After yet another trip down Highway 63...another full tank of gas that always seems to empty far too soon...another taste of wet, snowy roads and too many wide loads to count, I was questioning whether or not it was all really worth the extra travel to pursue midwifery care in a town that was not my own. Even if that town was now just three hours away as opposed to the usual five that many a mom before me had traveled.
I'm often asked, "Why?!"
Why would I put myself through all this extra "hassle" when I could easily continue seeing my doctor at home and could hire a group of unbelievable doulas who I love and trust to support me in having the most amazing hospital experience? Well for starters, I want someone to see me through my pregnancy who has similar philosophies about pregnancy and birth. I want someone to support me in having the kind of experience that maybe looks just a little bit different than what one would typically find in a regular hospital setting.
Yes, I want all of that. But this is about so much more.
It was a quaint little office that smelled of sage and had a peaceful, earthy vibe to it. The window facing the park adorned green drapes that made you feel like you were in the forest on a cool, summer day. There was a small computer desk and a comfy love seat. Very inviting...very cozy.
We sat and chatted for just over an hour! We talked about my previous birth experiences, my life as a HypnoDoula and my family's history in the Lac La Biche region and why it just seemed so fitting to plan to give birth where my roots run deep.
For once, I didn't have to embarrassingly hop onto a scale mere seconds after our first hello to discuss whether or not my weight gain was on par or if I had indulged in too many Halloween treats that weekend (which, in case you didn't know, is huge for a plus-size mom). For once, I didn't have to worry about wearing my lightest yoga pants and strip off my extra sweaters to try and save a couple of pounds in hopes of avoiding the topic of "big babies" and all of the "oh-so-scary issues" that come along with them. And for once, I sure as hell didn't have to have any awkward conversations about the size of my belly and the amount of stretch marks I *still* have from my previous gargantuan babies (who, for the record, were both born vaginally without said "issues"...).
In fact, the only thing I was invited to do after a quick blood pressure check was to get comfortable on that love seat and be patient while she spoke lovingly to the baby inside my belly and listened away to the beautiful sound of a "happy" baby's heart beat (her words, not mine).
My appointment ended with us both checking our phones to find an agreeable time to meet again and then we parted with a hug and a genuine "it was so nice meeting you!"
I hopped back into my truck and headed over to my Grandma's house in Lac La Biche after that appointment. Chris was on days off and was home with the kids so I had nowhere that I needed to be. My lunch hour consisted of tea, fruit and special conversation with my Grams. She showed me her spare bedroom that she had already been organizing in hopes that I'd be able to have a home birth at her house. It was all just too perfect. I looked around her living room with a completely different eye than the hundreds of times before and wondered if I could visualize myself having a baby there. The first thing that struck me was all the pictures of my very close family hanging on her walls and placed so lovingly atop her mantle. That's when I knew that yes, by all means, how could I not experience the birth of our newest addition surrounded by those photos and all that energy and history?! That is, after all, one of the very things that excites me most about having a baby at "home" with a midwife: A baby will be birthed from my body, yes, but into the arms and hearts of a family that loves each other beyond measure. There seems to be no other care provider I've met to-date that sees the value of that in the same way I do...until now...
And for that, I am so grateful and so very excited for such an opportunity!
Peace & Health,
Jen
