It can be a little socially isolating. Most of the time, if people don't avoid me completely (like my mother has done for the past few weeks), the only thing they have to say is "No baby yet?" or some equally obvious question. My mother in law keeps asking us that, and if I thought she'd see the humor in it, I'd answer with "Oh yeah! We forgot to tell you! We DID have a baby!" Even my own husband, who is completely aware that the baby will come when it's good and ready, often greets me with questions like "Any contractions?" Sigh. I can't make myself have a baby today, no matter how much I may want to get this show on the road.
That being said, I haven't tried everything in my power to make it happen. There are some home remedies that are decidedly unpleasant. Castor oil, for example, beyond tasting disgusting, begins your labor by either causing you to puke or get the runs, neither of which are my idea of a good time. I have tried a few things, eating pineapple, a glass of wine, a long walk, sex. The bottom line is: it will happen when it happens.
Some people have tried to make me feel better, or appease their own nervous tension by insisting that I must be wrong with my dates. Everyone that knows me knows how much I hate to be wrong, but that's not the only reason this bothers me. Since my last daughter was born, I have used fertility awareness as a method of birth control successfully for four and a half years. This requires women to keep track of their cycles and know when they ovulate. For anyone who would like to do the math, my last period happened on Christmas day, and I ovulated on day 18 of that cycle. 40 weeks from Christmas gives a due date of October 1st, which I adjusted for the later ovulation.
A friend and midwife/TBA I know insists that we ought to be counting 40 weeks from our ovulation day, rather than our period, so I looked up the history behind how we measure due dates. It seems around 1850, a doctor determined that the average length of a human pregnancy is 266 days from conception or 180 days from the first day of the last period (assuming ovulation on day 14). But in modern times, the length of human pregnancy is being extended due to better prenatal care, nutrition and education on risk factors. It is suggested that, for Caucasians, we add 15 days for the first time mother and 10 days for subsequent pregnancies. So coming up with an actual "due date" can be a bit ambiguous. Besides that, 40 weeks is an average. Both midwifery and modern obstetrics recognize that a normal pregnancy is anywhere from 37 to 42 weeks for most women. Technically, a women is not considered overdue until after 42 weeks.
If all this is true, why does being post EDD make people so nervous? Why are we all so impatient, and quick to assume that something is wrong or more likely to go wrong? Unfortunately, the medical system has overblown the risks of going overdue, and minimized or completely ignored the risks of induction. As a pregnancy extends, the placenta can become less effective at doing its job. This happens gradually, and begins at about 42 weeks. This is a problem in about one percent of women over 42 weeks. But about 35% of women are being induced, or having labors augmented with pitocin. Even non-chemical forms of induction, such as the cervical stretch and sweep or artificial rupture of membranes, are not without risks. "An induced labor forces the baby out before the body is ready, before the complex hormone interaction has primed the cervix and often before the baby has reached his full intrauterine maturity." (Gail Hart, The Postdates and Postmaturity Handbook) With an induced labor, there is an increased risk of ineffective contractions, fetal distress, meconium aspiration, shoulder dystocia, vacuum or forceps extraction, and cesarean.
So with all this in mind, it is clear that routine induction at 41 weeks, as is common now in hospitals, is a pretty irresponsible practice. Obviously, the safest and healthiest thing for me and my baby is to wait for labor to progress naturally. In the meantime, my baby is kicking (often) and moving around like crazy. My belly has dropped, and I'm getting a lot of infrequent contractions and menstrual-like cramps. My cervix is mostly effaced and about a centimeter open. These signs of early labor have been going on for about a week now. I am not really bothered by the duration of this pregnancy so far. My last labor started 2 weeks and 2 days after my due date, so I am not really surprised either. For now, I feel just fine. I am a bit uncomfortable, and it's taking me longer to get around, but I can still do what I need to do. For the most part, I can't really complain. 42 weeks isn't that bad.
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Powerful Mamas, Peaceful Births
I hit that 40 week mark earlier this week. Not that there is anything magical about that number, but I did celebrate my going outside and taking some pictures. The setting is not really a forest, but just a small grove of poplars, some of the only trees on our little acreage. And even though fall in Alberta is not as colorful as other places, I LOVE the fall leaves. So here I am kneeling on the ground in a very "ready to give birth" position. This is the position some unassisted birthers take, because they can reach down and catch their baby in their own hands. This picture makes me feel powerful, which I am.
