tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2859391217071815162024-03-05T08:36:29.987-06:00Triumphant BirthKatie Perez, VBA3C after inverted T mama, certified birth doula, student midwifeTriumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-56815679403837543482012-02-10T21:51:00.000-06:002012-02-10T21:51:11.342-06:00VBA3C and SymmetryMy husband and I joke often because I have the tendency to be a bit anal retentive about certain things. And for some odd reason I really like symmetry. My husband is convinced that's why we got pregnant with our fourth, because God knew I liked symmetry (I have other theories about that, but that's for another time lol!). He's the second boy in a girl-boy-girl-boy pattern. In any case, I like it. :)<br />
But this post is not about me! Enter Steve and Caryn. They bring the love of symmetry to a whole new level! They hired me when Caryn was about 12 weeks pregnant with their fourth child. And it turns out to be a girl in a boy-girl-boy-girl pattern. Their boys' names start with C and their girl names start with S. They also have 2 dogs and 2 cats, and yep you guessed it, they are 1 of each gender, and the males' names start with C and females with S. I love this family!<br />
But there is one thing that does not fall into their symmetry pattern. I'll get to that in just a second.<br />
Caryn and Steve hired me because they wanted this baby to be a VBAC. After 3 c-sections. (Sound familiar?) I am very eager to help, this being so close to my heart, and she throws herself into preparing. (<a href="http://ajourneytovbac.blogspot.com/">her blogspot about her journey!</a>) <br />
This mama's c-section history is enough to make any birthie person ask for a barf bag, and it pains me that she had to endure 3 cesareans for the most bogus, ridiculous reasons! But here she was, educating herself, considering a bigger family than c-sections would safely allow her to have, and feeling confident this was the choice God had led them to. I adore her! <br />
Labor started early yesterday morning, and I arrived about 9:30am. We ran through a circuit of positions because her baby was still too posterior for this doula's comfort (Ugh I did not want malposition to sabotage this mamas birth! No way!)<br />
We got to the hospital about 12:15 or so and she is 3-4 cm. Too early for my liking, but she's having hard labor contractions now (posterior baby) and I can't imagine getting her into the car to leave at this point! But all that wouldn't matter, because she PLOWED through labor and transition like a freight train and was 10 cm and pushing a little more than 2 hours later! And for a mama with CPD and a posterior baby, she pushed out an 8lb 10oz baby in 34 minutes!! Absolutely amazing!! Tears of joy!! VBA**3**C!! I love it!!<br />
I'll post her birth story as soon as she writes it! <br />
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So, since she's now had 3 babies by cesarean and 1 baby by VBAC, I guess that means she needs to do this a couple more times so they can get their symmetry really perfect again. ;-)Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-53582147963578639022011-10-07T21:27:00.002-05:002011-10-13T21:50:46.447-05:00Special Scars, Special WomenIf you have read my blog for a while, you probably know that my first c-section resulted in a "special scar", an inverted T incision. I wanted to take a moment and explain what a special scar is, and talk about an incredible organization in its infancy that has formed to support women who have them, educate them on their options, and to spread awareness.<br />
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A special scar is any unusual <b>internal</b> incision, other than the standard and common low transverse incision. I personally have an inverted T, which basically looks like an upside down T on my uterus. (My external incision is low and horizontal.) Sometimes the OB cuts them that way, and sometimes the uterus tears while the incision is being spread and stretched to deliver the baby. Sometimes they are necessary because of a malpositioned baby (like breech or transverse) and sometimes they are used because of microprematurity. Click <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/articles/not_typical.html">here</a> for a great article explaining different types and how they affect the birthing woman.<br />
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Now onto something that makes my heart smile. :) When I was pregnant with my VBAC baby, I came across an amazing source of support by the way of Jessica Tiderman's Life after Inverted T yahoo support group. Before then, I had never met anyone who had an incision like mine, and even farther from my mind was the prospect of meeting someone who had VBAC'd after one. It was an extra boost of confidence I needed to propel me toward my own VBAC! Eventually this group became <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/"><b>Special Women, Special Scars</b></a>, and earlier this year, Jessica formed a non-profit organization in an effort to support, educate, and spread awareness. I consider it an honor to sit on this board as membership director and help assimilate moms into the support group and help meet their needs. Jessica is one day soon hoping to do some medical studies on the risks involved with special scars, as the studies that exist are small and lacking, although hopeful. <br />
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The website is a link to information and support. There are <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/articles/index.html">articles, links to relevant studies</a>, <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/stories/index.html">birth stories</a> from some of our members, and links to our <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/links/index.html">support groups</a> for those who need them. Oh, and the ever-important <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/contact/sh_survey.html">survey</a>, in an effort to begin to collect information for future studies to be done. If you know someone who has a special scar, whether they VBAC'd on it or not, we want to hear about it! <br />
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This is important work that helps moms all over the world like me, so spread the word! And if you can, please <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=UuT01CgKPlLe7B_toWAt9Hr39XQbP9GlgQf9dFNpmOLx4brSi0Ts1yRD7AO&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8dd049a0174d7b2337c94a2120c957a268">donate</a> something to the cause! :-)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Scars remind us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we're going. It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars. ~ Garrison Keillor</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.specialscars.org/">www.specialscars.org</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-35823940408413821612011-10-07T00:02:00.006-05:002011-10-12T22:24:11.903-05:00VBAssC birth, a VBAC after a preterm classical incisionRuth is one of those amazing mums (speaking Australian here lol!) who throws herself into doing the absolute best in everything she puts her hands to. I met her through our <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/">Special Scars</a> support group, and even though we are on complete opposite sides of the world from each other, I just absolutely love this girl and felt that heart connection. She wanted to know everything she could about the possibility of VBAC'ing on her preterm classical incision, and committed herself to passionately researching. Then she took her stack of studies, after being convinced that VBAC was not only possible, but that the benefits far outweighed the risks, and brought her armory of evidence to her opposition, a stern-faced panel of OBs at the hospital in which she intended to deliver. Obviously this was not received well, but firm and fiery, she stood her ground and eventually was passed to the supervising OB who would take over her care. <br />
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Below she shares her birth stories, all of them in fact, to give reference and honor to the journey she has walked. It's a bit of a long read, full of difficulty, including loss of a twin, and the trauma of delivering a 25 weeker via classical cesarean and his long precarious NICU stay, but I promise worth every second, and at the end of it all, I cry tears of joy at her triumph and healing, and praise God with her for His grace and favor. The bigger the struggle, the greater the triumph. And this indeed is triumph. <3 <br />
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~The Birth of Jackson Lucas~<br />
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The birth of our third baby has been so healing, in ways that words cannot fully describe. The heartache and pain of our losses, of our preemie experience and of the surgery that brought our prem into the world has been with me daily. Since delivering our third baby, those pains and the distress they brought have gone. This birth has been such a blessing, and I am amazed and overjoyed at what my body has accomplished. It is such a natural act, yet that is too often taken from us during our experiences of labour and birth. Delivering our son was the most empowering and awesome experience, more than I could have asked for. God has given us such a gift!<br />
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I am looking at our precious baby boy and all I can do is smile. The birth was perfect, absolutely amazing and unlike anything I could have imagined! To know just how beautiful this birth was, you have to know about my previous pregnancies and births.<br />
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Our daughter Caitlin Rose was delivered 5:09am 30th March 2009. The pregnancy was tough, I needed progesterone injections the whole way to maintain the pregnancy, I had hyperemesis gravidarum and I felt movement super early. We had not planned to have a baby, so it was a great adjustment for us after only 3 months of being together! (And me being told I was infertile…ha!) I had antenatal depression sparked by the shots, and an irritable uterus causing daily painful contractions. There were episodes of bleeding and mucous plug loss, and the whole pregnancy was rather less than enjoyable. I felt overwhelmed at being pregnant and the prospect of being a mum. But that changed the instant I held her in my arms! The labour was 2 days, she was a posterior baby. Thankfully I laboured mainly at home (well, at the beach, then hosting dinner for my sister-in-laws at home) as I wasn’t convinced I was really in labour. My husband had to demand that I get into the car to drive me to hospital as I wanted to stay home longer. We allowed a student midwife that I had met previously to come to the hospital for the birth, and we had a midwife taking care of us. That was great! We did wind up with a lot of people in the room as our baby girl became distressed and she was stuck for a long time. The staff were being prepped to take me to theatre, thankfully with some hands on assistance (manual dilatation) my student midwife and midwife delivered her. I had been labouring to my comfort, in the shower, hands and knees, swaying, squatting, however I felt I needed. And we had planned to deliver her in a good position. Unfortunately I was not in a favourable position for the delivery, but we avoided the caesarean so it was a small price to pay. Only 6 hours after arriving and she was in my arms. And she melted my heart! I finally felt right about being a mum, it was such a breathtaking moment for me to have her handed to me. Despite emergency surgery a week following her birth (due to retained placenta) I thought I had experienced a wonderful natural delivery. She was birthed without drugs, and it was a spontaneous vaginal delivery at 37 weeks. <br />
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We then conceived a baby shortly after her birth, but the pregnancy was lost. We conceived fraternal twins when our daughter was 5 months old. Sadly we also lost one of the twins, and had a lot of complications during the pregnancy. On top of the daily injections, there was severe haemorrhaging from subchorionic hematomas, PPROM at 18+5 (when we were assured we would lose our surviving baby, thank the Lord that He kept our son safe!) infection and placental abruption. Our boy Jacob Kenneth was delivered via emergency classical (vertical) caesarean at 6:10am on March 2nd 2010. He was just 25 weeks + 2 days. I was in hospital on bedrest from 23+6 until his delivery, as 24 weeks is considered viable here. There was just 3cm of fluid surrounding our son, and as he was breech, we opted for the caesarean. The labour was horrible thanks to hospital staff, and also being strapped to monitors, catheter in place and unable to move with IV lines. When I knew I would be delivering him I called my husband. (I knew as the contractions were quite surprisingly as painful as those of my first labour. The pressure was centred on the cervix but the intensity was the same). As he slept next to me, the doctors on call loudly discussed my situation and the fact that I had refused narcotics to stop the labour. I had already been informed that such drugs would not prevent birth when the mother was already labouring, but could prevent a labour from beginning. I knew I was in labour, so I declined. They insisted that I would cause an unnecessary caesarean and potentially the death of our baby by refusing the drugs. It was very distressing. Another doctor examined me soon after and I was rushed for the caesarean, as I was indeed in labour at 6cm dilated. Because our baby had not flipped, we knew the chance for survival was slightly higher with the caesarean. The surgery was awful, I felt a lot of pain throughout and we did not know if we would be welcoming a live baby or not. He was delivered, we were told he was a boy, then I was left alone as my husband went with our son (and was promptly asked to leave NICU, so our baby and myself were both alone. Hubby didn’t know his rights as a parent to stay with our son at that time). A further 15 weeks and a lot of preemie issues elapsed before I was able to finally take our son home.<br />
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So I had now experienced two very different labours and deliveries, and was quite convinced I did not want surgery again. What I did not realise is how different spontaneous vaginal labours could be. When we found out I was pregnant again, I began researching vaginal deliveries after classical caesareans. Months of studying went into this, and many discussions with medical staff. I found Jessica Tiderman’s site <a href="http://www.specialscars.org/">Special Scars</a> which prompted us into further research. Between Jessica and another special scar mum Katie Perez, I was given a lot of support and encouragement. My husband and I decided to try for a vaginal delivery, and conferred with our obstetrician to make this as safe as possible. Our obstetrician was fantastic, he took on our care against hospital policy, and had us sign a waiver after explaining the risks and benefits of a vaginal delivery in our situation. He was always respectful and encouraging while stating his concerns and helping us to create a birth plan. A great change from the experiences we had until he took us on! So we now had a birth plan in place for a vaginal delivery following classical caesarean. And we also hired a beautiful doula who we were hopeful would guide us through this birth. <br />
