Water Birth

Let me make one thing clear: I have eight children. In the course of eight pregnancies, eight births, and raising these children, I have learned a few things. I also love to read and one of the subjects I happen to be passionate about is birth. When I was pregnant with my fifth child, I had read much about laboring and delivering in the water. I love water; I love the weightless feeling of being in water. I wanted to attempt a water birth. It didn’t happen. We had a hard time finding a midwife and when we did, she was new to the area and hadn’t had time to set up everything when it came time to deliver. When I was pregnant with my sixth child, we had the same midwife and this time water birth was the plan. However, this baby was in a hurry and was born in the van on the side of the road as we drove to the midwife. Foiled again. Pregnant with my seventh child, in a new state with another midwife, water birth somehow never came up and probably wouldn’t have worked anyway because this baby was also in a hurry and was born before the midwife arrived. Pregnant once again, with a new midwife because the first one we had in this state was going to be in Africa for a year, we finally had the chance for water birth. This is our successful water birth story:

Our water birth baby: Joseph.

“Joseph Eoghan was born Tuesday August 22, at 2:14 am. Alisha said her clock said 2:11 and she’s most likely right because it always takes a minute or two to get things recorded.

“Joseph was 9# 3oz and 20 ½” long. He has dark hair currently and is very cute. Today when he got weighed he was 8# 12 oz.

“Last Monday I went in for a prenatal visit as usual even though we were a week late and I said I might call the next morning about castor oil if nothing had happened by then. When I got there and they checked baby’s heartbeat, it was really fast. Barb had me drink a big glass of cold water and just sit and relax. I was quite warm when I got there and sometimes that causes fetal heart rates to be high. When she listened again, they were lower but she said she’d come over and check the next day if nothing happened before then.

“I sat down on the bed in the afternoon/evening to finish reading a few chapters of Proverbs. It was very uncomfortable and I said so and moved around and suddenly there was a pop and a gush—my water had finally broken.

“I don’t know what order anything happened in but we called the Scotts, started getting things ready, ate dinner, etc., etc. Laura and Joanna helped quite a bit getting everything ready to go over to the Scotts and getting things ready here. My mom and Becky had gone out to dinner so they didn’t know anything was going on until they got back and there was a sheet in the window instead of the usual curtain.

“[The pool was taken] over to Les Schwab to fill it with air because the bicycle pump was taking too long. Then. . . we started filling it. We had to give the hot water heater a break part-way through but it worked out okay.

“Barb and Kendra got there sometime between 9:30 and 10 and got stuff out and situated. I was having some decent contractions but nothing seemed all that promising. When I got in the water at first, everything slowed down. After a while, Kendra gave me a cohosh tincture and . . . I went for a walk up and down the street. That was productive so I came back in and got in the pool. Things still seemed slow so I went for another walk, this time with my mom, and got back in the pool. Kendra gave me another dose of the tincture at some point and while I was out walking [again], Barb went to lay down in her car (she’d managed to get a cold or something, as I recall).

“I don’t know when things began feeling serious but I’d been visualizing for a while when I finally felt that things were really picking up. At one point, I had one and had to push. Kendra asked if I was ready but there’s no way I could have answered at that point. She later said that had she been a novice midwife, she’d never have believed that I was even in labor until then. When I didn’t answer, she figured it was time to don some gloves and . . . get Barb.

“I was fully dilated and it took by their calculations a whole four minutes to get Baby pushed out. He was a bit harder than the rest—it seemed like I’d never get his head out which was my goal because I knew the rest would be fairly easy. After weighting and measuring, it is no surprise he was harder to push out because he was so much bigger than his older siblings.”

Our water birth baby 9+ years later learning in the kitchen.

 Fairly recently, a friend gave birth to her first baby. This being the digital, social networking age it is, Facebook friends got live updates. At one point, dad posted, “And ... we continue to wait in the hospital.” To which I commented, ““Go for a walk. Really. Or take a bath.” Then, “Well, mama, anyway.”

The next comment was, “Once her water breaks, she can't take a bath. Showers, yes.” I have to admit that I allowed that to make me angry. Livid, even. Ask Laura. I was ranting. I had to shut my computer and walk away and remember that this woman had been brainwashed by the medical system. And, no, this is not an assumption as the rest of her comment was, “I know I ran the hospital's water bill up 900% when I had mine.”