Not that saying this is an ego thing, or that I feel I am any more powerful than anybody else, except that I believe in myself. Unfortunately, I think people often underestimate pregnant women (and women in general). We are capable of so much more than most people expect of us, and often than we expect of ourselves. During this pregnancy, I have rototilled a large garden space, shovelled truckloads of mulch, planted, weeded, and harvested. Not to mention packed and moved my family, patched drywall, learned to milk a goat, trimmed goat's hooves (which was no small task), built a milk stand, and put up a fence. One thing my parents told me over and over growing up: "You can do anything you set your mind to."
So as my body prepares to have this baby, I set my mind to give birth, and I believe that I can. I won't be alone, necessarily, but I will be in charge. I will have the final say in who participates in this birth and in what way, and in what happens to my baby in the moments following. Unassisted birth doesn't necessarily mean you give birth without help. I am helped by my supportive friends and family, my husband, and a knowledgeable woman I have invited to be present, whom I believe understands and agrees with my preferences. Unassisted birth, or more appropriately called freebirth involves a woman's right to choose where, how and with whom she gives birth. There is no government sanctioned "professional" in attendance or in charge at a freebirth, but rather the birthing mother is the expert on her own body and what she needs to birth her baby safely and effectively. She is free to follow her intuition and free from routine procedures, which can interfere with the course of labor.
This is not a new thing. It is a very traditional way of birthing. One hundred years ago, before the advent of medically managed birth on a large scale, it was the way most women birthed, and such has been the case throughout history in most cultures. Often, the birth was attended by a female relative or trusted woman in the community, but an understanding of the process was usually common among women, and not seen as something that required patriarchal interference.
It is a fallacy to believe that our medical system has made birth safer for women or babies. Even in our prosperous, developed nation, the morbidity and mortality rates of hospital births are extremely high, and the rate of surgery is ten times what is considered safe. Many women and babies are injured by invasive techniques and instruments, and surgical deliveries are dangerous and painful to recover from.
That being said, the process of natural birth is a delicate dance of hormones and responses within the mother's body and the baby. Allowing the body to cultivate these hormones is the only way to a safe, natural birth without complications. The birth hormones flow at their best when the mother is comfortable, relaxed and free from fear. The same is true for all mammals, and is a biological necessity. A mother gives birth when and where she feels it is safe to do so. If she does not feel safe, her body will hold back until she does.
With that in mind, I don't recommend unassisted birth to anyone. I don't recommend home birth with a midwife. I don't recommend hospital birth or birth centers. The only place a woman should give birth is the place in which she feels most safe and comfortable. She should recognize that there are options, and the choice is hers to make. She should chose carefully for her sake and her baby's. She should believe in her abilities. I have chosen the way of giving birth that I feel is best for me. As my body prepares to give birth, I prepare my mind as well. I remind myself that I am a strong and powerful person. My body is up for the task, and I can do anything I set my mind to.
Not that saying this is an ego thing, or that I feel I am any more powerful than anybody else, except that I believe in myself. Unfortunately, I think people often underestimate pregnant women (and women in general). We are capable of so much more than most people expect of us, and often than we expect of ourselves. During this pregnancy, I have rototilled a large garden space, shovelled truckloads of mulch, planted, weeded, and harvested. Not to mention packed and moved my family, patched drywall, learned to milk a goat, trimmed goat's hooves (which was no small task), built a milk stand, and put up a fence. One thing my parents told me over and over growing up: "You can do anything you set your mind to."
So as my body prepares to have this baby, I set my mind to give birth, and I believe that I can. I won't be alone, necessarily, but I will be in charge. I will have the final say in who participates in this birth and in what way, and in what happens to my baby in the moments following. Unassisted birth doesn't necessarily mean you give birth without help. I am helped by my supportive friends and family, my husband, and a knowledgeable woman I have invited to be present, whom I believe understands and agrees with my preferences. Unassisted birth, or more appropriately called freebirth involves a woman's right to choose where, how and with whom she gives birth. There is no government sanctioned "professional" in attendance or in charge at a freebirth, but rather the birthing mother is the expert on her own body and what she needs to birth her baby safely and effectively. She is free to follow her intuition and free from routine procedures, which can interfere with the course of labor.
This is not a new thing. It is a very traditional way of birthing. One hundred years ago, before the advent of medically managed birth on a large scale, it was the way most women birthed, and such has been the case throughout history in most cultures. Often, the birth was attended by a female relative or trusted woman in the community, but an understanding of the process was usually common among women, and not seen as something that required patriarchal interference.
