If You Don't Know Your Options, You Don't Have Any

Today, I will visit my midwife for the second time. While I look forward to our visits, I know I'm going to have insurance issues. I called my insurance company to see what our coverage would be for a home delivery, and found out that they will only pay for prenatal and postpartum visits, not the delivery itself. I think this is an outrage, especially considering how much money I'm saving using midwifery care, and an out of hospital alternative. Of course I'm going to have to contest this. I'll have to get started already on my letter writing campaign. Why does it seem that everything is a struggle when you step outside the lines?
I attended a meeting yesterday, and one of the ladies there is pregnant and due about the same time as me, with her first child. We had spoken previously about our pregnancies, and I had mentioned that I was doing a homebirth. She seemed genuinely intrigued and said she wanted to know more about it. I told her yesterday that I will bring her a couple of my books to read when I see her again. I'd like to start her off with some easily digestible ones, like "A Good Birth, A Safe Birth" or one of Barbara Harper's books. I explained to her that the books I offer her won't be found in the local library or even on a bookstore shelf. They offer a holistic perspective on birth that is routinely denied to women in traditional prenatal settings. If she reads these books and wants more, I'll give her the more hard hitting stuff like Ina Mae's book or "Whose Having this Baby?" I'm eager to see how she responds. Yes, I know I'm approaching this with all the relish of a pimp plotting to turn out his next ho. I can't help myself. As Oprah says, "when you know better you do better" and as I always say "if you don't know your options, you don't have any." I simply want every woman to know all her options.