All's Well...Well, Mostly

Pregnancy is going well this time around. I am 16 weeks along now, and while it's not completely gone, the nausea is definitely more manageable now. I still get tired what I consider to be pretty early in the evening (I'm sleeping at least 9-10 hours a night--this from the woman who could last on 3-4 hours if there was a really good episode of Smallville that I wanted to stay up and watch!).

I have felt the baby move (including one big "kick" this week) and have heard the heartbeat twice now (one of the most thrilling things any expectant mother can hear!).

We've been really busy lately, which has made the time pass by faster. Birth time will probably be on me before I know it, before I've bothered to order diapers (I'd like to try cloth from the beginning this time) or pick a name!

As I mentioned in a previous post, we are planning a homebirth, specifically a homebirth after cesarean (HBAC). I would like this birth to be as peaceful and as comfortable as possible with few or no interventions.

Toward that end, I have found a midwife with whom I am very happy. Appointments with her are a totally different ballgame than appointments I've had with doctors/obstetricians. Most of the appointment is spent talking. She asks my input on what tests I would like done and discusses risks openly and honestly. By the time the birth rolls around, I'm sure it will feel like I have a good friend, who happens to be an expert on natural bith, attending me. I will also have the choice of who to have present (or not) and will be in a place where I spend most of my time and in which I am comfortable. I am also confident in her ability to identify problems that indicate the birth needs to take place in a hospital.

It is definitely a transitional period here in my state, though, as far as midwives go. Direct-entry midwives (e.g., Certified Professional Midwives, like my midwife) were just re-legalized last year, although many were practicing previously anyway to provide women with that choice. I believe new legislation was also passed this year to allow Certified Nurse Midwives to practice without the direct supervision of a doctor, which will give them more freedom to attend homebirths, etc. (In England, they just announced that the government is actually going to start ENCOURAGING women to have homebirths!! *wow*)

As a result of this transition in my state (and probably in much of the U.S.), it's hard to walk the middle line. I've barely begun, and I'm finding the red tape required to get an ultrasound done daunting. My insurance will cover it, so that's not a problem, but it seems I have to go through a doctor to get it. I don't NEED one but would like one in 6-8 weeks just to check that everything is developing well and to be prepared if necessary for any problems.

Do I go through a primary care doctor or make a single appointment with an OB to get it done? I don't like to be dishonest, but I just want one single thing done, and attitudes toward homebirth are not typically rosy among obstetricians these days. I am searching to find someone who might be amenable to the situation and who might also serve as a backup if a transfer to the hospital is necessary during birth. Health insurance is also a problem, just because the two doctors I know of so far that might be okay with it are not in my plan, and I can't afford to go outside of it.

I may just skip this whole ultrasound thing as I don't want my pregnancy filled with unnecessary stress and complications. For now, I'm just trying to take it one step at a time and see how it goes.