It is a fallacy to believe that our medical system has made birth safer for women or babies. Even in our prosperous, developed nation, the morbidity and mortality rates of hospital births are extremely high, and the rate of surgery is ten times what is considered safe. Many women and babies are injured by invasive techniques and instruments, and surgical deliveries are dangerous and painful to recover from.
That being said, the process of natural birth is a delicate dance of hormones and responses within the mother's body and the baby. Allowing the body to cultivate these hormones is the only way to a safe, natural birth without complications. The birth hormones flow at their best when the mother is comfortable, relaxed and free from fear. The same is true for all mammals, and is a biological necessity. A mother gives birth when and where she feels it is safe to do so. If she does not feel safe, her body will hold back until she does.
With that in mind, I don't recommend unassisted birth to anyone. I don't recommend home birth with a midwife. I don't recommend hospital birth or birth centers. The only place a woman should give birth is the place in which she feels most safe and comfortable. She should recognize that there are options, and the choice is hers to make. She should chose carefully for her sake and her baby's. She should believe in her abilities. I have chosen the way of giving birth that I feel is best for me. As my body prepares to give birth, I prepare my mind as well. I remind myself that I am a strong and powerful person. My body is up for the task, and I can do anything I set my mind to.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Things to Come
It seems I only blog when the rest of the world is sleeping. One reason I actually love insomnia. It helps with creativity. Plus, I'm pretty good about allowing myself to take a nap during the day, so if I don't get much sleep at night, I don't stress it.
There was a really awful sounding bird squawking outside my window when I woke up. Some bird noises are peaceful and serene. Owls are awesome. But this bird was more like a squeaky door being opened and closed continually in my yard. Nature: it takes all types.
Not to mention the fact that I usually wake up in the night feeling like I am dying of thirst. Is this because I am too distracted in the day to make sure I drink enough water, or because I sleep with my mouth open, and wake up with a dry mouth and throat? I am on my second liter of water since 4:30 am. And yes, I have a bladder the size of a walnut.
I have about two and a half weeks till my due date. Half of my place is still under construction. I have made it clear that whatever doesn't get done in the next week will have to wait until after the baby's born. I want the last two weeks before my due date with my house to myself, without construction workers coming in and out all the time. When I've explained this to people, they've assumed it was so that I could follow my "nesting urge", or as someone put it, so that I can decorate. It's not. I feel very little urge to nest. Is nesting really supposed to be an urge that all pregnant women get? Or is it simply what they become obsessed with based on their domestic motivations?
I have much respect for my friends who are domestically inclined, who keep a neat and tidy house that looks nice, with everything in it's place, who are usually on top of things like laundry and dishes, who get all their baby stuff laid out before they enter their third trimester. That's just not how I roll. I would be lucky to go into labor with my kitchen floor recently swept. I am pretty okay with the way my house is most of the time, and the amount of work I put into maintaining it.
The reason I want my own space for a few weeks before the baby's born is because I like solitude. It helps me focus. This construction is disrupting my chi. I need to meditate, to settle into my space and feel like it's mine. Like its safe, private, calm. This baby will be born here. So over the next few weeks, the place I intend to birth will become like a sanctuary.
Even as my inner life becomes more and more still, my outer life keeps rolling along. Yesterday I helped build a compost, and learned about it, so that I can build one at my place this weekend. I picked up some fencing, which will go up in preparation for when the goats come. The goats I had been looking at got sold to someone else, and it was back to the drawing board, but I am going to look at some more this weekend. I may just bring them home in the minivan!
I'm pretty excited about setting up my little homestead. My goal is to produce the food we eat in a sustainable and healthy way, and take care of the land. Part of modern homesteading is also living in a more sustainable way, which influences what I consume and my connections with the community. Our vegetable farm has started to sell some produce at the market. It went really well last week, and we'll be there again this week. I'll try to post some pictures of that, and anything else that happens around the funny farm. But for now, it's time to start the morning fiasco. Wake my daughter up get her clothes, make breakfast, pack a lunch and get her off to school. It seems so strange, but even by grade four, I still don't find this easy. Of all the things I do in my day, this is the hardest part.
There was a really awful sounding bird squawking outside my window when I woke up. Some bird noises are peaceful and serene. Owls are awesome. But this bird was more like a squeaky door being opened and closed continually in my yard. Nature: it takes all types.
