Doula Blog
All about Pregnancy, Birth, & Postpartum
Birth is a powerful, transformative process. Unfortunately, many people in the United States grow up believing that birth is simply something to be feared. It is hard work and emotionally & physically exhausting, but it doesn't need to be shadowed by fear but can be enveloped in peace when we mentally & physically prepare for it. It requires an openness to the journey & allowing your body to soften, open, release and surrender. Birth can be an empowering, sacred, beautiful experience. Birth is a natural part of a woman's life. The pain of contractions can be reshaped in our minds as power, pressure, intensity, energy, surges, rushes. Those strong sensations mean progress. One step closer to meeting your baby! All those years of cramping during periods have paid off! Your uterus has been preparing all your life for this moment of contracting and relaxing in a synchronized fashion to birth your baby. The muscle fibers of the uterus tighten and relax by the direction of a complex web of hormones that are purposed for labor.
These hormones are naturally occurring in our bodies and are most present when labor occurs without medications for augmentation or pain relief. If you are low risk, waiting for labor to occur when your body and baby are ready is the best chance of not needing to initiate, augment labor or use pain medications for the strong contractions brought on by artificial induction methods. The use of opioids or epidurals during labor can decrease these naturally occurring hormones from working effectively. Research shows that the effects of naturally occurring oxytocin and endorphins can be more powerful than morphine! For more info on oxytocin check out my blog post “Is Pitocin the same as Oxytocin?” I found it interesting to learn that women who have received pain medication in labor share more stories of how painful birth is compared to women who decided not to get an epidural or use other IV pain meds. In the hospital setting pain medications are readily available and it can be really difficult to turn down the offer of them during the intensity of a contraction or a long labor- even if you wanted to labor naturally. It can be helpful to include in your birth vision for your birth team that you'd like pain meds only by request and wouldn't like to have them offered routinely. Labor works best with privacy, a feeling of safety, and a total surrender to the process. Most mammals deliver in the darkness, where it is felt to be safe and intimate. Simulating this in modern birthing spaces can be done with thoughtfulness and care. Consider keeping the curtains pulled, having a sign that says “please knock” and if possible, choosing a birth location that allows for more privacy and a cozy atmosphere. Many cities have birthing centers or home birth midwives who are skilled at attending to low risk pregnant women. There is a lot of fear-based-advice & judgment surrounding many decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and parenting. People tend to be quick to vent about their negative stories & hard moments and it can cloud the reality that every birth is unique. Every woman deserves to make her own informed choices and be free from judgement- no matter what she chooses! Practicing birth positions, relaxation techniques and learning about how your body was designed to birth your baby, during pregnancy can all help facilitate this release of tension & fear. There is no one size fits all approach to birth. You can choose to let go of other’s opinions and continue to trust your body, your carefully chosen birth team, your mama instincts, & the research you’ve put into making informed choices. Let’s stop the judgment projected over every choice & over sharing of negativity to new and expectant mamas and instead offer to help, ask if they are okay, if they need anything and support each other in peace, love & care and not fear.
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May 2023
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