St. Croix Birth and Parenting Blog

Understanding the Use of Hypnosis in Childbirth--for the Christian

2011-11-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

I have decided to train to become a certified doula with Hypnobabies. The use of self-hypnosis (as distinct from the much more well-known stage hypnosis we have all seen in movies and cartoons) is a raging trend in the childbirth field. I have been carefully considering making this move for years. Why the hesitation? For one, I have had a number of my clients tell me that they decided to take my birth classes specifically because of their own reluctance to take classes involving hypnosis. One couple told me that they decided to drop out of their hypno-birthing classes because of some rather bizarre activity their class did involving meditating on a blue blob! As Christians, we would prefer NOT to meditate on blobs of any color, thank you very much!

So why have I decided to take this step? I hope the following explanation will be helpful to my supporters and alumni, as well as prospective students. First and most importantly, you must understand that self-hypnosis is not the same as stage hypnosis. Stage hypnosis involves someone else controlling your mind. This is wrong because we are all autonomous persons with free will. If truly hypnosis, and not merely a performance, stage hypnosis removes free will and essentially makes the person a living puppet for the enjoyment of an audience. Conversely, self-hypnosis during childbirth is a decision of the free will to temporarily "turn off" the perception of pain. No one is"hypnotizing" the birthing woman! That is a huge difference!

This training program will give me the tools I need to assist women who have chosen to use self-hypnosis during childbirth. Since it is SELF hypnosis, and not something someone else can "do" to another person, I am fully prepared to use all the other techniques to assist birthing women who do not want to use this tool during their childbirths!

This leads right into a discussion of pain, and specifically pain in childbirth. We have all been conditioned in our culture that childbirth is one of the worst possible experiences a woman can have. As a woman who has given birth to five children, I can say that my births are most definitely among the most wonderful experiences I have had! So in my classes, as with all good family-centered childbirth classes, the instructor spends a lot of time explaining the process of birth, how it feels and ways to encourage your body to open up. The Grantly Dick-Read method, which is what I am trained to teach, was the original childbirth education method. Dr. Dick-Read's life was changed by one of the mothers whom he helped during birth, who refused his offer of pain medication by telling him that she didn't need pain medication because she didn't feel any pain!

Does this mean we've all been lied to? That childbirth is painless and any pain is "all in your head"? Obviously not! Many women, including myself, do feel pain in childbirth. It would be a lie to deny this. But, as Grantly Dick-Read discovered, SOME OF THIS PAIN ORIGINATES FROM THE DECISION TO BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL BE IN PAIN. In other words, the pain originates from fear in the brain, rather than in the body, and this fear of pain increases the likelihood that all sensations from the body will be perceived as pain. An example might suffice. We've all seen a toddler or young child fall down and bump into something. When well-meaning Auntie Suzie says, "Awww...dearie...you poor thing...that must be soooo awful!!" grabs the child up in her arms and generally acts terrified, what happens? Little Johnnie begins wailing, right? But if the adults around him act like the child is capable and can handle this event, the child might whimper a bit, but he usually shrugs it off and moves on. The same thing happens with birth. Something that in actuality might be a little uncomfortable or even just pressure actually becomes more and more painful the more afraid a woman is, and the more the people around her magnify this perception with their words and actions.

The people around a birthing woman are vital to her understanding of her experience. And those people, being people, do things and say things. If those things are medical procedures, they might well be painful. Believe it or not, I distinctly recall that I felt more discomfort from the tape used to keep my epidural in place with my first birth than I had felt from the contractions! And that is just one tiny example. Procedures and practices like vaginal exams, encouraging or requiring women to stay in bed, (directly or indirectly) (and yes, this happens a LOT--where else do you go when you're stuck in a tiny room tethered to a heavy machine that is right next to...a bed!), denying birthing women basic needs like food, drink or taking a bath, putting in IV's, not to mention episiotomies, vacuum extractions, etc., cause a lot of unnecessary pain! Add on top of that an authority figure coming in every few hours asking you to rate how much pain you're having and possibly even offering you some pain meds, then yes, you're really getting the message that you should be having a lot of pain, even if you're not!

During my last birth--a necessary hospital birth---the nurse had trouble putting in an IV. I remember that the poked spot on my hand where the first "little stick" had not worked caused so much pain and pressure when the nurses would check my blood pressure, that I literally thought my hand was going to pop open and blood was going to gush out! So if you are working in a environment where these types of medical procedures are universal, or nearly so, you are going to be of the mindset that birth involves a lot more pain than it really does or needs to.

