Cheap prada dress shoes

I was planning a cheap prada dress shoes home birth with my first baby, William, but towards the cheap prada dress shoes end, my midwife was getting nervous about my blood pressure and cheap prada dress shoes swelling and said we’d have to have the baby at the birth center.  I wasn’t thrilled about that prospect, but I agreed.  Then in the last month she started getting really nervous.  My baby was presenting breech and would not turn.  At three weeks to cheap prada dress shoes go we met with Dr. Cummings, the doctor who our midwife used as a cheap prada dress shoes backup, who attempted to externally turn William.  Unfortunately, his attempts were fruitless as were ours – lying upside-down on the cheap prada dress shoes ironing board, daddy reading down low to the baby, trying to cheap prada dress shoes make the baby follow a light, using an icepack to cheap prada dress shoes try to encourage the baby down . . .  Nothing worked!  He stubbornly refused to move into the correct position.  Our midwife said she was uncomfortable attempting a cheap prada dress shoes first-time delivery that was breech, and transferred us to Dr. Cummings’ care.  I went into labor two weeks (to the day) early, showed up to cheap prada dress shoes the hospital dilated only two centimeters, had my water broken, was given Demerol for cheap prada dress shoes pain (which made me unbelievably loopy, uncommunicative, and didn’t get rid of the pain), Pitocin to cheap prada dress shoes encourage contractions after the Demerol slowed down labor, and vwa-la! 21 hours later I delivered our son, William Alexander Croy!  It wasn’t the birth I’d planned or cheap prada dress shoes hoped for, but I do give thanks to God for leading us to cheap prada dress shoes a doctor who was willing to deliver a breech vaginally.  I would never have cheap prada dress shoes had the courage to attempt a vaginal delivery after having a cheap prada dress shoes c-section so I am eternally grateful!   

So. . . . when cheap prada dress shoes I found out I was pregnant again, I wanted to have cheap prada dress shoes a home birth.  At only a cheap prada dress shoes couple of weeks into my pregnancy I started researching midwives in our area.  I found that cheap prada dress shoes there were lots and lots who went from one end of the cheap prada dress shoes midwife spectrum to the other.  Nurse-midwives who cheap prada dress shoes only delivered in hospitals to midwives who encouraged having your cheap prada dress shoes baby with no help outside help at all unless absolutely necessary.  

I met with probably half a dozen ladies.  Some were too far to cheap prada dress shoes agree to a home birth others had a policy where you cheap prada dress shoes got the midwife who was “on duty” when you went into labor.  No one seemed quite what I was hoping for, and I almost didn’t keep my appointment with Sarah Jones at the cheap prada dress shoes Gentle Beginnings Birth Center because I was sure I was going to cheap prada dress shoes be disappointed again.  But afterwards I saw God’s guiding hand in my choice because I decided to cheap prada dress shoes give her a chance and met with her.  She was so wonderful.  She seemed quite young, several years my junior but very confident and cheap prada dress shoes caring, and so very sweet and happy to sit and answer question after question that cheap prada dress shoes I put to her.  The birth center was a cheap prada dress shoes lovely place, and I had a hard time deciding between birthing at home or cheap prada dress shoes there because it was so nice (I decided against because I couldn’t imagine driving for an hour while in labor).  Sarah was wonderful at every one of my prenatal visits and cheap prada dress shoes seemed as excited and full of wonder as I was every time we heard my little son’s heartbeat!  We were even able to cheap prada dress shoes meet with a sonographer at the birth center and see our little guy.  Sarah encouraged me to stay fit and eat well (although I have cheap prada dress shoes to admit the food diary just about drove me nuts – as hard as I tried to “get enough protein” and “drink enough water” I never felt like I was quite doing enough – no offense Sarah. )  Again in the cheap prada dress shoes last few months my blood pressure started rising, and I started to cheap prada dress shoes experience some swelling.  Sarah advised me to take Gotu Kola Complex, and I’m here to tell you, that stuff WORKS!  When I ran out, my swelling got worse very quickly, but when cheap prada dress shoes I started taking it again I saw improvement within a cheap prada dress shoes few hours!  

I had cheap prada dress shoes Braxton-Hicks contractions from about 4 months on out, steadily getting stronger as I went along, but I wasn’t at all concerned because I had cheap prada dress shoes experienced the same thing with William.  My husband, Alex, and I went on a week and a half “baby-moon” in Maine when I was seven months pregnant.  We relaxed and hiked and had some lovely alone time.  Sarah went to cheap prada dress shoes visit her parents in China for a few weeks when I was at 7 ½ months, and cheap prada dress shoes left me in the very compassionate hands of her associate, Christy.  It was excellent to cheap prada dress shoes meet with Christy because she was supposed to be Sarah’s assistant at our birth.  I was very happy to cheap prada dress shoes learn that she was a kindred spirit, and we seemed to cheap prada dress shoes get on wonderfully at our first meeting.  

