Comments | old_man_summer: Floppy's Birth Story

old_man_summer

Floppy's Birth Story

Jun 30, 2008 10:09

Our local altweekly has as its cover story this week an article on home versus hospital births, with the sensational subhead "Inside Baltimore's Home Birth Underground." Lay midwifery here is illegal, so the midwives interviewed for the article are given pseudonyms, like drug dealers.

This has got me thinking about Floppy's birth. I've told his ( Read more... )

birth, floppy, pregnancy

Comments 5

Thank you so much for posting this! bzdchris June 30 2008, 18:23:13 UTC

I will remember this for anyone I know who is concerned about what's going to happen when she gives birth. I love what your doula did, which is really instinctive, if you stop and think about it. Shake that baby around and he might move into a position that fits better. Even babies know how to get born.

My story is short and sweet: I was three weeks overdue with my second son, and my OB had put it off long enough. She told me if I didn't deliver by Friday, she would induce even though the baby wasn't in any distress and wasn't oversized. She also told me that I could try to start my own contractions by having orgasms. So, on that Thursday morning, I gave myself a nice strong orgasm (a second one would have been nice but seemed rather extravagant at the time). An hour later, I was in labor and on the way to the hospital. Three hours later, Matt was born. Much nicer than a pitocin drip. I've recommended this to others, and have gotten some pretty funny looks but, hey, it worked!

Re: Thank you so much for posting this! old_man_summer June 30 2008, 18:32:52 UTC

Certainly a lot more fun raspberry leaf tea, and the mechanism of action is clearer: have an orgasm, pump some oxytocin, have contractions! I had the desire to suck my thumb during labor, so I did, and felt embarrassed about it. Later I found out, of course, suckling -- even on your own thumb! -- also stimulates oxytocin production.

tiggerypum June 30 2008, 23:23:51 UTC

My homebirths with a certified nurse midwife (who actually usually has a second midwife with her at births whenever possible) were wonderful. Yes, it was intense at times, but the babies and I were alert and fine immediately after birth. Heck I posted my son's birth announcement while still naturally high 2 hours after his birth ;) Then I finally settle in for some much deserved rest ( ... )

old_man_summer July 1 2008, 01:50:46 UTC

All in agreement here! A midwife-attended home birth already has all the features you'd want to make a birth go smoothly: consistent expert labor support from someone who sees birth as a natural process, along with a comfortable, hopefully low-stress environment. A good midwife who is willing to work at home also already knows all the non-drug interventions to turn a baby in utero or partway down the birth canal, to speed or slow labor, to conserve energy, etc.: that's why midwives even in hospitals often have c-section rates in the low single digits (compared to 20, 30, or 40% or more for OB attended births). There's no need to arm yourself as an activist or bring along a doula to give birth at home, because your midwife is not your adversary. I'm very much pro-midwife and pro-home-birth, and will go that route myself if there's a next time ( ... )

Experinece Giving Birth thomaskruger281 October 13 2009, 21:52:21 UTC

Whoa! Very interesting post! It reminds me when my wife got pregnant. We we're all excited because it was our 1st baby. My wife was so afraid when she was giving birth. Of course, as husband I am also afraid for her. i prepared all the things we might needed during the operations. Luckily, we have a medical insurance that saves as in an expensive hospital. I will remember this for anyone I know who is concerned about what's going to happen when she gives birth.