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Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
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In Their Own Words: Annika's Story
| Posted on April 15, 2016 at 4:10 AM |
comments (2)
|
April is Cesarean Awareness Month. As such, the blog topics this month will focus around cesarean birth journeys, and options that cesarean birth warriors have for subsequent pregnancies. If you would like to submit your story for our In Their Own Words series, please send your submission to krystyna{at}sweetpeabirths{dot}com.  Here is Annika's story of her primary cesarean, and her VBAC journey with her second child: When you are pregnant with
your first child you have all these wonderful naive concepts about birth…well,
at least I did. Not to say I had a traumatic birth with my first child, but I
would say it definitely was a sobering lesson for my husband and I. Our plan was to have Landan
in a birthing center with minimal intervention and in a birthing tub. The
entire idea of a water birth and a welcoming atmosphere to me was literally heaven
and I would dream about it almost daily. At our 39 week check up our midwife
seemed a bit puzzled when she was examining my belly and feeling around for
Landan's position and promptly concluded after a ultrasound that he was in fact
breech and very comfortably nesting in my right rib cage. So with a referral in
hand and a last minute appointment with Dr. Medchill we made our way to his
office for another ultrasound to determine if I was a good candidate for an
external cephalic eversion (aka, external flipping or rotating of the baby). Much to our delight, Dr
Medchill concluded that there was sufficient fluid surrounding Landan and the
umbilical cord was not wrapped around his neck. So off we were to the OB Triage
at St Joe's to attempt flipping Landan with our bags packed "just in
case." While the idea of externally having my baby flipped was not
appealing, I really didn't have a whole lot of time to really understand the
gravity of what I was about to experience, nor do I think I would have cared to
be honest. I had my mind made up that
this was going to work and I was going to get my beautiful peaceful water birth
I had been dreaming about for 9 months. With my husband sitting at my head, Dr
Medchill on my right side pushing Landan's head and upper body, and a head
resident pushing Landan's legs and butt, they attempted 4 times to flip Landan
with no avail. My son was perfectly comfortable where he was at, and no one was
going to convince him to move otherwise. At this point, my husband and I had
been dealing with this ordeal all day and both of us were so incredibly burned
out. I was shaking thanks to the muscle relaxers they gave me so they could
perform the procedure and I didn't even want to dare to think about how sore my
belly was going to be once the pain medication wore off. So, seeing our
exhaustion, Dr Medchill offered to perform a cesarean birth within the hour. Looking back on it now, I am
actually very grateful for his willingness to help us in the midst of our
exhaustion. Let me be clear, he was not pushy by any means and if you have ever
encountered Dr. Medchill he is the most kind, but honest, human being on this
planet. In his professional opinion especially since I had showed no sign of
labor, my cervix was completely shut, minimal effacement, and Landan was
definitely not going anywhere from his comfy spot, the chances of my body
kicking into natural labor and Landan flipping and descending through the birth
canal was really minimal. Since I had never had a
vaginal birth to begin with, I also had what the medical community deems as an
"untried pelvis," which essentially means no baby has ever passed
through. Which can diminish your chances of having a successful natural breech
birth even farther. So, my husband and I decided
to go for the compromise and I was prepped for surgery before the ink was dry
on the consent papers. Looking back on it now, I'm actually incredibly grateful
for how quickly they moved as my husband and I weren't really given the chance
to think too much about what was going on. The cesarean birth, from what I
remember, was rather uneventful. I remember being extraordinarily cold, and
feeling very alienated being so exposed on the table, but the staff was really
pleasant and made me feel comfortable. Once Landan was born he was
quickly cleaned, weighed, and swaddled, and brought over to me where we
snuggled our heads together for a fleeting moment. My husband was allowed to
