Little Johnny Cash is one month old today.
Most of the reason I chose to give birth at home was to insure having a completely natural birth. At this point I believe nearly the only ways to have a natural birth are to either have a home birth or have a doula. If I had thought it certain for me to have a natural birth in the hospital (again), I would have birthed in the hospital. But I didn't think I could do it. I know myself to not be good at saying no - thought it would be too easy for the doctor/nurses to talk me into Pitocin, breaking water, etc. I also thought it would be hard for me to resist the epidural offer every ten minutes with it being 'right around the corner'. (Though, yes, of course I know how dangerous and bad for the baby and mom the epidural is, but wasn't sure how my reasoning would change in the heat of labor).
So the funny thing is that I never once desired an epidural. By the time I was in basically "unbearable" pain I was pushing - or maybe it is better to say that the pushing is what caused the unbearable pain. So the epidural wouldn't have helped anyway.
And also, surprisingly, the most awesome part about the birth turned out to be the location: Home. It really was SO nice to be home. I am not sure why I hadn't expected that. Before I would've gone to a birth center had there been any within a half hour of here, but that wasn't an option. Now, even if I did live next door to a birthing center, I would totally choose a home birth again. I think a lot of it had to do with how comfortable hubby was. It is hard to imagine him being that attentive and right by my side the whole time had we been in a hospital. One of my favorite parts of the labor was that first hour or so, that otherwise would have been spent driving to, checking in, and settling into the hospital. It was just Hubby and I and that was a simple, quiet, excited time - where I knew "this is it", but we just got to be together and relax. He was also just as comfortable with the midwife and her assistant as I was so that he still hugged and massaged and did whatever I needed him to do without hesitancy. (Plus the midwife really knew what she was doing and could show him how).
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Birth Story!
Hands down the hardest thing I have ever done. I will describe birth one, Cowboy's, as being a whole lot of work, but no pain and the second birth, Lady's, as a whole lot of pain, but no work. Well, double the amount of work exerted at Cowboy's birth and double the amount of pain experienced at Lady's birth, and then add a little more of each and that is about how this birth went. I am writing this as soon after the birth as possible since the 'bad' memories fade so quickly and I have already gone from thinking "I will never have children again" to "Well, maybe one more...in at least three years". And now that I have this gorgeous little boy in my arms and he is so perfectly healthy and I am recovering so quickly, I am already thinking "it was totally worth it".
Ok, from the start. On September 5th (this being significant for several reasons: was his actual due date, was 'labor' day, and is the 5th day of the month, which makes everyone in our family either born on the 5th day of the month or during the 5th month/May) - anyway, on this day, I woke up about 2am with contractions that actually had a little kick to them, unlike the painless ones I had been feeling for the last 7 weeks off and on. And these were about 5 to 10 minutes apart and were not going away. I woke up hubby around 3a.m. and said "I am going to call the midwife". He got up and started sterilizing the bathroom and bedroom and going cleaning crazy :). I called the midwife and left her a message, figured I would call her again in a half hour or so, if she didn't call back. She has never not answered her phone before. She called back about 4a.m. and got here by 4:30, having been at another birth all night and was coming strait from it. When her assistant got here around 5:00 we made her go take a nap. My contractions were getting pretty intense and more like 3 to 5 minutes apart. Hubby was totally awesome and rubbing my lower back exactly right so that the contractions were totally bearable. Both midwives helped a ton, too. Around 7:00 they were pretty bad so I tried the shower, which was amazing and made those contractions totally bearable - though it may have worked a little too well because the contractions seemed to lessen in intensity and get farther apart.
Well, the midwife told me I needed to try pushing a little with each contraction and that is when things got really, really hard for me. That hurt like crazy and took a whole lot of effort. I could only think of one contraction at a time. It was really frustrating because I didn't feel like the pushing was doing anything and wasn't even sure why I had to push then anyway. With Lady I only had to push twice and she came right out - I did have to push for an hour and half with Cowboy, but had blamed that on the Epidural and his ginormous head. One thing I had really not wanted to do became inevitable - she had to break my water. The baby was not moving down at all. I had my water broken with my other two children and she explained that our bodies have a memory and perhaps my body was not going to get back a certain point until my water was broken. (and it was actually pretty difficult for her to rupture it, so I guess my bag is made of neoprene or something :). Well I kept nudging this baby down for the next hour or two, it seemed like one microscopic increment at a time. Finally after pushing harder than I am sure is physically possible and it felt like my head was going to pop off, his head came out and that was the biggest relief of my life and hubby said "I can see his head! I can see his two little eyes!" and then out came the rest of the baby. I was kneeling on the bed. I really wanted to hold him and could tell right away that it was a boy. But it took a little maneuvering to get around to sitting so I could hold him.
