catching your own baby - Page 2

[mama in the forest]

I would have that feeling of not wanting to just let go of the baby into water

Do you mean as a midwife or as a birthing woman?

I birthed my last one in water and didn't feel a bit strange about letting her come out into the water (no one was touching her at all) on her own. I was hands & knees and she just floated out. I flipped around and picked her up out of the water very easily.

[mwherbs]

I mean as a birthing woman I would not let go of my baby in water because it isn't solid, I can trust the ground to hold a baby but cannot think about just freely letting go of a baby in water- for myself on a gut level
I think that this is so individual- with both of my homebirths I labored in water and got out just before the birth- even before I consiously knew it was going to be time to push I think I just don't trust water-- of course I have almost drowned several times and haven't really thought about that may be why-- but I have seen other women have some concern about water too and others who are just fine..

-- also I wanted to point out that she is doing some of her own guarding - protecting the front and maybe the back--

[mama in the forest]

I love these waterbirth pics until the "Midwife joins in". Why??? Mama was doing a wonderful job of gently bringing her baby into the world, and it's like the mw just had to jump in and *hand the baby to her*. I don't know, I wasn't there, but that's just the way it looks to me

I agree. From the pictures, you can see how the mother has her hands on her own baby, and then somehow, the midwife has taken over that and has *her* hands on the baby, while the mother's hands are just on the outskirts. It seemed by the look on the mother's face that she was handling it just fine.

And this is not a criticism of the mother by the way! I just think it's all too common for the midwife to feel the need to be the one to hand the baby to the mother, and in this case, it looked like the mother was doing just fine.

[mama in the forest]

I mean as a birthing woman I would not let go of my baby in water because it isn't solid, I can trust the ground to hold a baby but cannot think about just freely letting go of a baby in water- for myself on a gut level

That makes sense.

I wonder why I didn't feel that way when I was birthing? I remember feeling her come out, and I didn't feel any fear or anything instinctual to cause me to worry about that factor. Maybe I was just glad I got a 13 pounder out.

[hottmama]

I caught my first baby in a semi-recline (no stirrups, legs held up) in a hospital. The midwife suggested it and I thought, "sure, why not?"
I caught my UC water baby in a kneel-- I pushed his head out on hands and knees and then sat up more to pull him up to me as his shoulders came out.
I kind of think it's strange that most people DON'T catch their own babies. It seems so instinctual.

[aileen]

thank you for this thread.
i'm planning on catching my baby in a week or six or so and i keep picturing myself in the kneeling postion - probably from seeing that beautiful outdoor birth (is it grey's birth? i'll find it...) and it helps so much to have visuals that it does work. i'll have a midwife around, but she's super hands off (she says mamas catching babies is her absolute favorite thing). still, i can't help wishing i could go totally unassisted. i'm just not....quite...there...yet. oh i wish i was there.
ah well -
back to lurking.
thanks for the inspiration.
again.

[crunchymomof2]

I caught my last baby. I was in the same position as the first picture you posted. Except I was holding on to the fishy pool. Once his head was out I rocked back up on my heels and scooted back to show my husband. (I dont remember this ) Then when he was out I sat back and reached for him. I was telling my husband the other day there was something so right about me being the only one to touch him those first few minutes.

[lactivist]

I think it must be so individual about letting baby birth into the water. My last birth was a waterbirth and I pushed him right out into the water and he floated out to the end of his cord and then turned and started back (all happened very fast, he shot out) and I scooped him up on the way back to me. I have a great shot of him floating free in the water. It never even phased me and felt totally natural.
Wendi

[Jenlaana]

I think birthing into momma's own hands is the most natural thing in the world. We had planned that for our birth DH would catch the baby, but when the time came, there was simply no way that would work other than my catching her. I gave birth in water, on my knees.

[applejuice]

I caught my DS1. It was such an amazing feeling to have the sense of him leaving my body inside as I pulled him up on top of me. He was winking at me. He looked like Popeye!

