Below Header
Below Header

On Natural Birth...
The real question about safety is not whether you want a pleasant birth at home or a safe birth in the hospital ? It is, “Do you want to give birth at home and run the miniscule risk of an emergency that might (but not necessarily would) be handled better in the hospital, or do you want to give birth in the hospital and run the considerably increased risk of infection, the certainty of additional stress, and the near certainty of having unnecessary (and potentially risky interventions?”) ~ Henri Goer

Members of the home birth movement have chosen their alternative form of care not through faulty understanding of medical principles, but as a result of active and reasoned disagreement with them. ~ Bonnie O’Connor

 

~ MAMMA PRIMITIVA ~ International Midwifery School now OPEN!Classes Begin every Fall and Spring MammaPrimitiva.com

Maya's Birth Stories: "The Story of My Births"

Placeholder Image

My obstetrically-managed birth


My first daughter was born in 2007 in a hospital, and I had to endure many unpleasant procedures and interventions. At first I had to answer a lot of questions in order to fill in and sign some documents, which give the hospital staff the right to manage my birth-process, and this during intense labor, when I was very weak.

 

I asked the doctor on duty to close the wide open balcony door, because it was at night, I was undressed and very cold. Her reaction was: “Are you going to become a mother or a molly-coddle!”

.

They gave me only a piece of moist cotton-wool to damp my lips when I was very thirsty and begging for water.


Nobody told me which medications were given to me. Internal examinations were made often, which I felt very unpleasant.


I had to lie passively in bed, semi-reclining, had to wear two belts strapped around my abdomen.
The presence of unknown and unnecessary people, and the feeling of being watched were very unpleasant too.


I had episiotomy and 6 stitches, and while they were healing I felt a lot of discomfort. The most internal stitch opened and I had infection.

 

My baby was taken away from me immediately after the birth and they refused to give it to me for a while.
The anesthesiologist overdosed the general anesthetic, given me for the stitches. So I had been under the anesthetic not 20 minutes /as I was told/ but 80 minutes. During this time I had the most horrible nightmares in my life, and woke up with difficulty.


Placeholder Image

My unassisted home birth

 

The day before the birth /there were 9 more days till the due date/ we had dinner in our garden, and I noticed the moon was nearly full. I remembered that a lot of babies are born at full moon, and asked myself if the great event will be tomorrow. My intuition was true.
On the following day I woke up early in the morning and went to the toilet. I felt a slight pain in the lower back, and soon waters flooded out of me.


In a little while a dark green substance began to trickle from my body. This fact made me worried, because at that time I did not know this is the meconium, collected in baby`s bowel, which appeared because of its breech presentation.

 

I went on all fours, where I found the gentle rocking motion eased the pain. The contractions became much stronger, and my man rubbed the lower back part of my back almost continuously. He suggested to play some soft music, and to burn an aromatic candle but at that moment I did not want it at all. I needed to be without disturbance or distraction, to give the intense contractions all my attention. Between contractions I relaxed sitting on my heels.


I felt very thirsty, and from time to time I took sips of water.


My labor was progressing rapidly, and soon I felt I wanted to push. The things I found a tremendous help and relief was making a furious grunting noise at the height of each contraction, and continuing breathing spontaneously. I encouraged myself by saying over and over again that I give birth easy and fast to a healthy, happy child.


But I still felt the baby`s head on my belly-button, and no any movements. My man said I should stand up. He helped me, and standing upright I placed my foot on a low chair. Then we made the same with the other foot, and I felt that the baby moved. Unfortunately some red blood flooded out of me too, and I realized, that I have torn.


I decided to examine how far I have dilated, and inserted my fingers into my vagina. My cervix was fully dilated, and I touched something very soft.


It was time to go into a standing squat position. I supported myself on the bed`s frame. So I could push much more easily, and in a little while the baby`s bottom was born. By the next contractions the legs and the body were born …. without the head.  My man said : “It`s a girl”, and “Quick, you must push again. The baby will choke”. His voice was very worried. I said : “Everything is OK”. But there were no more contractions. I tried to push by myself but it was not powerful enough. I felt my man was trying to dilate my vagina using his fingers. There was no time to wait for another contractions. I collected all my forces and pushed. It was enough, and the baby`s head was born, followed by the placenta. She emerged into her father`s hands. A moment of great relief! But not for long. Our girl did not make a cry. She was slightly blue, her head bloody, had some vernix here and there. My man said , that her heart was beating. I was sure she will be OK, and did not panicked.


I started doing her an artificial respiration, talked to her, that we loved her, and it was safe to be in that body.

 

Placeholder Image

Soon her breathing stabilized, and we covered her head. Without having the cord cut, I lay down with the baby in my arms, undressed but warmly wrapped. I felt a supreme sense of peace and rightness with Mother Earth and the laws of nature.


At first she did not want to suckle but stared intently at me, and we got to know each other. About an hour after the birth she exercised her vocal cords, and another two hours later her father burned the cord. It took him 8 minutes. There was no feeling of separation. Only continuation and deep joy and contentment. Everything felt right, and I felt wonderful, not at all tired. The birth continued about 7 hours.


Then I carried out my plan to eat a small piece of the placenta to help the uterus to contract and return to normal, and to avoid the post-natal hemorrhage.
About 4-5 hours after the birth the baby started sucking, and I felt my uterus contracting. These contractions were not painful.


During the next 4 weeks I used herbal bath to ensure a good recovery of my perineal tear /Calendula/, and to prevent infection /sumac/h//Rhus cotinus/. I let 2 tablespoons of the herb Calendula come to the boil in ½ liter water and then let the liquid cool. I bathed and tamponed with wet cotton-wool the tear. I took the homeopathic remedy Arnica too.


To my great surprise this natural tear healed a problem I had as a result of my first birth. Although at the time I hat episiotomy, my perineum was stretched, and by physical efforts like coughing, sneezing or running I got rid of little urine. I could not control this, and it was very unpleasant. These days I found out, that after the second birth this problem disappeared!


In conclusion
The unassisted home birth was the greatest event in my life. Time and time again I experience it in my thoughts to enjoy the true moments of it. It was if the victory over the fear and prejudices, and the taking on a responsibility for the birth of my child inspired me with incredible power and self-confidence, that I can manage everything in my life.


I express my gratitude to my man, who supported me, to Clare, who encouraged me, to all the women, who gave birth unassisted before me, who served as an example for me, to Mother Earth and to the Lord for the power we are endowed with!


Maya Bogdanova, Bulgaria