Ecstatic for Labor!!.....(seriously?)

Hooray! I am now 15 weeks pregnant and feeling fantastic. I am so glad the first trimester has come and gone. No longer are we concerned about loosing our little one, and I feel like a normal human being (with the exception of my outrageous emotions). Since becoming pregnant with this sweet little bundle of joy, I have been researching birthing methods. Thanks to the encouragement of some special friends and family members, I began researching natural birth like mad woman (I still can't go a single day without reading about it). I stay up late at night reading birth story after birth story and am so thrilled to eventually be able to put together my own natural birth story!

My first big learning curve came when I watched "The Business of Being Born" on Netflix. I HIGHLY recommend this video to everyone. Not just pregnant women. Everyone needs relearn what birthing really is. Unfortunately, the U.S. has really medicalized an experience that our bodies were created to do on their own. I totally understand that sometimes medical intervention is completely necessary, but not required in every labor!

We finally made the commitment that we are going to have a natural labor (if all goes as planned health wise). This was huge for me to actually say it out loud and begin to make decisions regarding my prenatal care! After investigating home birthing, I have discovered that it is "illegal" to have a planned home birth on base. I find this to be a little ridiculous, but what can I do!

 We have chosen to use Best Start Birthing Center in the Hillcrest area of San Diego. All of their reviews are just fabulous. Our only concern is the 45 minute drive (without traffic). So, we plan on printing a map from our home to the birthing center and mapping out all of the hospitals on the way just in case we get stuck in traffic and our baby doesn't want to wait! With Kazleigh, my labor was only 6-7 hours, which is pretty quick for a first-time mom! I am assuming this labor will be 3-4 hours.

I am so thrilled for this entire experience. I will be keeping this blog updated at least weekly with new information about natural birthing and our journey!

We find out the sex of this little babe in one short week. Initially, I was really hoping for another girl because we saved everything from Kazleigh and my practical side has been focusing on how much money we will save by not having to purchase a single thing! But in these past few days I have been absolutely enjoying the thought of this baby possibly being a boy. Bobby would be so thrilled to have a son. I think it would be rather fitting to have a boy this time around since my pregnancy and labor will be such a different experience than my birth with Kazleigh. Boy or girl, we will love this baby! Since day one Kazleigh has been telling us it is  "ah boy baby".  We will know soon enough!