tiny grass

I just read this nice article summarizing the birth options in Costa Rica: Natural Childbirth Choices in Costa Rica.

Since we plan on hopefully having a homebirth in Costa Rica, this is great information. When we were originally researching the idea of moving to Costa Rica, I actually had a lot of trouble finding information about options for natural childbirth in the country. I suppose that’s because homebirth is a bit of an underground option there still. The article above gives a good summary of the issues going on in childbirth in the country, and how to deal with it as a consumer.

A friend of mine recently asked me whether I was afraid to give birth in Costa Rica. I told her no. But I think if you were someone not that educated about their cesarean rate, and what interventions go on in hospitals, you might be right to be fearful of birth in Costa Rica. I’m not afraid because, even though I am not pregnant yet, we have already set up the necessary contacts for us to have a homebirth in Costa Rica. I know that if I am forced to go to a hospital due to some life-threatening emergency, I will get good medical care in Costa Rica. But I won’t allow myself to be forced into an unnecessarily medicalized birth unless it is truly necessary. And in a country where some hospitals have greater than an 80% cesarean rate, I’ll be on my guard. But frankly, I’m on my guard in this country (USA), where I’ve been hearing of hospitals with a 50% cesarean rate and climbing. From what I hear, some of the New Jersey rates are the worst. So how different are we, really, than Costa Rica?

Plus - and this is really one of the keys in my mind - I know Arp has my back on this one. I know that no doctor with a scalpel in his hand is going to come close to getting past my husband without there being a very good reason. When you are in the throws of labor, there just isn’t another substitute for a partner who will do anything to protect your right to a normal, natural birth.

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“Any physician who picks up a scalpel and does major abdominal surgery, which is what a C-section is, because that doctor is afraid of litigation, is not practicing medicine but is practicing fear and greed,”

So says Marsden Wagner, perinatologist and former director of Women’s and Children’s Health for the World Health Organization, to the Washington Post this week.

Every time I hear about the C-section rates I am flabbergasted. How could this possibly be happening?! Why aren’t women getting angry? I mean, really really angry?

Here’s my own message to all the OB/GYNS out there: Grow some balls. Be brave enough to consider the health of your patients before you think about lawyers and the bottom line. Be brave enough to accept that birth can be noisy, messy and unscheduled. Embrace the natural mountains and valleys, the way things were meant to progress, not the sterilized and life-draining way they have become.

Every time I hear Marsden Wagner speak, he seems to me to be the voice of reason in the realm of birth.

Thanks to Pushed Birth for the link to the story.

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For Mother’s Day, I asked Arp to get me a copy of Dr. Sarah J. Buckley’s book, Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. I actually didn’t know much about Sarah J. Buckley until I had the joy of seeing her in a pre-screening of the new film Orgasmic Birth. So I checked out her website and found out that she is a pretty fascinating person. I’ve been really into learning more about birth lately, since Arp and I might be considering trying again soon. So I figured that getting a copy of Buckley’s book would be fitting for Mother’s Day.

I am not exaggerating when I say that Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering is the most enjoyable book on birth and mothering that I have read, ever. Read more »

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Was your birth orgasmic? If not literally, was it wonderful and life-changing? Were you ecstatic? I’m not talking about the part where you get your baby. I’m talking about the process of going through labor and birth, and then holding your baby. Was that amazing?! It sure was for me!

Bloggers and people interested in birth are talking about a new film, Orgasmic Birth, which is having its’ world premiere on May 12th. My good friend and fellow blogger Summer talks about the film here and here. You can view the trailer for the movie at the Orgasmic Birth website.

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Then (when I was, maybe, 22): I remember having a discussion with my sister about whether, when I had kids someday, I would breastfeed them. We both decided that we would “try” it. My big concern was whether it would infringe on my sleep and cause me to get more migraines.

Now: I’ve been breastfeeding for 4.5 years straight. Part of that time, including now, is tandem nursing. I help other women to breastfeed their children. I know now that whether you breastfeed or not, babies and children do infringe on your sleep. Nursing in bed actually helps me get more sleep.

Then (about age 25): I was discussing with someone that an acquaintance’s kids crawl into the parents’ bed at night, and how the child just does it to manipulate them. (I cringe even writing this down).

Now: I’ve been co-sleeping for 4.5 years. Arp and I love it. I know that a child’s needs don’t just stop at night.

Then (age 22): I attended a hospital-run childbirth prep class with my sister. I thought all that a birth support person needed to know was where the ice chips were and how to count (shout) to 10.

Now: I’ve gone through 2 births myself, one at a (hospital) birthing center and one at home. Both births, and especially the one at home, were times of my greatest triumph. I know a partner’s willingness to be truly present and do everything possible to help the mother be comfortable, strong, and courageous can mean all the difference. Arp was one of those partners, especially at our homebirth, and I’ll love him forever for it.

Then (age 27): I wanted to try a birthing center for my first child’s birth.  If everything “went OK”, then I would be open to having a homebirth for other children.

Now: I’ve had a birth both at a  hospital birthing center and at home.  In many ways, the two births were like night and day.  If I were able to go back and do it all over again, I’d have had the first child at home too.

Then (teen years and beyond): I was a very competitive kid in school. It was really important to me that I go to a prestigious college. When we ended up not being able to afford any of the ones I got into, I cried for a long time. Then I picked myself up and went to community college. Later, I went for my masters in teaching. I knew I loved spending time around kids, especially teenagers, and thought teaching them would be a great job. It would enable me to talk with them and be constantly surprised and excited by all the learning going on.

Now: I have to pay back exorbitant student loans for education that I’m not even really using now, at least not to make money. I’m no longer a teacher, and I can never imagine going back to it. I learned that I really do love talking to teens (and younger kids too), but not much talking and sharing goes on in a school. Really, not much learning goes on either. It’s mostly just forced temporary memorization.

Then (last year):I was getting nervous about homeschooling as M got closer to school age. I asked the relatives to buy him quite a number of items for Christmas, including math manipulatives and the first set of Miquon math books. I was exploring any number of styles of homeschooling and trying to figure things out.

Now: I’m committed to unschooling. I’ve barely opened the Miquon books, except to review a math concept for myself. I’m seeing them more as a reference material for when my own math stress surfaces. I’m looking to M for what he wants to learn rather than anxiously checking things off the world-book list. Instead of viewing M and J as kids in two totally different planes (school-age and toddler), I now see our whole family on an equal plane, learning along side each other as we each see fit. We’re living, learning, respecting each other, and helping each other along the way.

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