Prevent Cesarean Surgery

Information about the risks of c-sections to both mother and baby.

Including quotes from women who have had both cesarean and vaginal birth.

Ask a Doula Video Series Now on YouTube

A certified doula has started a new video series on YouTube called "Ask a Doula". The intent is to help expectant parents understand their options and be better prepared and able to make informed choices about their care. I think it's a wonderful idea, and I've subscribed to the series for future video uploads.

Here is the introductory video:

Click here to watch the video on YouTube and/or subscribe to the series.

My Personal Journey with Vaccinations

I grew up with traditional “western” medicine with doctors and chemicals. I remember getting headaches as a child and my parents simply gave me some Tylenol. We didn't go to the doctor unless there was something seriously wrong, but we didn't have any other treatment options at home. If we were sick we suffered through it or took over the counter medicine and waited it out. We were fully vaccinated on schedule and never had any problems. It was what we and everyone else I knew did.

My husband's family is different, and they really opened my eyes to other forms of treatment and healing. They also choose to vaccinate, but because of their influence I've learned about homeopathic medicine, kinesiology, herbal healing, essential oils, and other things along the way. I've come to embrace these forms of natural healing and I've seen them work in my life. I've also learned about the risks of relying completely on medicine, and I've quietly questioned the safety of vaccinations.

My first four children were fully vaccinated on schedule, according to the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control. I never questioned my doctor's suggestions, and I didn't feel a need to challenge them. My kids are all healthy and never had any obvious bad reactions to their shots. I felt the possibility of adverse reactions was obscure, and I didn't personally know anyone who had suffered any injuries from vaccinations.

As I had more children and moved along in my birth journey from medicated in the hospital, to natural birth in the hospital, and then to home birth, I came into contact with some really amazing people. It seems like there are a lot of things that go along with the natural birth movement, and one of those things includes questioning the safety and effectiveness of vaccinations. I started meeting people, for the first time in my life, who had gone against the norm and decided not to vaccinate their children. One of my family members even made the choice to stop vaccinating their children, and it shook the foundations of my upbringing and planted a seed in me.

At first I was hesitant to even learn about it. I didn't want to find out that I'd been making choices that were potentially wrong. I think I knew deep down that if I were to research vaccinations I would find out they weren't the panacea the media and medical community make them out to be. I knew I would find issues and risks, and I wasn't ready to go there. I wanted to stay in ignorance because I didn't want to admit that I might have chosen something that wasn't best. It wasn't something I could go back and change either. I had done it, and there was no undoing.

One my sons suffered from severe recurring bouts of croup. I spent more than one sleepless night in the emergency room seeking treatments to open his airway. In seeking for answers and treatment options other than the routine steroid prescription, we had a biofeedback assessment done on him which found his croup weakness to be linked somehow to the pertussis vaccine he'd received as a toddler. We were able to get some homeopathic drops specifically designed for pertussis, and they helped ease and sometimes prevent his symptoms. I learned how to treat it at home with other things like essential oils, and have since avoided further trips to the hospital. 


My oldest caught Chicken Pox (varicella) when he was 6 years old, despite having been vaccinated for it. Even then I couldn't make myself take a deeper look at vaccinations. I didn't want to face it.

After my youngest child was born at home I went out of my way to schedule an appointment with the pediatrician to get his vaccinations on schedule. I think it was one of the things that helped my pediatrician support me a little bit after a home birth, because I was still being the “responsible parent” and getting my child's shots on time. That continued for about 6 months.

When my baby was almost a year old I started getting reminders in the mail from our insurance company that it was time for a well-child checkup and vaccinations. I had every intention of scheduling the appointment and getting it done, but for some reason every time I thought about it it slipped my mind. For some reason I could not remember to make the call and schedule it. I realized this was out of character for me, and I wondered if there was a reason I kept forgetting.

I had done some research about vaccinations a few years earlier when a family member had given me some information about them and asked me to look into it. I decided it was a good idea to do more research, so I did. I found that everything I needed to know about them I had already heard or learned from my earlier research and through friends who had talked with me about the issue. I realized I didn't need to do any more research on the subject, because I was already familiar enough with it. I felt the next step was to seek spiritual guidance through prayer.

I prayed and asked for some guidance, but I felt nothing. I was confused and upset. I felt that I was being led to delay my child's shots, but I wanted to know why and I wasn't being given that understanding. The periodic reminders kept coming in the mail, and the pediatrician's office even called and asked if I wanted to schedule an appointment. By that time I'd realized I needed to take my feelings seriously and I declined their offer because I felt it was best to wait and figure out the next step before I took any action. The more I thought about it, the more the idea of taking him in for vaccinations felt outright wrong.