My mom was in the next room with the kids and said as soon as they heard the baby crying she couldn't hold them back any longer and they burst in the room to meet their new little brother. It was Cowboy's job to tell everyone whether it was a boy or a girl, so hubby said "come in and tell us if it's a boy or a girl" and before he even got to the baby, he said, "It's Johnny Cash" in such a matter-of-fact way, like, "duh! That is what I have been telling you the whole time, that it's a boy". They were so cute and so in awe of this brand new baby, so euphoric. Hubby was on the verge of tears. I was relieved beyond reason, and so, so happy to hold this little baby. He was so perfect and precious and sweet and special...and still is :)
The placenta came out and we left the cord attached until it stopped pulsing, maybe 15 minutes or so. A lot of people keep it or bury it or even eat it, but I decided against those so the midwives just took care of it. I tore a little and the midwife proficiently sewed me up. I also finally researched circumcision and have decided that it is a completely unnecessary medical procedure, comparable to plastic surgery. So this lucky little guy won't have to have a horrid painful operation to welcome him the day after he enters this world. He ate right away. I got to hold him and hold him and hold him some more. Eventually we weighed him at 8 pounds 13 ounces and 21 and 3/4 inches long!
It was so great to be right at home during the whole labor and afterwards when my whole family just got to soak up this little angel strait from Heaven. It was really awesome. A really special time.
Welcome 'Johnny Cash'! I love you so much!
My poor midwife got a call from another lady in labor and off to her third birth in a row she went. She and her assistant were both totally awesome. I never felt nervous about anything going wrong and felt like I was in much more capable, and more familiar, hands than at either other birth.
Ok, from the start. On September 5th (this being significant for several reasons: was his actual due date, was 'labor' day, and is the 5th day of the month, which makes everyone in our family either born on the 5th day of the month or during the 5th month/May) - anyway, on this day, I woke up about 2am with contractions that actually had a little kick to them, unlike the painless ones I had been feeling for the last 7 weeks off and on. And these were about 5 to 10 minutes apart and were not going away. I woke up hubby around 3a.m. and said "I am going to call the midwife". He got up and started sterilizing the bathroom and bedroom and going cleaning crazy :). I called the midwife and left her a message, figured I would call her again in a half hour or so, if she didn't call back. She has never not answered her phone before. She called back about 4a.m. and got here by 4:30, having been at another birth all night and was coming strait from it. When her assistant got here around 5:00 we made her go take a nap. My contractions were getting pretty intense and more like 3 to 5 minutes apart. Hubby was totally awesome and rubbing my lower back exactly right so that the contractions were totally bearable. Both midwives helped a ton, too. Around 7:00 they were pretty bad so I tried the shower, which was amazing and made those contractions totally bearable - though it may have worked a little too well because the contractions seemed to lessen in intensity and get farther apart.
Well, the midwife told me I needed to try pushing a little with each contraction and that is when things got really, really hard for me. That hurt like crazy and took a whole lot of effort. I could only think of one contraction at a time. It was really frustrating because I didn't feel like the pushing was doing anything and wasn't even sure why I had to push then anyway. With Lady I only had to push twice and she came right out - I did have to push for an hour and half with Cowboy, but had blamed that on the Epidural and his ginormous head. One thing I had really not wanted to do became inevitable - she had to break my water. The baby was not moving down at all. I had my water broken with my other two children and she explained that our bodies have a memory and perhaps my body was not going to get back a certain point until my water was broken. (and it was actually pretty difficult for her to rupture it, so I guess my bag is made of neoprene or something :). Well I kept nudging this baby down for the next hour or two, it seemed like one microscopic increment at a time. Finally after pushing harder than I am sure is physically possible and it felt like my head was going to pop off, his head came out and that was the biggest relief of my life and hubby said "I can see his head! I can see his two little eyes!" and then out came the rest of the baby. I was kneeling on the bed. I really wanted to hold him and could tell right away that it was a boy. But it took a little maneuvering to get around to sitting so I could hold him.
