16 Weeks and Counting Down :)

I had my 24 week check up today with the midwife that is quickly becoming my favorite! There are 4 midwifes at the office I go to and they have you see them all so you are comfortable with who delivers your baby. They are all so sweet but Kim gives off more of the "mom" vibe without being old and she has her own children and grandchildren so she really understands the questions, urges, and wonders of being an expecting momma.

Some people have asked why I chose to use a midwife instead of a regular OB/GYN so here are a few reasons.

1) Like I said there are 4 midwives in the practice I go to. There are 11 doctors. Right there it gave me a much better feeling to only have to meet with 4 people instead of 11 so I can have at least some familiarity with them before the big day.

2) Midwives are women and most OB/GYN's are men. Not saying men can't be wonderful (they have many useful purposes) but when it comes to birth and the miracle of pregnancy I want to have someone instruct me that has gone through it and truly understands it.

3) Midwifery, to me, is more of an artform than a science. I don't believe the miracle of birth should be sterilized or unnatural. Midwifes, from what I've heard/read, will help mothers develop a natural birthing plan and they are there from start to finish! Whenever I watch the Baby Stories and such the doctor only comes in to check to see if the momma is dialated and then when she's pushing. A midwife is there the entire time to coach and help you through it.

4) Midwifes are less likely to push drugs on the woman. Many doctors will start a woman on Petosin when it's not really needed just to speed things along. This may sound great but it can actually make labor more violent and it is extremely stressful to the unborn baby. Doctors will also move to c-sections quicker than midwives. Statistics show that the most c-sections (unplanned) are performed in the last hour of the doctors shift and in the late hours of the day...which just seems a little fishy to me.

5) We chose a midwife lastly because that was the solution that seemed right for us. We had the luxury of even getting the choice...if we lived in Mason City still I don't think we would have. It's been a great experience and if you get the chance to pick I would suggest to at least see a midwife during one of your pregnancy visits to see if it's right for you!

So back to the appointment. It went great! I measured right on target but when we went to hear the heartbeat it was a little scary because it took a little longer than every other time. She explained though it was because the machine kept picking up my pulse and it made it hard to hear Leo's. Once she did though she let me listen extra long to put my mind at ease and she said it was just perfect!

I am so thankful that this pregnancy is going along so well. When you've had a miscarriage it's always in the back of your mind that something bad can happen at any time. Thankfully Leo is growing to be a healthy boy and I've been doing my best to be as healthy as possible. I've really be watching my weight gain (12 lbs at 24 weeks...not to bad) and what I eat. I've been trying to go by the rule: Would I let me toddler eat this? Before I put it in my mouth. That way I'm not excluding everything but I'm limiting (like I'm probably not going to let my 3 year old eat fast food 3 meals a week, ice cream is fine as a treat not a daily snack, etc) and it's been working well. I'll admit it's getting a lot harder though these last few months! My blood pressure is also really good which will hopefully limit my changes of having preclampsia. I have my gestational diabetes test next visit so hopefully that will go well too!

Finally the belly is popping and I'm stretch mark free! Lets all cross our fingers that this continues. Tim has being giving me belly rubs a few days a week so hopefully this helps. Even if it doesn't it's a really nice time for me and a way for us to be close during the pregnancy. I'm so ready for it to warm up though...I'm going to make some dresses to wear doing the last few months because pants are just not comfy at all to me.

Only 16 more weeks until our little Leo is here to snuggle and I can't wait! It's amazing how much love I have for him...I'm sure it will multiple by even more once he's here.