Chandler, Arizona
Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
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Birth Story: Baby P Born At Home
Posted on January 29, 2015 at 10:02 PM |
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We are thrilled and honored to share a very special birth story today. Our guest blogger, Cassandra is a newly minted mother of two - congratulations!! Today she shares the story of Baby P's arrival. It is the complete opposite of last week's marathon labor birth story. She and Baby P definitely had a different path! Baby P is baby #2 for our family; you can read my son’s home birth story from 2012 here on the blog. I have been blogging about certain aspects of my second pregnancy on Sweet Pea Families over the course of the last few months; fears, affirmations, newborn essentials, and most recently musings over my labor, what it would be like and who would be there. I had grand visions of a coming together of many women in the late afternoon or evening, laboring peacefully in the birth tub with plenty of laughter and wearing the cute new bra and panty set I purchased to look nice for the photographer that would be there. My daughter would definitely be born in the water since coincidentally her brother, even though we were in the tub, was born over the water. But, as it turns out (again!) babies decide things for themselves and we, as mothers are simply a vessel for whatever their life holds for them. My son was born at 43 weeks 3 days from my LMP. Dates were ambiguous due to irregular cycles and lack of ultrasounds, but with no vernix, long fingernails and an aging placenta at birth he was definitely a longer cooked baby. Going that far past my “due” date was definitely an emotional time: not knowing what to expect as a first time mom, worrying, comments from family/friends/strangers, etc. etc. Baby #2 was surprisingly conceived after my first cycle at 25 months postpartum. I got a positive pregnancy test on cycle day 30 and a twelve week and then twenty week ultrasound both matched up with my LMP due date. So, this time was different, we knew! It was always in my mind that maybe I just cooked babies a little slower than most but as the pregnancy progressed I didn't really think there was any way I was going to go past my due date. I was so cramp-y this time, so much more pressure down low, so much more active, I had a completely different lifestyle chasing an almost 3 year old every day than during my first pregnancy. But alas, my due date came and went and then a whole other week passed. At 41 weeks I was having doubts about the baby coming out any time soon and really just couldn’t believe I had gone so far again. At 41 weeks 1 day, a Monday, I was feeling good and talked with my midwife about just waiting it out another week and seeing what the weekend held. At 41 weeks 2 days, Tuesday, I was totally done being pregnant. My son and I had a great, exhausting day that day. We played at home, went grocery shopping, had a coffee and muffin date and met with a friend at the park to play in the sunshine for 3 whole hours. We came home and made dinner and he stayed up past his bedtime while my midwife came over for our weekly appointment. We chatted about the risks of the pregnancy progressing past 42 weeks, how we (my husband and I) each felt, what natural induction methods she likes to use and ultimately I decided I really just wanted a membrane sweep right then. I had one with my son that resulted in losing my mucus plug and then starting labor two days later and I was ready. It was the night of a super new moon and I finally felt at ease to try and do something (at this point we weren't employing any kind of help labor start tactics). If my baby and body weren’t ready I trusted that nothing would happen anyways and we would continue waiting. We were done with the sweep around 7PM with caution from my midwife that there could be spotting and cramps during the night, all totally normal and to try some nipple stimulation if I wanted. My son went to bed and my husband and I settled in on the couch for some Netflix while I hooked up to my breast pump for exactly ten minutes. We went to bed shortly after as we were both really tired from a long day and I fell asleep pretty quickly. I felt cramps on and off through the night in a very sleepy haze, my son slept horribly and was crying most of the night but thankfully my husband was comforting him and I spent most of the night able to drift in and out. I woke up at 6:40AM and had what felt like bad period cramps, sharp, painful cramps super low in my pelvis that went away very quickly. I wondered if I should still be having cramps 12 hours after the sweep (?) and hoped they would go away soon. I got up to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth and had lots of bowel movements. This used to happen to me every time I had period cramps so I wasn’t surprised; and afterwards laid back down to try and sleep some more until my son woke up. He was up a little bit after 7AM and I was still having the cramps so I text my husband around 7:15 and asked if he could come home for a little bit to be with our son until these cramps went away. I was fine in bed but T was asking for breakfast, etc. and I just felt icky and wanted to stay resting. He didn’t respond so T and I read books in bed and then looked at photos on my phone. Around 7:45 I was still having them so I called my husband (he hadn’t seen the texts) and asked him if he would just come home from work for a little bit. T and I stayed in bed cuddling, goofing off, laughing and watching videos of him on my phone. Around 8:30AM my husband finally walks in just as I was about to call him again, he had brought breakfast and I was so happy because I was starving! I used the opportunity to finally get up and go to the bathroom again and the cramps were still coming, fairly frequently and kind of radiating down and out into my pelvis. Definitely still cramps though, did not feel anything like a “contraction”. We decided to call the midwife as she emphasized calling her as soon as I suspected anything since my son was born fairly quickly after active labor began. I dialed her at 8:37AM and left a message. She instructed on her voicemail that if she didn’t call back in 15 minutes to call our other midwife. Right afterwards I text our photographer, she has a son that she needed to make arrangements for so I wanted to give her as big of a heads up as possible if there was any chance I was going to be in labor today. “Hi it’s Cassandra, I might be in labor today!” I told her about the sweep the night before and that I was just having cramps so I wasn’t sure and I had called my midwife but was just waiting to hear back and that I would keep her updated. After that I came out of the bathroom and tried to lean into our hallway wall during one of the cramps to see if that alleviated the pressure, it didn’t so I headed back to the bathroom. I was starting to think this was a membrane sweep gone horribly wrong and I had brought these insane cramps on myself and now who knew what was going to happen! I felt much better on the toilet. I would push down into the sides of the toilet seat during the cramps and kept having to pee or poo so it was better anyways. 