Self-hypnosis is another way of saying deep relaxation. It is a technique a woman can use during childbirth to essentially remind herself not to freak out! To let her body do its work, and not to complicate this process with fear. Fear is the very first complication of childbirth. And where does fear come from? "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind." (II Tim 1:7) Self-hypnosis techniques, along with encouraging support and basic TLC, enable a woman to use the power of her own sound mind to help herself give birth as God intended--with love, not fear.

3 Months Since Birth and Counting

2011-10-11T20:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post a recent photo of my son. He is so adorable!! I am so blessed!

My work as a fertility and childbirth educator involves lots of babies. As I wrote about earlier, my son's pregnancy was complicated with pre-eclampsia and I am now at a pretty high risk of it occurring again, a complication that seriously endangers both me and any future children. I have been wondering how it will feel to help other women through these amazing experiences after my fertility returns, since it is now dangerous for me to become pregnant.

I so enjoyed giving labor support some weeks ago to a new friend I met through St Croix Birth & Parenting. I was filled with joy! This experience has given me hope that despite the very real sadness I feel at the probable loss of my own future biological children, the joy of seeing other new families "born" will be greater.

Fertility after...a "Complicated" Pregnancy

2011-07-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

While I don't tend to blog about personal matters...I am breaking that rule this time.

I taught my fertility education course early this year to a young couple who had just had their first baby. Pregnant (again) and announcing that I already had four at home, they probably had cause to be suspicious when I said that none of our children were "surprises." I can't say for sure, but the fact that they didn't return to the second class and wouldn't return my phone calls or emails certainly seemed to indicate a lack of faith in my method! :)

So I'm putting it in writing. Why do we have five children? Not because Natural Family Planning--or the fertility education method I have developed "failed" to work properly---but because our marriage and family is filled with love! We have five living children because there was never a reason to "avoid" having another. Most importantly, we have a strong marriage. Sure, we have our share of disagreements, but overall, we agree on the Big stuff. We also have a good house, adequate food, clothing and shelter, and (gasp!) we like kids!

Unlike some women, I actually enjoy charting. As a teenager, my body was a complete mystery, and not the good kind--more like a horror show. I had undiagnosed PCOS and endometriosis--two conditions that left me filled with questions that no one bothered to help me answer, despite trying on several occasions to get medical help. When I learned how to chart my signs of fertility, I finally had answers; I finally began to understand what was going on inside of me. After years of never knowing when I would get my period, (could be waiting anywhere from 5 weeks to 3 months!) NFP gave me this basic and important bit of information. Since marrying my dear husband, I have welcomed the challenge of learning the minutiae of charting so that I could predict by the 7th-10th day after ovulation if I were probably pregnant.

Around this time last year, I realized: we have been so blessed... We have four healthy children and we've had four normal, healthy pregnancies and four normal, healthy births...

At the time, many friends of ours were struggling with infertility, pregnancy and infant losses, difficult births. While some may disagree, I had a feeling that to be given the blessing of (relatively) easy pregnancies and births and healthy babies carried some responsibility to use these gifts.

Despite this sense, it was not our goal to get pregnant again. In fact, at the time it was my conviction, based on my charts, that my PCOS was getting worse, so I began to use a variety of strategies to counter it, for my own long-term health. It also looked like we had experienced two very early, unconfirmed miscarriages during the year before this. As a fertility educator, it is my opinion that these possible miscarriages were due to lower levels of progesterone as a consequence of the worsening of the PCOS, as well as my advancing age.

Though it was not our intent to become pregnant--as I wrote above--we also had no serious reason to avoid pregnancy. My motive for charting was to simply track my health, not to postpone or achieve pregnancy. No big surprise therefore, that we found ourselves expecting a new baby again when I was began to use a variety of natural means to enhance my health!

Overall, the first 30 weeks of the pregnancy were a breeze. I often felt like I had more energy than ever! However, after 30 weeks, things changed. As it turned out, I developed pre-eclampsia and in order to avoid the heart-breaking possibility of stillbirth, as well as the terrifying possibilities that I could have seizures, go into a coma and possibly even die, baby and I had to have our pregnancy ended prematurely, when he was induced at 36 weeks+5 days. It was obviously the right decision, and thankfully, our baby came out strong and healthy. I was not so healthy, but the last few weeks I have been getting stronger each day. I thank God for the blessings of a healthy baby and returning health.

