As a Personal Trainer, Yoga Instructor and Childbirth Doula, I have a true passion for helping people. This passion is fuled by my loving husband, a Chiropractic Physician. Everyday, we strive to inspire people to lead a more active, healthy and natural lifestyle. As my husband and I planned to start a family, I began to educate myself more on how to lead this lifestyle throughout and after pregnancy. Both my pregnancies were so easy and enjoyable due to a healthy diet and everyday exercise. Our first son, Nolan, was born on June 9, 2009. Our second son, Blake, was born at home after only a 4 hour labor on June 20, 2013. Both our children are the most amazing little people.
I write this blog to share my story. Through my experiences, I hope to inspire you to educate yourself to make positive choices for you and your family.
Listens, listens and listens more
May not understand the mother's feelings, but does not minimize her feelings
Helps the mother feel heard
Keeps the mother safe and secure
Does not compare, judge, belittle or criticize
Validates the mother's wishes and decisions
Respects the mother and her birth choices
Empathizes that some decisions can be hard to make, but might be necessary
Sympathizes when a dream is shattered
Understands that birth plays a very significant role in shaping a woman into a mother
Realizes that every aspect of the birth, good or bad, will replay in the mother's head for the rest of her life
Knows that birth can be traumatic
Rejoices when birth is healing
Believes in the innate birth process
Witnesses miracles everyday
As I am growing Baby #2, I thought I would share what I have found the best way to "grow" a healthy baby throughout your pregnancy. With Nolan, I was very unaware of how my body worked; my cycles were never regular and I had no idea of when I was ovulating. Getting pregnant was by luck. At that time, I thought I ate healthy (looking back, I did, but not as well as I do now). I did exercise all the time, got adjusted regularly and eliminated toxins.
After Nolan was born and I started getting my period again (about 1 year post-partum), I really began to notice how my body worked. My cycles were very regular, like to the day. I knew exactly when I was ovulating. My husband and I practiced Natural Family Planning, and for us, it works. I will let you in on a little secret...I did not get pregnant until I wanted to; it only took one try - and voila - I was pregnant!
The Natural Mama's Guide to Growing a New Baby:
The Awesome Avocado
1) Eat FOR Your Baby: Fetuses need the same things as infants - highly nutritious food with proper supplementation. This can be a little tricky during the first trimester when "morning sickness" can seem like "all-day sickness". I really like ginger, so ginger tea, ginger ale (Zevia brand only - stevia sweetened, no HFCS, preservatives or artificial ingredients like regular soda), and ginger chews. For both pregnancies, I craved fruit, especially watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, orange, apples and pears. Wet and sweet. I can not eat hot food, I prefer cold or cool. Like a huge salad. Tons of water. Supplements are a must, more now then ever - Omega 3, Probiotics, Vit D, Spiralina (pill form) and Prenatal Vitamins. We prefer Garden of Life for our supplements since they are all raw and organic. Since mornings are worse for me, I take the vitamins at lunch and dinner. I try to get in as much healthy fats as possible - Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Walnuts and Almonds, and tons of avocados - all those essential fatty acids for baby's brain development! Have you ever noticed how when you cut open a avocado it resembles a pregnant belly with baby (seed) inside? It also takes - amazingly - 9 months to grow an avocado! The Perfect food for Pregnant Mommies.
2) Yoga, Yoga and More Yoga - I still continue to do yoga daily. I enjoy quiet meditation times. I relish in sloooooow stretches. The thing I love about Yoga is that you make it your own, and you don't need to go to the gym or studio to do it. In the early months, you might just want to practice at your own pace and in your own way. That's fine.This is when those instinctual "mommy hormones" start kicking in - listen to them! Yoga helps your body to de-stress and the deep breathing and deep stretching can help eliminate toxins. Cultivating a strong yoga practice before your pregnant can make it easier to create your own practice by yourself. Taking up a Prenatal Yoga class later on in your pregnancy is ideal.
3) Sleep Like a Mama Bear - I sleep whenever I want, and I don't care! Sleep is good - this is when the body repairs, heals and little New Baby is growing. Nolan still loves to cuddle with me, so he is my nap partner.
4) Turn the Power On - As always, I get adjusted regularly. I want to make sure everything in my body is functioning properly, my immune system is strong and nervous system is firing to help grow this new Little One. Baby needs to be getting all proper nutrients and hormones from me, so my body has to be in tip-top condition to grow - and birth - this baby!
Vaccines are such a controversial topic these days. As with birthing practices, breastfeeding and co-sleeping, you will find pro-and anti-vaccine debates, books and "experts" weighing in heavily from one extreme to the other.
I feel that every parent has the right to choose if and when to vaccinate their child. They should be allowed a revised/delayed schedule at any point in their child's life and for any reason (not just because of a "religious exemption"). And, every parent should be informed much, much more on vaccine ingredients, side-effects and statistics. Their concerns and questions should be honestly answered, not brushed off. Doctors should not be denying patient visits because of their vaccine choices.
I want to state right now that I am not a doctor or expert by any means. This post is strictly my own opinions and personal research and studies. I am just sharing information that I have come across. Whatever decision a parent makes for themselves and their family needs to be THEIR decision - all I hope for is that it is an educated decision, well thought-out and planned and NOTbecause "my mother/husband/doctor/TV show said so".
Thanks to my mother's diligent record-keeping throughout my childhood, I have a detailed account of my early health history. Upon investigating it, I saw a surprising correlation between my vaccine schedule and illnesses, listed below. Not to mention the poor gut integrity! I was only breastfed for 1 month, and then on formula. My mother started me on rice cereal at 3 months, fruits at 4 months, meats and egg yokes at 6 months. What happened to exclusively breastfeeding for at least a year? I am not sure of AAP's stand on infant nutrition in the late 70's/early 80's.
My first series of vaccines (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus and Polio) was 3 months after birth, and then the boosters for those were at 4 and 6 months. Next, a series of MMR was administered at 15 months. Within 3 days of being vaccinated, I developed red bumps and was diagnosed with a "coxsackie" virus. About 3 months later the final booster to the first series was administered. About a month later, I developed "Roseola" with a 104* temp and rash. 4 months after that, I developed a "viral infection" with a sore throat and vomiting so bad that I was admitted to the hospital for 3 days and given and IV. So basically, within the first 2 years of my life, I had only a months worth of "liquid gold", and then given HFCS mixed with cows milk (formula), nutritionally-void rice cereal, solid food way too early for my body to know what to do with it and large bouts of chemicals and heavy metals (nothing compared to what the kids get today though!) every 2-3 months...no wonder I was always sick!
I don't blame my mother. She, just like most other Americans, thought that what the pediatrician said and what was advertised on TV was the best. No need to question anything. Fortunately, I was a very active kid, outside all the time, and was not as sick as I could have been if I were sedentary.
Fast forward almost 30 years and now I'm pregnant with my first baby. My husband and I decided not to vaccinate our child. Through his chiropractic college, we were lucky to have access to several books, research papers, and discussions with professors on the subject. My husband and his brother were never vaccinated as children. They received chiropractic care their whole life (dad and grandpa are both chiropractors). We know that our child's body is innately intelligent. It is strong and knows HOW to fight off disease. We believe that we gave our child's body the proper tools to live in ultimate health: a healthy, natural birth, bonding & co-sleeping, exclusively breastfeeding for almost a year and continued breastfeeding for well over 2 years, only highly nutritious food, sunlight, exercise, regular chiropractic adjustments and elimination of ALL TOXINS - chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, GMO's, sulfates, BPA's, stress and negative thoughts! Removal of toxicity and plenty of sufficiency! When the body is given what it needs - and NOT subjected to CRAP - the results are perfect health! And that is what happened - Perfect Little Baby Boy! Nolan has never been really sick, and never had taken a medication or antibiotic. A few sniffles or a cough here and there, slight fevers a few times, but nothing severe enough to warrant even a doctor's visit. We just continue to breastfed, rest and eat nutrient-dense, vitamin-packed, crazy-healthy-for-you food! When he is sick, it is a GOOD thing! It is building up his immune system to fight off the next cold or virus he comes in contact with. It is not genes, good luck or random chance - it is our lifestyle! And for almost 3 years now, Nolan is a perfect example of that.
