Indie Birth

Women Own Birth

“Permission” to Be Postpartum

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I love being pregnant, but I have this almost dread about postpartum. It used to seem like a bad word to me, being forced out into the world as a “normal” (non-pregnant) person again, with leaking breasts and even more responsibility than before.

Third time’s a charm, I guess, because I am loving this post-pregnancy time right now. For me, it was realizing I need to view it differently, and use my resources (both past experience and all the new things I am learning now) to really turn things around and find a way to love this time.

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Third Baby Syndrome

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My “priorities before baby” list has shrunk, and I am pretty much out of things that really needed to be done. However, I am still pregnant, and could very well remain pregnant for the next week or more. So, here’s a partial list of all the crazy things I have running through my head right now (and please note, that as a midwifery apprentice, these are not necessarily the norm.)

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Sleeping and Eating Oh My…

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Sleeping and eating are both big deals in a pregnant woman’s life.

The body needs food, and rest in great quantities so that it can grow a healthy baby and placenta. But although sleeping and eating are vital, they can also be a real challenge to a nauseous, unable-to-sleep woman who may even have heartburn (what fun!) or indigestion.

Pretty ironic, if you think about it. Luckily, there are things you can try if you are experiencing any sleeping or eating uncomfortableness, and all come without a prescription. Nausea and insomnia be gone!

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Labor Pain: Do You Need It?

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Pain in labor has a purpose. Really.

There are so many ways to view labor pain, whether it is in actual physical/biological terms, or from a more psychological angle. Some see the pain as having a religious, or spiritual purpose. Some women see it as a cultural difference.

In any case, it’s helpful to know on a biological, instinctive level why our body needs pain in labor. Thinking of the end result first really helps me appreciate how the body works.

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Homeopathy and Pregnancy

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Homeopathy is an option that most women don’t know is available to help them cope with some various complaints of pregnancy. It’s an art all it’s own, and I have had good luck with using it on myself for some basic pregnancy complaints- headaches, nausea and even colds. Learning how to use homeopathy so that it works for you can be challenging, but even the most basic level of understanding (plus being of an experimental nature) makes it worth it since it is one of the safest ways to “treat” pregnancy challenges.

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The Truth About Birth in the U.S.

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Do you know the truth about birth in this country?

If you were asked where the US ranks in terms of infant mortality, what would your guess be?

I have a feeling most people would assume that with our doctors and our technology that our babies have the best chance of survival in the first month. Don’t you just assume that the US would be one of the safest places to be born? Other countries, like Canada and Sweden don’t have nearly as many baby specialists or as easy access to neonatal units as we do. But still they outrank us!

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The Beauty of Birth

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I have to admit, I didn’t always think of birth as beautiful.

There are no pictures or video clips that captured my first labor or my daughter entering this world. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. Not to mention all the information out there about what’s “ugly” about birth-you know, bodily fluids and looking at the placenta, oh dear!

Maybe it’s the births I have had the privileged of attending, or my own impending third labor and birth. But there is very little about the whole process that I don’t see as beautiful now. It’s in the laboring woman the entire way through, even when she is at her “worst” because of the natural way she’ll choose to do everything, even talk or move.

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My Tips for Feeling Good at 32 Weeks Pregnant

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32 weeks pregnant. I’ve been this way before (twice before) and I am always amazed how nothing has been the same twice. Sure, my baby is growing and so am I. I now have days where I feel great, followed by a day where I just want to feel tolerable! But, due to something (I don’t know what, my midwifery studying? Or maybe just the wackiness of a third pregnancy?) I have learned so much this time about dealing with the aches and pains of the last few weeks and I want to share all these insights with you!

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Due Date Calculator: Alternatives to Ultrasound

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So, you don’t have a last period date to go on, or you’re cycles are irregular enough to not know which end is up. How do you know how pregnant you are? Is ultrasound the last resort, the only way? For so many women it is, and many doctors insist on routine ultrasound when there isn’t a period date to go on. But for those opposed to ultrasound (or for those just wanting that first pregnancy challenge) there is another way.

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