What else do I not know about? What other options did I have? Getting out of the hospital and watching The Business of Being Born and understanding why being induced was so hard on your body and labor and why you felt like you were on drugs and not connecting with your baby right away. Understanding all the hormones involved in pregnancy and birth and really understanding what the placenta is and how beautiful and important of an organ it really is. After all of this, I just have to say, to all my friends...know your options, do your research, dig even further...don't be afraid, knowledge is power and believe me you want the birth of your baby to be something to remember forever.
If you thought wedding planning was fun and amazing and a great memory, you have so much more to enjoy from the birth of your children. I can't stress this enough...do your research and know your options. The birth of your children will be something you reflect on and think about almost daily. You don't want it to be a bad experience or something you regret. Don't be afraid and trust your body and your baby. They both know what is important and will let you know in some way if something is wrong and when the right time for that precious baby to be born is. Don't force something that isn't ready. Would you take a cake out of the oven early just because you wanted to eat it so badly? Would you want to eat raw under cooked caked because you felt you couldn't wait any longer for it to finish cooking? Don't risk having a premature baby that could be extremely hard on you and baby.
I am not against hospital or medicated birth either. If you want a hospital birth with the epidural and the whole shebang, go for it. However, I still think everyone needs to research each and every option and intervention to know what the pros and cons are to everything. Start with The Business of Being Born, it will lead you to questions and answers you never thought of before. Know and trust your care provider. If you don't feel comfortable asking them questions, are they really the right person to trust with such an intimate part of your life? Look into a doula, they aren't just for specific types or settings of birth and if you want to learn more about anything in the birth world, I can almost guarantee they will know or will be willing to help you find out.
Also I completely understand that those last few weeks can be hard and you get to the point that you just want it to be over so your not pregnant and miserable anymore. I will give you a clue right now...pregnancy is a huge emotional thing. If you tell yourself you will wait and trust your body and your baby...then you won't feel as miserable. If you tell yourself you are sick and tired of being pregnant and just want it over, you will feel miserable and tired and done. Same emotional concept comes into play during birth. If you believe you can do it and you have a positive attitude, then your chances of accomplishing what you want to will skyrocket. Don't make yourself miserable, trust your perfect body and baby.
"You're Gunna Miss This" by Trace Adkins is a great way to think about your pregnancy and childbirth. You may think you are tired of being pregnant and just want it to be over with, but remember that later on in life you will miss being pregnant and feeling a living being growing inside of you. Cherish the moments while you can.
