Practical Birthing
Birth Choice
We are all different, our culture and upbringing mould the decision we make in life. In the West, birth has generally bad press, everyone has a horror story to tell. We need to be reminded that to be pregnant is an ultimately healthy state. Your body has welcomed the enormous job of growing another being. This is not an illness but a ‘blooming’.
With this in mind we have to look carefully at who we choose to guide us through this life changing process. What are the choices? GP or hospital (both places full of ill people!) I believe deep in my heart that you deserve better than this. As hard as the maternity services try, continuous care is essential during pregnancy, birth and motherhood. Don’t get me wrong, in an emergency situation hospitals can be life saving, but they are an entirely unsuitable place for this intimate experience. I had every intention when writing this section to give balanced information on all birth choices but I have got this far to realize there is only one choice that I can truly present.
Find yourself a damn good midwife. Have your baby in the comfort of your own home, enjoy this experience embrace it as your journey to releasing the power of your body. Birth and pregnancy are natural functions of your body just like pooing and orgasm.
How to find your midwife.
The face of midwifery has changed from century to century and culturally the variations to this day are enormous. Traditionally the midwife was the wise woman of the village. In Spain the old madronas I have spoken to have often delivered 3 generations, to now be spurned for the ‘safer’ hospital option. This origin of the midwife is lost to most of us.
When choosing a midwife, lets be clear, you are choosing your carer. Often women are offered midwife-based care in which they are in the care of a large group of midwives. This is an unacceptable option easily sold to women but the reality is you need to know your midwife very well. You need to really like your midwife. In a large group it is hard to get to know each midwife individually and there is the likelihood of clashing with at least one of the ‘team’. So many women I speak to are disappointed in a system that promises so much but in the reality is unsatisfactory. The irony of getting the one team member you feel no connection with or uncomfortable with their ideals will ruin your birth experience.
If you live in England check out the Independent Midwives Association. This lists all the independent midwives practicing in England. They are a small group (only 55!) Of incredible women committed to gentle birth. Many people shy from employing an independent midwife as the average fee is around £2500, but in the true context of most of our lives this is a small price to pay for possibly the single most important experience for us and are family.
Here we see an interesting turn around once we have ‘employed’ our midwife we have changed our core relationship with our caregiver, you’re the boss! You are much less likely to be intimidated and disempowered but rather, be presented with balanced information and encouraged to think through decisions with constant reassuring support.
While pregnant you will get to know and trust your midwife (this is hard with the average 47 health professionals you are likely to meet in a routine medical birth!) she is your equal, your confidante, she is to be party to your most intimate experience. Choose her with care and cherish her.
To help you find your midwife check out these websites:
- In England www.independantmidwives.org.uk
- In Europe www.ramid.demon.co.uk
- In USA www.findamidwifetoday.com
To help you make informed decisions about your birth choices buy some good books (always remember bad books abound on this subject) check these out:
Do be aware of the horrors of reading the countless numbers of simply terrible books on birth and labor and avoid the mainstream magazines, for a good baby magazine check out the yummy ‘Pregnancy and Baby’ full of outrageously expensive clothes and stuff for you and babe, 99% of it totally unnecessary but a real dreamy afternoon could be spent with this and a hot chocolate! For a really fabulously right on mother earth kinda thang get a subscription to The Mother Magazine - really worth supporting this inspiring mag.
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR JOURNEY TO A BEAUTIFUL BIRTH, BLESSED BE VANESSA
What Happens in Labour
This module is designed to give women an easily understandable vision of how their bodies actually give birth. We’re talking mechanics here not emotions. It serves to promote the feeling within women that they are truly capable of performing this basic physiological function of the body. We were designed to birth.
It helps to see labor without fear when you know what happens to your body. Birth is a function of the body just like sneezing, breathing, coughing and coming! We just don't do it so often so the body has to work pretty hard to make it happen and just like orgasm if you're not in the right place it just don't happen!
Today we are looking at the mechanics of birth. For me now I understand just what goes on in there it seems a far less daunting prospect. Like changing the wheel of the car on the motorway a daunting prospect but in reality simply done and actually an empowering achievement!
