Meeting with my midwife

Now that I've found a great midwife I feel so relieved to have a caregiver who is truly that, a professional who cares. My average visit with my OB before I made the switch would entail 45 minutes of waiting in a waiting room, another 10 minutes waiting in the exam room, and 7 minutes with the doctor. My average visit with my midwife entails her coming over to my apartment on a saturday afternoon and staying for an hour or longer, discussing any questions I have and generally speaking about pregnancy and birth, listening to the baby's heartbeat, and gently feeling the position of the baby as she greets him warmly when he responds to her touch with a kick hello.

It's wonderful to be able to form a trusting relationship with someone who will play such a crucial role in probably the most personal and important experience of my life. I'll still give birth in a hospital but she'll be there to communicate my wishes to hospital staff and I will be able to relax knowing that whatever comes up I can rely on her to be honest, informative, and act with my best interest at heart.

She estimates that the baby is now about 3 pounds and says he is very healthy, active, and responsive. He might even end up an 8-pounder! He is also in the right position with the head down and facing inward, although there is still time for him to flip all around and he certainly does so but it's good to know that he's generally comfortable exactly as he'll need to be when it's time for the big day.
I also told her how I've been experiencing some occasional sudden back pain with mild cramplike internal feelings and she said that's ok, to watch out for other signs of preterm labor, and that generally I'm going to start feeling more and more uncomfortable more often. The golden second trimester is over for sure and now I'm in the sprint to the finish, or more of a crawl actually. Only two months to go!