You Masochistic Freak.....

Through the years I've had a ton of comments thrown at me....(even from my own dr) of what a freak I am for doing natural childbirth. I thought I would clarify a few things to ppl about the whole matter.

(These are the views and experiences of my own....more power to those who have better....I'm not judging...just sharing)

1. I'm not a granola mom...I did cloth dipes b/c I thought they were cute and save $ (in the end it cost more I think b/c I spent more time and energy on washing ...and w/a house of 6 I threw in the cloth).....

2. I don't handle pain well....I'm a baby

3. Pain Medication is not my friend....I worry the day I'll be put under since I have horrible vertigo issues! Pain med's make me really sick

4. Horrible hospital experiences

5. Horrible Epidural experience

.....

Ok on to story.

With my 1st child I thought I would do the whole 'natural' birth. I read books...that was pretty much it. Not really enough to prepare you. Well my birth with oldest child didn't go as planned and so I changed my plan...just like any mom should...Plan B so to speak

My water broke at 36 weeks at 11:50pm...no warning...no contractions nothing....

SO off to the hospital we went. They don't turn you away when the water has broken....4 hours later...still no contractions...5 hrs later still none so they started the "DEMON DRUG" of pitocin! I say this b/c after experiencing real contractions these pitocin ones suck....

I wasn't really progressing very well....and 8 hrs later I was hurting bad and trapped in a bed (which is how I felt about each baby at a hospital birth) and wanted something...so they gave me another demon drug called stadol. Ok I don't know what trippy planet my nurse was from but I was in hell and couldn't communicate it...I was scared b/c she said I would get rest...well that wasn't what I experienced.

So after that wore off I asked for the wonderful anesthesiologist to come and comfort me (hee hee) in he walks...and reminds me what he will do.

Well I remember from the 1 birth class I had that it seemed pretty simple. Well that isn't my case. I guess my vertebras (or whatever) are too close together and he had a hard time getting the needle in. It took forever. They had to have someone push from the front of me while he pushed in the back. Everyone kept mentioning how his muscles were showing from pushing so hard. OK FREAK ME OUT EVEN MORE. All I could picture was him shoving the long needle through my body. After he finally got it in I could still feel my left side...he told me that was normal...

oh to the labor...by 7pm I still hadn't progressed and they told me I would have a c-section...OK wait? I haven't even been in labor that long...and now you tell me this...the baby is fine..i'm fine...what's going on...

but by 7:15 my body GOT READY and I was a 10.

(ha ha to you dr)

Time to push! Ok what's that mean? I can't feel anything...and now I'm supposed to push with what? after 10 mins of pushing the dr said either I push him out...or we do a c-section or he uses the suction...well he used the suction and out my baby come in under a total of 30 mins or less. I've heard stories of women pushing for hours though and I didn't really feel like I was given the chance to do it on my own...the suction will never ever happen again as long as I live!

Days after birth I had sharp shooting pain on my left side from waist down to leg. AND it was numb for 6 months. It sucked....so I made the choice at all costs to do the next natural for fear of same issues!

My dr was totally not supportive of natural birth. Told me they (i guess meaning dr's and staff) didn't a woman moaning all over the place and her butt in the bed. well la dee da. Did I mention she said I was stupid?

SO off I did baby #2 natural...got the hospital at 4pm after laboring as long as I could at home...and had him at 7pmish

Baby #3...same thing...labored as long as I could at home and went in at 9:30pm...had her at 1am...ohhhh did I mention they never called the dr b/c they didn't believe I was in labor? Yep the nurse caught the baby. They told me not to push b/c the dr wasn't there! haha no can do!

SOOOOO

with that being told. I hated hospitals...and dr's who only come to catch the baby and leave. I wanted something more ME AND BABY CENTERED and a comfortable environment. Some one that supported my decision!

Enter Midwives and birthing centers.

I can't tell you enough the joy and love I have for those women. My birth with Lily was like any other. How many times did they tell me ....they were there for me...and meant it. When I gave birth they were there the entire time...and my midwife assistant.

Left my side when I needed them too and ran when I called...encouraged me every step of the way. When I gave birth they didn't run off, but were by my side for that first 2 hrs. I can't even begin to tell you the love I felt.

I knew I'd made the right choice!

Is natural labor easy? HECK no! Some I guess it is.....Labor is labor...and it's even stated in the Bible saying it wouldn't be easy...

I like how this was worded...

Because of the serpent's deception, he was cursed. The ground was also cursed. But man and woman were never cursed! Because of their disobedience, God changed the circumstances they would have to live under. He made everything more difficult. Instead of simply picking fruit off of trees that were flourishing, Adam would have to do hard work to get his food. Instead of childbirth being easy and effortless, there would be some hard work involved there as well. The reason for this, however, was not because man and woman were cursed, but because they would buy into the deception and lies that would keep them from exercising their God's ordained authority to have dominion over the earth.

Genesis 3:16 says, "I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain will you give birth to children.

So I knew going into this it wouldn't be easy. Is it manageable? I guess so since the big baby I am has done it 3 times already. Do I look forward to it? UMMM heck no! But after much research I realized what is truly healthier for me and my baby! My experiences are quite different. (did i mention the heal time after using a midwife was incredible since there was nooooooo episiotomy)

I mean heck fire I'm already stressing now and the day isn't here. But once I'm through it and I'm holding that gorgeous baby in my arms with all the joy and peace in the world...did it really matter how he or she got here?

So call me crazy...wacko....insane...stupid...or a masochist....but until you tried it...DON'T KNOCK IT.

Now with that being said....yes I do believe a woman needs to plan out her birth and have back ups for all walks of labor. Am I against the epidural? No....but they scare me to death when it comes to my back! We just wait and see what each labor holds!

Prayers for a fast and speedy labor over here though! :o)