A Beautiful Birth Story from Kim

Ellie Michelle’s Birth Day

Monday, Nov. 30th at 10:30 p.m.

After almost a week of practice pressure waves that were keeping me up at night, things started getting a little more intense. My pressure waves were 4-5 minutes apart and lasted close to a minute long. I got through them on my own for a couple hours, using the relaxation techniques (“Peace,” “Relax,” my special place and deep breathing) I learned in my Hypnobabies classes until I felt like I needed a little extra help. I woke Clay (my husband) up around midnight and he applied pressure to my back and talked me through the pressure waves, using relax cues and reminding me to feel only pressure and use my natural anasthesia. I took a bath and listened to my Hypnobabies recordings (Birthing Day Affirmations and Visualize Your Birth) to stay positive and pain-free.

.

3 a.m.

We decided it was time to call my doula, Melissa Chappell. She helped me through each pressure wave by applying pressure to just the right spot on my back, sometimes on my hips, and by helping me try lots of different positions to ease the intensity of each pressure wave. She brought her essential oils (lavender, orange and lemon) and put them in my candle warmer to permeate the air with their calming/energizing smells. I was already very tired at this point from not sleeping much the past week, so I tried to take a little nap … I wasn’t really able to take a real nap, but I did doze off for the few minutes in between pressure waves. When the sun came up, I put on my upbeat music mix. Melissa recommended making a few different playlists for my labor day, so I made 4: upbeat, calm, Christmas and church. Studies have shown that women who listen to music during their birthing time report feeling less pain, so I highly recommend making playlists! Melissa made Clay and I some omelets and fruit salad for breakfast, (I also highly recommend doulas, obviously!) then we went on a walk. It was such a beautiful day outside so it was perfect. Perfect, but pretty hilarious for the standers-by to see a bundled up, exhausted pregnant lady randomly collapse into her husband’s arms every few minutes while another lady pressed on her back. We sure got some funny looks, but I didn’t really care at this point! The walk actually made my pressure waves a little easier for some reason. After a smoothie (thanks, Melissa), more pressure waves in different positions like on my birthing ball, (by far most effective for me) side-lying, etc. I felt that the pressure waves were getting more and more intense. At 6 p.m., after 19 and 1/2 hours of pressure waves at home, we all thought it was time to go to the hospital.

.

I got checked in an American Fork Hospital triage room. I was completely effaced and dilated at a 3+, but they wouldn’t admit me until I was a solid 4. We decided to walk the halls of the hospital for two hours and get checked again. Still a 3+. The midwife gave us 3 options: go home, hang out in the triage room until I could be admitted, or take a shot of morphene so I could get some sleep. But the problem with the morphene, she said, was that it may or may not work for me. It could work for 20 minutes, or up to 6 hours. Everyone left to give us privacy to think our options over. I’m not going to lie — it was really a moment of despair for Clay and I. We did not want to go home. Not because we were too anxious for Ellie to come — we knew she was already on her way. The desperation was that I was completely exhausted physically and emotionally. I really didn’t know if I could continue. The tears came. My sweet husband, who told me later how worried he was about me despite the reassuring smile on his face, asked me what I wanted to do. Then, he said one of the most heartfelt, pleading prayers I have ever heard.

.

Then I told him I wanted that morphene.

.

And it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Of all possible answers to the prayers in my life, I never thought a shot of MORPHENE in the bum would be one of them — but it sure was. My doula was really happy I decided to take it because she knew how exhausted I was and wasn’t sure if I could have the birth I wanted without getting at least a little bit of a break. The morphene started working immediately. Maybe since I never take medicine, it is incredibly effective when I do! We decided to go to my mom’s house in Draper because her beds are so comfortable. When we got there, Clay basically carried me to the bed and I zonked out for four hours. It was a-maze-ing. When it wore off, I woke up at 2:30 a.m. and the pressure waves picked right up where they left off. I called for Clay and he sent in Melanie, a doula-in-training/angel from heaven who came to help while Melissa went home and rested. Melanie was incredible. So sweet and motherly. She helped me through the pressure waves for a couple of hours and Melissa came back. I stayed at home until 8:30 a.m.

.

When I started feeling slight urges to push during pressure waves, we thought it would be a good idea to head to the hospital again, crossing our fingers that I was far enough along this time.

