After a long, long process, I am very happy and proud to say that I am now a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator (LCCE). I took the certification exam in October and I just received my results--Pass!
In October, I wrote of my intentions for Lamaze Certification and how it will impact my birthing career, my HypnoBirthing practice and what it means as a professional credential.
As a HypnoBirthing practitioner, I have always felt a little under-qualified. I think we all know what it is like to feel like an imposter, like we are doing something that we just barely have the qualifications for. It is actually a very common sentiment--The Imposter Syndrome (see it described here on Wikipedia). The reasons I felt this way were complicated. I do not have children myself (I have never given birth), which seems like a standard among childbirth educators! Also, teaching HypnoBirthing came out of my interest in childbirth as a specialization of my hypnotherapy training. And HypnoBirthing is not recognized, for example, as a complete childbirth education class by some (including DONA, Doulas of North America). So, pursuing Lamaze Certification was a step in gaining knowledge and respect within the professional birthing world.
The process for becoming certified through Lamaze is complicated. Since I already teach HypnoBirthing, and have been teaching for quite some time (and for hundreds of hours), I was able to be certified through documentation of these teaching hours and by examination.
The examination was intense! The study guide for the exam, as provided by Lamaze, fits snuggly into a 1.5" binder. It is chock full of bullet points, references (especially websites and research studies) and important articles that emphasize the Lamaze philosophy. The test itself was conducted at a testing center, took about 1.5-2 hours to complete, and really challenged my thinking about birth. Unlike HypnoBirthing (which is solely focused on birth), Lamaze discusses physiological & psychological aspects of pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding, in addition to labor and birth.
What I will do as a Lamaze instructor is still up for debate! I hope to offer supplemental classes to my HypnoBirthing childbirth classes (because I still think that HypnoBirthing is the best childbirth preparation program), such as Comfort Measures and Breastfeeding preparation.
Of course, I am now also offering Infant Massage instruction, because I am certified in this modality, too.
Quick Links
Friday, December 19, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Waterbirth Cake
Okay, I have to admit, that this one got me:
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/11/oh-mama.html
Thanks to Tammi the midwife (and HypnoBirthing practitioner) for posting this link so that I can share it with you.
I advise you to check out the rest of the site, too...just make sure you have emptied your bladder and are ready for a good time.
http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2008/11/oh-mama.html
Thanks to Tammi the midwife (and HypnoBirthing practitioner) for posting this link so that I can share it with you.
I advise you to check out the rest of the site, too...just make sure you have emptied your bladder and are ready for a good time.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Geography DOES Make a Difference...Right?!
I am sure you have heard of Facebook. Recently, after joining and browsing the many groups that exist on the website, I heard about a group for L&D (Labor & Delivery) nurses. The group contains dozens of pages of comments by L&D nurses. One of the comments caught my attention.
I'll preface this story by saying that I am so blessed to be connected with a network of birthing professionals from many parts of the country and, indeed, the world. I am connected to an international network of HypnoBirthing practitioners, a national network of professionals from various disciplines and modalities working towards choice and mother-friendly care in birth (formed as the Chicago Birth Summit Task Force, at the November '08 Chicago Birth Summit), and the wonderfully abundant birthing community of San Diego, where I am blessed to spend my winters. Because of this, I am aware that Chicago is highly, highly medical compared to other areas. We are not a good place to give birth.
Back to the story--the L&D nurse on the Facebook group talked of the differences between her current community, somewhere in PA, and her old community, somewhere in NY. Apparently, she had just moved from NY to PA...and emphatically expressed her happiness about the move! She said that docs will "section" a mother after just a half-day of laboring through an induced labor, whereas in PA they will actually wait 3-4 days!! (Chicago tends to be around 24 hours, at least with the mothers I teach.)
The nurse went on to explain that these NY docs just didn't want to be there all night and wanted to be home for dinner. And, by the way, the reasons given for c-section were suspected macrosomia (a.k.a., a "big baby," who was only 7lbs) and, of course, failure-to-progress (yes, with only a 1/2 day to labor).
Another nurse chimed in to say that PA isn't necessarily so great. Where she works, she says, docs will "section" because they want to get to the golf course or they want to avoid a call in the middle of the night. Maybe it's not about geography.
Maybe it's the providers; because moms give birth just fine when the doc doesn't just "section" them. Babies aren't always on the verge of doom during labor, like some providers make it seem. But they can say that and no one questions them.
Remember THAT when in labor at 4pm on a Friday night or on a beautiful Chicago summer day. What IS the urgency, here?
