Home birth is safe, says new study!

I was very happy to log onto my favorite news source (uh-hem, Facebook) and find this article from USA Today that reads "Study: Home birth with midwife as safe as hospital birth" Glory Hallelujah! I couldn't be more excited to find a major U.S. news source stating what the home birth community already knows.

The study was done in Canada, where midwifery is a more open and more accepted practice than here in the U.S. They documented 13,000 births, about 1/3 were home births with a midwife, 1/3 hospital births with the same group of midwives, and the other 1/3 hospital births with an obstetrician and compared the data sets. They found that out of 1,000 live births, the infant mortality rate among the home birth group was .35, the hospital with a midwife group was .57, and the hospital group who birthed with an OB was .64. The statistics alone say that home birth is actually not as safe as hospital birth - it is SAFER! However, I will concede that they are not necessarily comparing apples to apples. What we need to know is how many of the hospital patients were low-risk births. Midwives will usually not attend home births for clients who have high-risk factors or who have breech babies or premature babies. Many home birthing mothers are overall healthier and pay more attention to diet pre and post conception, which may help have a positive outcome of birth. The article also states that women who birth at home need less medical intervention and have fewer complications like hemorrhage and vaginal tearing.

The article also states the problem with midwifery here in the U.S. is that many states do not regulate midwives. It says that the medical community sees home birth as unsafe because many "midwives" may not have the proper education or necessary credentials. However, there are about a dozen states in the nation where practicing midwifery is illegal, several states who do not license midwives, and several more states where midwives are totally unregulated. This is a complete double-standard where the public is warned that home birth is dangerous because midwifery is not regulated, while the states could choose to regulate and license midwives.

Articles like these bring home birth and midwifery to the public eye, and for that I am very grateful. The more home birth is seen as a safe and good option, the more pressure will be put on states, like my home state, to certify and legalized Certified Professional Midwives.

The picture is my wonderful midwife, checking out my newborn.

Why Have a Natural Birth?

1. Trust in God's Design
2. Often results in fewer complications
3. Less risk of harm to mother and baby
4. Labor is usually shorter
5. No loss in sensation or alertness
6. Allowing labor to start spontaneously results in fewer complications and there is a greater chance the baby will be fully developed and ready to live outside the womb.
7. Breastfeeding may be established easier
8. Recovery is usually quicker
9. Empowering
10. Sense of accomplishment
11. Because we can!

Your Rights!

While writing this post, I've almost constantly been hearing a certain 1987 Beastie Boys song in my head. Hm, I didn't even listen to the Beastie Boys back in the day...

Anyway, while you may not fight for your right to party anymore, a birthing mother sometimes has to fight for her right to birth the way she chooses. Particularly, you may have to fight policy in a hospital setting.

I hear so many stories that start or end with "the doctor made me...". A doctor can not make you do anything. That is illegal. However, he or she can recommend something and it is up to you as an individual and a knowledgeable adult to accept or decline. Unless it is an emergency situation, you should never be pressured into anything without being able to think, research, and pray about a procedure beforehand. This statement is specifically about pregnancy and birth, but applies to all health care decisions. The decision truly is yours. Remember, you hired the doctor... he or she actually works for you!

I say this with The Rights of Childbearing Women in mind. The following is taken from www.childbirthconnection.org, a women's advocacy group since 1918. Some of these rights are fairly obvious to most of us, but some of them are not routinely honored in the hospital setting, or are not known by the mother. I'll point them out after the list...

The Rights of Childbearing Women
* At this time in the United States, childbearing women are legally entitled to those rights.
** The legal system would probably uphold those rights.

1. Every woman has the right to health care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth.

2. Every woman and infant has the right to receive care that is consistent with current scientific evidence about benefits and risks.* Practices that have been found to be safe and beneficial should be used when indicated. Harmful, ineffective or unnecessary practices should be avoided. Unproven interventions should be used only in the context of research to evaluate their effects.

3. Every woman has the right to choose a midwife or a physician as her maternity care provider. Both caregivers skilled in normal childbearing and caregivers skilled in complications are needed to ensure quality care for all.

4. Every woman has the right to choose her birth setting from the full range of safe options available in her community, on the basis of complete, objective information about benefits, risks and costs of these options.*

5. Every woman has the right to receive all or most of her maternity care from a single caregiver or a small group of caregivers, with whom she can establish a relationship. Every woman has the right to leave her maternity caregiver and select another if she becomes dissatisfied with her care.* (Only second sentence is a legal right.)

6. Every woman has the right to information about the professional identity and qualifications of those involved with her care, and to know when those involved are trainees.*

7. Every woman has the right to communicate with caregivers and receive all care in privacy, which may involve excluding nonessential personnel. She also has the right to have all personal information treated according to standards of confidentiality.*

8. Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that identifies and addresses social and behavioral factors that affect her health and that of her baby.** She should receive information to help her take the best care of herself and her baby and have access to social services and behavioral change programs that could contribute to their health.

9. Every woman has the right to full and clear information about benefits, risks and costs of the procedures, drugs, tests and treatments offered to her, and of all other reasonable options, including no intervention.* She should receive this information about all interventions that are likely to be offered during labor and birth well before the onset of labor.

10. Every woman has the right to accept or refuse procedures, drugs, tests and treatments, and to have her choices honored. She has the right to change her mind.* (Please note that this established legal right has been challenged in a number of recent cases.)