I couldn't explain it, and I felt embarrassed that I was changing my mind about something potentially serious based on a hunch. I didn't want to face my pediatrician or my family, who I knew wouldn't understand my choice. I couldn't even give them a solid reason why I was making the choice, and I didn't fully understand myself what that choice was. Was I delaying vaccinations for a while, or was I stopping them from here on out?

A few months passed and I continued to pray and wrestle with the issue in my mind, until one day I had an enlightenment.

It wasn't a light from heaven or big booming voice answering all of my unanswered questions. I was reading an article about a particular vaccine. It was an interesting article, but it wasn't the subject matter that really caught my attention. As I was reading, words came to my mind and told me something. It wasn't about the shots themselves. What was important was that I was following my feelings.

In that moment I felt peace. It was peace I had been seeking for a long time, and suddenly the issue of vaccinations was no longer an issue to me. I knew that as long as I followed my feelings, as guided by God, everything would work out.

I still didn't have all the answers, and I still don't to this day. I don't know if we're delaying or stopping vaccinating our children, but I'm leaning heavily toward stopping. All I know is that as long as I continue to follow my intuition I don't need to worry.

That doesn't mean I never worry. When my toddler caught a cold and developed a bad cough, one of the first thoughts to cross my mind was that he hadn't been vaccinated against pertussis! A moment of panic hit me, and I let it leave as quickly as it had come. I allowed myself to trust my intuition and treat my child at home, and he was fine.

Each time he's gotten sick I've wondered if I would have to take him to a doctor, and then what would happen? Would they hound me about the fact that he wasn't fully vaccinated? Would they run pointless tests and jeopardize his treatment out of fear that he might have something that he could have been vaccinated against? Would they accuse me of being a negligent parent? And what argument could I give? “I have a strong feeling...”

These thoughts have crossed my mind, and I have to remind myself that I'm doing what I feel, and now know in my heart, is best.

The choice to delay or stop vaccinating has impacted other things as well. I realized that there was no point in taking my children to routine well-child checkups if they weren't going to be injected with vaccines. All that was really done at these appointments was checking their height and weight, discussing age-appropriate development and any issues that might come up, and giving shots. I've never had any issues that I needed to discuss with the doctor, and after having five children and raising kids for over 10 years I'm much more confident in my parenting abilities. I'm not concerned about consulting a doctor about my child's development, and if a concern comes up I can always just schedule an appointment for that purpose. So well-child checks are out. I never liked them much anyway.

I also realized I need to find a new doctor. I always liked our pediatrician and never had any complaints, but I've realized that he's extremely pro-vaccinations. When I declined to have my 5 year-old injected with the flu shot, the doctor proclaimed that “there are no draw-backs, only benefits”. That simple statement made me realize that my doctor wouldn't understand my point of view or my reasons for making the choices I have. So, I'm looking for a new doctor that will be more supportive of me making the decisions about the care and well-being of my children.

The United States has a culture that encourages people to blindly trust doctors and medicine, and anyone who chooses not to do so might be labeled "irresponsible", "negligent", etc. I don't believe medicine is bad. It has a place and is needed in certain situations. I just don't think it should be blindly trusted. My position on vaccines is an interesting one. I understand the risks involved and I stand firm in the choices I make for myself and my family, but I also support each person's right to make their own decision. I hope that no one makes anyone feel inferior or stupid for making the choice they feel is best for them, no matter how much it may buck the system.

One thing that I'm gaining through all of this is confidence as a parent. Yes, I have my moments of serious doubt, but I find if I pray and turn those doubts to the Lord I'm able to navigate my options more easily and with peace and confidence.

Can You Succeed or Fail at Breastfeeding?

I recently read a blog post in which the author wrote about her plans to bring formula with her to the hospital when she went to have her baby. She talked about her plans to breastfeed partially and supplement with formula. It was her second baby and she planned to bring a good quality breast pump along with the formula.

I was surprised, and I couldn't understand why someone would make such a decision. I've always thought of breastfeeding as an all or nothing kind of thing.