On Wednesday, December 3, (one week after Thanksgiving, less than a week after my 29^th birthday, and cheap prada dress shoes more than two weeks before my due date of December 18) we decided to go Christmas tree shopping.  Alex said that if we didn’t get it soon I would go and have the baby, and he’d have to decorate it all on his own. So while we decorated our house and cheap prada dress shoes trees with multi-colored Christmas lights and shopped for a tree I experienced some very strong contractions.  I had cheap prada dress shoes to squat down and breathe through several of them in between decorating.  I kept thinking, “maybe this is it!”  But I didn’t want to cheap prada dress shoes jump the gun, and sure enough, the contractions went away with a cheap prada dress shoes warm bath.  Thursday morning, afternoon, and cheap prada dress shoes evening went by without more than the regular Braxton-Hicks, and Friday morning I wasn’t expecting anything spectacular, but just to cheap prada dress shoes be sure, I called up my friend who’d given birth a cheap prada dress shoes few months previously and asked if she might loan me her birth pool.  Several people I know had cheap prada dress shoes used one and said it helped immensely with the pain.  She said sure, and cheap prada dress shoes at about 3:30 in the afternoon she brought it over, and cheap prada dress shoes I helped her unload it into the garage.  Our bigger boys, who cheap prada dress shoes are about the same age, wanted to play, so she stayed for cheap prada dress shoes a bit, and I was enjoying her camaraderie so much that cheap prada dress shoes when her husband called her to let her know he was on his way home, I told her to cheap prada dress shoes tell him to come on over, and I’d fix them dinner.  So he did, and cheap prada dress shoes I did, and when Alex got home we all feasted on quiche and cheap prada dress shoes fresh tomatoes and egg custard!   

After they went home we decided it cheap prada dress shoes was high time to decorate our tree!  So we got to cheap prada dress shoes work on it, and by the time we were done, my back was killing me, and cheap prada dress shoes I spent an hour relaxing and trying to work the kinks out of my back by lying on the cheap prada dress shoes couch.  We went to cheap prada dress shoes bed, but after several hours of trying get comfortable, I decided those weren’t kinks and no amount of relaxing was going to get rid of them.  I woke Alex at 11:00 PM, and told him I thought we’d have a baby tomorrow, and I called Sarah to give her a heads up.  She told me to try to get some sleep and called me if things progressed.  

I tried to rest.  I honestly did! But that baby didn’t have resting on his mind.  The contractions kept getting stronger and cheap prada dress shoes coming very regularly every 10 or so minutes and at about 1 AM to cheap prada dress shoes tell her that I was pretty sure this was it.  She said to cheap prada dress shoes try to rest between contractions and call her when the contractions got to cheap prada dress shoes be about five minutes apart.  At about four I called her again and cheap prada dress shoes told her I was ready for her to come, and she said she would be cheap prada dress shoes on her way as soon as she could get her things together.  I called my sister, Paige, who cheap prada dress shoes lives about an hour away, and told her I was ready for cheap prada dress shoes her to come get William.  At about five Sarah showed up.  She checked my vitals and the baby’s position and said, “yep, you’re in labor.”  Paige showed up and cheap prada dress shoes after I gave him a distracted hug and kiss goodbye she tenderly took Liam off with her.  Sarah was wonderfully calm and cheap prada dress shoes quiet and caring as I paced from our bedroom to the cheap prada dress shoes hall then the kitchen and back to our room.  She would quietly ask if I was having a contraction and time it.  Alex was in the cheap prada dress shoes kitchen putting the birth pool together and getting it hooked up to cheap prada dress shoes the sink.  After a while I couldn’t handle the contractions on my own anymore, and whenever I’d have cheap prada dress shoes one Alex would come to me, and we would kneel down together, and cheap prada dress shoes he would help me breathe through them.  Sarah checked me again sometime in there and cheap prada dress shoes said that I was progressing nicely and in good time.  Christy showed up around at about 7 or 8.  I think I got into the cheap prada dress shoes birth pool for the first time sometime around 9ish, after I got to cheap prada dress shoes about 7 centimeters, and we were pretty sure it wouldn’t slow down labor.  The water felt amazing, and I was still lucid enough, and “modest” enough, that I insisted on putting on my bathing suit.  After a cheap prada dress shoes bit I got out and Alex and I attempted to walk around the cheap prada dress shoes block, and I’m not sure but I don’t think we even made it to the end of the block.  It was really cold, and cheap prada dress shoes I felt conspicuous when I had to kneel down on the cheap prada dress shoes sidewalk to get through my contractions.  After our walk I got back in the cheap prada dress shoes pool, and around ten in the morning Christy started cooking the cheap prada dress shoes after-birth herbs and getting towels and washcloths warm.  I was out of it enough that I didn’t realize it, but Alex later said that cheap prada dress shoes they were expecting the birth fairly soon at that point.  I remember getting a cheap prada dress shoes little annoyed with Sarah when she started talking to me during contractions and cheap prada dress shoes asking her to quit talking.  After the cheap prada dress shoes contraction ended I apologized, and she said not to apologize but to cheap prada dress shoes feel free to tell her what I needed.  If I hadn’t been soaking wet and in pain I would have hugged her.  I needed to hear that just then.  I also remember asking Christy to cheap prada dress shoes take the herbs out because the smell was making me sick.  All this cheap prada dress shoes just made them more sure that baby was going to cheap prada dress shoes arrive soon. 

