"I'm Getting One of Those NATURAL C-Sections"

Just when I thought I had heard it all, somebody comes up with the idea of a "natural cesarean."

Yes, I realize that some women do NEED cesarean birth, and yes I realize that should it be needed, it should be as pleasant and family oriented as possible. But this idea is ludicrous.

What have they been doing to women so far? The cruel and unusual cesarean? The answer is YES. Most women who have c-sections experience them in a very traumatic way for many reasons.

The first problem with the gentle c-section is that all along they have been doing them with cruelty, excessive force, and no thought for the bonding or experience of the mother and family.

(Although, lets be real about this. When the c-section first started being used, it was only used in true EMERGENCY situations. If your baby needs to come out NOW, do you want the doctor to take extra time to make it a better experience? No- you want a baby that is alive. Thus the c-section.)

My guess- doctors were trained to do c-sections in case they were needed. However, things have obviously changed for the worse and they are being done ALL THE TIME when often not needed. So, despite the fact that they could be slower and more gentle, training is training and that is how things are done.

Here enters the natural or humane c-section.

Honestly this is how I see this playing out:

~~~

Scene 1- Mama at Doctor "L's" office for checkup-

Dr L-
"Upon doing your vaginal exam it looks like your pelvis is a little on the small side, and last weeks ultrasound shows that the baby is quite big. It may not be needed, but just so you are not surprised if it happens, there is a good chance you will need a c-section."

Mama-
"Umm what? I was planning on a natural birth. How can you tell already that I need a c-section? And I am really scared of surgery and needles and healing time..."

Dr L-
"What really matters is that you have a healthy baby, right? Anyway- you don't get any gold stars for going natural. After all, epidurals are good for babies.
And as far as the c-section goes, they have really come a long way. I now do "natural" c-sections so you can still have a great birth experience."

Mama-
"How can a cut in my abdomen be "natural"? That just doesn't sound like the normal way for a baby to come out.

Dr L-
"Oh, I'm glad you asked. Now when we do the section we bring the baby out slowly so it can adapt to life outside the womb, just like in a natural birth. And, you get to hold your baby right away (with the hand that isn't strapped down). It is a really pleasant experience."

Mama-
"So I can have a "natural" c-section...... Do your patients like this?"

Dr L-
"Oh yes, it is great for everybody. You still get to pick when you have your baby, but you get the bonuses of a peaceful birth experience without having to go through all that painful labor, just to have that end in a c-section. Truthfully, it is really hard for first time mom's to do it naturally and there is no reason to do it. Why not use the tools available to you? I mean, medicine can't be bad, we invented antibiotics!"

Mama-
"OK, well I will have to think about this. Thanks for preparing me before hand so I could get used to the idea. "

~~~

Once again, obstetrics, ACOG and modern medicine with twist something that could be used well for the few and make it something that everybody wants, that maximizes profit, makes scheduling easier, and continues to undermine and damage women and babies at their most vulnerable.

I want to PUKE. I wish something like this could really just be used in the instances where it was necessary. But remember what else is only rarely needed and yet used all the time....

I will give you the short list:

Pitocin

Epidurals

Inductions

C-sections

Formula

Cutting the VAGINA

Ultrasound

Fetal Monitoring

The powers that be have a horrid track record. It would be a miracle if they don't screw this up too.

A Little Soul- Home Birth, First Baby

Welcome to another Birth Story Wednesday!

Today we have a wonderful home birth. I love how it shows that everybody experiences birth differently. Mostly I love the end though, such a true statement about the wonder of birth, babies, and the endless connection we have with them.

Enjoy!

A friend of mine recently had a baby and posted her amazing home birth story within three days...(Elizabeth, I maintain that you are some sort of superwoman, if not THE Superwoman) and it inspired me to write out my home birth story... albeit 9 months late. Enjoy.

I was due August 17th. This day came and went. I wasn't ever overly uncomfortable in my pregnancy, it was more the excitement of wanting to meet this baby Kidd that made me antsy to get him...or her??...out.

On the19th my husband and I decided to go to Splash Montana for the day thinking perhaps the water slides just might inspire this little one to want to come out and see what the heck was going on. Down the slides we'd go, running up the stairs we went and on and on and on. After a fun-filled/exhaustive day we went on to Fort Missoula to play a little one on one.

I spared nothing. Running, jumping, hobbling was I, allllll over that court. Then, we walked the near mile around the park. Misery had now set in to my pubic bones. I may or may not have been shedding tears by the end of that mile.

The next day, no baby. BUT, by that night I awoke at 3am with my first real contractions. We began to time them (like all good first parents do) and within the hour they were lasting one minute and were 5 minutes apart. We called our amazing midwife, Sundhano, around 6:30am and she came about 7.

As soon as she arrived she checked me and much to my delight I was 5 centimeters! I labored on my bed til 10am when I got into the kiddie pool blown up in our living room just for the occasion. Clyde had been tirelessly filling it with a hose hooked up to our washing machine for about 2 hours... draining the hot water tank.

One of my big fears was that the water wouldn't be warm enough for me to get in because we would run out of hot water. It needed to stay between 98 and 103 degrees to get in. However it was 107! He added a touch of cold and I was good to go. Labor in the pool was like paradise... nearly...

Clyde was making Sundhano and I huckleberry smoothies in ice cream sundae cups... A few hours later I thought I'd like to know my progress and when she checked she noticed there was an anterior lip to my cervix. Basically the cervix was 'hung up' so to speak on the back/top of the baby's head. I will spare the details on how that needed to be resolved. Youch.

Also, my water hadn't broken and after being given the pros and cons to having her break it I decided to let her do it... why keep this baby in there any longer? She had a heck of a time breaking it... I was actually birthing the water bag and she still had a very hard time breaking it. After 4 or 5 tries though it worked. By 4pm my contractions were 1 minute apart... transition had set in and so had the tears.

At this point Sundhano suggested I get out of the pool (MUCH to my dismay) because gravity would now be a good thing to have on my side. Off to the birthing stool, which was set up in our bedroom, I went. I began to push despite NOT having the urge to push... I hear women say, "Oh you'll know when to push, you won't be able to not push..." and things like this.

Well, I never had that urge. Ever. I just decided it'd be a good idea to start pushing with each contraction. I pushed for a bit... maybe 30 minutes when Sundhano had her doppler heart monitor on me to check the baby's heartbeat. It'd been about 140 beats per minute and this particular time when we heard it it was about 70 b/min. She didn't panic or say that this was a bad thing necessarily, but I perceived that it was bad and I decided that this baby was coming out on the next push.

