SuperDaddy and I found out we were pregnant just a few days before the 4th of July last summer. We were overjoyed knowing we were now parents and soon would have a baby. I started doing research on labor and delivery and decided I wanted to have our baby in a nice, calm, quiet, and peaceful environment, maybe even with some hymns playing in the background. Yes, I knew labor was a painful experience, but I also new it was a miraculous event from the Lord. I wanted to enjoy the experience and when I wanted to be able to look back at the moment with a smile on my face. For some of our friends, this did not happen. It brings anything but a smile to their face when they think of their child's birth experience.
I looked into
water births and just loved the idea. The further I looked into it, the only way to do a waterbirth was to have a homebirth or travel two hours while in labor. to get to the nearest birthing center that does water births. Well, at the time, SuperDaddy and I were not comfortable with either option, being it was our first baby. We decided to have this baby the "traditional" way with the local hospital. We chose a hospital midwife. I wanted a female doctor because I wasn't comfortable with a male. The only option was the midwife-which I was certainly okay with.
On our first visit, the midwife guaranteed me that she would be there for my labor and delivery. I told here I didn't want it any other way. Around the beginning of the third trimester, we took our birth plan to the hospital. She proceeded to read through the birth plan and said "these are by no means set in stone, depending how things go, we can change this." I didn't want it to change. I wanted a natural birth with no unnecessary interventions. I thought having a midwife, I would get this. But it wasn't looking like that. SuperDaddy and I said to each other that we will try our best to keep each other accountable to the birthplan.
Then came Lamaze class, they showed us all the "routine" interventions involved with having a hospital birth. It made me uneasy and I started looking more into these
interventions...
Here are some facts from naturalbirthandbabycare.com
- IV Lines--Most hospitals routinely use IV line birth interventions. Usually they do this because they forbid food (and sometimes drink) during labor. This has negative consequences above and beyond the IV.It makes no sense to require you to do extensive and exhausting work with no food or drink!
- Routine Continuous Electronic Fetal Monitoring--In hospitals it is almost universal to strap belts and sensors around your abdomen, leave you in bed, and watch the monitor to see your contractions. Because of the high false positive rates continuous fetal monitoring puts you at greater risk for cesarean section.
- Inability to change positions--There is also a possibility of your labor being slowed or ineffective because you're unable to move. You may feel more pain because you are unable to work with your body.The inability to change position may cause your baby to get less oxygen than he or she should.
- Then if labor hasn't started or isn't progressing fast enough, there is Induction...Inducing labor can cause a "cascade of birth interventions" - meaning that induction can lead to an intervention, which leads to another, etc. etc.
- Rupturing the Membranes--This procedure is most often done because of the belief that it will speed up labor - and it occasionally does. It may also be done in order for an internal monitor to be screwed into your baby's scalp.
- Internal Exams--You will know when you are close to being fully dilated, and a skilled care provider will also be able to tell. There is no reason to have countless exams or to endure the pain or the anxiety that may come from being told "you're not making progress."
- Directed Pushing--Though it is not technically an "intervention" in that something is done to you, I list directed pushing here because it is an unnecessary intrusion in the birth process. Being forced to push in a certain way and certain positions can results in loss of control, extra pain, and can contribute to tearing.
- Active 3rd Stage Management--Birth of the placenta. Some caregivers try to "actively" manage this stage of birth by pulling on the cord and pushing on the woman's abdomen. Jerking the cord around can cause tears and hemorrhaging - the very thing that the doctor or midwife is trying to prevent.
- C-Section (Cesarean Birth)--major abdominal surgery to birth the baby. With a cesarean rate approaching 30% in the USA, it's troubling to think that so many women are going through surgery that may be unnecessary and emotionally damaging.
I cannot put it any better in my own words...
"All interventions can and usually will change the course of your labor. One intervention tends to lead to another, and another, and another, until your birth morphs into something completely different than what you were hoping for. Birth is always unexpected. There are times when interventions are needed - but oftentimes (especially in hospitals) they just create problems."
Needless to say, after Lamaze class, I was 34 weeks pregnant and very overwhelmed. How was I going to have a nice, calm, quiet, and peaceful experience, if this was my fate? The hospital wasn't even going to honor my birthplan. I became depressed, did not have any desire to walk into the newly finished nursery awaiting the baby's arrival, and I dreaded the birth that was soon appraoching. At 36 weeks pregnant SuperDaddy and I decided it was time to do something about our situation. Why should we allow the hospital to rip away our dreams of a nice, calm, quiet, and peaceful birthing experience? We decided to switch our plans from going to a hospital to having a midwife deliver our baby at home. However, time was ticking away...because we were so far along and almost to our due date, we could not find a local traditional midwife available for our birth to stay local. We looked further into our options and found
Birthwise Health and Birth Center...