take him from there to the OB Triage area to have skin-to-skin contact while I
was being put back together. Granted, I would have loved to have that contact
with Landan myself, but stepping back from that, it really was a special time
for Danial and Landan. They definitely formed an unbreakable bond and for that
I am absolutely thankful for. That was such a special gift that Danial was able
to have with Landan and I wouldn't take that away from him ever. Fast forward 5 months and we
were a busy family with a new(Ish) baby still taking over our house. Since
having Landan I hadn't really thought much about his delivery or the ordeal
much as I was happy to have my son earthside safely. It was when I found out I
was pregnant with our second child that month that my feelings and emotions
about Landan's delivery and my upcoming delivery would soon start to bring to
the surface all sorts of emotions. Luckily for us, we decided to
stay with Dr. Medchill and continue care through him as he was most familiar
with us, and our previous experience with him was really outstanding. He didn't
hesitate when I asked if I had the option of attempting a normal VBAC and said
that I was a really good candidate and that he actually would encourage me to
at least try. Let me tell you, that was
music to my ears! But at the same time, the question in my head was "what
exactly am I going to expect?" I couldn't have the water birth that I had
fantasized about during Landan's pregnancy, and I was definitely not going to
get a very birth center like atmosphere in the hospital, so what exactly COULD
I expect? That's where getting involved
with the ICAN chapter in Phoenix really helped me wrap my head around my
options but also internally deal with some unresolved feelings from Landan's
delivery that I didn't even know I had. Also, getting involved with ICAN really
gave me confidence to ask questions that I didn't even know were subjects I
could ask! For example, I had no idea
that I could ask to have intermittent monitoring which would allow me to get in
and out of the shower along with walking freely without being attached to a
machine all the time. So armed with information, my husband and I navigated the
months leading up to Adaline's birth with optimism and trust in our care
provider that we could have a fair trial of labor. I'm not going to lie, while
we had an amazing support group around us from our care provider, to our doula,
to our family, there was some SERIOUS fear in me of the entire process. No
matter how you look at it, the incision is always going to be there. It doesn't
go away and that doubt of whether or not that area will be able to withstand
labor and birth is constantly lingering no matter how many statistics you look
at of the success of VBACs. I can say with confidence
that there were MANY times where I just wanted to schedule a cesarean birth and go
with what I knew and could expect. That is so much less scary then embarking on
the marathon of labor and delivery where you have no idea what to expect. But,
there was a really large part of me that just really wanted to experience the
beauty of labor and be able to say that I could do it on my own. So, I stuck to my guns and
kept drawing from my support group of my husband, my doula, and my care
provider. Much to my delight, on October 1, 2014 my water broke (which is
definitely not a glamorous experience like Hollywood claims it is!!) and labor
started with gusto about an hour later. My husband, doula and I made our quick
exit to the hospital as my contractions were coming on with force and
relatively quickly. After a marathon of 17 1/2
hours of hard, active labor, my daughter was born on October 2, 2014 and was
the most beautiful VBAC baby I could ever ask for. She absolutely made me work
for my VBAC and I truly couldn't have done it without my doula and my husband, who stayed up with me the entire night going between the shower, birthing ball,
holding the puke bin between contractions, making sure I drank water, and
listening to me when I was so tired that I could feel my body giving in after
15 hours and asking for an epidural simply so I could take a 30 min power nap. I have clients that ask me
all the time how I was able to get through that VBAC and it’s really plain and
simple to me. There is no part of me that hesitates when I say that I
absolutely drew from the strength of my husband and my doula the entire time.
Having my support group really helped me get through the toughest parts of that
labor and then also being at peace with getting an epidural and taking a nap.