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At 1am on September 26th 2011 I was up walking around the house with contractions. They had been there for over a month, the same pain as my previous labours and could be timed 1-2 minutes apart, lasting 2 minutes. The joys of an irritable uterus! Our baby was beyond engaged and had been for a long time and I was getting around an hour sleep per night. And then my water broke. I had a quick panic when I thought I had peed myself, and then realised my waters had ruptured. So I called my Mum and asked her to come over to watch the kids. We knew they would be fine waking up to my Mum without us being there. Then I woke my husband to let him know it was time to head in. I would have laboured longer at home, but we had decided to head in early in the labour to have the cannula placed in case of complications. We called our doula to let her know we would be heading into hospital as my contractions were steady. At 3am we left the house and arrived at about 3:30am. A midwife took us through to the maternal and foetal assessment unit. I had to laugh when she insisted that a vaginal exam (which we declined) was necessary for her to let me know if I were in labour or not. I let her know that I would be birthing that day. She asked us about continual foetal monitoring, which we also declined, and a male staff member came in to insert the cannula. He was unable to get it in between the wrist and elbow, so the midwife sent us through to the labour suite where we would try again. I had dropped into a hands and knees position by now to deal with the contractions, and our doula set up the ground for me to be more comfortable. I had to get up and onto the bed to let the man attempt the cannula insertion again, so the bed was set up reclining and I was on my knees leaning against the bedhead. The contractions were lasting only 45-60 seconds, but they were coming on top of each other. There was a great deal of pressure, which I had only experienced with our other babies when they were descending. This was so different, very intense and more painful, but it much more natural and therefore comforting than my other labours. I extended my arm between each one and gave permission for him to insert the cannula wherever he could find a good vein, as he looked rather panicked about not being able to get it in! The midwife we were assigned bandaged it for me and bloods were taken. The midwife then asked to check the baby with a doppler, and I agreed. On the next contraction, I needed to make my way to the shower to cope with the pain. I was surprised at just how painful I was feeling them, it felt like the end of my first labour in comparison and I looked to my doula and told her I wasn’t sure that I could actually get through it this time. I wasn’t stressed, or losing control, just quite aware of how painful they already were and I thought I would need some form of pain relief to get through the rest of the labour. She smiled and said I would do just fine.<br />
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Our doula continued with her encouragement and gentle reminders to relax my pelvis and breathe into my belly. Once we were in the shower I was able to focus on the contractions knowing our doula was between the medical staff and my husband and I. That was so important to us, it felt like our birth space was protected by a woman we trusted and felt comfortable with. Very soon I thought I felt the need to empty my bowels, so I asked everyone to leave. The midwife went to get a doppler and my doula asked if I were sure I needed the loo, or if the baby was coming. Both my husband and I thought we had many hours of labour to go, but she insisted I keep my hand close just in case. And she was right! Once I realised my bowels were empty and it was indeed our baby, I made my way back to the shower immediately after the contraction. I called my husband into the bathroom and knelt down, one hand waiting for our baby, one hand on the floor supporting my weight. The force of the contractions was unbelievable, I finally know what the ejection reflex is! With our other babies, I could not control the pushing, but I could choose to bear down with them or not. This time, I had no control at all over the force. I was aware of how quickly the baby was descending yet I could not lessen the pushing. It was amazing! I delivered the head, which was rather blue just as my daughter’s had been, and I watched our baby turn slightly. It had taken a few pushes to get the head out, but one more forceful contraction and while still guiding the head I delivered the body with my other hand. I was able to bring our baby straight up onto my chest, and discovered that we had another son!<br />
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Our doula had notified our midwife of the imminent birth, and two midwives arrived after I had delivered him. One of them was a bit too quick to cut the cord (we had hoped for the benefits of delayed cord clamping) as our son was not yet breathing, despite being attached to the placenta and without any compromise. He cried within seconds of being pulled away from me and was promptly handed back. It was such a beautiful delivery, bringing my own baby up to my chest while my husband was by my side. This was the first birth he had actually witnessed, although he was present for all of them. That was just amazing and still brings tears to my eyes that he was able to watch his wife deliver his baby. It was so lovely to have our doula present also, she gave us both a lot of confidence and I believe having her present allowed my body to relax fully and experience a labour the way it is meant to be. What a wonderful difference to my previous labours!<br />
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Our son Jackson Lucas was born at 5:08am, September 26th 2011. I was 39+4 weeks into the pregnancy, far further than anyone had expected us to make. We have been abundantly blessed with this birth. The Lord Jesus had such mercy to give us this perfect birth, which has been so healing for me. From a pregnancy that began with the specialists not wanting to prescribe progesterone as they believed I was miscarrying, to make it not just to viability, but to term, was such a relief and a fantastic thing to experience. There had been complications with the pregnancy again, and I was very sick too, but I cannot find a single thing that I would choose to change about the labour. It is surely how I was meant to birth.<br />
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I needed surgery following the delivery due to retained products that were vascular, resulting in major haemorrhaging (one blood clot alone was 500mL!). I lost 1600mL by the time I was done in theatre. There was talk of a blood transfusion, and iron infusions. But thankfully the Lord saw us through without either as we had chosen to decline them unless I had another large loss. God blessed us greatly with the surgery, as we had our obstetrician take over my care and perform the surgery. My husband had requested him when I became upset at needing surgery, and I am so thankful! Our obstetrician did a wonderful job, and the theatre team were just lovely with me. They had me laughing, and the anaesthetist even played music for me on his phone. When I came out of surgery, I was met with our now qualified midwife who was our student midwife with my first birth. She is a beautiful young woman and it was an absolute pleasure to find her as my nurse. She was also on call the following morning, so she was there to book us out of hospital. It was great to see her and let her see our other children again. Given that the surgery was necessary, I could not have asked for better than to have both our obstetrician and our (ex student) midwife caring for me. And I was able to leave the morning following the birth. It was awesome to walk out of the hospital with my husband and all three of our children. And with my health. My scar was very thin, we saw this on the ultrasound that was performed to confirm the retained products. And my endometrium was presenting unusually.<br />
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We know we are not willing to have any more children now, as we believe the risks are too high after discussion with our obstetrician. Which makes it so much more meaningful that I was able to experience such a perfect birth. I had asked the Lord for a positive birthing experience for my husband and I. There could have been nothing better than the experience He gave us! No unwanted interventions, no foetal monitoring, no invasive vaginal exams, no managed third stage, and the joy of discovering we had another son for ourselves. Just a birth, completely natural and unassisted. Despite the surgery, and initially needing to express breastmilk again (I had to pump exclusively for both our other children due to tongue tie and prematurity) until our son’s tongue tie was snipped, I am still so thrilled with the delivery. It was painful, it was intense, and it was perfect. There is not a moment of the whole labour I would change. It felt so natural, and to deliver our son into my arms the way I was able to was so beautiful, I wish that every woman could have this kind of experience in childbirth. I am sitting here with my son right now, our other children are in our room sleeping, and the way I feel is amazing. I have no signs of post natal depression, which I developed very quickly after delivering our other babies. Our son feeds well now and actually sleeps well too, which is a first for us. A nice first! I love wearing him in the sling and sleeping next to him (as we all sleep in our room). He loves it too. I finally understand the term ‘babymoon’ now. I was very scared becoming a mum to our daughter, and the NICU experience was extremely challenging with our son. To have another baby at term, healthy, and thriving is just lovely. And the birth, I will never forget how amazing that felt. The Lord certainly blessed us with His great mercy and kindness!Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-87136350934086022342011-10-05T23:27:00.006-05:002011-10-07T12:02:17.529-05:00VBA3C, An Amazing, Victorious Birth!It was a warm June evening in 2010 and I was glued to the computer, literally facebook stalking a fellow ICAN mama, hitting the refresh button over and over again every few minutes for updates. She was going for a VBA3C, and I was sitting in my upstairs game room, my heart aching for it to happen for her. Prayers going up, believing she COULD do this, and anxiously awaiting any update.<br />
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And then it was there, and it said ***VBAC!*** Another VBA*3*C!! Ahhhh, I was completely over the moon for her! My husband is giving me strange looks while I do my happy dance, and wow, I just praised God and just sat in awe of this amazing mama at what she had just accomplished.<br />
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It's long overdue that I post this particularly triumphant birth story, she has quite a story, going for the natural birth over and over and over again, dealing with the agony of two "failed" VBAC attempts, putting the pieces together to solve her own mystery, assembling the right team and PERSEVERING in spite of it all.<br />
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This story is amazing in its own right, it was not easy, and my friend fought the battle for her VBA3C in a way that was very different from my short and sweet VBA3C. It seems birth comes easier for some of us, but when it is SO HARD, the victory is especially sweet. She truly is a BIRTH WARRIOR, here is her story:<br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;">~The birth of Ava Sophia, A VBA3C~</span><br />
You know that definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Yep, that one. I’ve gone over that saying so many times in my head. Am I crazy? Why do I even want this so badly? Am I willing to go through hours and hours, maybe days, of labor to possibly end up with another c-section? I could, and according to about 99% of Obstetricians, should have scheduled a c-section anyway.<br />
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I don’t know if I’m crazy so much as really, really stubborn. I wanted this “natural birth” in 1996, 14 years ago. That plan was foiled when my teeny baby girl stopped moving in utero and had to be cut out of me. It felt more like a tumor removal than a birth. I was terrified there was something wrong with my baby but the doctor reassured me that I would be able to wear a bikini after the surgery because the incision would be low. Sweet relief. My troubles were over! (Try to keep up, that’s sarcasm!) Yep, that was my welcome to motherhood. Sitting alone in that postpartum room pumping milk like crazy listening to other babies crying in the rooms next to me, while I had to wheel myself down the hall to visit my little girl. (<a href="http://victorybirth.blogspot.com/2011/04/i-never-wrote-thisbecause-it-hurt.html">Read the long version here</a>.)http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<br />
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In 1999, I almost got my “natural birth”, but after contracting for 5 days and reaching 9 cm, my cervix swelled and I was absolutely at my limit. I consented to c-section…firing my doctor in the process (He acted like a jerk the whole time I was in labor…all 12 hours it took for me to get from 6 to 9 cm) Anyone else would have done the same thing in my situation. The new doc who came to actually do the surgery told me that my pelvis was shaped like a “funnel” and I would never birth vaginally. So I guess my diagnosis was ‘failure to progress’ due to ‘cephalopelvic disproportion or CPD’. <a href="http://victorybirth.blogspot.com/2011/04/my-empowering-failed-vbac.html">(Long version!)</a><br />
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I never paid any attention to that. Doctors do and always will misdiagnose…some more than others, they are human and humans make mistakes, doctors are no exception. I wish I had a dollar for every time a woman has had a c-section for a “big” baby and then VBACed an even bigger baby.<br />
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I didn’t make great choices for my next birth in 2005. I was very distrustful of OBs and hospitals. I decided that I would attempt a homebirth (An HBA2C). I was due Christmas day and hired a couple of midwives that I really didn’t feel 100% comfortable with. I just didn’t know of anyone else who was going to attend a VBA2C. It ended unfavorably. I started contracting on the 19th and kept going and going and going…just like the last time. On the 22nd I had reached my limit and was so exhausted, emotional, devastated. Upon realizing I wasn’t going to get the support I needed from my midwives, I reluctantly headed to the hospital, hoping for some intervention to help me birth. Unfortunately, the on-call OB gave me no choice and told me I had to have a CBA2C. So, I did what I knew I had to do and asked for an AMA (against medical advice) form and went back home. I continued laboring through the night and the next day around noon, surrendered, decided I was done and went back to the hospital to meet my precious little girl. <a href="http://victorybirth.blogspot.com/2011/04/birth-3-and-why-midwives-are-not-always.html">(Read the whole story here.)</a><br />
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In 2009, I find out that I’ve had a fused sacrum my whole life. In other words, my sacrum won’t move. My pelvis is still normal in the front, but birthing for me is a whole other ball game. Labor will probably be longer and more painful. That had already proven to be true.<br />
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I felt a little robbed. Whatever. The only thing that information changed was that it gave me validation for what I’d been through. No wonder my labors were so long. No wonder I haven’t been able to get a baby through! I’m not having any more babies anyway.<br />
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I’m pregnant. (bet you didn’t see that coming!)<br />
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I’m pregnant and I cannot, no way, no how, can I just schedule a c-section. It’s not in me. No matter how I look at it, no matter how much easier it would be, I just can’t bring myself to be ok with it. I can’t even say it out loud. Just thinking it makes me throw up in my mouth a little.<br />
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Ok. I probably am a little crazy…or a lot, when it comes to birth.<br />
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I’m at a crossroads. I want a homebirth so badly I can taste it but knowing what I know, I feel like I’m going to need an intervention beyond the capabilities of a midwife. I met a wonderful OB at an ICAN meeting some months before becoming pregnant. He was warm and kind and very human (not doctor-ish at all) and he said to me “you’ll have another baby”. At that time, even though I wasn’t planning to, I knew if I ever did, I would go and see him.<br />
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I’ve slept through the whole pregnancy. At 29 weeks I had an ultrasound that showed a smallish, golf-ball sized fibroid right in the front of my uterus. I’ve got so much built-up anxiety about this birth.<br />