My mom was in the next room with the kids and said as soon as they heard the baby crying she couldn't hold them back any longer and they burst in the room to meet their new little brother. It was Cowboy's job to tell everyone whether it was a boy or a girl, so hubby said "come in and tell us if it's a boy or a girl" and before he even got to the baby, he said, "It's Johnny Cash" in such a matter-of-fact way, like, "duh! That is what I have been telling you the whole time, that it's a boy". They were so cute and so in awe of this brand new baby, so euphoric. Hubby was on the verge of tears. I was relieved beyond reason, and so, so happy to hold this little baby. He was so perfect and precious and sweet and special...and still is :)
The placenta came out and we left the cord attached until it stopped pulsing, maybe 15 minutes or so. A lot of people keep it or bury it or even eat it, but I decided against those so the midwives just took care of it. I tore a little and the midwife proficiently sewed me up. I also finally researched circumcision and have decided that it is a completely unnecessary medical procedure, comparable to plastic surgery. So this lucky little guy won't have to have a horrid painful operation to welcome him the day after he enters this world. He ate right away. I got to hold him and hold him and hold him some more. Eventually we weighed him at 8 pounds 13 ounces and 21 and 3/4 inches long!
It was so great to be right at home during the whole labor and afterwards when my whole family just got to soak up this little angel strait from Heaven. It was really awesome. A really special time.
Welcome 'Johnny Cash'! I love you so much!
My poor midwife got a call from another lady in labor and off to her third birth in a row she went. She and her assistant were both totally awesome. I never felt nervous about anything going wrong and felt like I was in much more capable, and more familiar, hands than at either other birth.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
My Birth Plan
My Birth Plan: Hubby will catch the baby.
Haha. Yes that is it. By birth number three I realize the danger in trying to control and force things to happen your way. Just let the baby and God lead the way and things will go much smoother. But based on questions I have gotten from a few people I thought I would run through the details of how this home birth is going to and I think it will help me to run through it in my head and visualize it as far as possible.
So my midwife has already visited my house so that she knows where it is. She brought a bag of supplies to leave here. It looks like a bunch of medical supplies you would get from the hospital. Mostly protective absorbent pads for the birth area (like the bed), depends (as opposed to messing with the annoying mesh panties and bulky pad), surgical gloves, squeezy water bottle, nose sucker, etc. She will bring more medical equipment with her at the birth such as oxygen tank (for baby), scale and measuring equipment. She will prepared to deal with excessive bleeding or tearing. She has two assistants, one of which I have gotten to know pretty well and will be coming at my request.
When I am seriously thinking I am in labor, first I will get hubby home (if he is at work), and then probably call the midwife just to tell her what is happening. She and I will guess how close I am and whether she should come then or if I should call her later. I will pawn my two kids off on my mom who will be staying here for 3 weeks. She will focus solely on them. I have the option to pick up a birthing pool from the midwife at my next appointment, but have decided not to use one, as I think the shower would be more soothing to me and keep the heat better. Plus the bathroom is right off the bedroom, where I plan to do the laboring and delivery. Also with my last delivery take barely an hour and a half, I am not sure that we would even get it set up and filled in time to do any good. I haven't picked a specific position or location - I guess the baby will come whenever it is ready. I just know I don't want to be lying on my back. I am looking forward to being able to try a bunch of different positions based on comfort and just see what works.
After the birth the midwife and her assistant stay here for several hours until baby and I are definitely stable. They clean everything up and do the laundry :) They won't really be hanging around in my face the whole time. They will just be at the house if and when needed.
I have called the baby's pediatrician who said to just call them after the baby is born and then bring the baby in a few days after birth for a check-up. But the midwife does a thorough check-up at birth and also a home visit a few days and two weeks after the birth.
Hubby and I are both more calm about this birth than either one before. I wouldn't have thought how liberating skipping the part where you have to drive to and get settled in at the hospital would be, especially with short labors like mine. It is so nice to not have to stress "Is this it?" every time I start having contractions. So nice to not have to go to the hospital just in case it is the real deal and then just start getting pumped with Pitocin because they don't really care if it is the real deal or not. If you're there, you are going to have the baby. (At least that is what happened with my first birth - at 12 days early).