However, sadly, this history means that now we do have a truly serious reason to avoid another pregnancy. My risk of having another pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia, with the same risks for fetal and maternal mortality, are quite high. All of a sudden, we now find ourselves in a different group. From a blissful 13 years when NFP was no more than a means to confirm when a new baby had come into our lives, we now find ourselves in the group who actually need to use NFP to avoid pregnancy (unless a prevention or cure for pre-eclampsia is found). I plan to share (in a discreet way) the effects that this change of status has on our marriage and family, and for me personally. I have created a new blog where you can read more about our journey, if you wish. It is at www.remainingopentolife.blogspot.com

I am glad that I had the time last year to develop my own fertility after childbirth course, because it gave me a lengthy period of time to study this subject intensively---information that I now need for myself! I welcome comments or questions, personal or general. My motive for doing so is that I hope that my own experiences, as a wife, mother, as well as a fertility educator, will be helpful to others. You may post comments or questions here, or send me an email through the contact us page on my website: http://www.stcroixbirth.com/

SCBP now offering midwifery care!

2010-10-23T04:31:00.000-07:00

It's official! I am now an apprentice midwife! I am thrilled to announce that I have been accepted as an apprentice for Jane Kirby, a St. Paul-based certified professional midwife! If you want to find out more about having us provide your prenatal and midwifery care for your upcoming birth, please click here.

Prayer for Families (Pope John Paul II; Aug. 15, 1980)

2010-10-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

I have found the following prayer to be a rich trove of wisdom for times of reflection and so I want to share it with you... I suggest meditating on one intercession at a time and expanding them into specific prayers for your loved ones and those whom you do not yet know!

Lord God, from you every family in heaven and on earth takes its name.
Father, you are Love and Life, through your Son, Jesus Christ, "born of woman," and through the Holy Spirit, fountain of divine charity,

Grant that every family on earth may become for each successive generation a true sanctuary of life and love.

Grant that your grace may guide the thoughts and actions of husbands and wives for the good of their families and of all the families in the world.

Grant that the young generations may find in the family solid support for their human dignity and for their growth in truth and love.

Grant that love, strengthened by the grace of the sacrament of marriage, may prove mightier than all the weakness and trials through which our families sometimes pass.

Grant that, through the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Church may fruitfully carry out her worldwide mission in the family and through the family.

Through Christ our Lord, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life for ever and ever.
Amen.

Fertility Matters! Learn more about yours!

2010-10-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

Two couples recently graduated from the summer session of SCBP's "Fertility Matters" course. Though they entered the course for very different reasons, (one couple is getting married soon and wants to learn how to postpone pregnancy for a time; the other couple wants to sustain a healthy pregnancy) both couples seemed equally pleased with the course. It is an honor for me to be able to be a small part in these big events in the lives of my students. I enjoy the time we spend together in their private counseling appointments pouring over their charts and learning the "secrets" contained within. It is a joy and a privilege to see women AND men learning about the amazing ways that their bodies were designed and growing in appreciation for each other and their Creator.

New sessions start every season, and if my schedule allows, couples can begin the course privately in between scheduled sessions. Scholarships are available on a first ask-first receive basis, so there is no need to let finances get in the way of taking the course. Natural family planning is safe, healthy and effective and a boost to your marriage and your relationship with God! So...head on over to our website and learn more!

SCBP is in the news!

2010-07-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Chris & I had a blast being interviewed by Maria Wiering, a reporter for the Catholic Spirit, about why we decided to use Natural Family Planning! This article has some very complimentary things to say about us! WOW! Thank you, Maria! And thanks to Dave Hrbacek for this beautiful photo!

Read more here!

Fertility, Birth & More on LOST

2010-05-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

While I don't typically wade into the often choppy waters of popular culture, my little reveal of the day is that I'm a colossal LOST fan. Now that the show is finally over (dry the eyes here), I thought I'd take a few to reflect on the fertility-birthing themes that played throughout the show. (For those of you who somehow managed to steer clear of LOST, this review will probably have you a bit lost--but I'll try to keep to the take away for your benefit.)

Chronologically, fertility precedes birth, so I'll start there. While in the end, the writers didn't manage or choose to spell out what made baby-making such a precarious endeavor on the Island, they did manage to point out something that most of us in this contraceptive-normative culture might miss: fertility matters. (Okay, yes, that is the name of one of SCBP's new classes!) All shameless plugs aside, fertility on the Island, as in real life, is, at its core, very very important to one's identity. When Jin and Sun conceive on-Island, while they are in the end merely characters, the joy in giving life that they represent is real, and reflects the universal human desire to give life. While we humans can be brutal, we yearn, deep within, to be Co-Creators, to bring more joy into the world. To see love made manifest; enfleshed.

