So yesterday, I really started to feel like a mom. I officially interviewed my first daycare and we had an orientation meeting at the Birthing Center. I started the day by taking the short 1 mile bus ride down to the big family center/daycare near us. Yes, normally I would walk this, but I was drenched in the heat after about 5 minutes outside – I didn’t want to pass out while touring the infant wing. The facility was big, bright, clean, and cheery. I asked lots of questions and didn’t really see any “red flags”. The ratios were good and the price is also quite affordable. They have two infant rooms, one of which they just opened due to demand. There wasn’t anything wrong with them, but everybody just looked bored. The babies looked bored and the teachers looked bored. Now, it happened to be a quiet time in the room, so maybe I mistook chilling for boredom, and it’s not like babies can talk, but still. But it’s close, and affordable, and flexible. And diverse.

We have several other daycare options to look at. Just last week I put our names on a waitlist for the rather prestigious facility at the University where I work. Now, I didn’t even bother to “interview” this place, because I actually worked there all through college. And we will probably be on the waitlist for at least a year before even a chance of opening exists. Most people put their names on the waitlist at 6 weeks pregnant (!). It costs more monthly than our mortgage payment. It’s the kind of place that serves spinach pesto for lunch, plays Enya at naptime, teaches children how to count in Japanese, and has art classes for their 6-month-olds. It operates on an Italian early educational model that closely resembles Montessori – encouraging creativity and collaboration. Anyway. It’s probably our “first choice”, but the cost, location, and waitlist make it sort of unattainable at this point. But anyway. We have a few more solid options that I will tour, and we also hope to look at some “nanny” options. Whew, what a hard choice!

And now on to the Birthing Center. I will admit I have been skeptical of the whole concept, of not giving birth in a hospital, attended by physicians. But after our last experience with the hospital, we both felt strongly that we needed to explore our options. The orientation did a good job of expelling our fears. They have very low hospital-transfer, episiotomy, and c-section rates. My two biggest hesitations in choosing a Birthing Center with midwives has been 1) safety and 2) pain management. I am really beginning to understand that society, movies, tv, and even many of the infertility blogs that I read have led me to believe that giving birth is scary, unnatural, dangerous, and life-threatening. No doubt that it’s painful, but it doesn’t have to be any of those other things (assuming you are having a safe and uncomplicated pregnancy). I am still terrified of the pain, but last night made me realize that birth can be a calm, beautiful, empowering experience. It’s what your body was meant to do (except for the pain part, thanks a lot, Eve!) You don’t have to feel neglected, confused, and coerced!

And. It’s a LOT cheaper than a hospital birth and the nurses make you omelettes when you are done! How cool is that?

** I should insert here that I really do like doctors. I didn’t feel like any of the doctors and nurses I saw over the weekend didn’t care about me. They are just operating in a rather broken system that makes for some rather unfortunate experiences. I know they are doing the best they can. We have lots of family and friends who are doctors, and we love you! **