"TRUST CREATES PEACE".....I Trust that everything I provide for my family is pure and sufficient; I Trust that what God put on this Earth for us is exactly what we need and nothing more....I am at Peace with my decisions. I do not worry, I do not stress. Our bodies are incredibly powerful, amazingly strong; We are prepared...Nothing can Break Us!
Most medical doctors, the media and the CDC will tell you that vaccines are completely safe; they do not cause autism or seizures. But you can not deny the numerous claims against vaccines. There are too many parents that claim their child was totally normal and then, after vaccination, they "changed", or worse. I personally know families that are suffering. Although the CDC website claims that vaccines are safe, there is a link to direct you to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) to report an adverse effect. (QUESTION -If they are safe, then why would you need to report an adverse effect??) From that website, you can continue down the "rabbit hole" to numerous other sites that list number of negative reports, cases, compensation paid, etc.(http://www.hrsa.gov/vaccinecompensation/statisticsreports.html#Stats) Clearly, when you see how many cases there are against vaccines, can you truly say "they are proven safe"??
There will always be the "what ifs": If you vaccinate and your kid has seizures or develops autistic traits, you will always think "I should not have vaccinated". If you don't, and your kid gets a disease that impairs, disables or kills them, you will always think "I should have vaccinated." Do your homework. Make an educated, rational decision. Look at the severity and probability of the diseases. Dr. Sears' book, The Vaccine Book, does a great job at explaining this. He tries to stay impartial, and although he lets his opinion slip a little (he prefers a revised/delays schedule), this is the book that convinced me NOT to vaccinate. I also like Dr. Mendelsohn "How to Raise a Healthy Child Inspite of Your Doctor". This book is why we don't run to the doctor with every little sniffle (except for the incredibly boring and time-consuming "well visits" mandated in the 1st year by the insurance company)...Mother Knows Best!
We must remember that statistics are not black-and-white. They are many, many shades of gray. When they say that X number of children die from X-disease each year, we must ask: Where these children already sick? Maybe they had an auto-immune disease? Were they cared for, dressed, fed properly? Were they living in poor, sub-standard conditions? Were the parents unable, or unwilling, to get them immediate medical attention? I have to believe that a normal, healthy child that received proper and prompt medical attention would easily "survive" Measles or Mumps, and even Pertussis.
LIES and SCARE-TATICS from the Pharmaceutical Companies
Sarah called me at 5:00am. She had been having light contractions since 1:00am, but they just started to become more regular, about 8-10 minutes apart, and intensify. This would be Baby #3, a girl, and her 2nd VBAC at home with a midwife. She was 39 weeks gestation.
Her midwife's assistant and I arrived at her house at the same time, 6:30am. Sarah answered the door and seemed the be handling her surges well as she made coffee and gathered some last-minute birthing supplies. She needed to stop what she was doing until the surge was over, and then continued on with what she was doing. The midwife's assistant set up the supplies in the bedroom, and I followed Sarah around, helping her and talking with her. Around 7:00am, the midwife wanted to check her. She was 5cm/100% effaced/+2 station. As the midwife finished up the exam, her water broke.
I helped Sarah into the bathroom to get clean up. As she sat on the toilet, her pelvis was able to open more, and the contractions started coming on faster and stronger. I think that the combination of this position and the water breaking allowed baby to move down even more. She wanted to go back to bed to lie down.
Things were really moving now. The surges were getting much closer together and much stronger. I showed her husband, Gary, how to massage her low back as counter-pressure and squeeze her hips together. He laid behind her, hugging her and whispering encouraging words to her. It was now about 7:30am. Sarah was crying out now, and saying that she had to push. The midwife calmly, gently said, "Then push your baby out." She turned over and started to push, the baby's head started to crown. I held her hand, supported her back and told her she was doing great and that her little girl would soon be here. Sarah pushed for about 15 minutes. Baby Grace was born at 7:45am and placed on Mama's chest. Baby never even cried. The bed room was dimly lit, and warm. She was placed immediately to her mother and covered in a blanket. There was no shock of harsh lights and cold, sterile air. There was no poking or prodding. The midwife let Baby lay with Sarah while the placenta delivered about 10 minutes later. Then Baby was given to Daddy to bond with while the midwife stitched up Sarah (slight tear), and then I helped Sarah to the bathroom to shower off.
When Sarah returned to the bedroom, the midwife did the newborn exams and foot prints, and then handed Baby Grace back to Mama to nurse. I helped Sarah get comfortable, and used some pillows for props. I made sure that she had good position, but this baby had no problems - she latched on right away! I stayed until 10:00am, making sure Sarah ate some food, stayed hydrated and helped with anything else she needed.
Although this was Baby #3 for Sarah, both her other labors were very long. Mentally, she had time to process what was happening. With this birth, everything progressed and intensified so quickly, she had little time to mentally prepare herself. She told me later that she still did not really believe that she was that far into labor until she had the urge to push.
"The Paleo Diet" , developed by Dr. Loren Cordain, Professor at Colorado State University, has gained quite a bit a popularity over the past few years. The Paleo Diet Book has been studied, dissected and embraced by fellow professors, students, health professionals, namely Chiropractors, athletes, CrossFit enthusiasts and many more. The Paleo Diet recommends that we follow the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors or "hunter-gatherers". These people had virtually no heart disease, no diabetes, no cancer. They were lean and strong, with clear skin, healthy hair and nails. This is because of what they ate. And what would a person living 40,000 years ago eat? Fruits and veggies, nuts and berries, lean meats, fish and seafood. No dairy, no grains, no refined sugars. The things that God put on the earth and nothing else (not that they had much of a choice!) These are the foods that are innate for our body, the ones that allow our body to function properly and fight off disease.
The book briefly touches on exercise, and has inspired many other health and exercise professional designing programs around "hunter-gatherer" primal movement patterns: jumping, climbing, pulling, pushing, lifting, running, throwing, etc. If this is the way our ancestors moved to build, hunt, fight and live then that is how our modern body should be moving too. And, it is more fun this way then running on a treadmill!
But this is where the "Paleo Diet" ends, with food and exercise only, and where the "Paleo Lifestyle" picks up. Never heard of it? Let me share.
In the Paleolithic era, women would have birthed their babies at home, with a skilled midwife. In fact, up until the early 1900's, all babies were born at home. 90% of pregnancies are completely normal and uncomplicated. For the majority of women (and their babies), it is actually safer, quicker and easier to birth at home then the hospital. The hospital should be for emergency care only - not for a normal everyday occurrence.
The "hunter-gatherer" mother would breastfeed her child for as long as they wanted. The average weaning age (if left up the child) is between 2.5 years and 7 years. That child was carried approx 8000+ miles over the first few years of it's life, nursed on demand, sleep next to mother and was with it's mother constantly until it was old enough to join in the daily jobs of hunting or gathering. This child never got vaccinated, exercised outside all day, and ate healthy, nutrient-dense foods. This child's immune system was never compromised by toxins or chemicals.
The Paleo Diet book, although wonderful and informative, does not touch on any of these subjects. How great would it be to teach modern parents that living like our ancestors it easier, healthier and the innate way to live, the way that we were designed to live. Before your child is ready to eat the Foods of our Earth, that breastmilk (not formula) is superior, for alteast a full year, and then for as long after that that the child/mother agree on. Just like F&V and lean meats are the innate foods for our bodies, breastmilk is the innate, perfect food for a baby, full of probiotics, EFA's and immunoglobulins. When a baby is carried by mother, close to mother often and sleeps with mother, her milk supply stays strong and baby feels safe and secure. Baby is less stressed, therefore less prone to illness and disease. And, if baby is not feeling well, he is not pumped full of antibiotics, Ni-quil and left alone. Mama stops what she is doing to tend to baby so he will recover quickly without drugs.