11. Every woman has the right to be informed if her caregivers wish to enroll her or her infant in a research study. She should receive full information about all known and possible benefits and risks of participation; and she has the right to decide whether to participate, free from coercion and without negative consequences.*

12. Every woman has the right to unrestricted access to all available records about her pregnancy, labor, birth, postpartum care and infant; to obtain a full copy of these records; and to receive help in understanding them, if necessary.*

13. Every woman has the right to receive maternity care that is appropriate to her cultural and religious background, and to receive information in a language in which she can communicate.*

14. Every woman has the right to have family members and friends of her choice present during all aspects of her maternity care.**

15. Every woman has the right to receive continuous social, emotional and physical support during labor and birth from a caregiver who has been trained in labor support.**

16. Every woman has the right to receive full advance information about risks and benefits of all reasonably available methods for relieving pain during labor and birth, including methods that do not require the use of drugs. She has the right to choose which methods will be used and to change her mind at any time.*

17. Every woman has the right to freedom of movement during labor, unencumbered by tubes, wires or other apparatus. She also has the right to give birth in the position of her choice.*

18. Every woman has the right to virtually uninterrupted contact with her newborn from the moment of birth, as long as she and her baby are healthy and do not need care that requires separation.**

19. Every woman has the right to receive complete information about the benefits of breastfeeding well in advance of labor, to refuse supplemental bottles and other actions that interfere with breastfeeding, and to have access to skilled lactation support for as long as she chooses to breastfeed.**

20. Every woman has the right to decide collaboratively with caregivers when she and her baby will leave the birth site for home, based on their conditions and circumstances.**

#9 is not routinely practiced. If this information is not received well before the onset of labor, upon admittance to the hospital a stack of paperwork is handed to a woman, who is expected to sign and perhaps read while in the middle of her birthing time. Often the paperwork is hastily signed and no one knows what any of it said. It is a very good idea to ask for all paperwork at a prenatal appointment and to carefully go over everything, and edit, before signing. Also, many risks of interventions are not clearly stated before hand. Not only is it a good idea to get paperwork and ask questions before birth, but you must do your own research.

#10 is not routinely practiced. Many women believe that whatever their doctor prescribes, they have to have. They do not know that you can refuse tests and treatment not only during birth, but in prenatal exams. You may think that if your doctor recommends it then it must be best, but again, this is where personal research and decision making is imperative. A doctor will recommend treatments and interventions for a variety of reasons including routine, policy, or personal agenda, not necessarily because it is best for your baby as an individual.

#16 may not be routinely practiced, and women are receiving epidurals and other pain relieving drugs without being fully aware of the potential side effects and risks

#17 is not routinely practiced. Many women are told to get in bed even if they don't want to. Freedom of movement is a right and should be respected. Laboring and birthing flat on your back is just about the worse position and is only practiced for convenience of the caregivers.

#18 is so important. I believe skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth is vital and the baby should not be taken unless medical attention is needed. Many tests and exams of the newborn can be done while mom is holding baby.

#20 is pretty much an unknown, and most women wait on their doctor's permission to be released instead of being an active participant in the decision.

Be prepared to fight for your right. The best way to do this is to have a written birth plan. If your plan is read by all nurses and agreed upon by your doctor, there should be much less of a fight... To party, or otherwise...

Once a cesarean always a cesarean?

Many doctors today still push a woman into having a repeat cesarean because they were taught it was safer than attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC). The good news is that the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) have recently come out and said this is unnecessary!

ACOG released a statement last year saying: "Attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) is a safe and appropriate choice for most women who have had a prior cesarean delivery, including for some women who have had two previous cesareans." It also states that 60-80% of appropriate VBAC candidates go on to be successful. (The other 20-40% have a C-Section.)

A previous C-Section does not have to foil a desire for a vaginal or natural birth. Many women also go on to have HBAC - a home birth after cesarean!

Birth Lessons from a Chicken

What a sweet, sweet post from the natural birth blog "Talk Birth"

Birth Lessons from a Chicken

Fever in Newborns

The other night Mary Abilene had a very, very mild fever. She was just a little hot to the touch and it lasted only a few minutes while she nursed and calmed down. But it prompted me to dig out one of my children's medical books. I found something worth sharing, since I maintain a natural birth blog.

This was in the fever section of Dr. Robert Mendelsohn's "How to Raise a Healthy Child... In Spite of Your Doctor" Dr. M is an M.D. and a pediatrician!

"Newborn babies may suffer from infections related to obstetrical interventions during the delivery process, prenatal or hereditary conditions, or events that occur shortly after birth. They may develop abscesses as a result of fetal monitoring prior to delivery or aspiration pneumonia from amniotic fluid forced into the lungs because of overmedication of the mother during labor. They may contract an infection from circumcision performed by the obstetrician before they left the hospital. Finally, they may develop infections from the legion of germs that abound in the hospital itself. (That's one of the reasons all of my grandchildren have been born at home!)" (pp. 76-77) He goes on to say that a baby in the first few months of life with a fever should always be taken to the doctor. He lists these reasons because he says that most fevers in babies and children older than a few months, do not warrant a trip to the doctor.

Time for a Change

Did you know that the United States has the second worse newborn death rate in the developed world and one of the worst maternal death rates in all industrialized countries?  How could that be with all our technological advances and medical interventions?  Or, is that exactly the problem?

Please read this interesting article about Birth in the U.S.  And if you are real ambitious, this article by Amnesty International about the maternal health care crisis in the U.S.

If you haven't read my birth story, a "different" perspective of how great birth can be, please feel free to do so.

