Friday, February 19, 2010

More on Hypnobirthing... its a looong one :)

We had session # 3 of our Hypnobirthing classes this week! I am just absolutely loving this program because more than anything it builds confidence in myself and my hubz, and erases fear. I skipped writing about session 2 because the class was a short one and pretty uneventful. The material and skills given to practice in that session, though, have been phenomenal!
The guys were given a script to read to us ladies to bring us into a state of relaxation and as a way of bonding. I don't know if husbands or birthing companions realize what an important role they play in the birthing process. Not only are they trusted to be the encourager, in our relationship I have to put my complete faith that E will know what I need to hear and what I need him to do as well as he is responsible for making my wishes known and followed by whatever birth attendants we chose to have. He is in charge of a knowing the limits and not being pushed over by medical personnel who are just interested in just 'moving things along'. Lucky for me my companion knows a thing or two already about how the process works and what and when certain things are necessary. I have a smart cookie on my hands :) And I'm also lucky that he is taking an active part in doing research on certain things that are important to me and educating himself on things he may not be confident that he knows well enough. Anyway, that's just a little something I've been thinking. Back to the script... It goes through breathing encouragements and relaxing methods and then at the end you are either brought out of the relaxed state or left in it to go to sleep. Since we've been doing it at night before bed I usually go to sleep when we're done. I definitely sleep better! :)
We were also given the Hypnobirthing book and a couple of CD's to listen to. The book is pretty good, so far kind of repetitive of what I've been reading, but as I flip through it I can tell its going to get better and better! :) And the CD's are AMAZING! One of them came along with the book and the other is one our instructor added. So far I've listened to the added one more. It only has 2 tracks on it but each one is about 30 minutes long. Affirmation is the title of the first track; it is something I can listen to whenever. It's simply statements that are meant to uplift and encourage and to build confidence. Some examples are:
"I put all fear aside as I prepare for the birth of my baby."
" I'm relaxed and happy that my baby is finally coming to me."
"I trust my body to know what to do and I follow its lead."
"My body and my baby know how to work together in harmony."
"I feel confident, I feel safe, I feel secure."
"My muscles work in complete harmony to making birthing easier"
"My cervix opens and allows my baby to ease down the birth canal"
"My babies birth will be easy because I'm so relaxed and confident"
"My baby is correctly positioned for an easy delivery"

Anyway, you get the idea. Positive thoughts make for positive experience. The other track is called Relaxation, and it takes you through a 30 minute relaxation exercise that gets easier and easier every time I listen to it. I can completely get in the 'zone' in just a few minutes and am able to focus on certain parts of my body and control the tension/relaxation of that area. It amazing!! And at the end of it I feel like a million bucks!! I have relaxed every part of my body and then told it to energize itself and when I come out of this state of relaxation I am fully awake and energized like I could take on the world! As with anything the more I do it the easier it is, the deeper relaxed I become and the more refreshed and confident I become.
This week's session was all about the 'birth plan' and knowing that there are alternative options and what those options are. It's amazing to me coming to the realization that for the most part the medical professionals do not have my best interest at heart. They have certain procedures they are used to following and all they want is a willing patient that is uneducated and goes along with whatever they suggest. (not the case for me anymore) So here's a breakdown of the tentative birth plan we were given.
In the Pre-Admission phase, the request is to have all the required paperwork (including medical histories) completed prior to being admitted, as in, at a pervious appointment, or to have the birthing companion answer any questions so that I may focus on my relaxation techniques and manage my birthing process my way without interruption. That's a simple request that shouldn't be hard for any hospital or birthing center to comply to. They have your files on record and are able to pull them up easily, it's just that they don't want to, they'd rather have you go through all the info for them at that moment.
