I've put together a short list of resources for those of you interested in doing some reading about this whole home birth process. I know some people are concerned about our choice to have a home birth, and I'd like to provide more information around this topic in the hopes that it will relieve some of that anxiety. I've known for the last few years that when the time came I would want to give birth at home, and nothing during my pregnancy has changed that feeling. I'm actually feeling more and more empowered because of this choice as my pregnancy progresses. I'm really excited about the birth - feeling great about being able to be in an environment that I'm comfortable in and where I can let my body do the work it needs to to bring this new little life into the world. And I'm looking forward to being able to move around as I like, eat and drink if I'm hungry, holding my baby immediately after the birth, and knowing that I'll have the full support of my midwives in my choices.
So far we are planning to just go with the flow and see what my body tells me at the time, but we are looking into having a birthing tub available; mostly for relaxation, but I'm also open to the birth happening there if it feels right. We watched a video of some water births last night, and while the movie itself was a bit too mystical-feeling for us, I have to say that seeing those little babies born was very cool! I've read numerous water-birth stories, but seeing it made it much more real. I had pictured the baby coming out and being mostly still / eyes shut, but in the video we saw these little newborns, fresh out of the womb, kicking and swimming under the water, eyes wide open - really, really amazing.
Websites:
Midwifery Today
Minnesota Families for Midwifery
Books:
Adventures in Natural Childbirth
I first read this a few years ago, and really liked that it gave a lot of good information about birth choices without being biased (there is a focus on women who were looking for unmedicated births of course, but since it says it right in the title I don't think that one's a shocker). The book is segmented by type of care provider (doula, midwife, physician, unattended) and within each section you learn about different birth options (home, water, hospital, birthing center) through the accompanying birth stories. A really nice overview of the options available today, and each section is pretty concise and very readable.
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
Working through this one right now. The first half is birth stories, some of which were great, and others a little too out there. The second half of the book has the "technical" info. It discusses lots of aspects related to labor and birth, as well as the connection between body and mind and really preparing yourself for birth. Taking the second section kind of slow as I read each chapter and then do some thinking before moving on to the next.
I plan to have a more complete list of resources related to pregnancy and birth available on my blog, but these are some good places to start if you're interested in finding out more about home birth or gaining a better understanding of our choices.
On a slightly different note I would also like to add some thoughts here to make sure people do not misunderstand my intentions in expressing my enthusiasm for home birth:
I'd like to be clear that I do not think every woman needs to give birth at home, and that I do not condemn other women's choices that differ from mine. Each woman has to decide what is best for her, her family, and her situation. Women should birth in the way and place that is most comfortable for them. I also believe that hospitals can and do save lives, and that there are times where medical intervention is necessary. However I also believe that in the majority of cases, a home birth is just as safe, if not safer, than a hospital birth. I do not believe that birth in general is a medical procedure, but instead a natural process that women's bodies are specially designed for and very capable of handling.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Very cool view
A couple of Sundays ago we looked out a back window of our house and saw a large brown ball at the top of one of our cottonwood trees. After a few seconds I realized what I was seeing and we ran for the camera. Chris captured some great shots:
Thursday, February 26, 2009
I'm back!
Sorry for the long absence. Definitely not due to a lack of things to talk about! I'll be trying to catch up over the next several days, so keep checking in to see what's new.
Most of my delay has been due to my new computer NOT being here. I ordered a new laptop from Dell over a month ago; shipping has been delayed 3 times due to an apparent shortage of parts, and last night we finally canceled the order. I have been really disappointed by this, as Dell is no longer offering the computer I wanted with the Ubuntu (Linux) operating system; so my options are to get the same computer, but pay for Windows, which I don't want (and wait another 2 months for it to be delivered?), or if I stick with Ubuntu I can get a different style with a smaller screen for the same price, or spend a lot more money for a different style of laptop with the same size screen. All very frustrating; giving my money to Apple is sounding more and more appealing...
