Comments on: My Natural Childbirth Experience http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:36:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Heather http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-42496 Heather Sun, 22 May 2011 04:59:35 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-42496 Congrats on your baby! Reading your story was really interesting since I just had a baby last week. I tried to have a natural childbirth. I did a ton of reading about its benefits and techniques to deal with pain (Bradley etc). I took classes. I prayed. I had a doula, a midwife, and a mother baby friendly hospital. I labored hard for 10 hours but at 7cm I called it quits when it got excruciating. I spent the next two hours chatting and relaxing my way to 10cm. I laughed as I pushed the baby out in less than 5 minutes. I didn't break a sweat. As I nursed my baby I could hear the agonizing screams of the woman in the next room. I was so glad not to be her. I'm sure she was equally glad not to be me with my numb legs and iv. Each birth and woman is different. I know women who didn't have much pain and had beautiful home births. Then there are women who have harrowing ncb's. When I realized I would be the latter, I asked for an epidural. I've decided not to feel like a failure for it, but to allow myself to feel fondly about what I consider to be an amazing, joyful birth. Just to throw this out there: I believe that childbirth isn't supposed to be outrageously painful punishment for women (the word translated as "sorrow" in Hebrew is translated in other places in the Bible as "toil." Labor is hard work). I also believe that Christ redeemed us from the curse. However this world is not perfect and we still have to deal with (and hopefully overcome) sickness, pain, trouble etc. Even if you don't agree that Christ redeemed us from the curse, I think that the argument from some of the commentators that just like using a tractor to lessen a man's toil isn't a sin, meds during labor would not be a sin either is an excellent point. Congrats on your baby! Reading your story was really interesting since I just had a baby last week. I tried to have a natural childbirth. I did a ton of reading about its benefits and techniques to deal with pain (Bradley etc). I took classes. I prayed. I had a doula, a midwife, and a mother baby friendly hospital. I labored hard for 10 hours but at 7cm I called it quits when it got excruciating. I spent the next two hours chatting and relaxing my way to 10cm. I laughed as I pushed the baby out in less than 5 minutes. I didn’t break a sweat. As I nursed my baby I could hear the agonizing screams of the woman in the next room. I was so glad not to be her. I’m sure she was equally glad not to be me with my numb legs and iv.

Each birth and woman is different. I know women who didn’t have much pain and had beautiful home births. Then there are women who have harrowing ncb’s. When I realized I would be the latter, I asked for an epidural. I’ve decided not to feel like a failure for it, but to allow myself to feel fondly about what I consider to be an amazing, joyful birth.

Just to throw this out there: I believe that childbirth isn’t supposed to be outrageously painful punishment for women (the word translated as “sorrow” in Hebrew is translated in other places in the Bible as “toil.” Labor is hard work). I also believe that Christ redeemed us from the curse. However this world is not perfect and we still have to deal with (and hopefully overcome) sickness, pain, trouble etc. Even if you don’t agree that Christ redeemed us from the curse, I think that the argument from some of the commentators that just like using a tractor to lessen a man’s toil isn’t a sin, meds during labor would not be a sin either is an excellent point.

]]> By: Chantel http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-41417 Chantel Thu, 28 Apr 2011 17:12:57 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-41417 Oh Kelly, Thank you for this. I have felt so guilty about my first and only birth thus far. Being one of nine children and watching my mother and sisters give birth almost effortlessly, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I still asked for an epidural but because they gave it so early on, it stalled my labor horribly and I ended up pushing for 4 hours with a worn off epidural and no pain meds. I have an 8 month old now, and I still can't believe a woman can go through that kind of pain an survive. I was so traumatized that it took me over a week to really connect with the baby. I have always felt guilty about that, and been so sad that my dream of having a large family might not come to be because I am so afraid of going through that again. To make matters worse, I watched my sister give birth only a month later, and she smiled and laughed through the whole thing, and with three easy pushes her daughter was out. I felt like a failure. And still do. Thank you for writing this because it gives me hope, and helps me to understand that I am not alone. Your children are beautiful! XOXO Oh Kelly,
Thank you for this. I have felt so guilty about my first and only birth thus far. Being one of nine children and watching my mother and sisters give birth almost effortlessly, I thought it would be a piece of cake. I still asked for an epidural but because they gave it so early on, it stalled my labor horribly and I ended up pushing for 4 hours with a worn off epidural and no pain meds. I have an 8 month old now, and I still can’t believe a woman can go through that kind of pain an survive. I was so traumatized that it took me over a week to really connect with the baby. I have always felt guilty about that, and been so sad that my dream of having a large family might not come to be because I am so afraid of going through that again. To make matters worse, I watched my sister give birth only a month later, and she smiled and laughed through the whole thing, and with three easy pushes her daughter was out. I felt like a failure. And still do. Thank you for writing this because it gives me hope, and helps me to understand that I am not alone. Your children are beautiful! XOXO