Oh I am so excited to meet the little one - and find out if it is a boy or a girl already!! I will let you all know how it went in a few weeks :)
Haha. Yes that is it. By birth number three I realize the danger in trying to control and force things to happen your way. Just let the baby and God lead the way and things will go much smoother. But based on questions I have gotten from a few people I thought I would run through the details of how this home birth is going to and I think it will help me to run through it in my head and visualize it as far as possible.
So my midwife has already visited my house so that she knows where it is. She brought a bag of supplies to leave here. It looks like a bunch of medical supplies you would get from the hospital. Mostly protective absorbent pads for the birth area (like the bed), depends (as opposed to messing with the annoying mesh panties and bulky pad), surgical gloves, squeezy water bottle, nose sucker, etc. She will bring more medical equipment with her at the birth such as oxygen tank (for baby), scale and measuring equipment. She will prepared to deal with excessive bleeding or tearing. She has two assistants, one of which I have gotten to know pretty well and will be coming at my request.
When I am seriously thinking I am in labor, first I will get hubby home (if he is at work), and then probably call the midwife just to tell her what is happening. She and I will guess how close I am and whether she should come then or if I should call her later. I will pawn my two kids off on my mom who will be staying here for 3 weeks. She will focus solely on them. I have the option to pick up a birthing pool from the midwife at my next appointment, but have decided not to use one, as I think the shower would be more soothing to me and keep the heat better. Plus the bathroom is right off the bedroom, where I plan to do the laboring and delivery. Also with my last delivery take barely an hour and a half, I am not sure that we would even get it set up and filled in time to do any good. I haven't picked a specific position or location - I guess the baby will come whenever it is ready. I just know I don't want to be lying on my back. I am looking forward to being able to try a bunch of different positions based on comfort and just see what works.
After the birth the midwife and her assistant stay here for several hours until baby and I are definitely stable. They clean everything up and do the laundry :) They won't really be hanging around in my face the whole time. They will just be at the house if and when needed.
I have called the baby's pediatrician who said to just call them after the baby is born and then bring the baby in a few days after birth for a check-up. But the midwife does a thorough check-up at birth and also a home visit a few days and two weeks after the birth.
Hubby and I are both more calm about this birth than either one before. I wouldn't have thought how liberating skipping the part where you have to drive to and get settled in at the hospital would be, especially with short labors like mine. It is so nice to not have to stress "Is this it?" every time I start having contractions. So nice to not have to go to the hospital just in case it is the real deal and then just start getting pumped with Pitocin because they don't really care if it is the real deal or not. If you're there, you are going to have the baby. (At least that is what happened with my first birth - at 12 days early).
Oh I am so excited to meet the little one - and find out if it is a boy or a girl already!! I will let you all know how it went in a few weeks :)
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Birthing Upright
Here's a few things I did not know:
- Movement greatly helps cervical dilation during early labor and helps bring baby into most advantageous position for passage through pelvis. (Of course this makes perfect sense, as I was hiking just hours before giving birth to Lady, who had the easiest delivery I can imagine).
- Women in traditional societies all over the world almost always choose upright positions in labor.
- So the worldwide consensus is this: women don't choose to lie down to labor unless culture pressures them to. (Also true of Lady's birth. I REALLY didn't want to lie down, that is when it got really painful... So excited to not have to do that this time)
- Common postures (worldwide): sitting, kneeling, standing, squatting, hands-and-knees.
- Supports are also used commonly, such as: overhead rope to pull on, birth chairs, ground stake, or embracing someone else.
- Benefits to upright position: better use of gravity, maximum circulation between mom and baby, no compression on mom's major blood vessels, better alignment of baby to go through pelvis, stronger rushes and increased pelvic diameters when squatting or kneeling.
- The first recorded instance of a woman lying on her back was not until 1663 when a king's wife told her to do so, so that he could watch from behind a curtain.
- Lying on back was created to benefit the physician and male-midwife who might want to use forceps. There is no benefit for the woman.
- In the 1860's Queen Victoria used chloroform, which popularized the use of various anesthesias and led to more lying down, and was seen as more "ladylike"
- Some women MUST be upright or on all fours to have a baby.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Two Models of Care
I read about a couple approaches to birth: the Midwifery Model (or Humanistic model) of care and the Techno-medical Model of care. It was pointed out that a midwife and a physician can practice either model of care, so I have to say that calling it the "Midwifery Model" is kind of misleading, though I suppose that most midwives have the humanistic philosophy and a lot of physicians practice the techno-medical model of care, whether through personal belief or through pressure of avoiding lawsuits, following procedures, etc.
