From Spark to Raging Fire

I always wanted to have natural birth - without medication. There was a desire there from before I ever got pregnant. It was stifled when I failed at my first attempt. I felt defeated and incapable of reaching my dream. I couldn't understand how anyone could have an un-medicated birth because it seemed impossible. That's why I scheduled an induction for my second baby. It was my way of taking control of a situation that felt grossly out of control.

My husband teased me. “You can't handle birth without an epidural!” I shot back “You try it and see if you can handle it!” As much as his taunting annoyed me, it spurred me forward. I still wanted a natural birth, but I didn't know how to do it.

Enter my amazing doula. She was a massage therapist who worked with my husband and had a passion for childbirth. She was certifying as a birth doula and offered to support me in labor and birth. I told her the secret I'd been keeping from everyone for years: I wanted a natural birth, but I didn't know how to do it. She was awesome. She gave me advice, answered my questions, and helped me come up with a plan. A tangible approach to what I feared I'd never be able to touch. With her knowledgeable and caring support I had two amazing natural births in the hospital. I felt I could never have done it without my doula.

When my fourth baby was an infant a friend of mine told me she wanted to be a doula. I thought “That's great for you and you'll be awesome at it, but I could never do that”. Then I had a dream. I was supporting a close friend through the birth of twins. I was the only one supporting her and advocating for her. No one else cared or paid any attention to her. I awoke with the dream clear in my mind. Thinking it was a message meant for my friend who had been unsuccessfully trying to conceive, I called her and told her about the dream. She asked “Are you sure the dream isn't for you too?”

I hadn't even considered the possibility! I decided to pray about it, and I poured my soul to the Lord. I asked if it was His will for me to become a doula, and I immediately knew it was right for me. I was stunned. I never thought I'd do that kind of work myself, but I felt as though a flame had been lit and it was pushing me forward. I was thrilled that I would be able do for other women what my doula had done for me!

I got the list of required reading for doulas in training and ordered all the books on the list. I read book after book, inhaling the information. I had an insatiable thirst for all things birth-related; I couldn't get enough.

When I got to the last book on my list I felt full. I was to the point of information saturation and everything I read was all starting to sound the same. I was done with the books, for the time-being. I started blogging about pregnancy and birth because I had all this new-found knowledge and needed an outlet for it; somewhere to share what I was learning where (hopefully) no one would call me crazy for it.

Somewhere along the line I rented and watched The Business of Being Born, and my eyes were opened to the option of home birth. I had no idea that modern day women were safely giving birth at home! Why hadn't anyone told me about this before?! If I could do it in the hospital with medical professionals doing nothing but watching, I could certainly do it at home!

The flame was burning stronger and by the time I became pregnant with baby number five I was serious about planning a home birth. I knew a wonderful midwife and I felt utter peace about moving forward with my plans. I had an amazing surprise breech birth – at home!

Some time before my home birth I'd been introduced to the concept of unassisted birth. It seemed strange and a little bit crazy at first. But so had home birth when I first heard of it, and that had turned out to be so wonderful that I never wanted to turn back to the hospital.

For the past two years I've been mulling unassisted birth over in my head. Occasionally I'd read a UC birth story or write a blog post about it. I “met” more women online who'd had an unassisted birth. Incredible strong women, so self-assured and at peace with themselves. I felt that peace about my home birth, but unassisted birth seemed to take it to a new level. The topic intrigued me and I cautiously considered thinking about an unassisted birth for my next and possibly last baby. I prayed about it and asked that if UC was right for me that my interest in it wouldn't go away, and that I'd feel peace about planning an unassisted birth. I've felt the peace, the same I felt about planning my home birth. It's been incredibly comforting, and I've been encouraged to keep learning more on the subject.

Recently I felt the desire to read come back to me. It felt like a long time since I'd read an actual book about pregnancy or birth. I'd been doing a lot of online research and that had satisfied my needs, until now. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I craved a new book. I already had a mental list of books about birth that I wanted to read but hadn't been able to get copies of yet. I felt frustrated when I thought of the cost involved in ordering them and having them shipped to me. Money I didn't have. I talked with some of my friends about the books they'd read that I hadn't yet, but it still sounded like more of the same material I'd already read. I wanted something new.