The Paleo Book touches only briefly on the QUALITY of food, which I feel is a huge void in the book, since Dr. Cordain reiterates over and over again to be eating like our ancestors. 40,000 years ago people did not have to worry about GMO's, pesticides, irradiation, antibiotics, growth hormones and soil run-off. But today we do! He does mention briefly grass-fed and free-range beef and chicken. However, we also need to look for "hormone-free" and "no-antibiotics" on all meats and chicken and "wild caught" on all fish. As for Fruits and Veggies, I always buy organic to avoid GMO's and pesticides. Eating the best, highest quality food is VITAL for optimum health!
I am also a huge fan of raw foods. The Paleo Diet Book does not make a formal statement either way, they just encourgae you to eat F&V. I feel eating as raw as possible is the best way to keep all the nutrients and living enzymnes intact in your food. If you do decide to cook your veggies, lightly steam only, so they still have a little crunch.
I encourage everyone to read "The Paleo Diet" book. It is an easy read and highly informative, with some great recipes. Just remember the quality of your food is just as important as the type of food it is. Eating an apple is great; its full of vitamin and minerals, fiber and antioxidants. But none of that matters if the apple is genetically modified or full of pesticides. Why put those chemicals INTO your body, when the reason your eating the apple is to eat healtier!?
When I met with Sara at our first prenatal visit to discuss her birth plans, she told me that she wanted to stay at home as long as possible. And, if she was ready to push and she was still at home, then that is where baby would be born. She seemed very confident in her decisions. Her first birth had been very long and exhausted her to the point that baby had to be vacuum extracted. (He was also posterior). This time around, she wanted to labor in comfortable positions, push when she felt the need, and stay relaxed in her own home.
Her first child had been born a few weeks early, so she suspected that #2 would be early also. Her due date was 12/25/11. She had been having light contractions for weeks.
On Friday, 12/23/11, I got a call around 6:00am from Sara. She had been up for a few hours walking around the block. The contractions were coming on stronger and closer now. She had taken a shower, which relaxed her and felt good on her back. I told her to continue walking or take a bath, whatever felt good to her; to eat something and stay hydrated. I wanted her to stay relaxed. I asked her to try to time the contractions and to call me back when they were about 5 minutes apart and I would come over. Around 7:30am, I got a text from her that they were 3-4 minutes apart. I tried calling her to discuss how she was feeling, but she did not answer. I figured that she just wanted to be alone. I waited for her call, and continued getting myself and Nolan ready to drop him off to the babysitter. It was now almost 9:00am, and no word. Through the amazing world of technology, I found out from a mutual friend that she was at the hospital!
I arrived at the hospital at 10:00am. As I entered her room, I was not prepared for the numerous nurses and to see Sara flat on her back with an oxygen mask on. I approached her, slowly, and placed my hand on her forehead. "Sara, I'm here", I said softly. She looked relieved and told me that the baby was distressed and they would need to vacuum him out, but they were waiting for the doctor. I think her husband was relieved to see me too! He stepped aside to let me in closer to Sara. I helped support her back, encouraging her, telling her she was doing great, and Lucas was almost here. She stayed calm and focused, gathered her strength and pushed through the contractions. I could see the baby's head moving down. He was crowning when the doctor arrived and assisted her with the vacuum as she pushed little Lucas out at 10:30am. He was placed on her chest and rubbed down to warm him up. He did not cry much, and the nurses were concerned that he had meconium in his airway. After a few minutes, the took him to the warming table to suction out his mouth, and weigh and check him. Sara was cleaned up and I helped prop her up in bed to start breastfeeding. The nurses warned, "He is probably not going to want to breastfed right away", to which I replied "Oh, yes, he is!" I explained to Sara, but loud enough for the nurses to hear, that breastfeeding will help clear out the meconium and soothe his throat. She got Lucas positioned and he latched on right away! Sara was shocked that he latched immediately, but I was not. Baby has an intense need to suckle and be near Mama. The nurse returned a little later and was surprised that he was still breastfeeding.
I stayed with Sara for about an hour and half after Lucas was born. I learned that her phone had been accidentally turned off, so she never got my calls. The contractions had intensified so quickly after we last spoke that she wanted to go to the hospital. When she arrived at 8:30am, she was 7cm dilated. Her water never broke, so that was done with the amniohook, and Baby was born within 2 hours. I was so pleased to see Sara in good spirits after the birth, alert and ready to eat a big breakfast!
"I didn't get a chance to officially thank Jenn Cohen for her amazing work with me as our Doula. Once she walked in the room, the climate changed completely and I was more focused and determined to deliver our baby. Her guidance, instruction, and support made it possible for me to have a drug free birth. Before she got there I was begging for an epidural, but I was already 7cm dilated when I got to the hospital, as I was birthing at home. The midwife said that an epidural at that point would be counterproductive and ineffective. Thank you so much Jenn Cohen for helping make our birth as smooth as possible. We are forever grateful!!!" ~ Sara
One of my best friends, Victoria, just had her second baby at home...and so quickly that her Midwife didn't make it in time and hubby Chad caught Baby Roman. Read her amazing story as she shares how a woman's body innately knows what to do and how to birth her baby. Victoria, fellow yogi and mommyhood blogger, is truly an inspiration to other mamas. We were both pregnant as the same time with our first children, Gemma and Nolan, who were born just a day apart. Congrats to Victoria and Chad on another beautiful birth!
"To forget how to dig the Earth and to tend the Soil is to forget Ourselves" - Ghandi
Ok, this is something that I have been thinking about lately and I'm gonna go a little far-out there on this post. Not because I think we should literally live like an animal. No, I enjoy modern technology, living in an air-conditioned house and shopping for my food (not hunting for it!). But, because I do want people to remember that we ARE animals, and to understand that we still have the same basic needs, physiology and instincts as an animal, even if we DO live in a modern world.
Food: You would not feed a dog something other then dog food and water. Treats are exactly that - a treat, to be given sparingly, maybe once a day. (I am also very picky about my dog's food, and prefer to feed her mostly real meat, quinoa and veggies as she would find in nature). You would not feed a dog a cookie or candy or soda - that would make them sick! So then why would you feed yourself or your kid that stuff? Eat what is innate for your body and prepare to be amazed how good you feel!
Exercise: All people can agree that animals need exercise, but rarely make time to exercise themselves. Most people will take their dog to the dog park to run around while they sit on the bench. We feel guilty if the dog doesn't get to play because we know that they need it; its VITAL to their life! Guess what? Exercise is also vital for human life, too!
Birth: Would you drive your dog to the vet to birth her puppies? That seems odd. No, you would leave her alone to nest and let her birth her babies when she is ready. You would not induce her, monitor her or even be with her. You would quietly wait, excited for the miracle of life. But when a human mother is in labor, it turns into an emergency. How quickly can we get her to the hospital? How quickly can she get the baby out? As humans, we enjoy the support of others with us during birth. But we have forgotten our instincts and trust in our bodies to do exactly what they were designed to do.
Mama looks happy and relaxed as she nurses her 4 pups
Bonding and Breastfeeding: No one would even think about seperating a puppy from it's mother after birth. In fact, many species will reject the newborn if touched by a human. When you get a puppy, the owner will not give it away until the puppy has naturally weaned from the mother. For animals, we can all agree that Mother's Milk is all the baby needs. They all sleep together, nurse on demand, and are rarely interfered with. Why is this any different for humans? Why are human babies wisked away from the mother, cleaned off and given a bottle immediatly?
