Granola with Heels

I am 6 months pregnant and a first time worry-wart mom. The biggest thing on my agenda is to finish growing this baby and then get the baby out of me as fast I can. This being my main goal, I am researching my options. (You can't deliver a human life without looking at options!) I knew that I wouldn't be able to wake up with a baby, but I didn't know there were so many choices in how one delivered a baby. I always assumed that I would get an epidural, not feel a thing, and then be fine after the birth. Then as soon as my co-workers discovered I was expecting they felt free to share their birth stories. Every single one had an epidural, but not a single one didn't have some story of a side affect. According to their stories they loved it, but then proceeded to warn me of these things: they couldn't walk for 12 hours after, the shot hurt and then it only helped minimally, there is a possibility of having a c-section because the pain-reducing drugs slow the birth down, etc. (I can name more, but let's not dwell shall we?). I recoiled in horror thinking, "Hum. I can have pain during birth or after. Which one will I ever choose?"

Then I started chatting with other friends who had done a natural birth. They had great stories of "wow, it really hurts, but you feel so great afterward." My interest was piqued and I decided to investigate further. I decided that to be well informed "consumers" I and my husband should explore having a natural birth. The husband, being the ever-supportive one, started and is currently going with me to a 12 week Bradley class. I had heard about the type of people that are "Bradley people." I always thought they were a bit "granola," as it were. You know, hippie, Birkenstock-wearing, all organic, no make-up kind of people that make you feel guilty if you drink a coke and eat a Reese's every once in awhile during pregnancy. So, I was nervous at first. Very nervous. At the first class I discovered the class was full of people like me who want all the information to be informed parents. It seems that half the class had a bad epidural experience and the other half are first timers, but each one still desired to see what this "natural thing" was all about.

After our first class, I was telling my sister how relieved I was that the people seemed relatively normal and not nearly so granola or pushy as I expected. She then pointed out that I was probably more granola that I realized. "Me?", I said to myself. " Me a granola type? I love heels, I LIKE wearing make-up!" Then I thought. Okay, so I am a bit obsessive about eating the healthy diet, though coke and an occasional chocolate get in my way. I do teach people about exercise and how they can be independent in managing their pain. But still, I am mostly just a big advocate of people getting up and moving, not necessarily not taking the pain medication. I do like to be fashionable, but I will agree that indeed Birkenstocks are really comfy. But my flannel Birkenstock college days are in the past... In the end I was forced to conclude, "Maybe I am granola, just with fashionable heels."