15 minutes passed so I called our second midwife at 8:51AM. We talked for 8 minutes about what was happening (cramps, mucus tinged with blood, bowel movements) and I had two of the cramps while I was on the phone with her. She said she couldn’t tell I was having them and it sounded like early labor stuff and to try and lie down and rest between them, eat something and to let her know when they seemed to undergo a change. So I got off the toilet and lay down in bed and asked my husband to bring me some pancakes. I was still so hungry and so happy to be eating, I had two bites and then another cramp came and I immediately needed him to take the food away from me. I also did not want to be lying down. There was NO way I could rest; so back to the toilet I went. I listened to my husband and son playing a Frozen matching card game in the other room and was still trying to understand what might be happening to me. The cramps got stronger and I asked for a chair from the kitchen to put backwards in front of the toilet so I could drape my arms over the back and press into it during the cramps. At 9:17AM I had a cramp that left me shaking and immediately breaking out into sweat all over. This was intense! I text my midwife “Ok getting hot and sweaty and shaky. Can’t rest” and she responded she was on her way. There was also a lot of blood after that and I finally knew this was definitely labor. Midwife called at 9:21 while she was driving and I couldn’t even really talk to her. I text my photographer at 9:24 and said “Ok def in labor. Midwife coming over now, 15 mins away.” She wrote back that she would be over in about 15 or 20 minutes too! This was when I told my husband to start filling up our tub – it had been inflated and ready to go for weeks and he just needed to fit the cover on it and then add water. I had wanted to alert my friends from my blessingway when I was in labor and now that midwives and photographer were out of the way I could finally let them know. I sent out a text to everyone in the group at 9:27AM that said “Baby’s coming, send love – need it already <3” I remember trying to make sure that I included everyone and that I was trying to count the names and count the girls in attendance and it was hard for me to concentrate, but I did get everyone! The responses were just starting to come in when my midwife walked in about 9:30AM. Just before then I was starting to get worried about continuing to do this on my own as my husband was tending to the tub and playing with our son so I was really happy to see her. She asked if I was pushing and I was kind of caught off guard, pushing!? No way, what? I was definitely not pushing! Then another wave came and AH! There was a head! I was pushing!? I half yelled out that I was pushing and she asked if I could feel the baby’s head. I said no but then I barely reached up and the head was right there. She told me I needed to get off the toilet, which was seriously the last thing I wanted to do. She helped me down onto the birth stool where I tried to sit and then hold myself up against her but it was really unstable and I needed to get down. This entire time I could feel baby’s head right there. When I got off the stool I felt her head kind of suck back up a little and wasn’t sure where I was going or what I was doing but I heard hands and knees and I just kind of fell onto the floor in that position, head facing the corner, butt facing the doorway. This all happened in a couple of minutes and soon our photographer, Kirsten, walked in. She was greeted in the bathroom doorway to my bum and then a little bit of baby’s head starting to come out. On the next push I moaned out so loud and low, it didn’t even really sound like me, I think this was the first noise I made the entire time. I was proud of myself that it was loud and low and not high pitched screaming (like I was with T). I knew I had to keep it that way and gosh the burning, ah! I literally just gave way to the burning, told myself it was happening and just feel it, don’t fight it and then her head was out! I said I wanted the rest of her out, just get her out! but I knew that wasn’t what I really wanted. Tearing so badly again was one of my biggest fears around labor and I knew this was the moment. My midwife told me to pant and I tried but couldn’t really so I started just breathing shortly and blowing raspberries, I could do that and it calmed me down and gave me something to focus on while I just stayed in hands and knees with her head out. I heard my husband say something like oh my gosh eyes! A little nose and mouth, awww! I kept up my breathing/blowing and then all of a sudden her body was out! She handed her to me and I sat back on the bathroom floor and held her, it was 9:51AM. Not even an hour and a half from when my husband walked in the door with breakfast and our baby was here, so mind blowing. I felt fantastic. I had so many emotions rush me all at once and I felt energized and ecstatic and it will definitely be engrained in my mind as one of the best moments of my life. I got up and walked to the other room to lie down in bed and seriously just could not believe how great I felt. T was right there in the doorway watching the entire time and once I got settled in bed he climbed right up to touch and kiss his new baby sister. Needless to say the tub was not filled up enough for me to get in it once I had to get off the toilet and the pictures are not going to be anything like I had imagined. I did not get to diffuse my Serenity blend or light my beeswax candles or stare at the affirmation wall I had created in the bedroom, but I wouldn’t change anything about it. So intense, but so quick and so perfect. It was a beautiful sunny day and after everything was cleaned up we all hung out in bed as a family of four watching movies, reading books and playing games and I couldn’t have even imagined the amount of bliss I felt. I learned so much from baby P’s birth, there was not a single sensation that felt the same as my last labor and birth. Again, mind blowing. It was a great reminder to throw out any and all expectations I may have surrounding this little girl and being her mama, as we truly are never in control. Congratulations, Cassandra, Eric, and new big brother T !! Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. 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®. |
Birth Story: Marathon Labor
Posted on January 23, 2015 at 9:45 AM |
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Christine & BJ Bollier Bradley Method© Birth Story This story is a great example of making your wishes known,
persevering through a long labor that stalled (The Bradley Method® calls “the stall”, aka
“failure to progress”, a “Natural Alignment Plateau” or "NAP"), and making decisions as the labor progressed for a Healthy Mom,
Healthy Baby birth experience. Even with
an intervention they did not initially want or anticipate, they were able to have the vaginal,
unmedicated birth they had prepared for. One of my favorite quotes from the video is Christine’s
statement, “I was tired, but I was never scared, because I knew what to
expect.”