Not to mention the fact that I usually wake up in the night feeling like I am dying of thirst. Is this because I am too distracted in the day to make sure I drink enough water, or because I sleep with my mouth open, and wake up with a dry mouth and throat? I am on my second liter of water since 4:30 am. And yes, I have a bladder the size of a walnut.
I have about two and a half weeks till my due date. Half of my place is still under construction. I have made it clear that whatever doesn't get done in the next week will have to wait until after the baby's born. I want the last two weeks before my due date with my house to myself, without construction workers coming in and out all the time. When I've explained this to people, they've assumed it was so that I could follow my "nesting urge", or as someone put it, so that I can decorate. It's not. I feel very little urge to nest. Is nesting really supposed to be an urge that all pregnant women get? Or is it simply what they become obsessed with based on their domestic motivations?
I have much respect for my friends who are domestically inclined, who keep a neat and tidy house that looks nice, with everything in it's place, who are usually on top of things like laundry and dishes, who get all their baby stuff laid out before they enter their third trimester. That's just not how I roll. I would be lucky to go into labor with my kitchen floor recently swept. I am pretty okay with the way my house is most of the time, and the amount of work I put into maintaining it.
The reason I want my own space for a few weeks before the baby's born is because I like solitude. It helps me focus. This construction is disrupting my chi. I need to meditate, to settle into my space and feel like it's mine. Like its safe, private, calm. This baby will be born here. So over the next few weeks, the place I intend to birth will become like a sanctuary.
Even as my inner life becomes more and more still, my outer life keeps rolling along. Yesterday I helped build a compost, and learned about it, so that I can build one at my place this weekend. I picked up some fencing, which will go up in preparation for when the goats come. The goats I had been looking at got sold to someone else, and it was back to the drawing board, but I am going to look at some more this weekend. I may just bring them home in the minivan!
I'm pretty excited about setting up my little homestead. My goal is to produce the food we eat in a sustainable and healthy way, and take care of the land. Part of modern homesteading is also living in a more sustainable way, which influences what I consume and my connections with the community. Our vegetable farm has started to sell some produce at the market. It went really well last week, and we'll be there again this week. I'll try to post some pictures of that, and anything else that happens around the funny farm. But for now, it's time to start the morning fiasco. Wake my daughter up get her clothes, make breakfast, pack a lunch and get her off to school. It seems so strange, but even by grade four, I still don't find this easy. Of all the things I do in my day, this is the hardest part.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
The Big Move
I think last night my baby moved down a bit. Not all the way down, as in when the baby's head engages in the pelvis before labor, but down enough for me to wake up feeling different. Suddenly when I sit down, I feel my big belly on my legs. It's a good thing, really, because this kid has been kicking me in the ribs a lot lately. There was a lot of movement and mild uterine contractions yesterday evening, so now I know why. Besides that, it was just one of those little reminders that one of these days will be the big one, the one where baby moves down and out. Six weeks to go, more or less, and time is flying by.
But oddly enough, I don't think about labor a whole lot. My life and my thoughts have been very occupied with other things. The sun is just coming up, and as it gets lighter outside, the rooster next door starts his morning routine. Next I'll be hearing the baby horse on the other side, trying to wake up her mom and everybody else with her stomping. And I sit in between, in the one room loft apartment of a barn, with my husband in our big bed to my left, and my kids in the bunk bed to my right. Downstairs I have the basic amenities, a small kitchen, a bathroom, a place for my armchair, which my family recently admitted is comfy despite its ugliness. The scenery is a contrast to my big house in the suburbs, where I was until two months ago, when I started this move, and now when I go into the city, it feels so cramped, so many strangers everywhere, so busy.
Yesterday the kids turned around to find a deer in the driveway, standing right behind them. Earlier this week my daughter spent all afternoon picking wild raspberries, only to come back with none, because I guess she ate them all on her walk home. Who can blame her? Across the road a ways, two rivers meet. One is fast and cold, the other slow, warmer and deeper. We often go swimming there in the heat of the afternoon, and I find that in the river, all the tension in my body is washed downstream, and I emerge feeling like a new person, relaxed and energized.
But the mornings are getting colder, and in the foothills, frost is already appearing. Soon summer will be over, and river swims will have to wait until next year. As I set up my little farm and settle into life here, my thoughts drift to the near future. My fall preparations, bring my tomatoes inside to ripen, set up garden beds for next year, plant garlic. Then soon after, set up my birthing pool near the fireplace downstairs, have a baby, breast feed. Everything revolves around the passing of time. A season is changing in my life, which brings me to a new place, and whatever else I will learn while I am here, time will tell.
