A happy hello to all of you!

Just because I see so much confusion in this world I wanted to share my story with all of you . May be it helps the one or other.

When I got pregnant - didn't know I was in the beginning - I was on my way to be a 100% raw foodie but still had those cooked meals I couldn't resist once in a while. That changed quickly when my body told me from one day to the other "don't even think about tortillas any more" (at that time I could almost live of it). As soon as I thought about it I got nauseous. This was my hint...oops...a very strong one as I could always eat what I wanted not feeling sick. Something was definitely different...unusual - I could feel it. When I went to the doctor to find out there was no doubt anymore and another excited and exhilarated mom was born .

That motivated me to go for all raw. And I did. I lived of grapes (literally, tons of them...but also any other kind of fruit and salad, avocados, nuts, everything I longed for as long as it was raw - and wild edibles! They are the natural superfood and give you loooads of minerals you need during pregnancy. To learn more about them and a video - all for free - you can go here: www.wildedibles.wordpress.com).

I felt wonderful - like not even being pregnant. I was fit and healthy the whole time and felt as happy as a bug. I climbed trees, hiked and worked (at the time I was pregnant with my first). I love to connect with those little wonders inside and developed a deep connection (that's where my unbending desire of homebirth came from ...which happened after a happy pregnancy).

Oh, the joy when I felt the first kicks. I loved my belly. It didn't bother me at all. I was more athletic as many other people not being pregnant. It really felt sooo good - like an all-time high. But, hey, little one wanted to come out whether I loved my belly or not . And I was so excited when he did. After about 5 hours I received a wonder of life as healthy as can be at home - without stress and very relaxing. This is an experience I can only recommend to every mother.

The pregnancy with my second was similar. No nausea or problems whatsoever. Well, I was a little more exhausted as I had to take care of my toddler, too. Thanks to raw foods and lots of fresh juicy organic fruits, veggies, wild edibles, etc. it was a great time and I was thankful for another magical experience. The birth was pretty much the same, too. Both my babies were normal sized and breastfeed fully over one year...then for a few years next to raw foods. I even tandem breastfed.

Once during my pregnancy, my doctor (with the first one I had lots of ultrasounds which I wouldn't want to do now anymore - but at this time I didn't know better and it looked so cute to see your baby waving at you ...) told me I'd have to have injections regarding the blood type - but after researching I decided that was nonsense what he told me and didn't do it (not saying nobody needs them - but I definitely didn't. Just make sure you research if they tell you something. More deadly "accidents" happen through doctors than through car accidents a year!). It is amazing how doctors can confuse - even frighten - you!

Especially during pregnancy you are so vulnerable and you need the most positive support you can have as the baby feels all your emotions, etc., too. All too easy we let ourselves influence by doctors because we are worried about the health of our baby. Usually, that's when things turn from good to bad.

Just think about the hospital births. Why the heck should a healthy woman go to a hospital where only sick people are?? Receiving a newborn that needs more protection from germs (and toxic chemicals!) than anybody else??? Women are born to receive their babies without any trouble. Our bodies are natural wonders . Really. It is amazing how you just feel what you have to do. You don't even need the pregnancy courses. They actually confuse often even more as we listen to everybody else then our bodies telling us what to do from our natural source of wisdom. Just make sure you have a warm and cozy home you feel safe and comfortable and have support (if you want to) from people who really do give you positive and encouraging energy. Then you just relax and enjoy the ride of the waves . And don't worry about the germs. The baby will just adopt great. It is known that it is important that babies get introduced to the germs it will be around . They are perfectly well and healthy.

