Chris Dickhead, a breastfed baby hardly cost a damn thing to raise. Seriously, I think people spend a shit ton on formula compared to any other baby raising essentials. I don't remember the hospital bill for delivery and a couple days stay being much either. A lot less than if you were there for any other kind of injury or illness I think. There's always home birthing options, too!
Unless you have to pay for daycare, in which case they are like taking on an extra mortgage payment. We forget that a little too often, I think!
No water birth. That shit grosses me out. I had to do one once and I vowed I would never do one if I was pregnant. Labor and push in the tub? Yes. Birth in the tub. Hell no!
I might puss out and go to the hospital for an epidural. I'm allowing for all options. I feel like if I have an open mind about my birth I won't be disappointed if it goes a different way. I'm allowing that I might be high risk and not be able to do it at home. I'm allowing that my labor might not go well and I'll need a c section. I'm allowing that I might hate natural labor and want to go to the hospital for an epidural.
Yeah, that's basically how I went about it. I find that people who get all obsessive about their birth plan always end up disappointed. I think as long as you go in educated (you've got that covered) and with an open mind, you're going to be okay. My birth plan was basically, "I'm going to hold out for as long as possible before getting an epidural. If that means I can hold out for the whole thing, go me. If not, whatever." When we were on our way to the hospital and things were SUCKING, I told Adam, "If they tell me I'm at like 6, I'll see if I can hold out a little longer, if they tell me I'm at like 3, fuck it, I'm getting the epidural." I was at 3, hahah. I'll try to hold out a little longer this time, but after birthing a baby with a head in the 90th percentile that didn't want to do that lovely coning thing to get out easier, I'm not going to be a hero.
i downloaded some hypnobirthing CD illegally, but we didn't end up using it. it was pretty lame, honestly. "your body is a perfectly crafted vessel for birthing. your foremothers have been birthing for thousands of years. you are strong and beautiful. blah blah blah."
I think you have to have a susceptibility to that shit. It would just infuriate me, I'm sure.
Interesting! I don't know much about either so I'll have to get some books.
Are you guys doing the Bradley method thing or do you kind of just know what to do because of the midwife thing?
Nicole, for just the birth basics, I highly recommend a dvd called Laugh and Learn about Childbirth (or something really close to that). It covers all the basics in a really easy to remember/understand way. We didn't do any "coaching" type classes.
