Appointment, and *the show is starting soon*

[altarflame]

I had a prenatal today, and it made me feel so much better. I think that because I've been having so much start-and-stop contraction action, I've had a sort of unarticulated fear in the back of my mind that maybe my body DOESN'T work. Like, everytime a few hours of regular, painful contractions come and then stop again, I try not to think that maybe it's not just that I'm not going into labor NOW...maybe it's that I'm never going to. That my uterus has never done what it's supposed to do, that my body thinks the baby is going to be automatically removed by outside forces, that I've been ruined or broken by interventions. That I've been kidding myself all along to think otherwise.

I can consciously think and say all these things now because they don't feel true anymore.

Anyway, nothing overly crazy or significant happened at the appointment. Shari is just awesome, and I got her, and somehow even though I know that I shouldn't need anyone's affirmation...it sure is nice.

Basically, I was right and the baby has dropped/engaged and is down low now. When I talked up the prodromal labor stuff to her, she said "Good! That means your uterus is doing something" cheerily, and then went on to feel my still-tight cervix and say that she thinks that based on my due date, history and current cervical state, plus the phases of the moon, she thinks it'll probably be around October 7. Which would be Grant's birthday. His heartrate is great, she would guess 7 3/4 pounds right now, and I've lost a pound.

Somehow I seriously came out of all this glowingly pleased, like "Everything IS going fine! I am a textbook case of natural 3rd trimester goodness!"

Also, I got a postcard from them in the mail yesterday, because the reality series that Discovery has been filming there starts on the 26th. For anyone who gets Discovery Health, it is going to be airing at 8 am, 12 pm, and 3 pm. You can go to http://www.health.discovery.com and see the episode summaries or your own viewing times - the show is called "House of Babies". I'm insanely excited about this. For the record, I don't know if I'm on it or not, so far. They're still there filming and will be until January, so far they've filmed one of the childbirth classes Grant and I were at, and one of my sessions with the chiro, but I have no way of knowing if I'll be edited out or whatever. I'm still up in the air about them filming The Birth. I'm torn between a tremendous urge towards advocacy, and "Leave me the heck alone for this". There is a vbac episode in the first few that are ready for airing already, but I don't think I'm included in that anywhere. Everyone who can has to watch!!

Comments

[the-waker.livejournal.com]

Oh man, I wish I had cable right now! Somebody needs to tape it and I'll pay them for a copy :)

Your body knows just what to do. It always has and it always will.

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)!!!!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

:D

hi

[freshgroundfemm.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I love reading your posts (I've been reading through the domestic_divas friends' page). I've been enjoying reading your thoughts on your upcoming birth and have been keeping you in my thoughts. That might sound weird coming from a stranger, but I wish that the hundreds of thousands of women who don't trust their bodies and the obnoxious doctors that don't trust women and birth should be reading your journal. (I work in a midwifery office in a hospital and am surrounded by amazing midwives, a handful of amazing docs, and a lot of not-so-amazing maternal fetal medicine docs.)

ps

[freshgroundfemm.livejournal.com]

and, I totally agreed with your post in booju_mooju the other day and it pissed me off when I went back and saw that some people weren't taking what you said as valid.

Re: ps

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

I was like, "WHOA, ok, nobody agrees, fine." But then I realized it was actually just 4 or 5 people who made 50 comments and took over the thread, after 30 had agreed. :::shrug:::

Re: hi

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

It doesn't sound so weird coming from a stranger - it's not as if I've "met" most of the people on my friends' list, and I am posting on the internet :p

Thank you, though. I wish I could share with more people, because I really DO know what it's like to be duped by the medical community and not even realize my rights, or abilities, or what else is out there...it's just so hard, because nobody WANTS to hear that they're being played for a fool, and/or might not have made the best choices for previous babies :/

[mommydama.livejournal.com]

I wonder how I can get a copy of the show. I'm so, so, so glad you are feeling better and stronger. I somehow knew you were feeling and wondering those things. I've been praying along those lines for you for some time. That you would be strong, in body and in spirit. I'm so excited for you!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

What the heck would anybody do without you around?!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

:) Thank you for your prayers. And intuition.

[norwegian-wood.livejournal.com]

it's so good that you're feeling good!!!!

[babyslime.livejournal.com]

WAAHHHH. I DON'T GET THAT CHANNEL!!

*contacts cable company*

I saw it!!!!!

[wetlandsusie.livejournal.com]

I got to watch the first two installments of "House of Babies" this morning and I'm already hooked! What a cool place. Virginia (where I live) isn't exactly a midwifery-friendly state - we have a few midwives but they're heavily regulated and many have left because of all the crap they have to put up with here. And I SAW YOU on the second episode getting a chiro adjustment. It was only for a couple of seconds - but YOU WERE DEFINITELY THERE! You're famous!

Re: I saw it!!!!!

[altarflame.livejournal.com]

Holy crap, thank you for telling me, how awesome! Eep!

I don't know all of Florida's midwife laws, but I do know that the obstetrical lobbying groups are trying to make it so that medicaid no longer covers midwives, only OBs >:O I've heard some horrible stuff about Virginia, though, from the_waker :/

And, it is a cool place...ooh, now I want to prod you for details! I can't wait until I get my taped copies! I'll bet I look horrible, though, I don't put on makeup or anything special, to go. I think my belly even kept falling out of my shirt the day they were there filming, as I rolled around on the chiro table :x

Re: I saw it!!!!!

[wetlandsusie.livejournal.com]

Truthfully - you look just fine on the chiro table - no belly lolling around, no crazy look on your face, no hair akimbo. You looked like you were getting your hips adjusted, which, from you entries, is what seems to be what gives you the most problems. A lot of the other patients they showcase on the show look like more down-to-earth, more naturally inclined people, so without makeup and a fancy outfit, you fit in better than if you were all dolled up.