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My “due date” is June 12, and while I’m not afraid to start labor, I’m afraid it will never end. I’ll be in labor forever. I really, kind of, believe that this baby will not make it out of my vagina. I did start having contractions on the 11th but ignored them as long as I could. On the 12th, I went and ate crab legs (contracting about every 3 minutes…probably 60 seconds long), went to the park with the kids, bending over a picnic table every few minutes. They continued to beat me down, well into the night. I’m handling things, but start thinking about the length of time it has taken me to get from point A to point B in my previous labors…oh wait, I never made it to point B, at least not on my own.<br />
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Now I’m beginning to feel foolish. Its 2-3am and I can’t sleep. I’d rather someone poke me in the eye with a hot needle than lay down or recline. I’m really beginning to doubt myself. I had to have a good cry…whine to my husband a little. He hugged me and loved me as only he can and I decided to suck it up, wipe my tears and get myself together. No matter how I looked at it, my baby would be here in the next couple of days.<br />
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I did some belly lifts and made and intricate arrangement of pillows on my bed so that I could take an ambien and sleep in as close to the hands-and-knees position as I could get. I used a long thin heated rice sock under my belly and a large square one on my low back. I guess I slept some because I had really weird dreams…maybe more like hallucinations. I was in Alice in Wonderland. There were bombs planted all around me and when they went off, I had really strong contractions. I got up quickly and practically ran out of my room to get away from the “bombs”.<br />
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It was morning and I must have totally relaxed allowing my baby to move into the optimal position because the contractions were coming hard and fast. I was able to check my cervix and realized that I was dilating and my mucus plug was dislodging. A couple of hours later, I was already at about 3 cm. I was excited but not too excited because I couldn’t really allow myself to focus on much more than the contractions.<br />
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I wanted to go ahead and head towards the hospital, yes, at only 3 cm. It was a 45 minute drive (the doctor made it worth it!) and I didn’t want to be in the car during transition…even though I was still technically in “early labor”. I went by my chiropractor’s house to get a quick adjustment. I know that she thinks I’m crazy for going so early in labor. I had to sit on my nursing pillow because it was so uncomfortable for me to just sit on the seat.<br />
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I waddled up to the nurses station at the hospital, get checked into a room and the nurse tells me that MY doctor is not on call.<br />
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Um. The other doctor will give me a c-section. I’ll just wait for him to call me back.<br />
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He’s not answering his phone. He was at the hospital 36 hours yesterday with another VBAC.<br />
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We will leave if he doesn’t call back. But I know he will call back so I’ll just wait.<br />
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The nurse is “ok” with me waiting because after checking my cervix (which seems to be in my throat) she assessed that I am still in “early labor” and at 3 cm. She asked me if I had a birth plan. I said “my birth plan is to VBAC, that is all.” She set me up with a heparin lock and put me on the monitors for a 20 minute strip. When she left the room, I ate a protein bar. My doula and birth photographer arrived and I went and walked/squatted in the hallway.<br />
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The nurse called me back in the room, my doctor was on the phone. He asked if I wanted to leave the hospital and go labor elsewhere. Ummm, no. I really don’t want to go. I really want to stay. I really don’t think I can handle leaving and coming back. These contractions are really strong and long and on top of one another. He said “ok” and he’d be up later.<br />
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My doula raised the bed into what looked like a throne to me. I started quoting Alice in Wonderland…being the Red Queen. “I need a pig here!” “I like a warm pig belly for my aching feet.” She pushed my knees toward my sacrum during contractions…It felt wonderful!<br />
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My contractions started spacing out a bit, and were perfectly manageable. This was the nicest labor ever! I got up a few times to go to the bathroom having a couple of contractions en route and on the toilet. My doula became concerned that I was losing steam and labor was slowing down. She suggested I leave the hospital to labor or take a nap. I was NOT leaving. Not now. She and my photographer went to get something to eat and my hubby took over the knee presses. I ate a honey stick and kept cracking jokes. This was so easy! I took a trip to the toilet and decided to check my cervix. WHOA! This was different! It was actually opening…a lot! Soft, slimy, at least 5-6 cm and my bag of waters were bulging out. I hurried back to my throne. The nurse came in and checked me and SAID I WAS AT 7cm and gone from -3 station to -1 station!!! I’d been at the hospital for about 3 hours! This was probably the happiest moment I’ve had in a very long time. I was ELATED! I started to tear up and told the nurse “You have no idea what this means to me!”<br />
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About an hour later, my wonderful doctor walks in and says “you were 7 an hour ago; I thought you might be complete by now.” I’m thinking, How do you know I’m not?...<br />
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At that moment, a contraction came on fast and furious. It only seemed to last a second and then fizzled out really quickly. It felt very different and made me nauseous. I said “Ew, that was weird. That one just made me want to puke.” I was ready to start pushing and my doctor knew it. He said “keep it up” and left the room.<br />
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I started to feel kind of drunk. Everything is getting hazy. Contractions just shifted gears and made me feel HOT, sweaty, and sick to my stomach. I made lots of references to Alice in Wonderland and continued making jokes even though I was feeling so weird.<br />
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I got in all kinds of positions to push. I followed the directions of my doula but wasn’t really loving pushing. I was in on my hands and knees and a contraction started that really hurt, I guess it was the pressure because all of a sudden my water exploded all over the bed. I laughed because this is probably one of the coolest things that have ever happened to me. It was a huge victory to have my water break all on its own. It felt awesome to have all of it gushing out. Now I could focus my energy into making the water move from my body and know I was pushing in the right place.<br />
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Also, just to clarify, these contractions hurt, they sucked, and I only pushed because it felt better than not pushing, but I did NOT like it.<br />
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My doula instructed me to get into the ‘dangle’ position. The bed is up as a chair and my husband sat in the chair. I get to wrap my arms around his legs and hang limp, letting my lower body completely relax during contractions. YUCK! This felt AWFUL, so it must be getting the baby down, right? I got suckered into doing that for 5 contractions. There were more Alice in Wonderland references for this one since it looked like I was doing the ‘futterwacken dance’. I told my doula “This is the best birth you’ve ever been to!” then I though about that for a second and added “Today, anyway.” I guess the pain made me goofy.<br />
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The baby had been having some heart decelerations and my doctor wanted to see where her head was. I was up on the squat bar when he checked me. It HURT! He informed me that my cervix was high and around the baby’s face. She wouldn’t be born if I wasn’t able to move it down around her head. Great. I had to lean over the squat bar, facing the bed, do a pelvic tilt and push to save my life during the next set of contractions. It felt like I was doing this forever because it hurt so bad that the endorphins must have really kicked in. I felt like I was floating. I flipped around to face the other way on the bar and kept pushing. All of a sudden there was a mention of oxygen and people started moving fast. I heard “lay on your left side!” “Wait!” (I’m in the middle of a contraction. I can’t move.) I was quickly thrown onto my side anyway and my leg lifted up. Baby’s heart rate came back up, but that really sucked!<br />
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At this point, I’m in and out of half-asleep mode. Things are really hurting, I’m working so hard and everyone starts saying “it’s time to really start working now.” WHAT? I’m working harder than I ever have in my life!! I’ve got my eyes shut and even though my doula told me to open them, I kept them shut. I couldn’t focus on pushing with my eyes open. Everyone starts saying “PUSH!” “I AM pushing!” I honestly don’t know how this could get harder.<br />
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It did. A lot. The nurse starts reciting my baby’s heart rate with each contraction. That can’t be good. My doula got a towel for me to pull on while I push…to help the head move under my pubic bone. That took so much concentration, and strength. And it didn’t even work.<br />
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My doctor says “Abbey, I might have to use forceps to help the baby come down.” I said “ok, do what you have to do” I really didn’t care, I wanted to be DONE. I asked him if he’d have to cut an episiotomy and he reassured me that he hardly ever does them and no, just because he was using forceps, didn’t mean he would.<br />
Of course, it wasn’t going to be over until it got even harder. I was instructed to NOT push for 3 contractions. Yes, in other words, eternity. (This was to give the baby oxygen before her descent through and out the birth canal.) After all I’d done to make it to this point; I honestly didn’t know if I could just DO NOTHING for a few minutes. I started to hyperventilate and was told to slow my breathing…oh yeah…I forgot that I was breathing. OK…that’s done…what’s next?<br />
Somebody says “it’s time to really start working now.” Who said that? If I wasn’t completely incapacitated I would be in a very lively argument with that person right now. But I can’t think straight, can’t see straight, not even sure I’m still in my body.<br />
My doctor put in a quick catheter to drain my bladder before a contraction starts and he positions the forceps. Push through the pain has a whole new meaning to me. I cannot begin to describe the power and force, the inhuman strength it took to do what I was doing. I needed everyone yelling “push!” to keep me going. That contraction ended and the forceps were removed. The baby’s head is under my pubic bone and I feel tons of pressure.<br />
The baby’s head is down and I have another contraction. One of the nurses started counting and I yelled at her “no counting”…she says “then you have to push”…I say “I am!” Everyone is yelling at me. “Push through the pain!” “Push her out!” “Grab your legs!” “NO!” “Wait!” “NO!” I think my doula grabbed my hands and put them under my knees even though I needed just a second to catch my breath, there was no time. My doula asked my doctor if I could touch the baby’s head and he replied “no, I need her to push”. It was ok, I didn’t want to anyway. I really didn’t care. I just wanted it to end. (The nurse is reciting the heart rate, in the 50’s and dropping) My doctor tells my doula “I’m sorry, I have to do this” she tells me, “Abbey he’s going to cut an episiotomy” I say, “ok. That’s fine.” I have never been so ready for anything to be over in my life.<br />
5:13 pm. Suddenly, it was done. It was probably the quietest moment of my life. There was so much energy, so much force and then right at the moment of birth, it seemed so still, so quiet…it was time for me to rest.<br />
I hear my doctor tell the nurses “nuchal cord x2 and tight body cord”<br />
A few minutes pass, I felt like I’d just been hit by a truck. My eyes are still closed and my doctor is working on my vagina... Whatever he is doing is awful. He says, "Here comes your placenta." I was pretty much ignoring him, at least trying to. He gets my attention, I look up at him and he says “Abbey, I’m holding onto your fibroid.” Oh, that’s nice. The placenta tore to pieces and his entire arm is inside me. My fibroid is the size of a SOFTBALL!!! The placenta had attached directly to it! NO WONDER I had a hard time pushing her out!!! (As soon as he was able, he drew a picture of what my uterus looked like with the fibroid and where the placenta was. Unbelievable.<br />
I am in disbelief and a bit of shock. I laid there not able to sit up because I would have passed out…I couldn’t believe how light headed I was. I think I had lost quite a bit of blood (because of the fibroid), but my doctor still didn’t require I take the routine pitocin after delivery since I had preferred not to.<br />
Wow, that was hard and painful and certainly not intervention free. But the interventions used, I was grateful for. I still did it without pain medication! I got my “natural birth”!!! It was not at all what it was ‘supposed’ to be like. But I did it. I FINALLY did it! I have had a combined 250+ hours of contractions adding together my 3 attempts at VBAC. This was a long time coming. I could not be happier. Nothing is going to steal my joy. (Not even the hematoma I developed a week later and 3 weeks postpartum had to have surgically removed. My anesthesia was a spinal. The same kind used for c-sections.)<br />
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I decided I’d better call my sister and tell her I’d had the baby.<br />
She didn’t answer, but I left her a voicemail. It went something like this;<br />
“I just had a baby. Out of my VAGINA!!!!” I think I made a few more phone calls making that announcement. I took great joy in saying those words!<br />
Ok, so that wasn’t the ideal birth, and would probably be way more traumatic for lots of women than a c-section…but it was MY birth and like an ugly child with a face only a mother could love, I am so happy it was what it was. I just had to do it…and according to my “birth plan”, I got everything I wanted. I couldn’t be more thankful.<br />
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So maybe my new mantra will be, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”. That’s much better than the definition of “insanity.”<br />
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Abbey is a doula (still on maternity leave), passionate VBAC advocate, and is very involved with our local ICAN chapter and our local birth network, the Tarrant County Birth Network. Here is blogsite, <a href="http://victorybirth.blogspot.com/">www.victorybirth.blogspot.com</a>, and the direct link to her birth story <a href="http://cherryblossomdoula.blogspot.com/2011/01/birth-of-ava-sophia-vba3c.html">here</a>.<br />
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also, here is a link to her birth <a href="http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/AvaSophia.html">slide show</a>. I cry still every time I watch it!Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-68063650810041647702011-09-18T08:21:00.009-05:002011-11-02T12:51:18.001-05:00Full Circle, Golden Birthday BlessingsSeptember 12th, 1999, the day oldest, Lina, was born. It was a beautiful day, but a defining one in my life, the day I was marked with my inverted T, the scar that started this all. <br />
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Just about every year, the celebration of her life and birthday is dampened by a touch of sadness about her birth, the longing for a better birth for her (and me), the desire for it to have been different, the going over and over in my head to replay and see if there was anything at all I could have done differently. The haunting of the painful memories often linger closer on that day, always in the background of my mind, in spite of rejoicing at how blessed I am with my precious miracle. <br />
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Well, not this year! <br />