Most of my delay has been due to my new computer NOT being here. I ordered a new laptop from Dell over a month ago; shipping has been delayed 3 times due to an apparent shortage of parts, and last night we finally canceled the order. I have been really disappointed by this, as Dell is no longer offering the computer I wanted with the Ubuntu (Linux) operating system; so my options are to get the same computer, but pay for Windows, which I don't want (and wait another 2 months for it to be delivered?), or if I stick with Ubuntu I can get a different style with a smaller screen for the same price, or spend a lot more money for a different style of laptop with the same size screen. All very frustrating; giving my money to Apple is sounding more and more appealing...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Life Update
I’ve been meaning to post a general update for days, but somehow time got away from me. Things have been pretty busy here over the last couple of weeks. A couple Fridays ago we had the opportunity to attend a PFR concert with Sarah in Chanhassen. We had a really good time, although you wouldn’t have known it without being a native Minnesotan; definitely the most reserved audience we’ve seen at a rock show.
The next day we took the plunge and finally bought me a car. A 2003 Subaru Outback that seems to be in surprisingly good condition; no rust, very clean, and it seems to be running well. Neither of us had been looking forward to used car shopping, so we were really thankful things went so smoothly. I should have pictures to post in the next week or so if the temperature gets above freezing by then. (I’m waiting to take pictures until it warms up and I can get a car wash!)
Chris started class again last Tuesday. Luckily this semester he only has class three days a week and gets home in time for us to eat dinner together, so it’s a very pleasant change from last semester.
We also managed to go on a bit of a shopping spree last week. We started out looking for a new pair of shoes for Chris, but somehow we also came home with a photo printer for me and a new bag I’m calling my “mom-purse” (lots of pockets, including one that’s meant to hold a small umbrella, but looks suspiciously like the perfect size for a bottle…).
We attempted a window-shopping spree this last weekend, but were foiled in our attempts to start serious baby shopping when we got to Peapods and found that they were closed all week due to the owners being on vacation. I was crushed, but Chris saved the day by taking me to Babies “R” Us instead and went down every aisle in the store without complaining. After that we were both exhausted, so took a break before heading home by enjoying some large bowls of ice cream at Cold Stone.
My page protectors arrived last night (very excited!), so look for a post in the next couple nights with a sample layout.
The next day we took the plunge and finally bought me a car. A 2003 Subaru Outback that seems to be in surprisingly good condition; no rust, very clean, and it seems to be running well. Neither of us had been looking forward to used car shopping, so we were really thankful things went so smoothly. I should have pictures to post in the next week or so if the temperature gets above freezing by then. (I’m waiting to take pictures until it warms up and I can get a car wash!)
Chris started class again last Tuesday. Luckily this semester he only has class three days a week and gets home in time for us to eat dinner together, so it’s a very pleasant change from last semester.
We also managed to go on a bit of a shopping spree last week. We started out looking for a new pair of shoes for Chris, but somehow we also came home with a photo printer for me and a new bag I’m calling my “mom-purse” (lots of pockets, including one that’s meant to hold a small umbrella, but looks suspiciously like the perfect size for a bottle…).
We attempted a window-shopping spree this last weekend, but were foiled in our attempts to start serious baby shopping when we got to Peapods and found that they were closed all week due to the owners being on vacation. I was crushed, but Chris saved the day by taking me to Babies “R” Us instead and went down every aisle in the store without complaining. After that we were both exhausted, so took a break before heading home by enjoying some large bowls of ice cream at Cold Stone.
My page protectors arrived last night (very excited!), so look for a post in the next couple nights with a sample layout.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Project 365
I've been meaning to post about this project for the last couple weeks, and am so glad I finally made the time to write about it. This is another project that I've looked at over the last couple years, but haven't participated in until now. It's a little more time intensive than the "one little word" project, but again is something that can be modified to fit the amount of time and energy you want to put into it.
