My Birth Journey: Part 1 of many

I've been reminicsing lately.  Been wondering when and how the notion was put into my head that I wanted to give birth naturally.  It took me a while to pinpoint it but it came to me one day!  When I was in class here at USU, I think it was a physiology class, we had a guest speaker.  I don 't know why she was there or even what she was talking about.  All I know is that 10 small minutes of her lecture was about birthing positions.  She opened my eyes and I remember leaving that day knowing I was different and would be doing things differently.

  I think about giving birth in the hospital and even though both scenarios, hospital or home, give me a little anxiety (the unknown), the hospital definitively makes me more nervous.  So when I saw that positive pregnancy test, I knew that I would not be giving birth in a hospital (by choice anyway).  At this point my only reasoning for this decision was because I knew hospitals, especially hospitals in Logan wouldn't accommodate easily a mom wanting to give birth in the squatting position.  HA!  Are you kidding!?


I knew that I would need to educate myself about giving birth at home or in a birthing center (which is where we plan to do it) because the idea of that in most the worlds eyes is that it is so unrealistic and foreign.  And also because I figured there was much more to it than just the position in which you birth your baby.

I have learned SO much in these last few months! I've read and read some more.  And recently my hubby and I have been attending a Hypnobabies class each week (more to come on this later).  
 Side note:  Best book ever is 'Ina May's Guide to Childbirth' by Ina May Gaskin.  I highly recommend it to all women, preggo or not.  She is incredible.
And I've been so grateful for that one day and that one professor on campus that opened my eyes by raising the question, "Why would you give birth while lying on your back?"  Hmmmmm... 


Tidbit from Wikipedia's 'Squatting Position' just to give you an idea:  The squatting position gives a greater increase of pressure in the pelvic cavity with minimal muscular effort. The birth canal will open 20 to 30% more in a squat than in any other position. It is recommended for the second stage of childbirth.^[7]

So I don't know about you but that 20-30% increase of the birth canal sounds pretty good to me!  

I'll never be able to get over the responses that I receive when I inform someone that I plan to give natural birth.  It's epic.  It's always the same!  And for just a moment I think, "Man, maybe they are right, maybe I am crazy! (and if it's a woman who's already a mom I think...) Besides they know better than me! They've done it before!  I'm completely oblivious and have no idea what I am getting myself into!" 

And here's the part that really interests me.  It's when I talk to women who haven't ever given birth before yet their answers and reactions are the same.  Seems very strange to me.  Why do they talk about childbirth as if they already know that it is just too much for their bodies to handle?  Just too painful?  Do they really know it or is it something that's been molded into their brains.  It really gets me thinking, how about you?! 

Let me share this video with you...It's a trailer for a very good movie that I recommend.  It was recommended to me by my Midwife when we were first interviewing her.

This trailer barely scratches the surface too.  You can find it on Netflix's Instant Play

I've learned that women's bodies are the same.  We're set up in the same way whether we're American, European, African or Asian.  Same physiology right?  So why then does America stand alone in the way we give birth?  We seem to be the ones behind when it comes to healthy normal childbirth.  I am not saying that American Doctors are behind in intelligence but just in the way they apply their intelligence.  Quite frankly if you look into more, Obstetricians in American look very unintelligent.  And I realize that is a heavy statement to make.  And it shouldn't be said without some background to it so I'll try and get that background in as I go along.   And I hope if you're in a position to, that you'll research it out as well and know what I mean. 

But basically I have learned that childbirth is not an abnormal crisis that needs to be 'fixed' or that we need to be 'rescued' from.  It is one of the most natural experiences that happens to us.  Women all around the world have been doing it for centuries and they've been doing it basically in the same way.



Squatting- this is actually a pretty famous ancient statue meant to symbolize and show the ability of a woman's body 

Squatting!  Or kneeling or whatever position feels the most comfortable for you!   But for some reason America has taken childbirth and changed the way we view it, the way we feel about it and literally the way we DO it.  Why? 

I think the main answer is $$$$$.