My third appointment at the midwifery was actually canceled due to a birth! (So awesome) & was moved a week forward...
My third experience at the midwifery was much more relaxed. I felt at ease after talking with Lori, their lovely receptionist, picking up a copy of Ina May's, Guide to Childbirth, & smiling & chatting with another midwife there & a visiting client.
Because I am never aware of exactly what these appointments are going to entail, I am always a little tense because I am not sure what is going to happen or what is expected of me.
Again though, this meeting (another hour & a half) was quite simply a little more of getting to know each other, mingled with some questions & answers.
(As a side note, the birth that forced my schedule to be changed resulted in the healthy & safe arrival of a new little one)
We talked about what Stacey will actually be bringing to the house in terms of medical gear, & we also talked about hemorrhages which is turning out - thus far - to be my biggest fear. (Which I am going to make sure we talk a bit more about at my next appointment)
We also talked about personal life. It was important for her to know things like, if I have a good support system in my friends & family in the area. If I had ever experienced any kind of abuse. Whether my relationship with my husband was good - and what kind of a man he was. (I promptly told her that Mat was nothing short of a doll.)
These things, I am certain that a Dr. never bothers to find out, though, I have learned, these things can play a major role in delaying labour as a woman's fears or insecurities can actually halt the dilation of the cervix. (I wonder how many c-sections occurred that could have been avoided by just simply asking the mother if she was worried about anything & addressing those concerns)
At one point Stacey wanted to take my blood pressure & I told her about how whenever I have gotten my blood pressure taken, I always tense up a little, & try so hard to relax & breathe deep to slow my heart rate. You see, for some reason I feel like I want to do really really well on blood pressure tests. (I have always been like this) I want to have the world's best blood pressure - silly, I know - but this is apparently one of my goals.
Anyway, as I confessed this to Stacey (amidst deep breathe) she laughed (probably thinking I was a real nutcase) & strapped the pressure band to my arm. After pumping it full of air & holding she began to get this horrible contorted look on her face (which at first I thought she was screwing with me, but realized she wouldn't do that) as soon as the band was off I asked her what that 'look' was for. She laughed & told me, my blood pressure was actually low (nothing dangerous) and I could actually use some stress.
Worlds best blood pressure.
(I'm telling you I even got stressed out with those ones at Shopper's Drug Mart)
I simply did a few more tests after that - peed on a stick, stepped on a scale, blamed my weight gain on my 10 pound jeans. (I've only gained four pounds) & then stretched out again on the nice day bed...(I think my next appointment I am just going to go right ahead & lay on that thing, there are so many cushions & pillows, I love it.)
She then checked my tummy for the uterus (which she found right away this time) She tired to show me just where it was so that I could feel it, but it all just felt like the same fatty, fleshy squishy stuff. I told her as long as she could find it, that was all that mattered.
Then we got to hear the heartbeat again with the doppler. I did hesitate this time because of all the side-effects I'd read about, but after unsuccessfully hearing the heartbeat with the stethoscope I decided I wanted to hear our little one again. The sensor barely touched my skin before the heartbeat was loud & clear. I wanted to laugh - baby sounded like a little horse galloping in there.
(My next (& probably last) ultrasound will be mid/late November. This'll be the one where Mat will be with me and we can see the baby.)
After that, we scheduled to meet again Nov 17th (which seems to soon!) & after that appointment I'll share with you everything that it was about too.
My third experience at the midwifery was much more relaxed. I felt at ease after talking with Lori, their lovely receptionist, picking up a copy of Ina May's, Guide to Childbirth, & smiling & chatting with another midwife there & a visiting client.
Because I am never aware of exactly what these appointments are going to entail, I am always a little tense because I am not sure what is going to happen or what is expected of me.
Again though, this meeting (another hour & a half) was quite simply a little more of getting to know each other, mingled with some questions & answers.
(As a side note, the birth that forced my schedule to be changed resulted in the healthy & safe arrival of a new little one)
We talked about what Stacey will actually be bringing to the house in terms of medical gear, & we also talked about hemorrhages which is turning out - thus far - to be my biggest fear. (Which I am going to make sure we talk a bit more about at my next appointment)
We also talked about personal life. It was important for her to know things like, if I have a good support system in my friends & family in the area. If I had ever experienced any kind of abuse. Whether my relationship with my husband was good - and what kind of a man he was. (I promptly told her that Mat was nothing short of a doll.)
These things, I am certain that a Dr. never bothers to find out, though, I have learned, these things can play a major role in delaying labour as a woman's fears or insecurities can actually halt the dilation of the cervix. (I wonder how many c-sections occurred that could have been avoided by just simply asking the mother if she was worried about anything & addressing those concerns)
At one point Stacey wanted to take my blood pressure & I told her about how whenever I have gotten my blood pressure taken, I always tense up a little, & try so hard to relax & breathe deep to slow my heart rate. You see, for some reason I feel like I want to do really really well on blood pressure tests. (I have always been like this) I want to have the world's best blood pressure - silly, I know - but this is apparently one of my goals.
Anyway, as I confessed this to Stacey (amidst deep breathe) she laughed (probably thinking I was a real nutcase) & strapped the pressure band to my arm. After pumping it full of air & holding she began to get this horrible contorted look on her face (which at first I thought she was screwing with me, but realized she wouldn't do that) as soon as the band was off I asked her what that 'look' was for. She laughed & told me, my blood pressure was actually low (nothing dangerous) and I could actually use some stress.
Worlds best blood pressure.
(I'm telling you I even got stressed out with those ones at Shopper's Drug Mart)
I simply did a few more tests after that - peed on a stick, stepped on a scale, blamed my weight gain on my 10 pound jeans. (I've only gained four pounds) & then stretched out again on the nice day bed...(I think my next appointment I am just going to go right ahead & lay on that thing, there are so many cushions & pillows, I love it.)
She then checked my tummy for the uterus (which she found right away this time) She tired to show me just where it was so that I could feel it, but it all just felt like the same fatty, fleshy squishy stuff. I told her as long as she could find it, that was all that mattered.
Then we got to hear the heartbeat again with the doppler. I did hesitate this time because of all the side-effects I'd read about, but after unsuccessfully hearing the heartbeat with the stethoscope I decided I wanted to hear our little one again. The sensor barely touched my skin before the heartbeat was loud & clear. I wanted to laugh - baby sounded like a little horse galloping in there.
(My next (& probably last) ultrasound will be mid/late November. This'll be the one where Mat will be with me and we can see the baby.)
After that, we scheduled to meet again Nov 17th (which seems to soon!) & after that appointment I'll share with you everything that it was about too.
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