I have been asked numerous times my views and opinions on many things and it seams that when I answer the next question is "Why?" or "What made you decide that?". This post is a list of a few questions im often asked, my answers, and my personal experiences that led to my decisions. Remember, these are my opinions and even thought I feel strongly about them it does not mean I judge people who chose to do things a different way. Everyone has their own views, these are mine.
Natural Birthing:
Why go through all the pain of if you don't have to, why natural birth?
Birth does not have to be horribly painful! You can have a easy enjoyable birth without medication. My birth with Kade was minimal pain and it was all natural. For me the discomfort was worth it, being able to bring my baby into the world naturally with no drugs in our system was rewarding for me because I was doing what I believe to be best for me and my baby.
Why do you feel so strongly about birthing at home?
I feel strongly about birthing at home because labor is not a medical event. A woman with a normal low risk pregnancy does not need to be in a hospital, hospitals are for sick people and birth surely is not an illness! Women who want a natural birth have so many obstacles set before them when they step foot in the hospital. To name a few - Induction if you go "too far" post date, routine procedures (vaginal exams, IV, etc), being denied food and beverages, strapped to monitors... the list goes on. When a woman is at home she avoids all of those obstacles. Is this saying a woman can not have a natural birth in a hospital, no.
What is your opinion on different styles of care providers?
This is what I have personally experienced and also some of what Ive gathered from others.
OBGYN - I started my pregnancy with a OB and it took all of 3 visits to realize I did not like being under the care of an OB. I would arrive to my appointment and wait for about 30min, get called back pee then wait another 10min, get weighed and blood pressure taken then wait another 15min just to get called back into a room and wait another 5min to see the OB who would speak to me for all of 10min and then it was time to leave. In my opinion that is NOT good prenatal care. I will not bash on OBGYN's because they have a purpose and are greatly needed. But I feel they should be for women who are truly high risk and need the extra attention of a doctor during pregnancy and for well women care.
Certified Nurse Midwife - IF a woman is not comfortable birthing outside of a hospital a CNM is (usually) the way to go. You get the quality care of a midwife while being in a hospital, that is what many women want! However, you have to make sure you chose one that has the beliefs more of a midwife than an OB. I saw a practice of CNM's that worked under a OB during part of my pregnancy as well and I swear all four of them were brainwashed mini obgyn's. The care was no different than that of a OBGYN. So as far as my opinion goes if you can find a good midwifery based CNM its a wonderful choice and some do practice outside of the hospital as well... just be weary of the ones who are less naturally minded.
Certified Professional Midwife - CPM's practice only out of hospital, for women who want a home birth or to birth at a birthing center. This is (my opinion) one of your best options as far as birthing attendants go! The quality of care is far more superb than that of an OB or in hospital CNM from day one well into the birthing, including postpartum. To name a few pros - you have a direct line to your midwife, are never on a time crunch, know your care provider personally, know what to expect and that they support your birthing plans. And I will be fair and name a few "cons" Ive heard - a CPM can not give you an epidural, most have to send you elsewhere for an ultrasound, and does not have medical training (but thats okay because we already disused that birth is not a medical event, right?).
Unlicensed/Underground Midwifes - In many states there is not a licensing available for CPM's and a midwife attending a home birth (unless a CNM) can be found guilty of criminal charges. For that reason many midwifes living in those states dont get licensed, they can provide the same quality care as licensed midwifes they just are not able to receive the licensing. There are also midwifes who prefer not to be licensed so they can attend births that licensed midwifes are not supposed to attend due to regulations with the state (breech, twin, ect.). I am currently living in a state that does not have licensing for CPM's so if I have another baby while still living here I will most likely use a unlicensed midwife.
Breastfeeding:
How long will you breastfeed? Ive gotten this question a few times and I cant answer it because I will breastfeed until he weans. My goal is 2 years... at a certain point I will stop nursing and continue to pump to give in sippy cups. Breastfeeding has nutritional values beyond the infant stage and I believe it is best.
Are you against formula feeding? Most don't like my answer so be warned... I am against formula feeding without at least trying breastfeeding for the first 6 weeks. There are far to many women who WANT to breastfeed and really can not, women who decide not to just because they don't want to truly take it for granted. Formula is nowhere as close to as beneficial as breast milk and their is no arguing that. If you can give your baby the best, why settle for formula? That being said, if formula has to be given (because in some cases its truly needed) its best to find a organic formula that has no additives, GMO's, etc.
Vaccinating:
Why did you decide not to give vaccinations? This questions usually ends up having thirty minute answer so I will shorten it up and just list a few reasons that are personal in our decision making. I dont believe in injecting my son with viruses so that he wont catch them? The ingredients... all I have to say is look them up! I don't want any fetus cells, aluminum, gelatin, ect. put into my child's body! I believe in boosting the immune system and being healthy so the body can fight off those sicknesses and viruses when they come around.