Lo and behold, out came a 7 lb baby in the next push... and he hadn't even been crowning yet. Clyde was on the floor next to Sundhano this whole time and got to be so involved in the entire process, which was so priceless. She handed me a screaming little baby boy and about 10 seconds after I had him in my arms he completely stopped crying and looked directly into my face with these big, dark blue eyes.

I knew he knew me and I knew I'd always known him... like his soul had always been a part of me but now was realized by inhabiting this tiny, perfect baby. And a love that I'd never known before this moment came spilling out of me... our baby, baby Ellis, was born.

Breasts, Beyond Playboy (The Things Nobody Tells You)

Birth has show me so many new things that my body is capable of.....some I would rather forget.

~The sisters are now independently movable. You must now line up the headlights before leaving the house- (You wouldn't want them pointing in opposite directions now would you?)

~You may be capable of lying on your back and nursing a child lying to your side. Seems impossible, but actually, can be done.

~You now realize why older women have difficulty finding a bra that "fits." Bra shopping is much easier when they actually hold themselves up.

~You can get stretch marks on places OTHER than your stomach. And lots of them.

~You can carry a role of quarters with no hands (don't make me explain this.)

~Going running? Buy two bras.

~Need to nurse a child strapped in a car seat? No problem!

~Of course, you can now sustain human life. So that is the bonus...

Someday

Someday-

I will eat a meal by myself and wish I had little ones to share it with.


I will take a lonely shower and wonder where everybody went.


I will miss the noise.


I will sit and knit without somebody tangling the yarn behind me.


I will go to the grocery store alone, and feel like people don't really know who I am because they don't know I am a mother.


I will have clean shoulders, but they will be cold.


I will wish for more to do around the house.


I will wake up in the  morning after sleeping all night long, but the room next to mine will be empty.


I will finish the laundry.... and it will stay finished for a day or so.


I will have clean floors but will hear no pitter patters of little feet just learning to walk.


Someday I will have to rediscover who I am without the constant companionship of little people,


but not today.

You Got An Epidural! We Can't Be Friends!

I have always been irritated by hovering, competitive parents who scream at their children during sports events.

My son has started BMX bike racing and he loves it.  I was at the track watching him the other night and I saw a dad stand up and literally yell down on his son to pass another child.  These boys were probably six or seven years old.  The turns on the track are banked really high because the kids get going very fast.  Passing somebody on the turn is a little tricky because you will literally be right below or above them going full speed, and sometimes gravity works better than your bike.

His son listened to him and tried to pass the other boy and they had a great big wreck with both boys on the ground.

I was so mad.  If I had been next to that man I probably would have opened up my mouth and told him what I thought.  Do you want to know what I thought?  Beware, I can be nasty.

In my head:

"What an A@@##LE!  I can't believe that man just endangered children so that he could MAKE his son win a friendly practice race!!!!  What kind of person does that?!"

I of course had never met the man but I was pretty sure from this brief six seconds of watching him that he was a total waste of space.

Fast forward only about five minutes.  (Did I mention that I was there with no hubby watching my two other children, aged one and three?)

A few minutes later my son falls off his bike on one of the hills.  I was on the other side of the track and since I had my two little ones with me I could not go to help him.  There were just too many other riders and I did not want my girls to get hurt.

I was watching my son from a distance struggle to get back on his bike on this hill and guess what, only one person helped him.  You got it, the man who I was silently cursing literally ran across the track to get my boy back on  his bike and going again.

I was so grateful and of course totally humbled.  Here I was thinking that this putz had no right to take up space on the planet and he is the only person to be there for my son when I can't be.

Later on I heard him apologizing to the father of the other child who was in the wreck with his son because he felt like his yelling had caused the accident.

And your point is....

If you are a natural birth nut like myself you have probably thought or even said a few of these things:

"My labor was longer than that and I didn't get an epidural."

"So you are too small to have your babies vaginally....hmmm."

"You did not need that c-section!"

"You couldn't breastfeed?!  Because your 'breasts don't work.'  Who told you that?!"

"How would you like it if somebody cut off the tip of your finger while you screamed?"

Hopefully you are all better and less judgmental people than me, but on the off chance that you can see yourself in the above, I will continue.

This little episode at the BMX track really made me think about the way I jump to conclusions about people.  I was convinced that I was absolutely RIGHT.  Still, I probably would not ever yell at my child to crush somebody in a competition.

However, just because my weaknesses are different than this other guy's, does not mean he is the devil and I am the best.  It showed me that there is often more to people than we can see at first glance.  It was also a reminder of how glad I am on the rare occasion when I manage to keep my mouth shut when my head is  telling me to show somebody how wrong they are. 

I might be right about birth, breastfeeding, circumcision, and all of that.  That does not however mean that I have any idea why other people make the choices they do.  It also does not mean that they are not trying.  Nor am I better at everything than they are.  Maybe X comes easy to me.  Or maybe I am good at sticking with things.  Obviously I have flaws that are other peoples strengths.

I have seen women that I genuinely had a hard time being friends with because their parenting and birth choices were so counter to everything that I believe.  I have also seen these same women have a seemingly easy time being a wonderful organized mother or a fantastic caring and sensitive wife, things that I struggle with daily.

I know, deep thoughts at the dirt track tonight.  I am humbled to realize how often I have to learn the same lessons.  Namely, 1) don't judge, especially when you 2) don't know enough to judge, and 3) you never know enough to judge.

We help more women when we reach out with love rather than judgment and distaste.  We show peaceful, loving parenting by being that kind of person.  We change hearts and minds when we share our experiences without discounting those of others.  Things can change, but it will start with us.  The spread of feminine wisdom that has been lost will change the world.  But we must remember our own imperfections while we teach.

10 Ways To Prepare A Mom For a Great Birth

A little while ago I did a post on how women are so often prepared for a bad birth experience.  As I end a series of childbirth classes this week, I have been thinking about all the things I want my students to be sure they know so that they can have a great birth.  Here it is. 

1)  Treat your pregnancy, despite the inevitable aches and pains, like a miracle and a blessing. 
Your body was perfectly designed to do something majestic: to grow another human being.  Remember that when you have heart burn, back pain and swollen ankles.

2)  Stretch marks fade, so don't worry about them too much. 
Your body is meant to change with pregnancy and stay different FOREVER.  Maybe this is to remind us when we are older of the amazing things that we did.  Maybe it keeps our focus on the things that are important, family and children and sacrifice.  You will be beautiful and healthy without looking like a pre-teen. 

3)  Don't pay attention to your labor too soon. 
It takes time for a reason.  It starts slow so that you know it is time for the baby!  And- so you have time to get things ready before you go to your birth place.  Have fun with it, don't panic, enjoy your last moments with your partner and your other kids. 