Also, think about wild animals. When they get their babies they go off to a remote area, a spot away from everything - a private area. If they get disturbed they stop or prolong birth until they are alone again. Same goes for humans if they can't trust their environment. If you are at the hospital, things are different. You might feel anxious as this is a very private act and you are exposed to all kinds of strange people. Your body is alarmed and will do everything to prolong birth. That's why often births in hospitals take so long...and run into problems. The body is not relaxed as you are in an unfamiliar surrounding, it prolongs birth, the doctors think it doesn't go fast enough (they are on a time schedule) and give you medication to get the contractions going. Your body still doesn't want to but the contractions are forced to come now. This gives the baby a lot of stress (plus toxic medication through you!), the heart tones get faster or irregular and the doctor decides to make a c-section (and earns a lot of money on top of it!!!)... As you are worried about the baby you let it happen. Many even decide to have a c-section because it is "easier" - forgetting about much more pain after the surgery (and often complications) - let alone missing the feelings you are experiencing during the natural birth and hormones and so much more that are triggered through a natural birth - also for the baby! Instead of a high phase after birth you go through depression... Your body is wired to nature not to chemical hospitals...and interference. That’s just a short idea about birth... . There are people, though, who feel comfortable in a hospital and don't have problems...but the risk would be ways too high for me.

Especially during the birth you go to another world. If somebody constantly tries to get you out of it it is very frustrating as you cannot connect to your inner wisdom that just knows what to do. We are naturally intuitive if we allow us to feel and go with it. If you follow your inner voice you will have a most wonderful birthing experience. Actually not only that...your whole life will be guided. That feeling is so strong and really wants to help you in every way. Just go for it! It's fun and exciting. I call it the adventure of life as I never know where it leads me . But it's always for my best. Just trust and relax.

You can also learn to use your body as a compass...just by feeling. It works great and you have the wonderful opportunity to get to learn who YOU are more - which is sooo important if you want to be happy...but that's another theme .

I wrote a few articles that you can read here: www.rawfunfamily.com if you want to as well.

Oops, now I wrote more about birth...but hope it helps anyway. Keep asking if you want to know something else.
Hugs,
Sonja, the happy raw mom following her heart

Sonja,

What an inspiring article!

After a year and a half of trying to get pregnant, I went raw for a few months and two weeks after my husband started eating raw, I was pregnant. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to have a raw pregnancy, since I believe the diet helped us get pregnant in the first place. I ate lots of fresh veggies and fruit but then a few weeks into pregnancy I got hit with TERRIBLE morning sickness. Raw or cooked--i couldn't eat anything- I tried to eat anything, but it all made me feel terrible. I lost thirteen pounds. After a few months of this, I got my appetite back and ate lots of cooked vegetarian foods--i was maybe 60 percent raw. Towards the end I went back to eating all raw. I felt much better when I really watched my food combinations.

We were planning on having a home birth. My first son, who I had nine years ago, was born by c-section. With this second baby, I was going to try for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean), with no drugs. I had heard all about how a raw pregnancy made for a very easy relatively pain free birth. I heard all these stories from others about how painful a natural birth would be, but didn't believe any of it. In the end I labored for 26 hours and had to transfer to the hospital for some pain medication and also because labor had stalled. It was the last thing I wanted to do, but I was in excruciating pain and in no way prepared for the pain of birth.
I am writing to strongly recommend that any pregnant first time mom, who is a raw foodist, BE PREPARED for the worst! BUT you have great hope for better. I was not 100 percent raw, except for the beginning and end. But I had unwise faith that the food I ate at the beginning and end would be enough to ensure a painless delivery. I wish I was prepared for worse, because then maybe I would've tried breathing exercises, or slept for the few days leading up to the birth, or something. I am curious as to how many raw foodists had easy FIRST time babies, because childbirth is naturally easier with second and third children to begin with. The stories I've read often involve a mom who's first child(ren) were born through a cooked food diet and THEN the mom went raw for her remaining children. In that case the improvement in pain of delivery may have had a lot more to do with it being her second or third child, when everything has already been stretched wide open once before.
That being said, I would definitely have a raw pregnancy again, and its crucial that anyone considering pregnancy ever in their life get healthy NOW!!! Clearly I had more detoxing to do (hence the morning sickness). Learn about food combining--it may save your raw diet if you get pregnant and sick. It certainly helped me at the end. Now I don't HAVE to worry about food combining IF I don't want...may not be healthy for me, but I don't feel sick. But I did get sick when I was pregnant, if I wasn't careful.