Circumcision:
Why are you against circumcision? This is another question that usually has a long answer and ill shorten it up too. Again for me personally... my son was born perfect and whole the way God designed him, there is no reason to alter that. There is no cleanliness or infection issues if you take proper care, and guess what! Ive had to do no extra care for my son, you simply leave it alone until they are old enough to clean it themselves! This is a serious debate topic and I try not to go into it unless someone wants to speak about it but here is something to think about, Medicaid in many states wont cover circumcision because it is a unnecessary cosmetic surgery, what does that say about it?
Monday, July 25, 2011
Sunday, July 17, 2011
My thoughts on Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
I finished reading Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way... still not a huge fan.
The term "husband coached" birthing really bugs me. A woman does not need coaching to give birth, she needs a supportive husband not a coaching one! I do think for the woman who might not be very comfortable with birthing, wants the father to be heavily involved, or the couple who want to birth as a unit that it would be helpful and a good read. But not for a mother who likes to birth alone and be left alone. Overall the information was good, they lay out the truth on many hospital procedures such as the IV, AROM, induction, pain meds, caesarian, ect. as well as the stages of labor, easy to understand explanation on how the birthing process happens and good birthing positions. I dont agree with the breathing technique they use, BUT again like the coaching some mothers need that during birth, while some do not. For a couple birthing in a hospital it would be very beneficial to read, Im just not sure I would recommend it to those birthing outside of the hospital. I would love to be able to see the structure of an actual Bradley childbirth class, the book was written a while ago and im interested in the difference (if there is any) between the book and the class.
The term "husband coached" birthing really bugs me. A woman does not need coaching to give birth, she needs a supportive husband not a coaching one! I do think for the woman who might not be very comfortable with birthing, wants the father to be heavily involved, or the couple who want to birth as a unit that it would be helpful and a good read. But not for a mother who likes to birth alone and be left alone. Overall the information was good, they lay out the truth on many hospital procedures such as the IV, AROM, induction, pain meds, caesarian, ect. as well as the stages of labor, easy to understand explanation on how the birthing process happens and good birthing positions. I dont agree with the breathing technique they use, BUT again like the coaching some mothers need that during birth, while some do not. For a couple birthing in a hospital it would be very beneficial to read, Im just not sure I would recommend it to those birthing outside of the hospital. I would love to be able to see the structure of an actual Bradley childbirth class, the book was written a while ago and im interested in the difference (if there is any) between the book and the class.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
One week down, a lifetime to go!
I never thought I would love to have my head shoved into books studying, but its all I want to do! Its amazing that subjects I hated in high school (like chemistry) im enjoying because of what it leads to, midwifery!
During kade's naps I have been able to get a good 30min to an hour of reading in and at night once Kade and MJ fall asleep I go sit in the bonus room and study for an hour or two. I have now been studying for a week, I have completed 7 hours of my 45 self study hours needed for this unit. I hope to be able to pick it up this week and get a good 3 or more hours a day, now that I'm settled into how things work. Tuesdays afternoons are now coffee shop study days while Kade visits his Nona and Friday mornings are study time while MJ and Kade play. Im so blessed that everyone in my family is supportive and wants to help me succeed! just watching Kade for 3hrs makes a world of difference to me (and my concentration).
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way is one of the books I selected to read this unit, Ive read it before but not since before Kade was born and I never "studied it" because I was using Hypnobabies. I honestly cant decide how I feel about it, the whole "husband coached" thing irritates me. A woman does not need to be "coached" her and her body know what to do... I prefer "husband supported birth". Im almost done with the book and after I take my test and do the book review I will share it here.
During kade's naps I have been able to get a good 30min to an hour of reading in and at night once Kade and MJ fall asleep I go sit in the bonus room and study for an hour or two. I have now been studying for a week, I have completed 7 hours of my 45 self study hours needed for this unit. I hope to be able to pick it up this week and get a good 3 or more hours a day, now that I'm settled into how things work. Tuesdays afternoons are now coffee shop study days while Kade visits his Nona and Friday mornings are study time while MJ and Kade play. Im so blessed that everyone in my family is supportive and wants to help me succeed! just watching Kade for 3hrs makes a world of difference to me (and my concentration).
Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way is one of the books I selected to read this unit, Ive read it before but not since before Kade was born and I never "studied it" because I was using Hypnobabies. I honestly cant decide how I feel about it, the whole "husband coached" thing irritates me. A woman does not need to be "coached" her and her body know what to do... I prefer "husband supported birth". Im almost done with the book and after I take my test and do the book review I will share it here.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Unit 1 book choices
In addition to the work in the three main books (Varney's, Holistic Midwifery, and Practical Skills Guide) and clinical hours... each unit I will have to select two books from the list (posted bellow) to take a test on and write a book review as well as a project.