.

When we got to the triage room, I heard some serious screaming and moaning. I tried to convince myself it was just a fussy kid that just sounded like a woman in labor. Then the nurse said, “Oh, that lady is doing an unmedicated birth – thus the screams!” It was kind of funny. I hoped I wouldn’t be screaming like that! When the nurse checked me, I was dilated 8 centimeters – I was SO happy. I was admitted to a room, got into the tub, and things moved really quickly. I was at a 9.5 then a 10 in under 2 hours. I was surprised at how little I cared about privacy at this point. The only thing I cared about was remaining calm during my pressure waves and getting my baby out! I was also pleasantly surprised that even though I was fully dilated, the pressure waves didn’t seem much (if at all) more intense than the ones I had been feeling for the past several hours. I’ll credit Hypnobabies for that one! The pushing urges started getting stronger, so I went to the bed and got into a side-lying position, had Clay turn on my “church music” playlist and I started seriously pushing. I was excited to be at the pushing stage because I knew I was so close to the end and would meet our baby girl so soon. It was nice to get kind of a break from contractions and do something “more productive.” I compare the pushing to when you are violently ill with the stomach flu and your whole body tenses up as you can’t help but throw up. I didn’t feel any nausea or anything … but the urge to push was really strong and draining. The midwife didn’t do any coaching — she just let me push when I felt like I wanted to – I felt like I was in control of my birthing experience, which I loved. The staff kept commenting on how amazed they were that I was about to have a baby because I was so calm and relaxed during pressure waves. I always hoped (and more importantly – visualized) that would be the response I’d get.

.

The midwife asked me if I wanted her to break my water. I asked what the risks/benefits were and she said there wasn’t much risk at this point and it would just speed things up. But I remembered seeing the hook they use to break water in my Hypnobabies class – it looks like an extra long knitting needle. Having my water broken did not sound very comfortable, and I already had enough discomfort, so as much as I wanted my baby out, I didn’t want to have my water broken. Before I had a chance to answer my midwife, another pushing urge came and my water broke like a balloon. Nice timing, huh? Everyone said they heard it! I just felt it.

.

The church music wasn’t doing it for me, so I had Clay put on my upbeat mix. I was just pushing along when everyone excitedly said they could see Ellie’s head. My mom said, “She has dark curly hair just like you had!” That little sneak peek gave me some extra motivation to push. I got her head out, and then the rest of her body slipped out like a jellyfish – all to the tune of Weezer’s “Island in the Sun.” I was later told that I pushed for 40 minutes, but it really only felt like 10 or 15. In fact, my entire labor – although it was 36 hours, did not feel that long. Thanks again, Hypnobabies!

.

My midwife handed Ellie to me right away and I said “I did it!” I felt SO relieved. And ecstatic — both that Ellie was here and that I actually made it through the undmedicated childbirth I had wanted so badly. I did tear a little and bleed a lot, so there were stitches and shots to be reckoned with, but they didn’t phase me much because I felt like I could do anything at that point. I was completely awake and energized the entire day. My Hypnobabies course did wonders for me. It helped me turn my fears and doubts into confidence and preparation long before my birthing time began. It taught me how to effectively relax and only feel pressure through all of my pressure waves. It helped my husband be an incredible, calm support to me throughout the entire birthing process. It helped me visualize and create the kind of birth I wanted to badly. Unmedicated childbirth is not as crazy or as impossible as people sometimes make it sound. Women are much stronger than they give themselves credit for — definitely when it comes to giving birth. Anyone who wants to have an unmedicated chilbirth and prepares for it can do it and even have a good experience — no doubt about it.

Highlights From My Last Doula Training

Check these girls out. They had a great time. It was another wonderful doula training with lots of tears and laughter and joy. Please join us for the next one on June 3-5, 2010. You'd be a great doula!

A Birth Story from Cassie and Jake

A Handful of the Babes Whose Mommies I've Worked With

Easier Labor and Birth? Yes!

When I tell people what I do, some people still say, "You're a what?" But when I started, 14 years ago, almost no one knew what a doula was. In the years since, pregnancy magazines, birth books, blogs and doctors offices have touted doulas as the greatest new help for laboring mamas.

