Planning

As Beth's job pays more than mine, and provides better health insurance (a major factor in the US), we decided some time ago that when the baby comes I'll give up my job, at least for a while, to be a house husband. The alternative is to find a baby carer or daytime nursery, and that would cost more per hour than my job brings in, especially given my unpredictable hours. Fortunately our necessary expenses can be met by Beth's salary, and we have savings to fall back on if necessary.

We've been eyeing up baby clothes and supplies, but plan to mostly hold off on purchases until Chris and Maureen, my in-laws and Beth's brother and sister-in-law (is there a neater way to express this relationship?) come to visit over the 4th July weekend. They had their firstborn in November 2008, so can advise on number and style of clothes to buy for a November baby, and many other aspects of American parenthood in the Twenty-10s. Beth doesn't want to learn the baby's gender until the birth and I'm respecting her wishes, so we won't be stocking up on blue bibs or pink bootees.

We have been shopping for maternity clothes, as even at 6-7 weeks Beth was already finding her regular jeans and some other items too tight. We visited a couple of different boutiques and specialist maternity stores, but struck a rich seam at Goodwll, a second-hand shop. Maternity clothes by their nature are only required for a few months before they don't fit, and many people give them to goodwill or similar stores. We found three pairs of elasticated waist jeans at Goodwill, for a total of $12, plus a vest (aka waistcoat).

Beth's been investigating birthing options, and would prefer a birthing center to a hospital birth. Fortunately such an option is covered by Beth's medical insurance, and we're visiting both the Hospital and the Birthing Center in the next week, at the NE corner of Springfield and just off Beltline and so only 15 minutes drive from our home.

Beth is, as always, better at studying up on things than I am, and it would seem that hospitals in the US treat child birth almost as a disease to be cured than a natural and necessary process, and will induce labor or perform a ceasarian if the labor is taking too long, rather than have the doctors and nurses be late home for their dinner.  OK, a slight overstatement, but that's the direction things are taking. The Birthing Center will allow more options to be chosen by the parents, allow the birth to develop naturally, and is only minutes from the hospital should emergency action be required.