There's probably much much more that could be said about that, but I don't want to wind up here without reflecting on the birth theme in LOST. As a childbirth educator, and someone who has actually given birth, I got a huge kick out of each and every birth that happened on LOST. One minute a heavily pregnant woman is going about her business (which on LOST could be anything from evading evil Ethan to watching a rock'n'roll + classical piano concert), and the next minute the contractions have kicked in so hard that the baby falls out (sans umbilical cord), complete with the requisite---though obviously unnecessary---"PUSH!" command. Many was the time I shook my finger at the screen and scolded the writers for not giving "me" a call before writing their next birth scene!! Theatrical elements aside (and believe me, it took me 3 years to set them aside), several of these birth scenes had me in tears. (For you fellow fans: the most memorable for me was Aaron's original on-Island birth. What was yours?) Despite the writers' lack of birthing know-how, they managed to capture the "spirit" of giving birth in this fallen world---its aching beauty, the co-mingling of the joy of bringing forth new life with the small, though real possibility of death. Now if only they had shown Claire (modestly) breastfeeding at least once... (How did Aaron survive all those times Claire wandered off into the jungle without him?--maybe on imaginary peanut butter.)

May Fertility Tip: Conceive with Regular Cycles

2010-05-01T12:53:00.000-07:00

Did you know that if you have long cycles, you may have an increased risk of miscarriage, even if you conceive during your most fertile days? Women who are TTC and who typically ovulate after cycle day 21 should work toward shorter cycles to increase their chances for a healthy pregnancy.

Every woman has the occasional long cycle--ovulation may be delayed due to stress, travel, or other unusual circumstances. This is part of your body's amazing design: conception isn't a good idea if you might be in danger. Your body "knows" that pregnancy is a time when you should be stable and at peace.

However, if you typically ovulate later than cycle day 21, you will increase your chances for a healthy pregnancy if you take some time to work on developing more regular cycles before TTC. Achieving more regular cycles is easier said than done. SCBP is developing a health-promotion program for couples planning or trying to conceive. We can help you develop a plan to help encourage more regular cycles. Contact us if you are interested in finding out more!

3 New Twin Cities Birth Centers!

2010-03-17T04:23:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? 3 new birth centers have opened/are opening in the Twin Cities!! This is fabulous---I am thrilled to see so many new birthing options for women in our area. I am so excited! Check them out!

The Baby's Bill of Rights

2009-11-07T07:04:00.001-08:00

by Christelle J. K. Hagen

Every baby has the right:

*to be conceived by his own father and mother mutually giving themselves in self-giving love within marriage

*to be welcomed and treasured in his mother's womb

*to be nourished physically, emotionally, and spiritually (through prayer) while in utero

*to be born safely and peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones

*to be nourished and nurtured at his mother's bosom, under the protection of his father

*to be raised by the father and mother who conceived and gave birth to him, in a household of peace, joy, and love

Let us work to give these beautiful gifts to all our babies. Let stronger families reach out to share and bear the burdens of weaker families and to welcome abandoned children. Please join me in prayer for the renewal of culture, virtue, and family life everywhere.

90 Year Old Retired Midwife Catches Her Great Grandbaby

2009-10-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, a 90 year old (soon to be great) grandma helped her 32 year old granddaughter when she went into labor following a walk. The woman hadn't been active as a midwife in over 50 years, but it seems that midwifery is kind of like riding a bike... :) Here's the link to the story as reported by the MN Parent Blog. Birth works!! I love this story because it shows that birth while amazing can be something very normal and straightforward. I see so many expectant moms who are so very fearful about birth and have been brainwashed into thinking that birth is something that you are lucky to survive intact. I wish that I could let all of you see some of the wonderful "uneventful" births I've experienced!

Adventure Clubs Off & Running

2009-10-12T15:59:00.001-07:00

Our new Blazing Trails Adventure Clubs are off & running! We recently finished our first month of history and science/nature studies. September was Ancient Rome (history) and Geology of the St. Croix River Valley (science/nature). We did everything from staring at potholes to gazing on beautiful statues. We watched a volcano explode and listened to poetry about glaciers. We drew pictures. We listened to great books and great naturalists. We learned how to say our names like the Romans would have said them. We created a whole new set of months just for kicks. We ate olives, grapes, and eggs. Julius Caesar and Cleopatra visited our club meetings. We started making a mosaic. Wow. I'm exhausted just thinking about how much we did! One of our moms wrote to say, "What a way to learn--we had a blast."

Blazing Trails Adventure Clubs Fun Logo

2009-08-24T14:16:00.000-07:00

Friends,

Check out this cool logo drawn by a future club member!! It depicts two ducks on a pond surrounded by trees with the words "Adventure Club". The artist is 8 years old and his mom reports that he usually likes to draw Bionicles and Star Wars characters, but he thought he would try his hand at drawing a logo for our clubs.

Pretty cool! Thanks for sharing your talent with us!!

