Another who is intrigued. Would it be cost effective long term? Ours are similar to ChristusG's, just a bit bigger. We bought a truck full of soil/mulch to get them started.

I would also suggest she do a labor doula training at some point. :) She'll learn some great tips for helping a mama through a natural labor & birth. Many, many RN students go through their schooling without ever seeing one!

Goodness! I can run all of that lab work for $162!!! Regardless of who you see, the labs really do need to be ran. A basic prenatal panel covers most everything via the CBC. Blood type + antibody screen, hematocrit, hemoglobin, platelets, immunity to rubella, and a lot more. Those are all things that need to be ran for this specific pregnancy. Even when we have repeat clients they *must* have lab work done. Something can be fine with one pregnancy but not with another. The HIV, Hep C, etc need to be done as basic safety to the provider. It's fine if you know you don't have them, but as a provider I want to see results telling me so. And have them in your file so anyone else who may be caring for you (e.g. l/d RN) will know the status. BUT...it shouldn't cost you $600!!! At the very least make a consultation appt. with a few midwives and take your dh along. Many men are VERY skeptical but once they interview the midwives they realize we aren't crazy, bra burning, hippy freaks who just stand by chanting and burning incense while you birth your baby. ;) And some stay skeptical until the birth happens and then they are home birth supporters telling everyone about the amazing birth his wife had. ;) Best of luck researching your options!

If I didn't feel at peace about UC (which I have done before too BTW), I would: #1 Talk to the midwife about working with me financially. Talk with her about what you told us. What your desire is to birth at home. Then just see what she says. If she won't/can't come down enough on her price (and please, don't assume she'll reduce it to almost nothing...she is worth her time and expertise)... #2 Talk to the midwife about doing monitrice care and go with the newer doctor. You are right, even if the dr is natural birth friendly, he's not going to be there much. The RNs run the show and if there isn't a natural birth friendly RN working when you go in, it's not going to be a good environment. Fighting against unnecessary interventions is VERY hard when you are in the tough work of labor. A laboring women should not be fighting...she should be in a safe place, feeling supported. So I would go with monitrice care and get to the hospital when I was VERY close to pushing. If you don't know what monitrice care is, it's similar to doula care. A monitrice will do clinical tasks such as listening to heart tones, monitoring your blood pressure, doing vaginal exams at your request, etc. She can help you know when a good time is to head in (I suggest clients go in around 7cm).

*pouting* I want one too!! I have an android phone and love it. BUT hate the android market!!

I loathe the Susan Bates hooks. I prefer Boye or bamboo hooks. I feel your pain!!! It's like that in our house too!

Another recommendation for TCOYF and charting/NFP. We all know only abstinence is 100%. ;) So charting/NFP isn't 100% but her body will be free of hormone altering substances so that when they do desire to TTC, she'll quite possibly have an easier time. Not only because of that but she'll know her body's pattern and will know when ovulation will happen. Many, many women don't understand why they aren't conceiving and for some it's a simple issue of timing.

HCG works. You need to be in a good mental place to do it though. But it works. There is a support/encouragement group under the "Community - Social Groups". I've also seen some great reviews and testimonials about the 17 Day Diet. Some here on the board have been doing that one.

Thanks!!! Stink. We'll be there the week after Labor Day but during the week. Sounds like a great option! A little of everything to make everyone happy. lol

We'll be spending a two and a half days at/near Myrtle Beach in a few weeks. What are the good (translated - not packed with people but a nice beach area) spots for families to hang out at the beach for the day?? What areas should we stay away from? Any affordable, local restaurants you would recommend? Any "don't miss" attractions? The place we are staying is near HW 501 if that helps location-wise. Thanks!

We are taking our first big family vacation in a couple of weeks. We will be spending two days (a Saturday and Sunday) in D.C. Dh and I are trying to figure out our food budget. What should we plan on doing for lunch when we are in D.C.?? We thought about packing a light lunch in his small messenger bag. I see on the Smithsonian website they request to not bring "small daypacks, backpacks, or luggage..." into the museums. Would a small messenger bag be considered one of those?? I found a Safeway not too far from the National Mall. It's too far to walk but we'd probably spend as much in Metro fare + buying food at the store as we would if we just found a restaurant..?? If we venture one day over towards the Capitol building and Library of Congress we would like to try the Good Stuff Eatery. But that's a maybe stop since it's a bit of a walk from the museums at The Mall and such. Help!!!

Yep....Terro.

