I NEED to VENT

     Ok so I have just barely dipped my toes into the water that is the natural birth world and am feeling a little overwhelmed by ignorance! I just cannot believe what is happening in our country or even around the world. It insane what peoples doctors are telling them and even worse the fact that most of these women take what the doctor says at face value without finding out any information on their own. The topic that affects me the most is of course induction.
    First I must address the fact that I am not against ALL inductions. Inductions that are truly medically necessary for the safety of the infant and the mother are of course important and I am grateful that the technology is available for those few cases. However not only are those cases rare I am angered that some of those emergency cases could have been prevented if the mother was better educated and had better prenatal care. Secondly I would like to point out that 40 weeks gestation is just an average. I don't mean to be giving a math lesson here but an average is all the numbers added up together and then divided meaning if you have 7 mothers who each give birth at different gestational weeks (37,38,39,40,41,42,43) all averaged together you get 40 weeks! Often from a statistical standpoint it often excludes the outliers, meaning that those that are too far on either side get removed from that data all together and are often not even figured into the average. Therefore, it may not be outside of the norm for a mother to go into labor naturally at 35 or 43 weeks and have perfectly healthy babies. There are so many variations of what is normal in our species yet when there are natural variations in birth we are told that something must be wrong. The average height of an American female is about 5'3. So does that mean that if you are an American female and are 6'2 or 4'10 that you should take drastic measures to "fix" yourself so that you fall into this average? I would assume that most women would think it absurd to take medical precautions so that they did not ever get to 6'2 or consider taking growth hormones so that they could be taller than 4'10. Yet we often take drugs or even undergo major abdominal surgery when we are pregnant and go beyond the average 40 weeks of gestation no matter how well the baby may be doing inside the womb.
    So why is it ok to pump pregnant women full of drugs to force a baby out of its safe home before that baby is ready to make its appearance? Why do doctors insist that they know better than mother nature? It is just maddening that doctors are making women feel inadequate by telling them that their body must be doing something wrong, that their bodies are not functioning properly because if it were they would have gone into labor already! This is Wrong! Women you need to reclaim your voice for yours and your babies well being. There are cases were medical intervention is necessary but it is much more rare than your OB would like you to believe, especially if you are getting good prenatal care. For example how many women are told that they can avoid having such a risky complication like pre-eclampsia simply by having a good well balanced diet. Yes it can really be that simple sometimes. Eating well while you are pregnant who would have guessed!
    I am just so angered by the ignorance that abounds when it comes to natural birth. We as women are smarter than this, however we allow doctors to tell us that we must be wrong our bodies must be broken we simply cant give birth naturally. Oh what utter Bullshit!

Becoming a Reality

I met with my first client the other day and she is great! I am so excited to be working with her and her beautiful family. My journey is just now begining but I already feel so blessed. I have already met with one wonderful woman and am meeting with another tomorrow! I also had lunch with a friend of mine who has been a doula for over 20 years and she is going to ask her clients if it is okay if I shadow her during their births. Things just seem to be falling into place and it is so exciting! I know this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life, and I have to thank my beautiful little girl, who should have been 3 months old today, for giving me a new direction. I love and miss you sweet baby! I just cannot believe that all of this is becoming a reality so quickly!

Journey as a Doula begins!

I am getting ready to officially start my journey as a doula. My workshop through toLabor (formally Alace) is not until February but I am meeting my first client tomorrow. She is due in April. I need to attend 6 births as a doula before I can get my certification and I am already on my way! I know that it is going to difficult to be around a pregnant woman and be happy but I know that this is where my journey has to begin. I also know that this first step is never going to be easy so I just have to pick that foot up and know that when I put it down the ground is going to be solid underneath it. Wish me luck for tomorrow my new journey begins!

One little life...

It is amazing to me how my little girl has changed me so much. I know that I have always wanted to be a mom but I had know idea how much love I was going to have for my baby. Aine was only in my life for the 10 months that she spent growing in my belly, but she made me the happiest I have ever been and the most devastated, all with one sweet little life... Aine Rose is my little girl, my angel. She was only 7lbs 5oz but she left a huge imprint on my heart and soul.

