AMAZING BIRTH STORIES

Birth is awesome. After more than thirty years in this work I am still amazed and inspired to be a part of this time in people's lives. The power of women in labor, the intricate dance between mother and baby as they do the transforming work of birth, is incredible to witness.

I am a midwife which means with woman. I let the mystery of labor and birth unfold in its own unique way each time. The word obstetrician means to stand beforeand I think these words clearly show the difference in the way we attend births. I've had women say to me after birth, "I didn't think I'd know what to do," or, "I never thought I'd birth in that position."

Research shows that a woman's satisfaction with her birth experience has everything to do with feeling she had some control and choice and very little to do with how long, difficult or even interventive her birth was. If a woman feels she has some power in the situation, she can handle pain, she can handle problems, and still feel okay about herself, her birth, and her baby.

Women and their babies lose out when choices are taken away. So many times I hear,

"I was allowed to walk," "They let me drink juice," or the opposite, "They wouldn't let me get up." Why do we accept this kind of control by others? We are aware, intelligent human beings. We have been taking care of our bodies for years and we are the ones entrusted with the care of our babies. When we are relaxed and trusting we know innately what foods to eat, what exercise to get during pregnancy and we know how to give birth.

I have the most profound respect for my mentor, Dr. Michel Odent. He started as a surgeon in Pithivier, a small town in France. He told me frankly that he didnt like being woken up to do Caesarians and this was his impetus to find out what made labor progress effectively. He made a choice to quietly observe women to determine their needs in labor for a successful birth. It was clear the best environment for birth was similar to the time of conception. Quiet, low light and a feeling of privacy and intimacy were most conducive to a smooth birth.

A feeling of security was also achieved by the 'motherly' care of the midwives. As birthing women, we want nurturing in labor, affection and emotional support. Most of us are glad someone is monitoring the baby's well-being and assessing progress. For the laboring woman this is a total transformative experience. It is emotional, it is spiritual, it plumbs the very depths of our being. It is a sacred journey -- the birth of a family. We deserve to have this passage honored and respected. We deserve attendants who love being part of birth and share in our joy.



As the birthing family, it is your task in pregnancy to find the care giver and birthplace that best supports you in your vision of birth. This will be different for everyone. For some, being at home with the dog on the bed with you is perfect. For others, the monitor beeping the baby's heart rate is reassuring. It is your baby and your birth. For most families this experience of birth is limited to a few times. You deserve to have it be joyful, special and your experience.

There are many books available that talk about hospital routines, birth choices and the many aspects of pregnancy and birth. I have listed some at the end of this book for those who want to read more. I try to define words that are not common the first time I use them. There is also a glossary in the back of the book.

This book focuses on birth stories from my practice as a midwife and also as a labor and delivery nurse. Sometimes birth seems like two different processes in the hospital and outside of it. Hospitals work very hard to make all the births the same. There are a multitude of machines, interventions and routines. If you don't dilate (the cervix opening in labor) on schedule, your labor will be augmented with Pitocin or Cytotec. If this doesn't work fast enough, the baby will be born surgically by Caesarian. (See, Two Sisters Birth, in this book for more information on the differences between home and hospital birth. Birth centers are usually in between in the level of interventions and routine procedures.)

When I started in this field in the 1970's, the Caesarian rate was 5% and that was with the rule of "once a Caesarian, always a Caesarian." Now, the 2004 statistics are out and the Caesarian rate was 29.1%!, the highest ever recorded in the U.S. This was with a significant number of VBAC's ( vaginal births after a previous Caesarian). Despite many research studies showing vaginal birth is safer even after a previous Caesarian, in 2003 we saw hospitals refusing to allow women a VBAC. In 2004, ACOG, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, has approved 'elective' Caesarians. You can now tell your doctor you are tired of being pregnant and schedule a Caesarian with no medical reason.

A Caesarian is major abdominal surgery. You have four times the risk of dying! from a Caesarian than from a vaginal birth. You have increased risk of infection, anesthesia risks, possible injuries to mother or baby, respiratory distress in the baby and many others. With elective Caesarian and without the choice of a vaginal birth after a Caesarian, our current 29.1% rate is likely to soar. The World Health Organization sets 10% as a reasonable limit on Caesarians and in my own practice the rate is less than 4%. Some teaching hospitals now have rates of 40-50% of births being Caesarian.