Planning or had a planned UC? - describe yourself! - Page 2

[JanetF]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?

National Convenor of the Australian homebirth network, Joyous Birth. http://www.joyousbirth.info/ Before that I was an academic in a university.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?

1st class honours degree in history, half a PhD I specialise in 18th century Irish history, gender and politics. Topped my year in my honours degree.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)

Just me I do all those things, doesn't everyone?

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?

Read lots about it online when pg with #1. Was dumped by my MW the night before I went into strong labour with #2 but I'd had an autonomous pregnancy in another state from the MW anyway so birthing without her wasn't a big stretch. I loved it, I'd never go back.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?

Internet (everything from birth stories to professional refereed journals) and one of my dearest friends is the woman behind the Australian freebirth website. She rocks! Here it is in case you're interested: http://www.purebirth-australia.com/

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?

I was 37 when Isobel was born, she is my second child.

[mataji4]

A. SAHM, Waldorf preschool teacher (in my home) part-time. Previously I attended births and did child care.

B. B.A. in Holistic Education from a liberal arts college

C. I'd have to say a combination, though probably less scientific and intellectual...i live more from a vital/emotional place.

D. I read my mom's "Heart and Hands" book as a kid, and used to keep it under my bed. I was also obsessed with Little House and would pretend to have babies all the time (without Doc Baker there)! After studying midwifery and attending births as well as having two homebirths, I "discovered" the UC movement through reading. Considered it last time, but went for another MW attended homebirth, but it wasn't assisted! Now I have the confidence to plan for an UC. In this, my 4th, pregnancy I'm experiencing my healthiest pregnant state ever while doing self-care. Everything is leading me to accept an unassisted family birth as what is right for me and my baby.

E. Being present at births where babies just came out with no assistance and the mother or father caught it, watching those amazing videos at midwifery conferences of the women giving birth alone in those see-through plastic tubs!, reading Jeanine Parvati Baker's book "Prenatal Yoga" (and I didn't until a few years ago because I thought it was only about yoga! it's not!) which was a real turning point, and Laura Shanley's website/birth stories with photos of moms receiving their own babies...probably just exposing myself to this different choice, this variation of normal (not radical) birth through reading and reflection.

F. I am 31 and planning my first UC for June.

[~~Mama2B~~]

Hey, I'm Kristi and I'm planning a UC.

Originally Posted by Ksenia

I have a friend (who is not a mom yet) who is writing an article about UC for a major publication. She wants to educate her readers about the kind of families who would choose UC. I'm guessing that most of us don't fit into people's assumptions about the kind of person who would UC . It would be great if you could answer the following questions to educate the public:

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)? I'm currently a sales associate at a home store but that'sjust because I needed something part time during the pregnancy. Pre-pregnancy I was a counselor at a group home for boys and worked as a substitute teacher.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)? I'm a college grad. My major is in Religion and I minored in Behavioral Science.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)I'm an artistic intellectual. I'm not all that "back to nature-y" except when it comes to birth. Lol.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth? Hospitals and doctors make me uneasy. The reason I first started looking though, was for financial reasons. I kept thinking, "We can afford to take care of a child, but we just can't afford to give birth to him!" It really irritated me. But I went online and started looking around to see ifanyone was crazy enough to have a baby outside the hospital. I stumbled upon MDC and the rest is history.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC? MDC is a huge resource for me. I use other forums too, and good old fashioned "Google" to look things up.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC? I just turned 25 this week and I'm expecting my first child on the 30th of March.

Thanks!

[lactivist]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
I was a respiratory therapist when I had my first but became a sahm when she was 3.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
I graduated from high school and a trade college. I am part way through to my AA. My husband has an AA.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
I consider myself a scientific, back to nature type.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
I thought it would be great to birth alone with my first but thought I was crazy. It wasn't until after my second that I met someone (online) that had given birth UC. I knew that was what I wanted and started researching right away.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
Mainly it has been midwifery type texts, midwife archives, some UC sites like Laura Shanley's site and several email groups.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
I had my first UC at age 36.

Wendi

[cottonwood]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?

I was trained as an architect but only briefly worked in the field before becoming a SAHM.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?

college graduate

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)

Hmm... I guess I see myself first and foremost as a creative and analytical thinker who is also aesthetically motivated and values intuition. I'm an INF/TP on the Myers-Briggs scale.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?

