tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11821419620068221982024-02-07T18:46:46.005-07:00From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.Welcome to the blog of From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc. serving Medicine Hat, Alberta and surrounding area.
From Womb to Cradle is staffed by a team of trained birth doulas, who believe in your ability to birth without unnecessary interventions. Birth is honoured as a life-changing event. Your doula is there to protect the birthing space and provide continuous support to you and your birth partner.Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.comBlogger105125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-45253974824071083392014-06-09T18:49:00.001-06:002014-06-09T18:49:36.562-06:00Baby "Gear" - What Do You Really Need?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
One of the most popular questions among expectant parents is, <i>"What do we need for our new baby?</i>" Lists from major retailers, magazines and parenting books detail the latest must-haves. However, what a new baby really needs may actually differ from what your family may need for your new baby. Let me explain...<br />
<br />
We'll begin with the basics. Here is my list of baby's needs:<br />
<br />
<b>What does a baby need?</b><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Love & Nurturing</li>
<li>Nourishment</li>
<li>A safe place to sleep</li>
<li>A car seat</li>
<li>Protection from the elements</li>
<li>A feeling of security</li>
<li>Diapers, lots of diapers</li>
<li>Health and hygiene care</li>
</ol>
<br />
Now, we'll take a look at each item on baby's list and what your family may like to have to help meet your little one's needs.<br />
<br />
<b>Love & Nurturing</b><br />
Of course, we know that a baby needs lots of love. That is item number one on our list. No one can provide that for your baby but you and those who love you and your baby; and, no special "gear" is required. Just an open heart and open arms. Skin-to-skin contact is one way that families are able to nurture their newborn right from the start.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.skintoskincontact.com/what-is-ssc.aspx" target="_blank">Skin-to-skin contact</a> is the primal form of nurturing that can begin immediately after birth. It helps to facilitate <a href="http://www.skintoskincontact.com/ssc-breastfeeding.aspx" target="_blank">breastfeeding</a> and is also helpful for <a href="http://www.skintoskincontact.com/ssc-fathers.aspx" target="_blank">fathers and co-parents</a> to bond with their new babies. Skin-to-skin contact is essential for baby's <a href="http://www.skintoskincontact.com/ssc-neuroscience.aspx" target="_blank">brain</a> and it assists in the <a href="http://www.skintoskincontact.com/ssc-sensations.aspx" target="_blank">regulation</a> of respiration, temperature and heart rate.<br />
<br />
<b>Nourishment</b><br />
<a href="http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/" target="_blank">Breastfeeding</a> is the biological norm for babies and is the primary mode of feeding recommended by the <a href="http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/" target="_blank">World Health Organization</a>. There is no more perfect food for your baby. Breastfeeding does require support, though, and it is especially helpful when <a href="http://www.llli.org/faq/dad.html" target="_blank">your partner</a> has also learned about breastfeeding and how best to help you. His or her reassurance may be exactly what you need if challenges come up. Getting involved with an organization like <a href="http://www.llli.org/" target="_blank">La Leche League International</a> and finding other breastfeeding mothers to build a support network will also benefit you. You may also want to find out what other supports are available in your area. (Lethbridge-area resources listed below.)<br />
<br />
If breastfeeding is not possible due to health concerns, separation of mother and baby, or maternal medication, speak to your midwife or doctor about alternatives. Support, again, is key! As a mother of one bottle-fed and one breastfed child, I know that it can be a difficult and even heart-wrenching decision to make; but, no one should ever make you feel guilty for doing what you need to do for your child's health and your family. If you need to bottle-feed, the choices are endless. Find what works for your baby. If anything, your baby will teach you about flexibility. <br />
<br />
<i>Lethbridge Breastfeeding Resources:</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheLethbridgeBreastfeedingClinic" target="_blank">Lethbridge Breastfeeding Clinic</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LLLCLethbridge" target="_blank">La Leche League Canada: Lethbridge</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/1391513011062208/" target="_blank">Nursing Cafe Lethbridge</a><br />
<br />
<b>A Safe Place to Sleep</b><br />
Where baby should sleep has become a bit of a hot topic in recent years. Regardless of whether your baby sleeps in a crib, bassinet, co-sleeper or in your bed with you (<a href="http://www.naturalchild.org/james_mckenna/biological.html" target="_blank">bedsharing</a>), the following guidelines should be observed:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Babies should be put to sleep on their backs.</li>
<li><a href="http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids-enfants/sleep-sommeil/tips-conseil-eng.php" target="_blank">Health Canada</a> recommends that baby sleep in his or her parents' room for the first six months.</li>
<li>Baby should always sleep on a firm surface. (See <a href="http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids-enfants/sleep-sommeil/cribs-berceaux-eng.php" target="_blank">here</a> for safety regulations for cribs, bassinets, etc.)</li>
<li>Baby's bed should not contain loose covers, stuffed animals, pillows, bumper pads or sleep positioners.</li>
<li>Parents should not co-sleep with baby if they are smokers or have consumed alcoholic beverages or certain medications.</li>
<li>Babies should not sleep in a seated or semi-reclined position such as in an <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/02/04/mtl-carseat-sleeping-0204.html" target="_blank">infant car seat</a>.</li>
<li>Babies should not sleep on a sofa or other soft furniture.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<i>More on sleep:</i><br />
<br />
<a href="http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids-enfants/sleep-sommeil/tips-conseil-eng.php" target="_blank">Health Canada's Safe Sleep Tips</a><br />
<a href="http://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/" target="_blank">Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory for Safe Cosleeping (Bedsharing) Guidelines</a><br />
<br />
<b>A Safe Car Seat</b><br />
For Canadians, follow <a href="http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids-enfants/road-rue/choosing_seat-choisir_siege-eng.php" target="_blank">Health Canada</a> and <a href="http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-car-index-873.htm" target="_blank">Transport Canada</a> guidelines when choosing a car seat for your new baby. Remember, recently, it has been recommended that children remain rear-facing for up to two years rather that the previous recommendation of 20-22 lbs or one year. See <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/rear-facing-car-seats-safer-for-kids-to-age-2-1.995096" target="_blank">this article</a> from the CBC. Also, remember that it is <a href="http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-notices-2007c09-menu-353.htm" target="_blank">illegal</a> to use a car seat purchased outside of Canada. Make sure you familiarize yourself with up-to-date car seat regulations for your country, state or <a href="http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/6206.asp" target="_blank">province</a>. Remember to <a href="http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/mediaroom/advisories-2004-04-ma006e-1742.htm" target="_blank">never use aftermarket products</a> with your car seat. This includes bulky winter clothing such as <a href="http://www.thestar.com/life/2013/01/21/for_children_in_car_seats_snowsuits_bunting_can_pose_a_safety_risk.html" target="_blank">snowsuits</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Protection from the Elements</b><br />
Obviously, baby needs clothing. Shop for the season your baby will be born in and keep in mind that baby needs one more layer than you would wear. Basic items to look for are diaper shirts (or "onesies"), sleepers, newborn hats to keep baby warm (not for sleeping), socks and <a href="http://www.halosleep.com/sleepsack/" target="_blank">wearable blankets or SleepSacks</a> for bedtime. If you choose to swaddle, <a href="http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/summer-infant-swaddleme-muslin-blankets-3pk-ornate-geo/6000171727871" target="_blank">muslin swaddling blankets</a> are breathable and stretchy. Make sure you research safe swaddling techniques to avoid <a href="http://hipdysplasia.org/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip/hip-healthy-swaddling/" target="_blank">hip dysplasia</a> and also keep blankets away from baby's face. For winter transport, see <a href="http://babyproducts.about.com/od/carseats/a/carseatcoat.htm" target="_blank">this article</a> for tips on how to keep baby warm and safe. As cute as those fancy (and pricey) name-brand outfits are, they are not "must-haves," and baby may only wear them once or twice. Invest in the basics.<br />
<br />
<b>A Feeling of Security</b><br />
You and your partner are your child's security. Learning to interpret and responding to his or her cues or cries in a timely manner <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595218/" target="_blank">builds secure attachment</a> between you and your baby. Utilizing skin-to-skin contact, as mentioned above, feeding with love and engaging in <a href="http://babywearinginternational.org/pages/whatisbabywearing.php" target="_blank">babywearing</a> can also help your child to feel secure. Investing in a few safe <a href="http://hipdysplasia.org/developmental-dysplasia-of-the-hip/prevention/baby-carriers-seats-and-other-equipment/" target="_blank">hip</a> and <a href="http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/The-Outer-Womb/baby-wearing-suggestions-for-carrying-your-baby-a-chiropractic-perspective.html" target="_blank">spine-healthy</a> baby carriers can not only assist in your bond with baby, but also enable you to carry out day-to-day activities with greater ease. Research has shown that babies who are carried or "worn" by their parents <a href="http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/77/5/641.short" target="_blank">cry less</a>, <a href="https://www.isisonline.org.uk/sleep_health/sleep_aids/slings/" target="_blank">sleep</a> better and <a href="http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/fussy-baby/baby-wearing/benefits-babywearing" target="_blank">develop better socially</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>Diapers, Lots of Diapers</b><br />
What goes in, must come out. This one is pretty self-explanatory.<br />
<br />
<b>Health & Hygiene Care</b><br />
Keeping baby healthy and clean is definitely a priority; but, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Invest in a good thermometer (ask your midwife or doctor what they recommend for accuracy) and learn how to do a "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_njJ_eBeck" target="_blank">top and tail</a>" cleansing of your newborn for those early days. Soft towels and washcloths can be added to your list of necessities. A simple baby tub or even your bathroom or kitchen sink can be suitable for full immersion bathing.<br />
<br />
<b>The Essentials</b><br />
To recap, here is my simplified list of essentials for your new baby:<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Love</li>
<li>Breast Milk (or alternative if necessary)</li>
<li>Safe Sleeping Area</li>
<li>Car Seat</li>
<li>A Safe Baby Carrier (or <a href="http://www.thediaperdrawer.ca/product/ring-sling-m/" target="_blank">two</a>...or <a href="http://www.mobywrap.com/mw/shop-moby.htm" target="_blank">three</a>...)</li>
<li>Basic Clothing (diaper shirts, sleepers, newborn hats and socks)</li>
<li>Wearable Blanket/Sleep Sack</li>
<li>Muslin Receiving Blankets (if desired)</li>
<li>LOTS of Diapers</li>
<li>A Thermometer</li>
<li>Towels and Washcloths</li>
<li>Somewhere Safe to be Bathed</li>
</ol>
<div>
Depending on your lifestyle, you may find additional items that may make your life a little bit easier such as a portable crib for travelling, a swing for a fussy baby, or a baby gate to wrangle some furry friends. Just know that you already have the absolute essentials to parent your baby. They are <i>love</i> and your maternal (or paternal) <i>instincts</i>. Trust in those and your baby will flourish!</div>
<br />
<b>One final note</b>, when purchasing items for your baby, please remember to check your government's recall database. For Canada, visit <a href="http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/index-eng.php?cat=4&_ga=1.168372577.114123689.1401327165" target="_blank">Healthy Canadians: Recalls & Alerts</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-54530076470812596692014-04-19T06:00:00.000-06:002014-04-23T19:55:18.827-06:00My Journey to Home Birth after Three C-sections Part 3 - The Birth<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My first three birth stories </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(<a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-journey-to-home-birth-after-3-c.html?m=1">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/09/my-journey-to-hba3c-part-2.html?m=1">Part 2</a>, <a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/10/my-journey-to-hba3c-part-25.html?m=1">Part 2.5 video montage</a>) led me
here. The journey was long
and hard but I would never change it, as it brought me to the most
indescribable joy I have ever felt. The following is the story of the birth of
my fourth child at home, after my first three children were born by c-section.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After so much worry and doubt that I would never
be given a chance to birth this baby, I finally found a magnificent midwife and
felt so very privileged to be under her care. By that time I was 32 weeks
pregnant. I looked forward to getting to know her better and building the trust
needed to feel safe as she safeguarded my life and that of my child. We decided
to continue prenatal care with the OB, and pre-register at the hospital. I wish
I could have dropped OB care altogether, but there were reasons it seemed
prudent. My plan was to tell him I would come in for the c-section when labor
started; then, if I had to transfer, no one would have to know I had been
trying for a home birth again. I was hoping to avoid the awful mistreatment I
had encountered</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.com/2013/07/my-journey-to-home-birth-after-3-c.html?m=1"><span style="color: black; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc;">before</span></a>. I was so
worried he would have a problem with this. I came up with a long explanation I
would give as to why, if he protested. Then, I prayed and prayed while sitting
in the exam room waiting for him to come in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The
first words out of his mouth were, "How about the 13th for the
c-section?"</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And
I asked, "Well, can I talk to you about that?" I told him I would
like to wait for labor to begin and his response was nothing short of shocking
to me.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He
said "Sure! You are a happy pregnant woman. Most women just want it to be
over with. You just need to know that it may be as late as the 25th (my due
date was the 16th)."</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I assured him that was not a problem for me. I
would wait.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I did not pre-register at the hospital with my
first homebirth attempt and I think it made the transition for care very
difficult, but the registration meeting this time around was enough to send me
to homebirth, if I had not already decided on it. I asked for very few things
in regard to my repeat c-section and was flat denied on all counts.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Could
we take pictures of our son's birth?”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“No.
No cameras allowed in the operating room.”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Please
don't give me amnesic drugs. I want to remember his first moments.”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Well,
they usually don't.”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">“But,
they did last time.”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">And lastly I asked, "Could my husband be
present while I am getting the spinal?" I had great fear about being
treated the way I had been before. The answer was again, no. I could not
understand why it was OK for him to be there while I got an epidural in an
L&D room, but not while I had essentially the same thing done in an
operating room. I know there are sterile fields, but they let students observe, who
have never been in an OR before. I know this because I was one of those
students, and then, I worked as an OR circulating nurse. It was one of my jobs to ensure sterile
technique was always observed. They could not give me a sufficient answer other
than, "It's hospital policy." My most important request was to have
immediate skin-to-skin with my baby in the operating and recovery rooms. I was
told, “We will try, but it will depend on if we have the staff.” Really? The
most important hour of bonding will depend on if you are staffed correctly? I
told her the studies I had read showed it was very important for establishing
breastfeeding. She agreed with me, but told me her hands were tied. The idea of
doing it all again overwhelmed me, and I cried right there in her office. She
offered that if I scheduled my c-section she would personally come in for me.
She was so kind and understanding, but could do nothing to change the
all-powerful hospital policy. She encouraged me to talk to the floor manager
and gave her my name and phone number. When I spoke to her, it was all business.
I felt like she was patting me on the head and saying "Oh, don't you worry
your pretty little head." Treating me like I had no idea what I was
talking about and constantly saying "Well, that's just hospital
policy." I could tell it was all a lesson in futility, but I felt I had to
try to make them see how wrong their policies were. I ended the conversation
feeling so very grateful I would not be dealing with them, or their policies.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At 39 weeks pregnant, I had been sick with a
terrible cough for nearly a month. It was so hard to sleep when I was awake
hacking up a lung all night long. I was exhausted and really hoping this thing
would clear up before I had to labor and birth my baby. I was taking Emergen-C
twice a day, soaking in eucalyptus and Epsom salt baths, and praying I would
get better soon. The 39 week mark came on a Saturday. Just like my last
pregnancy. That night hubby and I were intimate, and shortly after I started to
lose my mucus plug. Just like my last pregnancy. I started to panic a little bit,
as it was feeling all too familiar. With my daughter, I was in labor by Monday
night, only to end in the operating room Tuesday night. I felt like history was
repeating itself, and it scared me. I stayed home from church on Sunday because
I felt miserable, and I thought I might be able to catch up on some sleep. Some
friends came to pick up my kids and take them to church. They asked, “When are
you going to have that baby?” To which I replied, “Maybe today.” I was having
mild, inconsistent contractions and knew it wasn’t time yet, but I also knew it
was right around the corner. Though I hoped I was wrong. My sister was coming
to help on Friday, and I kept hoping he would hold out at least until then. I
felt a little crazy for wanting pregnancy to last longer, when most women are
just begging for it to end.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> I
slept all day on Sunday. Then asked Kyle to stay home from work and slept all
day Monday as well. Tuesday morning came and labor had not begun. It was not
following the same timeline as my last experience. I was relieved and grateful.
I tried to keep my mind in the present and know that this pregnancy was its
own, but I was definitely struggling. Tuesday afternoon I had an appointment
with the OB. I had been having mild contractions and kept praying they would
not pick up in the office. I easily refused a vaginal exam and did not incur
any insistence for one from the nurse, or the doctor. Why would they? As far as
they knew, I was having a C-section. We mostly talked about how sick I was, and
I decided to ask him for some antibiotics to clear my nasty respiratory
infection. Even though I had other plans, I was so afraid of recovering from
surgery with this constant cough. We left the doctor's office to run some
errands. I popped into Target to get a pack of newborn diapers and just
couldn’t resist grabbing a bag of Robin Eggs candy too. While Kyle filled my
prescription I ate half the bag. I downed the first two pills of my z-pack,
then had a sinking feeling I made the wrong choice about the antibiotics. I
instantly started feeling sick to my stomach. ( I am sure it had nothing to do
with the bag of candy I had just eaten ;-) When I got home I sat down on the
couch and promptly barfed it all up. I saw the pills swimming in it and thought
“I guess I wasn’t supposed to take those after all.” I hadn’t thrown up since
week fourteen. So I knew it was yet another sign of impending labor. Soon
after, my wonderful midwife came to see me. She brought the birth pool, and
just seeing her calmed my nerves. Everything was falling into place. She made
plans to come see me Friday, but I was pretty sure I would see her before then.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
The doctor suggested I take
some cough medicine, and though I usually strictly avoid that stuff during
pregnancy, I knew I really needed some sleep. So, I took a dose and went to
bed. I actually slept for a good 4 hours straight. It was fantastic. At about
six in the morning I was awakened by contractions. They weren't very strong,
but they were coming pretty consistently. There was never more than 20 minutes
between them. I took note, told Kyle, sent a text to my midwife, and tried to
go back to sleep. I slept on and off until about 10. I took some phone
calls from people at my church. The first one was wondering if they could bring
dinner (leftovers from the last night's church activity). I told her that would
be great; because, I was pretty sure I was in early labor. She was confused and
questioned if we would even be there for dinner. I told her we were staying
home to have this baby. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
said "Oh! Have you had all of them at home?" </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
said "No, the others were by c-section." </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She didn't know what to say then. She wished me
luck and I thanked her for thinking of my family. I felt completely confident
in our plans. It felt good to finally share it. I had kept my plans pretty
quiet. The second call was someone asking if we needed anything at the store.
My church family is very good at being God's hands and takes very good care of
us.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> The
contractions were getting slightly stronger, but I easily breathed through them
and started chanting, "Baby down and out, baby down and out." I
envisioned him moving down. I moved to the couch where it remained manageable
and consistent all day. That evening the young men from my church were coming
over to clean my house. This had been planned for a week and a half, and I saw
no reason to stop them from finishing up what I had not been able to. When they
arrived I retreated to my bedroom where things continued to slowly intensify.
As I bounced on my birth ball, I ate a wonderful ham dinner complete with salad
and rolls. It tasted wonderful. My babysitter and her mother stopped by, and I
came out of the bedroom to chat. It only took a couple contractions for me to
excuse myself and retreat back to the bedroom. If I anticipated them and
started breathing before they hit, I could breeze right through, but because I
was chatting they caught me off guard, and they were starting to hurt. I knew at
this point things were going to pick up. I just didn't know when. After they
all left, Kyle started putting the kids to bed, and I made some phone calls to
get them taken care of the next day. Between breathing through contractions, I
talked to 5 different people and finally got it worked out. I wrote it all down
then walked around the living room picking up random stuff and put it away.
They were getting stronger and closer together. Then, I was brought to my
knees. I leaned over the couch as each contraction became harder and more
painful. It was like my body was waiting for my other children to be taken care
of before kicking into high gear. This was it. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Kyle came out from laying down
with our daughter to find me struggling to get on top of the newly intensified
contractions. He asked if I was OK and wondered about calling our midwife. I
said, “Yes, please call her and let her know things have picked up.” He called
and put her on speaker phone. She was so calm and pleasant. I remember her
saying that things may still slow down, and I thought, "No way. This feels
like being pushed down a hill. There is just no way this is slowing down."
She said to keep her posted. Kyle decided to set up the birth pool, and I
sought refuge in a hot bath. I turned on the jets, and the tightenings just
kept coming. I would moan through each one. Kyle checked on me and asked if I
wanted some music. I had really enjoyed music during my last labor, so I
thought it might help. When he turned it on, it felt wrong. So I asked him to
turn on the same artist I had listened to the last time. Then it was all wrong.
I felt like I had been transported back to that place. All the awful emotions
and anxiety returned. It was terrible. I snapped at him, “Turn it off!
Please, just turn it off.” He was surprised, but did as I asked. I was able to
get in a better headspace while alone and things were quiet. He returned to
filling the pool. It took forever... We were having water pressure issues and
had an appointment for a plumber to come fix it the next morning, but it was
not going to happen now. The water was coming at nearly a trickle. He
used a canning kettle to fill the pool one slow pot at a time. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When it was about half full, he asked me if I
wanted to change from the bath to the pool. I was ready for a change, so I
agreed. I had been up to the toilet several times and had lost a lot more
mucous. It was thick and yellow. Not like I remembered it being the last times,
but it was nice to know I was making some progress.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAl3ldY0l4EEb73gTzltCpPmLDqH-coj2RhvkIMpxXjmCM3eqNF8JesmmissclOmBWakCyH6CQQUOlgaSNS_2viBlBLMnDnn53PUOdLHeqXeE78xW3vQQfc99-O1Fnz3Qa-g4dqn1eQ1j7/s1600/DSCF4256-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAl3ldY0l4EEb73gTzltCpPmLDqH-coj2RhvkIMpxXjmCM3eqNF8JesmmissclOmBWakCyH6CQQUOlgaSNS_2viBlBLMnDnn53PUOdLHeqXeE78xW3vQQfc99-O1Fnz3Qa-g4dqn1eQ1j7/s1600/DSCF4256-003.JPG" height="320" width="297" /></a></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The pool felt good. There was more room to move,
and the floor and sides were soft. Intense contractions continued, and I kept
chanting, “Baby down and out, baby down and out.” Then I would say.
