WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I were expecting our first baby, we found a wonderful doctor to attend the birth. Fairly early on in the pregnancy we met with him and talked frankly for about an hour and a half. He was so professional, kind, respectful, and he clearly loved his work.
This doctor, along with a staff of several midwives, operated a birthing center two blocks from a hospital. The center was affiliated with the hospital, and the doctor practiced in both locations. Prenatal appointments took place at the birthing center, and the doctor's patients were allowed to have their babies either at the center or at the hospital. I appreciated the peaceful, family-oriented feel of the birthing center, and that was where I wanted to have my baby.
Between the day of our first meeting with the doctor and the day of the birth, I had a series of prenatal appointments. The doctor we loved so much was not usually present at the appointments because he had delegated these visits to the midwives. During one of these appointments, the midwives determined that the iron level in my blood was low and recommended several options for correcting it.
