Birthing Warrior

I’m nearly halfway into my pregnancy and am starting to think about the miracle of birth and mission that is labor. Actually, I’ll be honest – I’ve thought about labor and birth on numerous occasions since conceiving. As I’ve said and you may realize, I’m a thinker for better and for worse. I haven’t been to any of my pre-natal classes on this topic yet, but I’ve done some reading, asked around and formed some opinions. Who knows if these will change as hormones continue to wrack my body and my due date approaches; who knows if I’ll stick to my guns in the throws of squeezing a baby out of my lower regions…. But for this moment, this is where I am.

I always pictured birth as you see it in the movies: lying spread eagle on a hospital bed, pushing with all my might. I also promised myself that I wouldn’t shout nasty things at Chris like, “How could you do this to me?!!” Plus, I’d be comfortably numb by a wonderful, soothing epidural. With medical pain relief practices like epidurals now common place, why would I take on body splitting pain? Those natural birthing ladies had to be mental…

So I thought, until I started exploring and my initial perceptions on labor and birth came tumbling down, down down…

I was surprised to learn that many women don’t give birth in a hospital bed, but instead from an array of upright positions ranging from kneeling to squatting to down on all fours. Maybe I was naive here, but I really didn’t have a clue. Aided by birthing balls, floor mats, steady relaxation breathing, pelvic rocking and most importantly gravity, women who birth upright often deliver with shorter labors and less medical intervention like forceps, ventouse and episiotomy. Epidurals, on the other hand, leave you immobile from the waist down in a hospital bed, catheterized and with greater chance of distressing your baby and needing delivery interventions since the drugs slow your labor and reduce your urge to push!

In the United States, epidurals are a very common form of pain relief – probably why I’d always associated them as given for birth. In the UK, they are also widely available but perhaps not pushed as much as less invasive pain relief options like gas and air are popular (which doesn’t appeal to me either since I don’t want to feel giddy or drunk when laboring). But I’m not picky or nuts...I’ve just decided that I’m going to be a Birthing Warrior. I want to be upright, I want to use my “in for four, out for four” breathing and I want to get in a zone and deliver naturally. I’m also curious to learn more about those TENS machines. I can’t imagine how exactly birth is going to feel but I am preparing myself for pain – “good” pain, that I am going to power on through like a Spartan and triumph over in order to bring my baby into this world. Cue glory music.

Shock of shocks, there are an overwhelming wealth of resources out there on natural birth that I just don’t have time to sift through. For a good overview, check out My Best Birth, a website associated with Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein’s documentary film ‘The Business of Being Born.’ My friend SH suggested this film to me, and though I haven’t got my hands on it yet it promises insightful observation into the “medicalization of pregnancy” in the United States and the more natural birthing options and venues that women can consider. More on that when I’ve watched the dvd. I also happened across this Giving Birth Naturally Site, which has a lot of information on the subject. Encouragingly, when I asked midwife at my hospital about natural birthing, she was very supportive.

While I’m on a roll here, I’ll also throw in my new found interest in exploring a home birth. I like the idea of avoiding the germ infested hospital and giving birth in my own domestic bubble of bliss. The neighbors might think a wild fox got trapped inside our house, but I’ll get to recover from labor in my own bed, with my own nice food, safe and sound with my family. Ideal. Unless, family and friends remind me, I face any complications in which case “Isn’t it better to be in the hospital?” Hmmm.

Interestingly, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists does not support home births while the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists/Royal College of Midwives does for women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Then again, pregnant B shared this NHS article with me, which discusses how home birth risks are still unclear. So as usual, there is not clear or right answer. Weighing up all the factors, I’ll probably end up choosing the hospital but I am still going to talk to my midwife about home birth...

I know that each labor and birth is different and birth plan and all, I can’t over-plan and will just do what is best for baby and me in the thick of it. I'm not knocking any form of pain relief because if you have a choice you need to do what's right for you, but my mental plan of action is to go as natural as I can – and the mental part of it has to be half, if not a little less than half, the battle.

And my friend the Physical Therapist Says...

Being that I've been running for years, I should be absolutely fine to continue through my pregnancy provided I take it easy and stop when it's no longer comfortable. She mentioned that one of her PT professors ran up until her 6/7 month of pregnancy when she had to stop due to a constant urge to pee every time she jogged and put extra pressure on her bladder! This made me feel better about my decision in the wake of my doctor's advice - thank you SS!

And the Doctor Says...

NO!

In my previous post, Bump on Board: Running in Pregnancy, I mentioned that I was going to contact my doctor/midwife to discuss my second trimester running in relation to the strength of my cervix. Don't worry, I won't get more graphic than that.

I read about this on US sites and it seems like a fairly common, encouraged, question that pregnant runners ask so I thought I'd give it a whirl here in the UK.

Swallowing my pride, I called my local surgery (for those in the US that's the doctor's office) and left a message for the doctor asking if I should come in for a quick cervical check up and hopefully get his blessing to continue running. It was fun explaining all this to the receptionist...

I can't say I was shocked when the receptionist called me later that day and said, simply: "We've passed on your message to the doctor regarding your running and he said you'd better not."

I'd better not. That was it. No check up. No reason in relation to me. Stock advice. From my initial encounter with the midwife I expected this might be the response I got, but I still felt disappointed. I really like my doctor; he has always been lovely and patient with me through any odd little ailment I've had. But I've done my research on running and believe I should be able to continue at this stage. It's slightly aggravating that since the general UK advice on the matter seems to be "don't do it," the one precautionary check I'd like done doesn't appear to be an option due to differences in US/UK pre-natal culture. I'm not knocking the UK system - I think it has a lot of benefits the more I learn - but in this instance, I'm not a fan.