For unit one the two books I have chosen are Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and Spiritual Midwifery. For unit one the project I chose is to find referrals (pregnancy centers, WIC, abuse centers, etc.) in the area.
Tomorrow I am diving into the Bradley book (it will be my 3rd time reading it) to freshen up and hope to test for it in a week!
I also spoke with a friend who is so graciously allowing me to attend her hypnobabies birthing center birth! Im so excited and blessed to get to attend a birth in the next month or so!!
For unit one the two books I have chosen are Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way and Spiritual Midwifery. For unit one the project I chose is to find referrals (pregnancy centers, WIC, abuse centers, etc.) in the area.
Tomorrow I am diving into the Bradley book (it will be my 3rd time reading it) to freshen up and hope to test for it in a week!
I also spoke with a friend who is so graciously allowing me to attend her hypnobabies birthing center birth! Im so excited and blessed to get to attend a birth in the next month or so!!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Its official I am a MWTB student midwife!!
I enrolled today for the course and thanks to a very generous woman Varney's Midwifery and Holistic Midwifery are both on their way to me! Those are two of the three main books I will need and they are NOT cheap!! I am very blessed, the road is being paved for me to start my training.
I will need many books, bellow is a list of them. If anyone is selling or has any of them they would like to lend or donate please let me know!
I will need many books, bellow is a list of them. If anyone is selling or has any of them they would like to lend or donate please let me know!
Phase 1
- Practical Skills Guide
Varney's MidwiferyHolistic Midwifery Vol. 1- Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth – Kitzinger
- Spiritual Midwifery -Ina May Gaskin
- Heart And Hands – Elizabeth Davis
Bradley Book – Husband Coached Childbirth- Special Delivery – Rahima Baldwin
- Prescription for Dietary Wellness – Balch & Balch
- Active Birth – Balaskas
- Easing Labor Pains – Lieberman
- Medical Terminology (any)
A Midwives Handbook by Sinclair- Birth Emergency Skills Training – Bonnie U. Gruenberg, CNM
Immaculate Deception 2 – Susanne Arms- Physical Exam – Bates
Maternal Newborn Nursing 7ed. – Olds & London
Phase 2
- Human Labor & Birth -Oxorn & Foote
- The Baby Book – Sears
- Mommy Diagnostics – Shonda Parker
- When Survivors Give Birth – Simkin
- The Natural Healthy Pregnancy – Shonda Parker
- Perinatal Impact of Alcohol, Tobacco & other – March of Dimes
- Empty Arms – Ilse (or other baby loss book)
- Pregnancy Childbirth & the Newborn Revised – Simkin
- A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy & Childbirth – Enkin
- Birth by Tina Cassidy or American Way of Birth – Mitford
- The 5 Standards for Safe Childbearing – David Stewart PHD
- Counseling The Nursing Mother – Lauwers & Shinskie
- OB and the newborn Text – Mackey
- Birthsong midwife workbook – Singingtree
Phase 3
- The Cooperative Method of Natural Birth Control – Nofzinger
- Understanding Diagnostic Tests in the Childbearing Year – Anne Frye
Sunday, July 3, 2011
The begining of my journey - Learning the ways of a midwife!
My journey begins in the summer of 2010, I was 3 months pregnant with my son and seeking prenatal care. I decided I wanted to go the natural route and use a midwife. After only a few visits with what I will forever consider to be a "medwife" I decided that using a CNM in a hospital was not the correct route for me. I canceled my next appointment and started looking into a freestanding birthing center right over the state line. I started reading and researching on everything related to birthing outside of the hospital. The minute I stepped foot inside the birthing center I felt a sense on comfort and safety. We went to our first appointment and instantly clicked with the midwife, a wonderful CPM, and must have spent over an hour talking. I looked forward to every appointment with her, I no longer felt uncomfortable or pushed but instead felt as thought what was going on was my decision and it was respected.
As we prepared for our birth at the birth center I also learned about this crazy thing women do... home birth!! I was very interested but my first Google search into it told me home birth was illegal in my state so I left it alone. I knew however, my next birth I wanted to be a home birth! I continued to research about it and longed to have my baby at home, but my mothers home? No thanks!! In December of 2010 MJ moved to VA to get a job and get things ready for our new baby and I to move up, since I was comfortable and ready for a birth at the birthing center we decided I would stay and he would go, a nice 6 hour drive away. It did not take long for me to decided I did not like this arrangement, at 9 months pregnant and 5 weeks till my "due date" I traveled to VA to stay for two weeks. During those weeks I started looking at birthing centers in the area and decided I did not want to continue being so far away.
