Liam’s Birth

Kris and Stefan met their baby boy on Wednesday morning, October 7, 2009 at 3:35 a.m.
I miraculously, like God sent me on special assignment, was present for the big event! Kris had hand selected Kayti as her doula! So that when labor started in the wee hours, Monday October 5th, Kayti got a heads up call. When labor seemed to get serious Kayti joined Kris and Stefan. She spent many hours beside Kris, providing emotional support, fun conversation, plain good womanly company and comfort techniques during contractions. They went to the hospital when Kris’s contractions were powerful and coming quick. They returned home when the contractions didn’t produce a baby.
The next evening Kayti became ill and called me to take her place at Kris and Stefan’s home. When I arrived at 10:30PM Tuesday night, Lisa, a family friend, was spending contractions with Kris. They sounded great! They were making deep Ahhhhh, ending with OOOOut sounds with each contraction. Stefan met me at the front door and he tried to bring me up to speed on their two days of labor but he was past exhausted, he was almost incoherent, and had a hard time talking. It’s amazing how women can keep on laboring when everyone else needs sleep – the hormones of the labor cocktail are strong!
We all developed a quick bond and I did just what a doula does. My mantra is “change positions often, go to potty often, drink and eat often”. Pretty boring, but add to that, extreme relaxation in between contractions, as in actively relaxing and our moments are full! Time takes on new dimensions. Deep, deep relaxation in between helps the body recover enough energy to bring on stronger contractions. Sometimes Kris would sleep in between which is the best way to get a body relaxed – Sleep! She would wake to a GOOD contraction. By 11PM Kris mentioned that she felt an urge to push. That was a wonderful sign, but to me it wasn’t a scary sign or an imminent sign that baby was coming. As I mentioned to Stefan, “birth is not an emergency, it’s an emergence”. During the next bathroom visit Kris had a ‘stronger urge’ so we felt it was time to head to Scripps Encinitas, where the baby catcher would come in handy : )
Before leaving the house I coached Kris on blowing through contractions, which helped her not push. When we arrived and Kris was checked she said, “Last time, to hear I was 4 centimeters was discouraging so please do not tell me unless I’m complete and can push.” So we did not know how far along Kris was (it’s not about numbers). Kris just kept blowing through (literally and figuratively) one contraction at a time. First she was on the bed on her back, then on her hands and knees on the bed, then in the shower. Also standing beside the bed, rocking and leaning on anything or anybody worked. The hardest part was that the urge to push was powerful and the cervix was not open enough to push with that urge. That was because baby was very low in the pelvis. This sometimes happens. Since Lisa and I were still pretty fresh, we encouraged Stefan to get a nap. He lay down for a little while.

When the urge grew and grew and then grew some more, Kris was ready to be checked again and know where she was at in her birthing process. She was 7 centimeters. I think that is when she had an “Ah Ha” moment. She made the decision to go to the next level and birth her baby. We talked about 7 cms. being transition and she remembered that some women go through that part in 15 minutes. I had a sense that she was determined. It was about 2:30AM. Kris decided to labor standing, giving her baby gravitational help. Just about then Dr. Biter showed up and asked to check her again, with that Kris’s water released and the baby moved down even more. 10 minutes later Kris was completely dilated!
Dr. Biter never left after that. He whispered encouraging things to Kris and coached her pushing. Stefan also never left Kris’s side and I could see the adrenalin rushing through Stefan’s body at the thought of meeting his son. Wow! The energy was so high! Stefan didn’t have to wait long; Liam was born in a few short minutes. Wow again! All that long first stage labor and such a short second stage! Liam was a light haired, quiet and very long baby! The first thing I noticed was his long fingers! Then I was almost blinded by the smiles on mommy and daddy’s faces. Their smiles were on high beams!
Kris was in wonder of her body every step of the way. Now she wondered again at how the placenta was born. Kris needed a little stitching for a small tear. The nurses and I then left the family to spend their first moments together…oh wait, first we have a little ‘latching on’ practice session for Liam. When I returned an hour later, those smiles were still there to greet me. I greeted Liam again with another ‘latching on’ practice run, then pried myself away from the loving energy of this new family.
Welcome Liam! Congratulations Mommy & Daddy! Bless you all!
Love, Rosie Peterson, the doula

Hospitals to crack down on induced labor

WASHINGTON – Hoping to schedule your baby’s birth while your mother’s in town, or before the doctor goes on vacation? Labor is becoming less of a late-night surprise, but some hospitals are starting to tighten the rules for elective deliveries — because some babies are being delivered too early.

More hospitals are expected to crack down as regulators begin new quality measurements next spring that aim to reduce too-early elective inductions and first-time cesareans.

Induced labor is on the rise for lots of reasons, some medical and some not. But recent research shows a troubling link between elective inductions and these so-called “late preemies.” These aren’t the dire too-small babies that the word premature conjures, but near-term babies who nonetheless are at higher risk of breathing disorders and other problems than babies who finish their very last weeks in the womb.
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“It was an ‘aha’ moment for me,” recalls Dr. Bryan Oshiro of his visit to a Utah intensive care nursery several years ago, where neonatologists pointed to babies there simply because they’d been induced too soon.

New guidelines will require that a mother’s cervix be nearly ready for natural labor, and limit the hospital beds available for elective inductions.

More hospitals are expected to start enforcing that criteria this spring, when the Joint Commission that regulates health quality will require hospitals to report all elective deliveries and the gestational age to its public database, providing peer pressure for improvement. Hospitals also will have to report cesareans for first-time mothers, too often a result of a failed induction.

“That’s not a good outcome for the baby or the mom,” says Joint Commission President Dr. Mark Chassin. “We believe this will be a very important driver of improvement in perinatal care.”

1 in 4 inductions were before 39 weeks
National guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have long discouraged elective deliveries before the 39th week of pregnancy. But some hospitals that took a close look were surprised. At Utah’s Intermountain Healthcare, for example, 28 percent of elective deliveries were breaking ACOG’s rule in 2001, Oshiro told a March of Dimes meeting on preventable prematurity this month.