Someone once told me, "You're really calm and relaxed for a first-time mother." Am I? I try to follow Mother Natures path when parenting Nolan. I follow my instincts, and stay strong to what I believe. It may be different then other parents, but it is what works for us and I think it is what Nature intended.
Laura called me at 5:00am. She had been having consistent contractions since they woke her up at 2:30am. She asked when she should call her doctor. I told her to try to rest, eat a little and stay hydrated, and to call when they were 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute long for 1 hour (5-1-1). She called me back again around 7:00am stating that the contractions were at 5-1-1 since approximately 5:30am on and the doctor said she could come on in for a check. I did not hear back from them until 9:00am, when her husband, Steven, called me to say they were at the hospital and Laura was asking for me. Her status at 9:00am was 3 cm/100% effacement/0 station. During her previous prenatal visits, her midwife/doctor said the baby was “very low” and that this would probably be a fast labor.
When I arrived around 10:00am, Laura and Steven were in good spirits. They were walking the hallways and she seemed to be handling the surges (contractions) well. Although the baby was not posterior, she was experiencing a lot of back labor. I tried the double hip squeeze and it worked. She loved that. I showed Steven how to do it since he is much stronger then me and she liked the pressure very hard. While he did the hip squeeze, I massaged her hands, arms and shoulders.
The hospital insisted Laura have Intermittent External Monitoring, which unfortunately slowed her labor down. When she was not on the monitor, we had to work extra hard to get her surges going again at a consistent rate by walking, squatting, rocking her hips and emptying her bladder. I strongly feel that if she had labored at home longer and did not have the EFM as often, labor would have been much shorter.
By 1:00pm, she was 5cm. The surges were getting stronger, so we utilized some more distraction techniques: leg and back massage and counter-pressure, aromatherapy (she loved Rosemary) and the heated rice sock on her back. She liked them all. I had to remind Laura to drink water, juice and broth often to keep her energy up. She did not feel like eating solid food. She sang her birth song the whole time and I kept encouraging her that it was helping move her baby down. She enjoyed sitting on the toilet to help relax her hips, pelvis and pelvic floor. I prompted Steven to join her; he hugged her, massaged her, and whispered encouraging words. I left them alone at this point.
Between 1:00pm and 7:00pm, Laura went from 5cm – 7cm. I asked if she wanted to take a bath, which she really enjoyed and took a few during this time. At 5:00pm, the hospital gave her 500cc of IV fluid to keep her hydrated. Around 7:00pm, she started to go through transition. Her surged became incredibly intense and she started to panic and cry. She was asking for something to take the edge off, and didn’t think she could go on. I asked Steven privately what he thought. He said she did not want drugs no matter what she said. I had to use the “take charge” routine a few times with her. I held her face, speaking calmly but firmly to her, telling her she could do this, her body knew exactly what to do and she has been doing an amazing job. I reminded her that pain meds would make her sleepy and she would not have the energy to push her baby out.
Around 8:00pm, Laura was kneeling next to the bed and started to find “her rhythm”. She methodically rocked her hips and shook her head back and forth. Steven, his two aunts and myself took turns massaging her legs, hips and back. She stopped moaning and was deep in concentration. Nothing could break her rhythm. The evening nurse was awesome. She brought the EFM over to the side of the bed and held the monitor to Laura’s belly for the whole 20 min so she did not have to get back in bed. At 8:15pm her bag of waters ruptured. Laura soon got into bed, kneeling and rocking, hanging onto the top of the bed, which was propped up vertically. By 9:45pm, she was completely dilated and had the urge to push. She pushed for awhile kneeling and then turned over when she was ready. The nurse and I held each of her legs for leverage while Steven stood by her head, whispering encouraging words and helping to support her back. We kept telling her we could see the baby’s head with each push, but I felt she would be more effective if she could see it herself, so I asked for the mirror to be brought over. I told her look at her baby coming closer and closer with each push. Steven and I switched places so he could see his baby being born. Eventually, the baby was low enough that I told her to reach down and touch his head. That was Laura’s “Ah-ha moment”! Her voice rose with excitement and in a few more pushes, Baby Riley was here! The doctor placed the baby on her chest and a family was born. I stepped away for them to bond together. It was 11:04pm.
After Baby and Mom were cleaned up, we propped the bed back up and I helped Laura with proper nursing positions and tips. We stroked his cheek, getting him to root and soon he latched on. I stayed until 1:00am, making sure that he nursed on both sides and that Mom and Dad were comfortable. She reported to me later the next day that he was “eating like a champ”! The nurses told her that in the past 8 weeks, she was the only patient that had actually followed her birth plan, and had a completely natural, unmedicated birth. They were surprised that her plan followed through, but I was not. Laura is a strong, educated mama with a lot of support and I knew she could birth her baby the way she wanted in any situation.
Throughout the birth, both Laura and Steven asked me if everything that was happening was normal. I think by reassuring them that it was helped labor progress. I was glad that I was able to keep offering different positions and options to keep her comfortable and Steven involved, which was very important to him.
"I am a first time mother who researched, read up, and spoke to anyone that would listen about childbirth. When I finally learned about a doula coach and what they provide, I felt lucky and blessed to have Jenn Cohen by my side for her practicum. The knowledge (and motherly experience) she shared with my husband and myself added a great deal of calmness to my birth. She was always around for advice and early morning phone calls prelabor. During delivery, she became my support and stronghold, coaching me and my family thru my labor. She literally saved me from an epidural I did not want (but cried for in transition) and had me stick to my birth plan, which myself and my child will be forever grateful for. Post partum, she was a strong ally- helping my little boy latch for his first feeding and even driving us home from the hospital! Our family will always have an additional member with Jenn and the amazing warmth she showed to us!" ~ Laura Duncan & Riley Phoenix born Oct 17th 2011
I find the physiology of the human body amazing. If you really study it, take note how every organ, cell, muscle, hormone - everything works in perfect harmony without us even thinking about it. Even when there is a stressor, or a outside chemical (drug) introduced, the body is so incredibly smart that it will try to adapt to get back into balance. To me, this is proof that there truly is a God, or higher intelligence. Humans could not design something so perfect!
The same is true during pregnancy and childbirth. The body is smart and, again, without even having to think about it, our body innately knows what to do to grow and birth a baby. Then WHY is there so much intervention?
For 9 months a baby grows at their appropriate pace. Some babies grow a little bigger then others, some a little faster. When a mother sees her midwife or OB for the first time after becoming pregnant, the first thing discussed is the "due date" (approx. 40 weeks gestation). Most midwives respect that this is an estimate, and would rarely try to induce labor to meet this "deadline" (unless of course mother and baby's health is in danger). Only 5% of babies actually arrive on their due date - and I think that is more of a coincidence and the mother's subconscious doing - (remember how I said in a previous post that the mind a very powerful tool and can control the body!? I think some mothers are so excited at the arrival of the due date, that they go into labor!)
Unfortunately, many OB's will consider you "overdue" if you go past 41 weeks and will induce labor. If mother and baby are healthy, vitals are normal, and her water has not broken, there is no reason to induce labor. Some doctors like to coax mothers into induction..."You are huge! You must be so uncomfortable? We can induce labor, get you going and you'll see you baby in no time!" That might sound heavenly to a new, and probably exhausted mother, along with all the "advise" from family and friends to "just go for it!". But the educated mama will know that inducing labor with Pitocin will highly increase her chance of a hard labor, and will usually end with a c-section. She also knows that it is not up to her, but up to her baby when he will want to make his grand entrance into the world.
Early induction does not just occur in a hospital setting. I know of many couples that had planned homebirths, and were so ready for baby to arrive, that they started "natural induction" as early as 37/38 weeks! While these induction might not be with "drugs" per se, (but with herbs and acupuncture) they are starting labor before baby is ready to arrive. I don't understand it - you have been pregnant for 9 months! What's a few more days or a week?
