Crunchy Granola

I’m too crunchy for some people (to the tune of “I’m too sexy”)

I am one of those people who has to know everything about something before I do it.  I’ve read countless pregnancy books, I’m a member of at least 5 different surrogacy and/or pregnancy forums online and on Facebook.  I’ve talked to OB’s, doula’s, labor instructors etc. about pregnancy, labor, and birth and I’ve watched a few documentaries about the whole process as well.  I feel like I am well informed. 

I’ve chosen a natural route for this pregnancy, as I did with my own son 8 ½ years ago. 

Back story – On my husband’s 28^th birthday we went to my OB for my 39 week check-up.  According to the sonogram, the baby (we didn’t know if it was a boy or girl yet) was measuring 12-13 lbs. and would surely add another half to full pound in the next week if given the time.  My OB strongly suggested a c-section concerned that the baby would be too large and get stuck.  Being a young, naive, first-time mom I relented and the next day my son was born. 

While the C/S was uneventful and my recovery went smoothly, I was disappointed for weeks that I didn’t get to experience any of the feelings of labor.  My water never broke, I never once had a contraction, I had no idea what any of that was like.  I felt I missed out on a huge part of being a woman and creating life.  Of course, having a healthy baby was paramount, but it didn’t alleviate my sadness and feelings of failure.

Fast forward to over a year ago – I decided that I wanted to try again.  My husband and I are totally happy with our family the way it is and do not wish to have more children of our own, thus why I decided to become a surrogate.

So now I’m just over 12 weeks with twins and have been doing my homework and finding an OB who is more than willing to help me have the birth that I want.  The babies intended father is also on board, knowing that a vaginal birth is easier for me and better for the babies.

Being that I am on so many forums with so many other women going through similar situations I find it so difficult to read when a woman just accepts that what her OB says is law, and ends up having a c/s because it’s easier to schedule, or because she had one last time, or whatever.  I also find it really hard to read about health issues like pre-ecclampsia as a given.  I wonder how many babies would have been able to go full term if the mother/surrogate knew that a proper diet could almost 100% prevent it in the first place. 

I’m also learning more and more about how chiropractic alignments (something I’ve never given much thought about) could seriously help ease labor by aligning the pelvis and ligaments. 

No, I don’t think crystals or “healing light” waved over me is going to make the pain disappear, but I do think that more women should advocate for their own health during pregnancy by learning more.  I have friends who never even went to a birth class, they just showed up to the hospital the day the OB scheduled their c/s for and that was that.  I find the whole thing disturbing.

So yeah, it appears that I am “crunchy” according to current definitions and I think I like it that way J