I believe that those who are only here for cooking and recipe will forgive this little personal nipple, skip it and look for new recipes. And that, on the contrary, with those who had already accompanied me so much during the pregnancy, they supported not only my personal instagration and asked for this article, I would be able to share exceptional, strong and irreversible moments.
I've been thinking for a long time and even having a few conversations to sort out my thoughts and decide whether I should write a long version full of truth and controversial themes, or just sort of brilliantly bypass and touch everything. I do not know if I decided correctly, because dealing with these topics is like fighting windmills. But I am an eternal fighter for the truth, and I can not serve you socially bearable portions of attractive and short talk. And so I decided to write the whole pure story and explain what experiences and events led me to my decisions. I know many of you do not have to and will not agree with me, but please take it as a sincere confession.
I gave birth to my first-born daughter in our region, traditionally, in the maternity ward and the delivery was basically quite quick and "natural". I chose one of those great maternity hospitals with a good name, and to leave nothing to chance, we arranged for a renowned obstetrician. I wanted to be a young mum and I managed to do it because I grew Gretka at the age of 26. I knew I wanted birth naturally, I had a little read about natural births, oxytocin, and so my birth plan was clear. I wanted a natural birth without artificial interventions, if only a little preventive treatment, but maybe because of my age and teenage naivete I ended up in the devil's clutches with the face of an angel ... When the birth date approached, everything was began to run in the rhythm of our doctor with many titles in front of the name. A few days before the date he said, probably because he was just in the service that "the baby is no longer doing well, has little amniotic fluid (the loss of amniotic fluid is a natural phenomenon), is too great (birth weight 3, 6 kg), and so we will have to give birth "! I nagged everything, I do not endanger my child when he does not do well! The gynecologist performed Hamilton's touch (a swirling and painful touch that releases a part of the fetal wrap from the uterine wall with his fingers and, as a result, the body begins to wash prostaglandins leading to childbirth), adding that if this effect fails to deliver, In the morning it will chemically cause it. So I was hospitalized at that time, and she hoped that the birth would begin in the morning. I drank a few liters of raspberry tea for sure and believed that the birth would come.
Childbirth came before midnight, Gretka was born eight o'clock in the morning. What happened in the meantime, but it was all, like the beginning of childbirth about manipulation and disrespect of my wishes. I had a well-established cannula, like all pregnant women in the maternity hospital, lying on the birth bed in the least suitable position for delivery, and I was given oxytocin without my knowledge, there were strong contractions such as kicking a stomach, so our Gratka was born. I did not know how to give birth, and there was nobody there to support me. At least he briefly told how to work with birth pain. The midwife was very kind, but not very helpful. The same thing I would say about prenatal maternity classes.
I've lost a lot of blood, and the first days have not been able to stand on my own feet. That's why they took Gratek after their birth. This condition as a whole complicates the care and mainly "bonding" with the newborn, but I was struggling, Gretka was an incredible predator, so the lactation started and we could go home. My birth was seemingly "natural" and without complications, but to nature it was far from A to Z. Later I learned that the obstetrician is renowned for Caesarean section and give birth to it naturally is almost a miracle. I know that many women may have had beautiful and natural birth in the maternity hospital. And many women also experienced much more horror childbirth. And last but not least, there is a crowd of those who are maternity hospitals or doctors grateful for their lives. And I take all of these options into consideration and respect. But my experience was very distant from how I think the children should come to the world, and I think that someone and my daughter robbed me of this valuable and important experience in life, for if someone was present at a thousand births, he did not understand the depth of these moments and the importance of the natural course.
I'd love to recommend to any future mother to read one of the books of French obstetrician Michel Odent, because one book will be published for all pre-primary courses. I am quite logically based and if you study the birth mechanism and understand what is needed to make that unique cocktail of hormones washed out and you have a chance together with your baby, smoothly, naturally and unforgettably beautifully going through childbirth, you will not be any more need. For example, the oxytocin mentioned is one of the hormones required to deliver. Also called hormone shy, it is necessary to relax it so that the woman feels good, safe, fearless, and intimate. As with love, when this hormone, among other things, can come to orgasm. In recent years Michel Odent has highlighted the evolutionary threat of artificially administered oxytocin. It is quite logical that if several generations of women do not naturally produce births, the next generation may already be able to, even if it gets the opportunity, be unable.
With Ruben, the story was completely different. I did not plan domestic childbirth, but birth at the maternity hospital, where I would give more privacy, respect and allow me to go through childbirth in my own way. In addition, I longed to give birth to water. A few weeks before the appointment I started to use the services of a home counseling center with a midwife. At that time I understood that care for a pregnant woman should be completely different. That these undocumented women have a great experience, they are very helpful in preparing for a smooth birth not only to the parent but also to the baby. Often it happens that she is not completely correctly placed, a woman has a certain ligament that does not leave a baby below, an open pan. Maybe he complains about pain, but the doctor does not usually solve this problem and evaluate it as a common phenomenon, which does not need to be solved in any particular way. Different pains are common, but it is great to find out why they arise and to eliminate these minor imperfections even before giving birth, which could complicate them. There are many countries in Western Europe where only a midwife cares for a pregnant woman since the beginning of her pregnancy, and she also accompanies her during childbirth. (For example, England, Sweden, ..)
