Why Do I Choose Natural Childbirth?

I have to admit...when I was pregnant with Lily, it started as something I wanted to do because my sister did it.  Then, after I would tell people I was planning a natural childbirth (NCB) and they would say "good luck" and "just wait until those first contractions come - you'll be begging for your epidural," it became something I had to prove.  Comments like that just fueled my fire - being the stubborn person that I am.  I had done some research then, but just enough to know that I didn't want an epidural, I wanted the option of laboring in the tub, I wanted to move around, and a couple of other 'minor' things.  Even though Lily's birth didn't go completely as planned, I succeeded in having a NCB.  It felt good to be able to prove to everyone else that I did what they thought I couldn't do.  But there were things about how my labor went that I knew didn't have to have gone the way they did.  I wished I could have changed them, so I started to educate myself more about alternatives to routine procedures.  I began to learn why so many people choose NCB - that it was about trusting your body, and giving you and your baby the best in labor and delivery.  

A woman's body knows what to do.  I've heard stories of women being completely knocked out during labor 60+ years ago.  I always wondered how the baby was born if the woman wasn't conscious to push it out.  Well guess what?  Her body will push even if she's not trying!  A baby can be born even if a woman is in a coma!  So why do doctors and hospitals feel the need for all these interventions?  Why are women led to believe that they need help to have their baby and that they NEED all of these things that hospitals 'require.' (Which is not true, by the way.  You can always say no and hospitals actually don't have many requirements - and most of those are for women with epidurals, pitocin, etc.) 

So what started as something to prove ended up leading me to see that a NCB is safer than having interventions.  I trust my body.  It knows what to do, and if I just let it do its thing, I don't need anything to 'push' me along. 

Now, I do realize that there are circumstances in which interventions are necessary.  I'm not saying that a NCB is the ONLY way to birth.  I'm just saying that it's the safest.

Did you know that all of the routine and "just in case" procedures that OB/GYNs are made for high risk moms?  A low risk mom actually doesn't need to have most of the things that they do during pregnancy or in hospitals during labor (like an IV, rupture of membranes, episiotomy, etc).  Low risk women really should use a midwife as their caregiver.  I love this article.  It really gives you perspective on how behind the US is in our healthcare in relation to low risk obstetrics.  One quote, if you don't want to read the whole thing:  "Today, only 7 percent of births in the United States are attended by midwives. This statistic is striking, considering that midwives attend approximately 70 percent of births in Western Europe."  And when you look at the intervention rate, among other things, of Western Europe compared to the US...it's shocking, especially when you consider how 'advanced' the US is in its technology.

Anyway, I kinda went off on a tangent there.  It's really hard for me to stay on one subject, since everything is so connected!  But I hope that this gives you a better idea why I choose to birth naturally!

DONA Workshop: Day 3

I'm really late with this post...life just gets busy!  The last day of my workshop was great, just as the other days!  We really focused on interventions and how doulas can help in epidural and cesarean births.  One thing I learned that I found really interesting is the "rest and descend" technique used when the mom has an epidural.  When the woman is fully dilated, the nurses/doctors say "ok!  Time to start pushing!"  And so much energy is wasted because the baby is still high up and the mom can't push as effectively since she has little to no feeling.  So the rest and descend technique allows the contractions to move the baby down until the head is visible in between contractions (on the perineum).  Since the mom usually doesn't feel the urge to push, she can just let the contractions do the work for her.

I had an amazing three days at the workshop with an amazing group of women.  It was so great to be with people who share the same passion as I do about birth.  I really wish I could start attending births right now...but it's just not going to work with me being so far along in my pregnancy...then having a nursing baby!  The earliest I'll start is January for my cousin's birth.  But that's not too far off, and it will give me time to read and study some more.

DONA Workshop: Day 2

I am so exhausted, so this will be a short post.  At today's class, we spent most of the day doing "hands on" stuff.  We learned massage techniques and pressure points, as well as practiced different positions for labor.  Even though I knew most of the positions, it was so great to be able to practice them and to actually learn how to do them.  

By doing all of the hands on stuff today, my confidence in my ability to be a good doula definitely went up.  I learned that it doesn't always matter if you're doing something "wrong."  Sometimes the mother in labor just wants something.  She doesn't know or care that I'm not a perfect massage therapist.  What she needs is someone to help her relax, just by touch.  Or to help her slow her breathing down.  Or someone to suggest changing positions.  There's still a lot to remember, but it feels more manageable. 