Fertility Matters Method workbook first draft is finished

2009-08-23T18:32:00.001-07:00

Over the past month I have put together the class booklet for the Fertility Matters introductory class! I am sending it out to my good friend, Michelle, for editing and feedback. I have also posted a sample on the SCBP website. I would love feedback! Check it out here.

My Reflections on Unassisted Childbirth

2009-07-24T00:32:00.000-07:00

As you may know, I'm currently writing a home study course on birth. Yesterday, I wrote a bit about unassisted childbirth. It should be apparent that when it comes to birth, I hold some fairly anti-mainstream positions. I am pro-midwife ("every mother deserves a midwife") and pro-homebirth, for the vast majority who can safely plan a homebirth. However, I am concerned about the rise in popularity of the "unassisted childbirth" (UC) movement. My honest opinion is that the UC movement would not stand a chance if homebirth midwifery was fluorishing. Here's why.

For some of you reading this, the idea of a mother intentionally planning on having no one but her baby's father and perhaps trusted friends on hand during a birth is a perposterous idea. For others, there may be rage that I would question this birthing option. Here's my stance.

90-95% of the time, birth will occur completely normally, without help from anyone. Most women could, if necessary, birth their own baby with their own hands without the help or aid of another person and, most of the time, both would come out just fine. Therefore, the UC'ers have statistics on their side. Most UCs will be normal, straightforward births, with undoubtedly a huge rush and sense of pride: we did it---despite all the naysayers and worryworts!--and all on our own!!!

I'd like to get personal and set out my own grapplings with this issue, then I'll close this post with some general thoughts, as a childbirth educator.

I considered, quite seriously, attempting a UC with my last birth. I was attracted to the idea of the intimacy of the birth. I almost had an unplanned UC with my second birth because it went very quickly and the midwife almost missed it! In retrospect, this was my easiest birth and my only "ecstatic" birth. During my last pregnancy, I compared my second and third births and thought: I liked my second birth better---maybe just plan to do it ourselves this time??

But I thank God for my level-headed husband, who said no. Why am I thankful? While the first stage of the birth went virtually painlessly (honestly), the second stage (pushing) was anything but. My son's head was a full 14-1/2 inches (that's 11.7 cm--so much for 10 cm being "complete"). His was a half inch bigger than my third baby and an entire inch bigger than my second baby!! I am a very petite woman. I have a smallish pelvic outlet. It was a very very tight squeeze, let me tell you. In the midst of this incredibly hard pushing stage, I gave up. I insisted that we go to the hospital. Had it been a UC we would have. I know that my dear husband would not have said, "No, honey, even though you want to give up, even though you've been pushing and pushing, and you're in pain and exhausted, we'll stay here a little longer." Let's be real, there are very few husbands who want to see their wives in pain, and even fewer who would prolong that pain, knowing there was an alternative. And I suspect there are even fewer men who want to take the rap for making the wrong call and NOT going to the hospital when that really was the right decision. My midwife SAVED my birth. She was the one with the experience and skill who knew I was just wimping out and said: no. I have no doubt that if there was the slightest hint that the situation needed medical intervention, she would have been the one to make that call. But she knew everything was going normally, that baby & I were tolerating labor just fine, and that I needed someone to get me to focus on birthing that baby and not looking for an easy way out. That's what a good midwife does.

UC is a myopic movement. Midwifery appears across cultures. Midwives have been with the human race for almost as long as the human race. There's a reason. Several reasons actually. Safety. Experience. Wisdom. Skill. While over-management of birth has turned the normal life event of birth into a potential crisis, let's not throw the baby (or in this case, the midwife) out with the bathwater.

Nearing Menopause? Sail with Confidence

2009-07-05T02:27:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may have read the article in the July-August 2009 Family Foundations, you might appreciate reading my original article, in its entirety (as submitted). Enjoy!

When a girl has her first period, she has “become a woman”. So what does she become when her periods are over? Superwoman!

Like getting her first period, menopause is a normal transition in a woman’s life. And like puberty, the years before menopause—premenopause—can be smooth sailing or rough seas. Whatever her individual experience may be like, whether relatively straight-forward or downright confusing, her acquired patience with discomforts and trials will serve a woman well as she navigates the unfamiliar waters that lead to menopause. For couples, this time of transition—and the unpredictable cycles that usually accompany it—may be a significant challenge to the couple’s commitment to practicing marital chastity. The Couple to Couple League now offers couples practical aid through this passage: a special premenopause class and a new book, The Art of Natural Family Planning ® Premenopause Student Guide.

