Butterfly Birth Blog
Educating you in gentle birth choicesMy First Pregnancy
Photograph used courtesy of Ben Earwicker
As with most women, the realization that I was expecting my first child made me ecstatic. My husband remembers me having the all-familiar pregnancy “glow”. I had always loved children and was simply thrilled to be on my way to becoming a mother; this was something I had longed for and dreamed about for years, it seemed.
I had always babysat, worked in the church nursery, taught Sunday School and helped out at camp. However, back when my husband and I were first married, we chose to wait a couple of years until we started our family. Therefore, news of our first child was welcome, indeed, after waiting so long.
In an earlier post, I alluded to the fact that I did not research pregnancy and birth very much. Therefore, some of my choices would not be choices I would make today or that I even made in my other pregnancies. During this first pregnancy I ate for two out of naivety that it was best for my baby, so I gained 40-50 pounds and have struggled since, even though the weight gain in the rest of my pregnancies has been within the normal range of 20-30 pounds. I ate what I liked, when I liked and a lot of it! :-{ However, unlike some women, I really, really enjoyed being pregnant. It was a wonder and a joy to me. All of those firsts were amazing experiences I look back on with fondness – the first flutters, the first kicks, the first contractions, the first bump (when you start to show)…..all of it was an experience I will not forget.
Morning sickness was not a problem, since eating cured it for me. The only times I got sick were when I was too busy to take time to eat. Therefore, it was not a bad experience at all since there was nothing in my tummy to bring up. With the rest of my pregnancies, I rested when the nausea felt overwhelming or nibbled on some light snack to ward off actually getting sick. This is pretty easy compared to some women and I am truly sorry for you if you have had that challenge. I have had it easy in that regard.
Tiredness was present from conception as I would fall asleep at 6:30pm some evenings after working all day. This has pretty much been a sign of pregnancy for me.
The only problem I have faced in my pregnancies is sciatica, which is when the weight of my baby has sat on my sciatic nerve. This has caused an achy cramping in my hips and buttocks that is uncomfortable. It becomes really painful when I am overly busy and forces me to sometimes have to crawl on the floor because the pain is so great if I try to walk. My other option at times has been to hold on to walls for support because it feels like otherwise I will fall down.
If my pregnancy journals were not packed away, I could quote some of the things I took notes on and wrote to our firstborn; but alas, they are in storage waiting for that time when I will get them out and reminisce with my oldest about that amazing time carrying my first child in my womb.
World Breastfeeding Week
This week is World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) August 1-7! I am so glad that I get email updates from Healthy Children Center For Breastfeeding or I would have forgotten all about it! (blush!) Too many other things going on in life, I guess.
WBW has its focus centered on Vital Emergency Response, simply meaning that breastfeeding both infants and young children is crucial in emergency situations… not just the natural disasters but also the man-made ones we all know can and do occur. You can find their objectives and rationale on the the WBW website. They even have a press release and many other resources and information, so get a glass of lemonade and be ready to indulge in all the latest breastfeeding initiatives.
The Emergency Nutrition Network has even written about WBW and made up a colorful and educational calendar full of interesting facts that you can share with others.
Before leaving this great topic, check out these two videos supporting the importance of nursing children during emergencies. Nothing like real life situations to make this subject take on a whole new meaning….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NPO89C3AfI&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ig4wbrCP_w&feature=player_embedded
Giving Birth
Most women, upon learning they are expecting, have their thoughts turn to the big event at the end of the pregnancy – giving birth. We all dream and perhaps even worry about how the birth will be. During my first pregnancy, I was no different. The only book I read during my first pregnancy was: What to Expect When You Are Expecting. It is amazing to me in hindsight that I did not seek out more information. Nevertheless, even though I only read this one book and gleaned from the experience of others with whom I talked during those months, I still decided that I wanted an all natural birth. You can imagine how devastated I was when that did not happen. My first birth also began my quest to have the birth I knew I wanted to experience.
How many of you were disappointed in your first birth?
Next time, I will share the details of my first pregancy and birth.
Butterfly Birth Blog
Butterfly Birth. I am not sure if the term “butterfly birth” was coined by me, but it’s the name that came to me when considering what to call my Childbirth Educator and Doula services - Butterfly Birth Services, Educating you in gentle birth choices. This seemed a good fit for what I wanted to convey. The thought behind it came from what midwives call “butter” births, as well as the butterfly. The meaning of a “butter” birth is that the birth goes smoothly and as God designed our bodies to function. Gently. Butter births do make up so many of the births in the world, even though the medical establishment would like us to think otherwise. In an imperfect world things go wrong and that can include birth. This means educating ourselves makes us better prepared if sometime things don’t go smoothly in our experience. My choice of the word butterfly stems from the fact that a butterfly is beautiful, delicate and intricate; just like birth.
This blog will not always reflect agreement with the medical community, as I consider myself a free thinker when it comes to birth. The purpose of this blog is to simply share my experience, my love for pregnancy, birth and babies. Being a helpmeet to one’s husband and raising and nurturing our children is what we women were designed for, contrary to popular thinking. Fostering life inside the womb, bringing life into the world and nurturing life again…it is natural; it is not a disease or a medical condition.
Disclaimer: My writing is not to take the place of a physician’s advice or treatment. It is purely for educational purposes. I am not anti-medicine or anti-doctors. However, as a health consumer, I have learned that I need to be proactive in addressing my health because, unlike medical staff and drug companies, I will have to live with the decisions that are made and the resulting consequences. It is time that we women know the truth about our bodies and birth. Let’s go on an adventure of learning and growing in our understanding of pregnancy, birth, babies and breastfeeding.