4)  JUST BREATHE
 I know that there are a million ways to comfort a laboring woman and a million relaxing things to think about and poems and scripts.  The most important thing to do is just to breathe deeply and naturally like you would if you were exercising.  Focus on breathing OUT any tension that you may have.  It sounds crazy but it works.  A good birth can be as simple as mastering this.   

5)  Move
Some women experience painless labor.  Some don't.  But if you do have what you would call pain- remember that is not your body or your baby trying to punish you.  It is not time to get drugs.  It is even more important now NOT to get medicated.  The reason is that the pain is telling you something, and it is usually telling you to move.  Move so you are comfortable, move so it doesn't hurt, move to move your baby down.  Labor is a beautiful dance between you and your baby.  He is teaching you to work with him, even before he is born.  Listen. 

6)  Face your fears and let go of them.
Virtually everybody in this country is afraid of birth for one reason or another.  Fear will cause tension which will make your labor painful because relaxation is key to a painless birth.  If you have heard terrible stories, if you have control issues with your body, if you have been abused or raped, or if you have had traumatic births in the past, or anything else that could cause you to be scared of labor and letting go, deal with it now.  Birth is not to be feared.  When you get through it you will feel stronger than ever. 

7)  Give in to your labor, but don't give up on a good experience.
I hear women say all the time, "I want a natural birth, but... if it doesn't happen that is OK too."  It is OK, but that doesn't mean you should give up on the things you desire when the going gets tough, or when you get lots of pressure from those around you.  It is a MUST to give into your body and your labor.  But don't give up on a great birth because it is hard at times. 


8)  Babies come when they are ready.
Oddly this concept has become totally foreign in our culture!  Yes there are reasons to induce, and sometimes post dates is even one of them.  That being said, there is ample evidence that babies start labor and that they do so when they are ready to breathe and come out.  Even so called "natural induction" techniques can start a labor when it is not quite ready, can drag things out, and they send the subtle message that your body is not going to do things on its own. 


9)  Trust your instincts.  
Every woman is different, and so is every experience.  Maybe you need an IV to have a natural birth.  Maybe you carry your babies to 43 weeks.  Maybe your baby needs to come out posterior.  Listen to the voices inside you, and not all the fear mongers outside of you.  Other people can not always know what is wrong or right for you.  Some interventions might be necessary for you, others not, but listen to your inner voice and remember above all that birth is a natural process that most often can happen on its own in a rice paddy or a back alley. 


10)  We can't control everything.
Some women give birth exactly as they had planned, but many don't.  You can have a great empowering birth even if things did not go exactly as you had planned in your head or on paper.  I had a fantastic natural hospital birth that included an episiotomy and an iv and post-partum hemorrhage.  It was still a great birth that made me feel like I could do anything, even though it included three things specifically forbidden in my birth plan. 

Rarely things will go VASTLY different than you had wanted, even if you do everything right.  It is OK to mourn the loss of a birth that you wanted for you and your baby.  Mourning that loss does not make you selfish.  It is a righteous desire to want a natural birth and is is deeply sad when you don't get it. 

Both natural or surgical birth can teach us an important lesson for being mothers: that we don't always get to pick how things go, because we don't always know what is best.  You can't control a baby or a child, and trying to do so will just make motherhood miserable.  Labor teaches us the same lesson, and like many of life's lessons, it can be hard. 




For the partner-
I want the dads to remember four things for their laboring partner:
1)  She can do this, and so can you.  Just having you there is helpful as long as you love her. 
2) Your fear will affect her- so don't be afraid or hire a doula if you feel like that would help you. 
3) Remind her to drink fluids after all contractions in hard labor.
4) Remind her to pee at least every hour in hard labor- it will keep her moving and relieve pressure and pain. 

"You Don't Get Any Gold Stars for Having a Natural Birth"

"You don't get any gold stars for having a natural birth."

UGH-
I will not justify the above idiotic quote with any more media attention for the moronic health care provider who stated it (or something similar), but I do have a few responses.  Feel free to use them if somebody dares insinuate that you desire natural births for your children because of something as silly as social approval or attention from others.

****** 

~No, but my baby got one, because he was born without being pumped full of drugs.

~Believe it or not, I actually chose a natural birth because it is healthier for mom and baby, not for a sticker that I wanted.  I did not have the birth of my child confused with a first grade spelling test.

~Do you get gold stars for your heavily medicated, date chosen induction, fear based, birth decisions?  I didn't think so. 

~I don't vaccinate either, do you think I am doing that because I want my body to look like Jenny McCarthy's?

~I will not respond to that with violence or hatred, because despite how ignorant and dismissive it sounds,  I am trying to raise my "gold star baby" to be loving and turn the other cheek.

~No, I received no gold stars, but I did have a fabulous, empowering, climactic birth experience and a happy alert baby, unlike so many women out there who choose to listen to care providers who tell them that their bodies don't work right.

~I didn't give birth naturally for a gold star, I was actually hoping Riki Lake would be my friend...

~I chose natural birth because it is so obviously the way birth is meant to be.

~Actually, I just believe in a woman's incredible ability to grow, birth, and feed her babies without the help of man, machines, or sharp objects. 

~Why do you find it offensive that I had a natural birth? 

~I chose natural birth because I was more afraid of the horror stories I heard about MEDICATED birth than I was about the supposed PAIN of natural birth.

~I teach natural childbirth classes.  I think you would be a great candidate for them....Call me next time you are pregnant.  You too can have a gold star!

Someone To Watch Over You

I have been pondering often lately on the idea of people, particularly strangers, at birth.  I feel very deeply that the presence of others who we do not know or trust can be disruptive, even disastrous for a birth.

I have said before that one of the unspoken cruelties of modern maternity care is the crap shoot that is your birth attendant.  First, most doctors or midwives in hospitals work rotating shift work.  Chances are good that you will be birthing with somebody who you do not know well.  On top of that you will be attended by a nurse who you will almost definitely NOT know.

How does this change birth?  Do we even know WHAT it does to the process of birth?

I am surprised that this is so seldom talked about.  First, because it is a subject that strikes fear into the hearts of most laboring women, and second, because the presence of strangers, particularly un-supportive ones, must be so DAMAGING to the birth experience.

I am not a scientist or a doctor, so I can't approach this subject from that level.  I am a birthing mother, so that is how I will think about this- with common sense and sensitivity.