Rainbow Baby

After losing our beautiful little girl the desire to have a little one of my own has only grown exponentially! I know that it is difficult for many to understand why after such a devastating loss I would be so anxious to start this journey over again but I found a beautiful quote that says it all. "Rainbow Babies are the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy and hope"~Courtney. I know that nothing will bring my little girl back but I know that I want nothing more than to be a mom. Being a mom is all I have ever wanted, and then I was so close and my dream was ripped away. I want to be a mommy with a happy healthy baby to love and cherish! It has been less then 3 months since I lost my baby girl but I pray everyday that my rainbow baby will become a reality!

Birthday

Today is my birthday and it has come with many new feelings. Bithdays have come and gone and I have never really cared (except for when I was little cause well presents and cake, duh.) but really it has never been anything special. Well today has been such a difficult day. My life and existance seems to mean so much more after having lost my daughter on what should have her birth day. I know that tomorrow will just be another day, and just the start of another year but it is all so fragile. Today is my birthday and I miss my little girl more than anything. Today is my birthday and I am greatful I am here. Today is my BIRTHday so thanks mama for everything. I am a strong women because of you! So thank you for my birthday!

Look What they Gone Done to Birth By Earth Lande

Look what they've gone done to birth
Trying to strip it of everything it's worth
Laughing
Scoffing at the power of Mother Earth
It wasn't broke, it didn't need to be fixed
What they've gone done to birth makes me sick
Hiding behind the disguise of just "wanting to help"
That's like loving a child with the sting of a belt
Givng birth?
That's a woman's bewitching hour
Don't you know?
They fear our power
Looking like a clan hidden behind white masks and draped
Putting on latex
Breathing at his patient mounted for rape
See they're hunters
They go after their prey
Never in a circle kneeling into the position to pray
Saying Shut up
Be quiet
All you live for is to reproduce
I wanna go play golf- this one we'll induce
Hurt? Give her drugs
Oh we don't want her to know she's strong
And if anything bad happens at all?
Blame her
Tell her SHE did something wrong
This one?
Heh, we'll just cut her open
WE KNOW IT'S SO MUCH FASTER
So you question why I call them evil old bastads?
All our days they've labeled us birthing slaves
Telling us our sole worth is only to give birth
And now we don't even know how it works!
Treating us like cattle
Turning MY uterus into a Governmental Battle!
Oh we own all this
You can have that little bit
But if anything inside grows- WE want to own
WE want to control it
They wanna own LIFE
The price
OUR BODIES
OUR BABIES
OUR HUMANITY is a sacrifice
Listen
Giving birth is as NATURAL as it gets
All you have to go is go back to the old testament
When Abraham's granddaughters were giving birth in the red tent
Women with women praying to the Queen of Heaven
Never a woman alone among bad dogs being gnawed at like a bone
I know you're afraid
Because the days of the red tent hath fade
And they've convinced you to be sure
That pregnancy is a disease and they are the cure
Their power is fear
Their objective to teach us or to TRAIN us to HATE IT down here
GIVING BIRTH IS NOT A RACE
There is no first or second place!
It is an emergence to be embraced
It is when your soul and your spirit come face to face
We are perfect every way and in every form
It is in the heart and the womb that a child is born
AND IT IS NOT OKAY EVERY DAY
TO CUT A WOMAN OPEN
TAKE HER BABY OUT
KEEP FROM HER
SAY TO HER
OH DON'T WORRY HONEY
THAT'S WHAT NORMAL BIRTH IS ALL ABOUT
Women from Brazil
To the Nation's Capital Hill have been lied to
Have been tricked
VAGINAL BIRTH IS BROKEN!
They say
The C-Section! It's the fix!
Sisters who run marathons and have climbed the highest
mountain peak
Have been brainwashed into believing they are fragile, they
are weak
Oh we can't do it without drugs! They cry
To do so may cause pain, so why even try?
IT IS UP TO YOU
IT IS UP TO ME
TO SET THE TRUTH OF CHILDBIRTH FREE
It can no longer be held captive or quiet
It is time to insight a Birth Rights Riot.