The abounding ignorance amazes me. It really does. I currently live in an overmedicalized state and it drives me absolutely crazy. Still, there are two hospitals I know of with polar opposite views on water birth and they are only 39 miles apart. Hospital G allows (and this word is a bone of contention with me when it comes to birth) women to give birth in the water (“The Birthplace...”). Hospital H allows women to labor in the water but not deliver in the water (Blake). What is the difference? I don’t know. If a woman is allowed to give birth in the tub, it stands to reason that her membranes have ruptured, although I have a friend whose baby was born in the caul in the tub, so that isn’t a factor of concern. Or maybe it is, I haven’t seen Hospital G’s policy for water birth. Hospital H’s policy as of July 20, 2012, states, “Membranes should be intact or if ruptured, fluid should be clear or may be light meconium (Blake).” I am not sure all staff members are aware of these because I have heard women be told that they won’t be allowed in the tub once membranes have ruptured.

ACOG reports that it is difficult to accurately evaluate or measure complications because there is no uniform way of reporting on them. Still, the most common concerns include an increased risk of infections with both mother and baby, especially with ruptured membranes, difficulties with thermoregulation in the baby, umbilical cord avulsion or umbilical cord rupture, aspiration of the water, and seizures (Committee...). These are reiterated on the WebMed website (Todd). I am aware of one woman who tore extensively because she helped lift her baby up and out before the baby was completely born (Price).

If risk of infection is truly a concern, then a thinking person might wonder why women are subjected to internal exams so often or why they are so often required to have their bottoms resting on a chux pad that isn’t always fresh and clean. Thermoregulation problems in the baby can be easily combatted by monitoring the temperature of the water in the tub. This is suggested, anyway, by hospital policy (Blake) and other sources (Todd). Common sense would seem to tell us that potential umbilical cord problems can be avoided by allowing the baby to be born without tugging on the cord. Lastly, since the baby has been living in a watery environment, it does not seem likely that the baby would attempt to breath under water. As long as once the baby is brought out of the water the head remains out, aspiration and the attendant problems associated with it ought not to be an issue. This is actually discussed by Michel Odent (Johnson).

There are some advantages to laboring in the water. ACOG and WebMD (which seems to mainly reiterate ACOGs position using less medical terminology) agree that while immersion during the first stage of labor does not improve medical outcome for either the mother or baby, it can help ease pain, keep the mother from needing various types of anesthesia, and speed up labor (Committee..., Todd). It appears that, while there may be other factors contributing to the outcome, labor may be shortened by as much as an average of approximately 30 minutes (Committee...) as well.

Some of the other potential benefits of water birth for the mother and baby include the following:

·        Warm water is calming and relaxing.

·        Later in labor, water can increase a woman’s energy.

·        The buoyancy allows more freedom of movement and ease of changing position.

·        Buoyancy also promotes more efficient uterine contractions and improved blood circulation which in turn results in more oxygen for uterine muscles and baby.

·        Immersion can help lower blood pressure.

·        Water can help reduce stress-related hormones and possibly help the woman’s body produce more endorphins (“Water...).

·        Water seems to help maintain more elasticity in the perineum (Kitzinger p 31, “Water...).

·        Water provides a more similar environment to the womb (“Water...).

ACOG reports that the only difference between women who delivered in the water with those delivering out of the water is satisfaction. They do not acknowledge any benefit to the baby from being in the water either during labor or birth (Committee...). It stands to reason, though, that if the mother is more relaxed, the whole process should be less stressful for the baby as well.

Aside from the medical reasons to or not to labor and/or birth in the water, it appears that women have been for millennia. Native Americans and traditional Hawaiians as well as other cultures the world over have used water for labor and sometimes birth (Frye p 629). If there was no benefit, it is not likely these cultures would have included the use of water in this very fundamental and universal human action.

If even ACOG recognizes that laboring in the water can be a good thing, why then do doctors, nurses, and hospitals not allow it to the extent that women preach to one another that it should not, ever, under any circumstances be done? Habit? The way these doctors, nurses, and administrators were taught? The fact that doctors and nurses have less control when a woman is in the water? There are likely myriad reasons for the attitudes women encounter. And while it is quite possible that ACOG will change its mind (because it seems to be quite good at that), there really seems to be no good reason why there should be a blanket restriction against women at least laboring in the water.

So, forgive me for going ballistic when I hear someone say, “Oh, no! If her water is broken, she can’t take a bath!” My own experience tells me that it is okay and Michel Odent agrees with me (Johnson).

Blake, J., MD (approved by), and Karen Beaton, RNC (reviewed by). Heywood Hospital Policy and Procedure Manual Obstetrical Unit. 10 May 2011. Policy and Procedure Manual: Hydrotherapy for Labor. Heywood Hospital, Gardner.

Committee on Obstetric Practice. "Immersion in Water During Labor and Delivery." ACOG. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Apr. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.

