My friend Amber recommended watching The Business Of Being Born on her blog recently. I noticed it was on one of my movie channels the other night, so I PVR’d it. I had the chance to watch it this morning and I was deeply moved by it.
I believed deeply in the need for less medical intervention in the way North American women labour and birth long before I even became pregnant with my first daughter Emma. Two years before we had even thought of starting a family, I seriously looked into becoming a Doula – there has always been something magical about birth that has drawn me in, my entire life.
When I became pregnant with Emma I knew that the hospital my family Dr. delivered babies, was not a hospital I was comfortable with, so we started looking around at what our other options were. I found and hired a Doula before I was even 3 months pregnant! It was with her help that I was guided to the Shared Care Maternity Program at Westview Hospital in Stony Plain. It is a blended birthing facility within a standard hospital which was less medical and more midwife in their approach, although it was in a hospital, with regualr nurses and dr.’s if needed.
The prgram in 2005 ran a little different than it does now. All of my appointments were with a midwife, I never had a group session until I had Hannah in 2006 (there was a chage in the program in the 14 months it took to have both my girls). I was scared at first. Initially I didn’t know if I would be able to handle the pain of a natural childbirth. What if I needed a C-section, they do seem pretty popular nowadays? My fear of the alternitive hospital was enough to push me in the direction of a the Shared Care. I am so happy for that push.
Over the 40 weeks I really got to know my midwives. They are all beautiful, loving women who really care about the health, emotional and physical, of each of their moms to be. The don’t ‘deliver’ babies, they ‘catch’ babies. I liked the sound of that.
When it came time to have Emma I was so scared. What would the pain be like? Would I need an intervention of some sort? I went 14 days passed my due date with that one. The midwives let me go as long as they were allowed to without giving my labour a push. On that 14th day I was induced and sent home to wait. And wait. And I walked. And I waited. And then, I fell asleep. Until I woke up in labour and ready to get a move on. Maria, our Doula came over to our house to labour with us at home. We weren’t there long though, as my contractions were coming closely together and were increasing in strength. So, off we went.
It was about a 35 minute drive down the highway to the hospital and I was pretty uncomfortable all the way there. It was very early in the morning when we got there and it was still a little dark outside. Steve pulled up to the Emergency entrance to let me out. I took one step out of the car and my water broke – just like you see in the movies. I must have been sitting and holding it all in. It gushed all over my pants and into my shoes. As I waddled into the emergency department I sqeaked as I walked. The male EMT asked me if my water had broke…I guess he didn’t notice my trail of water and my wet spots.
It wasn’t long and I was in my room. My family was sprawled out on the murphy bed. Maria was curled up in a rocking chair trying to get some sleep. I was only 3 cm’s dialated at this point, so I had a long ways to go. Coming close to lunch time the midwife came to check on me again, and I was still just 3 cm’s dialated. The cervidil I had to start labour had done it’s job, but things were slowing down. I knew the risks of continuing with a pitocin drip, but I took my chances and went with it anyways (that was 11:45 am).
The first contraction after the pitocin drip was started was so much more intense. I had to get off the bed and onto the toilet. I could hardly stand the pressure on my tail bone when the contractions came, and sitting on the toilet to labour took away alot of that pressure. I was rocking back and forth on the toilet. Maria was rubbing my back. Steve was working like crazy to get my birthing pool inflated and filled up – we were planning on a water birth.
Then it happened. My loan moan turned into a grunt. And then I kept grunting with every contraction that came after. Maria looked at the nurse….was I pushing? They got me off the toilet and back onto the bed to see how far I had dilated…..only to 7. But, with each contraction I was pushing and it felt great! No one told me that there would be no pain in the push. The pain was in the contraction. But, if I bore down and pushed through it, there was no pain. I grabbed that bull by the horns and rode it home! Things were a little frantic from this point on. The nurse and Maria were trying to get me to dialate faster and push less. They had me rolling from my left to my right hip between each contraction – not alot of fun, let me tell you. They were begging me to breath and not push through each contraction, again, not alot of fun. The pool sprung a leak and I was hurddling to the finish line, ignoring all their requests to slow it down. It was 1 pm, just 75 minutes after having my pitocin put in.
