Want Natural Birth, Need Support Pleeeease!

[Guppy051708]

Maternity "care" in the US is in MAJOR danger!
Yall should watch "The Business of Being Born" (its on NetFlix) and "Born in America" (which is also on Netflix). You may be able to find it on youtube also.

We have no reverence in the birth process...women are petrified of birth. And its all because of the lack of reverence and respect. Women are amzing, as is the baby and birth. I hope tht the US adopts the midwifery model....i cn dream....the medical model is terrible...

 

[LockandKey]

Actually I have watched both of those vids, the statistics in US Birth are really embarrassing if I do say so myself. It was those videos which really pushed me to go for an all natural birth.

I really did want a MW, but my hospital failed to put me into the MW program that I had wanted, but apparently, the nurses here are trained to be no different than all the midwives running around.

I think education is to blame as well though. If the mother to be doesn't know her options, she is less likely know about and choose an all natural birth, that and fear of pain

 

[Guppy051708]

I couldn't agree more about the education!!!! (guess i have to say that since im a childbirth educator ) but it boggles my mind that woman refuse to learn about everything. It takes 9 months (well nearly 10 months) for a baby to bake, there is a reason for that!

We research the computer we buy, the cell phone we talk on, the car we will drive, but when it comes to our birth most women could care less....this just baffles me...and its sad!

 

[LockandKey]

right on

at one point I thought about changing my career to a doula or MW because the statistics in american births were so poor, and the way they treat so many women at their appointments isn't something to brag about either. If I could make a difference in at least some women's lives, I'd be happy

 

[Guppy051708]

Its really easy to become either! especially a doula! You dont even need training (though i highly recommend it! I went through DONA International). Anyways, it is a very easy change to make! Most people can't make their entire living off of it, but just depends on your area!
If you dont have a nursing degree, you can go the CPM route to become a MW (Certified Professional Midwife). Its the direct route. Obviously, this takes much longer than being a doula, but i love being a doula! it was an switch!

 

[LockandKey]

I have some college education, it was geared more towards massage therapy, but I'm sure all the extra years will be worth it

Thanks so much for giving me someone to converse with, I feel so much at ease now, and empowered

 

[Guppy051708]

No thank you
And you should feel empowered..After you give birth that empowerment will increase 10 fold...at least

 

[chuck]

I went through this pregnancy saying baby was due in may rather than giving a date. The little bugger arrived on his EDD!! <facepalm>

 

[LockandKey]

haha, good deal

 

[chuck]

I blame having a screaming row with my Mum the morning I went into labour..I mean full on screaming and slamming doors kind of row you can only have with your Mum then we went for a long walk.

Catharsis got the hormones going then the walk kick started things.

 

[LockandKey]

really? And here I thought stress only hindered labor, lol.

I went for a 4 mile walk earlier, and have been contracting irregularly since, still no pattern really, but I've started timing them anyway

 

[LockandKey]

and now I'm having lower back pains too. I hope this isn't the ultimate tease

 

[chuck]

Stress is bad but I think letting go and getting rid of a lot of pent up feelings was good I felt so much better afterwards - despite the cramps!

 

[Mervs Mum]

Did you know that a recent study in the UK showed the average woman pitching up at the hospital in spontaneous labour has about a 15% chance of ending up with a CS. The same woman being induced for being 'post dates' increases her risk of CS to around 40%! Now imagine what that equates to in the US....and throw induction at anything as early as 37 weeks into the mix....is it any wonder the US CS rates and birth mortality rates are outrageously (and dangerously) high....

 

[aliss]

Please please please... read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, written from a natural midwife perspective, and I think her 'practice' ("the Farm") is in Tennessee so it does discuss from a US perspective too. I think it will give you some good inspiration vs. the clinical OBGYN perspective that most US/Canadian women seem to get. You are not overdue and you are 100% normal to be only (only!) 40+a few

 

[LockandKey]

haha, thanks, and I agree, the US labor and delivery system is pretty bad.

I have absolutely no worries now as I am pretty sure I'm in early labor

 

[Guppy051708]

ekk! you can do it hun!!!!
here is how to tell if its labor (my labor contractions were never text book style, they started off 4-5 min apart and would fluctuate between 1 minute to 4 minutes apart the entire 30 hours...except when i was pushing they were only coming like every 5-6 minutes because i was too tired....took me 6 hours but that just means if i can do it anyone can do it! lol

okay, so drink, eat, walk, shower, sleep. If you are still having contractions after all of that, then its labor!

 

[Mervs Mum]

Keep us updated!! Rest, rest, rest!! X

 

[LockandKey]

had my baby 4 days ago, I was definitely in labor, however, I didn't get the end result I was hoping for, actually I got everything I was hoping to avoid except for a C section

I honestly really tried for as long as I could, but my body just didnt labor the way it should have

I posted my birth story in the third trimester section if you're interested

 

[Guppy051708]

Off to read.
congrats on your little one