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It's September 12th, 2011 and I got a call just after 2am from a client's husband, saying she's in labor. Her's has been a birth I've especially looked forward to, a precious mama going for a VBA2C, and delivering with the same doctor I used for my VBA3C, so I knew it was going to be amazing. Since things still seemed pretty early and manageable, I told him to update me in an hour or when contractions got closer together. <br />
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Ok, I do have to confess here, I was a touch bummed. Lina and I had made elaborate plans for the day of her "golden birthday" (12 years old, born on the 12th, to kids this is apparently a BIG deal!) and we had been praying for God to hold the space for her day for a couple of months! Our 10am Starbucks date, shopping at the mall for Toms, some girl time over lunch, it was going to be special! I said out loud, "well Jesus, you knew the desires of our hearts, I just have to trust you will work it out and give my girl grace." <br />
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I try to go back to sleep, but something tells me I better not. Right about 3am I get another call from my client's husband, saying she was still managing well, but had thrown up in the bathroom, her water broke about 5 min after the last time he had called me, and was now in the shower, contractions are now coming every 4 minutes and are more intense, but tolerable. I ask if we should just plan to meet at the hospital. I tell them if we get there and it still seems early-ish, we can walk around before checking in. He asks me what should we look for, just to make sure they still have some time. We run through the list of signs and symptoms of transition, and other than throwing up that one time, and the fact that her water broke, she doesn't seem to think she's in transition. I tell him I'll start heading their way since it seems she's ready for extra support, and if they decide to start heading to the hospital just to call me and I'll turn around and meet them (they live about 25 min south of me, and the hospital was about 25 min north of me). <br />
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I wake my birthday girl and tell her I got called, and give her a big hug and tell her we'll reschedule since it appears I won't be available by 10. She says she's going to pray it all goes quickly. I nurse my toddler and get on the road.<br />
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I have been on the interstate about 5 minutes when I get another call from the dad. I assume they are heading to the hospital and before I even answer I'm checking lanes to get off at the next exit and start heading back north toward the hospital. What my client's husband said caught me a bit off guard to say the least... "uh Katie... she's feeling like pushing and says she can feel the head only about an inch inside..." <br />
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What?!?!<br />
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me: "uhh... ok.... well.... we have 3 options then.... we can call 911 and have EMS come, go to the nearest hospital, or I can try to find a midwife to meet us hopefully before baby gets here"<br />
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I hear him ask her and comes back and says she says to try to find a midwife. I tell him get her out of the bath, throw a shower curtain on the bed and have her lay on her side and try not to push till help arrives. <br />
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Now I am flying down the interstate (the only time I *ever* speed is to births, and now even more than usual, dear Jesus, now is *not* the time to get pulled over, ok??) It takes a couple of calls, but I get one willing to come, she's a bit farther, but Kim is my all-time favorite midwife and the one I'm hoping to apprentice with, and I feel peace about it. <br />
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I violate my personal policy about not texting and driving and send her my client's address. Dear Jesus, take the wheel while I do this, ok? <br />
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I arrive at 4:10ish and let myself in. S is on laying on her side, doing amazing. <br />
Me: "So, are we having a baby today or what?"<br />
S: "Who, me? Uh, nah, I think I changed my mind."<br />
Haha! Glad to see you still have your sense of humor hon!<br />
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I remember a pair of gloves I had tucked in my purse (you never know when you'll need a pair of gloves, right?). I take them out and put them up on the dresser. In Jesus' name I'm not going to need these.... because doulas don't catch babies, right??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP06K1XG3O7eDxJH-q_eqCGbRD7IhAWzwmq81ytsHUEJbmibZvGDWMg3_wiWZDr_y-43CsdbnwrNRdwkxtViRRfeS7Tjh6Bq5DaOjjVEbQwm0d7Br8hUggO0MBaMZRoLjaLPAL4k1rUCE/s1600/DSC_0640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP06K1XG3O7eDxJH-q_eqCGbRD7IhAWzwmq81ytsHUEJbmibZvGDWMg3_wiWZDr_y-43CsdbnwrNRdwkxtViRRfeS7Tjh6Bq5DaOjjVEbQwm0d7Br8hUggO0MBaMZRoLjaLPAL4k1rUCE/s200/DSC_0640.jpg" width="132" /></a>I update Kim that we can't see baby's head yet. That begins to change really quick and by 4:25 it becomes clear that baby is coming soon, and that Kim likely won't make it. I had a touch of fear, and reverence for the fact that even though I'm NNR certified, I am not yet trained to do this, but I feel God's presence and peace. I grab for those gloves after all and pray, "Jesus, this needs to go perfect, please!" <br />
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I put her on speaker phone so she can walk dad and I through this. Crowning at next contraction, then head born with the next one, then a bit of a lull, (all normal, but a bit unnerving to mom and dad) then with the next contraction, one shoulder then the other, then at 4:38am, baby *GIRL* is here, born right into her daddy's hands, with a bit of doula assistance, and then right on mom's chest! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Baby pinks up right away, and lets out some sweet little cries. She's had a perfectly gentle birth, no one pulling or poking at her, or rushing to clamp her cord, no bright lights, no loud voices. Its a beautiful moment, and I am in awe of what God just did for this family. Just simply amazing! Praise You Jesus, You rock!! :D<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgLoRVz_760D8fTt4wuruOIqLtKNkuXKsFA0m8NQ_u6btZS0UKbPROOetHrIY2EXT7BGfiQlhU1-6kUhUKMkV74pZnOkD2cCK5R58-AHZA8MzetDnJsmJkrQ7be0HLYutqMk7l-D2BK8/s1600/DSC_0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVgLoRVz_760D8fTt4wuruOIqLtKNkuXKsFA0m8NQ_u6btZS0UKbPROOetHrIY2EXT7BGfiQlhU1-6kUhUKMkV74pZnOkD2cCK5R58-AHZA8MzetDnJsmJkrQ7be0HLYutqMk7l-D2BK8/s320/DSC_0012.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />
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HBA2C, mama S is a rockstar! She just birthed like a pro who had done this 10 times before! :D<br />
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Kim arrives about 5 minutes after the birth. Placenta is born a few minutes later, and mom and baby are both perfect. <br />
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Then the birth photographer gets there (whoops!)<br />
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My clients' oldest wakes up a little while later, comes in, and says she could hear a baby crying, what an amazing moment! Funny side note, my client's childcare that she had lined up for their older girls never did answer the phone. So had they tried to leave, they would have had 2 tiny spectators along for the ride! Jesus provided a way to work out all the details, and every loose end was tied up! <br />
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We all marveled at how the common theme was that Jesus provided for *everything*, even if it wasn't exactly how we had planned it to go! (or actually, even close to how we had planned LOL!)<br />
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I got to my babysitter's house to pick up Lina and Sergio at 9:45, then we had our Starbucks date and an amazing birthday celebration day. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ViUwcX1zd6S0bz0iRzrBBIeao7FBIfh4VqaMxwq4PlsXax_mlkSoDyNFT8AxZIb2QIfE0foArAeV-w_JPFuUbbCjvukwe-6yAqZ1XLlkZJHU_ZBeI_5rb6OKnkY03Nk1EsoNqJ9bIww/s1600/asstmw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ViUwcX1zd6S0bz0iRzrBBIeao7FBIfh4VqaMxwq4PlsXax_mlkSoDyNFT8AxZIb2QIfE0foArAeV-w_JPFuUbbCjvukwe-6yAqZ1XLlkZJHU_ZBeI_5rb6OKnkY03Nk1EsoNqJ9bIww/s200/asstmw.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>So, before even starting my apprenticeship, I helped catch a baby. :) Unfortunately it won't count, but I will never forget it. And I'll have my daughter's birthday to remind me year after year, with another sweet wonderful memory to reminisce. :)<br />
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If anyone had asked me 12 years ago, what I would be doing 12 years from then, this would have been the farthest thing from my mind. But this day will go down as another defining moment in my life. Thank you Jesus for golden birthday blessings for me too. :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T2JWdnyz6NbTkJK0qIMBEppIuiWbi11jIqolgaDF292aST8aMvW9NUaNCcA2kT5RZCi72MiitP-TVO5LO-0Fu3aPqoto2TSPNG03b4x8Yj4gCKuqItCgNEjhIVnE_H3rAsFhgh1F5Jc/s1600/DSC_0018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T2JWdnyz6NbTkJK0qIMBEppIuiWbi11jIqolgaDF292aST8aMvW9NUaNCcA2kT5RZCi72MiitP-TVO5LO-0Fu3aPqoto2TSPNG03b4x8Yj4gCKuqItCgNEjhIVnE_H3rAsFhgh1F5Jc/s320/DSC_0018.jpg" width="212" /></a></div> (My 12 year old snuggling with baby Q a few weeks later)Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-25658467471965544992011-09-11T00:02:00.005-05:002011-10-08T13:34:50.113-05:00Chiropractic Care During PregnancyThere are numerous benefits to chiropractic care by an <a href="http://icpa4kids.com/index.php">ICPA</a> Webster-certified practitioner during pregnancy. Many advantages include reduction of back pain commonly associated with late pregnancy, less likelihood of having a breech presentation, better positioned babies, faster, and smoother labors and deliveries. As someone who chose to use chiropractic care during the third trimester of pregnancy, I can personally attest to its benefits and share that personal experience with clients. I highly recommend chiropractic care to all my clients and find that those mothers who chose chiropractic care have easier pregnancies and the best outcomes on birth day.<br />
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What is different about Webster?<br />
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Dr. Larry Webster, Founder of <a href="http://icpa4kids.com/index.php">ICPA</a> (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) discovered this technique as a way to safely restore pelvic alignment and function for pregnant mothers. Misalignments in the sacrum and pelvis structure cause pulling and torsion on the supporting muscles and ligaments. These muscles and ligaments have a negative effect on the uterus, preventing baby from finding optimal fetal positioning for birth.<br />
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It is recommended that pregnant women have their spines checked frequently throughout their pregnancy. The adjustment consists of two steps, an adjustment as necessary of the SI joint and the sacrum, and soft tissue contact opposite round ligament of the restriction. This releases intrauterine constraint and allows baby to find an ideal position.<br />
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Other benefits of chiropractic care:<br />
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Due to the immense changes a woman’s body goes through during pregnancy, her musculoskeletal system must constantly adapt to the changes the growing baby puts on it. Her center of gravity changes and this can happen so quickly it is difficult for the pelvis and spine to keep up. Subluxations result and pull on the connected supporting ligaments to the uterus. The result of these subluxations and strain on uterine ligaments is pain and discomfort, and chiropractic can provide a more comfortable pregnancy.<br />
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Subluxations interfere with the functioning of the nervous system. Interference to the nervous system during pregnancy can slow or halt messages the brain is trying to communicate with the body.<br />
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Subluxations can also cause malpresentation and malposition of the baby, including breech presentation and posterior positioning, which can complicate labor and cause dystocia. Labor with a malpositioned baby can be much longer and more painful, increasing maternal exhaustion and the need for drugs and interventions. The second stage of labor also is much more difficult as baby tries to maneuver the pelvis improperly positioned to do so.<br />
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My personal experience with chiropractic care:<br />
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I began receiving adjustments during my VBAC pregnancy at the start of the third trimester. I had read a lot about posterior babies sabotaging VBAC attempts and I did not want that to be me. I also knew since I had a vertical scar on my uterus, I did not want to be laboring any longer than I absolutely had to.<br />
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Webster adjustments sure made me feel a lot better. My back did not ache quite so much, and I was certainly more comfortable. I also noticed a reduction in the amount of preterm labor contractions I had. Having gone into preterm labor in all 3 of my earlier pregnancies, I was relieved to get relief from those worrisome and bothersome contractions. Because of my history I was adjusted 3 times a week and noticed results after the first week.<br />
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My baby quickly got into alignment and the proper position and was well engaged at about 33 weeks along. This had some negatives because since he was so low, I had no bladder left and woke up 5 times a night to use the bathroom. But since I had delivered two babies at 35 weeks, I was happy to have a well-positioned baby.<br />
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On birth day my water broke before I was having good contractions. I was at first a bit upset by this, fearing the dreaded “clock.” Thankfully labor started 30 minutes later, and after only 5 hours 25 minutes, my baby was here. Labor was not at all unbearable, and not even what I would consider painful until I was 10 cm. I really attribute that fast, relatively easy labor to the chiropractic care I received and the perfectly positioned baby that resulted. I love my chiropractors!<br />
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Learn more about Webster technique <a href="http://icpa4kids.com/about/webster_technique.htm">here</a>.<br />
You can find a Webster-certified chiropractor in your area <a href="http://icpa4kids.org/Find-a-Chiropractor/">here</a>.Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-6518880446837541482011-09-10T21:43:00.032-05:002011-10-07T11:50:45.697-05:00Picture Gallery<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5653156865626287138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsHSdreuRRJc_5eqGb65n5_KU4REbbfwEsFPn6hbXGfymQNTKK2VVhqThlrMSh53mB6ADiGcKYxq8OMSmDTJyJU9f18DUtomRaLKxjdF2TA7I_xtDnlpXwiCj-o3RjZTQWOoYUroa2Fk/s320/landon+cr-0413.jpg" style="display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 214px;" /></div><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qmFMSvEKLopf8lwRHgFJQCu-ypTNsCA1t7GJt7BnD6ZP-Zco-nyZ7IvtxBQVUICQDQ9rYwex8dtogAMjsqzGSfbcuz0DvsnwmrkwOZeVKMKpVzxePHhH_9Tu2yMzhzAWF5GGhzeN5I0/s1600/IMG_4107+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650927825204101618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qmFMSvEKLopf8lwRHgFJQCu-ypTNsCA1t7GJt7BnD6ZP-Zco-nyZ7IvtxBQVUICQDQ9rYwex8dtogAMjsqzGSfbcuz0DvsnwmrkwOZeVKMKpVzxePHhH_9Tu2yMzhzAWF5GGhzeN5I0/s400/IMG_4107+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" style="display: block; height: 266px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKKzAB8RLVywRJXb6HVTNTrCCij3eRylFpxwyOXNlM1Jkfzg-VBEC8406ZXcMfLh6LPKtUTt2ljWEKj3RrKApd1t6q_Bfv25ivVu24CnrxFIfbmkmbGueRgRznUHTr_XBVr3hXhfLfWw/s1600/hand+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650927593914509474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfKKzAB8RLVywRJXb6HVTNTrCCij3eRylFpxwyOXNlM1Jkfzg-VBEC8406ZXcMfLh6LPKtUTt2ljWEKj3RrKApd1t6q_Bfv25ivVu24CnrxFIfbmkmbGueRgRznUHTr_XBVr3hXhfLfWw/s400/hand+%2528Medium%2529.jpg" style="display: block; height: 267px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-30530770547386051922011-08-13T00:04:00.002-05:002011-10-13T21:57:55.444-05:00love this quote<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-i7JeEyRp510FGPC7ZlLLeigWWLuK06NcpE0xaiY9EQxRfpi80yEUxeBT5_30kTn_ZTx0Kt7juTEQKUVnh85VIegT2TFRNM_vHb7k0wmVNiXJ1ARulnAprRGb19IaFhwYm85qGG5k9c/s1600/8422_1230574521082_1130690157_745331_350200_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz-i7JeEyRp510FGPC7ZlLLeigWWLuK06NcpE0xaiY9EQxRfpi80yEUxeBT5_30kTn_ZTx0Kt7juTEQKUVnh85VIegT2TFRNM_vHb7k0wmVNiXJ1ARulnAprRGb19IaFhwYm85qGG5k9c/s320/8422_1230574521082_1130690157_745331_350200_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>"Scars remind us where we've been. They don't have to dictate where we're going. It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars." ~Garrison Keillor <br />
