My homebirth has been featured at Well Rounded Mama. - the creator of that blog has had a website Plus sized and Pregnant that has been a resource for me for many years - I think since Ella's birth?
Although I did not have the courage until this birth to really fight for what I wanted. I partly have to thank Ricki Lake for that :)
I am so pleased that she has put up my birth - I hope it gives other plus sized moms the courage to fight for the birth experience they want.
And while I am on the subject I wanted to write a post that included all my birth resources so anyone doing their own research could have access to what I think are the best links around.
I found it very interesting that the top three sites that I frequent all turned out to be LDS women. This was purely coincidence. I was reading them all for a while before I even realized they were all LDS. I find this interesting because despite 'us' LDS ladies being pretty competent procreators we are not a natural birthing clan. More often than not I hear about I just want a c-section and meet me in the parking lot with my epidural and when can I get induced stories. I try not to judge harshly because I fell firmly in that camp myself at one point. In fact I would have been ruffled by one of my favorite blogger's heading http://banned-from-baby-showers.blogspot.com/:
but now that I have done so much reading and research I would have to agree with her. I especially love her post: Religious Faith and Choosing Natural Birth - I will post two paragraphs for folks that aren't into links :
To believe that medicine can improve upon the natural process, I believe, is to laugh in the face of our Creator, who designed this process so perfectly. Unless there is medical indication for induction or medication (and these do occasionally occur), we, as Latter-day Saint women, should learn from our other Christian counterparts, about trusting in and having faith in Christ and faith in our bodies.
I have seen the strongest women in the Church and in their faith in Christ, and that is why this baffles me to no end, about the nonchalant attitude about being induced and having epidurals. Sisters! Think about our pioneer heritage! Heavenly Father wants you to have this wonderful experience. It is a gift. You can do it! Don't be afraid.
I have seen the strongest women in the Church and in their faith in Christ, and that is why this baffles me to no end, about the nonchalant attitude about being induced and having epidurals. Sisters! Think about our pioneer heritage! Heavenly Father wants you to have this wonderful experience. It is a gift. You can do it! Don't be afraid.
I wish someone had said these things to me 10 years ago!
I love Mrs. Rixa Freeze who blogs at Stand and Deliver, she is a very intellectual woman who's doctorate degree and intensely researched dissertation focused on Unassisted Childbirth. While I don't support unassisted childbirthing per se. Her blog is a cornacopia of natural birthing information. I like her post - What does giving birth feel like? I also love her post about breastfeeding in sacrament meeting - It was happening in 1871 - why not now? click on that link - there are pictures :)
I also love Birth Faith and I credit her with immense research that she does on her posts. Because of her Magnesium Manifesto I took regular Epsom Salt baths in my recent pregnancy and my blood pressure was never above normal. I tell every woman I meet who talks about high BP during pregnancy - TAKE EPSOM SALT BATHS!!! Epsom salt is Magnesium Sulfate, what they give you in the hospital via IV to lower your blood pressure - Epsom salt does the same thing when gently soaked into your skin while enjoying a nice bath. Birth Faith is now writing here: http://birthfaith.org/
Think you can't birth naturally? - have an underlying condition but still want to? want a VBAC? Trust me - research these blogs, email them with your concerns! These sisters have such a wealth of knowledge I know they could help find answers.
Plus size and scared to enter the crunchy, sometimes judgemental world of natural childbirth - ask me any question, really any question and I'll tell you my story again and again...
Top sites:
and of course there is CJane's birth story, which could make anyone like/want a natural birth
And my favorite natural birth story of all - the one birth that affects us all
6 comments:
I attempted a natural birth with Tyler. I took Bradley classes and was all ready for it. I admire anyone who goes through with it. But the fact of the matter is, that I am soooo grateful for epidurals. I had one with him after almost 14 hours in labor. I was exhausted. The epidural (even though it DID slow things down a bit) gave me the chance to rest a bit for what would end up with me pushing for over 1 1/2 hours (he was stuck on my hip, and thankfully I had a dr who wasn't a c-section freak), was eventually "helped" out with the use of tongs, and I had a LEVEL 4 EPISIOTOMY. I can't imagine the pain of that without the meds. I'm glad that you were able to have PJ naturally, especially with as big as he was!! :) And, I know that they say anyone can breastfeed...I also dipute that. :) My body doesn't make milk. I managed to BF Liza for 8 months. As soon as she started eating solid foods, I dried up. Without any engorging. Feeding took 45 minutes every 4 hours. Loved the time with her. But not very realistic. Lucky I had 2 kids who took good care of themselves while I fed her!! And I think my kids have all turned out pretty OK. And here's a bag of worms for ya...I don't immunize my kids. :) Love you!!
