Friday, December 12, 2014

10 things from 100 Births

From Kellie: I came across this and I was fascinated! Her website has all kinds of great info and an AWESOME month to month reading guide!!!!Check it out!

"Ten Things I've Learned From 100 Births" by Jill Christianson

I attended my 100th birth in May. I have learned something at every birth, but here are the big lessons I've come away with so far:
  1. Women are strong. There's "36-hour (or 72-hour) natural childbirth" strong; "coming to terms with getting an epidural even though you really, really didn't want one" strong; "recovering from a c-section while caring for a newborn" strong; "hanging on through a fast and furious labor that squeezed all of the intensity of a 12-hour birth into 2 hours" strong; and "experiencing the loss of your baby and surviving" strong. I come away from every birth with a new appreciation for mothers' strength, determination, and love for their babies.
  2. First labors are long, second labors are short, and third labors are unpredictable.
  3. A good care provider is worth her weight in gold.
  4. Because of hospital protocols, I've seen........ 
Read the rest on her blog here

Thursday, November 6, 2014

How to have a quick birth

My second baby I gave birth in an hour and a half, which still seems crazy to me....

I dont know if the things I did to prepare for the birth of my baby actually directly affected the length of labor or not but I thought I'd share it with you...just in case, lol...never hurts, right?

1. I had already had a baby.... a 9.8 lb baby (which I didnt really do anything to prepare my body and had a 24 hour labor)

2. I did prenatal Yoga once, sometimes twice a week.  I noticed that it helped me with the aches of pregnancy and provided a little mental clarity and calmness (for a little while at least).  I could notice a big difference if I skipped a week.

3. I had regular chiropractic adjustments, which keeps your pelvis in line, helps with sciatic pain, and is just an all over feel-good treatment for your body.

4. I ate salad every single day for lunch, and had plenty of avocado in it, which I think the fats help to make your skin stretchy, maybe it helps you to dilate easier?? I know its good to eat for your down-there area to help prevent tearing.

5. I sat in a squat to play with my kid and watch TV...for as long as my pregnant body allowed me to comfortably. The further along you are, the more frequent you should do it.  Here's how I did it: I sat normally on the couch and then just kinda inched forward and slid down to where my back was leaning up against the bottom of the couch..and just hung out...
and then I would sit down and stretch my legs out and my son would look to see if the baby was coming out yet......(um, just so you know, I am wearing shorts in this pic, lol though it might not look like it at first glance)

6. I took Dr. Christopher's Birth Prep the last 6 weeks, which my Mid-wife recommended,  She has seen a lot of success in it (with shortening labors). Um, I'd say so!

7. I prayed for God to show me His favor with the birth of my little Briggs, and he has over and over again!





Thursday, October 30, 2014

Failure to progress

The #1 cause of C-sections is failure to progress.....

here's a simple, yet perfect demonstration on why that can happen in a hospital.....so I encourage you to expect it will likely happen to you, and have a plan ready.



What can you do? Here's some suggestions