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thank you Jesus.Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-87223407507252060522011-08-09T23:48:00.005-05:002011-08-10T00:11:14.948-05:00midwifery journey beginningsqueee! last friday, after nearly 2 years praying, my husband and i finally felt released for me to start my midwifery training program. so now i am enrolled in the Mercy In Action midwifery training program! (and when your husband says it's a GO even after a 50 hour birth earlier in the week, you know it's a God thing!) i will be holding off on apprenticeship for a bit longer, and hopefully starting that next summer. but so excited to be getting started! :D :D :D
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvXJozUqPm1mo4LeT06jjBeex1De3a4uc6kVzUzzhxnRRpA849W3-bV1twTN868iWXXhzSzDl13AiFmQ54LTUogI4qGhLeSOyBOO5ErFuw8xQoQ3ZBOmWVL9569l8EEbFE6_hVoX74zU/s1600/257976_2104244162277_1130690157_2541976_5724053_o+%2528Small%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvXJozUqPm1mo4LeT06jjBeex1De3a4uc6kVzUzzhxnRRpA849W3-bV1twTN868iWXXhzSzDl13AiFmQ54LTUogI4qGhLeSOyBOO5ErFuw8xQoQ3ZBOmWVL9569l8EEbFE6_hVoX74zU/s320/257976_2104244162277_1130690157_2541976_5724053_o+%2528Small%2529.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639086063937908818" /></a>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-11878396713329485322011-08-08T22:25:00.010-05:002011-09-09T22:38:13.167-05:00crazy week, triumphant births!whew last week was probably the craziest yet, and the births, oh so amazing! this is a long story, but a good one, i promise!<br /><br />so i was hired last minute by a precious Christian couple on Saturday morning last weekend. less than 48 hours later, i'd be helping them start the fight for their amazing VBAC. but, before we get to that, Sunday evening, my other early August client calls me to let me know she thinks her water broke. no contractions yet, so we just wait.<br /><br />Monday morning Aug 1st, 5am i get a call from my HBAC couple, mama C is in labor and ready for me to come. i get to them at 6am and it seems a bit early-ish, but she's definitely having strong contractions and looking like she's making progress. mama C's mom is there to take care of their older daughter, and she wakes up to see me standing in the hallway waiting for C to come out of the bathroom. she says "is it time?" i nod, "it's happening!"<br /><br />9am- my first time mama K calls me, her water has definitely broke and she's starting to have some mild crampy contractions, but nothing regular. i pray i'm able to be at both places, and dear God, don't make me miss a birth this early in my doula career! (because this never happens, right? 2 mamas in labor at the same time? it just doesn't happen!)<br /><br />i continue to be with mama C and labor looks to be progressing. a bit nauseous, shaky, cold, i know what that means, right? we call the midwife over around noon, and mama C is only 1-2cm dilated. stop. wait.. something is not right here. ok, let's see what happens, maybe her cervix will just soon catch up to what her body is doing. we continue laboring, and she's doing amazing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwd2gcsmJEhmFQmEU0HpEMXlpfy3Hq0QBwu9vjQi1BOy3stlJ_28VdQLeCh5WKrOV4Cwnwnekm8HDAH7wCuLCP0fWvToaRbl9y4oBupRIy_m-OV-XUZd8MrC2oB4MizGf7nyTYeDeiL8/s1600/fork2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnwd2gcsmJEhmFQmEU0HpEMXlpfy3Hq0QBwu9vjQi1BOy3stlJ_28VdQLeCh5WKrOV4Cwnwnekm8HDAH7wCuLCP0fWvToaRbl9y4oBupRIy_m-OV-XUZd8MrC2oB4MizGf7nyTYeDeiL8/s200/fork2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639077333750113506" border="0" /></a><br /><br />i stay with her and we keep changing positions, drinking and eating, joking at times, resting at times between contractions. it's all peaceful. God is there and he gets all the glory.<br /><br />the midwife returns at 7pm, checks her again, and sends me home for a rest. mama C is still only 2 cm. sigh. all that work and such little progress!<br /><br />i've been checking in with my other client, mama K, all day. she's still not in active labor, so i keep praying one hurries up and one slows down so i can make both births. i do put my backup on notice and tell mama K there is the possibility she may get her, but i'm believing God will work it all out.<br /><br />i sleep a bit and am woken at 1:55am (Aug 2nd) to come back, that things look like they may be progressing. i run an iron over my air-dried hair and jump back in the car. soon after i see sirens in my rear view mirror. oh shoot! the midwife is texting me as the cop is asking me questions. i totally pull the doula card. yep. i'm heading to a birth officer, see, the midwife is texting me right now! he lets me go with a warning. whew! praise Jesus!<br /><br />i arrive back at 2:30am. mama C is having much stronger contractions now. she still manages perfectly through them, staying totally relaxed and loose. sweet mama dozes between and we keep her as comfortable as possible.<br /><br />in the early morning hours we begin pulling out all the tricks in the book. pelvic floor and diaphragmatic release, chiropractic adjustments, banana position (ouch), anything we can think of. mama C is amazing, never complains, always does everything we ask her to, labors with such amazing grace. thank you Lord for every contraction that gets us closer to baby.<br /><br />a check at 5:15am shows mama C is now dilated to 3-4cm. wow. almost 30 hours of labor, and only 3-4cm. i know i'm still relatively green here as far as experience goes, but this can't be just slow labor, can it?<br /><br />about 8am, we let mama C get some welcomed relief in the tub. contractions space for a bit and she gets some well-needed rest. i go to check on my other client, mama K, who now appears to be in active labor (on her due date might i add, how often does that happen??) my backup doula Tonya(and dear friend) is ready to go as soon as needed. lifesaver!<br /><br />since mama K is only about 2 miles away, i rush over there. she's definitely in labor, but she's shivering under a blanket. ::cocks head to side:: this isn't right either. i call her midwife, and she tell me to take mama K's temp. and it's elevated. palm to forehead. i leave her instructions to down 2 bottles of h2o to rule out dehydration and rush back to my other laboring client. my backup and the midwife are both on the way to her. Jesus, you were supposed to work this out for me?<br /><br />about an hour or so later, i hear back from Tonya, that mama K is 3-4cm dilated and definitely running a temp, so they are heading to the hospital since this could be an infection. she wasn't able to drink the fluids i had told her to, but they will give her an IV when she gets there, and her fever quickly went down.<br /><br />back at mama C's house, she is now 5cm and contractions are 2 minutes apart. 2 midwives check her, and we think the baby is positioned OT (occiput transverse, meaning baby is head down but facing mama's hipbone instead of mama's spine).<br />we do more pelvic floor releases and get her adjusted for the 3rd time.<br /><br />by 3:30pm, mama C still has no further change, and baby is still high, like -2 station, not engaged. her midwife (who is amazing by the way) talks options with them very tenderly. they decide at this point its best to get ready to transport. i stay close to mom so dad can pack a bag. it's a sober time, mom is giving up her dream of homebirth again, but trusting God that he still has a good plan. sweet mama, she's just precious. we worship you Lord Jesus, and we trust you!<br /><br />we are about to leave and i look back toward the birth pool and see my rebozo hanging on the chair. in a weird moment i say to myself, i may need that! i grab it and carry it out with me.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOyRmgQYa8ESGBekRNAFfigXMWXQSgXtMgjymSLYJtCJMd3oU2i9BtN3RUtvw411I5fYSStpGiw_4sPTe8nmqH7Gd1mynnkoJZ4AWufsaSd4reLcpOsOvRZeF-RitnOLsAPoX-22MpAI/s1600/hand.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOOyRmgQYa8ESGBekRNAFfigXMWXQSgXtMgjymSLYJtCJMd3oU2i9BtN3RUtvw411I5fYSStpGiw_4sPTe8nmqH7Gd1mynnkoJZ4AWufsaSd4reLcpOsOvRZeF-RitnOLsAPoX-22MpAI/s320/hand.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650569572109252962" border="0" /></a><br /><br />at 5:30 pm, we arrive at the hospital. my other client is in the ROOM NEXT DOOR. wow, thank you Jesus! while they get settled, i pop in to check on my amazing mama K and see how everything is going. she's doing GREAT! thanks so much Tonya, you are a rockstar doula and a great friend!<br /><br />the on-call doctor is heading up to check mama C, but as soon as she arrives at the hospital, she's re-routed to mama K's room, who is now complete and ready to push her baby! she's labored beautifully and completely drug-free, and is such a strong woman! i go next door and help her push out her baby, wow i'm so blessed to get to be there too! mama K has 2 doulas, and Jesus, you did work that out, didn't you? just not the way i thought, but wow that's pretty cool how you did that! ;-)<br /><br />so cool, both of these clients' babies were surprises. welcome baby Emily, you are so sweet and so loved!! mama K is a rockstar!!<br /><br />by 9:00pm Dr D comes to check on mama C. she's still 5cm and baby still seems to be OT, and still pretty high. it's been 45 hours since labor started. i go into the hallway and pray. Jesus, this mama is not getting another c-section. you made her body in your image, and created her to birth babies. Jesus, move that baby.<br /><br />i ask a friend to bring me some coffee. she arrives just after 10pm and i meet her in the parking lot. oh, in the car, my rebozo. the things God uses to make you think of things. don't know why i didn't think of that sooner. i wonder if i should try that crazy trick that other midwife showed me that time... Jesus?<br /><br />i go back in and mention it to the other midwife. i go back out and get that rebozo. could this really work?<br /><br />having mama lie flat on her back with the rebozo underneath, i stand on her hospital bed (ha!) and gently lift and sift sift sift, then pop! that baby around. over and over till my shoulders and arms are on fire. not sure if it's moving baby or not. thank God no nurse walked in then, it would have been a crazy sight! eventually my arms are giving out and the midwife and i do it together, standing next to the bed. then with conviction, the midwife says, lets get her on hands and knees. i wasn't sure if this was a God-thing at that point (although in hindsight i definitely do), but i knew she said that with conviction, so that's exactly what we did. and things started to take off.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWE2grqSeVSHMBuVNnjN2bLA2YeSyCvI9utM-4QeW09j5Xwx0JRw-1Ryn4q9NkNuL8TDQOnikFSPzJA_lzKh20rCa1Nl-NW2zEqttcyGgvurHL9Bas9LSuepcdSr6fiffhAniK8AjogyE/s1600/davidhino10.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWE2grqSeVSHMBuVNnjN2bLA2YeSyCvI9utM-4QeW09j5Xwx0JRw-1Ryn4q9NkNuL8TDQOnikFSPzJA_lzKh20rCa1Nl-NW2zEqttcyGgvurHL9Bas9LSuepcdSr6fiffhAniK8AjogyE/s200/davidhino10.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5639077340770777378" border="0" /></a><br /><br />about 30min later, the nurse checks mom and she is now 7cm!! praise Jesus, could it have moved baby just enough?? i dare think so!!! praise goes up from that hospital room!<br /><br />a little bit later mom is checked again and is a solid 8. wow this is happening now. we get her in the bathroom and put her on the toilet for a while. she labors with such grace, even 49 hours later!! we can tell she is flying through transition. so fast, like a steam engine, these contractions have like 10seconds break between them and they are strong!<br /><br />after getting her back to the bed, the doctor comes back in, mama C is complete and baby is already at +2 to +3 station! she pushes pushes pushes her baby into this world, reach down honey, touch your baby's head, baby is almost here! Dr D says grab a pair of gloves dad, help catch your baby! baby BOY goes right to mamas chest and the look on her face has been seared in my memory and on my heart forever.<br /><br />AMAZING. simply amazing. tears and the thick presence of God, being praised for his faithfulness and goodness and strength. <br /><br />welcome baby David Amado, born 2:10am, August 3rd, after 50 hours 10 minutes of labor!<br /><br />hands down the most rewarding day of my life as a doula, and probably will be for years and years to come. i'm so blessed to have gotten to be a part of this. just incredible.<br /><br />the amazing Lynsey Stone was photographing mama C's birth and here's a link to baby David's <a href="http://www.dfwbirthphotographer.com/home/?p=2250">pics</a>. love that one of me standing on mama C's bed. ;-)Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-12098376940712272612011-07-26T00:43:00.003-05:002011-07-26T01:00:45.366-05:00amazing triumphant birth story, 1 year agoa year ago this week i was facebook stalking another special scars mama, as she gave us the play by play on her labor and birth over facebook, from the other side of the world where her husband was stationed in Korea. <br />i learned so much from her birth. it changed my perception of what 'normal' is, and gave me an all-new appreciation for the wonderment of our bodies' capabilities. <br />lessons i gleaned:<br />a mama can stay 10cm for a full 24 hours before delivering (sure, why not? lol!), give her time, as long a mama and baby are fine, we don't need to be jumping to any FTP/CPD conclusions, the body is wise!<br />our bodies heal *amazingly* well, her inverted T scar held perfectly through over a day of transition strength contractions! <br />a placenta sure can take a longgg time to detach, and everything still be fine. with some mamas, everything just takes time! 29 hours sure is a long time, but sure enough, it detached and birthed on its own! <br />some doctors respect birth and know when to keep their hands off. (shocking, huh?) this mama had a *great* team of Korean midwives and a doctor for her homebirth, along with a couple of supportive doulas. they all worked together and that doctor certainly has mastered the art of sitting on his hands!<br />i know i will carry her story in my heart and remember this when i become a midwife, and it's an awesome privilege to serve with her on the Special Scars non-profit board. <br />here's a link to her story: <a href="http://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/the-birth-of-stella-rose-home-water-birth-after-inverted-t-cesarean/">Amy's VBAC after inverted T</a>.Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-42151556547500939182011-07-26T00:06:00.004-05:002011-07-26T00:11:37.570-05:00my website!my website it finally live! it's super simple and i really need a logo, but nevertheless, something is there filling my domain space! :D<br /><br /><a href="http://www.triumphantbirth.com">www.triumphantbirth.com</a>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-89748025457522663102011-07-15T00:44:00.004-05:002011-07-15T00:59:30.685-05:00Hospital vs Out of Hospital, A Tale of Two BirthsOn the fence about where to have your baby?<br /><br />Another local doula shared this with me yesterday, and it was such an amazing illustration of the difference between birth in or out of a hospital, I just could not keep it to myself. 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mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="">Hi, All,<br /><br />I posted a cryptic note on Facebook. Someone asked for my stories . . . Sharing here. With great disappointment for Mom “P”, and relief and joy for Mom “S”.<br /><br />I can’t post this on Facebook — because I don’t want one of the moms to see my experience and feel bad about hers. I would never want to take her birth from her. She chose it. But, she has NO IDEA what she chose. I have rarely (if EVER) seen such a clear linear comparison between birth choices.