Any other River Running Mammas out there? - Page 2

[andisunshine]

[QUOTE=RiverMamma;12187697]


What happened? where you trying for a home birth? did you know you were going to have a c/s ahead of time? I was going for a home birth, so was totally unprepared for a c/s. Sure glad to be allive though!!! & DD too!!!: (cord arround neck up near the placenta... she was on a leash. I pushed so hard the cord began to detatch from the placenta!)


QUOTE]
Gosh, that's so scary! I'm glad you all made it through safely. That is exactly the reason why I'm glad c-sections exist. When there is a medical emergency and it is necessary to save mama and baby.

I was planning for a home waterbirth. Midwife was not able to confidently tell the position of baby for a few months before I went into labor, but she suspected breech. We decided that if he was breech we could try to do the homebirth and then transfer if there was a complication. She said if anyone could do it, I could. I was her model client, LOL! Well, long story short she backed out when I was 8 cm dilated, no complications, and called the hospital. I basically had no choice but to go get the section. I was supremely disappointed because I myself was a breech baby, footling, delivered naturally. On top of that I was really looking forward to a waterbirth and my labor was going soooo well. It was cake compared to the back labor I had with my first. The doctor at the hospital was older and he made the offhand comment that I could probably deliver naturally since I seemed to be doing so well but that it is against hospital policy to do anything but a c-section for breeches these days. That sure didn't help me any. So basically I had a c-section because everyone was afraid of a lawsuit and didn't want to help me other than to slice me. Vaginal breech delivery and VBACs are illegal here in Alaska.

I am totally not against c-sections. I think that when they are necessary they are an awesome tool to save babies and mamas. I feel like mine was totally unnecessary. It wasn't a medical emergency. It was just the only solution because medical professionals don't have the training anymore to deal with breeches any other way. In another country I probably would have not gotten a c-section.

All right, I'd better quit typing about it. It still makes me so mad.

[riverundine]

okie dokey...
so i was living happily (as can be in a concrete jungle) in pittsburgh with my future husband and going to the university of pgh. in the pitt news was an ad...something to the effect of "wanna be a river guide for the summer?". i had never even thought of it. but i've always always been a water bug. i also had never been on a rafting trip. nor did i know at the time that my natural father had been a river guide on the colorado for awhile. what i knew about rafting was that we were supposed to go on a rafting trip (most likely a float trip) when i was in kindergarden and we lived in northern washington (marblemount). my mom was scared and denied me. i never forgot. so i thought, "why yes i do want to be a river guide!" and that was the beginning of the end. no...that was the beginning of the realization that i have rivers running through my blood.
i trained on the cheat in wv - old school east coast style sink or swim style training in the snow in march. gotta love it. i did. then was a total weekend warrior on the youghiogheny for the next two summers. it was so absolutely the best feeling, boating, that i decided i had to move to california and raft full time. i gave my husband 9 months notice. i had to go raft more and live on the river. he could come or not come, up to him. he decided to wait, make more money, finish remodelling our 1950 bus... he couldn't believe i went. i couldn't believe he was shocked. i obviously went back to get him at the end of the summer and drug him out west. that first summer i worked the american. i was also able to get on all the forks of the american including giant gap, all the sections of the yuba (so sick), the merced, tuolumne, cherry creek, kaweah...that might be it, i think. the next summer we ended up on the kern. oh how my heart and soul loves that river. just a little bit of everything, something for everyone, differect sections to run all the time and multi-days all summer long. and dh loved the little italian restaurant he cooked at, and living for free at the guide house! we spent 5 summers there, until we started reproducing. i was also able to drag him back east for 2 falls of gauley season. and he supported me splitting in the middle of summer to do an epic grand trip. and now it's my turn to support him in his dreams. we've ended up in a very dry town, but with the ark not too very far away at all. he's opened a restaurant and we're raising the littles. it's a wonderful town that i'm super grateful to live in...and will hopefully be back to my weekend warrrioring roots by next summer (hopefully with the lovely and talented miss lish!)! and exploring the new-found interest in family floats
goddess i love rivers :
so that's my story...so happy to have found a tribe at mdc

[RiverMamma]

Originally Posted by andisunshine

[. She said if anyone could do it, I could. I was her model client, LOL! Well, long story short she backed out when I was 8 cm dilated, no complications, and called the hospital. I basically had no choice but to go get the section. I was supremely disappointed because I myself was a breech baby, footling, delivered naturally. On top of that I was really looking forward to a waterbirth and my labor was going soooo well. It was cake compared to the back labor I had with my first. The doctor at the hospital was older and he made the offhand comment that I could probably deliver naturally since I seemed to be doing so well but that it is against hospital policy to do anything but a c-section for breeches these days. That sure didn't help me any. So basically I had a c-section because everyone was afraid of a lawsuit and didn't want to help me other than to slice me. Vaginal breech delivery and VBACs are illegal here in Alaska.