Most were being induced in week 37, such a small difference that local obstetricians argued it wasn’t a problem. So Oshiro pulled the medical charts and found those near-term babies had more than double the risk of ending up in neonatal ICU, suffering respiratory distress, even needing a ventilator.

It took several years of policing: Inductions now are allowed only after meeting a checklist of requirements. But today, only about 3 percent of Intermountain’s elective deliveries occur before 39 weeks — and infant hospitalizations have dropped, saving money, too, says Oshiro, now a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Loma Linda University in California. He’s about to pilot a similar program at hospitals in that area.

“If there’s no need to intervene, please don’t intervene,” is Oshiro’s message.

1 in 5 new moms induced
Labor is induced in more than one in five births, double the rate in 1990, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many cases are for clear health reasons, such as a problem with the fetus or a sick mom or a pregnancy that has dragged well beyond the woman’s due date.

The story of the Day Isabella Johanna was born

May 8th, 2009

My pregnancy with you was so different than it was with Jessica. Starting with morning sickness, to not being as tired, to getting WAY bigger but gaining less weight, to being SO over it so much sooner- it was a total different ride. I knew that you would be a different person for sure. Labor was also so incredibly different. This is the story of the day you were born- May 8 2009. Your due date (I’ve heard only 4 – 8 % actually come on their due dates- look at you being on time!). I had been measuring almost two weeks big almost the entire pregnancy, so I thought for sure you were going to come early. I was starting to dilate at 37 weeks! At 39 weeks I was 4 centimeters dilated, 80% effaced, and your head was at –1 station. My midwife stripped my membranes at my appointment and I thought for sure that you would be born soon after! I actually started to have contractions, regular contractions, that night. I got everything ready, but they never got stronger. I was very disappointed when I went to bed and woke up the next morning with no more contractions. That last week was one of the worst of my life! I had contractions on and off all week, I was achy, uncomfortable, hot and HUGE- not to mention still running Shuckleberries and chasing after your two year old sister Jessica! Thank God Nana and Papa were there to help out. When I went to my 40 week appointment, I was hoping I was at least at 5 centimeters or something! I was very disappointed to hear that I was only a bit more effaced. I ended up bursting into tears at my appointment when my midwife brought up inducing me in a week. She swept my membranes again, but I left the appointment feeling deflated and thinking you were never going to come. I took the rest of the day off and hid in my room- and that night Daddy and I decided that I would close the preschool the next week so I could rest these last few days. I went to sleep finally letting go of “when were you going to come??” to knowing that you were going to come when you were good and ready………
I woke up at 5:45 am (for the 3rd time that night, I’m sure) to go to the bathroom, and then as I was walking back to bed I realized my shorts were soaked. I was scared that I had started to bleed- so I went back and turned on the lights. Realized- my WATER BROKE!!!!!!!
I woke up your daddy, and called doula Becky. She had thought my water was going to break since it was a full moon that night. She was right! I called the doctor and he said “Sounds like you’ll be having a baby today!” I hadn’t started contractions yet, so he told me to come when they got stronger. I was relieved, I was worried that they would want me to come in and they would give me pitocin to speed it up.
I watched my tivo-ed Greys’ Anatomy and ate some breakfast while I waited for labor to begin. Jessica woke up and I told her that I was going to be going to the hospital to have the baby! I was surprised at how well she accepted it. She gave me a hug and said “I love you mommy” and skipped downstairs with Nana to have breakfast. Turns out she had her best day at Shuckleberries ever according to my assistants- guess Mommy should go and have babies more often
Contractions finally started around 7:30- Doula Becky arrived a little later, and Daddy, her and I sat around and got some last minute things together and just chatted. By 12:30 my contractions were coming every 3 minutes for over an hour- the thing was, they weren’t’ very intense. I could still have a totally normal conversation in between them. Becky and Daddy thought it was about time to go the hospital, but I was feeling so normal I was scared it was too early. Becky said that I should get to where I was going to birth because when hard labor kicked in it was going to be fast- and they wanted to get some antibiotics in me because of Strep B. So off we went to the hospital! The ride was so much easier than with Jessica. I walked up to the 4th floor at the hospital and had conversations with all the nurses as I checked in. Occasionally I had to breath through my contractions, but was still feeling pretty normal. I was still at 4 centimeters, 90% effaced and –1 station. Once we were done with the nurses, they had gotten my antibiotic IV in (which HURT!!!!!!), and we were left alone to labor- Becky gave us a few exercises to speed up labor. We did “lifts” then tried squats. After my second squat I stood up, felt a POP and a gush of more water and the most intense contraction I almost fell over because I wasn’t expecting it! That was at 3, and hard labor had begun. I asked to get into the shower shortly after. As I was getting ready I could feel the pressure of your head- I had the nurse check me out and I was still on 6 centimeters so I was told not to push. Even though I didn’t have the urge yet, I knew that I would be pushing soon! I got into the shower, sat on the birthing ball and went through transition in the shower. I was in about 15 – 20 minutes and apparently was done being in the shower- it was time to push! And I was right, I was fully dilated! (Went from 6 – 10 centimeters in less than 20 minutes!) I got back on the bed on my hands and knees (the same position I started pushing in with Jessica). This time the pushing contractions were much easier and I knew how to push. I actually looked forward to pushing and could tell I was doing it correctly. I pushed for about 45 minutes- and at one point I did think “Um, Don’t know that I want to do this again” but I never complained once. I knew that you were close! During the pushing phase a midwife offered her services instead of the doctor on call, and she did an amazing job! I never felt pressure to push a certain way or to count to 10 or anything. She encouraged me to turn onto my side (which I also did with Jessica). Turning over was incredibly uncomfortable, but once I was on my side I only pushed two more times, and you came out perfectly!!!! Daddy called it out “It’s a GIRL!!!!!” and I laughed that everyone was wrong- and pulled you up into my arms. I actually had to push out my placenta- turns out it was huge!!!! Probably 5 pounds- everyone was commenting on how big it was. I tore a little bit, a first degree on my scar. Impressive since you were so big! Your birth was just perfect- 9 pounds 13 ounces, 20 inches long (14 cm head!)- Isabella Johanna. So happy to finally have you here!