“I.am.dying.” Positive, right? Ha! Kyle was trying to be supportive, but my
daughter kept waking up and coming out of her room. So, he had to give her
attention and get her back in bed. About midnight I told Kyle to call Terrie,
our midwife, and ask her to come. I didn't think I was close, but she was three
hours away, and I was starting to think I really needed her support. She agreed
to come, and I was glad she was on her way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">When she arrived, I was still in the pool and
feeling tired. She brought a remarkable presence of excitement, that I had not
previously felt. She was absolutely positive I would be birthing my baby right
here. I was still not sure. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After giving me some reassuring attention, she
checked baby's heartbeat. I loved to hear it. It reminded me the reason I was
going through all of this. Then, she asked me to see if I could feel the baby's
head and tell her how far inside it was. I could feel it, but it was almost a
full finger length inside. She again reassured me he would move down and where
he was, was great.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Time really runs together for me after this, and
I only have a few points where I was aware of the actual time. The contractions
were consistent and strong, and my back was hurting so bad. I was on my knees
leaning over the side of the pool. I dozed between, but if I relaxed too much
when the next one hit I was a mess. When the contraction would rise, I almost felt
panic as it overtook my body. The sensations running through me were unlike
anything I had experienced before. I would grab for something, anything, the
sides of the pool, Kyle's hand, arm, shoulder, face, whatever I could get my
hands on. I felt like I had to hold on or the intense pain and pressure would
overtake me. It was from my knees to my ribs, and circumferential. Terrie tried
a hip squeeze and that helped a little, but not enough to make it worth it. I
was hanging on for dear life, fighting to make it through each contraction. My
mouth and throat were so dry because I couldn't breath through my nose, it was
too stuffed up. I felt like my mouth was full of cotton, so I was doing a lot
of spitting. Once, I accidentally spit right on Terrie's shirt. The look of
surprise and horror on her face was just awful. I felt absolutely horrible. I
had just spit on the most incredible woman I had ever met! I apologized
profusely, and she quickly forgave me, but I feel terrible about it to this
moment. Both Kyle and Terrie were so attentive and always had the cup of water or Powerade
handy for drinks between contractions. They offered me a piece of toast, but my
mouth was so dry I couldn't even swallow it without gulping water to get it
down. So, I only got one bite in me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This went on for hours, and hours, and hours. I
was in a cycle. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Kyle and Terrie would take turns
trying to get some rest, but if they happened to be able to doze off, they were
always awakened by my relentless yelling, screaming, and moaning. When Kyle was
resting, Terrie encouraged me to get out of the pool and walk. Telling me being
upright would help things progress, but when I was out of the water I panicked.
When a contraction would come, I didn't know what to do. Where am I going to
be? What do I do with my body? What do I hold on to? How do I contain this
overwhelming power? I just didn't know how to deal without the walls of the
birth pool. So, she could only coax me through a few laps before I retreated
back to my safe place. Those pool walls contained me, literally. I would grab
the side and push against the opposite side with all my strength. I am
surprised I didn't break it and flood my living room. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At about 7 in the morning, my children woke up.
Just before this, both Kyle and Terrie warned me they would be up soon and to
try to stay quiet and calm so I wouldn't worry them. Kyle had to get them ready
and out the door so Terrie stayed by me, getting me through. All of this broke
my concentration a bit, and it was very hard to stay quiet. All my kids wanted
to do was come see me, but they kept telling them to stay out. I wanted them to
be able to come in, but with everything going on I was not coping well at all.
I needed to feel unrestricted and undisturbed. I was relieved when they were
out the door and I could restore my routine, at least in my mind.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Terrie continued to ask me to tell her how far
in I felt his head. At about 10 am I could feel he had moved down quite a bit.
I felt his head just two knuckles in, but it felt different in there. There was
a big squishy thing in front of his head. I didn't know what it was. She said
it was probably one of two things, either the bag of waters or my cervix. I
wanted to know what I was feeling, so I asked her if she would check and tell
me what it was. She said if I really wanted her to, she would. I was so
grateful for her hands-out approach. Something I learned from my last labor:
checking does nothing but cause more pain. It does not help things progress
more quickly or really even assess how much further there is to go. She also
told me she would be checking for dilation. She wanted to prepare me because it
may be uncomfortable. It was crazy, I barely felt her in there at all. When I
was in labor with my daughter, every exam was excruciating. It felt like the
woman was reaching all the way up to my throat. But this was nothing like that.
It further solidified my complete trust in her. She told me I was at 7
centimeters, and the squishy thing was my cervix. She tried to boost my confidence,
saying only three more to go. Truly, I was so wrapped up in all the labor
sensations the number didn't even mean anything to me. Part of me was
sure this would go on forever.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">At one point I got out of the pool and tried
sitting on the birth ball in my bedroom. It did not feel right. I ended up
leaning back into a plastic bin in a really strange position. I’m not sure how
long I stayed that way. Then I went to the bed, and she checked me again. She
never said what she felt and I never asked. Every time I checked on how far in
his head was, it seemed like he had not moved any closer to coming out. Each
time I would show Terrie on my finger how far in he was. It stayed in between
my first two knuckles for what seemed like forever. She always responded so
positively with "He is moving. Millimeters, millimeters but he is
moving." She continued to reassure me, as I was losing hope.
"Everything is normal. All of this is perfectly normal. He is doing well
and you are doing well." Her reassurance helped me carry on, even though I
was starting to lose perspective. I kept wishing I could go to the hospital for
pain relief. I just wanted an epidural. I really wanted some relief, but I knew
the moment I stepped into a hospital they would cut me open. That knowledge
spurred me on.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">But those things could only take me so far.
Finally, I had, had enough. I felt completely drained and was just sure I could
go no further. I told Terrie and Kyle I was done and wanted to go to the
hospital. I realize now, I never really saw the end. I just thought I would
endure the pain of contractions until I absolutely could not anymore, then go
in and get a c-section. That is pretty much how it happened last time. I had
not experienced anything else. I didn’t believe I was actually going to get to
experience what I had worked so very hard for. My spirit had been broken. I
would willing go to the slaughter. I thought I was defeated… again. While
holding me up, Kyle looked at Terrie and said, “We need some hope.” I really
felt defeated then. Even Kyle had lost hope. Terrie calmly explained to us that
I could go to the hospital, but everything was normal and going well. I knew
she was right, but I just didn’t think I had anything left to give. She again
suggested we walk. I leaned forward on Kyle and hobbled to the bathroom. I was
bent at the waist at almost a 90 degree angle. I sat on the toilet, in my very
small bathroom, and checked again how things were going down there. He was
holding steady where he had been for hours, just past my first knuckle. But I
could feel a lip of cervix for sure this time. Terrie suggested I try to push
it up over his head. I tried, but I couldn’t get the right angle on it. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
told her, “I want you to do it.” </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
said, “You don’t want me to do it.” </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I conceded that she was right. She knew what the
last midwife had done to me, and knew that was <i>not </i>what I wanted. While
I sat on the toilet she went in the other room. I found out later, she was
praying to know how to help me. I had another particularly hard contraction and
I started saying, “Please Heavenly Father. Let me have this miracle.” My
husband is agnostic and does not pray, but I started yelling that he needed to
ask for this miracle too. He looked at me like I was a little crazy, but said
it loud and proud anyway. I started to get my courage back. When Terrie
returned she had a mirror for me to see what was happening. She showed me that
my lips were beginning to open and told me it was all good progress. I was
starting to believe it might actually happen. Then my water broke. I heard it
pop and I got to see it in the mirror. It was like a little spit. No gush, no
trickle, just a pffft. I stood up just as another contraction hit. Kyle was
sitting on the bathtub next to the toilet and I threw my whole body over him. I
had one leg on the wall and was pushing him over the half wall at the end of
the tub, while nearly climbing to the top of his head. All while yelling, “I
know I’m hurting you, but I HAVE TO!” Terrie said later she was trying so hard
not to laugh at the sight of us. Me sprawled out on top of him, dripping
amniotic fluid on his leg, and him just taking it. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Then, it was time to walk again. She told me I
should keep my hips under my body as I walked. I felt like this was impossible.
I asked Kyle if he would stand behind me and act as a wall that I could push my
hips against. We held hands and bent our arms, his under mine holding me up. We
walked, and when a contraction would hit, I would lift my feet off the ground
and try to get traction anywhere I could, the walls, the banister, at one point
it was the kitchen counter and the opposite window. I was instinctively
pushing. No one told me to push, I just did. I made it around the loop of my
house twice. Hallway, kitchen, dining room, livingroom, hallway, hallway and
ended up at the top of my stairs in the kitchen. Terrie said it would be
alright if I squatted or got on hands and knees. Previously, in the pool, she
had advised against squatting as she didn’t think baby was down far enough for
it to help. Since she told me it was now ok, I started to realize I was really
making progress. This was actually going to happen. It was like everything came
into focus. I was no longer flailing and trying to get footing wherever I
could. I knew just what to do and how to do it. The screaming and yelling
stopped. I was calm and determined. I decided hands and knees was right. They
brought a foam pool float for me to kneel on (I have hardwood floors). Kyle
applied immense pressure to my sacrum. It felt great. I pushed for about three
contractions. I told them it felt like baby was going to blow out my butt.
Terrie was so happy. She kept saying, "That’s good, that’s good." It
was a strange feeling, but I knew she was right, this was good. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Knowing just what to do, I decided now I needed
to go to the bathroom. Everyone was in agreement and off we went. I sat down on
the toilet and reassessed the situation. I could feel the lip of cervix had
thinned out. I could finally get ahold of it. I told it what for, "Get out
of the way you piece of ©%*#!" I hooked it with my first two fingers and
pulled it up over his head. Such triumph! I had finally gotten the best of that
stubborn cervix. Next contraction I had one foot on the tub and instructed them
I needed a stool for my other foot. To which Terrie responded with excitement
"Yes, yes this is so good!" I pushed like that for one contraction.
Then I said, "Now I want to get on my hands and knees." More great
encouragement from Terrie, and a cushion under my knees. It was a tight squeeze
in my little bathroom. But it was working. Kyle resumed pushing on my sacrum
and l pushed with the next contraction. It felt amazing. Then I stated matter
of factly, "Now I need to go to the bedroom." "Good, good!"
More fantastic encouragement. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Between contractions I crawled around the corner
to the foot of my bed. I instinctively got more upright. I knelt at the foot of
my bed leaning slightly over and grabbed fistfuls of my blue sheets. These next
moments play in my mind like a dream. I will remember and cherish them all of
my life. Kyle, my amazing partner, is right behind me still pushing on my
sacrum with all his might. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Terrie
says "OK. Now I want you to feel where he is."</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
felt and he was, "Right there." I could feel his head just barely
inside. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
looked at her phone and said "6:15. What time are your kids supposed to be
home?" </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
answer "Seven." </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">To
which she replies "They might come while we are in the throws of this.
Maybe we should call and let someone know." </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
say, "NO! I am having this baby right now. We are not calling
anyone!" </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Then the contraction hits. And I push with my
body. Kyle is right behind me and can see him coming. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He
says, "He's coming Terrie. What do I do? Terrie, Terrie! He's coming.What
do we do?" He isn't worried or afraid but wants to make sure all is well.
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
replies "Let him come!" Then I tell them I need someone to put their
hand down there to hold his head. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">She
sweetly says, "You put your hand there."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It was like it hadn't even occurred to me that I
could do it myself. I held my left hand on his head, as it started to stretch
me open, and gripped the sheets for dear life with my right. I yell about
pushing and Terrie tries to remind me not to push too hard, because I don't
want to tear, and I yell "I HAVE TO!" Then the burn, oh the burn.
Serious ring of fire, but only for a split second. Then his whole body slid
right out. "Like a bar of soap" one of my friends said when I told
her the story, and that is a perfect description. I leaned back on my feet and
Terrie helped me scoop him up in my arms. I held him tightly against my chest
as if someone might take him from me.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I couldn't believe he was here. I spent some
time just taking it all in. I had actually given birth to my baby. The rush of
emotions made me shake. Pure elation! Indescribable joy! Wonder! Astonishment!
Even shock! "I JUST HAD A BABY!" My baby was absolutely the most
beautiful sight I have ever seen. He was perfect. With a fabulous, lusty cry.
He was covered in smooth,white vernix. Soft, sweet, ooey, gooey vernix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">As soon as our baby was out, Kyle jumped up to
grab the camera and caught it all in pictures and video. I will forever be
grateful for him doing that. Being able to relive it over and over has been the
greatest gift. I have no pictures of my other childrens' first moments
earthside. No recordings of their first cries, because cameras are not allowed
in the operating room. And because of amnesic drugs, I do not even have a
memory of seeing my daughter for the first time. This was all so different, so
extraordinary, so amazing. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">After a minute or two, Terrie had me get up on my
bed. My son, Declan, was still attached to his pulsing umbilical cord.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoECfcRFC8r9EltvZ2sPcnU2SRRklXiYRDS_NYeRa1SOMho_o7TGEEPOp-wO_pHxL-hKRkgm4G8WHJTRF4-cmlp8ZfbzAV2__o-etUJ42TZS0qWRr5MVD-ecLNWnf9dqdddg_fI7XBQ9v/s1600/DSCF4277-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgoECfcRFC8r9EltvZ2sPcnU2SRRklXiYRDS_NYeRa1SOMho_o7TGEEPOp-wO_pHxL-hKRkgm4G8WHJTRF4-cmlp8ZfbzAV2__o-etUJ42TZS0qWRr5MVD-ecLNWnf9dqdddg_fI7XBQ9v/s1600/DSCF4277-003.JPG" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">He was
perfectly pink and crying. Oh, what a beautiful sound. He latched on and
started breastfeeding right away. Oh, to have him skin to skin and nursing
within minutes was so magnificent. After the umbilical cord stopped pulsing, Terrie
clamped it and Kyle cut it. For the first time in four children, he finally got
to cut the cord. Even such a small thing like this, gave me so much happiness.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrgUHDquSNm1lKAiPYJ4GWwvlEQQjoZiOxwTUFUmrAFKmwqloB5RxboPxTUEv9AtKBVKaAvTkzNVycvefILSxJffqRzaOIQBGFB1EHvc36XIYAGO8q1zmsWnXKoj1PJqtxgqy2GXWYri5/s1600/DSCF4280-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSrgUHDquSNm1lKAiPYJ4GWwvlEQQjoZiOxwTUFUmrAFKmwqloB5RxboPxTUEv9AtKBVKaAvTkzNVycvefILSxJffqRzaOIQBGFB1EHvc36XIYAGO8q1zmsWnXKoj1PJqtxgqy2GXWYri5/s1600/DSCF4280-003.JPG" height="400" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Not too much longer after that I birthed the
placenta. Terrie told me to look at my baby, to distract me, then give a little
push. It came out so easily. It didn’t hurt at all. After a baby it felt like
nothing. I remarked later it felt like pushing out a steak, silly but true.
After a while she weighed him and checked him over. He was 8 pounds 8 ounces.
My biggest baby by two ounces. One pound seven ounces more than my daughter
whom I tried to push out for 6 hours. Following my instincts and not letting
others tell me when or how to push made it happen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Then we just cuddled, skin to skin. He ate. I
cried, and thanked my Father in heaven, and smiled the biggest smile I have
ever smiled. It was truly a miracle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">About an hour after he was born my other
children came home. It was perfect. They got to meet their sweet, new, little
brother in our home so soon after he was born. What an awesome blessing! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">My
family was changed by this incredible journey. Mostly because it changed me. It
was the hardest thing I have ever endured. Then, after the grueling
intensity of labor, I was lifted to the highest high I have felt in this
lifetime, as I held my baby, fresh from heaven, against my breast. I am
not the same person I was. How could I be? I am more confident. I am happier. I
am a better mother, wife, and dare I say, a better woman. Birth matters!
Mothers matter! Women matter! </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #606060; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 11.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">NOTE:
Everything on our blog is subject to copyright. Sharing of the original
article is allowed by linking directly to the blog. All photos and
content are property of the author and may not be shared on any other website,
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Melissa Patehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17760828291437582107noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-76581411945702079262013-11-29T12:20:00.002-07:002013-11-29T12:21:50.237-07:00You're Pregnant! What's Next?<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Finding out you're pregnant can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time. What should you do first? When will you see your doctor or midwife? These questions, and more, are answered in our latest webisode.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><br /></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/2DZ_wxbmth8/0.jpg" height="315" width="420"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/2DZ_wxbmth8&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="420" height="315" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/2DZ_wxbmth8&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px;"><br /></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-36233186034123747622013-11-08T09:09:00.000-07:002013-11-08T09:09:37.021-07:00Top 5 Books for Parents-to-BeCongratulations on your pregnancy! Now, what should you read? Here are my Top 5 Books for Parents-to-Be! From pregnancy and birth to breastfeeding and baby care, plus the support your partner needs, each book is the best of the best!<br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-62949153426344994422013-11-01T09:36:00.002-06:002013-11-02T08:40:17.788-06:00How to Afford a DoulaAre you considering hiring a doula for your birth; but, concerned about how to afford one? Our latest webisode gives you a wealth of ideas and insights.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cMyZ7XlrCp0" width="420"></iframe><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-45036921986752750382013-10-25T11:11:00.001-06:002013-10-25T11:25:02.992-06:00Doula FAQ - Part 2 & Lethbridge Area Resources<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's Friday and that means we've released another video in our vlog series! This week's topic continues our look at the most frequently asked questions about doulas. We hope you find the information helpful and we look forward to answering more of your questions in future webisodes! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/UXfq21veTfY" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In today's blog we're also including a resource list for expectant parents in Lethbridge and the surrounding area. If you know of any additions we can make to the list, please email us at <a href="mailto:wombtocradle@gmail.com" target="_blank">wombtocradle at gmail dot com</a>! </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 28px;"><br /></u>
<u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 28px;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/from-womb-to-cradle-doula-services-lethbridge-alberta/lethbridge-area-pregnancy-birth-breastfeeding-parenting-resources/384730214892497" target="_blank">Lethbridge & Area - Pregnancy, Birth, Breastfeeding</a></b></u></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<u style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 28px;"><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/from-womb-to-cradle-doula-services-lethbridge-alberta/lethbridge-area-pregnancy-birth-breastfeeding-parenting-resources/384730214892497" target="_blank"> & Parenting Resources</a></b></u></div>
<div class="mts _50f8" style="background-color: white; color: #898f9c; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 5px;">
<em style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CURRENTLY UPDATING...</span></strong></em></div>
<div class="_5k3v _5k3w clearfix" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px; margin-top: 16px; word-wrap: break-word; zoom: 1;">
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Baby Care</span></strong><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><strong> </strong><em>Baby Carrier Safety</em></span><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Babywearing Safety/Babywearing International </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbabywearinginternational.org%2Farticles.php%3Farticle%3D2&h=SAQEaW3lx&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://babywearinginternational.org/articles.php?article=2</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Proper Positioning </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebabywearer.com%2Farticles%2FHowTo%2FPositioning.pdf&h=YAQHMZ8XJ&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Birth/Pregnancy</span></strong><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lethbridge & Area</span></em><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Birth Partnership Midwives (Cardston) - Serving Lethbridge, Cardston & area </span></li>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.birthpartnershipmidwives.com%2Fabout%2Fcardston.html&h=gAQH1VHf9&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.birthpartnershipmidwives.com/about/cardston.html</a></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chinook Regional Hospital </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(403) 388-6111</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">960 - 19 Street South, Labour & Delivery 3rd Floor</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CHR NICU </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albertahealthservices.ca%2Ffacilities.asp%3Fpid%3Dsaf%26rid%3D1000347&h=DAQFidb4Q&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=saf&rid=1000347</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">CHR Post Partum </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albertahealthservices.ca%2Ffacilities.asp%3Fpid%3Dsaf%26rid%3D1000182&h=eAQGuC4Ry&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=saf&rid=1000182</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maternity Associates Clinic </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(403) 942-0555</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1510 9 Ave S, Lethbridge, AB T1J 1V8</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Other referrals available upon request.</span></li>
</ul>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cardston</span></em><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cardston Health Centre</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albertahealthservices.ca%2Ffacilities.asp%3Fpid%3Dfacility%26rid%3D3308&h=GAQEGXN5G&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=facility&rid=3308</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Raymond</span></em><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Raymond Health Centre </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.albertahealthservices.ca%2Ffacilities.asp%3Fpid%3Dfacility%26rid%3D3306&h=tAQFnd5DL&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=facility&rid=3306</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Taber</span></em><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Taber Health Centre </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=facility&rid=3307" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.albertahealthservices.ca/facilities.asp?pid=facility&rid=3307</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Breastfeeding</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">La Leche League Canada </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lllc.ca%2F&h=2AQFrQlzl&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.lllc.ca/</a></span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">La Leche League Lethbridge Chapter </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LLLCLethbridge" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;">https://www.facebook.com/LLLCLethbridge</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fitness</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Prenatal Yoga </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(403)634-8532</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">517 4th Ave S. Lethbridge, AB T1J 0N6</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">General Health</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Alberta Health Link 1-866-408-LINK</span></li>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Parenting</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Family Centre </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.famcentre.ca%2F&h=BAQH2Et91&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.famcentre.ca/</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Pregnancy/Postpartum Mental Health</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Birth/Postpartum Psychologist (Calgary), Gemma Stone </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fbirthingfromlove.com%2F&h=HAQGa5p4l&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://birthingfromlove.com/</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Prenatal Classes</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lethbridge Community Health: Getting Ready for Baby</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(403) 386-6666, 801 1st Ave S. Lethbridge, AB T1J 4L5</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chinook Regional Hospital Childbirth Education Program</span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sharon Prusky: (403) 382-6111 or (403) 382-6224</span></li>
</ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Birthing From Within - Lethbridge </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ellie Colver: (403) 360-7878 </span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Postpartum Support</span></strong><br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 0px 25px;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Postpartum Support International </span></li>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.postpartum.net%2F&h=RAQGe85nC&s=1" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.postpartum.net/</a></span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Special Needs</span></strong><br />
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please help us fill this resource area! </span></em><br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="photo photo_left" style="clear: left; float: left; max-width: 180px; padding: 2px 10px 5px 0px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img alt="From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.
(403) 942-6276 or
(403) 359-1102
Lethbridge, AB Canada" class="photo_img img" src="https://fbcdn-photos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1234724_10151954991416995_967819521_a.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" title="From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.
