My daughter was my second baby, an easy hospital birth after an unnecessary prostaglandin induction at 38 weeks. My first was similarly induced at 29 weeks after we found out that he’d be stillborn. My hospital births weren’t bad or traumatic experiences, but there was something lacking – it wasn’t my space, I didn’t feel in control, certain things happened…
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Undisturbed Birth is Safe Birth
I saw this on the Invisible Midwives Facebook page the other day. Simple, probably said before, and true. ‘There are those that will make you believe birth is dangerous, not to be trusted and that your body does not work. That you need interventions, the saving of a Doctor and that you won’t be able to handle the pain. There…
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Empowering Affirmations for Birth
When preparing for an empowering birth, inspiration is always wonderful. When birthing my last child, I visualized many different things. Beautiful, calm, intimate thoughts that helped me moan and sway through my contractions. I remember saying to myself when an intense wave would hit, “Yes!!! I want this! This is bringing my baby to me.” If you follow our Facebook…
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An Open Discussion: Unassisted Childbirth
During the comment discussions on Birth Without Fear’s blog post, A License to Rape, unassisted birth came up and a conversation started. I stopped the discussion for a few reasons. The most important being that it was taking away from the importance of the topic…birth rape. I want to offer a place for a respectable conversation about unassisted pregnancy and childbirth…
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22 Favorite Birth Quotes and Affirmations
“Giving birth should be your greatest achievement not your greatest fear.” ~ Jane Weideman “When you change the way you view birth, the way you birth will change.” ~Marie Mongan, Hypnobirthing ”If I don’t know my options, I don’t have any.” ~ Diana Korte “There is a secret in our culture, and it’s not that birth is painful. It’s that…
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The Birth of River Jeremiah: The Homebirth of a First Time Mama
When my water broke at 1:00 in the afternoon, just two days after my estimated due date, I was shocked. I prided myself in not being anxious for my son’s birthday to arrive; I knew it would happen. I knew stressing about it wouldn’t help. I kept in mind that first babies, on average, are born 8 days after their…
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Estimated Due Dates
This is personal for me. I birth my babies between 42 and 44 weeks (with the four I went into labor with). I knew the day of conception with my 4th child and she was born at 42 and 1/2 weeks. My children have weighed between six and nine pounds and have all been healthy because they were born when…
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5 Quotes to Remind You Not to Induce
“We can make a woman have contractions, but we don’t always succeed in forcing her body to release the baby and give birth. If we start a labor with chemicals, we may very well have to finish it with a surgeon’s scalpel.” – Gail Hart, Midwife “Inducing tends to create longer, more difficult, more painful births in general, and it…
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Your Body, Your Birth, Your Baby
I do not know where women got the idea that doctors are a “knight in shining armor” here to rescue them. Actually, the AMA has been incredible at making themselves fit that role. Regardless, it’s a lie. When I hear a mama say, “They are going to let me…” I cringe. I absolutely want to vomit. Since when do they…