Nice to meet you Janice! :) Any other WTM families doing HS choir?? Perhaps we'll get a chance to meet at the parent's meeting tomorrow. :)

I would hope it isn't a controversial topic and that most sane people would realize that what they teach is outright abuse.

I ate what was on the original protocol. I added in 1T coconut oil every now and then. The kit I got from NuMedica had it in the food options. I also substituted ground turkey for beef. I should have done more variety as far as trying recipes (there are many online...just google them). It got tiring having to prepare meals for the family and then also prepare something completely different for me. So I stuck with easy, tasty, and simple. Which got a little boring. For family meals I tried to plan similar items. For example, if the family had turkey burgers I just portioned out my meat and didn't add the seasoning salt. Or if I made them Taco Salad, I made a turkey burger with salsa (Pace is protocol). I tried a few of the online recipes. They were ok. Like I said above, too much work when I also had to prepare meals for the family. I know...lazy. lol After our vacation I am going to do another 3-week reshaping round. If you haven't seen it already, we have a little support/encouragement group in the "Community" tab above.

The verbage on her blog annoys the crap out of me. So I was absolutely not interested in reading her book. I have read a few good posts on her blog but most of the time I'm sitting here yelling at my screen, "Just tell me what you're trying to say already!!!!!" Never read The Shack either. No desire to do so. I also don't care for Francis Chan's books. I don't really fall for the "this book/author is so amazing and popular right now you must read it!!!!!!!" junk.

Well, I wasn't pregnant with #5 but we did move last year. Basements are pretty much unheard of here (water table is too high) so that wasn't an option at all. A separate room just for schooling would have been wonderful! We looked at one home that had a great, bright space upstairs. But it was upstairs. Many times when the kids are doing school I'm working on laundry, in the kitchen, etc. At our old house we schooled in the dining room, right in the heart of the home, and I was near those other areas. So while the upstairs space would have been a dream school room (I'm still a little sad we didn't end up getting that money pit..I mean house..LOL!!!), it was so isolated. My wishes were to have a space near the kitchen, laundry, etc. that had room for all of our stuff. :) A couple houses we looked at had formal dining rooms that would have been our school area. The house we ended up buying has a huge dining room that is open to the kitchen. My laundry is in that space as well. Part of what made the space great, besides the fact that it has more than enough room for my huge dining room table, is there is a little closet in the dining room. A perfect school supply/book closet!!! I have a few pictures on my blog: http://littlemamamidwife.blogspot.com/2011/07/and-even-more-school-year-preparing.html http://littlemamamidwife.blogspot.com/2011/06/post-hcg-life-and-other-happenings.html (That one shows the closet better) Having all of it out in the open of the dining room hasn't been an issue at all. When we have company all of the supplies and school books are put away. The posters, timeline, and such on the wall are never a distraction and usually end up as conversation pieces. :) People know we homeschool and that it's a part of our life.

Ditto those who mentioned stress. It's possible that you ovulated later, making you seem late.

If I had a way to do that, I would be a very busy midwife. :)

Yes.

You'll be fine. My dh can't drive because of vision issues. We have always been a one-car family. Him having a car is NOT an option. Ever. So until the kids can drive, I am the one responsible for getting him to/from where he needs to be. Public transportation doesn't come out to where we have lived. So it's more convenient for me to just take him directly than try to work with a bus schedule (no metro system here). If I'm at work or out of town his parents are kind enough to help transport him. But I can't call them whenever I don't feel like driving him somewhere just so I can stay home. I used to have to take him to work at 11pm at night with a 4yo and a 2yo in tow (yes, getting them up out of bed to get in the car and then me..on my own..having to get them out and back in bed). Then pick him up every morning at 7am. Try doing that morning drive when you are pregnant and are fighting back morning sickness!!!!! I even made that 7am morning drive in early labor the day our third dd was born. I've had to make the to/from work drive with sick kids in the car because he had to go to work or be picked up. Praying all the while that he/she wouldn't puke in the car. Those prayers didn't always work. When he needs to be somewhere, we all load up to take him. Sometimes we have time to come home until he's done. But other times we have to find things to keep us busy in that part of town (or out of town if I have to take him to his out of town freelance job...usually he carpools with someone though). Yes, sometimes it really sucks. But it's not that bad.

Keep a spray bottle with soap and water near your garden. When you see the bugs....spray them. It's that simple. :)

My last two were home water births. One with a midwife present and one before she got here. :) First two were hospital births.

Ditto the others in Oklahoma. It's horrible here too.

Salsa from one of my favorite restaurants.