The basic idea behind Project 365 is to take a picture a day. The scrapbooking community has taken it one step farther, making it more into a project of documenting your life for one year - including taking pictures and journaling daily and putting it all together in an album. I decided to take this on this year because I think it will be so cool to be able to look back on this year and see what our lives were like pre- and post-baby, to have a record of all the changes in our daily lives as we move from a family of 2 to a family of 3.
But I also don't want this project to be stressful, and I know we're going to be very, very busy once Baby is here, so I'm trying to be more realistic about what I think I can actually accomplish with this project and am modifying it to work with the amount of time and effort I can put into it. For instance, I knew from the start that I'd never remember to take a picture every day, so I'm just trying to keep the project in mind and take pictures as often as I remember. The rest of the days I'll fill in with other bits and pieces from our life, such as receipts, ticket stubs, etc. Another option is to take pictures of things around your house, yard, community, etc. to use for those days you forgot to take a picture. Again, the overall point of the project is to document what a year in your life is like, not necessarily to track every activity and event. I'm keeping my journaling super simple, and am just trying to track significant daily activities in my planner; I don't remember to do that every day either, but I am trying to write things down at least every few days so that I don't forget the important stuff. And just to keep things as stress-free as possible, I decided up front that I'm just going to take things as they come, and if I miss days here or there, or even several days in a row, that's OK.
Along with keeping the documentation process as easy as possible, I also want to keep the scrapbooking piece of it stress-free, so am making it simple and quick. I've decided to use the same format that Creating Keepsakes featured in their January issue, and in their January Kit of the month. I had planned on buying the kit New Year's Day, but they sold out in record time, so I'm making my own "kit" instead. I've purchased some 12"x12" 4x6 photo pages, and am going to sew the bottom pockets to match the style of page protectors that come in the kit. Then for each week, you just pop in your 4x6 photo from each day, your weekly date card and your daily journaling cards, and you're done. Becky Higgins, creator of the kit, has a free download of some of the kit elements available on her blog, for all the people that didn't get to order a kit. I will probably use some of these templates and print them out here at home, although I might also make some templates up myself...most likely I'll do a combination of the two.
Becky's blog is the best place to look for more ideas and inspiration related to Project 365, as well as ideas for alternative approaches to the project.
I'll be posting more details and samples from my album in coming weeks. For now, here are a couple of the pictures I'll be including from this month:
Look for another post in the next day or two with a general life update.
The basic idea behind Project 365 is to take a picture a day. The scrapbooking community has taken it one step farther, making it more into a project of documenting your life for one year - including taking pictures and journaling daily and putting it all together in an album. I decided to take this on this year because I think it will be so cool to be able to look back on this year and see what our lives were like pre- and post-baby, to have a record of all the changes in our daily lives as we move from a family of 2 to a family of 3.
But I also don't want this project to be stressful, and I know we're going to be very, very busy once Baby is here, so I'm trying to be more realistic about what I think I can actually accomplish with this project and am modifying it to work with the amount of time and effort I can put into it. For instance, I knew from the start that I'd never remember to take a picture every day, so I'm just trying to keep the project in mind and take pictures as often as I remember. The rest of the days I'll fill in with other bits and pieces from our life, such as receipts, ticket stubs, etc. Another option is to take pictures of things around your house, yard, community, etc. to use for those days you forgot to take a picture. Again, the overall point of the project is to document what a year in your life is like, not necessarily to track every activity and event. I'm keeping my journaling super simple, and am just trying to track significant daily activities in my planner; I don't remember to do that every day either, but I am trying to write things down at least every few days so that I don't forget the important stuff. And just to keep things as stress-free as possible, I decided up front that I'm just going to take things as they come, and if I miss days here or there, or even several days in a row, that's OK.
