Speck Week 20 - Doctors, Doula's & Registries

The excitement of posting the weekly baby development update has passed, as the baby pretty much looks like a baby now. Whereas I used to be concerned with my body and what was changing, more and more now I find myself focused on getting ready for the future instead.

I've now interviewed with 6 Doulas. It has been an interesting process and I've learned something with each conversation. It's given me some clarity about what I expect from birth, and I've now got a huge reading list (I need to hurry up and finish the Twilight series before the baby books start to arrive from Amazon!). Once I make my decision official I'll post a link to the newest member of our birth team's web site on the blog here.

I've also made the decision to yet again switch doctors. The doctor I "met" with a couple of weeks ago didn't seem very available. I meet with yet another doctor this week, and after some conversations with doulas I've decided to also explore midwives as an option. It's been pointed out that OB's are very surgically minded, and are quick to jump to surgery so that they can (1) maintain control of the situation and (2) do everything possible to avoid malpractice law suits. At this point, I don't know that I would go so far as to say that I want an all natural birth, but I do know I want as smooth of a recovery as possible and I don't want to just jump into a C-Section if it can be avoided.

Another accomplishment this weekend is the baby registry. My friend (and baby mentor) Dana and I went to Babies-R-Us today and she gave me advice on what I do and do not need, and I registered for all kinds of goodies. My hope is that by using a registry to buy baby things, we can have a central shopping list for any friends and family who want to help. This way everyone knows what we need and what has already been purchased. I do plan to look for some items outside of Babies-R-Us, and if/when we purchase things not from the store I will update the registry to show that we no longer need them.

I haven't registered for nursery decor, stroller, or car seats yet--I think these items require a little more research so they will be added later. In the mean time, here is how to get to the registry:

Option 1: In Person Shopping
1. Find your local Babies-R-Us Store (click here)
2. Ask the sales associate to print you a copy of the list
3. Follow directions given to you at the store

Option 2: Shop Online
1. Visit Babies-R-Us website
2. Go to the registry page (or just click here)
3. Search for our list using my name or by our number, 75279995