Preparation Meets Expectations For This Mom!

Praveena shared with her fellow childbirth students this email that she so also graciously shared with our blog! Great births don't usually just happen- they take preparation and selection. Praveena prepared by centering her mind, exercising her body, opening her spirit and mind in her childbirth class and selecting a great supportive team. Guina Bixler was her doula- she chose the Ladies of the Labyrinth and Guina was the lucky doula on call during her labor. Andrea Perry, one of our apprentice doulas accompanied Guina. Margaret Strickhouser was her midwife- Intown Midwifery. And she birthed at Atlanta Medical Center.

Things that helped during pregnancy:

Taken 5 days before birth

1. Prenatal Yoga (Cannot imagine my labor without yoga experience).
2.  5-10 minute Massage by my husband everyday..We took a massaging class at Northside Hospital for 32$.. 
3. Fruit rich diet and lots of water
4. Mom's presence (I am grateful to my mom for being with me during this time of my life and taking care of me and the baby in me!!!!)
5. Teresa's "Birthing from within" classes
6. Good midwife to assure and reassure you.. Margaret is the best!!!!

My Labor

My contractions began around 3:30AM on Nov 6th. You will not miss the contractions. They will be like menstrual cramps and spasms in your abdomen...

I informed Uday about the onset of labor around 5:30AM and asked him to take good rest as we were going to have an action packed day before us..

Teresa's words - Try to be as normal as possible were ringing in my ears all through my labor.. So I asked Uday to book an appointment with PicturePeople. We went to picture people for a maternity photo session at 11:00AM for two reasons. That was my final chance to take a picture with the beautiful belly and I wanted to do something that would force me to be normal and moving.. Mall is a very good place to rest in between contractions. The photographer at PicturePeople that day was very amused and worried to take pictures as he had to wait to take pictures as I was going through my contractions during the session!!!When the contractions were getting closer and stronger, I preferred to be home. I spent my time packing my labor bag. I also opened all the gifts from my baby-shower and imagined my baby wearing and playing with those gifts. I survived the contractions for another three hours that way.

I brought some egg-plants to cook around my due date.. So my mom made an awesome curry with them and I had good lunch. One of my biggest concerns during labor were:
 - How can we muster the energy to go through labor with out food or water? 
   (Margaret lets you eat and drink through the labor. Again lucky to be with Intown-Midwifery!!!..Also, it is a good idea to stay home as long as you can so that you can eat what ever you want.. I wanted organic milk during my labor but did not get them in the hospital. Had to wait for my milk for almost 2 hours. So be well prepared with all your favorite snacks in your labor bag.
 - It would be embarassing to poop or pee in the water.
   Believe me..This will be the last thing on your mind when you are going through labor..Since, you will be drinking lot of water to be hydrated, you will pee many times in the pool.. But since urine is sterile (Ladies of labyrinth clarified this for me during our prenatal session)

My mom was with us to help me with my baby. In India, we go to the hospital with the on set of labor. Since we did not do that until later in the evening (almost until 12 hours of labor) my mom was very worried. It is very difficult for a mom to see her daughter in pain.. I could say this from experience now :)

So, I was hesitating to go through a contraction in front of my mom as it would worry her...I called my doula, Guina Bixler around 4:00PM asking for help. She was at my home by 4:30PM. My mom was relieved to see Guina and I was relieved to see my mom relax. Uday and Guina timed my contractions for the next 45 minutes and decided that it was time to go to the hospital.

We went to the hospital around 6:00PM. That was the last time I had my eyes open, when entering the hospital. I refused to take a wheel chair. From then on..I might have opened my eyes for probably 5 minutes in the next 6 hours. I was in a state of trans or meditation..just listening to my body..feeling the contraction, the pain and breathing. 

Do not let anyone treat you like a patient. I was able to walk even when I was 7cm dilated.. It was my doula who asked me to take the wheel chair at last..

The nurse asked me in the triage room about pain medication and I told her not to offer me any pain-relief medications. 

As Teresa said, everyone would hit the wall of great doubt.. It happened in my case also.. When the time to push came..I was asking for epidural.... I guess, I assumed to be done with the pushing state in 3 pushes..but it did not.. A good mid-wife who trusts in the birthing process and is patient with you is very important. If anyone gives you the impression that you are on a clock, you could ask them to leave the room.

Water birth is the best thing that could happen to you in your active labor. Andrea, the apprentice doula gave me hip squeezes during the contractions and the intense contractions became manageable with those squeezes.

I was lucky to have Margaret as my mid-wife and cannot thank her enough..especially for what she has done twice. When I was not pushing the way I should, she shook me, grounded me and asked.. PRAVEENA..Are you afraid to PUSH? That got me thinking.. I tried to push, the way I should after that..but needed some help. Secondly, She GUIDED me physically for the pushes. I used my "powerful squats and lunges" from the prental yoga tool box and pushed successfully. Uday later told that the mid-wife and doulas were surprised that I was doing those squats without guidance. It was probably because I was listening to my body to give the biggest opening possible.

Margaret's experience, Guina's kind words, Andrea's hip squeezes, Teresa's wisdom, Uday's emotional support and my mom's loving presence..all these made my labor and birthing, a very good and memorable experience.

I had action packed days at work on Nov 4th and 5th. We had a get-together and festivities until 1:00AM on Nov 6th and my labor began at 3:30AM. So I literally had 2 hours of sleep in 48 hours. I was hoping to catch some sleep during the early contractions but was not enough..It is a wonderful time to bond with your baby after the baby's arrival and saving some energy for that time is a wise thing to do.. I was very excited and at the same time very tired after the labor due to lack of sleep. I enjoyed the time with my baby to the fullest after catching sleep for couple of hours. So my advice for mom's nearing their due date is to take GOOD REST EVERY DAY because the big day can be any day!!!

Labor and birthing is a natural process. Do not give into self-sympathy on the big day. Try to be as normal and active as possible during the early labor. If you listen to your body during contractions, you could make the maximum use of them to near the birthing event soon and meet your baby. 

Cheers,
-Praveena