Birth (despite the possible pain) is very much like the sexual act.  It is intense.  It requires the same body parts.  It involves the same hormones (only at MUCH higher levels).  Women in labor who sound out their contractions often sound as if they are making love.  Birth is in fact the crescendo, the end product, and the sacred culmination of the sexual act.  You begin it with one person you love and intimately make a baby.  It ends with the birth. 

You could have sex with strangers around monitoring you.  Maybe you could even climax.  It is however probably safe to say that it would be much more difficult to do so, and probably a little embarrassing.

It makes zero sense to me that we end this journey of fertility and joy in a sterile, foreign room, with lots of machines strapped to us SURROUNDED by people instructing us on how to do it properly!  And, on top of all of that, most of these people we have just met.

I was blessed with a wonderful midwife and nurse for my hospital birth.  Even though I had never met them they were important in their support of me during that time.  BUT- and this is a big but- I got lucky.

In addition, despite the fact that those attending me were supportive, kind, and knowledgeable, is it possible their mere presence altered the birth negatively?

Studies show that a good supportive doula, or woman labor support, can have a dramatic positive effect on labor.  Is it also possible, even probable, that a person unknown to mom, even opposed to her, not to mention male, can have a dramatic effect in the negative?

It only stands to reason that this is in fact the case.

In fact, a well known Obstetrician, Michel Odent claims that even the presence of the father can be distracting and negative.  Here are some of his thoughts: (you can read the entire article here).


"But my youngest son was born in 1985, at home.
As it happens, at the exact moment our son arrived in the world, the midwife was on her way down the street and I, having made my excuses realising he was about to be born, was fiddling with the thermostat on the central heating boiler downstairs.
My partner did not know it, but I had given her the exceptionally rare, but ideal situation in which to give birth: she felt secure, she knew the midwife was minutes away and I was downstairs, yet she had complete privacy and no one was watching her."

I  of course cannot agree publicly with Dr Odent (being a Bradley teacher and all I happen to think that the well trained and educated father can be a huge asset to the birthing mother) about fathers being excluded, but I think he has a very interesting point- women birth best when left alone and when they feel safe.  He points out that this mom felt safe because she know that the midwife was near, but she was able to tune into her primal birthing self, because of the absence of others.

I am over and over again seeing women who are often prepared and certainly know more than most birthing mothers out there, end up with long difficult labors and the famed "failure to progress".  I can not help but wonder if this "unexplainable" difficulty in birth stems simply from the presence of others (particularly negative others) watching over mama.

I wonder if this "need" to be surrounded by foreign others is based in fear.  Yet ironically, is it possible that the presence of these expert strangers is part of the PROBLEM of birth today?

How many "necessary interventions" are simply caused by the mother and baby reacting with stress to the presence of others?  How many women fail to progress because they lack privacy?  How many births are painful because they are being watched and monitored?

I am not advocating unassisted childbirth, but I will openly condemn the common practice of fear filled strangers at birth.  

We must be realistic about birth.  Things can go right OR wrong no matter where we birth.  We must choose carefully where and with whom we will birth, despite this.

We must recognize the importance of the primal birthing mother who is able to transcend her thinking self and birth without fear or stage fright.  We must have only those with us who reverence the birth process.

Leila's Homebirth (With VIDEO!)

This is a beautiful birth story of a well supported mother, surrounded by those who loved her while she had her baby.  Also- notice the great husband coach!


