Homebirth, the emotional side.
Through experiencing childbirth in a few different ways; medicated, unmedicated in a hospital, and unmedicated at home. I can look back and notice differences emotionally. There are certain hormones that our bodies release during normal physiological body functions. During sex, or while breastfeeding, or while giving birth…if we are to interfere with these processes, the hormones are also messed with. Its scary ramifications, I think. It has been shown that women that give birth at home are less likely to experience post partum depression. This is believed to be because studies show that women are more pleased with their experience and feel more in control of their experience when they choose to stay home. http://clearinghouse.missouriwestern.edu/manuscripts/118.php But some experts believe that natural childbirth plays a large role in prevention of PPD because the mother (and baby) receives the benefits of ALL the hormones that they were intended to get. It was God’s plan! : ) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1247567.stm, http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/firsthour.asp, http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/ecstatic-birth.htm Obviously, this topic may seem more logical than emotional, but these hormones are what prepares us for the emotions of motherhood! They are SO important! So bare with me…. In my own experiences I noticed differences at the time of birth. I really never experienced baby blues let alone PPD, but there were night and day differences between Darby’s birth and Bryse and Cal’s birth. With Darby I had only received a few hours of an epidural, which they had to turn off about an hour before she was born because my blood pressure was dangerously low. But still, when she was born, I was happy, but not “present”. I did not feel loopy by any means! But I just was not connected emotionally. I felt odd holding her after she was wrapped up tight in a blanket and didn’t feel “moved” very much at all. I didn’t feel much of an urge to breastfeed, although I did. I personally, believe that breastfeeding was what really helped me with bonding with her in the long run. I got those much needed hormones from that! Thankfully! With Bryse and Cal, my hormones unhindered by drugs, I felt ecstatic! Like I was on another planet and no one could reach me even if they tried! Remembering that feeling is enough to make me wanna run a marathon!! I wanted to squeeze and love on my naked baby and wanted to breastfeed immediately! : ) I felt beyond ready to mother this child! For me, there is something about natural childbirth that gives me confidence and spunk for months! And it is not because I think I’m “awesome” for being strong enough. Not at all. It is just this deep down confidence that it instills within us. I cannot explain it but that it was God’s design for Mom’s preparation for being a mom! : ) It makes me want to shout from the roof top and urge other women to experience. While I will say, I don’t care what women choose to do for themselves, but I do care for my sisters in motherhood and Christ, I want this for them too!! You know!? Similar to when you make an amazing cake and want to share the recipe with friends! Only magnified by a ton! HA! Thankfully, I don’t feel that I have experienced anything so horrible, but I have had friends that have experienced such a stripping of their instincts, confidence, and humanity during their childbirth that they entered motherhood with broken spirits and beaten bodies. This breaks my heart. There are women being diagnosed with not only PPD but also Post traumatic stress disorder! They have nightmares and flashbacks, need medication and counseling, to recover! We should be protecting our women during such a sensitive time in their life! Not abusing them! For us, staying at home and using our own discernment and prayer to choose a care provider that will allow us to be in control of not only the process but also the end result is huge for this. I don’t want to be in a hospital fighting off unnecessary and unscientifically based interventions when I should be enjoying the process that God has set forth! I don’t want my baby taken from me when we should be bonding. I don’t want a nurse coming in every few hours to interrupt my time with baby to check my blood pressure. I want to choose what is right for my body and my baby right from the beginning. I want to be a mama bear protecting my baby! I will say this, the experience is NOT more important than the outcome. But if you don’t have to trade one for the other, than why wouldn’t you want to have both?!
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