But let's get onto what each model of care is before you get too lost.
Humanistic Model:
-female-centered
-birth is something women do, not something that happens to them
-recognizes essential oneness of mind and body
-birth and pregnancy are inherently healthy processes
-emotions of mother have very real impact on baby: baby has no choice but to feel what mother feels
-good nutrition is best way to prevent most common complications
-companionship and encouragement during labor to minimize technological intervention
-no arbitrary time limits, not expected in any rigid time frame
-move, drink, eat during labor
-medical intervention should be applied when needed, and is harmful when used for convenience or profit
Techno-medical Model:
-has existed for barely two centuries
-the human body is a machine
-the female body is full of shortcomings and defects
-pregnancy and labor are illnesses best treated with drugs and medical equipment
-some medical intervention is necessary for every birth
-birth must take place within 24 hours
-mind and body considered separate
-labor in bed hooked up to fetal monitors, IV's, and pressure reading cuffs
-pain is unacceptable and analgesia/anesthesia are encouraged
-episiotomies are routinely performed
-the woman is a passive, almost inert object seen as a barrier to baby's passage
-women are treated as one homogenous group, not as individuals
So, of course every level of practice exists between these two, I am sure. But there are some interesting things to think about when you decide who is going to help you have your baby.
But let's get onto what each model of care is before you get too lost.
Humanistic Model:
-female-centered
-birth is something women do, not something that happens to them
-recognizes essential oneness of mind and body
-birth and pregnancy are inherently healthy processes
-emotions of mother have very real impact on baby: baby has no choice but to feel what mother feels
-good nutrition is best way to prevent most common complications
-companionship and encouragement during labor to minimize technological intervention
-no arbitrary time limits, not expected in any rigid time frame
-move, drink, eat during labor
-medical intervention should be applied when needed, and is harmful when used for convenience or profit
Techno-medical Model:
-has existed for barely two centuries
-the human body is a machine
-the female body is full of shortcomings and defects
-pregnancy and labor are illnesses best treated with drugs and medical equipment
-some medical intervention is necessary for every birth
-birth must take place within 24 hours
-mind and body considered separate
-labor in bed hooked up to fetal monitors, IV's, and pressure reading cuffs
-pain is unacceptable and analgesia/anesthesia are encouraged
-episiotomies are routinely performed
-the woman is a passive, almost inert object seen as a barrier to baby's passage
-women are treated as one homogenous group, not as individuals
So, of course every level of practice exists between these two, I am sure. But there are some interesting things to think about when you decide who is going to help you have your baby.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Home birth!
I am very excited about this post: home birth! Sometimes it is still surprising to even me that I am going to have a home birth. I honestly didn't even think of it as a legitimate option probably up until 3 years ago. There are so many funny little things that I am looking forward to about having the home birth rather than the hospital:
I am excited to have my kids meet their sibling just minutes after he/she is born. (Yes, we still haven't found out whether I am carrying a boy or a girl - we have held out strong :)
I am excited to have pictures where I am not wearing an ugly hospital gown.
I am excited that those pictures will be in my very own home.
I am looking forward to being able to walk around freely during labor.
I am glad I will have a shower that I am comfortable with right there, easily accessibly, before and after the birth.
I am glad I will not have to lay on my back when pushing or during any part of labor, if I don't want to.
I am looking forward to trying unique things during labor to distract, ie: playing the piano, passing a volleyball with hubby (guess you have to know me to get that one)
I am relieved of the pressure of knowing "is this really it or not?" and whether to pack everything up and head to hospital. My midwife lives 10 minutes away, and hubby and I will prepare in every way we can, just in case she is few minutes late, so that we can handle everything until she gets here, even the delivery itself.
I am looking forward to spending at least part of my labor OUTSIDE, my favorite place on Earth.
So there are some of the personal reasons, well maybe not the original reasoning, but some of the great side benefits I am looking forward to with the home birth. But here are a few facts and statistics about home birth:
-Women choosing home birth have the lowest chance of needing drugs and intervention and the highest chance of a normal birth of any modern birthing option.
-Globally most babies are still born at home.
-Home birth was the norm in westernized countries until 50 years ago (that's our grandparents).
-Mortality for women is equal for hospital and home birth - but there is an increased risk of infection and other medically caused problems for mother and baby in the hospital.
