throughout this pregnancy because I have been cared for by a professional who is accessible, knows me, has taken the time to listen to my dreams for this birth, and has exceptional expertise and experience. This is worth almost any price...although I'm still hoping that BCBS comes through for us!!!
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