Walking is Life

I used to be a city planner. Really. Not for long. The work was boring. But I believe that where we live influences how we live and that affects our health and wellbeing. When the places we live in are designed for our natural human scale they support healthy people. We are walking animals. We walk to get food. We walk in our working lives. We walk to learn. We walk to live. So places that facilitate walking, that are walkable, are more healthful places to live. Sadly the Dallas suburbs do not facilitate a walking lifestyle. But it can be done.

When I suggested that walking to the park might be a good and pleasant way to get some exercise, Lori explained that she couldn't do that. She is afraid of dogs. When I suggested the same to Catherine she said that she was afraid to go out without her husband, who works long hours and can't accompany her. These two pregnant women are not alone. I hear these kind of fears often. What a strange, crazy and unhealthy world we live in when we are too scared to go for a walk.

I am happy to say that a month later, Catherine told me that she was able to overcome her fear and she had taken a 10 minute walk to Starbucks. She called her husband from the store and he couldn't believe she had done it! She was empowered. She is planning to walk to Starbucks every day. More power to you Catherine. You can do it too Lori.

Birth: As many attitudes as there are women

For me giving birth for the first time was ecstatic and transformative. I thought that natural birth could be like that for every woman every time. But now I know, giving birth is as varied as we are. It can be unbelievably challenging, exhilarating, orgasmic, scary, cool, tiring, energizing, calm, wild, beautiful, crazy.

Renee has had three babies naturally before, all home or birth center births. She is committed to having her babies that way. She believes in it. She knows her body can do it..... but that doesn't make her like it! In the middle of birth number four she turns to me...."Dinah, remind me why I don't want an epidural" She wants a rational evidence-based answer that will strengthen her commitment to the process. I remind her that epidurals interrupt her body's production of endorphins which will give her that wonderful post-birth high and also help her recover easier physically. I remind her that epidurals lower blood pressure which can cause decelerations of the baby's heart which could lead to a c-section. "Thank you" she responds rationally and returns to her contractions. A little later she gives birth, beautifully connecting with her newborn girl (the first after 3 boys) and smiling with that post-birth high thanks to those useful endorphins.

But not every woman feels like Renee.

Sarah admits to me sheepishly during a prenatal visit "People think I'm crazy, but honestly, I love giving birth. I'd do it 50 times if I could" Don't be shy of feeling that way Sarah! Shout about it. You are not the only one who loves it. I vividly remember Mary rocking on all fours on her bedroom floor "Here comes another one," she hollered, "Bring it on!"

But not every woman feels like Sarah or Mary. There are all sorts of women and babies and all sorts of labors and births. Natural births are different from each other just as we are.

Mothers Naturally. Great videos

Mothers Naturally is the consumer/mothers, section of the Midwives Alliance of North America. MANA is a powerful organization that keeps the flame burning for midwives of all kinds to continue to practice and serve all women in the way that they want to be served without succumbing in any way to the the medical establishment.

I recommend that you sample their new batch of youtube videos especially the ones about fear and about the role of the midwife. Here is the link

http://www.mothersnaturally.org/videoSeries/index.php

Enjoy!

Exciting changes

I am ashamed.... No posts for months.....

But today is a good day to reconnect with my blog and its little band of followers. I have been buried in my life and now I am ready to re-emerge. For those of you (like D'Arcy) who thought I was off to distant places with Doctors Without Borders.... Well, I'm not, or at least not yet....

I had thought that as my sons leave home, and my nest becomes empty, it was time for me to move on and out.... but I forgot, how could I? I have 4 children, my sons, Amos, Ethan and Daniel and my fourth, my midwifery practice.

Of course.

How can I abandon my youngest child? I have to strengthen it and prepare it for the next phase of my life. So I have taken on Adelle. Adelle and I will share the midwifery practice. We will support our clients and each other and that will create more sanity and invigorated midwifery care. I may even add another midwife next year and then when my 4th baby is ready, I will be able to begin the next phase of my life.

Adelle and I share a lot but bring our uniquely different life stories to the practice. I am excited! Lovers Lane Birth Center is not me. It is the unique combination of the women and families that it serves and those who support them. It is growing and I am proud.

gaining insights from the dentist

My dentist, Dr Kadosh, is fabulous! He loves peering into mouths just like I love babies growing inside of mothers and then sliding out. He loves talking about it too. He talks a lot and he has a captive audience. I lay back, focusing on the relaxing outbreath like a birthing mother. Dr Kadosh pokes around in my mouth with a rather unpleasant, picky little tool, and he talks. He waxes enthusiastically about how he can read a person's health in her mouth, her self-care, her diet. The pink, vascular tissue of the mucous membranes tells all.
Of course, I love his insight and I love his enthusiasm, but I think that the mouth is just a small part of the story. How much more so do pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum reveal a person, the health of a mother, her baby, her whole family? During their pregnancies, many women increase their health and their babies' health. by eating with love. Many increase their health and the health of their babies by becoming confident and knowledgeable parents. Labor and birth experienced with support and confidence will also increase their health in. A strong mother will parent healthfully and carefully and with strength. The postpartum period, a sensitive time will flow easier from that empowered mother. That's health.