I'll preface this story by saying that I am so blessed to be connected with a network of birthing professionals from many parts of the country and, indeed, the world. I am connected to an international network of HypnoBirthing practitioners, a national network of professionals from various disciplines and modalities working towards choice and mother-friendly care in birth (formed as the Chicago Birth Summit Task Force, at the November '08 Chicago Birth Summit), and the wonderfully abundant birthing community of San Diego, where I am blessed to spend my winters. Because of this, I am aware that Chicago is highly, highly medical compared to other areas. We are not a good place to give birth.
Back to the story--the L&D nurse on the Facebook group talked of the differences between her current community, somewhere in PA, and her old community, somewhere in NY. Apparently, she had just moved from NY to PA...and emphatically expressed her happiness about the move! She said that docs will "section" a mother after just a half-day of laboring through an induced labor, whereas in PA they will actually wait 3-4 days!! (Chicago tends to be around 24 hours, at least with the mothers I teach.)
The nurse went on to explain that these NY docs just didn't want to be there all night and wanted to be home for dinner. And, by the way, the reasons given for c-section were suspected macrosomia (a.k.a., a "big baby," who was only 7lbs) and, of course, failure-to-progress (yes, with only a 1/2 day to labor).
Another nurse chimed in to say that PA isn't necessarily so great. Where she works, she says, docs will "section" because they want to get to the golf course or they want to avoid a call in the middle of the night. Maybe it's not about geography.
Maybe it's the providers; because moms give birth just fine when the doc doesn't just "section" them. Babies aren't always on the verge of doom during labor, like some providers make it seem. But they can say that and no one questions them.
Remember THAT when in labor at 4pm on a Friday night or on a beautiful Chicago summer day. What IS the urgency, here?
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Chicago-area C-section Rates
The C-section rates for local hospitals have been reported for 2007. Here they are, ranked from lowest to highest:
West Suburban: 20%
Swedish Covenant: 23%
Sherman Hospital - Elgin: 24%
St. Mary of Nazareth: 26%
University of Chicago: 26%
Northwestern/Prentice: 28%
Illinois Masonic: 32%
Highland Park Hospital: 33%
Good Samaritan - Downer's Grove: 34%
Good Shepherd - Barrington: 35%
Lutheran General - Park Ridge: 37%
St. Alexius - Barrington: 37%
No data was provided for:
Alexian Brothers - Elk Grove
UIC Hospital
Please note that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a safe c-section rate should be around 15%, with the goal of reaching the optimal cesarean rate of 5-10%.
The Chicago area's cesarean rates are embarrassingly high! 37%??! That's more than one out of every three. And those are hospitals in well-to-do suburbs, not inner city facilities seeing moms with lack of access to healthcare.
West Suburban: 20%
Swedish Covenant: 23%
Sherman Hospital - Elgin: 24%
St. Mary of Nazareth: 26%
University of Chicago: 26%
Northwestern/Prentice: 28%
Illinois Masonic: 32%
Highland Park Hospital: 33%
Good Samaritan - Downer's Grove: 34%
Good Shepherd - Barrington: 35%
Lutheran General - Park Ridge: 37%
St. Alexius - Barrington: 37%
No data was provided for:
Alexian Brothers - Elk Grove
UIC Hospital
Please note that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a safe c-section rate should be around 15%, with the goal of reaching the optimal cesarean rate of 5-10%.
The Chicago area's cesarean rates are embarrassingly high! 37%??! That's more than one out of every three. And those are hospitals in well-to-do suburbs, not inner city facilities seeing moms with lack of access to healthcare.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Mason's Birth Story - 2008
A beautiful birth story, passed on from another HypnoBirthing practitioner:
My pregnancy was wonderful and enjoyable from the start: no morning sickness, absent was unbearable fatigue and crazy cravings never found me! All of the things I had been told by many to expect. Throughout my pregnancy, in addition to the congratulatory excitement from family, friends and strangers also came the ‘doom and gloom’ birth stories. I would politely listen but would never let them get the better of my positive outlook.
Positive attitude is what I believe created my pregnancy and birth outcome! That is how I knew HypnoBirthing was the right choice for my husband, my baby and me. Growing up, I was always fascinated by pregnancy and birth. From a young age, I would ask my mom what labor was like for her and what it felt like to be pregnant. I have never forgotten her responses. She shared with me that she never felt more beautiful or amazed by her body then when she was pregnant. She also told me that the pain you feel in childbirth can’t be described because it is the only discomfort where there is a joyous outcome!
My midwife thought that I would go earlier than my guess date (a Thursday). At my appointment a week beforehand, she said the baby’s head was at a zero station and I was dilated 1 cm. My parents rushed in from out of state a few days earlier than planned but the baby did not! My husband and I enjoyed the next week + with my parents; walking, watching movies, walking some more, eating great meals outside in the backyard and enjoying each other’s company!
