tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18123039725825424662024-02-21T01:24:43.642-08:00Cassie the DoulaCassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-39178118494337072712011-03-20T14:22:00.001-07:002011-03-20T15:46:52.378-07:00Luca's Birth in Pictures (Part 1)All photos were taken courtesy of www.maysaphotography.com<div><br /></div><div>I feel like the photos really speak for themselves, so I offer no descriptions. You can read my birth story <a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2011/01/lucas-birth-story.html">here</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5538689201_d763e83f05.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="birth1" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5539268532_8e3f9481fa.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="birth2" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5092/5539269246_ecd6b37bd0.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="birth3" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5538690981_0fb6a1b41a.jpg" width="333" height="500" alt="birth4bw" /></div><div 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/></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-38127925946008103062011-01-25T15:26:00.000-08:002011-01-25T16:59:08.292-08:00Luca's Birth Story<div class="entrytext"> <p style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I'm trying to write this while it's still fresh in my mind. I'm still kind of in awe of everything that happened. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Two days before I had Luca, I lost my mucus plug and then lost more of it in bits and pieces the following day. I had a few contractions that just screamed, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>These are different!</em></span>" and I had the urge to call my midwife. I don't know why, because I knew that losing my mucus plug didn't mean anything, but I just had this intuition-like feeling that I needed to give her a head's up.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">On Thursday&Friday, I got some important things done. I picked up the carseat and finished shopping for my daughter's Hayden's birthday present. I confirmed the information about Hayden's party. I cleaned my room.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Friday night, I had some weird pressure/pain. It was really bothering me, so I decided to take a shower and try to go to bed. I texted my friend, Maysa, and told her, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I don't know what's happening to me, but, it hurts. My legs, pelvis, and back hurt.</em></span>" It didn't feel like tightening, it felt<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong> ... </strong></span> weird. I felt like I desperately had to poop. Throughout the night, a contraction would wake me up and I'd go to sit down on the toilet. Finally, I pooped - and I felt so much better. I then had a contraction that woke me up at 5am and I couldn't go back to sleep. </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I knew that I had to get up out of my bed at 5.30am. Unfortunately, my 2-year-old, Vincent, who had been in my bed, woke up too. I woke up my mom, who was there to keep an eye on my kids for the birth, and we went downstairs. I ended up on my hands and knees on the couch, contracting every 3-5minutes. It still didn't <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em><strong>FEEL</strong></em></span> like contractions - it felt like a burning period cramp. I told my mom that I didn't remember contractions feeling like this. I was silent when working through them and I was talking in-between them, so I told my mom that it was too soon to call Mary (my midwife). </span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">My mom called anyway and she asked me, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>how painful are they on a scale from 1-10?</em></span>" while I was having one. I said, kind of tense, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I don't know. 6 or 7?</em></span>" I was annoyed that she asked me while I was contracting. Mary told my mom that she was getting dressed and she'd be right over. I then announced that I hate that stupid pain scale.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I decided to call my friends, Sarah & Maysa, but they both had an hour drive ahead of them and I didn't want them to leave if I wasn't in true labor - since my contractions felt so "different." I told them both that I'd call them back after Mary checked me. I remember scoffing/laughing when I spoke with Sarah, and then thinking, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>There's no way I'm giving birth today. I'm in a good mood</em></span>!" When I spoke with Maysa, I ended the conversation with, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I need to go before I have another contraction</em></span>."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Vincent was awake the entire time and, surprisingly, didn't bother me. He sat with me a few times and hugged me. The damn cat came out into the living room, though, and <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><strong>SHE</strong></span> bothered me. I made my mom chase her down and lock her upstairs.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alice, my mother-in-law (and who's home I gave birth in!) had been dropping a friend off at the airport and came home extremely surprised to find the house well-lit. When she figured out what was happening, she kind of squealed with delight. I had been coming from the bathroom, which always caused a heckuva contraction, and she embraced me in this excited hug. I returned to the couch and got back on my hands and knees and Alice asked me, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>How are you feeling?</em></span>" It annoyed the crap out of me and she must have seen my emotions on my face, because she left me alone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Alice got kind of panicky in this moment and was asking my mom about what they should do. Luckily, Mary got there and eased the tension. I finished up a contraction (which I was still moving through silently at this point) and then we went to the bedroom. I expressed my concerns with Mary, that I wasn't very far along. I told her that my contractions felt "weird" and she said, very matter-of-factly, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I know</em>.</span>" She remembered that I didn't want to know how many centimeters dilated that I was, so when she checked me, she said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>the baby's head is right there and your bag is bulging.</em></span>" She wanted to check me through a contraction, and I wasn't able to be silent through that one. Mary asked, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>that wasn't a very strong one, was it</em></span>?" and I said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>no - but it hurt really badly because I'm on my back.</em></span>" She then turned to Alice and said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>let's set everything up.</em></span>" She told me that when I felt like getting in the pool, just to let her know, and she'd check me again. After I had Luca, I learned that when she had checked me, I was 6cm.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I had my mom call Maysa, Sarah, and my doula, Victoria. I went upstairs to shower (and shouted from atop the stairs, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Oh, and call my husband!</i></span>") The water felt so wonderful, but I hated having to stand. I remember thinking, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>This is why people want to be in the birth pools</i></span>." I put on my birth skirt and my sports bra and went downstairs. I asked for my mom to grab the exercise ball, and I sat on that, leaning against the bed. One of the birth assistant's checked the baby's heartrate (perfect) and then they continued to set up the bed and fill the pool. I was starting to make a little bit of noise during my contractions, but not too much. I didn't think they hurt <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em><b>that</b></em></span> badly. Especially since the birth ball took pressure off my pelvis, and I was able to sway my hips. I swear on my life that contractions hurt less when you're at home.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Victoria got there and I asked her if she knew how to do french braids since I had a feeling that Maysa wasn't going to get there in time to do them. She did, and she pulled my hair back for me as I sat on the ball. It was distracting, which was nice. When she went to start on the second braid, I had a contraction that I really had to moan through. She told me, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>I could tell that one was different</i>.</span>" I chalked it up to it being a double-peak contraction. Around this time, my mom brought Hayden in and I gave her a hug. Vincent ran into a few times and then Andrea showed up. I told her, kind of harshly, to "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>get them out of here</i>.</span>" I remember feeling extremely exasperated that no one was keeping them out of the room. My mom and Alice kept asking me questions, and I got<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> <b>extremely</b> </span>frustrated with them as well (do you know how hard it is to answer questions while you're in labor?) I know they were trying to be helpful, but I was not in the state of mind to think about whether I wanted to eat or not. After awhile, everyone seemed to realize that I wasn't going to be holding any valuable conversations.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I told Victoria that my butt really hurt and I thought it was because the baby was so low and my bag was bulging. She applied counter pressure with a tennis ball, and it felt heavenly. After another contraction that made me moan and groan, I requested to get in the pool. Mary asked me if I wanted to be checked, and I said no. She then said, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">"<i>if you feel like getting in the pool, get in the pool!</i></span>" I just stripped my skirt off at this point and sat in the water. It felt <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i><b>soooooo good</b></i></span><i><b>.</b></i> It wasn't deep enough, however, and I asked Victoria to fill it up more. She told me, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>It's coming out ice cold. I'm going to have to go put a pot on the stove</i>.</span>" I moaned through another contraction and then started laughing. I turned to her and said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>The faucet! It's backwards</i>.</span>" I had forgotten that detail. She turned it the other direction and we got some hot water going. Once the water was over my butt, my "problem area," it felt awesome. Well, it didn't feel "nice" but it didn't hurt so much.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Victoria asked me if I wanted Sarah - who had just shown up- in the room, and I said yes. At this point, the only people in the bathroom were Victoria, Sarah, and me. It was really, really nice. I was extremely happy to see Sarah and I remember <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>really</i></span> wanting to be able to hold someone's hand - so I was really glad when Sarah offered hers. I also remember asking her to get my camera because no one had gotten any photos yet and one of my biggest fears was not getting a single photo of the birth. At some point, Alice came in and asked if I wanted music and all I could do was shake my head <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">"<i>no</i></span>." Victoria mentioned that I wanted quiet. Somewhere in here, I saw that Maysa (who was photographing the birth) had shown up. I remember thinking, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Awesome. Photos</i></span>" and that I was in a bad position for pictures - but, frankly, I didn't care. I was leaning over the pool with my head down and I didn't want to move.<br /><br />It was amazing how out of this world I felt. Like I was in some distant universe. I did not care about how long my contractions were lasting, or how far apart they were. I didn't care how many I had. I didn't even care what time it was. All that mattered was what was happening to me at that moment.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">During my contractions, I would just moan through them and sway my hips. I kept thinking that I couldn't be that far along because I still felt "aware" and 'with it.' However, I started crying. I don't even know why. It hurt, but was still manageable. Yet, I just started crying. I remember Victoria was really with it and got me tissues. I also remember passing my snotty tissues on to Sarah and feeling bad that she had to take them from me. I was holding back, so I was glad when Victoria told me, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>sometimes, we just need a good cry. Just cry. Let it all out now</i>.</span>" So, I did.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Mary came in at some point and told me that she could check me in the pool or on the bed. She then said something about how I didn't want to birth in the water. Victoria repeated what Mary said to me and included that I could change my mind (about birthing in the water) and I just shook my head. I was beyond words at this point (yet, I still thought I had awhile to go - I didn't believe I was close to pushing). After another contraction, I asked to get out. Mary came to help me and I wanted a bathrobe. I didn't want to be completely naked, because I was cold. Alice had a bathrobe that I ended up wearing (and, destroying. Luckily, it was old and she needed a new one anyway). I peed, which caused a horribly painful contraction, and I was thankful that Victoria came in the bathroom and helped me lean forward. I then made my way over to the bed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I was in a side-lying position when Mary came to check me and I said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>I don't want to move!</i></span>" and she told me that was fine. She said that I had a lip left that was behind the baby's head. She discussed 3 options with me. 1) I could try a different position to see if that resolved the lip 2) she could move it out of the way and I could push past it or 3) we could do nothing. I decided to get on my hands and knees. They brought over the birth ball and I leaned on that. Victoria was on my left and Sarah was on my right. It was at this point in labor that I hit the point of, "</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Oh, God. </i></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i><a href="http://this.is.it/" target="_blank" id="link_0"><span style="font-size:small;">This.is.it</span></a></i></span><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">" I was screaming a bit more loudly, and kept hearing reminders to keep my voice low. I remember saying, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Ow</i></span>" a few times. I could hear the kids outside and I wanted to shout, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Can someone SHUT THEM UP</i></span>" but, I didn't.</span></span></p><p style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Hayden, who turned a 5 a day after I gave birth, had heard the noises I was making and kept saying that I was having the baby. Originally, I had decided to let her in the room while I was pushing, if she wanted to be in there. However, when my mom came in and asked if Hayden could come in, I said no. I didn't want her to see me so out of control. I think I would have been worried about what she was hearing/seeing if she were there - and that would have hindered my labor.</span></span></p><p style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Plus, the room was packed full as it was (it didn't bother me though - it was a room full of women who were all respecting my birth process). I was really surprised at how quiet it was. The only person making noise was me. I heard words of encouragement from Victoria and Sarah. I heard them remind me to just let go, to take deep breaths for my baby, to use a low voice. I said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>I don't want to do this anymore</i></span>" and I said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>I can't</i></span>." I can't remember whether I wanted to be checked or if Mary offered, but I remember distinctly <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>not</b></span> wanting to push on hands and knees. Of all the positions in the world, I <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u><strong>wanted</strong></u></span> to be<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> <i><b>on my back</b></i></span>. I don't even know why, but that was where I wanted to be. Mary said okay, but made me sit up - so I was in a semi-reclining position. The lip was still there.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At this point, I asked her to break my bag of waters. I wanted to do anything and everything to get the baby out, because I couldn't go through one more contraction. As soon as she broke the amniotic sac, I started getting really long breaks between contractions. I remember discussing how nice the breaks were - they were just what I needed. Mary then mentioned how she could move the lip out of the way and everyone explained to me how this was probably in my best interests. I agreed to let her move it - I just wanted things to be over with.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">During my next contraction, she moved it out of the way - and I screamed with all of my might for her to <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i><b>get out</b></i></span>. It was the most painful thing that I have ever felt. Mary moved her hand away and said, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">'<i>Okay, okay</i></span>.' I think this is when I started freaking out. I hit that point where I realized that if I didn't push my baby out, that meant that I was going to have to continue to be in labor - and, in pain. However, pushing my baby out was going to hurt. No matter what I chose, it was going to hurt. I started declaring that I couldn't do this and Mary said, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>"Cassie, you have to. And, by the time we got to the hospital, you wouldn't want to be there anymore, anyway.</em></span>" Victoria told me that once I pushed past the pain, it was over. I decided to try again.</span></span></p> <p style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">With the next contraction, Mary moved the lip out of the way. I screamed and shouted and fought - but I somehow found it within me to push. I did this twice, maybe three times, and I felt instant relief. I could feel that the head was there, but not quite past the pubic bone. I remember Mary getting hot compresses and other things to protect my perineum. With my next contraction, the baby started crowning, and this is when I feel like I lost it. I screamed- shrill screams. Mary was trying to convince me to give little pushes. My rational mind knew that she was suggesting this as a way to help protect my perineum, but my instinctual mind was saying, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>NOOOOOO way</i>.</span>" I screamed and shouted and yelled - including the cliche statement, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>GET IT OUT</b></span>." I just wanted to push with all of my might, so, I did. I pushed and pushed until I felt the relief of the head come out. I felt like this took<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> <strong>ages</strong></span>. Later, Mary would tell me that I only pushed for 12 minutes. I also found out later that Luca had her hand up by her face when she was born - no wonder it hurt! (However, I did not tear!)<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I remember people asking me if I wanted to feel the head, and I didn't. I then heard Mary say that they were going to do this "without a contraction" because I had "too much power." She told me to push again, and I remember thinking, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>You're crazy! I feel so much better now. I'm not pushing ever again</i></span>" I did though, screaming <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i><b>again</b></i></span><i> </i>(my birth video is slightly embarrassing for me to watch because I can't believe how shrilly I shouted!) when the shoulders came out. Then, at 8.34am - just 3 hours after I began active labor - Mary told me to reach down and grab my baby, and, I did.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">All of a sudden, everything just kind of disappeared. I think I started saying, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Oh my God, oh my God</i>.</span>" She was on my belly, looking at me. She was pink and letting out little cries. They gave me a towel and I rubbed her back and she let out a few good cries. She had a ton of vernix, and I remember noting that. I heard Mary said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>What the heck?</i></span>" and I asked if there was anything wrong, and she assured me that everything was fine. She told me, kind of sternly, to keep my legs open and "help her out." I was on a birth high and not really paying much attention to her, which I feel a little bad about because she was dealing with a kind of serious situation - I just didn't realize it. Mary saw pulsing blood and clamped the cord quickly (Alice cut it) and then gave me a shot of Cytotec in the leg. She then told me to pull my legs back and I pushed with a contraction, feeling the placenta come out. It almost hurt. The assistant took the placenta right away to make sure it was all there and Mary stayed to monitor my blood loss. Apparently, I had a partial placental abruption as Luca was born (which Mary says can happen even in the healthiest of pregnancies). I couldn't tell, but Maysa said there was a large blood gush as she came out and that there was blood pulsing out. I'm glad Mary did what she had to do to take care of it though and that I didn't need to transfer.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Anyway, back to my baby high. I realized after holding Luca for a minute that I didn't know what she was. I couldn't really move her to tell because of the position she was in, so I just stuck my hand down by her butt and start searching frantically for a scrotum. I felt and felt and felt and couldn't find her balls. Then it hit me and I announced, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>is it a girl??</i></span><i>?</i>" I wanted someone to verify it for me, and I heard Mary let out a small, "</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Yep</i></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span>" and then heard squeals. I couldn't believe it. I was seriously stunned. At this point, I had someone call Jarrod and I said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Honey, you <b>do</b> make girls</i></span><i>!</i>" I then asked if that's what the doctor had written down. A week or so earlier, Jarrod had 'slipped' and said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>Tell <b>him</b> to hang on longer</i>.</span>" He then made kind of a big deal about our boy name. I didn't tell Jarrod that I heard his "oops'es" - but I was convinced that this baby was a boy. I found out later that Jarrod made those "errors" <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i><b>on purpose</b></i></span>. I should have expected that. That sounds like something he would do. I'm glad he did, too. I can't even begin to explain the utter celebration that was the moment of her birth. Obviously, we would have loved a boy all the same- but I <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>wanted</i></span> a girl and I was so attached to her name. It's been 5 years since I've had a baby girl, so I wanted another. Discovering that she was, indeed, a little girl was such a cool moment. I'll never forget it.<br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I basked in my baby for awhile, nursing her and staring at her, and then I handed her over to Alice so that I could clean up quickly. I took a quick shower and I changed into a nursing gown and got back in the bed. They did the newborn exam. When she was first born, she looked tiny. She looked short and tiny. Even Mary said that she was probably 7.5lbs. However, when they did the exam, she said she changed her mind - she appeared bigger. Luca was 20.5 inches long (same length as Vincent) and 8lbs even. My smallest baby yet!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I actually kind of wonder if my dates were off (which is completely possible - I did use the due date of February 4th for awhile). Luca was covered in vernix and her earlobes were soft and given her weight, I'm curious if to maybe she was a 38-weeker and not 39 weeks. Anyway, not that it matters since she decided to be born. (Can I say how happy this makes me? I did absolutely nothing to even encourage labor, aside from walking, maybe. Luca came when Luca was ready).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I nursed her again and then handed her off so I could eat my first meal (HoneySmacks cereal, ha!). The kids came in to meet Luca. Hayden was told that it was, indeed, a sister. Vincent didn't really care. I got them out of there soon though because I was in a lot of discomfort. My afterpains were <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>horrendous</i></span>. I think that if you have a natural birth, you should be exempt from having contractions afterward. People were beginning to leave at this point and, eventually, it was just Maysa and me (and Luca). I was thankful for that because I was able to kind of talk out my emotions (such as the fact that I felt horrible that my pains were so bad, it was hard for me to focus on the baby). I took some pain medication and drank some water and just kind of relaxed. Maysa left soon after that and I nursed the baby and then we both took a nap. When I woke up, I felt a ton better - and I stayed in bed just staring at Luca and looking her over. I called Jarrod back and we talked about how she looked like him and about how cute she was. He asked if my birth went well and I told him, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>You know, I'm proud of myself</i>"</span> and he said,<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> "<i>Yeah - and I'm proud of you too</i>."</span></span></span></p> <p style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Looking back on my birth, I'm really, <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>really</b></span> pleased with how it went. I'm thrilled that my daughter was born safely at home. I can't begin to explain the "birth high" that accompanies natural birth - and the recovery has been <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>excellent</b></span>.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>Quick and easy. It really was a beautiful, intense birth.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I do wish that Jarrod would have been here - but, what could I do? And, I did have a group of people that offered amazing support. Some probably think that I had far too many people there, but I wouldn't have had it any other way. Everyone respected what was happening - and everyone knew when to be quiet and when to offer words of encouragement. Another thing that makes me a little sad is that the cord did not stop pulsating before it was clamped and cut - <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><i>however</i></span><i>, </i>I'm not hung up about it. I had blood pulsing out of me and Mary was concerned that there was a tear in the cord - which would have meant that the baby was losing blood. I would have clamped it too. I'm also a little confused as to why I <span style="font-style: italic;">wanted</span> to push on my back. I always envisioned myself pushing on my hands and knees, or squatting. I did what I felt like doing though, I'm just curious as to why listening to my body put me on my back! Everything else went perfectly.