I'm so sorry I understand... I'm still angry about mine & it saved my life. But yeah, me too, my MW thought I was the most capable woman she had ever worked with & that I would birth like a pro!: I was her first ever hospital transfer I'm sorry your MW bailed on you, that's pretty crummy. My MW just attended a workshop by Ina May Gaskin on delivering breech babies, it is almost a lost art now because of those stupid breech & VBAC laws!!! Yeah, they are illegal here too. Well, on a lighter note, I have herd that c/s babies are more connected to their higher selves (something about not having all of their Earthly energy squashed into them properly.) I also understand that Buddha was a c/s.

Anyways... Man I LOVE the RIVER!!!!! Any River... All Rivers!!!
Yesterday I got a Shiva Lingum!!! It's this really neat type of sacred Hindu Stone that are tumbled into an oval shape from the Narmada River in India, aparently it is the most sacred River in India, and is now damned go figgure! But cool rock! I was really excited! Aparently the shape is symbolic of the masculine & the markings symbolic of the feminine. Here is a link about the stones & the River http://www.mukti4u2.dk/Narmada_river.htm

[RiverMamma]

Originally Posted by riverundine

i have rivers running through my blood.

Yeah... me too I spose I should give a little more of my background. My dad's best friend was a guide, my dad was a private boater. He paddled a canoe, my mom paddled a kayak. (she claims she was just following my dad arround & didn't really like it, but I know she did. She has a "Knarly Rafter Dudet" metal that she earned in the Grand after my Dad broke his ribs in Crystal & she had to row his ass out, having never rowed before, only kayaked!) Anyways, we were all rafters, I spent every summer of my childhood on the River. Then, we had a permit to put on the Grand on my 12th b-day! (I wasn't on the broken ribs trip, too little.) I was beside myself w/ excitement! Then.... my parent marage was on the rocks, a fiew people bailed... and... my dad gave up his permit... and hung up his oars & paddle. I was devistated. Then a year later, I met my good friend Elena, her dad owns Far Flung Adventures. So I said "bugger these guys, I'm going rafting w/out them!" And so I did! (Oh, BTY, I was suppose to get my own kayak that b-day too. I was going to get one at 10 but my brother threw a fit cuz he had to wait 'till he was 12. I still don't own a kayak & never will, but let me know if anyone comes across a good used WW canoe!) Anyways "Uncle" Steve Harris (as he's known,) owner of FFA & Elenas dad, pretty much took me under his wing as his personal trainee when I was 15. when I turned 18, he payed for my certs & told me to guide. And so I have ever since!!!

The Rio Grande is my home River, but I have also worked the Chamma in NM, The Snake in WY, all 4 raftable Rivers in Scotland, The Arkansas of course, and the Salt in AZ every spring it runs!!!!! And have played on many, many more!!!

Anyways, so DH... well, that's a different story. He grew up on the Arkansas, like at the Brown's put in. So growing up he watched his favorite fishing holes turn into the most heavily rafted river in the world! He's a bit bitter. (I don't know why, but I'v never dated boaters, I'v always dated musicians. & so yeah, I married a musician.) Anyways, he accepted the fact I was a boater from the begining, though he still doesn't like it But I think that it never really botherd him untill I worked the Ark. He wanted me to for years & I said I never would (not fond of bumper boats,) However, when my AZ company was bought out by a friend w/ a company on the Ark, (yes, the beer monger fruit cake ) and he begged me to work the Ark, & we were living just as close to it as the Rio Grande, I gave in. It's a great River, I can see why Alex is bummed about the comercial moron traffic. Anyways, he had a hard time that season. The ironic part is though, that the culmination of my River Self with his Home River, resulted in conception. Yup, right there on the banks of the Ark, we invited that little spirit that we had been saying "no" to for years, to finally join our family.

[Norasmomma]

I'm lucky I married a musician and a boater:. Last night we were playing in our yard after dinner, and dinking around with our new to us boat. DH and DD were the cutest thing I have ever seen, he was showing her how to paddle the raft and she was LOVING it. My little water baby. Now were thinking of trying to figure out how to get a SB floor in it and not buy a new raft because this one is nice the floor is just a bucket boat, but the rest of that raft is awesome. IDk we'll see.

