And turning now for an update on New Baby...

Had a slightly earlier doctor's appointment this week (it's only been 11 days since my last appointment) because my OBGYN is heading out of town next week. In fact, she was wearing her scrubs when she came into the waiting room I was occupying and she told me she delivered four babies yesterday. That's four more babies than *I* delivered yesterday (thank goodness!). :)

So, New Baby's head is still down and will probably stay this way (this I know, but it's always nice to hear), and we went over "What to do, if..." scenarios, which I also kinda know but also still is very nice to have a refresher. Much of it involves drinking water and lying down and waiting for contractions to go away, unless they don't and then I call the number on the card, etc. etc. Said that if I have contractions for an hour, every 5 minutes, to call the office. Okay, says I. Let's just hope that doesn't happen.

We listened for her heartbeat...sounds good (ALWAYS sounds good when we can hear the heartbeat. I know I say that every time, but it's always reassuring, even with the movement, that the little ticker is being consistent and strong) and then she measured and she was like, "Hmmmm, you are measuring a little big, but we won't worry just yet because it's only 2 cm."

Oh dear.

I reminded her that with Miss O, I started measuring big towards the end and we had a scare that Miss O was over 10 lbs (eeps!). Gentle Reader, that little "eeps" doesn't do justice to my Freaked-outedness that I experienced with Miss O thinking she was over 10 lbs and growing. It turned out that I just had more amniotic fluid stashed in the ol' Womb Room, so that's why I was measuring big. But still....

So, I'm already starting to have chats with New Baby that we are NOT going to do this again and that she needs to stay under 10 lbs so as not to freak her mother out. That should do it, don't you think? A good pep talk? I thought so, too.

Also, while I was waiting for my very busy doctor, I was reading one of those Pregnancy Magazines and Ohhhhhhhhh my goodness, the guilt now if you plan to deliver in the hospital with pain meds and without a doula! What? No birthing tub? You are not a real laboring woman than. You are using all these crutches and will most likely have to have drastic surgery.

My, my how the pendulum swings.

When I was pregnant with Miss A a mere 6 years ago, it was totally the opposite. What? You are hiring a Doula? A what???? You're doing the hula???? Wait, what???? You are having a birth without pain meds??? What???? You are going to be in a tub???? What???? Won't that drown the baby???? Ugh.

I am a firm believer of the fact that women have successfully been having babies for millenias, and because of that, no one method works for everyone. So. You do what works best for you. In fact, after all these years (and I'm talking 38 of 'em, Gentle Reader), I thought my mom delivered all of us au natural. It turns out, after she gave me an incredulous, "Are you kidding?" that she only delivered my youngest brother (baby #4) without any medicine. Oh. Good to know.

So, do what feels right and what gets your little bundle of joy here in a satisfying and, most importantly, safe way--for both of you. That's my final good word on labor and delivery. That and, "Hey, New Baby. Let's keep it under 10 lbs."