But oddly enough, I don't think about labor a whole lot. My life and my thoughts have been very occupied with other things. The sun is just coming up, and as it gets lighter outside, the rooster next door starts his morning routine. Next I'll be hearing the baby horse on the other side, trying to wake up her mom and everybody else with her stomping. And I sit in between, in the one room loft apartment of a barn, with my husband in our big bed to my left, and my kids in the bunk bed to my right. Downstairs I have the basic amenities, a small kitchen, a bathroom, a place for my armchair, which my family recently admitted is comfy despite its ugliness. The scenery is a contrast to my big house in the suburbs, where I was until two months ago, when I started this move, and now when I go into the city, it feels so cramped, so many strangers everywhere, so busy.
Yesterday the kids turned around to find a deer in the driveway, standing right behind them. Earlier this week my daughter spent all afternoon picking wild raspberries, only to come back with none, because I guess she ate them all on her walk home. Who can blame her? Across the road a ways, two rivers meet. One is fast and cold, the other slow, warmer and deeper. We often go swimming there in the heat of the afternoon, and I find that in the river, all the tension in my body is washed downstream, and I emerge feeling like a new person, relaxed and energized.
But the mornings are getting colder, and in the foothills, frost is already appearing. Soon summer will be over, and river swims will have to wait until next year. As I set up my little farm and settle into life here, my thoughts drift to the near future. My fall preparations, bring my tomatoes inside to ripen, set up garden beds for next year, plant garlic. Then soon after, set up my birthing pool near the fireplace downstairs, have a baby, breast feed. Everything revolves around the passing of time. A season is changing in my life, which brings me to a new place, and whatever else I will learn while I am here, time will tell.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Half a Pregnancy Come and Gone
Well, it's been a few months! I intended to keep this blog up throughout my pregnancy, but here I am half way through it, and I haven't even told my blog that I'm pregnant. Although most of you probably already know. I've been pregnant since sometime in January, which puts this baby due sometime in Libra. Probably.
I've been informed that my neighbor has commented "Holy cow! Does she ever look pregnant!" Umm, yeah... I think I look a lot like I did at this stage with my other two. I am big all around. I have a round belly. I will still be getting much bigger and much rounder. Some women remain tiny when they are pregnant. I don't.
But I feel great! The first trimester was miserably nauseous (also normal for me). Now I am in the "I feel great" stage, the second trimester. I have plenty of energy, and I am keeping busy. I'm gardening out of town and here in my backyard. The rain has kept me in all week so I'm keeping busy by making some pajamas for the kids. I haven't decided yet if I'm doing this because I'm too cheap to buy pajamas or if I actually enjoy doing this. I keep reminding myself that handmade things are better.
I had a bit of a scare when I was about twelve or thirteen weeks along in my pregnancy. I was driving home from work at 2:30 in the morning when I hit black ice. I was traveling full highway speed. My van went into the ditch and rolled. Emergency crews were called. It took me a while to remember that I was pregnant, and when I told EMS, they asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, presumably to have an ultrasound to see if the baby was alright. I refused. First of all, if the baby is fine, why would I want to stress him/her out further by having an ultrasound and by going to the hospital, a place where I am always uncomfortable? Second, if I am going to miscarry, there is nothing they can do to stop it, and I would rather do it in the comfort of my own home.
Obviously, everything went along just fine with the pregnancy. This one has been different than my other two. I haven't taken a pregnancy test. I haven't attended any prenatal appointments. I haven't heard the heartbeat or had any ultrasounds. I haven't even weighed myself or measured my fundus (womb). I felt the slightest movements around 18 weeks, and since then I feel movements every now and then.
This is the way pregnancy has been done since the dawn of humanity, up until sometime in the last 100 years or so. I don't see the need for technology or professionals to help me do what women have always been able to do. Yes, there are some risks. Some people have been injured or died during the birth process. But plenty more people have been injured or died while driving, and yet that is something we do without having a professional there to hold our hand. As a matter of fact, I've been a professional driver for five years, and there is still a chance I could be in a serious accident.
