Bad Day

It's just been a bad couple of days. I'm just really stressed out, and have been having a lot of contractions because of it. I've been resting a lot.

Checking Dilation Without A Vaginal Exam

While cruising the internet, I came across this. Although, I don't feel cervical dilation tells us anything about when baby will come, I do think this is interesting. I am not big on internal vaginal exams. I think that if you are wanting to check your cervical dilation, this would be the way to do it.



Here is the info from Anne Frye in the book Holistic Midwifery, Vol. II, p. 376.

Determine how many fingerbreadths of space are between the fundus and xiphoid process at the height of a contraction.


"...During a contraction and with mom on her back, determine how many fingerbreadths of space are between the fundus [top of the uterus] and xiphoid process [the triangular tip of the breastbone] at the height of a contraction.

5 fb = no dilation
4 fb = 2 cm
3 fb = 4 cm
2 fb = 6 cm
1 fb = 8 cm
0 fb = complete"

Here is what Anne Frye says:

As the space between the xiphoid and the fundus shortens (becomes narrower), dilation advances. This occurs, in part, because the upper segment of the uterus thickens as labor advances. The uterus also rises more as contraction intensify.

To use the fingerbreath method, it should be the height of the contraction and she should be on her back.

Another tip from Anne Frye
Many women have a bloody show as the presenting part passes through the fully dilated cervical os. This show should be quite mucilaginous and stretchy; a trickle of brighter blood near the end of dilation, accompanied by lots of suprapubic pain, can also mean a cervical lip is being pulled down with the presenting part.


I also found this information: What You Don't Know About Your Cervix Can Ruin Your Birth.

Baby Pains

Lately, I've noticed more and more that I almost never feel baby on my left side. Baby is always sitting and pushing way over on the right. Just below my bottom rib, and above my hip bone. My muscles on the right side are so tired and sore. Baby is always there. I try to move baby, but the only time he/she moves is when I lay flat on my left side. Even then, the movement to the left is very minimal. Last night it was like baby was laying with the body pushing into my right rib area and the legs into my left hip (diagonal). That's as much left side baby I've felt for as long as I can remember with this baby. Normally, my babes are all over both sides.

A little back story. I thought at first it might have been related, but now I don't think so.

Last year, the day after I had Bekah I began having severe pain on my right side. It was like my right ovary was stuck in a muscle, or something. I would take my fist and push on it (to the left) to try to move it. Finally, after a couple days, I pushed again with my fist, trying to move it back left, and it made a literal "pop" feeling. It was instantly better, and I was only left with my after birth pains, which I must say felt very minimal compared to what I had been feeling.

Today I tried again to push baby from the right to the left side. I really paid attention to what baby was doing. He/she did move to the left side, completely, but it was just a very dulled feeling. It was as if I there was a barrier between baby and my nerves. This made me think it might be what a few others suggested. The placenta is probably on the left side, blocking me from feeling baby.

Otherwise, everything is going great. I'm 36 weeks and 2 days along. I'm still getting things ready, but am mentally prepared. As much as I can be, anyway.

Our Birth Journey Story

My story is about our journey into natural birth.  When I was 25, my husband and I began trying to conceive our 4th child.  We were also in the middle of a spiritual transition.  It was during that time that my husband read a quote to me from a leader in our religion.  The quote was short, but made a big impact on me.  It said, "It will be so in a little time that not a woman in all Israel will dare to have a baby unless she can have a doctor by her" (Brigham Young). 

It was then that I began reflecting upon my previous births.  Now, I will say, that they were not "bad" experiences.  However, they were not good either.  They were not something that I would look upon and say, "I would love to repeat that experience". 

About three months later, we got pregnant (March of 2006).  That was when I began seriously looking into home birth.  I had never considered birthing anywhere other than in the hospital.  Birthing at home was so foreign to me.  I seemed so "Old Fashioned".  It felt so right.  I had a deep calling within my soul that I must have this baby at home.  I had a horrible foreboding that something bad would happen if I was to birth in the hospital.  It was a feeling that I didn't understand.  Home birthing alien to me.  Why was I having these feelings?  I knew to follow those promptings, though.  I didn't want to find out if the dark feelings about the possible hospital birth was true or not.  I would not take that chance.

I began researching home birth.  I studied all day, while my husband was at work, day in and day out.  My husband is a man who listens to facts and studies.  I printed out papers on Home Birth vs Hospital Birth studies, safety statistics, midwife facts, and so on.  I wanted him to know that what I felt was right was also safe.  I approached him one day and just laid it all out.  I told him how I felt and what I wanted.  To my surprise and astonishment, all he said was that he agreed.  He was feeling the same way about the birth.

I began looking for midwives, but soon found out that in Missouri, that was not an easy task.  Missouri is not exactly a "Home Birth Midwife Friendly" state.  The closest midwives I could find were on the complete opposite end of the state.  A good 5 hour drive.  I searched for months, and began to feel like I was going to end up having an unassisted birth, which I was not ready nor comfortable with at that point in my life.  It wasn't until my 28th week of pregnancy that I found my midwife.  I stumbled across her on the internet, on a site called Birth Partners.  She was just across the river in Kansas.  I immediately sent her an email, and by the next day, she had responded and we made a time for her to visit me at my home.

When she came for my first "appointment", I loved her.  She was so different then the OB/GYNs that I was used to.  She spent a long time talking with me, explaining what she was doing, why she was doing it, and what it ment.  I was shocked at how ignorant I was about pregnancy and birth.  This was my 4th baby, and I knew nothing!  She opened my eyes to the importance of taking my pregnancy and birth into my own hands.  I was responsible for this child.  I needed to understand what was happening, instead of just "doing what I was told".  She taught me a lot.

