CHANGING THE WORLD ONE BIRTH AT A TIME!

1. Doula for first, not for second baby: I was doula for a lovely women a couple of years ago. After a unmedicated 30+ hour labor she had her baby by cesarean section. It was tramatic for her. After healing and prayings she became pregnant again and last week had a HBAC (home birth after cesarean) with a midwife present. This baby was bigger than last baby and was born into the warm birth pool after only eight hours of labor. Ahhhhhh. I was not present. Birth is private, sacred and needs to be respected. Mom walked a new path with new hope and realized her dream.
2. Doula for fourth and fifth baby: Thanksgiving weekend I attended the birth of Michael. I'd been with his mom when his big brother was born 4 years ago. 4 years ago moms labor was so short I almost caught the baby! Thank God she lived 2 minutes from the hospital. Mom realized during the last birth how much she liked being immersed in water so this time we would be driving farther to see midwifes and labor in water. Early morning PROM, premature rupture of membranes (slow amniotic leak with no contractions) had us spending the day/night/morning doing lots of walking and talking but no active labor. Birth Center sent us down to regular Labor and Delivery for pitocin augmentation/induction after 24 hours. Six hours later baby was born. The L&D nurse said this was the first unmedicated birth she's seen in a long long time. The midwifes were great but "it's a hospital birth center" after all so mom did not get to labor in water as she'd wished. I was told they couldn't even recommend nipple stimulation since that would require mom to be continually monitored! Mom's could do it of course, but the nurses could not prescribe it. We found out that a few years ago docs would wait 48 hours after waters released before induction, then the rules changed to 36 hours and now they only wait 24 hours! No homeopathic remedies allowed (with knowledge) and not too many "patients" opt to go home. Some do.

I'm reminded that each one is different each one is special and each time we helpers need to stay alert to what type of work is being done by mom. Did she do pregnancy preparation (emotional, physical, spiritual, etc.), what's her pregnancy history, who was the pre-pregnant woman, relationships, her own birth, her moms & sisters births, birth preparation, choices...women have a choice to go into the "baby bubble" before birth and prepare themselves and their baby. Even when the world seems to be falling down around your feet. I know. I did. but that's another story. You have a thousand other choices daily. Listen to your inner voice.

Y Precious new baby Michael Y

Look at the structure of your birth community and make plans for spreading the word within it. Put flyers in the library and birth bookmarks in library books. Canvas your community with ideas and work with others. Pick up the awe and miracle of instinctive birth. Let others feel this through your heart and see it through your eyes. Revel in the glory of a baby flowing in health and happiness out of the mother’s body and into her waiting arms. Bask in a new life coming to the planet in love and in a woman’s own time, held joyfully, without disturbance, chatter or other more severe intervention. Let others see and feel the miracle—the deep spirituality—through your soul. -JAN TRITTEN