Days Away from My Third Trimester

I'm now coming up to my third trimester in just a couple days and I'm feeling a huge mix of emotions. I'm excited, impatient, nervous, overwhelmed. happy, tired, ready and everything in between. Most of all though I'm just ready to hold him and kiss him and do nothing but stare at my baby for days :)

I feel like I've had a pretty easy pregnancy so far. My only complaints have been morning sickness in the first trimester, a hard time sleeping in the second (fixed by my amazing maternity pillow), leg cramps that I've learned to get rid of at the slightest tingle of them, and tailbone pain (also known as coccyx pain that I'm still dealing with). 

I've also been very blessed by the mom's at work and my family. We've been given so many items that John and I just wouldn't be able to afford right now. We've been swimming in baby clothes for months and I keep finding bags of clothes to be washed and hung up. I've actually gotten to the point where if a parent at work comes in with more baby clothes I turn around and give it away to my sister-in-law. We've been given multiples of some items like bouncers and walkers so that I've actually been able to be picky and keep the ones we like best and give the others away. A few days ago I started to stress and think "if something went wrong and I had to have an emergency c-section or be induced right away would we have everything we need for him right now?" and we didn't; we didn't have a place for him to sleep. We have a crib, but no mattress or sheets, no play yard, no bassinet...and I started to worry. The next day a mom at work came in with a co-sleeper she wanted to give us. Prayer answered. I'm seriously amazed at how God has blessed us throughout this entire pregnancy. He is so good!

I am getting a bit discouraged though because it's been my plan from the very beginning to have a natural birth, and a water birth. Unfortunately natural childbirth is so uncommon these days that people are very discouraging whenever they hear about someone attempting it. I feel like I don't have much support in my decision and it's starting to make me really upset. My grandma keeps telling me how she doesn't think I can do it; how she thinks I'm "too small" to give birth naturally (I don't even know what that means...); that I don't know what I'm getting into; that I think it's a joke (which I most certainly do not) etc, etc. Then I have moms at work that think it's cute that I want to try a natural birth but have the attitude of " we'll see how you feel when you're actually in labor". I think it's sad that this is the attitude I've received so far. Why is it so unbelievable for a mother to give birth naturally when women have done it for thousands of years? When this is what our bodies were made for? And when in many countries (aside from North America) having epidurals is a rarity? 

I've found one source of encouragement in a friend who's been through it twice and I'm hoping talking to her will continue to encourage me and help me feel capable. And for future reference, if anyone else needs that person to be an encouragement I'll be that for you, because I'm disappointed in how those around me have responded to my decision and I would hate for a mother to change her mind on a natural birth due to a lack of support. My mind is not changing because of these naysayers, I'm firm in my decision for a multitude of reasons, but it would be nice to hear a "you can do it" at least some of the time.