Enjoy!  (And don't forget the video at the end!)

~~~~~ 

In June of 2009, we found out we were expecting baby number two. After much education and research on our birth options; my husband and I decided to have a home birth.  This is the story of that special day.  It’s a long one I might add, so you may want to dash off to get yourself some popcorn and get cozy for a while.
Spoiler Alert: I end up with a baby.
On February 25th, I had reached my due date.  My husband, Andrew was at work training to become an explosive ordinance disposal technician . Sounds fancy and so tough, so manly.  Don’t tell him I told you this, but underneath it all, he’s really a fuzzy wuzzy teddy bear.  I have really struck gold with the man I chose to make babies with.
Around 11 AM that day, I had noticed I some signs of labor.  The more icky, yucky, signs that lets you know some things could be different very soon.  I thought to myself, “Ahh, finally.  Signs of labor.  Sweet, sweet labor.  Wait… labor.  I’m going into labor!”  Taking deep relaxing breaths helped calmed the crazy thoughts and I was able to appreciate the fact I would soon (please be soon, please be soon) meet my little beach baby.
At noon, Andrew called to say he passed an important test in training.  I told him I was going into labor.  My news was better.  He agreed.  Today was in fact, going to be a good day.
The afternoon continued with frequent bathroom trips hoping for other signs of labor.  I started cleaning the house to make sure it was prepped and ready for the arrival of a new human being.  Movement must have helped, I began feeling a little cramping here and there.  Each one bringing me more and more excitement that I would soon get to meet this new little person.

Andrew was able to get off work and meet me at the midwife’s clinic around 2 PM.  Upon a cervical check, it was determined that I was about 3 centimeters dilated.  I was hoping for 5 or 6 centimeters, but I settled with 3.  It was after, all progress nonetheless.
After the appointment with my midwife, I ventured to my chiropractor’s office.  My pregnant self was in dire need of a “get labor going now” adjustment.
We made a pit stop at home for some down time.  That didn’t work out too well; all I wanted to do was move around.  I wanted to meet my baby, I had to move around to get things going a bit.  So, we decided to go to the grocery store to get some snacks for my labor team that would be arriving when the baby was to make her appearance.
On the way there my cramps picked up in intensity and I now felt safe calling them contractions.  I don’t really know if going to the store was a good idea at this point.  Andrew turned into protective mode turning into my personal body guard. He wouldn’t let anyone come into a 5 foot radius of me.  With the aisles being the size they are and me having been such a wide load, he turned into a big ball of stress and worry.  When a contraction came, I would pick up a food product and pretend to read it to look busy when I was focusing.  I didn’t want anyone knowing I was in labor.  At this point of the pregnancy people would tell me that I shouldn’t have even been driving.  I assured them that I was only pregnant, not paralyzed.
Groceries gathered and Andrew officially having a mental break down in fear of someone bumping into me and making the baby fall out, it was time to head home.
By this point, I was ready to relax.  I sat on the birth ball a while and made myself go in circles with my hips over and over and over.  This brought the contractions on one on top of the other.  They were still pretty easy to deal with by relaxing and by the support of Aliana holding my hand.  At about 7:40 PM, Andrew and I noticed my voice started changing and I was starting to shake.  So, we called my midwife and she decided she would make an appearance.  We were wondering when the baby would do the same.

The midwife did another cervical check and found out that I was now 5 centimeters dilated.  Things were moving right along.
I had asked three of my church friends to join us in welcoming our daughter.  Shortly after 9 PM, they came to support, pray and take pictures.  I really appreciated the time they spent here in my home waiting, praying, and being patient for my baby to come.
In efforts to get off the birth ball and quit going in those forsaken circles, I decided it was time to make the “birth” day cake.  Andrew was literally behind me every step of the way.  He’s a good birth partner.  You should be jealous.

Shortly after 11:25 PM, I went into my bedroom to relax.  It quickly became my happy place with just me, Andrew and my midwife.  I got really calm and the contractions started to come closer together, more intense, and I felt really comfortable.  After letting go of the distractions around me (daughter still awake and a movie playing) things started to pick up.

There was lots of sitting on the toilet.  I hated having to sit on that toilet.  It opened my pelvis up and allowed for things to really become strong and allowed the baby to put pressure on my cervix. I kept having to remind myself that the intensity of the contractions were a good thing but it will go away, the baby was coming.   Not only did I hate the toilet, by the end of the night I started to hate Riptide Rush Gatorade.  In the efforts to stay hydrated, this was the drink I chose before I went into labor.  I stocked up on it on that lovely trip to the grocery store.  After a while, I wanted to hurl it across the room. Note to self; variety!
I continued to stay in my bedroom.  It just felt like the most comfortable place to be; my safe haven. The lights were dim, I had access to my cozy bed. Of course I was still going back and forth to the toilet.  And, I still hated it because it made those contractions back to back.  Once again, my chiropractor had my back (har har).  She adjusted me right there in my bedroom and it felt oh so good. I had chiropractic care throughout almost my entire pregnancy.  I turned to her every time I was in pain and it was so comforting having her there with me when my discomfort was at it’s peak.

Around 2 AM, I was 8 centimeters dilated.  I was still in pretty high spirits.  The contractions were definitely intense, but the breaks in between were so nice I could almost fall asleep.  I was still cracking jokes and laughing and can honestly say I was having fun.  The women that were surrounding me were really positive and kept the laughter going with me.

Soon, the contractions got more intense and I felt like I hit a wall.  All that was holding me back from meeting my daughter was my bag of water not being broken yet.  It could have been easily broken with me pushing but I wasn’t ready to make that leap.  The birth team left Andrew and I in the bedroom giving us room to relax alone together (Interesting fact: Andrew took this time to fall asleep.  I didn’t hate him for it, it was cute. His repetitious snoring actually helped get me through some contractions.)  That’s when things really started to pick up.  My midwife came in after a while to check up on me.  And then again with the toilet; the position it put me in brought on more intense contractions that I needed to meet our precious girl.  But the pains were coming like the plague now.  The plague.


I’m not really certain, but somewhere after 5 AM, I noticed my midwife took on the take charge attitude.  It was time to meet our baby.  I had been avoiding pushing to break my water but I was ready to hold my baby.  In my head, I was secretly plotting ways that could get me out of this situation.  More crazy woman thoughts welcoming me to transition, I suppose.  I had to let go of the fear I had inside me about what it would feel like when my water broke. My memory evades me as to the exact number, but I was told I only pushed three times to try and break my water and voila!  My water broke (or you could say gushed, flew, sprayed, soaked others) at 5:24 A.M.  My body began to push her out on it’s own.  So, I just went with it.  And there she was;  exactly two minutes later, my second daughter was born into her father’s loving hands.  It was bliss.



He laid her on my chest and and I finally got to see her beautiful face.  Her ten little fingers and her ten little toes.  We were, at last, together.  Skin to skin and elated.  Our oldest daughter, Aliana was awoke from her sweet slumber and got to meet her little sister.  You could see the love beaming from her little brown eyes.  She even got to help her daddy cut the umbilical cord.



Baby girl weighed in at 8 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long and absolutely beautiful.
Thanks for reading.  To everyone who commented on my blog during labor, I really appreciate your support.  It was nice to go back through and read all the encouraging messages.
You can also view our homebirth video by clicking here.

Confessions of a Guilt Ridden Attached Parent

