More on Student Doctors + Childbirth + Playlists

All of us were ordinary, compared to cynthia rose
She always stood at the back of the line
A smile beneath her nose
Her favorite number was 20 and every single day
If u asked her what she had 4 breakfast
This is what she?d say
"Starfish and coffee
Maple syrup and jam
Butterscotch clouds, a tangerine
And a side order of ham
If u set your mind free, baby, Maybe you?d understand" Prince, "Starfish & Coffee"

I really, really do not mind being the subject of student doctors' learning. I have no problem with them being shown how to do something by a more learned doc, and then trying it out on me. I actually find it kind of cute, for some odd reason. And they have to learn somewhere. I do have a bit of a problem with the long wait it managed to get me for them to get in to do the sonogram that I had today (to measure "pockets" in my amniotic sac.... I'll have to look up why that's important because they seem very interested in big pockets.)

Sitting in a hospital, no matter what my initial intent is, seems to inspire a state of almost sleep. I can be wide awake, just having had breakfast (more chocolate croissants, thank you!) and then just sit there for a few minutes with some sort of heart-rate monitor on and I get sleepy. It's just the hospital vibe, I guess. But not really sleepy enough to fall asleep. Just to sit there with a slightly dazed feeling, listening to the "thumps" on the fetal monitor when Maia or Sean move. Knock Knock, Who's There? An entire morning pretty much used up in sitting in a quiet dark hospital room listening to baby heartbeats. Not a waste, really, just not very productive.

I feel very physically oriented--like Molly Bloom in Ulysses-- everything is about my body lately. Even people with whom I could normally hold conversations other than about pregnancy or babies end up asking me questions and holding long conversations about that. Politics? Religion? Philosophy? Ethics? Nope. No point in talking about any of that. I have a brain, yes, but it happens to be attached to this body which is swelling noticeably into regions previously reserved for hot air balloons. What is my brain for, then?

I had more written but dammit had some sort of odd glitch and it was deleted. Most likely it was blather anyway. There was something about how it used to annoy me when pregnant or recently mommied women would only talk about just babies, but apparently it's inevitable, some sort of curse that if you were ever the childless woman who rolled her eyes at a bunch of mommies in a room talking about diaper rash, you then will become that woman no matter what kind of brain you had before. Just give in, I guess.

I got a short tour of the birthing center* where I'll have the babies. Saw a room and everything. They are really quite nice-- yellow pine wood floors, a comfy looking bed, a nice reclining chair for the hubby to sleep in when he wants to stay the night. TV, with video (DVD? I'm not sure) a CD player... all standard options. Little stations where someone can get ice chips, hot water for tea, a tiny fridge to put your snacks in. Not so bad. Especially considering with a cesarean I'll be there at least three days. The babies will "Room In" with me, so it'll be our little bonding area.

So anyway. The last bit was to say that I'm soliciting suggestions for my "birthin' babies" playlist. Remember that I will be having a cesarean, so there's no need for inspirational "Push It Out" songs. Mellow/cool songs I think are best. What I have so far are several songs that are important to me for whatever reason: India.Arie's song "Talk To Her", Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes", the Simple Minds "Don't You Forget About Me". I need a Prince song; I'm thinking "Starfish & Coffee"-- a little known song from the Sign o' the Times album (underrated, IMHO). I had links to the lyrics of all of those back in the first edition of this post but I am not looking them up again. They're easy to get if you just google the song title.

So what do you suggest-- what are cool songs that, if it were the moment they took a baby out, kicking and screaming and ready to pound the world with tiny fists of fury? Songs that I can tell them, one day, were the song playing when they were born? I plan to publish the list of both songs I pick & songs people suggest here at a later date, so suggest away.

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*If you really are dying to see it too, there's a tour link on this page... look to the bottom where it says "Hauth Birthing Center Virtual Tour." When you click the link, it will download a gigantic .mpeg file that you can watch to see a woman "take a tour" of the center. It lasts about 9 minutes total, and includes more than what I got today (but you know. If you're really really bored.)