<br /><br />2 moms. . . Both due 7/7 with 2nd baby. Both have a 2-1/2 year old son born in a hospital.<br />“S” was concerned about getting the birth she wanted in the hospital the 2nd time around, so transferred to a midwife at the BC [birth center]. (Very cool in and of itself because Dad is an MD resident in OB at the hospital where she would be birthing.) Saturated with medical mindset, never seen a midwifery birth. Open and participating because it’s what S wanted.<br /><br />S went into labor spontaneously at noon. Called me as she went to BC. She was 7 cm when she got there. Climbed in hot tub, then moved to the labor ball. On hands and knees on the bed when her water broke. Followed shortly by an urge to push. Encouraged to stay how she was, not necessary to check dilation, allow her body to release the baby when the baby was ready. Baby emerged between her legs, with dad’s hands on it. Dad handed baby up to mom. Baby was a bit floppy and did not breathe for what felt like an eternity. Midwife did appropriate observing and stimulation, but baby was pinking up even without apparent breathing. Midwife pointed out that the umbilical cord is still pulsing. Baby is getting all the oxygen she needs. She will breathe . . . Soon. Our goal is to let her hear mom’s heart, have her back and feet rubbed, and make sure her heart is doing it’s part. It was. She’s pinking up, just not breathing. 1min 45sec later baby begins weakly crying. Cord is still pulsing. Placenta still attached. Baby is nuzzling breast. 30 minutes after birth baby is breathing fine, has cried a couple of times but not vigorously. Baby self-attached [to the breast]. (a miracle because older brother struggled for WEEKS to nurse and it was agony for mom). 45 minutes after birth, placenta finally detaches and emerges. Clamp & cut by dad. Herbal tea bath and quiet time as a sweet family. Back to the room to swaddle perfectly organized baby who goes to sleep on bed when a meal is brought in for mom and dad to enjoy sitting on the bed together. Older brother comes to meet baby sister. Whole family is home before bedtime happy and content on every level.<br /><br />2 days later, P went into spontaneous labor at noon. Called me to come to the house. She was clearly laboring so we headed to [hospital] and arrived there at 2 pm. Mom has to stand at admissions desk for 15 minutes, doubled over, getting hip squeeze from me while dad-in-a-panic signs paperwork and stress wafts over to mom while I squeeze squeeze squeeze. Tried to make her sit in a wheel chair. Too uncomfortable. Standing and walking to the LDR [labor delivery room]. Require her to change into hospital gown. She can’t do it herself, so nurse does “skin the bunny” and takes her clothes off of her. Mom asks if she can PLEASE check her without getting in bed. No, that’s impossible. Mom is checked — 7 cm. Bounces up out of bed to labor standing up again. Nurse screams “I need a delivery cart. Get the doctor. Have to get the IV and lab work done stat.” Room fills with busy nurses bustling and requring dad and me to dance around them. Stress level in room raises. No time for soft music, massage, etc. Mom’s water breaks with a splash all over the floor. Mom is clearly grunting, and ready to push. NO, don’t push. Wait till we check you. Mom’s back in bed and they confirm baby is visible. Nurse pulls out stirrups. Mom says no, don’t move me, I want to sit up and push sitting. I start to raise the head of the bed and am commanded to not move the bed, she must lay down. Mom begs please let me sit up. Doctor tells the nurse to disassemble the bed. Nurses grab mom’s legs while she says no, and force her legs in the stirrups. Baby is emerging. Doctor catches, immediately clamps the cord and cuts it. Baby is floppy and stunned from a short labor and fast birth. NICU team is called. Nurse confirms baby’s heart is beating. Is pink and strong pulse. But, too limp for their comfort. Suction aggressively. Then, bag mask.<br /><br />Dad is pacing with hands in his hair. Mom is crying. 2 minutes after birth, baby is crying and pink as any other newborn. But, “not transitioned smoothly enough to be reassuring.” This is what happened to Baby A [their first child] who had to go to NICU. “Apparently, this is how our babies just behave at birth.” NICU doctor tells mom & dad that he wants to be able to look in their eyes and tell them baby will be ok, but he can’t do that right now. HE needs to take the baby to NICU for minimum of 6 hours. Baby may not breastfeed because it’s too stressful for babies to breastfeed when they are having difficulty with transition breathing. Mom gets to give baby peck on the cheek and baby goes to NICU. I offered to come back to help breastfeed and take photos of siblings meeting. No thanks. I can go.<br /><br />Side by side in my mind . . . Nearly identical in every way. Even the size of the babies, gender, gestational age, multip, etc. Clamp and cut vs. gentle birth.<br /><br />I NEVER want to do a hospital birth again. The nurses and doctors (and parents) are left with the sensation that it was the technology that saved the baby’s life. THIS, (in their mind) confirms their deep belief that birth is fraught with danger, and hospitals are the best place to birth. I am going to pursue CPM not CNM as my future career. It is crystal clear to me . . . I do not want to work in that setting.<br /><br />Best,<br />M</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><br /></p>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-70087368991857616922011-06-19T01:14:00.006-05:002011-06-19T01:24:52.124-05:00for crying out loudok Christian mamas, how is it that as Christian women, we have bought into the lie that our bodies are basically inept garbage, rarely birth safely, and need all this medical intervention and the 30+% c-section rate to birth? i mean, aren't we, after all, created in the image of our *amazing* God, who made our bodies for this very purpose, to grow and birth babies? ladies we've bought into deception and we need to rise up and challenge this, and reclaim an incredible essence of our womanhood, that God designed to be a beautiful, empowering, life-changing experience!<br />#rantoverfortonight<br /><br /><br />disclosure-- yes, i concede there are times when things go wonky, we do live in a fallen world. but these are the exceptions, not the norm, and God made the body incredibly to overcome all kinds of things... we are fearfully and wonderfully made! just sayin'! <3<br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#888888;"> </span>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-41831236768519841532011-05-22T16:21:00.002-05:002011-05-23T00:12:16.373-05:00Katie Perez, Birth Doula (BAI CD)it's official, i am DONE my certification program!! woot woot! <br /><br />i'm pleased to say that no mamas or babies were harmed in the making of this doula. ;)Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-48622632782225858582011-04-15T23:06:00.004-05:002011-04-16T00:00:41.993-05:00Your Baby's Birth Matters!being the survivor of 3 traumatic cesarean births, i understand how important it can be, for both mama and baby, to have the best birth possible. those births still hurt years later. so i do get a bit frustrated when someone isn't willing to invest the time to educate themselves and make good decisions for themselves and their baby.<br />i was re-reading one of my favorite books today, Silent Knife, and i came across this paragraph which i want to quote:<br /><br />"Elderly women in nursing homes who can hardly remember what they were served for lunch become lucid when asked about their children's births. They recall details, sensory impressions. Birth is such a powerful life experience that it lingers in memory throughout a woman's life. Its effects are immeasurable; they ripple continuously and are boundless. For this reason, and countless others, birth needs to be --and can be-- a time of peace, joy, and awareness."<br /><br />you will be sitting with your old lady friends one day, playing old lady card games, and still recounting your birth stories. how do you want to feel in those moments in that distant future? empowered, fulfilled, satisfied, like you conquered the world? or traumatized, beaten down, weakened, pitiful, broken.<br />i believe birth is a gift given to us by God. i believe He meant it to be an empowering, life changing thing for each woman to prepare us to be better mothers and stronger women. women who can change the world. it is worth every bit of effort each of us put into it to set ourselves, and our babies, up for the very best outcomes possible! WE ARE WORTH IT!<br />rant over. ;)<br /><br />(i feel i must add a disclaimer.. sometimes no matter what we do to set ourselves up for the best chances of success, things still go wonky. this is so hard, and truly breaks my heart when it happens. i have watched some of the most deserving women end up back in the OR after such hard-fought battles. BUT they can sleep at night, knowing they did everything they could to have the best shot at a natural birth, and fate just had other plans. i hope that gives them a sense of empowerment. they didn't just lay on the table, they fought! much love to these mamas.)Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-45432909226374266072011-03-25T16:03:00.005-05:002011-10-07T22:45:29.675-05:00VBAC after preterm vertical incision, *triumphant birth!*so for those of you who may not know, i am blessed to be a co-mod of an incredible support group for women with special scars like myself. the link is posted on the bottom right hand side of my blog if you are interested! this group of women are some of the bravest, most courageous i have ever met. they (we) trust birth, they (we) trust their bodies, and they (we) are just plain awesome! we'd have to be to attempt a vbac after nearly every doctor in the world has told us we're a walking time bomb, our uteri destined to explode at any moment! (rolls eyes)<br />
but with what little concrete research there is out there, we arm ourselves with information, and with a bit of spit and determination, we give our bodies a chance to show us what we're made of. and the outcomes have been marvelous.<br />
this is an amazing birth story of a mama who VBAC'd on a preterm classical incision. now for those who don't know, a classical incision is a midline vertical incision that has a higher risk of uterine rupture than the standard low transverse. most studies put it at about 2%+, compared with .4% on a low transverse. with a preterm classical, the risk is a bit higher still, bc the lower uterine segment is not developed until later in pregnancy, so it is theorized that these incisions are likely totally in the upper uterine segment and fundus of the uterus, which is said to be weaker.<br />
<br />
here is this amazing mama's story:<br />
<br />
the birth of Lenore Calais<br />
February 22, 2011 12:42 pm<br />
8 lbs 1 oz 20.5"<br />
<br />
I'm the sort of person who recognizes patterns. I don't have to try. I simply see them. My children are slowly teaching me that it's okay to break them.<br />
<br />
I noticed several similarities between my first two pregnancies and births. Both children were born on their due dates. In general, the pregnancies were straightforward, despite some first trimester bleeding in each case. Both labors were on the long side, 16 and 18 hours respectively, but ultimately were uncomplicated. Even the things that were opposite about them could have been patterns. My first was a boy, and my second a girl. My first was a summer baby, and my second a winter baby. My first was born under a full moon and my second a new moon. My first was a typical hospital experience that I hated, and my second I was only there long enough to push her out.<br />
<br />
And then there was my third child. I conceived in October again, with a due date within a week of my first's birthday. There was the pattern again. This one would be a boy too. I had some first trimester bleeding again but I was expecting it this time. I did worry about an oscillating pattern, where my first birth was traumatic, and my second one a good experience. That's part of the reason I planned a home birth. I wanted to stay away from the interfering hospital. But it turns out my fears were well founded. The first trimester bleeding turned into second trimester bleeding which then turned into a placental abruption and delivery by c-section at 26 weeks. My second boy spent 3 months in the NICU before coming home near his original summer due date.<br />
<br />
I should have learned from him that it's okay to break patterns. But some lessons need to be repeated. Despite loads of trepidation and a lot of work to find supportive care providers, I became pregnant with my fourth child, and planned a VBAC. Sticking to patterns, I had a due date within a week of my second's birthday, and I was having another girl. The due date was on a Saturday. All of my previous children had been weekend babies: two Fridays and a Sunday. Breaking past patterns, I had no bleeding at all during the pregnancy. That was a welcome break. Still, there were other expectations that needed to be let go, most notably, that I expected this baby to be born on her due date.<br />
<br />
Friday February 18th, 39 weeks 6 days, I had a prenatal appointment with my doctor and my midwife who would act as doula. My doctor was getting anxious as I neared my due date, having not been totally on board with my VBAC plans to begin with. My vertical scar had given everyone pause to say the least. During my appointment, my blood pressure was slightly elevated. That gave my doctor the leverage he wanted to pressure me into an induction. He wanted to start by stripping my membranes. I'm proud of myself that I got out of there and never took my pants off! I told him if my blood pressure wasn't enough of a concern to send me to the hospital right away, then I wanted time to go home and prepare. But I did schedule an AROM induction for the following Thursday, the 24th, as well as a prenatal appointment for Monday. I didn't expect to need either. When I got home, I asked Kurt for a blessing, wanting this baby to come before she was forced out.<br />
<br />
That night I woke up around 2 with strong contractions. I celebrated! It was my due date and we were rocking and rolling! Excited, I got up and began to time them. 5 minutes apart! Yay! Then they were 6 minutes...then 7...then 10... After an hour, they had all but gone away. Disappointed, I went back to bed.<br />
<br />
Later that morning, I met with my midwife, and I allowed her to attempt to strip my membranes. Ow, ow, ow. I don't ever want to do that again. But we still hoped to see results from it. She said she didn't guarantee before midnight, but it should help things. She also told me it was kind of too bad to kick me into higher gear already. If we let things go, I would likely have a few more sessions like I had the previous night and then when labor really started, it would be quick. Well, I thought, that is too bad, because it's my due date and I'm having a baby!<br />
<br />
The rest of the day passed peacefully. Too peacefully. I also slept fairly well that night and woke up the next morning thinking, this is officially the longest I've ever been pregnant. We went to church and I was impressed how few comments I got along the lines of "You haven't popped yet?" After church I fell asleep for an hour or so. When I woke up, I was having strong contractions again. Could it be? Might we still have a weekend baby? Probably not. They spaced out again. But I did have some bloody show this time. So surely it couldn't be too long. That night, I was up for about 6 hours with regular strong contractions. The only problem was they never seemed to get closer or stronger. They let up by about 5 and I grabbed a couple of hours of sleep.<br />
<br />
The next day, President's Day, Kurt and I dropped off our three older kids at a friend's house. Then we headed over to my prenatal appointment. We learned that my induction date had been bumped up to Tuesday the 22nd. The doctor also wanted to strip my membranes again. Now that I had experience with it, I did not want to do it again. I didn't even want him to check dilation. I was more than a little delirious and emotional from lack of sleep and the start-and-stop labor, so I wasn't in the mood to be cooperative. I felt the induction was a huge concession and that was all I was willing to give. We went back and forth about the dilation check a bit, mainly because the method of induction was AROM, which would only be really effective if I were already dilated. I was sure I was, based on the previous membrane sweep, and also the fact that two days of on-and-off labor couldn't have left me untouched.<br />