You can't take the risk out of life, but you can take out the enjoyment. You can take out the satisfaction. You can take out the freedom. To me, giving birth in the medical system is doing just that. It is putting myself in a position where my dignity and autonomy are compromised, where I do not have a say over when I eat, what position I labor in, what I wear, who is around. I believe it is also introducing unnecessary risks to me and my baby. Like the risks that come with interventions, forceps, episiotomies, drugs, surgery.
Contrast that to labor at home, where the mother is in charge. Her body tells her what she needs- food, sleep, a walk, a change in position. She is aware of what is going on in her body as she opens up and the baby descends. She is in the environment that makes her feel most comfortable- her own kitchen, her own bathroom, her own bed. She is surrounded by people she loves and trusts, who fully believe in her ability to get the job done. This type of birth is not just for the brave or crazy. It is simply what makes sense.
I've been informed that my neighbor has commented "Holy cow! Does she ever look pregnant!" Umm, yeah... I think I look a lot like I did at this stage with my other two. I am big all around. I have a round belly. I will still be getting much bigger and much rounder. Some women remain tiny when they are pregnant. I don't.
But I feel great! The first trimester was miserably nauseous (also normal for me). Now I am in the "I feel great" stage, the second trimester. I have plenty of energy, and I am keeping busy. I'm gardening out of town and here in my backyard. The rain has kept me in all week so I'm keeping busy by making some pajamas for the kids. I haven't decided yet if I'm doing this because I'm too cheap to buy pajamas or if I actually enjoy doing this. I keep reminding myself that handmade things are better.
I had a bit of a scare when I was about twelve or thirteen weeks along in my pregnancy. I was driving home from work at 2:30 in the morning when I hit black ice. I was traveling full highway speed. My van went into the ditch and rolled. Emergency crews were called. It took me a while to remember that I was pregnant, and when I told EMS, they asked if I wanted to go to the hospital, presumably to have an ultrasound to see if the baby was alright. I refused. First of all, if the baby is fine, why would I want to stress him/her out further by having an ultrasound and by going to the hospital, a place where I am always uncomfortable? Second, if I am going to miscarry, there is nothing they can do to stop it, and I would rather do it in the comfort of my own home.
Obviously, everything went along just fine with the pregnancy. This one has been different than my other two. I haven't taken a pregnancy test. I haven't attended any prenatal appointments. I haven't heard the heartbeat or had any ultrasounds. I haven't even weighed myself or measured my fundus (womb). I felt the slightest movements around 18 weeks, and since then I feel movements every now and then.
This is the way pregnancy has been done since the dawn of humanity, up until sometime in the last 100 years or so. I don't see the need for technology or professionals to help me do what women have always been able to do. Yes, there are some risks. Some people have been injured or died during the birth process. But plenty more people have been injured or died while driving, and yet that is something we do without having a professional there to hold our hand. As a matter of fact, I've been a professional driver for five years, and there is still a chance I could be in a serious accident.
You can't take the risk out of life, but you can take out the enjoyment. You can take out the satisfaction. You can take out the freedom. To me, giving birth in the medical system is doing just that. It is putting myself in a position where my dignity and autonomy are compromised, where I do not have a say over when I eat, what position I labor in, what I wear, who is around. I believe it is also introducing unnecessary risks to me and my baby. Like the risks that come with interventions, forceps, episiotomies, drugs, surgery.
Contrast that to labor at home, where the mother is in charge. Her body tells her what she needs- food, sleep, a walk, a change in position. She is aware of what is going on in her body as she opens up and the baby descends. She is in the environment that makes her feel most comfortable- her own kitchen, her own bathroom, her own bed. She is surrounded by people she loves and trusts, who fully believe in her ability to get the job done. This type of birth is not just for the brave or crazy. It is simply what makes sense.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Healthy Moms Grow Healthy Babies
I still haven't taken a pregnancy test, but I am certain I am pregnant. My body has given me several signals that this is the case. First, my period is nine days late, when they are usually very regular. This puts me at 5 weeks along. Although in the past I didn't wear maternity pants till the end of the first trimester, I am already having to unbutton my jeans when I sit down. I am finding it increasingly uncomfortable to sleep on my stomach. My womb is definitely growing.
Apart from that, I feel great! I'm not terribly tired or nauseous, which I experienced a lot with my other two pregnancies. The reality of what my body is going through is setting in, and I am taking steps to be as healthy as I can. Not only do healthy moms grow healthy babies, but they have an easier time with birth and recovery. So I am eating whole foods, with lots of raw fruit and veggies, and lots of lettuce. The raw fruit and veggies are good for vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, while the lettuce is for folic acid, which is present in all prenatal vitamins. I intend to start using flax seed oil in my salad dressing, which will provide the essential fatty acids that babies need for brain development. I don't believe in taking synthesized supplements. I think that if we eat mindfully, we should be able to get all of our nutritional requirements from food.
