1. "Jenn" is fine. currently in South Dakota- moved here from FLorida to finish my PhD, raise our boys in a better environment. found out I was pregnant with #3 two months after we got here (at the time #s 1 and 2 were ages 2 and 1 year.)
3 children- now ages 3, 2 and 1.
no cesareans, no VBAC.
perhaps my - OUR- story can serve as "hope"? we were not intending to have 2 children, much less 3 and certainly not 3 in a row. but we did, and I managed to do it and stay healthy. I would love to be more involved in helping pregant women stay healthy, feel GOOD (yes you can...at some point ;) and be strong.
2. When I found out I was pregnant for the third time in 3 years, I had a few moments of consideration. But they passed as I read about cesareans. Mainly, the things that have to be given artificially during and after bothered me. Plus, cutting my abdomen is not exactly fun. Neither is having your vagina stretched to imaginable lengths, but IT is SUPPOSED to. It is MADE to. My rectus abdominus is NOT. I think that there is a reason for the all the things that happen during vaginal birth, to mom and to baby. We may not have scientfic evidence of them yet, but why else would and infant's head be so malleable? There are certainly good and sound reasons FOR a c section. But, eVerything is (usually) natural and does not require much "thinking" when birth is vaginal and without anesthetic. (I should note that this momma had an epidural at 9 cm dilation with her last 2 births. An interesting thing happened with my 3rd: I actually pushed him out while listening to my contractions on the monitor but feeling nothing. I NEVER would have done that, but I was SO tired, with my 2 at home and literally no help (save for my amazing husband) for the past 2 years, that I asked the doctor if I could and she said sure. Anyway, regarding the "artifical": things: the nurse came back in to the room a few minutes later as I was nursing, and started putting an IV in for something to "bring my uterus back to size." I thought it ridiculous, since I know that breastfeeding automatically does this (and anyone who has more than 1 child knows, with each consecutive birth, the "after pains" are quite, um,
shall we say obvious! ;) I said as much, and the doctor agreed and of course, my uterus
is just fine.
3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise? NEVER. I had a midwife in Florida, and the MD who delivered my 3rd in South Dakota was so relaxed and sure everything would work out fine, I just believed her!
4. NA
5. NA
6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
PREPARE. Prepare in whatever way is good for YOU. If you are a worrier, find out all the information possible beforehand and think through your options, talk to your spouse and someone (probably a woman) who knows you really well. If you just "trust" your maternal instincts and all the billions of women who gave birth before you without c sections, PREPARE anyway. For me, continuing to EXERCISE EVERY DAY even to the morning before I gave birth with each child, helped me avoid severe nausea and morning sickness , stay strong for delivery, get my normal weight back, be strong to handle a new child, a second and then a third afterwards, my MOOD, my appetite, my general feelings about having a baby and the "pain" involved, etc...Food and sleep were long gone by the time #3 was born, so exercise is the only factor left that could have helped me!
7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Schedule it.
8.NA
9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?
Just don't. You may feel like you should explore EVERY possiblity, but find someone who knows the true statistics. Most likely, you can and should have a very normal, vaginal birth. If not, then there are factors already apparent that your doctor/midwife can point out, some that you can change, some maybe not. Instead of the horror stories, read an honest book about midwifery.
10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? My mother had 4 children vaginally and was and is the picture of health and vitality. Her mother had her first child of 4 when she was 38. I was 30 ("old" by some standards) with my first, but I had genetics to calm my worries. Look at your family tree...there is a lot of strength there.
11. NA
12. NA
13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
It was wonderful- all 3 times. I'll say again, exercise helped with so much. DO whatever you need to do (this differs for all of us) to stay healthy, be positive (but honest), and prepare. Trust in the billions of women who have given birth "naturally" before you. It sounds so simple, but they did it...we can, too.
By Jenn Flanagan (not verified) at Tue, 10/23/2007 - 11:58pm |
lots o' births
1. "Jenn" is fine. currently in South Dakota- moved here from FLorida to finish my PhD, raise our boys in a better environment. found out I was pregnant with #3 two months after we got here (at the time #s 1 and 2 were ages 2 and 1 year.)
