Primitive Birth

I have had 2 different experiences lately with primitive birth lately. I have been reading a book entitled "Childbirth Wisdom" by Judith Goldsmith. It basically takes a look at what birth is like amoung primitive/non-westernized tribes. It is really amazing how different the birth experience is compared to what I am used to seeing. The births are usually short and fairly easy, the family (at least the women of the family) are around helping, and there is no need of a Drs help. We women short change ourselves sometimes. We do not think that we, our baby, and our body is able to handle the birth of a child. Birth can be so amazing, so beautiful, and so enjoyable (yes). While I admit there was plenty of discomfort during my labors, my homebirths were a very enjoyable experience. I was comfortable at home, no rules were set, there were people around me who cared for me and took care of me. I think we could learn so much if we just trusted ourselves more!

I also attended my first homebirth a couple of days ago. It was a friend who invited me to her birth. It was truly childbirth the way it was meant to be. I got called at midnight and the midwife, assisstant, and I all got there close to the same time. So she had us and her husband taking care of her. What makes this birth a little primitive is that the power was out due to a storm that had come through. No hot water, no lights, etc. Of course, thankfully we had some modern conveniences- cell phones, flashlights, laptop. It is amazing how you can improvise and still handle a birth very well. The midwife was the same one who delivered Lily so I knew we were in safe and capable hands. The mom labored very well and before I knew it she was ready to push. The baby came out so quickly even though she wasn't in the best position and, then, she was in her mother's arms. I loved being there and having the companionship of those women and seeing the birth of a new child. I am always so honored to be able to be part of a woman's birth!

Doula Article

Here is a link to the article I've been talking about. It starts on Pg. 24. Enjoy!!
http://www.timesfreepress.com/HealthWatch2008/

Want an Autograph??

The article on doulas came out in the paper today. There is a huge picture of me with Annika and our children. I am pretty happy overall with how it all came out. I am a little critical of myself though. I think I could have said some things in a better way for my quotes and I wish my belly wasn't sticking out in my picture (partially because of the way I was standing and partially because I'm overweight). I'm really so glad that the paper did an article on Doulas. At least some women who might not have known about this option will be able to have better birth experiences. Now I just have to prepare for the flood of interest. I don't know if I'm being a little too optimistic, but I know I'll get a few calls from it. I'm already busy this year, but I never mind attending a birth. I also certainly don't want all the attention for myself. I plan on referring to other doulas also. Although there are only 2 others I know of right now.
I will post a link to the article as soon as I can.

Catching Up

I have spent the last several days trying to catch up on things. Miriam was behind in homeschooling since she went to Columbia and then I was gone all day Tues. We have been doubling up to make up for those days. My house is a wreck. I really need to spend some time cleaning, but between homeschooling and everything else, I haven't done much yet. Plus I am still waiting for a call from my last client this month. It could come at any moment so I feel like I have to be prepared. I have been getting ready for my bible class on Sunday because I'm not sure when I'll be called or even if I'll make it. Plus I am still recuperating from the birth Tues. I still feel tired and really want to lay around. Anyway, I feel all out of sorts and out of routine.
In the last 2 days I have had 3 more couples hire me to be their doula- 2 in March and 1 in July. I have so far been busier this year than the 3 years before. I certainly don't mind, but my family and I will have to get used to it.
On a different subject, the other day Lily was nursing (yes, I believe in extended nursing) and I thought to ask her what "Num Num" tasted like. She immediately said "strawberries". I have always thought that breastmilk was sweet, but strawberries can be tangy. I thought that maybe she said that because strawberries are one of her favorite foods. So I asked Miriam if she remembered what it tasted like. She said "Sweet, sweet, sweet, sour". So maybe breastmilk has a strawberry taste. I wonder if they could come out with a strawberry flavored formula??

Powerful Birth

Well, I did attend a birth yesterday. Every time I go to one, I am in awe at the power of birth and what a woman can do. My client was very active in labor, so I had a lot of work to do. I am very sore today. Her labor was hard and long. She did end up with an epidural, but she labored so well for almost 24 hours and she just got exhausted and wasn't progressing fast enough to keep encouraged. Once she got the epi and was resting, she dilated very quickly so it was probably for the best. She pushed well and didn't tear. The husband was great the whole time. The baby was beautiful. I was really so proud and I hope they are too.
I had 3 births this month- 2 have already happened. One of my clients did not call me when she was in labor. I can't know exactly why, but I guess they thought they didn't need me at the time. I've had this happen before so while I am a little upset, I'm beginning to think that some couples just need prenatal support and not actually birth support. They need someone to talk to who believes in birth and that a woman can do it! I just kinda wish they would let me know this ahead of time so I'm not on call. I still have 1 more and I know she'll call. It is a homebirth also so I am really excited since this will be my first one other than my own.
Being a doula is a job, but it is not like a job for me. If you call seeing mothers be so strong, fathers looking at their wives in awe, and a baby coming into the world just a job, then you have never been at a birth. While I certainly do some hard work (supporting a mom and dad is not easy), it is something I consider to be a privilege. I love my "job"!!!!