Birth doulas accompany women and their partners in labor, providing emotional support and physical comfort. They facilitate communication with caregivers to keep clients fully informed, provide reassurance and perspective and help with pain management, relaxation, positioning and other labor support techniques.

The word doula comes from the Greek word meaning "a woman who serves." Studies have shown that a doula’s presence at births results in shorter labors with less complications, fewer requests for pain medications and/or epidurals and a reduction in labor-enhancing drugs (Pitocin), forceps, vacuum extraction and cesareans. Doula care has also been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of postpartum depression.

I started on the path of childbirth professional in 1994 when I had my first baby. I had a very difficult yet empowering and ultimately very good experience because I had been so well educated by an amazing childbirth educator. Soon after, I myself became certified as a childbirth educator. I was thrilled to be working with pregnant women and two years later became a certified doula. I've since worked with hundreds of pregnant and birthing women and their partners. In 2002 I became an approved doula trainer with DONA International, and have been privileged to train many, many women in the art of "doula-ing."

As a doula, I typically do a prenatal visit with my client one to two months before her due date. Here we discuss what kind of birth she wants, what comfort measures she likes, how involved her partner wants to be and how I can facilitate that role, and many other things. I attend the entire labor and birth, beginning when she needs me, applying the tools and techniques mentioned above, and stay one to two hours postpartum to make sure she's comfortable and that breastfeeding is going well.

I always do free consultations so you can meet me, ask me questions, and decide if I'm the right fit for you. Please contact me if you're interested in a consultation or if you have any questions.

Blessings in Birth!
melissa@rawmelissa.com

Speaking at the Mom's Who Make It Conference

I got to speak at the Mom's Who Make It Conference the other day. It was WONDERFUL! If you're a mama, or a woman, you need to come next year. Check it out. It made the news, and although they didn't do it justice, you'll get an idea of what it was all about.

Peace and love, M

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Moms Who Make It Conference

Speaking of women, you all need to go this conference. It is bound to be one of the best conferences for women this year! There will be several women speakers who have continued to be creative and stay true to themselves, despite the sometimes difficult years of selflessness that women give. Are you tired? Are you feeling uninspired? Do you want to be around other women who understand those feelings? Need a day to feel INSPIRED and REJUVENATED? Come join us!

Pics from the latest Amazing Doula Training!

Here are some pictures from the Doula Training Workshop I taught last week. It was a great group of women, (as usual) but I have to say that these ladies were hilariously punchy at the end of the training - a little more than the other groups I've had. It was as if we were coming to the end of a three-day sleepover and the last two hours of the training, the giggles, and the teary goodbyes, just wouldn't stop. It was beautiful! Everyone of us were just being women, being who we are, feeling safe and loved. Hope you can join us for our next training in November!









This gorgeous black and white photo is of all my ladies except one (see her at the top) giving the V sign, not for Victory, not for Peace, but for Vagina! Own it girls!

World Art Dedicated to Mothers Lost in Childbirth

http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/exhibit/default.cfm

Another Beautiful Birth Story

I've been acquainted with Alicia for about two years. I first met her at a Start Up Princess Women in Business Meeting where I was on a panel of speakers. Being the secret networker that I am, I had brought a DONA International Doula bag with me to carry all of my handouts and biz cards and folders and such. It was a good thing, too, because Alicia spotted it from across the conference room and made a beeline to me. She told me that she had wanted to be a doula and was looking for a training. I said, "Well guess what? I'm a trainer and I have a training coming up next month!" She verbally signed up on the spot and a month later spent three intensive days with me and several other women in a training, learing to be a doula.

I generally stayed in contact with her, but more in the relationship of post trainee/trainer than friends, although I had really connected with her at the training. A couple months ago, I got a text from her asking if I was available to be her doula in March. I texted her right back and said, "OF COURSE!!"

I met with her soon after and it turns out that she had sought out four other doulas because she thought I would be booked, but in the end, they had each not been able to take her for various reasons. She finally took a stab at me and guess what? It was surely meant to be because it all worked out perfectly.

Alicia has written her own story out here so I won't write out the whole thing again in this post. But there are a couple of things I want to highlight:

Alicia had expected that labor would be challenging because she had had two babies already and knew the drill, but she didn't expect that she would suffer. This enabled her to have fun, to ride right over the top of her contractions and to ultimately trust her body.