-The major risk of hospital birth is the risk of unnecessary intervention.
-Cesarean surgery is much more likely if choosing a hospital for your birth.
-Hospital stats: 1/2 are induced, 3/4 use an epidural, 1/3 end up a C-section
-Home birth stats: 70-80% have no intervention, and only 5-10% result in cesarean
-Right now only 1% of births occur outside of the hospital in the U.S.
Yay, it gets me excited all over again to talk (write) about it. Thanks all you readers for listening :)
I am excited to have my kids meet their sibling just minutes after he/she is born. (Yes, we still haven't found out whether I am carrying a boy or a girl - we have held out strong :)
I am excited to have pictures where I am not wearing an ugly hospital gown.
I am excited that those pictures will be in my very own home.
I am looking forward to being able to walk around freely during labor.
I am glad I will have a shower that I am comfortable with right there, easily accessibly, before and after the birth.
I am glad I will not have to lay on my back when pushing or during any part of labor, if I don't want to.
I am looking forward to trying unique things during labor to distract, ie: playing the piano, passing a volleyball with hubby (guess you have to know me to get that one)
I am relieved of the pressure of knowing "is this really it or not?" and whether to pack everything up and head to hospital. My midwife lives 10 minutes away, and hubby and I will prepare in every way we can, just in case she is few minutes late, so that we can handle everything until she gets here, even the delivery itself.
I am looking forward to spending at least part of my labor OUTSIDE, my favorite place on Earth.
So there are some of the personal reasons, well maybe not the original reasoning, but some of the great side benefits I am looking forward to with the home birth. But here are a few facts and statistics about home birth:
-Women choosing home birth have the lowest chance of needing drugs and intervention and the highest chance of a normal birth of any modern birthing option.
-Globally most babies are still born at home.
-Home birth was the norm in westernized countries until 50 years ago (that's our grandparents).
-Mortality for women is equal for hospital and home birth - but there is an increased risk of infection and other medically caused problems for mother and baby in the hospital.
-The major risk of hospital birth is the risk of unnecessary intervention.
-Cesarean surgery is much more likely if choosing a hospital for your birth.
-Hospital stats: 1/2 are induced, 3/4 use an epidural, 1/3 end up a C-section
-Home birth stats: 70-80% have no intervention, and only 5-10% result in cesarean
-Right now only 1% of births occur outside of the hospital in the U.S.
Yay, it gets me excited all over again to talk (write) about it. Thanks all you readers for listening :)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
C-section
Cesarean surgery provides an opportunity to deliver a baby and save the life of a mom for deliveries that wouldn't have been possible a hundred years ago. Unfortunately this type of delivery has gone from its' original purpose of saving the life of mother and baby, to being used merely out of convenience in some cases, made as the only option for moms who have already had a cesarean, and is being caused by many of the routine medical interventions that I have mentioned in my other blog posts (such as induction and epidural). In 1970 the percent of births that were cesareans in the U.S. was 5.5%. In 1993 it was 22.8%, and in 2006 the rate was 31.1%, which is about where it sits now. This is at least double anywhere else in the world, where their medical skills and opportunity are just as high as our country. So the increased percentage is not due to the fact that they are getting more proficient at the procedure and that is is more available for those who need it.
"At rates above 15%, the risks to mother and baby begin to outweigh the benefits." In other words, really only 15% of women NEED a cesarean - yet here we are in America where the rate is over 30%.
I do not know anyone that has elected for a cesarean, but I know there are still a few women out there that do. Elective cesareans that have no medical reason and are based on convenience/scheduling are completely preposterous and should never happen.
Cesarean being the only option because you have already had one are turning out to be a myth as well. Many, many women have delivered vaginally after a cesarean (VBAC) without any complications - so you should thoroughly research the option for yourself if you have already had a cesarean.
And, finally, a cesarean should be avoided at all costs. How is this done? By avoiding all the medical interventions leading up to it at all costs. Remember all my other posts that state that Pitocin and epidural increase your risk of cesarean, and yes I am using the word "risk", because, quite frankly, cesareans are very risky. They are only worth it if it is an actual emergency and there are no other options. Unfortunately the "emergency" is unnecessarily created by all of the unnecessary medical interventions.
