"Love is a condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own"
(Robert Heinlein)
My fiance and I started an online ante-natal course with Just Engage (I was lucky enough to win the six-week course after entering a competition on Becoming You) at the beginning of October and I am so happy that we have this tool and information at our disposal. The creator and founder of Just Engage, Sharon Kloppers, has put together a super-informative six-week course that covers everything from exercise during pregnancy, the stages of labour, breastfeeding, and even a module that focuses specifically on emergency and elective caesarians. Since finding out that I'm expecting, I've preferred to opt for the 'ignorance is bliss' school of thought and have avoided many of the articles on birth that have come my way, hoping that not knowing what to expect would somehow make the whole giving birth process easier. However, my fiance and I have just finished the module that deals with labour and I must admit that I've found the information to be incredibly helpful, even helping to ease my mind. That being said, I'm still absolutely terrified of the process (despite Sharon's warnings that fear will only serve to hinder labour) and as I approach my third trimester, the reality of the situation is finally starting to hit me. Whether I like it or not, in about two or three months' time I will have to push a baby out of there. There's no turning back: he's in there and he needs to come out at some point. The fact that I have no control over the process doesn't help matters either - not a very comforting thought for a self-confessed control freak, like me!
What I have learnt, based upon the information given in the course and reading up on suggested resources, is that I would like to try for as natural a birth as possible - meaning no drugs, if at all possible. Madness, I know (and I'm sure there are many moms who have been through this a couple of times that are tut-tutting me and laughing to themselves right now). Believe me, up until about four or five months ago I was set on having an elective caesarian one day. Why go through all that pain and risk tearing down there, if the option of taking him 'out of the sunroof' - as a good friend of mine puts it - exists? Now that one day is roughly three months away (and after doing some research and asking friends and family members for their opinions), I've realised that opting for a caesarian isn't necessarily an easier route; it's major surgery that isn't entirely painless, and the recovery time is much longer. So many women (Sharon from Just Engage included) have emphasised the fact that my body was ultimately designed to do this, which is why I've decided that I'm going to hand control over to my body (and my baby, as it's his birth experience, not mine) and let nature take it's course. My decision to try to go without drugs stems mainly from my fear of the consequences to my baby (too much reading up on the pros and cons of various pain relief options will do that to you), and was reinforced upon learning that your body secretes it's own hormones to help ease the pain after the first stage of labour. Again, my body was designed to do this, so I'm going to give in and go with the flow as far as possible (but honestly, I have no idea what it feels like so forgive me if I'm begging for any and every drug available two hours into labour!) That being said, I've realised that my biggest aim is to have a safe birth and a healthy baby at the end of it all, so if that means managing a natural birth minus the drugs or having an emergency caesarian, so be it. What's meant to be will be, and baby will make his way into the world either way - that's the most important thing after all.
PS: If you're interested in finding out more about the Just Engage Online Ante-Natal Course, visit the website here. A new six-week course starts on the 1st of every month, so you still have a week or so left to register for the November course. I've found the course to be very helpful so far, so it comes highly recommended by me!
What I have learnt, based upon the information given in the course and reading up on suggested resources, is that I would like to try for as natural a birth as possible - meaning no drugs, if at all possible. Madness, I know (and I'm sure there are many moms who have been through this a couple of times that are tut-tutting me and laughing to themselves right now). Believe me, up until about four or five months ago I was set on having an elective caesarian one day. Why go through all that pain and risk tearing down there, if the option of taking him 'out of the sunroof' - as a good friend of mine puts it - exists? Now that one day is roughly three months away (and after doing some research and asking friends and family members for their opinions), I've realised that opting for a caesarian isn't necessarily an easier route; it's major surgery that isn't entirely painless, and the recovery time is much longer. So many women (Sharon from Just Engage included) have emphasised the fact that my body was ultimately designed to do this, which is why I've decided that I'm going to hand control over to my body (and my baby, as it's his birth experience, not mine) and let nature take it's course. My decision to try to go without drugs stems mainly from my fear of the consequences to my baby (too much reading up on the pros and cons of various pain relief options will do that to you), and was reinforced upon learning that your body secretes it's own hormones to help ease the pain after the first stage of labour. Again, my body was designed to do this, so I'm going to give in and go with the flow as far as possible (but honestly, I have no idea what it feels like so forgive me if I'm begging for any and every drug available two hours into labour!) That being said, I've realised that my biggest aim is to have a safe birth and a healthy baby at the end of it all, so if that means managing a natural birth minus the drugs or having an emergency caesarian, so be it. What's meant to be will be, and baby will make his way into the world either way - that's the most important thing after all.
PS: If you're interested in finding out more about the Just Engage Online Ante-Natal Course, visit the website here. A new six-week course starts on the 1st of every month, so you still have a week or so left to register for the November course. I've found the course to be very helpful so far, so it comes highly recommended by me!
you look glowing and so lovely in this pic!
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate to self-confessed control freak part, I would love to be a mother someday but I am not sure if I could handle the loss of control it requires, to just let nature takes its course.
But as many women who have been through the process say when the actually pushing time comes nature takes over in a huge way!
xoxo
Good for you! I opted for the 'natural' way out, but with pain meds (epidural). The birth was a dream! People stress way too much about what will happen 'down there', when (like you say) our bodies were designed to do that. Everything goes back to normal! And sone docs are quick to say that baby is too big - my girl was 3.67kgs, and a friend of mine gave birth to two big girls (3.8kgs and 4.1kgs). That being said, the way that any women chooses to bring her child into the world is her personal choice, and no one has the right to judge. Good luck! xxx
ReplyDeleteLearn abdominal breathing. Practice it daily. Read books on Hypnobirthing. Learn to relax by practicing every day for 20 minutes. Trust me...it's the key to getting through labor without the pain medications. Now get practicing because you are running out of time!
ReplyDeleteCarolyn Gall AAHCC
The Bradley Method TM