Then it came to me: “Born Free”. A dissertation by Dr. Rixa Freeze about unassisted birth. I'd been following Rixa's Stand and Deliver blog for a long time, but I'd never read the dissertation she'd written for her doctorate. It wasn't a physical book I could hold in my hands and read, but it was definitely long enough that I would consider it a book, and it was available to read online for free.

I threw myself into the dissertation, and I've been loving every bit of it. I want to print copies of it for myself and my family. I'm feeling the flame of my passion for birth suddenly grow in leaps and bounds, and it feels again as though I'll burst with excitement over my new-found knowledge. I've been posting bits and pieces on the Mamas and Babies facebook page, and I can't seem to stop thinking about it and smiling.

I apologize to anyone who might get tired of hearing me talk on and on about the same subject, but I can't keep my mouth shut. I feel an urgency to share what I'm learning with anyone who will listen, and even those who would shut their minds to the very concept or call me crazy.

The flame of my passion burns hotter and brighter than ever, and I'm loving every moment.

Learn Neonatal Resuscitation (Infant CPR)

It's a good idea for expectant parents to learn the basics of neonatal resuscitation (infant CPR). It could come in handy in a planned unassisted birth or an unexpected precipitous birth.


Here are some links to some great resources on neonatal resuscitation:

• Video: CPR for Infants - An instructional video demonstrating how infant CPR is done.
• UK Resuscitation Council: Newborn Life Support - A .pdf file that you can read and print for easy access.
• The Placenta: Essential Resuscitation Equipment - A wonderful post by Midwife Thinking about the importance of keeping the cord intact and how to appropriately manage newborn resuscitation efforts.
• Birth Faith: Emergency Preparedness - A great blog post outlining the importance of emergency preparedness and how a family might prepare for the possibility of emergency birth.

Researching Planned Unassisted Childbirth (Freebirth)

A few days ago I provided information on preparing for a possible (surprise) unassisted birth.  I'm hesitant to provide information on how to prepare for a planned unassisted birth.  It's an extremely important personal decision, and I would never tell someone they should have an unassisted birth.  I provide this in an effort to help educate, without promoting or endorsing planned freebirth.  I understand that some expectant parents desire an unassisted birth, and if you or someone you know has made this choice it's important to educate yourself and be as informed as possible in your decision to birth without the support of a doctor or midwife.  I've chosen to provide resources rather than a guide or instruction manual, so that you may find information to prepare yourself.  This post is meant as a starting point for research and should not be relied upon for complete preparation.

In the United States it's completely legal to give birth anywhere, including at home.  In states where home birth midwives are illegal or difficult to find, some parents choose to plan for unassisted birth at home.  This can be a safe viable option when the parents are educated, informed, and prepared.

The first thing to do is educate yourself on the birth process itself.  Understand what happens and what you will likely experience as your body goes through this beautiful event and gives birth to a healthy baby.  If you've given birth before, then you probably have a pretty good idea of what will happen but you may want to do some research about doing it alone.  If this will be your first birth, or even your first vaginal birth, please read as much as you can and prepare yourself for this most important day.


Suggested reading:

• "Unassisted Birth" by Laura Kaplan Shanley
• "Unassisted Homebirth: An Act of Love" by Lynn Griesemer
• "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin
• "Spiritual Midwifery" by Ina May Gaskin
• "Emergency Childbirth: A Manual" by Gregory J. White
• "Childbirth Without Fear" by Grantly Dick-Read

Suggested websites:

• Unassisted Childbirth
• The Center for Unhindered Living
• Empowered Childbirth

What's the law?  Please remember to research the laws where you live.  For instance, in the United States each state has its own laws about birth certificates, and it's important to know what will be required of you to legally obtain one.  Often the birth certificate application also triggers the request for a Social Security Card.  Many states require witnesses to sign the birth certification application, and in some states a blood test or maternity test may be required under certain circumstances.

Get the supplies:  Although you can give birth with virtually nothing, it's good to be prepared and get the supplies you may need.  I prefer to be over-prepared rather than under-prepared.  Here are just a couple of places you can order birth kits online:

• In His Hands Birth Supply
• Cascade Health Care Products
• Bring Birth Home Custom Home Birth Baskets
• Home Birth Services

You can also join freebirth community websites such as: 

• Unassisted Birth/Freebirth on Facebook
• Unassisted Birth Forum on Mothering.com

Click here to read an amazing story of a surprise breech unassisted birth.