Menopause officially begins when a woman has not had a period in one full year, providing there is no other reason for the lack of menses. During premenopause, many women experience the infamous hot flashes, vaginal dryness, forgetfulness, or weight gain. Early on in her Change, a woman tends to focus on developing coping strategies for these new physical experiences. Later on, the emotional and sometimes spiritual changes assume more importance.

Just as it typically takes several years for a young woman to transition to regular cycles after her first period, winding down to menopause also takes a number of years—for most women, it takes two to five years to go from regular cycling to menopause. This transition may start as early as age 35, but typically begins in the early to mid-forties. Half of all women will have experienced menopause between ages 50 and 52.

The easiest time to use Natural Family Planning methods is during the years of regular, predictable cycles, usually when the woman is in her twenties and thirties. Developing fertility awareness and seeking to avoid pregnancy is usually quite a challenge as couples go through premenopause; couples should be prepared to be patient and flexible. Cycle lengths may fluctuate wildly from one to the next. Ovulation may occur much earlier or much later than expected. Luteal phases may be a matter of a few days, or ovulation may not happen at all, requiring lengthy times of abstinence. Bleeding at the middle of the cycle may occur for the first time in a woman’s life, which may be worrisome or confusing. Since temperature patterns and mucus patches may be confusing, couples may find the cervix sign to be more helpful during this time than in earlier years.

Yet the Change is more than just a biological event; it is a significant life passage—a woman must let go of her identity as a potential bearer of new life. For women who have never married, married late, chose not to have children, or experienced infertility, menopause may present a greater challenge than for those menopausal women who still have children growing up at home, as it signals that her biological clock has finally rung—for good. Menopause is a loss—the loss of the potential to bring another child into the world.

Yet more importantly, menopause is also a gain. Some couples may continue to be drawn to parenting—and adopting a child or children may be right for their family. Other women may enjoy the freedom to work, volunteer, pursue higher education, participate in political action, or explore causes, interests or hobbies that were laid aside during the earlier years of intense child-rearing. Beyond her newly increased freedom, menopause usually affords a woman time to work through old baggage and find new perspectives on herself, her past, and the world—a kind of psychological “spring cleaning.” “Superwoman” status means loved ones and even strangers may seek her advice, and instead of the timid, reticent woman she may have been, many menopausal women will acknowledge that they are now an authority on many issues. (See the 'UP'side of Menopause.)

Finally, even the most casual glance at the demographics of many church services should be enough to convince that the years after menopause can be deeply enriching for one’s spiritual life. For menopausal women with children, child-rearing duties gradually decrease, affording more time for prayer. Many holy couples experienced the deepening of their spiritual lives after the wife’s menopause—for example, married saints who devoted the remainder of their married life to prayer and works of mercy. Consider St. Monica’s menopausal life: at 54 years of age, her love for her errant son Augustine led Monica to embark on a sea voyage from Africa to Rome. Not finding her son in Rome, she traced him to Milan and a year later was blessed to experience his conversion and baptism. She died just a few months later, her work completed, having cooperated with God in her son’s second birth and giving the Church a saint and doctor of the Church. (Ferdinand Holbock, Married Saints and Blesseds through the Centuries, trans. Michael J. Miller, San Francisco: Ignatius Press, pp. 70-75). While the time for bearing 'the fruit of her womb' may have passed, the years following menopause can be a time for great spiritual fruit, and perhaps, like St. Monica, a time to embark on a woman’s greatest life’s work.

What's So Great about Giving Birth at Home?

2009-06-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

There are probably as many different answers to this question as there are women who choose homebirth. But today, I will focus on just one: safety. SAFETY?! Yes, safety. No birth is risk free, no matter where a mother gives birth. Some women feel safer in the hospital (after all, they have all that equipment and personnel RIGHT THERE "just in case"). And no doubt about it, things can go wrong during a birth. Do not let anyone give you a false sense that birth is risk-free.

Yet on the other hand, do not let anyone give you a false sense that birth in a hospital is risk-free either. The problem with a death or injury in the hospital is that it is generally assumed that "it would have happened anyway and I'm so glad they were there to save me." This is a false belief. Many practices that go on during hospital births CAUSE injuries that, tragically, can lead in a small number of cases, to unnecessary deaths, but much more often, to a scary, unsatisfying birth experience that feels more like a TV drama than a normal, natural process. How? The hormones that are responsible for normal childbirth depend on certain conditions: a mother must feel SAFE and LOVED. (Those of you who have taken my birth classes must remember this mantra of mine.) Safety has everything to do with privacy.