The Birth of Mary Abilene

Believe it or not.. this is the shortened version! :)


I couldn’t really get to sleep Saturday night and didn’t until 3am on Sunday, August 8, 2010. I woke back up at 5:30 am having to go to the bathroom. I sat down on the toilet and realized I was having some low back discomfort. So low, it was in my sacrum. My heart rate jumped instantly since I knew one of the first signs of your birthing time is back discomfort. I thought about it for a while, and went back to bed. My back ached and so did my low abdomen. I thought that surely it was just gas. Then it started coming in waves. I still wasn’t sure that it wasn’t just some gas. By 7:30 Patrick’s alarm went off and I told him I couldn’t go to church because I hadn’t slept well. “And oh, I’m having back discomfort that wraps around the front in waves.” He said that he certainly wasn’t going to church either if I was having waves. At 8:00 am I passed my mucous plug with the realization that I did not have gas, that I was entering my birthing time!

A little background: The childbirth education I chose is Hypnobabies. Hypnobabies is a complete childbirth education class (we got the home study course) that teaches all aspects of childbirth but includes self-hypnosis directed towards birthing. It sounds a little weird, but once I learned that by “hypnosis” they meant a state of deep relaxation that we all go in many times a day to rejuvenate, it wasn’t all that weird. The course says that we are often in hypnosis while driving or watching t.v. After reading the material it made sense to me that it is a way to train your body to relax completely, mentally and physically, pretty much on demand, whenever you choose. Another aspect of the class is that it purges all negative images and ideas about birthing that society has taught us from our brains and replaces it with only positive thinking. The bad words like “labor” and “contractions” are replaced with “birthing time” and “birthing waves”. It creates a more positive way of viewing birth and breaking down the cultural stigma of birth being "excruciating". There is also a script to help you work through your fears. I found myself much more confident about birth and tended to think about all the positive things and not any of the “what-ifs” that I was afraid of.

We called my midwife, Mary Anne at about 8am. I told her I passed the plug and that the waves were about 15 to 20 seconds long, at about 15 minutes apart. Mary Anne told me that I was in very early stages of my birthing time. It could pick up and become my birthing time, or it could stall out. But she said birth was imminent with passing the mucous plug and to call back if the waves start to last 40 seconds or longer. I took a bath, listened to my Hypnobabies "Birthing Day Affirmations" and decided to go back to bed in hopes of getting some sleep since I was going to have a long day ahead of me! However, I still couldn’t sleep. Come lunchtime, Patrick went to get us avocado sandwiches. My waves were getting a little stronger and they were starting to come closer together. I took two bites of my sandwich and it came right back up. So I got back in the tub. Patrick washed my hair and I was having more consistent waves that were now lasting 40 seconds or longer. Patrick had paged Mary Anne right before we got in the tub after I threw up, and so I talked to her in the tub and told her about my progression. She said that whenever I am ready we can come on to her house.

We planned to deliver at Mary Anne's home in Franklin, TN. Home births in Alabama are actually illegal, for some unknown, dumb reason. Well, midwife attended home births anyway. Not letting this deter me from the birth I desired, I had found a midwife I adored across the state line. She lives about 1.5 hours away and has a birthing suite built onto her house.

Patrick was like an efficient machine on auto-pilot. He had absolutely everything prepared and the car packed and ready by the time I finished my half eaten lunch and had gotten dressed. We headed out to Mary Anne’s at about 2:00. I listened to Hypnobabies the whole time in the car, which kept me completely relaxed for the drive. My waves slowed a bit when we first left. As Mary Anne said “If you move a cat in labor, it will stall.” My waves were a bit further apart and not lasting as long, but definitely still there.

We got to Mary Anne’s around 3:45 and her and Kelly, her assistant, had the room completely ready, with the air down and lights low. They immediately took my vitals and listened to the baby’s heart for about 15 minutes. She said the baby was doing great and didn’t care at all when I had a pressure wave – which is very good. Patrick and I climbed into bed and I was experiencing much more pressure in my back than in my low abdomen like I had been at home. My back was quite uncomfortable and finding a good position for the pressure waves was difficult. I ended up tucked into sort of a child’s pose while Patrick continuously rubbed my back. Mary Anne came back to check on us and listen to the baby. She asked if I wanted to get in the tub, and I certainly did.

We got into the tub somewhere around 5:30 or 6:00 pm. Though, I certainly wasn’t keeping track of the time. My waves were getting much more intense and much closer together. Patrick continued to rub my back and I started feeling a lot of pressure in my bottom and the most comfortable position was to lean my back against his chest while reclining. I was feeling so much pressure in my sacrum. I believe I was having birthing waves in my back (also known as back labor) because of my short torso. We were confident the baby was not posterior and a short torso is another reason given for back labor in the book "Back Labor No More" that I had read in my pregnancy. However, for some unknown reason, I never tried the belly lift technique taught in the book to relieve the discomfort (and speed up birthing). Its not that I didn’t think of trying it, I did, but I just chose not to. I have no idea why and wish that I had tried it.

At some point while in the tub I started to get a bit more relief between waves and my head felt almost euphoric. I remember thinking between waves "I feel so gooooood." I’m not sure if it was the Hypnobabies tracks playing or endorphins coursing through my body, but I was having a very out of body experience between waves.

My waves were getting so much more intense and my moans became much louder and longer. Kelly and Mary Anne sat on the floor off to the side while we were in the tub and occasionally I would hear one of them say "Good!" "So close now!" I was getting excited and I had a lot of confidence that things were going really well based on their encouragement and the fact that they were mostly letting us be.

