Emotional Aspects of Birth Survey

I am collecting information and personal stories about emotional events or traumas that may have effected your birth (eg. sexual abuse, physical abuse, abortion, etc). All will be kept confidential and I will only contact you if you wish. I would like to put together a class on the emotional aspects of birth. Please share this link. Thanks!

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/XWPD9Z6

Abortion and future pregnancies

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/First-Point-Management-Resources/CBEd-Sep09-FINAL2medres/2009092501/?lang=en#24

Looking for study participants

This study is looking for participants on Natural Family Planning with the Creighton Model.

www.facebook.com/ceibastudy
http://medicine.utah.edu/dfpm/Research/CEIBA/index.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xnCuAkumhI

Hormones

I find it a little ironic that women will pay extra money to buy organic and avoid hormones in food, but will then pay money to take hormonal pills everyday.

With so much talk of breast cancer and heart disease in women, I am surprised that this fact is so often overlooked.

See previous posts on Natural Family Planning and Fertility Awareness Methods.

Dads and Doulas

Each of my pregnancies was such an exciting time.  It was a time of preparing, reflecting and growing (more than just physically).  My husband shared in my joy and excitement during pregnancy.  He took childbirth classes with me and was confident that he knew me better than anyone else and therefore would be able to support me during labor.

I am a nurse, so I felt like I had a good understanding of the physiology of birth, but I wanted my husband to understand what would be happening to my body during labor.  I found some books on childbirth and gave them to him to read. There was one thing that I was a little worried about....him fainting while I was giving birth.  My fears weren't all that irrational, my husband actually passed out, sitting on the light rail train, while reading a book about birth.

So, we decided that we wanted someone else to be present with us during the birth of our first baby, a labor support person (a doula!), someone who was familiar with birth and would NOT be fainting.    My husband was afraid that a doula would take his place is supporting me, but it wasn't like that at all.  A doula is familiar with labor and birth, and my husband was familiar with my needs, likes, wants, etc.  They were a great team, two experts to help support me and guide me through one of the best days of my life!

I do truly believe that Dads and Doulas make the best support team a woman could have during labor.

PS-my husband did great and hasn't fainted at the births of any of our 4 children!

Doula testimonial

Doula testimonial for Amy Lynch, RN, BSN, CCCE, CLE

February 5th, 2011

     My Name is Kara. I delivered a  healthy baby boy, Isaiah Charles, a year ago, February 13th, 2011. I am amazed that he will be a one year old only 8 days from now; I am even more amazed that I made it through his delivery! lol 

     Isaiah's delivery was beautiful, in that I was able to deliver him naturally as a water birth, but his delivery wasn't without trials.  

     I was participating in a 10:30am Zumba class on the 11th when, unknowingly, my water broke up by my ribcage.  It felt to me as though an air bubble had popped when he kicked up on my rib; I had no idea that my water had broke.  I contracted for 24 hours, none of them measuring enough to cause awareness of labor.  10:30am the following day, the amniotic fluid had pooled enough to start releasing and I realized that it had broke.  I went to the midwifery center where I was to deliver him and so began the wait...the LONG wait for his arrival.  I was also GBS+ so I had IV fluids running through me the entire time so my worry about the delay of labor, post bag of water bursting, was not that great.   I was trying hard not to worry or lose focus.  But I was becoming rapidly exhausted, discouraged, and worried as the hours past.  A bit about my history: Isaiah was my third full term delivery, but I had also had 5 consecutive miscarriages prior to him; 6 in total.  To give you the best idea, with the miscarriages, he was my 9th child in less than 5 years!  Therefore, I believe my body and mind were more worn out and on defense than the average delivering mother.  I am telling you all this, for it truly sets up an understandable view of how it felt when Amy Lynch came through the door;  like a breath of fresh air. 

     I had already been laboring for quite some time, with little to no progress.  I was starting to really feel frustrated, tired, and a bit embarrassed for the fact that there were those sitting with me as support and nothing seemed to be happening.  I was starting to wonder if I was even really in labor.  Amy stood by me the entire time, encouraging me, motivating me, and educating me through suggesting things that helped toward aiding the progression of labor.  Amy's soft-spoken, educated, loving sentiments were always at the perfect time. She was there when needed, but never in my face.  

     Amy also respected that my Husband and I were in the delivery together and really was conscientious about giving us our space.  

    Amy was always able to give me advice, suggestions, or support, at the exact time I needed it most.  I think a lot of Amy's sensitivity and knowledge, of how and when to say things, comes from the wonderful and beautiful fact that she has delivered four children, naturally, of her own;  Amy knows what you are going through and is very empathetic.  

     When the time finally came for the delivery of Isaiah,  I was completely, physically, emotionally, and mentally, "DONE."  I had delivered many times before, and Never had felt the way I did.  I truly believed that I wasn't able to push him out.   And yet, through the dizzying whir of exhaustion and feelings of defeat, Amy was able to get through to me and encourage me to push him out.  Amy video taped as he was being delivered and I will be forever grateful to have her words of encouragement permanently documented on my video.  I will never forget how she and my husband seemed to make everything else disappear through their undying support and coaching. 

     My husband and I are blessed to say that we are due to deliver another healthy, miracle child in June of this year.  And I feel even more blessed that Amy has graciously agreed to be there for us for this birth as well!  I have to be honest in saying that I am a bit nervous for the day of labor, but I feel fully confident that with God, my husband, and Amy, there is nothing that I can not handle.  I know I will have full support and I won't be alone as we welcome the newest blessing to our family.

     Thank you Amy, you are a wonderful friend, nurse, and doula :)

deleted post