Please feel free to share any birth resources you would recommend in preparation for unassisted birth!

Video of Unassisted Birth

This is somewhat graphic and contains nudity.

Preparing for Unassisted Birth

This information is compiled from various sources for informational purposes only.  If you or someone you know is preparing for a possible unassisted birth, this should not be your only information source.

Rather than post a list of necessary items, I'll give some guidelines.  There are very few truly necessary things for birth, and you can generally make do with what you already have at home.  

For instance, one mother had an unexpected home birth with no supplies:  

They had just moved and most of their things were still in storage when she unexpectedly went into labor three weeks before the due date.  All they really had was a t-shirt to wrap the baby in after it was born, and they used thread to tie the cord and scissors from a first-aid kit to cut it.

Someone I know had a similar experience:

They were planning a hospital birth, but the mother had a very fast labor (40 minutes) and the baby was born in the bathroom before the father had even arrived home to help.  She had called him home from work and he got there after the baby was born and helped deliver the placenta.  He used a shoelace to tie off the umbilical cord, and kid scissors to cut it.

Unplanned home birth carries more risks compared to planned home birth.  Some women have a history of fast labor, and there are times they just don't make it to the hospital or the midwife doesn't get to their home in time for the birth itself.  In these cases it may be a good idea to plan for a possible unassisted birth in case things go so quickly that the preferred plans don't work out.

The first and most important piece of advice:  Have faith.  Trust in your body's ability to birth this baby.  In his book "Childbirth Without Fear" Dr. Grantly Dick-Read states that 95% of births can safely take place without any intervention.  This means the odds are in your favor to safely birth your baby without help.

"I like to tell my clients to remember their grandmothers and other female ancestors. Since the beginning of time, the women in her bloodline have given birth successfully, otherwise she, herself, would not be here having a baby." - Melissa Chappell, Doula

Follow your body and do what instinctively feels right.  Don't try to analyze anything, just let your mind go into the primal state that it will naturally go to if you let it.

Dr. Gregory White has a book about birth for fire fighters and police officers, in case they get a 911 call to a birth.  It's a step-by-step guide that tells how to catch a baby.  Dr. White says "any normal 8 year-old can do this."  If you have an older child or partner who can help, you can prepare yourself and them by reading this book.

Check for a nuchal cord: When the baby's head is out, slip your index finger in to feel for the cord.  If there is a cord around the neck the baby may be able to "birth through the cord" or do a somersault as the head stays close to the mom's body.  If the cord is very tight you may have to flex the baby's head and slip the cord over it.  Very rarely do you need to cut the cord and unravel it before the rest of the body is birthed.

What if the head is out, but the body is taking a while?  The body generally slides out soon after the head, and usually comes out with one push.  If it seems to be taking a long time, the baby's shoulder may be caught on the pelvic bone.  True shoulder dystocia is rare, but generally simple to handle.  Just get up on your hands and knees, and it will help shift the baby's position and allow the rest of the body to come out easily.  If this doesn't help, then you can reach in with your finger and gently pull the shoulder toward the baby's chest and release it.

What do I do when the baby is out?  After you or a support person has caught the baby, simply bring the baby up to your torso.  The placenta will still be inside, and the baby will still be attached to it by the umbilical cord.  There is no need to cut the cord before the placenta is out.  

How do I help the baby breathe?  Most babies can expel the remaining amniotic fluid from their lungs by simply spitting it out.  You can help your infant do this by holding the baby face down with your hand supporting the tummy.  If you're concerned that it may not be coming out fast enough you can use your own mouth over the baby's mouth and nose to gently suck out the fluid.  Suck, spit, suck, spit, etc.  The baby may cry a bit once the fluid is out, which is a good indication of breathing.  If you have a bulb syringe, you can use it to suction the fluid out, but this isn't as gentle as the other methods described.  Always remember to suction the mouth first, and then the nose.  It may help you remember this by remembering that M comes before N in the alphabet.

How do I keep the baby warm?  The easiest way to do this is by keeping the baby against your warm skin, and place a towel or blanket over the baby and yourself.  Breastfeeding is an excellent way to keep the baby warm and happy.