Frye, Anne. Holistic Midwifery: A Comprehensive Textbook for Midwives in Homebirth Practice. Portland, Or. (7528 NE Oregon St., Portland 97213): Labrys, 1995. Print.

Johnson, Jessica, and Michel Odent. We Are All Water Babies. Limpsfield: Dragon's World, 1994. Print.

Kitzinger, Sheila, and Marcia May. Homebirth: The Essential Guide to Giving Birth outside of the Hospital. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1991. Print.

Price, Bethany. "Water Birth." Personal interview. 14 Oct. 2015.

“The Birthplace at Baystate Franklin Medical Center." Birthplace at BFMC. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.

Todd, Nivin, MD (reviewed by). "Water Birth Information: Benefits and Risks of Water Birth." WebMD. WebMD, 24 Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.

“Water Birth: Benefits and Potential Risks." American Pregnancy Association. American Pregnancy Association, 25 Apr. 2012. Web. 29 Oct. 2015.

The Last Day (17)

Black and red and white. Lots and lots and lots. This happens to be belts on the bridesmaid dresses. The belts got lined with white because I wasn't sure I had enough black to do the whole thing. Turns out there was enough but it worked out pretty well.

This is Laura's belt. I think. It might be Amena's. Actually, now that I think about it, it is Amena's. I think they turned out alright. It's always kind of fun having a project with only a picture to work from.

When I have pictures of the dress on Joanna (and the red dresses on Laura, Amena, and Katie), I'll post them. It was a nice wedding and as fun as it was making dresses, I'm glad it's done and over. Since I know Joanna is, too, I don't have to feel bad saying that. :)

Day 16

Well, not as much to report as I wanted but considering everything, I think yesterday was an okay day. All the bridesmaid dresses are done with the possible exception of Laura's if it needs to be altered in any way.

This spool of thread was new when I started. I think this bobbin is the forth I had to fill.

 If I hadn't gotten to go pick my mother up from the airport or if I hadn't needed to take the boys to church last night, I would have at least finished making loops.

Loop d'loop. This is how I finished the day. I feel like I just did this about five months ago. Kind of strange the way that works.

 If I had been able to stay home all day, I would have completely finished Joanna's dress. Still, already this morning I've finished the second side of loops save tying the end off so all there is left is lace. That will take an hour or so. Then Laura is going to help me make the belts and all will be done. At that point, I will see if I feel like making me anything.

Day 15

I am really, really hoping today, which will be Day 16, is the last day for this. I would like to have one more day of sewing but I would like that to be for me so I can have something new for Joanna's wedding. I didn't get anything new for Laura's. Is that bad logic, do you think?

The lining all ready to go. The only problem is that I didn't realize I'd caught about four inches of the lining in one of the seams for the boning. I did catch it before I had the lining sewn completely in so it's all good now. I'd have been really annoyed if I hadn't caught it when I did. It is rather dark because the flash made everything look white and you really couldn't see what on earth it was. The bright you see is from the sun.

Yesterday saw the skirt layers attached to the bodice, the bodice lined, and the serger readied for finishing red dresses. That doesn't sound like a lot but when you consider there were three separate layers of skirt to attach, it is a bit more work than if you have three layers you are working with as one. And with a privacy panel or whatever they call the flap that goes under the lacing up the back, the lining is not just cut and dry. Which isn't to say I'm making excuses for myself.

Working on sewing in the lining.

Inside at the bottom of the back opening.

Outside, back opening. Looks good now, will look better later with some loops, ribbon, and lace.

Yesterday I also had a Pack 12 Leader's Meeting to attend and lead discussion for. I needed to do that and it was only a little more than an hour so I wouldn't likely have finished the loops on the dress anyway. Laura's loops took an entire Hobbit movie as I recall.

I couldn't get the dress to stay on the dressmaker's dummy for an end-of-day picture so this is what I did instead. The dress is hanging on the back of my chair and I thought the bottom looked pretty cool.

This morning I'll get going on finishing the machine sewing parts of the red dresses before we leave to go pick up my mom. With any kind of luck, that part will be done by the time we do leave with the exception of Laura's. I still would like her to try it on before I finish it. Since she'll be here tonight, there is a chance I will actually get it done today like I'm hoping to.

Days u, 13, and 14

Day u was a fairly uneventful day which is why it got a letter rather than a number. I didn't get any pictures taken for that day because all I managed to get done was a bunch of vertical seams in the skirt. Twenty-one vertical seams to be exact.