(403) 942-6276 or
(403) 359-1102
Lethbridge, AB Canada" /></span></span><br />
<div class="caption">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc. </span></div>
<div class="caption">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">(403) 942-6276 or (403) 359-1102 </span></div>
<div class="caption">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lethbridge, AB</span></div>
</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-74104314969161950012013-10-24T09:39:00.000-06:002013-10-24T09:48:23.518-06:00My Journey to HBA3C - Part 2.5The reader responses to my friend Melissa's first two posts, <a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/07/my-journey-to-home-birth-after-3-c.html" target="_blank">My Journey to Home Birth After 3 Cesareans - Part 1</a> and <a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/09/my-journey-to-hba3c-part-2.html#.Umk-RPmsim4" target="_blank">My Journey to HBA3C - Part 2</a>, were phenomenal. She is still working on writing out Part 3, the birth of her fourth child; however, she has made a beautiful video sharing some of her amazing story.<br />
<br />
Enjoy... and make sure you have plenty of Kleenex handy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/muEAzSZPN04" width="420"></iframe>
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Love,<br />
Michelle</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-1854036526366370422013-10-18T12:24:00.000-06:002013-10-18T12:24:55.322-06:00Frequently Asked Questions About Doulas - Part 1As doulas, we are often asked certain questions over and over again. In our latest <a href="http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnx9vd9iZKoeyW3GYrHuF-g/feed?view_as=public" target="_blank">YouTube</a> webisode, I've covered the following:<br />
<br />
What is a doula?<br />
Are you the same as a midwife?<br />
Can I have a doula if I would like pain relief, a cesarean, etc.?<br />
Why should I consider a doula?<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gtv91WA1hFw" width="420"></iframe>
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I'd like to answer more of your questions and hear your input! Please comment below or email me at <a href="mailto:wombtocradle@gmail.com" target="_blank">wombtocradle at gmail dot com</a>!<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-46742641174670757792013-10-08T13:52:00.000-06:002013-10-08T13:53:39.840-06:00Meet the Doula - Our First "Vlog!"<div style="text-align: center;">
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0tLijN-8G9g?rel=0" width="420"></iframe>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f6f6; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.333333969116211px; line-height: 16.99652862548828px; text-align: start;">© From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc. and Michelle Maisonville, CLD(CBI) 2008 - 2013</span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-12076599066154603632013-09-16T16:39:00.002-06:002013-09-16T18:36:13.325-06:00My Journey to HBA3C - Part 2<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><i>The response we received when we posted the <a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/07/my-journey-to-home-birth-after-3-c.html" target="_blank">first installment</a> of Melissa's story was unbelievable! We are so thankful for all of your words of encouragement. Here is the much anticipated second part to <a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/07/my-journey-to-home-birth-after-3-c.html" target="_blank">My Journey to Home Birth After 3 Cesareans</a>.</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">When VBAC hopefuls find out I gave birth at home
after three c-sections, they want to know, “How did you prepare?” Each person’s
road will look very different, but this is mine.</span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">After I knew I wanted a fourth child, I felt like a
huge mountain lay before me. I had to realize even if I climbed every obstacle,
I may not ever make it to the top. I had to accept that I may never have a
vaginal birth. I may be forced by circumstances, or worse, my health; or the
worst, my baby’s health, to have yet another c-section. The fears rolled in...
Maybe I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">didn't</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> want another child. The introspection had begun. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I had already
tried this twice. How would this time be any different? I thought I had done
everything right when I tried for home birth the first time. I had prepared
myself by reading countless books. </span><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Henci Goer’s </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Womans-Guide-Better-Birth/dp/0399525173/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374552687&sr=8-1&keywords=A+Thinking+Women%E2%80%99s+Guide+to+a+Better+Birth"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">The Thinking Women’s Guide to a Better Birth.</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ina-Mays-Guide-Childbirth-Gaskin/dp/0553381156/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374552799&sr=1-1&keywords=Ina+May%E2%80%99s+guide+to+childbirth"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Jennifer Block’s </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pushed-Painful-Childbirth-Modern-Maternity/dp/0738211664/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374552910&sr=1-1&keywords=pushed"><span style="font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and
Modern Maternity Care</span></a></span></b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Dr. Sear’s </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0316779075/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-weight: normal;">The
Birth Book: Everything You Need to Know to Have a Safe and Satisfying
Birth</span></a></span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;">.</span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Jessica%20Levesque&search-alias=books&sort=relevancerank"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">Jessica Levesque</span></a></span></b><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;">’s </span><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440489629/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-weight: normal;">Embracing
Birth: A Collection Of Inspiring Birth Stories</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Janet Schwegel’s </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1569243689/ref=oh_details_o06_s01_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><span style="background: white;">Adventures in Natural Childbirth:
Tales from Women on the Joys, Fears, Pleasures, and Pains of Giving Birth
Naturally</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Marie Mongan’s </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0757302661/ref=oh_details_o08_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><span style="background: white;">HypnoBirthing: The Mongan Method: A
natural approach to a safe, easier, more comfortable birthing (3rd
Edition)</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;">Peggy Vincent’s
</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743219333/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1"><span style="background: white;">Baby Catcher: Chronicles of a
Modern Midwife</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/AGAIN-Stories-About-Vaginal-Cesarean/dp/1591139945/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_pap?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374554711&sr=1-1&keywords=don%27t+cut+me+again"><span style="background: white;">DON'T CUT ME AGAIN! True Stories
About Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">And these were just the books for
my “failed” attempt at home birth. I had read every research article I could get
my hands on. Starting with the </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://ican-online.org/ican-white-papers"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">ican-online.org</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> white papers and continuing to </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://vbacfacts.com/13-myths-about-vbac/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">vbacfacts.com</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">. I had immersed myself in all
things birth related. I have always been enthralled with the subject but it
then had a real purpose, to get me prepared. I had ingested and inserted
vaginally evening primrose oil starting at 37 weeks. I did </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://footzonology.com/"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">foot
zoning</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> to help me let go
of the emotional baggage I carried. I thought I had done it all, but I still
had a c-section. What more could I do to “prepare” for yet another try at
this vaginal birth thing? I had no idea. I asked myself questions.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> Was it even safe to get pregnant again after such
a large uterine dehiscence? Was it safe to try for vaginal birth again? Where
could I find the answers to these questions? I started with the doctor that had
performed my last surgery. I scheduled a consult and brought in a list of questions.
His advice was “Sure, go ahead. You can get pregnant again. But you MUST have a
c-section. We will check for signs of uterine dehiscence with weekly
ultrasounds starting at 35 weeks. Any sign of a problem and you go straight to
the OR.” This gave me medical permission to have more children. Which in and of
itself was reassuring, because when I asked for the referral to speak to him
from the military GYN, she said “I’m sure he thinks you shouldn't have any more
kids.” None of this sat well with me. Doctors deciding the future of my family
just felt wrong. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Didn't</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> I know what was best for my family? Wasn't that between
me and my husband? My trust in them had been violated so many times. Why was I
returning for more? I felt like saying “please sir may I have another?” I
started looking for information anywhere I could. I posted questions on Facebook
groups. I searched research databases. There was very little</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/CSANDVBAC/vbac_after_2_cs.htm"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";"> information</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> about </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://vbacfacts.com/2012/09/13/thoughts-on-vba3c-vbac-after-three-or-more-prior-cesareans/"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">vaginal birth after three
c-sections</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">. And there didn't seem to be any
concrete information about pregnancy after uterine dehiscence. I </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">couldn't</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> get
hung up on stats and stories and suggestions. I had to look inward and upward.
What did I want and what did God want for me?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Before I became pregnant again I found a book that
tied birth to my spirituality. </span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;">The
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615622526?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=1&ref_=aw_bottom_links%20"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Gift of
Giving Life: Rediscovering the Divine Nature of Pregnancy and Birth</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;">by </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Felice-Austin/e/B0085YZMLK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1"><span style="background: white; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Felice Austin</span></a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif;"> et al.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> It was the only book I read this time around. It
gave me new perspective and hope. I could not only bring new life into the
world, but I could also become closer to my Father in Heaven through this
process. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The physical things I did also started before I
became pregnant. I started to improve my diet by incorporating more fruits and
vegetables and cutting out processed foods. I learned about essential oils and
used them for me and my family. Then I asked the person that taught me, what
she would suggest for strengthening the uterus before getting pregnant. At the
time I was still breastfeeding and my period had not returned yet. She
suggested trying </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://natural-fertility-info.com/vitex"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif";">vitex</span></a></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"> (chaste tree berry).
My husband was across the country for a 60 day job training. So I figured I had
some time to try it before I could even get pregnant. He joined our family
again and because my period had still not returned I was sure I had more time.
I still needed to clear my emotional baggage and find a provider who would go
along with my "crazy" idea of VBA3C. I got pregnant pretty much the
moment he got home. Even though I knew I wanted another child, when I say that
positive test I sobbed. My amazing husband held me while I cried. I cried for
so many reasons. All the pain and fear came flooding back. I felt so
unprepared. Could I really do this again? I started to feel my only chance at a
vaginal birth was to try at home again. K was NOT going to do that again. He
was afraid of losing his wife and had trouble (rightfully so) thinking we could
trust another midwife. Even though he had stanch reservations, I was going to
try to find support. Support for what I knew deep down inside was the right
thing for me and my baby, vaginal birth. I knew it was going to be hard, at
best, to find someone to help me with that. So I started prenatal care with the
doctor that performed my c-section. I knew bringing up the subject with him
with be entirely futile, so I completely avoided it. Pretending I was good with
another surgical birth was hard; but, I didn't see another option.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Then, I took a big gulp and called a midwife in a
city two and a half hours away. I had lived in this city for college. This is
where I lived when I trained and worked as a doula. I knew the birth culture
there was much better than my city. I told her my story and she seemed
encouraging. She thought she could help me. A better diet, some chiropractic,
she could fix my problems. Then I told her about the uterine dehiscence. She
didn’t know what to say. She would have to talk to her back up doctor and get
back to me. Ok, at least she didn’t say no, right? A week later she
called to tell me she had discussed it with her colleagues and they all agreed it
was best for me to have another Cesarean. I tried not to feel like the
rejection was personal, but to me it was. My body was broken and the only way
to safely deliver a baby was through surgery. They all agreed, but my heart did
not. And again I sobbed. My poor husband tried to be supportive and did very
well but all this was taking a toll on him too. Why couldn’t I accept my fate?
I tried so very hard to believe that a c-section was the best, safest option
for us. For a time I resigned myself to this and it brought so much sadness. I
prayed to know what to do. Each time I would pray I would get the feeling I
just had to keep trying. I never got the feeling that everything was going to
end the way I wanted it to. But I felt I had to continue trying, no matter how
hard it was for me to do so.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Through all of this, life outside my all-consuming
journey continued. And I tried desperately to enjoy my completely complication
free pregnancy. I continued prenatal care with the OB. I had an ultrasound at
18 weeks and learned my baby was a boy.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-EKNpRQkWgZ9x4XjZCKN0R4gSdc_n9ZQAoiNerMrsw7BG19KaRPrkJ6zRIC78sRlf_8BUExLuv3FXt_OgrNfN23GQF7Xg4esYu0iPjtmTtNReCiOd2HTSbyyCKe9LOQpmyxyj_nS5uKY/s1600/Melissa+Pate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-EKNpRQkWgZ9x4XjZCKN0R4gSdc_n9ZQAoiNerMrsw7BG19KaRPrkJ6zRIC78sRlf_8BUExLuv3FXt_OgrNfN23GQF7Xg4esYu0iPjtmTtNReCiOd2HTSbyyCKe9LOQpmyxyj_nS5uKY/s320/Melissa+Pate.JPG" width="228" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">I also learned my placenta was posterior. I almost
got off the table and did a happy dance when the tech said that. All my others
had been anterior and I felt like it was a small victory and another little
step towards normal uncomplicated birth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">So now what? I had heard the midwives in a city 5
hours away were very good and might help me. Getting rejected over e-mail didn't seem to hurt as bad, so I tried that. One responded saying it might be
possible but her words and tone were one of extreme apprehension. I needed
someone who believed in me wholeheartedly and could buoy me up when I
inevitably had doubts. So I did not respond. The other midwife did not respond
via email, so I got up the courage to call. After I told her my story she also
seemed optimistic, but felt she should consult with a VBAC friendly OB as well.
I waited and prayed. Then her call came. She could not help me. She relayed
that the doctor would not even do it in the hospital. Which she said surprised
her coming from this doctor because she was </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">so</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"> supportive of VBAC. She
asked if her daughter, a Doula, could contact me to help me find a hospital
that would give me a family centered Cesarean. I told her to give her my
number, hung up, then broke down once again. My past mistakes in trust had made
it impossible for my body to do what it was physiologically made to do. It hurt
so much. I cried to my husband who took part of his day off from work to
comfort me. Not long after this he made it clear to me he was </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">done </i><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">with
this search for a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">home birth</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"> midwife. He was not willing to do this at home
again. I asked him what if I could find a doctor and hospital to support me. He
was not enthusiastic but said I could try. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">After posting on several Facebook forums about my
situation I had a couple suggestions. One of the doctors actually contacted me
and asked me to call her. We had a very good conversation about the risks and
benefits. She seemed apprehensive but said if I did not find someone else by 32
weeks to call her back. This gave me a small glimmer of hope, a doctor at least
willing to consider it. But she was across the country and I did not have close
family there I could stay with. The OB I had heard nothing but amazing praise
about, was next on my list to contact. He was 5 and 1/2 hours away from where my
sister lived and I felt it was a real possibility. I called his office and
faxed my records to his receptionist. She said he would read them and call me
back. Two months of back and forth and reassurance he was truly going to call
ended with a phone call from the office manager with news that he would not
take me as a patient. When I asked for some kind of explanation she again said
he would call me. K was furious. He called her back and told her what they had
done was inhumane, dragging me along for months just to cut me off with a
rejection and no explanation. This left me at the lowest I could get. I was
questioning my very worth as a person. All my insecurities came crashing in on
me. Was I not even worth a phone call? Maybe all the mistreatment I had endured
to this point really was my fault. Others gave glowing reviews of the people
who had wronged me. Why had they treated me so badly? What was wrong with me?
The questions swirled through my head. I agonized over it all to me sister, who
reassured me that if I scheduled a c-section she would be able to be here for
me. I know she was sincere in wanting to help but once again hearing that a
c-section was so much better brought me even lower. I quickly dropped to my
previous state of depression. It was even harder than normal to sleep that
night. I woke to go to the bathroom and knelt in prayer. I pleaded for peace
and guidance. I woke with a new sense of hope, confidence, and a plan. I was
going to drive with my three children to one of my sisters' house, fly to another
sister's house, and drive 5 hours to his office and make him take me as a
patient. Yes, looking back I see how insane this sounds. K looked at me like I
was absolutely insane, but said if that's what I felt I had to do he trusted
me. After a week and couple more phone calls to his office, it became apparent
my plan was crazy and was not going to work. Traveling cross country to maybe
get support was not good for anyone. I decided I would rather have a c-section.
I actually felt liberated in a way. I had tried every single available option
to have my VBA3C in a hospital. So where did that leave me on my journey? Well,
there was just one more person I could try. She was a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">home birth</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"> midwife 3 hours
away but she was across the border in Canada. I basically begged K to let me
try just one more time. He very reluctantly agreed. I called her... I barely
got three words out and started to cry. I had planned to be brave and
professional, but I couldn't even keep it together for a full sentence. The way
she responded was amazing. She told me it sounded like I had been through a lot
and she would love to listen to my story. We talked for the next two hours. I
felt so loved. I had never felt this from any care provider, let alone one I
had never even met. We both agreed, our paths crossing was a miracle from God. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">The next thing that happened was probably the
hardest part of my entire VBAC journey. K fought me. He did not want to do this
and found many reasons why we couldn't. The biggest one being, we had no money.
If I went into the hospital for a c-section it literally cost us nothing. He
thought I didn't care about my family and all I wanted was a vaginal birth.
That I was going to do this no matter what the cost, and not just money. He
thought I was willing to sacrifice our marriage for this. I was flabbergasted.
How could he think this? Wasn't it obvious I was doing this <i>for</i> our family?
I needed to be able to care for everyone after this baby was born. We both knew
it was near impossible for me to do it after my last c-section, physically and
emotionally. Mothering through the haze of depression is so very hard. Why
didn't he understand? It got so bad he wouldn't even look at me. He avoided me
in doorways and spoke only when it was absolutely necessary. It broke me. I was
not going to lose my husband over this. I called the midwife and told her we
could not meet. She tried to tell me not to make it about the money. I told her
it wasn't me. Through sobs I apologized and hung up. I could barely stand from
the weight of it all. I wanted to hide. Almost immediately K was following me
trying to tell me something. I couldn't even look at him. I told him no, it was
over, just let me deal with it alone. He finally got me to listen. "We can
do it. Maybe it makes me a bad person, but I just needed to see you were
willing to let it go.”</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">Now I want to make something very clear. He is by
no stretch of the imagination a bad person. He is a loving husband and father
pushed too far by a system that makes it near impossible to make good decisions
about maternity care. I know that our argument actually had very little to do
with money, and everything to do with his frustration, at his utter lack of
control over how his wife and baby would be cared for. It blows a person's mind
to know that intervention and surgery will cost nothing, but staying home and
having someone safeguard my bodily integrity will put us in the poor house. I
also know he wanted to trust me, but knew I had so much emotional hurt tied up
in this. It was such a very difficult decision to make. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm-lONo42peziqqOq5gG6SVkid_XtJmnBaX6ZZNuT3DkCErimVevcbs_-n99i5zcAIW2ZNcXWuBxHNp8c-xOhNKFruksZ30-ap8cPd1Z0AvD-PT0_eLmUTWYRZ3KRbFGBtz17rYvQXJOq/s1600/MP+Maternity+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm-lONo42peziqqOq5gG6SVkid_XtJmnBaX6ZZNuT3DkCErimVevcbs_-n99i5zcAIW2ZNcXWuBxHNp8c-xOhNKFruksZ30-ap8cPd1Z0AvD-PT0_eLmUTWYRZ3KRbFGBtz17rYvQXJOq/s400/MP+Maternity+1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-147c3fcd-28e7-83b7-5e90-5a766ea58d88"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Copyright Kimberly Guardipee •</span><a href="http://www.guardipeephotography.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.guardipeephotography.com</span></a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">After that emotional roller coaster I could barely
speak, let alone call the midwife and tell her we had decided to go forward
with plans for </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif;">home birth</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"> I told him he had to call. He called her back and
luckily she did not think we had absolutely lost our minds, but was
understanding and supportive. Now I had to work on letting go of my
demons. I prayed to be able to trust, the courage to forgive those that had
hurt me in the past, and to feel peace throughout the remaining weeks until my
baby would be born in my home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">~ Melissa</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: small;">... <i><b>Check back for Part 3, coming soon!</b></i></span><span style="font-family: Georgia; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center; text-indent: 36pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8_Cy-HvLZHg8xG3YqWGmXsrlYT40FBOGUNCc9uf7FLmYs0v78BLI8Wr4XPk7ObbBdks6BypJxXXfYHjUCrrXGXqrexIpnFwNKUSbhE_sl6YA8-IVHoiiBH2D4HWxC5x68reupKLb7Fjl/s1600/MP+Maternity+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD8_Cy-HvLZHg8xG3YqWGmXsrlYT40FBOGUNCc9uf7FLmYs0v78BLI8Wr4XPk7ObbBdks6BypJxXXfYHjUCrrXGXqrexIpnFwNKUSbhE_sl6YA8-IVHoiiBH2D4HWxC5x68reupKLb7Fjl/s400/MP+Maternity+2.jpg" width="266" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-147c3fcd-28e7-83b7-5e90-5a766ea58d88"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Copyright Kimberly Guardipee •</span><a href="http://www.guardipeephotography.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.guardipeephotography.com</span></a></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="background-color: #fffaed; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">NOTE: Everything on our blog is subject to copyright. Sharing of the original article is allowed by linking directly to the blog. All photos and content are property of the author and may not be shared on any other website, media source, etc. without prior written consent. </b></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-29001241088954592442013-07-22T14:08:00.001-06:002013-09-20T09:39:13.884-06:00My Journey to Home Birth after 3 C-sections - Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I am overwhelmed and pleased to share the birth stories of my dear friend, Melissa Pate. Her strength and </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">perseverance</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> is beyond inspirational. I am proud and humbled to call her friend. (Please note: this story takes place in the USA) Melissa requests that you feel free to <b>share the link to her story far and wide </b>as her goal is to reach out and help other mothers throughout the world! It makes it worth all of the pain she endured.</span></span></span></i></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">Love, Michelle</span></span></i></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">I have had THREE c-sections. 6 weeks ago I gave
birth to my fourth child in my bedroom. It was an amazing miracle. I sit here
knowing, I want to share my story with the world. But where do I start? It is
all so overwhelming. The stories are long and such a part of who I am. I have
tried to write them so many times, only to stop in the middle and say, “It’s
just too long and hard.” I could write a
book, and still may someday. I have tried to shorten it as much as I can
without leaving anything important out. I have included links to information
that helped me on my way. These are the
stories of how I became a mother of three, through surgical intervention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;">When I found out
I was pregnant the first time, I was a little surprised but so excited. I knew
I wanted to be a mother for a long time before it happened. I had a partial
placental abruption when I was 25 weeks pregnant. It was very scary. I spent 10
days in the hospital and 10 weeks on bedrest and tocolytics. Even though I was
a doula before becoming pregnant, through all of this I lost faith in
everything I had learned about birth. I thought I was broken and could not
possibly do what I knew other women could. Through the bed rest and around the
clock meds, I almost went crazy. At 38 weeks pregnant I was offered an
induction and I took it.</span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-indent: 48px;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtifIumOLA-kF_7FOii6ACTZsK-ORGwqwS47ugO8iozwxCyCxePHe2fX6gKq8UG6Z7AaRLeKP3oBCSvcfXdaxw7dEinHrjoL-8-ASsJ1ac9eKMTh75BJZ62bUmxogNeCzqDT0G0uiBtBa/s1600/Watching+the+Monitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYtifIumOLA-kF_7FOii6ACTZsK-ORGwqwS47ugO8iozwxCyCxePHe2fX6gKq8UG6Z7AaRLeKP3oBCSvcfXdaxw7dEinHrjoL-8-ASsJ1ac9eKMTh75BJZ62bUmxogNeCzqDT0G0uiBtBa/s320/Watching+the+Monitor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the monitor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I had spent so much time believing my baby would
come early and was convinced outside was a safer place for my baby to be. I
arrived at 5 am to start pitocin. I was dilated one whole cm and 50% effaced.
At 7 am the doctor came in and broke my water. No turning back now. I labored
all day only to have my son's heart rate drop. They turned off the pitocin and
it came back up, but was showing very little variability. So the OB came in to
tell me it was time for a c-section, because I was only 4-5 cm dilated. He said
if I had been at 8 he would have let me continue. I was absolutely devastated.
