Our First Appointment

Prologue: Before we even started trying to conceive, The Pod wanted to learn more about holistic, free-standing birth centers, for if we ever had a child. A few months ago she found one in Bryn Mawr, charmingly enough named The Birth Center.

We took a tour of the place last fall, and we really came away impressed with their personal, holistic approach to childbirth and their tastefully decorated (and fully furnished and equipped) birthing suites. Our choice was made, so when the time came, all we needed was a fertilized egg and our insurance card.

Done and done!

Fast forward to last Friday afternoon for our first pre-natal appointment. We arrived, and The Pod filled out a few forms, and then we met with Denise, one of the certified nurse-midwives on staff there, and she went through a thorough health history and explained more about the holistic care and other programs they provide at The Birth Center. Denise was really cool and I think we amused her with our general silly antics. Through the course of the pregnancy, we'll meet all of the nurse-midwives, so when The Pod goes into labor mode, we'll be familiar with all of them. Smart planning!

According to Denise's expert opinion, The Pod is progressing very well, and everything checks out nice and healthy. She tried to hear for the Little One's heartbeat, but sure enough, the Little One was a little shy. Denise assured us that nothing was wrong at all, but definitely by next month, we'll be able to hear a heartbeat for sure. (Recording alert!)

We left with a nice sheaf of interesting literature, and headed off to Peace A Pizza in King of Prussia for a victory dinner.

And now, your questions answered:

1. Holistic childbirth? What's that all about?

There's a lot "holistic" represents, but the basic ideas include: more personal control over the prenatal care, labor, birth, and postpartum care, a preference of natural processes over pharmaceutical, and an general environment that bears more resemblance to home than a hospital during the childbirth.

2. So what's so cool about these birthing suites, Wright?

The Birth Center's birthing suites are like apartments - a bedroom, bathroom (with jacuzzi), full kitchen and living room. The idea is to mimic being at home, and at The Birth Center you can have family and friends all be there waiting in the suite, as opposed to waiting in a hospital lobby or some such place. You can bring food and cook up whatever you want in the kitchen or watch TV. They have a really nice patio and garden out back too. Nice digs, and although they encourage you to go home as soon as possible after the birth (because home = sweet home), you're free to stay a while after to recover too.

3. So everything there is done by nurse-midwives? No doctors or hospitals?

Everything there is done by the nurse-midwives, but Bryn Mawr Hospital is literally right across the street should the need for even more specialized care arises.

4. Wait a minute, "natural processes over pharmaceutical"? What about epidurals?

The Birth Center strongly prefers not using an epidural. They got a whole spiel on it, but we didn't need to hear it, we ourselves aren't all into medicines unless absolutely necessary anyway. So The Pod is going to try to do it without an epidural. If the need absolutely arises, the show moves to the hospital and the epidural is administered. The Birth Center has about 13% of their mothers that wind up needing them, so not everyone goes without it.

5. Isn't this all far away?

It's 12 miles west of Center City Philadelphia. It's about an hour from Hamilton with the traffic. It's worth the trip for having prenatal care and such the way we want, in line with our values and all. And it's close to two Peace A Pizza locations. (And if you haven't ever had Peace A Pizza, try it and then you'll understand.)