I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!!!!!

Ok, I am so HAPPY!!!!!!
Cody and I got to go for our orentation at the hospital here in town last night to find out what the maternity program is all about out here. I SOOOOO wish I would have done this with Leane!!!!! There was a big room full of expecting couples and we were all talking about previous experiences....when I was describing some of the things that happened with Leane's birth, they were all sympathetic with me instead of telling me to get over it, or that it wasn't a big deal....it honestly felt like I was sitting in a room full of all the mom's on here! It was GREAT!!!!! I finally found a place that understands what's important to ME, not just get me in, get me out!!!!!!
The general gist of the place:
It's all run by midwives and nurses through the hospital here.
There's two different kinds of appoinments...some are one on one with the midwives, and others are group sessions with other women for 2 hours. We can talk about everything that is bugging us, we do all our own measurements, urine tests, blood pressure (with the help of the midwife of course) so that we get to learn how it all works.
We also got to take a tour of all the rooms there, and they're great!!!!! They've all got MASSIVE tubs in them, a bed that is equipt for all kindsa potitions (like squatting bars, etc), the bathroom with a huge shower in it, and the best part....there's a queen bed that pulls out of the wall so that cody can stay there with me and the baby. They also totally encourage cosleeping. Infact, they gave us a book on attatchment parenting!!!!!!!
....plus, I'm allowed to stay there as long as I want. If I wanna stay there for a week, I can.
And I made damn sure to ask about lactation consultants, and there are 4 on Board Certified LCs there. Two of the midwives are and there are two that work out of the public health office. They are there whenever I need them.
YEY YEY YEY YEY YEY!!!!!!!!!!!
Of course, the only downside is if there's a complication, I have to be transfered to another hospital in the city and such, but since I have had one sucessful complication free pregnancy, the likely hood of a complication is reduced, so that helps. But you never know. Either way, I'm soooooooooo glad I found this place. And it was 5 minutes down the road this whole time. I drove 30 minutes to get to the city last time, lol
But if that happens, we still get to go back there for 5 post partum visits. Hell if I got to go for post partum visits with my OB....he didn't even remember who I was. On top of that, there's nurses who come out to my house to see me and help me with anything I need....if I wanna take a shower, they come to help with the baby while I go take a bubble bath even!
And the most lovely part, all of this is funded! No where else in Alberta are there funded midwives, only OBs here are funded (stupid, eh?). But there was a doctor here who thought that was stupid and started this place up becuase it just wasn't fair to women who couldn't afford a midwife.
Funny enough, the nurse last night told us that 80% of the people who use the program there are from outside the county (I live in a small town about 30 minutes outside of Edmonton)...apparently people were coming out here from other provinces!!!!!!!
Ah, I just had to share my joy, lol

 

That is so great, glad you're happy
Hope everything goes well.

 

That sounds absolutely fantastic!

 

so happy for you!!! i had an ob for my first babe and a midwife for my second babe and i sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo prefered the later. :daisy:

 

I am so glad you found a place that speaks to you! I really hope your birth experience is everything you want it to be....and remember, start saving now for your doula! You'll still want one, just for the womanly support you're going to need!

And did you ever find out about the baby-being-too-big thing?

 

thats sounds amazing

 

holly~they didn't say anything about that in the baby being to big as a problem there at the orentation. Infact, the midwife was praising one girl about the size of the baby she pushed out....so I think my friend had something mixed up.
there are a TON of stipulations, though....basically you have to have a by-the-book pregnancy to have your baby there. I mean, I'm not too worried, since Leane's pregnancy was fine, but still....
I'm worried now cuz my hands and feet are already swollen. That happened with Leane, and my blood pressure went up a bit, but it was enough that my doc wasn't worried. But that all happened during the last trimester....isn't it a little earily to be having swollen hands and feet already?

 

How much water have you been drinking in relation to the soda? You need to be drinking TONS...Keep your system flushed out. Start looking for herbs and teas that might help keep your blood pressure down. You know you'll be fine though, and since you have documented history of these things being normal to your pregnant body, there shouldn't be any type of problems.

 

I have been drinking tons of water....that bathroom has become the only room I recognize, lol. I have been keeping the pop down to a bare minimum of about 3/week. If you knew how much pop I drank before, you would be really proud of me, lol. The good news is that those sugary foods that i was craving before have been replaced with things like turkey sandwiches, cheese, water, crackers, pears, watermellon, apples, grapes....lotsa healthy stuff. Hope this keeps up!