Rivermamma- I so get what your DH is bugged by, that's part of the reason we no longer have our company, but it the exact opposite-our river is over-run by dumb a** fishermen-Eddie Bauer catalog, fly fishing yuppies-ugh. There are way too many of them all over our river, plus almost every beach now has a big huge house and people yelling at us to get off their beach, it really sucks. My biggest problem with the fishermen is so many come here and act like they are far superior to the locals and that we are just a bunch of dumb hicks who know nothing, I have a little bitterness because I have been treated like I'm stupid by a bunch of them because I am a woman sunning herself at the beach, so obviously I must have no idea about anything important.

We also had a couple guys almost drown a few years ago that didn't listen to close friends of mine about our river, our river has a section that has a huge log jam that has to be portaged and in high water this is impossible, well these people didn't listen and go to the safe water below this area and well they almost died. Total ignorance and stupidity-the guy was like well I'm a guide from Montana-any real guide would have listened to the locals about where to go-dumb a**.

Sorry for the vent-it's just gotten bad here, so I can relate to where your DH is coming from.

[RiverMamma]

WOW!!!! How did you get so lucky!?! What do you guys play? I play fiddle & DH plays guitar & bodhran (the Irish drum.) Hey Cheers to your new boat! As far as the floor is concerned, I would just leave it & get another boat. Bucket boats really arn't all that bad & on some rivers are even better. I think the Grand is better suited to a bucket boat, hugs the water better, makes for a better ride on things like Hermit waves. How big is it? Probly not an 18ft'r is it? Anyways, it's always good to have a spare rig arround. NRS Otters are a very diecent boat for a very diecent price, you can get a brand new 12' otter for about 2 grand retail price. I'm sure if you ask they would work with you on a pro deal, or at least a discount of some kind. I really like them, they are light, track well & turn on a dime. Almost like a hybrid between a Sotar & a Hyside, only 10x better than both, & 10x cheaper than both! Oh, & it will probly cost you just about as much to put in a SB floor, & it's a pain in the butt. (I'v changed out floors before, it's not fun.) Anyways, that's just my :
That is so neat about your DD playing in the raft & paddling, I was totaly blown away by Jeremy's 3yo DD paddling that little dory arround! Naturals, of course!

Anyways, yeah, the fisher / boater thing is a pretty touchy subject in Scotland too, the Tay is the main comercial river, & it is world class salmon fishing. So yeah, you get the yupies out there with their 500 pounds for one fish fishing permits glairing at you the whole way. (they are convinced that you are ruining their hole) The river is off limits to boating of any kind on tuesdays & thursdays, & there are always quiet zones & eddies that you can't enter & have to give a wide girth to. Oh well, I like fish... but I LOVE to raft!!!

[Norasmomma]

Oh one of the stipulations when we sold was we kept our pro deal with NRS-they are only like 3 hours from us so we could have a boat here in a day. We're looking at an Aire Tributary-they are a less expensive version of an Aire, they cost about 1800 pro price-they are great little boats-our boat we got is little 12ft, uh don't think I'd take that down the Grand-unless I want to swim it, LOL.

[RiverMamma]

My Boss (the fruit cake) OK, his name is Wylie, has run the Grand 3x in one of those little 10ft Aire Super Duper Pumas, R2ing w/ an ex. He said he just flips left & right. I think he's just a glutton for punishment, the handles of Jack suggest the same. Yeah, Tributaries are fine! No complaints there! I really think that replacing a floor would cost you about the same once you factor in labor & frustration. What kind of boats did your company run?

[Norasmomma]

Well we had some Hysides and then before we cold bought 2 Tributaries so we know abit about them, they are light, they have the same outer layer/inner layer design as a regular Aire. We would get the floor done professionally we wouldn't be doing it, IDK-my Dh is always making some kind of plan that I know nothing about, that's just his personality.

BTW-he is an amazing drummer, plus he can pretty much play anything-drums, piano, guitar-he's very musical as is his whole family-he and his brothers used to have a band. When I met him I had a fantasy of meeting a guy with long hair who could play piano, then I met him and he had a piano at his house. I was like who's piano? and he said mine, plus he had long hair and was a cutie. no more long hair though-than goodness-he has the most tangly hair ever and DD inherited that, ugh.