My husband decided to take the few days around my guess date off from work in case anything should happen. It ended up being a great time to prepare for the baby and relax! He decided over the weekend that he would return to work on Monday. On Monday morning, around 5:30 AM, I woke up for my third or fourth usual bathroom trip of the night. When I returned to bed and tried to fall back asleep, I felt a small ‘gush’ of fluid and thought, “Oh great, I AM going to experience that part of pregnancy when you can’t hold your bladder from acting on its own!” It happened a second time and this made me return to the bathroom where I stayed for the next 20 min or so trying to decide if this was indeed my water breaking. Still not 100% sure (my mom never had her water break with the three of us and since I had replicated her wonderful pregnancies, I was not expecting this to happen!), I returned to the bedroom and woke up my husband saying; “I think my water broke”. He told me he thought something was going on when I did not return to bed right away. As I stood there, a more noticeable gush of fluid happened and we were both sure at that point this was indeed my water breaking!
I told him that he wasn’t going to work that day! He told me he had a feeling that this would be the case! My first thought was, “what do we do now?!” I suggested to my husband that we try to get some sleep since my surges didn’t seem to have started a regular pattern yet and we were up for a long day ahead of us. Of course, that didn’t happen! We were too excited to sleep! I thought maybe we should wait to wake my parents but my husband reminded me that this was what they were here for and he went downstairs to tell them they would be grandparents that day! When he let them know what had happened, my mom said “Thank god!” and gave my husband a high five! My dad was still half-asleep but was still able to say, “Cool!” in an excited voice! I started to have some surges shortly after my water broke and Mark timed them, although still inconsistent, at about 10 minutes apart.
It now made sense why I was hungry before going to bed. My body must have been preparing for the big event! I told Mark we should eat breakfast before I might not want to eat anymore and he left to go and get bagels. My dad made breakfast while my mom continued to time my surges. They were happening about 8-10 min apart at this point but they were tolerable and not bothering me. We enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing breakfast outside in the backyard and I noticed my surges start to gain some intensity and get closer together. Something in my mind told me I should take a shower. This is when my mind/body connection started to take over!
My surges continued to get closer and at about 10:15 AM, Mark asked me if we should call our midwife. I spoke to her and she asked me how I was feeling now that the surges were getting stronger and closer together. I told her I was doing well and that the surges were still inconsistent but some were coming as close as 6 min apart. She said to call back when they were under 5 minutes apart or if the intensity went to the next level, whichever came first. I then decided I wanted to lie down in my bed and listen to my affirmations and Rainbow Relaxation. The surges started to become more and more intense and I needed to focus inward to get through each one. This still wasn’t really difficult to do though! During the time when I was listening to my HypnoBirthing exercises, I relied more and more on my labor support team (Mark and my mom!). Mark was applying counter pressure on my hips and my mom held my hand or helped with the counter pressure.
At this point, I was listening to a CD my sister made for me to relax (I asked her to do this so I could save it for ‘birth day’!). My surges quickly became 2-4 minutes apart and Mark said he thought we should call the midwife back. Time distortion was beginning to happen at this point for me; things seemed to be happening quickly but I still didn’t feel like it was time to go to the hospital. My biggest fear was getting to the hospital too quickly. Especially knowing that my water had already broken, I knew in the back of my mind that induction could become a reality if I was admitted too soon. Mark spoke to our midwife and she said she would meet us at the hospital. I started to cry because I said it was too soon and it didn’t seem “bad enough yet” (although I wasn’t sure what I meant by that)! My mom reassured me that it wasn’t too soon, my surges were coming so close together. I decided it was time to go.
We had a 25-minute ride to the hospital. Mark drove my car with me in the front seat and my mom behind me pressing on my shoulders every time I signaled, “OK!” with another surge. It was a bit more difficult to stay focused in the car but I tuned into my sister’s CD and we all began singing the closer we got to the hospital. We arrived and were checked into the room at about 2:00 PM. Donna, our midwife, was there and right away I was at ease with her calming spirit. I told the nurse I wanted to keep my own clothes on and she looked at me as if she didn’t know what to do with that answer. Donna let her know it was okay for me to wear my own clothes, as long as I knew my pants had to come off eventually!
