Baby Fever!

With my Facebook news feed filling up with pictures of brand new little ones and baby announcements, it is hard to not get baby fever! Whether it is first time moms or my friends who are adding an additional child 2, 3, 4... they are adorable and get me thinking that it may be time to add another one. I knew that these feelings would hit at some point. Sure, having a child can be overwhelming. I mean, your life is changed in so many ways. What I did not expect was how bad Mike has baby fever!

So excited! :)

No, this is not a pregnancy announcement. Now that Olivia is at an age where she is getting better at communicating, she and Mike have a great time together. It was difficult for Mike to connect with her at first, but he now understands that babies do grow up :)

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What would it mean to have another child??

1. Having another precious child to fill our hearts with even more love.

2. Divided attention.

3. $$$$$ - another crib, car seat, stroller, high chair, more diapers .... the list goes on and on.

4. Someone for Olivia to entertain.

5. More sleepless nights.

There are so many more things to add to that list. I believe I can handle most of it. It has to be the money part (and space for all the material things) that has me slightly concerned. We need to have our own place before we can think of actually adding to our family. Bigger car? 2 bedrooms or 3? And do not forget the hospital bills! Now that I have gone through it once, I think that I would like to have a midwife the next time around. My doctor was very kind in Spokane, however she is not the one who delivered Olivia and we found that very frustrating.

In case you were wondering, here are some of the differences between a doctor and a midwife:

What’s the Difference Between a Midwife and a Doctor? http://www.yourchildbirthguide.com/midwife-or-doctor.html 

One of the main differences between a midwife and a doctor is the type of education they receive. An obstetrician is a doctor that specializes in pregnancy and birth. He or she has gone to medical school and is trained to do surgery. Obstetricians don’t attend home births. A small few attend births at birth centers.

A midwife is trained in all things related to pregnancy and birth, but does not go to medical school. Although midwives don’t carry the title of doctor, they are no less competent to provide care for pregnancy and birth. In fact, countries where midwifery care is the norm have the best outcomes for both moms and babies.

Midwives specialize in low and moderate risk pregnancies in healthy women. Midwives only refer women to physicians when there is a problem, and they do not perform C-Sections. Some midwives attend homebirths, and some only work in hospitals.

Did you know you could choose a Family Practitioner? Many family doctors are also qualified to do prenatal care and delivery. They are not surgeons, like obstetricians, so they don’t do C-Sections. If you have a family doctor you already love, this might be a good option!

Different Models of Care

There are two general models of care for pregnancy and birth. One is the midwifery model of care and the other is obstetrical management.

Under the midwifery model of care, pregnancy and childbirth are considered normal events, not medical ones. The focus is on preventative care during pregnancy.

Prenatal appointments with midwives are generally longer. Midwives take a lot of time to answer questions and talk about nutrition.

The use of the midwifery model of care has been proven to reduce the likelihood of C-Section and other intervention, including the use or forceps and vacuum. The midwifery model follows a “wait and see” approach during labor and birth. This means that medical interventions are not used unless there is a medical necessity for them.

Obstetrical, or medical management, tends toward more intervention in order to have more “control” over labor and delivery. A care provider who operates mainly under this model is likely to use many interventions during labor, such as pitocin to speed up labor. Using many interventions during labor when they aren’t needed leads to more Cesarean births.

Generally, midwives practice the midwifery model of care and obstetricians tend to take more of a management approach. However, there are exceptions. It’s important to note when you’re choosing a midwife or doctor that not all midwives practice the midwifery model of care, and not all doctors use a lot of intervention. It’s important to ask questions when you’re looking for a care provider. That way you can choose a midwife or doctor that suits your preferences.

I have often heard of having a Doula. I have had it explained to me a few times from different people and do not know if that is the way to go for me...

Doula: A doula is a professional trained in childbirth who provides emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother who is expecting, is experiencing labor, or has recently given birth. The doula’s purpose is to help women have a safe, memorable, and empowering birthing experience. http://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/having-a-doula/ 

Random thoughts and dreaming of another baby :)