They prepped me for surgery and I sobbed. The OB thought I was being too
emotional and snapped at me to "Get it together!" Because it was
"not good for my baby."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcobhxbnmTVdUDR2uYe7TZvGQq7wNnQLLC8be1j9_RGv__R6ZdUcwWrONy-LA9qNJ5CEKuNfzaLQDRMitlZuu2P90eF3TkV_2BPZFSr2PYDl9NifKeJttWXqVYl583hsCZDPqB5enKTSQM/s1600/Waiting+to+be+taken+down+to+the+OR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcobhxbnmTVdUDR2uYe7TZvGQq7wNnQLLC8be1j9_RGv__R6ZdUcwWrONy-LA9qNJ5CEKuNfzaLQDRMitlZuu2P90eF3TkV_2BPZFSr2PYDl9NifKeJttWXqVYl583hsCZDPqB5enKTSQM/s320/Waiting+to+be+taken+down+to+the+OR.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting to be taken down to the OR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">They had just finished two c-sections in their
L&D floor operating rooms and they were dirty, so I had to be taken down to
the main OR. It took a very long time for them to dose my epidural high enough
for surgery. They had a video camera on my abdomen. I was able to see him born.
He cried even before his 7 lb 4 oz body was out. I briefly got to hold him.
Then my husband took him upstairs to the nursery. As he was leaving I began to
throw up, which is really hard to do when you are numb from the neck down. Then
I went to recovery, where I shook uncontrollably. I didn't see my baby for
another 2 hours. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNiNZQ1zEai5Q4CNbTl1jUQ4_lsTtz6NuUPA4ImhCr2j2EGTDPhekk4cN9tVWE-PpwZmUciGutRxj_pxGSvy7bvW3EfT6r8MYxkQdTkoQD4Zc9KRwItYJiwJ8VVnD23g1HqVgT0A6LgqV/s1600/Meeting+my+son+for+the+first+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNiNZQ1zEai5Q4CNbTl1jUQ4_lsTtz6NuUPA4ImhCr2j2EGTDPhekk4cN9tVWE-PpwZmUciGutRxj_pxGSvy7bvW3EfT6r8MYxkQdTkoQD4Zc9KRwItYJiwJ8VVnD23g1HqVgT0A6LgqV/s320/Meeting+my+son+for+the+first+time.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting my son for the first time</td></tr>
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</span><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">When
I finally did see him I couldn't hold him for very long because of how much
pain I was in. Because I am allergic to morphine they ordered demerol, which
was not kept in stock on that floor. We had to wait over an hour for it to come
up from the pharmacy. I briefly attempted breastfeeding but I was in so much
pain. I was given tordal shots for the pain and went home with massive bruises
from the injections. Breast feeding was very important to me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jaRzUxOdmFYDWag9FlHdTyFus6ziyKANyeZ4tfhhWo488k7ZMSUI9nP-yVdXYDbKBryarHAo0SMRJDI1VuGFG_w0uZo-_LhpxWSVuNFB0UlatF0GmmpOt5JbtF1ulX56pHEWEFvPwTPR/s1600/Breastfeeding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jaRzUxOdmFYDWag9FlHdTyFus6ziyKANyeZ4tfhhWo488k7ZMSUI9nP-yVdXYDbKBryarHAo0SMRJDI1VuGFG_w0uZo-_LhpxWSVuNFB0UlatF0GmmpOt5JbtF1ulX56pHEWEFvPwTPR/s320/Breastfeeding.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breastfeeding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">We got it down only for me to have to return to
my job as a Registered Nurse when he was 8 weeks old. I pumped but it was never
enough. Even though it hurt my heart, we supplemented with formula. It was a
horrible introduction to motherhood and I struggled to push through.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa9x6UcWr8OlEjXcDXaoOJATQd4DlHKsBqbahGYV7xiWj8yQpmOSRGlqBIvaagJoHbtxQ18SjMo-vOwm7AbQtxB_f8rhWX4wlYqJSGZUCgAPECj1R-XyIPOSDg7gl4VqnLzSe0m33SlKF/s1600/My+first+scar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfa9x6UcWr8OlEjXcDXaoOJATQd4DlHKsBqbahGYV7xiWj8yQpmOSRGlqBIvaagJoHbtxQ18SjMo-vOwm7AbQtxB_f8rhWX4wlYqJSGZUCgAPECj1R-XyIPOSDg7gl4VqnLzSe0m33SlKF/s320/My+first+scar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My first scar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%; text-indent: 0.5in;">When my son was
16 months old I became pregnant again. I was in a very stressful job situation
and it made being pregnant very hard. I
knew I wanted a VBAC, but I was tentative. I didn’t even ask my OB about VBAC
until I was 20 weeks. I didn’t do very much research or preparation, as I
really felt I didn’t want to put a lot of effort into it if I was going to just
end up with another c-section. I had a lot of contractions starting at 36 weeks
and so my doctor started checking for dilation every visit. Of course there was
none, but after weeks and weeks and weeks of hearing the words “no change” I
relented and scheduled the repeat c-section for my due date. That night I lost
my mucous plug. By the morning I was contracting regularly. I went to the
hospital midday, only to get checked and be told “well there is a dimple.” I
asked him if I should just go home and he said "Do you think your husband
wants to take you home in this condition?" Kyle agreed, he did not. It was
so hard to move forward with no one believing in me.I walked the halls until I
felt nauseous and wanted to retreat to a private place to labor.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjFQ_JwmGwQqRc4Ds34eHLO2h-vzmKpboqI5OsPuHZUZJOVJMdBXAqttdyWCnsb0OnkhkkUxNBxt_PrgyRK0pJg_Y7xnKI590YgIr0VnUcKx7ziOnoSuMQaDRA6l4N5McwAWKpjdTsxRQ/s1600/Between+contractions+All+hooked+up+and+ready+to+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcjFQ_JwmGwQqRc4Ds34eHLO2h-vzmKpboqI5OsPuHZUZJOVJMdBXAqttdyWCnsb0OnkhkkUxNBxt_PrgyRK0pJg_Y7xnKI590YgIr0VnUcKx7ziOnoSuMQaDRA6l4N5McwAWKpjdTsxRQ/s320/Between+contractions+All+hooked+up+and+ready+to+walk.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Between contractions. All hooked up and ready to walk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">In the room, the nurse told me she needed to
monitor the baby. I was sitting on a birth ball and agreed she could do it
while I sat there. She rebuffed and told me I HAD to get in the bed, because
she could not get a good strip if I was up and moving. I relented and got in
the bed. I wanted to be a good patient and, being a nurse, I knew she had a job
that must be done. It hurt so much more in the bed. Shortly after, I heard and
felt a pop and water gushed all over the bed. Kyle said "Melissa there is
so much, is that OK?" As I was reassuring him, the doctor returned from
his office hours to check me. The contraction pain went up exponentially after
rupture of membranes, and when he again said “no change,” I just lost it. I
started climbing the bed and screaming "Just make it stop!" He stated
“I’m not watching this anymore. We are doing a c-section.” As soon as they let
me off the bed, I felt like I was once again in control, but then it was too
late. I went to the bathroom, my husband was against the door and the nurse
anesthetist was waiting outside the door with a wheelchair. All I wanted to do
was close the door and hide, labor alone, and have the baby alone. I felt
cornered. With all the courage I could muster it was off to the OR again. The
surgery itself was much less traumatic, but my baby was still taken from me and
sent to the nursery to be warmed by an isolette instead of me.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgya2wg8TVP07mlqCvipl9joTlEbuD6JemklWWjnDhhibJNIxKmhmy5Jsa1y7HiUBbsjzzT0i8WKlL5ASOdLgzpq40aix2SHl11hnmmV_38HuEZYkWyUxyNc056pS8atLwjRODWtnWia-y1/s1600/Crying+for+Mom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgya2wg8TVP07mlqCvipl9joTlEbuD6JemklWWjnDhhibJNIxKmhmy5Jsa1y7HiUBbsjzzT0i8WKlL5ASOdLgzpq40aix2SHl11hnmmV_38HuEZYkWyUxyNc056pS8atLwjRODWtnWia-y1/s320/Crying+for+Mom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crying for Mom</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I begged to them to let me see his first bath but
was refused. Instead I was waiting alone in my room with a tray of clear
liquids. Which I greedily ate, as I was not even aloud ice chips while in
labor. Only to barf them shortly after. I should have been meeting and bonding
with my newest child, but instead I was utterly alone, vomiting. My son weighed
8 lbs 6 oz. The nurse in recovery said, “aren’t you so glad you didn’t try to
push that big baby out?” I felt like it was inevitable, and I had done the
right thing. At that point I decided that if I had any more children I would
just schedule the c-section.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzYJiOzv26HRLhNFCjJ1po_WLxUoPIye674ivvbqqHiOt-lObaiZSjRHF-j5dc07gdS4EKaG0YQps90BWcaEm5wnEhohMXmzbBSQufA-f_Cz2sgb5G0jZxvIar9jbSc7Cd2a8jbifFgaE/s1600/So+drugged+up+on+pain+meds+I+can+barely+open+my+eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzYJiOzv26HRLhNFCjJ1po_WLxUoPIye674ivvbqqHiOt-lObaiZSjRHF-j5dc07gdS4EKaG0YQps90BWcaEm5wnEhohMXmzbBSQufA-f_Cz2sgb5G0jZxvIar9jbSc7Cd2a8jbifFgaE/s320/So+drugged+up+on+pain+meds+I+can+barely+open+my+eyes.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">So drugged up on pain meds, I can barely open my eyes.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">When
my second son was 1 year old, I had a heart to heart conversation with a really
great doula (Michelle). I cried and cried, realizing how much I was not good
with my two c-sections and I did NOT want to do it again. Was it even possible
to have a VBAC after two c-sections? I had so much work ahead of me. Two months
later I was pregnant again. I found </span></span><a href="http://www.ican-online.org/" style="line-height: 115%;">ican-online.org</a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> and researched and
researched. Then, I called the local birth center midwife. I knew she did not
usually provide care for VBA2C but I thought maybe she would at least be
supportive or help me find someone who did. Boy was I wrong. She was horrible
to me. She came at me from every angle and essentially told me I was a bad
mother, a bad wife, a bad nurse, and a bad person for wanting to kill myself
and/or my baby by attempting a VBA2C. I
knew she was wrong, but the conversation cut me to my soul. So I returned to
the OB that had led me to the OR twice already. I looked into homebirth but
knew my husband was not comfortable with that, and only dreamed of </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">circumventing</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> the birth assembly line by staying home. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">When I went in for my
28 week checkup I presented my doctor with a letter explaining that I wanted a VBAC and three things I felt would make me successful. One, to have
intermittent </span></span><a href="http://evidencebasedbirth.com/category/continuous-electronic-fetal-monitoring/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">fetal monitoring</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> to </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">facilitate</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> movement in labor. Two, I wanted to be able to </span></span><a href="http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD003930/eating-and-drinking-in-labour"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">eat in labor</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">. Three, I wanted to be able to push in
whatever position I felt best. He shot them down one by one using a story about
a VBAC hopeful who “left a bad taste in the mouths of the hospital staff” to
make me want to comply. He also had many choice one liners, including “do you
want to aspirate and die?” and “well,
next time don’t grow um so big. You know, 8-6 is really </span><a href="http://www.aafp.org/afp/2001/0701/p169.html"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">big</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">.”
Then to put the icing on the cake as he was leaving the room he said “Do you
know what your husband needs to get you for Christmas?" pause for
affect... and punch line. "A new cervix.” Then the Nurse Practitioner
delivered the real demoralizing blow with, “Yeah, one that works.” I was so
hurt. I knew I was never going to be able to have a vaginal birth with him in
control of my care. At this point my husband was livid and willing to do
anything to avoid their condescending “care.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I made an appointment with the
only homebirth midwife in town. I was never really comfortable with her but I
really felt she was my only option. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I also hired a doula and asked a midwife student
I knew to be there with me during labor and birth. I continued to see the OB
and his NP “just in case” I had to go the hospital, but I decided on homebirth.
Because of the past history of my cervix not dilating and the possibility it
could be </span><a href="http://www.birthresourcenetwork.org/blog/98-cervical-scar-tissue-a-big-issue-that-no-one-is-talking-about"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">scar tissue</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> from cryo surgery and a very difficult
insertion of an IUD, I consented to let the midwife “massage” my cervix to
break up any scar tissue while I was in labor. In my mind it would be a one
time thing, and I would carry on undisturbed after that. Well I was wrong
again. She manually </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">dilated</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> my cervix and pushed every hour to do it again and
again and again. 18 hours after labor started she pronounced me “</span></span><a href="http://midwifethinking.com/2010/07/30/pushing-leave-it-to-the-experts/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">ready to</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><a href="http://www.glorialemay.com/blog/?p=72"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">push</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cUtXhVz5bRJc2p53dwl0Puwb-5iW6iXg7-gfmxJq6jEiibmezkUBwGMFdETulcGkmeoLnhmSjflAr3IvvFaYKWz0jOKSVoQOx5RFhdq1yyu6mnA66Oijkp4UnQKgRP3jj75YQH0H7s9C/s1600/Kyle+holding+me+He+was+my+rock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_cUtXhVz5bRJc2p53dwl0Puwb-5iW6iXg7-gfmxJq6jEiibmezkUBwGMFdETulcGkmeoLnhmSjflAr3IvvFaYKWz0jOKSVoQOx5RFhdq1yyu6mnA66Oijkp4UnQKgRP3jj75YQH0H7s9C/s320/Kyle+holding+me+He+was+my+rock.jpg" width="202" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kyle holding me. He was my rock.</td></tr>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1YJOYnZTbk_HyZ-b8kvpFJ_vpgQBRx7cwIvizdpMDFXgDi9e5JfZSKIPqUtl63QOnFcLA54Nk70eJxcC6M3xt4O-wht17hS3TOx4LHnk94GJ3HYOKc-5ubweEKcEAOAZHz_wKAxD08RT/s1600/One+of+the+reprieves+from+the+midwifes+prying.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1YJOYnZTbk_HyZ-b8kvpFJ_vpgQBRx7cwIvizdpMDFXgDi9e5JfZSKIPqUtl63QOnFcLA54Nk70eJxcC6M3xt4O-wht17hS3TOx4LHnk94GJ3HYOKc-5ubweEKcEAOAZHz_wKAxD08RT/s320/One+of+the+reprieves+from+the+midwifes+prying.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the reprieves from the midwife's prying</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I would have done just about anything to get her
hands out of me, but that was not to be either. I had an </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmidwifethinking.com%2F2011%2F01%2F22%2Fthe-anterior-cervical-lip-how-to-ruin-a-perfectly-good-birth%2F&h=uAQHF2OIi"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">anterior cervical lip</span></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"> and she told me
she had to hold it back while I pushed. I begged her to just get her hands out
of me. I pleaded. I cried. What was going on? This was supposed to be my
beautiful peaceful home birth. I pushed for six hours with her hand inside me.
Not in whatever position I felt was right as I had asked the OB for, but in the
position that was most convenient for
her, flat on my back on my bed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsi0Sc6mV0nbCDg72c3_K82YBsEKqf1_LuXTd7sLOXCroYs3_CngRg8wtYYh2Bn972VttMlsAGKKEG0S37OlC9XE6W-0GYW31rfuzRPfNmwhKp8DDDUgrMc2IUH4N0nXePxLvHu1ArxJC/s1600/pushing+and+pushing+and+pushing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcsi0Sc6mV0nbCDg72c3_K82YBsEKqf1_LuXTd7sLOXCroYs3_CngRg8wtYYh2Bn972VttMlsAGKKEG0S37OlC9XE6W-0GYW31rfuzRPfNmwhKp8DDDUgrMc2IUH4N0nXePxLvHu1ArxJC/s320/pushing+and+pushing+and+pushing.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Pushing and pushing and pushing</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">After trying inversions and walking my stairs and
enduring many verbal assaults from the midwife, I could physically take no
more. I was sure if I continued, I was going to die. When I told the student
midwife this, she made everyone understand I needed to go to the hospital NOW.
We called my OB and told him what we had done and he called my husband names
and hung up on him. I had to just take the OB on call. I </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">didn't</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> care. I needed
it to end. In the hospital they treated me like a leper. When I was getting the
spinal I tried to lean on the OR nurse for support. She pushed me and said
“don’t touch me!” Upon entry into my
abdominal cavity they discovered a 10 cm by 8 cm </span></span><a href="http://vbacfacts.com/2012/04/03/confusing-fact-only-6-of-uterine-ruptures-are-catastrophic/"><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%;">uterine dehiscence</span></a><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">. The only thing
keeping my baby in my uterus was peritoneum. My 7lb 1oz daughter was born. I remember all but nothing of her first
moments. I was nervous because the spinal did not feel the same as last time.
So they gave me versed (a drug with very strong amnesic properties) to calm me
down. Very shortly after she was born they whisked her off to the NICU for
“labored breathing.” Even though her apgars were recorded as 8 and 9. There,
they took her blood sugar and made my husband feed her formula. I </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">didn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> see
her for another four hours. They kept telling me they would bring her up so I
tried very hard to hold off on the narcotics for my pain. I wanted to be
present when I met her. I </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">couldn't</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> wait any longer and was high as a kite when
I finally met my beautiful daughter.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvT44ScdLfVQHPpt2qFkwDG0bCHPXEQDwpkJK4KXzTI2bsbj2WZeTxUzpDqceUukHc-R5TM7enusdehFhVfsOTVk-YgzGLXZQFTXz6-J39E7BKr_zK2qU-kRUfecQNl6RevQQLlJnE2vU/s1600/This+is+when+I+saw+my+daughter+for+the+first+time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvT44ScdLfVQHPpt2qFkwDG0bCHPXEQDwpkJK4KXzTI2bsbj2WZeTxUzpDqceUukHc-R5TM7enusdehFhVfsOTVk-YgzGLXZQFTXz6-J39E7BKr_zK2qU-kRUfecQNl6RevQQLlJnE2vU/s320/This+is+when+I+saw+my+daughter+for+the+first+time.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">This is when I saw my daughter for the first time. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">They performed a newborn assessment in her plastic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> bassinet, before giving her to me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I feel this picture embodies everything I felt. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I wanted so badly to be happy; but, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">I was in so much physical and emotional pain, I could not.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLT7q0ovmXP8FAH13qugClvEoUMHktI1Iy64SxLon7PBmeRhkD2mtyUcFkor2gn_ZnneEbrUyrSUSC_QAkJnYesLO1Isugbg-nbZUbCWuglLk58icr3NMLMyHtuk-fr4OxrM5aoIFfLvT/s1600/Finally+getting+to+touch+her.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLT7q0ovmXP8FAH13qugClvEoUMHktI1Iy64SxLon7PBmeRhkD2mtyUcFkor2gn_ZnneEbrUyrSUSC_QAkJnYesLO1Isugbg-nbZUbCWuglLk58icr3NMLMyHtuk-fr4OxrM5aoIFfLvT/s320/Finally+getting+to+touch+her.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;">Finally getting to touch her.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Because she had been given a bottle she wanted
nothing to do with breastfeeding. We eventually figured it out, but we suffered
through 8 weeks of thrush (caused by the prophylactic antibiotics). The
physical and emotional pain put me into a dark depression. For many weeks after
her birth I had overwhelming symptoms of PTSD. The first time my husband and I
tried being intimate I had flashbacks of pushing with her hand inside me. It
was so scary for us both. Forming a real bond with my daughter was extremely
difficult. I was just going through the motions. I knew what it should feel
like because I had two other children, but it just wasn't there. Though I was
able to create a very strong bond eventually, I was still dealing with looming
depression 10 months later. At that point we were NOT planning on having
anymore children. Despite our plans, I </span></span><span style="line-height: 18px;">realized</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> when she was very young that
there was another child to come to our family. It was all so very hard for me.
On one hand I really wanted another child, but on the other, I knew I could not
endure another c-section. So many questions so often overtook my thoughts. Was
it really necessary? Were we really as close to death as they said? What if I
had just had more strength to keep pushing? What if I had not let her manually
dilate my cervix? WHY??? Why did I let, yet another, "care" provider
violate my body and trample my trust? What is wrong with me? I connected with
birth groups online. In my desperate hours, I reached out to Michelle, and she
encouraged me. I wrote out my feelings and prayed for relief. When she was 10
months old I wrote this-</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">All of that pain. Pain inflicted by her hands. If I am fine and my baby
is fine. No one is to touch me. EVER! What you were doing was supposed to make
it easier. HA. So much pain. You HURT me! YOU not my baby, not my body ,YOU. I
would have endured ANY and ALL pain to get her here, into my arms instead of a
sterile field. You took advantage of all I was willing to give, to speed it up
so I </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">wouldn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> tire out. I did tire out. I told you all I </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">couldn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> do it. I was
right. I could not endure you hands inside me. I dug to the depths of my soul.
And you mocked me. “Almost there. Almost there.” I gave all that I had and it </span><span style="line-height: 18px;">wasn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> enough. I was willing to give it all for a chance at the amazing
euphoria. To feel my baby girl come through me into life apart from me. I
wanted to tell her how the heavens sang as I held her in my arms, on my chest,
against my breast. I don’t even remember the moment she was born. I was given
amnesic drugs that have erased it.</span></span></i></span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Then, my sweet daughter, they took you from me. All I wanted was to feel
you, smell you, feed you, touch you, comfort you. Be your mother. Instead I was
drugged, in pain, and alone. I wanted so badly to be coherent when they brought
you to me. I held off on the pain medication as long as I possibly could. But
they would not bring you to me. They gave you formula. Your first food was from
a bottle. The ONLY time you would ever have a bottle.</i></span></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>It has been 10 months today and my baby lies asleep in my arms, laughing
in her sleep. As I sob. This is the first time I have written anything about
that day.</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><a href="http://wombtocradle.blogspot.ca/2013/09/my-journey-to-hba3c-part-2.html" target="_blank">Read Part 2 HERE</a></i></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>NOTE: Everything on our blog is subject to copyright. Sharing of the original article is allowed by linking directly to the blog. All photos and content are property of the author and may not be shared on any other website, media source, etc. without prior written consent. </b></span></blockquote>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-48326481031684925822013-03-15T14:55:00.003-06:002013-03-15T16:23:12.720-06:00Rhett's Birth Story: As Written by Mommy<i>The following story from a dear friend of mine and is written to her son, Rhett. Thank you, Tara, for sharing! </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I was super busy during the beginning of September. Your
Daddy was in the field, working very, very hard to finish harvest before you
came along. We would both talk to you at night time and ask you to please wait
until Daddy was done. I am so thankful, for so many different reasons, that you
listened. <br />
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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I was trying to get my 2 businesses to a good spot where I
would be able to leave them for a few months. So I was working really hard
during the day and at night. Poor Aubrey! She spent a lot of time with Grandma
Carla and Randi those first 2 weeks of Sept. I felt like I was constantly on
the go and getting nothing actually accomplished. Truthfully, I would have been
quite ok if you went over your due date. I actually hoped you would be.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-Ulh5kHeaSQqnUO58VvENy7s4pjOMBspSNSeaVwdcRHC-kkEs9uTOBjxEowmBsbDb7orDkibtKGkj0u5K9BuINikV3WFg0X_yOSIsYebqqPGttf73-xw2Ot5IwzounilZNc0rfAM9v7W/s1600/T+Robertson_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-Ulh5kHeaSQqnUO58VvENy7s4pjOMBspSNSeaVwdcRHC-kkEs9uTOBjxEowmBsbDb7orDkibtKGkj0u5K9BuINikV3WFg0X_yOSIsYebqqPGttf73-xw2Ot5IwzounilZNc0rfAM9v7W/s320/T+Robertson_0001.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">35 weeks pregnant</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We still hadn't had
any work done on the basement, but knew that we wouldn't be able to leave the
office upstairs much longer. I asked Gramma Cheryl and Papa Gary to come help
me the middle of Sept with painting and moving; I wanted you to have a room
just for yourself. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The 14 and 15 I was in Medicine Hat and then Lethbridge. I
had an appointment at the Mat Clinic and met with Michelle one last time. She
was just coming off of 2 births within 3 days and was super tired, but she
still managed to converse coherently, and tell me I still didn't look pregnant
(this was at almost 39 weeks). I
mentioned I was feeling some tightening in my lower stomach a little bit,
something I hadn't felt with Aubrey’s pregnancy and Michelle thought it was
likely Braxton Hicks. For Lethbridge I was a little nervous to go by myself,
but decided that if I didn't feel ok I could head home. I booked a wax and hair
appointment, and ended up being able to fit a pedicure in (nice nails are a
MUST while giving birth). I also had a meeting to attend, and I did end up
leaving early, but that was because I needed to pick up paint for your room for
the weekend. Your Daddy also finished harvesting the night of the 15<sup>th</sup>!