Tomorrow is the last day of class.  I've had a great time being with 10 other women who pretty much have the same feelings about labor as I do.  It's sad that tomorrow's the last day!  Well hopefully I'll be able to find my own circle of women who share the same beliefs - whether that be friends or other doulas.  It's nice to have people who you can talk openly to about these kinds of things.

DONA Workshop: Day 1

Today was day one of three of my DONA workshop.  A lot of the information was basically just a review of a lot of the things I've researched and read in the past 2 years, but I still enjoy learning and talking about it.  If I had to sum up the topics of the day into one sentence, it would be:

Birth is safe, interference is risky.

Childbirth is safe. Women have been having babies [relatively] safely for thousands of years.  Why is it that NOW it's treated as an illness and a lawsuit?  (More about that in a later post.) 

I have a passion for birth...if I didn't, I wouldn't want to be a doula.  But after today, I'm just worried that I won't have what it takes to be a good doula.  There is so much information to learn...so many things to remember during labor.  And on top of that, every situation and every mom is different.  THEN, you have to learn to say things positively and not overstep your boundaries...then there's the issues you have with the hospital staff and care providers who don't like you there because you don't "let" them do things their way (even though "their" way is not what the mom wants or may not be the best solution).  There's just so much stuff to remember...


I hope that the worry and the anxiety go away after I have some experience.  I know things will naturally get easier when I get some practice, it's just very intimidating to think about!


Well, that's it for today.  Tomorrow we're doing some hands-on stuff, which I hope will ease my fears a little bit.  Stay tuned!

Why I Think Childbirth Education is Important

I'm a little annoyed right now, so I'm going to try my best to keep my thoughts together.  I've never been good with words, so we'll see how this goes...it probably won't make any sense!

In my late-teenage years, when marriage and babies were becoming more reality and less fantasy, I always told myself I probably wouldn't get an epidural.  Mainly because my mom didn't, and my sister had only had one with her oldest.  It wasn't based off of statistics or research at all.  I guess, subconsciously, I knew I didn't want to lose that control of my body.  When I got pregnant with Lily, there was no question in my mind that I wouldn't have a natural childbirth.  That's how women had been having babies for thousands of years, why should modern technology change that?  Giving birth was a gift from God, it's what my body was made to do.  My body knows what to do, why start out not trusting myself?

So over the years I became more educated.  Now, choosing an unmedicated birth isn't about what other people did, it's because I know the facts.  I know that interventions lead to more interventions.  I know that epidurals do, in fact, affect the baby - no matter what they say.  Anything you put in your body affects the baby.  I know that my body can have a baby without anyone's help, and I know how listen to it and how to control it.

But, unfortunately, I'm in the minority of women that know this.  It seems as though women are forced into this fear of childbirth because of ignorance.  Here's what I mean:  In the US (I specify US because I don't have any experience with other countries), private matters (in this case, childbirth) are very "hush-hush."  We don't talk about it much, for fear of offending someone, I guess.  150 years ago, women gave birth solely at home, with usually only women around.  I would imagine that little kids knew more about a women having a baby than the average 20 year old today.  People had close relationships with their neighbors, in many different ways.  They were their friends...their family.  Growing up, a girl would probably experience childbirth multiple times.  Whether or not she was physically present for the birth, she would still have a completely different outlook of it than someone in today's culture.  She would have grown up understanding that this is a natural process, she would know what to expect during childbirth.  Today, we have practically no exposure to it to know what to expect.  Why do you think we're afraid of it?!  Of course we're going to be afraid of something we know almost nothing about!  So, because of this fear, women automatically choose pain medication (most commonly epidurals) because they hear horror stories from other women who have gone before them about how painful childbirth was...because they weren't prepared, or their epidural didn't work and they didn't know what to do now that they have to 'deal' with contractions...because they were planning on "no pain whatsoever."  So now, suddenly, birth is so painful that you can't handle it, and women don't even trust their bodies to something that has been done naturally for thousands of years.

I will say this again and again...I probably sound like a broken record: Every woman should educate herself.  Know the options.  Know the risks and benefits of procedures BEFORE you go into labor, because when you're 6cm dilated and someone comes to you saying that your water should be broken, I guarantee that you're not going to fully comprehend the implications of that decision.  And even if you do, you're probably not going to be able to make a decision on your own (which is why you need someone there...like a doula!).  

