When Things Do Not Go As Planned, Remember This

One important thing that I learned from giving birth to my two sons is that with pregnancy, labor, delivery, and birth, you are never fully in control of what goes on. Pregnancy is a miraculous process, and a complex one, too. Many factors affect a pregnancy throughout its term as well as during the final hours of labor and delivery. Pregnant women and their partners often go to great lengths to take good care of themselves before and during pregnancy, in order to increase the chances of giving birth to a healthy child and having a satisfying birth experience. My … Continue reading

Emotional Recovery After a C Section

Much has been written about the physical recovery period after a cesarean section. For some women, the emotional recovery after the c section takes much longer. This is especially true in emergency situations where the natural flow of the labor was quickly lost to the hurried atmosphere of the operating room. Just as with every aspect of pregnancy and birth, each woman has a unique experience after a c section. Many are able to move on and aren’t emotionally scarred from the experience. These women tend to view the c section as a necessary evil and don’t mourn the loss … Continue reading

Let’s Talk About Dealing with Grief from Birth Loss

Having something other than your ideal birth can be a painful experience, especially if you truly desired to deliver naturally. Often, women who end up with an emergency c-section feel a sense of guilt, loss, and even failure. Or perhaps it wasn’t a cesarean that you or someone you know is grieving over, but an intervention that you desired to avoid. Sometimes opting for pain-relieving drugs can make a woman feel like she had less of a birth experience than she desired to. My first delivery went very well, and was a successful homebirth. I was very proud of myself, … Continue reading