But then cheap prada dress shoes . . . Sarah started wondering how things were progressing, and cheap prada dress shoes when she checked I was still only at 7 centimeters!  Oh, I thought I would cry.  She and cheap prada dress shoes Christy went off and chatted a bit, and when Sarah came back she said that cheap prada dress shoes at this time they had to tell me that we needed to cheap prada dress shoes make a decision.  I had cheap prada dress shoes progressed so little in the last few hours I think by then cheap prada dress shoes it was about 2 in the afternoon) due to the baby not being fully engaged in the birth canal (the cheap prada dress shoes little stinker had backed up and was trying to come out at an cheap prada dress shoes angle) that I could either: transfer to the hospital (near tears), drink a cheap prada dress shoes bit of wine and try to stop labor and call them back when cheap prada dress shoes I was more rested, or see if I could go to cheap prada dress shoes a chiropractor for an adjustment and get the baby moving.  I really, really did not want to cheap prada dress shoes transfer to the hospital because I was sure I would end up with a cheap prada dress shoes caesarian.  We couldn’t get in touch with a cheap prada dress shoes chiropractor here in our town, and mine was an hour away and cheap prada dress shoes off for the day.  So we opted for the wine and relaxation.  It did help me to cheap prada dress shoes relax, and Alex said I slept pretty hard in between contractions, and cheap prada dress shoes when I woke up they said they had gotten in touch with Dr. Shane (my chiropractor), and cheap prada dress shoes he had agreed to come up and give me an adjustment so long as there was someone here to cheap prada dress shoes watch his little boy who he’d have to bring along!  Praise God for Dr. Shane and his willingness to come!  While he was on his way, I got out of the cheap prada dress shoes tub, and Alex helped me do some exercises to try to cheap prada dress shoes move baby down and get labor going again.  At this point I was at a really low place emotionally.  Sarah came into my room where I was laboring (and suffering so much!)  She knelt beside me, and cheap prada dress shoes encouraged me in her tender way, and then asked so sweetly if she could pray with me.  I said, “Yes.  Please!”  It was such a perfect thing for her to do.  I needed that so much just then.  I had cheap prada dress shoes been praying in my head, but just about all I could manage was, “Dear God, help me!”  She closed her eyes and cheap prada dress shoes held my hand and simply asked the Lord to be cheap prada dress shoes with me, and to give me the strength and courage to cheap prada dress shoes continue and to help baby to move so that I could deliver him.  It was such a cheap prada dress shoes simple prayer, but it was said with such sincerity and cheap prada dress shoes love and compassion.  It really moved me, and cheap prada dress shoes I felt strengthened and encouraged after it.   

Not long after that Dr. Shane arrived, and he was so great!  When I asked how I should be for the adjustment he said, “You just do what you need to, and I’ll work around you.”  So while I stood or kneeled he worked on me a bit.  After a while, Sarah checked me, and said I was progressing again.  Dr. Shane adjusted me (and baby) some more, and after a while said baby was good to go!  Sarah checked the cheap prada dress shoes baby and me, and said I was at nine or cheap prada dress shoes so, and I was really feeling the urge to bear down.  This was a totally new sensation to me.  I had not felt it at all with Liam.  Sarah said there was still a cheap prada dress shoes bit of cervical lip, and I needed to resist pushing if I could.  She told me to cheap prada dress shoes blow out my lips like a horse to help combat the cheap prada dress shoes need to push.  I felt like an idiot (even at that stage), but man, it worked!  She got the cheap prada dress shoes lip out of the way, and for the next 30 minutes or cheap prada dress shoes so I knelt on the bed leaning into and on Alex.  Thank you, Alex, for cheap prada dress shoes you strong arms supporting me and your tender hands holding me, and cheap prada dress shoes you encouraging words whispering in my ear!  Thank you!  Christy and cheap prada dress shoes Sarah kept urging me and encouraging me, and finally after what cheap prada dress shoes seemed a lifetime they said they could see his head.  But then, oh then cheap prada dress shoes . . . Christy said I needed to turn on my side because baby couldn’t get out.  Oh, my word, trying to turn when baby was partly out was just misery!  But I managed, and cheap prada dress shoes Christy held my leg, Sarah encouraged, and Alex held my hand, and cheap prada dress shoes after a while I started to see my baby’s head coming out!  It was terrifying and wonderful all at once.  I pushed and pushed, and thought I was splitting in half.  And finally with Sarah’s hands pulling him, and cheap prada dress shoes my body pushing him with all its might, our baby was brought into this cheap prada dress shoes world!  They laid him on my chest and tried to get him to nurse.  I didn’t care what he or anyone did, I just relaxed.  I guess my whole body relaxed because soon (it was really a couple of hours) Sarah said I really needed to try to deliver the placenta.  I did what I could to encourage the baby to nurse.  Sarah gave me a cheap prada dress shoes couple of shots of pitocin, and then threatened to give me a cheap prada dress shoes catheter.  I didn’t want that, and cheap prada dress shoes I guess it was enough of an incentive to get my brain to cheap prada dress shoes tell my body to get that thing out of me because it cheap prada dress shoes did! Then finally I was in my “mom soup” with my tiny new beautiful son.  He was 8 pounds 5 oz and 21 inches long.  It was the cheap prada dress shoes most wonderful, horrible, exciting, miserable day of my life!  But it was so empowering and inspiring!  It made me so grateful for a wonderful husband and birth helpers!  Thank you, God!

Once an cheap prada dress shoes infant starts cutting teeth, it can be a painful process for cheap prada dress shoes infants and parents alike with remedies including everything from clean, wet washrags to cheap prada dress shoes pain relief pills. One of the oldest methods available is an cheap prada dress shoes amber teething necklace, which the infant wears around their neck helps relieve the cheap prada dress shoes pain associated with teething.