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It really was just an amazing experience. Having a homebirth makes me want to have 10 more homebirths. I don't even know how to put it into words - there isn't a sentence I could write that would explain how awesome I feel. How beautiful it was. How perfect she is. </span></span></p> <p style="text-align: center;font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><b>Luca Lynn Hope</b><br /><b>Born at home on 1.22.11 at 8.34am</b><br /><b>8lbs0oz<br /></b><b style="font-family: trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">20.5 inches long</b></span></span></p> </div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-87530557533441174362011-01-18T14:16:00.000-08:002011-01-18T14:53:28.917-08:00Guest Post: Reflections on a Homebirth<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">My good friend, Sarah, had her first homebirth in November. She was certain she'd go overdue and her baby caught everyone by surprise when she decided to come early, before any of Sarah's support had arrived, on Thanksgiving Day (Sarah even had a turkey in the oven and everything!) After giving birth to her 2nd daughter, Lucy, they were transferred unexpectedly to the hospital. Sarah's full birth story can be found </span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" href="http://mommybush.blogspot.com/2010/12/part-one-birth-of-lucille-scarlett.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">HERE</span>.</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When looking back on her birth experience, Sarah offered valuable insight and wisdom that I wanted to share with all of you. Though she refers specifically to homebirth, all of her suggestions apply to every woman.<br /><br />Simply put: 1) You need to plan for back-up support 2) When it comes to a care provider, don't "settle" and 3) Be prepared for the unexpected because, even when moms are empowered and calling the shots, birth is still unpredictable.</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Every now and then (and it's usually when I'm in the shower and have time to think), I start thinking about my birth and what I could have/should have done differently. I'm about 80% satisfied with my birth experience and the things that I'm unsatisfied with are things that don't matter much in the long run (like not getting birth photos or having my placenta encapsulated). Still, there are things that I would like to do differently next time and I'm already starting to think about those things. </span><br /><strong style="font-style: italic;"><br />For Baby #3, I need to have not only a plan, but a back up plan.</strong><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I was so certain that Lucy would come after her due date that I didn't make any kind of back up plan in case she came early - before my support system arrived. I mentioned to my doula, Cassie, that I felt like I didn't handle my labor very well and she said that she thought it was because I was mentally unprepared. I think she's right. When I finally admitted to myself that I was in labor (which I'm going to guess was at about 8-9cm dilated and maybe 2 hours before Lucy was born), I basically saw my entire birth plan fall apart right in front of me and because of that, I think I was subconsciously trying to fight or escape labor. My mom wasn't there, meaning that my husband, Jon, had to take care of our daughter, Arianna. He needed to tend to her needs as well as mine. There were times when Arianna whined about things during my contractions and I got irritated and snapped at her. Then, immediately after I snapped, I would feel horrible and start crying about what a bad mother I was. Cassie wasn't there, which meant that I didn't have my doula, my photographer, or my placenta encapsulator. Actually, I was relying on Cassie for a lot of different things and only now do I realize how unfair that was - not only to myself, but to her. That's a lot of pressure to put on someone, especially when they have to travel to attend your birth (can I tell you how hard it is to plan travel around something as unpredictable as birth?). I should have had a backup doula, a backup photographer, and a backup placenta encapsulator lined up, just in case. Of course, I still would have rather had Cassie there simply because she's a friend and someone that I trust, but I think if I had backups, I would have accepted that I was in labor much sooner and possibly handled it better. </span><br /><strong style="font-style: italic;"><br />For Baby #3, I will spare NO cost. </strong><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I WILL interview several different midwives until I find a perfect fit and I won't choose a midwife solely based on whether or not my insurance will cover her. Don't get me wrong, I still think that my midwives are good midwives. I think that for some women, they are a really good fit and I've read testimonials from women who have had amazing birth experiences with them. I just don't know that they were the perfect fit for <span style="font-weight: bold;">me</span>. First, the practice is made up of six different midwives meaning that I saw a different midwife at just about every appointment. I also didn't get to choose who attended my birth, I just got whoever was on call that day. I definitely preferred seeing a midwife (or, midwives) over seeing an OB for my prenatal care. There was never a long wait to see them and I could easily decline tests and procedures that I felt unnecessary. Also, in some aspects, the care was more personalized - but the experience still wasn't perfect. I would like to find a midwife that works on her own, or maybe with one other midwife or assistant. Then I can really get to know the person who will attend my birth.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The midwife who attended my birth yelled at me while I was pushing. Lucy was starting to crown and I started to freak out a little bit, getting loud and saying that I couldn't do this anymore. She yelled, "SARAH! Now, STOP IT! Push! Now breathe! NOW PUSH! BREATHE!" At the time, it didn't bother me because I was focused on getting the baby out. However, looking back on it, it bothers me a lot and was definitely not part of the gentle birth that I had planned for (although, all of the screaming that I was doing was also not part of my "vision"). It wasn't just the volume of her voice either, it was the tone in which she said it. I felt like a child being scolded. She also didn't remember that she had attended my birth when I saw her at my postpartum appointment. She was looking through my records and said, "Okay, so who attended the birth? Oh, I did! Haha!" Not only am I uncertain about how you could forget that you attended someone's birth, mine was also on Thanksgiving! I would have thought she would have remembered it, just based on that!</span><br /><strong style="font-style: italic;"><br />For baby #3, I need to prepare and have a plan in case a transfer becomes necessary. </strong><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I really have no excuse for why I didn't prepare myself for a transfer other than the fact that, like most people, I never thought it would happen to me. When I found out that we were transferring, everything suddenly felt surreal. Since the ambulance that picked us up came from on base, they showed up less than five minutes after the midwife placed the call and we were thrown into chaos. Jon was frantically trying to pack a hospital bag while also trying to keep Arianna out of the way. The midwife and the birth assistant were calling out things that Jon needed to grab so he wouldn't forget ("Carseat! Clothes for the baby! Cell phone charger!"). I was trying to find clothes to put on since all I had on was the thin dress that I had given birth in. Even though it's something that I pray doesn't happen with the third baby, I need to prepare for it just in case it does. It wouldn't hurt to have a hospital bag packed and have everything in one place in case we need to grab stuff and go. It won't make me any happier about a transfer, but at least then the transition might be a little bit calmer. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I also need to prepare for what I might encounter at the hospital. I was all geared up to advocate and fight for Lucy, but I never thought about having to fight for myself. I was prepared to refuse formula, fight the hospital on vaccines, and demand that my daughter be allowed to room in. Interestingly enough, I didn't have to fight for any of those things. The NICU nurses and neonatologist were WONDERFUL. Jon made it clear that nothing was to be done to Lucy without it being cleared with me first (unless of course it needed to be done to save her life, but she wasn't in that much danger) and they respected our wishes 100%. It was the OB who attended me that I was not prepared for and I'm angry with myself for not telling her where to stick it. I was just so overwhelmed by that time and I was all alone. I was longing to be with my baby and was pretty much willing to do whatever I was told to do in order to make that happen. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">So that's really all I've got so far, though I'm sure I'll add to it as I learn more. I'm going to do everything in my power to make my next birth an empowering and healing experience.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We often</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> read about women who have reflected on their hospital births and wished that they had done things differently - but we forget that there is still something to be learned from <span style="font-weight: bold;">all</span> birth experiences.<br /><br />Looking back on your own birth/s, is there anything you learned "the hard way" that you'd like to share?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-71606238847390303552011-01-14T11:26:00.000-08:002011-01-31T21:27:23.401-08:00The "Everyone on Twitter is Having Babies List" 2011...because SOMEONE had to do it.<br /><br />To find out more about the people on the list, click their names and head over to their websites or Twitter accounts.<br /><br />*if you would like to be added to the Pregnancy List - let me know your EDD, what gender you're expecting (if you know), and your birth plans. Also let me know what URL you want me to link to<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:180%;" >PREGGOS</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><u>2011</u></span><br /></span></span><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JANUARY GUESS DATES</span><a href="http://twitter.com/MamaCupcakes"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"></span></span><b><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.daisydays.ca/">tea4tamara</a> <span style="font-weight: normal;" class="Apple-style-span">-<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="Apple-style-span"> due January 28th (with a girl!) and planning a hypnobirth (hopefully in the water) at home with a midwife </span></span></span></b></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);" class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">FEBRUARY GUESS DATES<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"></span><b><a href="http://www.raisingmonster.blogspot.com/">LaurenDJohnson</a> </b>- <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due February 5th with her 2nd daughter and is planning a waterbirth (possibly at home)</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/ChaoticKarma23">ChaoticKarma23</a> - </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due February 11th with her 1st child and is planning a natural hospital birth</span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.tempestbeauty.com/">TempestBeauty</a> - <span style="font-weight: normal;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="Apple-style-span">due February 12th with her 2nd, a girl, and planning a midwife-led birth center birth</span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: normal;" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a style="text-decoration: none;" href="http://naturalchildbirthstories.com/">OneCrunchyMama</a> - </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due February 13th </span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">with baby #2 (her first girl!) and planning a midwife-attended homebirth</span></span><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://measamommy.com/">measamommy</a> </span></span><span>- <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due February 14th with her second child (and first girl) and hoping for a VBAC</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a href="http://birthfaith.org/">BirthFaith</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due mid-February with baby #4 and planning her 2nd midwife-attended homebirth</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://anaturalpush.blogspot.com/">ANaturalPush</a> - <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due February 25th with her first b</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">aby and planning an all-natural homebirth</span><br /><a href="http://www.sugarsweetbaby.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">SugarSweetBaby</span></a> -<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span"> due February 26th (with a boy!) and is planning a natural, water birth at a birth center</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.gomumma.blogspot.com/">GoGoMumma</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due February 28th and p</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">lanning a homebirth with an independent midwife</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://bluebirdmama.com/">BluebirdMama</a> </span></span></span><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due the end of February with her 3rd baby and planning her 3rd, midwife-attended homebirth</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><br />MARCH GUESS DATES</span></span></span><span class="tweet-user-name"></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/shelleyjan1980"><span style="font-weight: bold;">shelleyjan1980</span></a> - <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due March 1st with baby #2 (first girl!) and planning to go-with-the-flow</span><br /><a href="http://www.thesassyone.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">hilmarhan</span></a> - <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due March 5th with baby #2 and is planning her 2nd natural birth in a hospital </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://quazydellasue.wordpress.com/">quazydellasue</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due March 9th and planning a home waterbirth with a CNM and doula</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://freechildhood.wordpress.com/">FreeChildhood</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due March 10th with baby #2 and is planning her 2nd homebirth</span><br /><a href="http://www.theunbalancingactofmotherhood.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Waddlebug</span></a> -<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> due March 15th (a girl!) and is planning a wate</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">rbirth at a hospital with a CNM</span><br /><a href="http://stormchaserkena.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">WeatherGirlKena</span></a> - <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">due March 18th with her second boy and planning a VBAC</span><br /><a href="http://rollingthroughlooneyville.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">monsterchew</span> </a>- <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span">due March 19th with with baby #4 (her 2nd boy!) and having a Cesarean</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/deannamenyes">deannamenyes</a> </b>- <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="Apple-style-span">due March 28th with her first child (a girl) and hoping for a natural birth in a hospital</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://3ticklemepink3.livejournal.com/">3ticklemepink3</a> </span>-<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span"> due March 29th with her second boy and planning a natural birth at a hospital</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">APRIL GUESS DATES</span><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/Beansprouthair"><span style="font-weight: bold;">beansprouthair</span></a> -<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="Apple-style-span"> due April 7th(ish) with her 1st girl and planning her 2nd homebirth with a midwife</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://thefeministbreeder.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">FeministBreeder </span></a></span>-<span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="Apple-style-span"> due mid-April with baby #3 (her 1st girl!) and planning a homebirth (her second VBAC)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/ramills08">ramills08</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due April 20th with baby #2 and planning a homebirth with a CNM</span><br /><a href="http://www.milkmaidmomma.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">milkmaidmomma </span></a>-<span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span"> due April 22nd (with a boy!) and planning a VBAC<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">kaizenwithjen</span> - <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due April 22nd with her 1st baby (a girl!) and planning a natural hospital birth with a midwife</span><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://twitter.com/babywearingitup">babywearingitup</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);" class="Apple-style-span">due April 29th with baby #3 and planning her 3rd CPM-attended homebirth (and, possibly, a waterbirth)</span><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/granolamom"><span style="font-weight: bold;">granolamom</span></a> - <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span">due April 27th with baby #3 (a boy) and planning a natural VBA2C (vaginal birth after 2 cesareans)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MAY GUESS DATES<br /><a href="http://www.prairie-mama.blogspot.com/">prairiemama</a> - </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">due early May with baby #5 (a boy!) and planning a homebirth</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.themcwilliamsfamily.org/haven/">havenlilianna</a> - </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due May 7th with baby #2 and planning a homebirth</span><br /><a href="http://momotics.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BirthBabiesBlog</span></a> - <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due May 10th with baby #3 (her 1st girl!) and having her 3rd Cesarean</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://omyfamilyblog.com/">OMyFamily</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">due May 11th with her 2nd boy and planning a natural (possibl</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">e water) birth at a hospital, attended by a CNM and a doula</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/totallypregnant">totallypregnant</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due May 12th with her first child (a girl!) and planning a natural birth attended by a doula in the hospital</span><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.aromatichealthshop.ca/">AromaticHealth</a> </span>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due May 15th with her 2nd child (thinks it's a boy!) and planning a natural birth</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JUNE GUESS DATES<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.hobomama.com/">Hobo_Mama</a> - </span></span><span><span><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due June 1st-ish with baby #2 and planning a Hypnobabies homebirth with a midwife</span><br /></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://twitter.com/girliemama">girliemama</a> - </span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">due June 4th with her 3rd daughter and planning a homebirth</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://laurieclaresanders.com/">laurie_sanders</a> </span>- due June 11th with baby #2 and is planning a homebirth<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">JULY GUESS DATES<br /><a href="http://www.fertilityflower.com/">FertilityFlower</a> </span>- due July 30th and planning an unmedicated hospital birth<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>AUGUST</b></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><a href="http://unemployediniowa.wordpress.com/">Jenners26</a> - </b><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">due mid-August with baby #5 and planning another unassisted birth</span><br /><b><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/Kerisma">Kerisma</a> </b>- <span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span">due mid-late August with her 2nd child and planning a homebirth</span><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span">*if you would like to be added to the "births" list, please give me whatever stats you want posted and give me the URL you'd like to link to (preferably to the birth story, if you have it written down!) Pictures are welcome (click to enlarge them)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:0pt;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">BIRTHS</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JANUARY</span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg610/scaled.php?tn=0&server=610&filename=75043424.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; width: 55px; float: left; height: 71px;" alt="" src="http://desmond.yfrog.com/Himg610/scaled.php?tn=0&server=610&filename=75043424.jpg&xsize=640&ysize=640" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><a href="http://naturalchildbirthedu.com/">ChildbirthEdu</a> </b><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Benjamin John, at home on January 2nd at 1.45am. He weighed 9lbs5oz, was 21.5 inches long, and had a 14.5inch head!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/mamacupcakes">mamacupcakes</a> </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her daughter, Mia Emeline, in a home waterbirth, on January 17th at 5.25am. She weighed 7lbs9oz and was 20 inches long<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/theonlyericka">theonlyericka</a> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Dylan, on January 19th. He weighed 6lbs 9oz</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2011/01/lucas-birth-story.html">cassiethedoula</a> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her daughter, Luca Lynn Hope, at home on January 21st at 8.34am. She was 8lbs even and 20.5 inches long</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-57041949640631034752010-12-28T12:55:00.001-08:002010-12-28T12:59:29.212-08:00Caspian's Birth Story<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">Over on the "<a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2008/01/twitter-pregnancy-list.html">Everyone on Twitter is Having Babies</a>" list - I allow women the option to link to their birth story. Recently, a Twitter fave of mine had her 3rd child, a son, and wanted to share her birth story but didn't have a blog to post it on. I offered up space on my own blog (since I rarely use this thing any way... I should really get on that). </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is Rhaissa's </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.twitter.com/forks_n_spoons">(forks_n_spoons</a><span style="font-style: italic;">) birth story of her son. An epidural-free induction!</span><br /><br /></span><p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span class="il">Caspian</span> Manuel Antonio</p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">7lbs 15oz</p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">20.5in</p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center">12/20/2010 8:20pm</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I won't bore with details since most of ya'll have kept up with my pregnancy from the moment I got the faint lines.<span> </span>So jump to Monday morning [12/20] went in for my final appt.<span> </span>Had the NST & BPP done. While everything looked okay, Dr M was still not liking the NST results and left me with two choices -- stay at the hospital til wednesday hooked on that machine [for monitoring] or induction.<span> </span>I felt it was just better safe than sorry plus contractions were already s-l-o-w-l-y picking up so I figured labor wouldn't last too long.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Got home, got the bags, stalled because I was deathly nervous seeing as I've never been induced, called my mom to have her come up [she's in tampa so 4hrs away], stalled some more, then around 2pm finally got the balls to go to the hospital.<span> </span>once checked in etc etc etc, it was around 4pm pitocin was started on the lowest dosage possible.<span> </span>the fun begins...</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Really though I've labored through 6cm without an epidural [i.e. fiona] so the pain while PAINFUL was tolerable though TBT I have a high level of tolerance when it comes to pain.<span> </span>MW came to check me I was a 5cm dilated but my mom had yet to arrive so I waited on having her break my water.<span> </span>Once my mom arrived, I had progressed to an 8, MW broke my water and this is where it becomes intense.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Contractions kick into high gear, but thankfully steady and with a natural rhythm.<span> </span>Because of no epidural, I was able to walk around the room, got in the tub for awhile, peed in the toilet [that made me excited...those who've had epis know catheters are NOT fun]. I labored some parts while on all fours because it eased the pain in my back.<span> </span>Did I beg for an epidural? Oh God did I ever.<span> </span>But in my birthing plans, in huge CAPS LOCK I wrote to my Dr/MW, unless needed medically DO NOT INTERFERE with MEDS...and boy did they take me seriously.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">As per God's instructions, my body did what it is designed to do.<span> </span>Carry Life & Bring Life into the World. so about 4hrs later, I was ready to push.<span> </span>This was not the typical do three pushes and breathe, take a break, and do it again.<span> </span>Being a natural birth, it was all depending on my body & baby.<span> </span>So I pushed when I felt that need and rested when I had a "break".<span> </span>My hips felt like they were going to snap [baby locking through the pelvis].<span> </span>Then I asked my MW if I could get into a squatting position [just something my body was naturally telling me it wanted]. So she lowered the bottom half of the hospital bed and I was able to squat.<span> </span>Then came the big show...</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is the moment.<span> </span>Right before the baby is born, where you feel like you can't go on.<span> </span>Like you just don't have it in you to finish this race.<span> </span>The hallway corridor that keeps extending.<span> </span>I must have had the saddest look on my face when I thought out loud "I don't know if I can do this."<span> </span>My husband's next five words will be five words I will never forget "the baby needs you to".<span> </span>I looked at him. Saw the belief that he had in me...ME...that I could do this....that I was made for this....that I WOULD do this.<span> </span>And that's when you cross that line from almost quitting the race, to hitting booster ignite.<span> </span>I did the first big push [RING OF FIRE OMG], MW told me to open my eyes...I see my baby's head/hair....Another really good push....baby is turning into position....I see the biggest brown eyes in the world...and with that final push....and with my hands around his head, I guided <span class="il">Caspian</span> Manuel Antonio into this world...onto my chest...and I have never felt more empowered in my life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I remember looking at him in this state of amazement.