Question: What if the "due date" is off by a week or two? What if you are actually inducing a 38-week pregnancy instead of a 40-week (or worse, a 35-week vs. a 37-week!) and the baby is still growing? The lungs are the last to develop, and what if they are not ready? Then that baby might have to be put on oxygen, or need breathing assistance and is away from mom, breastfeeding and bonding. Is that really worth the induction? NO! Is it worth the guessing game? NO! We are not here to play God, and is not up to us to decide a baby's birth day. He will arrive when he is ready.
According to a TIME Magazine article: "Pregnancy lasts 40 weeks for a reason. At 35 weeks, a baby's brain tips the scales at just two-thirds of what it will weigh by weeks 39 to 40. Going full-term gives a baby's lungs time to mature and improves a baby's ability to suck and swallow. But too many doctors - and moms - are disregarding advice from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) to wait until at least 39 weeks to deliver. Desire for convenience and an intolerance for the unpredictability of labor have resulted in thousands of babies being born too early, according to The Leapfrog Group, which tracks hospital quality. Now the March of Dimes is calling on hospitals to solve the problem by requiring every physician who schedules an elective delivery before 39 weeks to justify its medical necessity. “Doctors know it's not right, but they just aren't being held accountable,” says Alan Fleischman, medical director of the March of Dimes. It's kind of surprising that insurance providers haven't curtailed the practice of early elective deliveries entirely as babies born sooner tend to have more health complications and cost more. Even babies delivered at 37 to 38 weeks can end up costing 10 times as much as a full-term newborn, according to the March of Dimes. One study found that reducing early elective deliveries to under 2% could save close to $1 billion in health care each year.
Lets also consider c-sections. When the mother has an elective c-section, her OB will schedule on a day and time that not only works best for him, but is a week or two prior to her "due date". This will ensure that she will not be in labor and her uterus will not be contracting when he performs the surgery. Busy schedules seem to take precedence over the health of the baby. And the mothers rarely speak up. After all, they are ready to meet their new baby. A 10:00am appointment sure sounds better then a 3:00am one. Why wait? Well, first of all, OB doctors are skilled enough with c-sections that they can do it with a contracting uterus (think about emergency c-sections!). Secondly, this takes away even the little bit of control that the mother will have over her pregnancy and birth.
Let me tell you, I have personally gone through this. I choose to have an elective c-section because of a breech presentation. But, I wanted to go into labor naturally, and labor as long as I could, for two reasons: 1) the baby could turn at the onset of labor and I could birth at the birthcenter, and 2) I wanted to make sure he was ready to come out and not be delivered prematurely. I told the OB all this and he understood. He did warn me that he may not be the doctor-on-call when I went into labor. That was ok. Remember, this doctor was not coaching me through labor. He was preforming a surgery. They most important thing to me at this point was that I went into labor naturally and the baby was born on his own time. You can read up on my birth story at: My Birth Story Part 5
As parents, we always want what is best for our children. Sometimes, it is not always about getting something or doing something. It's about NOT doing something. Stop interventions, stop planning, stop scheduling. Mother Nature's plan is a mystery. Instead of trying to figure it all out or control it, enjoy and relish in the excitement and anticipation of new life about to be born.
"Nature does not hurry - yet everything is accomplished" - Lao Tzu
This is a guest blog by my sister, Sarah Mayer. As an ARNP (Advanced Registered Nurse Practioner) with extensive clinical work, she has a unique and inspiring perspective to pregnancy and birth that I wish to share with you. Enjoy!
Sarah and Scott Mayer
My views on pregnancy, childbirth, and child rearing have dramatically changed, especially during the last five years or so. During this time, I have gone through my clinical training in gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics first as a registered nurse, and then as a family nurse practitioner. During R.N. school, I actually had a great teacher for learning about childbearing who emphasized the idea that pregnancy and birth is a natural part of life with usually no intervention needed, instead of the idea that it is some sort of illness that requires a long panel of tests.
However, my brief six weeks (yes, just once a week for six weeks!) of time in Labor and Delivery at the hospital showed a different idea. I did not see one woman walking the halls, encouraging the natural descent of her baby, or in a tub, or using any other sort of labor assistant device. No, my first day there, my patient was on her back, with a Pitocin drip (a drug to supposedly speed up labor), and a fetal monitor strapped across her belly. I felt so awkward, and the only thing I could think to offer was a back rub, which I wasn’t even sure what I was doing there. All the things we learned in class, such as position changes, could not even be applied in this situation. I did not get to see the birth of this baby, as a more critical situation arose with another patient. At only about 20 weeks, her cervix was opening and there was nothing the doctors could do. She had no one with her, and I just could not leave her. I held her hand and talked to her as she delivered a stillborn little boy. I still remember the details of that day like it was yesterday, and it still makes me ache and cry when I think of it. That was my first and only birth I have ever seen. Fast forward about two years, and I was in obstetrics clinical again, this time as a nurse practitioner student. I studied at a community health center. Prenatal visits had a routine sequence. Weight, urine check, lots of blood work, offers for amniocentesis and genetic testing, pelvic exams and ultrasounds, and brief teaching on taking vitamins, doing birth preparation classes, and warning signs to look out for. Nothing about encouraging breastfeeding, nutrition and exercise advice, or what to expect after the baby was born. Breastfeeding was basically approached as a question if the mother wanted to do it. Whether she said yes or no was just documented in the chart. And I sadly remember all this as thinking at the time that this was the normal way to experience pregnancy. This lack of encouragement for breastfeeding continued into my pediatric clinical, as the doctor just asked whether the mother was breastfeeding or not and left it at that. The semester after all this happened, I started clinical work with Drs. Denise Punger and John Coquelet, with whom I am currently employed. And my view on pregnancy and birth and breastfeeding was turned upside down. After reading Dr. Punger's book, "Permission to Mother", as well as other recommended books by her, I was brought back to that original idea planted by my wonderful teacher in R.N. school. A woman’s body is meant to carry a child and birth it! And those two things on our chest actually have a purpose, a wonderful purpose that every woman who has a baby should be able to do! After assisting in several lactation consultations with Dr. Punger, I saw how truly wonderful it was to breastfeed, that there is lots of help out there if a woman is struggling. I knew that when the day came for me to have a baby, I would want it to be different than what I experienced in school. All this change came none too soon as shortly after starting that semester, my sister, the writer of this blog, shared the amazing news that she was pregnant. And she wanted me to be present and assist her in the birth. I was definitely impressed and inspired as she shared her preparations for birth and child raising, and her dedication to a healthy diet and exercise during all this time. In preparation, I read her birth plan and learned about her methods of coping with the labor. I also read a great book on being a labor assistant or doula, the many different position changes, and massage, focus, and relaxation techniques. As her readers know, the birth did not go exactly as planned, but she did as best as the situation allowed, and Nolan got off to a great breastfeeding start. I am so grateful that I had the experience with the breastfeeding consults, as I was able to help out Jenn those first few days after delivery when she was getting frustrated with engorgement, latching, and Nolan spitting up. Even though our mom was there too, it had been over 25 years since she breastfed, and did not even do that but a few weeks. I see Jenn and Nolan frequently first hand, and he is an adorable, healthy, intelligent little boy (and I’m not just saying that because I am his aunt!), and the bond they share especially during breastfeeding is beautiful. Also, Jenn has taught me a lot about a more natural, healthy, and “green” way of caring for a child, such a making homemade baby food, reusable diapers, and really the unnecessary accumulation of so many “necessary” child care products out there. She has certainly been an inspiration to me and will be a great resource for questions. I do not do the consults with Dr. Punger anymore as I am busy with my own patients, but whenever I do see a patient who is pregnant, or a patient who has a family member or friend who is pregnant, I always discuss her birth plan and plans for breastfeeding. If she is not sure, I reinforce the benefits of breastfeeding, and encourage her to meet with Dr. Punger or another lactation consultant both before and after the birth, attend La Leche League meetings, and read lots of books so things get off to a great start. And to all the women out there who are pregnant or plan to be someday: do not count on your doctor to provide you with all the information you need! More than likely he or she had minimal training in breastfeeding and other “normal” parts of being a mother. We are taught mostly what to check for and the illness side of things. Read books, talk with other mothers whom you admire, and seek out specialists like doulas and lactation consultants.