My hospital experience reminded me why I was trying for a homebirth to begin with. They were ready to give me a cesarean when I came in! We had called ahead and they got a surgery room prepped for my arrival. I refused the cesarean and so the doc refused to give me an epidural (I was thankful in the end for this) I only got a little Statol for my pain. I lost a lot of blood when the yanked my placenta out instead of letting it deliver naturally. I lost so much they wanted to give me a blood transfusion, which I also refused. I also refused antibiotics for group B strep, which I had tested positive for at one point BUT had already cured (boric acid suppositories- I tried EVERything else--coconut oil, probiotics, and tested after each thing, but boric acid helped fix my ph down there and everything corrected itself!). They thought I was nuts!

However I was extremely dehydrated by the time I went in. I had refused water during my labor at home. I DO NOT recommend that!!!!! Would you refuse water for a marathon??? Don't listen to anyone who tells you to dry fast during labor...its foolish. I believe dehydration made my labor significantly more painful.

I feel like I almost died giving birth. I could hardly stand for a few weeks after coming home, because of losing so much blood. Raw foods helped me make an amazing recovery. Coconut water, figs, prunes, salads, all brought back a beautiful color to my face very quickly. I drank up to 3 young coconut's water a day. Now I am nursing and am mostly raw. I see big difference in my baby if I veer off the raw food path.

So, my point is to share some cautions...any new raw moms out there--be prepared for the worst so you can be sure to have a good experience, no matter what unexpected things come up. Plan for the worst pain you can ever imagine, JUST IN case it happens that way for you. Don't be scared, just be prepared mentally. I'm convinced I would have handled it better if I was prepared. Also STAY raw!!! Don't think you can cheat and it won't make a difference. I guess I'd have to get pregnant again, and eat 100 percent raw to say for sure that it will be better, but then it will my second child delivered naturally, so that would skew the results. SLEEP leading up to your labor--you need it!!! But don't worry about "missing" the real thing. You'll know--it will hurt big time right before you give birth. See I thought since I was raw then, it wouldn't hurt, so I had many false starts and got no sleep for the night leading up to the birth. Then I had the real pain at the end and knew that's what I should've waited for. Even jinjee from the gardendiet website says with her "pain free" births, that there is ten to fifteen minutes of intense pain. I had strong tightening contractions and they weren't really painful, and I thought I was ready to give birth. The ones that really ached and hurt so much I felt like I was being tortured...those were the real thing for me. Don't be scared, just be prepared!!!!

I hope others have births like the OP and Jinjee have had. I was so disappointed that I did not. I hope some of you can learn from my experience so you can have a birth like they describe.

I forgot to add that my son was born large ( 9 lbs 14 oz, due to all my overeating in the middle, I think) but VERY healthy! They were surprised at how well he handled the Statol. His heart was strong the whole time. I'd hate to think what would've happened if I wasn't even vegetarian for the pregnancy. I really think I'd be dead. What I did do helped tremedously I think, but I could've done more and been better prepared.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/2009 12:04PM by musicbebe.

Also I forgot to add that I would've benefited from exercise..that's another thing I probably should've done more of. I wasn't sedentary, but I needed to build my strength! I also wish I was more focused on my coming prize--the baby-- during labor. I had forgotten the miracle of life that was coming. Oh sure, I knew I was having a baby, but forgot the awe and the joy that would follow when I had him in my arms.

Hi Musicbebe,

Thanks so much for sharing! I am very thankful we had two wonderful experiences at home. And I feel with you for all the pain you had to go through. I know many women go through it - often not knowing why - and feeling so depleted and depressed afterwards.

Oh, and it hurt for me, too. You learn to go with it...but it was very intense. And you'd hear it from far away . I think it also has to do with your mindset. Also, when you are relaxed you have less problems as when you are tense (which in hospitals happens often), of course. Or if somebody is ready for the baby mentally. Like with life there are so many factors that play together. But you can choose to have one of the better experiences...if you know about it . And at the end that's what I try to do, too...to encourage women to try it.

As of raw pregnancies I know of many who - during their first 3 months - eat cooked again even if they have been raw the whole time. I also know some raw moms who being 100% raw got very sick and lost lots of weight. All of them came back to raw after those few months, though. Good nurishment is crucial.

