Comments for Belly Tales http://www.bellytales.com The Diary of a Midwife Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:33:05 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on How have midwives touched your life? Share your story for National Midwifery Week 2011! by Danielle http://www.bellytales.com/2011/10/03/how-have-midwives-touched-your-life-share-your-story-for-national-midwifery-week-2011/comment-page-1/#comment-304836 Danielle Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:33:05 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=416#comment-304836 Up until I became pregnant 7 months ago, I hadn't heard much about midwifery or doulas or natural birth. As a young woman of 21, it was something I hadn't thought to consider. Once I found out I was pregnant, though, I began researching and learning all I could about this process taking place inside my body, and managed to stumble across some great home-birth information, including this blog. I fell in love with the philosophies of natural birth, and became appalled at the procedures hospitals commonly use without necessity. It outraged me. I began researching statistics, watching documentaries, interviewing OBs and midwives. I toured two hospitals and was upset by both experiences, and nearly had a panic attack thinking that I may have to give birth in that environment. So I settled on Tucson's only birth center, instead. El Rio Birth & Women's Center. My experience there was phenomenal. Tragically, though, I lost my baby in the second trimester. I was devastated. My midwife was SO compassionate and loving and wonderful. I opted to have a D and C procedure, which I now think was not the best option, but in the heat of the moment it seemed better. The D and C didn't work, I began having contractions about 18 hours after the procedure, and ended up in the hospital. They gave me cytotec, which was a drug that I had researched and sworn I would never use when giving birth, but I was glad for the opportunity to see what the effects were really like. It was horrible. The worst pain of my life. All these experiences during my pregnancy have led me to pursue a career in midwifery. I'll be enrolling in a school in El Paso next fall, and will be catching my first baby soon after that. I'm so thankful to the midwives I met through this experience for helping me find such a passion in my life. It's truly a gift. I can't wait to be one of the privileged women who participates so closely in bringing a beautiful new life into our world! :) Up until I became pregnant 7 months ago, I hadn’t heard much about midwifery or doulas or natural birth. As a young woman of 21, it was something I hadn’t thought to consider. Once I found out I was pregnant, though, I began researching and learning all I could about this process taking place inside my body, and managed to stumble across some great home-birth information, including this blog. I fell in love with the philosophies of natural birth, and became appalled at the procedures hospitals commonly use without necessity. It outraged me. I began researching statistics, watching documentaries, interviewing OBs and midwives. I toured two hospitals and was upset by both experiences, and nearly had a panic attack thinking that I may have to give birth in that environment. So I settled on Tucson’s only birth center, instead. El Rio Birth & Women’s Center. My experience there was phenomenal. Tragically, though, I lost my baby in the second trimester. I was devastated. My midwife was SO compassionate and loving and wonderful. I opted to have a D and C procedure, which I now think was not the best option, but in the heat of the moment it seemed better. The D and C didn’t work, I began having contractions about 18 hours after the procedure, and ended up in the hospital. They gave me cytotec, which was a drug that I had researched and sworn I would never use when giving birth, but I was glad for the opportunity to see what the effects were really like. It was horrible. The worst pain of my life. All these experiences during my pregnancy have led me to pursue a career in midwifery. I’ll be enrolling in a school in El Paso next fall, and will be catching my first baby soon after that. I’m so thankful to the midwives I met through this experience for helping me find such a passion in my life. It’s truly a gift. I can’t wait to be one of the privileged women who participates so closely in bringing a beautiful new life into our world! :)

]]> Comment on Cooking with Milk by emedoutlet http://www.bellytales.com/2011/11/02/cooking-with-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-300803 emedoutlet Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:19:48 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=424#comment-300803 You are very concerned for your baby. You are also very creative. Banana Puree is an excellent form of solid food. Sweet Potato with breast milk is again the most healthiest recipe. Keep on creative new recipes and post them her. You are serving the community. Thanks for the useful post. You are very concerned for your baby.

You are also very creative. Banana Puree is an excellent form of solid food. Sweet Potato with breast milk is again the most healthiest recipe.

Keep on creative new recipes and post them her. You are serving the community.