Upon hospital admission the request are, to decline IV prep and or a hep lock (where they put the IV line in and then just tape it off) unless and until special circumstances arise. If you think about it, when a patient comes in from a car accident, they are able to quickly put in the IV without problems and having one unnecesarily can prevent proper relaxation and potentially put negative thoughts into the mother. If a special circumstance arises, they can and will but in an IV then, and easily I might add, as it is such a routine procedure. Another request that seems common sense to me is to return home if examination reveals less than 5 cm dilation. The reason for this is the more relaxed environment you can be in while going through the birthing process the easier it will be and upon leaving you will negate any unnecessary procedures being done to you. Using intermittent EFM (electronic fetal monitoring) unless evidence of complication, is something I think we would have a hard time getting across if we chose the hospital here. The reason for this request is fetal monitor typically limit the range of motion and inhibit mom from moving with and how her body needs. Being up and active with your birthing process means you are able to better listen to and accommodate what your body needs to do or what position to be in. Also, if the membranes have been released (aka water broken) and birthing surges have not started (within 18 hours), we want to be allowed to return home with *IF necessary* antibiotics, as long as baby is ok. There's no need to be pressured by medical personnel for your body to start something it's not ready to start, i.e. surges (contractions). Some women release their membranes and don't go into active birthing process for a couple of weeks. It is perfectly safe to go throughout daily life and let things progress naturally. As long as there are no vaginal exams there is very little risk of infection. Nothing goes up there unless you are contorted in a way that keeps things open down there its not going to be a risk.. even in the bath tub. Actually some women release their membranes and the tear in the sack that enabled the release seals back up and the sack refills itself. Baby does not need oxygen yet, he/she is still attached to the cord and getting everything they need that way.
The next set of requests is for during the first stage of labor. I absolutely hate hearing women say that if they'd just been able to eat something they would have been able to last a little longer and wouldn't have gone in for a C-section. Our instructor actually said she's seen women in the hospital crying not because of pain but because of hunger. So the first request here is to be given nourishment if/when I am hungry. The reason they withhold it is in the off chance they have to do a c-sec and to be realistic.. it's not ideal for them but it's possible to do a surgery on someone who's eaten. Don't people get into car accidents on their way home from dinner? And sometimes those people who've just eaten a huge meal, need surgery... the doctors know how to work around that. So to negate getting to worn out to last through the birthing process, I'd like to snack on something healthy here and there throughout.. other than ICE CHIPS! :oP
We also request that the medical personnel and caregivers NOT offer any pain medications or relief, we will request them if we feel it is necessary. Women are at their most vulnerable state while in the birthing process and as a natural instinct will take the easy way out if it is offered.. I'd simply like to not be offered a way out unless I feel like I need it.
I want to be mobile and able to walk around and move with my surges. A lot of hospitals want to keep you in the bed and want to keep you stationary so you don't make a mess that they have to clean or whatever.
I want to change positions and assume birthing positions of choice. You know all through out pregnancy they say don't lie on your back because the baby will put too much pressure on the vena cava (the vein that pumps blood back up to your heart, lungs and such and also provides blood to baby) But in most cases women are forced and told to birth on their backs with their legs up, fighting gravity and using ALL of their muscles. It ultimately works against them and this is why tears and rips and forceps and vacuums happen. I've watched videos of women who give birth standing, squatting, laying on their sides, on all four's, leaning over the bed. Those positions just make more sense to me... work with your body, it knows what its doing, just listen and do it.
Sometimes, the birthing process stalls for whatever reason. In some cases women get anxious and fear creeps in making them tense up and work against their surges, or sometimes it just happens. In any case I want to be able to use natural means of starting things up again. In the privacy of my room, alone with my hubby, I want to be able to use nipple stimulation and cuddling. I don't want someone standing over me telling me I need to be injected with something to get thing "moving along". It will happen. As long as my baby is doing well I do not need to be told when to birth.
Another request is minimal vaginal exams, i.e. checking the cervix dilation. This often makes women anxious if they're birthing process is taking longer than what other expect it to. I have heard stories of women's dilation going in reverse simply because they became discouraged at their 'progress'. I do not care how far dilated I am, my body and my baby know what to do in order to make things happen and will do it without being told to. I especially do not need my membranes ruptured for me. I know this procedure can "speed thing along" but it's not necessary and can potentially be dangerous. If the baby is not putting enough pressure on the membranes then obviously they are not ready to rupture, and if the baby is not down far enough things like a prolapsed cord can happen (where the cord comes out first and the baby squishes it cutting off its own oxygen supply). All of these unnecessary interventions lead to unnecessary complications.