The midwife, who was in the middle of clinic came rushing in. She knew I wasn’t going to stop then. She used her hot oils and rubbing and helped me dialate as much as she could. I pushed Emma out in one giant gushing push. I tore a little. But, nothing too serious. I did it. I birthed my baby with 2 minor interventions and no pain medication. I was damn proud of myself (still am). One of the first things I did was phone my aunty Valerie and brag that I had done it…..she didn’t think I could and didn’t understand why I would even want to!
Hannh was another story. I needed to be induced with Cervidil with her as well, but this time, my body did everything else on it’s own. By this time, the hospital was running in their new program style and the new birthing rooms were complete. The room I had Hannah in had a big beautfiful skylight in it. There was a huge birthing pool built into one corner. The shower was big enough for 4 and of course, there was the murphy bed and some other comfortable funature. This time I went in late at night, about 11pm. I slept alot. I walked the halls a bit. I sank into the warm water of pool and melted away. I chatted with my friend Kate who came to witness. Maria talked me through each painful contraction just like the first time. Steve and Mckenzi slep on the bed alot of the time. It was a pretty relaxing affair. I did feel the urge to push early again. But, I stayed in the water and slept through transition….yes, I actually slept through my transition phase! I woke up and had to pee, so I hoped (as much as a women in labour can hop) out of the tub and headed to pee. But I headed straight back to the bed. I dont’ know why, as we were planning on a water birth, but for some reason I hit the bed instead. The midwife was there to check me out and she noticed that Hannah was doing her own thing. I sat back and got ready to push, but then I got scared. I didn’t want there to be pain…..or, more pain than I was already in. So, I gave one little sorry push. The midwife looked up at me and asked if I was done practicing and if I were ready to really push. I was. The next contraction came and I gave it all I had. My water finally broke and with it went all the pressure and tension and pain. Hannah crowned on that first push. I think it didn’t hurt because of the water breaking at the last second like that, I was very well lubricated and comfortable. I remember joking with Steve and looking at Kates face, waiting for the next contraction to come. I must have been a sight. Sitting up, legs open, baby head half out…cracking jokes like nothing. Emma never crowned like this…it was a new and beautful experience for me. Then the next contraction came and I gave it all I had again and then silence. Hannah was born back into this world at 11:30 am with no loud wailing screams (so unlike her sister). It took her some time to make some noise (but she makes more than enough now), but she was healthy and right from the start she was a great eater. She laid on my chest and found her way to my breast. She latched on like a born eater and ate alot….and then she wanted the other breast. When she was finished eating I had a shower and got dressed. I left the hospital at 1:30 pm with my beautiful healthy new daughter. I went home and Kate and her husband Dan stayed for supper (I cooked). I was exhausted of course, but really happy with the whole process.
If I had of chosen to deliver with a dr. in a regual hospital setting I know my briths would not have been the same. I don’t know if they would have been worse, but I don’t think they could have been any better than what I had. I know I am a lucky woman. I labour very easily. I get pregnant no problem, have uncomplicated pregnancies and push them out with ease. I appreciate how fortunate I am. But, I also believe that the environment I chose to have my babies in played a huge role in the sucess of my labours. I was supported by wonderful, loving women. I was given the best care in a very inviting, relaxing place. How I chose to labour was up to me. It was all in my control. I know, not every women has this luxury, but they should, and I think that was the point of the documentary, The Business of Being Born.
I am pro midwife all the way. If Steve and I had of made the choice to have a third baby, we would have hired a midwife and had a home birth. I know what my body is capable of now. I trust myself and my midwife.
I highly recomend you watching this documentary. Even if you have already had your children like I have, it is still a great reminder of our own birth stories. It brought tears to my eyes to watch these women in labour. The looks on their faces were the same looks of passion they would give if they were making love, not birthing a baby. There is something esquiste about labour pain. I would do it again and again and again. I loved every moment of my labours. And, I am not all that granola munching in general, so that says alot!