[Birth&Bunnies]

Hi FOURLITTLEBIRDS, just saying HI. Don't forget that if anyone locally needs some help with organizing a birth or preparation, I'm here.

[Birth&Bunnies]

I shot my baby out in one push, the midwife almost didn't catch! Very unexpected, but she put her to my chest right away. I had been in the water before that, but I was ready to get out. I started pushing 30 after I got out of the water, then had a baby 30 min after that.

[HeatherB]

Thanks for this thread! I'm not a UC'er, but this thread is encouraging. Last time I asked for my DH to "catch" and he did pull the baby onto my tummy (cord was too short to go further), but I was still in disbelief that we were done! I'm definitely thinking I'll want to try positions like shown in the pictures and to catch this one myself. It may be my last, and I would love to have that experience!!

[cottonwood]

Originally Posted by crunchymomof2

I was telling my husband the other day there was something so right about me being the only one to touch him those first few minutes.

[Earthy Birthy]

Originally Posted by mama in the forest

I agree. From the pictures, you can see how the mother has her hands on her own baby, and then somehow, the midwife has taken over that and has *her* hands on the baby, while the mother's hands are just on the outskirts. It seemed by the look on the mother's face that she was handling it just fine.

And this is not a criticism of the mother by the way! I just think it's all too common for the midwife to feel the need to be the one to hand the baby to the mother, and in this case, it looked like the mother was doing just fine.

There's just something about the body language (mama's hands) that gives me the sense that the mw was the one who made the decision to take over. Of course, my interpretation of the pics may be colored by my own birth experiences.

And yes mwherbs, that is something else that I love about the pics, showing a mother guarding her tissues instinctively, rather than having someone else do it for her.

[quarteralien]

I've enjoyed this thread. I so want to catch my next one!

Originally Posted by TXmidwife

There's just something about the body language (mama's hands) that gives me the sense that the mw was the one who made the decision to take over.

I agree. The pic with the empty hands that looked like they had just had a baby removed from them looks kind of sad to me.

[party_of_seven]

During my last birth the urge to push came on very suddenly as I got out of the tub to head for the toilet. I very instinctually(it seemed) assumed a hands and knees position and began throwing towels under me to help catch the baby. Dh was helping to guide the baby out, but I felt so much more comfortable with MY hands feeling what was going on.

Dh did a great job with the last birth, but this time around I asked him to let me guide the head out and catch the baby myself. I felt so much more in control of how I was pushing by feeling where the baby's head was. Pushing is just so intense that its hard to grasp all of the sensations going on. By being able to feel the baby's head I think I did a better job of easing him out.

I think that catching your own baby is very natural and normal.

[RachaelAustin]

Originally Posted by TXmidwife

I love these waterbirth pics until the "Midwife joins in". Why??? Mama was doing a wonderful job of gently bringing her baby into the world, and it's like the mw just had to jump in and *hand the baby to her*. I don't know, I wasn't there, but that's just the way it looks to me...

Anyway, great thread, and thanks for posting your own pics, fourlittlebirds!

Hi (WAVES!!). This is me in the photos birthing my second baby. I for the most part caught my little girl, the midwife helped out at the last minute, she was a little tight at her hips, of all places For my first birth, a rural hospital land birth, my husband caught our son. I was much more prepared this time around, and prepared myself to be able to catch her, a personal quest if you like.

It was amazing to feel, but as Kaede`'s head was birthed, I asked is it all the way out? I was a bit high on oxytocin and could't work it out, but it didn't feel right. Anyway, after my husband and midwife looked closely, her hand had been born with her head, exactly the same as my son's had, which made it feel strange.

I've now gone into private practice as a midwife, and will be encouraging women or their partners to catch their own babies...I'll be there to just help out if needed. It will be a big family affair with both my breastfeeding children comming along to births too

[JanetF]

Hi Rach

[RachaelAustin]

Originally Posted by JanetF

Hi Rach

Fancy seeing you hear!! ((WAVES)) Hello...