The time, honestly was flying by for me. I never purposefully looked at the clock, but once I saw it and I couldn’t believe it was already 8:30. I was having really intense waves and knew things were progressing quickly. Mary Anne checked me and said that my cervix was “gone”. There was nothing holding the baby in but the bag of waters that had yet to break! Mary Anne asked me if I was resisting pushing feelings. I said no, that I hadn’t had any pushing sensations. It seemed like she was surprised the baby was so close but I did not feel like pushing. My back was really uncomfortable and the pressure in my bottom was severe. I kept saying “the baby is trying to come out my butt!” I got on my hands and knees then and leaned on Patrick through really intense waves. I started to think about just going ahead and pushing without the instinct to do so. I stayed on all fours for a while and Mary Anne put a hot rice bag on my low back and would push in on both sides of my hip bones when I had a pressure wave. It was wonderful! So nice that the intensity completely diminished the first time she did this. With the next wave I decided I was just going to push no matter what! The wave came and I bore down until suddenly I heard and felt a "pop!" and the baby fall into my birth canal. I yelled out "Oh my God!" I was so startled at this sound and sensation, plus I was calling out to God!

I was on my knees leaning my body on the side of the tub with my arms dangling out. Patrick was behind me and started to rub my back. Mary Anne got to the side of the tub and Kelly came around to my face to rub down my face and body with cool cloths and to hold my hands. The sensations were especially intense now. I concentrated really hard on trying to relax my face and hands, but with each wave I decided to push with absolutely all my might. I remember being a bit disappointed that pushing didn’t feel so good. I had read in other birth stories that the mom loved the pushing phase. I found it to be difficult. In retrospect, it did feel good to be active and doing something. It felt especially good to be so close to meeting our baby, but the actual pushing sensation, didn’t feel as good as I had hoped.

I pushed a few times and could feel really good progress. Mary Anne said that I was doing so great for a first time mom. She said that a lot of first time moms push for hours. I had only pushed 2 or 3 times at this point so this gave me great confidence that Mary Anne knew I was so close and I wouldn’t need to push for very long. I pushed for what turned out to be 30 minutes; each push was so much stronger and harder than the last. Mary Anne exclaimed, "Look at all that hair!" She and Patrick were looking at a full head of inch long black hair. This really excited me and I knew I was getting impatient, but was so ready. Finally, I felt her head pop out suddenly and without relenting I went ahead and pushed the rest of her body out. Patrick caught her while I was temporarily stunned. The relief was so intense and the knowledge that I had just delivered my baby was mind blowing. With help, I managed to turn around and Patrick put this pink, squealing baby in my arms. The baby was squealing as soon as her face hit the air! We cried and hugged and were absolutely overcome with joy and elation. So overcome that we forgot to check the gender for almost a full minute! Suddenly it dawned on me and I exclaimed to Patrick "What is it!?" He said "I don’t know!" We moved the umbilical cord out of the way and as I squealed "It’s a girl!" We were so shocked as the entire pregnancy we were just sure we were having boy. We completely crumbled and everyone cried, including Mary Anne and Kelly. They then sang happy birthday to her and we announced her name, Mary Abilene.

I know that having a girl just made it that much more special. I love surprises, and this certainly was a surprise! The Lord really blessed us in unbelievable ways. Mary Abilene got a 9 out of 10 on her Apgar score; taking one point for having purple feet. She was so strong and so healthy. I was so overcome with having a girl; we were absolutely overwhelmed. She is our whole world now. I never thought I could love anything so ferociously as I love her. Each day is the best day of my life.

Optimal Fetal Positioning - Part 3

I've decided for part three not to discuss turning a baby; I'll leave that up to spinningbabies.com . There is loads and loads of information on that website of ensuring a good positioned baby throughout your pregnancy, and then a lot of techniques on turning babies during labor. So its a good website to familiarize yourself with.

What I do want to discuss is some materials I have found in my home study course for what you can do every day to encourage a baby to be in good birthing position. Most are posture related.

Getting baby in a good position
In previous OFP posts, I talked about how babies just want to be comfortable and gravity generally governs how they are positioned in the womb. The shape of the uterus, pelvis, and gravity are the things that will affect a babies position the most. We can't do a darn thing about the shape of our bodies, but we can do something about gravity.

A baby generally ends up head down because it fits snugly in the uterus and because it is the heaviest part of the baby, thus turning down with gravity. The same goes with a baby's back. They end up anterior (back towards your stomach) because of the same factors. However, it is much easier to affect whether a baby sits anterior or posterior by the way you sit and by your posture. The heaviest part of a baby is the head, but the second heaviest part is the back. Their back is going to want to turn whichever way gravity points. Think about this for a second. If you spend a lot of time reclining back, where will the baby's back want to lie? Down. It will want to turn down, which would be turning posterior. Remembering gravity, the best way to get a baby anterior or keep a baby anterior is to get gravity to turn the baby towards yours stomach. This basically means being uncomfortable at all times!

These are the suggestions in my study course:
-Sit tilted forward. - imagine your uterus as a hammock for the baby.
-Keep your knees below your pelivs. This definitely means not lying back with your feet up in the air. Many doctors and midwives have prescribed lying just like this to help with swelling, but I disagree. It would encourage the baby to turn posterior. Laying on your side with your feet up is a much better option.
-Don't cross your legs! This closes the pelvis in the front and opens it in the back, which is not at all what you want.
-Lie on your left side mostly to keep baby on left side. I find it interesting that every pregnant woman in the world has been told to lie on their left side because of the artery that runs to the lower body. I think baby positioning is just as, or even more important for why we should lie on the left side and NOT on our backs!
-Plenty of pelvic tilts. - This is basically cat/cow, getting on hands and knees and tilting your pelvis forward, only not worrying so much about the cow part, and making sure to tip the pelvis in, not necessarily arch the back up. Pelvic tilts are an excellent pregnancy exercise. It is pretty much the only way to strengthen the abs, it relieves back discomfort, and the tilting action gets the baby to tuck their chin.
-Tailor pose. This is sitting on the floor with knees open and the soles of your feet together. This opens the pelvis and encourages space for the baby.
-Sitting on a yoga ball - This also opens the pelvis and helps the baby engage.
-Sitting on a dinning room chair, backwards - opens the pelvis and tilts the uterus forward.