About 2 years ago, we had dinner at my in-laws' house with my father-in-law's TA and his wife, who was about halfway through her pregnancy.  My sister-in-law asked this woman if she was going to take a childbirth class (mind you, this is her first baby).  Her response?  "Why?  I'm going to get an epidural."  Um.  Yeah...cause childbirth classes are only about pain management and you shouldn't waste your time if you're planning on getting an epidural.  I'll admit that childbirth education classes offered by hospitals aren't top on my list of recommended classes, but they're a whole lot better than not taking one!  But...that's a whole different story.

This handout is published by Childbirth Connection.  It's called The Rights of Childbearing Women and should be read by every woman who is having a baby.  It's a free download, you just have to click on the PDF link.  The Rights of Childbearing Women

DONA Packet

I ordered my certification packet last Monday and I got it this week!  It has all of the requirements in detail in it, as well as the forms I'll need to fill out and have others fill out.

It 'expires' in 2 years, so I'm hoping I can get everything done by then!  So excited to get moving!

I also found another Hypnobabies class to take, except this one goes from July 6 - August 10.  Getting pretty close to my due date, so I hope that this baby doesn't come too early!  But yay that I was able to find out that works out!

Some Great Quotes

I've been doing some normal surfing on my side of the internet, and I found some pretty great quotes/slogans.  I just had to share!  (All images are taken from Cafe Press...which is why there's a Cafe Press watermark on all of them!)

My favorite:

I'd better stop there!  I could go on for a long time!

Registered for the Workshop!

Last week, while I was in California for a family reunion, I was able to register for my doula training workshop!  It's on June 24-26...allllll day long!  But I'm actually really excited to spend three whole days learning about something that I truly enjoy.  I also ordered some books that I can't wait to read, as well as my DONA certification packet (which I need to have before I attend births).  I have two years from now to finish my certification requirements, or else I have to order a new packet.  I had a Hypnobabies class set up to observe, but the teacher decided she didn't feel comfortable with me observing for some weird reason.  So now I have the extremely difficult task of finding a class to observe (hopefully free) that ends before this baby is born, that hasn't already started yet.  Yay.

I'm also currently reading a book called The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth.  It's been a hard book to get through, personally, because it covers pregnancy in SO much detail.  This being my third pregnancy...I'm pretty knowledgeable on things, so it's so kinda boring.  It's really great if you've never been pregnant and need a book that encompasses all things pregnancy.  I'm finally getting to the labor and childbirth part, so it's getting more interesting....

I'm so glad to get things rolling!  It actually feels like I'm accomplishing something in my life.  Not that being a mom isn't something to be proud of, but I need something that I want to do.  Something that allows me to have 'me' time.  Until next time!

Starting Here

I've never been wonderful at blogging.  I enjoy it, but I'm just not that great.  But I feel that it's really important for me to have a place where I can write down thoughts and ideas about things I learn along this wonderful journey.  You see, I've recently received the push I need (no pun intended) to become a Certified Birth Doula.  The longer I wait, the harder it's going to be - especially with a new baby coming in August!  So I'm going to pretend that I have an audience, and if I do, I hope you guys enjoy my brain :)  My hope of this blog is to have a place to collect my thoughts, as well as help educate others...even if it's just to let people know that there are options.  Feel free to ask questions or post comments about anything!  I do not intend to offend anyone, but neither do I intend to not be honest and blunt.  These are my thoughts...my personal feelings, views and opinions.

So what is a doula?  According to the Doulas of North America site (who I'm getting my certification through), "the word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth."  Many expecting women fine themselves scared, even after preparing, or in a situation where they don't know what to do.  Doulas give labor support, suggest different ideas, and help get the father more involved in the labor.  

With the majority of women in the United States getting epidurals (not sure of an exact number...these statistics are hard to find...but I know it's over 50%), you may wonder "why do I need a doula?"  Well, it's true that doulas are more for helping women who strive for a natural (unmedicated) birth.  But that doesn't mean that a doula wouldn't be useful for someone who plans on an epidural.  She can be there for emotional support or to explain procedures and risks to the mother, or what if the epidural doesn't work and the mother now needs to know some coping techniques?  The doula would help her in all these situations.  

I enjoy all things childbirth.  It is a beautiful, natural miracle, and should be viewed as such.  This is why I want to become a doula.  I want to help other women get the birth they want, and the birth they deserve!