An honest and open review about the demonstration. I remain skeptical that any doulas were consulted or had a seat at the table, despite our numerous meetings and phone calls. There are only so many people one can speak to before realizing they all seem to lead back to the same individuals.
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I had one LONG and INTENSE contraction the whole time I was up and quickly went to go lay back down. I was feeling pretty sick and started to wonder if I wasn't going into the transition phase as I remembered feeling that way with Hayes. But I thought that surely it couldn't be the case as my contractions were still so inconsistent and not quite 2-3 minutes apart. I was definitely starting to lose control of my emotions. Nate was airing up the birth pool and I was feeling pretty concerned about everything that was happening. Just as I was having another contraction, my sister stepped in the door. I felt my water break, which I immediately told her, and I felt the baby’s head drop.
For as long as I've lived in Okinawa I should be fluent in Japanese now. Sadly, I am not. Over the years I've learned to understand and pick up on what most conversations are about. But don't ask me to speak it back. So far I have been able to maintain with my version of "Janglish", a terrible combination of broken English mixed with small phrases in Japanese.
Overall, the delivery was perfect. The hospital didn’t pressure us in any way. John was able to communicate all preferences to the doctors/nurses all while applying counter pressure and doing massages and giving me all of the positive affirmations (he might have joked his way through class but when it was go time he was ON IT, you would have been proud!), i was able to breathe through contractions and go within myself to birth our daughter the way we wanted and the way God intended.
By nature I am a planner. I tend to lean towards a Type A personality. Although, over the years, doula work has certainly taught me to find the balance in life and there are certainly things that happen beyond my control. Since moving to North Carolina, we have been in what I feel like a constant season of change. And yes, it has been difficult at times to reign it in. Especially when we come to a point where answers lack and uncertainty looms overhead. In the past 2 years Hurricane Florence devastated and displaced many families in our area and left kids out of school for months to my oldest daughter experiencing a life changing car accident. Addingto the unknowns, my husband dropped retirement papers after 28 years of serving in the Marine Corps. Only to watch the years in the military catch up and physical ailments set in. We are currently awaiting a back surgery that will alleviate a lot of pain he has experienced over the past year. I also made a big decision to homeschool my youngest daughter. I am very thankful I did, given the current world situation. Even in the midst of not having many answers, I do my best to let God show me how to bring balance to our home and try to provide some solutions to problems we face.
Which leads me to sharing a few of these solutions about this time many are finding themselves in and making the best out of a difficult situation.
With many places running out of supplies like toilet paper and wipes. We might have to get creative by making our own products and being intentional with the time we have at home. I hope some of these ideas inspire you to research more about what you can do to improvise when we are without.
Homemade Baby Wipes.
I love Pinterest. There are so many options to explore. I found this this recipe from Swaddles n’ Bottles that may be helpful for you. It does call for paper towels, however, if there is a paper towel shortage, I would explore other options such as buying cheap wash cloths. It may make for a lot of extra laundry. But if it comes to it, I would make it work.
Homemade Baby Food.
When my kids were little, this is one thing I did do consistently. I loved knowing exactly what was going into their food. It was simple and actually really easy. Now this was before Pinterest and even Amazon. I used a recipe book gifted to me and a simple food puree maker. Today, there are so many options. It’s almost overwhelming. So I will leave it to you to find what one works best. If you find yourself running short on baby food, look into purchasing some fresh produce and starting there.
Here is a good website to start with. How to Make Homemade Baby Food: 27 Tips, Hacks, and Recipes
Homemade Sanitizers.
When the stores are running out of Lysol and other sanitation products, I may find myself making my own. I found a bunch of awesome recipes online at Wellness Mama.
Keeping our Sanity
For those with school aged kids or even in childcare, we may find this time home with the kids out of our normal routine. Keeping the kids engaged and entertained can sometimes feel overwhelming and stressful. They are probably experiencing some of the stress of change too. Which is never easy. Start off your day with a nice walk or some exercise. Go outside and enjoy the weather if it’s nice. If the kids are old enough, have a talk with them about some of the things going on and how everyone needs to work together and help around the house. Give them little chores to do and encourage them to not argue with one another.
Have quiet time. Even though my kids are older, I find quiet time can still be just as important. If it’s drawing, reading a book or resting, I believe it’s important to have some down time during the day. I think they call it being bored. At least that’s what my kids tell me know.
Keep a good bedtime routine for the kids. For me personally, I need that hour to come down from the day and invest in myself. Whether it’s reading, catching up on some work, or watching a television show.
Mom’s check in with your friends and family. We might not be able to hold playgroups for the time being, but having some adult interaction can help us all. Your spouse may need to make some adjustments too and understand that they may need to be the one to listen.
Overall
I hope some of these suggestions can be useful during this time of our lives. While my plans have been changing more often these days, I find that I can have some control of how my home functions on a day to day basis and that my kids feed off of my stress. I can be creative and find ways to think outside the box. I don’t know what tomorrow brings but I am walking by faith as we move forward.
Keeping everyone in my prayers!
The links in this blog are NOT affiliate links. They are my personal, researched recommendations.
Before getting pregnant I was set on having an epidural when I one day had a baby. But once I found out we were expecting I began researching more and more. I decided that I wanted a natural birth. We found Amanda and took her HypnoBirthing class. It gave my husband and I so much information about labor and the events that took place after. We both felt so confident about our decisions after finishing the classes.
Oh sweet baby – how will you come into the world to meet us? I have always be so interested in parenting, and not so interested in birthing. Birth is one day and parenting is years and years. But, I am so very thankful for the birth I was able to have. I sat at the OBGYN yesterday for my 6 week checkup and wanted to say to the all of the pregnant ladies “you know – you can have a wonderful birth” but I didn’t say anything – maybe next time I will.
Let me start off by saying that I have two BEAUTIFUL, healthy children that I was blessed to give birth naturally to. I know natural birthing is quite a controversial subject these days. Between the many statistics, opinions (medical and otherwise,) pressure from friends and family, and those who insist that not giving birth naturally is nothing to be ashamed of, it can be quite confusing when deciding which course to take. While I do my best to never judge another mother’s choices, I do know that certain decisions and actions can contribute to a healthier and more enjoyable birth (Yup, that’s right. Enjoyable.) I’d like to share some of my experiences and maybe a few comparisons between both of my birth stories.......
When I found out I was pregnant with my fourth and last child, I knew I wanted this labor and delivery to be different than my previous 3. I felt drawn to a natural birth, and, surprisingly, chatted with many friends who had a natural birth and told me they would do it all over again. That made me curious. Something in me told me I could do this.
