It's A Healthy Boy

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Newest Book I Have Started Reading

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. I got this book in yesterday and skipped over Active Birth for a few nights to start reading it. I really like the way she comes across. Quite honestly I expected her to be really pushy and unapproachable because of her fame and experience. Not so... so far. She seems to genuinely care about woman and childbirth. I also like the way it is set up. It gives the reader a little story time, the essentials of birth, and other useful information. It is not just a one note book.

With that being said, I also feel that a lot of these natural childbirth books put birth up on a pedestal and make it sound like it affects every aspect of a woman's life. I believe birth is important, moving, inspiring, and even life affirming but I also think that the actual mothering, being a wife, having faith, serving others, and even daily interaction cannot be pushed a side as we delve into learning more about this process. When I was pregnant with my first son I got sucked into this world where little else mattered. I ate, drank, and slept my upcoming birth. I put so much importance of this one day and dedicated much less time to what motherhood would be like or even remember to live in the present as well. This time around I think I have a more balanced view. Again, I am spending a lot of my time thinking and reading about birth but I also have the joy of thinking about more. I am happily anticipating a wonderful birth with this child, but I am also no so focused on the birth being the end of the story. No... it is only the beginning.

Anterior Cervical Lip - Beware

So this is what happen to me during my first birth. If I knew what I know now I would not have ended up with a c-section, I am sure of it.

I had an anterior cervical lip at 9 1/2 cm (see first two pictures below). My midwife told me to push and the baby's head would most likely move it out of the way. This did not happen but instead my cervix swell, I couldn't stop pushing, and we transferred to the hospital.

What should have happen is that my midwife should have instructed me to get into the knee chest position and hold there for a few contractions until the lip dilated (see last picture). According to Janet Balaskas in Active Birth this would usually happen is just a few contractions. This position would also have been helpful to assist me in stopping pushing as the baby's head is pulled away from your cervix causing less pressure.

Sorry to say, this just makes me so frustrated.