Amber Teething Necklaces are cheap prada dress shoes designed and custom made for babies, all they have to do is cheap prada dress shoes wear it on their skin, to diminish the pain and discomfort caused by teething.
An appropriate length of teething necklaces is (approx 12″ or 32 cm) to ensure the majority of children shouldn’t be able to fit the necklace in their mouth while it’s been cheap prada dress shoes worn. Wearing baltic amber is a traditional European remedy for teething. Baltic amber teething necklace are cheap prada dress shoes made to be worn by teething children to provide them with natural pain relief from cheap prada dress shoes teething symptoms, they are ideal for both boys and girls to cheap prada dress shoes wear. These teething necklaces aren’t made for chewing, but rather, they’re usually made to cheap prada dress shoes be worn by the mother while the child is carried against the cheap prada dress shoes mother.

Amber is cheap prada dress shoes a natural analgesic and when worn on the skin, it releases healing oils that cheap prada dress shoes helps babies and young children to stay calm and more relaxed thoughout teething. Natural anti-inflamitory and cheap prada dress shoes pain relieving properties of baltic amber are perfect to soothe teething babies. Amber necklaces are cheap prada dress shoes a great natural remedy and can eliminate the need for over the cheap prada dress shoes counter drugs. There are some versions of the amber teething necklace that cheap prada dress shoes are meant to be worn by the child, but I would think you’d have cheap prada dress shoes to be very careful about that. If the necklaces were to cheap prada dress shoes be worn by babies the child should only wear it when cheap prada dress shoes being supervises (never while sleeping) and the clasp would have to be a “break away” clasp to prevent any sort of accidental pulling or choking.

Every amber teething necklace has cheap prada dress shoes been hand-crafted by Baltic amber specialists with generations of experience who cheap prada dress shoes carefully polish and softly round the Baltic amber beads. Unlike cheaper amber ‘chips’, amberbebe.com uses rounded polished beads, which lay comfortably against baby’s skin. This allows maximum skin contact and cheap prada dress shoes gives added comfort to your child.

Amber necklaces are cheap prada dress shoes made for wearing, not for chewing as amber exhibits its pain relieving qualities when cheap prada dress shoes worn on the skin.

How does it work?

In the 1930′s and 40′s, European biochemists discovered that cheap prada dress shoes succinic acid is an amino acid created naturally in every cell of the cheap prada dress shoes body capable of aerobic respiration, participating in the citric acid, or cheap prada dress shoes Krebs cycle . This is how carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are cheap prada dress shoes metabolized into energy. Wearing amber may also protect us against the cheap prada dress shoes negative influences of electrical equipment like computers, televisions, mobile phone and cheap prada dress shoes microwave ovens. Part of what’s amazing about amber is cheap prada dress shoes that the chemical properties of the resin which when formed acted as a cheap prada dress shoes natural embalming agent, with both drying and anti-microbial properties. Ancient Egyptians actually used pine resin as an cheap prada dress shoes embalming agent, and doctors in the Civil War, lacking anything else, would sometimes slap tree resin on a cheap prada dress shoes wound as a disinfectant and saved lives that way. Worn close to cheap prada dress shoes the skin, the body’s heat helps release minuscule amounts of oil from cheap prada dress shoes the amber, which is then absorbed into the blood stream.

Baltic amber has cheap prada dress shoes be known to reduce acidity in the human body in a cheap prada dress shoes totally natural way. By having the baby wear the necklace everyday it cheap prada dress shoes helps reduce the common symptoms related to teething such as; redness in the cheap prada dress shoes cheeks, swollen gums, diaper rashes and fevers.

What is amber?

Amber is cheap prada dress shoes the fossilised sap from prehistoric trees that grew as much as fifty million years ago, primarily in Scandinavia and cheap prada dress shoes elsewhere around the Baltic Sea. Amber has been worn for centuries as a cheap prada dress shoes natural remedy for pain relief and to promote fast healing and cheap prada dress shoes boost the immune system. Its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties make it cheap prada dress shoes ideal as a natural (no drugs) homeopathic product for babies and children.

What is baby teething and when do babies start teething?

Baby teething is cheap prada dress shoes the process by which a baby begins to get his or cheap prada dress shoes her teeth. A baby can begin teething as early as 3 months but the cheap prada dress shoes normal/average age for cheap prada dress shoes a baby to begin teething is between 5 and 7 months of age. Babies usually get their first tooth during that cheap prada dress shoes time period. Teething patterns are also often hereditary so ask your cheap prada dress shoes parents your teething patterns to get an idea of what you cheap prada dress shoes went through while teething and when you got your first tooth. There is cheap prada dress shoes no magic age for a baby to start teething. For additional information please consult a cheap prada dress shoes pediatrician or dentist and view our additional baby teething resources below.

How do I know my baby is teething?

When a baby begins teething he/she can cheap prada dress shoes become irritable and upset. Baby will probably bite and gnaw a cheap prada dress shoes lot. Your baby will probably bite down and chew on anything he/she can including you. When your baby is teething he/she may not sleep well either. Some other normal baby teething symptoms are cheap prada dress shoes drooling, ear pulling, crying, runny nose and possibly a rash on the cheap prada dress shoes face/chin area and cheap prada dress shoes neck. Some less common possibly associated symptoms are low grade fever and cheap prada dress shoes diarrhea. However, all doctors do not agree on this. If your cheap prada dress shoes child has a fever and/or cheap prada dress shoes diarrhea and no other symptoms please consult a doctor. For additional information please consult a cheap prada dress shoes pediatrician.

