Hathor's latest post.... So incredibly true... be careful what you are buying in you bid for supposed safety

Trusting the Process

So I am in post recovery from a birth yesterday as a Doula. This entire last weekend I have been pondering the birthing process and the journey it is. How we treat it in our world. So here is a the story of the birth....

I had a client begin laboring on Feb 11th and on the 12th was 3cm 60% effaced... She lost her mucous plug and so we all thought soon... I told her to rest, hydrate and eat. She took walks with her mate and looked forward to the day... Well time passed and she would have periods of regular contractions that by bedtime when she was tired would just slide away... By the 22nd after losing two mucous plugs and having bloody show off and on for a week. she began contracting at 1am (Friday) 5 min apart, she rested, ate drank and just hung through them.... This continued through the weekend... intensity building... Monday the 25th 5:30 am I get a phone call that they are pretty intense 2 min. apart... so it's time to go to her home.... We labor at home till I see the dilated pupils and wild look in her eyes, her water had broken 30 minutes before... time to go Transition has arrived... At the hospital she is 7 cm and goes to 10 within 30 minutes... Beautiful chubby baby born 90 min. later... With a thick healthy placenta... Oh and her caregivers honored her plans (push in whatever position, late cord clamping, mother/baby/daddy bare skin contact without time limits, no Vacc or interventions etc...) This in a 90% epidural rate hospital....

OK so my client knows that without me to sound her out and reassure her she would have gone to her caregiver and would have been in the hospital many days before this one... She was being seen by two CNM's and a OB in practice together. She knows she most likely would have ended up on Pitocin and much more had they known about her pattern of labor...

None of the books really talk about labor and birth looking like this... So how are mothers to know that what their body is doing is perfectly normal. This woman happened to be highly attuned to her body and baby. More so than most woman, I truly believe that is part of what let her slowly labor her baby out. She labored for hours and hours over the weekend and would sleep when she needed it, her body and adapting to those needs...

She did so much of the work of labor calmly, relaxed, smiling... The intense part was very intense, but also very short in comparison to the whole process... In all this woman and her mate had an experience full of respect and beauty without fear and manipulation.

This is a pattern we need our caregivers to honor, that we need to write about and teach... I believe even midwives need to really look at this, and learn to trust and honor the birth process. I see many who fear the process that is not "normal". So what is normal? That is not a simple answer, normal is as different as each individual person is.

This journey I shared in was natural and very normal, not maladaptive... Instead of seeing the normal pattern, most see problems and look for reasons why the baby isn't popping out in the 14 hr medical time plan...Of course back in the 60's normal labor was thought to last as long as 36-38 hrs... In the 80's it was knocked down to 24hrs, we now expect it to last 14 hrs... Have our bodies changed so much?

Trust Birth Conference

Only 2 more weeks and I will be flying to Redondo Beach California to the 2008 Trust Birth Conference...

There is still time and space for registrations for anyone wanting to go. Believe me this is an event I do not think anyone would regret attending.

There are over 40
speakers scheduled to present a diverse selection of educational topics....Breastfeeding, Immunizations, Herbs, Prenatal
Testing, Loss and Grief, Gestational Diabetes, Preventing Pre Term Birth, Birth Around the World and so much more.

PLUS pre-conference Neonatal Resuscitation Certification, Herb Workshop..... And Friday Night Trust Birth Awards Dinner honoring Michel Odent, Dr. John Stevenson, and Ricki
Lake!

$100 off for nursing students.

They have been granted some ACNM CEUs, but all sessions, Including Trust Birth Awards Dinner keynote by Dr. Michel Odent have all
been approved by BRN and CAM.

Carla has even created a special Mommy track for mothers to attend that is for less than the full conference price.

I would ask that even for those who cannot attend think of donating to sponsor the conference sponsors for the Awards dinner where such Birth activists as Michel Odent, Dr. John Stevenson, Sarah J Buckley, Ricki Lake and more will be acknowledged for their extensive efforts in bringing birth back to woman and babies where it belongs.

Even if you cannot attend visit the web site and buy a few raffle tickets... there are incredible items that have been donated for the raffle.

http://trustbirthconference.com/
Call Carla 918-720-2717 or 310-316-8542
Look for us at Youtube.com (Search directoraami)

Celebrities Speak out about Homebirth...Please

I applaud Ricki Lake in all that she is doing for the movement of birthing with choices... Here is a list of celebrities who have birthed their babies at HOME, most with Midwives...some Unassisted...many Waterbirths...and most giving their child the gift of extended breastfeeding as well.

