January 27, 2008 at 8:46 am (birthing, medical, second trimester, third trimester)
Tags: midwives, pregnancy, second trimester, third trimester
Hard to believe the second trimester is up already! Suddenly I’m @ 28 weeks. How the frack did that happen?
Been really busy doing what? Learning, mostly. Reading a lot and building my birth team, which took forever but am positively thrilled by this wonderful combination of women: I am working with an awesome doula and midwife and I cannot overstate the importance of feeling like I totally trust and respect this team!!
I went to the midwife last week and was mightily impressed by how much she relied on her sense of touch to give her information about me and the bean. Touched my right shoulder, “you need to loosen here” – put her hands on my belly and felt me in the most holy combination of strength and sensitivity, “The baby’s head is down now” – and “you have good strong pelvis” – *poke poke* – “These joints here *poke* already loosening – will loosen and open during labor” – gave me a reality about this whole thing that was profoundly comforting.
“You will bring your husband next time” she says. Yes, its time to get him more into the nitty gritty of this stuff. I have enjoyed the more solo sojourns into a lot of aspects of this journey, so I can know my own strengths and limits, deepen my own wisdom and come up against my own shit. But she’s right – it’s time to involve C a lot more in this stuff.
Before I deliver, aside from all the obvious things like “take childbirthing classes” “work with C on final house decisions” and “quit work”, I want to:
1) Exercise at least 30 min each day. (buaha!)
2) Practice hypnobirthing – though the reviews of this have been mixed – I am really drawn to the practice of going into deep trance and have done it before – so I do think this will be a useful tool during labor.
3) Finish this languishing episode of this fictional serial I’ve been working on.
4) Finish reading Birthing From Within and do some of these amazing exercises.
5) Go on a sweet trip with C for a weekend.
6) Create a “Welcome to earth, little bean!” ceremony.
7) Sort out the last name issue with C.
DJ a kick ass set someplace!
Goodbye second trimester. Thanks for everything. Hello third! I’m all yours.
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December 7, 2007 at 8:47 pm (birthing, lessons)
Tags: midwives
I interviewed a midwife last night – I was 20 min late due to shit rainy day Bay Bridge traffic and was totally uptight. She had another appt right after me, and I could NOT get my groove on to have a normal conversation. I felt rushed and stupid, like there were a million things I knew I should ask, but couldn’t think of one.
With about a minute left before the next person’s appointement, I asked, “In your experience, what is the one aspect of the mother that leads to the easiest, most uncomplicated births?”
“Openness to the process,” she said.
I scheduled another appointment.
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November 25, 2007 at 5:31 pm (birthing, medical)
Tags: midwives, natural childbirth
C and I took a tour of the birthing center at Alta Bates this morning. As hospitals go, this one seems pretty amazing. The birthing rooms are darkened, they work with a whole bunch of different midwives, and they actually encourage you to work with a doula.
I also noticed they had wonderful art on the walls – bright collages and water colors – interspersed with sweet hand made quilts and beautiful black and white photos of all sorts of babies.
They also offer a gazillion birthing classes, and are specific about the need for baby and mama to bond immediately after birth. They do not take the baby away and clean her up immediately except in cases where the health of the baby is in danger. Instead, they put her right on mama’s chest. Our guide, Robin, must have mentioned this 5 times throughout the tour.
There was a woman in labor this morning as we were touring the space. She was walking the hallway, slowly, with her partner and a doula. Man, she looked tired.
Anyway, I guess I’m at the point where I need to decide on a midwife and doula sort of soon. As I understand it, their proverbial dance cards fill up. (Who knew?) Anyway, I’ve got a couple leads, but would love any recommendations of midwives and doulas from you wise ones who’ve gone before. If they work w/Alta Bates, so much the better, but I’m open to other places. I’ve heard East Bay Perinatal has some terrific midwives, for instance, but they work with Summit (yes? no? East Bay Perinatal’s website is down…)
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November 1, 2007 at 7:54 am (birthing)
Tags: Ina May Gaskin, midwives, natural childbirth
Thanks to all who have offered info and experience around hypnobirthing, OBs and gross fluids. 
I have spent the better part of the last three days devouring this book: Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and have found it to be SUCH a hopeful and exciting perspective.
For those who may not know, Ina May Gaskin is the godmother of modern midwifery. In 1971, in the first wave of feminism, she founded and directed a natural birthing center called The Farm, where she delivered over 2200 babies before retiring in 1996. This place sounds amazing – with cottages and nature trails and a team of experienced midwives who see giving birth as this joyous, empowering, sacred act that is yes, painful as ALL HELL sometimes.
Reading this book is not only helping to alleviate my ignorance, but also my fears. It has a list of the right questions to ask of an OB and a midwife. I’m still pretty sure I want to be in a hospital with the understanding that it’s drug-free unless there are serious issues. It’s time to start interviewing OBs, midwives and doulas. If anyone has a recommendation of someone you really loved (or tips on someone to avoid) please let me know!
Ina May Gaskin, you are a rock star.
Friends and wise counselors – thank you thank you thank you. I started this blog as a place to rant and you have made it an invaluable resource for me. I cannot thank you enough.
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