The skirt just hanging around. Not really. It was getting ironed here. Well, you know, it was getting ironed before I took the picture and after. While I was taking the picture, the skirt was literally just hanging around.

Day 13 was much more eventful even though all I did was work on the skirt border. All day I kept thinking about Joanna and didn't hear from her until in the afternoon. She'd slept until 2:00 and was still tired. I was glad she'd been able to sleep but you know that feeling when something just doesn't seem right? Yeah, I had it. Sunday morning at 3:29 I found out why and if you've read my blog posts from yesterday, you know all about it already.

Edge stitching the border. That was a lot of fun. You know, seemingly endless miles of stitching. It was kind of like driving across Nevada.

Lots and lots of skirt with lots and lots of border.

Anyway, finishing the border required many many trips around and around. I won't recap them all because I'd probably forget at least some of them. It was at least eight and I think it may have been more. I can tell you that only about half of them were actually sewing.

Guess where I found this lovely piece of connectivity? Cedric had it for some reason. That would explain why I couldn't find it where I'd left it and why no one else knew where it had gone.

Day 14, yesterday, was the best. I finished hemming the organza layers and then I was able to move on to the bodice. Hemming the organza layers was an interesting thing. I started out by just doing a narrow hem but when I was about three-quarters of the way done with the first layer and had the second layer ready to go, I decided to do it differently because I didn't like the way it was turning out. I decided to go around the raw edge with the serger, turn that up and sew it down, turn that up and sew right along the edge. I'm happy with the way it looks now--kind of like there's a ribbon around the edge.

Lots and lots of skirt hems. I guess just organza; you can't really see the actual skirt in there. Still, it's pretty cool looking, I think.

Bodice pieces.

Bodice ready to be attached to the layers of skirt.

The bodice is where the real fun is. I wanted to at least get the lining pieces sewn together and the outside pieces sewn together and I did that. Because I was waiting to put some laundry on to wash for Cedric, I also got two pieces of boning in although one of them is only sewn on one side. Still, not too bad considering that I didn't get started until 11:30 which was not part of the plan and that I decided almost half-way through organza hemming to completely change the plan.

Wondering

As mentioned in my other blog, I would have pictures for you but I can't find the cord for the camera.

I did get some work done on Joanna's dress Saturday. A lot of sewing in circles. Round and round and round and round and you probably get the picture.

Yesterday, also as mentioned in the other blog, I got a phone call at 3:29 am from Joanna. In spite of the fact that the circumstances were perhaps less than desirable, I am very grateful that I was able to fill a need for her and spend much of the day with her.

I feel that nothing can quite prepare you for a miscarriage. This baby that Joanna carried for such a short time, although not planned for at this specific time, was nonetheless much loved and wanted. How exciting that this sweet child of mine was going to have a baby of her own! How infinitely sad that all the hopes and dreams packed into those few weeks will never be fulfilled in this life.

Having experienced the death of Daniel, I know that even after four years, three months and three days, there is still pain, there is still a hole, a hole I don't ever want filled because I hate to think what it would  mean if it were. I sometimes relish the pain because it reminds me of how much  love my oldest boy, of how very much I miss him, and of how very much I want to be with him.

What is it like to have a miscarriage? While I may have had one before I was pregnant with Laura, I did not recognize it as such and there was no sadness associated with it. I have read books about it, I have talked with friends who have experienced miscarriage.  I wrote a story in which the main character experiences a miscarriage and because I hadn't experienced one myself, I wanted to make sure that I got her emotions and actions as close as I could to what would have been real.

I feel that in many ways a miscarriage would be much harder than the death of a child. For example, Daniel was with us for fourteen years, four months, and 28 days, and those aren't counting pregnancy during which time he and I were getting to know one another. Joanna just had nine weeks and at least part of that time didn't realize she was pregnant. So for just a few short weeks she got to dream and imagine what her baby would be like; she did not even get to find out if her baby is a girl or a boy. She and Lincoln wanted a boy but would have loved a girl.

What I am left with now is wondering how long a grandparent mourns the death of a baby due to miscarriage. My heart hurts for Joanna and her pain which is most acute and my heart hurts for me and Lincoln and Joanna's siblings who were all looking forward to a baby nephew or niece.

I am also left wondering, "Why?" Not, "Why me?" because that would be completely selfish and would not stop to consider the pain of anyone else. Not, "Why Joanna?" because I know that these things happen. Just, "Why?" because I know there is a plan and I know there is a reason and I just wonder what it is.