I don't know about you, but sometimes when I read other blogs or talk to other attached mamas I just feel guilty.  Maybe other people are just putting their best face forward for the public and don't want to admit all of life's frustrations.  Whatever it is, I think many many moms are afraid to admit the things they struggle with.  This is especially true for mom's who are shooting for a gentle, attached and natural approach to parenting.

Our society and social structure doesn't really support this and so it is hard to actually carry out on a day to day basis.  So - to make you all feel better and less guilt ridden, I am going to admit all my secret flaws RIGHT NOW!

(Don't tell your Baby Wise friends about this.  This is meant for attached mamas only.)

~  I sleep better by myself.

~ I cloth diaper.  I pretend it is because I love the environment and hate toxins, but it is really because I am broke.

~  My most prized possession is my stroller, not my sling.  I love to exercise and walk places, and it is simply easier with my jogger (and easy on my back).

~  I spend way too much time online.

~  Sometimes I yell.  And- it is tempting to do it more often because they appear to actually listen!!!!

~  My kids repeat my swear words.  (And no, princess three year old girls do not sound cute when they say d%&n it, nor do 18 month old boys sound sweet when they yell S@#T!)

~  During my home birth I understood why people get epidurals.

~  I tell my childbirth students that birth is awesome and can be painless, but I spent a lot of time crying during my last labor because I was so overwhelmed and I KNOW I yelled at everybody with my second birth.

~  I  feel I need interests outside of my home to ensure I do not go totally insane.

~  I am trying to convince my husband to get snipped.

~  Aleve was an important part of my post-partum recovery with my first two children.

~ I LOVED that one of my kids sucked their thumb.

~ I bribe my kids with sweets (pretty sure that isn't Dr. Sears approved).

~  I attempt potty training way too early.

There it is folks.  I am sure there are many more.  Please do not send me e-mails about how I need to be better.  I already know.

Mama to Mama Wisdom: The Safety of Natural Birth

If you are an advocate for birth as it should be, natural and fearless, you have probably time and time again heard something like this:

"Well, natural birth is fine, but my baby and I would have died had we not been in the hospital for birth.  I am so grateful for the doctors and modern medicine."

While it is true that modern medicine certainly does save women and babies, it seems obvious that it's overuse is common to the point of being damaging, both body and soul.  

Some of our mamas respond to this idea.  Enjoy their wisdom.  

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Most likely what they would have died from was caused from being in the hospitals around doctors in the first place!

Women were having babies way before hospitals existed... If more people need special care nowadays, we have to find the cause. When human plays with Nature, the consequences are unknown for a period of time, but eventually we all suffer for it.

I thought the same, until I learned the reason my daughter had such a horrible birth was from the pitocin they gave me. When you are taught the natural pitocin in your body works in waves from top to bottom, and the kind I was given makes everything cramp causing distress - it makes me angry! Had I known that I'd never have agreed.

 Well I did take that argument on a week ago in real life. I said hemorrhage was the big killer. And I asked her if she knew that herbs can stop hemorrhage immediately. And then I asked her if she knew that midwives can carry Pitocin for 3rd stage management. I told her home birth isn't about denying technology or medicine. It's about accepting that NORMAL bodily processes don't NEED technology or medicine. And when things aren't normal, you seek out a doctor/hospital.

If you look at the results of nurse midwives and doctors in the 1920s/30s from the work Mary Breckinridge did in Appalachia, you will see that she had better results than physicians in the hospitals by attending women in their homes, birthing centers, and hospitals. Look at Ina May Gaskin's statistics for The Farm. Yes, there are some dismal statistics for maternal mortality in the old days, but the reasons for many of those problems were nutritional, having baby after baby before being recovered, working extremely hard while pregnant, and some mistakes in medical care such as not washing hands. Lay midwifery was fine in most cases and they did what they could do, adding in some modern medical training helped with situations that they weren't used to. If we had the nutrition and general health we have now, then, we wouldn't have the dismal statistics.



I'd argue that none of us would be here if that were the case, without ancestors from way back doing it without doctors or technology we wouldn't exist! Sure there may be a few less of us due to maternal or infant death but not as many as modern medicine would have us believe!

If i have any more children they will not be in a hospital. my first born almost died BECAUSE of them and with my second I still didn't understand there were options!!

My husband argued the other day that before birth was hospitalized there were far more deaths in both mothers and children. I didn't know what to say to him, now I do! Also, my midwifes carry all medical equipment with them and act on the spot. If the birth is not going "normal way" they know way before the final stage and they transfer you to the hospital. My midwife said she never had a situation when she had to go in the ambulance. They are trained well to recognize symptoms of distress and if something is wrong, the hospital is for that. But I don't want to be an object again, had medical procedures which names are new to me done on me because they're standard. I don't want to be laughed at or rolled eyes at because I have questions and want things my way. I want to be a subject, in charge, I want to own the labor. I will never again let anyone treat the way they treated me in the hospital, unless it endangers my or baby's life.


  And a note on how we deliver the message and listen to and respect other women and their fears-

 I think it's important to be sensitive to where the woman you're talking to is in her life. Every woman, including YOU, deserves the respect of feeling some ownership and closure about her birth experience. Asking a lot of questions about the birth with a pure and open heart, and if you have permission to engage, is important, and never judging about an experience that is already in the past and can't change is also essential. If you're talking to a woman who hasn't given birth yet, or is about to, answering questions or delivering solid information (not emotional), is appropriate. Talking to a woman who is supporting a friend or relative with HER birth is a great place to get passionate, someone who won't be personally injured by the conversation.

 

10 Ways to Prepare a Mom For a Bad Birth

1.  Treat her pregnancy like a disease and her baby like a foreign tumor-  

This will set the stage for feeling sick, hating pregnancy, and wanting it to end as soon as possible.  It will also plant the seed of doubt in her bodies ability to do something right.


2.  Test, Test, Test-

Instead of talking with her and listening to her concerns, just run expensive and invasive tests for diseases and conditions that most likely don't affect her.  This way she won't have time to tell you what is really going on like she would if she actually KNEW her care provider, and (as an extra bonus) it will fill her with anxiety about her pregnancy and birth.  Things could go wrong at ANY time.

3.  Tell her her body does not work-

It is important to do this subtly.  You don't want mom to get angry enough to run for the hills, just instill enough self doubt that she feels like she needs you.  Some good phrases: "You are measuring just a little bit large...." or "I'm concerned about your borderline test results with regard to X, I think we need to do another test...." are good examples.  (And of course, an oldie but a goodie, "You are gaining a little bit too much weight...")


4.  Do frequent vaginal exams during pregnancy-

This helps establish dominance because she is in a subservient position with you as the Alpha dog.  Also, it is uncomfortable and we all know that nobody questions anything when they have no pants on.  It is also a great time to employ #3 (ie-  "Ummm, your pelvis is quite small...")


5.  Remember, you can always find a reason to induce-

By the time the due date is fast approaching mom should be well aware of her complete inability to function without you and have a baby under her own power.  She is ripe for suggestion and now is the time to offer induction.  Also, she will be tired and uncomfortable (especially if she is focusing on #1) and she will feel like you are helping her out.  Remember, anything can be given as a reason to induce, from small baby to large baby and everything in between.

6.  Give her a due date-

