Testimonials..............
...........and this is how my relationship started with Jessica, who is now my nurse/assistant.
LaNette,
Thank you for your support, both physical an emotional, throughout my pregnancy, labor, and beyond. I thought with this being my second pregnancy and being a mom-baby nurse, I wouldn't have any questions or need any support from you during my pregnancy but I was wrong. Not only were there new things that arose that led to questions, the recurring problems that I had from my first pregnancy brought new emotions that I needed to vent about. I really appreciated that you always answered your phone when I needed you.
When I went overdue, I needed your encouragement more than ever and you reminded me of my birth plan that stated I would wait until my baby was ready to be born. When my labor did start, I asked you to come over when I started getting uncomfortable. When you got here and I was only 3, I felt a little bad for calling you so early. This may sound strange but the fact that you slept while I slept made me feel better because I knew you were comfortable and I could relax.
Having had a medicated birth with a vacuum-assisted delivery, many of the sensations and emotions were new to me. When I felt like I could give up, you helped me find the strength to go on. I feel so empowered from my birth experience that I will never have another medicated birth again. The "bad" part of my labor only lasted one or two hours but the high I had from my birth lasted a week at least! I feel like I've joined a special club for those who have had an empowering birth experience.
I am already planning my next birth as a home-birth after two hospital births and this time you will be my midwife! Good luck with the rest of your studies and let's keep in touch!
~~Jessica
...........and what happens if we need to transport?
she writes "now I believe I can do anything!"
June 2010
When I had my first child, I was uninformed about all the options out there for birthing a baby. I had the Doctor's options of drugs, no drugs, just small drugs or C-Section. All in front of bright lights, gowns that don't close all the way and a room that was not my decor taste. I had my mother's take on how she was raised, such as: breast feeding wasn't natural to everyone and birth is done in a hospital. I had my friend's horror stories of labor, episiotomies, mastitis, drugs that wore off and so on.
I had my daughter a week late and via C-Section due to her being suddenly breech. I had my doctor on vacation. I had strangers saying they wouldn't turn her, but would rather cut me open for "our" safety. I had a Spinal that worked too well and other drugs to deal with that, which all made me groggy and tired. I had nurses taking my baby away without us holding her or telling us why she needed to go to the ICU except that she was a healthy baby. I had a daughter I couldn't hold for a day because of all of that. I had good nurses tending to me for days because recovery from the surgery was long and painful. I had a husband who was worried and tired and frustrated by terms and a system he was not sure of.
In the end, and despite the less than lackluster experience at the hospital, I had a beautiful and healthy baby girl. So when we decided to have another child, I mulled over the same options. This time I had "The Business Of Being Born". I wonderful documentary that had opened my eyes to stories of many women in many different and similar circumstances as mine who were also searching for something more. Something more fulfilling and meaningful and enjoyable in a birth. Thanks goodness to my sister-in-law who offered this video for me to see. She brought it to my attention that since I had been trying to live a more natural and organic lifestyle, that I should look into a natural birth plan also. What a concept, right? Right!
It was so plain and obvious! Why hadn't I thought of that? Why hadn't I thought to go further with my childbearing as to look at how nature did it first and go from there? Brilliant! And so that led me to look into the books that went along with the video called "Your Best Birth" and "Born In The USA". All of which had such insight into the good and bad sides to labor and delivery in the modern age of medicine in America.
Now I was empowered! I knew now I could do anything I wanted if I just knew about it and had a choice. So I chose to do a home birth. In a tub of water. With a Midwife and Doula. It was so invigorating to know that I would be surrounded by like minded people, professionals in their craft and at a good cost to my family PLUS do it in a natural way.
After meeting a few different options of Midwives and Doulas, we knew right away that the first two were a match for us. Their outlook on child bearing and other tasks were very similar and their demeanor was soothing to me. That's all I wanted. I had my birth plan, my people, my house cleaned and prepped and I was ready to go. Now for my son to some into the world!
Ouch! He was on time as far as breaking my water, but he did not come quietly nor quickly into that good night. He hung on while my body went back and forth in the tub, up the stairs and down, lying down and sitting up, all night and into the next. I had heard of vomiting being a fairly common thing in laboring women, but I did not think I would be one of them. With that happening on and off all day, my lack of being able to urinate, my lack of sleep for two days and my cervix not getting out of the way, I gave in. It had been 28 hours of laboring in my home when I hit the wall.
We discussed it and my husband and I agreed that I should talk about a transfer to the hospital. My midwife, doula and her assistant were totally supportive of my choice and had done everything they could think of to get my body to relax and let go and do it in my home for me. But in the end, I needed a little intervention. The guilt was there. Oh yes, I felt weak and sad that I had let my child down and my support team for giving in. We were both healthy, but something more had to be done for baby and me.
We arrived at the hospital, my midwife LaNette having called ahead of time to let them know the details and that I was coming. We were wary of what to expect from this hospital (the same I had been to before, but was a mere 5 minutes from my home.) Pleasantly surprised, the labor and delivery staff treated my support team and I with respect and did all that we asked. After an IV for my dehydration and some local to cool down the contractions so I could rest, I did get to sleep. Or as the doula put it "past out" in between contractions. Even the Pitocin was slow to work and, once again, I could not urinate. After they drained me, it was like the urge to push kicked into hyper drive. Game On! Within 13 minutes he was out.
Despite all the aches and pains and sweat and tears AND the "Ring Of Fire", my son was born and I was elated! There he was. In my arms right away. My Husband got to catch him and cut the cord. Something we could not do with a C-Section. We both just stared in relief as he lay squirming on my chest and we knew, despite what we most wanted to do, we needed to come there to make it happen. From there on was sunshine and snuggling and the smell of a newborn and sweet success.
I still have pangs of regret about not being able to do it all at my home. But regret is useless. You can't go back. You can only move forward. And it was a learning experience for everyone that helped me through it too. He is growing so quickly now and latched on right away. Some days I wonder if he will ever stop latching he is so big! And that is why I am happy to say I tried to do it at home. For him. For me. To know he didn't have all ranges of drugs pumped into him. That loving and caring people were all around to greet him when he was new to the outside world. That I was strong enough to do it my way, the natural way. That now I believe I can do anything!
~~Melinda