“Birth is cheap prada dress shoes a miracle, a rite of passage, a natural part of life. But birth is cheap prada dress shoes also big business.
Compelled to cheap prada dress shoes explore the subject after the delivery of her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to cheap prada dress shoes question the way American women have babies.
The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and cheap prada dress shoes scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is cheap prada dress shoes pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal.
Should most births be cheap prada dress shoes viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be cheap prada dress shoes treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?”

Click on the link below to watch the trailer of the movie “The Business of Being Born.”

The Business of Being Born

Personally I have cheap prada dress shoes found the Business of Being Born to be inspirational and cheap prada dress shoes essential to anyone planning to have a baby in today’s society. So many families remain unaware of their choices in childbirth. It is my heart’s desire to cheap prada dress shoes educate families about their God-given rights to choose their birth story!

HOSPITAL OR BIRTH CENTER…THAT IS THE QUESTION.

I can cheap prada dress shoes remember researching birth centers almost as soon as I got married.  I remember that cheap prada dress shoes when I first heard of them, I was very taken with the cheap prada dress shoes idea and immediately intrigued about them.  I’ve never really liked hospitals…they smell funny (though the cheap prada dress shoes irony is that I actually was a biology major in college for cheap prada dress shoes a semester, planning on going into medicine).  After just a cheap prada dress shoes little bit of research, I knew immediately that a birth center was what cheap prada dress shoes I wanted to use to have my children.  It seemed like the best of both worlds!  A blend of medicine with a very homelike feel!  My mother-in-law had cheap prada dress shoes 3 out of four of her kids at home with a cheap prada dress shoes midwife, so my husband was and is very comfortable with midwifery and cheap prada dress shoes natural birth.  My own mom didn’t have an epidural with my oldest sister (though my twin and cheap prada dress shoes I were taken by c-section so of course medicinal intervention was needed there).  So, I knew that from my parents and his parents, we wouldn’t have much trouble gaining “permission.” (Not that we needed permission, but it’s nice not to have to convince).  Well, when cheap prada dress shoes I got pregnant, we were living in Chicago, having to cheap prada dress shoes go through private health care because my husband was a cheap prada dress shoes graduate student and I was working for a non-profit with no cheap prada dress shoes benefits.  Little did I know that cheap prada dress shoes the private health insurance company would not pay a dime for cheap prada dress shoes any prenatal tests or labs or doctor visits!!!  After my initial appointment and cheap prada dress shoes ultrasound, we already owed the hospital over $4,000.  I remember getting the cheap prada dress shoes bill and in between sobs, telling my husband that we couldn’t afford to deliver this child.  At that point, I stopped going to the doctor.  I remember getting reassurances from cheap prada dress shoes friends who told me that all the doctors checked for at these visits was my weight, baby’s growth, and blood pressure, so not to worry.  However, as a first-time mom, I wanted everything to be normal.  I wanted to be as stereotypical as possible! When you try a recipe out for the first time, you don’t tweak.  When pregnant for the first time, you follow the plan!  Tweaking should be left for the experienced.

We moved to cheap prada dress shoes Dallas that summer and when I arrived I was already 6 months pregnant with no cheap prada dress shoes doctor, insurance, or plan.  Thankfully, my husband got a cheap prada dress shoes job very quickly but even then, the insurance plan wasn’t great, and I just didn’t trust insurance companies to treat us fairly.  From my research, I knew that things might not go ‘by the book’ in a hospital, and anyone who touched me who wasn’t under our plan, we would be paying for out of pocket.  That concern, along with not knowing what cheap prada dress shoes medicines and interventions would be covered, convinced me to look into birth centers again.  I found a cheap prada dress shoes couple that really excited me, so one day, my good friend and cheap prada dress shoes I went a-hunting.  We weren’t too taken with the cheap prada dress shoes first one, so with crossed fingers, called up the second to cheap prada dress shoes see if we could stop by without an appointment.  I met Sarah that cheap prada dress shoes day and my friend and I were both taken with how calm she made me feel, as well as the cheap prada dress shoes professional, clean, polished, charming…I could go on forever, but to sum it all up…Gentle Beginnings Birth Center was a cheap prada dress shoes lovely place, and I knew I wanted to have my baby there. 

When my friend and cheap prada dress shoes I got back, I was so excited, but she was very nervous.  She spoke with her mother (a lovely woman who I like a lot) who just happens to be an ICU nurse.  The concerns and fears came pouring in.  And not just from my friends.  People at church, in the cheap prada dress shoes grocery line, everywhere it seemed, were interested in where I was giving birth, who cheap prada dress shoes was delivering, why would I want to do it without medication, what cheap prada dress shoes if there were complications…and on and on.  I finally called Sarah and asked for some advice.  We met up and I gave her all the scary scenarios I had heard.  She answered every one of them calmly and without surprise.  I could tell that cheap prada dress shoes she was trained with what to do in every one of those situations and cheap prada dress shoes that I and my baby would be very safe in her hands.  My husband and cheap prada dress shoes I decided that Gentle Beginnings fit our picture of what cheap prada dress shoes birth should be (a cheap prada dress shoes natural occurrence that can become a medical situation, but does not start off that cheap prada dress shoes way, and should therefore be aided not intervened or prohibited at the cheap prada dress shoes will of any person), what cheap prada dress shoes it should cost, and how every member of our family and cheap prada dress shoes friends should experience the arrival of our first baby.  Thanks to cheap prada dress shoes Sarah and her team, I had the answers and the confidence that cheap prada dress shoes I could do this, even though I’d never done it before.  I could safely deliver my baby, and cheap prada dress shoes that they would be there to take care of everything (from hot oil compresses to taking pictures to massage).  My prenatal experience turned from scarily non-stereotypical to excitingly-unusual…at least in this day and age.  I went from unprepared to uniquely aware of my body and my baby.  They redeemed my time for me and for that I will always be grateful.