<br />
In the end, I prevailed and left with my pants on again. My midwife, who had been with us, advised me to go home and get some sleep. I didn't need to be told twice. The kids were still stashed, so our house was abnormally quiet. I slept for three or four hours, knowing it would likely be the last solid sleep I got. When I woke up, Kurt and I reclaimed our kids, and we had dinner together, and since it was Monday, we had Family Home Evening as well, our last before our family expanded.<br />
<br />
That night, I again woke up with strong regular contractions. This time, I ignored them. I did not want to spend my last night before caring for a newborn waiting for my fruitless labor to pick up. They still woke me up every few minutes, but I felt much more rested than I had over the weekend.<br />
<br />
We woke up early that morning, the 22nd, and packed our three older kids off to another friend's house for the day. I remember thinking it was ironic that it was the school holiday week, so it was sort of like a weekend. We got the the hospital at 7 and met our midwife. I don't know why I forget how slow hospitals are, but I was amazed how long admissions and all the prep took. Although I'd slept better the previous night than I had that weekend, I was still exhausted. I had pictured getting in and napping while we waited for the induction to take effect. Oh well.<br />
<br />
In our prep work for this birth, I had drafted a birth plan, gone over it with my midwife, had it signed by my doctor, and sent ahead to the hospital. I think that really paid off. My nurse turned out to be a midwife in training, having had all of her children at home. I know that wasn't just luck of the draw. Unfortunately, while I liked her in general, she botched my IV. She put it in my wrist and hit a nerve. I almost passed out, and I'm sure I looked a bit pathetic, that here I was planning a drug-free birth and I couldn't even handle an IV, but wow, did it hurt. And it still does, if someone grabs my wrist. Part of my index finger is also numb. Who knows how long that will last. But I digress.<br />
<br />
After I had the IV in place and had my full history taken, and repeated for a resident, the doctor finally came in after 9 to break my water. That was the only check I had for the labor, and he declared me 3-4 cm and 80% effaced. My midwife sounded relieved, as that meant the AROM was likely all it would take to get labor into high gear.<br />
<br />
Afterward, I kicked everyone out with the plan to sleep. Ha. Contractions started right off, strong and regular. I got a good 20 minute strip on the monitor, and then the nurse said I could take it off. I was quite surprised. We had expected continuous monitoring, but we weren't going to complain. I got up, used the bathroom, and sat on the birth ball for awhile. That's when the anesthesiology resident came to talk to us, giving us the whole rigmarole of what would happen should I need her services, and why it was so important that I not eat or drink anything. (Later, my midwife and I had an eye-rolling conversation about that.) I wish she had stopped by earlier. I had to take several breaks from the conversation to deal with contractions. But I'm convinced hospital time exists outside the experience of ordinary mortals.<br />
<br />
Maybe an hour later, our nurse came back and said I could go without the IV for a little while. That meant I was completely unhampered as I changed positions. I did spend some time in bed, partly due to a questionably high blood pressure reading. I rested until it was normal again, then I wandered back into the bathroom and found quite a bit of bloody show. I tried the shower as well. There was absolutely no water pressure, which makes me wonder just how often those showers are used. But still, the warm water trickling down my back felt great.<br />
<br />
Somewhere around noon, I was back in bed resting on my left side when I started vocalizing through contractions. My midwife encouraged me through that, helping me focus and relax. But things were getting intense. After one particularly long strong contraction, I opened my eyes and said "Is it alright if I admit I don't want to do this for hours?" I still had it in my mind that this labor would be like my previous labors, and I would be at this at least until late evening. My midwife said that was fine, we would take things one contraction at a time. She also said she wouldn't tell anyone I said that. Minutes later, she told the nurse what I'd said, which confused me at the time, but looking back, that was code to the nurse to get everything ready. And indeed they did get everything ready. The equipment was brought in and set up on the corner table. I watched and shook my head, thinking they were getting ahead of the game. That was right before I had a contraction that included a push. I was incredulous. Could I really be that close? "Is that a push?" I said. "You tell me! It's your body!" was my midwife's response.<br />
<br />
The exact sequence and timing of things at that point are a little fuzzy. I remember a new resident coming in and saying "Are we ready for a check?" My midwife held her off and said we needed the doctor. This resident obviously didn't know who my midwife was because she launched into an explanation about how important it was to make sure I was fully dilated before I started pushing or I'd swell my cervix. If my body hadn't been working on pushing out a baby RIGHT THEN I might have laughed at her. As it was, I was thinking "Congratulations, you read your OB text. Now throw it out and watch how it's done with an unmedicated woman listening to her body!" Thankfully she was called away. I think she needed to finish up for my doctor who had been in the OR with a set of twins.<br />
<br />
My midwife was stationed at the foot of the bed, holding the place in case any other residents decided to plant themselves there. She told me she could see the baby's hair. Now I knew she was pulling my leg. My previous pattern included bald babies.<br />
<br />
Contractions had really spaced out by this point, giving me a second wind, but I could no longer deny that I was indeed about to give birth. I don't know exactly how many times I pushed. I only remember two and a half. The half one was the one that first caught my attention. The other two were Lenore's head and body emerging. Either way, the pushing phase was not very long. I was again hooked up to the IV, for third stage pit, and the doctor finally came back just as Lenore was crowning. My midwife did move aside for him, but they were both side by side as I pushed my baby out. Lenore had a loop of cord around her neck, but that was easily slipped off, and she was handed straight to me.<br />
<br />
I was in awe. I'd done it. I'd pushed out my baby, despite all the naysayers. I had read many VBAC birth stories and always marveled when the woman said she never worried about her scar. Now I can say the same. I was well into labor before I even remembered I had a scar. And even that thought wasn't worrisome. I can also say that I honestly never entertained the thought of asking for any pain meds. I'd had one drug-free birth already, and by the end had been begging for something. But I didn't this time. I think two things made the difference. One was that this birth was much quicker. Transition and pushing took me by surprise, and having to grapple with just what state my body was in drove out thoughts of asking for intervention. The other was my midwife. She was by my side the whole time, talking me through contractions, feeding me ice chips, massaging my back, and being there to help me let my body do what it had to do. Things would have gone much differently without her.<br />
<br />
As I was basking in the afterglow and holding my minutes old baby, I thought of a more practical matter. During pregnancy, we had been scared by the possibility of placenta accreta. That was the main reason for the third stage pit. If the placenta didn't come right away, there would need to be more intervention, the ultimate of which was a hysterectomy. So roughly 5 minutes after birth, I looked up and said "At what point do we worry about the-" My midwife didn't let me finish. She said the placenta was right there and would come out with a quick push. And indeed it did and looked whole. That spiked me right back up on my high. Not only had I successfully pushed my baby out with my vertical scar, my anterior placenta had behaved perfectly. Things couldn't be better. I had a beautiful healthy baby who was nursing well and would be mine to take home to rejoin the rest of the family.<br />
<br />
Hours later, in a sort of debriefing conversation my midwife said "You really didn't know how close you were, did you?" Nope, I really didn't. I was so set on expecting patterns to repeat themselves that I was completely taken by surprise. Not a bad thing at the end of the day, but one more piece of evidence that I need to let go and let be.<br />
<br />
It's been one month since my victorious VBAC. I have had an easy recovery and the the whole family has loved getting to know Lenore. Six-year-old Dorian eagerly showed her picture at school. Five-year-old Faith loves having a sister. Almost three-year-old Quinn doesn't quite know what to do with her, but he is slowly learning. We all keep learning. That is the point.Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-59550455926021609292011-03-14T23:38:00.004-05:002011-03-15T00:05:40.669-05:00not defeated.this is one tired doula typing tonight. i had two births last week, both mamas had longgggg warm ups, lasting 5 days each, and difficult labors. <br />the first mama had an interesting and peculiar cervix that was so posterior it pointed up, and baby was engaged and sitting on the lower uterine segment, not the cervix. she dilated to 1 and lost her plug, a first for her body, but labor never progressed past that and her baby was not moving and having consistent heart decels, so the decision was made to deliver by c-section. she was going for a vba2c and my heart broke for her. such a sweet mama, worked so hard, endured days without sleep, and so deserving of vbac victory. in the end, little baby girl had different plans, and coupled with some interesting factors with mom's cervix, off to the OR we went. making matters worse, the doctor told her she absolutely was not born with a cervix like that, it likely resulted during a c-section, and i know that is a hard pill to swallow. we were hoping for some conclusive answers during the operation, but so far the doctor has not been able to give her any. we are still praying for answers. <br />i do hope she feels empowered by the control she did have over the birth. her options were laid out for her, which included doing nothing, or going home, which were against medical advice, but still her options. i think it helps when mom has that final say-so, even if it is a difficult decision. <br />there were tears, and since then i have cried several, because the loss of that dream is so hard. and this mama has similar awful reactions to drugs like me so i feel for her, understand her misery in recovery from major surgery again, and remember the heartache for a vaginal birth. some of us would rather just avoid the drugs. the pain of labor is just so much better than the drugs. seriously! but what mama wouldn't endure anything for her baby. it stinks but knowing that it was necessary brings me comfort and hopefully it does to my client too. <br />in any case, i am proud of her. she was so determined and she fought so hard. i know that she would have continued to fight for days more if that's what it took, if it had not been for baby not tolerating what was going on. this may not have ended in vbac, but i refuse to believe it ended in defeat either. she's amazing and i stand in awe! <br />more on mama #2 in the coming days...Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-11984810409329124292011-02-03T19:57:00.000-06:002011-02-03T19:57:12.223-06:00Hurt by Hospital Birth: Katie's Story - Hurt, Followed by Victory!my birth stories were featured in another blog! check them out! <br /><a href="http://hurtbyhospitalbirth.blogspot.com/2011/02/katies-story-hurt-followed-by-victory.html?spref=bl">Hurt by Hospital Birth: Katie's Story - Hurt, Followed by Victory!</a>: "My first pregnancy I was 21 and very naive. I wanted a 'natural' birth, but knew very little about how to realistically make that ha..."Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-8275970683179435832011-01-19T11:07:00.001-06:002011-01-19T11:09:09.799-06:00A Doula ProverbShe who listens to the wisdom of her doula is indeed wise.<br /><br />just sayin. :)Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-42353299433550288202011-01-11T22:31:00.002-06:002011-01-11T23:11:17.058-06:00Womb Care and Your Newborn<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves/> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> 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</w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">“Womb Care”- Responding to Baby’s Needs:</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">There are many theories of parenting out there, many books with different suggestions and philosophies, and a never-ending supply of opinions from well-meaning friends and family.<span style=""> </span>These are the recommendations of your doula. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="">:)</span></span><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";"></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">Your baby has spent 9 months growing in your belly.<span style=""> </span>Baby has enjoyed the constant warmth of the womb, has been lulled to sleep by the sound of your heartbeat, comforted by the familiar smells of mommy, and fed by a constant supply of nourishment through the umbilical cord.<span style=""> </span>Baby has never known hunger or cold, the stress of being alone, has never been without the sound of mom’s breathing or beating heart.<span style=""> </span>The transition from the womb to earth-side can be tumultuous for baby.<span style=""> </span>In my experience, “womb care”, can make this transition more smooth and gentle on baby.<span style=""> I define womb care as meeting the needs of your baby as quickly and completely as possible and surrounding baby with conditions as close to those he experienced in the womb as possible during the early months of life. I personally recommend womb care for at least 6-9 months. <br /></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. And by breastfeeding your baby, you are providing a closeness and bonding for you and your baby that cannot be achieved through bottle feeding. Your newborn needs to eat <i style="">at least<u> </u></i>every 2-3 hours.<span style=""> </span>If your newborn sleeps longer, wake him up, as baby can become weak quickly.<span style=""> </span>Pay attention to baby’s <i style="">hunger cues.</i><span style=""> </span>These will include smacking or licking lips, rooting, putting fists and hands to the mouth, fidgeting or squirming.<span style=""> </span>Crying and turning head from side to side is a <i style="">late</i> hunger cue.<span style=""> </span>Keeping baby close can help you quickly learn to recognize baby’s signals that he’s ready to eat.<span style=""> </span>By feeding at the <i style="">first sign of hunger</i>, breastfeeding is much easier and smoother for mom and baby.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">When breastfeeding, it is sometimes difficult to determine if baby is getting enough milk.<span style=""> </span>The first week of life, baby should have 5-6 sopping wet diapers a day.<span style=""> </span>After about the fourth day after birth, baby should have passed all the meconium (first stool) and should have 4-5 yellow, loose, mustard-looking stools.<span style=""> </span>After a feeding, mom’s breast should feel softer and less full.<span style=""> </span>Feeding on demand is the best way to ensure plenty of milk.<span style=""> </span>As adults, don't we eat when we're hungry? Don't we also just want an occasional snack at times? This is also perfectly normal for our babies. And since mom’s milk supply is dependent on the demand placed by baby, supplementing with formula bottles can be devastating to the milk supply, as well as risk nipple confusion with baby.<span style=""> </span><span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">Once your baby has established a good weight gain pattern, usually after at least 3-4 weeks, and as long as baby continues to make plenty wet and dirty diapers, you can stop waking baby at night to eat, and let him set his own pattern.