When it boils down to it, that's what my body needed and having my support
group there allowed me to listen to my body. There is nothing I regret from
Adaline's birth and in a way it was so healing for me and resolved so much self
doubt from Landan's birth that I didn't even know existed in me until I was
faced with the option of having a normal VBAC. Now we are weeks away from meeting #3 and my husband and I feel so comfortable and armed with such confidence that we do know our options and are going into this second vaginal birth. I know, and for the first time, feel absolutely confident in my body; that it knows what to do and I also know how to listen to it as well. We have moved to a different state so having to switch providers was nerve racking until my husband and I really sat down and realized that we were completely confident with the criteria that we wanted and were setting for ourselves and also that we would find a care provider who was just as amazing as Dr Medchill was. Luckily for us, we did find
an amazing care provider and he is definitely on the same page as we are with
this delivery. My hope and prayer for every single mother going through her
VBAC whether it be after one or multiple cesarean births is that you really
find your voice and find your support. I know that's what helped me navigate
this incredible journey that I've been on the past 3 1/2 years and I only can
hope that every single mother finds that strength as well.  Photographer Name: Allie Hannah Photography Henna: Pheobe Sinclair Disclaimer: The material included in this video is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog and video contain information about
our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official
website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.  |
Q&A with SPB: Breech babies & childbirth classes
| Posted on September 29, 2015 at 8:15 AM |
comments (0)
|
 Can we prepare for a natural birth even if our baby is breech? The answer is yes!! The statistics are in your favor. Only 4% of babies remain in the breech position at the time of labor and birth. Notes from today's video: Even if you end up with a cesarean birth after exhausting all your options, by preparing for a natural birth, you can still take advantage of the information you learned in your childbirth class: Consumerism and informed consent: can help you negotiate to allow your labor to start naturally and then (if necessary) head to the operating room after a trial of labor. Babies have been known to turn vertex (head down) during labor - you may decide it's worth trying. At the very least, you will get some of the benefits of the hormones that you are meant to get during labor if your labor happens according to your body/baby's schedule. Relaxation techniques: can help you be present and intentional during your cesarean birth. HERE is a post we have done exploring the options around a gentle cesarean, also known as a family-centered cesarean. Exercise and nutrition: Our students who have cesarean births in order to preserve their Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby birth plan often report that their recoveries are vastly different from their friends who did not take Bradley classes. The physical aspect of their recoveries are easier and shorter thanks to the fact that their body that was physically prepared for the act of birthing. What are some of your options? Find 3 full lists of ideas plus a visualization script HERE Here is a short list:
Links For More Reading SPB posts 5 Point Plan for Breech Babies: http://goo.gl/2WYf4n Our Breech Story:
http://goo.gl/EP6F9V Gentle Cesarean: http://goo.gl/xeixuI Turning the baby: External Cephalic Version: http://goo.gl/FSaFLV Dr. Ross on Webster Protocol (chiropractic technique): https://youtu.be/A3762xOCMcs Spinning Babies ("Natural" ways to encourage optimal fetal positioning): http://goo.gl/oHyHm Breech Tilt: http://goo.gl/A6r9zV Studies about Breech Babies Statistics on the 3 different breech presentations: http://goo.gl/fJ0yxW Acupuncture and Moxibustion: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15280133 Long term outcomes the same for vaginal and cesarean
deliveries of breech babies: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23197237 Disclaimer: |
In Their Own Words: Marshall Family Cesarean Story
| Posted on April 11, 2014 at 10:10 AM |
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Annika and Danial were students in our Spring 2013 class. As with all of our students, they prepared using The Bradley Method in order to have a natural childbirth.  Through the course of the class, we have a session on cesarean birth in the event that a student's path of labor has to follow that for a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome. As part of the process to avoid an "unnecesarean" we teach many communication tools throughout the twelve weeks for a couple to use for true informed consent. We don't perceive a cesarean as a "failure" - we absolutely see that as a successful Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome because we know our students used their positive communication techniques to make the best decision for their family.What are the circumstances that led to your cesarean birth? Danial and I were made aware that our son was breech at our 39 week check up with our midwife. We were then advised that we needed to go see an OBGYN at St Joe's to see if an external eversion was an option for us as the chances of Landan turning on his own that late in the pregnancy was very very slim. After being seen by the OBGYN and getting an ultrasound, the decision was made that it would be safe for the Landan and I to undergo an attempt for an external eversion to try and flip Landan head down. We were then admitted to St. Joe's and Dr. Medchill attempted multiple times (at my insistence) to turn Landan externally. After the 5th eversion attempt Dr. Medchill advised us that Landan was not going to flip and that we needed to decide what we wanted to do. At that point in his professional opinion, the chances of Landan flipping naturally were less then 2% as I was 39 1/2 weeks along and there wasn't much room left for him to move. He gave us the option to schedule the C section later that night or we could come back in a week and have a c section. Were there any questions that you asked of your