We were so excited to celebrate the end of the crop season!<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the 16 (Friday) Aubrey and I had planned to go visit a
friend with another friend of mine and her girls. She sent me a text saying that her
girls had a runny nose and did I still want to go? I was feeling a bit off, as
well, so I decided to stay at home. I made myself a chai latte and called your
dad. I think that I maybe knew something was going to happen. We talked about
how it was the first day during the whole pregnancy that I actually felt pregnant.
(I think you had maybe dropped that night and were putting a bit more pressure
on my lower back). As I sipped my drink I could only think that this would be
the last time I’d be able to have a quiet morning for a while. I got a lot of
cleaning done that day and made a delicious homemade pizza for supper to
celebrate the end of harvest. And then I tackled the office. (I look back now
and wonder WHY I left it so late.) I chatted with Gramma Cheryl, they were
scheduled to come down the next morning, and at about 7 or so I called her again
and asked her to make sure that she packed for a week, just in case; I was
having some light contractions. At this point the office was packed up and I
had left instructions on where to put things.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Your Daddy came in during one contraction and decided we
should start timing them. At 9:30 I called Michelle to tell her I was
definitely starting in labour, as I would have to stop every time one came and
breathe through it. We decided that it wouldn't be a bad thing to head into
Medicine Hat, and that we could assess there with Michelle, and then decide
what to do. With Aubrey being a c-section, and my labour with her being only 3
hours, we had no idea what to expect with your birth. We packed Aubrey up,
called Grandma and Papa to make sure they could take her, and dropped her off.
I continued to time all the way to the Hat. We decided to go to a hotel at the
south of the city. We checked in (received a really nice, big suite) and waited
for Michelle. Around midnight we thought it best to just get some rest and call
her in the morning after we woke up and she would come over. I slept for a bit,
and the contractions slowed down, but was up at 7 when they started to pick up
a bit more. When Colin got up we went down to get some food and then called
both sets of grandparents. Aubrey was doing well, and my mom and dad were on
their way down. We told them we wouldn't be there when they arrived, but to
call Colin’s parents and they could pick up Aubrey for the day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Michelle came back and we settled in for what ended up being
a long day. The contractions stayed very consistent, and I kept moving around,
hoping to get them picked up a bit. We went for a walk around the building
where 2 firemen came out to see if we needed any assistance. In the early
afternoon they became a bit more intense and I found that I like having someone
talking to me in a low voice to relax and breathe. I would go into a state of
concentration when this happened and Michelle or Colin would repeat positive <a href="http://www.hypnobirthing.com/" target="_blank">Hypnobirthing</a> affirmations to me. I found I was able to relax better. Once they
finished, we talked and kept the mood very light. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Around 4:30 I decided I wanted to go to the hospital to get
checked out and see where things were. As it turned out, it was a premature visit
and I hadn't needed to. We arrived there and by that time the contractions had
slowed down considerably. I got hooked up to the monitors, and by then they had
pretty much stopped. The nurse wanted to send me for some blood work, seeing as
my blood pressure was up and there was some concern from Aubrey’s pregnancy. So
we waited around and I decided that I was tired of walking and didn't want to
anymore. When we got sent “home” at 8:30, we dropped Michelle off then grabbed
some food and I fell asleep fairly early. (I found out later that your Daddy didn't). <o:p></o:p></div>
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Around 1 am I woke up and started timing again. About every
10 minutes. So I went to have a bath as I couldn't get back to sleep. I took my Hypnobirthing relaxation sound track with me and just had it on repeat as I
laid there in the nice warm water, feeling weightless. It was such a nice
feeling as I talked to you, relaxed and sent love your way. I told you how much
I loved you and how excited I was getting to meet you. It was an amazing
feeling to know that I would soon be holding you in my arms, kissing you and
wrapping you with my love. <o:p></o:p></div>
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About 3:20 your Daddy came to see where I was. He was pretty
sleepy. I decided to get out of the bath, and when I stood up I ended up losing
my mucus plug. Once that happened, the contractions became even stronger in
intensity and I had to really concentrate on breathing and relaxing into them.
I had him put counter pressure on my lower back as well. He was so sleepy that
he would go to bed for the few minutes between, then I would call him for
pressure. I decided to call Michelle and let her know that things were picking
up and asked if she would be able to head over as soon as she could. I went
inside myself at this point, the only thing I was concentrating on was breathing
through each contraction. All the sudden I started to feel a lot of pressure,
which was eerily similar to the feeling I had when I was in labour with Aubrey.
In that moment, I told Colin that we needed to get to the hospital. He wanted
to know how long he had. I told him NOW. I was so ready to go in, and I knew
it. He was able to get me down to the vehicle; we were unfortunately on the 2<sup>nd</sup>
floor and I was in my own world. It felt like it took forever to walk to the
car. I leaned on him the whole time, trusting him with us, knowing we would get
there safely. I called Michelle again and told her to meet us at the hospital.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The drive from the
hotel to the hospital is roughly 8 minutes during the day. At about 4 am with no
traffic and me telling your Daddy to drive faster I think we made it in about 4
minutes. I couldn't sit comfortably, so I leaned over the front seat, hoping we didn't get pulled over. I called Michelle on the way and told her to meet us at
the hospital. We drove into the Emergency entrance and I had to time getting to
the doors between contractions. I remember the look on a man’s face who was
standing inside as he saw me come up to the doors. Needless to say we didn't have to check in there, but headed quickly up to the L&D area.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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When we got to L&D I quickly explained to the nurse there
that I needed to be checked immediately and how I thought that maybe you were
breech like Aubrey had been, which is what the pressure reminded me of. They
got me into the bed and checked just as Michelle arrived. I was excited to
learn that you were head down (YAY!) and that I was about 8 cm…. very close to
start pushing; which was also the reason why I had felt so much pressure.
Michelle stayed with me until your Daddy got back from moving the vehicle. Michelle
and the nurse started to move me into the wheelchair to take me to the delivery
room from the assessment room, but I couldn't sit. So I walked. Now, this was
the longest, hardest walk ever. I had Michelle on one side and your Daddy on
the other, and they held me up, carrying me (of course we had to be in the room
the furthest away). I met the doctor who would deliver you, Dr. Prince, on the
way to the delivery room. He asked how I was doing. I believe I answered with
“why the hell did I think a VBAC was a good idea?” And I`m pretty sure he
laughed. We got into the room and I got settled on the bed. My energy was
starting to wane and I was starting to feel like I needed to push, which I told
Michelle and our nurse. She checked again and told me I was able to. In a
matter of 10 minutes I had gone from 8 to 10 cm’s. And so I started what turned
out to be a very long time of pushing. In that first push my water broke….
which was an odd experience for me as there was no gush like there had been
with Aubrey: it was a slow, constant leaking. <o:p></o:p></div>
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I took a while getting into the rhythm of birthing you. At
this point, I have a very skewed sense of time that even now is still off. It
felt like only a short time, but I knew it wasn't I was in myself, talking to
you in my head and out loud. I would constantly repeat “I want him out” and
there were a few moments when, in my very exhausted state, I said “I can’t do
this” after a contraction and pushing. Michelle and your Daddy told me “You CAN
do this”. After hearing the positive affirmations I then continued to repeat “I
can do this” over and over again. At 7 the nurses changed, and we were lucky
enough to get Cherry! She was so amazing! For the most part I birthed you
squatting on the bed, so I would hold your Daddy’s hand in my left and
Michelle’s in my right. When Cherry first started with me she held my hand and
just talked to me in the softest, kindest English accent. Michelle was excited
to work with her, and we soon found out why. (Even your Daddy felt her effects
too). When I would look at her I just felt calm flooding through me. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
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Around 8 am Dr. Prince came in to talk to me. I had been
pushing for a long time at this point, and he wanted to let me know that he was
concerned by how long it was taking, especially since I’d had a previous
caesarean. He wanted me to get you out before they started to get worried about
you being in distress (though you weren't and there being a necessity for
another caesarean. I was so adamant that I was having a VBAC that I refused to
listen to that (especially after all the work I had done- you have a very
stubborn mother). He also wanted to tell me that there had been meconium in the
water when it broke and that they were worried you may have inhaled some of it,
so they were going to have NICU come in to assess you after you were born. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pMa0lqLqzwqvN-vBlc7yOw_Cd-cMyoAaQI7Q63HgsYl_XIhf4tdVyJXx8GTNpRf1gDmhyphenhyphenJVl4LPzQmybXy0sabZuSpSU2KTHrznRM86hWAIQgiEQ9ZaJiVbh0H7eYwZVaISxR9ussOUP/s1600/RAR+09+18+11+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6pMa0lqLqzwqvN-vBlc7yOw_Cd-cMyoAaQI7Q63HgsYl_XIhf4tdVyJXx8GTNpRf1gDmhyphenhyphenJVl4LPzQmybXy0sabZuSpSU2KTHrznRM86hWAIQgiEQ9ZaJiVbh0H7eYwZVaISxR9ussOUP/s320/RAR+09+18+11+%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mommy and Rhett moments after birth.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I concentrated so hard on birthing you. I couldn't understand what was taking so long and why you weren't coming out easily (turns
out your head was turned a bit funny). Cherry finally recommended that I get
some help in birthing you. Just a little incision and then you would be out. I didn't want to at first, but I knew that I was getting so exhausted and to a
point where my exhaustion wouldn't allow me to push much longer. So I agreed.
From there I moved onto my back and they got ready to make the incision. The
room was full with people, NICU staff, nurses and 2 doctors, and yet it was so
quiet and calm. I really didn't notice them at all. They were so respectful of
my space and my birthing. It seemed to take a while to set up, but as soon as
it was made, with the next push I could feel that it was what I and you needed
to be born. I felt your head, and was told to wait for the next contraction,
and then the rest of your body came out. At 8:57 am on September 18, 2011, you
made your way into the world for your birth day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Even now, more than 5 months later, I remember that moment
clearly. You were born onto my tummy, all purple and covered in stuff. And your
Daddy and I just stared at you, taking you in, falling unconditionally in love
with you. I looked at him and at you and said “we did it” and started crying.
That was the most empowering moment of my life. Dr. Prince asked if Daddy
wanted to cut the cord. He said no, I asked if he was sure. He said no again.
Then NICU took you over to the cart and cleared out your lungs, gave you a
quick check and cleaned you off a bit. I
could hear your sweet, soft cries and I longed to hold you and reassure you
that I was here. At this point Dr. Prince and the nurses started to get me cleaned
up and warm as I was shaking. They put blankets over me and then you got to
snuggle right on me. You settled almost immediately, and we talked to you,
looked at you, kissed you, loved you. My little baby boy! I was already so
deeply in love with you. I said to your Daddy, “look at him, he looks like
Aubrey” and the nurses commented on you looking like your Daddy, with the same
amount of hair. We took some pictures and Daddy sent them to your Grandparents
and Aunt and Uncles to let them know the good news! You also were weighed
(6 lbs 10 oz) and measured (18.9`).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I wanted to start feeding you right away, but Michelle told
me to wait until you started to root. I believe you fell asleep. We decided to
call you Rhett Arthur. We wanted to have a name before Aubrey saw you. Daddy
decided to quickly get us checked out of the hotel and pick up our bags. I was
so involved in watching you that I didn't mind at all. Michelle stayed while he
was gone and we talked. I was on the most amazing adrenaline rush and where I
had been so sleepy even 30 minutes before, I wasn't any more. You finally
started to root and I stuck you on and you started sucking. You were a natural!
I couldn't believe how you knew exactly what to do, and had no issues what so
ever. You ate for a bit and then fell asleep tucked up on my left shoulder,
cozy and warm. I loved feeling you snuggled against me. You slept for a while,
and we didn't want to wake you up, so the nurses delayed your Vitamin K shot
and eye drops. Your Daddy came back and Michelle left, and then Cherry came
back to get me cleaned up and ready to go to the Maternal/Child area. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0OPHM0HD79JZWWhQHkkuEEKPdOKLuK3U0Os23NAMTW_BihtrHHaT-3wG_VIEk8LA_70Cv8xwXELi7lbU4catW_E1lTwaLmsZ5SDq0qO2sCMSnsvdmltIPcQdZVcw00GmgnNX124ABd6Q/s1600/RAR+09+18+11+%25289%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0OPHM0HD79JZWWhQHkkuEEKPdOKLuK3U0Os23NAMTW_BihtrHHaT-3wG_VIEk8LA_70Cv8xwXELi7lbU4catW_E1lTwaLmsZ5SDq0qO2sCMSnsvdmltIPcQdZVcw00GmgnNX124ABd6Q/s320/RAR+09+18+11+%25289%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhett Arthur</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt so good after having you that I even walked the whole
way there. She got us settled and then Daddy and I talked and held you until
everyone started arriving to meet you. We wanted Aubrey to meet you first, and
hear your name first before we told anyone else. Gramma Cheryl and Papa Gary
were first to arrive with Aubrey. She was a little scared of me, in the
hospital bed and gown, and so she just wanted Daddy. She started to warm a bit,
and when we let her hold you, she noticed a bit of blood still on your head and
said `he has bird poop on his head`. Needless to say that gave us all a good
laugh!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then your other Grandma and Papa came. I had decided to go
for a quick walk to see where your Daddy was (he was having a rest on the
couches) and they were both really surprised to see me up and walking around.
(I think they had remembered how I had been with Aubrey- heavily drugged). Your
Uncle Kyle and Karmyn came and then Uncle Ryan. Cindy, Josh and Chloe Hume also
stopped in to visit as well. Later on that afternoon your Auntie Linz arrived
with your Nono and Sue. They had come at a really good time as they were able
to have you all to themselves. You were so sleepy that day, but good for new
baby snuggles. They even tried changing you into some clothes that they had
brought for you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Our first night was unlike any that you have ever had being
at home. Maybe you were a little mixed up on your days and nights, or didn't like being in the hospital, but you seemed to want to be up during the night
the 2 nights we were there. I was worried that you would maybe continue that
when we got home, but I really needn`t have worried as you are an awesome baby!
My adrenaline had started to wear off that evening, so I was getting pretty
tired and wanting some rest. I finally just propped you up in my arm while I
dozed that night. I think the nurses came in and moved you when they came to
check as you were in the bassinet when I woke up. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We stayed in the hospital for Sept 19 as well. Daddy brought
Aubrey with him that day, and Gramma Cheryl took her back to our house with her
as she was staying for the week. It was so nice to know that Aubrey would get
the attention she deserved while Daddy and I got to know you those first few
days. Karmyn, Grandma Carla and Michelle also came to visit that day and Daddy
went to get you a crib. You and I relaxed and cuddled a lot your second day
with us. We were able to go home on the 20<sup>th</sup>, also Grandma Carla`s
birthday! Daddy came to pick you and I up, we got you in your car seat (which
you weren't real happy about) and then we went to Wal-Mart to pick up more
diapers, Canadian Tire to get Aubrey a big sister gift, and then decided to
stop for lunch at Moxie`s before heading to your home; you slept the whole
time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-56006270951241574852013-03-08T14:22:00.000-07:002013-03-08T14:30:14.598-07:00Home Sweet Home: The Birth of William<span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: inherit;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rachel expecting William</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>This is Rachel's story of the birth of her second son, William. Enjoy!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Wednesday Nov. 27 was just like any other day. Henry and I hung out all day while John was at work. When John got home we ate dinner and after dinner the 3 of us went to church. I felt completely normal. We even stayed afterwards for fellowship, which we don’t normally do on Wednesdays since church starts at Henry’s bedtime. When we got home, we put Henry to bed (in our bed) and we got ready for bed too. That’s when I noticed that I had lost my Mucus Plug…maybe. I wasn’t 100% sure. It wasn’t like it was last time. But even if I had lost it, it could be weeks until baby William was born. So I casually told John and we went to bed. JUST as I was falling asleep, my water broke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was lying in bed perfectly still, half asleep and my water broke. It was 11:30pm.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I woke John up and told him. We were both so shocked. Yes, I was 39 weeks pregnant but still feeling so good. We both thought we had at least 1-2 weeks until William would be born. Honestly, we were stunned. I didn’t know what I should do. With Henry's delivery my water broke at the very end, right before I started pushing. What do you do if it happens first? I was so nervous! I started shaking. I didn’t know if I should call the midwife or not. They told us that if it is night time, not to call unless you are sure things are happening. That way they can sleep until you need them. My water broke but I wasn’t having any contractions yet….so I didn’t know if I should wait to call. It was only 11:30pm so John convinced me to call just because we were both so stunned. I called and Viv answered. She asked if I was having contractions, and what color the fluid was (clear). She told me since I was Group B Strep negative and the water was clear, that there wasn’t any rush to have the baby. We had 48 hours until we had to start talking about what to do. She said normally contractions start within 6 hours of your water breaking. She told us to go back to sleep and call her when my contractions were less than 10 minutes apart. She also told me NOT to get in the bathtub until she got to our house. Apparently it makes you more relaxed and you dilate very quickly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">John moved Henry to his own bed so we could change the sheets on our bed since they were soaked from my water breaking. Of course he woke up and wanted his mommy. So I went to lay with him until he fell back asleep. I also texted and called my friend Vanessa, since she was going to come watch Henry. Since we weren’t sure when things were going to happen, she decided to stay home with her 8 month old and wait for further word. She only lives about 15 minutes from our house anyways. Every time I went to leave Henry’s room, he woke up crying. So we brought him back to our bed and the 3 of us laid down to sleep. I thought that we would sleep all night and get up in the morning with plenty of time to give the house a good clean before my contractions started. Kind of perfect right? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As soon as I lay down I had my first contraction. <span style="background-color: white;">It was about 12:30 at that point. I started timing them right away and they were 6 minutes apart, lasting 30-45 seconds. For about half an hour I just laid in bed timing them and trying to sleep in between. By 1am they were 4 minutes apart and crazy painful. I wanted to get in the tub so badly (but couldn't because Viv the midwife told me to wait for her). I couldn’t think about anything else. So I begged John to call Viv (and then we cleaned the bathroom really quickly, which sucks to do while in labour).</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">I labored on the bathroom floor, on my hands and knees, leaning my head on the (freshly cleaned) toilet. Viv said she would be right over, and within 20 minutes she was there (just before 1:30am). John had already filled the tub and as soon as she came into the bathroom, I basically jumped in the tub. We talked about how I was feeling and she set her things up. John moved Henry back to his room and he didn’t wake up. John decided not to make Vanessa come over unless Henry woke up. He amazingly didn’t. This was the first night he EVER slept in his own bed all night long.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">From there I lost track of time. My contractions spaced out more but were more intense. I started feeling pressure but not with every contraction. These contractions? WAY MORE PAINFUL than the ones I had with Henry (my first born). They were in my bones. It was my hips and pelvic bone that hurt the most, with pain running down my legs, something I didn't have while in labour with Henry. I blame it on my water being broken. The second midwife arrived sometime in there but honestly I don’t really remember her being around until after the birth. I think she sat in the bedroom, filling out paper work, waiting to be needed. I had a period of time where I couldn’t stop shaking both during and between my contractions. Viv thought I was in transition so she asked to check me. IT was 3:30am and it turns out I was only 6cm dialted. She didn’t tell me and I’m glad she didn’t. I would have cried from disappointment. She asked me if I wanted to get out of the tub for a bit, to let gravity work. Just as she was telling me that (and I found out later, she was irritating my cervix) I had a huge contraction and my body pushed so hard, all on it’s own. After that I was completely dilated and so so happy I didn’t have to get out of the tub. Viv just told me to do what my body wanted to do. And it wanted to push really hard. I pushed for 18 minutes and William was out. Just as he was crowning, our dog started barking so John ran to quiet him, hoping that Henry would stay sleeping. He did, but John missed William actually being born. He was 100% OK with that since he doesn’t like to see what is happening down there. After the head was out Viv told me to just breathe but before she could even finish saying that, his body flew out. It all happened so fast!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">William was born at 3:48am and they put him right on my chest. Everything had happened so fast and I was so shocked. Did I really just have a baby? I couldn’t believe he was here! After my placenta was out (all on it's own...no tugging!), the cord stopped pulsing and was cut. John then took William for some skin-to-skin time in our bed. I had a quick shower and went to join them. Viv gave me a check and told me I didn’t need any stitches and I wasn’t even swollen. They covered me with blankets fresh out of the dryer and I took William back for a cuddle. Viv and the second midwife (I don’t even know her name!) went down stairs to fill out paperwork leaving us alone with our new baby. John and I just stayed in our bed cuddling with William. Around 5am Henry woke up so we introduced him to William. He just kept wanting to look at him but he didn’t want to touch him at all. The midwives came back up and did all the baby checks. William weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. He got great scores on all the tests they did. John went downstairs and made us all a snack. After we were done eating, William finally tried to nurse (we tried before but he wouldn’t open his mouth) and his latch was great. I had another shower (the first one was just a quick rinse) and put on some PJs. At 6am the midwives left, and by 6:15am all 4 of us were napping together in our bed. It was lovely!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Home Birth? AMAZING.</span></div>
</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-42593574197394444882013-02-28T17:07:00.001-07:002013-02-28T17:07:13.736-07:00Birthing Henry<i>We're so excited to begin sharing some of the birth stories of our followers. This first story is one of two from a fierce mama! Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your precious memories with us!</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday April 27th, 2011</b><br /><b style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Expecting Henry</td></tr>
