Stoked and Sara - I am so terribly sorry about your losses. I wish you lots of strength and healing.

Jennifer - I switched to Aust Unity before this pregnancy. There is a 12 month waiting period for homebirth, so bub cannot come before our coverage date (bub's due a month later, so we should be OK there. If bub came before our coverage date we couldn't have a homebirth anyway). I then wrote a letter to them requesting the homebirth refund when I was about 20 weeks pregnant and had a positive response that week. They already had our IM on their approved list. So far they will offer cover to 30 June 2012, based on the changes that are coming through with IM's having a 2 year grace period. It did make a huge difference in our PHI cost, but we'll reduce it after the birth and the refund is paid.

Infinity - Wow! Congratulations on the birth of your daughter Heidi! Wishing her lots of strength as she grows in NICU - I hope her stay isn't too long and that both you and your DH don't find the time too stressful.

Em - good on your DH for standing up to your MIL.

I haven't posted on here in a while. All is going well. Now at 31 weeks and counting down the remaining weeks. Still having issues with SPD, now joined with constant back pain. I just figure it's all softening me up for a nice and easy birth at home Funnily enough, the thing that works the best is hydrotherapy with warm baths a second, so I see it as a sign this bub is a water baby.

We're on 2 week appts now. We've stopped discussing the ins and outs of birth now and have moved on to being emotionally ready and being able to trust the people in the room (I'm a control freak and just need to learn to let go). My IM wants me to focus on the love that created this bub in the lead up to the birth. Also, I'm practising letting go of my fear of a hospital transfer/caesar. I figure if I concentrate on it, it kind of invites it into my life. We have the experts we need, so we know if it has to happen, it has to happen. Meanwhile I want to pack a hospital bag in the next couple of weeks, just so I won't need it, if that makes sense.

In the next appt, we look at how to cope after baby arrives. Should be interesting.

I hope everyone else is well