Thank you, Sarah Mayer, ARNP, FNP-BC
You can contact Sarah with any questions at: 772-466-8884
Coquelet & Punger Family Medicine
4640 S. 25th Street
Ft. Pierce, Fl. 34981
This slideshow video was made by my amazing husband last Mother's Day, my first as a mama. I just had to share it! It lovingly depicts my mothering to my first "baby" Roxy, my pregnancy and the arrival of Nolan in my life. The song, "The Story" is a favorite of ours. I deeply connected with the lyrics the first time I heard it and thought of Nolan immediatly. The pictures and the lyrics put together are so beautiful, so honest...enjoy.
All of these lines across my face, Tell you the story of who I am So many stories of where I've been, And how I got to where I am Oh, but these stories don't mean anything, When you've got no one to tell them to Like I do...I was made for you You see the smile across my mouth, It's hiding the words that don't come out And all of my friends who think that I'm blessed, Well they don't know my head was a mess No, they don't know who I really am, And they don't know what I've been through like you do I was made for you...You know that it's true...I was made for you
Over the last weeks of my pregnancy, I surrendered to "what will be, will be". God has a master plan for all of us, and who am I to try to change his plans? I continued my regular Chiropractic adjustments, yoga and hypnosis. I wanted my body to be ready for anything! I comforted myself with long baths, naps and staying as comfortable as possible. I talked to the baby, and meditated on the thoughts of seeing him or her very soon. Special, quite time was spent with my husband - our lives were about to change; our family's new addition was to arrive any day!
I still never gave up on hope that this baby would turn at the last minute. Maybe we could still have our beautiful natural Home Birth? I sometimes think that ignorance is bliss! Maybe if I did not know all the amazing benefits to both mom and baby from a natural childbirth, I would not care so much. But I DID know these things! The thought of my baby not entering the world the way he was intended to made my heart sad, but the thoughts of very real complications made my stomach turn. Can you image being in my situation?? I was so ready to birth this baby - I was so confident, I knew I could do it all by myself! And had he been head down, I could have done it unassisted!!
As I mentioned before, the risks for a breech baby to born naturally are very high, for both baby and mother. Our baby was a Frank Breech, with both legs completely straight up, feet by the face. The little butt is much smaller then the head, so there not as much pressure on the cervix, would could lead to a very long labor. There is also a very good chance of cord prolapse, since again, the butt is smaller then the head and the cord could slip out first, compress and prevent blood flow to baby. Along with the risk of hip or clavicle dislocation and the chin getting stuck on the pelvic ring. These are the risks with any breech presentation. Fortunately, breech presentations make up only 3-5% of all births, so it is very uncommon. No one stays pregnant forever; the baby does come out eventually - but many times with serious injury. I would rather have a few minutes of intervention, that result in a lifetime of perfect health!
On Monday June 8th, I had my (last) midwife appointment. (I was 4 day past my "due date") I was totally effaced and about 1-2 cm dilated. I was waiting for "something" - and I don't really know what that "something" was - to happen. I was actually surprised when she told me how far I was already. For some reason, I thought I would have felt "more". I felt great! Comfortable, good energy and just ready! After our appointment, hubby and I took a long walk. The more we walked, the more I was starting the feel "things" - light contractions (more frequent and strong then Braxton-Hicks), and pressure. Remember how I said the mind is a very powerful thing. I believe that the confirmation by my midwife of my progress, the anticipation of meeting our baby and the fact that I had finally let go and let fate take it's course, had allowed labor to start.
I can remember that night as if it was yesterday. I clearly remember we had just moved into our new house. The bedroom had a soft glow to it, as I layed in bed and read. We received a call late that night from a good friend of ours that their baby had just been born. We had been pregnant at the same time, and surprisingly our babies were born just one day apart. I had a feeling that tomorrow could be the day, but did not want to get my hopes up. I slept very well that night.
The next day, Tuesday June 9th, Max had an appointment at the clinic. I was supposed to teach my Prenatal Fit class, but he insisted that I stay home and rest. I had light contractions all night, but still slept very well. They were now coming more frequent, about 30-40 minutes apart. And more intense. But I still felt good! I noticed a few bananas about to go bad on the counter, so I made a banana bread. The methodical actions of measuring, stirring and pouring relaxed me and made me feel grounded and earthy. As it baked, I sat down and mediated to my relaxation music, inhaling the sweet banana bread smell. By the time the bread was done, Max was on his way home, and the contractions were now 30 minutes apart. We packed up our bags, (and the bread!), and headed over for one last Chiropractic adjustment. In the half hour that I was there, I had two more contractions. We called our midwife, Kaleen, and told her we were heading over and to meet us at the hospital.
We got to the hospital and went to check in. What morons! They must have hired the most idiotic person to run the check-in desk. Here I am, clearly in labor, and she's asking me my name, address and last menstrual period! When do you think? 9 months ago!!! This was fortunately only one of the few things that bothered me about the hospital. One of the things I loved was that I was the only patient on the Labor & Delivery floor, so I had everyone full attention. And the banana bread helped too!
We went into a room. I had to strip down, put on a gown and they did a quick ultrasound. The baby was still breech. Kaleen just looked at me said, "It's not turning. We gotta get it out". Fine. The next few minutes were a blur. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled through the hallway to the OR. My sister had made it just in time to wish me good luck. In the OR, they sat me on this cold hard table, with the anesthesiologist ready to shove this giant needle in my back. I was freaking out! Where is my husband? Why was this all happening so fast? I'm not ready! I started to shake and cry. Kaleen held me and helped me breathe and focus through the epidural. That HURT! Then I layed down, covered with warm blankets. Suddenly, Max appeared at my side all gowned up. I didn't even recognize Dr. Boulting in his scrubs and mask. Before my brain even had a chance to process all that was going on, and the order of everything according to what I had read, Dr. Boulting said, "Here we are! Max, do you want to look?" "I don't know", Max hesitated. "Look!" I told him. "Come here. Look at your baby!", Dr. Boulting demanded, but in a loving way. He knew how important it was for us to be involved. He didn't want us to miss out on this. "It's Nolan! It's a boy!". Nolan was quickly brought around for me to see. Crying and bloody, he was perfect.
I love this picture, just before we touch for the
first time outside the womb.
We touched for a moment, but then they took him away. The nurses respected our wishes for no drops, no baths, no vaccines. Max watched over and helped when he could. Just a light dabbing, and he was brought right back to me. As Dr. Boulting worked on sewing me back up, Nolan was placed on my chest to breastfeed. Kaleen was there to make sure he latched on, but this baby had no problems! The anesthesiologist even said that in all his 25 years of working, he never saw a baby breastfeed in the OR. Nolan got perfect APGAR scores (even for a C-Section baby) and Max got to cut the cord. My concerns of the baby having any of effects from the epidural went out the window. From the time they put that needle in my back to when Nolan arrived was so fast, I doubt he got any!
I am thankful for trusting my instincts for one more reason - when Nolan came out, he had some meconium on his head. That means (1) that he was good and ready to come out - he was not taken prematurely, (2) because of his presentation, labor did not progress as quickly and he needed to get out and poo, and (3) if I did try to birth him naturally and it took a very long time, he could get meconium in his lungs and then that would be another complication altogether.
My poor little folded-in-half baby!