So far you have been sure to treat the pregnancy and birth like a test that she is incapable of actually passing.  The due date is a perfect end to this.  It makes her more open to #5 (induction) and it reminds her that unless she does things perfectly (ie- has baby on the correct appointed day) she will not be receiving an A on her pregnancy/birth test.  How can a woman who does not have her baby when appropriate actually give birth properly?


7.  Remember, pitocin is your friend-

Now time for labor!  Now, even if mom is one of the rare ones who has her baby when she is supposed to, you can still use the pitocin to make it more painful.  And, if not, you can use it for the induction.  By now she will be practically begging you to help her get her baby out.  Pitocin serves lots of functions: 1) great for induction 2) great for making labor more painful 3) great for making her have the baby quickly and 4) great for making you feel needed.

By now mom knows that she can  not do this on her own without technology and she knows that labor is PAINFUL and HORRID.  Don't tell her that the pitocin makes it worse.  She will just be glad you are there to make it better for her.


8.  Drugs!-

She will be kneeling at the alter of modern technology and medication at this point and will be so grateful for the "experts" around her who are capable of making all the pain go away.  This is where you come in.  Only a licensed expert can dispense pain relief.  You might not be a knight on a white horse, but you have a white coat and a needle and that is good enough!


9.  You can always SECTION!-

And- if all of the above doesn't work to get that baby out- don't worry- you can save the day with the expensive, quick, and invasive c-section!!!!

There are lots of benefits to this.  1) You get to save her and the baby (shh, don't tell anybody you put them in danger in the first place with 1-8) and 2) Even though you cut her open and pulled her baby out, she will be grateful you were there to take care of things!  She truly could not have done it without you.  Thank goodness she was in a hospital!


10)  Remember- the baby is ALIVE!-

Now after all of this sometimes mom will grieve that un-medicated birth (usually because they have some horrible friends who like that awful Riki Lake movie).  Now is the best time to point out that she really has no right to grieve that kind of birth loss, after all, she has a healthy baby.  This is also a subtle reminder to her that she is selfish and a bad mother.

It sounds crazy boys, but follow the above 10 rules and we will keep those ladies coming back for more!

Nice To Meet You- I Need To See Your Vagina

Nice to meet you, eh?

Sounds crazy and rude as a blog title but this happens in hospitals across the country every single day.  

One very common fear I notice among birthing moms is the fear of who will actually attend their birth.  Generally today doctors and even midwives in the hospital work rotating shift work. That means even if you have met with the same person for your whole pregnancy, when you go in to have your baby, you get whoever happens to be there.

I could talk all day about the problems facing birthing women today, form avoiding vaginal exams to the evils of induction and fetal monitoring.  And you could know everything there is to know about all of these subjects and many more and it still would not change the fact that you may very well not even know the care provider who will be there at the birth of your baby.  (And yes, they will probably see your vagina and even put their hands in it.)

I don't know if we have any real idea about what this does to a laboring woman.  Dr Bradley extensively talked about birthing like animals.  What did they do?  They made their nest, they looked like they were asleep, and they HID.  They went to a private place.  They were alone.  If they were interrupted, labor would stop and they would move and try again later.

Is it any wonder that even without all the interventions so common today that woman have a hard time simply laboring normally while surrounded by strangers.  When I look at it this way I am surprised that any of us give birth normally and naturally. 

The fact that so many American woman approach one of life's most sacred acts surrounded by strangers and in a strange place is one of the unspoken cruelties of modern birth.  It probably causes far more complications and fetal distress than we can even imagine.

Change birth.  Change the place.  Choose the people.  

Daddy As Midwife- A Beautiful Homebirth-

I think because a pure unadulterated birth is so rare, I love them even more.  This is an amazing planned home birth where daddy gets to catch on accident.  Isn't it amazing what women can do when they are just allowed to birth on their own?  No technology, no experts, just a woman, her body, and her family.  


Enjoy!

And as is tradition in this family, she arrived with quite the fanfare.

I kept joking with my midwives that I wouldn’t even recognize labor until my water broke, since that’s how things started with Ryan. They thought I’d be OK. Heck, I was really only joking. I TEACH this stuff…c’mon. Contractions 5 minutes apart, lasting a minute or more, for more than an hour, hard enough that you have to breathe through them. Well, I had those contractions, but they didn’t really hurt, and I didn’t have to breathe through them unless I was sitting down. That probably should have been clue number one.

Let’s back up a bit though…

Saturday (3/20) I decided that I was pretty much done being pregnant, and I was just about ready to do ANYTHING to get this kid out. I mean anything. I bought castor oil. But I didn’t take it. I ended up just chilling on Saturday, going to the park, napping, going to a birthday party for Ryan’s friend, falling asleep early.

Sunday (3/21) Operation Get Baby Out in full effect. We had no plans, as we’d kind of expected to have a baby by this point. So, off I went to walk, without the Peanut. She walks too slow, and I wanted a bit of time to myself. I headed to Redmond Town Center…I had a 30% off coupon for the Gap, and they had the one and only pair of jeans RE likes on sale. Got those for her, walked a LOT more, did some stairs, then got bored. Felt some cramps while I was walking, but certainly nothing that would stop me.

So, I headed to Ben Franklin, and wandered around there for a while. Stopped at a drug store to buy an enema (told you, about ready to try anything), then headed to Trader Joes. Still crampy, but not bad at all. Grocery shopped, and got everything we’d need for the week. By this point, I was tired, so I headed home. Michael and RE were still out (they’d gone to run some errands too), so I decided to get Ryan’s spring clothes all washed and ready to go. Then I facebooked (what else would I do?). Michael and Ryan got home, and we made one heck of a dinner (steak with beet and kale risotto – amazing).


After dinner, I couldn’t sit still, and my back was really sore, but of course, I chalked it up to having been out all day. So, I folded the laundry, swept the floors, vacuumed, straightened the baby’s stuff, cleaned the kitchen, then went off to do that one other thing that gets labor going…you know the one. Well, that might just have been the kicker. Contractions were a pretty consistent 5 minutes apart after that, but they still didn’t really hurt (aside from that darn sore back). I sat on the ball while we watched TV and just kind of chilled out. Around 11, we thought maybe we should call the midwives just to give them a heads up that labor would probably be happening at some point that night. We called at about 1130 and my MW suggested I try to get some sleep. I was in bed by midnight.

At 1am, I woke up to a strong contraction (argh, that sounds like one of the things I read my labor classes…so rote). I laid there through it, because this had happened before and they’d faded away. But this one was long and strong. And the next one came pretty close…I think about 3 minutes apart. I tried getting on all fours, but it was horrible, and I was alone, in the dark, stuck in an awful position. I could barely move, but knew I had to get Michael. I hollered, but he sleeps like a brick and didn’t hear me. I had to find my way out to the living room…I did, but barely. I made it to the dining room table and bent over it. I told him he had to call the MWs…we made that call at 1:37am.

I made my way back to the bedroom, since leaning over was the only comfortable position I could stand, and I’d rather lean on the bed. Michael bustled around getting the bed made up with the table cloth under it. Meanwhile I’m contracting every minute or so, lasting longer than a minute (time was pretty irrelevant at this point).  My thoughts were a jumble of “ohgodthishurtsican’tbelievei’minlaborhowmuchlongerwillthislastthishurtssobadholyshit”. I really had no idea how long this would all last.

