After having a hospital birth with my first child, I knew I wanted the birth of my second child to be different. Therefore, I switched from a large OB practice to the Birthing Cottage of Winter Park about halfway through my pregnancy. My experience was wonderful from beginning to end. The prenatal visits were great because the Cottage was so kid-friendly, with toys and movies to watch along with a friendly staff. I also found that the prenatal care was superior and more personalized than that which I had received at the OB’s office.
I was definitely happy with my birthing experience in March of 2005. Alice and Shannon attended my birth along with my doula, Kris Worischeck. Meg came in the next morning and was very helpful and positive. The experience was so different from my son’s birth. I definitely felt in control and supported during the birth of my daughter, with the staff letting nature take its course rather trying to intervene as so many OB‘s do these days. I also liked that I was free to eat and drink if I wanted to and that I wasn’t tied down by monitors and so forth. I also enjoyed wearing my own clothes, not having to fight to keep my baby with me, the home-like atmosphere, and the privacy provided at the birth center compared to the hospital experience. I decided not to have my son at the birth, so the fact I could be back home to him in a matter of hours (rather than days) was especially important to me.
See my article entitled Natural Birth Options for more information about the birth of my second child. It really was a positive experience for our family, from the prenatal care to the postpartum visits. My only complaint was that Alice was a little grumpy that night, but it is my understanding that she had delivered several babies that day and was very tired!
Have you recently had a baby at the Birthing Cottage of Winter Park? If so, please leave a comment so others can benefit from your experience.
Jan, the editor of the Central Florida Green Guide, is a former public school teacher who is now an unschooling mom. She strives to live naturally–especially when it comes to parenting her two young children. In addition to her work as a freelance writer and homeschool consultant, Jan is a distributor for Juice Plus+ and Usborne Books. Learn more about this crunchy WAHM by visiting her Squidoo lens, Living and Learning… Naturally.
But hey…the fact that Panera is providing organic drink options and organic yogurt is a very good start!
Her booth was called “Shanna Rae’s Sweets” and got my attention because I was in the midst of planning a birthday party for my two little ones. Each year, it is a challenge because I needed to purchase a cake made from scratch that was free of artificial flavors, dyes, and other additives. Finding an all natural birthday cake outside of Whole Foods was nearly impossible!
I was lucky enough to meet Bill Fredrickson a few weeks ago at the Sanford Farmer’s Market. When I stopped to buy some honey, I asked if homeschool groups could visit the apiary and was told that he actually had an observation hive that he used in schools for educational purposes.
Bill did an excellent job of teaching our young children (6 and under) about bees while keeping their interest. He answered their questions and even gave them samples of honey! They had a wonderful time and learned so much about honeybees.
Mrs. Zeiger
Melita Franzen
Cat