Do I feel safe when I am semi-clothed, surrounded by strangers, going through a normal bodily process that I cannot control that might cause me to shout or moan, as blood and other fluids come out of me? I think not. I cannot feel safe giving birth in a strange place, around strangers, no matter how well-intentioned, well-trained, or well-educated they might be. When I do not feel safe, my natural pain killing hormones--endorphins--do not work like they should, so pain increases. As pain increases, I become anxious. When I am anxious, oxytocin slows. Since oxytocin drives contractions, less oxytocin means contractions slow. I become frustrated by the lack of progress. Adrenaline kicks in. Contractions slow even further. I am even more frustrated. Why doesn't my body WORK? I worry that this is taking too long and will I be able to give birth at all? I then get an IV stuck in my arm with artificial oxytocin (Pitocin) that causes me pain. I have tubes coming out of me and monitors strapped to my body and possibly to my baby's head that keep me from being able to get up and move around, something that might help relieve pain and get labor going. More adrenaline. Labor slows or even stops. This is what happens to many many mothers laboring in hospitals.

At home, the only people there are those I have chosen to be with me. I know far beforehand that my midwife has herbs or medication to help me if I begin to bleed after the birth and equipment to help the baby start breathing if necessary. Even if labor goes slowly, I do not feel unsafe. I have my husband with me who cares for me, and my midwife whom I trust. There are no strangers around who might make me feel strange for the volumes of sound I am producing or the fluids coming out of me. There are no strangers coming in and out, asking me questions, looking at machines and checking things as if I am a time-bomb that could explode at any moment.

Endorphins can increase to meet the level of pain I am experiencing. When I feel loved, when my husband holds me and tells me how good I'm doing, oxytocin levels go up. I can move around as I please, and therefore, labor can progress normally, most of the time. And if my midwife thinks it is truly taking too long, we can transport to the hospital if necessary, and I won't have to wonder if I could have done it at home, because I will have tried.

No, homebirth isn't for everyone. Some mothers or babies have legitimate health concerns that make hospital birth safer for them. But many more mothers could give birth successfully at home, surrounded by their loved ones, if they would only try. There would be fewer injuries overall. A helpful comparison is to look at a large set of homebirth statistics--which is available from the Farm homebirth midwives who, in this study, helped 1707 mothers. There was a perinatal (infant) death rate of 1% for these homebirths--this was slightly less than the hospital group, though the difference was not statistically significant. There were no maternal deaths among the Farm mothers.

Unless they need to transfer, homebirth clients birth without any pain medication, which is safer for mom and baby. In the Farm study, over 90% of mothers birthed at home, without any pain medication--this compares to about 90% of hospital birthing mothers who birth with an epidural or intrathecal, according to one local nurse-midwife who asked me not to give her name. (Statistics from mothers graduating from SCBP classes are somewhat better: 50% of moms who birthed in hospital used pain medications--no homebirth moms used pain meds.)

What was statistically significant in the Farm study were the differences in interventions used in the hospital births vs. homebirths. Homebirthing moms hardly ever require forceps or vacuum extraction, in my opinion, because they are allowed to push in the positions of their choice, not those positions "encouraged" by those around them, which are usually less advantageous for birthing. In the Farm study, 2.11% of moms required a cesarean, forceps or vacuum extractor. 26.6% of those mothers giving birth in the hospital needed those interventions. For cesarean alone, only 1.46% of mothers assisted by the Farm midwives required a cesarean vs. 16.46% of the hospital mothers. As a whole group, it is estimated that homebirth midwives (not just the Farm midwives) typically have cesarean rates of less than or around 5%. In the U.S. at large more than 30% of women have their babies delivered surgically.

What about transports to the hospital from homebirths? The most common reasons for a transport to the hospital are not life-threatening complications, but because labor seems to be taking too long or meconium in the waters. Just like in the hospital, baby's hearts are monitored during labors at home---but usually with your midwife's ears, and a handheld Doppler or fetoscope, rather than machines and wires. So if your midwife detects that baby just isn't tolerating labor well, you will transport. In my experience, another common reason for transports among homebirthing mothers I know, is for tears that need stitching (an important skill that I interview for and require in a homebirth midwife before hiring her). To get some perspective, transfers of care were required in 13.5% of Farm mothers, only 7.4% of these during labor. This seems comparable with other homebirth studies. (See this webpage for more.) In other words, most mothers who want a homebirth are able to achieve that homebirth--especially if they have had a baby before. But even most first time moms can successfully birth at home, if they are determined, and have excellent support.

What is a Fertility Midwife?