Well, let's get onto to specifically what is at risk to mom through having a cesarean:
-The risk of the mom dying after an elective cesarean is 2 in 10,000, which is 4 times higher than a normal vaginal birth
- Twenty to forty percent of women have post-cesarean complications. Infections of the uterus and urinary tract are the most common.
- Women are twice as likely to have severe complications
- Five times more likely to require antibiotics (remember the effect those have on baby!)
- Up to 1 in 10 women experience an accidental cut elsewhere in the uterus
- Three times more likely to have major infection, hysterectomy, and cardiac arrest
- There is more than a 50% increased risk of having a stroke in the year following cesarean
- Less satisfied with birth experience
- More likely to be re-hospitalized
- Less confident with their babies
- Less likely to breastfeed
- More fatigued (even up to 4 years later)
- NOT better for pelvic floor function (as sometimes thought)
- Reduces fertility: this may be voluntary and involuntary, as 1 in 4 women are still fearful of birth 5 years later
A cesarean does effect any following pregnancies and births as well:
- An ectopic pregnancy is more likely
- It doubles your risk of unexplained stillbirth
- Doubled chance of breech baby
- Increased risk of uterine rupture
- Placental problems increased 2 to 4 times, all of which are life-threatening to mom and baby
- Seven to 15 times the risk of emergency hysterectomy after two cesareans
The risk of most of these complications increase with the number of previous cesareans, but a VBAC is actually just as safe (has the same mortality rate) as a first time birth. And a VBAC is most successful at home - so look into it!
Most importantly, the risks to a healthy baby include:
- Baby is 2 to 5 times more likely to need the NICU (around 10% of cesarean babies are born MORE than two weeks early)
- Breathing difficulties
- Over 4 times more likely to get persistent pulmonary hypertension
- Seventy to 90% more likely to die before hospital discharge (this is of babies who were originally low risk!)
- One to 2% risk of cutting the baby with the knife
Okay, but like I said at the beginning, sometimes cesareans are actually necessary. In other words, due to actual complications, a cesarean provides a higher chance of a successful outcome than a vaginal birth.
These are some GOOD reasons to have a cesarean:
-Severe placental previa
-Placental abruption
-HIV infection
-First time herpes at end of pregnancy
-Severe fetal distress/complications (remember Pitocin/Epidural causes this, so avoid those in the first place at all costs)
These are some BAD reasons to have a cesarean:
-Large baby and/or small pelvis
-More than one week overdue
-Hepatitis B
-Uncomplicated infection with Hepatitis C
-Multiple births
-Small-for-date babies (remember how inaccurate ultrasound readings can be anyway)
-Premature babies
-Recurrence of herpes in mom
-Breech baby: this one is still somewhat debatable, but I do know that my midwife has delivered many breech babies vaginally - at home!
When a cesarean is warranted, here are suggestions as how to have a good cesarean:
*Wait for labor to begin
*Use an epidural or spinal
*Lower the drapes to see the birth
*Clamp cord late or not at all (see last blog post on cord-clamping)
*See or take home placenta
*Immediate skin-to-skin contact with Mom or Dad and continue as much as possible
*Choose a Baby-Friendly Hospital
*Use the lowest dose of painkillers possible following the birth
*Get the two-layer suturing (not one-layer)
*Breastfeed!
So the jist is this: NEVER elect for a cesarean without a GOOD medical cause. Avoid causing the need for a cesarean by not being unnecessarily induced with Pitocin and avoid an epidural at all costs, as both of these increase your chance of cesarean. When a cesarean does have to occur, follow that last list of suggestions. And if you have already had a cesarean and will have another birth, VBAC is definitely an option! And if you really want to increase your chance of avoiding a cesarean, homebirth is your best bet, with only at 3.7% rate of homebirths resulting in cesarean.
As always, I am not claiming to be the know-it-all on childbirth. I am just sharing some of the things I have discovered by educating myself through reading and strongly encourage all of you to do the same.
"At rates above 15%, the risks to mother and baby begin to outweigh the benefits." In other words, really only 15% of women NEED a cesarean - yet here we are in America where the rate is over 30%.
I do not know anyone that has elected for a cesarean, but I know there are still a few women out there that do. Elective cesareans that have no medical reason and are based on convenience/scheduling are completely preposterous and should never happen.
Cesarean being the only option because you have already had one are turning out to be a myth as well. Many, many women have delivered vaginally after a cesarean (VBAC) without any complications - so you should thoroughly research the option for yourself if you have already had a cesarean.