OK let's start at the beginning, the place where it all happens our uterus. This is a space normally the size of a small pear where once fertilized the egg chooses a comfy spot to embed its self and start GROWING. In 10 moons your uterus goes from small pear to large melon. Remember this metamorphosis during birth if your uterus can do this so can your fanny! OK so the big day approaches, your body can tell you in many different ways it is ready to start the process we often hear about; the show. What is it?
When your cervix changes from being a short channel that hangs down into your vagina (pic.) to like a jumper being pulled over the head of your baby the cervix is too stretched to hold the mucus plug any more and pop, its out! Pink tinged where it was attached to the ring of the cervix with little capillaries
Now the cervix is stretched over the babies head the contractions can start pulling the cervix up into the uterus (pic.). Maybe your waters will break, in my experience most waters break in established labor not in Tescos as popular press leads us to believe! You really know you’re in labor when your contractions create a rhythm. Slowly each contraction will get longer and closer together. You can imagine how contractions work if you pull in your anus (bum) then push like you want a poo. This can be a pretty strong movement; the body can create this kind of movement without your permission. So, the muscles in you uterus are pushing down the baby's body deeper, in a spiral. Imagine, water going down the plughole, forcing the cervix to open more and more UNTIL TRANSITION.
A word that can put fear and dread into any birthing woman! So what's actually going on? The cervix has been completely pulled up into the uterus. Uterus and vagina has now become one channel. The vagina (birth cannel) is a pretty amazing organ made up of little ripples called rugea, Latin for wrinkles, they open up like a rumpled sheet (or more poetically a flower). You may feel hot then cold, nauseous, get the burps or your legs may shake uncontrollably. Then you really want a poo. This is the surest sign of all baby is passing through the cervix you’re getting ready to PUSH. Many times the body takes a break at this point. This is normal, don't be rushed, take a breather.
Although a continuous channel, the uterus and the vagina are almost at right angles to each other. Its like putting your foot in a welly boot, the heel being the sacrum which is the bone the bottom of the spine, no not the coccyx; the sacrum forms a ring with your hips, once past here the babe turns and pushes down the birth channel until meeting the final obstacle - the perineum You can now see at the peak of each contraction your baby’s head looking very much like a purple wrinkly walnut. No worries, they all look like this. There comes a time of 2 steps forward 1 step back. Then the widest part of the head is at the birth opening, there's no going back your baby is CROWNING. In the next couple pushes the head is out, a couple more and the body slides out - soooo slippery. If you give birth on all fours baby will be born through your legs face to the sky.
You've done it, but not quite. It is always good to tell those attending your birth to hold back on the champagne and phoning mum. This is sacred bonding time – quiet, chilled, take your time. Despite what the books say, it is safe to wait an hour or so, but at some point sitting in a soggy pile is too much even with the miracle babe in arms. Time to get that placenta out and go to bed! Your body expels the placenta by contracting the uterus causing the placenta to detach its self from the comfy and nurturing place it implanted so many moons ago. It is attached with 100’s of small capillaries covering a good hand span of your enlarged uterus. Imagine a big sticky label stuck up inside a well blown up balloon. Pop! The balloon (the uterus retuning to a pear) and the label falls of, the surface area suddenly shrunken closing all the small blood vessels. Damn clever if you ask me. A rush of red blood often accompanies this release. The placenta is now free to travel down the birth canal, a small push and its out. Remember it s all squishy not nearly as big and bony as a baby!
One more thang...the chord stuff. Cutting the chord can happen anytime after it has stopped pulsing. Using a cord clamp or some strong sterile cotton, tie or apply the cord or clamp a couple of fingers from the babe and the next a good hand span away cut in between with a good pair of sterilized scissors (its really tough) and you’re all done. Now its time to be PARENTS...a whole other story!
PLEASE NOTE. Due to lack of beautiful and clear illustration available Vanessa has decided to draw her own but you’ll have to wait a while, watch this space!