I want to be able to enjoy a shower or to labor in a tub. GOD I wish the hospital here had birthing tubs!! A lot of L&D wards have them now but they make you sign a waiver if you want to get in saying your baby could die of infection if you choose to use it and will not let you give birth in them. Ugh.. LAMOOOO! The use of water during the birthing process is the most calming and relaxing prop. It takes the weight off of your muscles allowing you to use them for the birthing process only and not to also support you while you're birthing. The last request is probably the most simple and compliable for hospitals. It is simply to have the use of a birthing ball. Most places allow this and some even supply them. It is used to open up the pelvic bone and stretch and work the muscles down there. And actually, the toilet has the same effect during labor. I've watched a video of a woman give birth while sitting on the toilet and when the midwife felt the baby was coming, the woman's husband and the midwives assistant lifted the woman up by her armpits which allowed the midwife to reach down and receive the baby. It was AMAZING!
I'll try to combine the requests for during birthing. We would like to be allowed to use natural birthing instincts to facilitate the descent of the baby, using momma directed breathing. I do not want to be prompted or told when to push. The analogy used in our class was, could you poop if someone was standing there watching you and telling you... "Ok,.. almost time, ... ok NOW PUUUUUUUSH!" haha I thought that was hilarious!! I would like to be allowed to let my body push when it know it needs to. Again, I want to assume ANY position when birthing. Our instructor said she's seen women crying because they were forced unnecessarily to lay on their backs and birth when they wanted to be on the hands and knees or standing. So sad! I do not want a perineal massage during birthing process, while it is beneficial prior to labor; during it can be painful and disruptive to my relaxation methods.
These get a little more specific so I'm going to split them up a bit more. I want to delay the clamping of my baby's cord after birth. For me personally, I want to wait until the placenta is delivered. Cord blood banking is such a popular thing now a days, why? Because science has proved the incredible benefits of this blood. It is especially important in babies born in 'distress'. A baby does not need oxygen right away as long as it is still attached to the cord, he/ she is still getting what they need from the cord, and probably more of what they need that way than from being disconnected from mom and whisked off to be "examined" and cleaned. If and when the baby is being suctioned and 'cleaned off I want her with me, she is happier with me than with someone who doesn't care about her and it is simple enough to do the suctioning and wiping down while she's in my arms or on my chest. I want to nurse her as soon as possible to let her know that I am here for her and will provide for her always. I want to be allowed to deliver the placenta naturally, without being given a shot of pitocin to stimulate surges all over again. My body knows what to do here too; it will work its magic on its own. Sometimes it can take up to an hour for this... that's ok! I will however accept from my companion or myself a uterine massage or nipple stimulation (i.e. nursing my baby) to assist in placenta expulsion. There's no need for anyone to pull on the cord to get the placenta out or for drugs that will put me in pain yet again, or for someone to manually extract the placenta... so back off unless there is an emergency that requires you.
My requests for my baby are simple enough I think. I want her to stay with me, in my arms while her vitals are taken and for measuring (in the absense of an emergency). I am perfectly fine with the vernix (white stuff) absorbing into my baby's skin. It's actually healthy for their delicate skin. Even though they may not mean to medical personnel just don't care about my baby as much as I do and if you go back and watch them clean/bathe your baby you will see how harshly they scrub the sweet newborn skin. It's already sensitive enough without someone scratching it off of them, and most of the time the baby is screaming the whole time anyway. I will bathe my baby for the first time and I will do it lovingly, understanding that she is used to being curled tightly and kept warm in my tummy. She isn't going to like being out in a tub with her arms free to flail around, that's scary for her. My mother in law actually gave Charlotte her first tear free bath because she wrapped her in a towel and just washed one little area at a time while she stayed wrapped up in the towel. Every bath up to that point she cried and screamed and I cried too. It was stressful on all of us! :oP I do not need to send my baby to a nursery to be taken care of and on display for others, she is mine and in order to establish a good nursing routine from the beginning and so she knows she is safe with us always, I want her to remain with me or my husband.