After finding Birthwise, SuperDaddy and I knew this is what we wanted to do. We prayed for an option, looked at three birth centers, and God took us to Birthwise.Everything we had been dreaming for was here at birthwise. We toured the center at 36 weeks pregnant, we met with the midwife Jill (who is one of the sweetest ladies I've met), and we also found out the our health insurance would cover the birthing center! The environment was everything we hoped for. Nice calm, relaxing rooms with a private bathroom, and a waterbirthing tub! Yes, I waterbirthing tub! So the only downside to birthwise was the 2 hr drive to appleton, yikes! Could we do it? Well, we were praying about it and God kept all the doors open and we knew this is what we wanted. So we switched our care to Jill from our local hospital and starting seeing her once a week. (a whole 2 more times before giving birth to peanut) It was awesome to get to know Jill because even though I only saw her three times before giving birth, I saw her more than all my ob apts combined. Jill sees all her patients for 1 hr each week. She answers all your questions, examines you and the baby, and we got to listen to the heartbeat each time. Needless to say, I was no longer depressed and dreading little peanut's arrival. I was so excited that Jill was going to honor our birthplan. I mean for the most part she had no choice, for a lot of the stuff wasn't even available. Which was re-assuring to me. I was so excited that I was going to have a waterbirth!
So three weeks later (Feb 22, 2010) after switching to birthwise it was late monday night (11:30)when it all started. SuperDaddy and I were getting ready for bed, but then I decided I was hungry. I went into the kitchen to get a snack, but then I yelled, "Honey, I think I just wet myself." It was just a little trinkle. So we began to get excited. Maybe it was nothing, maybe it was something. It happened again and 30 mins later (midnight), the contractions began. So to make sure the contractions were real ones and not the "fake" ones, we laid in bed counting them and watching the clock for 2 hours. Yes, 2 hours, I laid in bed, hoping and praying this was really it! So once SuperDaddy and I finally decided it was the real thing, I decided I needed a shower before we needed to leave (remember a two hour drive is a head of us) So I get in the shower and SuperDaddy helps me shave my legs.
Who can give birth with un-shaven legs :) SuperDaddy calls Jill and explains what has been going on. She says that we are definitely in labor but we can take our time because first babies take awhile anyway. So I'm all done with my shower, my contractions are getting stronger, and SuperDaddy decides to "tidy up" before we leave. After about 30 mins of this, I said, "It's time to go, NOW! When we left the apartment, my contractions were 7 minutes apart. When we reached stevens point, they were 5 minutes apart. The drive was intense! When I would have a bad contraction, I car would go faster. (I think we were going a little faster than the speed limit) We made record time when we arrived at the birthing center. Its now 4:45 in the morning and SuperDaddy's parents were on their way to meet us. Once we got into the center, the midwife was there to greet us. I'm doubled over with contractions one minute apart. She gets me back to a room and checks to see where I was at. I was 100% effaced and 7 cm dilated already. She then let me get into the birthing tub and Wow!!! did that relive some of the pain, it was incredible-I did not want to get out of the tub. The contractions were very intense, SuperDaddy came into the tub with me to support me and help me concentrate on my breathing-it was painful! Coupling contractions Begin at about 5:15, which is 2-3 contractions in a row before I would get a break. I was happening very quickly! Jill would check on the baby between contractions usually-it was difficult when there was so many in a row. It was about 6:30 and she said If she can't get a good listen to the baby I would have to get out of the tub, I was not getting out! She finally found the baby and everything was good! She checked me one last time to see if I could start pushing-9.5 cm. Within the next 10 mins I started pushing...and at 7:10 she was born!! Yes, in the water, the Lord allowed us to have a waterbirth! It was the most amazing thing ever! I love to look back and think about our birthing experience-it was truly special. We thank God for allowing us to change care so late in our pregnancy and we are so very thankful for Jill letting us switch to her care with such small notice. It was a blessing to have Little Peanut at birthwise...I would recommend it to anyone capable of having a natural birth.
Little Peanut just a few minutes old
We just pulled her out of the water and here we are gazing at the beauty
7 lbs 12 oz
20 inches long
In awe of this wonderful gift from the Lord
Proud Daddy holding his little girl
Grandma and Grandpa were able to come see her before she was even an hour old!
After we settled down a bit, I was fixed up a little (stitches and a catheter to drain 3 cups of urine!) We ate breakfast, took a nap, then headed to the hotel for the night before returning home. And a few friends traveled to come see this new joy in our life.
We're all excited that Little Peanut was born safely and in such a wonderful relaxing environment. Forgot to mention that we even had hymns playing in the background during the entire labor and delivery. It was an unforgettable experience. If you want a truly all natural birth-this is the right choice for you! You will not regret your decision. Sad to say that baby number 2 will not be born at birthwise. Little Peanut's labor was only 7 hours and 30 mins of pushing. Jill and SuperDaddy do not think it is wise to drive a 2nd time to birthwise-there are chances we would not make it. So for baby number two we plan on having a home birth with a portable water birth with a local midwife. We look forward to another water birth. God is good and we thank Him for this wonderful gift. (both the baby and the wonderful experience)
Psalm 127:3 Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Disclaimer...And I understand some cannot have all natural births and when it is necessary the hospital is a great place to have a baby especially when medical care is needed.