<span> </span>Not so much on that the baby was finally here, but that I was the first hand he felt.<span> </span>That I was the first chest he touched.<span> </span>My finger was the first thing his fingers held a grasp on. My lips were the first to kiss his little nose.<span> </span>I kept saying it in my head "I did this....I did this".<span> </span>My husband was filled with tears and kissed me what seemed at least a million times.<span> </span>If I was in amazement of myself, Michael was 10x that of me.<span> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">[and yes both bebes were in the room & both SLEPT through the delivery]</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So that's my birth story for the final bambino.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">No tearing. Showered within an hour of delivering.<span> </span>Ate pizza for dinner.<span> </span>Felt ready to be home by morning...though by law we have to wait...lol</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Even with having to be induced [which placenta was beautiful and could have kept going for the rest of the week] and using pitocin, I still was blessed with the birthing I wanted and a healthy beautiful perfection.</p>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-21654434360201845942010-11-06T18:33:00.000-07:002010-11-06T18:37:22.370-07:00about my baby's parts<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: small; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">Sometimes, <i>rarely</i><i>, </i>I get annoyed that I don't know what I'm having. Except, it's more annoying that Jarrod, my husband, knows something that I don't. However, for the most part, I am <b>extremely</b> pleased that I did not find out what I'm having. There's something exciting about feeling this baby move and trying to guess if it's a boy or a girl.<br /><b><br />About a boy</b> - I feel boy. I think I'm carrying "boy" and this pregnancy closely resembles the one I had with Vincent. I think another boy would be great in the sense that Vincent, my son, could have a brother to play with - and I'm not sure how Hayden, my daughter, would feel if she weren't the only girl. However, another boy scares me in the sense that I keep imagining another Vincent and I don't know if I couldn't handle two Vincents. It's kind of a ridiculous fear because I know no 2 kids are the same, but, I can't help but wonder how exhausted I'd be.<br /><b><br />About a girl (</b><b> - </b>I <i>see</i> girl. When I envision my birth, I see girl. I dreamt that I told Jarrod, "<i>See, you <strong>do</strong> make girls!</i>" I am far more attached to our girl name then I am our boy name - and it came to me very easily. However, I don't see myself with girls. I've always seen myself with more boys. Even Hayden is a "tomboy." I think maybe I keep seeing a girl because it would be more of a surprise - since I keep thinking I'll have boys. And, surprises are fun.<br /><br />It's interesting how everyone has an opinion too. I love guessing the sex of growing fetuses. (And, for the most part, I guess correctly - as long as the kid isn't one growing in my uterus). About half the people I know guess girl and the other half guess boy. I'd guess half of them are right.<br /><br />In any sense, I really like <b>not</b> knowing. I wish I had stuck to my guns and not found out with Hayden or Vincent. I know that a lot of people can't wait. I also know a lot of people who would want it to be a surprise if they already have "one of each." I also get excited and giddy when I found out someone I know is going to their ultrasound appointment and will be finding out. However, honestly, I strongly recommend waiting. There's just something nice about having all this mystery around you. I also like the idea that no one is telling me what sex my baby is. I can not wait to hold my baby in my arms and look for myself. I can't wait to be the one who announces, "<i>I</i><i>t's a boy!</i>" Or girl. Who knows.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, 'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Verdana, 'Trebuchet MS';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;"><b>Did you find out the sex of your baby before the birth? Why or why not?</b></span></span></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-64909357890048320562010-10-19T19:11:00.000-07:002010-10-19T19:13:21.462-07:00Vincent - Then to Now (a photo essay)<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="font-size:small;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">The Short Version:<br /><br /></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1193/5098534598_e311a29f5e.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The long version:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2542/3768852716_a987354fc8.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />33 weeks pregnant<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3581/3768002273_760cdf4d9e.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />10 minutes old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3554/3768006757_54200dae13.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />1 month old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/3768012379_30d8b10147.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />2 months old - his first Christmas<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2598/3768853610_5fb8afcc36.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />2.5 months old - his first time seeing snow<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3583/3768058157_54dc1fa4b3.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />3 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3589/3768864706_bfd07c923a.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />4.5 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3084/3768066887_e8b85576b2.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />5 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2614/3768902664_16f6613cb0.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />7 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2575/3768900674_cc2e2215d2.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />7 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3453/3768103731_9d6a474bf4.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />7.5 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2481/3768107943_4638c74c6d.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />mr. Stoic<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2472/3768112849_892be70b94.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />8 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2665/3801125279_bb3c5a4a1c.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />9 months old - first time in real grass<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1246/5098494994_874e1ec8ab.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />9.5 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1419/5098498662_4ba974f6ff.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />10.5 months old - in his tuxedo, which he wore as the ringbearer at Sarah's wedding<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1198/5097910465_b3af6e6afd.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />His 1st birthday<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/5097913989_80d19d424c.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />14 months old - his 2nd Christmas<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1183/5097921781_839864797b.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />14 months old - a regular comedian<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4686730710_feccb37601.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />14.5 months old - his second wedding!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4456203345_f019b2a848.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />16 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4456205127_15fd8a1460.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />16.5 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2795/4456205341_0f308c9959.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />16.5 months old<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1048/5097891385_ccefc84589.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />17.5 months - Disneyland!<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4020/4643063911_9f5047294c.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />19 months - courtesy of Sarah<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4647870571_4fe1a8f0ab.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />19 months - our last nursing photo<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4080/4824185948_f00b8a1c33.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />21 months<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5097045036_ea61fcfe6d.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />24 months<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/5096410973_7d28977932.jpg" alt="" border="4" /></span><br />AKA - 2 years old<br /><br />I love you, little man<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-1388434686102531822010-09-20T16:54:00.000-07:002010-09-22T14:20:06.203-07:00Inara's Birth Story<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I got to visit Jess and her sweet baby, Inara, at a less than conventional 2-week postpartum visit. She lives 3 hours north of me, so we had to find a good time in which no midwifery clients were due so that I could go see her. </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I asked and got permission to post Jess's birth story. Some of the pictures I took from her birth are found <a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2010/08/inara.html">HERE</a>. I posted some new photos (including beautiful nursing shots) after her birth story:</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />Inara Mae Raine</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br />EDD 8/20/1020</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br />Born on 08/26/2010</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><br />8lbs, 14oz and 21 ½ inches long</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I had been having contractions that were 10-15 minutes apart for days and on Tuesday, the 24th, I had my last midwife appointment and NST. During my NST, I was having regular small contractions every 10 minutes apart. I felt them, but they weren't uncomfortable - just there. I could feel my body starting to gear up but prodromal labor was lasting quite a while. It felt like real labor was never going to kick off. I definitely didn't want to rush her out and I never had that "done" feeling that some people talk about, but I was really excited to meet her! It's hard waiting when you know you'll be meeting your baby any day - but you just don't know when.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I made sure to get the pool that I would be using during labor ready at the beginning of the week and it was sitting in the garage ready to go. The only thing I forgot to do was turn up the heat on the water heater and bring the hose inside the garage. I did my best to get all of the little things done around the house - all the laundry was finished, the grocery shopping was done, etc. But the one, probably important thing to do that completely escaped me was to pack some sort of hospital bag which I never did get to do. I was kicking myself for it after all was said and done.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />On Wednesday the 25th, Cassie and I had decided that she would drive up that morning. She seemed to be convinced it would happen fairly soon and I was secretly not so sure. I was afraid she'd make the long drive just to turn around in 48 hours because nothing was happening. I felt bad that she'd just have to camp out for a while and be away from home. I was really happy she was coming, but felt bad that it was just a waiting game. I was getting calls and text messages for days from everyone I knew asking what was happening or if I was in labor yet and it was starting to get irritating. I of all people wanted to meet my baby girl! I didn't need the daily reminder that people were waiting on me. I was happy to have Cassie coming though, it was a nice distraction.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />After Cassie arrived, we talked about natural ways to help encourage the contractions I was having to turn into something more productive. I had already tried fruit, pineapple, walking, etc. I mentioned Castor Oil and we discussed the pro's and con's, the main con being the nasty side effect everyone talks about. Obviously, I didn't want to be glued to the toilet for hours while in labor - but she said it really wasn't that bad. I thought it over for a little while and decided I may as well try - it wasn't going to help encourage labor to start if my body wasn't already ready and, if nothing happened, then at least hopefully my body would be cleaned out for labor because really, who wants to poop themselves while pushing?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">We packed up Rowan and went to find some Castor Oil and made a run to the Commissary, came home and threw the concoction into the blender and gave it a try. Surprisingly, it wasn't gross. The stories I've read about Castor Oil make it sound horrible and vomit inducing and it definitely wasn't - at least for me. It didn't taste "bad" by any means, just weird. So we hung out at home for the rest of the day. We again did some baby mapping and weight and size of the baby and Cassie guessed in the mid 8lb range and around 21 inches long (which was the most accurate guess anyone has ever made!). We both agreed she’d be a big girl.<br /><br />I did start to feel my contractions pick up a bit but they were still spaced pretty far apart and comfortable, so we decided to go for a walk that evening and Rowan pitched a huge fit on the way home. We were gone maybe 30 minutes, so it wasn't long and, man, was it hot outside. Carrying a 30 pound toddler in hot humid weather isn't fun. Oh, and did I mention I was 40+ weeks pregnant? Too bad lugging around a 2 year old does nothing for prodromal labor.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Cassie told me she bet labor would start once my boys went to bed later that night and that finally having some calm and quiet would be enough. I really hoped she was right! I put my boys to bed around 8:30pm and we watched some tv before David came home from work. I started feeling some slightly strong contractions and at the suggestion of Cassie, tried laying down for a while. David came home from work shortly after 9pm and after that I laid on the couch since David wanted to watch Ghost Hunters. For whatever reason, he was really wound up after work and he was being pretty annoying. I was tired and starting to feel kind of sick and David made some clam chowder that just made me feel even more gross. At about 10pm, I decided to go to bed and try to get some sleep and everyone went to bed, but I made sure to take a shower first and shave my legs just in case. I at least wanted nice hair and to smell nice if I was going to be in labor later, hah. Nothing really saves you from looking like a crazy laboring lady though, washed hair or not.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />When I laid down, I was sure I was going to awake up in the morning without anything happening that night. I was so tired, though - and just wanted some sleep. I fell asleep right away and woke up at exactly 11:20pm with a contraction I just couldn't sleep through. I laid there for maybe 10 minutes and finally had to get up because lying there wasn't comfortable. I went to the bathroom and hung out in there for about 15 minutes trying to determine if this might be "the real thing</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">" I was trying not to wake David up until I was sure of what was happening. My hair was still somewhat wet from my shower an hour ago, so I blow dried it and put mascara on and during each contraction, I had to stop what I was doing and breath through it. After I was finished being girly in the bathroom (and later in the pool I determined mascara was a bad call), I tried going back to bed and lying down but that didn't work - laying down made it hurt worse, so I had to be up. At that point, David woke up and asked me if I was in labor and I told him I didn't know, but I couldn't sleep or go back to bed and that I was going downstairs.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Downstairs, I got something to drink, woke Cassie up (and I felt bad doing so!) and we watched some tv. I think we put on Psych. I wasn't able to pay attention, it was around 12:30am and it was getting a bit more intense. I couldn't talk through my contractions anymore and I had to stop and lean on something. I didn't want to sit down and I didn't want to stand - nothing was comfortable. I remember David kept trying to talk to me, especially during a contraction, and it was starting to irritate me. I just wanted him to be quiet and leave me alone. I'm not sure at what point we decided to call Sarah, I think maybe David or Cassie asked me if I wanted her called yet, and I said I wasn't sure. At that point, I still wasn't convinced I was in real labor. I also discovered that making decisions during this time was impossible, I wasn't capable of doing so - even a simple yes or no was beyond my capabilities. I think it was Cassie who made the decision that Sarah needed to be called, so David called her - maybe around 1am? Sarah didn't answer though and he left a message. I also texted her after that, telling her my status.<br /><br />At that point, I think contractions were about 5 minutes apart and 60ish seconds long but, honestly, I wasn’t keeping track. I was just letting things happen.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">I tried several different positions and it felt like I had to constantly pee. Sitting felt extra horrible, but sitting and leaning back was ok - or hands and knees leaning forward. Either way, it was getting a little bit harder and all my focus had to go into it. I was still somewhat in denial, I don't think it ever actually clicked with me that this was happening tonight. I kept thinking that this wasn't bad at all, it took effort to concentrate during contractions and I had to breath - but it was fine. I wasn't miserable and I was clear headed. During the breaks in between, I could talk and interact. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I remember thinking that this was so incredibly easy, so this can't be what labor is like. All of the birth stories I read made me think labor would be much more difficult, so I constantly expected it to reach a point where I didn’t think I could do it. I never once felt that way though.</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Sarah finally got back to us and said she was in the Emergency Room with her child and that she unfortunately couldn't make it and offered to have her backup take her place. I was extremely disappointed to hear it too, one of my biggest fears was something not going as planned during labor. This was certainly one of my fears and, unfortunately, it was happening. My doula wasn't coming. Cassie and David asked me if I wanted to call the backup and honestly... I didn't. All I could think was, "I don't want a stranger at my birth." It didn't feel normal or comfortable. I had spent the last 20 weeks getting to know Sarah and to have someone I've never met or talked to before come and watch me in labor was too uncomfortable of a thought. I didn't want that. I felt bad because I hadn't planned on Cassie stepping in, in a doula capacity, but, at the same time, I was SO glad she was there! Things would have gone completely different if she hadn't been here - I can't even imagine. So, I said no and I think I asked Cassie if she was comfortable and ok with that and she said she was. <span style="font-weight: bold;">From then on out, it was just the three of us and it was a relief to know that. </span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />The contractions slowly started getting more intense and I had to concentrate more and breathe more, though... I suppose when I say "slowly," there was nothing slow about it - but it wasn't happening at a pace that made me feel like I was losing control or that the pain was unmanageable. I honestly have no clue at what point David started setting up the pool in the kitchen, but I remember getting mad at him because it needed a little more air and he turned the air pump on and it was extremely loud. I was worried he was going to wake up the whole house! I told him to go to the garage and do it, which he should have done in the first place. I basically labored between the downstairs bathroom and living room until the pool was ready, I went to the bathroom right before getting in the pool and sitting on the toilet made it much more intense and then I felt a huge wave of nausea. All I felt like doing was throwing up, so I grabbed the bathroom trash can and brought it with me to the pool. I never did throw up though, and the nausea subsided eventually. I think during this time, calling the midwife was discussed and I’m unsure if David called and left a message or if he waited until later.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">It felt so incredibly good to get in the pool! <span style="font-weight: bold;">Being in water was amazing</span>. I think at this point is when it really started to pick up and it was impossible not to moan through contractions and, lucky me, every maybe 6-10 of them were "double peak" contractions (as Cassie called them). I would feel one coming and it would peak out and start to go down a little but go right back up again. That was a little difficult, but the break afterward was heavenly. In the water, they felt much more intense though and I think that's when things started moving a lot more quickly. My memory is a little bit hazy from here because it was all happening so fast, <span style="font-weight: bold;">all of my energy and concentration was going into what my body was going through</span> and it was hard to follow what else was going on. I know I was in the pool when David told me Courtney, one of the midwives I didn't care for, was on-call that night at the hospital and my heart sank. It was supposed to be Julie, the midwife I had seen two days prior who was on call and I really didn't want to go in with Courtney there - but, I thought well, it's better than Melissa, right? I think David asked me while on the phone if I wanted a water birth, or the pool set up at the hospital, and I had no idea how to answer - so I don't think I ever did. Or maybe I’m just imagining this part, I need to ask David.</span> <em style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />(A side note, but I’m really glad I had a friend and doula there, even if we hadn’t planned it that way. I could feel David’s anxiety - he was rarely in the room, he was off doing little jobs that needed to get done and he isn’t exactly the nurturing kind. I didn’t expect him to be there holding my hand and, to be hones, I didn’t want him there holding my hand. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I needed to be left alone. It felt better to go inside myself rather than to have someone trying to comfort me. I didn’t need comfort, but I did need someone just there with me</span>. David’s much more of a do-er and I knew this from the start - which is why I felt it was so important to have someone else there as well. I wish Sarah could have been there to not put Cassie on the spot, but honestly… I’m glad Sarah wasn’t. I felt so much more comfortable with it just being David and Cassie, and I didn’t feel anyone else was needed and I certainly didn’t want anyone else but them. I wish David wasn’t so antsy during active labor, but it was much better that he just stay out of my way and not try to “do” anything.)</em><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">At that point I think both Cassie and David were trying to encourage me to get out of the pool and it was time to leave. I REALLY didn't want to leave, I wanted to stay where I was so I wasn't trying to move fast at all. In fact, I think I was trying to ignore them and pretend they weren’t talking. The next thing I remember clearly was feeling pressure with the next contraction and thinking, "this is way too fast, how can there be pressure?.</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"> At that point, I agreed to get out and, when I was able, I did. I went to the bathroom to change into dry clothes and pee. There was some sort of wardrobe malfunction and I hated the cami's David gave me and the cami I had planned to wear had a broken strap (damnit!). I didn't want to wear what he had, I wanted to wear something else. I went back to the living room after that and leaned forward on the ottoman while David tried to find something else. He finally found something acceptable-ish and I put it on and Shay (my mother-in-law) came down the stairs right about then - probably feeling embarrassed that I was changing shirts. I was worried about the pool being emptied before the boys woke up, I didn't want to move, I didn't want to walk anywhere and I knew I had to make it to the truck somehow.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Shay says it was 3:15am when she came downstairs and we left.<br /><br />I was able to make it out to the sidewalk in the front of the house (curb side service, naturally) before having to stop and breathe again. It was much harder now and I kept feeling a lot of pressure with each contraction - being on my feet was especially difficult. I made it to the truck, got in, and we left.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />The sequence of events from here on out are kind of jumbled in my head. When I wasn't lost in a contraction and concentrating on them, I was mad at David for driving so fast and not already being at the hospital. I kept thinking it was taking so long! Too long. I didn't want to be in the truck, his driving was scaring me, and my body wanted to move - not be stuck in a sitting position. There wasn't much talking going on, at least by me, but I remember feeling like David was freaking out and not staying calm. I wasn't scared of what was happening and I wasn't hitting a point where I wasn't able to cope - I was mostly just upset with David for hitting every bump and driving like a maniac. I’m pretty sure he ran a few red lights. I can’t remember at what point my water broke, but I felt a gush and just knew it had happened and, with it, came very intense contractions and pressure. </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I didn't know it at the time, but when we talked about it later, Cassie says I hit transition in the car - which makes sense now. However, at the time, that was the furthest thing from my mind. I felt such relief when we all thought we had almost made, when I realized that - oh my fucking god, we're not at the hospital... we're at my dentist’s office? Not a happy moment - I wasn’t going for a dental cleaning. We were at a completely wrong location and I had a really hard time with that thought. I was mad at David, mad we weren't there, trying to breathe and I had no idea even how close we were now. David got on the phone and called for directions and Cassie got on her phone and googled for directions. Directions were obtained after what seemed like an eternity, and we were on our way, again, to the hospital.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I have no idea at what point during this trip to the hospital that I began to feel intense pressure and the spontaneous urge to push - but, I did. It was so incredibly intense and overwhelming. Cassie told me to blow through the urge and I did, or tried to. I blew and blew and it wasn't helping! I just wanted to push, but blowing took the force out of wanting to push... almost. During a contraction and moaning (very loudly at this point and I'm not sure you could call it a moan anymore, being vocal was keeping me sane) if I didn't start blowing and pull my voice out of it, I automatically pushed. It was just awful. From that point on, everything was about NOT PUSHING. At some point during this insanely long car/truck ride, I started repeating over and over again “no, no, no, no” because the baby was wanting to come right now and it was like trying to instruct her to stay put for just a little bit longer. I was telling myself “no, don’t push” and “no, don’t come yet baby!”, which just came out as “Nooo!" I probably sounded pretty crazy, now that I think of it.