Alicia chose to give birth at a birthing suite (see the gorgeous facility in the pictures beneath) with a midwife that she trusted to be competent and capable.

Alicia knew instinctually and intellectual that being active in her birth, moving around, walking and using different positions, are the ingredients for a timely and manageable labor.

Alicia knew what people she would need around her to help her carry out her desired experience, and made sure to get that team in place long before labor even started.

Alicia chose to percieve labor and birth as challenging, not sufferable; positive, not negative; normal, not pathological. She chose to see labor as a sign of health. If her body could get pregnant with a baby, carry it to term and then go into labor, she was and is a healthy and strong person and the contractions were a sign of that. Surely if she could create this intensity, she could manage this intensity.

Some less serious points:

Alicia's adorable midwife, Rebecca, made us cinnamon rolls and popcorn throughout the labor. It was a real treat that kept Alicia happy and upbeat.

At one point, I gave Alicia a pedicure and painted her toenails. I think she was about 5 or 6 centimeters in the picture below. Yes, that is active labor. She stopped to breath and relax during each contraction and then afterward, went on smiling between each, all the way until the end.

Alicia and I have finally realized that we are meant to be good friends forever. We've talked about working together and see each other often and I will forever be grateful to her for making me a part of her birth team and her life.

Birth Movie Screening Event

So, guess what? You know how I wanted to try to do a screening of Orgasmic Birth? Well, not only did I secure Orgasmic Birth for a screening, but I also secured the movie's producer AND we'll also be screening The Business of Being Born and Pregnant in America! It's sure to be an amazing event. We haven't even started putting out the official advertisement yet and we're already getting inquiries! I hope, hope, hope that you can join us for this extraordinary day! Below is the information. I'll update the blog with new information as the event gets closer. (The flier is hard to read here, see text beneath it)

All registrants are entered in drawings to win free
DVD's, Books, and Chocolate from Raw Melissa!!

Details in a nutshell:

Date: June 13, 2009
Location: Towne Cinema Theaters in American Fork, UT
Cost: $25
What: Screening of Orgasmic Birth, Pregnant in America, The Business of Being Born, Special Guest Speaker, Debra Pascali-Bonaro
Email: moviescreening@rawmelissa.com if you have questions

Email us if you would like to have postcards mailed to you to hand out.

What are we Teaching Our Daughters?

I've been thinking a lot about that question lately. Are we teaching them that their bodies are strong, or are we teaching them that they need to hand their bodies over to the the authorities: plastic surgeons, diet centers, medicine, hospitals?

I have a twelve-year old. She was present at the birth of her brother when she was three. I was laboring in a nice sized labor tub, leaning toward my partner, my head on his shoulder, when she stripped to her underwear and got in with us. She wrapped one arm around her father's neck, and one around mine and leaned her head into both of us. She didn't say a word, just "held the space" as if to tell both of us that it wasn't so long ago she made the same journey and it was going to be all right.

A couple weeks ago, I attended a birth where the mom's five-year old little girl, Violet, was present. The birth took place in a birth center, so to Violet, it just felt like a home-away-from-home. I was fascinated as I watched her get glasses of water for her mom, lay her head on her mom's shoulder, and generally encourage her throughout the event without a hint of fear. Toward the end, just before her mama started pushing in the labor tub, she took turns with me dipping a large cup into the tub and slowly pouring the water over her moms contracting belly.

My daughter has been present for about six of the doula workshops I've taught. She's a pro at the techniques we use in labor to ease pain and facilitate progress. She's practically memorized the birth videos I show. I'd dare say she knows more about labor and birth and the female body than most adult women. At my last doula training, (which I taught in my home) I caught her and her friend sneaking peaks at the participants and the birth videos. On one of our lunch breaks, we watched them leave the house with balloons stuffed in their shirts to simulate pregnant bellies. Just after the training was over, I took this picture of them giving each other hand massages with the massage oil I had used.
In her memoir, Labor of Love, Cara Muhlhahn, the midwife featured in The Business of Being Born, has this to say:

"Many midwives recognize the value of the psychological inheritance that is the result of a birthing mother's own mom having birthed successfully. Story after story reveals that daughters of women who gave birth vaginally or breastfed bring a certain inner confidence to childbirth that is handed down from their mother's experience."

