Birthing

Okay so I am pregnant again and reading about pregnancy and birth and I've had a few conversations about the subject so I thought I'd blog about it. :P

Let's start with my recommended reading list! :)

Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick-Read- a wonderful book! Some of the medical advice is outdated (it was written in the 1930s) but he gives such a great perspective on birth!

Birth by Tina Cassidy- Not for the squeamish but a wealth of information about the history of obstetrics and midwifery and statistics on birth complications, interventions and outcomes. Every woman should read it, preferably before she has kids.

Hello Baby! by Liz Rockwell- A book to read to little kids who are expecting a sibling. Simple, factual information. And my personal favorite part is that the mom in the story breastfeeds! :)

A Child Is Born by Lennart Nilsson- Don't just look at the pictures! The photos are wonderful but the written information, even though he is an evolutionist, is astounding! It will make you marvel at the miraculousness of pregnancy, birth, and the human body. It truly is a wonder that a woman can even get pregnant much less carry and give birth to a baby!

I know there are others out there that are great but those are my favorites.

Now here's my disclaimer before I get to the rest:

*I know that there are times when interventions are truly necessary and that there are some women who do indeed need a doctor's care. I am glad that there are doctors who can perform c-sections when they are needed. And I am thankful that there are hospitals to provide for that care. So, if you've had to have some procedure done please do not be offended by what I will say hereafter. Do consider though if the intervention was truly warranted and be honest enough with yourself to admit if you let yourself be bullied into a bad decision.*

Some history...

I have given birth seven times. I am currently pregnant for the ninth time. I had one ectopic pregnancy that resulted in the loss of my left fallopian tube. I've had an epidural that did not work. Two inductions. Two posterior births. Two home births. Four births with no drugs at all. One water birth. One induction was also a posterior. Water Birth was at home.

First baby was the epi that didn't work. A very poorly managed birth on all counts. Ended up a forceps delivery which has left my eldest with a very bad neck. Think I was preeclamptic that time but wasn't diagnosed because I have a very low 'normal' bp. Had a rather pompous OB who disregarded my concerns and opinions because I was so young.

Second baby was an induction. Had a great OB though and that induction was nothing like the second one. Had one dose of pain meds that time so I felt groggy after the birth.

Third baby was a good hospital birth. Same OB I had with babe #2 and she let me forgo the IV and let me do intermittent monitoring (20 minutes on 40 minutes off) and was up for me squatting during delivery-which I did not do. I wasn't up to moving around when it came time but she did remember to ask if I wanted the squat bar! Loved that OB!

Fourth baby was a home birth with a midwife. Delivered on hands and knees with that one which was perfect since we had a bit of shoulder dystocia with him. The body is amazing when you listen to it, it just knows! :)

Fifth baby was a failed unassisted home birth. Nothing was wrong except that he was posterior and hubby freaked out at the end and called 911 and we went to the hospital. He was presenting weird he had his head coned out to the left. It looked ridiculous! Really wish I had pics of that.

Sixth was an induction at the hospital. That induction was horrid! He was also posterior. That experience made me firm in my resolve to never have another baby in the hospital if I can help it!

Seventh was a water birth at home. A wonderful birth where a few of the kids were present. The three year old stayed up with me all night-baby was born at 4 am- and didn't get grouchy at all and was all love for his baby sister!

Eighth will be at home, probably a water birth again.

There is this wonderful euphoria after giving birth that women who are medicated or have epidurals completely miss out on. It is like being high, but in a good, natural way. I'd not use pain meds again unless I was having to have surgery.

I have learned that a woman's body can and will give birth in its own good time and the stress of a 'due date' is really counter productive. I have learned that labor can start and stop and even be impossibly long with no visible results for days or even weeks and then get going and you have a baby in a short time. I have learned that birth is not painful, only perceived as painful because of fear and programming.

I am saddened when I hear of women getting epidurals and having c-sections and always wonder if it was really necessary. I've watched so many "Baby Story" shows where they scare a woman into a c/s because of 'failure to progress' when she's only been in labor 8 hours and its her first baby. Or because of shoulder dystocia.Or because of a previous c/s. Or because of a breech presentation. Or because, the absolutely most ridiculous, of a posterior presentation.

These women, who allow themselves to be run through the baby mill of the hospital and don't question the procedures done, make me sad. They take the doctor's word that pitocin is safe, when it actually significantly increases the risk of complications (ie: uterine rupture, placental abruption, c/s etc.) and other interventions (that lead to still more interventions). And honestly they are not fully informed of the risks. If they were, far fewer would allow it to be done to them. I know I wouldn't have!

I say that with compassion because I too was led to do things that were not in my or the baby's best interests.

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard women say, "I could never have a home birth!" or "Give me the drugs (or at least that sentiment)". They rob themselves and demean the power that is within them! They unwittingly allow things that put themselves and their babies at risk. A woman's body is designed to give birth-barring any physiological problem of course. Contemplate the wonder of it! It is awe-inspiring!

I am not better or stronger or braver than any other woman because I choose to have home births or unmedicated births. I just know, from experience, that the natural way is far and away the better way! The rewards that come from the 'sorrow' of childbirth are beyond explanation.