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I think David was pretty much freaking out. I knew we were close, but it may as well been hours away. Right as we found the hospital and were pulling up to the ER entrance, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I felt the baby drop and rotate. It was the strangest twisting, wiggling feeling.</span> My hips and inner and outer thighs were aching so badly, I wanted to get the hell off of them and push her out. I was in the middle of another contraction when we arrived and I didn't think I'd make it inside but, out of nowhere, there was a break. It stopped and I was able to step out of the truck and go inside. At first, when we stopped, before getting out of the truck, I felt a hand trying to help me out. I had my eyes closed and I just wanted to break whoever’s hand this was (later on, I found out it was David, so then I didn’t feel so bad).<br /><br />After walking inside, I remember seeing a bed, a nurse and being told to get on. Someone, I think the nurse, suggested I lay down and I just hoped at that moment that person would drop dead because I was NOT lying down. I pretty much found myself on my side in a half lying, half sitting position, gripping the rail. I went straight into a horribly intense contraction and my body pushed. There was no blowing through it or stopping it this time. My body was pushing the baby out no matter what, and t<span style="font-weight: bold;">he spontaneous urge to push was the by far the most intense feeling I’ve ever felt</span> - much more intense than my contractions had been. It’s almost impossible to describe. </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I lost all sense of what was happening around me. I had to push, I couldn't not push, I didn't even feel the pressure from contractions anymore and just the intense pressure from my body needing to push the baby out.</span> It was my one and only focus. I couldn't tell you if I was yelling or screaming or roaring like a wild animal, it was all about pushing on this damned bed that was moving way too fast and some irritating nurse that kept trying to pull my skirt down and cover me. I kept thinking - are you kidding me? My baby is about to come out and you're worried about covering me. I don't care if the whole world sees my vagina! Besides that, you can’t push out a baby and be covered at the same time. Trying to be covered at that moment was a totally insane thought to me.<br /><br />I don't know at what point between getting on the bed that she crowned, I believe it was almost instantly though. With a push her head was out and I vaguely remember Cassie saying "she's rotating" and seeing maybe elevator doors? Then we were moving again and I'm fairly certain I screamed wildly at the nurse who was pushing the bed. All I wanted was to stop moving. I needed to stop moving because she was coming. Another push and she was out, the bed was stopped and I sat up and tried to lift my baby up. The first thing I remember was her smell. <span style="font-weight: bold;">I could smell that amazing newborn baby smell</span> and I tried to lift her up from under her arms, but she was caught up in the cord and it pulled. I was afraid to pull on the cord, so I sat there with her sitting between my legs, trying to hold her. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Her eyes were wide open and she looked amazing</span>. I made sure to take a quick peek too, to make sure she was definitely a she - and she was.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />That's when the midwife, Courtney, and what seemed like a hundred nurses ran up. We were in the hallway of the L&D floor and just a couple doors down from the room I was being wheeled to. Courtney untangled my baby, <span style="font-weight: bold;">I brought her as far up to my chest as I could, and they pushed me to the room. After that, everything was fine. The room was busy and full of commotion, and I could have cared less.</span> Right after arriving in the room, I looked up and I saw David walk in and I felt so bad - he hadn't even been there! I never noticed. I'm fairly certain he walked in and said "I missed it and I wasn't even deployed!" I don't know where he was at either - I assume parking the truck.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Baby was breathing and pink, and Courtney gave us time to kind of regroup. I was asked if I could scoot from one bed to another, but I didn't right away. I wanted to give the cord time. After maybe a couple minutes, I was able to scoot over. Courtney wanted to clamp the cord, but I told her not until it stopped pulsing. I asked for help to take my shirt off because I wanted skin to skin right away, so a nurse or two helped me peel my shirt off and I<span style="font-weight: bold;"> was finally able to put her against me skin to skin. It was an amazing feeling</span>.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">I don't really know what happened in what order from here. Baby and I sat there for a while skin to skin, she was doing great and breathing great, once the cord stopped pulsing the midwife clamped the cord and David cut it. I watched as he cut the cord, and I was pretty much of awe of it. I thought it looked a lot thinner than Rowan’s cord.<br /><br />I believe she nursed on my left side and I began to feel horrible cramps and I felt my placenta sitting right there. I gave a small push and felt my placenta come sliding out. Courtney, or a nurse, was starting to want to get the placenta to move at that point and to check me and I told them it had already come. I think she was really surprised by that. Inara was done nursing on my left side, so Courtney checked me and the placenta was indeed just sitting there. She move it off the bed and wanted to check me for tears - which I did have thanks to my horrible pushing position and having to hold on for dear life onto that stupid bed. So, my placenta was birthed naturally by my own body - absolutely no need for Pitocin to help my uterus contract because it was doing it beautifully on it’s own and my bleeding was fine. I knew that Pitocin would be an issue if my placenta took longer than they would have liked, <span style="font-weight: bold;">but my body knew what it was doing and finished the job before they even had time to start messing it up.</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />Inara latched onto my other side and I laid back to get stitches and cleaned up. So, Inara nursed through that unpleasantness and, oh man, the needle stick hurt! Stitches went really quickly though. After maybe 20 minutes, I took Inara off and agreed to have her weighed and looked over while I got into a gown and off the bed. It felt so weird to stand up after that, my entire core felt like it had just run a marathon and was so weak. After getting into a gown, I sat in a chair while my bed was cleaned and put back together and I really didn't want to sit there - so I went over to my baby in the warmer and stood there during her evaluation and weighing. </span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />After that, everything was just routine - baby was checked, I declined all newborn procedures and injections, signed some paperwork, ate a little bit of food and took Inara back to bed with me. She was still wide awake too! She was alert and looking around with eyes open for three full hours after her birth. After all the paperwork was done and the nurses and midwife left the room, Cassie and David passed out right away and I was wide awake with baby. It was maybe 4:30-5am by that point. Inara fell asleep after that and I put her in the bassinet by my bed and tried to sleep too, but I was wide awake. I think I slept for around an hour, maybe hour and a half, before waking up again for the day.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />David and Cassie woke up during nurse shift change and David left to go get Cassie's ID that she left at the house (she couldn't leave without it since she had to get into Fort Benning). We talked about the nights events until David got back and then she went back to the house to get more sleep before driving back home again.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">In all, I'm very happy with how it went. From start to finish, my labor was around 4 hours and 25 minutes. It went so fast! <span style="font-weight: bold;">I'm the most happy that I got what I wanted</span>. I avoided absolutely all interventions, medications and outside meddling. I had zero monitoring, no cervical checks, no hep lock and no one who bothered me during my labor. I was able to labor how I wanted (sans truck debacle) without interruption, I was comfortable and nothing was forced on me that I didn't want. <span style="font-weight: bold;">It was 100% natural and non-medicated.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Not once during my labor did I think "I can't do this."</span> In fact it was the opposite - I always expected it to get worse and it never did. I never hit a point where I felt like I was going to break down or couldn't handle to pain or intensity. The thought never even crossed my mind. Pain medication never crossed my mind. I had a very specific goal that I was working towards and nothing was going to shake that. I didn't need or want pain medication and even asking for it never crossed my mind - <span style="font-weight: bold;">I was completely lost in the moment of what was happening and didn't need or want anything else. My baby was born how I wanted, safely, and without anyone interrupting the natural process. I was the first person to touch and hold my baby, she came out on her own terms and exactly how nature intended it</span>. I didn't want it to be in a hospital hallway but, hey, that's where it happened. In the end it really didn't matter where. Ideally, I would have loved to have been in a calm, lowlit room in the position of my dreams and in a calm environment, not screaming down a hallway, but that wasn't what it was about. My #1 goal was to have a safe, natural birth the way it was meant to happen - without medicalization - and that's exactly what happened.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I can definitely look back and wish things could have been different in some ways. I wish I could have just stayed home and had a water birth in the comfort of my own home, I wish the other midwife Julie had been there, I wish I hadn’t hired Sarah and I wish I hadn't been in the truck for 30 grueling minutes. But, it doesn't matter, because it happened how it was supposed to happen. I have an amazingly healthy baby and that was the driving force with all of the decisions I made throughout my pregnancy and birth wishes - a safe and healthy baby being born the way nature intended it and that was exactly what happened.</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;"><br /><br />I really have to give a lot of credit to Cassie though, David would have fallen apart without her and even though I didn’t need her to “do” anything, her calm presence was very much needed. I honestly just wanted and needed her there - it made all the difference in my experience. Cassie is an amazing friend and doula, and she was two in one that day for us. I decided doulas ( specifically Cassie in this case) are like a Drill Sergeant (</span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">d</span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">oula note: I've never been compared to a drill sergeant before! Hehe. I should note, that is David's job. So, Jess holds a special spot near-and-dear to her heart for drill instructors. I promise that I don't yell and bark orders at my clients. Scout's honor</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">). <span style="font-weight: bold;">Doulas are someone who has impacted your life during a life altering experience and they’re someone you couldn’t ever possibly forget. They’re in your memory for life.</span></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">The fact also doesn’t escape me that, with everything that went wrong in the last week (losing all trust in my midwife, being unsure about how or where my baby was going to be born, losing the doula I hired at the last moment, etc) - it seriously felt like everything that could possibly go wrong did in the days/week preceding Inara’s birth - the one person who I could count on was there was the one person who it inconvenienced the most. Cassie’s husband had literally just deployed overseas not 24 hours before Inara’s birth, she lived 3+ hours from me, she has two young children at home and, if that’s not enough, she’s in her second trimester with her 3rd baby. Yet, she was the one and only person who went out of her way in a huge ways to be here for me - so saying I appreciate her and everything she did is a huge understatement.</span><br /><br />Now - some more recent photos of Inara. (Photos from her birth can be found on my blog <a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2010/08/inara.html">HERE</a>)<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5006447152_2913c25c72.jpg" alt="IMG_9049" height="396" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5005839555_6e113fc283.jpg" alt="IMG_9050" height="366" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5005842671_2bfa9deee9.jpg" alt="IMG_9057" height="290" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4147/5005865577_224e48ed8f.jpg" alt="IMG_9066" height="383" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/5005869889_7dfa760c89.jpg" alt="IMG_9067" height="396" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4107/5005876205_7937e69f12.jpg" alt="IMG_9068" height="333" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4085/5005892597_387f9031f2.jpg" alt="IMG_9074" height="333" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/5006515456_1cc5d109f7.jpg" alt="IMG_9079" height="333" width="500" /></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-63804663485539714672010-09-19T15:55:00.000-07:002010-09-19T17:29:25.399-07:00Oh, right. I'm pregnant<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I don't really write about my own pregnancy on here too often, do I? It's not that I'm a private person (I'm really quite the opposite) - it's just... I have a really bad habit of forgetting that I'm pregnant.<br /><br />I mean, my stomach is huge. My uterus is growing. There's definitely a baby in there (I feel it all the time!) I just haven't "felt" pregnant. I heard that the 3rd baby is the one that always throws the mom through a loop. This pregnancy, aside from nausea that subsided in the 1st trimester, has been completely different than my 2 previous kiddos. I have never been one to enjoy being pregnant and, well, <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm enjoying being pregnant</span>. I don't feel too huge or too grumpy or too gassy. I feel good. Maybe it's my diet (<a href="http://www.bradleybirth.com/PD.aspx">The Brewer Diet</a>) or my activity (being a midwife's apprentice keeps me pretty active).<br /><br />However, because my pregnancy is going so well - it's also going by extremely quickly. I was pregnant <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">forever</span></span> with Hayden & Vincent. Baby Tres, on the other hand? I'm at the halfway mark.<br /><br />I'm 21 weeks.<br /><br />This kid has barely anything clothes, way too far diapers, and hardly any blankets. I have some friends who are sending me free things (because this is my 3rd baby and I am <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> over buying new clothes for an infant - who will just pee, puke, poop and grow out of them) - but I had a small panic attack today when I realized everything I own for this child can fit in tiny plastic tub. An inane fear since all a baby <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> needs is boobs and an Ergo - and I have both of those (and, another great friend is sending me the newborn insert). Okay, and maybe a ring sling.<br /><br />I also feel guilty over the fact that I have been so busy preparing and being excited for my birth, it hits me randomly - <span style="font-style: italic;">by the way, you're also HAVING A BABY</span>. I have made myself feel absolutely horrible by trying to convince myself that I'm more excited about the birth than I am about my baby even though my true self knows this isn't true. Still with me? I know that as the baby starts moving more, I will slowly become more connected. My ultrasound (NO I'M NOT LOOKING AT THE GENITALS) is on Thursday - and seeing Baby Tres will give me a "face" to love. Kind of. And, obviously, once I birth without Pitocin and without an epidural and without the panic of the hospital - I will be able to enjoy my brand new baby with their brand new baby smell. But - it's a process.<br /><br />At least the kid finally has a name.<br /></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/5006532926_bc9425d2fa.jpg" alt="21 weeks" height="500" width="283" /><br />21 weeks<br /></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-3375858056233984032010-09-06T17:21:00.000-07:002010-09-06T20:07:04.122-07:00birth rape<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="display: inline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="gtxt"><span style="font-style: italic;">It is little wonder that rape is one of the least-reported crimes. Perhaps it is the only crime in which the victim becomes the accused and, in reality, it is she who must prove her good reputation, her mental soundness, and her impeccable propriety"</span> - Freda Adler<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="display: inline; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="gtxt"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I was asked to place a warning that this post may cause trigge</span></span><span style="display: inline; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="gtxt"><span style="font-weight: bold;">rs.</span></span><br /></div><span style="display: inline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="gtxt"><br />Birth rape is a hard subject to write about because a part of me feels that I may be criticized for using the term "rape." I want to clarify that I am in no way downplaying the seriousness of rape as we define it in our society. However, I am trying to bring to light <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> women feel the need and purpose to recognize rape in <span style="font-weight: bold;">all</span> its forms.<br /><br />In the Webster dictionary, one of the definitions for rape is: "</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);">any</span> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default; font-weight: bold;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);">violation</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="cursor: default; font-weight: bold;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);">or</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">abuse</span>"<br /><br />I found this definition of birthrape from <a href="http://navelgazingbirthstories.blogspot.com/2004/08/different-kind-of-pain-in-childbirth.html">THIS WEBSITE</a> and found it very accurate:<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">As most who are reading this blog know, I am also processing issues surrounding birthrape and how midwives (not just OBs and nurses) facilitate the birthrape experience for women.</span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"></span></span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">(a definition in the making)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong>Birthrape: The experience of having fingers, scissors, and/or tools put/pushed/shoved inside a woman's vagina or rectum without her direct (or indirect) permission. </strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 204);"></span></strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong>Being coerced, manipulated, or lied to regarding the health and safety of the baby or themselves so the midwife is able to do something to the mother's vagina, rectum, cervix, or perineum, usually with excuses; rarely with apologies. </strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">Some find the definition expanded to:</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong>The midwife taking the woman's Power by using disparaging comments, unsupportive expressions, speaking around her as if she is unable to hear or process requests or information.</strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">and</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong>Even though consent forms are signed in the hospital, birth center, and at home, consent for care does not include the manipulations or coercive words to get women to obey the caregiver.</strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">I thought it was time I shared some of the thousands of comments I have personally heard that have facilitated birthrape over the years.</span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);"><br />When a woman is about to give birth - she is in a very vulnera</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);">ble state. When entering a hospital to labor, she is immediately asked to change into a hospital gown. She will have nurses and doctors sticking their hands</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);"> in her vagina - and, often, putting foreign objects up there as well (such as an amniohook). These women will have to fight for their rights to do simple tasks, such as walk - or eat. They will be bullied into accepting interventions they do not want. They will have actions done to their body that they did not know were going to happen. <span style="font-weight: bold;">And it happens every.single.day</span>.<br /><br />Shortly after my son was born, I was lying on the hospital bed by myself. It was just me and the doctor. Everyone else was with the baby. The doctor was look</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);">ing between my legs and I assumed she was checking for tearing. All of a sudden, without notice or permission, the doctor <span style="font-style: italic;">pulled my placenta out of my uterus</span>. It felt like velcro ripping from the walls of my stomach. I gasped, but didn't say a word. This doctor did not tell me to push and did not ask for my consent to do a <span style="font-style: italic;">dangerous</span> and unnecessary procedure. And, for what? Because it was 7pm and she wanted to go home? Later - when discussing why I wanted to have a homebirth with future children, I was describing the event to my husband and the only word I could use to describe how I felt was "<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">violated</span></span>." She did things to my body that I did not want her to do. Yet, she was my doctor. I signed a blanket consent. What was I going to do?<br /><br />So, I did nothing.<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" id="hotword"><span style="cursor: default;" id="hotword" name="hotword" onmouseover="this.style.cursor='default'" onmouseout="this.style.backgroundColor='transparent'" onclick="this.style.backgroundColor='#b5d5ff';return hotWord(this);"><br />At a birth I attended recently, the mother was screaming at the ER nurse to stop racing her down the hallway as she pushed her baby out on the stretcher. The mom was screaming, "<span style="font-style: italic;">STOP! STOP!!!! STOP!</span>" I finally grabbed him and the bed and yelled, "<span style="font-style: italic;">She.said.STOP</span>" before he listened. If you take that situation out of the birth setting, what would you think? If a woman was screaming, "STOP!" and everyone around her was ignoring the situation? If no one listened? If no one stopped?<br /><br />And, we're not the only ones.<br /><br />I posted a poll on Twitter and asked, <a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.snappoll.com/poll/339888.php">"</a></span></span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.snappoll.com/poll/339888.php"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">At any point during yo</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">ur labor, birth and/or postpartum period, did you feel things were done to you without your knowledge or consent?</span></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.snappoll.com/poll/339888.php">"</a> These were the results at the time that I wrote <a href="http://www.snappoll.com/poll/339888.php">this</a>:<br /><br /></span></span></span><a style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.snappoll.com/poll/339888.php"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 236px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4965479801_d4dfe62374_m.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">This is NOT ok.<br /><br /></span>49% of women. FORTY-NINE. Yes, only 68 votes were counted at that time (and I let women answer multiple times if they've given birth more than once). However, that number would be too high if it were 2% of women. Women should not be made to feel like they are being violated when they are <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">giving birth</span></span>.<br /><br />And doctors and nurses and midwives should <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT</span> be<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span> getting away with treating women like this. Just because they are in a hospital setting does <span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT</span> make things like this okay.<br /><br />We need to end things, such as </span></span><a href="http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2010/1/29/yes-its-true-med-students-perform-pelvic-exams-on-anesthetiz.html">performing pelvic exams on anesthetized women</a>. <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We need to recognize that <a href="http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/127116/birth_trauma_can_cause_women_to_develope.html?cat=70">women can develop PTSD from birth rape</a>. We need to continue <a href="http://pregnancy.about.com/od/birthadvocacy/a/birthadvocate.htm">being an advocate for women</a> to have a right to their bodies - even if they're with a medical professional.<br /><br />Most importantly, we must recognize if these things happened to us. Birth trauma can cause women to carry around negative feelings and sensations for the rest of their lives. It can prevent them from progressing in future pregnancies and births. It can hang a rain cloud of fear over their head if they don't accept the fact that they have a right to be angry. They have a right to be downright pissed off that things were done to them against their will. They have a right to be sad, depressed, confused, scared. And, they need to know that it's not their fault that it happened.<br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />The first thing we can do to make a difference is to accept this fact:<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">birthrape is real</span></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Secondly: </span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It is vital we choose care providers whom we trust for this very reason. </span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br />Thirdly: We can not accept these actions as normal. We are women and we have a right to our bodies. We are better than this and we deserve better for ourselves and for our babies. </span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">We have rights.</span></span></span><div><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b>Lastly, if you can - if you are willing, share your own personal experience/s. Let your tale be known - for you are not alone.