I'm starting to feel my big belly at nights. I don't know what to do with my arms and legs and stuff. It's like the center of everything is the belly and everything else has to try to accomodate itself as it can. MBH says that that is good metaphorical preparation for when the new baby becomes the center of your life. I have a feeling that she's trying to move down and "engage". This would be the right time for a first baby, although if can happen much later. I feel more pressure in the lower part of my abdomen and also her wiggling sometimes seems more directed somehow. I'm also trying to get her to hang out on the left side because of some things I've read about the position of the baby when it's born.
One thing that has been interesting to learn about is the gulf between the approaches of tradition and experienced midwives and the medical establishment. There are so many interesting things midwives know and do, but there is not much scientific research about those things. Gradually some things are being confirmed by science, for example, the benefits of doulas, which I mentioned earlier. Ina May Gaskin, a midwife and activist for natural birthing learned a traditional Mayan maneuver for dealing with the baby's shoulders getting stuck. Basically the mother takes an all-fours position, and somehow the baby gets unstuck. She was able to publish about it, and get recognition for the maneuver by the medical establishment. How many more things are there like that that could be of so much benefit to us, but which relations of power and knowledge make difficult to access? Here's a link.
I wandered a bit away from a simple update, but these things have really been on my mind a lot these last months.
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3 comments:
Fascinating! i read the article you linked to. I JUST watched a program on the Discovery channel a couple of days ago about a family that had a home birth with a midwife and the baby's shoulders got stuck so the midwife got the mother on all fours and was able to deliver the baby rapidly. I had never heard of it until then. so interesting when that happens...that you hear the same kind of important information within such a brief span of time. it must be something i need to know too :)
remembering you and your little one in my prayers.
So interesting! What a coincidence. I wish I'd seen that documentary. We've seen videos of a few births in our class, and somehow it makes the whole thing more within the realm of real life.
Memories of the last month before delivery are still really fresh with me. It's uncomfortable as heck but so so soon little Juju will be out with you and be a source of awe and joy for you both.
Best wishes for the labour and delivery, however it ends up happening.
And our prayers for all of you there at this very interesting time in history.
Love, Ailsa
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