31 Weeks: Would you like some caviar to go with that placenta?

Babycenter.com: 4 navel oranges? That’s all you got?

This week I’ve been thinking about the whole birth plan, which is slowly coming together. One part of our birth plan is to limit hospital visits. When Jacob was born, I thought that I would want visitors, and we pretty much had an open door policy. In retrospect, my inherent self consciousness (uh hello, no shower, flimsy gown, no bra?!), dealing with a uterine infection and the accompanying fever, as well as recovery from abdominal surgery was so overwhelming, that dealing with visitors was sometimes too much.

At the time, I was too overwhelmed to acknowledge that or do anything about it. This time, I’m trying to make some decisions in advance so I don't need to think about them in the moment. There is also the added visitor limitation of our hospital due to H1N1.

Everyone has their own comfort zone and preferences. For example, my walking buddy, F, is from the Dominican Republic and they have very different customs that make a WASP like me cringe. She was telling me that births in the DR are huge family events. Folks sit around the birth room for the entire hospital stay, eating, drinking, socializing, and celebrating. Visiting hours are ignored, and Mom and baby have little to no privacy or alone time.

My favorite story of F’s begins like this: “This one time, I was catering a birth, and there was caviar. . .”

Catering a birth? CATERING a birth? CAVIAR?! I can just see the doctor delivering the placenta while the F sets up the Belgian waffle station in the corner. To each their own, right?