Late, the night of December 19, 2006, my husband and I went to bed.  We had stayed up way later than we should have, but I was feeling good.  No contractions, or any sign of upcoming labour even though I was 3 days past my guess date.  As I laid down in bed, I thought how in the morning I would put that waterproof mattress pad down for just in case my water broke.  About 4 hours later, I woke to what I am sure was a popping noise and water hitting my knees.  I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom.  Sure enough, I was a night too late for that waterproof mattress pad.  My water had broken in bed.  I woke up my husband, telling him the good news was that I didn't wet the bed.  The bad news was we weren't getting any sleep.  We called my midwife, and a friend of mine who is a professional photographer.  She really wanted to document our birth, and took over 300 pictures of the labour and birth, put them on a CD and gave it to us. 

I laboured for 8 hours with our first son.  It was hard.  It was painful.  It was amazing!  When he was born, I had never experienced anything like it with any of my previous births.  It was truely the most memorable thing I had every been through.  I had done it!  I had birthed my baby at home, completely naturally!

That birth completely transformed my idea of what birth was.  We went on to have another baby, assisted by our friend, in 2008.  Then again, our 3rd home birth in 2010.  That time, after years of study, and preparing myself mentally, physically, and spiritually, our 6th child and 4th daughter was born assisted only by my husband and my 11 year old daughter.  Our first Unassisted Birth! 

Now, a year and a half later, we are expecting our 7th baby.  Our 4th home birth.  Our 2nd planned Unassisted Birth.  As I write this, I am 31 weeks along in the pregnancy.  I continue to study, prepare, and practice my Hypnobirthing.  We are hoping for a water birth (our first).  Only God knows what will happen, and I pray daily for thanks that we are, once again, blessed with this opportunity to welcome another blessed spirit into our family.



If you would like to read the birth stories, and view the pictures.  You can see them at Our Pioneer Life (for the first 4 - including my 1st home birth), and Our Birth Journeys - baby Moses and Our Birth Journeys - baby Rebekah (for the last 2). 





Amanda Hartman

isaplan@yahoo.com

31 weeks 2 days

Things are still going great. As of now, I'm still showing a weight gain of only 10 pounds. However, I had some "extra weight" that has been burning off while baby weight has been adding on. I've been eating healthier, although the last few days I've nit been doing so well at keeping away from soda. :( I'm cutting myself off. The only other issue is acid reflux. Ugh! I hate it! LOL! It's strong all the time. The papaya tablets aren't working quite as well, so I'm going to look into Heartburn Soother tea and KYOGREEN--it is a wheat and barley powder mix that you mix with water. Hopefully one will help.

I'm getting excited as the day gets closer. The awful thing is that the birth is righ in the middle of our Kettle Corn season. It's going to cause issues, but there is nothing that can be done about it. :)

Anyway, baby's growing and I'm really feeling good overall.

26 Weeks 1 Day

Wow! Time sure has passed by on this one. We are doing great. My tummy has popped. I've gained about 7 pounds so far. Baby is moving all the time. I've been keeping my records together, and everything is great. I just need to try to motivate myself to exercise.

I've got some of my birth kit together, but not all of it. Still a few odds and ends to gather up.


I don't have any recent pictures, or any "good" pictures. Here's one I took myself 2 weeks ago at "24 Weeks".

A Little Update On The Midwifery Bill

Here is an e-mail I got from FOMM.

From Friends of Missouri Midwives [FoMM]

Have you all sent your emails to the Committee members, opposing Talboy's "Regulate Midwives Out of Existence Bill" (House Bill 301)? Or the latest assignment - the emails to House Leadership and a "thank you" to our new bill sponsor, Thomas Long?
Perhaps it seems as though your little emails can't make much of a difference. If you're like me, you may sit at the computer, staring at the screen for a long time, trying to figure out WHAT to say. You backspace your email six times, thinking it doesn't communicate what you want to say about why you love and respect midwives. And then you go to bed in frustration, wondering if anyone else did the assignment and sent the emails...

I spent several long days at the Capitol last week and was pleased to stop by a committee members office and hear the assistant tell me, "We've received more emails on this midwifery thing than any other issue this year, by a LONG shot!"
I asked her if they were for or against Talboy's bad bill.
She said, "Well, at first it was just moms and midwives emailing us, but now we're hearing from the doctors, too, so it's kind of a mix these days. Both sides are being pretty vocal." I pressed her for more details, and she finally said, "Well, the moms and midwives are definitely still ahead of the doctors on the emailing! It's obvious that a LOT of people in Missouri are worried about us taking away their midwives!" I had to smile to myself that YOUR emails are making a difference. That you've made midwifery the BIGGEST POLITICAL ISSUE that over a dozen representatives have heard about all year!! Let's keep it that way! If you haven't taken the time to sit down and send your emails, please do it today! And then have your mother, and your husband and your neighbor and your friend at MOPs send them emails, too!

Lastly, the cherry on top was a snippet from the Missouri State Medical Association's newsletter that a "little bird" forwarded to us:
"...It has come to our attention that since the hearing, committee
members have been bombarded with emails and phone calls from midwifery
supporters from all across the country. The midwife lobby is clever and
slicker than snot on a doorknob. We are clearly getting out-spammed and
our message is getting drowned out."

Way to go, Friends of Missouri Midwives! We're ahead! Keep up the good work!