<span style=""> </span>*Sleep training programs are shown to be detrimental to both the development of the baby and mom’s milk supply. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">A great source of information for breastfeeding moms is www.kellymom.com.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">Baby wearing is a great way to meet the needs of your baby of closeness and security.<span style=""> </span>Baby will love to be snuggled on you where he is warm, comforted, and can have easy access to the breast when hungry.<span style=""> </span>Studies show that babies who are worn regularly by their mothers cry significantly less. Worn babies also spend more time in a “quiet state of alertness”, which is necessary for learning to occur.<span style=""> </span>There are a number of safe carriers out there (as well some that should be avoided) and I can make a few recommendations if you like.<span style=""> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">C0-sleeping is also a safe and nurturing choice for baby.<span style=""> </span>While this is not for every family, I recommend at least rooming-in with your baby for at least the first few months of life.<span style=""> </span>I encourage research on co-sleeping to determine if it is right for your family, and so each couple can know how to do it safely.<span style=""> </span>There is a right and wrong way to co-sleep, but generally, when done correctly, it is shown to <i style="">reduce the risk of SIDS as well as increase the amount of sleep mom gets and the number of feedings baby gets.<span style=""> </span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";">Responding quickly to baby’s cries is crucial.<span style=""> </span>Allowing baby to “cry it out” is <i style="">NOT</i> beneficial and can be very detrimental to your baby.<span style=""> </span>You cannot spoil your newborn.<span style=""> </span>Babies do not have the capacity to ‘manipulate’ their parents until closer to a year.<span style=""> They communicate their needs through crying and as parents we should not ignore that. </span>Parents build confidence and trust in their baby when they quickly meet baby’s needs.<span style=""> </span>This in turn will translate into a toddler with good self-esteem and independence.<span style=""> </span>Sometimes baby needs to suckle even when he’s just been fed.<span style=""> </span>This is normal.<span style=""> </span>Sometimes baby just needs to be held, even when he’s changed, fed, and swaddled.<span style=""> </span>This is also normal.<span style=""> </span>Like adults, babies have emotional needs as well as physical needs.<span style=""> </span>Your baby will cry less and be happier when you quickly respond to him, whether that be for a physical need or an emotional one, like the need to be snuggled or comforted at the breast.<span style=""> <br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Candara","sans-serif";"><span style="">So that's my philosophy in a nutshell. We have done this with all 4 of our kids. My older 3 are all independent, emotionally healthy kids ready to take on the world, and I know the baby will be too one day. Many blessings and peaceful parenting! <br /></span></span></p>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-69461189635761942332011-01-07T23:41:00.003-06:002011-01-07T23:47:07.249-06:00Breastfeeding is Offensive<span style="font-size:xx-small;"><i>Fore-note: This item was not written byTriumphant Birth. It has been requested to share and is posted in numerous locations online. The original author is unknown. If it is you, please let me know by email to katieperez426 {@] gmail.com</i></span><br />~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">I'm thankful for not having boobs thrown in my face all the time by offensive and indecent<br />breastfeeding mothers like the ones below.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyP6BrGTI/AAAAAAAABIA/fUkvXPH876s/s1600/post_513739_1189988799_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyP6BrGTI/AAAAAAAABIA/fUkvXPH876s/s1600/post_513739_1189988799_med.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Wait... Well, this is a bad example. Let's try again.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyPUG5gGI/AAAAAAAABH8/ahWU4GfmuoI/s1600/post_513739_1189988825_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyPUG5gGI/AAAAAAAABH8/ahWU4GfmuoI/s1600/post_513739_1189988825_med.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Hmm... Just a minute. I'm sure I can find better ones than these...</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyOg9bc1I/AAAAAAAABH4/Efs_s06z8Xg/s1600/post_513739_1189988845_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyOg9bc1I/AAAAAAAABH4/Efs_s06z8Xg/s320/post_513739_1189988845_med.jpg" width="244" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Eh, still not offensive enough. I'll check one more time.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyOYIc2CI/AAAAAAAABH0/FZKh-E0grXo/s1600/post_513739_1189988888_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyOYIc2CI/AAAAAAAABH0/FZKh-E0grXo/s1600/post_513739_1189988888_med.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">That is better. LOOK AT THAT! I see about a half inch of boob. DISGUSTING.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyN4ih4qI/AAAAAAAABHw/SkoC2sX7oGw/s1600/post_513739_1189988909_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyN4ih4qI/AAAAAAAABHw/SkoC2sX7oGw/s1600/post_513739_1189988909_med.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">UGH. Look at that indecency! She must be from some third world country to be exposed like that!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyNZFebXI/AAAAAAAABHs/I9jPqyOxpfk/s1600/post_513739_1189988932_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyNZFebXI/AAAAAAAABHs/I9jPqyOxpfk/s1600/post_513739_1189988932_med.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Now that's just... There are no words to describe how inappropriate that is. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Something needs to be done!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But why stop at breastfeeding women? </div><div style="text-align: center;">There are boobs everywhere. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Beware! If you thought the above photos were offensive, you will <b>definitely</b> be offended by the photos below.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not this one, though. </div><div style="text-align: center;">This one was in plain view on newsstands and in mailboxes in 19 countries world-wide:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyNBs15vI/AAAAAAAABHo/sxx4gj4K6BQ/s1600/post_513739_1189988967_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyNBs15vI/AAAAAAAABHo/sxx4gj4K6BQ/s320/post_513739_1189988967_med.jpg" width="207" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Not this one, either. It actually won an award!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyMR60-UI/AAAAAAAABHk/dhY6aNzgQBc/s1600/post_513739_1189988989_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyMR60-UI/AAAAAAAABHk/dhY6aNzgQBc/s320/post_513739_1189988989_med.jpg" width="264" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Oh, and I guess this one is fine too. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Everyone knows you cannot sell jeans without someone being topless.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyMGBLXVI/AAAAAAAABHg/7gHGIShwCc4/s1600/post_513739_1189989015_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyMGBLXVI/AAAAAAAABHg/7gHGIShwCc4/s320/post_513739_1189989015_med.jpg" width="232" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Or beer, for that matter:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyLXShxXI/AAAAAAAABHc/tLdagsWixAA/s1600/post_513739_1189989041_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyLXShxXI/AAAAAAAABHc/tLdagsWixAA/s320/post_513739_1189989041_med.jpg" width="256" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Or sunglasses:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyK7yuq9I/AAAAAAAABHY/I5hI2CtkZw0/s1600/post_513739_1189989061_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyK7yuq9I/AAAAAAAABHY/I5hI2CtkZw0/s320/post_513739_1189989061_med.jpg" width="163" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Or movie tickets:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyKfH5W4I/AAAAAAAABHU/Ih8J1LM14Sc/s1600/post_513739_1189989110_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyKfH5W4I/AAAAAAAABHU/Ih8J1LM14Sc/s320/post_513739_1189989110_med.jpg" width="320" border="0" height="240" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Or CDs:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyJ6f9sGI/AAAAAAAABHQ/ZOocobLC8CE/s1600/post_513739_1189989152_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyJ6f9sGI/AAAAAAAABHQ/ZOocobLC8CE/s320/post_513739_1189989152_med.jpg" width="170" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">You know what? Maybe I'm crazy, but I think that someone mixed up some photos here. </div><div style="text-align: center;">The first batch are offensive, but the second batch are just fine and dandy?!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">People who live in glass bras:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyJUW5atI/AAAAAAAABHM/ECoZCANG9iw/s1600/post_513739_1189989171_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyJUW5atI/AAAAAAAABHM/ECoZCANG9iw/s320/post_513739_1189989171_med.jpg" width="212" border="0" height="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Shouldn't throw stones:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyI63tbrI/AAAAAAAABHI/an_tyKLJCn4/s1600/post_513739_1189989190_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyI63tbrI/AAAAAAAABHI/an_tyKLJCn4/s1600/post_513739_1189989190_med.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">If you believe women have the right to breastfeed their children no matter where they are, please repost.<br />Support breastfed babies and their right to eat in public!</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyIaNnsdI/AAAAAAAABHE/5aCzpx4d6XY/s1600/post_547222_1209558403_med.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_7lwCgCrwvCA/TSbyIaNnsdI/AAAAAAAABHE/5aCzpx4d6XY/s320/post_547222_1209558403_med.jpg" width="320" border="0" height="240" /></a></div>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-66794719888796429582011-01-06T15:36:00.010-06:002011-01-11T23:12:04.068-06:002010 babieshere's how 2010 shaped up for me. i got a good foot in the door with my doula certification, it's almost finished! just a couple more day classes to audit, a handful or so of assignments, a test to pass, and i'm done, woohoo!<br />i learned so much, and am so thankful to these mamas below for allowing me the privilege to serve them in their labors and birth. it was such a blessing to be a part of them welcoming their little miracles into the world.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqVAcnWn73mnPUuV8gcO4vICxksBmfJ982Ax0BanQQDf2dWkPx-Nz6NKzfahPrSuk2w7vsdIMHZ5Z-17DQkE5MacsN5ThXxutqSpfb6h7oiJSOfVoXNolFoVF9YVfPkz4pJ5m2L6QMi0/s1600/34234_1388542992687_1205430057_30971342_2398414_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoqVAcnWn73mnPUuV8gcO4vICxksBmfJ982Ax0BanQQDf2dWkPx-Nz6NKzfahPrSuk2w7vsdIMHZ5Z-17DQkE5MacsN5ThXxutqSpfb6h7oiJSOfVoXNolFoVF9YVfPkz4pJ5m2L6QMi0/s200/34234_1388542992687_1205430057_30971342_2398414_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559191402389685458" border="0" /></a><br />baby boy M, July 8th 2010<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqIVtAAnvcklk4rb97HevG13uW5u8VYdEArmzd8dbkWHXJADCSpy0IusCvk1trfIyhUHYuzi7kDJuChHpoI4p0w61l-vk6lk2fd2GAzKiZQdnfFUHcfR76soc70qS2SVcNWsIKHzkTJE/s1600/59356_1576933379837_1130690157_1656195_2745029_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqIVtAAnvcklk4rb97HevG13uW5u8VYdEArmzd8dbkWHXJADCSpy0IusCvk1trfIyhUHYuzi7kDJuChHpoI4p0w61l-vk6lk2fd2GAzKiZQdnfFUHcfR76soc70qS2SVcNWsIKHzkTJE/s200/59356_1576933379837_1130690157_1656195_2745029_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559192861989551522" border="0" /></a><br />baby girl G, August 28th, 2010<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhMJkWWC8q-bV27vpm9H95FP1eluH4j2Y3PB6w0zln1Bnhv7D9v6sVdi5gYykRUtbLcwYz0LXOd_xAdjRHkGCipn-_1JaDH34VwWd8HyDfJ2ibOyIc05meG1Tf2rUDMogi0hyphenhyphent9iwfNI/s1600/IMG_1718.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMhMJkWWC8q-bV27vpm9H95FP1eluH4j2Y3PB6w0zln1Bnhv7D9v6sVdi5gYykRUtbLcwYz0LXOd_xAdjRHkGCipn-_1JaDH34VwWd8HyDfJ2ibOyIc05meG1Tf2rUDMogi0hyphenhyphent9iwfNI/s200/IMG_1718.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559191911353986242" border="0" /></a><br />baby girl O, September 26th, 2010<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlIgK9-PBjje6HAgeGlg44ksPQfVkLc6YFG8GIEtkKs_eIHwlhyphenhyphenn-hYNfCHdnrgrtjABHD4BR1FNMcEpFO8TOi8fTbUSdapOlZPeVxxSUU7EEEE-i09FS68MRb958HrfvyMcO1-qSXUw/s1600/Lucy+Snider+2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlIgK9-PBjje6HAgeGlg44ksPQfVkLc6YFG8GIEtkKs_eIHwlhyphenhyphenn-hYNfCHdnrgrtjABHD4BR1FNMcEpFO8TOi8fTbUSdapOlZPeVxxSUU7EEEE-i09FS68MRb958HrfvyMcO1-qSXUw/s200/Lucy+Snider+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559193569742661506" border="0" /></a><br />baby girl L, October 5th , 2010<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKbX1TMMBt5GyVHJKdpyJwfhnN-QcCMpexCdrF8q9pB6XBWun0nq_a_nxP-cM_lk0zbUXS4EgwGl-G2lCH7uDOqxeRKzG2sel8stkSR-IbgTkKOJ9JtyZwrHIgiXBjINyB-THnP4vesw/s1600/37119_1657212786772_1130690157_1825518_929484_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicKbX1TMMBt5GyVHJKdpyJwfhnN-QcCMpexCdrF8q9pB6XBWun0nq_a_nxP-cM_lk0zbUXS4EgwGl-G2lCH7uDOqxeRKzG2sel8stkSR-IbgTkKOJ9JtyZwrHIgiXBjINyB-THnP4vesw/s200/37119_1657212786772_1130690157_1825518_929484_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559194342283941106" border="0" /></a><br />baby girl C, November 6th, 2010<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uDrP4Sa19l5KQdK2TPJjX7mitR1BzdzG2p41mIyM14Yw64upadeHjXbZDYKrsKnbUarThMVJzhh8LwY3zkGM92mcXBSmeulYsW-7yTQib6eiryuaG2Gf7-X5F_AS2RuPL_kBYU_QiA/s1600/149683_10150322777820106_848465105_15836007_725956_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 133px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8uDrP4Sa19l5KQdK2TPJjX7mitR1BzdzG2p41mIyM14Yw64upadeHjXbZDYKrsKnbUarThMVJzhh8LwY3zkGM92mcXBSmeulYsW-7yTQib6eiryuaG2Gf7-X5F_AS2RuPL_kBYU_QiA/s200/149683_10150322777820106_848465105_15836007_725956_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559194576099533298" border="0" /></a><br />baby boy P, November 18th, 2010<br /><br /><br />this coming year, as soon as i finish my certification, i will be starting on a new adventure. i'll be enrolling in a midwifery program and beginning training as a homebirth midwife. this has been on my heart for some time, and i really believe it's God's will and purpose for me. it's amazing how quickly life can change, and when i look back on life just 2 years ago, i had no idea i'd be where i am now, its just incredible how much a surprise pregnancy turned my life upside down. all i can say is God's plan is so much better!Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-12473314290233271222011-01-06T15:35:00.000-06:002011-01-06T15:35:45.499-06:00Coming Soon: Defending Ourselves against Defensive Medicine - The Unnecesarean -<a href="http://www.theunnecesarean.com/blog/2010/12/6/coming-soon-defending-ourselves-against-defensive-medicine.html">Coming Soon: Defending Ourselves against Defensive Medicine - The Unnecesarean -</a>Triumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-285939121707181516.post-58038759446786075402010-12-27T01:59:00.002-06:002010-12-27T02:07:15.046-06:002010 in a nutshelli hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! i have not been a very good blogger this year, and i hope to work on that! this year has been one of great blessing for our family. we are very content.<br />i took 6 births so far from the months of July till November, and already have 5 on the calendar for 2011. and looking ahead, i will probably only doula for about another year, since i'll be starting midwifery training soon and be hopefully starting an apprenticeship in spring of 2012. i can tell this coming year will go by so fast being as busy as i will be. <br />if you have a good topic to blog about, or just want to share the story of your triumphant birth, please email me at katieperez426@gmail.com and let me know. <br />again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<br />warm blessings,<br />katieTriumphant Birth Serviceshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11923451785890678315noreply@blogger.com0