The day that we found out that our lives were going to change. As we had been dreaming for a few short months, we would become parents.
We were, of course, guardedly optimistic. After all, a commonly cited statistic is that 20% of pregnancies end in early miscarriage (before 12 weeks). Once you pass that hurdle, though, the chances are (almost overwhelmingly) on your side.
We cleared that hurdle on June 25, 2013 - a day after our first ultrasound. Throughout the pregnancy, we had regular checkups with our midwives, each indicating that things were progressing exactly as they should be.
Deciding to go to a birthing centre, rather than a hospital, was a decision that we were quite comfortable with. We did our homework. From what we had read, in Quebec, in the first 24 hours of life, the mortality rate per 1000 live births with midwives is 2.47. That rate is comparable to any low-risk pregnancy in a hospital settings. (99.75% of outcomes are positive - though strangely, Canada has the 2nd worst infant mortality rate in the developed world).
The environment of the birthing centre seemed far superior than a hospital. The centre is well equipped, not just with the right tools, but with an incredible team. Being followed by midwives really made us feel lucky - they took the time with each appointment to get to know us, answer all of our questions, and get us ready for what was to come.
For us, the final hurdle, the one that would determine that we would be able to give birth at the birthing centre, was to reach the 36th week of pregnancy. That's when a (very slightly) premature birth can simply be reported to a doctor after the fact. The 37th week is considered a full-term pregnancy.
December 19, 2013 was 37 weeks and 2 days.
Looking back on it, what stands out the most of this pregnancy is how ridiculously normal everything was. Living after birth, after all, was the hurdle that was passed by 99.75% of those in our position.
On today's playlist...
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