Birth On My Mind

This is my first post about birth. It is heavily on my mind this week, because I have 3 clients due and it looks like all three may have their babies this week. So I am starting to mentally prepare for supporting these women. I've been doing some reading and some surfing on the internet. I thought I would include some of the sites I found that I loved. Maybe you will like them too.
First is a blog http://wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.com/. She has some great info and videos. The videos from 1-19-08 were so beautiful and I cried as I watched the first one.
This blog led me to another. It is the blog of the midwife who made the videos I loved. It has tons of birth stories which is great for a birth junkie like me. They are older, but who cares! http://navelgazingbirthstories.blogspot.com/
http://babymonkeymomma.blogspot.com/ This one seems pretty interesting also.
Well, I just got a call that one of my clients is in labor. Early labor, but labor none the less. Hopefully, in the next couple of days, I will be posting about the wonderful natural birth I attended.

Home Again

So, I have my Miriam back. It really was not so bad for the 5 days and 4 nights she was away, but I could definitely tell something was missing. It's hard the first time your child doesn't need you. She was supposed to come home earlier, but when I talked to her she said "No" and quickly got off the phone. Wah!! I can tell she is glad to be home, but I also know that she will leave again. She is growing up! On that note, she lost her second tooth tonight. One day she will leave me once and for all, but I don't want to think about that. She always promises me that she will live with me forever. She said when she gets married, her husband would move in too. I'll let her believe for now that I think this will happen. Not that I would mind, but I know her wishes will change when she reaches that age. Miriam and I are really kindred souls. We get along so well and like so many of the same things. I love Lily to death, but sometime I just don't get along with her. Of course, things may change as they both grow up. I really love having daughters. My mom and I are close and I look forward to my relationship with Miriam and Lily growing. My girls are so wonderful and so different. I am saddened and excited at the same time as I watch them grow. It is times like this that I really empathize with my own mother and agree with all those says- "They grow up so fast", "Enjoy them while you can", etc. Something my own daughters will learn one day.

SNOW!!!

We had snow in Chattanooga last night. It was a real treat for Lily. This is really the first time she has seen it. At first she was kinda scared of it. When we got home from Bible class and I showed her our white yard. She asked "Daddy did that?" I said "No, that's snow". Again she asked if daddy made that? I told her God made it so she is now telling everyone that Jesus made the snow. This morning she said something about Daddy making that mess. So last night I think she thought that daddy had made some sort of white mess in our yard. I just have no clue where she got an idea like that?? Maybe I say things like that sometimes?? Anyway, she really enjoyed the snow. We threw it at each other and played outside for a little while. She also stuck out her tongue and caught some. Here are a few pictures of Lily and the snow. Miriam is not in these pictures because she is in Columbia for a few days with my mom. I miss her!

Haunted Gingerbread House

Today for our Art, we put together and decorated a gingerbread house. I did this mainly for Miriam and A.J. (my nephew), but Lily had to be involved too. I bought this after halloween for $2, that is why it is haunted. I can't resist a sale and it is something fun to do for little money. Why do I choose to do such messy things?? The older kids weren't too bad, but Lily was just playing in the decoration candy and trying to eat it. Anyway, the kids had a lot of fun and like their creation. Here is a picture of the end result (ignore the messy table!).

Bored & Waiting

Do you ever feel like you are just waiting. Not for anything in particular- just waiting for anything. I feel that way today. There are actually things I am waiting for. I have a couple of clients due very soon so I could get a phone call at any moment. So right now I am waiting. I even have a hard time sleeping at night because I am listening for that phone to ring. So I am very bored with this waiting game.
I'm also just plain bored. Not that there is absolutely nothing to do. There is always something to pick up around here. But, I cleaned house pretty good this week, since my mom was coming. I am caught up on laundry and dishes. Bills are all paid, checkbook is balanced, and groceries have been gotten. In other words, all my chores are done. Plus, my mom is here so my girls are entertained. I went and got the mail and it was all junk. Nothing to even sort through. I don't have the money to go shopping or to the movies or do anything exciting. So I'm writing in my blog. And now I'm done. And I'm bored.

Feels Like Friday

I know it happens to everyone, but today really feels like a Friday. I have to keep reminding myself that in reality, it is Thursday. I wonder why this happens. Is it because I have already done enough this week to fill 5 days? This has been a busy week. We have started back homeschooling, been painting the Living Room, and cleaning house. I'm also feeling rather lazy today which is normally a weekend feeling. Or is it just wishful thinking that the weekend is here? I am really looking forward to this weekend. I'm having a friend over tomorrow, my mom and nephew are coming to visit, we're having dinner at a friends house, and Jeremy is taking the kids to a car show (so I get time alone). Plus, I plan on having all my chores done tonight so I don't have anything to do this weekend.
Well, whatever the reason, the girls and I have had a good "Friday" so far. We went out for lunch and got groceries. I love to grocery shop (yep, it's true). It goes back to that getting a good deal thing. I love to compare prices and products and see what I can get for my money. The bad thing about this is that it takes me a little longer to shop. The girls are usually good for about 15 minutes, then they start finding things to entertain themselves. Whether, it's touching everything (which inevitably will make something fall), fighting, or talking/singing loudly. Today, they were confined in a race car buggy so I only had to deal with fighting and Lily's occasional "I'm stuck". I'm also in a 'let it slide' kinda mood today. We usually have better days when I'm in that mood. Not that they get by with anything, but I don't sweat the small stuff. So we'll see if their daddy is in a 'sliding' mood when he gets home and tries painting while I cook dinner!