I'm a very private person and regard the birth event as sacred. Having someone involved/observing who wasn't intimately tied to myself and the baby just felt incredibly wrong. And later I learned that birth and the postpartum process of bonding and becoming a mother are more likely to happen normally when the birth is not managed/observed.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?

OVerwhelmingly other women via the internet, but also a birth professional here and there, and I have over three dozen books on birth that I consult occasionally.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?

35

[L J]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?

SAHM now, was a SAHW the majority of my pregnancy, but before that, I have been a waitress my entire life. At the Waffle House. And yes, I have all of my teeth.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?

Two and a half years of college.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)

A little bit of everything. I'm still trying to figure it out, really. I'm a very instinctual person.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?

A friend's horrible hospital birth led me to researching birth in general, which led to researching homebirth, and when I read about UC for the first time, it was like coming home.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?

All the internet. MDC was my starting point.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?

20

[Redifer]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
Oh jeez. Farmer/mechanic/furniture creator/interior decorator/researcher/baker - Yea, I have a lot of odd-jobs

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
High school + Life

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
All of the above and moreso. I don't fit within any kind of categorical restriction, and I'm happy that way.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
I was raised to trust my own body and intuition above all else.
It almost feels... instinctual... to me at this point. Hard to explain. It feels just... right.. inside; whereas my first (hospital birth), I had this overwhelming uneasiness throughout the pregnancy.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
This site! Along with a lot of books and websites and other UC'ing mommas.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
I am 21, will be turning 22 about a week before my due date, this is my first UC, and I plan on all subsequent children being UC'd as well.

[crittersmom]

1 I am a SAHM and Navy wife.I was a teacher's aid,campus security,retail worker and child caretaker before and in between kids.

2 Some college.

3 Artistic and back to nature for me.I am inept at math but science does fascinate me.I love reading anything so I guess that would put me as intellectual as well.

4 I am interested in UC because I have been given a chance to have the birth I should have had all along.Each birth I have followed along with other's wishes and it still was not the right way for me or my baby.I am not going to be a good girl and conform.I want to do the best and healthiest thing for me and my baby and UC is the way to give birth without others forcing thier needs/paperwork on me.

5 This site and now that I have an address I will be doing a lot of reading.

6 I will be 31 when this baby is born.

[Skim]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
College state grant writer/coordinator and teacher; unpaid writer

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
Graduate - M.S.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
Intellectual, contemplative, self-reflective, love-to-research, back-to-nature type.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
Freedom.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
Discussion groups at MDC and other online sources, books.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
35

[lafemmedesfemmes]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
desk-jockey. i've been in one type of clerical position or another for my last two jobs.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
completed high school. some college. no degree.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
intellectual and back-to-nature, more or less.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
giving birth the first time (age 18, hospital birth, child surrendered for adoption) turned a kind of idle interest in birth into an obsession. i progressed from reading about birth in general, to reading about homebirth, to reading about unassisted birth. uc seemed the most right to me-- messing with a system that works never seemed like a bright idea to me.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
on uc in particular? the internet, mainly. i have a substantial collection of bound books about birth, homebirth, and midwifery, but the majority of my research about uc has been online.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
i had my first uc at age 26.

[koofie]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
I am a middle school teacher:

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
I have a Master's in Education

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
Combination of all of the above, except maybe artistic.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
I think that I will relax more and thus have a better birth experince with no one but DH around. I am very high strung and truly relaxing is hard for me with others around. Also, my natural waterbirth at a BC turned into an induction, which I plan to avoid at all costs because it was NOT a positive experience.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
Mothering I also read a lot, but more about natural birth vs. just UC

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
I just turned 29, and am 36 weeks pg, so 28/29

[BirthingGoddesses]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
WOMAN. Waiting to go to midwifery 'school' {likely AAMI}. Previously, I have worn many hats, a record 28 jobs held by the time I was 27. {this includes jobs I tried and realized on day 2-3 that it wasn't going to work out so- asta!}

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)? "Book wise" , some college, but as many above have said, the knowledge/level of education I have I find {this is not an arrogant statement} often exceeds those whom I have met with years of college, etc. I have done a lot of self study / apprenticing of many skills - so I have diverse base.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)

Well- I wanted to be really clear on this, since several people have made comments regarding the use of the word - so I looked up the definition of intellectual:
1. Of or relating to the intellect.
2. Rational rather than emotional.
3. Having or showing intellect, especially to a high degree. See Synonyms at intelligent.
4. Given to activities or pursuits that require exercise of the intellect.