Thanks for the useful post.

]]> Comment on Cooking with Milk by Nicky G http://www.bellytales.com/2011/11/02/cooking-with-milk/comment-page-1/#comment-300665 Nicky G Thu, 03 Nov 2011 06:35:40 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=424#comment-300665 Hi, you might be interested in this different method of introducing solid foods. I have done this with my two youngest an it waaay easier than puree (though spoon feeding has a place) and the bonus is it's much easier to find appropriate food once out and about. Don't be too worried about choking, babies have a well developed gag reflex which, while looks alarming is actually okay. Hope this helps :) http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/5897260/Baby-led-weaning-gaining-followers Hi,
you might be interested in this different method of introducing solid foods. I have done this with my two youngest an it waaay easier than puree (though spoon feeding has a place) and the bonus is it’s much easier to find appropriate food once out and about.
Don’t be too worried about choking, babies have a well developed gag reflex which, while looks alarming is actually okay.
Hope this helps :)

http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/5897260/Baby-led-weaning-gaining-followers

]]> Comment on Wax Study Revisited by ds http://www.bellytales.com/2011/10/09/wax-study-revisited/comment-page-1/#comment-300525 ds Tue, 01 Nov 2011 18:41:50 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=362#comment-300525 Great post, I agree, women should be allowed to choose how they give birth. Great post, I agree, women should be allowed to choose how they give birth.

]]> Comment on About Me by Kiersten http://www.bellytales.com/about-me/comment-page-1/#comment-299378 Kiersten Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:16:11 +0000 http://ali.ginandtonic.org/?page_id=18#comment-299378 Very pleased to meet you! I am a fellow midwife in New Mexico.....always looking for more midwife blogs! Thank you! Very pleased to meet you! I am a fellow midwife in New Mexico…..always looking for more midwife blogs! Thank you!

]]> Comment on My Birth Story by cileag http://www.bellytales.com/2011/05/27/my-birth-story/comment-page-1/#comment-299362 cileag Mon, 17 Oct 2011 01:05:38 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=376#comment-299362 Your birth story reminds me of mine in an almost visceral way---I was lucky to have it be much much shorter--but the relief or not relief of the tub, the snapping at your midwife when really it was the baby moving internally, the profound sense of relief and amazement that the baby was out (thank god!). I'm an L and D nurse and it took me a long time to turn off my brain too. Thanks so much for sharing! Your birth story reminds me of mine in an almost visceral way—I was lucky to have it be much much shorter–but the relief or not relief of the tub, the snapping at your midwife when really it was the baby moving internally, the profound sense of relief and amazement that the baby was out (thank god!). I’m an L and D nurse and it took me a long time to turn off my brain too. Thanks so much for sharing!

]]> Comment on Back in the saddle again! by New Nurse Midwife http://www.bellytales.com/2011/09/13/back-in-the-saddle-again-2/comment-page-1/#comment-299047 New Nurse Midwife Thu, 06 Oct 2011 01:07:47 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=409#comment-299047 Sounds like a busy day back but thankfully you just jumped right back in! Love your blog. Sounds like a busy day back but thankfully you just jumped right back in! Love your blog.