[Lissybug]

Hi river mamas! I haven't been on a river trip in a few yeas, but grew up boating. I live in Flagstaff so tons of river runners around here. I really have been wanting to get a trip together for the Spring or next summer. I'm thinking San Juan or the Green maybe- something nice and easy Anywho- just saw the threD AND THOUGHT i'D SAY HI! OOPs sorry caps. nak.

[riverundine]

welcome to the river mamas thread, alissa!
your kids are adorable! and it looks like you have a sweet westie, too .
i love flag...pretty, very friendly town...close to the grand !
have your kids been on the river yet?

[RiverMamma]

Welcome Alissa! My Brother lives in Flag! My Dad is in Munds Park, & I'v spent a good bit of time in the Sedona area. I like that neck of the woods! Have you run the Salt much? I LOVE the Salt, it has to be one of my all time favorite Rivers ever!!! I usually get down there every season, but this year only for a visit. I got to get on the water, for just the morning, but I wasn't alloud to touch a paddle, (I was only 7wks post partum.)
Anyways, do you happen to know Aaron McArthur? (my brother.) or John Wise? (a good friend, used to work for ARR.)

[Desert Jen]

Hi fellow river lovers,
I'm a kayaker (ducking my head in case anyone is throwing something)! But I'm a GOOD kayaker, on multi-day trips I help whoever is carrying my stuff load and unload their raft every day! And I cook! And don't drink more than my fair share of the beer!!

Kidding aside, I'd love to buy a raft in the next few years so DH, DD, DS and I can start boating as a family. I didn't get on the water this year at all and feel kind of lost without it.

I've got a 2y.o. pulling on my leg. It's good to now there are other river runners out there on MDC.

Later,
Jen

[RiverMamma]

Welcome Desert Jen! Hey, we all Love the River & we all Love our baby's! Besides, it's your knees not mine. So as Long as your comfertable, have fun!!! (I'll carry your beer for you.) Anyways, yeah... I get to feeling kinda lost without the River. I remember one year DH & I were on tour with our music, & I didn't get to go boating at all, so we floated a fiew miles down the Blackfoot (MT) on an air mattress! It was pretty absurd... but I had to do something! Anyways, what are your home Rivers?

[Norasmomma]

Welcome desertJen. I am probably doing a family float on Saturday as long as the weather is nice.

Lots of my friends are kayakers, I just don't like being confined in such a small space it freaks me out. I like my big boat thank you.

I hope DD likes going out in the boat, I'm sure she will she loves an adventure. Whoo-hoo!

[RiverMamma]

Wow, lucky you! Have Fun!!! And tell us all about it when you get back!

[riverundine]

remember those little inflatable hyside raft toys? i want one for the bathtub, but can't find them...

[Norasmomma]

Well we took out our little raft, and it worked beautifully, so well in fact I doubt we will be doing anything with the floor except calling NRS to get some urethane coating for the bottom. We floated a little 2.5 mile stretch from the swimming hole by our house. We used to take elderly tour bus riders on that stretch so we figured DD would like it and she did. Of course she LOVED it:. We had so much fun. We tried to take both our dogs, but alas our one dog is just getting too old, she didn't even want to come and went and laid down when DH was getting ready. It's sad because that used to be her favorite thing to do even though she hates swimming she always loved rafting. It's kinda depressing having a geriatric dog.

Anyway-we had fun, DH and our other dog Kona had to jump out at one point because it was too shallow and DH had to drag DD and my butt across the shallows. It was a gorgeous warm afternoon, had a couple beers and realized that we are going to have to get a back up carseat for DD and shuttles, that's something I never had to think about before. So we may just have to get one for back up, we put her in her old on for the 2 mile ride home. Now I am on the search for another one.

It was so fun and she loved it, it made the child sleep so hard when we got home, but it was 4 pm, so she decided at midnight it was time to wake up for the day:, luckily she fell back asleep. It was a great day.

[riverundine]

that sounds like soo much fun :...i can't wait til my girls are floating downstream with me ...
and bucket boats do give the kids something to splash around in and water fight with, too - for what it's worth. depends on if you're one of those "dry" river folks or not, i guess

[Norasmomma]

Well I have to say yesterday I didn't really want to get splashed, the air temp was warm, but the water was frickin cold. So for me it was a dry day. I did get splashed. the bucket boat didn't really get that much water in it except from the dog and DH guiding from the back with his kayak paddle, which worked extremely well, I paddled in the front some of the time. I had to hold on to DD, it's so low we were playing pinball and didn't want her plopping out on to the rocks. It was so nice and I'm glad she loved it. Now for her next adventure-skiing. Whoo-hoo, she'll love that too.