Mari Walker

You’ll probably receive a lot of congratulatory cards from your family and friends when your baby is born. But did you know you can get a welcome to the world card from the president and first lady for your baby? The card is a nice keepsake, and regardless of your politics how cool is it to have a note from the leader of the free world (or at least his office)? Read the rest on the Woman's Hospital "Life Among Women" blog . (Called Mommy-Go-Round when first published.)

The answer is easy – YES! I’ve had two pregnancies ending in two beautiful daughters. The birth experiences were vastly different though, for many reasons. With my first pregnancy, I read so many books and prepared myself as best I could to have a natural birth. I ended up choosing a C-section 24 hours after induced labor without much progress. My doctor recommended the surgery because of fears of the size of my baby, who was estimated to weigh more than ten and a half pounds. She was born weighing 9 lb 10 oz, and I was devastated by my choice. My support system was my husband, and while we both agreed what we wanted as far as birth went, we didn’t equip ourselves with the tools to make it happen in the face of medical suggestions. I knew I wanted things different for my second baby’s birth, specifically a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). While I wasn’t opposed to a C-section if necessary, I felt like my first surgery hadn’t actually been necessary in hindsight. W