Here is a quick summary of their labor: She started with contractions around 15 minutes
apart on a Thursday morning. They went
to their doctor’s appointment that afternoon and decided to go home and let their
labor progress. On Friday, they were timing contractions throughout the
day. When they got to five minutes apart,
they decided to go to the hospital because of the impending blizzard (they live
in Payson, AZ). By the time they were
all checked into their room, it was 2:30 am on Saturday. By Saturday evening at 6:00 pm, they hit a NAP
at around 8 cm dilation. They made the
decision to accept an amniotomy (breaking the bag of waters) at 10:00 pm. Their son was born on Sunday morning at 3:30
am. When the Bollier's time their labor, they call it 36 hours from the
contractions that were 6 minute apart on Friday afternoon to the time when he was born on Sunday morning. They both stayed awake for the whole of that time, save a few cat naps that happened between contractions when they were both exhausted. It is good to note that they did sleep on Thursday night when contractions were still in the "putsy-putsy" stage. I am so glad she talks about how she experienced contractions
– that’s a big question mark for first-time moms. Christine says she felt them as rhythmic and
internalized them – she says she could have painted you a picture of the
contractions. I love that perspective! HIGHLIGHTS Birth plan
Changing the Plan
Christine’s Insight: Q: What did BJ do as a Coach that helped you the most? A: He kept me from freaking out when it had gone on for so
long. As she explains, he kept her on track through the
exhaustion. BJ kept her calm with reassurance; he also pointed out the progress they had made. Loosely paraphrasing: [The hard part] wasn’t the pain – it was the exhaustion. I knew the pain was purposeful because
I was getting a baby. [Contractions] came in bursts and they were
not constant - it wasn’t miserable pain or constant pain from an injury that hurts all the time. Looking back a year later, [a contraction] was such a short period of time. BJ’s nuggets of wisdom Education & knowledge quell fear – having notes at
my fingertips kept me from getting scatterbrained while I was watching
(coaching) my wife through labor. Postpartum advice for the husbands: Don’t be proud – just say
yes. Don’t be too proud to accept help –
it’s a gift. On the lighter side, you’ll hear the inauguration of the
term “The Splash Zone” – now that we know our student’s perception of watching
all the birth videos from the first row of chairs, it’s what we call that front
line when we show birth videos in class - lol. QUESTIONS FROM THE CLASS: Q: Were you both awake the whole [36 hours of progressive
labor]? A: Yes…If I had it to do over again – we would rest throughout
labor. You’ll hear it in class that you
should rest. Seriously – REST. After the baby is born, you are playing
catch-up with sleep. Q: What can you tell us about breastfeeding a newborn? A: Get your hands on reading material, borrow books, have phone
numbers of support people you can call, have a good structure around you to
encourage, inspire, and inform you. Invest in good bras – wear a tank top with shirt underneath
at this age (son is about 11 months old in this video), after the infant stage
the nursing cover is not staying on! Did you have a long labor?
What labor management tips would you share with first-time parents? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. 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®. |
Birth News
Posted on January 10, 2014 at 6:31 PM |
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These are probably going to keep being evening editions - thank you for your patience as we ramp up posting again in the New Year. I am really placing a high value on being Peaceful Mama for my kiddos, which means that being on the computer is taking a back seat to homeschooling and teaching classes this season. I will be back in full swing soon - until then, please do not hesitate to contact me via email (krystyna{at}sweetpeabirths{dot}com) if you have any pressing questions about pregnancy, natural birth or breastfeeding! Birth News FERTILITY NOTE: Please read this with a grain of salt - we have had students have beautiful, term babies even though they used IVF to attain pregnancy. Simply shared as a tool for discussion with your care providers as you weigh the benefits and the risks. IVF Pregnancies Are More Likely To Result In Stillbirth, Preterm Birth, Low
Birthweight, Or Neonatal Death
Medical Daily http://bit.ly/19V24Sc PREGNANCY NOTE:I am by no means suggesting that you *should* go get a flu shot – again, I am simply offering this as information to discuss with your care provider. See what Dr. Sears has to say about the flu shot during pregnancy HERE and HERE Flu shots in pregnancy protect babies from being born too soon, Canadian studies show
Ottowa Citizen http://bit.ly/1gqKeoL BIRTH Premature 'Water Breaking' During Pregnancy Linked to Bacteria
WebMD http://bit.ly/1d31rF3 POSTPARTUM Is Placenta Encapsulation the Answer to Postpartum Depression?
Health24 http://bit.ly/1iWKgZG Doctors report uptick in number of babies with RSV, a respiratory virus, this flu season
abc13.com http://bit.ly/1gqJ8cC BREASTFEEDING Study Links Breastfeeding to Lower Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Science World Report http://bit.ly/1iWMTKQ 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®. |
Warning Labels: Induction Drugs
Posted on June 7, 2013 at 4:20 PM |
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This is the second post in the series that looks at the small print on the drug information sheet for consumers. In our first post, we looked at the details of drugs used in epidurals. Here is the fine print for the drugs used by hospital practitioners to induce labor. This may be offered for a variety of reasons. Whenever a drug or procedure is offered, we encourage our students to look at the benefits and the risks. There are circumstances where the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. It is up to each family to individually decide what works best for them and their baby. In the spirit of informed consent, here is the fine print and FDA Pregnancy Category for Cervadil (Brand Name for a form of Dinoprostone), Dinoprostone, Cytotec (Misoprostol) and Pitocin. To be clear – we are not anti-care provider or anti-drug. We are grateful for modern medicine that saves lives in circumstances when Mother Nature needs help. It exists for a reason, and we are thankful for the opportunity to meet all the Healthy Moms and Healthy Babies when we hold a class reunion. Please read and consider this information as you prepare for the birth of your baby. I included the link to find the complete drug label on-line. As with last week, everything is in direct quotes because the information is pulled from the drug information made available by the Federal Drug Administration (USA).
