Today we went into Troy for the farmer's market, hoping to find a source for buying a whole or half grass-fed cow for the freezer, as well as some good produce (of course). After watching this I'm even more leery of buying anything from grocery stores, even the stuff I use to cook "from scratch". I'm hoping to support more local organic farmers, maybe join a CSA, and definitely expand my garden next year.
Anyways. After the farmer's market, we walked over to The Daily Grind for coffee and sandwiches. I happened to see a brochure there for a local midwife in Troy who does homebirths. And it turned out to be Michelle Doyle! This might not mean anything to many of you, but if you've ever tried to have a homebirth in the Capital Region, you may have been frustrated by the lack of options and the laws in New York. So it's exciting to find a practice so close. And it's doubly exciting to find out that it's Michelle Doyle! If you've ever been one of her patients, you know she's a great midwife - very friendly, sincere and supportive. I hadn't really felt that a homebirth was right for me, atleast at this time. Maybe someday in the future when I had more birthing experience, but it seemed like so many things could go wrong and I wouldn't know what to do. I actually liked going to the hospital; it was kind of like a mini-vacation (a very painful one) where I didn't have to worry about keeping house or cooking and could let people take care of me. However, I'm very modest and private about birthing. I don't want anyone around, not even family. It seems at the hospital, anyone who works there feels they have the right to just come and go as they please. And let me tell you, having a C-section where you can't even move, let alone cover yourself up while a bunch of people stand around and stare at you is torture! So I don't know what it was (maybe a part of nesting?) but I feel much more open to it now, and knowing that there's a midwife available makes it even more appealing.