]]> By: Jax’s Birth Story | http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-40381 Jax’s Birth Story | Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:09:20 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-40381 [...] to the birth all agreed that after my natural birth with Ellia I was much “happier” and was able to enjoy the baby more this time right after he was [...] [...] to the birth all agreed that after my natural birth with Ellia I was much “happier” and was able to enjoy the baby more this time right after he was [...]

]]> By: Lori http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-20566 Lori Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:17:20 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-20566 Kelly, I absolutely believe you when you say your probelem was that your body wasn't ready to push, but for those others who might read this, it is entirely possible to have that explosive pain the entire pushing phase even when you are fully dialated and effaced. It is also possible to be complete and never have the urge to push, unfortunately. We're talking about having a watermelon sized human in your vagina. Ouch. Kelly, I absolutely believe you when you say your probelem was that your body wasn’t ready to push, but for those others who might read this, it is entirely possible to have that explosive pain the entire pushing phase even when you are fully dialated and effaced. It is also possible to be complete and never have the urge to push, unfortunately.

We’re talking about having a watermelon sized human in your vagina. Ouch.

]]> By: Word Warrior http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-20565 Word Warrior Thu, 15 Apr 2010 19:11:48 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-20565 Tarena, Of all the thoughts and speculations, I believe you hit the nail on the head... "I kind of wonder if you maybe didn't go through enough of the transition phase (that is definatly the hardest for me!) You might not have been completly dialated or effaced which could have made the baby pull or tear that area on the inside." Looking back, I absolutely know this must be why I endured such extreme pain. What coherent part there was about me at the end, I remember telling myself, "OK, I'm NOT having another contraction like this--I'll push this baby out now!" I truly know that I pushed too soon. But without experience, I haven't been sure that this aspect could cause such tremendous pain until you confirmed it ;-) Thank you! Tarena,

Of all the thoughts and speculations, I believe you hit the nail on the head…

“I kind of wonder if you maybe didn’t go through enough of the transition phase (that is definatly the hardest for me!) You might not have been completly dialated or effaced which could have made the baby pull or tear that area on the inside.”

Looking back, I absolutely know this must be why I endured such extreme pain. What coherent part there was about me at the end, I remember telling myself, “OK, I’m NOT having another contraction like this–I’ll push this baby out now!”

I truly know that I pushed too soon. But without experience, I haven’t been sure that this aspect could cause such tremendous pain until you confirmed it ;-) Thank you!

]]> By: tarena http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-20563 tarena Thu, 15 Apr 2010 18:47:15 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-20563 Wow-what a birth story! All births are definatly different and some of mine have been MUCH harder than others! I know this sounds crazy, but don't let it keep you from trying it again one day. (please don't computer slap me! haha!) I kind of wonder if you maybe didn't go through enough of the transition phase (that is definatly the hardest for me!) You might not have been completly dialated or effaced which could have made the baby pull or tear that area on the inside. This would cause extreme pain. It is really hard to take those last unbelieve able contractions and that is when I start to say "I can't do this!!!!) =) And I WANT to push, but my midwife makes sure that my body is completly ready to go. If you try again one day, maybe wait to make sure the nurses/doctor checks you to see if anything is "in the way" down there! Although, that is a hard to wait IN THE MIDDLE of transition! =) Thank your for sharing and I'm so glad she is healthy and everything is well! That's the most important part, isn't it!?! =) PRAISE THE LORD!!! Blessings, Tarena Wow-what a birth story! All births are definatly different and some of mine have been MUCH harder than others! I know this sounds crazy, but don’t let it keep you from trying it again one day. (please don’t computer slap me! haha!) I kind of wonder if you maybe didn’t go through enough of the transition phase (that is definatly the hardest for me!) You might not have been completly dialated or effaced which could have made the baby pull or tear that area on the inside. This would cause extreme pain. It is really hard to take those last unbelieve able contractions and that is when I start to say “I can’t do this!!!!) =) And I WANT to push, but my midwife makes sure that my body is completly ready to go.
If you try again one day, maybe wait to make sure the nurses/doctor checks you to see if anything is “in the way” down there! Although, that is a hard to wait IN THE MIDDLE of transition! =)
Thank your for sharing and I’m so glad she is healthy and everything is well! That’s the most important part, isn’t it!?! =)
PRAISE THE LORD!!!
Blessings,
Tarena