Basically, we can't sit lady-like or recline. When I relax at home, I just lie on my left side on the couch. At work, I either sit on a ball at my desk, or I set my desk chair to not lean back at all. My book says to be concerned with your posture 6 weeks from due date. It also says that you can't just have good posture whenever you think of it, it has to be a conscious continuous effort.

I believe this concludes my Optimal Fetal Positioning series. I know that there are no guarantees. You could have perfect posture and end up with a malpositioned baby, or you could lie on your back with your feet up all day and have a perfectly positioned baby. There are a lot of factors that go into it. But like most things I have learned, I'd rather prepare and do all I can for a smooth delivery.

Optimal Fetal Positioning - Part 2

Part 2, of OFP is what I have learned of how to discover your baby's position. It can only be successfully done the last two months of pregnancy.

Vertex or Breech?
An overwhelming majority of babies end up vertex (head down) with no effort from the mother. Babies are just tiny people who just want to be comfortable. Head down happens to be the most comfortable position because of the shape of the uterus and the shape of the pelvis. Their little heads fit perfectly in the low uterus and pelvis. Also - Gravity! The head is the heaviest part of a baby and therefore tips down.

Fortunately, you do not need an ultrasound to learn if your baby is head down! I have discovered four ways to tell that my baby is vertex. First, my midwife and my chiropractor can feel my baby's head just above my pubic bone. I actually can not feel this, and Patrick is too afraid he'd poke an eye out, that he hasn't felt for the head, but I know both of my care providers can identify a head within 2 seconds of feeling. This is sure to be the head because a butt is not going to fit nice and compact just above the pubic bone.

Secondly, you can easily find your baby's bottom by feeling around the upper part of your uterus. I can almost always identify the butt by giving a good feel on either the upper left or upper right side of my uterus. You can tell if this round body part is the head or butt by giving it a push. If you push on this lump, and you can feel the entire baby move (I often feel a push on my bladder, or pressure down low from pushing the baby) then its a butt. If you push on a bottom, the whole baby will move, if you push on a head, the head will just loll back and not move the whole body.

Third, I can identify my baby is vertex, and left lying by where I feel kicks. Kicks are much firmer and stronger than hands, which wiggle. I feel all kicks either in my right ribs or just below my right ribs. I think my baby is small, though, so a larger baby's feet might be wrapping around and you will feel kicks lower and further to the side of your body.

And finally, where the heartbeat was heard last will tell you the position of the baby. Mary Anne can find the heartbeat low on my abdomen on the left side. This shows a vertex, left lying baby.


Left or Right lying baby? Give a Feel.I can most always figure out what position my baby is in while feeling my belly while lying on my back. Lying flat on a bed or the floor, put your right hand flat against the right side of your stomach (so your palm will be against the side of your belly) and push on the left side with your left hand. With the hand that is pushing - do you feel a lot of resistance? Does it feel rather soft? Now switch, put left hand on left side and push with right hand. You should be able to tell which side has less "give". You can most likely determine what side the baby is, this way. You can also often feel the back of your baby when you are doing this.

Another way is where the heartbeat is heard, as mentioned above.

Anterior or Posterior
Now that you've discovered if your baby is vertex, and which side of your body she is lying, you can find if she is anterior or posterior. If you clearly felt the back with the method above, then she is most likely anterior. If you think about how a posterior baby is positioned, you can visualize that her back will be toward your back and so you may not be able to feel her back so well. Also, where you feel kicks and wiggles is a good indication. If you feel a lot of kicking and punching out towards the front of your belly, or can see feet pushing out like popcorn towards the front of your belly, she may be lying posterior.

I think its easier to tell when the baby is NOT posterior as opposed to when the baby IS posterior. If you can clearly feel a back, and can feel kicks in or under your ribs, or if you feel kicks way out to the side of your body, then the baby is more than likely anterior.

If you need a visualization, hold a stuffed bear or baby doll upside down against your belly as if it were your baby in utero. Head down, bottom to one side, feet to the other side rotate the bear posterior or anterior and see where the feet go. So when you feel kicks you can think about the stuffed bear and determine the baby's position.


www.spinningbabies.com/baby-positions/belly-mapping

Book Review - The Birth Partner

The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and Other Labor Companions
by Penny Simkin




I did not read this book since I'm not the birth partner- Patrick did! So he's going to provide the book review....

Hello everyone! After some encouragement from Courtney, we borrowed The Birth Partner from the local library. As the birth partner, I am called to be the major support system for my wife, a role I cherish and hope to fulfill to the best of my ability. With help from The Birth Partner I am better prepared to actively take part in our baby's birth.

This book is extremely detailed and has given me a great deal of insight into what I must do as the husband and father. For instance, when mom is beginning her pre-birthing waves (contractions), it is imperative to keep track of pressure wave frequency and length. As the pre-birthing waves continue and become more frequent, if the birth partner has done his job, you can avoid an unnecessarily early trip to the birthing center. Depending on your situation (hospital, birthing center, home birth), timing can be extremely important. If you arrive too early, mom can become discouraged by what would appear as a lack of progression, when in fact it's just not the right time. As time goes on, things can get stressful, and unwanted interventions could begin. On the other hand, if the birth partner (that's me) has diligently monitored mom's pressure waves and follows the suggestions listed in The Birth Partner, we can avoid a potentially stressful situation. This will lead to a happy, low-anxiety birthing time. And mom, dad, and baby can meet each other in a comforting welcoming environment.

