That Being Said

1. Take medical advice with a grain of salt.

I am big on personal freedoms and respect from one person to the next, which you will hear often. That being said, Doctors and Midwives are only marginally less clueless than anyone else when it comes to your body, what's good for you and your kid. They can be trusted more than your average middle aged barista only because they have experience and/or a degree, but science and medical understanding changes so fast and everyone is so different and often times they don't take into account God or miracles, or the devil and tragedy.

Pregnancy and birth and child rearing has turned from knowledge and skill passed from woman to woman, carnal and warm and important knowledge that empowered women and mothers, to something calculated and medical and cold.

Doctors know more about anatomy, but if something bothers you that you don't understand you need to keep asking, probing, until you do. They get paid the big bucks they can explain it. A doctor is not going to have your chart memorized, but if you and your spawn are sitting in their office it should at least feel like you are the only one they are thinking about. And if it's not life or death and it's bothering you, get a second opinion. (IE: Since I was in high school doctors told me I would never be able to have children. Jokes on them, or me... Or something. But anyway you need to be able to discern when to draw a boundary because they are human too.)

You wouldn't sign something without reading it, you shouldn't let someone else control your body and experience or child without understanding it. Don't let someone take your knowledge and power just because they have a stethoscope on their neck, but don't be an asshole about it either. You and your medical provider/midwife should be a wonder-team of baby delivering badassery. If you feel like you are missing superpowers, fix it or move on. This is America, and all though we are behind other developed countries when it comes to mother and baby ideals, we have the right to working with someone that works well with us.

You will surely feel like your body is not yours to control anymore, an alien has invaded it and it's going to be just about the cutest little parasite that was ever to wear a onesie. Your body and your life are going to change roles, make sure you have a good foundation of support.