The last few days before birth gave me something to change and I felt best to give birth at home. That's why I have prepared a substitute plan that, until that day, I will be free to decide. When the fetal water flowed before midnight, I knew I did not want to go anywhere. Outdoors it was getting cold and I did not want a cozy home. I can not really explain why and why it's happening shortly before birth, but I would describe it as a dystocia. As if your decision has ceased to dominate the racio, and the whole government has taken the soil. He was not afraid, but complete peace. I was like an animal that wants to resort to its cozy and safe breeze.
I cooked broth, prepared tea, and I said I would call my Dulu, midwife, take a bath and see how I feel.
Then there was the most beautiful birth that I just dreamed of. My candle light shimmered in my bathroom, smelled of pink oil, and played my playlist prepared exclusively for Ruben's birth, which I often listened to before bedtime. So my bathroom sounded like Sade, Jill Scott, ... My body knew exactly what to do, and for the first time, we had both the opportunity to go through a birth as a meadow of blooming flowers in Allen's Wonderland. I was absolutely fascinated! Fascinated by a new dimension. It was a visit to a new dimension from which you have a hidden key in your DNA that has just been activated. The water worked as an anesthetic, like a cloud, into which Ruben slipped smoothly, and I could strap it without exhaustion, blood loss or any injury, and we had been together since then.
When he was born, I wrote a short article on the blog and also wrote that I had a cocktail prepared from the placenta. At that time I was searching for information and wanted someone to do a homeopathic work out of the placenta as well. Since then, almost three years have passed and we already have several people working professionally on placenta. By mutual agreement, they can prepare capsules, tinctures and homeopathic medicines. Tincture and homeopathic medicines are a drug for you and your baby for a lifetime and solve a whole range of topics. But that's another article and a longer chat. Whoever cares about it can go through the information on their site. Below the article I attach links.
Like children and births, they are really different. Not only do not take my narrative as a dogma or some instruction, it is not possible at all. I just share your personal experiences and inner experiences with you.
It's exactly 7 weeks since Isaac was born.
When my children slept Saturday night, I began to have contractions that lasted for 24 hours. They were different. Longer, shorter, thicker, weaker, at intervals of about 7 minutes, but occasionally 12 minutes. My midwife has a lot of experience and she was lucky to learn from one of my major German colleagues. Probably why she was able to tell and explain that what I'm experiencing is not the birth or the first period of labor, but she called it by the tune of the orchestra, when my body and baby still need something to tune up so that the birth itself can be started. She also confirmed that her former practice at the maternity hospital was very poorly evaluated, and instead of getting the woman's peace and space to do all this and prepare naturally to go through, there were all kinds of interventions such as bursting of the fetal bag, administration of oxytocin, anesthesia to make the exhausted woman relax, ... who seemed to be able to help her childbirth. Endless examinations, monitors, .. But since it was not really about childbirth, these attempts often did not work as they had. Portions often ended with a caesarean section.
That's why I'm grateful that I had the chance to have our last day together with Isacek with one body, to live at home in the amazing atmosphere of a beautiful June Sunday with my children, my family. It was a beautiful day when my mom cared about us and cooked us all. We had lunch together on the terrace, lunch and dinner. I was locked up in the contractions and spent a beautiful day with their loved ones. When I put the children back on Sunday night, the birth alone came. I called my dulu, midwife, and filled the tub. In the meantime, I gave birth to my second son and then visited the now-familiar but no less fascinating dimension, the flickering of the candlelight, the scent of the rose and the music of Isaak's playlist. But it was a little different. So my beautiful Sunday four-killer boy Jonas Isaac came to the world.
I will always be grateful for the work that midwives do and do. I thank you both very much and I hope that many things will change for the better in Czech obstetrics and your work and experience will find more use and worthy recognition. I was honored to have you near.
I do not want to say that giving birth at home is the only way to go. But I do not like how it is perceived negatively in our post-communist country. Most of the world perceives it more liberally and naturally. Personally, I think there is a need for change in the subject of obstetrics, and I know it is a long way, but this open confession is at least maybe a little scrap in the new pavement. I hope that in the future, women will not have to be afraid to bring their babies to the world, just like me, because now I see a greater risk of childbirth than in the home environment. They will not have to look for other trips or go abroad to have the opportunity to naturally give birth and then have the opportunity to spend the first minutes, hours and days with their children. I think the beginning is in the change of care for pregnant women. Here they should find an experienced midwife. They should return to women because they really belong to them! Even the doctors in this world have their inherent place and always have, but they should get a humiliation for birth, and change the current practice from a basic point of view. I would like all women to give birth at the maternity hospitals built by Michel Odent in Pithiviers or you can find it in Ostend, Belgium, where you managed to create a pleasant, intimate, full-of-breeding environment for women. Where it is possible to spawn in the water and at the same time is a woman at the hospital where doctors can help in the moment of real complications.
An interesting video about childbirth in Ostend
Processing of the placenta
