I am now officially in the home stretch.  I don’t know how everyone else defines the home stretch but for me it starts when I have to start going to my midwife every two weeks.  All of a sudden there’s no way I can lose sight of how close my “due” date is and it’s consuming just about every thought.  I had an appointment on Tuesday and next week I will be scheduling our hospital visit along with our natural childbirth class at our local maternity store.  After thinking about, avoiding and then obsessing over my birth plan, I’ve written it down, signed it and have it ready to go.

My preferences don’t differ that much from last time.  The main difference is that I am not as laid back about the possibility of using pain medication.  With my first birth plan, I stated that I wanted to try and have a natural birth but would not rule out the use of an epidural.  I also did not make certain that the important players (aside from my husband and doctor) had read it.  So the language is more definite and DH will be making sure before we interact with anyone that they’re clear on our plan.  With Dessa, I read this book which was very, very helpful – almost a birth education class and a guide to creating a birth plan all in one.  This time around I read Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein’s book and it was an appropriate refresher – not as detailed as the first book but just enough.

As I was writing this birth plan, I realized I wasn’t as into it as I was the first time around.  I think what’s happened is that I’m not empowering my birth plan like I did last time.  I’m empowering myself.  With my first pregnancy, I believed my birth plan was my cheerleader, my bodyguard, my advocate.  I truly believed everyone read it.  I trusted it too much.  I somehow convinced myself it had some kind of power.  This time around I realize it’s just a piece of paper.  My husband and my midwife and I are on the same page.  We will work as a team to make my labor what I want it to be.  My heart isn’t in the birth plan like it was the last time.  My head is writing it.

So without further ado (insert drumroll):

The following items are my preferences for my labor.  Should any complications arise which threaten the health of me or my baby, then at that time I am open to discussing the options available to me to make an informed decision.

Goal: Labor naturally and birth my baby vaginally without medical interventions.

Pain Management: I plan to use a combination of self-hypnosis (Hypnobabies), deep breathing, accupressure and a variety of laboring positions.  I do not wish to have an epidural.  Please do not offer one to me. If I make the decision to opt for anesthetic pain management, I will request it.

Labor Support: I would like my husband to stay with me at all times.  No interns/apprentices, or others in training, should enter the birth room without explicit permission.  We reserve the right to ask anyone out of the room at any time.

Labor Room: If available I’d like a room with access to a shower and/or whirlpool to assist in managing labor discomfort.  I would like the lights dimmed and request anyone who needs to speak to me to use a soft voice.  If I am in the middle of a birthing wave, please be patient while I manage my discomfort.  When the birthing wave is over, then I will be able to address your questions.

IVs: I understand because I am working towards a vaginal birth after a c-section an IV line must be inserted.  I’d like to request a Hep-Lock.  I’d like to only use an IV if a medical emergency requires it (dehydration or administration of medicine).  I will bring my own fluids and nourishment.

EFM: I am aware of the hospital policy for VBAC patients which requires EFM.  I wish to move about as much as possible despite the need for an EFM.

Courtesy of D2L Graphics

Twittering is easy peasy; it is not the big scary socializing site I had built it up to be.  Once I joined, but a few short weeks ago, I was hooked.  I’ve got 450+ followers, have connected with interesting moms with similar interests and get linked to great writing and sites on a regular basis.  Despite what a positive experience I’ve had, I do find myself wondering my purpose on Twitter.

When I joined Facebook I was looking to reconnect with old friends from grammar school, high school and college.  As old friends get new jobs, grow their families, move across the globe – Facebook has been a great way to stay current.  Later I discovered lots of folks from my day job were on there and I started “friending” them; a nice way to get a more personal look at people I only wave at occasionally.  More recently, when I landed the Latina gig, I found Facebook to be a good tool for getting my friends to check out my writing.  Nothing confusing about Facebook – connect with people I know.

When Twitter came along I ignored it for as long as I could.  I didn’t think I could be bothered with one more thing to keep track of and update.  Besides, I didn’t have a brand, I was just a mom, right?  Well,  soon I started seeing that anyone who is anyone in social media and anyone who wasn’t really anyone was on Twitter so I thought to myself – maybe I judged it too soon.  I’m no one special and lots of other regular janes are doing it, why not add another to the mix?  And really, isn’t that the same road I took to blogging?  So I joined the Twitterverse.

Now I’ve got 466  followers and a mild addiction to Tweeting throughout the day.  My husband even jokes about it which, once the hubs makes cool jokes about it, means that I’m seriously spending way too much time on the computer.  So I’ve been analyzing why I’m on Twitter.  I joined to join, to not be left out.  Now, though, why do I stay in it?

Here’s what I’ve figured out so far.  Life Facebook, where I share a bit about my life and my friends share about theirs, it’s got to be a two way street.  You’re not friending someone who isn’t giving you a little glimpse into their own lives.  I give, you give; I get, you get. 

For Twitter to really be of value, it’s also got to be a two way street.  Right now I’m gaining a lot, learning from folks willing to share their knowledge and resources.  They aren’t greedy with what they know and genuinely want to see others  succeed.  I’m discovering new mom bloggers and mompreneurs who are really inspiring.  And if they’re on Twitter, they’re most likely very open and honest and willing to lend a hand in any way possible.  So, as you can see, I’m gaining tons here.  But what am I giving back to the community? 

This is the part I’m trying to figure out.  Compared to all the other interesting folks I follow on Twitter, I feel like my simple tweets of “Just read class #1 of Hypnobabies” or “Playing with DD & new bunny rabbit” aren’t really adding any value to anyone else’s day.  I help out where I can if I see a tweet looking for information or links to something I happen to be knowledgeable about.  But I wonder – is that enough?

I’m coming out of the fog of Twitter newbie-ness, which I liken to the first few days of college where everything is awesome and exciting and so cool.  I need to really start approaching Twitter as more than just a learning tool.  As a blogger, I have to figure out how to:

1. Add value to the community.
2. Gain a worthwhile following (not in quantity but quality).
3. Convert followers into readers. 

Stay tuned, I’ve got some posts coming up where I’ll take a closer look at how exactly I’ll approach doing each of these things.  I’ll also be reaching out to some of the social media experts I follow to pick their brains for how to best go about achieving the things I’ve mentioned.   Taking Twitter to the next level…up, up and away! (Sorry I couldn’t help myself!)