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</span></span></b>I had my cervix rimmed this morning. I spend the day running errands and every time I was sitting in the car I would have some contractions, but when I got home they stopped. I wanted to clean the house, but I wanted to wait until John was home in case it sped things up in the labour department. It did. And I didn't get very much cleaning done at all.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>8:00 pm:</b> I started to have contractions again, but more consistently.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>10:00 pm:</b> We decided to go to bed, in case this was the real deal.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>10:45 pm:</b> It was pretty obvious that I wasn't going to get any sleep. We decided to start timing my contractions. The weird thing was that all my contractions were back contractions...which are just lower back pain that comes and goes. I wasn't expecting that. My contractions were about 8 and a half minutes apart, lasting about 2 minutes each. They were bearable but very uncomfortable</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>11:00 pm:</b> I got in the bath to ease my contractions. John shaved and had a shower in the guest room (A few months ago I requested that John be clean shaven for the birth. I didn't want him looking like a hobo and I was so glad he agreed!)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>12:30 pm:</b> My contractions were now about 5.5 minutes apart and getting stronger. My doctor told me to come to the hospital when my contractions were 5 minutes apart. We decided to just go since we live about 45 minutes from the hospital. I showered, blow dried my hair and got ready to go. I remember telling John that I couldn't believe I wanted a natural labour because there was NO way I could do it if this was only the beginning. In the car I threw up SO many times. Luckily we had a reusable grocery bag in there (we threw it out after).</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>1:30 am: </b>We arrived at the hospital. Laboring in the car was horrible. It wasn't busy at all in the Labour and Delivery Ward. They took us into triage and I changed into a hospital gown. I was in SO much pain at this point, but since it was back pain I'm pretty sure no one there believed me. The nurse left me to labour laying on the bed, which is not ideal at all. John rubbed my back the entire time because it was the only thing that made me feel a bit better.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>2:30 am:</b> They checked me and told me that I wasn't dilated AT ALL. I have trouble believing this, since in order to have my cervix rimmed as was done the previous morning, I needed to be dilated at least 1 cm. The nurse gave me a birth ball and left me to labour again for 2 hours. John continued to rub my back. I threw up many more times. I can't believe how much I threw up in total.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>4:30 am:</b> A doctor from my clinic came to check me. He said I was only dilated 2 cm. I don't know but 2 cm in 2 hours seems right on track. However, he told me I was progressing too slowly and that we should go home and GET SOME SLEEP. Because I bet all laboring ladies get a good nights sleep right in the middle of labour. We told him we lived out of town, but he was sure that going home was the best idea for us. We were not happy at all.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>5:00 am:</b> We arrived home. I forced John to get into bed and take a nap. I decided to have another bath, since laying down was the worse position for me. I slept in between my contractions but stayed in the bath until 8:00am. When I had a contraction, I would vocalize my way through it. Apparently I was really loud and my brother (who came over to watch our dog) was up all night in the guest room. John however slept right through it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>8:00 am-9:00 am:</b> I got out of the bath and tried some other positions. They didn't work at all and I soon missed the bath. I woke John up vocalizing my way through the contractions on the floor beside the bed. This entire time I had been timing my contractions on John's iPhone and when he got up and looked at them, he was shocked to see that they were 2.5 minutes apart. I had no idea how far apart they were until he told me. I decided to get back into the bath. Since my clinic was now open John called them and asked what to do since we didn't want to be sent home from the hospital again. They told him that first babies are slow and we should probably wait it out at home. When John told me that, I made him call them back because I felt like I was dying. I couldn't last much longer. I think I actually said I wanted them to cut the baby out of me because I couldn't do this anymore. The pain was crazy! The nurse asked to speak with me and when she realized how much pain I was in, she told us to go back to the hospital.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>9:30 am:</b> John snapped into action to get us back to the hospital. I however did not want to get out of the bath. While John was trying to get me out of the bath, my water broke. At the time I didn't know it was my water breaking, I just knew something was happening. John had to basically dress me since I couldn't really function at all. Then, I felt the urge to push. What an odd feeling. Your body just pushes and you can't really stop it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>10:00 am:</b> Before I know it John has loaded me into the car and off we go, in a BLIZZARD to the hospital. I was scared that I was going to have the baby in the car. There was so much traffic because of the weather. It felt like we would never get there. The entire time I was chanting "don't push, don't push don't push!"</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><b>11:00 am:</b> We arrived at the hospital and there was a traffic jam. We couldn't get to a parking lot, we couldn't even get to the main entrance. John finally just drove into the Ambulance bay and parked. He grabbed me and we ran into the hospital. I didn't want a wheel chair because sitting was impossible. We needed to get to the 5th floor and there was a line for the elevators. A LINE. Luckily a lady at the front saw how much pain I was in and let us go in first.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />We get onto the floor and I needed to lean against the wall and breath through a contraction. John went up to the desk to tell the nurses about me, and then he had to go back and move his truck. A nurse came and took me into triage. I was panicking. I told her I was Strep B positive and had the urge to push but I hadn't had any antibiotics yet! She tried to get me into a hospital gown but the effort to change into one was too much. She got me onto the bed and I took my PJ pants off and almost immediately she told me I was 10 cm and +2 station and yelled for someone to get me some penicillin (for the group B strep, you're supposed to get 2 doses, the first 4 hours before delivery). But I'm allergic to penicillin so I started freaking out about that. All the while they are wheeling me into a delivery room. Before I know it I'm on a new bed, no pants on, still with my PJ shirt on, they are yelling about antibiotics and trying to get an IV in me. John was still moving the truck and I was worried he was going to miss the entire thing! But he showed up pretty quickly after.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hello Henry!</td></tr>
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</span></span></b>He walks in and see my legs up and he almost passes out. He gets to the stool beside my bed and keeps it together. Pushing was so great. After not pushing for 1 hour, it felt so good to push. With each push I tried to push gently, so I wouldn't tear. John thought they had given me an epidural because I was so peaceful. I fell asleep between each contraction. I pushed gently for 45 minutes. Henry was born at 11:48am. The cord was wrapped around his neck and he had a bowel movement while I pushed him out. Just to be safe they rushed him to the warmer and suctioned him out. Then he finally cried. I made John go over and watch as they examined him. He was perfectly healthy!</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brand new Henry!</td></tr>
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</span></span></b><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-70890546626085912802013-01-29T16:12:00.004-07:002013-02-18T12:49:33.424-07:00Moving Forward: Thank you From Womb to Cradle<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2hEGki4es_gFjt8Ya2BdLlz3JFfA2juBqC44DeVJaLpwvmPo3GdLrgvKIZUNGqWhmw-7ESHh5TiYpyXjuy6HsWdBKXotGpPVxYYflGYdrwRui7clGQEJxW3kGxz0CPPM7p_20dMs_CMf/s1600/266394_10150310920285266_6505440_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw2hEGki4es_gFjt8Ya2BdLlz3JFfA2juBqC44DeVJaLpwvmPo3GdLrgvKIZUNGqWhmw-7ESHh5TiYpyXjuy6HsWdBKXotGpPVxYYflGYdrwRui7clGQEJxW3kGxz0CPPM7p_20dMs_CMf/s200/266394_10150310920285266_6505440_o.jpg" width="155" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;">Hello
to our readers at From Womb to Cradle Doula Services inc. I am writing to you,
with mixed emotion, my final post as a FWTC doula. Due to my partner,
Michelle's, move to Lethbridge I have decided to start my own doula practice
here in Medicine Hat and it is with sadness that I am leaving From Womb to
Cradle and opening my own doula practice under the name Life Blossoms Birth
Services. I am excited to begin this new chapter of my life and am grateful to
Michelle for being a wonderful partner who inspired me to work to the best of
my ability to help women in their birth journeys. I am also grateful to all the
wonderful women that I have had the pleasure to meet and work with along the way.
I truly am in awe of the strength of a mother and love to be a part of the
birth process. Thank you to all of the wonderful women out there. Your beauty
and strength is what motivates me and inspires me. What a blessing it has been
to work with Michelle! I wish her all the best in Lethbridge and in her
continued journey of service in blessing those who come into her life. To those
in Medicine Hat please keep your eye out for my website which is currently
under construction at www.lifeblossoms.com and find me on facebook at Life
Blossoms Birth Services. Thank you again for a wonderful past and hope for a
beautiful future.</span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-68286245325721491802013-01-03T17:19:00.002-07:002013-01-03T17:19:59.990-07:00New Adventures!Dear Readers,<br />
<br />
I hope this finds you all well. It has been quite some time since I have blogged. We've made our transition to living in Lethbridge, Alberta and are beginning to feel quite at home. The kids are enjoying their new school, my husband is busy with his new job and I am venturing back into the birthing world in my new community.<br />
<br />
Other exciting things are happening for us as well. I have recently decided, along with a dear friend, to embark upon a two-week mission trip to Africa, more specifically to Rwanda and Kenya. I've begun a blog to chronicle that journey which you can find at <a href="http://momsmissionofhope.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Two Mothers and a Mission of Hope</a>. I hope you'll join me there as I share this exciting journey with you! <br />
<br />
I look forward to further developments with <a href="http://www.wombtocradle.ca/" target="_blank">From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</a> From all of us at FWTC, hope you have a Happy New Year and healthy pregnancies and little ones.<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
Michelle<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-80031124137590661492012-10-05T19:20:00.000-06:002012-10-05T19:32:47.375-06:00Moving On, Moving ForwardDear Readers and Friends,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI17oLhM3f1o_wesgRKn2RnpY9w-qpNbusQeRWW9HKVxODQnP2S_vib0IY2Y4t6SH7eVK3hBKqX3sw1l3xi_cu1SuULj-K-uBOkuInXukICHKJYTaNV-i2h7muHnQPjLzmmeKGhymTUxs/s1600/Raidon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxI17oLhM3f1o_wesgRKn2RnpY9w-qpNbusQeRWW9HKVxODQnP2S_vib0IY2Y4t6SH7eVK3hBKqX3sw1l3xi_cu1SuULj-K-uBOkuInXukICHKJYTaNV-i2h7muHnQPjLzmmeKGhymTUxs/s200/Raidon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
It is with bittersweet emotion that I announce that I will be moving to Lethbridge in November 2012. I am excited about the new opportunities, but will miss the many friends, clients, and contacts I have formed relationships with here in Medicine Hat. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneiumhjJxekDsOHoL67JH-K8YVDH9o3Y0YUvtjWgJ-dWkGTQpCBKDWGLin-zX1OqbZFVMqxMQwpgHBi2zWq69E7wh3N70BwkMQv1Wla6BJbmFsWIRtvpvV70M15dhj_ly6nXmewwbzsQx/s1600/Fletcher2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneiumhjJxekDsOHoL67JH-K8YVDH9o3Y0YUvtjWgJ-dWkGTQpCBKDWGLin-zX1OqbZFVMqxMQwpgHBi2zWq69E7wh3N70BwkMQv1Wla6BJbmFsWIRtvpvV70M15dhj_ly6nXmewwbzsQx/s200/Fletcher2.jpg" width="200" /></a>It was four years ago, in August 2008 that I began my journey as a birth doula. I have enjoyed successes, endured heartaches and fought hard to establish the <a href="http://www.wombtocradle.ca/" target="_blank">From Womb to Cradle</a> practice in our area. I am so blessed to have my amazing partner, <a href="mailto:birth2love@gmail.com" target="_blank">Sherel Burrows</a>, here to continue the practice in Medicine Hat. We will still be working closely together. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7spGHH5zI6_MyXiZq3SNwIiRJ92Hutw9cH3RkhUsTS-ipaxFUm1Yv-hnIGjRxrU4np67HZ1wvJJPkUoTEfikbyb0J0RFvCSKcJWzx7xbSr64UrURINjYWwB8Axo2VP15eEHGA5PQPRz5X/s1600/Ollie2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7spGHH5zI6_MyXiZq3SNwIiRJ92Hutw9cH3RkhUsTS-ipaxFUm1Yv-hnIGjRxrU4np67HZ1wvJJPkUoTEfikbyb0J0RFvCSKcJWzx7xbSr64UrURINjYWwB8Axo2VP15eEHGA5PQPRz5X/s200/Ollie2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
There is so much I want to say and, yet, I don't think there are words enough to say it all. I want to thank my amazing husband, Mike, for his continued support of my passion. Thank you to Sherel, Kaitlin, Lynn, Lois and Amanda for their doula-sisterhood. Thank you especially to the beautiful families I've been privileged to work with over these past four years. <b>You</b> are why we do what we do. Each family holds a special place in my heart and not a little one's birthday passes without fond memories of you all. Thank you to my best friends, the three ladies that have given me not only support and love, but stern talking's to when I needed them. I will miss you so much!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gcJwtSjOOpNI5wLLu_bl06PIn6_RsULzV3AenoDMJdrZia35-SJkMC3GEEoiHKrTX-eJhTbAUG0YV_KyVYI050qTTsPloKpTWzkhtRMkHrsstIVbimnNHhRSEC7BH_xxBjrsfOmR_W6L/s1600/Annie+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5gcJwtSjOOpNI5wLLu_bl06PIn6_RsULzV3AenoDMJdrZia35-SJkMC3GEEoiHKrTX-eJhTbAUG0YV_KyVYI050qTTsPloKpTWzkhtRMkHrsstIVbimnNHhRSEC7BH_xxBjrsfOmR_W6L/s200/Annie+016.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
I'm looking forward to new memories and a new life in Lethbridge. <a href="http://www.wombtocradle.ca/" target="_blank">From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</a> will now operate there as well. To my colleagues in Lethbridge and area, I'm excited to work with all of you and continue to serve the families we all care for. <br />
<br />
Thank you, Medicine Hat! I wish you beautiful births and happy healthy families!<br />
<br />
Love,<br />
<i>Michelle</i><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-54781180864680679652012-09-06T19:51:00.000-06:002012-09-06T19:52:06.524-06:00Reflective Practice & The Story of My Daughter's Birth<i>Dear Readers,</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>When I certified as a birth doula, I was asked to write a reflective essay on the birth of one of my children. This is the story of the birth of my first child, my beautiful daughter Sydne, who is the inspiration for my work with families. You will notice the titles preceding each paragraph. These are the framework for reflective practice which can be helpful when trying to work through a difficult life experience. (Please ask me about reflective practice at our prenatals!) This story is raw and emotional. I hope sharing it will help other mothers to better reflect on their experiences from birth through all aspects of motherhood. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>XOXO</i><br />
<i>Michelle</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>My Inspiration: The Birth of My Beautiful Daughter</b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Description</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I
am a mother of two children. This is the story of my first child’s birth. Shortly
after becoming pregnant, my husband and I moved to a larger centre. I found a
family physician; a general practitioner who also delivered babies. I remember
telling her at one of my prenatal appointments, “I don't want to be a hero.
Sign me up for an epidural.” My doctor was supportive and made the note in my
chart. I also included it in my simple, one-page birth plan. We also discussed
breastfeeding as I planned to nurse my baby.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I did not want a cesarean or instrumental birth.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">I wanted to be comfortable and enjoy the
birth experience.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">These items were also noted
in my birth plan.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">My wish at the time
was for a beautiful comfortable birth experience with the active support of my
husband and mother.</span></div>
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<br />
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
daughter was born on Saturday, May 10, 2003, ten days after my due date of May
1<sup>st</sup> and after a fourteen hour labor. My mother had arrived from out
of the country a week earlier. We walked through several malls, went bowling and
I waddled up and down the stairs in our home as much as possible. My doctor
stripped my membranes twice and I begged for her to induce me. The night before
I was scheduled to be induced, I went into labour on my own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">During
one of many nightly trips to the bathroom, I noticed goop on the pad in my
underwear. It wasn't my mucus plug as I had lost it a week before and this
wasn't pink. It was a very pale clear
yet cloudy grey-green. I called the local 24-hour nurse line. They said it was
probably nothing. When I felt a little mini-gush, I knew it was my water
leaking at this point. It was around 2:30 AM when I woke first my mother and
then, my husband, Mike, and we headed to the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
contractions started on the way to the hospital, which was 10-15 minutes from
our home. They were centered in my lower back. At the hospital, I changed into
the hospital gown, peed in a cup, left my pad on a paper towel in the bathroom
(per the nurse’s instructions) and was told to lie in the bed in the assessment
room. The fetal monitor was strapped around my belly and I lay in a
semi-reclined position. I had only been in the bed a few minutes it seemed,
when my water broke with a gush. A nurse or doctor confirmed that there was
meconium in the water.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They
moved me into a labour and delivery room. The contractions were now coming one
on top of the other and I had a lot of back labour. I was lying on my left-side
and was nauseated. I had been in the hospital for around an hour and was four
centimeters dilated. A nurse asked me if I wanted a shot in the hip or the
epidural. I replied that I was ready for
the epidural. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">According
to the staff, the epidural had slowed my labour. So, I was started on IV
pitocin to increase the contractions. With each increase made to the dosage of
the artificial hormone, the epidural lost some of its numbing effect, so an
increase was made to its strength as well. This up and down dance kept up throughout
the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">At
some point in the afternoon, I had two young nurses taking care of me. One of
the nurses was a student. They checked me and found me to be fully dilated. So,
without feeling much of an urge, I started pushing. I pushed for almost four hours
and moved the baby down, but my progress had stalled and my doctor arrived. She
checked me and basically poked the baby in the eye, finding that she was
occiput posterior. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Because
I had moved the baby down so far in the birth canal, a cesarean, which my
doctor later informed me she would have called for otherwise, was out of the
question. So, she called for the obstetrician on-call to come in and assist
with the delivery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
OB mentioned that they would have to try using the vacuum to help the baby out.
They tried. It didn't work. So, the doctor brought out the forceps. Finally
after an episiotomy and a fourth degree perineal tear, the baby was out. The
doctor held her upside down and Mike announced that she was a girl. We cried.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Our
daughter, Sydne Mikaela, was whisked over to the other side of the room so the
nurses and doctors from the neonatal intensive care unit could give her the
once over. They had been called in due to the meconium in the amniotic fluid.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
Sydne was examined, I delivered the placenta. Then, OB oversaw as my doctor
stitched up my large tear, which was both interior and through my perineum to
the sphincter. I was in a haze.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
I finally held my new baby daughter, I noticed what appeared to be a large
blood blister on her forehead. Her face was bruised from the forceps and vacuum
and her nose squished from being stuck under my pubic bone. We were moved to
the postpartum floor and I tried to breastfeed her, but we were not successful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">That
night, the nurses took Sydne to the nursery so I could rest. They fed her
bottles of formula. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We
continued trying to breastfeed throughout our stay in the hospital. Each time I
tried to feed Sydne, the nurses would try to help, but usually ended up shoving
her roughly onto my breast. Sydne screamed and pulled away each time. Each
nurse had a different idea about why she wouldn't latch on. They said perhaps
she was tongue-tied or she couldn't breathe because her nose was squished, or
maybe because her chin was recessed. I yelled at the lactation consultant and
told her to leave me alone. Finally, my doctor told me just to tell the nurses
that I was going to formula feed so they’d release me from the hospital.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
Monday evening after Sydne was born, we went home. I continued trying to breastfeed,
but pumped and supplemented with formula as she still refused to take the
breast. I cried and she cried at each attempt. The health nurse visited the day
following our release from the hospital and I continued to have a nurse visit
each day throughout the week, still trying to establish breastfeeding. The day
my mother was to return home, I began crying constantly. Then, on my way to the
bathroom, I lost control of my bowels. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
saw my doctor a week after Sydne was born to see if she could increase the
dosage of the medication I was already taking for depression. At the visit, she
suggested we fully make the switch to formula. I agreed.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Feelings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In
the days leading up to my Sydne’s birth, I really felt as though I would be
pregnant forever. Because my mom had
come up from another country for the birth and was only scheduled to stay with
us for two weeks, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have the baby while she was
still there or early enough for her to spend sufficient time with all of
us. I was so relieved when the hospital
called with our induction time. I
actually slept well that night, for the first time in weeks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">While
I was very excited about my child’s arrival, I felt very overwhelmed and afraid
during her birth. Just before the
epidural was administered, I felt so nauseated.
I was afraid and embarrassed that I may vomit. I really didn’t want anyone to see me
throwing up. I felt very weak. I thought I appeared weak to others. I was young as well, at nearly
twenty-four. I did not feel confident to
question the hospital staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My
mother didn’t say much during the actual birth.
I remember her trying to talk to me when I was experiencing the back
labour and nausea. She was trying to get
me to look into her eyes. As a child,
when I would bump my knee or fall, I would cry as though it were the end of the
world. My mother would often say,
“They’re going to have to knock you out when you give birth.” I believed her. If my own mother said that about me, I felt it
had to be true. I didn’t want to
disappoint my mother by showing any fear or by being a “baby” about the pain. All I felt at the time was the fear that I
would let her down and that I wasn’t strong enough. I wish she had spoken to me more during the
birth. Her appearance was stoic; but,
perhaps she was afraid for me. I can
only imagine how I’ll feel when it is Sydne’s turn to become a mother. Maybe, beneath her strong exterior, there was
a tender heart only wishing to spare me pain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
didn’t want my husband to worry about me.
I don’t remember him being very involved in the birth. I don’t remember what he said to me or really
how he felt. There was concern in his
eyes, but he didn’t really say much of anything, which worried me and made it
very difficult for me to feel supported.
He slept after I got the epidural.
I was angry that he wasn’t awake with me. I wish he had encouraged me more or had
perhaps been more involved in researching our options during our pregnancy in
order to prepare for the birth. I wish he had protected me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After
Sydne was born, I was in a total haze. I
don’t remember pushing her out. I didn’t
have a feeling of one being becoming two separate individuals. It wasn’t a spiritual experience as I had
hoped it would be. I just remember
feeling like I wasn’t entirely in my body. I wasn’t physically or mentally
present. It was as though I was a hollow
vessel and things were being done to me.
I was simply an observer, but not even one that was entirely
focused. It was as though I was watching
a movie in a crowded noisy theatre. I
couldn’t pay attention completely, though I knew there was action taking
place. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not
being able to breastfeed my Sydne broke my heart. I was frustrated that I could not do it
myself. I was angry that she had been
hurt by the mechanisms to remove her from my body. I was angry at the nurses for not noticing
she was in an odd position. I was angry
at myself for asking for the epidural, because maybe I could have prevented her
getting hurt by the vacuum and forceps. I wish I had learned more about
breastfeeding in the early stages after birth. I was angry at my daughter
because she wouldn’t take my breast. Why
wouldn’t she take my breast?!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When
we arrived home from the hospital, I was in so much pain. My heart was broken and I had little connection
to my daughter. Every time I tried to
feed her at my breast she cried and then I cried. I planned in my mind to have my husband care
for her. I didn’t feel that she needed
me anymore. The pain of not being able
to provide her with the one necessity I should have been able to tore at my
heart. My body also felt ripped
apart. When I lost control of my bowels
that was my breaking point. Here I had
just given birth to a helpless baby and I was the one who needed the
diaper. I was helpless, too, and
hopeless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
was relieved when my doctor increased my medication. I was relieved, too, when she suggested
formula feeding. I couldn’t bring myself
to keep trying to breastfeed when, I felt, my daughter was rejecting me. I also felt like a failure. I couldn’t fulfill my daughter’s most basic
need. I felt incredibly guilty that I
did not breastfeed her. I knew that my
breast milk was made for her and that nothing else would provide the perfect
amount of nutrition or immune support.