As you can see from the insert information and the pregnancy categories assigned by the FDA, these are not inherently safe just because they are commonly used. Any parent who is being asked to use these should do so after careful consideration of the risks and the benefits. You can use this series of questions to help you determine if the benefits outweigh the risks:
Any advice to offer about being induced? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. *I think* that the amount of traffic you so generously generate has led to a lot of spam posting. In an effort to keep the spam to a minimum, I am taking the time to moderate comments now. 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®. |
A New Chapter: Meet Cassandra
Posted on March 5, 2013 at 8:48 AM |
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Bruss and I would like to welcome Cassandra to the Sweet Pea Births Family. She will be a regular contributor to the blog and you will start seeing her around the internet on our other social media platforms. I am looking forward to sharing her areas of expertise with our students and readers. Bienvenidos, Cassandra! ~KRB I am wife to my wonderful husband, Eric, of four years, and
mother to our one-year-old son. I quit my career in telecommunications finance
at 34 weeks pregnant and have stayed home ever since. SAHM, wife, mother, all
roles I am still struggling to understand, identify, navigate, and balance a
year later.
In 2009 I began a whirlwind adventure into all things
nutrition, holistic healing, natural living, conscious consumerism, and
sustainability, not only for our earth but also for us! This led me to obtaining
a certificate in Holistic Nutrition from the Southwest Institute of Healing
Arts in 2010 and exploring the world of healthy pregnancy and natural home
birth before becoming pregnant in 2011. Now my days are filled with post
partum/nursing nutrition, toddler nutrition, gentle parenting, and being the
best facilitator to my son as he explores the world.
My pregnancy was filled with tons of herbs/herbal tea,
chiropractic care, yoga, massages, nutritious food, walking, weight training
(until my due date!). Everything progressed
very normally. At 43 weeks 4 days (according to the date *I* believed my
baby was conceived), I woke up around 9:00 am and while laying in bed felt some
slight cramps that were coming and going about every 5/6 minutes. I had no
signs of labor up until this point and I knew this could last for days or even
weeks so I just relaxed, read, and then got ready for the day. My husband was
taking me on an afternoon date to see The Lorax!
While I was getting ready they were coming a little stronger
and by the time I met my husband at 1:00 pm, I was stopping for a breath at each
one. I LOVED the movie but about an hour into it I just couldn't get
comfortable during the contractions and I asked if we could leave so I could
lie down (I still haven't seen the end of that movie!).
We got home about 4:00 pm and I tried laying on the couch
while my husband changed our bed sheets and made me something to eat. That
wasn't very comfortable and I settled in on the floor. Around 5:45 pm I called our doula. I knew it could still be a
very long time and didn’t want her to come prematurely but wanted to give her a
heads up so she could plan her night. She was on her way to teach a birth class
which was from 6:30-8:30 pm and I told her to just come after! She had to run
home and get her things and said it would probably take about an hour and I
figured I could definitely go on like this for three more hours and 9:30 pm would be perfect. The bed was now ready so I got in, surrounded myself with
pillows and tried to rest, but they were really coming now. I also had to get
up and pee a lot, which was no fun. I felt the best lying down, I needed to be
supported and just try and sink into the bed when a contraction would come. I
tried the birth ball for one and I just felt so unstable without the support of
the bed and pillows all around me. I would have some on the toilet though and
would brace myself against the door; the support of the door and the toilet
beneath was good too. Around 6:45 pm they were more intense and hard for me so I
started moaning through them, it actually really helped. I decided I needed to
call our doula back and have her come now. I also called our midwife then to
give her the heads up as I was definitely feeling this was the real thing and
hoping to have my baby with us sometime the next morning. Our doula arrived around 8:00 pm, and I was so happy to see her. I was still
in bed, surrounded by pillows and not opening my eyes – just moaning through
each contraction. She set up the birth tub and it was super noisy but I didn’t
mind at all, during my contractions I was in my own world and although I would
still have my eyes closed between contractions I could still hear and
understand everything going on around me. I am not sure what time it was when the first batch of hot
water was in the tub but that is when I got in, it wasn’t very deep but it was
actually perfect. The water felt good. I got on my knees and laid over the side
with my arms outside, I began to lose it a little in the pool. The contractions
were so strong and honestly I wish I could describe how they felt but I can’t,
I couldn’t really explain to my husband right after and by now I can’t remember
as vividly. They were HARD though, I got really scared that this was going to go
on for hours and hours and hours and I knew I wouldn’t be able to last that
long. I kept asking my doula if she thought I had a lot longer left and she
just kept telling me to focus on each contraction and not think about anything
except that one. She held my hands and repeated “think about being soft and
open in front of your baby” during the contractions and I did. I spread my legs
out wide during each and thought about my cervix as butter melting away.
Between contractions all I wanted to do was rest, I just wanted to lie down. I
started sitting back in the tub during the breaks just to try and find some
relief, even though it was more work to get back up as soon as I felt another
contraction coming. During this time I had a non-stop feeling that I had to pee.
I would get out of the tub and go to the toilet but during contractions it
started feeling so much better if I pushed like I was peeing. Our doula put a
chux pad outside of the pool and I spent a couple contractions coming back from
the bathroom leaning on the outside of the pool and pee would dribble out each
time. She said a little bit of pee in the pool was fine and I was SO happy
because it seriously felt so much better when I could do that during the
contractions. Somewhere in here I was asked if I wanted the student
midwives to come hang out in the other room but I said no, surprisingly (for my
worrisome nature) I didn’t feel like anything was wrong and the only thing I
was worried about was that labor was going to go on forever and I wouldn’t be able
to make it through. I started feeling some spasms on the right side of my belly
during three contractions and then at 9:55 pm my water broke! It was the wildest
feeling ever, I really had NO idea what it was – it felt like a big gush and
then bubbles coming out. I don’t know if I made a weird face or something but
my doula immediately asked if my water broke and then I knew what it was! The very next contraction was a pushing contraction – it was
the craziest thing I have ever felt. It was like my stomach was literally
ejecting my baby out. It would happen about three times each contraction. It
wasn’t as “painful” as the other contractions but VERY overwhelming and
honestly scary to me because it was SO strong and so involuntary – my body was
doing it all without me and it was nuts! I don’t think I actually pushed with
the contractions for awhile, I didn’t feel like I was doing anything – it felt
like my body all on it’s own. My doula told me to reach down and see if I could
feel my baby and I could! His head was about half a finger inside. After a few contractions his head was closer, and then I
would feel it come down and go back up. It then started coming down and staying
down, but during the break between contractions would go back up.