The Birth Partner starts with your role during pregnancy. This importance of making sure mom gets the calories, protein, and water her changing body needs. From there, you enter your role during pre-birthing waves. This section includes information about comfort and how you can help mom during this important time. It breaks down what she might be feeling, what you might be feeling, what you must do to make sure mom is as comfortable as possible, and what your doula does, if you've hired one. The doula sections were very helpful, because it gives the birth partner information on how an experienced doula would handle any point during the birthing time. Next up, birthing time. The Birth Partner outlines what you need to do as the husband in all situations. This information is invaluable, because you will be the one who needs to field any questions and handle any situations, because mom is a little busy... Finally, the books tells you what to do once the baby arrives and how to handle the first few hours and days, including infant care and breastfeeding.

If you're getting close to your birthing time and you want to make sure you're prepared as best you can be, I recommend reading this book. It's an easy and informative read, with a lot of useful resources you can keep on hand when the birthing time begins. I was out running with a friend the other day, and he told me when it comes to your birthing time and being a parent, you can pretty much throw the books out the window. That may be true, but I believe you don't want to go into a test without having studied before hand. Plus, the book gives tools of what to do during unexpected circumstances. This isn't just an idealized to-do list, but better prepares the birth partner to handle all types of situations, hopefully keeping the "oh crap" moments to a minimum. I now have knowledge of labor and normal progression, so I won't be just an ornament in the room, but a true helper. So, dads, read this book, be prepared, love on your wife, and enjoy a glorious and exciting birthing. It will only be the beginning of the most life-changing, important experience of your lives.

Optimal Fetal Positioning - Part 1

There are good positions and there are not so good positions. A smooth labor and delivery depends highly on the baby being in a good position. A pregnant woman can affect and change the position of her baby with normal everyday posture and few simple daily exercises. This is really something to pay attention to, as I know I want the best birthing I can possibly have.

I think I'll write this in a three part series, considering there is so much information on the subject. In part one, I'll go over the different positions, which is best and why. Part two will address how to figure out what position your baby is in (you don't need an ultrasound to tell you!), and Part three will be how baby gets to the proper position in the first place, what YOU do everyday to affect baby's position, and how to move your baby, if need be.

But first, my disclaimer: I'm just a normal person with a desire to have the best birth possible. The information I want to share is based on my research, largely found at www.spinningbabies.com.

Part 1 - What is Optimal Fetal Positioning (OFP)?

The best fetal position for birthing is Left Occiput Anterior (LOA), or Left Occiput Transverse (LOT). This basically means that the baby is on the mother's left side, head down, and is either facing the mother's back or facing the mother's hip. Having an LOA baby allows for an easier birthing than other positions because the baby's head is usually tucked to fit easier through the pelvis and birth canal, the baby's back curves most effectively in this position, allowing the baby to slide down easily, and LOA makes engagement (settling deep into the pelvis) likely, which is what starts labor. The difference between an LOA and an ROA (Right Occiput Anterior) baby is that the uterus naturally tilts to the right, and a baby sitting ROA is more likely to go posterior due to gravity. So, a baby who is on the right needs to turn 180 degrees to get into birthing position, while a baby on the left only has to turn 90 degrees. Turning the 90 degrees from the left side is much more easily done, working with contractions, gravity, and the shape of the uterus and pelvis.

Left Occiput Posterior (LOP) or Right Occiput Posterior (ROP) means that the baby is sitting on the mother's left or right side, with his back to your back. LOP or ROP babies have a hard time engaging in the pelvis because their chin usually does not tuck (because of the shape of the uterus), thus not presenting the smallest part of the head first. This prevents the baby from dropping and engaging the cervix, which could delay spontaneous labor. Baby's back against the mom's back also causes back labor as the baby is not "pointing" in the right direction and all the force of the contractions are going into the mom's back.

We all know what breech means - the baby's head is up. Although, in modern days, this is an automatic C-section, an experienced midwife could deliver a breech baby. Although difficult, there are ways to turn a breech, which will be Part 3.

There is also transverse, which means the baby is laying horizontal. I don't think that even needs an explanation of why that is bad news!


A pregnant woman should really start being concerned with OFP six weeks before the due date. Before this time, the baby is still flipping and swimming around. After this time, the baby does not need to be totally still, but should spend a good majority of its time in the correct position. The bigger the baby becomes, the harder it will be to move, so being in the correct position about a month out from birth makes things easier.

There is an entire book on optimal fetal positioning, how to ensure your baby is in the correct position, and how to move your baby. I have not read it, but I heard it is really great. It is Sit Up and Take Notice by Pauline Scott.

I'll now start working on how to know your baby's position. Stay tuned for Part 2!

Books I Love: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth

Ina May's Guide to Childbirth
by Ina May Gaskin

I read this book many months ago, and have actually been stalling writing the review. Only because this book has to be the single most important book on childbirth out today. I just don't think I can adequately review the book, or convince you enough to read it!

Ina May Gaskin is the nation's leading midwife, and the woman who basically brought midwifery back to America after several decades of hospitals having the monopoly on childbirth. She has almost 40 years of real hands-on childbirth experience and she shares her vast knowledge in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.

The first half of the book is all birth stories. Ina May stresses that in a country filled with dramatic childbirth stories (after all, a nice, calm birth does not make for good drama television) American women rarely hear positive birth stories. Half the book is filled with real women and real stories of all types, meant to be inspirational. They certainly are! However, this is not what makes the book so fantastic. The second part is the "must read" in my opinion.