Excersising is very benefitial, too. Yes. It probably also has to do with the kind of level you are in. If I go running I might be out of breath the first few yards but then my body switches to a deeper breathing and I could run forever...well, not really . But you know what I mean, right? If you are relaxed and in a calm surrounding you can go to that deeper level and automatically breathe deep and feel better even without lots of training ahead. Those are my experiences. May be it's best to just use the time before birth to really get in contact with your body .

Going to bed now...
Sonja

thanks for opening this discussion!

i ate a high percentage of raw foods right before i met my partner - so did he. the first meal he made me was zucchini noodles with raw pesto but from there it was a downward spiral - heavy, cooked vegetarian foods and lots of drinking.

in any case, we got pregnant 4 years later by surprise. he was disappointed that he wasn't in optimal health when we conceived (he was even a smoker at the time, which i am not happy about)...in any case, i just wanted to share my POSITIVE birthing experience.

we chose a home waterbirth and chose some great local midwives. i had read about unassisted birth but wasn't 100% sure i wanted that responsibility, so we were incredibly fortunate to have midwives who would be minimalist in their participation during labor, but be there when we needed them. my labor was 18 hours of active, intense - 21 hrs total. there were times i feared i would be a non-emergency transport, but in general i believe my stregnth and inner belief that i could birth the way i was meant to got me through it without drugs, intervention (except for some manual cervix scraping at the end)...i couldnt keep food down at all until i was pushing, and then i had the best food in the world - 2 mangoes and a banana. to this day, these are two of my sons favorite foods!

i ate a hearty vegetarian diet during pregnancy. i wasnt super into salads, but i did a lot of steamed veggies, and also just vegetarian foods. i loathed cottage cheese but tried to take it sometimes because the midwives stressed the dire importance of protein. there were no ill effects from my diet, and i feel like when you are pregnant you are feeding the life within and building, so much more than you are storing it in your body. my baby had some of the purest cooked foods there are - whole foods. ive never liked sugar or junk food and was repulsed by the taste of it during pregnancy. i also oddly was repulsed by seaweeds. i guess the body knows what it needs. my #1 craving was grapefruit, in every way shape and form.

if i do have a baby again id love to try a raw diet. i think more raw mamas need to speak out, because we are "fed" such information about protein.

but all in all,i think for a successful pregnancy and birth you need to fully OWN the idea that you can have the birth you want. a dear friend of mine was filled with fear the whole time, and sure enough her homebirth ended in a c-section. i also envisioned nursing my baby for YEARS before i had him, and our breastfeeding relationship is still awesome (he's 2 now). never had a problem.

the key here is to believe that the body can do it. we have all the tools we need. we have all the answers.

My concern, I guess, is that a few raw food leaders are saying you can have a pain free birth except for 10 to 15 minutes of real pain at the end (Jinjee says this in her ebook, "Raw Pregnancy, Ecstatic Birth,", and that other raw fooders may go into pregnancy unprepared for the reality of the whole experience. Now, I wasn't all raw, but I ate enough raw to think it was going to save me the painful experience that "cooked food mamas" go through for labor. So I was not mentally prepared for the pain that came. I think the outcome would've been better had I prepared for the worst. I had 24 hours of the worst aching pain anyone can ever imagine. If torturers could mimic the pain of contractions, it would be an effective method of torture. It felt like a dragon putting his talons into my lower abdominal muscles and twisting and squeezing them. For 24 hours I had this pain every 3 minutes. I wanted so bad to lay down and sleep, but couldn't. That was the worst part for me. I did use a shower head and a blow dryer for the heat on my abdomen and that helped a lot, but added to my dehydration. I honestly feel betrayed that my midwife (whom I really loved) only told me it would be "intense" when I asked her ahead of time what it would be like. Intense??? Watching a suspenseful movie is intense, running a marathon is intense!! Those contractions hurt like a mofo (see above description)!!!!! Tell it like it is people!!!

