Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Homebirths, chickens and a bushel of blueberries

I feel a little like a stranger on my own blog. It's been a long time since I've felt ready or wanting to put pen to paper! It's difficult to know where to even start as the past couple months feel like such a long journey.

Starting with some easy things I'll note and expand on via separate posts:

Chickens. Yes, we finally bit the bullet and should have baby chicks arriving next week about this time. Crazy? Of course! It's how we roll. We're starting with 6- 2 Barred Rocks, 2 Silver Laced Wyandottes, 1 Rhode Island Red and 1 Black Australorp. Truly I'd be happy with 4 but am attempting to plan on beginner mistakes... though hoping that doesn't happen! We have the brooder pretty much ready, coop plans bought and now just need to get going on materials and coop constructions. It is exciting and seems like well timed now that it isn't so insanely hot anymore! Pictures to follow, of course!

Berries! The last few years I've gotten most of our berries from a combo of our own yard and my mom's. However I lost my strawberries and raspberries last year and had to start new this year. The strawberries did fine but didn't bear(normal, won't until next year). The raspberries for some reason just didn't make it. Odd, as for once we hardly flooded at all in the backyard! The two blueberries plant near the dead raspberries seem to be doing well, so I'm going to be adding 2-3 additional blueberries in that particular spot. Not one to give up, we'll be building a couple raised beds behind the new(to us) swingset this fall and putting raspberries there.
This is a lengthy prelude to what I really wanted to talk about, The Berry Patch! Because we didn't have our own I had to look elsewhere; found a lovely berry patch about 30 minutes away. We went 2 times and came back with literally 20 pounds of berries. I'm not exaggerating in the least. Most were blueberries but also got red and black raspberries. Not this weekend but the following I hope to get back there again for some blackberries, raspberries and more blueberries. We did jam, syrup and vinegar from the blueberries. The others I froze and have used either in muffins, pancakes or on granola and oatmeal. It really is so fun to go as a family and pick berries together. I highly recommend finding a local patch and doing just that very soon!

Last but certainly not least, homebirths. After much research and soul searching, we've decided to switch from our hospital midwives group to a local CNM and a homebirth. My first birth was the traditional hospital OB; second a hospital midwife. While the hospital midwife birth was hands down a better experience than my OB, there were still too many routine interventions that got in the way of the kind of birth I feel is best for us. It will cost more than a hospital birth. Money certainly isn't free-flowing here but it's a priority and we will make it work. At a later time I'll write more in-depth of how and why we arrived to this decision. I will say this, if you are pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant, please pick up Ina May Gaskin's, 'Guide to Childbirth' and Henci Goer's, 'The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth.' They are thus far the most informative books I've read on the process of birth.

May everyone be finally getting to enjoy beautiful weather!

9 comments:

Beth said...

I had a friend do a home birth, and she absolutely LOVED it! I wish you luck (sometimes stupid things get in the way, and I hope you get the birth you want)

Unknown said...

Thanks, love! I feel really positive about it! Actually more relaxed at the thought of transferring(if we'd have to) to Broadlawns where our midwife still has privileges and works with a couple old school OBs =)

Catie said...

Just stumbled upon your blog and I love it already! I had a homebirth and it was the most incredible experience of my life. And Ina May Gaskin's Spiritual Midwifery is another book you should pick up---so many inspiring stories of homebirths. Congratulations on your growing belly--I look forward to following your story here.
~Blessings~

Jen said...

This post is sooo full of win!

Candice said...

I wish I could grow my own berries (unfortunately I have a black thumb), but we do enjoy going to local fruit/veggie patches and picking our own. Thanks for stopping by my blog and entering my giveaway. I'm happily following you back :)

http://www.wherenothinggoodcomeseasy.com

niartist said...

Hey, congrats!! YOU WON! Just email me at artie.vanderpool@gmail.com and I'll forward it along to the kind people at wallquotes.com and they'll send you your promo code! Can't wait to see what you do with it!
A

Healthy Educator said...

it's ambitious that you're going to be raising chickens. have you decided on what type of diet they will have? you'll have to post some pictures.

Joyo said...

Love the part about homebirths. Very blessed to live in Ontario where midwives are covered by federal healthcare. Wouldn't have wanted it any other way!

Joy
www.PardonMyPoppet.com/PipSqueaks
Pip Squeaks from the Mummy-verse

MARY IN SCOTLAND said...

I live in Scotland and here everybody gets a midwife. Nobody gets an OB to deliver their baby (unless there are complications). It's just how it's done. It is also normal to give a natural birth. Everybody does. It' just how it's done. I'm American and when I moved here I thought all of this was interesting. I gave natural birth. It's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. Especially living here knowing that ALL my friends delivered naturally helped. You can't just say I want an epidural and actually get one. They have priorities for those, and if they have time and you wanted one then you'll get one. But, it's not normal to have intervention. They even wait 12 days after your due date before they induce you. I was 12 days late. They let it all happen naturally. I kind of liked that. Good luck!

 
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