Gavin’s Birth Story

Friday: false labor in middle of night

Saturday: yoga, nap, 3pm bloody show which continued every BM, 4pm family BBQ, 9pm Bath and read in bradley book that bloody show means absolutely nothing, false labor all night, took Tylenol PM and helped a little – got more sleep than friday night

Sunday: 6am Starting to cry b/c I’m tired and annoyed with false labor, text my doula, she comes over at 7:30am to comfort me
Breakfast and fathers day gift at 8:30am: contractions are not bad, not lasting long, infrequent, not regular
Rosie does – whats that giggling called with the fabric under my hips? feels good
Pain is still shooting right straight out front of belly instead of low in bones/vagina- feels wrong and annoys me =)
8:45am leave house w/car for a walk – just me and Rosie. I take her to our favorite spot near a park, 2.3 mile loop
9-10:20am casual walk 2.3 miles – feels GREAT to walk and didn’t have to stop with contractions except slow a little. we had good conversation, water, a few pictures, and a nature pee in the forest =). By the end of walk I am very happy the pain is pointed DOWN – feels right and like it might be true, still not sure
10:30 Rosie prays in car before we park : asking the Lord for real contractions, bring the baby quickly, even this afternoon – 1 minute later I have my first REAL labor contraction! Yeah Jesus!
I walk in the house and can not handle the kids there – call my sister, Mike leaves at 10:45am to meet her and drop them off, says he’ll be home in 1/2 hour
Rosie starts to time contractions b/c she can tell I’m working now. I get in TUB and BEE breathe through them, still in good spirits
11:30 – I tell Rosie, we need to leave now, we might have to leave w/out Mike, get out of Tub, he shows up a few minutes later, we get ready to go. Feeling pressure in bottom. Happy it’s finally the real thing. Standing and swaying back and forth feels best thru contr
11:45 I blow dry my bangs really quick inbetween contractions so i don’t have crazy hair! They are 5 min and sometimes 3min apart lasting 1 minute or so.
12pm leave for Pomerado, texting people in the car ride down =), contractions 3 min apart, BEE breathing, arrive in ER 12:25pm
They can see I’m working and when I say I feel bottom pressure and this is my 4th kid they are good to get us up stairs quickly
DOES NOT FEEL GOOD TO SIT, SO I WALK TO ELEVATOR and to the birth center, contractions very close now and I stop to sway each time
Rosie went through drive thru to get food for Mike and her so she is not with us yet
12:30 ish (I have no idea time now) – in my room, go straight to potty and pee I tell nurse, “we need to hurry!” as I get stuck at the potty with urge to bear down
1st nurse checks me: not sure, can’t feel cervix
2nd nurse: there is no cervix, that is just a bulging bag of water! they are calm and sweet and hurry with antibiotics for GBS
Doc has not come in yet
I lay on my side, close my legs, and try not to push…2 contractions later, Rosie arrives and I announce, I’m complete and waiting for antibiotics and doctor
Doctor arrives and calmly tells me to make it through 3 more contractions so meds can finish and then I can sit up. Baby is perfect on heart monitor
Antibiotics finish and doc sits me up, breaks water (wasn’t in birth plan but it felt so good I was glad he did it!), says that baby is still transverse and a little high so might take a few pushes. he is very calm and doesn’t put on his gown, wearing golf shirt still. lets me rest and says to go ahead when I feel like it
Contraction comes and so does baby! ONE PUSH and baby is born. Everyone is stunned. Me especially. I have no idea you can birth a baby like that! I felt like I ripped in 2 b/c so fast but NO TEARS. Doc says, what a sweet delivery Robin. It’s because you are healthy and very fit. Good job!

12:57pm time of natural bradley birth: 2 1/2 hours after first real contraction, arrived complete to hospital, and gave one push

Gavin Edward 7 lb 7 oz 19 1/2 inches long, healthy and happy, milk came in 48 hours later =)