Now I understand maybe some people don't want to hear this. But I wish someone had told me!! I have a friend who was thankful I told her. But it makes no sense why some people don't want to "frighten the pregnant women"...because of the risk of them being unprepared. Once I was in labor, the second midwife who I met at the birth told me that most women are completely unprepared for the pain of childbirth."Thanks, now someone tells me!!" I thought. No wonder most women are unprepared if no one tells them the truth! If I had known I would've arranged to have every pain management tool available to me at birth. I would've had a bath for a water bath (my bathtub wasn't installed then, though I had the shower), birthing ball, anything. I would've seen what kind of pain meds, natural and otherwise, I could've had at home, just in case, cause I'd rather have taken pain meds at home than gone to the hospital. I would've rested for the weeks leading up to the birth. I would've prepared myself mentally ahead of time, instead of being upset at being misled while I was in all that pain.

Back to raw foods. To add insult to injury, I thought I wouldn't even experience the "intense" "discomfort" of a SAD eater's labor, because I ate so much raw. I am half skeptical that eating all raw can save you the pain of a first time vaginal birth. Like I said earlier in my first post, is it less painful for some raw moms because they are describing their second or third births (which tend be at least half as long as a first time birth, even for a SAD eater)? Jinjee's first pregnancy was cooked. There is no doubt in my mind that eating raw may be the healthiest way of eating for a pregnant mom, but there is a lot of idealism in the raw food movement. It cures every disease, it's the fountain of youth, it'll give you a pain-free childbirth, etc...well I wasn't 100 percent raw for mine, so maybe I'll never know, but I sure did eat a lot of raw and my birth was about the same as any SAD eater out there. Now I do think I fared MUCH better than I would've if I were eating SAD, but I was about 23 hours and 45 minutes away from "only 15 minutes of pain." Imagine my disappointment!!!

I'm just lamenting my unpreparedness, not our lot in life as women when it comes to chilbirth, because the reward in the end makes the pain extremely pale in comparison and very soon it is a distant memory. This doesn't discourage me from eating all raw next time. And I also believe some of my pain was punishment from God for my past sins (I'm serious). Some of you may think of it as karma. Anyway, it certainly put the fear of God in me, and actually helped me put an end to certain bad and unkind behaviors on my part. For me that's good. It was a physically, mentally, and spiritually cleansing process. And in the end I had a precious baby boy. I wouldn't trade him for anything, and I would've gone through any amount of physical pain to bring him in to the world, and I believe all moms would agree, no matter their experiences as well. And I believe that next time my experience will be better because this one made me stronger and I will be better prepared, and ideally, healthier too.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2009 01:26PM by musicbebe.

Fascinating posts...

'Once I was in labor, the second midwife who I met at the birth told me that most women are completely unprepared for the pain of childbirth."

Oh this is so true...I always remember in my first ante-natal class one woman saying she was prepared for childbirth because she had very painful periods and in her words 'nothing could be more painful'. Although I hadn't given birth at that time, I remember thinking she was in for a bit of a shock...

And if Jinjee did describe her births as pain-free, but in fact admitted there was 10-15 minutes of 'intense pain', then she told a lie, as 10-15 minutes of 'intense pain' can in no way be part of an experience described as 'pain-free'. Please someone tell me she's been misquoted? Hope so.

I had a natural childbirth for second child, eg not even gas and air, but older members might have heard me - November 6th 88. However, was cooked veg+fish at the time, and, as for karma, well, let's just say if that's so, then yes I well and truly deserved what I received - a lot of sinning to be purged!

Hmm...how can I keep this on raw, so we don't see this thread with the fatal 'moved' on it...umm...oh, I know - any other old hags out there who'd love to get pregnant right now and bring up a child raw? I would! But, at 50, with only one fallopian tube and a vasectomised husband, not a great chance of that happening.

(I think it's going to get 'moved'...)

Haha! That's funny because I thought the same thing. I had really painful periods so I thought I could handle labor--what a joke!! My periods were so painful I'd have to take 4 advil every four hours for pain (but discovered fresh pineapple took away my pain when I ate raw--search for my thread on that topic if you have painful periods. Sadly pinapple did nothing for the labor pains). I thought no one knew how painful my periods were and that labor would be like them. Wrongo!!

I'll have to look back at my ebook to see what exactly Jinjee said about pain. I think it was more like "relatively pain free birth" and she said after her description of her almost enjoyable labor, that there was always "ten to fifteen minutes of intense pain." Those aren't exact quotes, but are from my memory.