It's not that I think that a woman struggling with breastfeeding has to quit and rely completely on artificial milk to feed her baby. I've done research about breastfeeding, and I understand that when an alternative feeding method is introduced it can jeopardize the breastfeeding relationship. Introducing another food, particularly shortly after birth, can cause the woman's body to not produce as much milk as her baby needs. Even if she breastfeeds partially her milk supply may come in later than it would if she were to nurse her baby full time, and it may not be sufficient to meet the demands of her baby. 

I've also had experiences with my own babies reacting badly to formula when a well-meaning person tried to feed them. One of my babies had diarrhea and stomach pains for weeks after one small formula feeding. For me the best option was to breastfeed my babies exclusively. It was the easiest and least expensive choice, and it worked well.

I felt that by planning from the get-go to bring formula to the hospital this woman was seting herself up for failure with breastfeeding. I'll make an analogy, if you will.

When I was pregnant with my first baby I wanted a natural birth but I wasn't prepared for it. I told myself that I would try to have a natural labor without medication, but that if it got too hard I might get the epidural. Guess what happened? The circumstances of my labor included Pitocin, and it was the first time I'd ever experienced labor contractions. I didn't have the support I needed or the preparation, and it got too hard for me. I got the epidural. It wasn't what I wanted, but I felt I had no other option at the time.

When I was expecting my second child I was resigned to the idea that I needed medication in order to give birth. I decided to take control of the situation and I went ahead and scheduled an induction and simply planned on getting the epidural. Why try for a natural birth if I was incapable of it?

During my third pregnancy I met my wonderful doula and confided in her about my wishes for a natural birth experience. I realized that with the information, preparation, and support from my doula I felt capable of attaining my goal. I also realized that in order for me to be able to do it, I had to take the option of an epidural completely off the table. That also meant avoiding Pitocin at all costs. I couldn't even give myself a back-up plan that included medication. My birth plan specified that the hospital staff were NOT to offer me any form of medication. It was through these changes that I finally reached my goal, and it was an incredibly empowering and rewarding experience.

I approach breastfeeding in much the same way. I never gave myself the option of giving my baby formula or anything else for that matter. I knew that my body was capable of producing what my baby needed. I'd seen my own mother breastfeed my siblings, and it was the only way I intended to feed my child. Anything short of that would have felt like failure.

This is where that blog post really made me think. I posted a comment to the author expressing my opinion that she was setting herself up for failure, and offering advice on what she could do to better ensure a successful breastfeeding experience with her baby. Her response surprised me. She expressed her opinion that breastfeeding is not something a woman succeeds or fails at, and that a mother should do her best to take care of herself and her baby. In her eyes, formula was an option that gave her some lenience in allowing others to help care for her infant and take some of the pressure off of her. She made it clear that she intended to both breastfeed and supplement with formula on a regular basis, and that she had no intention of trying to breastfeed exclusively. She didn't want her body to have to supply every feeding for her baby, and didn't mind that the formula feedings would keep it from being able to. This is what she wanted and what she felt was best.

How could I argue with that? Honestly, it's her decision and she has the full right to make choices for her child's care and upbringing. I couldn't fault her for doing what she honestly felt was best for her and her baby.

Then I got thinking. Is breastfeeding something that a woman either succeeds or fails at, or can there be a middle road? I've known countless women who have used a combination of nursing and supplementing, and although it's not the choice I would make personally, it's within their right to feed their baby as they see fit.

I can make argument after argument about why formula is not good for babies, and why exclusive breastfeeding is truly what every baby needs, but I can't expect everyone to agree with my point of view. We each have our own journey to travel, and we must make the choices we feel are best.

It took me two failures at natural birth to finally reach my goal. Does that make me a failure at birth? Does it mean I made bad choices?

It only means it was the path I was on. I made the choices I felt were best at the time, and all the knowledge I gained later couldn't change anything about any of it. I had to come to accept my past in order to fully look forward to the future.

Perhaps the particular blogger I spoke of will find “success” with breastfeeding, but who is to measure her success and what does that actually mean? Does a woman have to breastfeed her baby exclusively to be considered successful at feeding her infant? I think that would be placing a heavy burden on women all over the world. I think as long as she and her family are happy and healthy that's what really matters.

What do you think? Do you really succeed or fail at breastfeeding?

I'm Not Angry

When I published the recap of my day miscarrying in the emergency room, there was a surprising response from some of my readers. I'm sure everyone who read the story probably felt in some way indignant at my mistreatment and neglect by the emergency room staff that day. Even I, while writing about it, felt some of those feelings myself. Some suggested that I report it to the hospital or even seek retribution or litigation for it. Surely, I should want justice for having to endure such treatment at such a sensitive and difficult time.