I woke up at 6am on the 21st and felt pretty awake and starting have contractions. Take in mind I’ve been having contractions since I was 4 months pregnant. I for sure thought that I wouldn’t know when I actually went into labor because I had SO many contractions that I thought I would blow them off as more Braxton Hicks contractions. But I heard over and over again that I would just “know” and my contractions would be “different”. By 7am I “knew” I was in labor and indeed the contractions were “different”.  These contractions left me speechless during the peaks, but not in complete pain.
Morgan was getting ready for school and I told her that I was in labor and she could stay home from school. Her biggest concern was that I would wait too long to call her and she wouldn’t make it to the birth on time. (Her school is literally across the street and takes her 7 minutes to get across campus to home) But I figured it would be great to have her there for the whole process. After all, part of the purpose of going natural was to show the girls that we as women can do it!
I had Morgan text everyone around 7:30am letting them know I was in the beginning stages of labor. Garrett was still sleeping and although I really wanted to wake him, I knew it was more important that he be fully rested for the big day. I called my midwife and let her know I was starting and she advised me to try and lay back down for a nap and to conserve my energy. Well, I tried that. These contractions were enough to wake me up and get me off the couch- to my knees and leaning over the seat of the couch. Oh yeah, don’t forget to breathe. The midwife let me know what her schedule was for the day but assured me she would cancel it all whenever I gave the word. I told her I was fine to be on my own for a while and that I would call her later when things got going.
I heard Garrett get into the shower around 9:30am and I went upstairs to fill him in. “Well, I’m in labor” “Great!” he says, “We’re gonna have a baby today!” I half heartedly grinned with a fear in my bones.
Garrett got busy setting up the pool, lying plastic down, moving furniture around and general set up. I hit all fours about every 5 minutes and took each contraction one at a time. We took a little walk to the end of our cul-de-sac and walked into the wooded area and back. We would stop for each contraction and hug and sway and then continue walking. The sun was out, the breeze was nice. It was beautiful.
Garrett’s mom came over and hung out waiting for her first grandchild to show up. She was very excited. The midwife called as I was in the middle of a contraction- so I put her on hold. By then the contractions were 4 minutes apart and more aggressive. Enough for me to moan through the intensity. She asked me if I wanted her to come and I told her I was still fine for now and I would call her in a bit. About 20 minutes later, around 12noon, I asked Garrett to fill up the pool with warm water. He asked if I wanted him to call the midwife and again I told him I was fine. Then I had him call my mom and ask her to pick up Carlie from school and head over to the house.
I got in the pool which helped to relax me quite a bit and again the contraction got a little more intense, now putting the pressure into my low back. I would lean over the side of the pool, grip the towel and moan through the contraction all the while chanting in my head, “Surrender, breathe, opening up, letting go”  I asked Garrett to call the midwife, but he had already gone behind my back and called. He said they were already on their way. Between contractions I was talking and laughing with everyone. Mom and Carlie came sometime around this time.
I continued to labor in the pool for another hour or so, it’s hard to recall as time was irrelevant as I was laboring. The midwife and her assitant came sometime around 2:45 and started setting up all of their gear. When I say gear, I mean 4 large packs full of medical equipment.
Vickii, my midwife and her assistant Derenee assumed I wasn’t as far along as I was because of my demeanor.  Vickii suggested Garrett give everyone chores to keep them from staring at me creating a slower labor. Mom and Morgan took off to go get a pizza and Garrett’s mom, Mary, and Carlie headed to Mary’s house to let the dog out.
My back pain continued to increase. Vickii suggested I get out of the pool and take a trip up in down the stairs; she assured me it would get things moving. I was reluctant to say the least. I didn’t want to get out of the warm water.
Garrett helped me out of the pool and to the bottom of the stairs. The stairs looked a mile high! I made my way up the stairs having 3 contractions on the way up. Each one getting more and more intense. I stopped, squatted, grabbed the railing and tried to get my legs open as far as possible. The pain my low back was getting stronger. We walked in to our bedroom and I came to rest at the foot of our bed. There is a wood frame around the bottom of our bed that allowed me to hold on, yet rest my face on the mattress while in a squatting position.
Garrett asked me if I wanted to journey back down the stairs and I said I was going to stay put right where I was. The midwives set up some drop cloths and chucks pads under me just in case. The midwives left the room  and gave Garrett and me some privacy and time to be together. This was an amazing time for him and I to be in this process just the two of us. Garrett continued to coach me and reassure me that I was doing great and stay with it. The contractions were almost unbearable and I could feel changes happening in my hips and pelvis. This is where is got tough. Each contraction felt like someone pulling my hips apart, yet I felt I couldn’t open them wide enough. It had reached an intense point.
My inner dialogue at this point was very interesting. There was a duality. One part of me is analyzing each moment and has a complete understanding of what is going on, while the other half of me is screaming and freaking out!!!! To consciously witness both inner dialogues was a very surreal process to me.
I continued to try and get comfortable but there was nothing I could do to escape the ever increasing pressure. The next contraction I turned to Garrett and said, “I don’t think I can do this” This is when they, the experts, say “transition” is happening. Garrett said, “Yeah you can, he’s almost here”. Then the next contraction I said to Garrett, “I changed my mind, I don’t want to do this.”
About 10 senconds later my water broke. Right then I got the feeling that I had to take the hugest poop of my life and needed to get it out. The feeling to bear down was strong. In my mind I was thinking, “I have to shit and I don’t care.” The pressure was a strange feeling. It felt like it was in my rectum, yet different. I squatted and pushed and Kai’s head crowned. Garrett cried out, “I can see his head, baby!” Garrett called Vickii into the room and she told me to slow down. The feeling now was what they call “the ring of fire” which is exactly what it sounds like. It is when your vaginal lips start to stretch when the baby crowns. Kind of like an Indian burn on your arm. It burns, yet it feels so good to finally push. I wanted to keep pushing just to get him out but I took a deep breath, sat back.
Vickii told me to slow down my pushing and take my time so I wouldn’t tear.  I sat back on my right leg while I kept my left foot planted on the floor so I could elevate my rear off the ground. I reached down and could feel the top of the baby’s head protruding out.
Right about then Mom and Morgan came back from the store and Vickii called them upstairs. Mom grabbed the camera and started filming. Morgan grabbed the still camera and snapped some shots.
I kept pushing and his head was just about out. It felt like everything stopped. No matter how hard I pushed, nothing was happening.
Vickii had me lean forward onto all fours and continue pushing. Still nothing. Kai was stuck at the shoulders. I didn’t know this until after the birth. Vickii had to reach up inside me and turn him to let him come out. I let out a scream and continued to push. Vickii yelled, “Keep pushing he’s almost out!”
With all the vigor and energy I had left inside of me I let out a roar. Literally. And he was out.
I sat back in awe of what I had just accomplished.
Kai was breathing, but not taking in deep breaths. The midwives worked on Kai to get him stimulated to take the first deep breath. But he wasn’t. They gave him CPR to help him expand his lungs. Then he finally let out his first beautiful cry. I looked up to see tears streaming down moms and Morgan’s face. The fear was still written all over Garrett’s face.  Morgan cut the umbilical cord.
Mary and Carlie never made it back in time but Morgan assured me that she was glad Carlie had not witnessed everything. She said it was almost overwhelming for her to watch.
Kai is doing great now and growing like a weed. As of yesterday (5/5/09) he was 10lbs 11oz.
I have to say this was the most intimate experience I have ever had with a man and the most empowering thing I’ve ever done as a woman. This has given Garrett and I bond that I will cherish forever. It was simply amazing!
If you are thinking about having children in the future and want more information about home birth/natural birth, I highly recommend the documentary by Ricki Lake- The Business of Being Born and also Orgasmic Birth. They both helped me to overcome some of the fears of going naturally.