I'd like to delay the application of salve or erythromycin on her eyes so that she can see me properly and know who she's bonding with. We will be breastfeeding several times within the first few hours to stimulate milk flow and to begin the bonding process asap! I do not want her to be given any bottles formula, paci's, water, or artificial nipples because it can severely mess with our latching process.
If we were having a boy, one of the request specifies circumcision or not, (we would not). And the last few we talked about in class were the administering of vitamin K and the hep B vac. Vitamin K is given because until about day 8 baby does not have the ability to clot their blood. The only reason they'd need to is if a baby boy were being circumcised or if other medical procedures are required. We're opting out of vitamin K for now I think, as long as she doesn't need it. And the hepatitus B vaccine is administered in the off chance that mom had hep B or if baby comes in contact with bodily fluids or dirty needles of someone that does have hep B... not likely in our case and we will probably opt out of this one too for a little while.
The request for is presented in a matter-of-fact way and more kind than I have probably portrayed it to be. I just remember what it was like not knowing what was going on and why things were happening and no one bothered to give me all of the options.. they went with what was easiest and most convenient for them. Thankfully it did not reach the point of a cesarean and we made it out of there with a happy healthy baby girl the first time.
Eric and I have already decided that if we proceed to the hospital for the birth of our baby girl, HE will do most of the talking and dealing with the medical staff there. :) I will not be nice, I have a hard time being nice even through our prenatal visits now.
So that was class #3 in a nutshell. We are working on our breathing and relaxation techniques and its working out fabulously.
Next blog will be about the shower we had this past weekend.. it was fabulous!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

All of your in hospital requirements were something we did as well, aside from the first bath, in which curtis did in the hospital with the nurses. Fortunately, my doctor didn't give me much trouble as they were happening but I was forewarned by a couple of the drs in my group that they might not be able to go along with everything. They are all very reasonable wishes and don't feel like your making the wrong choice by not doing what they want. Stick to it!!
* Kenna

Unknown said...

Beth-
I wish I could have been as lucky as you. Ethan did not want to come out on anybody else's terms but his. Going past my due date, he was measuring super big and my dr wanted him out of me. So I went across the street to the hospital, not even in labor. They hooked me up to an IV and started administering pitocin. A little while later they gave me the epidural. It was kind of like a take it or leave it thing... the possibility was that I wouldn't get to have one later. 8 hours went by and they broke my water. And we kept waiting. The pitocin kept getting stronger and stronger, and my epidural didn't seem to be doing anything. It was absolutely miserable. The woman in the next room was going through a similar situation. All I wanted to do was get up and walk around to relieve the pressure, but I was too drugged. The nurse told me that my feet would simply fall from under me, due largely to the huge amounts of drugs being pumped through me. And I kept telling them that all I wanted to do was walk around, but I wasn't allowed - I physically couldn't. I felt helpless. I couldn't move my legs, I wasn't allowed to drink, walk... finally my dr came in to check on me and she told me i had to have a c section - that was the only way the baby could be delivered, due to his size and my lack of dilation. They took the pitocin off, and the contractions stopped. Meanwhile, I was in utmost panic. I have never had surgery before in my life, and here I was about to go under the knife for a procedure in which I would be awake to see. I could do nothing but cry - I was terrified. I just remember shaking through the whole thing. Doug stayed by my side, doing everything he could to comfort me - but it was terrifying. Finally they wheeled me in to surgery. Luckily, they administered my anesthesia through the already active epidural. I felt like a dissection. They cut me open, and I just couldn't handle it. I was crying so much they gave me gas. I got to see my baby for his first few moments, and then I passed out. That night is such a blur to me, I'm constantly asking Doug about what happened. That seems so horrible compared to what you're discussing. You're so in tune with your body and your baby. I wish I could have had that. I successfully nursed E for his first year. And i just remember dreading the fact that the nurses would be bringing him in every 3 hours to nurse. We had a rough start, and I was trying to recover from major surgery. I will never go through labor again, since C section is all they offer Mom's like me at our hospital. So there you have it. I love your birth-plan, and hope everything goes amazingly. Everything seems so natural. I love you and your family Beth, take care and congrats!