[Spring Sun]

Well, I have been terrified whenever I think about labor and birth ever since I got pregnant. I did a beautiful, natural homebirth with Elijah. It was 9 hours, and he was born into the water with no tearing or problems. But, it went so fast and the contractions overwhelmed me. So for awhile, I have been quietly freaking out to myself about whether I can do it or not again.

Then, I started reading the book "Midwives" (a great Oprah book club novel) and during the birth scenes I remember everything I love about pregnancy and birth. I have always wanted to be a midwife, and a photographer (I became a doula when I was 22). Since I was in my teens I knew that one day I would eventually do both.

Well, we are moving to New Zealand where there is a severe shortage of midwives, so I could easily do school and then work part time as a midwife. I am so freaking excited! And dh is 100% behind me-he loves everything about birth, too.

Plus we watched "The Business of Being Born" last week and we both feel sick that we almost had our baby in a hospital, seriously, given how dangerous it is.

So, I found an intern midwife that is going to do my care for free in exchange for photography. And I have been watching youtube natural birth videos like crazy (I was not really online when I was pregnant with ds, this is great!). Last night dh and I were talking about how much we both trust my body to give birth, and I could just feel that I was going to have a much better time of it this time.

It is like driving someplace new. It feels like forever to get there, and then I am surprised how quick it is next time I go. I think my body knows this time, and is ready.

Anyways, I just wanted to share that I am going to be a midwife! Every woman in NZ sees a midwife, unless there are problems. They develop a strong relationship with their midwives and that is an important value there. I can't wait to go!

:

Anyone else starting to get excited about labor and birth? Or at least that first moment when we get to meet our babies for the first time? There has been no better moment in my entire life, and I feel so lucky to get to have another just like it.

 

[Mom&BabyChiro]

I am also very excited about my upcoming labor and birth experience! I have been fascinated by the process for a very long time, reading books like Spiritual Midwifery and watching movies such as The Business of Being Born and Orgasmic Birth even before I was ready to think about being pregnant myself. I also know that there are so many factors that go into my ultimate overall experience of the process - some that I have control over, and some that I may not. So I'm really just trying to stay open to everything. To have trust and faith in my body to do this. I really hope that it is an amazing experience for us, but am also trying not to be attached to any expectations. I know several people who were so attached to having a blissful, relatively pain-free, natural home birth who then were disappointed and felt like failures when something went "wrong" and the experience didn't quite measure up to their expectations. But even so, I'm mostly really excited and looking forward to experiencing it all for myself!

Last night I was talking to a friend and mentor of mine whose daughter had recently given birth. He and his wife raised her to have complete and total faith in her body at all times - to truly trust in the perfection of the intelligence within her. She was also taught that the same intelligence that knows exactly what needs to be done to build a healthy baby inside her from just two cells, knows exactly what her body needs to do to bring her baby into our outside world. She is currently living out of the country and called her Dad to report on her birth experience. As he explained it, she felt some minor discomforts at the beginning, then really opened up and accepted the beautiful process that was unfolding. She described the rest of the experience to her father as being "close to orgasmic". I know that everyone does not have this same experience, but it is absolutely amazing to me and gives me faith and courage knowing that it is a real possibility!

 

[HappyMommaBear]

I'm so glad to know that i'm not alone - most people who hear me say that i'm excited think I'm nuts! DH had to leave for Kuwait half way through my labor, and I ended up with an emergency cesarean. The part of labor that DH was here to help with, he was totally awesome! I worked so hard to get my baby here naturally, but still had to have surgery. This time I'm so excited to have DH around for the whole thing and make it all the way to actually giving birth naturally. I am honestly excited about the birth, and of course I can't wait to find out this baby's gender and hold it in my arms for the first time!

 

[Spring Sun]

Wow, that is crazy! How is that even legal for a man to be called away DURING labor?

I was already a doula when I get pregnant the first time, and had read ALL the books. I was on a two month meditation retreat for my first trimester and thought for sure I would have, if not an orgasmic birth, one where I made it a spiritual experience. It ended up being nothing like that-much more pain than I imagined-but it still went well. I think with this second baby it will be a lot better bc I know what to expect.

 

[Mom&BabyChiro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spring Sun I was on a two month meditation retreat for my first trimester and thought for sure I would have, if not an orgasmic birth, one where I made it a spiritual experience. It ended up being nothing like that-much more pain than I imagined-but it still went well.

Spring Sun - that's pretty much what I'm talking about. I'm excited to experience the process of birth and trust it will be very profound no matter how it all turns out. So although I have heard stories about people having blissful and enjoyable birth experiences, I also know that no matter how much you want and/or try to create it...I never know what my own personal experience will be. That's why I'm just staying open to the possibilities, and trying not to be attached to any expectations. Definitely a challenge sometimes though with this being my first one and only having other people's varied experiences to go off of!