]]> By: freida http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-20479 freida Sun, 11 Apr 2010 03:16:38 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-20479 I have found that a birthing pool is very helpful with upright positions. Most of the time, I labored leaning on the side of the pool, letting my body hang. The water supports your weight and makes being upright easier than being outside of water. Being in water also softens and protects the perineal tissues. While reading the comments, I am reminded of what a pastor preached concerning trials. He said when we pray for God to get us out of it or to make it easy, that may not give Him the glory or for us to be conformed to Christ through the trial. We should rather pray to see Christ IN the trial. Let our boost be in Christ as our deliverer and not the pain-relieving effects of the epidural. God ordained the effects of childbirth and yet, He says He'll never leave us nor forsake us, He's right there in the fire with us. Whenever I hear anyone say that God will never give more than one can bear. I think what? It's when it's too much for me that I turn to God. When I am utterly consumed I know it's not my husband who can fix it. It's not my mind that is sharp enough. It's not my decisions that solved the matter. God wants the credit and He gets it when I surrender it all to Him and THEN His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I just listened to a prominent pastor talk about why he doesn't preach on the sinfulness of homosexuality. His answer was that it's not easy preaching to such a diverse "constituency" as He has. No wonder it's not easy if he's talking about his flock like a political following. Some young folks even get it and wrote a book to "Do Hard Things." Labor is hard work. Even so, God is good and full of grace. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7 Most women's main concern about childbirth is fear. Fear compounds the pain. It immobilizes us. Why should fear grip us so? Maybe because we know our task at hand is just too big for us. Shouldn't that drive us to Him and thereby be released of all that fear? Sadly, my faith was not that strong when I stopped going to the hospital after my first birth. Some fear was still there, but my experience was so different from the epidural one that I had a little more faith and a little less fear. Over and over God proved Himself true and now with my 8th birth at the end of the year, I am not scared whatsoever. That's not to say that it's not going to hurt or that it won't be tough. "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." Psalm 18:2 I have found that a birthing pool is very helpful with upright positions. Most of the time, I labored leaning on the side of the pool, letting my body hang. The water supports your weight and makes being upright easier than being outside of water. Being in water also softens and protects the perineal tissues.

While reading the comments, I am reminded of what a pastor preached concerning trials. He said when we pray for God to get us out of it or to make it easy, that may not give Him the glory or for us to be conformed to Christ through the trial. We should rather pray to see Christ IN the trial. Let our boost be in Christ as our deliverer and not the pain-relieving effects of the epidural. God ordained the effects of childbirth and yet, He says He’ll never leave us nor forsake us, He’s right there in the fire with us.

Whenever I hear anyone say that God will never give more than one can bear. I think what? It’s when it’s too much for me that I turn to God. When I am utterly consumed I know it’s not my husband who can fix it. It’s not my mind that is sharp enough. It’s not my decisions that solved the matter. God wants the credit and He gets it when I surrender it all to Him and THEN His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

I just listened to a prominent pastor talk about why he doesn’t preach on the sinfulness of homosexuality. His answer was that it’s not easy preaching to such a diverse “constituency” as He has. No wonder it’s not easy if he’s talking about his flock like a political following. Some young folks even get it and wrote a book to “Do Hard Things.”

Labor is hard work. Even so, God is good and full of grace. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

Most women’s main concern about childbirth is fear. Fear compounds the pain. It immobilizes us. Why should fear grip us so? Maybe because we know our task at hand is just too big for us. Shouldn’t that drive us to Him and thereby be released of all that fear?