I think your situation falls under :
Unless there is medical indication for induction or medication (and these do occasionally occur)
but I think women should educate themselves about natural options and not just blindly follow doctors and others.
Women spend more time, money, and planning on their wedding than their birth options
I mean one in three women are having c sections these days. I am grateful for modern medicine but that is extreme - so I put out my opinion to bring to some people's attention that there are other ways besides - when is my induction? and how long are they going to "let you go"
I can't tell you how many times just since watching business of being born that I have tried to gently warn friends and others about their planned induction only to hear about their c-section later.
they feel it was warranted but they don't realize how it could have been different
I didn't write it to make anyone feel bad about their birth experience - sorry if it seems that way.
ps. love you
and I don't know if you clicked on the link to my story there but Benjamin was forceps and a severe episiotomy. it sucked. - and he stitched me up wrong. double yuck.
You do make it sound like natural is best or better and those who opt for epidurals and inductions aren't shewomanly enough and don't experience motherhood as God intended. It does strike me as funny or odd that the women who have natural births seem to have the most kids, but I'm sure there are other correlating factors.
And for the non-immunizers, that's silly. I suggest you step out of your box and see people who are suffering from easily preventable diseases and have no idea that they can be prevented. Maybe your child will get Hepatitis B and you can experience it first hand, it's not pretty.
Having done both a hospital birth with epidural and a natural birth, I do indeed believe the natural birth is far superior. That is why I encourage all women to at least investigate the opportunity to have a natural birth.
I don't believe doing otherwise makes a woman less of a mother but I do feel it lessens the experience of childbirth.
As for the comment on experiencing it first hand, surely you are not wishing a disease upon someone's children just because you disagree with them? That would be beyond terrible.
I do have my children vaccinated but if someone makes an informed decision to not do so, I do not hold it against them.
We didn't get the Hep B vaccine as children and we managed to survive.
Janie...SOOOOO not offended by your encouraging women to do research. I believe STRONGLY that as mothers we have the RIGHT to make decisions on behalf of our children and that we also have the RIGHT to ask our Heavenly Father for guidance in making those decisions. I also believe that we should be informed before we make those decisions. I have been chastised by many for choosing not to immunize my babies. I have, as they have gotten older and their bodies are stronger, chosen to selectively immunize. They all have had tetanus shots (DTaP), but not as babies. As teens they get a meningitus shot. (I think that is spelled wrong...) I had a brother who reacted badly to vaccines, and after much research and prayerful consideration, decided that my kids would be better off to have delayed or no immunizations. I don't push it on people, nor do I think that women who immunize are stupid. BTW, My mom had one scheduled c-section, after a previous near death (of my momm and brother) birth of my 11+lb brother. He had to be in ICU for underdeveloped lungs (it was 30+ years ago). Her dr. said that that was why he didn't believe in inducing or scheduling c-sections for non-medical reasons, BABIES USUALLY COME WHEN THEY ARE READY, no matter what the calendar says. Incidentally, I used that same dr. for both of my boys (he died before I had Liza), and I credit him with saving Parker's life. He was a wonderful man.
Incidentally:
"Transmission of hepatitis B virus results from exposure to infectious blood or body fluids containing blood. Possible forms of transmission include sexual contact, blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated needles & syringes, and vertical transmission from mother to child during childbirth."
Currently, my children are not at high risk of getting Hep B. If they choose to put themselves in this risky category one day, they may choose to get immunized. My daughter won't be immunized against getting sexually transmitted cancer, either. :)
We all h ave our own opinions, huh??? :)
Hep B was just an example of a disease that I have seen in person that could have easily been prevented. There was a pertussis outbreak just recently. TB spreads much more easily and I have also seen this and it's not pretty, you get the picture. There are possible side-effects with everything. My point was that you decide to avoid the side effects by not vaccinated and banking on everyone else getting vaccines so you really don't have a fear of getting the actual disease. I think this is selfish and no, I won't respect that. I think it is limiting to your kids. Can they even go to school without all their vaccines? If not, I am definitely not for home-schooling. Kids cannot go on foreign missions in our church. I think opportunities are denied and when I weigh out pros and cons there is no contest. Just because I completely disagree with your views doesn't mean we couldn't hang out and play Bunco. That's what you do, know who you are.
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