The second half of Ina May's book is the actual how-to for a natural birth. She doesn't spend her time trying to convince the reader to have a natural birth, she simply tells you how to have a natural birth. One thing I particularly liked about this book is the intensive research she did. A good majority of her guide is from personal experience, but each chapter is thoroughly researched in both the medical and midwifery community. She has a list of references at the end of each chapter that range from medical books from the 1800's to current articles from the American College of Gynecology and Obstetrics. She provides and in-depth look at childbirth and how the body actually gives birth, not just in today's medical mind, but dating back to the earliest birth accounts she can find.

Ina May explains how the body works, what actually happens in the body during birth, and how to work with your body to have a more efficient birth. One of my favorite chapters is actually an explanation of how the cervix functions; how it dilates and what you can do to promote its progress. I found this to be extremely informational, and look forward to practicing the practical ways of helping the cervix to open during birth. She provides a chapter on modern medicine and how each of these interventions may prevent a normal birth from progressing normally. She provides birthing positions that have been used effectively throughout the world and throughout the generations, with an explanation of why the positions work much better than the flat on your back, knees to your ears position.

Reading this book will not only prepare you for your birth, but will present information that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. Many, many other books and resources quote Ina May - so go straight to the source! You will end the book feeling accomplished already!

I first got this book from the library, then quickly ordered it so I would have my own copy. I plan to re-read it in the next several weeks to refresh my mind on her various techniques to open, relax, and work with my body. I can not stress enough how much every single woman of childbearing age should read this book. You can probably get it from your library, but I promise you'll want to buy it!

Book Review - Back Labor No More

Back Labor No More:
What every woman should know before labor
by Janie McCoy King

From Ms. King's website:
"With a warm, humorous, and personal approach, this book explains what back labor is, how to recognize it, and what physical characteristics are likely to cause it. Using cartoons, illustrations of everyday occurrences, and her background as a mathematician, the author offers a unique method to relieve the pain of back labor and facilitate the baby's birth.

Additionally, the book explains why other natural childbirth techniques work. Finally, it relates the personal experiences of women who have used the technique and their astounding results! In short, this light-hearted, insightful look at labor reveals the causes of and solutions for the serious discomfort of back labor. Rooted in scientific principle, yet explained through common daily experiences, it is accessible to anyone- even between contractions!"

This book was a recommended reading in my home study course. I read the whole thing in one sitting - about an hour. It is easy to understand, easy to remember, completely revolutionary, but totally intuitive. I think Ms. King did a wonderful job writing a very enjoyable book that you can easily read through, while using examples that you WILL remember. I'm pretty confident I can remember the "technique" even during my birthing time. The technique is actually quite simple.. but you must read it! I can't explain it here, and provide a good outcome.

Ms. King explains that back labor has a variety of causes, not just when you have a posterior baby. It can be caused by a short stature, a previous back injury, a sway-back, or a posterior baby. She explains each "problem" and positions to alleviate pains for each.

Not only does Ms. King promote that this will halt back labor in its tracks, but it will also significantly reduce abdominal labor, make contractions more efficient, shorten the time of active labor, help sluggish labors progress, bring on labor when past due, and stop "running legs".

I told a friend that I had ordered this book and she said "Are you really that afraid you will have back labor?" The answer is "No! But if I do have it, its too late to order the book then!"

My book was $13 total with shipping from Amazon, and took an hour of my time to read and learn. I will definitely be re-reading as my birthing time draws closer.
Get it, read it, do it.

The Most Tedious of Exercises

We all hate them. They are hard to do, hard to remember to do, and seem to be more of a mind game than anything else. The dreaded Kegel. Yet, its one of the more important pregnancy exercises. This from my Hypnobabies work book:

"This exercise is necessary to keep your internal organs in the proper position before, during and after birth, and to keep the baby's chin on its chest during the 2nd stage of your birthing time, which makes sure the smallest part of the head is presented first. A weak Kegel muscle lets the vaginal wall sag ahead of the baby, and hold the baby back, along with letting its head move about more freely, sometimes allowing it to become wedged in the wrong position. This can lead to internal tears. A strong Kegel muscle pulls the vaginal walls taut and lets the baby "slide" through with its chin on its chest."

The book says to start with 50 a day, and aim for 150 a day. I probably get in my 50, but certainly not 150. However, after reading this, it gives me a little extra incentive, so I wanted to pass that along.

Happy squeezing!



Hypnobabies^TM Home Study Course, 5th edition

Book Review - Your Best Birth

Your Best Birth: Know All Your Options, Discover the Natural Choices, and Take Back the Birth Experience
by Ricki Lake, Abby Epstein, Jacques Moritz

While Ina May Gaskin certainly was the leader in bringing midwifery back into American homes, Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein are grabbing the baton and making midwifery better known today. Your Best Birth is a down to earth, no nonsense approach to describing the female body during labor and birth and describing medical interventions that are prevalent in the United States. Lake and Epstein are the makers of the documentary film The Business of Being Born (which if you haven't seen you must Netflix immediately and move to the top of your queue). Their documentary is what convinced me I want a home birth (though, I have to go to Tennessee to get one) and has enlightened many, many women throughout the U.S. on unnecessary interventions in the obstetrical community.

What I enjoyed most about this book was their chapter on the female body and the cascades of hormones that release when an unmedicated woman is in labor. They beautifully describe the hormones that trigger labor, dilation, and contractions. That one hormone release results in another hormone release to start the most amazing process of all human life. The book also outlines the many synthetic drugs that try to mimic these natural hormones, but each can not compare to the natural wisdom, and each comes with its own set of side effects that creates a cascade of interventions because the drugs can not work in harmony and force the body into an unnatural rhythm that often does not work according to plans, as opposed to letting the body do what it knows how to do. They also describe the uterus as an amazing muscle that stretches to the size of a watermelon at full term and within minutes is down to the size of a grapefruit. There is no other muscle or organ in the human body with such ability. This organ should be celebrated! The entire process leaves me in absolute awe of our Lord.