They monitored me for the required 15-20 minutes and Donna watched me as I relaxed through my surges. We talked about her checking me but she didn’t want to do the one exam she would probably end up doing too soon because it would “start another clock” now that I was in the hospital with my water broken. She said by observing me, she would guess I was still in early labor but then decided we would see where I was at. After checking me, she said I was open about 2 cm. (and then ‘stretched’ me a bit closer to 3 cm). Thinking back to this, I wonder why I wasn’t extremely upset upon hearing this news. I was in early labor, I could be possibly facing induction- the awful pitocin and then EPIDURAL?!?! Donna had me try the chest down, butt up position to encourage the baby to move into the best position. This was the most uncomfortable part of my birthing and when I do remember feeling pain. When Donna said, I only had to try it for three surges, that made all the difference for me. I was out of that position immediately after those three surges passed and my body told me I wanted to go into the shower.
My body was telling me exactly what I needed. At times, it was almost as if I was hearing a voice in my head commenting on what was happening to me and around me but it never took my focus away from my body or my baby. It is something that is difficult to explain but it was truly amazing. Mark sat on the bench in the shower with me and provided counter pressure and support the entire time. The water felt so good. All of a sudden though, I said I have to get out now. I just knew I was done with the water but I didn’t know why, the thought came up pretty abruptly! I got out and wanted to lie on my side in the bed. I thought I had been in the shower for about 20 minutes but I was in there for almost an hour!! After getting out, I remember having a wavering moment when I told Mark I wasn’t sure if I could do it. When he told me I could, I said adamantly- “No! You have to say, I AM doing it!!”. I realize now that I was telling this to myself, it was the first, and last time I had a slightly negative thought cross my mind.
Lying in the bed, I told my mom to turn on “Rainbow Relaxation”. The powerful surges rushed through my entire body and forced a low grunting sound that ‘pushed’ my energy downward. This feeling really embodied the word ‘surge”. At that point, I had no control of my body but I felt so IN control of what was happening and what my baby was doing at the same time. Donna came into the room and I remember hearing her say to my mom, “Is she pushing?!” My mom told her I had been responding to the last several surges this way. Donna asked me if I felt like I wanted to push and I told her I didn’t know! I just knew that my body was doing what it needed to do. She decided to check me again- it was only 4:00 PM at this point but when she checked me, I was completely open and ready to have the baby!
I pushed for just under two hours. It was extremely tiring but so empowering at the same time. I lost all sense of time and place at that point but I was still tuned in to “Rainbow Relaxation”. It had played a couple times already but as focused inward as I was, I always became aware of when it was about to end. I would say, “Again!” to my mom and she quickly realized I needed the CD re-set to make “Rainbow” play again. I focused on the ritual of it playing. Every time Jessica Porter’s voice was ending the relaxation, it was only then that I consciously heard her voice and knew to tell my mom to press play again. I remember opening my eyes at one point and seeing a few nurses just standing at the foot of the bed watching. I didn’t know when they got there or that they WERE there! Every single person who came into the room whispered and never disrupted me. I still have no idea when or for how long the nurses came into the room! The lights were kept low the entire time. They ASKED for my birth preferences, which pleasantly surprised me. They read them and followed my requests from beginning to end. These were all things I really noticed afterwards but I KNOW they made a huge difference in the success of my birthing experience.
It was wonderful to touch my baby’s head as it was emerging. I decided in the moment to not use a mirror as I thought I would want to but it didn’t matter. I could hear and listen to each word Donna said to me in her low and calming voice. Near the end, I remember feeling tense and telling my body to relax and noticing how much easier it felt after that. Donna told me to give her my hands so I could bring my baby to me. This was something I wrote in my birth preferences and I am so glad that I did. It was unbelievable to feel my baby under the arms and bring him onto my chest. Another preference and a memory I wouldn’t trade for the world was when Mark leaned over and said to me, “It’s a boy! We have a son!”
Mason came into the world at 6:07 PM on Monday. His birth was the most wonderful, powerful and incredible experience I have ever had. It still is hard for me to believe sometimes that my birthing experience was what I dreamed it would be. However, I know this is what made it a reality.
I believed in my body, and myself,
I trusted my baby and knew he had an active part in his birth,
I remained positive from the start of my pregnancy through the birth,
I relished in the amazing support of my husband and my mom,
I was comforted by my midwife’s presence and
I used all the lessons learned in Hypnobirthing to maintain all of these feelings during this most wonderful time.
My pregnancy was wonderful and enjoyable from the start: no morning sickness, absent was unbearable fatigue and crazy cravings never found me! All of the things I had been told by many to expect. Throughout my pregnancy, in addition to the congratulatory excitement from family, friends and strangers also came the ‘doom and gloom’ birth stories. I would politely listen but would never let them get the better of my positive outlook.
Positive attitude is what I believe created my pregnancy and birth outcome! That is how I knew HypnoBirthing was the right choice for my husband, my baby and me. Growing up, I was always fascinated by pregnancy and birth. From a young age, I would ask my mom what labor was like for her and what it felt like to be pregnant. I have never forgotten her responses. She shared with me that she never felt more beautiful or amazed by her body then when she was pregnant. She also told me that the pain you feel in childbirth can’t be described because it is the only discomfort where there is a joyous outcome!