My husband replaced my doula in front of me holding my hands
during these contractions while she went behind me and put counter pressure on
my back. It felt amazing, I didn’t really feel that much pressure in my
back/bum and I think it was because she was doing that. The beginning of a
couple came without her ready and they were SO MUCH WORSE. Our midwives arrived around 10:40 pm. They checked my baby’s
heart rate and it sounded good and I was relieved. I hadn’t felt any movement
from him and a couple of times it crossed my mind that maybe he wasn’t ok or
alive (I know that is awful but it was in my thoughts). Pretty soon I started
feeling burning on the inside, then a couple more contractions later and I was
feeling a terrible burning on the outside – I could reach down and feel my
son’s head RIGHT there. I had felt something slimy sticking out of me earlier and my
doula had checked me with a flashlight and mirror and saw that it was just part
of my bag of waters. Our midwife noticed the same thing at this point and wanted
to make sure she knew what it was, she couldn’t get a good look with the
flashlight so she told me I needed to stand up. I thought there was no possible
way in the world that I could stand up even if I tried but somehow everyone
helped me up, a contraction hit and my baby just shot/tumbled/fell right out,
it was 11:20pm on March 7th, 2012.
Later this week I will be sharing Part 2 so watch for
it on Friday! In the mean time I would love to hear from you in the comments: where did
you birth your baby(ies)? Was it what you expected or planned, why or why not? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted.
*I think* that the amount of traffic you so generously
generate has led to a lot of spam posting. In an effort to keep the spam
to a minimum, I am taking the time to moderate comments now. ~KRB Disclaimer: 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®. |
Common Factors That Influence Labor
Posted on April 3, 2012 at 7:52 PM |
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Each birth has been unique, and they have varied from
intervention free to cesareans to everything in between. What they all share is that the families made
the choices they had to make for a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome. What are the elements that are consistent
across the birth stories we have heard? Listed below are four things that are in your control
through pregnancy and labor. By making a
realistic evaluation of your circumstances, you can influence your outcome in a
positive direction by making good choices in the following areas. Rest: The biggest factor between couples that need
or choose interventions and those who do not is how rested Mom is towards the
end of labor. If Mom and/or Coach have
stayed aware and awake from the very first contraction and have been timing
most of them, they will be spent when the hard work of labor comes. Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, ScottsdaleMost of labor is spent working up to the hard contractions
that the body needs to have in order to push out a baby. Active labor prepares the baby and the body:
contractions function to align the baby in the birth canal, and to dilate and
efface the cervix. The length of the
active first stage depends on how baby and body work together. Then comes the work of pushing phase – again,
this can take a few minutes to a few hours – it all depends on the baby and the
body. We know it’s exciting to be in labor. We know you want to believe it’s going to go
quickly. We know you need to be rested,
no matter how long your labor ends up being.
Trust me – we learned the hard way with our first birth and ended up
with Pitocin and an episiotomy because I was exhausted. We never want our students to repeat our
mistakes, which is why we are so adamant that couples take a nap when they
think their labor has started. Our families that slept in early labor have had the energy
to manage the latter part of labor with less intervention or prodedure(s) to
augment labor. If they have a fast
labor, they have the energy and they emotional wherewithal for the
“sprint”. If they draw the “marathon”
labor card, they have the energy reserve to say no to Pitocin avoid an
episiotomy. And for those that do say
yes to Pitocin, they manage to continue to labor without an epidural. So even when it’s their first baby, we encourage couples to
sleep in spite of the excitement. There
is no way an unmedicated mother will sleep through the birth of her baby – they
body will wake you up when it’s time to pay attention. We have not heard, “We shouldn’t have slept”
when a couple comes back to share their birth story. What we do hear is, “We wish we had taken
Krystyna and Bruss’ advice to sleep”. Support System: We ask families to think about who can be an
assistant coach, or to consider hiring a doula.
Wherever you give birth, be it at home, at a hospital or a birth center,
there will come a point in the labor where Coach needs to go to the bathroom,
or maybe eat something even if Mom has lost her appetite, or maybe Mom really likes counter-pressure – and if
any of these are true, Coach can benefit from an extra pair of hands and eyes
on Mom. Hiring a doula is a decision that merits thought and reflection
as well. My friend Rachel wrote a great
post about factors to consider when choosing a professional labor support
person. The most important thing to ask
before you hire someone is if Mom and Coach are willing to share the vulnerable
and intimate experience of childbirth with the person they hire. If you don’t feel completely comfortable or
trust in the person you hire, you will experience unwanted tension. So don’t hire the person that your friend
used or the first person you interview just because it’s the easy thing to
do. Hire the person that you would be
comfortable crying, doubting and being naked in front of. If you have an unmedicated or even a less
medicated birth experience, you will be sharing these emotions and lack of
modesty with your doula as well as with your Coach. The other reason to change, even if you feel that your
choices are supported, is if you don’t have that level of comfort that I
mentioned should be present when you are choosing a doula or assistant coach. If there is any question in your mind about
laboring with or in front of your care provider, then you may want to seriously
consider interviewing other providers. The couples that switched care during their pregnancy have
all been happy with their outcomes. One
couple even switched as late as 39 weeks; and that gave their son the three
extra weeks he needed for his birthday because their second doctor did not push
for a non-medically indicated induction. Do you want to eat or drink?