Rational rather than emotional? on scientific things. Showing intellect {smarts}? well- yeah - I think I will pat myself on the back with that one In general am given to activities to increase the intellect? yes. I love to learn, and the more the better about any subject.

Final answer- I will quote a previous reply- all of the above to some degree- mostly filtered thru the "back to nature type"

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
1st-In high school - my friends mother was a lay midwife, and this friend told me after school one day hanging out in her back yard {that was a tropical paradise} that her mom had her little brother in the hot tub we were sitting on, just her and her man. right then and there - my mind went off in a different direction - for life. That's why I advocate for honesty when strangers ask how/what you are doing {as long as you are not endangering yourself}

2nd-ly, It was an intuition. While in labor with my first {3 days prodromel labor, back and forth to BC} I remember clearly stating that "I ought to just stay home and do this myself" In my mind I saw myself doing it alone, but was not prepared for that at that time.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
Midwifery texts, tons of UC birth stories, the internet reading other UC birth info, and had been close friends with a midwife for a while - she would "debrief" after births with me, and talk about what happened and what she did or did not do, and I would ask a lot of questions to clarify points in my mind.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
was 28 when 'officially' chose to stop having midwifery care and continue with a UP to have a UC.

[jrojala]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
I was a resturant manager, and a "freelance" hair stylist (work out of my home when ever I feel like it), I have been published (poetry, short stories, etc.) a few times, paid a few times... so a Writer too?
B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
graduate- hs at 16; catering, cooking, and resturant managenmet; cosmo/esthetics school(with highest honors, thank you!! I can dye hair and razor cut like nobody's business!)
C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
I think I am an intellectual artistic woman who did very well in science class, and is in the process of getting back to a more natural place in her life.
D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
I became interested in it when I was pregnant with my DS, I was under the "care" of an OB, who did nothing I could not do prenatally, told me nothing I did not already know, and in the end, forced me to defy what I knew was the right thing for me to do, and I ended up with unwanted, unneeded scars, an not just on my body and womb.
E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
Books, friends, and most of all, myself.
F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
21.

[~Mamaterra~]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
Toxicologist and environmental/development consultant

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
MSc. going on to a PhD.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
All of the above....I think ALLLL of the time (yes there are voices in my head all of the time....fortunately they are all mine ) so I am definitely an intellectual.

I constantly have 6 or 7 artistic projects on the go, so I am definitely an artist.

I am a toxicologist and just a side bar, my 3 year old ds now is telling everyone that "the building blocks of everything are molecules" . Definitely scientific!

And finally, I am a huntress that lives off of the land so definitely a back-to-nature type.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
Always was interested....but was overwhelmed by the power of birth and knew it was something that I was made to do. As well, I don't buy in to the medical establishment.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
MDC, internet, friends.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
Hbirthed our first two at 31 and 32, UC our third at 35 and hope to UC our forth at 37

[homebirthbaby]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)? Photographer

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)? High School

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?) Artistic

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth? The fact that there are no Midwives available in my area for a home birth.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC? Internet and Books

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC? 24

[DayDreamer]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)? Prior to becoming a SAHM I worked in law enforcement - started out dispatching, then went to the street, then back to dispatching due to becoming pregnant.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
High School diploma and Police Acadamy

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
A combination - a slight mix of all the above but not enough of one to identify me, if that makes sense.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
After a less than ideal hospital birth, then an awesome (hands off) midwife attended homebirth I felt UC was just the perfect fit for me for future children.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
MDC

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
25

Thanks!

[accountclosed3]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?

I'm a yoga teacher/therapist and thai yoga massage practitioner.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?

I have a Juris Doctorate (JD). I am an E-RYT 500 with Yoga Alliance.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)

all of those and so much more.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?

my story is a circle. when i started menarche, i had a dream of birthing outside, at nite, during a meteor shower. i was alone, though i 'felt' my partner nearby.

i shared this story and was given the conventional ideas--one must give birth in a hospital, and later a midwife said that i could homebirth both only indoors and only with a midwife.

when i was 27 i had a miscarriage (didn'tn know it was one until many months later). i got a prenatal yoga book to study (i had pregnant clients). it was Jeanine Parvati Baker's Prenatal Yoga book. not at all what i needed for my studies, but in it was a UC story. I was intrugued, and my husband and i discussed it for 30 minutes after i read it to him. We realized that it makes perfect sense for us.

