Dr.Masingill-The Man Who Decides

Today was our appointment with Dr. Masingill, the doctor who collaberates with the midwives should one of their patient's need a c-section or be deemed too high-risk (cough-cough) to continue on with the midwives.

I.was.nervous.

Apparently, there was no need to be. The midwives had assured me he very rarely "took one of their mothers" but that they needed him to sign off with my colorful medical chart that I could continue with the midwives and limited monitoring during labor & delivery. While we waited silently for him to come to the room I was thinking of all the reasons I could give him to leave me alone and hoped he wouldn't argue it was too risky, and why did I have to swell so much today of all days?

Instead the man who walked in was a jovial, pudgy caricature. Excitedly announcing the baby's heartbeat after listening (128), reviewing my health history and discussing how my pregnancy has progressed and my luck. After answering a few questions I had he announced there was no reason, unless some complication arose, that I couldn't stay with the midwives and have the birth I desired.

There are a few things we'll have to sacrifice.

I won't be able to hold her immediately after, because of the blood-risk she'll have to be bathed immediately instead of placed on my chest. This may seem small, and maybe it really is, but it's something that saddens me to think about. In the great scheme of things, it's a small price to pay for the birth experience I want, but it does make me feel a little robbed. In the meantime, I'll choose not to think about it and instead rejoice in the fact that despite the fact that we've got three different diseases working against us, we've been really lucky so far and it seems we'll be given a gift with our birth.