Then eat or drink. Is something being suggested that you don’t feel like you
should do? Then tell your support team
and have them help you advocate for what you do want to do. Is there a position you feel like you should be laboring in
for no apparent reason? Then get into
that position and stay there as long as it is comfortable. Which brings us back to where we started. There are so many unknowns in labor, trust
your instincts – they are your primal connection to your baby and your
body. As long as Mom and Baby are doing
well in labor, there is very little that they can’t do while laboring. There are a multitude of things that can be done to help
achieve the natural birth the family is striving for. A solid childbirth education like The Bradley
Method® offers information on the many options available to birthing families
today, relaxation techniques to practice, and labor rehearsals to become
familiar with different positions that are beneficial to a laboring
mother. We also encourage all of our
students to keep lines of communication open between themselves and their care
team to make sure every one is supporting the couples choices and committed to
the ultimate Bradley™
outcome: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby birth stories. 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®. |
In Their Own Words: Hanson Birth Story
Posted on February 13, 2012 at 11:21 PM |
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Jennifer
was also kind enough to share some thoughts about Bradley Method® classes, care providers and life as a momma
of twins. Read our “virtual interview”
below the links to her birth story. The story of the Hanson twins begins with a momma of twins who wanted a natural birth and was ready to
do whatever it took to avoid an induction.
Although their due date was October 10, 2011, since she was carrying
twins, she was told they would be considered term on September 20, 2011. I have great respect for her midwives at
Valley Women for Women who allowed her to go “past due"...twice. What would
you do if you were 40 weeks plus four days pregnant? You may have seen this already…if not, try
this if you can…I know I would have a hard time accomplishing this not
pregnant! Momma went
into labor naturally two days after their labor dance, and here are links to her birth
story. Link to Part 1 The story of their twin sons' birth starts with the account of her labor at home and then at the hospital… "After many months
of preparing and learning (using mainly the Bradley Method®), we were able to
achieve the natural, unmediated childbirth that we had hoped for. We had a
beautiful, peaceful labor and a delivery that can only be described as
"dramatic" but one which God's hand of protection was completely
involved in every step of the way. We also have to thank our incredible team of
nurse-midwifes who took such wonderful care of us during the pregnancy and
allowed us to let the twins come when they were ready (which happened to be 6
days past their estimated due date) and encouraged us to still go for a natural
birth, even though Isaac was breech until around 38 weeks (when he turned on
his own). Truly, I can not say enough positive things about midwife care -
personal, encouraging, sensitive, relaxed and fun. I've honestly missed those
ladies since we've had the twins - something I would never say about any other
health care provider I've ever had. " Link to Part 2 Their birth
story continues with the account of her natural delivery despite a trying second stage: "While my labor was
calm and peaceful, with me being completely in-tune with my body and in-control
of what was happening to me, the delivery was chaotic and stressful, with me
being so distracted that I couldn't even tell when contractions were happening.
I felt out-of-control to the point of panic at times. It was not at all what I
had envisioned when I pictured the delivery of my sons, however I believe it
would have been far worse had our midwife Belinda not stepped in to fight for
us amidst the chaos of doctors and hospital politics. (I should mention here
that the OB practice we went with offered something called "collaborative
care" with twins. We were to be cared for and delivered by midwives, but a
doctor would be available should an emergency arise.)" SPB: What did you take away from The Bradley Method® classes
that helped you in your birth? JH: I think what I took away from the Bradley® classes was confidence that what I believed (that my body was designed to birth children) could line up with reality, even in a hospital birth. And that I had the right to advocate for the kind of birth I felt was best for me, my husband and our twins. SPB: What did your husband-coach feel was the most important
lesson he learned? JH: Devin read a number of chapters in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, which he felt was very helpful. The Bradley® classes reiterated what he had learned from the book. However, I felt going to the classes together helped me feel more confident in him as a coach and helped bring up some good conversations about "How will we handle ______ during the labor/birth/recovery." SPB: Based on your experience, what advice would you give to
pregnant women who are looking for a care provider? JH: I would encourage women to find a midwife or a care provider that has CNMs working for them. We were so encouraged and supported by our midwives. They helped to build our confidence and helped us navigate the "politics" we dealt with because we were expecting twins and wanted a 100% natural birth. Now that the medical bills are rolling in from the hospital, I would also recommend hiring a midwife out-of-pocket and birthing at home or at a birthing center, it is very likely to be cheaper (and less stressful than the hospital!!) This is what we plan to do next time around. SPB: How is life with the twins? JH: Life with twins is... a lot of work, but also a lot of
fun. Weston and Isaac are adorable and I love being their mom. We get lots of
attention when we go out, which took some getting used to. But now I've learned
to be gracious, patient and polite to all their admirers and can enjoy it when
people stop us. What's funny is that when I'm out with just one of the twins I
get zero attention and now that feels weird. They are such sweet babies.
In fact, as I'm typing this I can hear Weston waking up and laughing/cooing to
himself - he is a big time morning person and it brightens my day so much to
start the morning with his cooing and smiling. Isaac kinda hates waking up, but
once he's awake he showers me with morning smiles too. Many thanks to the Hanson family for making their inspiring story available to breech mommas, twin mommas and natural birth mommas across the world wide web and for allowing is to link to it. We wish the Hansons all the best as they continue their journey together as a family. Weston and Isaac, you are very blessed young men. To read more of Jennifer's writing, you can visit her blog: Do you have a birth story you would like to share? Please contact me at [email protected] if you would like to share your recollections for our Birth Story Archive. 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®. March 5,
2012 to May 21, 2012 For more
information or to register, please call us at 602-684-6567 or email us at
[email protected] |
Let’s talk about sex…
Posted on November 29, 2011 at 8:11 PM |
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I thought I would write a brief post on this since it came up
in last night’s review class. I also
recently heard an “old wives’ tale” that I had never heard before at a birth
circle: if you have sex during pregnancy your children are born with dimples. We are clearly not talking enough about sex during
pregnancy to inform people of the truth and dispel the myths. The truth is that as long as mom and baby are okay: no
bleeding issues, no concerns that intercourse would compromise the pregnancy,
your doctor hasn't told you to avoid "vaginal trauma" – then sex is okay as long as mom is willing. Coaches need to be sensitive to mom's needs:
some moms feel completely relaxed and so sexy in their pregnancy glow. Other moms may feel large, uncomfortable and
unattractive, no matter how much she is told that she looks beautiful and
radiant. Coaches need to be respectful of mom’s feelings and the positions
that she is comfortable in. Be willing
to try different settings, lighting or positions so that you can partake in the
mutual affection that started growing this little person in the first place. Sperm is actually beneficial to mom during pregnancy. It has antibacterial properties that are
beneficial to both the male and female reproductive systems. Some people suggest that you should make love
before taking your GBS test in order to increase the odds of passing and
testing negative for strep colonization. Testing positive means that you will have to talk about antibiotics during labor - IV is the common mode of delivery these days. Sperm is also natural prostaglandin that helps the cervix
ripen when it is time for labor. If you
are going to be induced, your care provider will insert a synthetic or
animal-derived prostaglandin into your vagina. The question we got last night is, “Can we have sex if we
are in early labor to help get things going?”