Every time I prepared a bottle of formula, I felt guilty. Every time I saw another mother
breastfeeding, I felt jealous. I felt as
though I was being judged by breastfeeding mothers for feeding my child an
artificial substitute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Actions<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
had planned for an epidural and I received one.
I had planned to breastfeed, yet I did not succeed. It is clear to me now that the choice to
receive an epidural impacted my breastfeeding experience. If I been able to express the type of pain I
was experiencing, perhaps the nursing staff would have recognized that Sydne
was occiput posterior earlier and suggested a change of position. I would not have been confined to the bed, so
I would have been able to try other things to help her to turn. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
offer was made to have an injection of morphine. Had I tried this at that early point in
labor, I may have received the relief I was longing for while also giving my
body time to metabolize the medication so that I would still have sensation
during the second stage. Also, the epidural
had “slowed” my labor. If I had chosen
another pain relief option or no pharmaceuticals at all, I may have had a
shorter labor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
epidural also may have compromised Sydne’s awareness. Had she been more alert following her birth,
perhaps she would have had more of an urge to feed, thus giving us both more
motivation to breastfeed. She also may
not have had to have an instrumental delivery and, therefore, would not have
had the birth injuries that she experienced.
I also did not know at the time that there were alternatives to bottle
feeding. I could have used finger
feeding, cup feeding or tried a supplemental nursing system. None of these items were offered; but, I also
did not ask.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Birthing
in this particular hospital was also another choice that I did not realize I
had control over. I knew that there were
midwives in our area at that time, however, I was not comfortable with having a
homebirth and also, because midwives were not covered by our provincial insurance
plan at the time, I did not think I could afford one. There was a pilot program operating out of a
hospital about a half an hour outside of our city with both midwives and
doctors on staff, but I was not aware of it at the time. Perhaps had I known, I could have given birth
in a place that gave me the comfort of knowing technology was near if I needed
it, but also would have given me more freedom to choose natural alternatives to
medical interventions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The
main reason I had chosen my doctor was that she was a woman. She made me feel quite comfortable in all of
our appointments and truly did take time to listen to me; however, her practice
was quite busy and she was new to the profession. Perhaps this may have led her to initially
lean more toward the managed style of birthing.
In retrospect, I also must note that I did not really keep an open mind
toward everything in my visits with her.
I did not, for example, ask for any information on the risks of epidural
anesthesia, nor did I request any information on breastfeeding and
breastfeeding support. I could have taken a more active role in my care.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">All
of the choices I made were motivated out of fear. I was afraid I couldn’t manage without the
epidural. I was afraid to vomit in front
of my family and the hospital staff. I
was afraid that I would not be taken seriously by the staff. I was afraid that I did not know enough to
ask the proper questions of staff and that I didn’t really deserve to have the
answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Learning<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
I look back upon the events surrounding Sydne’s birth, I am filled with
gratitude. While much of the experience
was truly painful, without it I would not have found a passion for birth and
for helping other women and their families.
As much as it hurt, I have been able to learn from the mistakes I made
during that period. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have learned that I am responsible for my own feelings. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “No one can make
you feel inferior without your consent.”
While my mother may have relayed her perceptions about my tolerance for
pain or my strength, it was I who chose to accept those words as fact. She could not make me weak, nor could she
make me strong. In repeating her words
in my own inner dialog, I had already written the story of my birth experience
before it had even begun. I expected to
fail in fulfilling my own perceptions of what a strong birthing woman would or
could be, therefore I planned to fail. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
also realize that I have put a great deal of stock in what others think of
me. I worry about their perceptions of
me as an individual. I often try to
please others rather than think of how my decisions affect my life. As an adult, I place much importance on
pleasing my parents and making them proud of me. I know I need to be proud of myself and
concern myself more with the future I have with my husband and children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
know I must be my own advocate. I had
the opportunity to learn more about my options and make informed decisions, but
I allowed myself and my fears keep me from doing so. The more I learn the greater power I have
over my own life. The answers are there for me to find, I only need to look. Not knowing is not an excuse. I have found my voice and I must use it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
believe that I have a unique role in teaching Sydne about birth and building up
her self-esteem. While I chose to take
on my mother’s perceptions as my own in a negative fashion, I also realize that
the messages we and others send us have a lasting impact on our lives. I want to send my daughter positive messages
about her body and her capability to birth and mother. She does not have to repeat my mistakes. I know she may make her own, but I want her
to know that I believe she has the power to accomplish anything she sets her
mind to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Guilt
serves no purpose. It was a waste of my
time and energy. While I did not plan to
feed my daughter formula, I did the best that I could under the
circumstances. She was healthy and
happy. I was able to get the help I
needed for my mental health without worrying about the substances going through
my milk and into my baby’s sensitive system.
I would have loved to have had more support to breastfeed, but I believe
that being unable to at the time helped me to value nursing even more. It has also made me much more understanding
when I hear or see another mother’s struggles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally,
I have learned that while I may be fearful, I can feel it without letting it
take over my decision making. I cannot
and will not give up my power simply because I may not know what lies ahead. I had been allowing myself to exist, without
truly living and allowing myself to use fear as an excuse to keep me from
making decisions that may have been in my best interest. I have never been a
risk taker. I do not want to miss out on
life anymore.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Application<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Reflection
has helped me to deal with the negative feelings I have had pertaining to my
first birth experience and how such similar feelings and thought processes have
been a part of my entire life. I have
also begun to feel empowered to really take control of the decisions I make in
my life. By realizing that my decisions
are my own, I see that being fearful would mean not trusting myself. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have been able to turn my birth experience into a positive motivator, rather
than a negative memory. I have overcome
the challenges of learning to bond after a difficult birth. I gained the desire to help others learn more
about how to have healthier happier births.
I have a renewed passion for breastfeeding. I know that just because I did not have the
ideal experience the first time around, it does not mean that I have not gained
valuable knowledge. I’ve learned to
trust my instincts and believe in myself and my abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As
a birth professional, I realize I have a unique privilege of helping mothers
and their families find their own power, make informed decisions, and begin the
journey of parenthood with confidence and joy. I must strive to live my life as a reflection
of these values. I hope that I can help
my clients to feel supported and valued.
Their experiences mean more to me than my personal feelings about their
choices. In the end, the birth
experience belongs to the mother and her family. It should be something they are able to
cherish.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
have learned to be more accepting of other’s choices. I know I may not make the same decisions for
myself; but, I also understand that each mother, each birth, and each family is
unique. As a doula, I can be available
to provide information to my clients and respect whatever decision they make in
the end. I have felt the pain of my own
guilt and perceived judgement of others and I would not wish that on anyone
else.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now
that I have realized how my own feelings have shaped my decisions, I believe
that I may be able to better assist my clients in reflecting on their own
experiences and choices. I know what it
is like to feel powerless. By using
reflective practice with my clients, as well as encouraging them to find the
answers to their pregnancy, birth and parenting questions, I hope the women I
work with will have a better chance of having a birth experience that is safe
and satisfying. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I
am applying what I have learned as a wife and a parent. I am more open with my husband about my
wishes. We are able to work together
when it comes to how to raise our children, researching where to live, and even
what vehicle to purchase. I work hard to
help my children realize their own power and potential. I believe that they can achieve any
goal. I want them to know how loved they
are and how valued they are. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Finally,
I am so happy to have been able to communicate with my parents about my
feelings. I am more comfortable relating
to them as an adult. My mother and I
have since had many frank discussions about my perceptions of my ability to
deal with physical pain. She expressed
to me the anger she felt toward the hospital staff for what she believed to be
their neglect in determining my daughter’s position during second stage. She has also become my biggest supporter in
my role as a birth professional. While I
know now that I do not need the approval of others to feel worthy and
successful, I am very glad that I’ve had this opportunity to communicate in
this way with my mother. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; font-variant: small-caps;">Summary</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
paper has been a reflection on my experience giving birth to my first
child. I have discovered that many of
the decisions I made were based up on fear and lack of confidence. I used fear
as an excuse to keep me from exploring the other choices that were available to
me at the time. I realize that by believing in my own abilities, trusting my
instincts, and taking the responsibility to make informed decisions in my own
life, I will be better able to support my clients in doing so themselves. Through reflection I have been able to see
what I had previously thought of as a negative experience in a positive manner
by utilizing it as an opportunity for growth. I have learned to accept the
decisions I made that shaped my birth experience. The birth and early postpartum period taught
me to also be non-judgemental and more supportive of my clients’ choices. I
hope that the process of writing this paper will give me greater sensitivity
when helping my clients as they work through any previous experiences they may
have that could hinder them from claiming their own power to birth and mother.
I am overjoyed to be able to work toward a better birthing future for the
families in my community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-12179245901207858402012-08-13T18:32:00.002-06:002012-08-13T18:32:50.592-06:00Addicted to Birth part 2 of 2<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauSjeXWSTE9W39-ujPPjwvuBapYQnHjnjvUv4PyG_AUxxTsahpTx6SAaffgKmyWQagissKN-ZsyCPQ-g9ya9vSCXJtIapTP66-7gzWSuFfc0GW1ofzbrmCbU8LU2mEs_0f0O7PeVyQeoc/s1600/birth+and+other+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiauSjeXWSTE9W39-ujPPjwvuBapYQnHjnjvUv4PyG_AUxxTsahpTx6SAaffgKmyWQagissKN-ZsyCPQ-g9ya9vSCXJtIapTP66-7gzWSuFfc0GW1ofzbrmCbU8LU2mEs_0f0O7PeVyQeoc/s320/birth+and+other+009.JPG" width="226" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Pregnancy was amazing, I have to admit, and I know
that everyone is going to hate me for that statement but I have never felt so
good pregnant before. I attribute my great pregnancy to a doula client who was
having her first and told me that she did not have morning sickness. I was of
course shocked because I had never heard of that before and had my share of
morning sickness through my pregnancies. She told me that she had a respected
coach that she had looked up to who had a wonderful pregnancy and so she
decided that is how her pregnancy would be as well. I was amazed that she could
expect to have an easy pregnancy and tell herself that and it happened. I
wanted that as well so when I was pregnant I decided to enjoy it and love it
and feel good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I don`t know how it worked but it did! I think
telling my body that I loved it and telling it to feel good helped me to choose
things that made me healthy and feel good. I remember a point early in my
pregnancy where I started to feel a bit nauseous and decided that it was my
body telling me that it needed something. So I boosted my vitamin intake and
started taking Juice Plus pills, which uses natural foods to provide the body
with nutrients, as well I made sure I was stocked up on healthy appealing
snacks. This time my first trimester, rather than being a time of toilet
worshipping, I was instead ravenous and ate constantly. I think that because I
never gave my stomach an opportunity to be empty I did not experience the
nausea that accompanies the excess bile that is produced by the body in early
pregnancy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> In addition I did not want to sit around this
pregnancy and feel out of shape and tired so I decided to go to work.
Unfortunately I was afraid that no one would hire me in my condition knowing
that I would be quitting in a matter of months so I advertised myself as a
house cleaner online. I was shocked when my week was quickly filled up. I loved
working and cleaning houses and it worked exactly as I had hoped to keep my
energy up. I stayed in wonderful shape throughout my pregnancy and every time I
would pick things up from the floor or wash the bottom of a toilet I would make
an effort to squat rather than bend so that I could strengthen my pelvic floor
and be accustomed to it in case I wanted to birth in that position. That is the
funny thing about squatting, it is a wonderful position for birthing but if you
have not practiced it, it is really difficult to hold the position while you
are pushing out a baby. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The best part about working hard and eating healthy
was that I never got that last month exhaustion where I felt like I needed to
get the baby out so I could sleep again. I felt so good and full of energy from
being active that when I went to bed I was able to fall asleep quickly and
sleep soundly. My only complaint with this pregnancy was vaginal varicosities
that never caused me discomfort and a mild case of hemorrhoids. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Having a pleasant and busy pregnancy made it easier
when my due date came and went. I was determined not to quit working until
either contractions made working too difficult or my water broke on someone`s
floor. I did not want to sit around waiting on a baby who was running on his
own schedule. The fun part was that the week after I was due I scored two extra
move out cleans through a client and since I was nesting like crazy I worked my
butt off cleaning and scrubbing on hands and knees and the home owner was
impressed. He asked me if I was interested in getting another regular house to
clean. I told him I would have to decline since I was expecting the baby any
day. When he asked about my due date and I admitted I was past my date he
stared at me like I was about to spurt amniotic fluid all over his newly
cleaned floors.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWKjKdWoKl3hMpM4ZH4wIA2sHiIuej0VfGAyokuqNU7RN3xc-fCN8d04QuEdrdebXGGevd0aSz4iXfAeTijDKZrpX3d-u53KF-iyv3j7rplCnyHpeps-3q3Fk4dWz1z8nmrTqAmxcP3AQ/s1600/P5211272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWKjKdWoKl3hMpM4ZH4wIA2sHiIuej0VfGAyokuqNU7RN3xc-fCN8d04QuEdrdebXGGevd0aSz4iXfAeTijDKZrpX3d-u53KF-iyv3j7rplCnyHpeps-3q3Fk4dWz1z8nmrTqAmxcP3AQ/s320/P5211272.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I had grand plans for my home birth. I decided I
wanted to have a birth party with all of the people I know who are like minded
with me about birth as well as a few other close friends and family. My plan
was to sleep between contractions if labor started at night and to fix snacks
for the party in early labor if it started during the day. I planned to give
birth in the basement in a birth pool and have the tv on and snacks upstairs to
keep guests occupied during the slow times until I began pushing and then I
wanted everyone present for the birth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I was excited when contractions seemed to be coming
regular on Friday June 22<sup>nd</sup> but didn`t get too anxious since I knew
they could stop when I went to bed. However, it really felt like contractions
were regular so I decided I would call my birth team and put everyone on alert
in case it was the real thing. Judging by contractions and my last birth I
expected that I would labor through the night and give birth the next day. My
mom and Aunt were travelling to the birth from 2.5 hours away so they decided
to come that night so they could sleep here and be well rested for whenever things
picked up. Our wonderful friends Sam and her mom, Nadine, also decided to spend
the night since Jeff was picking them up for the birth since neither drive and
I didn`t want him leaving me when things got intense. Sam`s two kids came as
well and had a sleepover with Tony and Sam. We stayed up excited and talking
till midnight when my mom and Aunt arrived. I was starting to get frustrated
about then since it seemed that contractions were coming less often and weren`t
as intense. We all decided to get some rest since things were slowing down and
reassess the situation in the morning. It seemed like the moment I lay down
labor intensified and I had to get up a few minutes later to use the bathroom
and saw my mucus plug go which delighted me since it confirmed to me that I
hadn`t called everyone in vain. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I slept really well between contractions until I
couldn`t lie down any longer around 5. I decided I wanted to try the birth pool
and Jeff began filling it while I laid on the bed we had set up in the basement
for the birth. I was still tired so it felt good to rest but whenever I felt a
contraction coming I could not be lying down so I would get up and walk over to
the telepost where I would get it lined up with my spine and lean into it so
that I had pressure in my lower back and I would sway my hips. It was amazing
how that trick worked to alleviate the pain that accompanied the contractions.
As soon as the pool was filled I tried it out and got in it and onto my hands
and knees. Surprisingly, this didn`t work for me as it did throughout my entire
previous labor, and I got out again and continued being upright through the
contractions. After a while my back was sorer from the pressure that I was
forcing on it from the telepost than from the contractions so I quit using it
to lean against. By then others had woken and after a bit of experimentation I
discovered that I could cope really well with someone squeezing my hips and I
would continue swaying my hips and would drop my jaw and let my air out in low
moans and grunts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEicvI-lUv19Mzbx6Ih2b8Qzz1lUuxBEOfXLdqc7VNPJKfsAJP2CQb6-8jTh7Q9BHamoD_czne83NbhEc0zrWI87HVFMpZXF2k_tBXqTd9sB9ESkBqw2cwerxVmMsBRXuKv43A2YNQpo7/s1600/birth+and+other+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwEicvI-lUv19Mzbx6Ih2b8Qzz1lUuxBEOfXLdqc7VNPJKfsAJP2CQb6-8jTh7Q9BHamoD_czne83NbhEc0zrWI87HVFMpZXF2k_tBXqTd9sB9ESkBqw2cwerxVmMsBRXuKv43A2YNQpo7/s320/birth+and+other+025.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvvgzTGrczxzNUWuuPjyBFORQiWyWjD9Y0CJiSIAiOl9lZWuciUPkHR1u2B7KowlcPT21hkmAtHdOe0tAxoL46st1Rm7A9HZX5Hy2J_SbALEAeM3MHmdaWvlVXuABr-dL9Hxpx8es_eVo/s1600/Sams+camera+160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghvvgzTGrczxzNUWuuPjyBFORQiWyWjD9Y0CJiSIAiOl9lZWuciUPkHR1u2B7KowlcPT21hkmAtHdOe0tAxoL46st1Rm7A9HZX5Hy2J_SbALEAeM3MHmdaWvlVXuABr-dL9Hxpx8es_eVo/s320/Sams+camera+160.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> It all felt really good I felt like I was working
completely with my body to let the baby move down and I was able to really stay
loose during the contractions. I also liked sitting on the toilet and spent
most of my time moving between the bathroom and the birth pool. It felt really
good to be actively doing something. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whenever I sat on the toilet I would check
myself to see if I could feel the baby or anything that was going on inside, it
was exciting when I could finally feel the bulge of my amniotic sac after a
while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> While I was laboring three other people arrived including
my midwife. Three people that were invited were unable to make it including a
photographer who was going to take pictures. Since Sam was my backup
photographer she was busy snapping pictures and taking care of things. She was
awesome and seemed to always be there during a contraction when I needed a hip
squeeze or drinks of water and also managed to capture beautiful pictures of
the labor and birth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh4n8KUxAMcAUBqjntpoq2LHwv4hYPtxp3XVQaGG0FdSJwxFm0O39YEoIT20udgOF4xu0UODq69VDi00cNHVsBcUKxzN3yi3Ulu66dbTNFAztpbgf91718CvBhoQaRQy7mcwA7qen3HjU/s1600/birthing+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKh4n8KUxAMcAUBqjntpoq2LHwv4hYPtxp3XVQaGG0FdSJwxFm0O39YEoIT20udgOF4xu0UODq69VDi00cNHVsBcUKxzN3yi3Ulu66dbTNFAztpbgf91718CvBhoQaRQy7mcwA7qen3HjU/s320/birthing+cropped.jpg" width="230" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I was getting
worried and mentioned it to my midwife because I could tell that I was not yet
to transition as I could still focus and felt completely aware between
contractions and I was afraid that I would have difficulty with the intensity
that would come with transition. It was amazing when transition hit I could
instantly tell. Everything took on a surreal quality as if I had been drugged
and I couldn’t really tell who was around me. It was nice to know that I was in
transition. My favorite part of labor was when my older boys would come and
check on me. I was able to explain to them what I was feeling and what was
going on with my body and it would remind me to relax and let things happen and
smiling at them to let them know that I was ok helped me feel better and in
less pain. They were so attentive and would give me hugs and massage my back
which really did feel wonderful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> I was really feeling a lot of pressure on my bottom
and when I was on the toilet and checked myself I could feel my water bag right
inside my vagina and when I pushed a little further past it I could feel the
baby’s head. I asked my midwife if I could break my water but then I was afraid
she would say no, so before she was able to answer I pinched the amniotic sac
between my fingernails and pulled and felt the gush of fluid as my water broke.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> My boys were really excited for this as they knew it
meant the baby was coming and had been asking me if my water broke yet for
weeks before labor even started. Breaking my water was such a relief and eased
the intense pressure I had been feeling. Since I could feel the baby’s head
high up in my vagina I began pushing through the contractions and kept my hand
on his head and felt it move down with each push. Before long the head was
visible from the outside and I told the kids to watch their brother being born.
I squatted in the pool and the kids and adults lined up where they could watch.