So truthfully, what am I doing? I've made the executive decision to continue my weekend 5k run at an easy pace. If I feel anything is out of sorts, I'll stop. I'm not looking to be stubborn or doing anything that will be unhealthy for our baby, or me. But I don't think I am based on my research and the fact I'm treading carefully and have not experienced warning signs. Maybe at my 20 week sonogram they'll be able to comment on my little ol' cervix. I'm not sure though. I'll keep you posted :)

Market Meanderings

THE MARKET

Alfalfa sprouts, vintage shoes & designer bibs shaped like an apple
Lingering embraces and laughs shared under a straw hat
Pick a pew, a restaurant chair, a slab of concrete
And relax
Secret kicks, latent fears, global delicacies & ice cold beers
Meet me at the market

Cool young things in leggings & frills
Cockney hagglers on the cheap
Caribbean colors speak depths from head turbans
While dark glasses shade the sun and court mystery

Whether directly in the social mix or stand alone
We're rich in stories that are our own
Thrust into a common space
Creating the magic of the market

Bump and I took a trip to London's markets today - Petticoat Lane, Spitalfields and the Sunday Up Market behind the old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane. As I wandered out of the eerie weekend quiet of the City and into some of London's most diverse and vibrant markets, I felt content, engaged and full of vitality. With bump as a silent companion, I had ample time for browsing and observation. That's when it struck me that being pregnant is like a visit to the market. Stay with me on that line of thought....

Markets are common yet full of the unique; varied; exciting but stressful at times; full of show but bursting with less obvious substance; breeding grounds for life - just like pregnancies. The analogy sat well with me and inspired my poem above.

I'm now 19 weeks and my baby is the size of a large heirloom tomato (whatever an heirloom tomato is) or a mango, get this, covered in greasy cheese. Thank you Heidi Murkoff for that latter tasty image! This greasy cheese is vernix, a waxy coating that protects the baby's young skin from it's 24/7 amniotic fluid bath.

This last week I've started to feel definite movement that I know is not my imagination. Like the bubbling of a pot of water about to boil or those famous butterfly wings, baby's acrobatics are now like secret messages to me. Everyone says quickening is a thrill and ya know what, when you realize for sure that it IS your baby moving inside you, it is a thrill!

I've also learned that baby's sensory development is now on full throttle - our little one is starting to hear Chris and my voices along with other outside the womb noises. Within the next couple of weeks, when he or she swallows my amniotic fluid it will taste like what I've been eating - be that lasagna, ice cream, salad or a chicken quesadilla. Experts suggest that a healthy pregnancy diet will thus impact baby's future tastes and eating habits - hopefully our baby is enjoying a rich mix since I eat pretty much everything, though I do have a penchant for sweet treats!

As you can see my bump is now starting to really take shape. At some point near the end of last week I discovered that some of my work trousers no longer button up - what a difference a week makes! It looks like I'm going to have to bust out my belly bands in the near future - I haven't tried to integrate them into any outfits yet so I need to sort that out - woohoo! Bring it on!

Stroller Shopping on GreEn Bay

We live in the age of the consumer and I'm staggered by the amount of baby paraphernalia on the market. What do I need? What is excess? Changing tables, breast pumps, reusable diapers, disposable diapers....decisions, decisions, decisions.

I haven't delved too far into this abyss, but I hope take a practical approach to baby shopping based on a mix of real need, environmentally friendly products and value for money rather than whimsical "that is so cute my baby must have it" urges. I believe this is a reasonable approach but have now contradicted my practical mantra and decided that I really want to buy a Bugaboo Cameleon stroller/pram. Lightweight, compact, suitable from birth and with a fancy schmancy steering system appropriate for country and city terrain, it ticked lots of my boxes. I'm active; even though I'm having a winter baby, I want to get out of the house as much as I can and walk with baby. We live in an urban environment but I love countryside walks at National Trust properties. Our house is small and doesn't have the space for a big stroller. And if we're going to splurge in one area, I was all in favor of doing so on our stroller.

The Cameleon's price tag of around £700, well over £800 with the car seat etc gave "splurge" a whole new meaning. Now I see why they are popular with celebrities - they can afford them. But how could we, two hard working young professionals preparing for the costs of a new baby justify paying that much money for a stroller in light of everything else we need to get/do to our house/etc etc etc. We just can't.

It's then that Chris, also taken with the Cameleon, suggested that we take a spin on ebay for used Bugaboos. I balked at first, but then started to consider the benefits. Buying on ebay would significantly reduce the price tag of an item that, like a new car, majorly devalues once it hits the road. Those that bought them in the first place were likely to have cared for them, but the wear and tear on any stroller we might "win" could be reviewed in person before finalizing the deal and exchanging funds. Obviously we'd buy a new car seat for safety reasons and would have the option of replacing wheels, bearings, etc. if needed. Notably, buying a used stroller is another form of renewing, reusing and recycling, a green approach often forgotten in the whirlwind of baby buying. While I believe you should examine your chosen stroller in person before making a final purchase, online research and ebay bidding saves numerous trips in the car to Baby's R Us and the like. I've seen a number of 2 year-old Bugaboos on ebay that look in mint condition - why should they go to waste? Plus, if I bought my wedding dress on ebay, what should stop me from shopping for a stroller there?!

As my mom points out, the baby doesn't care what it rides in and I spent the whole of my babyhood in a simple, cheap umbrella stroller. Is having a Bugaboo and its many functions really worth it? That's something we'll need to weigh up, but as we do, the ebay route makes our debate viable while also being a bit greener.

Published on The Green Baby Guide