To which the moms scoffed and mentioned the coaches wanting to get in
one more “session” before the baby was born, and one very attentive coach
retorted, “Sperm is a prostaglandin – you will thank us for it!” (Did I mention we love our casual Q&A
review sessions??) So the answer is, yes, making love may get your labor to
progress. Here are some of the reasons
why: - Oxytocin, aka the love hormone, is made when you make
love and achieve sexual climax. You probably made it when you created your
baby, and mom’s body needs more of it during labor for her contractions. If you can make it in a
fun way, then go for it. - If mom reaches a sexual climax, that “contraction” begets
another contraction in the uterus and sometimes the chain continues to build. - If you stimulate mom’s nipples while you make love, you
will again aid in oxytocin production.
Nipple stimulation can be extremely effective; it’s usually recommended
to only do one nipple at a time. - Sometimes we need to let go and give in to our labor in
order for things to progress. The act of
making love helps us lower our inhibitions – maybe this act will help us relax
and accept the rest of the labor. - Sperm is a prostaglandin; some women find a natural
deposit of prostaglandin is preferable to an uncomfortable insertion process. When is intercourse during labor contraindicated? If mom is not in the mood, leave her alone. She is busy working to meet your baby
– suggest something else to stimulate her labor if you feel time constrained
for any reason. If the bag of waters has broken, it’s a definite no. You do not want to introduce anything going
upstream against the flow. The fluids
moving down are washing possible bacteria away from your baby. Forcing things in the other direction is an
open invitation for an infection that can complicate your labor and your birth
plans, which is why we also encourage students to limit vaginal exams,
especially when the bag of waters has ruptured. I will close with this thought: when we talk about sex and pregnancy during class two, we do tell our couples to think about sex during pregnancy as a bank account. You need to make deposits because you will be in "withdrawal only mode" on that love and affection for at least six weeks after your baby is born. I have a personal theory that some of us are not interested in sex after our six-week recovery period because our chemical oxytocin needs are met when we breastfeed. So, in a way, I wanted to side with the dads last night - yes, if they could talk their partner into one more time, their own self-interest would be served while they helped and contributed their special sauce to the labor process. On the other hand, I have never felt an urge to make love while in labor - I cannot even imagine... I hope this information helps you have a conversation about
sex with your partner – whether you are in one of your trimesters or thinking
about making love while you are in labor. What has been your experience with sex during pregnancy and/or labor? 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®. |
“When Are You Due?”
Posted on May 24, 2011 at 3:01 PM |
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One of Dr. Bradley’s sayings was, “It’s Not Nice To Fool
Mother Nature”. There is a whole chapter
of his book, Husband-Coached Childbirth, devoted to that topic, in which he
talks about the concerns he has with trying to rush the process. Did you know your due date was, at best, an estimate? Did you know that only 4% of babies arrive on their actual due date? There is no hard and fast rule for when your
baby is going to make his or her entrance. There is not a calendar or a PDA in your uterus with an alarm that will
ring telling them that it’s “go time.” The current way of estimating your due date is based on a
model that is 181 years old. A doctor
named Franz Carl Naegele who was an ordinary professor and director of the Lying-in Hospital in Heidelberg, Germany devised this method of estimating due
dates. He published it in a “Textbook
for Obstetrics”, intended for use by midwives, in 1830. During the infancy, if you will, of obstetric
medicine, one person published that a woman’s due date was going to be
approximately 280 days, or 40 weeks, after the date her last menstrual
period. This was not based on empirical
evidence, but rather on a common belief of the time. There is a more recent Harvard study published in June 1990
edition of the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology that we give to our
students on the first evening of class. It is a retrospective evaluation of pregnancies between April 1, 1983
and March 31, 1984. The conclusion of that study was
that the median estimated due date for primiparas (first-time mothers) should
be 8 days later than Naegele’s rule, and that multiparas should have an
estimated due date that was 3 days later than Naegele’s rule. Per their study, if you are 41 weeks as a
first-time mother, your baby might just be arriving to the point when he or she
is ready to be born. We ask our students to do a couple of things on the first
night of class. First of all, The
Student Workbook asks them recalculate their due date. We ask them to think about considering that
new date of 41 weeks and 1 day as their “due date”. We then encourage them to start saying they
have an “estimated due date” or a “due season” to take some of the pressure off
of themselves and their bodies. The reality is that your baby is going to come when your body and your baby decide to start
labor, and not a moment sooner. While no one who is or has been pregnant wants to tack on an extra
eight days when they are feeling big, uncomfortable, hot and ready to be done
with pregnancy, you just never know when your baby is going to arrive. Giving yourself eight extra worry-free,
stress-free days might be the best thing for you if you happen to be one of the
moms who will go past her 280-day due date. WHY DUE DATES ARE AT BEST, AN ESTIMATE It is assumed that most women ovulate on day 14 of their
menstrual cycle. If you ask anyone who
has had a difficult time conceiving, they will tell you that this is not always
true. Some women ovulate as early as day
11, and some as late as day 21. This
makes for as much as a two-week difference when estimating a due date. There is a second variable: when was the egg fertilized? Did
you know sperm could live in a woman’s body for seven days? We found this out the “baby way” with our
third child. Just when we thought we had
stopped trying to avoid another summer pregnancy, surprise – I was
pregnant! I joked that Bruss had bionic
sperm until I discovered this little fact. Oops. So back to the point: Once the egg is released, it lives
12-24 hours, but sperm could live for seven days. When do they meet? Only your baby and your body know, and they
are not telling. Here is the third variable: Once the egg is fertilized, it could take anywhere from 6-12 days after
you ovulated to implant. Until it finds
a home in the uterus, cell division is on hold. (If