My midwife thought that I would go earlier than my guess date (a Thursday). At my appointment a week beforehand, she said the baby’s head was at a zero station and I was dilated 1 cm. My parents rushed in from out of state a few days earlier than planned but the baby did not! My husband and I enjoyed the next week + with my parents; walking, watching movies, walking some more, eating great meals outside in the backyard and enjoying each other’s company!
My husband decided to take the few days around my guess date off from work in case anything should happen. It ended up being a great time to prepare for the baby and relax! He decided over the weekend that he would return to work on Monday. On Monday morning, around 5:30 AM, I woke up for my third or fourth usual bathroom trip of the night. When I returned to bed and tried to fall back asleep, I felt a small ‘gush’ of fluid and thought, “Oh great, I AM going to experience that part of pregnancy when you can’t hold your bladder from acting on its own!” It happened a second time and this made me return to the bathroom where I stayed for the next 20 min or so trying to decide if this was indeed my water breaking. Still not 100% sure (my mom never had her water break with the three of us and since I had replicated her wonderful pregnancies, I was not expecting this to happen!), I returned to the bedroom and woke up my husband saying; “I think my water broke”. He told me he thought something was going on when I did not return to bed right away. As I stood there, a more noticeable gush of fluid happened and we were both sure at that point this was indeed my water breaking!
I told him that he wasn’t going to work that day! He told me he had a feeling that this would be the case! My first thought was, “what do we do now?!” I suggested to my husband that we try to get some sleep since my surges didn’t seem to have started a regular pattern yet and we were up for a long day ahead of us. Of course, that didn’t happen! We were too excited to sleep! I thought maybe we should wait to wake my parents but my husband reminded me that this was what they were here for and he went downstairs to tell them they would be grandparents that day! When he let them know what had happened, my mom said “Thank god!” and gave my husband a high five! My dad was still half-asleep but was still able to say, “Cool!” in an excited voice! I started to have some surges shortly after my water broke and Mark timed them, although still inconsistent, at about 10 minutes apart.
It now made sense why I was hungry before going to bed. My body must have been preparing for the big event! I told Mark we should eat breakfast before I might not want to eat anymore and he left to go and get bagels. My dad made breakfast while my mom continued to time my surges. They were happening about 8-10 min apart at this point but they were tolerable and not bothering me. We enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing breakfast outside in the backyard and I noticed my surges start to gain some intensity and get closer together. Something in my mind told me I should take a shower. This is when my mind/body connection started to take over!
My surges continued to get closer and at about 10:15 AM, Mark asked me if we should call our midwife. I spoke to her and she asked me how I was feeling now that the surges were getting stronger and closer together. I told her I was doing well and that the surges were still inconsistent but some were coming as close as 6 min apart. She said to call back when they were under 5 minutes apart or if the intensity went to the next level, whichever came first. I then decided I wanted to lie down in my bed and listen to my affirmations and Rainbow Relaxation. The surges started to become more and more intense and I needed to focus inward to get through each one. This still wasn’t really difficult to do though! During the time when I was listening to my HypnoBirthing exercises, I relied more and more on my labor support team (Mark and my mom!). Mark was applying counter pressure on my hips and my mom held my hand or helped with the counter pressure.
At this point, I was listening to a CD my sister made for me to relax (I asked her to do this so I could save it for ‘birth day’!). My surges quickly became 2-4 minutes apart and Mark said he thought we should call the midwife back. Time distortion was beginning to happen at this point for me; things seemed to be happening quickly but I still didn’t feel like it was time to go to the hospital. My biggest fear was getting to the hospital too quickly. Especially knowing that my water had already broken, I knew in the back of my mind that induction could become a reality if I was admitted too soon. Mark spoke to our midwife and she said she would meet us at the hospital. I started to cry because I said it was too soon and it didn’t seem “bad enough yet” (although I wasn’t sure what I meant by that)! My mom reassured me that it wasn’t too soon, my surges were coming so close together. I decided it was time to go.
We had a 25-minute ride to the hospital. Mark drove my car with me in the front seat and my mom behind me pressing on my shoulders every time I signaled, “OK!” with another surge. It was a bit more difficult to stay focused in the car but I tuned into my sister’s CD and we all began singing the closer we got to the hospital. We arrived and were checked into the room at about 2:00 PM. Donna, our midwife, was there and right away I was at ease with her calming spirit. I told the nurse I wanted to keep my own clothes on and she looked at me as if she didn’t know what to do with that answer. Donna let her know it was okay for me to wear my own clothes, as long as I knew my pants had to come off eventually!