Then, i found Laura Shanley's site, and then here, and the rest is 'herstory.' i found my journal of my menarche and laughed--i'd wanted a UC all along.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?

I mostly use Laura Shanley's and this web site for books and what not, though admittedly, i don't read many of them. Shanley's book lead me to the Seth materials at the same time that i saw "what the bleep?" which has led me to Ramtha's materials. These are phenominal materials to work with. i find them to be the most important part of my work toward UC, but also to my work in general.

thus far, my husband and i are planning on "mastering" these materials and also reading Emergency Childbirth. And then leaving it at that. I truly believe that my body, my mind, and my spirit can create the reality that we want for every aspect of our lives, including birth.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?

I was 14 when i reached menarche. I was 27 when I rediscovered UC. As yet, my husband and I have not tried to concieve nor concieved since then. But we definately plan on a UC when we get to it. I'm currently 30 yrs old.

[cal195]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
I am a post-doc.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)?
IPh.d in biochemistry. I study viruses.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?)
Primarily intellectual/scientific.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth?
It's my guess, supported by the body of data on the subject, that low-risk births, undertaken by knowledgeable women with supportive partners or birthing assistants, probably have just as good (or better) outcomes than midwife- (or--shudder--OB-) assisted births.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC?
Books such as Ina May Gaskin's Spiritual Midwifery and Guide to Birth(not sure I got the titles exactly right, but I'm guessing you guys will know the books I'm talking about), nursing/medical textbooks, lurking on OBGYN.net, and the Childbirth Choices debate board on Babycenter.com.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC?
I'm thinking about it for my next child. I'm hoping to start TTC in a few months. So, 29.

Catherine

[dancebaraka]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
I own a small business called WomanSpace- I facilitate workshops, women's groups, one-on-one coaching and counseling, I teach bellydance and movement meditation. I am also a fledging doula, herbalist, and writer. DH is also a small business owner, doing envrionmental diagnostics and remodeling on homes and businesses.

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)? BA in Sociology/Women's Studies, Currently working on MA in Counseling Psychology. I have also have several complementary trainings including yoga therapy and apprenticeships with a midwife and with Susun Weed.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?) DH and I are both pretty eccentric. He creates Hip Hop music and I am a performance artist, so we are def. artists. We love creating a world that reflects the truths we know in our hearts, we are non-conformists for sure. We are also very spiritually-focused individuals. DH is Taoist and I am an Eckist. We both practice daily.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth? It just makes sense me- I trust my body more than I trust external influences... I love midwives too (thought of becoming one & have lots of midwife/doula friends) but still just feel more at ease with my own intuition. My body does not want to be managed by anyone, whether medical or not. We will have a VERY HANDS-OFF/TRADITIONAL midwife friend as back-up for us. Truly traditional midwives are a dying breed which saddens me, and I imagine there will be ever more interest in UC the harder it gets to find a midwife who will follow the woman completely.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC? Because of my current research, I have read tons of stuff on Pregnancy/Childbirth- from indigenous initiation rituals for childbearing women to medical texts to birth stories by the bushel. Much of my reading has more to do with the archtypal and metaphorical themes in pregnancy and childbirth- very Jungian. Some favorite UC-centered reads include "Childbirth without Fear" by Grantly Dick-Reed and "Our Babies, Ourselves" by Meredith something-ruther.

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC? This will be our first, we are both 29 years old.

Thanks for doing this important work!

[boheime]

A) What is/was your occupation (in addition to being a Mother)?
Ecologist/Musician, although I was working as a Mass Spectrometrist at a university when we conceived our first

B) Education level? (e.g. high school, college graduate, post-graduate)? bachelor's degrees in Biology and Music, a few minors, half a Ph.D. in ecology before deciding having both of us working on our Ph.D.'s was way too stressful for our marriage. Dh has a couple of bachelor's and a Ph. D.

C) Do you see yourself as more of an intellectual, artistic, scientific or back-to-nature type? (Or combination, or something else entirely?) All of the above! Definitely intellectual. I usually have something artictic going one. I have a heavy science background and love nature.

D) What made you interested in unassisted childbirth? I am a researcher! Dh and I love research and always do extensive research in any important decisions. We researched and decided on UP/UC before we were ready to conceive our first child. It just so happened that it fit us really well.

E) What are your main sources of research on UC? Any and everything! From the internet to books, to digging through medical journals...

F) At what age did you have or plan your first UC? I was 24 when we had our first.