University Park Mom Wins. She’s Better Than Every Other Mom, Even You.

So I’ve been e-mailing with a University Park mom today about some random stuff and after awhile she mentioned she’s in labor with baby number 5- waiting on the midwife. WHAT? Seriously?

She’s like a size double zero, has been known to bring sushi in a picnic basket to the school for lunch (and her kids even eat it), and now she’s waiting on the midwife so she can give birth at home with no drugs. I want to hate her but on top of  everything else, she’s nice. Can’t hate her.

But really? People give birth at home still? Like Little House on the Prairie or something.

By Merritt Patterson Sep. 21, 2010 | 10:36 am | 12 Comments | Comments RSS
12 comments to "University Park Mom Wins. She's Better Than Every Other Mom, Even You."
  1. matt @ September 21, 2010 at 1:07 pm
    Angela: You gave birth in a tub?

    Jan: Yeah, it’s a really nice transition from womb to world, you know, kind of like a big womb.

    Kelly: Um, so you’re in the tub with everything?

    Jan: Oh, yeah, the afterbirth floats.

    Creed: Must be like the tide at Omaha Beach.

  2. HP Guru @ September 21, 2010 at 1:43 pm
    I imagine her husband got the latest property tax
    bill and said, “honey, we’ve got to cut back somewhere”.

  3. Jgo @ September 22, 2010 at 8:42 am
    There a horrifying rickie lame movie called business of being born all about this.

  4. laurie @ September 22, 2010 at 9:10 am
    There’s a reason why women and babies almost never die during childbirth like they used to: doctors, hospitals, and emergency equipment. MOST of the time, things go as planned, but when they don’t, it can be a monumental tragedy. I don’t think she’s heroic; she’s selfishly putting her desires before the safety of her baby and family.

  5. grump @ September 22, 2010 at 9:17 am
    matt-
    your response was vulgar and offensive…and I choked on my coffee giggling.

  6. Merritt Patterson @ September 22, 2010 at 9:50 am
    9 pounds, 2 ounces

  7. Mommy @ September 22, 2010 at 1:53 pm
    I forgive Laurie for her ignorance, but her judgemental, non-christian aggression is a bit hard to swallow. She has no idea what I did, and why I did it for my son! I was under medical care as well as midwife care. A scheduled c-section driven by insurance, liability, and convenience would’ve been wrong and almost certainly guaranteed problems for him, hence the National Institutes of Health and American College of OB and Gyn recommendations! Selfishness would’ve been taking pain medications! I am an academic and researcher by trade, and carefully executed a risk analysis. Indeed, I began with the WHO and pubmed.gov!

  8. citygirl @ September 22, 2010 at 3:14 pm
    @Mommy – Congratulations on your new baby! What a joyful time for your family. However I think you misread laurie. She didn’t mention ANYTHING about scheduled c-sections, drugs or Christianity. Her post gave me flash backs to my experiences. Both were natural births and both resulted in complications that would have been “monumental tragedies” if we hadn’t been in a hospital. Things went wrong for different reasons. Thanks goodness we were in a safe place equipped for emergencies.

  9. kmom @ September 22, 2010 at 3:21 pm
    Good Lord people, live and let live. I cannot imagine why someone would do the whole baby birthin’ thing without an epidural – I offered to marry the Dr. that gave me mine – but more power to ya if you choose to go that route, even at home. In a field. In a hot tub. Schedule a C section around your mani-pedi sked – what ev’s, I support a woman’s right to choose – all the way.

  10. Mommy @ September 22, 2010 at 5:22 pm
    I’m happy for the discussion. For the record, I have been induced, done the normal epidural thing, and had a c-section, prior. Many problems occur b/c of the medicalization of birth, which I understand both first hand, as well as statistically. Please note, she assumed why I made the choice – for selfish reasons. Indeed, the home birth came to be b/c c-sec was my likely route if not, even though it is not consistent with current recommendations. And, please excuse the mama lion that, by nature, comes out within 24 hrs of birth. I agree with kmom most — any one that knows me surely gets that. But, I also stand stong in defending myself when erroneously attacked, as all mothers should as we grapple with the chices we must make, and have to belive strongly in defending.

  11. laurie @ September 22, 2010 at 6:22 pm
    Dear Mommy,

    Congratulations on your new baby. I am so glad that it went well for you.

    Thanks for the support, citygirl. My sister-in-law had a baby whose lungs collapsed just after birth. It was a life and death situation that was totally unexpected and happened really fast. I wanted to give birth in a regional hospital with one of those really pretty labor-delivery-recovery rooms with a bath tub and where they serve you champagne and make it very homey. Instead, we chose a level III hospital with a NICU. Just in case.

  12. James Tucker @ September 23, 2010 at 9:03 am
    My sister had her 9th child last year in an ambulance parked in the parking lot of the Best Buy at Stonebridge(?). Her husband drove to the hospital from their home. She didn’t even stick around to go to the hospital after delivery. She got in her car with the baby and went home. Baby did great. Mother is still insane.

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