Baby (and mom) update: Today marks 37-weeks for April and baby Niedle. Hes healthy (as far as we can tell), as is April, but they are both uncomfortable with only a few weeks to go, and he isnt exactly in the right position for natural birthing. We are doing what we can to spin him around, and were confident that by his due date of mid-October, everything will be as it was meant to be (one way, or another). We decided long ago on a natural, no-drug, home birth, possibly in water. We did literally over 100 hours of research, and have seen benefit-after-benefit to having a baby outside a hospital with a low-risk pregnancy. We have an incredible team of midwives, an amazing doula (birth assistant), and have taken 30+ hours of baby classes, plus several hours a day of birthing homework (reading, exercise, vitamins, water, squats, meditating, midwife visits, etc). I imagine the idea of a home birth sounds terrifying or unsafe to some of you. To the contrary, though, it is often (not always, of course!) hospitals that for 85% of women are less safe (at least, in the US). (https://youtube/watch?v=oIRwbjVnS6U) The USA ranks 26th to 40th (depending on who you ask) in the world for infant mortality and mother mortality. Our C-Section rate -- a major surgery, mind you -- is approaching 40%, when the World Health Organization says a natural, healthy rate should be more in the 10-15% range. Why? Because the hospitals are designed for emergencies, and are amazing at handling them. We may ourselves end up there, and if we do -- so be it. Thats what we needed, and we will be very happy for the loving support of the doctors and nurses we needed. But in most of the cases, the medical interventions start a domino effect. Pitocin (inducing) leads to pushing too hard, which leads to pain and ripping, which leads to epidurals, which leads to mom not being able to feel how much to push, therefore more ripping and more exhaustion (and shes not able to eat in a hospital, by the way -- so how would you feel running a 12-24 hour race with no food? jennifermargulis.net/blog/2011/09/in-countries-with-better-birth-outcomes-laboring-women-encouraged-to-eat-and-drink/)… until she gives up and ends up in surgery. This is vastly simplified, of course, but we have seen the consequences of every intervention, from overly monitoring the baby, to an IV, to the hospitals on your back position for birth, all being detrimental to a low-risk, natural birth. This isnt the easy way. Many of you will judge us for it, Im sure, but all I can say is that I had no urge to do this at home, and now that Ive done 100+ hours of research on the topic, 30+ hours of classes, and dozens of hours of homework, Im passionate about helping our country be more like Norway, where midwives oversee 70% of births -- and where birth outcomes are vastly better -- emotionally and physically -- than in the USA. April and our son may still may end up, after all this, in the hospital -- but as Ive said, if thats what we need because its a true emergency, then there is no better place to be, and we will accept it for what it is. And please, dont take this as any judgment whatsoever on your birth story, moms -- this is our story, and our decisions. What you did, we assume was right for you. Were not talking about your choices, just explaining ours. We ask that you support us in this decision by not telling us how terrible or difficult the birth process is, nor by telling us how much we will need that epidural, or that were crazy, or by judging if you havent done as much research as we have, or by saying (when we talk about other things like cloth diapers) Oh, well see how long that lasts! -- please tell April how brave and beautiful she is, and if youre curious about our choices, please do some research yourself, then open a conversation with us if you have questions. For more info… this is our midwiferys video trailer: https://youtube/watch?v=FH-pSi-sjqE Im not a big fan of biased documentaries (which this clearly is), however, there a lot of fantastic points and paradigm-shifting concepts in The Business of Being Born: https://youtube/watch?v=KvljyvU_ZGE For those who read this far -- thank you for listening to my rare exposition on the topic, and thank you for caring about birth enough to do so!
Posted on: Sat, 20 Sep 2014 22:33:00 +0000