Tag Archives: labor and delivery

Bring It On! Tips to Bring On Labor


Posted on December 19, 2012 by

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I am now at 39 weeks and want my baby to arrive yesterday! I am ready to not be pregnant anymore. During my last visit to my obstetrician/gynecologist, I asked if there were any natural methods to help speed up the process and hopefully get this baby out!

Here are the tips that I would like to share with you that may help your baby make its appearance sooner than later. I was told that these methods only work if you are right at the edge of going into labor.

(Note: Always consult with your medical provider before trying any of these methods.)

  • Sex. This is the last thing I want to do with the substantial watermelon that is taking up my entire midsection. They recommend sex every 4 hours to receive an adequate dose of prostaglandin. (I don’t know about you, but I cannot imagine having sex every 4 hours even when I wasn’t pregnant!) This method is supposed to help move things along by using the small amounts of prostaglandin found in each dose of semen to soften the cervix.
  • Nipple Stimulation. This may release oxytocin, the natural form of Pitocin. You can rub your nipples yourself, have a partner do it for you, or run hot water over your chest for approximately 10 minutes, 3 times a day. My doctor said it may or may not work – but it is fun, so why not give it a go?
  • Evening Primrose Oil. This may help to soften the cervix and act as a prostaglandin. Most medical providers recommend inserting a capsule at night right before you go to bed.
  • Stripping or Sweeping the Membranes. This is usually done at 40 weeks and is performed by a doctor, nurse, or midwife. The medical provider places their fingers into the opening of the cervix and separates the amniotic sac from the uterus. The procedure can be pretty uncomfortable and feel like very strong menstrual cramps that may accompany spotting. I have friends that swear by this and have stated that their labor began the next day to two days after the procedure was administered.

There are several things that the ob-gyn stated do not work but many people will still try.

  • Spicy food. This does nothing to help labor along, but could cause indigestion or heartburn in some women. I thankfully have not had any problems with spicy food, but many women cannot tolerate it during pregnancy.
  • Walking. This is a great way to stay in shape, help alleviate hip and leg discomfort, help with varicose veins, and reduce stress. This might help women during the early stages of labor, but there is no evidence to suggest that it does anything to help induce labor.
  • Acupuncture. This has not been studied in the United States but has been used in different parts of Asia for centuries to help kick start labor.
  • Massage. This is something that several friends have told me helps to reduce the amount of time you are in labor, but I haven’t heard anyone state that it helped induce labor. If nothing else, it is something that feels good and is relaxing.
  • Castor Oil. This can cause explosive diarrhea and dehydration. My medical provider is strongly against this method.
  • Black or Blue Cohosh. This method can cause a lot of bleeding and may act like estrogen in the body. This was also something I was warned not to try.
If any of these methods ended up working for me, I’ll make sure to pass it on!

Doulas: Emotional Birthing Companions


Posted on September 13, 2012 by

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With all these posts on pregnancy lately, I’m excited to bring you information about the power of having a nonclinical birthing advocate, also known as a doula. Doulas are certified individuals whose goal is to support pregnant people before, during, and after labor. Doulas assist with emotional and physical support, as well as providing information about pregnancy, labor, and post-delivery stages. Doulas are different from midwives in that they are not trained to assist in the medical component of labor, but in the emotional/spiritual capacity.

DONA International, a leading Doula training organization, cites that having a Doula can be of positive emotional and physical benefit to the pregnant individual, including:

  • Shorter labors with fewer complications;
  • Creating more positive feelings about one’s childbirth experience;
  • Reducing the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans; and
  • Reducing the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals.

Research shows parents who receive support can:

  • Feel more secure and cared for;
  • Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics;
  • Have greater success with breastfeeding;
  • Have greater self-confidence;
  • Have less postpartum depression; and
  • Have lower incidence of abuse.

If you choose a doula advocate, it is recommended that you meet with them in advance of delivery, so that your bond can develop naturally with one another.

You can find a Doula in your area by searching the following databases:

Find a Doula

Doula Match

Dona

I’m linking here to a short documentary about the benefits of doula care within the UK. I found it to be empowering, and am reminded of how powerful we can be when we support one another.

Feronians, have you used a doula?

You Want Me to Massage My What?


Posted on July 26, 2012 by

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Many of us have heard of the ring of fire that engulfs the vulva when the baby’s head is crowning and stretching your vagina in ways you never imagined possible.