Toree Nies

Trying to Take Back Childbirth by Susan Donaldson James

Growing Number of Women Want Birth to Be a Natural Process, Not a Medical One

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES

July 28, 2008

Pregnant with her first child, Julie Speier prepared to deliver with the help of a midwife at a New York City birthing center. But in June — three weeks before the due date and 600 miles from home — her water broke.Women who want a natural childbirth – a vaginal delivery without pain killers – are as lone voice among doctors and friends.(ABC News Photo Illustration / Getty Images / AP Photo)Speier gave birth at a Cincinnati hospital, where she and her fiancé tried desperately to keep the birth natural — a vaginal delivery without pain medication”I believe in the power of nature and that creation is next to perfect,” said Speier, a 34-year-old yoga teacher. “I knew what I wanted and I had the confidence.”But as labor pains increased and Speier asked about breathing techniques, the doctor replied, “How do I know? I’ve only ever done two [natural childbirths].”Today, natural childbirth is a medical anomaly in the United States, so much so that doctors are often thrown off guard by a determined woman like Speier.

A small but growing number of women who seek to avoid aggressive medical techniques like induced labor, epidural blocks and Caesarean sections find they are a lone voice among their friends and doctors.”All of my friends think I am a little nuts,” Speier said. “They say why would you do it natural?”Speier said her own mother told her traumatic stories of her brother’s breech birth. “Everyone I know has an ‘I can top you’ gory birthing story.”Pre-planned Caesareans are also in vogue. Women want to avoid future complications of multiple vaginal births, like uterine or bladder collapse. And today’s body-conscious women worry needlessly about loss of muscle-tone.

‘Too Posh to Push’

With the latest feminine plastic surgery rage — so-called “pimping the vadge” — some women prefer what the British call the “Posh push,” referring to the planned Caesarean births of soccer celebrity David and Victoria Beckham’s three boys.

Like the generation that pioneered the first wave of feminism in the 1970s, women like Speier want to take an active role in their health care. They view childbirth a normal, healthy process that requires time, patience, strength and endurance.

But in the decades since, new technologies, the rising cost of malpractice insurance and even the changing attitudes of women have all contributed to the near-demise of natural childbirth.

“It’s a little tsunami,” said Dr. Ben Sachs, chief of obstetrics at Tulane University in Louisiana. “All these forces are coming together at the same time.” Read more:http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/Story?id=5462833&page=2

Benjamin Christopher

November 6, 2008

Dear Benjamin Christopher,

On the morning of your birth, God was opening heaven for your arrival. On the car ride to the hospital at 6:15am, we witnessed a thunder and lightening storm. Lightening bolts with definable cracks of electricity were seen along the eastern hills that divide San Marcos from the inland areas of north San Diego County. There were thunderclouds high above that were illuminated with the first rays of morning sun. In the distance we could see that one of the clouds had broken open and warm filtered rain and light were pouring down to the earth marking the direction of our destination to where we would first meet you. As we proceeded to Escondido the sky grew darker and in Rancho Bernardo we drove through our first rain of the season. The drops from the sky fell hard and with determined purpose.

The night before your birth we had a home visit from our doula, Trisha Olow. She was there to give your mommy a relaxing foot massage and work on some pressure points to naturally facilitate the onset of my labor. Based on my description of some mild cramping I’d been experiencing on and off since earlier that morning, Trisha told us she thought you were already on your way, even though your official due date was still five days away. I had also had several bowl movements and noticed a slight pink tint to my discharge that day, which were both uncharacteristic occurrences from the previous 39 weeks. Because of these signs, Trisha said she didn’t want to stimulate the pressure points too hard because she wanted you to make your decent in your own time.

That night I went to bed at 10:30pm and instantly started to feel light cramping again. Your daddy, Chris, was sleeping in the guest room to give me space to move about, but by 2:00am I woke him because the cramps had turned into stronger contractions and I needed his comfort and assistance in timing them. I took a warm soothing bath and labored with you in the water for a time, envisioning what it would be like to labor in the bathtub once I arrived at the hospital. By 5:00am we called Trisha to seek her advice. My contractions were coming very close together but there was little consistency to the duration of each one. While on the phone with her, I had to stop talking as I felt the onset of each contraction. Then Daddy called Dr. Eastman and she told us to head to the hospital.

In preparation I sat on the exercise ball in the loft for a long time staring at a cookbook on the bookshelf entitled, “30 Minute Italian.” The first two words on the spine were printed in red and the combination of the color and the suggestion of just getting through the next 30 minutes had me very focused. I remember letting myself relax in that state of mind, unhurried, for fear that I’d arrive at the hospital and get sent back home for lack of dilation. I knew I’d rather labor as long as I could at home before sitting in the car or feeling confined to a sterile unfamiliar room.

As it was, it took me over an hour to move my body and last-minute necessities downstairs and out to the car. On the way out I stopped at the bathroom and threw up (clear and watery), which gave me immediate relief. Meanwhile Daddy secured the house and called Grandpa Al to ask him to pick up Jasmine and Vivien later that morning.

When we arrived at Pomerado hospital in Poway at 7:05am, my cervix was already 6-7 centimeters dilated, and 80% effaced. The knowledge of this wonderful progress inspired me to keep laboring without any pain medication. Trisha arrived then too and worked to help situate and make me comfortable. I remember noticing that the room we were assigned to didn’t have a bathtub. I asked my nurse about it explaining that I had hoped to take a bath. The staff quickly shuffled me to the room next door. From that window I could see red tiled roofs in the distance. Not surprisingly, during the entire ride to the hospital I focused on the red taillights of the cars in front of us. The color red was still mesmerizing, soothing and a good distraction from the pain I was feeling. The red roofs were a welcome focal point and reminded me of being home earlier that morning.

