Our Decision to Hypnobirth!

So I was going to post pictures from our trip to St. George/Zions National Park tonight (just a week and a half late, thats all), but the batteries in our camera are dead, and the forty or so other AA batteries lying around our house also seem to be dead (we can't be the only people who seem to collect these energizer gems. I don't know if we think that someday they will resurrect themselves, but we can't seem to throw them away).

So I thought I explain a little about why we are doing hypnobirthing instead of the normal medicated approach to labor/birth.

The main reason: FEAR.

I know that seems counterintuitive. Isn't that why women get epidurals in the first place-- they fear the pain and discomfort of labor/contractions/pushing something the size of a watermelon out of a hole the size of a lemon......
I have been fearing the birth process for as long as I was able to distinguish that I was girl who had those capabilities. Like some impending doom I imagined this self imposed torture. I thought about adoption or getting someone else to have the baby for me (it would be awesome if Richard could do it-- and I have suggested this to him several times and he seems to think that won't work), but then I thought "I already have the equipment, might as well..."

Then, I got pregnant, and I felt like like a ticking time bomb. It was just a matter of time until that alien inside of me would want out, and then what would I do? She can't stay in there forever, and I would kind of like to meet her....but does that require an actual physical birthing? I've seen Star Trek, why can't someone just "beem her up!"

Anyway, I thought about it, and with all the fears I had, I also was firmly convinced that God considers birth a good thing. God also loves me. I figured that these two ideas didn't have to be mutually exclusive, and I figured that there had to be a way to have a really good birth experience. That is where hypnobirthing comes into the picture! It sounds weird, but what it stands for is the position that childbirth is natural and woman have been doing it for thousands of years, without a lot of help. We must be equipped in some way to handle this. The thing is that we have developed this deep seated fear of birthing, in part becaues every movie ever made which portrays childbirth has the mother grabbing her husband and screaming into his face "YOU DID THIS TO ME. I HATE YOU. I HATE YOU. GIVE ME THE DRUGS!" and there is generally a lot of screaming. NO wonder we fear childbirth.

well, you know what that fear does to us? The moment we go into labor, we tense up, grit our teeth and go into "fight or flight" emergency mode. so all the blood goes away from where it is supposed to be (the uterus, the heart, the head) and goes into our arms and feet. Well, no wonder those contractions hurt! Your body is having to fight against itself to even get that baby even near being born! If women can get themselves to relax (and I mean REALLY relax) and think in positive thoughts where fear doesn't enter, the body can do its thing, the baby will come more quickly and easily, and there will be less need for medical intervention. Heck, in a lot of other cultures, the mom just squats, catches the baby, and goes on her merry way. Why not me!

so thats the theory. In practice, it is hard not to succumb to all those negative emotions we give childbirth. As my teacher told me, we go to baby showers where we sit the new mother in a corner, barricade her with gifts so she can't get out, and then we tell her horror stories about how bad and painful giving birth can be. Its not wonder we don't all need therapy.

But don't worry. We are still having this baby in a hospital with a doctor. We believe in modern medicine and even though women have been having babies for thousands of years, they also died a lot more frequently thousands of years ago as well. Hopefully, if all goes well, the doctor will just be there to say "good job Rachael! heres your bill!"

I have also told Richard that I reserve the right to change my mind at ANY time. But I might as well go in with the attitude that my body CAN do this. AFter all, if I can run marathons, I can have a baby. Why underestimate myself in this one thing!

I will sure let you all know how it goes!