Massaging your perineum can sometimes help prevent some of the discomfort, tearing or ripping and, possibly, the need (in some cases) to have an episiotomy during the delivery of a baby. An episiotomy is an incision made by a medical provider when they feel: the labor is not progressing; serious tearing seems very likely to occur; or the baby needs to be delivered quickly because of a medical condition (i.e., the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck). According to the American College of Nurse-Midwives, 40-85% of women who have vaginal deliveries will tear and about two-thirds of those women will need stitches. For those who are unclear where their perineum is, it is the area between the bottom of your vagina and the anus. This area is sometimes referred to as “the taint.”

Some women are encouraged by their doctors or midwives to massage this area, starting approximately 4-6 weeks before their due date, to help the skin become more pliable for the incredible amount of stretching it will endure during delivery. If you are interested in performing this type of massage you should consult with your healthcare provider on how to properly perform the procedure. They may prescribe a specific lubricant, like KY Jelly or natural oils like vitamin E or olive oil.

Bottom line: The jury is still out if whether perineal massage significantly reduces tearing or the need for an episiotomy. Midwifes and women who have performed the massage prior to delivery state that it greatly reduces vaginal trauma. The midwives in the practice I’m going to swear by it, which is good enough for me. If it doesn’t work then there was no harm done, and if it does then I will be extremely thankful that my precious perineum does not have stitches in it for 6-8 weeks after delivery. Ouch!!

Focusing on Defeating the Fear of Childbirth


Posted on July 5, 2012 by

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As the major participant in two home births, I’d like to comment on the recent research reporting that women who have a fear of childbirth have longer labors.

I don’t know how any female cannot approach her first experience with labor completely free of fear. There are so many factors to worry about and so much that could go contrary to your most detailed plans. Even though I was in the best physical shape of my life before I became pregnant, I was very anxious about how I would manage the pain. Despite its intensity, I made it through fine. However, this was little help with my second pregnancy because I knew what to expect! It turned out my second labor was 4.5 hours compared to my first at 10.5.

Here are a few thoughts that might be helpful:

  • Do your research. Understand what is going to happen to your body and why it is happening. Knowing my cervix was dilating and effacing each time I had a contraction helped me know there was an end in sight and reminded me why I was feeling the pain.
  • Have a knowledgeable and calm support person with you. When I was feeling out of control, my midwives reminded me that each contraction was bringing me closer to the birth of my baby, what I was feeling was normal and that I was doing great. If a certain family member will increase your anxiety or get panicky seeing you in labor, they may be better off being nearby but not where they will add to your anxiety.
  • Be up and mobile as much as you can during early labor. This can help distract you and may even move things along. I rocked in a rocking chair and listened to classical music to help me relax until I felt ready to be in bed.
  • Don’t underestimate the power of breathing slowly and deeply. Count as you inhale and exhale. A birth coach can really help you with this and feel useful, as well.
  • Do what you can so you are in control as much as possible. Don’t be shy about saying you need something. Please rub my back here. Don’t touch me there. Back off a few feet. Let me squeeze your hand even if you think I’m going to break it. Know ahead of time what the protocols are so you won’t be upset if told you need a monitor or can’t be out of bed. Being able to labor in different positions of your choosing can help you be more comfortable. I gave birth the first time squatting on the floor holding unto the bedpost.
  • Remember that you are not the first person doing this. I kept reminding myself that women have been birthing babies since there have been woman and babies. My body was designed to do this. I kept turning negative thoughts into positive ones. I am strong, I am invincible, I am WOMAN!

Having a Homebirth – Fosgood’s Story


Posted on December 26, 2011 by

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Fosgood, Ana, and Midwives

Fosgood, Ana, and Midwives

The most empowering, humanizing experience of my life happened on a steamy Florida July afternoon when I gave birth to my daughter, Ana. She was born in our home with me squatting, holding onto our bedpost, pushing with every ounce of strength left in me after ten-and-a-half hours of labor. She was swooped up by the very capable hands of one of our two midwives, wiped off and placed on my chest. She soon began her first tentative attempts to nurse and I fell in love in a way I had not experienced before. I felt like I grew a second heart to hold all the love that swelled to overflowing in just a moment’s time with the first look into her face where I saw my father’s and my own face reflected back at me. It wasn’t until much later that I realized I hadn’t even thought about the need for pain medications or medical intervention.