THE LABOR STORY

It all started around 3:45am on December 7th.  I woke up and had to go to the bathroom (as was typical at that time in my life…I had to go every 2 hours or so).  Well, sorry if this cheap prada dress shoes is too much information, but when I went, I noticed that cheap prada dress shoes I was bleeding…quite a bit.  Needless to say, I panicked.  I went straight to the computer and researched ‘third trimester bleeding.’  What I found was not helpful and mostly terrifying–everything from placenta abrevia to miscarriage.  I texted Sarah right away, laid down on the cheap prada dress shoes couch, and told myself that if she didn’t respond within 15 minutes I would call her.  I not-so-patiently waited until 4:00am and then called Sarah.  Waking her up, I told her what cheap prada dress shoes was happening and she said not to worry but that cheap prada dress shoes if I was still bleeding tomorrow, we would schedule an cheap prada dress shoes ultrasound to make sure things were okay.  I also told her I was worried because I couldn’t get the baby to move.  She suggested drinking a cheap prada dress shoes cold glass of water and eating some fruit to wake him up.  Sure enough, a cheap prada dress shoes few minutes after eating and drinking, the baby began jumping around which caused me to cheap prada dress shoes calm down.  Sarah then cheap prada dress shoes texted me a few more questions which led her to believe that cheap prada dress shoes I was indeed in pre-labor. Not wanting to wake Michael up with my tossing and cheap prada dress shoes turning, I went and laid down in the second bedroom to cheap prada dress shoes try and get some rest.  I’m not positive of the cheap prada dress shoes time anymore, but sometime in the 5:00 hour I woke up with cramps.  I went and cheap prada dress shoes got the hot pad that I had bought for laboring, heated it cheap prada dress shoes up and laid back down…and promptly got rid of the hot pad.  That silly thing did absolutely nothing and only annoyed me more.    I then cheap prada dress shoes decided that I was definitely having contractions and went to the cheap prada dress shoes living room to start Contraction Master.  I was really confused, because starting from cheap prada dress shoes the beginning I was having contractions that lasted anywhere from 20 seconds to cheap prada dress shoes 2 and a half minutes and were anywhere from 30 seconds to cheap prada dress shoes 5 minutes apart.  That’s not what I had read they would be like!  They were supposed to cheap prada dress shoes be irregular at the beginning, but moving closer together as labor progressed.  Mine were so irregular but pretty intense right from the start.  I labored like this cheap prada dress shoes for the next few hours and waited until I heard Michael’s alarm go off at 8am.  At this cheap prada dress shoes point, I had just had a couple of really painful contractions, so I was glad it cheap prada dress shoes was time for him to get up.  I had already decided that we weren’t going to church that day.  I woke him up by walking into the room and calmly saying, “Michael, I need you.  I think I’m in labor.”  He quickly jumped up and cheap prada dress shoes came to me, immediately comforting me as I’m sure I was looking panicked and scared. 