Throughout pregnancy, birth, parenting and life, a woman's mind is her most powerful tool. I find that especially in pregnancy, our minds can run away with us. We often get worried or fearful, or stuck in patterns of negative thinking. This takes it's toll on our bodies and can be a hindrance for birth. This characteristic is present in all mammals. When an animal is in labor, if she senses a dangerous situation and feels fearful, her birthing hormones stop and adrenaline is releases which stops labor and allows her to flee the dangerous situation. This is behind many instances where woman have been labeled with failure to progress. Whether the factors causing fear, worry or stress are real or perceived, their bodies are doing what they have been designed by Nature to do as a survival mechanism.
This is one of the reasons why, in my effort to be as healthy as I can be, I am paying close attention to my thoughts. If I can keep my thoughts positive during my pregnancy, it will be much easier to keep positive thoughts during labor. I also believe that, to some extent, our thoughts create our reality. Women's bodies are perfectly designed to birth their babies. Our bodies are not defective, or incapable of doing what nature intended. When I give birth, I am doing what women have been doing throughout human existence. I am strong, healthy and knowledgeable enough to listen to my body's signals and birth my child naturally and easily. Any thought that suggests otherwise is simply not welcome.
So, this is my approach to holistic health during pregnancy, and I think it works for the rest of the seasons in our lives as well. I recently read the statement that you are your own primary health care provider, meaning that we are each responsible for our own health. We can't expect someone else to do that for us. I made myself a little list of things to do while I'm pregnant:
1) eat well
2) exercise
3) rest
4) keep your thoughts positive
Doesn't sound that hard, does it?
Apart from that, I feel great! I'm not terribly tired or nauseous, which I experienced a lot with my other two pregnancies. The reality of what my body is going through is setting in, and I am taking steps to be as healthy as I can. Not only do healthy moms grow healthy babies, but they have an easier time with birth and recovery. So I am eating whole foods, with lots of raw fruit and veggies, and lots of lettuce. The raw fruit and veggies are good for vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, while the lettuce is for folic acid, which is present in all prenatal vitamins. I intend to start using flax seed oil in my salad dressing, which will provide the essential fatty acids that babies need for brain development. I don't believe in taking synthesized supplements. I think that if we eat mindfully, we should be able to get all of our nutritional requirements from food.
Throughout pregnancy, birth, parenting and life, a woman's mind is her most powerful tool. I find that especially in pregnancy, our minds can run away with us. We often get worried or fearful, or stuck in patterns of negative thinking. This takes it's toll on our bodies and can be a hindrance for birth. This characteristic is present in all mammals. When an animal is in labor, if she senses a dangerous situation and feels fearful, her birthing hormones stop and adrenaline is releases which stops labor and allows her to flee the dangerous situation. This is behind many instances where woman have been labeled with failure to progress. Whether the factors causing fear, worry or stress are real or perceived, their bodies are doing what they have been designed by Nature to do as a survival mechanism.
This is one of the reasons why, in my effort to be as healthy as I can be, I am paying close attention to my thoughts. If I can keep my thoughts positive during my pregnancy, it will be much easier to keep positive thoughts during labor. I also believe that, to some extent, our thoughts create our reality. Women's bodies are perfectly designed to birth their babies. Our bodies are not defective, or incapable of doing what nature intended. When I give birth, I am doing what women have been doing throughout human existence. I am strong, healthy and knowledgeable enough to listen to my body's signals and birth my child naturally and easily. Any thought that suggests otherwise is simply not welcome.
So, this is my approach to holistic health during pregnancy, and I think it works for the rest of the seasons in our lives as well. I recently read the statement that you are your own primary health care provider, meaning that we are each responsible for our own health. We can't expect someone else to do that for us. I made myself a little list of things to do while I'm pregnant:
1) eat well
2) exercise
3) rest
4) keep your thoughts positive
Doesn't sound that hard, does it?
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Real Test: Waiting on Nature
"I'm pregnant". Well, that's not entirely true. I think I might be pregnant. Only time will tell.
Of course, nowadays we have access to twenty-four hour drug stores where, for $6.99, I can pick up a test that will allow me to make this definitive statement. All I need to do is pee and wait two minutes. Instant results.
