Musings on Birthing Naturally

[about an hour after birth, just after first nursing...]


We have a secret in our culture
It isn’t that birth is painful…
It is that women are strong!
~Laura Stavoe Harm

The plan from day one was to give birth free from medication. I believe that labor and delivery are natural processes, and that they work best when allowed to work naturally. I had people tell me that birthing without medication was like having a root canal without medication—unnecessary and stupid. I beg to differ—there is nothing natural about a root canal—it’s a process of repairing damage, like stitches, or a broken bone. Birth, on the other hand, IS natural; Nothing is broken, nothing is damaged, it just happens to be hard work.

Having now given birth though, I have to say one thing: I am woman, hear me ROAR! I feel so empowered. Look what I made! Look what I did! I am like a tiger (belly stripes and all) and I can do anything. I am strong. I am now the epitome of real power—positive power—the power to create, to build, to give. It’s humbling that God would share something like this with me…and it’s so awesome!

There were a number of times when I would have said that labor hurt—like stubbing your toe or hitting your head on the lintel—but ‘pain’ didn’t seem like the right word. It was effort and ache and not something I’d want to do every day, but it was not extreme… The one moment to which I would ascribe pain was the actual moment that S’s head delivered: I tore slightly in three different places, and that one moment I would have to classify as painful. It felt like I was ripping—as indeed I was. But even as I felt it I knew this was it and that if I could just push for a second or two more that it would all be done and S would be out. So, yes, delivering a baby has its painful moments…but overall it’s not that bad; and it’s so worth it!

I feel sorry for those who don't believe in themselves enough to even try. They will never understand what they are missing.

He's Here!

S B Brighton arrived tuesday morning 1/16 at 5:06. 7lb 1 oz, 19.5inches, blue eyes, black hair, and daddy's big feet and dimples. He's a great little nurser, but very much dislikes being unwrapped or not held. Daddy caught him and W cut the cord. Mommy has 5 stitches and is a little sore and very tired (labor was quite long due to there being a lot of water so progress was verrry slow until we had the water broken...) but we are all are happy and well. :-)
Pictures will come in a few days when we get them developed.

I'll put the full birth story in a separate post...

Under Pressure

This baby has settled nice and LOW in the last few days. He was never very high, but I now have constant pelvic pressure, and it's getting old. Just over two weeks till his official due date, but we're talking to him daily and telling him that we're ready for him so he can go ahead and come whenever he's ready...and it sure would be nice if he decided to be ready a little before that seemingly very distant due date!
I get contractions on and off all the time now--not little braxton-hicks, but real authentic contractions that don't go away with water or rest or trips to the potty...on the other hand, these lovely authentic contractions are not forming into any kind of pattern, they are just coming and going as they please...mostly coming. One more reason to think it probably won't be too much longer...we're definitely getting warmed up here!
With any luck I won't have anything else to post until I put the birth story. :-)

Spinning Babies

I don't know if anybody will ever read this blog...maybe someday I'll actually give out the link and then I suppose people will! LOL. Meanwhile, I'll add an entry every so often to just spout off, and we'll see if it ever gets interesting...
I have just been re-reading at www.spinningbabies.com about how to make sure my baby is in a good position for birthing. It's amazing how many women (and even how many doctors) dont' take the simple steps to keep the baby facing back, thus leading to posterior ("sunny-side up") babies and horrible back labor for the mother. It's not really that hard a thing to correct...but you have to go to the effort to actually do it! Proper postures and sleeping positions in the months prior to delivery can make all the difference in the world in a short straightforward labor vs. a long horribly painful one! And yet this goes ignored by obstetrical practitioners and the world at large...why should this have to be an undercurrent movement? Why aren't doctors handing out brochures on this alongside the brochures on gestational diabetes and how to cope with morning sickness? Because there's money in not doing so! A posterior baby means a longer harder labor--that increases the liklihood that mom will want medication ($$$ for doctor) and the interference of medications increases the liklihood of a cesarean (cha-CHING more $$$). When did medicine stop being driven by the desire to take care of people, and start being driven by the desire to get money? It's so sad. It's pathetic. It's sick and wrong is what it is. I know there are still a few good doctors out there...but the profession in general...can you blame me for not trusting them?!

Christmas Letter Time

Well, I have the Christmas letter essentially written. DH needs to look over it and see if he wants to edit anything...but then we're set to print! I bought the paper weeks ago (ds6 picked it out--it has a christmas lights border). So, knowing that everything was close, I started addressing envelopes. I was surprised it went as fast as it did...we just moved, so we don't have return address labels or anything, so it was ALL by hand...but I guess our list just isn't very long! LOL. Maybe there is an upside to limiting how many friends you have?! It may delay carpal tunel syndrome a few extra years!