Joanna wonders. A girl she works with is pregnant. She cried for weeks when she found out she was pregnant because she didn't want a baby. She smokes and does drugs and her baby is going to be born addicted to crack and cigarettes and who knows what else. Other than that, however, the baby is growing normally and seems to be doing well. Joanna wonders, "Why did I lose my baby when I want so much to have a baby? Why is the baby of this other girl doing well in spite of everything his/her mother is doing? Why?"

And so we are all left wondering as we take one day at a time and continue on through our journey. Will we ever know the answers? Is it important that we do?

Love the life you have.

Day Twelve

I liked the sound of Day Eleven. Day Twelve just makes it sound like it's lasting for ever. And ever.

Yesterday was full of fun surprises. I told you about Joanna's text in the morning. That guaranteed an interesting day. That kind of interesting I can deal with a lot better than some surprises. Surprises like the dog going outside, then coming inside, then peeing on the floor. And if that wasn't bad enough, she then tracks it over to where I am working at the table so now not only do I have to clean a huge pee mess up, I have to mop. Not only do I have to mop, I have to wait for the floor where I was working to dry. Am I happy with this dog? No.

Even with the additional three inches it fits widthwise on the table. Gotta love people who aren't very tall.

Cutting out strips for the band for the skirt. This is actually leftover fabric from Laura's dress. I'd gotten one set cut out of Joanna's fabric and thought, "Great! Don't need any of Laura's fabric!" Then I remembered that I needed two sets. Darn! Had to use some of Laura's because there just wasn't enough of Joanna's without piecing and that would take longer. Longer than I want to take.

The floor was dry so I continued working. I did not get as much done as I'd wanted but considering the things I accomplished that weren't part of the plan, I think things worked out pretty well.

Because I only use a chair as a trash receptacle while cutting out, this is the last picture of a chair with garbage. There is a certain beauty to a pile of stuff that I actually get to throw away. It takes up less space in the house and is just lovely.

The little garbage. It was added to yesterday. I finally got to the point of trimming the seams in the organza (both layers) last night.

Then I went to go to bed. I usually brush my teeth before I go to bed (sometimes I do it earlier) and that requires walking to the downstairs bathroom. What should I find? Another pee puddle. Since I had to mop up the last one, I mopped a large portion of the entire library area including where this new puddle was. I did not take the time to mop it as thoroughly as I will before I need to use the iron and ironing board, but I did have to take the time to do at least a cursory cleaning. Darn stinking dog. Would anyone like to now ask why I never want another dog in the house?

The pile of stuff on the ironing board. Katie is supposed to come try on her dress today. That means I'll be able to finish it up. It only needs a hem and maybe hook and eye at the top of the zipper. Amena's needs a hem and hook and eye and sleeve binding. Laura's needs sleeve binding and a hem. And the hem, you  may recall, is waiting until she is here and tries the dress on. And then there are the belts. 

The good news is that I was able to sleep in my own bed last night. I only woke up once. I did have to turn the fan nearest my side of the bed off, but that's a minor thing. The other good news is that I was having a bowl of Life for breakfast and I couldn't finish the whole thing.

Have a fantastic day!

Day Eleven

Well, while I'm still running behind where I would like to be, yesterday did see some progress made.

I really never dreamed that a quilting ruler would come in so handy for sewing in general. I used to make heavy use of a yardstick but I find the quilting rulers (I have two different sizes) come in even more useful. In this picture, I'm getting the pattern ready to cut off the excess for where the lacing will be in back.

Dress fabric ready to be played with.

Skirt pieces ready to be cut. I was attempting to get the scope of the project here. I opened the fabric up and had it spread out over the length of the table. It really is handy that Joanna is no taller than she is and that she has a slightly dropped waist because I was able to get the entire piece on the table at once without having it hang over the edges.

The skirt is getting two layers of organza. This is the first time pinning the last piece.

And my garbage at the end of the day. Isn't it pretty?

So, I thought things went pretty well, all things considered. Of course, Joanna texted this morning with this question, "Is it too late to make the skirt part longer?"

My first, automatic response was, "Yes." But that isn't entirely truthful. If Laura is willing to let us use a bit of her leftover fabric, I can cut out a strip like I did for Becky's skirt for the actual skirt. There is enough organza I'd be able to cut out a longer one and then we'd end up with one layer of organza as long as the actual skirt and one a bit shorter. Never a dull moment.

Right now, as soon as I'm done here at any rate, I'm working on the panel to go under the lacing in the back. Then, other than the skirt issue which Joanna will come over after work so we can discuss it, I'll be ready for construction. I really want to do the skirt first so I'll probably start by either sewing the shorter layer of organza or making the pattern for the strip at the bottom (assuming Laura lets us use her fabric).

Have a fantastic day!