Soon, now!

I'm so excited! My first client is due any day now! Officially, baby Elizabeth is due to be born next week. S.'s first child was born a couple of days after her due date, and she's said she feels like this baby will wait that long, too. I read on her FaceBook page today that she feels like the baby has dropped, so maybe it will be soon!

I had a second prenatal appointment with S. and her husband D. this past week. This time I got to go without the kids. I took my birth ball (thank you Glynis for letting me borrow it!) and all of my goodies...teas, oils, candals. I'm really looking forward to this birth! I have been nervous about it for a while for a number of reasons...firstly, because the hospital S. has chosen isn't known for being very supportive of natural birth or breastfeeding and secondly because her first labor was only 7 hours, so I've been concerned that, with the long drive I'll have to make, I might miss a lot of her labor or even the birth. I think I've found peace about it, though. I'm just trusting that God will work everything out.

I'm also trying to focus on some things I've learned in my doula class: that I am not responsible for the birth choices my clients make...they are. My job is not to convince her to stand up to pushy doctors or make birth choices that line up with what I would do in her situation. My job is to support her in her choices and empower her to mke her own choices. I also feel that God will work out the timing as well. If I don't make it to her birth, then I wasn't supposed to be there. If S. and D. are meant to enjoy the birth of their daughter alone, then I won't make it there on time.

The class is going well so far. I've finished the Communications module, other than a paper I need to write. I've also finished a little bit of Physiology, though I've decided to stop that and skip to Doula Skills and hope to get through that before my clients give birth because I feel like the Doula Skills knowledge will be more important in the short term as I feel I have a pretty good grasp of the physiology.

Another exciting thing is that Crystal broke down and had an ultrasound...and I was right! She's having another girl! Natillee Grace should be here mid June. Her 3D u/s pic is adorable! She looks just like her big sister. I absolutely can not wait to attend her birth! It will be my first homebirth! I'm reeeeeally excited to be a part of that!

I'm also hoping to get in touch pretty soon with some teen pregnancy organizations to see if I could work with some of their pregnant teens. I think there are programs through the highschools as well as the crisis pregnancy center. Though I'm nervous about the number of hospital births that would bring in (I really feel that homebirth would be my comfort zone area) I also know that God is calling me to work with that population. My big concern is with the scheduling ...having to leave the kids at a moment's notice as well as what being on call so much will mean for vacation plans and such...but I feel that if God has called me to this, He will work things out. There's no point in wasting energy worrying about tomorrow, right?

In other news (well, related news, at least), I met a young woman the other day while buying some items who could be a potential client. I wish I had had buisness cards with me! But I'm hoping I can go back to the store and drop off some flyers for Blessed Birth as well as for LLL with her. My goal is to get 2 customers by the end of the year. I think I can do that. I'm also hoping I can get this class finished by the time Crystal has Natillee. We'll see about that...I guess I need to buckle down and get working on my paper!

Well, it's late and I'm sleepy...off to bed for me!