They monitored me for the required 15-20 minutes and Donna watched me as I relaxed through my surges. We talked about her checking me but she didn’t want to do the one exam she would probably end up doing too soon because it would “start another clock” now that I was in the hospital with my water broken. She said by observing me, she would guess I was still in early labor but then decided we would see where I was at. After checking me, she said I was open about 2 cm. (and then ‘stretched’ me a bit closer to 3 cm). Thinking back to this, I wonder why I wasn’t extremely upset upon hearing this news. I was in early labor, I could be possibly facing induction- the awful pitocin and then EPIDURAL?!?! Donna had me try the chest down, butt up position to encourage the baby to move into the best position. This was the most uncomfortable part of my birthing and when I do remember feeling pain. When Donna said, I only had to try it for three surges, that made all the difference for me. I was out of that position immediately after those three surges passed and my body told me I wanted to go into the shower.
My body was telling me exactly what I needed. At times, it was almost as if I was hearing a voice in my head commenting on what was happening to me and around me but it never took my focus away from my body or my baby. It is something that is difficult to explain but it was truly amazing. Mark sat on the bench in the shower with me and provided counter pressure and support the entire time. The water felt so good. All of a sudden though, I said I have to get out now. I just knew I was done with the water but I didn’t know why, the thought came up pretty abruptly! I got out and wanted to lie on my side in the bed. I thought I had been in the shower for about 20 minutes but I was in there for almost an hour!! After getting out, I remember having a wavering moment when I told Mark I wasn’t sure if I could do it. When he told me I could, I said adamantly- “No! You have to say, I AM doing it!!”. I realize now that I was telling this to myself, it was the first, and last time I had a slightly negative thought cross my mind.
Lying in the bed, I told my mom to turn on “Rainbow Relaxation”. The powerful surges rushed through my entire body and forced a low grunting sound that ‘pushed’ my energy downward. This feeling really embodied the word ‘surge”. At that point, I had no control of my body but I felt so IN control of what was happening and what my baby was doing at the same time. Donna came into the room and I remember hearing her say to my mom, “Is she pushing?!” My mom told her I had been responding to the last several surges this way. Donna asked me if I felt like I wanted to push and I told her I didn’t know! I just knew that my body was doing what it needed to do. She decided to check me again- it was only 4:00 PM at this point but when she checked me, I was completely open and ready to have the baby!
I pushed for just under two hours. It was extremely tiring but so empowering at the same time. I lost all sense of time and place at that point but I was still tuned in to “Rainbow Relaxation”. It had played a couple times already but as focused inward as I was, I always became aware of when it was about to end. I would say, “Again!” to my mom and she quickly realized I needed the CD re-set to make “Rainbow” play again. I focused on the ritual of it playing. Every time Jessica Porter’s voice was ending the relaxation, it was only then that I consciously heard her voice and knew to tell my mom to press play again. I remember opening my eyes at one point and seeing a few nurses just standing at the foot of the bed watching. I didn’t know when they got there or that they WERE there! Every single person who came into the room whispered and never disrupted me. I still have no idea when or for how long the nurses came into the room! The lights were kept low the entire time. They ASKED for my birth preferences, which pleasantly surprised me. They read them and followed my requests from beginning to end. These were all things I really noticed afterwards but I KNOW they made a huge difference in the success of my birthing experience.
It was wonderful to touch my baby’s head as it was emerging. I decided in the moment to not use a mirror as I thought I would want to but it didn’t matter. I could hear and listen to each word Donna said to me in her low and calming voice. Near the end, I remember feeling tense and telling my body to relax and noticing how much easier it felt after that. Donna told me to give her my hands so I could bring my baby to me. This was something I wrote in my birth preferences and I am so glad that I did. It was unbelievable to feel my baby under the arms and bring him onto my chest. Another preference and a memory I wouldn’t trade for the world was when Mark leaned over and said to me, “It’s a boy! We have a son!”
Mason came into the world at 6:07 PM on Monday. His birth was the most wonderful, powerful and incredible experience I have ever had. It still is hard for me to believe sometimes that my birthing experience was what I dreamed it would be. However, I know this is what made it a reality.
I believed in my body, and myself,
I trusted my baby and knew he had an active part in his birth,
I remained positive from the start of my pregnancy through the birth,
I relished in the amazing support of my husband and my mom,
I was comforted by my midwife’s presence and
I used all the lessons learned in Hypnobirthing to maintain all of these feelings during this most wonderful time.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Beyonce is "Terrified" of Childbirth
Nothing is more honest than admitting the fear that causes fear-tension-pain.