I really, truly appreciate every bit of support I've received from my readers and friends regarding my miscarriage. I really needed that support, and probably still do need it. The emotional reactions we all felt to what happened were natural human reactions. Something wasn't done right, and it needs to be fixed. It's an instinctive response.

So here's the deal: nothing can fix what happened. I'm not saying that to be depressive or negative in some way. It's the simple truth. What happened, happened, and I'm actually not upset toward anyone about it. I never felt angry toward the overwhelmed emotionless doctor or the snickering nurses. I didn't feel upset that they basically ignored me while I miscarried right there in the ER bed. It's strange. I guess I should feel some of those things, but I don't.

I understood the circumstances, and I actually empathized for those people who were supposed to be entrusted with my care. I knew they were overwhelmed with a full emergency room that day, even before I was given a bed. I knew from the moment I got in there that the doctor was in the ER for the first time ever, and I didn't expect to be emotionally supported by him when he was essentially on a crash training course. I went there for an ultrasound. I never expected to fully miscarry right there, and I'm sure the hospital staff didn't expect it either.

They offered me the care they knew how to. They suggested treatments which I declined even before I was officially diagnosed, and they probably didn't know what to do with me because I really didn't want or need any medical treatment for a naturally occurring event that just so happened to take place in their territory. They certainly were not OB specialists and didn't know what an obstetrician would do under the circumstances. They referred me to my obstetrician because of this. They made assumptions of what the OB would probably do, but those assumptions were wrong. How were they to know that?

A few weeks after the fact, I spoke with a friend of mine who is a labor and delivery nurse. She told me that they don't routinely do D&C's on women who are miscarrying, and that the emergency department probably wasn't even aware of how the labor and delivery department would handle it. They were acting out of the knowledge and training they'd had, and it was in no way perfect for the situation.

Seeking financial retribution would be pointless and wouldn't fill the emotional pain of having a miscarriage. That pain would be there regardless of where or how it took place, and trying to get revenge on those who happened to be there with me at the time wouldn't serve any purpose to me. Yes, part of me would like to sit down with the group of individuals who interacted with me that day and let them know just how it felt to be in my shoes. Maybe that would help them be more sympathetic to the next woman who comes in with a similar situation.

I also realize that the hospital staff were practicing defensive medicine the entire time I was under their care.

• I came in for an ultrasound and they inserted an IV before anything else was done. They were preparing for the worst, which would have likely been ectopic pregnancy requiring immediate surgery or a miscarriage requiring surgical intervention. All they knew was that I was pregnant and bleeding. Telling me they might need to give me fluids, in my opinion, was a load of bunk. I really don't think that's what they were preparing for. They were assuming the worst, which I suppose is their job. I saw it, I knew what was happening as it happened. I guess that's why I'm not mad. I didn't feel fooled by anything.
• Not letting me have anything to eat or drink. This was the worst part of my treatment, in my opinion. I was bleeding and hadn't had any nourishment for hours. What I really needed was something to keep me stable and healthy, but they wouldn't give it to me because once again they were assuming the worst. What if they had to send me to the OR? What if I had to be put under general anesthesia? They couldn't run the risk of my having anything in my stomach “just in case”. I knew I didn't need any of those things, and I needed to eat. But once again, defensive medicine called the shots.
• Refusing to take out my IV. Now this was just stupid. The same rules apply. They were sending me to my OB for follow-up care. “What if her OB decides to draw more blood or do a D&C?” I guess logically it made sense that the OB's office could just take it out for me, especially since I was only walking next door, but that didn't happen. It was easy enough to remove it myself when I had to.

I guess what my story shows is how defensive medicine can fail. Sure, if my case had been the worst-case scenario the hospital's legal behinds would have been covered by their defensive medicine. But it wasn't. It was a natural miscarriage needing no intervention, in which case the so-called “care” provided was horribly sub-par.

My story resembles so strongly the active management of the labor and birth of an otherwise healthy mother and child in the hospital. Every day expectant women are subjected to unnecessary interventions “just in case” which increase their risks and deprive them of the nurturing loving support they need and deserve. Whether it be induction, epidural, continuous fetal monitoring, restriction to bed, no food or drink, or even cesarean section: all are done routinely for the sake of defensive medicine. Now, that makes me angry!