The Money Pit and Molly, Molly, Molly

Our house is fast becoming a money pit. We are slowing fixing things around here so that someone will buy it soon. We put a new roof on last spring, but many more things need to be done. Right now, half of the front of my house is painted, I have a plywood window in my bedroom, and my living room is a mess due to us painting. The painting actually started as fixing the wallpaper and quickly changed. So we are having to pull the wall paper down, scrape off the old paint under it, plaster in the rough spots, sand, prime, and then paint. It is a long process even (or especially) with all 4 of us helping. On top of our home improvement, our sewer pipes have decided that this is a good time to give us trouble. Despite my husbands best efforts (and he is really good at this stuff), we are having to call someone in to fix it. This will probably involve digging up our front yard, replacing the pipe, and lots and lots of money we don't have. At least the sewer will no longer back up into my tub when I do laundry!
Miriam got her American Girl doll on Friday. If you can't guess, her name is Molly. All Miriam wants to talk about is Molly. She wants to watch her Molly movie every day. We are reading the book she came with. Of course, Molly goes everywhere with us. As I write this, Miriam is leaning on me and whining to put a picture in Molly's locket. Molly is starting to annoy me, but she makes Miriam very happy. Lily is picking up the Molly fever also. Lily actually cried when the movie ended last time. She said "Molly gone, gone!" and I had to comfort her.

Addictions

This morning I saw a segment on the Today Show about being addicted to Chapstick. The anchor readily admitted that she was addicted. I'm not alone! This is something I have readily admitted about myself for years. It certainly feels like an addiction when your lips are dry and you keep licking and the only thing that can make you feel better is chapstick. It is 10 times worse if you have lost your chapstick or your children have gotten ahold of it and it's the middle of the night! During the segment, she asked if this addiction was bad and the dermatologist said no since your lips do need that extra moisture.
So my question is, are there good addictions? Chapstick is certainly not my only addiction. I don't do drugs, drink, or smoke, but I do need a caffeinated drink each day. I also usually crave something sweet each day. I'm sure there are other things I can't think of right now. Why can't I be addicted to exercise or healthy foods??
In reality, I believe that no addiction is good. An addiction is an extreme need that you can't live without. I really don't like wanting a Dr. Pepper each day or the headache I might get if I don't have one. I truly believe the motto "Everything in moderation". Having a coke is fine. Drinking it all day, every day- not okay. So, maybe I should try to limit my use of chapstick. I'll try to resist and ignore my dry lips. Maybe I can try a substitute or combine my addictions. I think I'll buy some Dr. Pepper or Chocolate flavored chapstick. But then I'll lick my lips and need more... chapstick.

My 15 Minutes

I'm gonna be famous! Well, I kinda felt like that today. I had a photography session at the Times Free Press and then an interview. They are doing a story on Doulas for the Healthwatch Magazine which is in the paper twice a year. I may even get put on the cover! The worst part was I had a zit beside my mouth and the best part was that more people will learn about doulas. It should be coming out in February. If you miss it, don't worry, I'll have about a dozen copies to share. I may even get some more work from it. I truly believe what I do helps women and I hope that comes across in the article. I have several births coming up and I can't wait. I will be attending my first homebirth soon. It is always so exciting to attend a birth. I hope these go as well as my last one did.
On a yuckier note, we've had a lot of sewer problems and Jeremy had to spend a lot of time on that yesterday. He has finely gotten a temporary fix, but we may have to do a lot of work this spring. This is in addition to all the other work our house needs and we're in the middle of doing. Sometimes, I wish we would have stayed in an apartment. At least we will be moving soon if we can sell this house.

Happy New Years

We had a wonderful New Years Eve. This is when we celebrate the holidays and the girls get their gifts from us. A friend of ours and her grandson stopped by for an unexpected visit which was very nice. We threw streamers and popped confetti. We wore our party hats and got out the noise makers. Then the girls ripped into their presents. Lily pretty much opened them, pulled the stuff out and went on to the next. I'm not sure if she actually "saw" what she got until later. I think they were both very pleased. We then toasted to the New Year at about 9pm and were all in bed asleep by 10pm. Every year we take a picture in front of our "Happy New Year" sign. These are always special photos to me.
I thought about making New Year's resolutions, but I couldn't think of anything I really wanted to change. Sure I would like to lose a few pounds, move to a bigger house, and have another child, but I don't think any of these would make me happier than I am now. I want those things, but I am so blessed as it is. When I was thinking about this, I decided that I would make an effort to be more content and happy with the things I have. I guess that is a resolution of sorts. I really look forward to this year and what it will bring!