Au Naturale

Natural child birth has been a goal in the back of my mind since before I had Camron. Too many women today wont even consider the possibility of pain. They go into pregnancy already well researched on the types of pain medication they can take and are asking for it as soon as they hit the hospital in labour. Or there's the alternative, a "planned birth" or "too posh to push" women who go in for an elective C-Section and or being induced just to have their little one out on a certain day. There's no doubt in my mind that birth is a beautiful experience no matter what road is taken. But here is what bothers me about it. Little do these unsuspecting mom's know after giving birth 100% natural a "feel-good" hormone is released from the brain called Oxytocin, also called the "love drug". Oxytocin plays a very important part in child birth. This drug is at its highest right after delivery. Immediate bonding with your child after birth is essential. This hormone, along with the hormone baby secretes (cant remember what its called for the life of me) creates a very important bonding moment between you and your child. It also helps with certain other things such as you milk coming in, creating a good latch between baby and you, as well as creating an everlasting loving bond between you and your child. Many women refer to all the "pain" being gone after they held their newborn child after natural birth. This natural drug is to thank for that.

Why do women vote for a C-section? This I just don't understand and I guess I never will. A C-section is MAJOR surgery with a 6 week recovery time. Not to mention you don't get to hold your baby until you are out of the ER and recovery. That could be an hour or more in some cases. Why would you want to miss out on that bonding time? The C-section rate has gone from I believe 7% to almost 40% over the last 30 some years in the US. This is due to doctors schedules and the plain and simple fact that they don't study natural child birth.
Nor do they know how to turn a breached baby. I've learned this from a documentary "Pregnant in America" which unearths many interesting facts. Worth watching even if your not pregnant. The numbers will blow you away. Especially considering that the C-section rate with a midwife is around 3%!!!!

I didn't get to have my natural child birth with Camron due to circumstances that were not in my control.
I was scheduled to be induced on Monday June 19th 2006. My water broke and I was in active labour on the Sunday. Went into the hospital and my contractions stopped. My mom and I walked around that hospital so many times trying to get labour going again but nothing worked. They sent us home for the night and I had to come back in the morning to be induced. I was hooked up to the pitocin drip around 11am and HARD labour hit me around 12. Pitocin causes your contractions to be harder and longer and closer together. I didn't know at the time but this restricts blood and air supply to the baby while your having a contraction usually causing the baby to go into distress. Once baby goes into distress the doctors usually make you go for a C-section. I got a shot of demoral late in the afternoon because the pain was too much I had been in hard labour for hours. The demoral shot didn't take the edge off the contractions but I was able to sleep in between which was only for about 30 seconds to a minute. They hooked me up to the fetal monitor and Cam was in distress. My OB/GYN decided it was time to get Cam out. Instead of taking me down for a C-section like any inexperienced dr would he helped me along because my body was not ready to give birth. I don't even recall if I was 10 cm dilated or not. I do remember he had to get his hands up there and work something away in order for Cam to come through the birth canal. Cam was born at 9:23pm with 20 minutes of pushing. After he was born they placed him on my chest and cleaned him off. I was ecstatic. Then the nurses and my general practitioner took him so they could check him out and get his passageways clear. My OB/GYN wont touch babies, that's why Dr. Roux was there. I fully believe had I had another dr. they would have sent me in for an emergency C-section when Cam went into distress. For that I am thankful. The demoral had not 100% worn off at this point. I feel I missed out on important bonding with Cam and that is why I wish more than ever to do a natural birth with this little one. The drugs effected my state of mind, of this I am 100% certain.

I am going to write up a birth plan for this baby. Give one copy to my dr. a couple months ahead of time and bring extra copies with me to the delivery room. It is my goal to do this natural, the more prepared I am I hope the easier it will be. I am hoping I can have a good half hour with baby before they take him to be cleaned off and measured and weighed.. I guess we will see if this can happen. I am hopeful :)