Within a few minutes I saw that the storm clouds had lifted, revealing the misty morning sun, and just to the edge of my peripheral vision I saw a rainbow! Rainbows have always given me a sense of well-being and a close connection with God. On this important day, He sent one to the earth as a sign to me that you were on your way, that you would be very special, and that we would all be okay because He was with us.

For the next couple of hours I labored in our room. I wanted to take a bath, and as Trisha began filling the tub, the jets malfunctioned and made a distracting and loud noise. The nurses were running around trying to fix it and said they might need to get a maintenance man to come turn them off. I was dreading the idea of having a man other than your dad in the room at that point. The next thing I remember was Daddy crouching on the floor with a wrench and screwdriver taking the panel door off the bathtub and manually overriding the jet switch! He is really a handy guy, even through the stress of his wife’s labor! As you grow up I hope that you too will learn about the way things work. (Your daddy will be the best teacher!)

So I took my bath and Daddy and Trisha poured warm water down my back for a long time, which helped with the low back pain I was feeling. I was very thirsty and drank water between each contraction. I remember feeling alternately hot then cold in the tub, but when I felt I’d had enough, I got out and continued through the hardest part of my contractions between a standing and squatting position on the floor. At the peek of each contraction I leaned forward on Daddy’s legs and squeezed him hard. By then I’m sure his back was hurting, but just by standing strong he helped me through the transition phase. Trisha noted that my yoga classes paid off, as she’d never seen anyone successfully labor in a squatting position before. However, I don’t think I was handling myself too gracefully because I remember screaming out in pain and begging for pain medication. However, Trisha kept reminding me that I was “about to have this baby, and there was no longer time for medication.”

A few weeks before the delivery, Daddy and I came up with a secret code phrase, “Sand Dune,” which we agreed would be a sign to him that I had truly reached my limits, no matter what anyone else suggested. However, during this challenging time of birthing, the words never once even entered my mind, I think because I was so focused on the job set before me.

By 10:30am I was put in bed while the nurses converted it to the labor platform. Dr. Eastman and the nursing staff were present, and finally they said it was time to push! After about 30 minutes the doctor said my cervix had swollen and that I needed to stop pushing to allow more time for it to fully dilate. Looking back now, I recall liking the pushing stage of labor because I was actively assisting you to move down the birth canal. I felt that I had some control and I knew you were almost here!

You first came into this world at 11:58 am on September 29, 2008. When they put you on my chest I breathed a sigh of relief, for I had just overcome a few major fears in my life. The best part was the reward at the end-sweet little you, whom I was not expecting to be so beautiful, and you immediately captured my heart. It was the conclusion of a very important journey for me (pregnancy), and the beginning of our new life with you. From that moment on I knew things would be different, but I was ready to face the challenges and the times of joy with you in my arms.

You will always be the love of your mommy and daddy’s lives, and we will protect and care for you as long as we live (and hopefully beyond). Thank you for blessing us with your arrival.

Love always,
Your mom, Alexis

Kate’s Birth Story

The morning of September 15th rolled around.  I had been having
contractions off and on for almost a month and wasn’t sure if “today
was the day.”  I was ten days past my “due date.”  Starting at 7am, my
contractions started getting longer, stronger and closer together.
Around 9am, after speaking to me briefly on the phone, Dave concluded
that today was indeed the day.  He came home and took charge as I was
feeling very indecisive.  He called the doctor’s office to inform them
of my situation and alert them that we were headed to the hospital.
With Lily in tow and Kathleen and my Mom on the way, we headed to the
hospital.

Stephanie, one of my midwives was on call that day and was prepared for
our arrival.  By 10am I was gowned and examined and found to be 100%
effaced, 6cm dilated and +2 station.  Fetal monitors were placed on me
and I tried to rest between contractions.  Dave was a great coach and
he talked me through my contractions.  I could focus on his voice,
calm, reassuring and strong.  I couldn’t have done it without him.

Lying on my side, it was difficult to find a comfortable position and
contractions started coming one right on top of the other.  It wasn’t
long before I started pushing.  Laboring on my side was not part of my
plan but once I was down, it was near impossible to get motivated to
move.  I pushed in this position for about an hour.  The baby was still
in the posterior position and on the suggestion of my midwife, I
somehow found the energy to get on my hands and knees in hopes of
rotating the baby.  Another hour or more passed with heavy contractions
and lots of pushing but still no baby.  Finally, around the three hour
mark, my midwife suggested that I get up and try to empty my bladder.
I wasn’t sure how, short of a crane, I was going to get off the bed and
walk to the bathroom, but with Dave grabbing one arm and Kathleen, the
other, they basically carried me to the bathroom.  Every few steps, I
squatted and pushed with the contractions.  I labored on the toilet for
a little while but my legs were feeling numb so I headed back to bed,
again squatting every few steps until I made it back to the end of the
bed, where I stayed for a little while, squatting and pushing.

I somehow managed to climb back into bed and was in a semi-reclined
position.  I recall Stephanie asking me to breathe through some of the
contractions at the end and not push in order to allow the tissue to
stretch.  The walking and squatting encouraged Kate to finally rotate
into position and shortly thereafter, I pushed her out – all 9lbs. 4oz.
and 20 1/2 inches of glorious baby!!

She nursed right away with a strong and vigorous latch.  Not a dry eye
in the room as we welcomed the newest member of our family.  I am still
amazed at how big she is and that I actually birthed her without drugs
and without interventions.  Miraculously, I only needed a few stitches
at the end.  I absolutely attribute it all to my Bradley training,
prenatal yoga and all the tailor sitting/squatting I did throughout my
pregnancy.  It was the hardest work I’ve ever done in my entire life
and Kate was worth every second.

