May--Glorious May

May is a great month! The hummingbirds are back and brave as ever, the wildflowers have begun their annual display, and we received our incentive payment from the government!!! To top it off, we are leaving for vacation in 2 weeks. (We're doing our part to spur the economy...spending every last dime of our incentive payment. Ha ha!!) We are headed to Alaska and plan on trying our hand at catching some halibut.

I saw the documentary, the Business of Being Born, for the third time at a birth network meeting recently, and if you have not seen this film, I would highly recommend that you take the time. It is available online at the following link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8597620254789409121&hl=en The most interesting fact is that 95% of births occurred at home in 1900 and by 1955, this number had decreased to less than 5%. Ironically, at this point in time, the United States has some of the worst morbidity statistics of industrialized nations. And Seth's favorite quote from Dr. Marsden Wagner: "If you really want a humane birth, then you need to get the hell out of the hospital!" As shown by the film, we recognize that there are certain instances when a high risk pregnancy necessitates birth in a hospital. For a normal, low risk pregnancy we encourage you to consider your options, presented very thoughtfully in this film. Enjoy!