I started to push cautiously. I planned to push slowly so I wouldn’t tear but
as soon as the contraction started I was crowning and I couldn’t slow it down
at all. Woosh! The baby’s head was out and there was that adrenaline rush again
which I knew I would remember all my life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> The midwife checked for the cord and another
contraction came. A small push and Forest came swimming out and I brought him
up and to my chest. I inhaled deeply as I kissed his sweet little head then
rested my head back on the edge of the pool as the euphoria of birth washed
over me. Jesse Forest came into the world at 11:05. We instantly fell in love. I
felt wonderful. I birthed the placenta. I breastfed my baby. I relived the
birth with my friends before everyone went home and I could not wait to do it
all again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Yes I freely admit it I am completely addicted to birth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-26200276128556657122012-08-13T18:00:00.000-06:002012-08-13T18:00:52.943-06:00Addicted to Birth part 1of 2<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-xZ1CNk6JV3hJ8Sri3-T4Jk41HbPieOBpLKwKb5Qi0MOgzQALQmz5fnZ-ZP2ObKU6PbDzHRYyXCVPABI964RsQxtS8RLqSl3-8a_nh8Ie6lFw_sUDp7F8EmcZVFrDW3-n1pR7MR6YoxV/s1600/Sams+camera+170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-xZ1CNk6JV3hJ8Sri3-T4Jk41HbPieOBpLKwKb5Qi0MOgzQALQmz5fnZ-ZP2ObKU6PbDzHRYyXCVPABI964RsQxtS8RLqSl3-8a_nh8Ie6lFw_sUDp7F8EmcZVFrDW3-n1pR7MR6YoxV/s320/Sams+camera+170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Yes I freely admit it I am totally and completely
addicted to birth. It has been over a month since I gave birth to my little
Jesse Forest and I am still on such a birth high that I get giddy and excited
every time I recall the rush of pushing him into the world into my waiting
hands and bringing him up out of the water to my breast. It is a good thing
that I am sane enough to realize how much work parenting can be afterwards so I
haven’t gone crazy and started a football team. Although I am on the right
track, so far we have had four beautiful boys spaced three years apart. Each
birth has been a totally unique experience and helped me to learn and grow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Birth #1 was
by scheduled cesarean because Tony wanted to be born bottom first and the
doctors didn’t go for that so I willingly put myself under the knife to bring
him into my groggy waiting arms. Unfortunately I was too tired from my general
anesthesia to appreciate the moment and held him with joy but was unable to
keep my eyes open long enough to examine his beautiful tiny body. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Birth #2 was my biggest regret and after an
emergency C-section due to “failure to progress” I got to see my little Sam
lifted over the blue curtain for a minute screaming his little head off and then
I was separated from my baby. Needless to say the whole experience threw me
into a fear of birth and pregnancy and traumatized me from ever wanting to have
another child.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Birth #3, my triumph! Thanks to an unplanned
pregnancy I faced my biggest fear and approached this birth from a new angle. I
actually educated myself and gave myself permission to defy the experts and
trust myself and my body. So after two cesareans I had my first VBAC in my
basement with a midwife, my mom, husband and boys. After hours and days of
labor that didn’t ever want to end I pushed Alex out into my arms in breech
presentation. That was the first time I felt the rush and high that turned me
into this birth addict. It was the moment that I reached down while his body
slipped into my hands and everything stretched to let him free. Like a shot of
adrenaline! I was on a high for days reliving that moment and feeling. Despite
endless hours of exhausting labor once I held my baby I was ready to run around
and dance like a crazed lunatic. I had given birth to my baby in a way that
people had told me that I couldn’t do and I had given birth to a new me as
well. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Birthing my baby changed my life. I learned so much
about giving birth and how backwards birthing has become in our liability-riddled
medical model. Giving birth is natural and healthy and should take place in a
natural environment not surrounded by fear, lying on a bed with strangers
staring between your legs at a place that you haven’t been able to look at
yourself for months. I felt like my mind had been blown by the new information
I had learned during my pregnancy. People don`t tell you these things. I was
naive and innocent when I approached my first two births and put my trust in a
system that puts themselves and their fears ahead of me and my experience. What
mattered to my care providers was that they were not going to be held
responsible for my lack of knowledge and experience so instead of educating me
about my body they rescued me from it. They treated my physical symptoms while
leaving me with a totally shattered psyche. I was shocked to learn how little
birth professionals focus on the psychology of birth when it is such a huge
aspect of the birth process. Yeah, our bodies can sometimes manage to give
birth on their own, completely drugged up and with no feeling of what`s going
on and if turning the synthetic contractions up does not force the baby out then
the doctors are there with their surgical instruments to come to the rescue.
Thank heavens for modern medicine. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Our brains do work and feeling scared and threatened
is not the way to give birth. A prepared mind can make all the difference in an
easy birth as can our minds shut down labor and fail to birth a baby if we are
in an environment of fear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Alex`s birth made my mission in life clear. Now that
I knew better I could not keep it to myself and let innocent victims fall prey
to the surgical knife and let innocent babes be needlessly cut from a mother`s
womb if I could make a difference. Yes, I had turned into a birth junkie. Every
conversation I had somehow turned to birth and I passionately told everyone I
spoke to exactly how birth should be. I enrolled myself in a midwifery program
and before long I started attending hospital births as a doula. The more I
learned and experienced the more it confirmed my desire to fix birth and fed my
addiction to keep going. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAeHCet7y0sCVMuFPEh3jClPzKHEi0shGBiJ9P8J5PCHd544pESrlESgWNACzmjgyOf3BImqeCV8tNqyISIhRqOB8elqSgDub7UNTqxzSj9w2OKncDFV9Q7Kre29Vb31q8isfCtN30cdz/s1600/march-+april+025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAeHCet7y0sCVMuFPEh3jClPzKHEi0shGBiJ9P8J5PCHd544pESrlESgWNACzmjgyOf3BImqeCV8tNqyISIhRqOB8elqSgDub7UNTqxzSj9w2OKncDFV9Q7Kre29Vb31q8isfCtN30cdz/s320/march-+april+025.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Becoming a midwife through distance education with
three kids was draining and difficult and despite my drive to provide options in
care I was burning out. So to light the flame and get the passion going again I
decided it was time for another birth high. So naturally we got pregnant again
with our fourth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-68680275404139218952012-07-04T19:20:00.001-06:002012-07-06T13:34:56.000-06:00Being Doula<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The following post contains anecdotal information from an actual birth. This story is posted with full permission from the family involved and no identifying details have been included.</i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">I apologize for such a large stretch (no pun intended) without a posting. The truth is, I have been under transformation, as we all have been at </span><a href="http://www.wombtocradle.ca/" style="background-color: white;" target="_blank">From Womb to Cradle Doula Services</a><span style="background-color: white;">. What I'd like to share today has been my most recent transformation... learning to </span><i style="background-color: white;">be.</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
I was recently blessed to attend a birth where I needed to be present, but not necessarily used. It got me thinking about my training and all that I had learned. I loved my initial training with it's hands-on aspects. I learned great tools such as the "<a href="http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/comfort-in-labor-simkin.pdf" target="_blank">double hip squeeze</a>," "counter-pressure," soft touch massage, how to use a birth ball, etc. In my continued training I learned more communication skills to assist me in working not only with my clients, but also other professionals. All of these tools were great to have in my "kit" when needed, but what if they weren't?<br />
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In one of my favorite seminars, midwife <a href="http://www.waterbirth.org/" target="_blank">Barbara Harper</a> told those of us present that we needed to learn not to be a "DO-ula," but rather a "BE-la." I pondered what she said, thought I had it figured out, "Be present," I thought, "That's all I have to do." Was I prepared to BE so?<br />
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I was preparing to attend my first home water birth a few weeks ago. Those of us who would be in attendance had a conference call with the primary midwife. There was to be quite a large group including potentially three doulas. I had previously been quite concerned about the amount of individuals that would be present as I have read extensively about <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595201/" target="_blank">the importance of privacy during labour</a> and the <a href="http://www.wombs.org.za/wombs-blog/how-does-oxytocin-work-" target="_blank">mammilian reflex to stop labouring when feeling in danger</a>. During the call, I asked what she would want me to do. What did she say? <br />
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<i>In the end...it is her (the mother's) birth.</i></blockquote>
Ah hah! Yes, of course! I knew that. Every birth I've attended, other than those of my children, belonged to the mother. I didn't have to touch a mother to help her. I had often told my clients that they were the queen and I, their humble servant. So, it would make sense then that if a mother didn't need or want me to <i>do</i> anything, then I didn't need to. I simply needed to <i>be</i> there for her. (Sometimes we need to be reminded of these things that are in the crevices of our minds.)<br />
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The day arrived and I made my way to the birthing family's home. The midwife and another doula as well as several others were already there. I watched, I waited, I looked in awe at this beautiful mother birthing in her own time, her own home, her own way. I was transfixed! (Did I mention this was my first home birth!?) <br />
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I literally did nothing other than take a few photos for the family for 95% of the time. It wasn't until the mother was pushing her child out into the water that the midwife turned to me and asked me to do...the double hip squeeze (Aha!) for the mama that I moved from my silent post. There I stood, a silent witness to the miracle of an uninhibited undisturbed birth...then I got it. <i>Just be...</i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">My most important job that day was to be a witness. To see that birth could be perfectly safe, perfectly natural, perfectly... perfect...without interference. I was there to learn that we often try to </span><i style="background-color: white;">do</i><span style="background-color: white;"> too much. Ah, yes, the importance of privacy during labor...the mammilian reflex to shut down when in fear... all from too much </span><i style="background-color: white;">doing</i><span style="background-color: white;">.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Do less. Be more. Just watch. Wait. Witness.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span><br />
How else can we <i>be</i>?<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-65923217537392950752012-04-27T13:41:00.000-06:002012-04-29T21:35:46.993-06:00WIN a Maternity Photo Session!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Father's Day is coming up on June 17, 2012. What a better way to show the new daddy/partner in your life how much they mean to you than with a maternity photo session showcasing you and your precious baby-to-be! The amazing Jenn Galloway of <a href="http://www.adayinthelifephotography.ca/" target="_blank">A Day in the Life Photography</a> has generously donated a gift certificate for a free session. (You can see some of her work on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150321681631995.397831.31387606994&type=3" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>.)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWyo1bvsn9zKmV1-ZHZHzr9aTOuwxzsJNuco_3N7NBiIGDNZ6xvZnUqGszmgrVgCGhekv-EFIMpndEkUZq6kKYGya3axBEmvdr7rYeLbRPLhxMYEva647H_atVTlCIBctDODnlP-JyZYP/s1600/A+day+in+the+life+promo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWyo1bvsn9zKmV1-ZHZHzr9aTOuwxzsJNuco_3N7NBiIGDNZ6xvZnUqGszmgrVgCGhekv-EFIMpndEkUZq6kKYGya3axBEmvdr7rYeLbRPLhxMYEva647H_atVTlCIBctDODnlP-JyZYP/s400/A+day+in+the+life+promo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How did you tell your partner or other family members you were expecting? Did you show them the test? Did you put a bun in the kitchen oven? Did make a video message or simply shout it out?! Let us know in the first entry box, then follow the additional steps below to enter. You can earn extra entries by following us on Twitter, tweeting about the contest and liking our blog. If you follow us on Twitter, please be sure to comment below with your username so we can verify you've followed us and we'll follow you back! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">*Please note, this contest is available to residents of Medicine Hat, Alberta and surrounding areas only. Hurry, contest closes <b>May 11, 2012</b>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Good luck!</span></div>
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<noscript>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://rafl.es/enable-js"&amp;amp;gt;You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;.</noscript><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-42169055362000332302012-04-10T18:48:00.000-06:002012-04-12T15:59:28.277-06:00"My Vision" - Working Together in the Birth Community<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipODkfDs6WkTHysj50AT89lD-il6_JvNmWoKXXYDURYzS6HjkK2B0oglPnZFMIWgpYOkMRRK6cxMM_GF7DiUsiLHkHucPQo0zs3ROGb3sLH5Vx11s6beBOf1334deAoACFsqKWA_39IWsf/s1600/my-vision-by+Amy+Swagman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipODkfDs6WkTHysj50AT89lD-il6_JvNmWoKXXYDURYzS6HjkK2B0oglPnZFMIWgpYOkMRRK6cxMM_GF7DiUsiLHkHucPQo0zs3ROGb3sLH5Vx11s6beBOf1334deAoACFsqKWA_39IWsf/s320/my-vision-by+Amy+Swagman.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Vision<br />
Amy Swagman (<a href="http://themandalajourney.com/2010/04/14/4-12-to-4-14-10-my-vision/">The Mandala Journey</a>)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Look at the artwork to the left. What do you see? A mother who has just given birth, of course. What else do you see?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">I see </span><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">harmony</b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; text-align: left;">. I see a small group of women caring for a new mother. Notice where their faces are turned. They are not looking toward one another; rather, they are completely focused on the woman in their care.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>This is the ideal birthing community.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are doulas, nurses, midwives, doctors, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, planners, etc. Regardless of our philosophy, education, or particular walk of life, we all serve the same group. We serve mothers and their families.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>The Social System</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Think back to your days in high school. Who did you spend time with socially? Were you a jock, a prep, a stoner, a bully, or a nerd? How did you react or interact with individuals from other social groups? Did you mock them? Did you spread rumors? Did you try to sway others to your way of thinking by putting others down? Were you a member of an elite clique or did you spend time with "outcasts?" If we are honest, I think many of us can answer "Yes." While we know that such behavior was not right, it was also characteristic for that age group. Do we carry this behavior on into adulthood and our professional lives, however? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">As we grow and mature into adulthood, we believe that we outgrow most of the behaviors of our teenage years; yet, more often than not some of our old ways still hang on. With the surge in social networking over the past decade or so, we now have new outlets to interact with those who believe as we do. There are millions of groups or clubs or pages for us to join and "like." Professionally, we've never had access to more resources than we do now and it is very exciting! It also opens us up to more ways to be critical of one another.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Business</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Back in our "real lives," we are developing doula or midwifery practices and childbirth education businesses. We have the opportunity to network with one another through professional associations and our training and certifying bodies. Do we? How do we behave when we are introduced to someone who, while our colleague and one who shares our beliefs, is also our business competition. It is true, <b>birth is a business</b>. No matter how much we talk about its spiritual nature and the sacredness of the experience, we are, as birth professionals, providing a marketable service. It is a touchy subject. Many of us volunteer our services as much as possible. Truth be told though, we still do have families to support. We require food to give us the energy to work and gas for our vehicles to get us from birth to birth. So, we have to acquire paying clients. To acquire clients, we have to market our businesses. Our relationships with our colleagues in the birth field can and do become strained. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Getting Caught Up in Competition</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'll let you in on a little secret. <b>I am so incredibly guilty of this.</b> I am young (I'd like to think, anyhow) and everyday as a birth professional is a learning process. Heck, everyday as a human being is a learning process! Early on, I burnt some bridges. It does "take two to tango" and there were and are other issues present from all parties involved, but it is there, it is a problem and it is not going away on its own. To give you a little background, I am almost to fault a rule follower. I like order. I like boundaries. I like direction. I do not, however, like to be told what to do by one person. I do not like to be treated as a child and, therefore, I have a bit of a problem with authority. This was one of the reasons I decided to venture out on my own when I received my doula training and begin my own practice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It. Was. Rough.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">First of all, I had never run a business before. Not even a little bit. In my past life I was an administrative assistant for a variety of professional firms, most recently accounting firms. I definitely had a grasp on professional communication and organization, but economics not so much. Add to that a dash or two (or three) of self-doubt and lack of confidence and you have a really fun combination. I was terrified that I would not succeed in business. I was unable to trust many of my colleagues locally because I thought they did not want me to succeed either. Some of my fears came from real experiences, but probably the majority of them just came out of my own noggin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What happened? I lost sight of my goals. I forgot <b>why</b> I had become a doula in the first place. While, yes, I had to try to earn a living from my calling, I had forgotten that it wasn't my colleagues or competition that mattered, it was and <b>is</b> the families in my community. Whether they chose me to be their doula or not, isn't the important thing that they would know they have a choice to begin with? </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Philosophy and "Real Life"</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is the bottom line. We all have different beliefs and values. Period. No one person in this world thinks or feels exactly the same as someone else no matter how closely they may be aligned. That is just the nature of humanity. We also don't know where any particular individual <b>is</b> in their life. <i>Sally CBE </i>may feel that epidurals are horrible one day, but the next day she sees that one has been beneficial in a long labor for her client and suddenly sees it isn't as black and white as she once thought. <i>Jane Doe-oula</i> may have received her training, but then her studies were interrupted because of circumstances in her family life. <i>Mary Midwife </i>might have small children and not be able to attend a university, so she studies from home to gain knowledge. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because we are all different, we can't all fit into a box. We don't all have cookie cutter lives. Again, taking my personal choices into account. I originally trained as a doula with a very well-known organization. It has paved the way for doulas in our part of the world and I respect and admire all of the work done by the group. I chose, however, to certify with a different body. First, due to family commitments, and having small children, I was unable to complete all of my requirements within the allotted time frame. Second, I felt I needed a broader education (that encompassed aspects of business, communication and physiology) than what I had received in my earlier studies. I continued working as a doula to help supplement the costs of my education and, honestly, because I <b>love </b>the work. On the outside, perhaps this was perceived differently from my colleagues. They may not have known or understood what was going on in my life, but I know why I made these decisions and they worked for my family. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Whether you teach <a href="http://www.lamaze.org/">Lamaze</a>, <a href="http://www.briobirth.com/" target="_blank">Brio</a>, <a href="http://www.hypnobabies.com/">Hypnobabies</a>, or independent classes or are certified through <a href="http://www.dona.org/">DONA</a>, <a href="http://www.cappacanada.ca/">CAPPA</a>, <a href="http://www.childbirthinternational.com/">Childbirth International</a>, or <a href="http://www.birtharts.com/">Birth Arts</a>, something that appeals to your personal belief system has drawn you to the organization's philosophy and that makes it the right one for you. Whether you are certified or still in training, you are still a professional. Learning takes time and, if you are committed to providing the best care for your clients, it truly never ends. You are definitely worthy of sharing your knowledge with others. Your opinions are valid because they are yours.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Bullying</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Does anyone ever want to be called a bully? We are all guilty of it at some point in our lives. Whether we're the two-year-old who bites our sister because we don't want to share a toy or we pick apart one of the moms on the playground, we've done it, we do it and we have to stop. It can be as simple as denouncing someone's credentials or ganging up on them on a Facebook group because they chose to circumcise their son. <b>It's hurtful and it doesn't do anything to help us accomplish our goals. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I'm not going to white wash anything here. <b>We, as birth professionals, are a nasty bunch sometimes.</b> We have turf wars, we make up our own "truths" about our colleagues and share them widely, we attack those who do not believe as we do, and we engage in fruitless arguments with professionals on the perceived "opposing" side. We call each other names such as rogue or radical, etc. We undermine each other.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have confided in others on occasion without knowing all of the facts. That can definitely be construed as gossip. Yup, I am a gossip. I have hurt others. I have also felt bullied. I have been hurt. I have thought on more than one occasion about throwing in the towel. I almost have. Then, I remember, again, why I was called to be a doula. I was called to <b>serve</b>. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Serving</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>A servant is humble</b>. She puts the needs of others ahead of her own. She does not have her own agenda. She brings nothing into a relationship with her but her heart and her hands. She has the drive to give, not to achieve. That is the foundation for our work.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Now What?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We don't have to keep fighting with one another. We have the same goal. <b>We all want mothers and babies to have a healthy start physically, emotionally and spiritually.</b> That's it. That's our focus. It is really that simple. Building upon this, where do we go from here?</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Let's keep our focus on the families we work with. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Remind yourself everyday why you were called to be a birth professional. Take 15 minutes and review the birth stories of your past clients or look through thank you cards. Whatever it takes to rekindle your passion and realign your priorities.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If there is a new professional in your community, reach out to her.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If she is still training, support her. If she needs help making connections, provide her with resources. Do not be afraid of her. There are plenty of babies being born every year and, unless <i>1984</i> becomes reality, there will continue to be.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Talk <b>to</b> each other, not about each other.</span></li>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT6G4tecGJTu1JWPo85dMtdQRt_nD_JtMxYUieSrh-r5Af6Bdy9i3br3SvInSHjWxvyV3OMB6a37is69ReWx-lS98ZSFB2qUDQjSeCe-piFyZymijpxHvVe6wWD1QzCXsSOveOOjjH_3C/s1600/before+you+speak+think.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQT6G4tecGJTu1JWPo85dMtdQRt_nD_JtMxYUieSrh-r5Af6Bdy9i3br3SvInSHjWxvyV3OMB6a37is69ReWx-lS98ZSFB2qUDQjSeCe-piFyZymijpxHvVe6wWD1QzCXsSOveOOjjH_3C/s200/before+you+speak+think.jpg" width="150" /></span></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you hear something about a colleague, go to the source. Clear it up. Don't spread gossip. Communication is key.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Think before you speak.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">See the graphic to the right.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Finally, be humble. Say you're sorry. Make amends. </span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If a colleague has hurt you, forgive them. Learn from the experience, but don't hold a grudge. It doesn't serve you or your clients.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you have hurt a colleague, ask for forgiveness. You don't have to be best friends, but you can support one another.</span></li>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">My Vision</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When you have finished reading this post, scroll back up to the beginning and look at the artwork again. What do you see? I see our future if we remember our goals and we work together. The families of the world need us and we need each other. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b> </b><i><b>Author's Note:</b> I've thought long and hard about writing this post. I know that there may be some of my colleagues reading this. Actually, I hope there are, because, I want them to know that I am sorry if I have ever caused them any pain. It isn't all sunshine and roses, but I realize that together we can accomplish more than we can apart. Let's try again.</i></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-13144698936571342982012-04-04T16:57:00.000-06:002012-04-04T18:15:45.141-06:00Certification Announcement - Sherel Burrows<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxvWbSqy0wbdJbO8A9NhLjtXcobkijEE1_2wXUkwW_tR5UAC5tGeNHevOfMsB9b6ILC8wrtaMamTdeF_t4DMwSIGKqItxo9unlkzJVUNizBOeUqtZqb9_28_pWB7Kt645CQDUZDAr6GGA/s1600/Doulas+(5+of+24).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxvWbSqy0wbdJbO8A9NhLjtXcobkijEE1_2wXUkwW_tR5UAC5tGeNHevOfMsB9b6ILC8wrtaMamTdeF_t4DMwSIGKqItxo9unlkzJVUNizBOeUqtZqb9_28_pWB7Kt645CQDUZDAr6GGA/s320/Doulas+(5+of+24).jpg" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherel Burrows, CD(BAI)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://www.wombtocradle.ca/">From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc. </a>is proud to announce that Sherel Burrows has completed her training through <a href="http://www.birtharts.com/">Birth Arts International</a> and is now a <b>certified birth doula</b>! Congratulations, Sherel!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExrRAzPVyUnsZOuJYg0vbqrU0uNqomA5tj8CfyKhMapd0asgpFDXenzuQxL5QAjy75HFfB3zDVmGuOpSzmz5qBSzZhKlMrEkyiUw0Edd24e8jEgZ-uAimQMcyVvzVAvnZFrB0BMn_l4x4/s1600/Sherel+BAI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhExrRAzPVyUnsZOuJYg0vbqrU0uNqomA5tj8CfyKhMapd0asgpFDXenzuQxL5QAjy75HFfB3zDVmGuOpSzmz5qBSzZhKlMrEkyiUw0Edd24e8jEgZ-uAimQMcyVvzVAvnZFrB0BMn_l4x4/s320/Sherel+BAI.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1182141962006822198.post-51312236819503158462012-03-20T16:23:00.002-06:002012-03-20T16:34:17.762-06:00Healthy Birth Preparation - Sowing the SeedsDid you know that teaching your children about healthy birth starts at a young age? How do your children perceive birth? Is it a scary emergency event to them? It is possible to explain the birthing process to young children in a way that is both positive and appropriate for their age level. They do not need to know "how babies are made" to understand how <a href="http://www.bellybelly.com.au/baby/a-new-baby">babies are born</a>. Think of it as an investment in the health of your future grandchildren as well as your daughters or daughters-in-law. <br />
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If your son or daughter learns that birth is a normal part of life and something to look forward to, he or she will not be fearful of the process. This also helps to promote a healthy body image for your daughter. She will learn to love her body for the amazing work it can do. <br />
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Remember, what you teach your children lasts for a lifetime. Your son or daughter may be in the birthing room or laboring at home and remember something you said many years before about birth, his/her body, or his/her capabilities. Birth is a miracle. Share the joy, starting now!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9svCOXqCBj4" width="420"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">© 2008-2016 From Womb to Cradle Doula Services, Inc.</div>Michellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06772607937350721746noreply@blogger.com0