I suppose I should discuss some of the reasons why interventions are considered necessary and then proceed to tear down those misconceptions! ;) I will be brief and give linkies.

Let's see...where to start. I guess I'll start with the scary ones!

Amniotic fluid embolism. That one just sounds scary! And it is. The mortality rate for it is as high as 86%. So if you get it you are most likely dead, whether you are at home or at the hospital. It is also very rare-as low as 1 in 80,000 births- and most of the risk factors are things that would only be happening at the hospital (pitocin-which doubles your risk of it, c/s, placental abruption). So I'm not worried about that one.

Placental abruption. This would require emergency care. But even at the hospital they will observe for hours before deciding if a c/s is necessary. Pitocin increases your risk for this as well. There is time to get to the hospital since there are signs that it is happening so I don't worry about this one with a home birth either.

Uterine rupture. Definitely a scary one. But again being in the hospital increases the chances of it happening, pitocin again being the culprit. This can cause massive hemorrhaging and definitely would require a surgeon. Still, the risk is small and would not affect my decision to birth at home.
Placenta Previa. This is present during pregnancy and would be diagnosed long before delivery and one would have to be in the hospital having a c/s.

Preeclampsia. Plenty of time to seek care for this one. It is largely preventable through diet.

Postpartum hemorrhage. I am considered higher risk for this but I've never had a problem-except after the first baby and that was only because of a burst blood vessel (actually more like a ripped vessel because of the forceps delivery). I nurse my babies within minutes of birth and that releases oxytocin that stimulates uterine contractions that stop the blood flow. A good midwife, and I have an excellent one, will recognize the signs and call for transport.

Preterm labor. Well...depending on how early babe is would determine my course of action there. I would probably defer to the midwife's judgement on this one. If midwife says go to the hospital I'd go. And I'm not worried. I don't have babies early.

Shoulder dystocia. Midwives are trained to deal with this and with good positioning it really isn't as scary as the OBs make it sound.

Nuchal cord. Not too big a deal a simple manoeuvre of pulling it over the baby's head or delivering babe through the loop. Don't think I've ever had that though. One did have the cord around his wrist though.

Breech presentation. Unless it is a transverse lie it is not a problem for a midwife. Midwives, unlike doctors, are taught how to deliver breech babies. And after watching videos of so many unassisted breach deliveries it really doesn't worry me at all!

Oh almost forgot one...

CPD (cranio pelvic disproportion)- really impossible if the mother has grown with proper nutrition.

I suppose I will add a blurb about the question of safety for the baby. In the hospital they use constant fetal monitoring (cfm) but that is mostly a CYB thing. There is no evidence that it helps babies have better outcomes actually the opposite is true. The ACOG (not an organization I have very much respect for in general) even admits that. For a healthy woman with a normal labor the cfm leads to more unnecessary interventions.

And what about if the baby is having problems after birth, like breathing difficulty. Midwives are trained in resuscitation and know the signs that would cause concern. There is time to get to the hospital with those things as well. With the exception of some very rare and serious congenital defects there is no reason to worry about the baby any more at home than at the hospital.

I like being at home with baby so much more. I really hated how often and for how long they would take the baby away for assessments at the hospital. I know the nurses were so ready for me to leave because I called every 10 minutes to see if they were done with the baby. The hospitals where I have the older girls were better in that respect than the hospitals here. "Rooming in" there actually meant that the baby did not leave your room at all unless there was a serious problem. Emma was under bili lights for 4 days and was in my room the whole time! Not the case here and it was very frustrating and tiring to have to walk to the nursery when Gilbert was in the hospital for jaundice.

I think that covers the problems that people are usually talking about when they ask if I am scared of something bad happening.

I wish more women would question the status quo when it comes to childbirth. Not doing so has led to some terrible abuses of power by OBs. X-rays. Scopolamine. Thalidomide. And abuses still happen under the guise of protecting babies and mothers. Consider that the US has one of the highest c/s rates in the developed world. So often there is no good reason for it. I found this lovely little tidbit on this website, "Up to 77% of women for whom the indication for cesarean delivery was a non-progressive labor (sometimes diagnosed as cephalopelvic disproportion or CPD) and who tried labor again, had a VBAC for a subsequent birth. Approximately one-third of these women gave birth to babies that were larger than their previous "CPD" baby" A non progressive labor is probably just prodromal labor or the woman is stressed and her body has stopped labor (the 'fight or flight' defense mechanism). And the best cure for that is to let mama rest and destress, have some dinner and a back rub without being prodded and monitored.

This got rather long. Oh well! :P

I love giving birth! Not so fond of those first months or last weeks of pregnancy or the sleepless nights after but I do love having babies! LOL I also love the sweetness of newborns. Their little hands and feet. The way the breastfed baby roots when he is hungry. The newborn cry is so sweet. Their first smile, laugh, and all the other firsts. I love that feeling, after the baby is born and everyone has gone away to leave me alone to get to know my new little one, the wonder and awe that I brought a life, a soul into the world! Ahhhh! Okay, now I'm ready to face the next five or six months of discomfort with pleasure at the prospect of that wonderful moment!