care provider to inform your decision to have a cesarean birth? Danial and I were very insistent on knowing the odds of Landan turning on his own and the different risks associated with doing an external eversion. Since we had been planning on having Landan in a birthing center the option of possibly having a c-section really had not entered our minds until then. We were lucky enough to know at what point do we really start to consider the option of having a c section as viable. After attempting an external cephalic version (ECV) 5 times, the focused shifted from really trying to obtain our natural birth to what is going to be the best option for myself and for Landan as well. That's when Danial and I really decided that a c-section was going to be the best and safest option for myself and for Landan as we would not want to deliver Landan naturally as a breech. What did your intuition tell you about your decision? My intuition at that point was that after going through the amount of pain that I was going through by doing the versions (ECV), all I wanted was to see and hold my baby and make sure that he was ok. I couldn't imagine what it would have been like for him to have four people trying to rearrange you in such a tiny space. What stands out about your birth - was there anything you remember clearly about the experience? I remember clearly feeling oddly at peace however I don't really think I understood clearly what exactly was going on as I was on such overload from all the eversions. Having a c section is a very odd and very sterile experience but when you are laying there all you can think about is hearing your baby cry and seeing your baby that you don't really notice the other things around you. I will say though my Dr was absolutely wonderful and treated us with such respect in that he really was delicate about the entire experience and he knew that this was not our first choice for a birth. Which personal strengths did you bring to the experience? What were your partner's strengths that he brought to the experience? Danial was very calm and collected about the entire experience which definitely helped me. I feed off his energy and having him there telling me that everything was going to be ok and holding my hand was all the strength I needed to get through the versions (ECV) and then through the c-section. What would you tell someone who was going to have a cesarean about a cesarean birth? How about the postpartum period? C-Sections are scary. Theres no getting around that fact. It is major abdominal surgery and anyone that tells you that it isn't a big deal is LYING straight through their teeth. However, if you do have a c section it isn't the end of the world and your fate for your preceding births isn't sealed. You are going to need help during the postpartum period. There is a lot of pain and your movement is very restrictive due to you having stitches so TAKE IT EASY. If your spouse can take a couple more days off work then DO IT. You are absolutely going have to take it easy. Oh and DO NOT FORGET THE STOOL SOFTENERS!!!!!!! Do you have any advice to share with current SPB students? If so, what would it be? The best advice I can give to current students is really listen to the doctors, but also know what questions to ask. If the writing in on the wall that a c-section is the only safe option for both mom and baby then feel confident in your decision. You have to protect the well being of your child and at the same time you help to protect your well being as well. There absolutely is nothing shameful in that. A huge thank you to Annika for taking the time to share her cesarean story for our students and readers! What words of wisdom would you share with a pregnant mama about your cesarean experience? The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Info Sheet: External Cephalic Version
| Posted on March 14, 2014 at 5:26 AM |
comments (0)
|
External Cephalic Version for Breech Position *Definition of the procedure/test
Source ~ Quoted from:  Image Source: Scott & White Healthcare http://bit.ly/1eyZCgI *History
Source: Quoted from American Academy of Family Physicians WHO Health Education To Villages http://bit.ly/1eyZWfv *PROS
Sources ~ Quoted from:
*CONS Potential
Risks include:
Links with other options to explore
Alternatives
for turning breech babies
|
5 Point Plan To Turn A Breech Baby
| Posted on January 5, 2013 at 10:25 PM |
comments (0)
|
We have had an interesting phenomenon in our Fall Bradley
Method® class. Three of our couples had/have breech babies – 30% of the class! Interesting since
the overall statistic ranges between 1-4% babies being breech at term – it
depends which information you are reading.
In this post I will describe steps to take if you find out you have a breech
baby at any point in your third trimester.
These are all ideas that do not involve the physical manipulation of the
baby. To read more about that option,
click HERE. 1.)
Set your whole intention on turning your baby. Focus your thoughts and
your energy in every moment that you can to turning your baby. Envision that a non-breech baby is going to be your reality.
Devote time every day, whether it be 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 50 minutes, or more, to positive visualization. We are also spiritual people, so we asked our family to pray for
us. I know that both of our parents put
us on their church prayer lists and prayed for us to have the best birth
possible for Charger. 2.) Webster Protocol. The first thing we recommend to our mamas is
to find a chiropractor who knows how to do the Webster Protocol. To be clear, it is not a turning
technique. It is a series of checks that
is done to make sure that the pelvis is stable to allow for the baby to feel
safe in a head-down (vertex) presentation.
Babies that are going to turn will do so when the torsion is taken out
and they can safely place their heads in the pelvis. 3.)
Take action and make a plan with your care provider. There are two files that I am sharing as part
of this post. The first one is a
compilation of ideas that I gathered and took to our care provider. We went through the list together and she checked
off all the things that she felt were safe to try. This list is now three and a half years old –
I encourage you to do your own research and come up with your own list to take
to your care provider.
