So, in case you haven't heard, I'm pregnant. I'm very happy about it, as we've been trying for about 8 1/2 months. I have no clue how far along I am exactly, but I think it's somewhere in the 5-7 weeks range. Everybody said as soon as I stopped trying to get pregnant, I would and that's pretty much how it worked.
For months I checked fluids, took my temperature, charted my cycle and recorded everytime we had sex. It was so freaking irritating! Then eventually, I was like, "screw it!" and I stopped doing anything to check for fertility. Somewhere between then and now I got pregnant. Sigh.
It kinda sucks because if I had been charting I could have told you the exact day I conceived. However, I suppose its better ths way because I'll be less neurotic about the due date, since I don't know when I'm really due.
So here's a sticky situation-- Malachi and I have totally different notions of what's best for the baby. I'm waaaaay more crunchy than he is and its begining to pose a few problems.
Problem 1: I want to do my own prenatal care at home and to get a doula or midwife in a few months to help monitor things and attend our birth in an observatory manner. I really want to allow my body to do what God designed it to do (grow and deliver a baby), without a bunch of interference. Malachi wants me to get an ob-gyn and have them do all the tests and monitor everything so we'll know if something's wrong.
Malachi is sweet. I know he wants what is best for the baby just as much as I do. I'm very fortunate to have someone who cares and wants to make sure everything goes perfectly. Unfortunately, the idea of going to an ob-gyn sends chills down my spine. I tried to go once right before I got married because my mother made me, and I was so tense she couldn't do the exam. I was shaking and nauseous the whole time and on the ride home. I felt degraded and sick. I don't want to go through that again.
I believe that if I take care of myself, eat right, get some excersize and monitor the baby via protein tests, fetoscopes, keeping track of my weight and cervical measurements, we'll have a good idea of how the baby is developing and growing.I don't want some doctor poking around inside my body or hooking me up to machines. I don't want an ultrasound or any of that stuff.
I have a million and one reasons why I don't want a doctor's care, and just so you all know, I've researched it thouroughly and heard all of the mainstream arguments against it (So I don't need anymore!). I'm not looking for an argument or anything, but just trying to vent.
Hopefully we'll be able to come to some sort of agreement. I'm not really interested in "being flexible" or compromising on this issue for the sake of my baby and my body, but I want Malachi to feel comfortable that the baby will be taken care of. Anyhow, there it is.
Kristi
