Grateful for my Births!

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 3^rd 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 wrote this for the Grateful for Birth Experiences Carnival at the Preparing for Birth Blog!