How do I help the placenta come out?  You may or may not feel contractions after the baby is out.  Do not pull on the cord.  This can cause fragments of the placenta to be left inside, leading to hemorrhage, or some cords may snap when pulled.  You can help the placenta come out by squatting.  Allow the baby to breastfeed, and this will help the uterus contract effectively to birth the placenta. 

When should I cut the cord?  After the placenta is out you can wait for the cord to stop pulsating before cutting it.  You can use anything clean to tie off the cord.  Braided embroidery thread or string, or a shoelace will work just fine.  There's no need to tie it off in two places.  Simple tie the cord close to the baby's belly button and cut it on the side of the thread away from the baby.  You can even choose to leave the cord intact and simply wrap the placenta in a towel or chux pad and place it near your baby's feet.  The cord will naturally detach within a few days to a week.  Leaving the cord attached is known as Lotus Birth, and you may research this option beforehand.

How do I know if I'm bleeding too much?  Blood loss is completely normal after birth, so don't worry when you see blood.  It's also normal to see blood clots come out with the placenta or afterward.  Trust your feelings more than your brain, as how you feel will be a good indication of how well you are doing after the birth.  You can drink cinnamon tea to help prevent hemorrhage.  Most people have cinnamon in their spice rack, and you can add 1 tsp of cinnamon per cup of water.  2 1/2 cups of blood loss or more is considered hemorrhage, but it can be tricky knowing how much blood you've actually lost.  You may choose to prepare yourself by doing tests prior to the birth:

Put different amounts of water mixed with catsup and pour it on pads, or towels on the floor, or in the bath tub.  Squirt catsup as fake clots.  Always measure before pouring so you can get a good idea of what that amount looks like after it's been spilled.  This will give you a visual indication of how much is too much.

You can even eat a small portion of the placenta as an effective way of preventing or treating hemorrhage.  One way to do this is by making a placenta smoothie.  Midwives in Hawaii use this, and it's recommended to add 1 tsp of placenta to 8 ozs of juice.  Red juices work best, such as cherry or tomato.  Just mix it in the blender and drink.

If you or the baby seem unwell in any way, do not hesitate to call for help.  Most of all, trust your instincts.  If you and the baby are both well, just let the natural endorphins take over and enjoy the memory of your amazing birth and your new little bundle!

Click here for information on researching planned unassisted childbirth

What did you think of this?  Do you have anything to add that might be helpful?

Thoughts About Labor Support and Unassisted Birth

I've been thinking a lot lately about unassisted childbirth. I must admit that the idea is becoming more appealing to me the more I think about it, and I'm starting to consider this as an option for my next baby's birth.

Don't worry, I'm not pregnant again... yet. We want another baby, but we're not trying to conceive at this time. I'm always thinking and planning for the future.

My childbirth experiences have been a journey. I feel I've been on this road, and I keep growing and learning as I go. My journey from fully medicated birth to unmedicated birth in the hospital, then to birth at home, has been a progression for me. I'm always wanting to find something better and more fulfilling, and possibly more challenging as I go.

I like challenging. It stretches me, helps me grow.

"When you're through changing, you're through." -Bruce Barton

What's the next step? Is it freebirth?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to put myself or my baby at risk just because I enjoy a good challenge. I don't make any big decisions without doing my homework and knowing all the ins and outs, exactly what I'm getting myself into.

I also believe in divine personal inspiration, and I'll pray about my options and move forward with what I feel is right and best for my family. I prayed about home birth with my last baby and felt such overwhelming peace that I knew that's what I should do.

Right now I'm researching and considering my options, and I'll pray about them when a decision is needed.

I'm all about labor support. I'm a doula. I DO labor support. I feel it's important to have the right support for birth. But what is the right support? I think it can be different for each birth.

When it comes to unmedicated, natural, spontaneous birth without unnecessary interventions, I've always felt that with the right support and care I can do anything. I love my doula and midwife who each worked with my husband to provide encouragement, comfort measures, and a level head to help me through what's always been for me a somewhat long process of labor and birth.

At one point during active labor with my planned home birth I found myself alone. My midwife was in the other room. She had left my husband and I alone because I was coping well with his support and she was respecting our private space. My husband had to go to the bathroom, and just as he was gone a strong contraction hit.

I had been depending on my husband's support, and it suddenly occurred to me that I was alone! Panic hit, fear set in, and I experienced the worst pain of the entire birth experience. It's the only part of Liam's birth that I consider to have been actually, truly painful. Even transition was nothing compared to the pain I felt at that moment.

