Christmas Morning... well, kinda

Today was the big day... my first REAL appointment with my midwife. In some ways it feels like it has taken forever to get to this point. In other ways, it does almost feel like just yesterday I was calling around to figure out my insurance coverage and find a suitable healthcare provider. My insurance pretty much sucks to start off. I think Dwight Schrute is responsible. I won't go into it, but it is frustrating, to say the least (and having this baby could cost us more than I ever actually anticipated... but it will be worth it, no doubt!) I have always really wanted to have a midwife. I love the personal relationship and bedside manner that they seem to have. I also really like the idea of having someone that would be there for more of my labor than just the last 5 minutes. Plus, I would like to explore doing this with as little (maybe even no) medication as possible and I think that Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) are much more open to that idea. The drawbacks of finding a midwife, however, were pretty big. The biggest being that most midwives deliver either at a birthing center or at your home. Even though I really don't think having a baby in a hospital is all that appealing, it sure is better than my kitchen floor (I am not sure I could cook in my home ever again after that!) and the idea of having a neo-natal unitl close by was preferred. So, when I found out about Lynn Hanson, a CNM that has hospital privileges at Orange Coast Memorial in Fountain Valley, I was pretty sure I wanted to meet with her. Plus, she is delivering my friend's baby this month (and I am her birth coach) so it will be like having a "dry run."

After a VERY healthy breakfast at McDonald's, we were off to meet the midwife.

I met Lynn for the first time one month ago today. She is so great and incredibly friendly. She takes lots of time to answer my ridiculous questions and I feel like she is genuinely invested in us. Today, Will got to meet Lynn for the first time... he also got to experience his first pap-smear (second-hand, luckily for him!!!!) He was obviously very excited for this day though. He asked several questions leading up to today, like whether or not there was a speaker on it so that we would all be able to hear the heartbeat. He also brought his camera along to document the day. Not ALL of the day (I forbade pictures in the office. Those paper vests are flattering and all but, no thank you!!!) But he did capture these pics in the waiting room.


After weighing in (+2 lbs) my initial exam and asking questions about my new friend, the migrane headache, along with other such inquiries, we got to the moment of truth...

I had been preparing myself for weeks. I knew that there was a chance that we might not be able to hear the heartbeat yet since it is still a little early (and I think I am a week behind my due date). Our life group was praying specifically that we would not only hear the heartbeat but hear it right away. Even so, I had prepated myself for some disapointment. I had even planned to ask her to keep looking, even if she was ready to give up.
She pulled out the wand, stuck it on my belly and never even had to move it. Immediately we heard it... the most amazing thing in the world. The sound of little Pip's heart swooshing away at about 160 beats per minute. So crazy!! Will and I both got a little teary and she kept it there for what seemed like a very long time as we continued to talk and ask questions. It is amazing how much more real it all feels now... probably because we feel more comfortable telling people now (Lynn said that once you hear heart tones, risk of miscarriage drops significantly!) and because we realize that things are actually progressing just as they should be. Little Pip is right on schedule! Guess I should expect more, especially when my life group is praying!

It made the rest of the day difficult to concentrate on anything other than that. We both called our moms to give them the update. We exchanged several emails on the magnitude of the day to us. I even caught Will simulating the "swoosh, swoosh, swoosh" sound of Pip's tiny little heart beathing away as we drove around this evening.

All in all, it was just like a beautiful Christmas morning, without a single disappointment! (but also without mom's famous sweet-petal coffee cake... mmmmm.... that sounds good! I cannot possibly be hungry AGAIN can I? Thank God I only gained 2 pounds this month!)