]]> Comment on How have midwives touched your life? Share your story for National Midwifery Week 2011! by The Midwife http://www.bellytales.com/2011/10/03/how-have-midwives-touched-your-life-share-your-story-for-national-midwifery-week-2011/comment-page-1/#comment-299023 The Midwife Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:09:29 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=416#comment-299023 I'm actually going to get the ball rolling myself. I've published my <a href="http://www.bellytales.com/2011/05/27/my-birth-story/" rel="nofollow">birth story</a> here on this website, but I am still astounded and so eternally grateful for how everything turned out, and my two amazing midwives have everything to do with that! Had I been in a hospital, I'm sure that I would have ended up with a cesarean at some point for "failure to progress" or "arrest of labor" or some such nonsense like that, probably at the point that I was still only 4-5 cm dilated after 41 hours of labor. Thankfully, my midwives didn't find this to be any cause for alarm at all. Because of their belief in the NORMALCY of birth, they were able to let my labor proceed knowing that I was still within the range of normal and that everything was still healthy and safe (and trust me, we were listening to the fetal heart rate frequently during the birth and making sure that everything was just that: healthy and safe!). My dearest midwives, thank you both for your faith in me, especially when I had lost faith in myself and was convinced that going to the hospital for an epidural and possibly pitocin was the only course of action left. Thank you for the grace to realize that a touch on the shoulder, a gentle smile or joke can express so much more than words to a laboring woman. Thank you for your hour-long prenatal visits and the wonderful care and support I received from both of you throughout my pregnancy. Thank you for your comprehensive postpartum care: not just on postpartum day 2, but on day 1 and day 3, not to mention numerous phone calls and allowing me to text you in the wee hours of the morning when I was freaking out about a crying baby or engorged breasts! Thank you for all that you do for the home birth and midwifery community in New York City. You are both an inspiration to me, and a shining example of the kind of midwife I want to be someday. Thank you both for being with me through one of the most amazing, difficult, awe-inspiring, indescribable experiences of my life, and for your endless, tireless support, love and devotion. I’m actually going to get the ball rolling myself. I’ve published my birth story here on this website, but I am still astounded and so eternally grateful for how everything turned out, and my two amazing midwives have everything to do with that! Had I been in a hospital, I’m sure that I would have ended up with a cesarean at some point for “failure to progress” or “arrest of labor” or some such nonsense like that, probably at the point that I was still only 4-5 cm dilated after 41 hours of labor. Thankfully, my midwives didn’t find this to be any cause for alarm at all. Because of their belief in the NORMALCY of birth, they were able to let my labor proceed knowing that I was still within the range of normal and that everything was still healthy and safe (and trust me, we were listening to the fetal heart rate frequently during the birth and making sure that everything was just that: healthy and safe!). My dearest midwives, thank you both for your faith in me, especially when I had lost faith in myself and was convinced that going to the hospital for an epidural and possibly pitocin was the only course of action left. Thank you for the grace to realize that a touch on the shoulder, a gentle smile or joke can express so much more than words to a laboring woman. Thank you for your hour-long prenatal visits and the wonderful care and support I received from both of you throughout my pregnancy. Thank you for your comprehensive postpartum care: not just on postpartum day 2, but on day 1 and day 3, not to mention numerous phone calls and allowing me to text you in the wee hours of the morning when I was freaking out about a crying baby or engorged breasts! Thank you for all that you do for the home birth and midwifery community in New York City. You are both an inspiration to me, and a shining example of the kind of midwife I want to be someday. Thank you both for being with me through one of the most amazing, difficult, awe-inspiring, indescribable experiences of my life, and for your endless, tireless support, love and devotion.

]]> Comment on Empowering Birth in the Trenches by Tracy Qualls http://www.bellytales.com/2011/09/05/empowering-birth-in-the-trenches/comment-page-1/#comment-298814 Tracy Qualls Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:43:58 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=402#comment-298814 This is so beautiful, I'm sure it is the truth, thank you for all of your hard work and sharing your encouraging heart with us. This is so beautiful, I’m sure it is the truth, thank you for all of your hard work and sharing your encouraging heart with us.

]]> Comment on Empowering Birth in the Trenches by Zoie @ TouchstoneZ http://www.bellytales.com/2011/09/05/empowering-birth-in-the-trenches/comment-page-1/#comment-298712 Zoie @ TouchstoneZ Mon, 19 Sep 2011 23:39:36 +0000 http://www.bellytales.com/?p=402#comment-298712 Thank you for writing this post. It was beautiful. I'm in tears reading about the triumphant women you describe. This is how I feel, as well. Empowerment can happen anywhere. Allowing for the possibility and trusting in women by supporting them in their choices is how it is created. Thank you for being a hospital midwife who sees this. Thank you for writing this post. It was beautiful. I’m in tears reading about the triumphant women you describe. This is how I feel, as well. Empowerment can happen anywhere. Allowing for the possibility and trusting in women by supporting them in their choices is how it is created.

Thank you for being a hospital midwife who sees this.

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