 

[Michigan Mama]

I'm sort of mixed on this - partly nervous and partly excited...my ds was posterior and my labor was a long 31 hours...ugh and I'm hoping it doesn't go like that again, but I totally agree with the idea of that our bodies were made to do this...I feel more confident this time - but yes, nervous, too! Last time was tough! But still beautiful!

 

[chi_mama]

me too. I am having the baby at home this time and I am much more prepared (w/ ds I was hardly read anything about labor).
An d probably most importantly I know this time that no matter how intense labor is once the baby is it's over. I remember feeling completely awed how the pain of labor just disappeared the moment ds was born.

yes I'm very excited.

 

[GhostRose]

Nope, not me. If there was some magic way to get my babe without pregnancy, labor & birth (that doesn't involve major surgury), I'd be all over it. But as it is, I'll endure, cuz the outcome is so worth it.

 

[slimkins]

Considering that this is my first, I really have nothing to go off of. I guess the only words I can put to how I feel about labor right now is "blissfully ignorant".
It is still so early on that I am not worrying about any of it and I am looking forward to it, but I know when it gets closer I will start to have more realistic worries. I have never thought that it is going to be painless or even effortless. I expect it to hurt and be the hardest thing I have ever done, but for some reason I wouldn't imagine it or want it any other way. Nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy and I like that. I'm am looking forward to earning my child and my childbirth experience.

 

[puddleduck]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mom&BabyChiro Last night I was talking to a friend and mentor of mine whose daughter had recently given birth. He and his wife raised her to have complete and total faith in her body at all times - to truly trust in the perfection of the intelligence within her. She was also taught that the same intelligence that knows exactly what needs to be done to build a healthy baby inside her from just two cells, knows exactly what her body needs to do to bring her baby into our outside world. She is currently living out of the country and called her Dad to report on her birth experience. As he explained it, she felt some minor discomforts at the beginning, then really opened up and accepted the beautiful process that was unfolding. She described the rest of the experience to her father as being "close to orgasmic". I know that everyone does not have this same experience, but it is absolutely amazing to me and gives me faith and courage knowing that it is a real possibility!

Thats great, thats how i hope to bring my children up.
we went unassisted with ds2, my labour was twice as long as with ds1 (14 hours compared to 7) and back labour but i hung in their and trusted. What amazes me is that in between contractions its all good, you can joke, laugh, eat toast, having a baby is exhilarating(sp?) and knackering, and just amazing.
i'm kinda looking forward to it.

 

[spiritedmama]

That is awesome that you are going to be a midwife! There definitely aren't enough out there! Certainly not enough here!!! What a great place to do it in...NZ where everyone uses one and there must be ore support for midwifery.

I am excited about birth. I love birth, I know I am a complete nut but it is this beutiful journey where at the end...you get to meet your beautiful baby. I agree with other mamas in that you have to jus let go of expectations an do what you need to do to get through it.

 

[NaturalMindedMomma]

I can't wait! There is a mystery surrounding my birth this time. Where will I BE? Where will I BIRTH? LOL it makes me more ok with it actually. I may ask my ex husband if I can have her at his place with my midwives present.

Not sure. LOL

I will either go to the hospital for pushing or transfer after baby arrives. We'll see.

 

[Spring Sun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimkins Considering that this is my first, I really have nothing to go off of. I guess the only words I can put to how I feel about labor right now is "blissfully ignorant". It is still so early on that I am not worrying about any of it and I am looking forward to it, but I know when it gets closer I will start to have more realistic worries. I have never thought that it is going to be painless or even effortless. I expect it to hurt and be the hardest thing I have ever done, but for some reason I wouldn't imagine it or want it any other way. Nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy and I like that. I'm am looking forward to earning my child and my childbirth experience.

There are also studies that show that the pain and effort involved in childbirthing is instrumental in bonding and attachment. If it were really easy to have a baby it would seem that historically we would have cared about them way less. If I could create and birth a baby with little inconvienence, then a child may not have been as important.

 

[Spring Sun]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiritedmama That is awesome that you are going to be a midwife! There definitely aren't enough out there! Certainly not enough here!!! What a great place to do it in...NZ where everyone uses one and there must be more support for midwifery.

I am SOOO excited about it. It is also a BA, so it is a little more credible to the mainstream here when I come back.

In Boulder, where you would think everyone was having a home birth, it is actually only 5% of the births, which I guess is high considering the nationwide homebirth number is less than .075%.