Why I chose to go natural at a birthing center

I put on jeans.  That counts as getting dressed, right?  Eleanor's arrival has made "getting out of yesterday's clothes" something I have to put on the to-do list. 

A few days ago, I blogged about Eleanor's birth story.  You can read about it here.  I really could not have asked for a better story.

Why did we choose to go natural?  And why did we choose to deliver at a birthing center? 

Initially, I started looking into going natural because of my crazy fear of needles and doctors.  I knew that I would not be able to get an epidural.  So, if I wasn't going to get an epidural, I started looking into other options.  I am not going to post all the reasons after that that further convinced me that this was the best option for me.  You can research for yourself about birthing center vs. hospital, natural vs. not.  I am not going to try to convince someone to change your mind.  There was nothing wrong with me, so we didn't feel the need to be at a hospital.  Ultimately, the person birthing the child has to choose where and with what they are going to be most comfortable. 

The last statement of the previous paragraph is what I really wish other people would take to heart.  I had so many people try to point out the error of my decision by stating things that as a whole are just not true about birthing centers or hospitals, by telling me how much pain I would be in if I felt everything, and by guilt-tripping me by saying that if something went wrong, I would have to live with that decision.  Ouch!  Totally not appropriate!

I had Eleanor at Inanna Birth and Women's Care in Denton.  I could not have asked for better care.  Instead of spending an hour in the waiting room, the midwives would spend an hour with me.  When we did have complications at the end of the first trimester, I was sent to a specialist.  The birth center will not take high-risk patients.  Fortunately my issue resolved itself, and I was able to continue my care at the birth center.  During labor and delivery, I had a birthing assistant that stayed with me the entire time in addition to two midwives.  The best part was being able to take my daughter home hours after her birth and spend the first night at home as a family. 

If Eleanor keeps sleeping, I am going to blog about pain-coping strategies and overcoming my fear of birth.

Thanks for reading,