And, finally, a cesarean should be avoided at all costs. How is this done? By avoiding all the medical interventions leading up to it at all costs. Remember all my other posts that state that Pitocin and epidural increase your risk of cesarean, and yes I am using the word "risk", because, quite frankly, cesareans are very risky. They are only worth it if it is an actual emergency and there are no other options. Unfortunately the "emergency" is unnecessarily created by all of the unnecessary medical interventions.
Well, let's get onto to specifically what is at risk to mom through having a cesarean:
-The risk of the mom dying after an elective cesarean is 2 in 10,000, which is 4 times higher than a normal vaginal birth
- Twenty to forty percent of women have post-cesarean complications. Infections of the uterus and urinary tract are the most common.
- Women are twice as likely to have severe complications
- Five times more likely to require antibiotics (remember the effect those have on baby!)
- Up to 1 in 10 women experience an accidental cut elsewhere in the uterus
- Three times more likely to have major infection, hysterectomy, and cardiac arrest
- There is more than a 50% increased risk of having a stroke in the year following cesarean
- Less satisfied with birth experience
- More likely to be re-hospitalized
- Less confident with their babies
- Less likely to breastfeed
- More fatigued (even up to 4 years later)
- NOT better for pelvic floor function (as sometimes thought)
- Reduces fertility: this may be voluntary and involuntary, as 1 in 4 women are still fearful of birth 5 years later
A cesarean does effect any following pregnancies and births as well:
- An ectopic pregnancy is more likely
- It doubles your risk of unexplained stillbirth
- Doubled chance of breech baby
- Increased risk of uterine rupture
- Placental problems increased 2 to 4 times, all of which are life-threatening to mom and baby
- Seven to 15 times the risk of emergency hysterectomy after two cesareans
The risk of most of these complications increase with the number of previous cesareans, but a VBAC is actually just as safe (has the same mortality rate) as a first time birth. And a VBAC is most successful at home - so look into it!
Most importantly, the risks to a healthy baby include:
- Baby is 2 to 5 times more likely to need the NICU (around 10% of cesarean babies are born MORE than two weeks early)
- Breathing difficulties
- Over 4 times more likely to get persistent pulmonary hypertension
- Seventy to 90% more likely to die before hospital discharge (this is of babies who were originally low risk!)
- One to 2% risk of cutting the baby with the knife
Okay, but like I said at the beginning, sometimes cesareans are actually necessary. In other words, due to actual complications, a cesarean provides a higher chance of a successful outcome than a vaginal birth.
These are some GOOD reasons to have a cesarean:
-Severe placental previa
-Placental abruption
-HIV infection
-First time herpes at end of pregnancy
-Severe fetal distress/complications (remember Pitocin/Epidural causes this, so avoid those in the first place at all costs)
These are some BAD reasons to have a cesarean:
-Large baby and/or small pelvis
-More than one week overdue
-Hepatitis B
-Uncomplicated infection with Hepatitis C
-Multiple births
-Small-for-date babies (remember how inaccurate ultrasound readings can be anyway)
-Premature babies
-Recurrence of herpes in mom
-Breech baby: this one is still somewhat debatable, but I do know that my midwife has delivered many breech babies vaginally - at home!
When a cesarean is warranted, here are suggestions as how to have a good cesarean:
*Wait for labor to begin
*Use an epidural or spinal
*Lower the drapes to see the birth
*Clamp cord late or not at all (see last blog post on cord-clamping)
*See or take home placenta
*Immediate skin-to-skin contact with Mom or Dad and continue as much as possible
*Choose a Baby-Friendly Hospital
*Use the lowest dose of painkillers possible following the birth
*Get the two-layer suturing (not one-layer)
*Breastfeed!
So the jist is this: NEVER elect for a cesarean without a GOOD medical cause. Avoid causing the need for a cesarean by not being unnecessarily induced with Pitocin and avoid an epidural at all costs, as both of these increase your chance of cesarean. When a cesarean does have to occur, follow that last list of suggestions. And if you have already had a cesarean and will have another birth, VBAC is definitely an option! And if you really want to increase your chance of avoiding a cesarean, homebirth is your best bet, with only at 3.7% rate of homebirths resulting in cesarean.
As always, I am not claiming to be the know-it-all on childbirth. I am just sharing some of the things I have discovered by educating myself through reading and strongly encourage all of you to do the same.
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