Everything Under the Moon

When is the baby due?

Feburary 2nd. I'm about 11 weeks. Almost done with the first trimester. It was interesting, yesterday my rib cage was killing me. It felt like I had been punched in the ribs. Lol I read it was because my muscles are streching to make room. Now my stomach is really firm. and finally becoming round, not just pudgy. Lol

I'll try and remember that date I sent some energy your way last night...my hands were glowing so I suppose that was a good sign At least hopefully your bout of illness will give your baby some antibodies so it will be nice and strong when it grows up

Ah, you got it!

take care,

astral

I hope you feel better soon. Before you give birth, you may want to read up about home birth. Not that you necessarily want a home birth, but knowing the reasons why people choose to avoid hospital births could really help you a lot with understanding how the hospital system works and what their motives are. The short version goes like this:

You go to the hospital and ask for pain meds. They give you an epidural. The medicine from the epidural typically slows down your labor since pain medicine pretty much slows down everything in your body. You aren't progressing as quickly as the hospital wants you to (once you check in, you're on their clock and if you don't deliver in the amount of time they have allotted for you, they will induce labor.)

Since the pain medicine slows your labor, most women end up taking Pitocin to speed their labor up. (It's practically forced on you by the hospital if you're taking too long to deliver.) The Pitocin creates labor pains that are much more harsh and painful and much longer in duration than natural labor pains are. The Pitocin contractions are so extreme that the baby may go into distress. Then, ever so conveniently, there is the doctor ready and waiting to take you into surgery for a cesarean, which puts a LOT more money in his pocket while getting him home much more quickly than having to wait for a natural labor and delivery. The doctor really doesn't care that now you have to take home a brand new baby and are supposed to care for him or her after having just undergone MAJOR abdominal surgery. You can't laugh or walk or do much of anything, much less care for a new baby, and you're on pain pills now from the surgery which comes with its own set of problems - constipation, sleepiness, sleeplessness, etc (yes you can be sleepy and not be able to sleep.)

But the worst part of all is that many mothers miss out on the strong bonding chemicals that are released when you give birth naturally. Your body creates oxytocin, which not only creates the contractions (in your body's own natural time, not the doctor's time) but it also gives you a natural high and a very protective feeling for your new baby when he/she arrives. It's no wonder that so many mothers these days are feeling disconnected from their children and going through post-pardom depression. They aren't being allowed to give birth the way the Goddess intended. These doctors and nurses interfere at every possible step along the way with medicines, surgeries, shaving, having you lie on your back with your legs in the air (when walking around, squatting, or lying back in a pool of water would be much more comfortable and productive for you and the baby.)

There are just SO MANY better ways to give birth than what is currently accepted by women and the medical society today. It's slowly changing due to the demands of women who have educated themselves about the process and want better treatment from the hospitals. So you may be able to find a hospital that can treat you better than the current standard procedure. But the vast majority of hospitals are pretty much exactly like what I described above. They consider you a sick patient, not a normal person who is giving birth to a baby. They put you in a wheelchair as soon as you enter the hospital and they completely take you over from there. You are a patient now. Patients need intervention. Doctors don't feel like they're doing their job if they just stand around and watch you do what comes naturally to you. They have to shave you down, hook you up, hook the baby up, poke your spine, drug you, scream "PUSH PUSH PUSH PUSH!" at you (as though you wouldn't push when your body was damn well ready to push! It makes me want to scream when I see them doing that to women.) And then, in the end it might all be for nothing because if you aren't progressing fast enough they'll create an excuse to perform a cesarean section.

Those are just my thoughts (and many other women's thoughts) on the topic. I'm sure many women have been perfectly happy with their hospital treatment while giving birth, but I'm guessing many of them have been disappointed at the way things were handled, the way THEY were handled (like a helpless idiot who doesn't have an intelligent opinion worth listening to). It really makes me pretty angry that women are being treated this way when there are so many better ways to do things. But until enough women demand change, you can be sure the doctors aren't going to do what's best for us of their own free will.

Bright Blessings,

Ahh thank you for all the info I would really really love to buy a large tub so I can give birth at home and in an element, but the only issue is the price of midwives these days. The ones that I've talked to charge a minimum of $1000 dollars. Compared to the $250 I would pay at the hospital. (Thank the gods for Hmsa.=) ) but I really really really don't want to give birth at the hospital.

Its so frustrating because I had this whole idea of what I wanted, a peaceful home birth and a spiritual midwife, but with the prices of doulas and my gyno telling me all the complications that could happen with home birth, its starting to change my mind.

Up north in Waimea they have birthing rooms. Which my friend told me are wonderful. Full bed, Lanai, bathtub, music, candles, whatever you need to feel close to home. But those are pricey too. But at this point, I'd be willing to pay the expenses.


I am going to do a natural birth. I knew that from the get go. I don't want my baby being born drugged. That's another reason I had wanted the waterbirth, because the transition from womb to air is so much easier, cleaner, and gentle than thrust into cold air while moms in the stir-ups. That sounds horrible to me. Lol

Ugh, anddd I don't like my gyno. She's so unpersonal. My fiance was like, how personal do you want her to get? Do you want her to be like, how's the vag feeling today?! Haha

I was like... noooo but she is Prettttty Personal, so the least she could do is actually act likes she gives a shit and I'm not just another paycheck.

I want this to be a beautiful, calm, and happy experience. But its proving to be pretty difficult at times.

Ohhh well.
I'm really trying to keep my options open and learn everything I can about my choices.

I'll let you know what I decide!



-Tara

i personally suggest a hospital, but i can see why you would want homebirth. i just see the hospital as a safer environment.

Remember this is your time and the choices are yours. Is there anyway you can find another gyno?

It sounds like you are doing all that you can to learn everything. This will serve you well.

My second showed signs of distress while hooked up to the fetal monitor. They did end up giving me Pitocin to speed up labor but I always felt in control and that I had the last say.

You asked how long I was in labor. With the first it was 8 hours, the second was 12 hours. The Pitocin did make labor more intense but I still made it through without drugs!!!

Best of luck to you.