And what of sons? Today my nine-year old son took one of my business cards, put it in his wallet and said, "Mama, I'm going to keep this wallet until I get married so that I can give my wife your business card and you can help her have her baby."

What are you teaching your kids about the normal physiological process we call birth?

How to Give a Great Hand Massage to a Laboring Woman (or anyone else)

Before you start: Grab some olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, or massage lotion and lather some on your hands and the mama's hand.





Step One: Place your pinky fingers on either side of the laboring woman's middle finger.















Step Two: Interlace the rest of your fingers with hers.



















Step Three: Grasp her hand and move in circle or stroking motions over the palm of the hand while pushing upward from the bottom to create a good stretching of the laboring woman's hand.







Why this works: Stretching is one of the most readily recognized stimuli in the body. The brain recognizes the stretching sensation almost before it recognizes pain. We do this (and many other techniques) to flood the pathways to the brain. In a sense, we're blocking some of the pain messages, or at the very least, lessening them significantly. OH, and it feels great, thus inducing relaxation! :)

Try it on someone you love today!

Another Great Doula Training!

We had such a great training! By the second day, I knew that the five participants were meant to be in this workshop together.

Even though I was the instructor, we all learned so much from the sharing of life experiences, particularly those we had had with our own births and those of our families and friends. How wonderful it is to learn from your students!

Here are some pictures of us learning some of the techniques for labor, specifically back labor, although I find that almost every woman, whether experiencing back labor or not, enjoys counterpressure on the back and hips at some point during labor.

Come join us for our next training! We'd love to have you! June 4-6, 2009.

Charlotte's Birth

When Charlotte called me about providing doula services, I was in a store, shopping for picture frames. I said that I would answer as many of her questions as I could, but that my phone was dying and I wasn't near my charger so in the event she was in the middle of asking me a really important question and my phone cut off, she'd have to call me back. We were able to finish our conversation and she ended with, "Anyhoo, I'd like to meet with you, if possible." I guessed that her use of the word, "anyhoo" and her desire to meet me, meant the conversation had gone well, despite my dying phone.

I met with Charlotte on a very cold Friday in January. She wanted to meet me in person since I had encouraged her to meet with several doulas to find the one that was best for her. By the end of our meeting, though, she was ready to hire me. Since she was due so soon, we ended up doing our prenatal visit right then and there and Charlotte let me know two important things: her husband wouldn't be there because he was in the army and her last labor was very long. We decided that another doula would be a good idea so that she would have at least two support people, so I asked Kelsey, my apprenctice, to attend the birth also.

Charlotte was due on February 7th. I told her I was holding a doula training that weekend but if she went into labor while I was teaching, we would make sure to have a back-up doula present. I was crossing my fingers that she would have her baby before or after the training because I was so excited to attend her birth.