3 children- now ages 3, 2 and 1.
no cesareans, no VBAC.
perhaps my - OUR- story can serve as "hope"? we were not intending to have 2 children, much less 3 and certainly not 3 in a row. but we did, and I managed to do it and stay healthy. I would love to be more involved in helping pregant women stay healthy, feel GOOD (yes you can...at some point ;) and be strong.
2. When I found out I was pregnant for the third time in 3 years, I had a few moments of consideration. But they passed as I read about cesareans. Mainly, the things that have to be given artificially during and after bothered me. Plus, cutting my abdomen is not exactly fun. Neither is having your vagina stretched to imaginable lengths, but IT is SUPPOSED to. It is MADE to. My rectus abdominus is NOT. I think that there is a reason for the all the things that happen during vaginal birth, to mom and to baby. We may not have scientfic evidence of them yet, but why else would and infant's head be so malleable? There are certainly good and sound reasons FOR a c section. But, eVerything is (usually) natural and does not require much "thinking" when birth is vaginal and without anesthetic. (I should note that this momma had an epidural at 9 cm dilation with her last 2 births. An interesting thing happened with my 3rd: I actually pushed him out while listening to my contractions on the monitor but feeling nothing. I NEVER would have done that, but I was SO tired, with my 2 at home and literally no help (save for my amazing husband) for the past 2 years, that I asked the doctor if I could and she said sure. Anyway, regarding the "artifical": things: the nurse came back in to the room a few minutes later as I was nursing, and started putting an IV in for something to "bring my uterus back to size." I thought it ridiculous, since I know that breastfeeding automatically does this (and anyone who has more than 1 child knows, with each consecutive birth, the "after pains" are quite, um,
shall we say obvious! ;) I said as much, and the doctor agreed and of course, my uterus
is just fine.
3. When did your practitioner bring up a discussion about cesarean? Before labor? During labor? Was it a surprise? NEVER. I had a midwife in Florida, and the MD who delivered my 3rd in South Dakota was so relaxed and sure everything would work out fine, I just believed her!
4. NA
5. NA
6. If you had one good piece of advice for pregnant women or women considering having a baby, what would it be when it comes to cesarean prevention?
PREPARE. Prepare in whatever way is good for YOU. If you are a worrier, find out all the information possible beforehand and think through your options, talk to your spouse and someone (probably a woman) who knows you really well. If you just "trust" your maternal instincts and all the billions of women who gave birth before you without c sections, PREPARE anyway. For me, continuing to EXERCISE EVERY DAY even to the morning before I gave birth with each child, helped me avoid severe nausea and morning sickness , stay strong for delivery, get my normal weight back, be strong to handle a new child, a second and then a third afterwards, my MOOD, my appetite, my general feelings about having a baby and the "pain" involved, etc...Food and sleep were long gone by the time #3 was born, so exercise is the only factor left that could have helped me!
7. What is one sure way to have a cesarean? Schedule it.
8.NA
9. Advice for pregnant women in talking to those offering birth horror stories?
Just don't. You may feel like you should explore EVERY possiblity, but find someone who knows the true statistics. Most likely, you can and should have a very normal, vaginal birth. If not, then there are factors already apparent that your doctor/midwife can point out, some that you can change, some maybe not. Instead of the horror stories, read an honest book about midwifery.
10. Where did you get a positive view of birth? Where should others turn? My mother had 4 children vaginally and was and is the picture of health and vitality. Her mother had her first child of 4 when she was 38. I was 30 ("old" by some standards) with my first, but I had genetics to calm my worries. Look at your family tree...there is a lot of strength there.
11. NA
12. NA
13. What was pregnancy like for you? What advice do you have in general for pregnant women? Feel free to add stories or quotes here.
It was wonderful- all 3 times. I'll say again, exercise helped with so much. DO whatever you need to do (this differs for all of us) to stay healthy, be positive (but honest), and prepare. Trust in the billions of women who have given birth "naturally" before you. It sounds so simple, but they did it...we can, too.