Birth/ b∂rTH/
the emergence of a baby or other young from the body of its mother; the start of life as a physically separate being.
Rec• la• ma• tion:
the process of claiming something back or of reasserting a right.
First, isn't it sad that a female would feel as if she had to reclaim her birth experience. Wouldn't it be a much more peaceful process if women could be supported during the labor and birth process to birth normally (as in the way nature intended- left alone and free from unnecessary medical interventions that do not directly apply to them), naturally (as in they way our ancestors birthed, completely DRUG FREE, if desired)?
This is why #SymbioticBirth was created... to bring the best of normality in birthing with ONLY medically necessary interventions. There is no reason why the two can't go hand and hand, after all educated couples are not against medical procedures when they are actually needed, they are simply against unnecessary interventions being applied on the masses just because (one example) quote "everyone has an IV to have a baby"...FALSE. Healthy MOMS who are properly hydrated have no emergent medical reason for an IV, medical staff, however, will very often give the speech "In the event of an emergency..." Here is the irony, in the event of an emergency most every couple will gladly reexamine their wishes and welcome informed consent. Here is where most have the biggest issue, when a perfectly healthy mom walks into her birth place (typically a hospital) and she is greeted with a doctor who introduces himself/herself and follows immediately with "You know sometimes some women have to have c-sections. I'm sorry ~ what?... is my personal response in my mind. When I hear this and trust me, I have witnessed this exact scenario play out multiple times, I turn and say, "WE ARE GONNA PUSH THIS BABY OUT THANKS!"
And,
PUSH
SHE
DID
THE
FIRST
TIME
AND
THE
SECOND
TIME..
Hence the second time around, the word, RECLAMATION for Sarah & Jorge Neri.
The JOY and excitement of their first birth so quickly sucked from the room by an Obstetrician who could have said anything but Hi my name is Dr so & so and sometimes women have to have c-sections! I think, WHY? What would possess a medical professional to say such to a healthy mom who is managing her labor just fine, baby is head down, she has NO medical reasons which would warrant possible medical intervention, surgery, etc., is he just having a bad day, does he just want to make more money, what? Luckily, for the couple they had trained twelve weeks for natural birth. They had practical skills to carry them despite the lack of support of their paid birth professionals. They also chose to hire a DOULA to help advocate since they knew the hospital they were birthing had a reputation of not supporting couples wishes for their birth. They had a natural birth the first time despite all the negativity and lack of support, but you see the happiness in anticipation of their "birth" was sucked away and everyone was on edge after. It just didn't feel right. Dad felt like he had to keep MOM from being bullied into intervention she did not want nor need and often the staff out loud eye rolled the couple for choosing to labor free of unnecessary interventions. WHY? If anything these couples are lightening the often heavy load of nurses, these couples rock their labors independently and have a basis of understanding so, it seems nurses would be tickled to be assigned to a natural birth couple, but typically the opposite is true sadly.
WHAT DID THIS POWER COUPLE DO DIFFERENT WITH BABY & LABOR #2...
1) They chose an out of hospital center that supports not only natural low intervention births, but also a COUPLES RIGHT TO CHOOSE THEIR BIRTH ~ THEIR WAY.
2) They chose to hire a DOULA (even though they reviewed labor and birth skills with YourBirthHelper.com labor role play workshops).
3) They chose to manage a great deal of their labor at home in moms comfy relaxing space.
4) They arrived at their birth place ready to push a baby out... (maybe a little later than Sarah would've liked), but no doubt Jorge wasn't taking any chances this time of someone stealing their JOY.
5) They chose to have a SURPRISE GENDER to add even more "HAPPY" to their second "BIRTH" day!
I personally could not have been happier myself. Not only did they take the information they learned and apply it extremely well, they #NAILEDIT ~ BIRTH that is!
I literally drove 3 hours up from Georgia to support their labor, alongside my #CharlotteDoulaDreamTeam. Allison and I awaited the arrival of the couple at the front door of Baby & Co Charlotte. Approximately, five minutes later Jorge pulled the car up to the front door. Sarah was no doubt completely engulfed in her labor contractions. She was most definitely transitioning in the car, as upon exiting the car and entering the birth center push phase had commenced without her. I immediately reminded her we would not want to have a baby in the lobby of the birth center, but it literally felt to her as if the baby was trying to come out. I cupped her vagina (just in case) and to make her feel as if she could make the last steps to Birth Room 3. It was a little further than she had anticipated. Once she was bedside, I asked her to sit back on the bed, she didn't want to feeling as if she would be sitting on the head. I had just unexpectedly had to catch a baby in a hospital just days before when my client (also standing bedside) baby decided it was coming and the staff wasn't ready. I reminded Sarah and asked her to please not make me do that again, because, if my hands are tied, I can't capture any good pictures...lol.
Sara wasn't into singing a song to help prevent overwhelming urge to bear down, therefore I suggested she use a low register noise or word. I pulled her pants down to find the baby was in FULL CROWN. She finally was able to gently sit back on bed and the midwife, Ife and & picked her legs up. We encouraged her to be easy, little grunts/pushes to allow the head to stretch her and avoid tears. With just a few active pushes, the head peeked out looking at me and then turning as it rotated on its way into this world. (Yes, I captured some amazing pics- even one of the fetal Heimlich maneuver). So fabulous! Once the head was out Sarah gave a gentle push, and out comes the baby onto her chest... there was a brief pauses and then Jorge calls out, "I GOT MY GIRL!!!" Then the tears commenced! Just like in John 16:21, her heart WAS immediately filled with JOY!! I would say, "and she could remember the pain no more" but, hello she still had third stage labor to go. The passing of the afterbirth.
( The BAG of Waters contains two layers, the inner & outer layers amnion & chorion)
Sarah was never so happy to gently bear down and have the midwife assist as she birthed one of the largest placentas I have personally ever seen! Her placenta appeared to have something resembling an extra lobe attached, which is not a problem, just more cosmetic than anything they say.
I could not be more proud of Doula Apprentice, Allison Termeer, as she was instrumental in capturing the midwife's logging times, etc. in the absence of a baby nurse, because the birth happened so very quickly one was not present till shortly after.
Congrats to this amazing family, aka #BirthFamily #CharlotteBirthFamily and the latest addition to YourBirthHelper.com Charlotte team, Sarah Neri on her second low intervention drug free birth, and to she & her hubby, the RECLAMATION OF THEIR HAPPY "BIRTH"DAY! Congrats also to BIG BROTHER ADEN aka my little dinosaur!
