30 week appointment

Another one already! We go in every two weeks now (until 36 weeks, then it's every week). This time Sonpy couldn't get off work, so I brought my mom along. I think she really enjoyed meeting the midwife and seeing the birth center, and I know she enjoyed hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time! We received another good report.

Fundal height: measuring on target, check.

Blood pressure: 102/70, check.

Baby's heart beat: 160 BPM, check.

Pee tests: both negative (that's a good thing!), check.

Weight gain: + 2 1/2 pounds (not too bad), check.

This week I got to see (for the first time in a few months) one of my two favorite midwives, Jennifer. But, I also found out that my other favorite midwife, Janine, is no longer with BAMC! The news surprised me, because we just saw her two weeks ago, and I have to say I am really disappointed. She apparently left (sort of abruptly) for a new job in Howard County. So, besides Jennifer, there are two other midwives currently, Suz (really nice, but only works part time, we were fortunate to have met her once last summer) and Kim (seems cool, but we didn't really get to spend a lot of time with her). There will also be a new midwife starting in August. Jennifer assured me that I would get to meet with each of them at least once throughout the remainder of my pregnancy. I hope so!

I asked her some questions about the birth center process. I was glad to find out that for a birth center birth, you are attended by two midwives, instead of one. The second one is called in towards the end of labor. We also found out that after a birth center birth, you are released within 4-6 hours (we knew that part), no matter what time the birth occurs (that was the news). Meaning, if the baby was born at 10pm, we would be going home in the middle of the night. Jennifer said that most people are actually anxious to go home within four hours after a birth center birth. Because these births are unmedicated, the mothers and babies require a lot less monitoring, and most families generally are ready to get home. I am a bit conflicted about the prospect of driving home with a newborn at 2am, but I do have some time to get used to the idea.

Our birth class starts next week. Janine warned us at the last appointment that the hospital birth class generally focuses heavily on the horrors (they refer to it as "the realities") of labor (meaning: Pitocin, epidurals, episiostimies, IV lines, electronic fetal monitors, fetal distress, cesareans, etc.). Sounds pretty doomsday, but I guess it's always best to be well prepared. Since I've also been reading and watching videos that are on the absolute opposite side of the spectrum (meaning: very anti-intervention, anti-medicalization of childbirth, anti-myths perpetuated by the American medical establishment, very pro-midwife, waterbirth, etc.), I think I'll be able to balance the information and arrive somewhere in the middle.