The book doesn't carry the same home birth centered tone that Business of Being Born carries. Instead, it carries a more natural-minded birth whether in the hospital, at home, with an OB, or with a midwife. They do outline all of a woman's choices, and I think this book would be excellent in preparation for ANY birth, whether a woman wants to be knocked out dead for her birth, or have no interventions, this book in the very least educates women on their body's abilities and empowers them to make a decision for their birth on their own terms, as opposed to just doing whatever their OB tells them to do. This book helps women to think about their birth as an experience that each woman gets to personally design, as opposed to just going through the motions.

I got the sense in this book that they really want you to feel as though you are sitting down with them to have a cup of coffee and chat about birth, with their modern voice and personal tone that sets this book from the beginning. I found that much of Lake and Epstein's research came from Ina May Gaskin's Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (will review later). Much of the information is the same in the two books, except that Your Best Birth does not include the personal research or years of hands on experience that comes from being a midwife. Instead, YBB is from a mother's and a woman's perspective, also having a fresh modern tone, that many young women and mothers might appreciate. I personally like Ina May's book better, and would recommend that book above any other childbirth book, but if you read a 2nd, take a look at YBB.

Red Raspberry

I'm pretty excited about Red Raspberry Leaf, and after you read the following excerpt from Jack Ritchason's herb book, maybe you will be too. Red Raspberry has been used for centuries to aid in quicker and less painful childbirths. I drink a cup of tea a day now, and will probably increase to two or three cups as my pregnancy progresses. I started drinking the tea in the summer, when I first learned about it, as it is a uterine toner and is excellent for all women, in any stage of life, to keep your uterus healthy.

Red Raspberry

Red Raspberry, where mothers and babies are concerned, is an herb made in heaven. It can be taken throughout pregnancy with good results. It builds tissue to the extent that it prevents tearing of the cervix of the uterus during birth. During childbirth, hemorrhaging is prevented, the contractions of the uterine muscles are regulated during delivery, and it also reduces false labor pains prior to birth.

Red Raspberry leaves are high in iron and enrich early colostrums found in mother’s milk. It also cleanses and prepares breasts for a pure milk supply for the nursing infant by cleansing and purifying the blood.

Red Raspberry can be used for children’s stomachaches, diarrhea, dysentery, bleeding gums mouth sores, as a sore throat gargle, and as an astringent for the flu and vomiting.

For centuries, crude raspberry leaves have been used to aid in morning sickness, and to ease many menstrual problems.

-Raspberry helps promote painless and bloodless childbirth. It helps quiet nausea and acts to stop diarrhea, especially in children.
-Raspberry leaf can be taken throughout pregnancy.
-Red Raspberry leaves have a manganese content double that of any other herb that would make it one of the riches sources of herbal manganese.
-Raspberry strengthens the walls of the uterus and the entire female reproductive system.
-Raspberry decreases profuse menstrual flow.
-Drinking Raspberry leaf tea helps relieve painful menstruation and regulates the flow.
-Raspberry leaf is a preventative for hemorrhaging during labor. It reduces false labor pains, makes delivery easier and relieves after-pains.
-Raspberry leaf tea increases and enriches milk for lactation.
-Raspberry leaf is an excellent herb for children to use for cleansing colds, slowing diarrhea, easing colic and fevers.

Raspberry leaf tea is available in most every health food store and some health food sections of regular grocery stores. I get Traditional Medicinals brand in the health food section at Kroger.






Ritchason, Jack. The Little Herb Encyclopedia: The Handbook of Nature’s Remedies for a Healthier Life. Woodland Health Books, 1995. pp 195-196.

My Very First Blog

I'm not one for social websites (aside from GoodReads), so I don't have a lot of experience on the social side of the internet. So, posting things for the entire world to see, especially something so intimate as my pregnancy is quite a bit intimidating! But I feel that I have a lot of stuff swimming around in my head that a lot of other people could find beneficial. Nutrition has been a passion of mine for about the past four years, and last year I added a new passion - natural birth! Once I saw The Business of Being Born I was sold and totally hooked! I love meeting people who have had a natural birth and love talking about it with just about anyone willing to talk about it.

I'm not just excited to have a baby. I'm excited to be pregnant! A lot of people seem to view pregnancy and birth as just a means to an end - the only way to get a baby! And even then, a lot of people bypass the birth part. I don't just want a baby, I want the whole thing. I have always wanted to be pregnant ever since I was old enough to think about having a family. And I'm excited for birth! I WANT the experience of birth. I don't think a healthy pregnancy is a medical condition - its a beautiful process the Lord designed! - And I believe His design to be perfect. The more I learn about the cascades of hormones and progressions that a woman (an unmedicated woman) in labor goes through naturally, well, its just amazing to me. I'm aware it won't be a walk in the park. And I'm pretty sure I have no idea what I'm in for.. but I'm excited none the less!

Today, I am .. 33 days pregnant. Which translates to about 6.5 weeks in "practitioners" terms. I've had my share of early pregnancy discomforts.. but I'll save that for another post.

Aside from my reasons for starting a blog, my incredibly social network savvy friend, Laura, is quite excited to be an honorary aunt, and since she's in Manchester, she wanted me to blog about my experiences... so.. To honorary Aunt Laura!!