The Birth Survey - An Excellent Childbirth Information Resource

The Birth Survey

This is a cool website that's been set up for childbearing women and maternity care professionals everywhere. You can:

• Share your own birth experience by taking the survey,
• Connect by viewing consumer feedback on hospitals, birth centers, doctors, and midwives in your community, and
• Learn, by viewing hospital intervention rates.

I think this is an important resource, as it can provide a great amount of information to help you make informed choices in your own prenatal and birth care.




Here is a statement from the group who created The Birth Survey project:

"We believe that women of childbearing age must have access to information that will help them choose maternity care providers and institutions that are most compatible with their own philosophies and needs. We hope that the Transparency in Maternity Care Project will provide information that will help women make fully informed maternity care decisions.

We also believe that maternity care practitioners and institutions must have access to feedback from their patients. We hope that doctors, midwives, and hospital administrators will find the information generated through the Transparency in Maternity Care Project useful in quality improvement efforts.

Women need accurate, objective data in order to make fully informed choices about birth settings and providers. Practitioners and hospital administrators also need data to evaluate whether they are delivering quality care. We hope this project will fill a void by providing much needed information that benefits all parties engaged in maternity care."

Alternative Birthing Options

One of my local television networks has aired a story about Alternative Birthing Options. It's a brief article, but pretty good. I think it's good for this information to be presented to the public and help people see that they have options other than the standard norm.

Information/education = informed choice = empowerment

AMA Resolution Would Seek to Label “Ungrateful” Patients as "Non-Compliant"

I just came across this article regarding a proposed AMA medical billing change that could affect expectant parents' rights to take charge of their prenatal care by jeopardizing their ability to get insurance coverage or seek other care givers by labeling them as "non-complaint". Under this proposed change, I could be labeled as non-compliant by my obstetrician's office simply for not subscribing to the suggested routine of prenatal visits (because I've been doing those with my midwife instead) and choosing not to participate in certain prenatal tests and screens. I would hate for my personal choices in managing my prenatal care to impact my future care options. I've posted the article in its entirety.

Please go to the International Cesarean Awareness Network website to see what you can do to help affect a positive change. I've posted the ICAN article in its entirety:

AMA Resolution Would Seek to Label “Ungrateful” Patients Redondo Beach, CA, June 11, 2009 - At the American Medical Association’s (AMA) Annual Meeting next week, delegates will vote on a resolution which proposes to develop CPT (billing) codes to identify and label “non-compliant” patients (1)

The resolution complains:

“The stress of dealing with ungrateful patients is adding to the stress of physicians leading to decreased physician satisfaction.”

“This resolution is alarming in its arrogance and its failure to recognize, or even pay lip service to, patient autonomy,” said Desirre Andrews, the newly elected president of the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN).

If approved, the resolution could hold implications for women receiving maternity care. For pregnant women seeking quality care and good outcomes, “non-compliance” is often their only alternative to accepting sub-standard care. Physicians routinely order interventions like induction, episiotomy, or cesarean section unnecessarily.

Liz Dutzy, a mother from Olathe, Kansas, delivered her first two babies by cesarean and was told by her obstetrician that she needed another surgical delivery. “My doctor told me that I needed to have a cesarean delivery at 39 weeks, or my uterus would rupture and my baby would die.” She sought out another care provider and had a healthy and safe intervention-free {home} birth at 41 weeks and 3 days gestation.

A recent report by Childbirth Connection and The Milbank Memorial Fund, called “Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve ,” (2) shows that the state of maternity care in the U.S. is worrisome, driven largely by a failure of care providers to heed evidence-based care practices. For most women in the U.S., care practices that have been proven to make childbirth easier and safer are underused, and interventions that may increase risks to mothers and babies are routinely overused. The authors of the report point to the “perinatal paradox” of doing more, but accomplishing less.

The resolution proposed by the Michigan delegation of the AMA could threaten patient care and patient autonomy for several reasons:

• Billing codes that would categorize any disagreement and exercise of autonomy on the part of the patient as “non-compliance” “abuse” or “hostility” could create a pathway for insurance companies to deny coverage to patients
• Use of these labels fails to recognize patients as competent partners with physicians in their own care
• Tagging patients as “non-compliant” fails to recognize that there is not a “one size fits all” approach to care, that different opinions among physicians abound, and that patients are entitled to these very same differences of opinion
• Labeling patients as “non-compliant” may, in fact, be punitive, jeopardizing a patient’s ability to seek out other care providers
  

The resolution also fails to address how it would implicate patients navigating controversial issues in medical care, like vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). While a substantive body of medical research demonstrates that VBAC is reasonably safe, if not safer, than repeat cesareans, most physicians and hospitals refuse to support VBAC. (3) The language in the resolution suggests that patients who assert their right to opt for VBAC could be tagged as non-compliant, even though their choice would be consistent with the medical research.