In this interview of Beyonce, she admits that she is "terrified" of childbirth, that she was "traumatized" after witnessing the birth of her nephew. Kinda makes you wonder what she saw that was so terrifying.
In reality, she is expressing what so many women silently feel--that birth is a scary event that women want to avoid in order to prevent becoming traumatized themselves. The negative birth stories that we hear from family and friends, the dramatizations on television...they all speak to that silent dialogue that says, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."
Personally, I am traumatized when I see a woman's instincts and feelings ignored during the intimate moments of labor. I am terrified when I think that she might have her baby pulled out of her, her perineum carelessly stretched or her confidence rattled by the fear-based predictions of medical staff. That is scary.
But birth itself? Nah. I've seen uninterupted births, calm births. They're absolutely beautiful! They give the observer a sense of hope, of inspiration. It makes you feel that you are suddenly hooked in to the magic of the universe. It's a high like no other.
And, in the words of a midwife who attended one of these calm births (after mom expressed her gratefulness that the birthing was over)..."My dear, some would say that the hard part has just begun!"
In this interview of Beyonce, she admits that she is "terrified" of childbirth, that she was "traumatized" after witnessing the birth of her nephew. Kinda makes you wonder what she saw that was so terrifying.
In reality, she is expressing what so many women silently feel--that birth is a scary event that women want to avoid in order to prevent becoming traumatized themselves. The negative birth stories that we hear from family and friends, the dramatizations on television...they all speak to that silent dialogue that says, "Be afraid. Be very afraid."
Personally, I am traumatized when I see a woman's instincts and feelings ignored during the intimate moments of labor. I am terrified when I think that she might have her baby pulled out of her, her perineum carelessly stretched or her confidence rattled by the fear-based predictions of medical staff. That is scary.
But birth itself? Nah. I've seen uninterupted births, calm births. They're absolutely beautiful! They give the observer a sense of hope, of inspiration. It makes you feel that you are suddenly hooked in to the magic of the universe. It's a high like no other.
And, in the words of a midwife who attended one of these calm births (after mom expressed her gratefulness that the birthing was over)..."My dear, some would say that the hard part has just begun!"
Friday, December 5, 2008
45 Minute Labor - Start to Finish!
Here is a fabulous birth story, passed on from another HypnoBirthing practitioner in Canada...
(Comments from the HypnoBirthing instructor: "It is rare for me to share a birth story with you all. This one was so comfortable, quick and the parents so wise is knowing what was best for their family, wiser than the 911 and emergency workers, that I had to share. It is their second birth, 45 minutes total:")
I still can't believe how it all happened. It seems like a dream. When I started to feel like things were starting, I told D to put the hose on and fill up the pool. He made me a milkshake. I sipped it in the bath. It was past midnight and I said something along the lines of "I hope the baby is born before our son wakes up in the morning." The midwives told me to take his labour and cut the time in half, and that would be a rough estimate. So they were predicting 6-12 hours start to birth.
After my bath I sat on the couch and watched the pool filling up. We called the midwives and I told the student midwife that things had started but that I had not seen any "show" and also still had the water intact. She asked me if I had felt three "good" contractions. I said, these are very intense but I only feel the tightening in the lowest part of my abdomen, where I normally feel my period cramps. I told her that my balloon breathing exercise was not working to help, because I couldn't get my breath down low enough, and that the upper part of my uterus didn't seem to be engaged in the process. But the surges were coming really close together, like 2 or 3 minutes apart. She told me to call back when things start to get more intense. I thought things were already pretty intense, but I was also starting to feel nice and space-y and so I just shrugged my shoulders and said I would call back.
As I sat on the couch I felt that great sensation of floating and (this should have been a hint!) so I asked D to escort me to the bathroom because I wasn't too secure on my feet. Sure enough, on our way back from the bathroom I felt a really big surge in the hallway and had to stop to catch my breath. I kept trying to fill up my balloon but to no avail. D helped me into the tub and put on some relaxing music, and I asked him: Why can't I fill up my balloon? He saw the look on my face and called the midwives right away, and left a message for them to come.
As soon as he hung up the phone, my water released, and out with the rush I suddenly felt a head. I said to D, "you are going to have to receive her yourself." I'm pretty sure there was some adult language used at this point, when we realized we were all alone. Then, with the next surge the head popped out. I looked at D and said, you better dial 911 and ask them how to best receive the baby so we don't hurt her. D dialed 911, but the lady on the other end was obsessed about me getting out of the pool, and not helping D figure out how to deal with the birth, so he dropped the phone and got behind me.