It is so amazing to me how perfectly God designs our body. When you are pregnant, and especially right before birth, a mother's nipples will get very dark. When a baby is born, they do not see very well. They see dark vs. light and can only focus about 12" away. The incredible thing is that a baby will be able to find his mother's nipple by searching for that dark spot, and he will be able to smell her milk through her skin (their sense of smell is heightened). It is well documented that right after birth, a baby will be placed on its mother belly, and the baby will actually "crawl" up to the nipple! The other perfect thing is that it is approx. 12" from a mother's face to her baby's face when she breastfeeds. Her face is the object he focuses on.
Breastfeeding in the OR, within minutes of his birth
I unfortunately had to be taken away to "recovery", but we had a plan! In our room, Kaleen had Max remove his shirt and hold Nolan skin-to-skin. This is a form of nursing. Nursing does not always mean to actually breastfeed, it means to nurture, bond and love. To this day, Nolan loves his "daddy naps" and quickly falls asleep on his daddy's chest.
Daddy "nursing" the baby, skin-to-skin
Within a hour, I was back in our room and held, nursed and loved Nolan continually. I never put him down. He breastfed whenever he wanted. Many times, mothers will put the baby in a bassinet and fall asleep. When the baby wants to be fed, the mother will not get to him quickly enough and he becomes hysterical, and unable to latch on properly. The best thing to do is hold your baby continually and let them nurse whenever. They do not need to be on any schedule but their own.
Within 24 hours, we left the hospital. It was not the birth that I had planned for, but it was the "perfect" birth that we needed to accommodate our situation. All in all, the doctors and nurses were great, respected our wishes and we had a perfectly healthy baby boy. If anyone is ever in this situation, please, please, please make sure you have your midwife or doula present to help carry out your wishes. I can not thank Kaleen enough!
As you can see in my other posts, we have had absolutely no problems with his health, breastfeeding, development and all other aspects of his life. Hubby and I joke often when Nolan's intelligence surpasses our expectations, "Not too bad for a C-Section baby!"
Next time, we will have our home birth, and Nolan will be able to observe the miracle of life with us.
OK....about 6 weeks to go and this baby is head up! We got an ultrasound to confirm. The tech casually says, "Don't worry, you still have 6 weeks, plenty of time for it to flip". Yeah right, I'm thinking. There is barely room in there for the baby, let along room for it to move much. And it's growing by the day! All the beautiful, romantic thoughts of my perfect birth start to melt away. All I can now see in my mind is a big, red, ugly word: "C-Section".
Michelle re-assures us that there is still time, but we need to act quickly with our interventions. She gave us a list of things to try to turn a breech baby. Our shot-gun approach included: Chiropractic adjustments, Acupuncture, moxabustion, herbs, hypnosis, visualization, pelvis tilts, sifting, hanging up-side down, flips in the pool - even cold potatoes and flash lights! (theory is to put something cold by the baby's head and it will move away from it, and towards the light). Amazingly, when we did several of these techniques, especially the chiropractic, acupuncture and hypnosis, the baby DID move! It started to shift head down about half way around, but then stopped, and moved back to where it was. We later learned there could have been a number of factors preventing it from turning all the way, such as placenta or cord location.
(moxabustion)
(sifting)
(chiropractic) My new mission was to get this baby turned! It was on my mind all the time. And, unfortunately, that stressed me out. We continued all of our interventions, hoping that something would work. I was so discouraged when people told me they had a breech baby, did one pelvic tilt and the baby turned. Or a medical professional who said they had a 90% success rate, but no, not successful for me! I was glad we exhausted all our options, though. I would not be at peace knowing we did not try everything!
The last several weeks of my pregnancy were filled with worry. After discussing our situation with many professionals, and alot of thinking and praying, Avery and I decided to go for an elective C-Section if the baby did not turn. If a baby is breech, especially a Frank breech as our was (both legs up straight), there are chances for complications or even serious injury to the baby. Hip and shoulder dislocations, or even a broken collarbone. I would rather have a c-section, and have the baby breastfeeding immediately and get out of the hospital, then the baby stay in the hospital with an injury and miss out on bonding.
I know, I know, you all are thinking "Here she is promoting natural childbirth, saying that all women can do it, and she elects to have a c-section!" First, I always say "educate and empower". So, I educated myself on the pros and cons and all facets of a natural breech birth and a c-section. Secondly, I always tell mothers to trust their instincts, follow their heart and do what they feel is best for their family. I believe that if we were living 100 years ago, our baby might have be born fine, but he could also have been born with broken bones or serious injury, such as a breech baby's chin getting stuck on the pelvic ring as it descends. This can cause the baby serious neck and spinal cord compression, and suffocation and even death. I could have had many complications, including hemorrhaging, and even death. These events do not always happen, but they could. We are fortunate to have emergency care for when we need it. Not for normal, healthy births - which makes up 90% of births! But for that small 10% that need it. We choose to have 5 minutes of "emergency care" that would result in a lifetime of perfect health.
If you have a breech baby, or have another complication, and choose an elective c-section, you can still have a "natural" c-section, which I will explain below and in future blogs.
We insisted on waiting to go into labor before heading to the hospital. Why? When a women knows she has to, or chooses to, have an elective c-section, the OB will schedule it about 2 weeks BEFORE her due date. That way he can be sure that she will not be in labor. A contracting uterus makes his job a bit harder. However, due dates are estimates only. And the lungs are the last thing that develop, finally complete right before birth. So, if your due date is off by a week or two, and you go in 2 weeks early, your baby could be born 3-4 weeks early! Way too early, and not ready to face the world yet! That is why we insisted on waiting to go into labor. That way we would know baby was ready to come out. Also, many times, babies will turn with the contractions. It would be our last hope.
We met with the OB that Michele uses. Dr. Boulting was amazing! He understood our desire for a natural birth, and reassured us that if the baby turned while we were at the hospital, he would send us right back to the birth center. He knew our birth plan and would follow it as much as he could. That made both Avery and I feel much better. I never gave up on the thought that this baby would turn, but I finally started to come to terms with the reality of a c-section.
Now, I know your thinking after looking over my birth plan, "Wow! She has alot of "demands"! Why so many requests for so many specific things? Don't they (the doctors) tell you what to do when you get to the hospital?"
Yes, that is right. The doctors will tell you exactly what to do, when to do it and for how long to do it. They will take away your ability to trust your instincts by stepping in and conforming your birth according to their plans. They want you in and out. It doesn't matter to them that you have your "dream" birth - that you labor how you want, birth the way your want and take care of your baby immediately - the way your want! Like I said before, they do NOT want and "educated mama" messing up their precious schedule. Watch The Business of Being Born and then we'll talk "demands".
I'll admit that the birth plan does sound like alot of requests. And honestly, most of them would never even be an issue or even brought up if you are birthing with a midwife. Most of the requests are completely normal and routine with a midwife. However, it is always a good idea to review your plan with the midwife prior to birth, just to make sure you are all on the same page. Even more importantly if you are birthing at a Birth Center within a hospital. Although they are run by midwives, they are still overseen by doctors and in special circumstances a midwife will have to report to the doctor.
My requests were simply to let labor and birthing take it's natural course and let my body do what it was designed to do. If there were to be any interventions, a natural approach should be taken first. My midwife would offer gentle guidance but mostly hands-off. She was just there to make sure all is going smoothly. I visualized a waterbirth in the warm tub, my loving husband sitting behind me massaging my neck and back, whispering encouraging words in my ear. The soft music would be playing and the candles would be flickering all around. I would be in tune with my body, moving around as needed, my breath in control. As my baby emerged, I would reach down and pick him up, bringing him to my breast. Holding him close to my heart would help his heartbeat and his breathing rate match mine, keeping it in control. The warm water and soft lighting would be comforting, not a shock to him. We would move slowly, never in a rush. This would be a special time to savor every second. Wrapping him up warmly, we would all crawl in bed together and rest. This was my dream.