Just like Nature, right? Women have been peeing on sticks to test their pregnancy for thousands of years, right? No? Then how on earth did the mama's of old find out they were pregnant? Hmmmm... Maybe they had no way of knowing. Maybe they were all in the same situation as those women on the TV show "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant". I doubt it. In many cultures through out history, women were taught the art of listening to their bodies. Information on how to read the signs was passed down from generation to generation. Women's bodies were treated with reverence. It was understood that time would reveal.
Today's culture seems fixated on instant results. Technological development has given us instant messaging, instant coffee and instant breakfasts. We don't even have to wait till we get home to make a phone call, or check our email.
So in these days of fast solutions, why on earth would anyone want to wait? Remember that reverence I was talking about? Remember how the ancients were adept at listening to their body's signals? To me this is an exercise in patience, but it's not just about character development. It's about waiting for Nature to take it's course. It's about becoming comfortable with the Nature's timing. Anyone who's been through pregnancy before would probably agree that the birth process involves a lot of waiting. The process of natural birth is quite contrary to our modern instant culture. It clashes. And those who are so used to the speed of modern life often have trouble slowing down, and waiting for the birth process to unfold in it's own due time.
This is where technologicalized birth comes in to play. We are tired of waiting. We decide it is time for labor to start, and we induce. Then we decide that labor is not progressing fast enough for our tastes, and we augment with synthesized hormones. Then we think surely the water should have broken by now, so we decide it is time to break the bag of waters. Then we start to push, but the decent seems slow from our perspective, so we grab for the vacuum suction, and oh, this is taking too long. We pop in the forceps, grab the baby by the head, and pull it out.
And all because the baby wasn't delivered as fast as your food on your last trip to McDonalds. All because we have forgotten how to wait. The first thing just about every woman does when she suspects she is pregnant is take a test. It is the first example of women turning to technology for answers that their body would give them eventually if they would only wait and listen to their bodies. To me the whole process of waiting to find out is exciting. It's like reading a suspense novel as opposed to just flipping to the end. Am I pregnant or am I not? I guess I'll wait and see.
Of course, nowadays we have access to twenty-four hour drug stores where, for $6.99, I can pick up a test that will allow me to make this definitive statement. All I need to do is pee and wait two minutes. Instant results.
Just like Nature, right? Women have been peeing on sticks to test their pregnancy for thousands of years, right? No? Then how on earth did the mama's of old find out they were pregnant? Hmmmm... Maybe they had no way of knowing. Maybe they were all in the same situation as those women on the TV show "I Didn't Know I was Pregnant". I doubt it. In many cultures through out history, women were taught the art of listening to their bodies. Information on how to read the signs was passed down from generation to generation. Women's bodies were treated with reverence. It was understood that time would reveal.
Today's culture seems fixated on instant results. Technological development has given us instant messaging, instant coffee and instant breakfasts. We don't even have to wait till we get home to make a phone call, or check our email.
So in these days of fast solutions, why on earth would anyone want to wait? Remember that reverence I was talking about? Remember how the ancients were adept at listening to their body's signals? To me this is an exercise in patience, but it's not just about character development. It's about waiting for Nature to take it's course. It's about becoming comfortable with the Nature's timing. Anyone who's been through pregnancy before would probably agree that the birth process involves a lot of waiting. The process of natural birth is quite contrary to our modern instant culture. It clashes. And those who are so used to the speed of modern life often have trouble slowing down, and waiting for the birth process to unfold in it's own due time.
This is where technologicalized birth comes in to play. We are tired of waiting. We decide it is time for labor to start, and we induce. Then we decide that labor is not progressing fast enough for our tastes, and we augment with synthesized hormones. Then we think surely the water should have broken by now, so we decide it is time to break the bag of waters. Then we start to push, but the decent seems slow from our perspective, so we grab for the vacuum suction, and oh, this is taking too long. We pop in the forceps, grab the baby by the head, and pull it out.
And all because the baby wasn't delivered as fast as your food on your last trip to McDonalds. All because we have forgotten how to wait. The first thing just about every woman does when she suspects she is pregnant is take a test. It is the first example of women turning to technology for answers that their body would give them eventually if they would only wait and listen to their bodies. To me the whole process of waiting to find out is exciting. It's like reading a suspense novel as opposed to just flipping to the end. Am I pregnant or am I not? I guess I'll wait and see.
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