Along with keeping the documentation process as easy as possible, I also want to keep the scrapbooking piece of it stress-free, so am making it simple and quick. I've decided to use the same format that Creating Keepsakes featured in their January issue, and in their January Kit of the month. I had planned on buying the kit New Year's Day, but they sold out in record time, so I'm making my own "kit" instead. I've purchased some 12"x12" 4x6 photo pages, and am going to sew the bottom pockets to match the style of page protectors that come in the kit. Then for each week, you just pop in your 4x6 photo from each day, your weekly date card and your daily journaling cards, and you're done. Becky Higgins, creator of the kit, has a free download of some of the kit elements available on her blog, for all the people that didn't get to order a kit. I will probably use some of these templates and print them out here at home, although I might also make some templates up myself...most likely I'll do a combination of the two.
Becky's blog is the best place to look for more ideas and inspiration related to Project 365, as well as ideas for alternative approaches to the project.
I'll be posting more details and samples from my album in coming weeks. For now, here are a couple of the pictures I'll be including from this month:
Look for another post in the next day or two with a general life update.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
One Little Word
This project has been on my mind a lot over the last few weeks.
I first heard about the concept a couple years back from Ali Edwards. The idea is to choose a word that describes what you want for yourself in the coming year. I love the idea of this project because it seems much more positive, encouraging, and doable than setting a bunch of resolutions. For myself I want a word that will encourage, remind, and gently push me toward my goal rather than something that feels like a rule or command, which in my case I would make for myself and then probably ignore. I love the idea of focusing on just one word because you can always keep it with you, let it sit in the back of your mind, reflect on it, and let it become a part of you.
Choosing your word can be a mind-opening experience in itself. Just going through the process of thinking about all the possibilities and then really focusing on who you are right now and what you want to become, and concentrating all of that into one word or idea can be really powerful. It might make you realize things about yourself or your life that you weren't fully conscious of, or maybe it will help you label or define more clearly thoughts and goals you've already had in mind.
The best part is that this project is something anyone can do; it can be as complex or simple as you want it to be - this word is just for you, and it can be whatever you need it to be.
This can be a family project as well. Chris is still thinking about his word, and we're also choosing a word for us as a family.
My word for 2009 is change.
This is a 2-part word for me, as it encompasses all of the external changes that will be coming with the arrival of our little one, but also reflects what I want for myself this year. I'm excited to incorporate this word into my daily life, to let it help me prepare for what lies ahead, and to encourage me to actively bring about effective change for myself.
As part of incorporating the word into my life, I'm planning on creating some type of "word" art to display in our home, but haven't yet decided exactly what form that will take.
One cool idea my co-worker Stacy had is to make a custom chipboard word book. There was a company selling individual letters to make your own word, but unfortunately I can't find a link to them right now.
Some other cool ideas:
Word necklace: This is just one option.
or ring: again, just one of the cool options that are out there.
How about a custom word doodle?
To read more about the "one little word" concept, or see a list of words people have chosen for this year, as well as some other ideas for visual reminders of your word, check out Ali's blog posts from this year and last.
I first heard about the concept a couple years back from Ali Edwards. The idea is to choose a word that describes what you want for yourself in the coming year. I love the idea of this project because it seems much more positive, encouraging, and doable than setting a bunch of resolutions. For myself I want a word that will encourage, remind, and gently push me toward my goal rather than something that feels like a rule or command, which in my case I would make for myself and then probably ignore. I love the idea of focusing on just one word because you can always keep it with you, let it sit in the back of your mind, reflect on it, and let it become a part of you.
Choosing your word can be a mind-opening experience in itself. Just going through the process of thinking about all the possibilities and then really focusing on who you are right now and what you want to become, and concentrating all of that into one word or idea can be really powerful. It might make you realize things about yourself or your life that you weren't fully conscious of, or maybe it will help you label or define more clearly thoughts and goals you've already had in mind.
The best part is that this project is something anyone can do; it can be as complex or simple as you want it to be - this word is just for you, and it can be whatever you need it to be.
This can be a family project as well. Chris is still thinking about his word, and we're also choosing a word for us as a family.
