Friday, November 27, 2009

Ideal plans....



So I know as well as anyone that life doesn't always go according to plan, but if we never made plans or had goals we would accomplish nothing. I wouldn't call myself a control freak, but when I get an idea of what I want I can be pretty damn stubborn until life finds a way to accommodate me. The process of pregnancy so far has been pretty good, in fact better than I had ever expected it to be. I was convinced being pregnant would be a nine month exercise in human suffering and endurance~ in fact I would laugh at women who claimed they "missed" being pregnant or had enjoyed the experience. But as my belly gets a bit harder and more rounded I find myself doing the absent minded belly stroke and (I cant believe I'm saying it) I am actually enjoying the process.

Now that the pregnancy is becoming more real everyday I find myself trying to come up with a game plan, how do I best tackle the whole birthing dilemma?.

Am I scared? not really, its not like I'm going to be doing it in a shark tank. Hell if 13 year old sluts can give birth why cant I?. Your talking to a chick who has given herself a full Brazilian wax on more than one occasion. If you can muster up the courage to rip off that wax strip you earn your 'warrior' badge.

I have been trying to do some research on the subject which includes watching a few documentaries, reading some articles, I'm going to be getting a few books on Amazon this month (including 'birthing from within' Mrs. Diva ;) ). From what I have seen the only thing that bothers me about the process is the Doctors. I wont lie to you, I hate the hospital, I don't trust pharmaceutical companies, I have not gone for a single flu shot ever, nor will I go for the H1N1 vaccine. The less I associate with medical professionals the healthier I have been. So the whole concept of putting my faith into a group of sterile, strangers I don't want to be associated with bothers me.

Living in a small and highly unevolved town my options however are limited as the nearest midwife is 5 hours away in Halifax. I also see no point in paying a Doula (should I find one) to fight for me in the hospital setting as I have no problem giving any doctor or nurse a verbal episiotomy of the asshole should they cross my boundaries. With my limited options and medical trust issues there is an idea which seems so highly appealing to me I find it hard to dismiss.....wait for it.......unassisted home birth.

http://www.unassistedchildbirth.com/uc/

I have been doing allot of reading up on the subject and it sounds utterly perfect for someone like me. No doctors/ nurses/ no epidural/ no fetal monitors/ no episiotomy/ no forced inoculations (due to hospital policy)to the baby, some possibly containing thimerosal. No one trying to rush your labour for their convenience with the use of drug inductions, no one telling you to push or to stop pushing against your bodies own natural urges. Just a woman giving birth the way nature intended it. If the show "I didn't know I was pregnant" has taught me anything (other than the fact that there are allot of stupid women out there) is that babies can be born all over the place, bathroom floors/ toilets/ bedrooms/ without any prenatal care and still come out healthy and normal.

The only concern is what happens if you DO have complications, breached baby, unstoppable hemorrhaging, umbilical cord knots. The small percentage of people who experience these problems didn't see them coming until they have already begun to happen. That is when a medical professional is absolutely mandatory. Lots to think about anyhow.....nature vs. science. The only thing I know for sure, I'm doing this thing MY WAY whether it means being the she bitch from hell in a hospital setting to ensure it does or whether I take matters into my own hands.

1 comment:

Heather said...

Though I continue to be experiencing a theoretical pregnancy, rather than the real deal I too have done research to satisfy answers I had on what birth plan would be right for me. In the beginning I had just assumed hospital births (and epidurals) are the way to go - afterall it's what EVERYONE ELSE does.
Then I came across a fountain of website information online, vids on YouTube, and talking to mothers about their own experiences. I discovered that the worst experiences came from giving birth in a medical setting. Unnatural delivery, doctor intervention, stressful environment - it's a wonder anyone in their right minds would opt for it!
Naturally it is every woman's personal choice, but I myself am convinced that having a midwife is the best option. Indepth appointments, a closer bond, and postpartum follow-ups make it very appealing. I also LOVE the idea of waterbirth! Easier on mom and baby - hands down. Most women who have done it once swear they would never go back to the "conventional" method.
The question remains whether or not to have a midwife with you in hospital or at home - this part I am not convinced either way. I definitely want to be close enough to a hospital, incase something were to go wrong. (Only low-risk pregnancies are given home as an option)
Midwives take 4 years of schooling and know what they're doing. If problems are anticipated/arise during the birthing process they're dealt with quickly and effectively - the baby is not put at risk as it is still monitored closely. Studies show that births in the home DO NOT have a higher incidence rate compared with hospital births - so when women are guilt-tripped by others that they are putting their babies life in jeopardy it's TOTAL BS!

Good luck in figuring it all out! You have lots of time left. :')