Mom Knows Best

I recently shared the article Home Birth: "Brave" Has Nothing To Do With It with my mom and here was her response:

"She is brave - not because she is doing a home birth, but because she has the mental or moral strength to do what she knows is best for herself and her baby despite opposition.

My philosophy: It is important for every parent to educate themselves and make the best decisions for their children despite what anyone else says. You will always hear opinions and advice, but it is up to you as the parent to decide what is best for you and your family. Don't get upset or let it phase you when someone makes comments or asks questions that seem ignorant to you -- it is just that they don't know what you know. Just listen and respond patiently if you're in the mood to educate them, or pretend to listen and just nod, then do what you think is the right thing.

While I am on a roll dishing out advice: Know that there is no manual or baby book that can tell you what to expect when raising your children. Most of those authors don't have a clue and they definitely don't know your child better than you. Just when you think you have it all figured out, life will throw you a curve ball and you just may have to roll with the punches. The most important thing of all is that your baby knows you love him every day of his life -- even when he makes you feel like pulling out your hair (and he will).

So that is my advice for today -- listen to it if you choose, or
just nod and pretend to listen to it.

Love,
Mom

I'm definitely listening Mom, I needed that! I see this blog as more of a personal journal for me and I don't share it with friends/family members, so when I received that email yesterday from my mom after writing my last post I was amazed at how well my mom knows me and knows what I need - even at age 27! I spent a few hours yesterday talking to a few amazing women who have experienced home births and I feel completely empowered. I have officially decided, as long as my pregnancy continues to be normal and healthy, to proceed with a home birth.

For the people in my life who may not agree with my decision or start to tell me the "what if's", I will encourage them to do some research or ask questions. We've been researching this option for several years and it is definitely not something I would walk into blindly. I know the "what if's" of both home and hospital births, I just happen to feel more comfortable with the "what if's" of a home birth. I have full confidence in my midwife team and love that they are extremely conservative in their practice, meaning that they are very selective regarding who can proceed with a home birth and very cautious during home births.

Is it normal to look forward to labor & delivery?

21 weeks & 5 days pregnant