At some point, I realized I was pushing a bit…crap. The midwives weren’t there yet. I yelled to Michael (no idea where he was, probably right by my side, but I really couldn’t see anything) that I was pushing. He threw the second plastic cloth under where I was standing, which was a smart idea, as the next little push broke my water. Honestly, one of the thoughts I had at this point was something to the effect of “oh my god, I’m doing this, we’re doing this, all by ourselves, and it’s totally normal and this is birth and how it’s really meant to happen, and I’m pushing with the urge, and no one’s telling me what to do or how to do it and this is birth”.

The next push, which felt like only seconds later, really broke my water. And I mean full on huge gush of water…followed almost immediately by a little head. A head? What?! Where were the MWs?? Yeah, not there yet. Michael supported the head, and I yelled, “oh my god, is that a head? I think that’s a head!” Michael replied that yep, it’s a head, and was I ready to push out the rest of our baby? Nope, let me breathe for a second. I felt the next contraction, and with it, an amazing urge to push. I

guess Michael helped guide the baby’s shoulders out, one at a time, turning her a bit and helping her join this world. She squeaked, then cried, then really let it wail. I kept telling her to cry for mama. He handed her to me, but the cord was a little short, so we were in kind of a strange position. He had to help me up to the bed, as I started shaking from adrenaline almost immediately.

Not sure how we got up there, but we did, and I flopped over, ecstatic, amazed, awed, and completely blown away. We didn’t even really bother to check the sex, we were so overwhelmed with what we’d just done, together, alone. We were still alone. We checked – a girl! I’d known from the get-go…the moment the stick turned pink we were having another girl, but of course, I wasn’t positive until she was in my arms.

Finleigh Esther was born at 2:04am on March 22, 2010. At home. Caught by her daddy. While RE slept (yes, slept through mommy yelling and screaming and moaning). And the midwives and friends drove.
Patty arrived first…Michael greeted her at the door, and told her that the baby was here. She was disbelieving. And then, apparently, a little panicked. But upon arriving in the room, realized all was OK. It was great to have her here…she got me a pillow, found some blankets for me, and just kind of held my head until the midwives arrived.

Lindsay got here the same time as the midwives…she was also in shock that the baby was already here. Well, so were the midwives, really! Lindsay started taking pictures almost immediately, since that was her job. I’m bummed there were no pics of the birth itself, but it was such an awesome experience I wouldn’t trade it.

The midwives were a little concerned, of course, wanting to make sure the placenta came out…it was now about 20 minutes after birth and the placenta really showed no signs of wanting to separate. We gave it a few more minutes…then they had to do some manipulating to get it out, but it came out, cleanly, and without any excess bleeding, so we were all set. They checked me out, and were I think a little surprised to find that all was totally fine.

By this time, Finleigh was nursing, so we let her nurse, and chatted about what had happened, and laughed and talked until she was done and ready to be examined. We woke up Ryan at some point in here. She was super excited to meet her sister, and since she missed the whole placenta/umbilical cord thing, she was really into watching her get weighed and measured. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 8 ounces, and 20 inches long. A full pound and an inch and a half bigger than Ryan was. They hung around for a little while longer, and around 4am, everyone left. Patty helped get Ryan back to sleep, and Finleigh and I settled in for the rest of the morning to sleep.

Around 730, we woke up to Ryan wanting to make sure her little sister was really here. I’m sure she thought it might have been a dream. I know I was wondering the same thing myself…
At this point, I know it’s cliche, but I can’t imagine our household without Finleigh. She’s a part of us, and an amazing part. She’s certainly brought Michael and I closer together…who knew when I started dating him in high school that someday he’d be catching my babies!?
Welcome to the world Finleigh Esther. We love you.

---

Get Your Hands Off That Knife and Step Away From My Abdomen

 I just heard today about another birth where a first time mom was cut open because she did not have her baby fast enough.

What is sad about this oft repeated story?  First, these c-sections are not really needed so often.  Second, we seem to forget that we are talking about women and infants.  We are literally damaging them, body and soul for no good reason.

Now PROOF that PATIENCE is an important part of labor and an often forgotten aspect of medical training.  


This recent study is a great example.  You can read an article about the study here

Some of my favorite quotes from the above mentioned article:

"...almost half of the cesareans that took place after labor had started were due to "failure to progress," and the study suggests that doctors aren't acknowledging that labor takes time and doesn't follow a predictable pattern in women, especially first-time mothers. A high proportion of these C-sections were performed before the women's cervix had dilated to six centimeters, which is still considered an early stage of labor, and among women who had been in active labor for only two or three hours."

 Yes- labor takes time.  And no, all women do not do it in the same way.


"...found C-section rates were twice as high after induction of labor compared with women undergoing spontaneous labor. Labor is often induced to speed up labor and delivery."

And yes, induction does increase c-sections.  But you have probably heard me talk about that before.   

When will this change?  What can we do to change it?  Maybe the first step is to

1)Simply enjoy your pregnancy.  If we like it (and yes I know it is uncomfortable)  and enjoy some of the special moments of pregnancy rather than just focusing on the negative, maybe we won't be so quick to jump at an induction. 

2)We can carefully choose our care providers. 

3)We can exercise and eat well to stay low risk and keep our blood pressure normal and all other signs good. 

4)And one important thing we can do, is to just not go to the hospital so early.  If we go and we are still in early labor, just go home.  Enjoy the beauty of labor on your own turf.  There is no pitocin at home. 

Birth DOES NOT have to look like this:

It can look like this:

Stupid Epidurals

I could go on and on about epidurals and why I think they are silly and dangerous.  But I think this intervention really just speaks best for itself.  Once again, I could not make this stuff up. 

Here is a quote from Wikipedia about the most common drugs used in epidurals-
"For a prolonged effect, a continuous infusion of drugs may be employed. A common solution for epidural infusion in childbirth or for post-operative analgesia is 0.2% ropivacaine or 0.125% bupivacaine, with 2 μg/mL of fentanyl added. This solution is infused at a rate between 4 and 14 mL/hour, following a loading dose to initiate the nerve block."

And the package insert for bupivacaine:

"Local anesthetics rapidly cross the placenta, and when used for epidural, caudal, or pudendal block anesthesia, can cause varying degrees of maternal, fetal, and neonatal toxicity." 

YES folks- it crosses the placenta and don't ever let anybody tell you it doesn't.

"Maternal hypotension has resulted from regional anesthesia. Local anesthetics produce vasodilation by blocking sympathetic nerves. Elevating the patient’s legs and positioning her on her left side will help prevent decreases in blood pressure. The fetal heart rate also should be monitored continuously and electronic fetal monitoring is highly advisable."

YES it can cause hypotension and YES you NEED to be continuously monitored because---IT IS DANGEROUS.

"Epidural, caudal, or pudendal anesthesia may alter the forces of parturition through changes in uterine contractility or maternal expulsive efforts. Epidural anesthesia has been reported to prolong the second stage of labor by removing the parturient’s reflex urge to bear down or by interfering with motor function. The use of obstetrical anesthesia may increase the need for forceps assistance."

YES- it is harder to push out your own baby when you can't feel a dang thing.


"Bupivacaine has been reported to be excreted in human milk suggesting that the nursing infant could be theoretically exposed to a dose of the drug. Because of the potential for serious adverse reactions in nursing infants from Bupivacaine, a decision should be made whether to discontinue nursing or not administer Bupivacaine, taking into account the importance of the drug to the mother."

Yes it comes out in your milk!

"Until further experience is gained in pediatric patients younger than 12 years, administration of Bupivacaine Hydrochloride in this age group is not recommended."

NO it is not recommended for children under the age of 12- what does this mean for babies?  Hmmm.....


Know the actual risks and benefits of your birth choices BEFORE you choose them.