I still have hope for a future raw pregnancy. I'm gonna do everything I can to minimize my pain! Hopefully this thread won't be moved, because it totally involves the raw diet and was a hard thing to find info on when I ate raw and wanted to know how my diet would affect my pregnancy and birthing experience.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2009 02:49PM by musicbebe.

Thanks for sharing the good and the bad of your birthing experiences ladies!
I am pregnant with my first now, and due in about 3 months. I wanted a home water birth with a midwife, but there were literally NO midwifes available!! Instead I have found a natural childbirth center about 45 min drive from where I live, I am out in the country as it is, 20mins from the closest hospital. At this birth center, there is a doctor who believes in natural childbirth, placing the baby on mom immediately after delivery, keeping the parent with mom at all times, breast feeding right away, etc... there are also birthing pools. I am really excited about that as I was determined to at least labor in a birthing pool, had already bought my own birthing pool for a home birth when I realized I couldn't find a midwife. Another positive at the natural childbirth center is that a doula is required, this costs - $800, which had me on the fence for a while, but now that I've met her and decided, it's so worth it. Just the information that a natural birth mother of four can bestow on me, the help with a birth plan, etc, is worth it already. I am not disillusioned so much to think that all raw or mostly raw will be magic come delivery time, I think my attitude and determination to have a beautiful delivery will be what does it for me. I have never doubted that I would not use drugs, that I will breast feed, etc. I can't imagine any pain or problems deterring me from accomplishing what I am so committed to. When I first went 100% raw, nearly 3 years ago, I stopped using drugs, medicine, pain killers, etc, mostly because I no longer needed them. One time I did take a pain killer after being raw for a year and a half, the agony of that pain killer burning my stomach was worse than the pain I'd had initially. Raw makes you more sensitive, especially all raw, and in that regard I would be scared to take drugs, pain killers, etc, of any kind... one more reason why I am determined to be drug free!

As for raw, I've been mostly raw, all vegan and if not raw than whole foods... I am doing my best to grow a nutritionally blessed baby.

Sunflower
Raw Food Chef and Writer
Comfortably Raw
[www.comfortablyraw.com]

Great attitude, rawsun. Let us know how your pregnancy and birth go. I forgot to mention that moving was critical for me. It hurt the most to do that, but it helped me dilate. My midwife put her hands on my hips and forced me to sway through the contractions. Towards the end I was so stiff and tense and refused to move...probably adding hours to my labor. Next time I will move no matter what!

both babies born at home, the first with friends present but no midwife, the second on my own with only my 6 year old who woke up near the end and was my enthusiastic cheering section from then on. perfect pregnancies, no pushing or tearing and there was no "pain" for me in the real sense of the word. certainly it was a huge physical experience but it wasn't painful, only becoming very intense and verging on what pain is for me at the very end.

everyone is different in this, some have lower or higher physical thresholds and everyone's body is unique. though stress and mindset are factors in this, it isn't a "failure" if one does experience pain, that is just their body type. i think many women who anticipate and desire a natural birth end up feeling like they Are failures in that if they do feel what they equate with "pain" or if things don't go the way they wanted them to. that isn't so, everyone's experience is their own, unique and exactly what They NEED to stay centered in their body and bring that baby and themselves through to the other side, else they both slip off into that nether-land between being and not yet being. kwim?

i don't think that anticipating pain will make an experience easier, and i'm not sure that thinking one Won't have pain will make it harder if there is pain. the trick is to keep an open mind about it all and to be flexible because things may go very differently than you think or want it to. that philosophy works for most of life i think.

IMO, being raw is probably very helpful, but it's important to be prepared in other ways as well. Whether a birth is relatively painless, or whether it's not, prior instruction and practice with breathing techniques, etc. will REALLY help.

I wasn't able to attend birthing classes before my son was born, but I was fortunate enough to read a little book called "Thank you Dr. Lamaze." It's an easy read about the author's experience with natural childbirth. But it also explains the Lamaze breathing techniques for minimizing pain and easing delivery, and gives a clear description of the stages of labor.

I went into labor prematurely (at 6 months). The premature birth probably helped ease the pain since my baby was so small (only 2 pounds 4 oz). But still, I was in labor for 26 hours. Reading the book saved me a lot of trouble, and may even have saved my baby's life.

