While the conventional hospital position might seem easier for the doctor/nurses, is it really when everything is taken into consideration? Forget the word easier...how about best? Whats best for the mother and baby? Unnecessary complications and procedures? If the mother is lying on her back or sitting semi-reclined, not only is she placed in an uphill position, forcing her to push upward against gravity, shes also putting direct pressure on her tailbone, making the space the baby needs to come out of up to 30% smaller, making the chances of her needing a c-section and other problems/procedures go up! I know every woman is different, and Im sure some women laboured semi-reclined/on their back and all went smoothly, but I know this isnt the case for a lot of women! Ill speak for myself here and say that I know if I was forced to labour in the semi reclined position/on my back, things would not have run as smoothly. I remember at one point needing to have my cervix checked to see how dilated I was and had to lay on my back for this and during those few minutes, my contractions (and back labour) felt like they got at least twice as intense/painful! Im pretty sure if I wasnt free to move around and change the positions that felt the most comfortable/give birth in the position that felt the best, if Jordan wasnt there pressing on my hips to help with my back labour, and if I wasnt in super focused/relaxed warrior mama mode with my deep breathing and all, I would have gotten an epidural. The positions that felt most comfortable/natural for me where positions that took the pressure off my back and allowed my sacrum to be free to move, so laying on my side, going on all fours with pillows under my stomach, and near the end, squatting while holding onto a bar. Because of my previous nomadic lifestyle, and due to a couple other factors, I wasnt able to settle into a home until later in my pregnancy and by that time, all the midwives in my area (Kelowna, BC) were booked up for home births, so I had the choice of either having an unassisted birth at home, or a hospital birth with nurses and a midwife. I chose the hospital birth because first and foremost, the hospital in Kelowna rocks, and secondly, I felt the most comfortable with the idea of having experienced people there during my birth. The nurses at the Kelowna hospital were amazing! They were completely in support of all my wishes, and in favour of the less intervention the better! I had a private room that was quiet and was allowed to move around as I pleased. Jordan was my main support during my labour and the nurses were only there to monitor me, and the midwife was there at the end guiding me during the pushing phase. My next baby will definitely be a home water birth though, with a midwife, and of course Jordan by my side! I remember near the end there, when I was transitioning (quite often the most intense part), I just HAD to get into the shower! A big tub would have been ideal but all I had access to was a shower. I couldnt stand up because the pain was too intense and because I was exhausted after having been in labour (including early labour) for almost 36 hours so I went on all fours while water fell on my back. While everything was suuuper intense (I remember trembling/shaking like crazy!), the water helped relax me a lot! After about 40 minutes of being in the shower I felt like I had to get back on the bed. 15 minutes later, Alayna was born. No complications, just one healthy, alert baby, and one blissed out exhausted momma!
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 22:47:25 +0000
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