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Phone: (408) 603-7875 Email: andria@angelpeace.com
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The Ne Your Body, Your Birth - Part 1 - Andria R. Wagner © 2006
There is nothing more powerful
than a woman allowing her body to
birth the way nature intended; moving
freely, moaning and yelling, grounded
to the Earth, fearlessly doing what
has been done since the beginning of
time.
Why then are so many modern,
well-educated women giving this power
away?
Be
it to an obstetrician, a nurse or a
family member, women today are often
letting others make decisions for
them.
Your mother might say you
should have an epidural, “I did,
you’re crazy not to.”
Doctors commonly say, “Why be
in pain if you don’t have to,” not
understanding that pain is sensation,
information, not necessarily too much
to handle.
Doctors encouraging cesarean
sections for healthy mothers and
babies are doing no favors for their
well-being.
Medically
necessary c-sections aside, why are so
many women choosing to not fully
participate in the process of birthing
their children?
Why are they afraid their
bodies are ill-equipped when they’re
not?
Of course there are exceptions,
but why do 30%+ of American women
require a c-section where in many
European countries that rate is less
than 10%, sometimes even less than 5%.
Something is fundamentally
wrong with our birth system, and the
solution lies in women remembering
their power to birth in their own way,
on their terms, with little assistance
from health care professionals or
family members.
Maybe you’ve seen the
occasional homebirth of a celebrity or
the two rare episodes of The Baby
Story, where the mother is not drugged
and lying on her back.
Perhaps you thought it too good
to be true; birthing at home,
surrounded only by those you invite,
assisted by women (midwives) rather
than a male doctor.
Imagine candles lit, soft music
playing, mother in the tub relaxing,
eating a snack or sipping a drink in
early labor.
There are no bright lights, no
traffic or uncomfortable car ride to
the hospital, no strange nurses
changing shifts during your labor, and
no monitors poking and probing you.
There is only you, your husband
or partner, and baby to be born,
breathing into the next contraction in
peace.
The
reality is that a move to the hospital
could stall your labor, causing need
for a Pitocin-drip, bringing potential
hazard to you and the baby.
You think, “But wait,
didn’t I say no drugs on my birth
plan?”
Unfortunately, once at the
hospital, you are subjected to their
protocol, your power given or taken
away at this point unless you happen
to have an excellent doula or a very
patient and compassionate doctor.
You might have thought, “Nah,
I can’t do that!
Have a baby at home with a
midwife, without drugs?
I’ve never done this before;
I don’t know what I’m doing –
what if something goes wrong?”
Fortunately,
your body was made for this.
If only you would allow it to
take over, give it room to move as it
wishes.
Your body knows what to do even
if your mind does not.
You will feel sensations and
your body will respond accordingly.
You have the power to birth any
way you want.
You owe it to your child to
look into all birth options.
Can you imagine a newborn
enjoying the average loud, cold,
stale, stark, sterile environment of a
hospital?
On the other hand, a warm,
softly lit, familiar surrounding would
make anyone happy; a baby born into
it’s mother’s arms, alert, ready
to breastfeed, mother alert, fully
capable of feeding her child, nowhere
to go, but stay in bed in your own
home and bond with this newborn angel. This is how your child
wants it to be.
Whether
you choose homebirth or a birth
center, know you are the powerful and
wise woman who will birth this child,
no one else.
Know the risks of induction,
pain medications and c-sections.
Prepare your body by exercising
properly, eating right, and
surrounding yourself with positive
people who support your birth plan as
this will reduce the chance of having
a high-risk pregnancy.
Read books written by women who
believe in a woman’s power.
Avoid What to Expect…and the
like, as these books focus only on
what can go wrong.
Get in touch with your inner
self through yoga and meditation.
Learn to listen to your
thoughts, and your breath.
Begin to quiet your mind now
during pregnancy (if not before) so
that when an intense moment of fear
arises you will know it is a passing
one, as you breathe into the next
sensation.
This calm-abiding can be
practiced before labor to minimize the
fear of pain or of the unknown.
The beautiful aspect of birth
is that your body has wisdom beyond
your wildest dreams, but you must
train your mind to get out of its way.
Unfortunately, doctors,
hospital staff and lack of ambience in
a hospital make it nearly impossible
to stay in your body.
Noise, lights, negative energy,
fearful doctors and family all
contribute to a fear state in you.
They are distractions to your
body and mind, activating the
mammalian fight or flight response,
which can stall labor, possibly
resulting in an unnecessary and
unplanned induction.
Your body needs space, freedom,
peace, love, trust, faith and positive
energy surrounding it in order to
birth fearlessly.
What would it mean for you to
trust your body completely?
Imagine feeling the power and
confidence in knowing that you don’t
need anyone but yourself to birth that
baby.
Maybe you don’t think it’s
possible.
This doubt has been created by
a system of men telling women that
they’re not strong enough, their
birth canal not large enough to bring
their child into the world.
Why on earth would any woman
want to allow this mindset to
continue?
Why are so many women giving
their power away? It is time we change our attitude toward our bodies by honoring their power and beauty with unwavering trust that they can do what we ask of them. Tell your body frequently that she will birth wonderfully, ecstatically, and amazingly well, then step aside and let it happen. Give your fear and negativity away to someone else and enjoy the ride, finding courage in Mother Earth and all of the millions of women who have gone before you. Let go of expectation, choose carefully who will attend the birth and demand what you want and need. This is only about you and that baby and no one else. Honor the light and wisdom that your baby is sending you as you deserve to feel all of the love and light the Universe is sending you right now.
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