Changed for the Better Our Birth Story Written by Mary Kis September 21, 2008

I carried our twins full-term, nearly 41 weeks. When the doctor wanted to give me chemicals to induce, I decided instead to try two holistic means to induce labor naturally, in lieu of drugs, I got an acupuncture treatment and took castor oil. Success! On August 27, 2008 at 1 a.m., labor contractions began. I labored at home with my partner, Joe; our doula, Connie; and our nanny, Ana; for 6 hours until my water broke and contractions were 3 minutes apart.
At 8am, we drove to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla where they intermittently monitored the babies’ hearts while I labored for 22 hours. I walked the hallways, performed yoga in the beautiful courtyard of the hospital, and took several showers. During this period in my labor, a couple of unfavorable physical conditions unfolded: my contractions grew farther apart, rather than closer; my cervix opened to 5 cm but then went closed to 4 cm; and I developed a fever.
After 26 hours of labor and with my partner’s and doula’s advice, I asked for an epidural anesthetic in the hope that my cervix would relax and open—but it didn’t happen. I allowed another drug, pictocin, to foster regular contractions, but it also didn’t work.
I did everything in my power to have natural birth, but my body (after a total of 28 hours of hard labor, most of this time with no drugs), the positioning of the babies (both heads down and neither one allowing the other to come out first), and a high fever contributed to the inevitable conclusion that a C-section was required.
My doctor was not on call but she came in to assist. She was my “rock” and reassured me that being flexible and finding a place of peace about having a C-section “already makes me a great mom because raising children requires 100 percent flexibility.” I cried with my partner as I made the final decision and surrendered to the fact that major surgery was necessary to give birth. I had done everything in my power to avoid extra medical intervention during 41 weeks of carrying these precious babies; I had eaten 150 grams of protein daily, exercised daily including either prenatal yoga or swimming, and walking on the beach.
Blessedly, our Bradley childbirth classes had taught us to be strong and know that a caesarean section can happen in emergency situations. The training taught me that being healthy, both mentally and physically, is the best postpartum remedy.
On August 28, 2008, at 6:12 a.m., Isabella Chloe Simac was born, weighing 5 lbs, 11 ounces, and immediately was given to Joe to hold; and at 6:14 a.m., Nikola Josip Simac was born, weighing 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and given to me to hold. We looked into their beautiful eyes and now we understand our purpose, which is to care and love these children for life. We immediately understand the meaning of our lives changing for the better.
We spent the next two glorious days loving and feeding our babies in the hospital.We have really good babies. They sleep 3 to 4 hours at a time at night! They are on the same feeding schedule and are low-maintenance.
All of my prenatal yoga practice paid off as my body is healing really well. I feel super

The Birth Story of Levi Daniel Ybarra – 7/11/08

It was Thursday morning, July 10th and Kellee had been experiencing some minor contractions for that last few days. One major difference between today and the days prior is she had started experiencing leaking of water.  She woke up early Thursday morning about 4AM with some water in the bed.  From that point on, there was a slow and steady flow of water that continued to come out.  We started the day like all others leading up to the birth; we wanted to get some things accomplished before the baby was born so we set out on our tasks for the day.

Before we left on our errands we called Dr. Biter’s office and spoke with his nurse’s assistant and told her what Kellee had been experiencing.  The nurse was convinced that Kellee’s water had broke and asked us to call her back at 3PM to update her on Kellee’s status.  She also said that Kellee would have to be induced if she did not start experiencing some serious labor signs by the end of the day.  I got on the phone and said, “So you are telling me that we are going to for sure have a baby in our arms in the next 24-48 hours?” She said, “Yes”. WOW J The nurse said she would notify Dr. Biter and it would not be too much longer.  We headed out and kept the errands pretty light, going to the bank, the post office, getting some frames from Aaron Brothers, shopping at Albertsons and then finally getting a pizza and salad from Flippin’ Pizza to bring home.  All throughout our errands Kellee was experiencing the minor contractions, they were becoming more consistent and her water was still leaking steadily, so much that she had to use washcloths to absorb all of the moisture.
 
Kellee had thought that the baby was going to come early and we had heard that many first time mothers that have minimal weight gain during pregnancy tend to deliver about 2 weeks early.  But our wedding date falls on the 17th and we were really hoping for that to be the date.  In addition, while we got more of the important items checked off the list for preparation of his arrival, we still wanted to wrap up a few odds and ends.
 
After Kellee and I got home from all of our errands, we had a nice late lunch of pizza and salad it was somewhere between 4 and 5PM.  Kellee had already made the call the Doctor’s office to let them know there were no signs of serious labor.  We had also called our doula, Rosie, to let her know of Kellee’s condition and to be ready since the Doctor’s office said it would be anytime that Kellee would be going in the hospital, willing or not.  Both the assistant from the doctor’s office and Rosie suggested Kellee to go on a walk, get in a warm shower, go in the pool, relax on the beach, etc.  Rosie also reminded us of the natural methods to induce labor; things that Kellee and I would laugh about during her pregnancy making jokes not to do them as it could induce earlier than we wanted.  Now, however, it seemed mandatory on our end that we do them as we did not want any medical drugs intervening for the induction of this labor.
 
Kellee and I went to lie down in bed about 5PM and did some natural induction recommendations.  She started one of them, which was to push her thumb to the roof of her mouth, and I started to do light nipple stimulation through her shirt.  Again, we were joking and wandering whether this could or could not actually work.  About 6PM Kellee noticed a contraction that was a more intense and lasted a bit longer.  In the days prior to the birth Kellee had been experiencing so many that almost all of them were false alarms to us.  I broke out the stop watch, the Bradley student workbook, a pen and started noting the contractions.  7PM is probably when Kellee was officially in the last part of the 1st stage of labor; her contractions started to become more intense and closer together.  She started to get more uncomfortable and we started to feel that this was it.  I called our doula and told her what was going on and she said she would come over in about an hour or so.  From that point on, Kellee was fully in labor.  Her contractions became more and more intense and closer and closer together.  I used most of all the techniques I learned in the Bradley class.  I did the following: did relaxation techniques, helped keep her hydrated, reminded her to keep going to the bathroom, gave her soothing touches and encouraging words – all of these things really helped.  