My word for 2009 is change.
This is a 2-part word for me, as it encompasses all of the external changes that will be coming with the arrival of our little one, but also reflects what I want for myself this year. I'm excited to incorporate this word into my daily life, to let it help me prepare for what lies ahead, and to encourage me to actively bring about effective change for myself.
As part of incorporating the word into my life, I'm planning on creating some type of "word" art to display in our home, but haven't yet decided exactly what form that will take.
One cool idea my co-worker Stacy had is to make a custom chipboard word book. There was a company selling individual letters to make your own word, but unfortunately I can't find a link to them right now.
Some other cool ideas:
Word necklace: This is just one option.
or ring: again, just one of the cool options that are out there.
How about a custom word doodle?
To read more about the "one little word" concept, or see a list of words people have chosen for this year, as well as some other ideas for visual reminders of your word, check out Ali's blog posts from this year and last.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Sew, Sew, Sew
I spent the majority of the weekend sewing, catching up on my Aunt Millie's quilt before class next weekend. I finished my second block and started working on the third. When I started this class I thought the blocks would go pretty quickly doing the applique by machine, but it turns out it still takes a lot of time and concentration to finish a decent-looking block. I think I'm getting faster overall, and a little better at the curves, but I'm definitely not a pro at this yet!
Block 2:
And a sneak peek at Block 3:
In other crafty news, I discovered today that Quilted Treasures has a new fabric club that looks pretty darn tempting. The fabrics are all from more modern designers; I really like the work of two of the designers - Anna Maria Horner, and Heather Bailey, and am always excited to see what they're coming out with next. Lots of inspiring fabrics and projects on their blogs. :) I'm using several Heather Bailey fabrics in my Aunt Millie's quilt, and also used them for Sarah's potholders.
This Wednesday is the first meeting of a new club at Quilted Treasures called Sew Domestic. There's a project available to work on if you want to, or you can just work on any other sewing project you have. It's basically free open sewing and a chance to hang out and get some work done. I'm planning on attending in the future (with Katie of course), but am not sure I'm going to make it this week as we have our midwife appt in St. Paul on Wednesday afternoon. The club meets two Wednesdays a month from 4pm - 10pm - so it's a great chance to get some serious sewing done. (Have I mentioned that I'm just a little behind on all those sewing projects I want to get done before Baby arrives??)
My BOM (block-of-the-month) class is on Saturday, and I've yet to start on this month's block, so definitely more sewing in my future this week.
Look for more posts later this week on that cool concept for 2009 I mentioned in my first blog post, and a couple of other projects I've been meaning to write about.
Block 2:
And a sneak peek at Block 3:
In other crafty news, I discovered today that Quilted Treasures has a new fabric club that looks pretty darn tempting. The fabrics are all from more modern designers; I really like the work of two of the designers - Anna Maria Horner, and Heather Bailey, and am always excited to see what they're coming out with next. Lots of inspiring fabrics and projects on their blogs. :) I'm using several Heather Bailey fabrics in my Aunt Millie's quilt, and also used them for Sarah's potholders.
This Wednesday is the first meeting of a new club at Quilted Treasures called Sew Domestic. There's a project available to work on if you want to, or you can just work on any other sewing project you have. It's basically free open sewing and a chance to hang out and get some work done. I'm planning on attending in the future (with Katie of course), but am not sure I'm going to make it this week as we have our midwife appt in St. Paul on Wednesday afternoon. The club meets two Wednesdays a month from 4pm - 10pm - so it's a great chance to get some serious sewing done. (Have I mentioned that I'm just a little behind on all those sewing projects I want to get done before Baby arrives??)
My BOM (block-of-the-month) class is on Saturday, and I've yet to start on this month's block, so definitely more sewing in my future this week.
Look for more posts later this week on that cool concept for 2009 I mentioned in my first blog post, and a couple of other projects I've been meaning to write about.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