“The reality is that the balance of power in the physician-patient relationship is decidedly tipped towards physicians. The least patients should have is the right to disagree with their doctors and not be labeled a ‘naughty’ patient,” said Andrews.

About Cesareans: When a cesarean is medically necessary, it can be a lifesaving technique for both mother and baby, and worth the risks involved. Potential risks to babies from cesareans include: low birth weight, prematurity, respiratory problems, and lacerations. Potential risks to women include: hemorrhage, infection, hysterectomy, surgical mistakes, re-hospitalization, dangerous placental abnormalities in future pregnancies, unexplained stillbirth in future pregnancies and increased percentage of maternal death.

Mission statement: ICAN is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery and promoting vaginal birth after cesarean. ICAN has 110 chapters in North America and Europe, which hold educational and support meetings for people interested in cesarean prevention and recovery.

1. Resolution 710 “Identifying Abusive, Hostile or Non-Compliant Patients”
2. Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve
3. http://www.ican-online.org/ican-in-the-news/trouble-repeat-cesareans

The Importance of Prenatal Health Care

Prenatal health care is very important. I found an article in my local news that talks about this:

Importance of 13 Visits to Mom and Baby

I'd like to point out that an expectant mother has the option of going to an obstetrician or a midwife, and the medical care should be adequate from both sources. Both obstetricians and midwives do a urinalysis at each prenatal visit to screen for possible health concerns or complications, as well as check the mother's blood pressure, fundal height measurement, weight gain or loss, and check the baby's heartbeat.

A good obstetrician or midwife will also take time at each visit to talk with the expectant mother about her feelings, her life situation and stressors which might impact her well-being during her pregnancy.

Health care may differ from one care giver to another depending on that caregiver's approach to pregnancy and birth. Obstetricians and Certified Nurse Midwives who practice under the supervision of an OB may be more likely to take a very medical approach by suggesting more screenings and tests than a Certified Professional Midwife or Direct Entry Midwife would. Doctors approach pregnancy and birth as a problem waiting to happen. They spend more time looking for problems, because they are trained to handle emergencies and complications. Midwives generally approach pregnancy and birth by looking at the woman as a whole being and trusting in her body's ability to do what it's designed to do, and less time looking for problems. With this being said, midwives are trained to watch for potential problems and how to handle them if they do come up.

Whether you choose a doctor or a midwife for your prenatal care, and whether you choose to birth in a hospital, birth center or at home, please get the prenatal health care that you need. Learn about the screenings and tests and procedures so that you can make educated decisions about your health care. Remember that the doctor or midwife works for you, and not the other way around.

Informative Birth Story of an Emergency Cesarean

I discovered a blog called Doula Momma, on which the author posted her birth story. It's a very interesting story, with complications I hadn't ever considered before. I love to learn new things about childbirth, and this birth story was very informative to me. This woman had a baby who was presenting face first and unable to descend in the birth canal because his position wouldn't allow it. Please take a few minutes to read her story. While I personally prefer natural unmedicated birth, it's important to remember that we have medical interventions for very good reasons. I try to present all sides of birth because I feel it's important to know the possibilities and options so that you can make informed choices in your own birth.

Click here to read the birth story

Amazing Birth Experience

I recently attended a birth, and the experience was incredible. The first-time parents had taken a Hypnobabies course and prepared themselves as much as they possibly could for the birth of their baby. Even though the the labor did not go exactly as planned, the mother still went through with her plan for a birth with no epidural and kept her focus. The baby came very fast, and it was intense, but everyone came together to help and support the mother and her baby, and we all had a wonderful experience.

I was very impressed by the father, who stayed at his wife's side the entire time and put his whole focus on her. He was able to tune in to her feelings, and when she started to show even the smallest amount of hesitation he was able to capture her focus and help her to be calm almost immediately. The mother was amazlingly strong, and followed her husband's cues excellently. She listened to our instructions and did a fabulous job. I feel in awe and truly privileged to have been a witness of such a miraculous event. My love for women and their roles as mothers is increasing with everything I learn about birth and every experience I have with it. I've asked the mother to write her birth experience and allow me to share it with you all here on my blog. I hope that will be forthcoming in the near future.