The second is a script I wrote to play and meditate on every
day. I read it out loud so I could tape
it and play it back. This allowed me to focus on deep breathing and the intention of the words as
I visualized our baby turning. I
listened to it when I was doing an inversion. 4.)
Do inversions. When we found
out Charger was breech, we were told by our nurse practitioner at our
obstetrician’s office and a midwife who did a phone consult that inversions
were the “old fashioned” way to turn breech babies. The two most common inversions are the
chest-knee position and the “ironing board” inversion (also known as the
“breech tilt”). The goal of these is to
use gravity to prevent the baby from engaging into the pelvis in a breech
position, and to encourage the baby to tuck their chin and encourage them to
turn. There are a lot of other techniques, and "everyone" has opinions about what is effective, so choose the positions that make sense to you.   Knee-Chest position Breech Tilt Picture From 5.
Make Peace. If you do all of
these things (or more) and your baby stays breech, know that you have done
everything possible and allow yourself to open up to other options. Do you want to try an external manipulation
of the baby? Do you want to find a care
provider who knows how to manage a breech delivery? Do you feel that you want to be allowed a
trial of labor so that at least your baby chooses their birth-day before you
agree to a cesarean birth?
Believe that you and your baby will have the birth you are meant to have. Your baby is not just a passenger in this
process – they are a pilot – they know how they are meant to be born. It is our responsibility to find the care
provider who will inform us objectively and support us as we make the decisions
that need to be made.
As parents, we are the only ones who can be the voice for our child(ren) before
they are born. Read, read, read. Ask questions. Make the decision that works the best for you
and your family.
Want to know how the story ended for us?
HERE is our breech baby story.
Do you know anyone with a breech baby story?
How did it go? Link List: External Cephalic Version http://www.webmd.com/baby/external-cephalic-version-version-for-breech-position Dr. Ross on Webster Protocol http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3762xOCMcs Breech Tilt http://www.spinningbabies.com/techniques/242-breech-tilt Studies about Breech Babies Acupuncture and Moxibustion http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15280133 Long term outcomes the same for vaginal and cesarean deliveries of breech babies http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23197237 
Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
How we turned our breech baby
| Posted on March 18, 2011 at 6:52 AM |
comments (4)
|
 I am sharing this because I am hoping this will allow other mommies-to-be with
breech babies avoid a cesarean section in the hospital. One of our students is working at turning their baby right now, so I thought it apropos to share this online today. Journal: July 19, 2009
Bryan's Estimated Due Date (EDD): August 14, 2009 As advocates of natural childbirth, and after two amazing birth experiences,
I wanted the same for our third child. We found out in early June that he was
breech, but didn't give it much thought at the time since we figured we still
had time left for him to turn head-down.
When our ultrasound at the beginning of July showed he was still breech and we
already had a guess-timated seven pound baby, red-flags started going up. I was
willing to try anything and everything that would safely encourage him to turn
to a head down position.
My thinking was very clear as we started these alternative therapies to an external cephalic version in the hospital: I would
do everything in my power to help the natural process along, and knowing that
we had done everything we could, accept a cesarean section if that meant we had a
healthy son in our arms at the end of the pregnancy.
