I shouldn’t have been surprised that so many of you reacted so strongly when I wrote at 13 weeks that I didn’t have a midwife yet, but out of all the birth topics I could write about I didn’t expect pre-natal care to be such a contentious one. As with most of my conversation inducing posts I this this one was a bit misunderstood, as  I never said I wasn’t going to seek out any prenatal care, I just didn’t have anyone yet. I didn’t end up booking with anyone until about the 16 week mark because finding the right care provider was more important to be than finding a care provider, and because I knew things were going well. I felt great, my uterus was growing, and I trusted (and still trust) in my own ability to grow a baby. I knew I would find someone eventually and I wanted to make the decision without feeling rushed into it, so that I could rest assured that the person I worked with through my pregnancy would be the same individual that delivered my baby. (Another plus for home birth, you know your midwife will be “on call” when you go into labor.)

My midwife has stated that she feels comfortable with me blogging about her by name, and so I’d like to introduce you to Sarah Jones. Although attitudes about birth and experience sat at the top of the list, one of my lesser “wants” in a midwife was someone young. I realize most would feel more secure with someone older, but I think I wanted someone I felt I could identify with on many different levels. Sarah’s a young newlywed like myself, she answers my emails and text messages (I prefer email over a phone call any day), and she has a blog! Her track record, beliefs about nutrition, gestational diabetes, breastfeeding, and postdates as well as her tech savvy personality made her a great match for my needs.

Appointments follow the same schedule that a doctor treating a low-risk birth would use: monthly, then every other week (this begins around week 28 I believe), and then weekly. At some point late in my first trimester one of those visits will be at my apartment (so Sarah can learn where I live and familiarize herself with the area where the birth will occur), but the rest of the appointments are held about 30 minutes away from where I live at Gentle Beginnings Birth Center in Hurst, TX. They’re really nice there and said it was fine for me to poke around with my camera so I could give you a tour on the blog.

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The birthing center shares it’s space with a chiropractors office, a really great arrangement since so many mom’s who choose to birth out-of-hospital also seek out other alternative treatments as well.

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The reception area.

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The exam room where I interviewed Sarah and also had my first prenatal appointment. I adore the red couch sitting on the right side of this photo and would love to have it as a photo prop.

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The exam table. No stirrups to be found!

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I give a urine sample at each visit, and do the “dipping” of the stick myself. If the results look abnormal I report them to Sarah and we consult on a plan of action to normalize them again.

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The edge of the shower/tub combo where many women choose to give birth.

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The waiting room filled with movies, toys, books, games. There is a kitchen as well but I didn’t get any photos of it. They don’t supply any food there, but laboring mothers are encouraged to bring in whatever they like.

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One of the birthing rooms. Isn’t it beautiful? We decided not to birth at the birth center because we are already paying for things out of pocket (no insurance coverage for rebels like myself!) but I do think the rooms feel like an oasis, and once I’m giving birth to my second I can see the appeal of a birth center. No toys on the floor or dirty dishes in the sink to worry about when you show up to labor at the birth center!

You can see a purse on the bed because the woman who came in after me was going to have her appointment in the birth room instead of the exam room. I like the flexibility and warmth the center provides.

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I was at the birth center for my first appointment for about 2 hours, and I’d say that over an hour of that was time spent one-on-one with Sarah. As soon as I arrived I was handed the standard medical history forms where they ask you about every possible symptom you, your mother, your sister, your husband, his family, your father, your dog, and your gerbil have ever experienced. (Just kidding about the dog and the gerbil by the way, I know some of you have crazy ideas about what midwives are like and I don’t think you need any encouragement from me :) ) I rejected the HIV and STD tests as That Husband and I were both virgins when we were married (and by “virgin” I mean the LDS kind of virgin, where french kissing is even something you are supposed to abstain from, no breasts or half naked grinding allowed), and finished my paperwork just as Sarah was ready for me.

She took me back and set the blood drawing kit by my side, causing my blood pressure to spike. I knew the blood draw was coming but I didn’t want to start thinking about it so soon! I expressed how nervous needles make me and so she moved them out of sight and said we could do that part of the routine at the end of the appointment. We went through my medical history and talked things over, I got on the scale, she listened to my heart beat, checked my blood pressure*, and then I flipped onto my back. She brought out a tape measurer and measured my fundal height, and then brought a little hand-held machine out called a doppler to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. Then came the dreaded blood draw, which they take to measure complete blood count, blood type and Rh, and rubella titer. Sarah was fast and found a good vein on the first try, something that doesn’t always happen for me.

I was given a bit of homework before I left, to shoot for 80-100 grams of protein per day, exercise regularly, and to keep a nutrition journal for the two of us to review at my next appointment. I’m excited to show her Fitday and how powerful it is, although I haven’t done the best job at tracking and I know she’s going to get after me for it (which is good, because that is exactly what I need!).

The appointment ended with an opportunity for me to ask questions, although I can’t remember what I asked. I bought some supplements (I really should write about them, as they’ve made an incredible difference for me physically) and scheduled my next appointment for the 30th of November. I’m looking forward to my next appointment because I’ve been gaining weight so rapidly and I’m not sure I understand why. I’m hoping Sarah can help me reign things in a little bit!

*Have you ever had your blood pressure checked using the finger device? I despise the way the pressure cuff on my arm makes me feel and I know my numbers spike because of it, so Sarah retrieved an instrument I had never seen before that slipped onto my finger instead. If you’re like me and don’t like feeling your heart pounding in your arm, and you think your readings are incorrect because of it, I highly recommend asking if this is an option for you

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