Sadly, my faith was not that strong when I stopped going to the hospital after my first birth. Some fear was still there, but my experience was so different from the epidural one that I had a little more faith and a little less fear. Over and over God proved Himself true and now with my 8th birth at the end of the year, I am not scared whatsoever. That’s not to say that it’s not going to hurt or that it won’t be tough. “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” Psalm 18:2

]]> By: Word Warrior http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-20469 Word Warrior Sat, 10 Apr 2010 13:48:12 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-20469 Freida, Your comment makes perfect sense to me and yes, I've noticed that verse too. That is perhaps another downside to hospital birth; I'm sure they would have let me use any position (they were very accommodating), but it's so uncommon, I probably just felt weird asking. Also, by the time I was ready to give birth, I was in so much pain I didn't feel like I could stand anymore. Freida,

Your comment makes perfect sense to me and yes, I’ve noticed that verse too. That is perhaps another downside to hospital birth; I’m sure they would have let me use any position (they were very accommodating), but it’s so uncommon, I probably just felt weird asking. Also, by the time I was ready to give birth, I was in so much pain I didn’t feel like I could stand anymore.

]]> By: freida http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-20465 freida Sat, 10 Apr 2010 05:31:43 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-20465 I want to leave another comment because I read the other comments and didn't really see much about how much difference the birthing position can make. The difference in the pelvic opening between lying down and being upright is almost 30%. I don't know if doctors know that, but if they did, they wouldn't advise it anyway because the delivery table is designed for a lying down position. Is the Bible sufficient for all of life? I'm sure everyone is familiar with this passage, but this verse, Exodus 1:16, "And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools," tells us how the "lively" Hebrew women birthed. Technology right from the start, using a s(tool) to assist in birthing upright. I want to leave another comment because I read the other comments and didn’t really see much about how much difference the birthing position can make. The difference in the pelvic opening between lying down and being upright is almost 30%. I don’t know if doctors know that, but if they did, they wouldn’t advise it anyway because the delivery table is designed for a lying down position. Is the Bible sufficient for all of life? I’m sure everyone is familiar with this passage, but this verse, Exodus 1:16, “And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools,” tells us how the “lively” Hebrew women birthed. Technology right from the start, using a s(tool) to assist in birthing upright.

]]> By: Lucy http://www.generationcedar.com/main/2009/07/my-natural-childbirth-experience.html/comment-page-1#comment-19888 Lucy Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:40:44 +0000 http://www.generationcedar.com/main/?p=3658#comment-19888 I thought I would go natural with my first child, after all, I'd seen my dogs and cats give birth and there wasn't much to it. A little panting, sometimes a grunt when they pushed a baby out every 15 minutes or so, but overall (barring something getting stuck) no big deal. Ha. About 3 hours in, I was crying from pain and my husband said "get the epideral" and I submitted gratefully ;-). And I became convinced (as if I hadn't been already) that the story of Adam and Eve was absolutely positively true. The pain we experience in childbirth is absolutely gratuitous (ask my dog) and makes sense in the punishment for Eve's sin department. So does that mean we should "accept" the full meter of our punishment and eschew drugs or pain-reduction? NO. We must remember that Jesus suffered incredibly on the cross for our sins (even what we inherited from Eve) and I am pretty certain that continuing to say that we *must* pay for that sin is a slap in his face. Yes, we still suffer because we are human but we are not required to. I thought I would go natural with my first child, after all, I’d seen my dogs and cats give birth and there wasn’t much to it. A little panting, sometimes a grunt when they pushed a baby out every 15 minutes or so, but overall (barring something getting stuck) no big deal.

Ha. About 3 hours in, I was crying from pain and my husband said “get the epideral” and I submitted gratefully ;-) . And I became convinced (as if I hadn’t been already) that the story of Adam and Eve was absolutely positively true. The pain we experience in childbirth is absolutely gratuitous (ask my dog) and makes sense in the punishment for Eve’s sin department.

So does that mean we should “accept” the full meter of our punishment and eschew drugs or pain-reduction? NO. We must remember that Jesus suffered incredibly on the cross for our sins (even what we inherited from Eve) and I am pretty certain that continuing to say that we *must* pay for that sin is a slap in his face. Yes, we still suffer because we are human but we are not required to.

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