Having Michael’s help during the next uncertain hours was wonderful.  He helped me decide to cheap prada dress shoes call Sarah and see what we should do rather than immediately calling family.  Sarah suggested I either go for a walk or take a bath.  Walking was NOT what cheap prada dress shoes I wanted to do, so I opted for the bath, hoping to cheap prada dress shoes regulate the contractions and get some rest.  Well, I regulated the contractions, but did not get anymore rest.  While I was in the cheap prada dress shoes bath, Michael decided to shower and get ready for the cheap prada dress shoes busy day.  I think I lasted 10 minutes (maybe) in the tub before having to get out and go lay down.  The contractions got strong and VERY regular.  By the cheap prada dress shoes time Michael was out and we were using contraction master again, my contractions were every minute to cheap prada dress shoes minute and a half lasting at least a minute, most of them longer.  I discovered that cheap prada dress shoes the best way for me to labor was on my hands and cheap prada dress shoes knees.  This made contractions very manageable, but unfortunately, any time I changed positions to cheap prada dress shoes rest my arms and legs, I caused another contraction by moving.  The contractions, along with the cheap prada dress shoes exhaustion, made me very nauseous, so I ended up throwing up (sorry if you’re queasy) in bed.  I moved to cheap prada dress shoes the second bedroom again while Michael cleaned up and gave Sarah a cheap prada dress shoes call.  It was around 9:30 I think at this cheap prada dress shoes point, and Sarah gave Michael a few things to find out from cheap prada dress shoes me, only I wasn’t much help apparently.  I could hear everything he was saying, but come to cheap prada dress shoes find out later, I wasn’t responding.  It’s funny to cheap prada dress shoes think back on this, because I really do remember him talking to cheap prada dress shoes me and me thinking my responses, but I also remember him saying very tensely but calmly, “Courtney, Sarah is asking me questions and it’s really important that you tell us the answers.  I need to know when your contractions are starting and when they’re over.”  I never responded to cheap prada dress shoes him because I was trying to hard to figure out how to cheap prada dress shoes respond.  First, I wasn’t always sure when cheap prada dress shoes they started or when they were over, because sometimes they were right on top of each other.  Second, I couldn’t figure out what signal to give.  Should I tap the bed? Say “it’s starting”? Say “Now”?  All of these sounded so hard to get out and communicate.  Then, a contraction began and I looked at him and said, ‘okay’.  He must have cheap prada dress shoes read my face, because he started the clock and then stopped it cheap prada dress shoes when I said ‘okay’ again.  What a brilliant code I came up with!   After a cheap prada dress shoes few more of these and one more trip to the bathroom for cheap prada dress shoes me, Michael called Sarah to let her know.  When she found out how close the cheap prada dress shoes contractions were and that I was getting the chills and throwing up, she told Michael to cheap prada dress shoes give her 15 minutes and then to leave for the birth center.  Michael came to me (where I was hanging over the toilet–a REALLY good place to labor, by the way.  Perfect height for cheap prada dress shoes kneeling and helped me save my arms from having to hold myself up) and told me it was time to go.  I was able to cheap prada dress shoes tell him that the birth bag had been packed, but that cheap prada dress shoes there was a list of last-minute items to grab.  While he finished gathering supplies, I continued to cheap prada dress shoes labor in the bathroom.  When he said it cheap prada dress shoes was time to go, I moved to the living room and cheap prada dress shoes kneeled next to the coffee table while he answered a cheap prada dress shoes couple of calls from people wondering where to go to cheap prada dress shoes meet up with us.  Everyone was surprised it was happening so quickly.  While kneeling in the living room, I had my first ‘urge to push’ and got a little scared thinking, ‘this is not where I want to be!’  It took us a cheap prada dress shoes bit to get to the car because anytime I moved I had cheap prada dress shoes a contraction, so I had to walk while contracting, which wasn’t easy. Also not easy?  The ride to the birth center…let’s just sum that part up with ‘OUCH!’ 

When we got to the birth center, we saw Jesse and Kelly’s car.  I remember seeing them and cheap prada dress shoes smiling at them, but Kelly says that she wasn’t sure if I knew they were there, so obviously my smile wasn’t very expressive.  I found out later that cheap prada dress shoes Kelly asked Michael if I knew they were there and he responded, “I don’t know.  I’m not even sure she can hear me.”  Strangely enough, I was very aware.  Everything I had cheap prada dress shoes read regarding labor led me to believe that I would dip into what cheap prada dress shoes they called ‘Labor Land’ and I wouldn’t be as aware.  WRONG.  I remember questions, looks, thoughts…such as “I hope Kelly doesn’t hear me.  She’ll never want to do this” or “I forgot to renew my library books yesterday.  Now they’re overdue” or “That was an ineffective contraction.  I need to do better on the next one to make it really work.”  Seriously, those were some real thoughts.  I was just REALLY REALLY in my own head. 

When I got the cheap prada dress shoes center, Sarah checked me out and I was already 8 cm dilated.  PRAISE GOD!  I remember having to cheap prada dress shoes concentrate really hard at these last contractions, but I also remember thinking that cheap prada dress shoes I imagined it to be much worse.  I was definitely ‘vocalizing’ very loudly, but it cheap prada dress shoes really helped with pain management if I did it properly.  Michael was AMAZING.  He seemed to cheap prada dress shoes be exactly where I needed him to be and to say the cheap prada dress shoes exact right thing.  I am cheap prada dress shoes in awe that he would know me so well that he could serve me in such capacity with me not talking to cheap prada dress shoes him since around 9:30 that morning.  At this cheap prada dress shoes point, I also remember thinking that the birth center had been cheap prada dress shoes the perfect choice for us.  In a hospital, I don’t think I would have cheap prada dress shoes been able to labor on my hands and knees for so long and cheap prada dress shoes Michael wouldn’t have cheap prada dress shoes been able to be right there in the bed with me, holding my hand.  If I tried laboring on my back, the cheap prada dress shoes pain was too much, but hands and knees allowed me to cheap prada dress shoes labor effectively, without pain overcoming me.  From this point on, time gets really fuzzy.  It felt like it was over quickly (but not quickly enough), when in fact, several hours past during this time.  When it came time to push, Michael got behind me on the bed (another reason I’m glad we were there…I still remember the feeling of leaning back into my husband’s shoulder to push and hearing him say “oh wow! I can see his head!” or  “You’re so close!” or other little encouragements), and I leaned against him for the 45 minutes it took.  This part was MUCH HARDER than cheap prada dress shoes I expected it to be and am very glad that I don’t have to do it again for quite awhile.  But like I said, 45 minutes and it was over. 