you think about how IUD’s work, they make the uterus inhospitable for
implantation, therefore it makes it highly unlikely you can establish a
pregnancy with a fertilized egg.) So, if
your fertilized egg does take twelve days to implant, now you have more time to
add on to your estimated due date. There is the also fact that all babies are not created
at equal rates of development. There are
certain milestones in gestation that doctors expect to find, however, not every
baby is going to develop at the exact same rate. Nature’s bell curve deems that some babies
will be ready early, the majority of babies will be ready around their
estimated due dates, and then some of the babies will be ready after their due
dates. Once upon a time, a pregnancy was considered to be"normal" if a baby was born between 37-42 weeks of gestation. With so much variation in the actual process, it is so hard
for me to watch moms go past their due date and wonder if their baby’s are
going to make it without having to be induced. As with all things pregnancy, there is no perfect rule. There are times when a care provider will
start to be concerned because either mom or baby starts to show signs that they
are not physically handling the prolonged pregnancy. If and when we are faced with this possibility,
it falls on us as parents to make an informed decision about how to go forward
when faced with that situation. There is also a condition called "postmature". It could be as simple as an error in estimating a due date, in which you could negotiate for time if mom and baby are doing well. True postmaturity means that a baby is seriously ill: the placenta or mother are not supplying the baby with needed nutrients, the baby's skin is loose, the baby starts losing weight, the subcutaneous fat layer is gone and the baby looks like an old, dying person. You can see that there is a cause for real concern in this situation. It is very rare, however, no care provider wants to be the one who waited too long and then has to be the one to deliver a stillborn child. And no parent in their right mind would intentionally harm their baby...hence the ever-so-important questions arise and it is so vital that we weigh all our options carefully. WHAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER If you find yourself going past your due date, there are
several options you might consider. We
encourage you and your coach to have these conversations with each other and
your care team before you are faced with making an emotional decision. Talk about these options well in advance of
your estimated due date when you are calm, under no pressure to make a
decision, and you still have time to research different options and induction
methods should they become part of your care plan. If your care provider is a midwife: - If you are with a Licensed Midwife, you need to find out
what the state law says about what her practice parameters are. Here in Arizona, midwives can only deliver
babies born between 36-42 weeks of gestation. If you are baby is born early or later than that, you need to think
about a “Plan B” option now before it becomes a critical decision. - If you are under the care of a Certified Nurse Midwife
practicing under the umbrella of a doctor’s office, you need to discuss whether
or not her practice will allow her to care for you past 42 weeks gestation, or
how your state’s laws applies to their care situation. If your care provider is a doctor or doctor group: - Stay healthy and low-risk so more options are available to you. - You could show the Harvard study to your care provider and
see if they will agree to give you an extra two weeks past the 41-1 date, based
on the fact that your due date might have been estimated incorrectly. - You could find and change your care to a care provider who
is willing to give you more time than your current provider. Bradley teachers are a great resource, as are
any relatives or friends who have been in your situation. - You could negotiate to do fetal movement counts,
non-stress tests or biophysical profiles on a schedule you and your care
provider agree to, and agree to consider interventions if you or your baby
starts to show signs of stress. WORKING WITH YOUR BODY - You could try drug-free, non-consumption methods such as
nipple stimulation, thumb sucking, or other acupressure massage points that
stimulate the production of oxytocin, the same hormone your body produces to
cause contractions. (Discuss with your care provider.) - Sexual intercourse could help – semen contains the natural
prostaglandins that medicine tries to mimic with the prostaglandin inserts used
to ripen the cervix. (Discuss with your
care provider.) - You could do some focused meditation and connect with your
baby, encouraging him or her that you are ready for them and that you are
waiting to meet them. - You could continue with staying well nourished and getting
plenty of rest so that when the day does arrive, you are rested and ready
instead of tired and stressed. INDUCTIONS AND INTERVENTIONS There are many different ways to try to “speed things along”
that are stimuli by application or consumption. I am not going to comment on them because I
do not want to bias you or be interpreted as giving you medical advice. I will refer you to Husband-Coached
Childbirth by Dr. Bradley or Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer for you to do your own research. It’s up to you and your coach to draw your own conclusions about which
of these you would consider and in what order you would place them on your list
of things to do. I list them in
alphabetical order: - Acupunture - Amniotomy (artificial rupturing of the membranes) - Castor Oil - Enema - Herbs - Mechanical Dilators - Oxytocin - Prostaglandin E2 inserts - Stripping/sweeping of the membranes - TENS machine BEST WISHES I hope and pray that if you are reading this, you are doing
so to gather information instead of reading it as one of your last resorts
looking for answers. There is no right
or wrong answer, just the one that works best for your peace of mind and for
the best outcome anyone could want: Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby. If you are looking at this because you are facing tough
decisions, do not hesitate to drop me a line ([email protected]) and ask us to pray for you. I am a believer in the power of prayer, and
we will add our prayers to yours and ask that God’s will be done for you and
your 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®. References: Husband-Coached Childbirth, Dr. Robert Bradley, 2008, pgs
16-42 Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth, Henci Goer, 1999,
pgs 49-74 Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vol. 75, No. 6, June 1990, pgs
929-932 The Bradley Method® Teacher’s Manual, 2010, page 120 http://www.americanpregnancy.org/gettingpregnant/understandingovulation.html http://www.transitiontoparenthood.com/ttp/parented/pregnancy/duedate.htm |
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