The third surge brought the rest of the baby out, and then we just sort of sat there in shock. I was totally stoned from the endorphins. Here I had this perfect little girl in my arms, and it was so quiet in the house, we were all alone. D covered her up with some receiving blankets, and she started to root right away. So I put her to my breast and she started nursing. That's when I heard the footsteps of all the emergency workers ( EMS, fire and Police. 2 of each).
The 911 operator had D running around looking for a shoe lace, and I kept telling him, don't worry about the cord, it can stay for a long time, the baby is already breathing. The EMS people didn't agree and wanted D to cut the cord right away and to wipe off the vernix. I remember saying to the six men standing over me in the pool, while I sat there naked, "hey, thanks so much for coming but you can go now, our midwives are on their way." D was trying to coax at least 4 of the 6 guys to go back downstairs. The midwives arrived last, and couldn't believe what had happened. They said they would never have picked me for the rush delivery, given the length of my first labour.
In retrospect I now realize that when I called the midwives the first time, I was already probably fully dilated. That's why the surges were so low down in my abdomen, and if I had been aware of it, I would have tried to breathe her down. But, it's funny how blindly we believe in the "textbook" version of labour. I just assumed I was in prelabour because that's what I've been told happens first. I never dreamed it could happen in my sleep or without my knowledge!
M
(Comments from the HypnoBirthing instructor: "It is rare for me to share a birth story with you all. This one was so comfortable, quick and the parents so wise is knowing what was best for their family, wiser than the 911 and emergency workers, that I had to share. It is their second birth, 45 minutes total:")
I still can't believe how it all happened. It seems like a dream. When I started to feel like things were starting, I told D to put the hose on and fill up the pool. He made me a milkshake. I sipped it in the bath. It was past midnight and I said something along the lines of "I hope the baby is born before our son wakes up in the morning." The midwives told me to take his labour and cut the time in half, and that would be a rough estimate. So they were predicting 6-12 hours start to birth.
After my bath I sat on the couch and watched the pool filling up. We called the midwives and I told the student midwife that things had started but that I had not seen any "show" and also still had the water intact. She asked me if I had felt three "good" contractions. I said, these are very intense but I only feel the tightening in the lowest part of my abdomen, where I normally feel my period cramps. I told her that my balloon breathing exercise was not working to help, because I couldn't get my breath down low enough, and that the upper part of my uterus didn't seem to be engaged in the process. But the surges were coming really close together, like 2 or 3 minutes apart. She told me to call back when things start to get more intense. I thought things were already pretty intense, but I was also starting to feel nice and space-y and so I just shrugged my shoulders and said I would call back.
As I sat on the couch I felt that great sensation of floating and (this should have been a hint!) so I asked D to escort me to the bathroom because I wasn't too secure on my feet. Sure enough, on our way back from the bathroom I felt a really big surge in the hallway and had to stop to catch my breath. I kept trying to fill up my balloon but to no avail. D helped me into the tub and put on some relaxing music, and I asked him: Why can't I fill up my balloon? He saw the look on my face and called the midwives right away, and left a message for them to come.
As soon as he hung up the phone, my water released, and out with the rush I suddenly felt a head. I said to D, "you are going to have to receive her yourself." I'm pretty sure there was some adult language used at this point, when we realized we were all alone. Then, with the next surge the head popped out. I looked at D and said, you better dial 911 and ask them how to best receive the baby so we don't hurt her. D dialed 911, but the lady on the other end was obsessed about me getting out of the pool, and not helping D figure out how to deal with the birth, so he dropped the phone and got behind me.
The third surge brought the rest of the baby out, and then we just sort of sat there in shock. I was totally stoned from the endorphins. Here I had this perfect little girl in my arms, and it was so quiet in the house, we were all alone. D covered her up with some receiving blankets, and she started to root right away. So I put her to my breast and she started nursing. That's when I heard the footsteps of all the emergency workers ( EMS, fire and Police. 2 of each).
The 911 operator had D running around looking for a shoe lace, and I kept telling him, don't worry about the cord, it can stay for a long time, the baby is already breathing. The EMS people didn't agree and wanted D to cut the cord right away and to wipe off the vernix. I remember saying to the six men standing over me in the pool, while I sat there naked, "hey, thanks so much for coming but you can go now, our midwives are on their way." D was trying to coax at least 4 of the 6 guys to go back downstairs. The midwives arrived last, and couldn't believe what had happened. They said they would never have picked me for the rush delivery, given the length of my first labour.
In retrospect I now realize that when I called the midwives the first time, I was already probably fully dilated. That's why the surges were so low down in my abdomen, and if I had been aware of it, I would have tried to breathe her down. But, it's funny how blindly we believe in the "textbook" version of labour. I just assumed I was in prelabour because that's what I've been told happens first. I never dreamed it could happen in my sleep or without my knowledge!
M
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