I was also aware of the possibility of complications. As much as you can try to prevent them, it can happen - at any point of the pregnancy and birthing process. If the baby came early, if it had problems, or if I was transferred during labor, I wanted as many of my requests to be considered. My biggest one was to let me or Avery handle the baby as much as possible. No drops, no vaccines. Breastfeeding and rooming-in only. Those are the most important to me since they affect the long-term well-being of the baby.
Only you can stand up for and protect yourself and your family. If you feel strongly about something, say it. If your doctor/midwife does not agree with you, discuss it, don't dismiss it. Educate yourself and seek alternative advise. Don't do something you don't feel comfortable with, even if it is something everyone is doing (or not doing).
Below is my birth plan, from www.earthmamaangelbaby.com
Although we had a planned birth at the birth center, we had to consider the possibility of an emergency c-section, and we wanted our wishes to be carried out in the event of being transferred to the hospital. Many of these "requests" are routine and normal for a birth with a midwife, such as laboring as long as necessary without intervention, natural inductions and natural pain management. That is just part of their philosophy. But I feel it is better to have it written out just incase there are complications, and you are transferred. In fact, I had two friends that had normal, beautiful births at the birth center, but then the placenta did not separate, so they had to be transferred to the hospital anyways for a DNC. What about baby, breastfeeding and bonding during the surgery and recovery? You must think about these things!
To my Health Care Providers: Thank you for taking the time to work with us and our birth plan. These are our preferences; however we are open and flexible to any medical intervention that may become necessary in the case of a medical emergency.
My Name: Jennifer Cohen
My Due Date: June 1, 2009
My Doctor: Michelle Gawne (midwife)
My Partner: Avery Cohen
As long as the baby and I are healthy, I would like to have no time restrictions on the length of my pregnancy.
I would like to discuss laboring at home as long as possible.
I trust that my practitioner will seek out my opinion concerning all of the issues directly affecting my birth before deviating from my plan.
If I go past my due date and the baby and I are fine, I prefer to go into labor naturally rather than be induced.
Please obtain my permission before stripping my membranes during a vaginal exam.
I prefer to have no vaginal exams until I go into labor.
During a vaginal exam, I prefer at no time to have my membranes broken unless there is an emergency situation.
I would like no internal vaginal exams, within reason, during my labor until I have an urge to push.
If induction becomes necessary, I would like to try natural induction techniques first (with the guidance of my practitioner). These are the natural induction techniques I would like to try: Breast stimulation, Walking, Herbs, Enema, Castor oil, Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Sexual intercourse.
If my water breaks before I go into labor, I would like to have no time limits and talk about alternative treatment such as antibiotics.
Upon arrival at the hospital, I prefer to have my partner with me at all times.
Please, no residents or students attending my birth.
I request the following people to be present during my labor and/or 2nd stage labor: My Partner: Avery Cohen, My Siblings: Sarah Broxton.
I prefer to give birth in a birthing room.
I prefer to give birth in room with a shower and/or bath.
If birth equipment is available, I would like to use: A birthing bed, A birthing ball, A bean bag chair, A birthing tub/pool/shower, A birthing stool, A squatting bar.
Miscellaneous environmental requests:
I would like to have dimmed lights.
I would like for people entering the room to speak softly.
I would like to play music.
I would like no one to speak during the actual delivery.
I would like to wear my own clothes during labor and delivery.
I am prepared to try to handle pain with these natural and alternative methods: Breathing techniques, Distraction techniques, Hypnotherapy, Acupressure, Acupuncture, Massage, Visual imaging work, Deep (or guided) relaxation, Water/bath/shower.
Other considerations :
Ultimately, I want to be able to walk around and move as I wish while in labor.
Ultimately, I would like to feel unrestricted in accessing any sounds of chanting, grunting, or moaning during labor.
Please keep my door always closed during labor.
I have prepared for this birth with Childbirth Hypnosis.
As long as the baby and I are healthy, I prefer to have no time limits on pushing.
I would like to be encouraged to try the following different positions for labor: Squatting, Classic semi-recline, Hands and knees, On the toilet, Standing upright, Side Lying or Whatever feels right at the time
I will ask for an enema if I feel that I need one.
I prefer to have no episiotomy and risk tearing (unless I'm having a medical emergency).
To help prevent tearing, please apply: Hot compresses, Oil, Perineal massage, Encourage me to breathe properly for slower crowning.
Other labor considerations:
If possible, please allow the shoulders and body of my baby to be born spontaneously, on their own.
I would like to view the birth using a mirror.
I would like to touch my baby's head as it crowns.
I would like to catch my baby and pull it onto my abdomen as it is born
I would like my partner to catch my baby
I would like for our baby to hear our voices first.
I prefer to have the lights dimmed for delivery or, if it is daylight, to access only natural light
It's important to me to push instinctively. I do not want to be told how or when to push.
After Baby is Born:
As long as my baby is healthy, I would like my baby placed immediately skin-to-skin on my abdomen with a warm blanket over it
Please do not separate me and my baby until after my baby has successfully breastfed on both breasts.
Please delay all essential routine procedures on my baby until after the bonding and breastfeeding period (i.e., bathing).
If a C-Section is not an emergency, please give us time alone to think about it before asking for our written consent.
My partner(s) is(are) to be present at all times during the c-section.
Ideally, I would like to remain conscious during the procedure.
I would like the baby to be shown to me immediately after it's born.
I would like to have contact with the baby as soon as it is possible in the delivery room.
I prefer to have a hand free to touch the baby.
We would like to photograph or film the operation as the baby comes out.
We would like to film or photograph only the baby after delivery.
If possible, please discuss anesthesia options with me (including morphine options).
I prefer a low transverse incision on my abdomen and uterus.
Recovery:
If my baby is healthy, I would like to hold my baby and nurse it immediately in recovery.
I would like to sign any waivers necessary to permit me to be with my baby in recovery.
As long as my baby is healthy, I would like my partner to be the baby's constant source of attention until I am free to bond with it (i.e., holding, skin-to-skin contact, etc.).
I would like to have my catheter and IV removed ASAP after my recovery period.
Please discuss with me what I can expect to feel immediately following the procedure.
Please discuss my post-operative pain medication options with me before or immediately following the procedure.
Please wait for the umbilical cord to stop pulsating before it is clamped.
Please allow my partner to cut the umbilical cord.
Placenta: I would prefer for the placenta to be born spontaneously without the use of pitocin, and/or controlled traction on the umbilical cord and I would like the option of taking home the placenta.
If the baby has any problems, I would like my partner to be present with the baby at all times, if possible.
I would like to have routine newborn procedures delayed until bonding and breastfeeding have occurred.
I would like all newborn routine procedures to be performed in my presence.
Administration of Eyedrops: Please do not administer eye drops to my baby, I am willing to sign a formal waiver if need be.
Vitamin K: Please do not administer vitamin K to my baby, I am willing to sign a formal waiver if need be.
Immunizations: I prefer any immunizations be postponed to a later time.
Bathing Baby: Please do not bathe my baby at all. We would like to give our baby his/her first bath using our own non-toxic baby products.
Circumcision: Please do not circumcise him.
Feedings:
My baby is to be exclusively breastfed.
I would like to see a lactation consultant as soon as possible for further recommendations and guidance.
Do not offer my baby the following without my consent: Formula, Pacifiers, Any artificial nipples, Sugar water.
If my baby's health is in jeopardy, I would like:
To be transported with my baby if possible.
My partner to go with the baby.
To breastfeed or express my milk for my baby.
To have as much bodily contact with my baby as possible.
To be offered a room at the hospital for the duration of my baby's stay (within reason).
I would like my in-hospital routine to be: Full rooming in, no separation, no exceptions, unless my baby is sick.
Other hospital preferences:
I prefer a private room.
I prefer to have my partner stay with me for the duration of my hospital stay.
I want privacy during my stay and for my guests to limit the time they are visiting me.
Posts
(sifting) 
and then we'll talk "demands". 