I think it is time we heard from more of these people publicly. Whether it is right or not the general public likes to follow what celebrities do and mimic them. So how about celebrities support the public following this movement, as opposed to the diet and drug one that seems so prevalent

CINDY CRAWFORD (x2)

PAMELA ANDERSON (x2 home waterbirths)

DEMI MOORE (all 3 at home)

NELLIE FURTADO

LAURA DERN & BEN HARPER

WOODY HARRELLSON'S WIFE

JOANNE WHALEY & VAL KILMER

KELLY PRESTON & JOHN TRAVOLTA

PATRICIA ARQUETTE

JOHNNY COLT'S WIFE (of the Black Crowes, as well as 2 other band member's wives!)

LISA BONET & LENNY KRAVITZ

MICHAEL LANDON'S WIFE

JADE JAGGER (MICK'S DAUGHTER)

ASIA CARRERA (unassisted - 6 weeks after husband died) http://www.asiacarrera.com/babydon/

SHERILYN FENN

MARE WINNINGHAM

CAROLE KING

RICKI LAKE (waterbirth)

TABITHA & STEPHEN KING

"Xena" - LUCY LAWLESS (waterbirth)

LIBERTY PHOENIX (RIVER PHOENIX' SISTER)

KENNY LOGGINS' WIFE

JOHN LEGUIZIAMO'S WIFE

THANDIE NEWTON

ERYKAH BADU

JULIANNE MOORE

MERYL STREEP

KENNY ROGER'S WIFE

RICHARD THOMAS' PARTNER

BOBBY MCFERRIN'S PARTNER

ENRICO COLONTINI'S WIFE ("JUST SHOOT ME")

TYNE DALEY'S DAUGHTER

TANIA JOY GIBSON (Miss Illinois)

KATHLEEN KENNEDY TOWNSEND

BOBBY KENNEDY'S DAUGHTER

LINDSEY WAGNER (The Bionic Woman)

CYNTHIA GEARY (Northern Exposure)

AJ LANGER (My So Called Life)

DAVID SOUL'S WIFE

ELLIE & JOHN SCHNIEDER (DUKES of HAZARD)

"PAULINE" (Another World)

TRACY REINER (Rob Reiner & Penny Marshall's Daughter)

FELICITY HUFFMAN

DAVINA MCMCALL (Big Brother)

CHARLOTTE CHURCH

JEMMA REDGRAVE

STELLA TENNANT

CARRIE ANN MOSS (The Matrix)

MORGAN SPURLOCK'S WIFE

MIHAI BAGIU (US Olympic Gymnast)

LYNN JOHNSTON (For Better or Worse Creator - and main character Elly as well)

DAVID FOLEY'S WIFE

GIL BELLOW'S WIFE (Ally McBeal)

ANI DIFRANCO

DAVE MATTHEWS WIFE ASHLEY

JOSIE MARAN (Model)

JOELY FISHER

AARON LEWIS"S WIFE (singer from Staind)

Please help Barbara Harper keep waterbirth alive

Please help Barbara Harper keep waterbirth alive

Waterbirth International may close doors. they need everyones help.

Everyone who believes in Gentle birth, please help. Barbara has been helping the birthing commuity internationally for 25+ years. She has educated and guided many of us to see how beautiful and natural birthing is...

Here is a note from Barbara Harper of Waterbirth International

Barbara Harper wrote:.

I cannot yet imagine a world without the voice and work of Waterbirth
International - we get calls and emails every day from women who need help
convincing one hospital or another to let them labor or birth in water. If
we die - a big part of the movement dies. Waterbirth has shown us all that
women know how to give birth and babies know how to be born. Waterbirth
gave us "hands-off", sit back and let the baby out. I see waterbirth
mentioned on Blogs every single day, not to mention Baby Story on the TV. I
took Waterbirth International to ACOG two years in a row - and was the ONLY
booth showing birth films to obstetricians and especially to student
physicians. There were tears, laughter and outrage - just the thing to stir
up those young crop of doctors. I am finally realizing a life's dream.

But now I am faced with letting this dream go. Perhaps I have done enough.
Perhaps it is time to quit.

About 18 years ago, maybe it was longer, when Mothering Magazine was facing
bankruptcy Peggy did a heartfelt plea asking their readers to consider
ordering a Life-time subscription. I think the subscriptions were $1000 or
$1200, I can't remember now. I do remember that I couldn't imagine not
reading my Mothering. So, I bought two and gave one to my obstetrician's
office.

