The birth plan...diving on in

I have been planning this for years and it's so great to see it all coming together!! I always wanted to go with a midwife and try my best for an au-naturel birth. So that is our plan and we are sticking to it.

My nephew was born at home with a midwife and as my sister-in-law tells it, it was a wonderful and amazing experience that trumped her previous two births in a hospital setting. I wrote about that almost two years ago on this blog and also about the documentary, The Business of Being Born, check it out if you haven't already. You can read that post here.

The hubby and I were all set to do a waterbirth at a hospital with our midwife but the more we talked about it the more we wanted to do it at home. So we changed the plans and Baby C will be delivered in my living room, or bedroom :) We will get a big tub/pool and do it all at home. I am super psyched!!!

I actually feel like a weight has been lifted. I won't have to stress about when to go to the hospital and mess up the good flow I will have at home with my doula. I am also excited about my doula...we all clicked when we met with her. We knew she was the one.

Water has long been used to ease the discomforts of labor and by using a midwife where you are not strapped to a bed and hooked up to machines and can walk around and eat, etc, women can tune into what their bodies need and allow the powerful birthing energies to flow, while keeping the non-productive stress hormones to a minimum.

Waterbirths allow a woman to dialite more quickly, which can result in a shorter labor.


By using a midwife, the C-section rate is drastically reduced as well as rates of episiotomy and the need for interventions.

I am under no illusion that this will be a painless experience but I am confident that doing it this way is the best way for me. Our bodies are made for this and there is no way I wanted to be rushed during this process and have a doctor push induction or a C-section just so they can get home faster. I am confident that my body knows what to do and how.

The hubby and I are also taking a hypnobabies class starting in Sept -- it's hypnosis for childbirth.

There are two hypnosis-style birthing classes. One is the traditional hypnobirthing and the other is hypnobabies, which uses hypnobirthing techniques and tweaks it into a more comprehensive class. I decided on that one and am pumped to start the classes.

20 weeks and counting...and shout out to Dr. T & Sher Institute

We have made it to the half-way point. It is just incredible. 20 weeks!! Whoo-hooo!!

I doubted so many times that I would ever get to this place in my life and I take none of it for granted. I know I say that over and over again but I truly truly know how lucky I am to be experiencing all of this.

I still ache for the women I know who are still on a journey and those who are facing extremely hard pregnancies with tough decisions to make that no one should ever have to. My heart goes out to all of them.

But I am also basking in the joy of getting to 20 weeks and seeing our baby growing up (in the womb) and making it all real....here is Baby C at 20 weeks!! Look at those lips :)

I cannot wait to meet this baby! I feel him/her kick all of the time and although sometimes it seems alien-like, it is way cool.

Another thing that happened this week is we officially graduated from the fertility doctor. Since part of my treatment involved intralipids (IVs up until 20 weeks of pregnancy) I was still going to see all the awesome peeps at Sher Institute in NYC. I was excited to get the last of the IVs over with and to say "a bientot" to Dr. T. It's just a "see-ya" later...not a goodbye. I will visit again and always look forward to seeing all those smiling faces.

I am a cheerleader for Dr. T, so if anyone ever asks, I will always recommend him. Several women in my inferility support group are also patients of his (or will be soon). So far, two of us who have done IVFs with him have been successful and I know there are more to come!!! Here is the best thing about Sher Institite and Dr. T -- it is not a factory where you are treated with the same protocol as every other patient who walks through the door. It is indiviualized and well worth it to make the trip into the city if you are not already living there.

I had such a great experience there from my first visit until my last IV appt. It was seamless and easy and wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better experience. So thank you, Dr. T, Voula, Jocelyn, Jackie, Frances, Sylvia, Michelle, Yari and Jessica!!! You all rock!!





Dr Tortoriello and another one of his miracles!







Yari and Michelle always smiling at the front desk!





Frances and Jackie...such sweeties!!