Well…here’s a little update on how things are going 
Andy and I decided to do a tour of all the clinics and the hospital on Sunday so we would be able to make a much more informed decision about where we would like to give birth… it was a really good day and turned out to be very helpful. We made a list of questions which we took with us to each place and while we were given a little tour of the maternity area by the midwife we asked away! Super informative…like discovering that the private clinics actually are much quicker to intervene and do procedures such as episiotomies, offer epidurals, induce labour and perform c-sections than at the hospital. The main reason is because the hospital briths are performed by midwives, and doctors only intervene in cases of complication or emergency, whereas at the clinics the doctors come in during that last bit and actually deliver the baby. This was very good to know, since I (and Andy agrees) definitely want to do everything completely naturally (providing there are no complications which would mean I would HAVE to do something) and decided to not choose the clinic.
Another deciding factor for me was the fact that whether you give birth in the hospital or in the clinics - unless you have a special medical condition - you are not allowed to eat or drink once you arrive and are in labour. This has to be one of the most difficult things for me to understand (Although I know they claim it is just in case you have to have an operation or something like that). If you are supposed to be able to endure labour for a given number of hours - a process which is incredibly painful, tiring and a lot of work - can you imagine how much worse it is when you aren’t allowed to eat or drink either? I know that when I don’t eat and drink regularly now I get very very very irritable and cranky and weak quite quickly, so I can’t even imagine how I would be if i was going through labour and wasn’t allowed to eat and drink…I think I would be a monster who would bite my husband’s head off for just trying to help! Yikes! haha… Talk about setting yourself up for failure…I would probably be so weak by the end of it all I wouldn’t be able to push and would probably end up getting an epidural or something just because of being so tired and weak!
I have also been reading a really really really good book lately called “A Wise Woman’s Guide To a Better Birth” which goes through all the different procedures, reasons, pros and cons of different current birthing practices and is really really excellent!!! It totally helps you to know all the research out there about each procedure so you can make a wise and informed decision about what you will and won’t allow or choose…and to understand the risks etc. I was able to use this book as a good starting point for asking really specific questions when we did the tour to decide if we should give birth in the clinics or hospital.
But thankfully, here in Geneva there is another option….A home birth assisted by experienced midwives! Yes…after all our touring around the different clinics and hospital, Andy and I have decided that we would rather give birth at home!! This decision hasn’t come lightly, and we have met with and discussed the situation and all the concerns and questions with a midwife from the Geneva Midwife office who will be able to meet with us regularly up until the birth and then who will attend the birth and supervise etc… I am soooo happy about this decision and have such a sense of anticipation and peace about it! I think out of all the options, I am most comfortable with this one by far! It actually makes me look forward to the experience rather than dreading all the pressure and uncomfort of having to conform to clinic/hospital policies. Needless to say, we are only 10 minutes away from the hospital, so if anything were to happen and I needed intervention, we could be there really fast. So I feel safe in the choice as well. 
So that is our latest news…the pregnancy sure does progress quickly! I am starting to get achy sometimes now from sitting in different positions too long and can really feel the baby move a lot more - its been fun knowing that it is going to be a girl - I can finally start preparing for her arrival! Yay!! Plus, my cousin Rachel Robinson, just gave birth to her first child yesterday and she is a little girl as well - Charlotte Joy! So it will be tons of fun when the families get together because our little girls will be only 5 months apart! Exciting!
Ok well I better end now…enjoy your day!!!