2009-05-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

I would like to create a new title for a new vocation: 'fertility midwife'. The fertility midwife would meet with couples once a month (or be in contact over the phone for couples farther away) for about six months prior to conception to work on helping the couple to improve health practices in order to achieve a state of optimum wellness---healthy "soil" and healthy "seed". I believe this is so important and so overlooked. It seems that most sub-fertile couples with whom I am in contact look at getting pregnant as the only goal. And of course, getting pregnant is a wonderful and marvelous goal! Yet as a childbirth educator, I know that having problems conceiving usually tends toward problems with the pregnancy and problems during birth and problems with breastfeeding. The wonderful way in which God designed our bodies is to protect us from these problems. If there is a chance for greater difficulties down the line, our "fearfully and wonderfully made" bodies put the brakes on at conception. Having trouble conceiving is a sign that we are out of balance. I'm not saying that infertility is the wife's fault or the husband's fault--sometimes difficulties with fertility arise because of events that occurred when we ourselves were in the womb, or in our early infancy or childhood. Yet there are many many things we can do to "tip the scales" toward fertility. These are the techniques that a fertility midwife would be trained to teach others.

When a couple comes to me for fertility counseling, we first begin with trying to understand the couple's history--the many many experiences that helped shape the people they have become. Then we work on understanding who they are today: their eating habits, exercise routines, work loads and stress levels, exposure to pollutants, and for the wife, her menstrual and ovulatory patterns, as beautifully demonstrated on her own charts---those wonderful charts on which she records the observations she herself makes of her own body. As well as, of course, understanding when exactly the couple is attempting to achieve pregnancy! All of this information is vital to making a personalized Healthy Conception Plan. This is the work a fertility midwife must do if she is to truly aid couples.

I have a dream: a dream that not only would those couples who are having trouble conceiving visit with a fertility midwife, but even "healthy" couples. To pad the fertility midwife's pockets? Nope! Because healthy children come from healthy parents. We all benefit from having someone else to keep us accountable. When am I the best hydrated? Ask my husband--it is when I know I will have my midwife checking my heart rate at my prenatal appointment!! We all have less than ideal, even downright unhealthy habits. The fertility midwife is there to be the couple's accountability--to keep the couple accountable to those healthy habits that will be the best foundation for a healthy baby. I repeat: healthy children come from healthy parents. Bring on the fertility midwives!

St. Croix Valley Mothers Need Midwives

2009-05-20T15:50:00.000-07:00

I have just spent a fascinating few precious my-son-is-sleeping moments reviewing and comparing statistics on St. Croix Valley births. WOW! Mothers NEED midwives! I have always theoretically known this was true, but it is so fun to actually see this play out in real births. All these statistics are from births of real couples who have taken St. Croix Birth & Parenting classes. All of the women who have taken my classes have been low risk, whether they chose midwives or physicians to attend their births.

Natural Childbirths: no pain medications used during labor
85.7% of midwife-attended births were natural childbirths
20% of physician-attended births were natural childbirths

Inductions: starting labor before it starts on its own
0% of midwives induced labor
20% of physicians induced labor

Augmentations: using artificial hormones to speed labor
14.3% of midwife-attended births were augmented
40% of physician-attended births were augmented

IV's: intravenous fluids given to the mother
28.6% of midwives used IV's
60% of physicians used IV's

The only outcome for which physicians had a better track record was maternal tearing.
42.9% of mothers who had a midwife had a tear
20% of mothers with a physician had a tear

However, this outcome needs to be looked at more closely, because an additional 20% of mothers with a physician in attendance had an episiotomy performed. None of the midwives performed an episiotomy. This brings the results for any perineal trauma:
42.9% of mothers with a midwife experienced perineal trauma
40% of mothers with a physician experienced perineal trauma

Additionally, of the midwife-attended births, one-third were first degree tears (a mere split in the skin) requiring no stitches. Two-thirds were second degree tears requiring stitching. Of the physician-attended births, half of the group had an episiotomy (basically a second degree, or worse, iatrogenic--physician-caused--tear)and the other half had severe tears (3rd or 4th degree tears). In other words, even though the midwives had a slightly higher rate of perineal trauma, the actual tears were milder.

A very important observation is that in all cases of second or greater degree tears, an IV had also been used. IV's are NOT a "harmless" intervention. For those of us who believe that mothers can and should birth over an intact perineum, IV usage needs to be seriously re-evaluated.

On the plus side for all St. Croix Birth & Parenting births, we still have no cesareans, no forceps or vacuum extractor births!!! Way to go, couples!

It should be noted that actual numbers of couples are still small, but large enough now to begin to show a difference between the way midwives and physicians practice in the St. Croix Valley. I am eager to keep getting new student couples in order to continue to encourage mothers to achieve enriching, satisfying, safe births! Kudos to midwives in the St. Croix Valley, who are doing a great job meeting these goals!