Here is what we did to turn him - YEAH! And we are now praying he will stay
that way until delivery day. 1. Talked to the baby: Every quiet moment, I would take the opportunity to send
my thoughts to him, sometimes speaking out loud. I would tell him to move
towards the exit, that I was taking long, deep breaths that were making room
for him to turn, to tuck his chin and move towards the exit that was his safe
entry into the world, that we, his family were eager to meet him and wanted him
to be born naturally. 2. Visual imagery: I visualized him turning down and tucking into the right
position. Now that he is turned, I am visualizing him staying there!! 3. Inversion: Method 1 - Prop an ironing board or similar object against a couch or ledge
12-18 inches above the ground. MAKE SURE IT IS SECURE!!! Lay back on it with
your hips higher than your shoulders. Do this twice a day for 10-15 minutes. Inversion: Method 2 - Knee-Chest position - You begin by getting into a hands and knees position. Slowly lower your
shoulders to the floor or bed, resting your head in a comfortable position. You can try to move your knees further apart, causing your bottom to lower
slightly while widening your pelvis. You should look like you are in
a frog position. Keeping your bottom higher than the shoulders while
widening the pelvis may give the baby more room to turn. While I was in either of these positions, I also did some deep breathing, talked to him and
visualized him turning. 4. Play music near the "exit": it is believed that babies will move
towards music and light. I put my phone between my legs when I am in the car
and play music that he responds to. I also read that light would work, but
didn't try that one. The idea there was to shine a light at the top of the
abdomen and then move it down, or just shine it at the exit point. Since
then I have read that some babies move away from light - so glad I did not try
it. 5. Acupuncture: There is a specific therapy for turning a breech baby. In the
doctor's office, they placed five needles in my head and one at a point in each
inner ankle. Then they would apply heat (moxibustion) at the outer edge of my
pinkie toes. This created a "turning" energy - more than any other
therapy, I felt baby responding to this. He was active every time heat was
applied to the toes!! We would do the moxi at home before going to bed on the
days we didn't have acupuncture. Now that the baby is turned, we are not doing
this anymore. (We did have a couple more sessions with acupuncture only to help ease the labor.) 6. Webster protocol: Done by a chiropractor who is knowledgeable in this
protocol. It is about aligning the pelvis, making sure it is open and
"sublaxation-free" to receive the baby. This felt the best - after my
first adjustment, the excruciating back pain I had felt on my right side was
gone. We will keep checking the "Webster protocol" three times a week
until delivery to make sure the pelvis is a safe place for baby to hang out. 7. Since he is a summer baby, we are lucky enough to use the pool. Swimming is thought to help because it relaxes the abdominal muscles and the horizontal position in the water removes the gravitational pressure. If nothing else, it felt great to have the pressure off my pelvis for a while. There are many more ideas on-line if you google "turn breech baby". The respected website is: www.spinningbabies.com. No matter where you get your information, make sure you review any turning techniques with your care provider before trying them. Add again - lots of prayer. We asked grandparents to put us on their
prayer lists at church that Bryan would turn if that was God's will, and we
also asked our friends to be in prayer for us. Journal: August 15, 2009 How the
story ended and Bryan’s life "outside" began:
After 46 hours of labor, Bryan Victor Bowman was born on July 30, 2009 –
11 days after he turned. We had a vaginal birth and he was 9 pounds and 3
ounces. His cord was wrapped around his neck – maybe from turning? I do not begrudge him the time he took
since we are so grateful he is alive and well. If you are in the Phoenix area, here are the doctors we used: Dr. Deng –
Accupuncture/Moxibustion 480-970-0000 164 East Broadway RoadTempe, AZ 85282 You can
save money by having him do the consultation and then having his students
execute the treatment plan. Dr. Kevin
Ross – Webster Protocol 480-730-7950 2405 E
Southern Ave, Ste.4
Tempe, AZ Looking back, Bruss and I agreed that if the natural techniques did not work, we
would not do an external cephalic version (ECV) because we were not
comfortable with the risks, which include
The more I learn about birth through reading, observation and listening
to our students birth stories, the more I find myself agreeing with Jay
Hathaway, one of the founders of the American Academy
of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. He did a presentation during our
teacher training about breech presentation. His philosophy is that
babies are not merely "passengers" in the labor process, instead they
are "pilots". He believes that a baby knows how they need to get out,
and they have an ability to control their position in the uterus. If
they choose a breech presentation, then it is for a reason that they
know about, and it sometimes becomes apparent after they are born why
they were in the breech position. I am so glad we were not faced with saying no to an ECV and waiting for labor to begin naturally so we could be wheeled into an operating room. However, in a conversation with a doctor today as I researched doctors in the Phoenix area who do vaginal breech deliveries, she had an interesting analogy. If you consider turning techniques on a ladder, the natural techniques are ranked at the lower rungs - and you work your way up the ladder to techniques like ECV. If you want to avoid a cesarean, her advice was to work on the natural techniques and try an ECV at 38 weeks. I will close with my Bradley teacher mantra: it is up to the parents to take responsibilty, do your research, and arrive at a decision that you agree is best for mom and baby. Disclaimer: The
material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical
advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to
determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. This blog contains information about our classes available in
Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy
of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |