This will be our last guest post in the birthing series (unless I've left someone out! Did you submit a guest post on birthing choices that has not yet been run? If so, please let me know as soon as possible!), and I'm excited to introduce Esther to you.
Esther Hawkins is a Naturopathic Doctor and stay-at-home Mom to two
young children. She teaches natural health classes and blogs about
natural health as well as her life as a Mom. She says, "I love to
write, I love talking about natural health and I love being at home
with my kids. I blog so I can do everything I love at the same time."
For more about Esther, or to learn about natural health, visit her blog
www.hawkinshealth.com
I remember hearing about a woman who had a home birth when I lived in
England. I was 18 years old and all I could think was "why would anyone
want to do that when they could go to the hospital and have drugs?"
Ten years later my mindset had changed considerably and I experienced
the most wonderful, momentous day of my life when I gave birth to my
9lb son at home with no drugs and a six hour labor.
I had started getting into natural health and experienced some amazing changes in my health when I got pregnant with our son. The little that I had already learned convinced me to keep looking into home birth and after a meeting with my incredible midwife, and reading a couple of books on the ability of our bodies to grow a baby and deliver it naturally, I was convinced. Not to mention that statistically, it is safer to give birth at home than at a hospital.
I loved being pregnant and was inspired the whole time by my midwives who gave me the confidence that I could do this. I prepared emotionally and mentally by reading different books, including the Bradley Method, and talking to my midwives and other women who had had good home birth experiences. I also ate well and exercised regularly so that I was strong for the birth. I found the labor with my first child to be a little overwhelming but the support of my husband and midwives got me through. I loved the feeling of delivering the child. All I could think was, "I am woman, hear me ROAR". I felt very empowered and also that the experience had set the bar very high for anything we might go through in the future. I felt very strong yet extremely feminine. I connected with a part of me that I didn't know was there!
My second pregnancy was also wonderful. I nursed my son through the whole pregnancy and until my daughter was 7 months old. Again, I was able to work out through the whole pregnancy, even doing a yoga class the morning that I had her, one week past her due date. I delivered all 9lb 4oz of her, after a 2 hour labor. I felt very much in control going into the labor and had told my midwife that I didn't care how painful it was, I wanted it to be over within 2 hours so I stayed in positions that would increase the intensity and effectiveness of each contraction. The best position for me was lying on my left side. I was able to nurse my son and get him to bed between contractions and started to feel the intensity at 6cm. One hour and 50 minutes later she was born. This experience was so different to the first. I felt very comfortable and in control during the labor but felt very vulnerable and afraid during the delivery. I got her head out quickly but her shoulder got stuck. Before I knew it I was on my hands and knees while one midwife pushed from the outside, and the other maneuvered the baby from the inside. Two minutes later Niela was safely out.
I bled a lot with both babies and with Niela, I ended up on a drip. I
am so thankful for natural and wonderful home births, but also for the
wisdom of my registered nurse midwives who I'm sure prevented an
emergency trip to the hospital with their medical expertise after the
birth. Four hours later I was back on my feet and feeling great.
The impact of the second birth was also very empowering for me but in a different way. The strength I felt that time was in my vulnerability and weakness. The way that my midwives took care of me made me feel so valuable, and connected me with the beauty of God's heart for women and for motherhood. I also realized how wonderful it can be when we allow God the freedom to do the impossible in the middle of our weakness.