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Resources<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.ican-online.org/">I-CAN</a> </span></span>(International Cesarean Awareness Network - assists with ALL kinds of birth trauma)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://birthpartners.com/?gclid=CNX126mO9KMCFRFW2godhTFQ2w">Birth Partners</a> </span>(find a local midwife and/or doula)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://navelgazingbirthstories.blogspot.com/2004/08/different-kind-of-pain-in-childbirth.html">A Different Kind of Pain</a> </span>(great article about Birth Rape over at Navelgazing)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://birthrape.wordpress.com/">Birth Rape</a> </span>(a place to discuss and share stories - to heal)<br /><a href="http://myobsaidwhat.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">My OB Said What</span></a> (a humorous, yet painfully true list of quotes from birthing staff)<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><a href="http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2009/3/8/violence-in-labor.html">Violence in Labor</a> </span>(an article over at the Unnecesarean)<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /></span><br /></span></span></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-56958558376622868182010-08-27T12:57:00.000-07:002010-08-27T13:31:19.728-07:00InaraI know that I should be posting actual blog entries (and, I will, eventually...)<br /><br />But, I've been busy.<br /><br />On the 25th, I drove up to Columbus to be there when a good friend of mine gave birth. She wanted an intervention-free hospital birth. The hospital labeled her "extreme" and she needed some advocates to be by her side.<br /><br />She ended up going into active labor <span style="font-style: italic;">that very night</span> at 11.30pm. Her doula had an emergency and I ended up stepping into the role (don't worry, I'm qualified). She labored at home and made it to the hospital just in time to push... <span style="font-style: italic;">literally. </span>She gave birth to her daughter on a stretcher, in the middle of the hallway on the way to L&D. The mom said things ended up perfectly. Although a hallway wasn't her "ideal" place to give birth, she avoided every single intervention possible, caught her own daughter, and she can safely say she labored at home for as long as she possibly could! I don't want to tell her story, especially since she hasn't told it yet, so I'll just let the photos speak for now.<br /><br />(Pictures are posted with full and complete permission, as always)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/4932420938_0119f9b4a1.jpg" alt="Early labor2" width="464" height="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4122/4931843157_771b0bb113.jpg" alt="Active Labor" width="500" height="333" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4073/4932453802_28cfe3847e.jpg" alt="Water as Pain Relief" width="500" height="333" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4116/4932457176_9f70ea93b0.jpg" alt="Hard Labor" width="500" height="333" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4932464048_fd4a1912d7.jpg" alt="Almost There" width="500" height="333" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4932474430_8287e1035a.jpg" alt="First Photo Together" width="481" height="500" /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4931884689_6ec1b0f70f.jpg" alt="Bonding" width="463" height="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4932493376_eb09852660.jpg" alt="skin to skin" width="333" height="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4082/4932519822_fb1b02689f.jpg" alt="Posing Newborn" width="500" height="348" /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4102/4931963967_2023c12e03.jpg" alt="Football Hold" width="500" height="374" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4136/4932566100_3044784c75.jpg" /><br />Ms. Inara was 8lbs 14oz and 21.5 inches!<br /></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-24819737828845089252010-07-30T09:34:00.000-07:002010-07-30T10:07:27.787-07:00anticipation - and why it does no good<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I have a client who is at the 37 week mark. She really wanted a homebirth but, due to Georgia being the way Georgia is, she's having a natural, hospital birth. Anyone who has, or who has tried, to give birth naturally in a hospital-setting knows this is no easy task. It's why I often claim that doulas are </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">necessary</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> birth support for women who plan intervention&medication-free births with doctors. My client is going to show up to the hospital to push, though - which will make fighting off any possibility of IVs and epidurals a lot easier. However, she lives 3 hours north of me. Knowing how important her natural birth is, and knowing how </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">badly</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> I want to be there, I find myself on my toes. I am awaiting a phone call, checking in via e-mail, and trying to find out if she's feeling any signs of early labor.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">We e-mail each other often (both having two children, our phone conversations can become quite disruptive), and she recently discussed with me how concerned she is that she will go into labor before her mother-in-law gets into town to babysit her older children. How she is worried about how her husband will react, and how she's stressed she'll go into labor during the day - when her kids are still awake.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Jump backward in time a day, when I tweeted furiously about being nervous beyond sanity about a dental appointment. A dear "internet-friend" of mine responded by telling me to, "release what is not in your control." She went on to tell me that anticipation was, essentially, useless. Immediately, I felt better because </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">she was right</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Stress and anxiety are often defined as the </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">anticipation</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> of an event. Often, when a woman is in labor (particularly, in transition) - she will need to be told, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">You have to let go</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">." Once a woman releases herself of hiding and fighting the pain, once she stops anticipating the next contraction - she can release herself from that control. In every birth I have seen, where a woman just accepts her birth in the way that it is, when she stops trying to run away - she begins pushing within a matter of minutes.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">It makes sense that this same principle be applied to all aspects of life. Anticipation is the feeling of anxiousness. Anxiety causes heart problems, high blood pressure, headaches, and shortness of breath - amongst other things. What if we just let go of the stress of things that are off in the future? Instead of anticipating the future, what if we promised to just focus on the events as they happen?</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I e-mailed my client back and told her, "there is no way to guarantee you won't have the baby before your mother-in-law is there, so don't anticipate what you can't control. Release yourself from that. I know it's hard, but you have to let go of stuff that is not in your ability to change... let [your birth team] stress about [everything]. You have one job and that one job is to birth your baby. We will take care of the rest."</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">So, I followed my own advice. I handled the things that I could - I charged my camera, printed off directions, and packed my doula bags. However, I don't want to sit there and wonder every second if her baby is on the way. It does me no good, just like it would do her no good. Once she calls, I will take care of things. Labor, and life, are not predictable. It's more sensible to just take care of things as they fall.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Funny that it took a "dental doula" to make me realize how important it is to release yourself and just </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic;">let go</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Give it a try. You'll feel better.</span><br /></span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-3218547852697389712010-07-24T19:51:00.000-07:002010-07-24T19:55:59.854-07:00where will YOU give birth?First: please, take my poll ----><br /><br />Second: where have you given birth to the children you have now? (If you have any)<br /><br />Third: will where you give birth to any future children?<br /><br />Fourth: why?<br /><br /><br /><br />I'm going to write a post later with my reason for having a homebirth and I'm going to write a response to the poll results.<br /><br />For now, your help and answers are much appreciated!Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-23278539787266716392010-07-24T08:13:00.000-07:002010-07-24T09:29:17.247-07:00bad doula: the doula who knew better<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">I forgot to hire a doula.</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />Mind you, I'm only 13 weeks pregnant and I have some time before I am set to give birth. However, I also know that I should have hired one before I left Arizona. Now, I will have around 2 months to find a doula when I get back.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">The reason I forgot to hire one is because I forgot I needed one. Or, even worse, I thought I didn't need one.<br /><br />I know. </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >bad doula</span><span style="font-size:130%;">.<br /><br />It's hard to explain. I know doulas are amazing, and I'm not just tooting my own horn. Ask any woman who has had a doula and she'll tell you that they made a difference in either a small way or in the biggest way possible. They help. It's obvious.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Maybe, for a weird reason or another, I considered myself immune to doulas. I plan to have a lot of people at my birth. I know a ton of women who have never witnessed a birth like the one I am having, and I feel honored to have them there. I also feel more comfortable in groups - and I know I won't have an issue telling people to get the Hell out if I change my mind. I have people there who will give massages and rub my back. They will fill the birth tub and get me water. Take photos and video tape.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2613/3746455978_0366aba031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 246px;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2613/3746455978_0366aba031.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">(doing the doula thing and rubbing some feet)</span><br /></div><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I know doulas do emotional too. However, as my husband said, I "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >know all their mind tricks</span><span style="font-size:130%;">." I know what they might say and I figured this was a disadvantage. Then it hit me.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >scared</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. I'm scared. I've never had a homebirth. I'm terrified of transfer. I'm terrified that I will change my mind. I fear the unknown and, though I have seen homebirths up close and personal - I have never had one. The only people at my birth who have witnessed a homebirth are my midwives and, God willingly, if she can make it - my friend over at <a href="http://birthfaith.org/">Birth Faith</a>.<br /><br />So, why was I convincing myself I didn't need a doula? My job is normally to convince women and men that they <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> need a doula. In spite of my knowledge and even though I "know" what doulas say and I "know" what they do - I </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >need</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> that.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br />I am probably going to say something like, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I'm scared</span><span style="font-size:130%;">"<br />and I need someone to say, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I'm here</span><span style="font-size:130%;">."<br /><br />I am probably going to say something like, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >It hurts too much</span><span style="font-size:130%;">"<br />and I need someone to say, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I know, but it won't hurt forever</span><span style="font-size:130%;">."<br /><br />I am probably going to say something like, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >I can't do this</span><span style="font-size:130%;">"<br />and I need someone to say, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >But, you are. And, you can. And, you will.</span><span style="font-size:130%;">"<br /><br /><br />I then sat there, pouring over names of doulas and thinking, "</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Damn. I'm picky</span><span style="font-size:130%;">." Then I questioned - wait. Are most people this picky? Are people this choosy when they opt for me as their doula? Just as I was contemplating this notion, a client of mine back in Arizona, who is pregnant with a 2nd and planning a VBAC delivery, sent me this message on Facebook:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >"</span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" class="text_exposed_show" >[my husband] said he feels confident in being my doula <span style="font-weight: bold;">since we can't have you</span>. He's kind of funny that way, it's hard for him to connect and feel comfortable with people. That's why <span style="font-weight: bold;">his instant comfort with you</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">was </span>very unlike him but <span style="font-weight: bold;">quite a blessing</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I wish you could be here too</span>...but I know it will all work out."</span><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /><br /><br /><br />First and foremost, bring on the doula guilt! I wish I never had to move because then I would never have to leave my clients. Secondly, wow. My job just felt even more important than the pedestal I thought I was already putting it on. Three - I need that. Of course I need that, and, of course, I have the right to be picky.<br /><br />So, doulas - did </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >you</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> have doulas? Will you?<br /><br />Or non-doulas - what did you think about </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >your </span><span style="font-size:130%;">doula if you had one. If you didn't - did you wish you did?<br /><br />And, most importantly, how did/how would you </span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >choose your doula</span><span style="font-size:130%;">?</span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-25833361992881255762010-06-29T15:10:00.000-07:002010-06-29T17:07:28.848-07:00The Gross (Normal) Things in Pregnancy That No One Talks About (but should!)When I became pregnant with my oldest, I was told about the swollen feet, the morning sickness, and the glowing skin (and, after 3 pregnancies - I am still waiting for said 'glowing skin'). However, there were many things that I was <span style="font-weight: bold;">not </span>prepared for. Things that I found utterly embarrassing. Did I really want to ask my friends if it was normal to pee myself, should I ask my OB if frequent farts were normal, and just exactly <span style="font-style: italic;">where</span> was that smell coming from? Unfortunately, the Feds must have locked up and censored all of these 'dirty, nasty' things and silenced everyone with fear of being improper.<br /><br />Well, 'eff being proper.<br /><br />So, with the assistance of Twitter and friends and family - I wrote this as a way to provide preparation, hope, help, and advice through my <span style="font-weight: bold;">List of Disgusting and Embarrassing Side Effects of Gestation</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Burping - like a drunk man<br /></span>I will never forget how I scarred the pizza boy during my current pregnancy, when I opened the door and, without saying a word, proceeded to burp loudly in his face. <span style="font-style: italic;">Twice</span>. I apologized, but the look he gave me was priceless. I haven't ordered Pizza Hut since.<br /><br />Mind you, I burp with reason. With all of my children, I have had morning sickness and the easiest, quickest way to kick my nausea right in the groin is to drink root beer and burp until my stomach feels better. Unfortunately, there is something about pregnancy that makes your gas loud and smelly - no matter the route or the exit ramp. This sometimes makes me wonder if I should be waddling around with a beer gut, belly shirt, and trucker hat - but, for now, I would rather burp in the face of a delivery man than puke.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span> - Accept your fate. If you're a burper - it's just gonna happen, preggo. Usually, it lightens up after the 1st trimester on it's own. You can also try Tums or other calcium supplements, which may help.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories</span>:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">You should write about when you think you're going to burp and then you throw up in your mouth. </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Kind of like sharting, but instead of [pooping] when you fart, you puke when your burp :( </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I think it's almost worse than just regular puking because it's gone up my nose before. </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"> At least if I know I'm going to puke, I can adequately prepare for the unblessed event. 'Purking' is just unfair.</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Constipation - like <span style="font-style: italic;">whoa</span></span><br />If pregnancy-induced insomnia is nature's way of preparing your body for sleepless nights with a newborn, than pregnancy-induced constipation is nature's way of preparing your body to push out a baby.<br /><br />I'm glad I poop alone, because I fear people would call an ambulance and tell them, "<span style="font-style: italic;">she's having a baby! In the bathroom!</span>" I scream, I grunt, and I say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Come on, owww...</span>" I change positions, I try to relax, and - towards the end - I definitely give up and say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I can't do this anymore!</span>" I don't have a choice though - and I persevere. After the final push, I feel relief and gratitude - proclaiming, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I did it! I DID IT!</span>" I am so ready to have this baby. Thanks, constipation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: Water. Drink tons and tons of it. If you were a caffeine-aholic before becoming pregnant, don't quit cold turkey. Wean yourself, which would make it so you don't plug yourself up. You want to stay away from laxatives, but most over-the-counter stool softeners are safe (but, as always, consult your midwife or OB before starting any sort of medication)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Discharge - this requires no witty subtext<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span>Yo<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>u know how nasty comics are always claiming that vaginas smell like fish? Well... heh. You may be surprised and, in my case, <span style="font-style: italic;">mortified</span>, at what comes out of your vagina when pregnant. It's discharge, but it changes color (pink, brown, white, yellow...), consistency, and scent. Usually, on a daily basis. There's also a lot of it. <span style="font-weight: bold;">A lot</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: You know how you were so excited when you realized you wouldn't have a period for 9 months, and you thought that meant you would stay away from all sorts of menstruation products? <span style="font-style: italic;">Think again</span>. I keep a supply of panty-liners, usually opting for the scented ones since the smell of discharge has made me gag. For more eco-friendly moms, you can try cloth pads - which tend to reduce the smell of discharge as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Flatulence - uncontrollable, obvious flatulence<br /></span>You know those really, gross, loud farts that your husband blames on the dog you don't have? Or, in my case, on the baby? His farts have <span style="font-style: italic;">nothing</span> on pregnancy farts. As women, we tend to have quiet, usually discreet, farts. However, when pregnant - this all changes.<br /><br />They're LOUD. EXTREMELY loud. There is no "<span style="font-style: italic;">I-think-I-may-fart</span>" sensations - this just come, out of nowhere. Without an invitation, without warning. They also smell, and, they smell <span style="font-style: italic;">badly</span>.<br /><br />Don't think these ones will go away once you're un-pregnant, either. These farts can follow you well past the post-partum period.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solutions</span>: Avoid greasy, spicy foods (if, your cravings will allow you). In my case, I was able to escape embarrassment because, after the first time my husband made fun of one of my louder "toots" - I burst into crazy, psycho, hormonal sobs. After that episode, he began to take the blame for me when I was having a gassy moment in public.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real life stories:<br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I wish someone would tell me 'by the way, you may fart ALL THE TIME."</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"> no one told me about the post partum uncontrollable farting either"</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I teach yoga and even 1yr post partum I have to be careful & hold things extra tight in certain poses. Otherwise..</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I've let out a few choice sounds in front of an entire yoga class. I don't react & just hope people couldn't tell who.</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I also farted my life away while in labour which was excruciatingly embarrassing. I had an epi so no pain to </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">distract me. Also I was up in stirrups for ages. Poor midwives :-("</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I farted in my OBs face during an exam once. Luckily, he pretended like he didn't hear it"</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hemorrhoids - they really DO exist<br /></span>I've never experienced these personally, so I'm leaving this one up to the personal stories:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I actually didn't have them until AFTER birth (from pushing, I'm assuming). It was very uncomfortable. Vaseline [helped] and I've heard that [Sitz Baths] can help"<br />"</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"> I've never had them, and then last week out of NOWHERE, surprise!!! </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I was seriously so shocked and embarrassed and mad at my body, that I cried myself to sleep.</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"> </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"></span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I seriously thought they were a myth. And then one night, after a week of diarrhea, oh... my.... god. its terrible. </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">thank goodness mine went away after like 3 days, but I was afraid to go to the bathroom, or sit down, or talk about it."</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"[what helped was] </span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">suppositories & actually using "family cloth" instead of TP! So random but it's been SO much better since."</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Leakage - my milk brings all the babies to the yard<br /></span>I'm sure you've heard the story of the new mom walking around the grocery store and, upon hearing a stranger's baby cry, begins to leak profusely from her breasts. However, did you know that not only is this <span style="font-style: italic;">real</span>, but it's extremely <span style="font-style: italic;">common</span>. Milk will leak from your chest for a good month, at least. Sometimes, it will soak through your shirt. Your sheets. Your mattress.<br /><br />I remember waking up after my milk came in with my oldest. My boobs were as hard as rocks and my bed was soaked. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soaked</span></span>. It was sticky and gross and I thought I was <span style="font-style: italic;">dying</span>. I love breastfeeding and I think breastmilk is liquid gold- but it's not something I want to bathe in. I also have leaked while out in public and only noticed when I realized people were staring at two giant wet spots on my chest.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: don't forget to always stuff your bras. With breast pads, that is. They make all kinds, ranging from disposable to cloth. Another solution is to make sure you nurse when baby is hungry and, usually, within a month or two - your milk supply will regulate and your breasts will become dry<span style="font-style: italic;">er</span>. I didn't stop leaking for good until my son was 8 months old. I became used to it though and, so do most women.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories</span>:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I leak milk like crazy. I use a <a href="http://www.mymilkies.com/">"Milkies" milk collector</a> when nursing (opposite side) to collect & save milk."</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orgasmic Stimulation - in the worst situations<br /></span>When you've got a fetus in process, your body helps prepare your body by increasing your blood volume. And, it increases it <span style="font-style: italic;">everywhere</span>. There's nothing like starting the engine of your car and being met with a - <span style="font-style: italic;">er, <span style="font-style: italic;">sensation</span></span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: Wear loose fitting clothing, don't sit down, and, avoid motorcycles. Or, give it some time. This problem usually only affects women for a short time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories</span>:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"> Even just a tight pair of pants does it sometimes"</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Pooping - and the fear of</span><br />Everyone knows about pooping on the delivery table, and, most women fear it. However, honestly, I wouldn't know if I had. Nurses and midwives tend to clean any defecation up pretty quickly and quietly. However, the real gross situation comes <span style="font-style: italic;">after</span> the birth. When pooping becomes <span style="font-style: italic;">scary</span>. When the nurses give you laxatives. When you think you may split open if you allow any sort of material to come out of you <span style="font-style: italic;">again</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: Relax. And, pray. Also, take some stool softeners - but DON'T over do it. You can also eat a lot of 'P' fruits.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories</span>:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">the... first bowel movement after labor pretty much feels like you're pushing out another baby... </span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I only ate beans, whole grains, dulcolax, and fruit for days.</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"<br />"</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">first poo! Terrifying but not as bad as you'd think."</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">they gave me so many laxatives&stool softeners after I had [my daughter], I actually POOPED myself... I remember being terrified to</span></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> t</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">ake my first bowel movement though. TERRIFIED...</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">I thought if I pooped, my stitches would burst open</span></span><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vaginal Farting - or, 'queefing'<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span>After you push what feels like a 7-8 pound bowling ball through your legs - you're going to realize that your vagina has changed. In more than one way. However, no one told me or even hinted that I would begin to be able to fart from <span style="font-style: italic;">there</span>. Initially, it happened all the time. If I closed my legs too fast, air would escape from my canal and - <span style="font-style: italic;">queef</span>. Eventually, that was a rare occasion. However, it still happens occasionally during sex and, because I act like an immature 13-year-old boy when I'm naked, I laugh every time. Which tends to throw my husband off because he's pre-occupied with things more important than the sounds coming from my vagina. I find a sense a humor really helps though.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: Kegals, kegals, and - well, kegals. Before and after birth.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories:<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">and tampons never fit properly ever again. [I know a girl who] birthed one in her sleep last week"</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Ah yes, the vag farts. [my husband] has been too kind (& smart) to say if things are different, but I know it must be, based on that..."</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Urination - wetting the bed isn't just for kids, anymore</span><br />During the first trimester with my current pregnancy, I had a moment of fear when I felt liquid seep onto my underwear. I feared the worst and ran to the bathroom, assuming I would discover blood. I was so upset by the prospect of having a miscarriage - that I was almost scared to look down. When I did, I was confused and felt pretty damn goofy when I discovered I wasn't bleeding - I had just <span style="font-style: italic;">peed myself</span>.<br /><br />When your uterus is growing and moving right on in, evicting your organs to other parts of your body - it puts a ton of pressure on your bladder. It's not uncommon to pee yourself at night or to wet your panties when you sneeze.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: Once again, panty-liners will help since, most of the time, the urination is kept to a minimum. Also, don't forget those kegals! They help strengthen that area, which helps give you more control over your urethra.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Vivid Sex Dreams - that make you feel like a dirty, dirty girl<br /></span>Since you'll be waking up every.five.minutes to use the bathroom at some point in your pregnancy, you'll tend to remember your dreams very clearly and, because of hormones and that pesky blood volume - you may have some extremely <span style="font-style: italic;">pornographic </span>dreams.<br /><br />I felt like I was cheating on my husband. I have dreamt about having sex with the neighbor, my co-worker, my female friend, Eric -from True Blood, and Harry Potter. Most of the time, I didn't even find these people remotely attractive. However, I had a lot of sex when pregnant. Well, in my head. Once in awhile, I awoke in a sweat and apologized to my spouse - asking him to please forgive me. Poor man wasn't getting any action, yet my brain was getting a'plenty!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Solution</span>: Once again, relax. Turn off any guilt and enjoy the moment. Who knows, maybe you'll wake up and write a romance novella and become the next Danielle Steel.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Life Stories</span>:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"I have orgasms in my sleep during my first trimester. I wouldn't call that gross, though. ;)"</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content"> I'm having definite sex dreams now! And, damn, are they VIVID"</span></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br />* I hope this list helps anyone who feared that maybe their pooping issues were theirs, and, theirs alone.<br /><br />If anyone has any solutions or any other 'gross' things to add - please, do!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-73954201593362986102010-06-19T14:54:00.000-07:002010-09-19T15:53:42.763-07:00GuinevereI love getting to attend births - especially when they're my friends' births.<br /><br />Guinevere was born after an induction that resulted in a 2-day-labor (and, her mom, Maysa, went without an epidural till the very end!) It was an exhausting birth just to watch! The photos were fun to take, though.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Also, I want to note: I just took these photos, I left the editing to Maysa since she's also a photographer - and I'd want to edit the photos from my own birth)</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/4844365216_7341f97f7d.jpg" alt="gbirth4" height="333" width="500" /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/4844365446_6d215ae5d3.jpg" alt="gbirth5" height="500" width="359" /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">(This was still on Day One - before things really picked up)<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4124/4843748465_aff9819b34.jpg" alt="gbirth9" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4092/4844365912_bcfd1756fd.jpg" alt="gbirth7" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/4843747175_bce2ac8a86.jpg" alt="gbirth6" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/4843748221_a31246f175.jpg" alt="birth1" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4086/4843746167_25284e58d1.jpg" alt="gbirth2" height="500" width="333" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/4843746389_7be4182479.jpg" alt="gbirth3" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/4844368048_88f9b5ce12.jpg" alt="birth4" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/4843750799_a2dd9cc3c5.jpg" alt="birth5" height="402" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4088/4844379018_89d26386c0.jpg" alt="birth11" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/4844375160_04b899a4c2.jpg" alt="birth10bw" height="500" width="333" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/4844373380_1b4e92be05.jpg" alt="birth7" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4145/4843753221_e64ae35ba5.jpg" alt="birth8" height="333" width="500" /><br /><br /><br /><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4132/4844372380_7250780787.jpg" alt="gbirth15" height="299" width="500" /><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><br /><br />Guinevere Noreen </span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">June 19th </span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">2.23am </span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">5lbs 15oz </span><br /> <span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">19 inches </span><br /><br /></div><br /><a href="http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=A235662&entry=20557&mode=chapter&chapter=D">Maysa's Birth Slideshow</a><br /><a href="http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=A235662&entry=20557&mode=chapter&chapter=D">Maysa's Birth Story</a>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-35749713091941491972010-06-08T19:43:00.000-07:002010-06-08T20:06:02.370-07:00morning sickness - what's your advice?<span style="font-size:130%;">If I had a quarter for every day I threw up with my first 2 pregnancies - I'd probably have somewhere around $80.00. And, maybe if I were eighty dollars richer - I would have felt better.<br /><br />This pregnancy, I have thrown up far less - but felt far, far worse. I am nauseous from the moment I wake up, until the moment I fall asleep. I consistently walk around with a bad taste in my mouth and what feels like a working dryer in my stomach.<br /><br />Here's a list of things that I have tried:<br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >protein before bed</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> - this works for making it so I am not vomiting immediately upon waking. After that, my protein intake does little to keep me highly functional throughout the day<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >frequent, small meals </span><span style="font-size:130%;">- this is easier said than done, when every time I think about food I want to cry myself to sleep<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >sea bands </span><span style="font-size:130%;">- ha! I thought these would work because they cured my motion sickness while on a cruise I took earlier this year. Apparently, that's where their helpfulness ends<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >carbonation </span><span style="font-size:130%;">- this is my favorite. Root Beer makes me burp, which makes me feel better. Unfortunately, soda is also bad for pregnant women. A win/lose<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >peppermint</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> - this only works while I'm currently ingesting it. I don't like tea and I feel silly walking around with peppermint in my mouth all day<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >preggo pops</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> - the taste made me want to vomit when I </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >wasn't</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> pregnant<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >a hot bath</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> - in the once a decade that an opportunity for me to take a hot bath occurs, it works beautifully. Once again, however, only for the duration that I am in the water<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >crackers</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> - I ate an entire bag of crackers today and all I felt was incredibly hungry<br /><br />I pray that one of these solutions works for you. I've found a combination of all of them does me </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >okay</span><span style="font-size:130%;">. With the assistance of Zofran injections, I have moved from "low-functioning" to "decently crabby."<br /><br />I don't mean to complain, but I am pregnant - so it's partially a rite of passage. I also have accepted my fate as just being </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >one of those women</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> who gets sick when she's gestating. I'm thankful that, with each pregnancy, it has gotten easier. I just don't like it being there at all. I don't know what person </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >enjoys</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> being nauseous, though. So...<br /><br />For all the women, like me, who feel they have tried everything and nothing works - I ask of you, ladies, what tips and tricks do you have up your sleeves to combat that pesky "morning" sickness?</span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-1828517281083985002010-06-04T08:53:00.000-07:002010-06-04T09:29:12.285-07:00why I take medication, but deny interventions<p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">**</span><span style="font-size:85%;">(disclaimer: I know natural birth isn't for everyone, this was specifically written from my POV of the experience. So no one go off and get offended now)**</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I've had a lot of people express doubt when I proclaim, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I'm having a natural birth</span>" because, well, <span style="font-weight: bold;">they know me.</span></span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">If I have a headache, I take an aspirin. When I suffered from migraines, I took Imitrex (and, on occasion, Demerol). I've popped Percocet for juvenile arthritis (thanks, pointe ballet) and Xanax to help me sleep. Now that I'm pregnant, I still take Celexa to combat bi-polar disorder and I recently filled a script for Zofran because I had hyperemesis with my previous babes and<span style="font-style: italic;"> I'm not doing that again</span>.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, why on Earth would I avoid medication and pain relief during childbirth?</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Because it's not a medical condition.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">don't</span> need Pitocin or Cervadil because my baby and body know exactly when they're ready and at what speed my labor should progress.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> do</span> need Zofran because natural methods don't work and my body needs to maintain the right nutrients in order to grow a healthy baby.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">don't</span> need Penicillan because the risks of another thrush infection are far greater than my risks of passing GBS on to my child.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">do</span> need Celexa, because the risks of my bi-polar disorder not being controlled are far more dangerous than the possibility of the drug passing through my placenta.</span></p> <p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">don't</span> need Stadol because all it does is make me loopy and forget what's happening.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"> I <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">do</span> need the occasional Tylenol because it helps me focus when my head isn't killing me.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">The biggest "<span style="font-style: italic;">are you crazy?!?!?</span>" question, of course, comes from people asking why I would choose to not get a needle dug into my spinal cord. Not only that, but I am going to be giving birth at a location where I won't even be able to get the epidural when I ask for it, because, of course I'll ask for it. You know, <span style="font-style: italic;">no woman in her right mind likes pain</span>.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I'm no exception. Obviously, I can't stand pain.<br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I often hear the analogy "<span style="font-style: italic;">would you have a tooth pulled without pain meds?</span>" (especially from my mother-in-law, who, ironically, was the oral surgeon's assistant when I was having my wisdom teeth taken out). So, she knows this answer. No, I would not go without pain medication to have my teeth pulled. I had twilight anesthesia and popped every pain medication they gave me after the fact. I had to return to work and I wasn't going to be talking to customers on the phone while wallowing in pain.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">So, why is birth different?</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153); text-align: center; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:130%;">BECAUSE IT'S NOT AN ILLNESS.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">I don't think God (or Nature or the High-Elf Priestess, or whatever you believe) intended for us to have our teeth pulled. He/She/It however did intend for women to give birth. Our bodies were designed perfectly to create, form, grow, and deliver an infant. The pain of childbirth is not without purpose - it was put there for a reason. Pain tells you how to move and where to apply pressure. Women with posterior babies feel relief when they rotate their hips, which helps turn the baby. Pain tells a woman when to push, and when she feels those sensations, she can help prevent herself from tearing.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">It's also fair to say that, of course, there are dangers involved with getting pain relief when in labor. Doct</span><span style="font-size:130%;">ors will often say, "<span style="font-style: italic;">There aren't many risks to an epidural</span>" - and they're right, there aren't a lot of <span style="font-style: italic;">direct</span> risks related to an epidural. However, they forget to tell you that epidurals increase the likelihood that you'll have Pitocin - which carries its own risks. You'll have an increased chance of a forcep or vacuum assisted delivery - which carry their own risks. You're at a greater chance of fetal distress and, of course, Cesarean delivery - which has a multitude of risks.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Considering I am pregnant and not sick, diseased, or dying - I feel that the pain of childbirth is very much so worth every second that I have the ability to move throughout labor, every second that I avoid induction, every second that I get further away from a scalpel, and every second that my newborn baby looks into my eyes - alert and awake.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Childbirth can not be compared to an illness, because it isn't one. It is not something that needs to be "fixed." It is something that needs to be<span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"> felt</span>. Especially by those who <span style="font-weight: bold;">want</span> it.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">Ricki Lake says it best in her movie <a href="http://thebusinessofbeingborn.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Business of Being Born</span></a>.</span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br /></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;">“<span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">I love pain medication, I love numbing myself. I don't want to feel even a headache. I'm that person, too. But when it came to giving birth, it wasn't an illness, it wasn't something that needed to be numbed. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">It was something to be experienced</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">.”</span><br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-69097479392241621282010-06-03T09:55:00.000-07:002010-06-03T11:37:49.221-07:00the midwife difference<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >With my first two children, I had OB-GYNs. My daughter's birth was fantastic, because, honestly, </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >I didn't know any better</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >. My son's birth was a different story. I took Bradley birthing classes and I knew I wanted to go natural. My birth experience was a terrible one and I felt completely manipulated by my doctor.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/4642936141_f74c9c3757.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 205px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3358/4642936141_f74c9c3757.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When I found out that we were expecting our third child, I knew I wanted something different. I wanted an uninterrupted, natural, safe birth. Initially, I debated having an unassisted delivery because I was so fearful of losing control during labor. I wanted to make sure that I called the shots and that I was included in every decision. After much thought and consideration, I decided to exhaust my options to see how I felt. My husband is military and we have insurance through Tricare - which basically pays for any sort of obstetrical care. I decided to visit with an OB-GYN first.<br /><br /><br />I met with <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Glendale-AZ/Dr-Damian-Bass-Dr-Daniel-Hu-Dr-Marv-Erickson-Arrowhead-Womens-Center/174550068136">Dr. Erickson</a>, who delivered my best friend's son over four years ago. I had been with her while she has visited with him, and his bedside manner was amazing. When I called to make an appointment, the woman on the phone was very nice and friendly and scheduled me for an ultrasound. It felt a little silly, considering I knew I was not very far along at all - but I was excited at the prospect of seeing any sort of tiny fleck of a baby.<br /><br />I arrived at my appointment with my 2 kids in tow. The waiting room was extremely crowded, and there was not a single thing for my children to do. I was prepared for this and (mommy confession) had brought my 4-year-old's Nintendo DS for this reason. I had put my 19-month-old in a bucket and, though it prevented possible catastrophe, I also felt like it was blocking the path (and it was a tiny, umbrella stroller). I filled out an entire packet, filled with questions about my medical history. I felt like I was setting myself up for failure, having to fill out that my husband's mother's cousin was born with down syndrome 40 years ago. (</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Why did they need to know <span style="font-weight: bold;">that</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >?) After about 20 minutes or so, I was called back into the room to pee in a cup. Fitting into the restroom with my kids was a bit of a gymnastics event, but we were successful. I was then brought into the ultrasound room and told to undress from the bottom down so I could have a vaginal sonogram.<br /><br />Let me tell you what, there's nothing like meeting a woman for the first time to have her put a lubed-up condom on a hard, plastic phallic shaped object into your vagina while your kid's watch.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >she didn't even buy me dinner first</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1275/4666314197_af98377e70.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 408px; height: 304px;" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1275/4666314197_af98377e70.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I wish I could say the ultrasound was more exciting than it actually was. Truth be told, it was pretty anti-climatic. I'm not very far along, so there was no baby. No heartbeat. Just a cute little yolk sac where a baby will form given more time. It made me more scared than anything else. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Should</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > I be able to see a baby? What if there's no baby because I lost it, so it's not growing? </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >what if, what if, what if</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >. I felt they perpetuated unnecessary fear into my heart. Their response? They scheduled me for another ultrasound in 2 weeks. I couldn't say no. How could I? I want to make sure that my baby is okay and I can only make sure my baby is okay if I can see and hear a heartbeat. I'll be around 7 weeks when I go in again, so I should see something then. </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Right?!?!?!</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br /><br />After the ultrasound, I was punished and sent back to the waiting room again. I got to talking to a woman due in August, who was sweating up a storm because it was hotter than Hell. She was nice, but I was thankful when they called me back again because my son was sobbing hysterically because I told him "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >no</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" and I felt like, you know, the worst-mom-</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >ever</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >.<br /><br />The nurse was there first and weighed me. I'm a naturally small person, and the scaled showed me that I gained 2 pounds. She assumed, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >So - you haven't gained</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > any weight yet?</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" I didn't know if that was an insult, but it felt like one. She took me back in the room and gave me a giant bag of stuff, including an Enfamil coupon (</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >score!</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >). She asked my LMP and I told her there's no way for me to estimate, but I knew my conception date. She didn't write it down. She told me to get naked (</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >what <span style="font-weight: bold;">is </span>it with these people?</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >) and that the doctor would be in to see me in a moment.<br /><br />At least the gown was comfortable. My doctor and nurse came in and shook my hand. He asked my kids' names and their ages. Asked me about their birth. He then began his exam and when I mentioned I wanted a natural birth, he began the breast exam. As he felt for lumps, he said, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >so you like the natural stuff, huh?</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" No, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >yeah, we're okay with that</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" just a simple acknowledgment that he heard what I said. He wouldn't even lie to me and tell me that he loved natural birth. He did say, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >with the third, it will be easier</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >." K. He asked me about breastfeeding, and I said I bottle-fed my first and breastfed my second. He said, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >So you tried everything out. That's good. You know your options</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >." I didn't tell him that I was </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >still</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > breastfeeding. It felt weird. He then begin the pelvic exam and I told him that I hated this part. He told me, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >yeah, you're not suppose to like it!</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" He was quick, and when he did my cervical exam - it didn't hurt. After he was done, he spoke with my children. All in all, he was pretty nice </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">for an OB</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >.<br /><br />I called the midwives from <a href="http://beyondconceptionmidwifery.com/">Beyond Conception Midwifery</a> as soon as I got home. I had been a doula at a birth that they attended, and I loved their attitude throughout the entire event. When I spoke with Nedra, one of the midwives, on the phone - I felt like I was talking to an old friend. Which, in a way, I was - because she remembered me from the birth we were both at! She asked me to come in the next day and she insisted I bring my children with.<br /><br />The kids and I found their office and I couldn't believe how </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >beautiful</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > it was. It was surrounded by waterfalls. No, seriously. </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Waterfalls</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >. When I walked in, I immediately saw a ton of wooden toys for the kids to play with. Mary, the other midwife, greeted me right away and gave me a photo album to look at while I waited. It was full of pictures from the 80s - and it was really neat to see that she's been in practice for so long. After waiting about 5 minutes, Nedra called me back into another room - where they had even </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >more</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > toys to keep my kids entertained.<br /><br />Nedra inquired about my due date. She asked if I knew when I conceived and I said yes, and she said, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Right now, we'll use that. We trust moms when they say they <span style="font-weight: bold;">know</span></span>." She initially asked if I didn't know because I was still breastfeeding? First and foremost, I love the fact that someone assumed I was nursing my 19-month-old. I explained my situation more, but also mentioned, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Yeah, I'm still nursing</span>." Her response? "<span style="font-style: italic;">Awesome!</span>"<br /><br />She asked me if I had any questions - and I told her I didn't have questions, but that I had requests. She listened with sympathy and concern when I told her the perils of my past birth experiences. She even watched my son when my daughter interrupted me mid-conversation and asked to use the potty. When we returned and I said, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >My mother wants to catch the baby</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" Nedra said, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >Right on. Is that what you want?</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" I explained how my biggest concern was not that my birth went as planned from point A to point B - but that I had a say in what happened. That I was treated like a person, not a patient. Mary came in at this point and told me, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >this is your birth experience. We're simply there if you need a guiding hand. We don't pull or push</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >." I couldn't believe how intently they listened to me. As Nedra and I discussed other concerns that I had, Mary showed Hayden how to listen to her brother's heartbeat with a stethoscope. They did not do a single exam. I told them I had just come from the OB's office and they said, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >I'm sure you've been poked and prodded enough</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >." They knew that I had 2 kids with me, so they sent me home with paperwork that I could bring back at my next visit. Mary, Nedra, and their assistant - Amy, all hugged me goodbye. Mary blew up 2 balloons for the kids when we left, and even told Hayden that "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >pink is an excellent color for boys!</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" when she insisted Vincent get a rosy-colored one.<br /><br />I got home and opened up their packet, excited to fill it out. The paperwork was</span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >...</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > different. It went over medical history, of course. They want to make sure that I am a good candidate for home delivery. However, it also asked me how I felt. How my husband felt. What about my family? They asked me what I wanted of </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >them</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >, as midwives? Just filling out the paperwork made me feel like I was in control. What really stood out to me is when Nedra asked me, "</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Is that what YOU want?</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >" She asked my permission to let my mother catch the baby. She </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >asked my permission</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >.<br /><br />I want them at my birth. I </span><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">need</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" > them at my birth. My husband is going to be deployed around my due date, and I know that any extra support is a good thing.<br /><br />And I am so happy that I found it with these women.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:130%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4667024016_5e45450860.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 373px; height: 480px;" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4667024016_5e45450860.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Rest easy, little baby bump. You're in good hands<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:130%;">*** my lovely friend and soon-to-be doula client, Sarah, posted a lovely comparison of OBs and Midwives over at her blog. You can read the post <a href="http://mommybush.blogspot.com/2010/06/ob-care-vs-midwife-care.html">HERE</a><br /><br />and my doula client (who had a beautiful homebirth attended by Mary and Nedra) wrote about her first meeting with them at her blog, found <a href="http://birthfaith.blogspot.com/2008/12/meet-my-midwives.html">HERE</a> ***<br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-91029888843550530842010-06-02T11:40:00.000-07:002010-06-03T12:22:50.715-07:00Birth Faith Guest Post<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 153);">My friend (and the first woman whom I ever officially doula-ed for) has a fantastic blog over at <a href="http://birthfaith.blogspot.com/">Birth Faith</a>. I asked her to write a guest spot for me about her first birth and the wonderful woman who made all the difference.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">When I gave birth for the first time, I didn’t know what a do</span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >ula was, but I later realized that the care and support of a “doula” is what actually carried me through that unknown territory of my first birth.<br /><br />Her name was Eve. She was the labor and delivery nurse assigned to me when I entered the hospital for my oldest daughter’s birth. She was gentle, unassuming, and kind. When I told her that I was hoping to “go natura</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >l,” she mentioned that she could offer positions to try and techniques to cope with the pain of labor. She said she had given birth without drugs before, and knowing she was supportive and experienced gave me courage.<br /><br />As labor progressed, Eve showed my husband how to provide counter-pressure to ease the discomfort of contractions. She pulled out the rarely-used, water-proof telemetry monitor so my husband could spray my back with hot water in the shower. When I got out of the shower, she brought in a birt</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >h ball and helped me to sit and rock on it. Later, she coached me to keep my vocalizing low, deep, and relaxed instead of high-pitched and tense. When I doubted myself and contemplated drugs as I struggled through the hardest contractions, she said, “Why don’t we check you first—you might be almost fully dilated.” Sure enough, I was only a couple of centimeters from the end. She told me that, in her experience, it felt good once you could push (and she was right). S</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >he rubbed my feet and sat by my side through those last intense contractions, encouraging me with her reassuring words. Although her shift ended before the pushing started, she chose to stay with me until after the birth. Ultimately, I did it! Giving birth for the first time without complications or drugs was one of the most empowering experiences of my life.</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" ><br />At the time I didn’t realize it was rare to find such a supportive, encouraging labor and delivery nurse. But, after my daughter was born, all I could do was mumble over and over to Eve, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” I knew (and still know) that if it hadn’t been for Eve’s patience and support I absolutely <i>would not</i> have had such a wonderful, satisfying birth. Eve was a hospital nurse, not necessarily a trained “doula,” but she filled the doula role in my case. Based on my personal experience, I can attest that every laboring woman ought to have a doula’s aid.<br /><br />Few women are lucky enough to have a supportive a</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >nd attentive labor and delivery nurse like Eve. Birth has been given a bad rap over the years largely because women <span style="font-style: italic;">haven’t</span> had the support they need to navigate labor’s journey with confidence, and society has, for the most part, lost faith in women’s bodies and the beautifully orchestrated process of birth. Birth can be a beautiful, satisfying, empowering experience—it has been for me <i>every time</i>. It could be that way for all women, and doulas are taking huge strid</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:130%;" >es toward making that happen.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:130%;">Feel free to check out the Birth Faith blog. It's full of oodles of information for pregnant women and mothers.</span><br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://birthfaith.blogspot.com/"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 255px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIPd0XuFfnJX7Jg5Bw1eD2lA33uZQPjalRqoAT5_9BW84Jc_93Rwl6a3UMIzehAIv-3i6v31u1DwFdChrWCi__NiL11NTRhxy8iEHHHwHpJq0FPBeBMZmuwfZ6bouJWXjsQGGTlrAlBcUn/s200/Screenshot_7.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478620431084732562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-50754297290033480702009-04-01T12:01:00.000-07:002010-06-03T12:09:34.962-07:00L's birth story - the homebirth that made me a doula<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >L called me at 4pm to tell me that her water had broken 15 minutes earlier. I had been anticipating attending my first birth for certification and was surprised at how calm I felt when she called. She told me she wasn't having any contractions yet, but her first two labours happened really quickly - so I decided to leave my house fairly soon. I made a fast stop at the gas station to pick up some crackers and water and then made my way towards L's house.<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I arrived shortly after 6pm and was greeted by L and her husband. She introduced me to her sister-in-law, who would also be witnessing the birth (and who was 32 weeks pregnant herself!) L still wasn't having contractions and was actually in the middle of making dinner. She had told me many times that she felt as if she'd give birth at night and the sun was still up in the air. We also joked that hopefully the baby was going to let her eat dinner first. I asked her if she wanted to take a walk to get things moving, but she was concerned about leaking amniotic fluid. I then suggested she sit down and save her strength, but she said she felt like moving. She seemed very restless. </span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><img alt="" src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_6988.jpg" width="333" border="4" height="500" /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >L (on the right) with her sister-in-law<br /></span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7002CR2.jpg" alt="" width="300" align="left" border="4" height="200" /></span>As we all sat down to eat, L's contractions began to start coming more regularly. Her sister-in-law began to time them, and they were about every 10 minutes apart. L was still able to talk through them, but she said their intensity was increasing. We all went upstairs at that point to ready L's bedroom for the birth. We laid down shower curtains over her bed and we put plastic sheets down on the floor. I helped put some extra air in her birth pool and L changed into more comfortable attire. She was still joking around, saying she put on a skirt for “easy access!”<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"> </div> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7000CR2.jpg" alt="" width="166" align="right" border="4" height="250" /></span>Around 8.30pm, L's contractions were about 5 minutes apart. When she sat on the toilet, she said she felt a lot of pressure but seemed anxious about how quickly things were picking up. I suggested she sit on the birth ball, but she said she didn't want things to move <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>too</em></span> fast. She was holding back because her husband was still putting their daughters to bed and the midwives weren't there yet. I asked her if she wanted to go on her hands and knees because her midwife had suggested it to turn a posterior baby, but she didn't stay in the position too long. She said her body was telling her to walk, so that is what she did. Around 9pm, her husband came into the room and L called the midwives who were a block away. She asked me how dilated I thought she'd be, and I guessed 5cm and that labour would move very quickly once her midwives were here.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7018.jpg" alt="" width="252" border="4" height="500" /></span><br />One of the midwives checks the baby's heart rate<br /><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7012CR2.jpg" alt="" width="188" align="left" border="4" height="300" /></span>The midwives arrived very shortly after that and set up all of their things. L was still smiling and laughing and able to ease through her contractions. She was doing wonderfully and I mentioned many times how she was a "pro." When the midwives checked her, she was at 5cm. I was right! After some paperwork, the midwives went downstairs and L's labour picked up. She had to stop moving during her contractions and would embrace her husband in the slow dancing position. During this time, she said she felt like she had to eat and asked for some of the peanut butter cookies I had brought. I also recommended some fluids. </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7014CR2.jpg" alt="" width="150" align="right" border="4" height="225" /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">She drank some Gatorade, but she wasn't too interested in eating. She went to use the bathroom again and labour really seemed to intensify after she returned. She was moaning quietly and really focusing on her husband during her rushes. I admit, I felt a little bit like a bother at first. I was concerned about annoying her. I remember asking her questions, but she just wanted to walk and be with her husband. It seemed like such an intimate experience, so I sat on the bed and remained as a bystander. I didn't want to interrupt the connection she was sharing with her husband and I figured I'd know when she really needed me to be by her side as well.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">During this time, the pool was filled up per L's request. The midwife came up to check</span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7020.jpg" alt="" width="200" align="left" border="4" height="300" /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"> her again and said she was still 5cm but a little more effaced.</span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"> I asked her if she felt discouraged because she had said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I'm still 5cm?</em></span>" She said not really, which I thought was great. She was keeping a positive attitude. The midwives didn't want L in the pool just yet but suggested she lay on her left side for a few contractions. She got in bed with her husband in front of her and I came up behind her to apply counter-pressure to her back. I've never had a work-out quite like it! I thought I was pushing so hard I'd hurt her, but after one of the contractions she said it felt good - but asked me not to ease up any. I mentioned how I had amniotic fluid all over my legs and L seemed apologetic. I told her I brought a change of clothes and the last thing she needed to worry about was me! L was still in a pretty good mood, relaxing in between rushes. Her moaning was getting progressively louder though and after about 3 contractions, the midwives' assistant came up and said L could get in the pool.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">She wanted to use the restroom first and her husband went with her. I could hear her moaning and groaning and I had a feeling things were going to change very quickly. L removed most of her clothing and soon got in the tub. I took off my socks and rolled up my pants and L's husband asked if I was going to get in the pool. I shrugged and said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>You never know</em></span>."<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7026CR2.jpg" alt="" width="200" align="right" border="4" height="177" /></span> I figured I might as well and be prepared. I didn't need it though. L did <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em><strong>fabulous</strong></em></span>. She was in a zone and wasn't really able to answer any questions, so I did my best to just try and guess what she needed. She was sitting on her legs in the pool, leaning forward to face her husband. I tried to pour water over her back in-between contractions and I applied counter-pressure to her lower back during rushes. Her pain was more immense now, so I knew she wouldn't be able to tell me if what I was doing was helpful or not. In early labour, she seemed to appreciate the pressure on her lower back, so I decided to stick with that. I remember looking up a few times to see her husband (who was directly in front of me, across the pool) and we'd smile at each other. Though we didn't speak, I know we were both basking in how amazing L was doing.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">The midwives came in a few times and I had to adjust my position to let them monitor the baby's heart tone. I was appreciative how non-invasive they were. I knew to respect their presence, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much they respected mine! L was extremely focused on her labour now and not able to speak very much. She made a lot of moans and groans. I </span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7030CR2.jpg" alt="" width="350" align="left" border="4" height="233" /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">had been really good at taking pictures up to that point, but I knew I couldn't leave her. I asked her sister-in-law if she wouldn't mind snapping a few, and she said sure. L's sister-in-law was a wonderful help. The midwives soon came to check L again, and asked her to go onto her back. L didn't seem thrilled with this, but she moved. The midwives said she was 8cm. I tried to get L to sip some Gatorade, but she still wasn't too interested in drinking. The midwives tried to move L back into the position she was in before, but she was in the middle of a contraction and resisted being moved. I went to the other side of the birth pool so I could be at L's side. I went to apply pressure at her hip, and I was surprised when she grabbed my hand. I tried my best to put some force against her side with one hand while holding her hand with my other. I was surprised at how easily I could tell she was in transition. She was quivering and trembling and made a few moans that sounded like cries. I mouthed to one of the midwives, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>Transition?</em></span>" and she nodded. I tried to rub L's hand to relax it because I knew her contractions would feel (slightly) better if she were completely relaxed. I remembering make "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>shhhh</em></span>" noises. Not to shush her, but I caught myself trying to mimic ocean waves. I turned to a few people to mention how great she was doing.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7031CR2.jpg" alt="" width="500" border="4" height="312" /></span><br />Transition<br /><br /></span></div> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">The midwives had asked L earlier if she was more concerned about her perineum being intact or giving birth in the water. Since she had two previous tears and the baby's heart rate was dropping, the midwives (hearing her noises) told her she needed to get into the bed. I thought L was going to sprint from the pool! After her contraction was over, she jumped out of the water and a few of us tried to dry her off with towels as she ripped off her top and went to lay down on the bed (later she told us she just didn't want to have another contraction before she got to her bed). Her husband was on her left side and no one was on her right. During her entire labour, L was doing so great I caught myself wondering what my place was. I can't describe my feelings exactly, but I knew I <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><u><strong>had</strong></u></span> to be next to her. I went and sat at her other side and was surprised to see how intensely she focused on me. I used one hand to brush her hair back and L gripped my other arm. I didn't realize it until I got home later, but I had scratch marks! I didn't (and still don't) mind, though.</span> </span></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7034.jpg" alt="" width="300" align="right" border="4" height="200" /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">The midwives were concerned about the baby and their assistant handed me an oxygen tube and told me to cup it over L's nose. She did not like this, but I did my best to make her comfortable while still following the midwives' instructions. L was extremely instinctual at this time and I was surprised when the midwife proclaimed loudly, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I need you to pay attention to me now!</em></span>" They were trying their best to keep her perineum intact while delivering the baby quickly. The midwife told L to push, and she said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>I <strong>am</strong> pushing!</em></span>" They then suggested that she grunt a little bit. L screamed as the baby crowned, but after the head was out - everything was pretty quiet. The midwives moved the cord out from under the baby's neck and I remember telling L that he was almost here. That her baby had a full head of hair! I told her, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>You did it!</em></span>" I'm not sure if she heard me or not, but I told her how amazing she was. Then, with about 2 more big pushes, her son was placed on her stomach.</span> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7037.jpg" alt="" width="500" border="4" height="333" /></span><br />Baby is here!<br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7053CR2.jpg" alt="" width="300" align="left" border="4" height="200" /></span>I actually moved out of the way fairly quickly after that to allow the midwives more space to check out mom and baby. I also wanted to let her and her husband enjoy their son as much as possible. I heard L ask, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>Is he okay? Is he okay?</em></span>" He wasn't crying yet and I am sure the urgency of her delivery made her a little concerned. Her midwife assured her the baby was fine, and then he let out a nice big cry. The happiness in the room was palpable and I noted "What a perfect song to be born to," as I heard the stereo. It was the song, "Calling All Angels."<br /><br />L and her husband were so engrosssed in their son, it was amazing to watch. The midwives joked at what a long cord the baby had and how, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>he was probably jump-roping in there!</em></span>" I gathered my camera back from L's sister-in-law (who was such a great help!) and snapped a few shots. The baby looked great and nursed soon after that. L had breastfed 2 babies before him, so I tried to stay out of the way. I asked her if she needed any help, but she said she was fine. The baby latched soon after that. After mom and baby were acquainted, the midwife took the little guy and weighed and measured him. I helped clean up during this time and the other midwife asked me if I had any questions. They were so nice to me. She filled out my doula form and gave me top marks! </span> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7075CR2.jpg" alt="" width="478" border="4" height="500" /></span><br />Hanging with his mama while she pushes out her placenta<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7090CR2.jpg" alt="" width="500" border="4" height="333" /></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7093CR2.jpg" alt="" width="214" border="4" height="500" /></span><br />Being measured<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7113.jpg" alt="" width="500" border="4" height="333" /></span><br />Look at all that hair!<br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7121.jpg" alt="" width="200" align="right" border="4" height="133" /></span>I hung around for a little while after that, gathering things and taking a few more photos. After L and her husband seemed a little more settled, I decided to leave. Her sister-in-law was still there and so were the midwives. I felt she was in great hands. I told her I was going and told her to call me if she needed anything. I remember her telling me, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>Thank you for the counter-pressure!"</em></span> which made me smile in a silly way. I told her, once again, that she did fabulous and I got my things packed up. As I was going out the door, I heard the midwives say, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>Where did she go? Oh! There she is!</em></span>" They gave me their card and told me to call so they could match me up with clients of theirs.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7114.jpg" alt="" width="500" border="4" height="286" /></span><br />All the birth support. The two midwives on the left, L's husband, and then me on<br />the right (I'm the one with the doula shirt, duh! - actually, when L's 3-year-old<br />daughter greeted me, she said, "<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><em>Your mommy's doula!</em></span>")<br /><br /></span></div> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms,sans-serif;">As I walked back to my car, I couldn't believe how proud I felt. Not of myself, but of L. She really did act like a pro. They say that women who watch another woman birth will often produce similar love hormones as the labouring mother. I felt elated. I can't even begin to express my gratitude towards L. I feel so honoured that she allowed me to take part in her birth.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);font-size:100%;" ><span><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_7046.jpg" alt="" width="500" border="4" height="333" /></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><strong><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><br />Baby T<br />April 1st, 2009<br />7lbs 8oz</span></strong></span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><img src="http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq232/apcassie9/2009%2003%20march/IMG_8293.jpg" alt="" width="375" border="4" height="500" /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">You can read L's version of her birth story <a href="http://birthfaith.blogspot.com/2009/04/my-first-home-birth.html">HERE</a><br /><br />and she made a slideshow of the photos I gave her <a href="http://birthfaith.blogspot.com/2009/04/slideshow-finally.html">HERE</a><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><br /></span></div><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><br /></span></span>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-50868558344017515662008-01-02T09:11:00.000-08:002011-01-15T09:45:19.830-08:00The 2010 Twitter Babies Birth Story List<u><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Hospital Births</span></span></u><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Medicated</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://littlebgcg.blogspot.com/2010/02/birth-story.html">LittleBGCG</a> </span></span></span></span><a href="http://littlebgcg.blogspot.com/2010/02/birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Mason, on January 30th (just one day after her birthday) at 7.56am. He was born vaginally after a "delivery that took forever." He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21.5 inches long</span></span></span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://countrybaby.wordpress.com/joshuas-birth-story/">FarmDaughter</a></span></span><a href="http://countrybaby.wordpress.com/joshuas-birth-story/"> </a><a href="http://countrybaby.wordpress.com/joshuas-birth-story/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her 1st child, a son named Joshua, on March 12th at 4.01pm. She had him in the hospital, vaginally, after almost 2 days of labor. Joshua weighed 9lbs 8oz and was 22 1/4 inches long</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://laybabylay.blogspot.com/2010/08/harpers-birth-story.html">mamakaka82</a> </span><a href="http://laybabylay.blogspot.com/2010/08/harpers-birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her 1st son (2nd child), Harper, on May 5th, 2010. He was 9 days late and weighed 9lbs 6oz and was 21.5 inches long</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=A235662&entry=20557&mode=chapter&chapter=D">maysae</a> </span><a href="http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=A235662&entry=20557&mode=chapter&chapter=D"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her daughter, Guinevere Noreen, on June 19th at 2.23am after 2 days of labor. She was 5lbs 15oz and 19 inches long</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.doubledutymommy.com/2010/07/happy-birthday-kendall-rose-mercurio.html">mommaJWoww19</a> </span><a href="http://www.doubledutymommy.com/2010/07/happy-birthday-kendall-rose-mercurio.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her 2nd daughter, Kendall Rose, on July 18th at 1:12pm. She was 3 weeks early and born after 18.5 hours of labor. Kendall weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 20 inches long</span></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://rjandjessie.blogspot.com/2010/11/braydens-birth-story.html">jessiecarvalho</a> </span><a href="http://rjandjessie.blogspot.com/2010/11/braydens-birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Brayden Joseph,</span></a></span><a href="http://rjandjessie.blogspot.com/2010/11/braydens-birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> on August 21st</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> at 5.30pm. He was 8lbs 12oz and was 22inches long </span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Natural<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://bettersdaysahead.blogspot.com/2010/02/lillyanna-kates-birth-story.html">beanersmama</a> </span></span><a href="http://bettersdaysahead.blogspot.com/2010/02/lillyanna-kates-birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her 1st daughter (and 2nd child), Lillyanna Kate, on January 26th at 2.22pm. She had a natural hospital birth and Lilly was 6lbs 10oz and 19.5 inches long</span></a></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://mamabmy.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-birth-story.html">mamabmy</a><a href="http://mamabmy.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-birth-story.html"> </a></span></span></span></span><a href="http://mamabmy.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Lucas Joshua, on February 9th. She had a natural birth in a hospital. Lucas was 8lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches long</span></span></span></a><br /><a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/08/27/annelieses-birth-story/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">JoyfulAbode </span></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"><a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/08/27/annelieses-birth-story/">gave birth to her 1st child, a daughter, Anneliese Claire</a> on July 27th at 5.56pm. She was</span> <a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/07/24/42-weeks-continued-prodromal-labor-induction-questions/">over 42 weeks pregnant </a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">and had a <a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/08/27/annelieses-birth-story/">natural birth in a hospital. Anneliese was 8lbs 15oz and 20.5 inches long</a></span><a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/08/27/annelieses-birth-story/"><br /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://astrogirl529.blogspot.com/2010/09/heath-ronan.html">astrogirl529</a> </span></span><a href="http://astrogirl529.blogspot.com/2010/09/heath-ronan.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Heath Ronan, on August 27th at </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">10.53am</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">. She had a 2 h</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">our, drug-free labor! Heath weighed 7lbs 4oz and was 20 inches long</span></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.mamanotes.com/2010/11/birth-story-of-joshua.html">MamaNotes</a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.mamanotes.com/2010/11/birth-story-of-joshua.html"><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Joshua, on October 27th at 10.45am. She had a natural birth in the hospital. He weighed 8lbs 9oz and was 19 inches long</span></span></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2010/12/caspians-birth-story.html">forks_n_spoons</a> </span><a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2010/12/caspians-birth-story.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her 3rd child, a son named Caspian Manuel Antonio, on December 20th at 8.20pm. She had an epidural-free, hospital birth. Caspian weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 20.5 inches long</span></a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />VBACs (Vaginal Births After Cesareans)<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.drpoppy.com/wordpress/?p=116">drpoppyBHRT</a> </span><a href="http://www.drpoppy.com/wordpress/?p=116"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her 5th son on March 12th(?) at 5.13am via an unexpected VBAC. He weighed 7lbs 11oz </span></a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Cesareans<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/2010/08/evelyn-june.html">tiacolleen</a> </span></span><a href="http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/2010/08/evelyn-june.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her 3rd child (and 2nd daughter), Evelyn June, on August 9th at 12.39pm (via her 3rd cesarean). She weighed 6lbs 3oz and was 19 inches long</span></a></span></span><br /><a href="http://marfmom.com/archives/2836"><b>MarfMom</b></a> <a href="http://marfmom.com/archives/2836"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span">gave birth to her 2nd son on December 4th at 12.14pm via Cesarean section. He was 6lbs 15oz, 20 1/4 inches long, and had long, curly brown hair</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Birth Center<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://shesmommafied.com/2010/08/birth-story/">LyssLovingLyla</a> </span><a href="http://shesmommafied.com/2010/08/birth-story/"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her daughter, Lyla Mackenzie, on May 26th, 2010 at 4.07pm. She had natural birth in a hospital birth center, attended by a CNM and a doula. Lyla was 7lbs 6oz and 20.5 inches long</span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><u><span style="font-size:180%;">Homebirths</span></u><br /><br />Midwife-Attended<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/wordless-wednesday-happy-birthday-everett/">KimRosas</a> </span><a href="http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/everetts-homebirth-story/"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave birth to her son, Everett, at home, on October 20th at 6.45am - after less than 5 hours of labor (and at over 41 weeks pregnant!) He weighed 8lbs 8oz and was 20.5 inches long</span></a><br /><b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/iloveoxytocin">iloveoxytocin </a></b><a href="http://mommybush.blogspot.com/2010/12/part-one-birth-of-lucille-scarlett.html"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);" class="Apple-style-span">gave birth to her 2nd daughter, Lucille Scarlett, at home on November 25th (Thanksgiving Day!) at 1.27pm. She weighed 7lbs 13oz and was 20 inches long</span></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.mightymarce.com/2010/12/quinns-birth-story.html">MightyMarce</a> </span><a href="http://www.mightymarce.com/2010/12/quinns-birth-story.html">gave birth to her 2nd son, Quinn, on December 9th. She had a very quick and intense labor. Quinn was 8lbs 6oz, 21.5 inches long, and had a 15 inch head!</a></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />HBACs (Homebirths After Cesareans)<br /></span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://thecoveredwagon.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/naomi-noas-birth-story-my-healing-hbac/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">smola04</span></a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> <a href="http://thecoveredwagon.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/naomi-noas-birth-story-my-healing-hbac/"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth her her daughter, Naomi Noa, on April 25th at 9.34pm. She had an HBAC (homebirth after Cesarean) that included 3.5 hours of pushing! Naomi weighed 7lbs 4oz</span></a></span></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Unassisted Homebirths<br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a href="http://judgmentalhippy.blogspot.com/2010/03/unassisted-birth-of-maisie-elise.html">judgmntlhippy</a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);"> </span></span></span></span></span><a href="http://judgmentalhippy.blogspot.com/2010/03/unassisted-birth-of-maisie-elise.html"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);">gave birth to her daughter, Maisie Elise, on January 25th, around 4.35am. She was born via an unassisted homebirth, weighed 9lbs 2oz and was 22 inches long</span></span></span></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://itsallaboutthehat.blogspot.com/2010/07/isaacs-birth.html">TopHat8855</a> </span><a href="http://itsallaboutthehat.blogspot.com/2010/07/isaacs-birth.html"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">gave bir</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">th to her son, Isaac, on July 17th at 7.25am. This was her 2nd unassisted birth. Isaac weighed 9lbs 5oz and was 21 inches long</span></a>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1812303972582542466.post-16540044890919676652008-01-01T19:53:00.000-08:002011-01-14T22:52:02.026-08:00The "Everyone on Twitter is Having Babies" List 2010<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">BIRTHS</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="font-size:180%;"><u>2010</u></span></span><span style="font-size:0;"><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">JANUARY<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/1xMum">1xMum</a> </span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Matilda Elizabeth (aka Tilly), on January 7th - at 34 weeks pregnant. She had a heavily managed, vaginal birth after an induction (due to heart problems) that only took 6 hours. Tilly weighed 6lbs 1oz and was 20 inches long</span><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://judgmentalhippy.blogspot.com/2010/03/unassisted-birth-of-maisie-elise.html">judgmntlhippy</a><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)"> </span></span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Maisie Elise, on January 25th, around 4.35am. She was born via an unassisted homebirth, weighed 9lbs 2oz and was 22 inches long<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://bettersdaysahead.blogspot.com/2010/02/lillyanna-kates-birth-story.html">beanersmama</a> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her 1st daughter (and 2nd child), Lillyanna Kate, on January 26th at 2.22pm. She had a natural hospital birth and Lilly was 6lbs 10oz and 19.5 inches long</span><br /></span></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://twitter.com/erdmami">erdmami</a> </span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Benjamin, on February 26th at 1.30am (via a C-section). He was 7lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches long</span><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://littlebgcg.blogspot.com/2010/02/birth-story.html">LittleBGCG</a> </span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Mason, on January 30th (just one day after her birthday) at 7.56am. He was born vaginally after a "delivery that took forever." He weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 21.5 inches long</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">FEBRUARY<br /><a href="http://mamabmy.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-birth-story.html">mamabmy</a> </span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Lucas Joshua, on February 9th. She had a natural birth in a hospital. Lucas was 8lbs 1oz and 20.5 inches long</span><br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)">(TWITTER'S BIGGEST BABY - 10lbs 4oz) </span></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://twitter.com/SintahValentine">SintahValentine</a> </span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Sebastian, on February 14th - Valentine's Day! He weighed 10lbs 4oz and was 22.5 inches long</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">MARCH</span><br /></span><a href="http://countrybaby.wordpress.com/joshuas-birth-story/">FarmDaughter</a></span></span><a href="http://countrybaby.wordpress.com/joshuas-birth-story/"> </a><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 1st child, a son named Joshua, on March 12th at 4.01pm. She had him in the hospital, vaginally, after almost 2 days of labor. Joshua weighed 9lbs 8oz and was 22 1/4 inches long<br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.drpoppy.com/wordpress/?p=116">drpoppyBHRT</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 5th son on March 12th(?) at 5.13am via an unexpected VBAC. He weighed 7lbs 11oz </span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://twitter.com/anonyMOMous">anonyMOMous</a> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">had her daughter, Adalyn, on March 17th. She had a natural birth in a hospital attended by a midwife and a doula. Adalyn weighed 6lbs 7oz and was 20 inches long</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">APRIL<br /></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/sarahbeecreations">SBeeCreations</a> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 2nd child, her first b</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">oy, Matteo, on April 18th at 11.23pm. She had an unmedicated, vaginal birth in a hospital. Matteo was 7lbs 7oz and 20 inches long<br /><a style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)" href="http://thecoveredwagon.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/naomi-noas-birth-story-my-healing-hbac/"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">smola04</span></a><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"> <span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth her her daughter, Naomi Noa, on April 25th at 9.34pm. She had an HBAC (homebirth after Cesarean) that included 3.5 hours of pushing! Naomi weighed 7lbs 4oz</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">MAY<br /><a href="http://laybabylay.blogspot.com/2010/08/harpers-birth-story.html">mamakaka82</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 1st son (2nd child), Harper, on May 5th, 2010. He was 9 days late and weighed 9lbs 6oz and was 21.5 inches long</span><br /><a href="http://shesmommafied.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/birth-2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 87px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 58px; CURSOR: pointer" border="0" alt="" src="http://shesmommafied.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/birth-2.jpg" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://shesmommafied.com/2010/08/birth-story/">LyssLovingLyla</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Lyla Mackenzie, on May 26th, 2010 at 4.07pm. She had natural birth in a hospital birth center, attended by a CNM and a doula. Lyla was 7lbs 6oz and 20.5 inches long</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br />JUNE<br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><a href="http://c0013469.cdn1.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/x2_280b8aa"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 78px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 78px; CURSOR: pointer" border="0" alt="" src="http://c0013469.cdn1.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/x2_280b8aa" /></a></div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://twitter.com/addierama">addierama</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 4th son (via her 4th c-section) on June 9th, at 10.31am. He was 6lbs 8oz and 20 inches long</span><br /><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><br /></span></span></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://www.windwardskies.com/">windwardskies</a> </span></span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 3rd son, Oliver, on June 14th (17 days early!) at 6.08am. She had a home waterbirth that was only 5 hours long. Oliver weighed 8lbs 12oz and was 21 3/4 inches long<br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LxDVz6n8I7rat_8xcQUnbmwrpBI-JkmjK9-IS-DBC7EHzFD9vg56tLFDYxcAIc4pkLG68W9FjR_LrwtlKOVWcHfId7k82BzDiaXkXF-yKJ0XH2YsPM5WQuXonV24TRlPgEbwxR3iwtg1/s1600/fionn.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 58px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 88px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5525819297429224514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5LxDVz6n8I7rat_8xcQUnbmwrpBI-JkmjK9-IS-DBC7EHzFD9vg56tLFDYxcAIc4pkLG68W9FjR_LrwtlKOVWcHfId7k82BzDiaXkXF-yKJ0XH2YsPM5WQuXonV24TRlPgEbwxR3iwtg1/s200/fionn.jpg" /></a><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/vintageDOULA">vintageDOULA</a> </span>gave birth to her son, Fionn, in an amazing waterbirth in her living room. He was 6lbs 12oz and 19 inches long </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(255,0,0)"><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.opendiary.com/entryview.asp?authorcode=A235662&entry=20557&mode=chapter&chapter=D">maysae</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Guinevere Noreen, on June 19th at 2.23am after 2 days of labor. She was 5lbs 15oz and 19 inches long</span></div></div><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br />JULY<br /><a href="http://itsallaboutthehat.blogspot.com/2010/07/isaacs-birth.html">TopHat8855</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave bir</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">th to her son, Isaac, on July 17th at 7.25am. This was her 2nd unassisted birth. Isaac weighed 9lbs 5oz and was 21 inches long</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.doubledutymommy.com/2010/07/happy-birthday-kendall-rose-mercurio.html">mommaJWoww19</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her 2nd daughter, Kendall Rose, on July 18th at 1:12pm. She was 3 weeks early and born after 18.5 hours of labor. Kendall weighed 8lbs 1oz and was 20 inches long</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lakeline/4825110775#">lakeline</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Lily, on July 20th - naturally (using Hypnobabies). Lily was 10lbs even and 20 inches long</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://domesticateddelight.blogspot.com/">Johnna_Mama</a><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Cayden, on July 24th at 12.47pm. He was 7lbs even, 19 inches long and was born vaginally in a hospital</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/08/05/welcome-anneliese-claire/">JoyfulAbode</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her 1st child, a daughter, Anneliese Claire on July 27th at 5.56pm. She was</span> <a href="http://www.joyfulabode.com/2010/07/24/42-weeks-continued-prodromal-labor-induction-questions/">over 42 weeks pregnant </a><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">and had a natural birth in a hospital. Anneliese was 8lbs 15oz and 20.5 inches long</span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">AUGUST<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://longing4more.blogspot.com/2010/08/tyrion-caelith.html">h</a></span></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://longing4more.blogspot.com/2010/08/tyrion-caelith.html">eartsandhandss</a><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"> </span></span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son Tyrion Caelith, on August 5th. He was born a</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">t</span> </span>13 weeks and 5 days gestation. She has shown amazing strengt</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">h</span> </span><a style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)" href="http://longing4more.blogspot.com/2010/08/breastmilk.html">by pumping and donating breastmilk</a><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">since the loss of her son<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a style="COLOR: rgb(51,102,255)" href="http://twitter.com/llamacroft"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)">llamacroft</span></a> </span>gave birth to her son, Alfred Clement, on August 9th at 7.02am. She had a natural hypnobirth in the water. Alfred weighed 8lbs 11oz<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://christopherandtia.blogspot.com/2010/08/evelyn-june.html">tiacolleen</a> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her 3rd child (and 2nd daughter), Evelyn June, on August 9th at 12.39pm (via her 3rd cesarean). She weighed 6lbs 3oz and was 19 inches long</span><br /></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://rjandjessie.blogspot.com/2010/11/braydens-birth-story.html">jessiecarvalho</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Brayden Joseph,</span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"> on August 21st</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)"> at 5.30pm. He was 8lbs 12oz and was 22inches long </span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4944012432_a1ecf21bc4.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 98px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 65px; CURSOR: pointer" border="0" alt="" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4093/4944012432_a1ecf21bc4.jpg" /></a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://astrogirl529.blogspot.com/2010/09/heath-ronan.html">astrogirl529</a> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Heath Ronan, on August 27th at </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">10.53am</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">. She had a 2 h</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">our, drug-free labor! Heath weighed 7lbs 4oz and was 20 inches long</span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">SEPTEMBER<br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><a href="http://twitter.com/Livsmom08"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Livsmom08</span></a> <span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her second daughter, Norah, on September 13th at 11.35am. She was born via Cesarean after a long trial-of-labor and a VBAC attempt. She weighed 7lbs 14oz and was 20 inches long</span><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.crunchyvtmommy.com/2010/09/wordless-wednesday-i-had-another-baby.html">CrunchyV</a></span><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.crunchyvtmommy.com/2010/09/wordless-wednesday-i-had-another-baby.html">TMommy</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Cameron Grace, on September 26th. She weighed 8lbs 11oz and was 20.5 inches long</span></div><b><br /></b><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">OCTOBER<br /></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255); FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://dirtydiaperlaundry.com/wordless-wednesday-happy-birthday-everett/">KimRosas</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Everett, at home, on October 20th at 6.45am - after less than 5 hours of labor (and at over 41 weeks pregnant!) He weighed 8lbs 8oz and was 20.5 inches long<br /></span><a href="http://www.mamanotes.com/2010/11/birth-story-of-joshua.html">MamaNotes</a><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,153,0)"><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her son, Joshua, on October 27th at 10.45am. She had a natural birth in the hospital. He weighed 8lbs 9oz and was 19 inches long</span></span><br /><br /><b>NOVEMBER</b><br /><b><a href="http://twitter.com/auphelia">auphelia</a> </b><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)" class="Apple-style-span">gave birth to her son, Daniel Tristan, on November 20th (her birthday!) at 3.07pm via Cesarean section. He was born at 37weeks and 4days and was 8lbs 9oz and 20 inches long</span><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,153)" class="Apple-style-span">!</span><br /><b><a href="http://www.twitter.com/iloveoxytocin">iloveoxytocin </a></b><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)" class="Apple-style-span">gave birth to her 2nd daughter, Lucille Scarlett, at home on November 25th (Thanksgiving Day!) at 1.27pm. She weighed 7lbs 13oz and was 20 inches long</span><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br /></div><br /><b>DECEMBER</b><br /><a href="http://marfmom.com/archives/2836"><b>MarfMom</b></a> <span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)" class="Apple-style-span">gave birth to her 2nd son on December 4th at 12.14pm via Cesarean section. He was 6lbs 15oz, 20 1/4 inches long, and had long, curly brown hair<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://www.mightymarce.com/2010/12/quinns-birth-story.html">MightyMarce</a> </span>gave birth to her 2nd son, Quinn, on December 9th. She had a very quick and intense labor. Quinn was 8lbs 6oz, 21.5 inches long, and had a 15 inch head!<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0)"><a href="http://mamadweeb.com/2010/12/wordless-wednesday-meet-baby-lucy.html">mamadweeb</a> </span></span><span style="COLOR: rgb(204,51,204)">gave birth to her daughter, Lucy, on December 15th at 7.42am via repeat Cesarean section. She was 8lbs 6oz and 21 inches long</span><br /><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255); FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><a href="http://doulame.blogspot.com/2010/12/caspians-birth-story.html">forks_n_spoons</a> </span><span style="COLOR: rgb(51,51,255)">gave birth to her 3rd child, a son named Caspian Manuel Antonio, on December 20th at 8.20pm. She had an epidural-free, hospital birth. Caspian weighed 7lbs 15oz and was 20.5 inches long</span><br /></span><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">(TWITTER'S</span><span style="color:#ff0000;"> LITTLEST BABY </span></strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">- </span><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">5lbs 1oz)</span> </strong><a href="http://www.twitter.com/woodbetony"><strong>woodbetony</strong></a><strong> </strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">gave birth to her son, at 33 weeks pregnant, on December 28th. He weighed 5lbs 1oz and was 17 inches long<br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Losses<br /></span><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><br />Never forgotten...<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">August - <a href="http://twitter.com/girliemama">girliemama</a> </span>at 7 weeks, her due date would have been April 13th<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">August 8th - <a href="http://twitter.com/ToniRaquel">ToniRaquel</a> </span>at 6 weeks, her due date would have been April 2nd<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">August 5th <span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">- <a href="http://twitter.com/heartsandhandss">heartsandhandss</a> </span></span>gave birth to her son, Tyrion Caelith, at 13 weeks and 5 days<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">May 26th - <a href="http://twitter.com/ToniRaquel">ToniRaquel</a> </span>at 5 1/2 weeks, her due date would have been January 29th<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">May 3rd - <a href="http://twitter.com/WeatherGirlKena">WeatherGirlKena</a> </span>at 7 weeks pregnant<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">April 28th </span>- <a href="http://www.twitter.com/heartsandhandss"><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">heartsandhandss</span></a> - her due date would have been December 27th<br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">March - <a href="http://twitter.com/Lynchmama">Lynchmama</a> </span>at 9 weeks and 3 days, her due date would have been October 10th<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br />March - <a href="http://twitter.com/ChildbirthEdu">ChildbirthEdu</a> </span>at 10 weeks<br /><br />*to be added to the "Losses" section, please feel free to leave a comment or email me at Cassiethedoula@gmail.com </div></div>Cassiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16139159493104583603noreply@blogger.com9