natural birth
The perceived hubris of the unmedicated birth stands the same, always: I’m a tougher, more natural, more loving mother because I embraced terrible suffering to bring you into this world, little one. Hey, not only is that inaccurate but also unfair. As with so many ideals, sometimes things don’t work out. I needed pitocin with SweetPea to jump start things. Many a friend has done natural births a few times and then switched to medicated, ne’er looking back with regret. Some people’s births don’t go the natural way; some people don’t want their births to go the natural way. These are not moral decisions. Parenting styles, not parenting values. {Look at me surrounded by my doula team–the one & only Liz Abbene of Enlightened Mama & Emily Rumsey of everything Emily. Could I be in better hands?} I just read this great article written by a local midwife titled Why Are We Afraid? Thanks for passing it along, Emily! It gave me a lot of food for thought, especially as right now I’m thinking: Why do we do this? I always ask AA around this point in pregnancy. The point where no position is comfortable and my child is kicking and punching me all the time. Why do we opt for unmedicated birth? Are we gluttons for punishment? Are we trying to prove something? Can I do this again? His calming answer is we do it because it’s what’s best for you and baby. He’s right, of course. That’s how this whole natural birth & parenting thing began. Reading, listening, researching,…
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Here’s part 2 in our Birth & Parenting Series. See part 1 (Thoughts from a Mother of Four) here. This is an interview with a wonderful friend and very busy mother to seven beautiful children, Halyna K. She’s a mother who strove for unmedicated births with all her children, and went sans meds with six of the seven! She shares with us about what her birthing experiences were and encourages women to try to let go of the fear that accompanies birth and flow with the process. Although she’s a self-proclaimed “worry-wort,” talking with her about her amazing strength and ability to not give in to the birth phobia we all experience on some level elevates her to “super-mama” in my book! 1. Tell me a little bit about your beautiful children. I have 7 children, ranging from 13 years old to 19 months. The order is girl, boy, boy, girl, girl, girl, and boy. 2. When you first started to think about labor & delivery for your babies, how did you envision it going? Well, I don’t think I had a clear vision with my first. I think I was like any first time mom, you really don’t know how hard it is until it happens. But I did envision everything going “smoothly” and having no complications (which didn’t end up happening). 3. You had your births in different settings: hospital, birth center, water, and I think maybe a home birth in there? What are the pros and cons of…
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