I had my baby in 1969. At the time, very few babies survived who were born so prematurely. And natural childbirths were extremely rare. If midwives were available, I didn't know about them. I chose to go with a doctor recommended to me by a friend who had just had her own natural childbirth.

When I went to the hospital with labor contractions, I soon learned that the nurses knew nothing about natural childbirth, and had no inclination to hear anything from me! Despite their lack of support, I breathed through my contractions, and felt at ease and in control - thanks to prior instruction from the book I'd read.

A "specialist" came into my room and told me that if my premature baby was born alive, he'd probably never take a first breath; and if he did, he probably wouldn't survive for long. I didn't believe him.

Later, my doctor came in and told me that when premature babies survive, they're usually very smart (he was right, of course).

I recognized my final stage of labor because of what I'd learned from the book. I told the nurse to get the doctor, because the baby was coming. But she wouldn't believe me! She checked my dilation and said no, the baby wasn't coming, and besides, the doctor was in a conference for another hour and shouldn't be disturbed!

I told her, "But I know for sure that the baby's coming, because I feel like I have to take a big sh*t!" I'd read in the book that this was THE sure sign that the baby was coming soon (although I don't think the book used those same words). But the nurse didn't understand. Instead she said, "Young lady, we don't use those words in this hospital!"

Next thing, my husband and the nurse were in a heated "discussion" over whether it's OK to say "sh*t" in a hospital (Um, um, hey! This baby is coming!). The nurse and my husband weren't listening to me!

Luckily, a nurse's aide came into the room and walked up to my bed. While the nurse and my husband were deep into their discussion about saying "sh*t" in a hospital, I told the aide that my baby was coming, and I needed the doctor right away. So the aide went to get the doctor.

The nurse then took notice and checked me again. Suddenly she decided that I was going to have my baby afterall. She told me to start pushing. Wrong!

I told her "no, I'm not supposed to start pushing yet." I learned that from the book. The nurse's response was, "Do what I tell you! I'm the nurse, and you're the patient!"

Well, she seemed so sure of herself, and the doctor wasn't there yet, so I started pushing. At that point, thankfully, the doctor came in. He saw me pushing and shouted, "DON'T PUSH!"

Good thing he got there on time. He knew what he was doing. They wheeled me into the delivery room. I was panting through my contractions just like I'd been taught. I waited to push until the doctor told me it was time. Those last minutes were the most painful, but not really bad, and the breathing techniques helped a lot. Mainly, I was just thinking about having my baby. A few pushes and my wonderful son was born. He let out a good "WAAH!" - a great and unexpected sign, because it meant he'd taken a breath!

Oh God! He's alive! They rushed him into an incubator.

If the doctor hadn't been there on time, my premature son might have been born away from the incubator, and without the immediate assistance of the doctor who kept him alive. And if I hadn't read the book, I wouldn't have known when the doctor needed to be there.

Or, if I'd taken drugs, that could have killed my son.

But he survived. He's now a dad, and I'm a grandma, present at the (almost) natural birth of my beautiful healthy grandson.

The moral of the story is, raw or not: Learn all you can about your own role in the birthing process, and try to have your husband/friend learn too. Attend classes with your husband/friend if possible, and if you have a midwife, make sure you and your midwife are on the same page about techniques, etc.

The more you know, the more prepared you'll be - for whatever!

The book, "Thank You Dr. Lamaze", by Marjorie Karmel (1959) is still available, and there's now a website, "Lamaze International":

[www.lamaze.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/26/2009 11:02PM by suncloud.

Just checked the Lamaze International website and noticed that "breathing" is no longer considered the "hallmark" of Lamaze. And I couldn't find anything on the website about breathing techniques.

Too bad. The breathing really helped me. Good thing the book is still available:

[www.amazon.com]

I love threads where Moms share their birthing stories! Just wanted to say that!


Me (30), Joseph (24 mo.) Jeremiah (4 mo.)

We are enjoying spring and being outside!!!

I am a nusing mom who is transitioning to 100% raw. Sould i do a slow transition or would it be safe for me to just jump in 100%.