Birth!

So I attended the birth of my niece on the 8th of October. She is beautiful! My sister and her husband are amazing! The birth reminded me over and over again of Laura Lund's article. Picking your provider is key to having the experience that you want/deserve. I have come to the conclusion that there are 2 attitudes you may want to stay away from in choosing a provider.

#1-"All that matters is that the baby is healthy." While the health of the baby is very important, most healthy babies are born that way because their parents made a healthy baby and the mom avoided using substances that could damage the health of the baby while she was pregnant. A healthy baby is OF COURSE the outcome that all women want but remember: YOUR HEALTH AND SATISFACTION WITH YOUR ROLE IN THE BIRTH MATTERS TOO!!!! Some providers may go against all of your wishes and tell you after all is said and done that at least the baby is healthy... as if they made him/her that way! Don't let anyone tell you that you don't matter! You do!!!!!

#2- You can't plan birth. Everyone knows that we can not calculate exactly how a birth can go but with the right provider you can plan to avoid certain interventions regardless of the twists and turns of the birthing process. This means if you do not want an episiotomy you don't have to get one! If you don't want continuous fetal monitoring but must have it, you can be hooked up to a telemetary unit and not be strapped to your bed! If you want to walk, use a birth ball, or have hydrotherapy (bath or shower) in the hospital, all of these things are possible even if you MUST be monitored continuously, provided you have talked to your caregiver ahead of time. A birth plan is not an outline of how you plan the birthing process to go. It is a guideline of what interventions you do and DO NOT want done to you during the process and a reminder of your ideal birth. I recommend that you research a lot and come up with a birth plan that outlines your desires and take it to your provider even on your first appointment. If the Dr. smirks at something, or tries to convince you that certain things are ridiculous and you've done the research... find another provider. Because in the end, what matters most is that you feel accomplished by your role in the birth of your creation.

I recently watched a video on U-tube, a clip from Monty Pythons the meaning of life. It is actually a funny little sketch about the birth of a child. There are two things that the "Dr." says to the patient that I find to be appalling, but have seen in the birth of my niece. "Don't worry dear, we'll soon have you cured!" Some providers approach labor as the onset of a disease and seem to completely believe that they are there to cure you, rescue you, save you from your own body. In another part the patient asks the Dr. "What do I do?" He replies, "Nothing dear you're not qualified!" When you are visiting with your Dr. and asking him questions about interventions and birth, ask yourself if you hear either of these things in his answers. My sister heard them, and disregarded them. In the end, her provider proved to have no intentions of following her birth plan. Instead he CURED her and SAVED her baby and left her feeling empty, and abused!