I learned so much from each of my very unique birth experiences.
Thing 1 – Bedrest for 9 weeks and Emergency Cesarean at 34 weeks
- pregnancy and birth is unpredictable
- flexibility helps keep you sane
- cesareans are sometimes medically necessary to save babies and moms
Thing 2 – modified bedrest VBAC at 42 weeks
- That when you say you won’t complain when you get big, that is a really hard thing not to do.
- Hypnosis can help you feel confident about birth
- Hypnosis can help you sleep better
- Epidurals can be wonderful
Thing 3 – PUPPS rash and VBAC at 41.5 weeks
- Hypnosis + great Childbirth Education can help you be really prepared for birth
- PUPPS really sucks
- Hypnobabies gave me plenty of tools to have a comfortable un-medicated birth
- Natural birth is awesome and you have an incredible high after.
- Just because nursing worked well the first 2 times, doesn’t mean it will work easily the 3rd time.
I am grateful for each of my unique birth experiences. They have helped me to be a well rounded doula. I know how to support my moms whether they have a cesarean, an epidural vaginal birth or an un-medicated birth. I can empathize with their situations.
- If I had only amazing natural birth experiences would I have judged those moms who choose epidruals?
- If I had only vaginal births would I have understood and fought so hard for VBAC moms?
- If I only had easy times creating that nursing relationship with my boys, would I have been as supportive of my moms struggling with nursing?
My births shaped who I am, as a
- woman
- mother
- childbirth educator
- doula
I am grateful for each birth I have had myself.
I am also grateful for each birth I have attended as a doula! I learn so much from each of those.
I couldn’t agree with you more that each birth is unique and every birth imparts life lessons.
Robby – 2002/E – CS
Talitha – 2004/VBAC
Ephraim – 2006/HBAC
Joshua – 2008/HBAC tfr – CS
Sarah – 2010/E – CS
Incredible. Thank you.
This is a great entry. I really enjoyed reading this. I especially liked the part about breastfeeding working the first 2 times doesn’t mean it will go so well the 3rd time. I’m really hoping I can say this after I have my next baby… only the opposite way: I really hope I can say just cuz breastfeeding didn’t work out too good the 1st time doesn’t mean it can’t be totally different and wonderful the 2nd time around. I struggled (and still find myself struggling) with not having adequate milk supply for my daughter who was born 19 months ago. I was heartbroken. I told myself and everyone else that I would breastfeed and that I would do it for a year… but I ended up having to supplement A LOT… and only breastfed (what I could produce) until my daughter was about 8 months old (which was WAY longer than my LC said I would be able to go). I hated myself and felt horrible for giving my daughter 2nd best. I’m really hoping that when I have this next baby around June of next year that my experience will be different. Part of me thinks I won’t be able to fully forgive myself for the failure of the 1st time until I succeed. There should be a hypnobabies track for that! lol I need to listen to that one all day long! Thanks so much for this post. It gave me some hope.
There is hope! I am glad you are going to try again and what a gift you gave your daughter. To work so hard to breastfeed her for as long as you did.
Hugs!
Sheridan