Im not sure what made me look, but I made the best Google search I could ever make and found that home birth was not only legal in VA but there were many midwifes to chose from! I knew 100% that I wanted a home birth and did not want to wait till the next one. Why? What was the point? I spoke to MJ and he agreed to meet with two midwifes that I had selected after reading wonderful things about them in a online home birth community for VA. With only a few weeks till my "due date" and having everyone tell me that my "baby would be here any day" we met with the midwifes. After only 5 minutes I knew they were a perfect fit!! I learned so much from them during the last weeks of pregnancy and my passion for natural and normal birthing grew every day.
On February 9th 2011 my son emerged in a pool of water in the middle of our kitchen into my hands. Two weeks later while holding my little boy I felt what I thought was baby fever, but how could it be since I was holding my brand new baby in my arms. What was I feeling? Birth Fever! I was longing to give birth again, many women would call me crazy but I was! It was then I realized I wanted to be involved in birth somehow, there was no other way I could satisfy my (what I call) birth craving!! After birth your supposed to stop researching and reading about pregnancy and birth, right? Not me!! I continued reading as thought I were pregnant, every day I learned something new! Besides my precious new baby, birth was all I could think about! At the end of my pregnancy MJ mentioned I would be an awesome midwife, I brushed it off because how could I be a midwife!? Who knew shortly after my sons birth I would be sitting at my computer nursing my baby looking at midwifery training programs.
Having a new baby, money is tight, so while looking at schools I had to pass up many wonderful training programs. I continued to look and pray though it seamed I would never be able to afford to get the training I wanted. I finally came across a program that was not only reasonable in price, but I could pay per unit as I go! I will be studying with a online program called Midwife To Be, based out of South Carolina. I will be able to pay $25 per unit (30 units) and the total cost will be $775. Thousands of dollars less than every other program I found. I will also have to pay for the many books I will need through out my training. Any donations towards my studies are greatly appreciated.
I will continue to post and update as I continue on my journey - Learning the ways of a midwife!
As we prepared for our birth at the birth center I also learned about this crazy thing women do... home birth!! I was very interested but my first Google search into it told me home birth was illegal in my state so I left it alone. I knew however, my next birth I wanted to be a home birth! I continued to research about it and longed to have my baby at home, but my mothers home? No thanks!! In December of 2010 MJ moved to VA to get a job and get things ready for our new baby and I to move up, since I was comfortable and ready for a birth at the birthing center we decided I would stay and he would go, a nice 6 hour drive away. It did not take long for me to decided I did not like this arrangement, at 9 months pregnant and 5 weeks till my "due date" I traveled to VA to stay for two weeks. During those weeks I started looking at birthing centers in the area and decided I did not want to continue being so far away.
Im not sure what made me look, but I made the best Google search I could ever make and found that home birth was not only legal in VA but there were many midwifes to chose from! I knew 100% that I wanted a home birth and did not want to wait till the next one. Why? What was the point? I spoke to MJ and he agreed to meet with two midwifes that I had selected after reading wonderful things about them in a online home birth community for VA. With only a few weeks till my "due date" and having everyone tell me that my "baby would be here any day" we met with the midwifes. After only 5 minutes I knew they were a perfect fit!! I learned so much from them during the last weeks of pregnancy and my passion for natural and normal birthing grew every day.
On February 9th 2011 my son emerged in a pool of water in the middle of our kitchen into my hands. Two weeks later while holding my little boy I felt what I thought was baby fever, but how could it be since I was holding my brand new baby in my arms. What was I feeling? Birth Fever! I was longing to give birth again, many women would call me crazy but I was! It was then I realized I wanted to be involved in birth somehow, there was no other way I could satisfy my (what I call) birth craving!! After birth your supposed to stop researching and reading about pregnancy and birth, right? Not me!! I continued reading as thought I were pregnant, every day I learned something new! Besides my precious new baby, birth was all I could think about! At the end of my pregnancy MJ mentioned I would be an awesome midwife, I brushed it off because how could I be a midwife!? Who knew shortly after my sons birth I would be sitting at my computer nursing my baby looking at midwifery training programs.
Having a new baby, money is tight, so while looking at schools I had to pass up many wonderful training programs. I continued to look and pray though it seamed I would never be able to afford to get the training I wanted. I finally came across a program that was not only reasonable in price, but I could pay per unit as I go! I will be studying with a online program called Midwife To Be, based out of South Carolina. I will be able to pay $25 per unit (30 units) and the total cost will be $775. Thousands of dollars less than every other program I found. I will also have to pay for the many books I will need through out my training. Any donations towards my studies are greatly appreciated.
I will continue to post and update as I continue on my journey - Learning the ways of a midwife!
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