Consumed with thoughts about BIRTH

Over the past few days, I've been reading and thinking, thinking and reading, about the Bradley method of childbirth. I want a totally natural childbirth.

I don't know yet if the OBGYN group I've been seeing will honor me in this decision. Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment, so I'll be drilling the doc. with a barrage of questions. Unfortunately, I waited a little long to start thinking about something so important. Frankly, after my mother passed away, I didn't spend much time thinking about anything but HER and just dealing with the process of all- consuming grief. But now that the intenseness of that time is easing, I find myself focused on the baby.

I just finished reading "Husband Coached Childbirth" and also "Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way." I wish Dr. Bradley didn't refer to me as a "human animal," but I can appreciate his way of thinking and his observations of the animal's birth experience.

So far, I have been unsuccessful in my attempt to locate a Bradley childbirth class that my husband and I can attend. The one I really would like to be able to go to is on a Tuesday night, but my husband had just recently signed up for a college Statistics class which meets on, you guessed it, Tuesday nights!!! One place I called suggested I call back next month for a class schedule, and I've left a message with another Bradley teacher. I wonder if there are any couples out there who have had real success with only reading the books and not taking the actual classes.

If I continue to see the doctor I've been going to, I wonder if they (there are 5 of them) will allow me to have a natural birth, the way I want to do it. I know I'll need my husband to be very clear with them about our wishes while I'm in labor. If anyone has a story to share in regards to any of this, I'd really love to hear about it!

In the meantime, I'm going to start writing out our birth plan, and begin praying that we have a doctor who will help us to have a natural birth!!

Marla