I barely ever go to the Dr. July of 2012, I went to my family Dr for a physical. I requested a pregnancy test, just in case. When the Dr came in with a big smile on his face, I knew I was pregnant. I told my husband I had news and handed him a Dr’s slip that same day. It said “Congratulations. You are Pregnant.” He was surprised and quickly accepted it.
I accepted that I was pregnant, although it had been 15 years since birthing my first daughter. At age 21, I chose an OB Dr., induction, epidural, at the hospital, birthing on my back (the position least conducive to an easy birth), with immediate chord clamping and the OB Dr. performing an episiotomy without telling me first. That’s what I knew. There are more choices the more you educate yourself. This time I was motivated to learn about natural childbirthing.
I began to seek resources to help myself be as physically and emotionally healthy as possible throughout pregnancy. I was nervous about my ability to birth natural. I wanted to learn all about natural birth. When I was 8 weeks along. In my pursuit to have a natural birth, I interviewed Chris Miller, one of the midwives in our area. She had a kind and pleasant demeanor and was polite and diplomatic upon first appearance. The birth center which she’d just opened, a mile from our home, was cozy and home like. I decided to go with her and continued my checkups regularly.
I checked out several books from the library and read voraciously the first few months of my pregnancy. Books like Birthing Within, Birthing A Better Way, 12 secrets for natural childbirth, and Get Me Out: A history of childbirth from the garden of eden to the sperm bank left an impression on me. I saw the documentaries “Business of Being Born” and “Pregnant in America,” which were eye opening. There are some disturbing realities about America’s maternity care system and what is happening to women and babies. The USA is last of 42 industrialized countries in infant and maternal mortality.
I started going to “Powerful Birth Group,” a monthly educational / support group for pregnant women and mom’s with babies. There I learned things about allowing labor to begin naturally, water birth, breastfeeding, and delayed chord clamping. I looked into joining an online support group. I checked out some online forums. The one I choose was Barefoot Birthing Support Group on facebook.
In October, I saw a great possibility for birthing well with Hypnobabies, hypnosis for childbirth. I had asked the other moms at Powerful Birth Group if they’d used hypnobabies and what they thought. The two that had taken Hypnobabies heartily recommended it. I, along with my husband Jay, chose to take Hypnobabies classes taught by hypnodoula Talya Matheson. It was like taking a pregnancy and childbirth class with the additional element of learning hypnosis for childbirth. The required commitments to listen to a different hypnosis CD daily and practice the techniques for a moment a few times a day required great expediency to achieve. We were so proud of ourselves for accomplishing the practice throughout the 6 weeks of class, and then for 9 more weeks. My husband even benefited, as he cleared some fears surrounding blood with the fear clearing CD, which was apparent during the birth. He also amped up his ability to support me as he used the birth partner CD.
I was very blessed with a very healthy and active pregnancy. I was well in body, mind, and spirit. I walked, swam, and did yoga regularly. I conscientiously ate well, juiced, and took raw vitamins and dha. I took the time to nurture and care for me via Access Bars® sessions, beginning October of 2012. During an Access Bars® session, the pregnant client is positioned to lie back in an antigravity chair. The practitioner gently touches points on the head. Often times, during an Access Bars session, a cascade of positive energies is triggered, whilst simultaneously allowing for all negative energies to be dissipated, dissolved, and flushed out. Receiving an Access Bars® session allows you to experience more ease with whatever is going on in your life. The deep relaxation that occurs for the client is worth its weigh in gold.
The last month, I slowed and tapered drastically my exercise, but still felt very comfortable moving in my own body. I credit consistent yoga practice and regular Access Bars® sessions for a healthy body and mind. N’eer did I have back pain or other complications. I knew that at At age 36, I was in my sexual prime. If I had gone to an OB at age 36, they would have treated me a lot more cautiously. At age 35, mainstream medicine classifies women as high risk. With such a healthy physiology which I instinctively knew I had, I did not need people treating me different based on a number picked for all women.
Also, after studying the pros and cons, I chose not to get an ultrasound. I did not have a flu shot as a pregnant women. I chose not to have a insanely sugary and nasty glucose test that probably does more harm than good unless you have actual symptoms. In lieu of this, I opted for to have my hgbA1C levels and blood glucose levels checked, and I watched for any out of the ordinary symptoms.* *This info is for informational purposes only. I personally studied extensively the evidence, information, and also included my intuition before making choices fitting my situation as I outline above. Please study your medical choices and choose for yourself based on your own body and situation.
Lastly, we kept the gender a surprise. I had a dream that I associated as meaning my baby was a boy early on. Later in my pregnancy, I pulled the “your daughter” angel card. I felt strongly since then it was a girl.
The one thing I know for sure is that when the mind and body are relaxed, and you get out of your own way, the birth process’s length and speed are optimal. There are many ways to do birth. What worked the best for me, was to go completely limp and loose in my mind, allowing my body to do the work, like I’d practiced with Hypnobabies. Birth instincts and the mother’s intuition are enhanced. When you feel safe and supported, with the people who are present and also with a calm environment, an optimal birth can be achieved. This is why I believe the birth center, with it’s dim lights and respect for the mother’s wishes in how to birth, created an optimal birthing environment for me. Birth is a right brain process. Hospitals can be overly reliant on left brain processes and technology, which can be counter-intuitive to birth. Birth is not an emergency waiting to happen, like western medicine paradigm often suggests.
Two articles that speak to what I know about the deeper initiation process and power inherent to women in birth are Healing Birth, Healing The Earth by Sarah J. Buckley, and Alchemy of Midwifery and Women’s Initiation, A talk given by Shivam Rachana. Two videos that completely inspired me in the last weeks were Birth as We Know It and Birth in Nature: Natural Birth.
I sensed during birth how important one’s tribe is. I couldn’t have done it alone. It made me that much more aware of the intensity that can be present during the birth experience. I am willing to be there for others in their birthing process, whether symbolic or real, as needed. I was so touched by this affirmation.
The Naming of Samantha Lynn
About an hour after she was born, I was lying in bed, getting comfortable and settled in with her. I talked to her and called her “Samantha.” It just popped out of my mouth. I was surprised that name pleased me so much. I told my husband and my daughter, and they also fell in love with that name. I think the being told us what she would like to be named. Just to be sure, we sat with a few names over the next week. However, the name Samantha just kept coming up. Originally, I would have thought it too masculine, but I knew this was her name.
Now for the middle name. My daughter Amanda Mae was named Mae in honor of one of my first elderly patients that I cared for on a regular basis. I loved the old fashioned name. Now you think “Rae” would rhyme well with “Mae.” It would have been cute. I wasn’t sure why, but I knew Samantha Lynn was the name. Not Samantha Rae or even Samantha Raelyn. Well, on day 8 we called the midwife and she wrote up her birth certificate officially. I told the midwife, “Samantha Lynn.” Then Amanda initiated creating a birth announcement we could email to family and put out on facebook. Amanda looked up the meaning of the name Lynn. It was “of the water.” This made me cry. Not only is she a Pisces, with a sensitive nature, but she chose to be born in the water! Wow! Samantha means good listener, flower. Spirt whispered this being is a gentle soul a couple of months before she was born. She is such a beautiful girl who gifts us with joy and love and peace every day.