When he was out, they very quickly wrapped him in a cheap prada dress shoes towel and pretty much dumped him onto my chest (gently, but it happened so fast!).  Michael and I just sat there for a few minutes in awe of this baby.  I then looked up and asked Sarah if it was a boy or girl.  She just smiled and cheap prada dress shoes said we would have to look. So we unwrapped the towel and cheap prada dress shoes discovered our little boy!  We were both very surprised since we kept telling everyone we thought it cheap prada dress shoes would be a girl.  I still remember the cheap prada dress shoes cheer when Christy, the assistant midwife walked out to Jesse and cheap prada dress shoes Kelly to tell them Christopher was born.  Michael and I both laughed.  After I had cheap prada dress shoes recovered a bit and Topher had nursed some, they let everyone come in.  By this point, my parents and Christine (my sister) had joined the Cones at the center.  It was perfect.  In his first moments of life, he got to cheap prada dress shoes experience love from some (not all) of the people that we care about most.  Then they set up the computer so that Michael’s parents could iChat with us and see Christopher.  How awesome are these times in which we live?!  I then got to go take an herb bath (amazing feeling!!!!) with Christopher while Sarah and Christy ordered me lunch from Panera.  It all felt so natural and normal and joyous.  After everyone had been checked out declared ‘good to go’ we all left back to home.  I think I got home around 5:30ish, so from cheap prada dress shoes beginning of labor to arrival back home…almost 14 hours.  NOT BAD! It was exactly the cheap prada dress shoes birth I had wanted and the ability to come home and cheap prada dress shoes sleep in my own bed (if only for a couple hours at a time) was indescribable.  The care I received from cheap prada dress shoes Sarah and Christy goes beyond words and I will be ever grateful to cheap prada dress shoes them for taking such good care of Michael, Christopher, my family, my friends, and cheap prada dress shoes me.  It was just perfect!

When I first heard about Sarah, I was in Beijing, China, facing with anxiety the cheap prada dress shoes delivery of my first child in the coming months. Of course I was to cheap prada dress shoes give birth in an international hospital, but nevertheless, being so far from cheap prada dress shoes friends and family, surrounded by people who barely understand English, would have cheap prada dress shoes made anyone nervous. Sarah was no less than a lifebuoy for cheap prada dress shoes all the pregnant women there. From the start I was impressed with the cheap prada dress shoes amount of knowledge and experience in such a young midwife! Then she told me about her work in the cheap prada dress shoes Philippines, I was even more willing to hire her.

My husband and cheap prada dress shoes I first met Sarah when attendng her pre-natal course at the cheap prada dress shoes hospital. I knew the course would be helpful to my husband, but I discovered more benefits for cheap prada dress shoes me. It opened my eyes on all the possible way of giving birth. I felt I finally knew enough to cheap prada dress shoes choose a natural delivery. I knew I’d need the cheap prada dress shoes help of Sarah in this one, as natural deliveries are not so common in this cheap prada dress shoes country. 

Then it cheap prada dress shoes all started in the heat of a night, as I broke waters during my sleep at 1 am… (you might want to use a waterproof mattress protector just in case). The poor soon-to-be father had cheap prada dress shoes been in bed for barely an hour after a late night work! Thanks to cheap prada dress shoes all the precious information given by Sarah, we did not panic at all. I stayed lying trying to cheap prada dress shoes relax, and one hour later mild contractions started. This is the cheap prada dress shoes moment when you cannot help becoming a little nervous… So we text-messaged Sarah and cheap prada dress shoes felt so grateful having someone to talk to in the middle of the cheap prada dress shoes night! She comforted us and cheap prada dress shoes explained quietly at what stage we should call her back, and cheap prada dress shoes that she would check on us the next morning. In the cheap prada dress shoes end, thanks to Sarah’s experience and cheap prada dress shoes guidance, we waited quietly at home, I even went out walking a cheap prada dress shoes few times. And what could have 36 terrible hours waiting in a cheap prada dress shoes hospital room shrank to only a rough 24 h – more than enough if I may!

After checking in, when cheap prada dress shoes things finally got serious, Sarah partnered very efficiently with the cheap prada dress shoes Hospital Chinese staff. We could rely on her totally and cheap prada dress shoes just focus on the birth instead of struggling to understand the cheap prada dress shoes staff and the medical issues. Because we knew she was there to cheap prada dress shoes protect our interests. My husband also was exhausted, and worried: Sarah’s presence and cheap prada dress shoes support had been very important for him, and helped him support me better. Although she didn’t get much sleep either! Unfortunately the cheap prada dress shoes dilatation was not happening fast enough. The OB and the staff had cheap prada dress shoes been waiting for as long as they could, but safety comes first: so I was injected ocytocine (oxytocine?) to cheap prada dress shoes speed up the contractions. It worked very well and I had cheap prada dress shoes such “beautiful” contractions I could not handle the cheap prada dress shoes pain and exhaustion any more and asked for epidural. Sarah, again, totally backed up my choice and cheap prada dress shoes made sure the staff understood the request. She comforted me and cheap prada dress shoes my husband so well during these tough hours, I don’t know how I would have gotten through without her. 

I actually think that cheap prada dress shoes in most other Chinese hospitals, without the help of the cheap prada dress shoes right midwife and the right doctor, I would have end up with a cheap prada dress shoes C-section. Instead, I pushed my daughter out in this world and cheap prada dress shoes that is such a beautiful and intense feeling you can cheap prada dress shoes only call it a miracle. And there she was, our tiny little lotus, so beautiful with her eyes wide open… and hungry! Sarah was here again to cheap prada dress shoes support a good start in breastfeeding, patiently repositioning the baby and cheap prada dress shoes showing me the way.

Sarah’s help made a cheap prada dress shoes huge difference for us. Now we live on two different continents… but I hope to cheap prada dress shoes have a second child in the coming years, and my first wish is cheap prada dress shoes to find on the way a midwife as competent, kind and cheap prada dress shoes supportive as Sarah.