I learned two things from that experience:

1. The Fear-Tension-Pain syndrome is REAL. When we experience fear our muscles invariably get tense, which causes pain. This is definitely true in labor and birth, and I experienced it first-hand in stark contrast to the rest of my otherwise relaxed and peaceful labor.
2. I have had the belief that I can only handle natural labor if I have support from others. Whether my belief was true or not, it was real and it affected me completely in that moment.

I've reflected on that experience a lot since then. What about women who experience spontaneous precipitous labor and have no support, but still have an amazing and beautiful birth? What about those who plan unassisted birth and handle it just fine without any outside support (other than that of their partner)? Why would I only be able to handle labor well with support, if others could handle it just as well on their own?

If I plan an unassisted birth I would still have my husband's support so I wouldn't be completely alone. Do I actually need the support of a doula and/or midwife or others in order to have a beautiful birth experience?

Freebirth (Unassisted Childbirth)

"Just as a woman's heart knows how and when to pump, her lungs to inhale, and her hand to pull back from fire, so she knows when and how to give birth." - Virginia di Orio

Remember Kasie's story of her unassisted home birth?

That birth story was huge for me. When I first read it, I was 7 months pregnant and planning my own first home birth. Her story gave me great encouragement. I saw a lot of similarities between Kasie and myself, with the exception that I was planning a midwife assisted birth and she had an unassisted birth.

Unassisted birth - or "freebirth", as it's sometimes called - is intriguing to me. I sometimes wonder how my own home birth experience would have been different without the support of my midwives. With a surprise breech, I'm really glad the midwives were there, and everything went smoothly. I like to believe that if I'd given birth without the midwives it all would have gone smoothly, but I suppose I'll never know.

What I do know for myself is this: If I prayed about planning an unassisted birth and felt the overwhelming peace that I felt after praying about home birth, I would definitely do it.

I'm in a good position for excellent home birth support. Through the process of my doula training and ongoing midwifery training I'm developing a fantastic network of amazing doulas and midwives. Many of them are dear friends. I feel that as long as I live here I will not want for better birth support at home. I may never have a reason to consider freebirth.

But what about the women who live in areas where, for whatever reason, cannot get the support they want for a home birth? While home birth is legal throughout the United States, in many states it's against the law to have a trained midwife attend your baby's birth at home. This means that women wanting a home birth in those areas have two options: go "underground" and try to find a midwife to support them illegally at home, or plan an unassisted birth.

The reasons for choosing freebirth are varied. Some women choose it because of limited options, as I described above. Others choose it because they prefer to give birth to their child without any interference whatsoever, surrounded by loved ones, often just their partner and other children.

We don't really know how many women are giving birth at home without midwives because there are no reliable statistics. Nationwide, 90 percent of births still take place in hospitals with doctors attending. Another 8 to 10 percent are with midwives in hospitals or birthing centers. And 1 to 2 percent are at home.

Regardless of the reasons and circumstances surrounding a planned unassisted birth, the choice should not be taken lightly. If you're interested in or considering a freebirth you should do your homework and educate yourself as much as possible. Check out documentaries (such as The Business of Being Born), find support groups in your area, read up on the natural birth process as much as possible and take classes on it. It's best to avoid classes that are taught at the local hospital or health clinic, because they mostly likely wouldn't give you the information you need for a birth outside of the hospital. The Bradley Method is one class I think would be really informative. Hypnobirthing and Hypnobabies are good as well. Find online groups and other women who have done freebirth. Find out how best to prepare yourself and your home for an unassisted birth.

A word of caution: I personally would not recommend freebirth for a first-time mom, because to her labor and birth are completely uncharted territory. I would suggest having a midwife-supported birth at home or in a good birth center. Then you may consider an unassisted birth with your next baby. You don't always know how your labor will play out and how you will react in certain situations until you've been through it.

So there you have it. What do you think of unassisted childbirth?

Click here for more about researching planned, unassisted birth.

Click here for a basic how-to guide for unassisted birth

Natural Home Birth of Twins

Natural Home Birth of Twins

I came across a fantastic blog post about a natural home birth of surprise twins. It's a quick read, so please check it out.

I feel that a lot of the feelings this wonderful mother expresses about her birth experience mirror my own feelings about my surprise breech home birth.