I knew I wanted to be a mom from a young age. I’ve always been, and still am, drawn to

Midwives, Fosgood, Ana & Laura

Fosgood, her daughters Ana & Laura, and Midwives

children and animals. The idea of a home birth evolved over time. Fresh out of college, unable to get a job teaching, I started work as a nurse’s aid. Some of the things I saw and heard made me very afraid of a hospital stay. I met a friend whose partner was planning a home birth and the idea began to sprout. I read everything I could find about the history of natural childbirth, which was limited to the library and the few people I could find to talk to that didn’t think I was being extremely reckless and crazy.

Since I can remember, I’ve been a strong-willed, independent thinker who could care less about convention. My dear mother was often aghast at what would come out of my mouth. I became a vegetarian before it was fashionable and learned to ask my body what it needed. I began to look at my body as something designed to carry and deliver a child. I trained my body like an Olympic athlete. I trained my mind to turn fear of pain or negative consequences to thoughts of my body doing what it was designed to do. I saw an obstetrician during my first and last trimester and was regularly monitored by a team of highly experienced lay midwives. If there were any indications of potential problems, I knew I would deliver in a hospital. My husband was a first generation Italian who, along with much of his neighborhood growing up, had been born at home. I knew the risks and responsibilities.

I’ve had many amazing experiences in my life that have moved me to tears of joy or

Ana & Laura

Fosgood's Daughters, Ana & Laura

wonder, but nothing remotely compared to the euphoria I felt when giving birth to Ana. I grew a third heart to hold all the love I have for her sister, Laura, born at home 3 years later. I still have room to grow several more if I’m fortunate enough to have grandchildren.

Although I didn’t experience an orgasmic birth, it was painful and intense, but nearly 30 years later I still feel like Wonder Woman.

(Watch this video if you want to learn more about orgasmic births and the power of positive thinking during childbirth.)

To Cut or Not to Cut: The Dreaded Episiotomy


Posted on December 6, 2011 by

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An episiotomy is a surgical procedure done during a vaginal delivery that consists of cutting the perineum (the tissue between the vaginal opening and anus) to assist the birthing process. Once a common practice, the overall rates for the procedure have fallen drastically within the United States over the past 30 years. One study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that in 1979, episiotomies were performed during 60.9% of vaginal deliveries, while in 2004 the rate had dropped to just 24.5%. Another found declining episiotomy rates were due to local peer pressure among health care providers and responses to significant research that came out against the routine use of the surgery. Interestingly, nurse midwives are less likely to use episiotomy to assist during labor than physicians.

Risks/complications from the surgery include:

  • tearing of the anus
  • blood loss
  • infection
  • pain
  • swelling
  • sexual dysfunction

Moreover, in the book Misconceptions: Truth, Lies, and the Unexpected on the Journey to Motherhood, author Naomi Wolf asserts:

“What anxious women are not usually advised is that an episiotomy is a serious cut right into the muscle; many women remember it as the most painful and traumatic part of a medicated hospital birth. Nor are women generally informed that, since women’s sexual responsiveness derives largely from the rich network of nerves and blood vessels in just that area, an episiotomy can cause pain during sex, and loss of sexual responsiveness, for up to seven years.”

Alternatives to episiotomy include:
○ Natural tearing: Many experts argue a natural tear is less likely to lead to further medical complications and has a speedier recovery time than episiotomy.
○ Wait it out: Episiotomies can make delivery happen faster, and can be used to expedite the process. If not medically contraindicated, you might avoid the incision by waiting it out.
○ Massage: prepare your perineum ahead of time by massaging it with vegetable oil or personal lubricant.
○ Water birth: studies have indicated that water births are less likely to create tearing or warrant episiotomy.

If you decided against an episiotomy, here are some ways to prepare for your delivery:

● Ask your physician or midwife their thoughts on episiotomy, and how often they perform them. If they’re proponents, you might consider finding another provider.
● Make a plan ahead of time. Tell your doctor, nurse, and/or support person your feelings about the procedure ahead of time. Ask them to do whatever is necessary to avoid the surgical incision before you feel yourself receiving one.
● Get an advocate: get a birthing coach or doula to be your advocate during delivery. If your doctor wants to clock out early by inducing an episiotomy, your advocate can step in and remind the medical staff of your established no-cutting policy.