Birthing Choices

***Warning - contents may be too graphic for some readers*** I'm not kidding - this could make you (yes, you) uncomfortable***

As I mentioned last week, the conventional medical world and the granola world (hypnobabies is a part of the granola world if you didn't already know) are somewhat at odds. Last night during hypnobabies Buttin and I learned all about our various birthing choices. Buttin and I just plan to listen, research and then make up our own minds.

Here are a few examples of some birthing choices:

• Nothing by mouth. This means that I would not eat or drink anything during birth. Ehh . . that's not going to happen. I don't care if Buttin has to sneak food in - I have to keep my strength up. Luckily, the hospital I'm going to provides a little refreshment center in each room, but I still plan to bring my own snacks.
  
• Vaginal exams. This is pretty much what it sounds like - the nurse checks your who-ha every couple of hours to see how things are progressing. I plan to have these whenever I'm comfortable and reserve the right to not hear the results.
• IV to maintain fluid levels. I do not plan on having an IV. I would like to get up and move around as much as possible. Also, since I plan on eating and drinking (see choice #1), I will not need it for hydration purposes.
• Epidural anesthesia. I'm open to any and all possibilities, but the point of taking hypnobabies is to avoid the epidural. Color me crazy, but the idea of a needle in my back is more frightening than a watermelon passing through a pin hole.
  
• (PROBABLY MOST CRINGE INDUCING) Episiotomy. This is where a small surgical cut is made in an attempt to prevent a larger tear (if you have no idea what I'm talking about or where this cut is made, do not google it and good God - stop reading). I would prefer not to have an episiotomy; however I understand the need for one in some circumstances. For example (and this is when Buttin and I both got a little queasy), if a woman starts to tear in the upward direction (instead of down) an episiotomy would be VERY NECESSARY.
  

OK, that's enough birth choices for one post. There are many others and during the next couple of weeks I plan to draft my birth plan and share it with Dr. Elephant so that we can discuss all my preferences.

On another topic, in an attempt to not repeat last week's Molly tantrum when it was time to do the relaxation part of our evening - I let her in during the beginning of the night, in the hopes that she would tire of us quickly. No such luck. She was fascinated by anything and everything Doula related. You'd think she'd never seen paper or a pen or a doula before. When Buttin was successful in getting Molly relaxed, Mouser would then start to attack her dry erase board (apparently, anything brought into the house is fair game for rubbing against according to Mouser - this includes the Doula). For the most part, the animals just had us laughing.