From This Moment {Birth Story: Post 1}

As a mother, the love that you have for your children is indescribable!  The moment you see their beautiful face and hold their precious body is a moment that will forever be treasured in every mother's heart. As a doula, I assist and guide families through the process of welcoming their sweet babies into this world.  My primary goal, as a part of the birth team, is to assist the mother through her vision for the perfect birth. I'm passionate about allowing women to control their own births, create their own births, and therefore, have the best birth that is possible for them! My others goals as a doula include:

• ensure that mother's needs are met
• assist in birth plan writing and carrying out these wishes
• helping mommy and coach create a peaceful and quiet environment in which to labor and give birth
• guiding the coach/husband through the labor process
• supporting the husband while connecting with his partner
•  ensuring the husband is a significant part of the birth team
• offering guidance and assurance during difficult moments during labor
• offering post-delivery support for the mother
• assistance in breastfeeding and proper latching of the baby 

As a mother, the births of my own two children were the MOST significant events in my life as a woman.  Yes, marrying my husband was very significant, but for me, giving birth has a very important aspect of my womanhood.  I treasure the memories of both births and value the importance of a woman being able to labor and give birth as she desires.

My journey towards becoming a doula and birth supporter started in 2008 while pregnant with my first child.  My husband and I were sitting in a childbirth course offered by the hospital.  Luckily, this class was provided by a nurse on staff that was very naturally minded! So glad because I was being crunchier and crunchier everyday.  Towards the end of the class, she showed a short video of a c-section being performed. She proceeded to go over all the medical interventions that sometimes take place during a labor.  While reviewing each pain medication and the side effects on both baby and mommy, but husband turned towards me and gave me THE LOOK!  Of course, I wasn't going to ask what that meant during the class.

After class, while walking to our car, we started talking and all he could say was, "We aren't doing that, right?"  My response was of course, "Doing what? (Said in a little bit of shock) YES, we are having a baby!" I was starting to get a little worried that after attending the class he was going to back out on me :/  He went on to explain that he felt this was a natural process and he didn't want anything to happen to his wife or unborn child. The information provided about the side effects of the medical interventions and medications given during childbirth freaked him out. To be honest, it really freaked me out too! So, what were we going to do???  I drove home thinking about what we had heard and seen in the class. My mind started wondering, no surprise if you know me! and I started freaking out that I would have to have a c-section, my baby would be drugged, and I would never be able to walk again....I know, I know; a little extreme right?

Actually no, after doing lots and lots of research I did find and hear stories of mother's that are suffering from medical interventions during childbirth.  It was a SHOCK to me, the amount of women out there that feel that receiving an epidural during childbirth has created an issue in their everyday lives.

WHY ISN"T THIS BEING TALKED ABOUT????  WHY IS EVERYONE GETTING EPIDURALS???  WHY IS THIS THE NORM?  These were all questions that I was asking myself. Today, many women receive an epidural during labor and this is just accepted as normal in our society.  What if the normal is not really the normal after all, and in fact, is hurting us and our babies along the way. After researching the negative effects that all pain medications have on an unborn child, my husband and I decided we would be giving birth naturally.....

Okay, I can do this!  I can do this!  I can do this!  Where to start....

 Pregnant with my first child.  Photos done by the most ever talented Andrea Murphy with Andrea Murphy Photography.