Our doula arrived about 8:30PM; Rosie started to change the whole ambiance by closing the blinds, putting on music and breaking out the massage oils.  Rosie’s first reaction was “Oh, we are in some hard labor, that is great” she could tell by Kellee’s actions.  Kellee was not talking much by this point; she was concentrating on preparing for the next contraction.  We got Kellee on the birth ball and put her on the corner of the bed to use it to lean on.  We took her through about an hour and a half of labor.  Kellee started to show more blood and she started to feel more comfortable being in the bathroom.  She finally said, “We have to go to the hospital, the pains are really strong.”  Rosie took over while I packed the last minute items in a bag.  I was packing for about 5-10 minutes, trying to make sure not to forget anything, then we started on our journey to the hospital.  Along the way I called Dr. Biter and Kellee’s mom.  It was not easy getting Kellee from our place to the hospital, to say the least – it was a serious process.  She had to stop many times along the way to concentrate on dealing with the immense pain from the contractions.  

As we arrived to the hospital, the nurse station wanted Kellee to sign some papers before they admitted her.  I can’t imagine how hard it was but judging by Kellee’s demeanor she was in no mood to sign the papers but she somehow managed to sign them.  Magdalena was our nurse and we immediately got in a room.  We gave the nurse our birth plan and told her we wanted to no intervention.  The nurse asked Kellee if she could check for her dilation.  Kellee was 5cm at about 11PM; however, our doula was quite certain, as were we, that Kellee was probably about 7 or 8cm just before we started the trek for the hospital but the car ride, etc. made her dilate back down.  So there was more work to do.  One of the difficult things now was that we had no idea how long Kellee would have to go through these painful contractions, and they were painful.  There were times when both Kellee and I had doubts.  Kellee expressed it to me a couple times, saying “I don’t know how long I can do it.”  But never once did I tell her how I was feeling.  Although around 11:30 p.m. I was starting to get worried, I did not want her to suffer and hurt herself.
 
The nurse asked if she could put on an external fetal monitor to check the babies heart rate.  She said she could get it from any position Kellee was in, so we allowed her as we all went about our business getting Kellee in different positions on the bed, then moving to the ball, then to the bathroom on the toilet and then she took a quick shower, but she was shivering and I felt so bad for her.  The nurse then got some really hot blankets; they were nice, as it was very cold in the room.  The thermostat seemed to have 2 temperatures hot or cold, so we had to take cold.  Interestingly enough the nurse seemed to get a bit concerned by Kellee’s sounds of pain and said “I am just going to give you a local IV to keep you hydrated.”  We all said, “NO WAY” she had been drinking plenty of water. Kellee especially does not like needles and that would have surely slowed down her labor.  Even though we gave them the birth plan that specifically stated no IV’s or intervention unless requested, they still wanted to medically intervene.     
 
It was about 12AM and Kellee said “I feel like I want to push”.  We all were a bit scared as sometimes it could be a premature feeling and she could risk tearing if she was not truly ready, so after sitting in the bathroom and Kellee pushing a couple of times, the nurse asked if she could check her again.  We agreed, Kellee really felt that she was ready to begin pushing and hoped that it was in fact time.  We were thankful that she was, in fact, fully dilated and the nurse said “She’s ready” and ran out of the room to get the doctor.  The nurse came back in and with Rosie and my help we all guided each push, and made each one count.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
 
Dr. Biter came in the room about 25 min before the birth actually occurred and he was clearly a pro at this, taking his time, knowing that all would be great. They set up the table and Dr. Biter told Kellee she was looking and doing great, that it would not be long.  Kellee got a lift immediately when he arrived, he brought in a calm, positive energy and his presence assured her that the time was finally near.  Dr. Biter then got her in a birth position; she was in a reclining position with legs spread as wide as possible and back.  I held one of her ankles to help.  Dr. Biter’s started to coach Kellee on her pushes.  As it got closer he told Kellee, “There is going to come a time when I am going to ask you to push, and I want you to push but then I am going to ask you to stop pushing.  You are going to want to keep pushing but you MUST not push, or you will tear, ok” – at this point if Dr. Biter told Kellee to speak in French she would have found a way to.  So she readily agreed.  Some of Dr. Biter’s words were, “I want you to push pass that point, push your pelvis towards the ceiling, you are doing great”.  Then it was time, the baby’s head was surely crowning and the doctor gave her the order not to push.  She listened intently and he kept eye contact with her to help her as she really stayed focused and did deep breathing to get through this next part.  The nurse asked me to look and I was not quite ready as I was holding a leg and coaching, making the moaning sounds with Kellee, telling her to breathe deep and just basically praying in the spirit.  I did see the baby’s head starting to come out, I was blown away, she was going to do it; all of the Bradley classed paid off.  After the baby had his shoulders out, the doctor gave Kellee the option to pull him out herself, he said, “Here he is, go ahead and pull him to you”, so she grabbed him by the underarms and finished the job herself puling him out and bringing him to her chest. SIMPLY AMAZING!  She was in shock for a moment, she was not planning on doing that and couldn’t believe what just happened and that it was over, she had done it naturally.  The baby stayed on her chest for a good while, I then cut the cord and he started to breastfeed.  

The birth of our son was perfect, no pain medication, totally natural and what a blessing to have a healthy baby in our arms.  Levi Daniel Ybarra was born at 12:50AM, 7 pounds 3 ounces, 21 inches long, with about 1 hour of intense pushing.  Praise God!

Blessings,
Steven & Kellee
(Levi & Diesel too) J