How can you help us stay open to take the next phone call? - to convince the
next obstetrician to incorporate waterbirth into his/her practice - to work
with the nurse midwives to install pools in their facilities? To educate an
entire hospital on the benefits of allowing women freedom of movement in the
water. How much is it worth to see waterbirth become the norm in the US,
like it is in the UK? I think we only need a few more years to make that
happen. Do women really want waterbirth to be an available choice in every
hospital? I think so.

Can you help us by getting the word out on blogs and lists? I had to let go
of all of the staff except one person to process orders. Miraculously, we
made payroll today, but we can't hang on much longer. We need a miracle.

If I need to call every single waterbirth parent personally, I will. I
don't want 25 years of work to end over a measly $200,000.

The work that we have done the last few years has been phenomenal. How God
arranged for me to teach in hospitals and medical schools around the planet
- Taiwan, Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Portugal, China,
Trinidad, Croatia - I'll never figure that out. I laugh out loud sometimes
when I get up in front of an audience of physicians in a medical school
overseas - who all want to hear about waterbirth and the incorporation of
Gentle Birth practices and principles into their routines.

Think about what you can do and call me if you want to chat or if you have
some great ideas on how we can quickly move into the black and keep
waterbirth alive and thriving.

We need your help. Barbara Harper needs your help. The waterbirth/gentle
birth movement needs your help.

Blessings,
Barbara
Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCE
Founder/Director
Waterbirth International
www.waterbirth.org
503-673-0026 -office (out of US or in Portland)
800-641-2229 - toll free
503-710-7975 - cell phone

We LOVE helping women get into Hot Water!!
And have been doing it for 24 years!!

Well it finally happened, I am incensed and becoming more and more political. I am solidly taking up my role as a birth activist.

This morning upon awaking I was presented with this
http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/TurningPoints/Story?id=4098198&page=1

Good Morning America showed their much awaited Unassisted Birth segment. I am sad to say it truly was not positive. They left out so many parts of the Mom's story, as quoted by Christina Schafer:
"They didn't mention WHY I decided to do this - being forced out of my midwifery clinic because of a new hospital policy against VBACs, no homebirthing midwives in our area, etc - nor did they mention that I had already had 2 VBACs; gotta wonder how many people are thinking I had 3 c-sections and then chose to UC"

The final recommendation by the shows Parenting expert to please have your babies at a hospital with a Nurse Midwife at your side, does not address the issue. It was just a nice way to sound alternative and PC without truly seeing that there is really no difference with that suggestion that any other hospital care scenario...

Later to find that "The View" had this topic in their Hot Topic session, and not covering it very positively. Instead focusing on Elizabeth Hasselbacks views in the positive intervention laden births that she has had. Calling these woman and their choices as irresponsible.

So here is my letter to the View asking them to please show the other side of birth:

I am a student Midwife and Birth Doula. I am very glad you have had Ricki Lake on promoting her movie "The Business of Being Born". I would like though to see you really do a comprehensive show regarding natural birthing, homebirth, unassisted birth.

Most of what ends up being heard on your show is Elizabeth screeching about her epidurals, nurses and IV's.

There is so much history showing that birth has become dangerous due to the increase in interventions that we put upon it. Don't get me wrong, we are blessed to have Dr.'s for the true emergencies that arise. The problem is most births never fall into that area. Birth is not an illness but is treated as such in our country, and most of the industrialized world.

People believe that by taking birth into the hospitals that the mortality rate decreased. But history shows it did not decrease until many years later with the advent of antibiotics, proper sterilization and handwashing techniques and better nutrition. It was not Dr.'s and hospitals. In our country we currently have one of the highest mortality rates surrounding childbirth for industrialized countries, and it is rising.

I would ask that your show look into this as a topic. Look at the Netherlands and their model of Birth care. Look at the recent medical reports from Britian surrounding the safety of homebirth.
Talk to Laura Shanley on the safety of Unassisted birth. Talk to Carla Hartley who has been selflessly training woman to become Midwives for 25 year and about Trusting Birth. Talk to Dr. Marsden Wagner the former World Health Organization leader for maternal care about Birth safety, Or Dr. Sarah J Buckley about ecstatic birth. Midwife Ina May Gaskin from "The Farm" who has been successfully delivering and training woman to deliver babies at home since the 70's...

Please, many of us out here want to see this issue treated fairly. Woman need to know there are choices about how to birth their baby that are not based on myths, fear and guilt.

Tia Rich
www.inner-serenity.org
student midwife
certified birth doula