Because of her previous experience, she had planned for a long, drawn out labor. What she hadn't realized, was that there were many medical interventions that contributed to this. When she called, on the afternoon of the 24th of January, she let me know she was having consistent contractions about 5 minutes apart, but was "sure it wasn't anything," as this was the same thing that happened in her last labor when she still had hours to go. I received another call from her a couple hours later and she had to stop several times in our conversation to concentrate and breathe through contractions. I asked her if she wanted me to come help her now, but she said she was fine and would call me when things got a little more difficult for her to handle alone. About four hours later, she called and said that she would like me to come to her house. I called Kelsey and grabbed the bag I had packed earlier with food, Charlotte's file and various other necessities. When I arrived, at about 8:30pm, Charlotte was on her knees, lying over the seat of a rocking chair, breathing slowly and not making a noise. When the contraction was over, she looked up at me and cheerfully said, "Hi." I smiled at her joyfulness, despite the challenging event she was experiencing. She told me she wanted to go to her friend's house to labor now, since it was close to the hospital. Kelsey and I grabbed her bags and helped her into her coat and shoes. We stepped out onto the porch and another contraction began. I wrapped my arms under her arms and she layed her head on me and sank into the contraction, gently swaying and breathing. When it was over, we walked to the car, taking one more contraction on the way before we got everyone settled. As I drove, Charlotte talked to me about and old apartment she and her husband had lived in when they were first married, how she had such good memories of the place and how she still really missed the neighborhood. Whenever she had a contraction, she just closed her eyes and breathed deeply and slowly. When the contractions were over, we continued with the conversation, as if it were just another day. As we got closer to her friend's house, I noticed that the contractions were coming closer now and told Charlotte that I was sure it wouldn't be too early to go to the hospital, but that it was of course, her decision. She said she preferred to go to her friend's house so we continued on. When we arrived I parked and asked her if she wanted me to leave her bags or bring them. She told me to bring them because she was probably going to end up spending the night. I had to chuckle a little at her denial of how far in labor she really was. We grabbed all the bags and proceeded to walk to the doorstep. It took a while, as we ended up doing many of the slow dancing contractions on our way there. Her friends were very gracious as they let us in. Charlotte was glad to have a couch to resume her favorite position of being on her knees and leaning over. After the second contraction in this position, she looked up and said, "Something just happened. I think my water broke." She quickly walked in to the bathroom where she confirmed that indeed her water had broken. I went in with her and helped her with some contractions that were now quite a bit more intense. Charlotte started using a deep moaning along with her breathing that really seemed to help. She decided it was time to go to the hospital so we lugged everything back into the car and again took several more slow dancing contractions on our way there. It only took us about 10 mintues to make the drive, but Charlotte's contractions were coming hard and fast, now. She used lots of deep moaning, but it was hard for her to sit in the seat in the car and as I drove, I talked her through while also trying to call the midwife to let her know we were on our way! When we were about half-way there, I heard a "catch" in Charlotte's voice as she was moaning. Every doula and midwife knows that the catch can be a sign that the mom's just about ready to push. In fact, that's precisely why there's a catch: her body is already beginning to start the pushing process and the strong surge can cause a pause in an otherwise smooth moan. I decided to abandon the phone call to the midwife and just drove. I told Charlotte that if she was pushing, I was pulling the car over. She said, "I'm not pushing!" astounded that I would say something so absurd. Later we would laugh at this. By the time we drove into the hospital parking lot, her contractions were practically right on top of one another. I made the decision to drive right up to the door and not park. Kelsey had parked and ran toward us as we slowly made our way through the doors. Three large security gaurds were standing there looking at us and I quickly blurted, "This woman is having a baby and I'm leaving my car there!" I jabbed my finger at the closing doors. One of the gaurds ran for a wheel chair, pushed the elevator button and called labor and delivery all while the other two looked on with their mouths open. Charlotte leaned against the counter there, while the gaurd with the wheel chair kept saying, "Sit down, sit down." Finally Kelsey said, "Thank you. She'll sit just as soon as she's done with this contraction." Now, just a note: we doulas hate it when people treat birth as an illness so we usually shun wheel chairs - the moms are strong enough to walk, and it's good for them, thank-you-very-much, but Charlotte's baby would have been born in the elevator if we didn't have wheels under her so we rushed her to the waiting elevator, pushed the button and waited until the slow contraption reached the third floor. The doors opened, we zoomed out and they buzzed us in. We drove straight past the check-in station and a sweet nurse led us into a room. Charlotte climbed out of the chair and onto the bed so the nurse could check her and proceeded to throw the hospital gown on the floor in the process. She chose to wear one of her husband's T-shirts. The nurse announced that she was six centimeters and Charlotte let out a frustrated groan and said, "I can't do it anymore! I can't do it, I can't do it!" I squatted down next to the bed and looked into her eyes and said, "Charlotte, you are progressing much faster than you think you are. Stick with it. Stay with me. Breathe with me. Look at me." Just then she started pushing and the nurse said, "Don't push, your cervix isn't complete yet!" Charlotte screamed, "I can't stop. It's doing it on it's own!" (A common phrase among mothers who have overwhelming urges to push). The nurse checked her, announced that she was at 8 centimeters, and ran to find someone to catch the baby. About two seconds later, they announced her at a 10 and the charge nurse came in with gloves on, ready to catch. A couple pushes later, and an unwrapping of the cord from around his neck - twice! - and sweet little Jack was born. The nurse guided him up onto Charlotte's bare chest and everyone took a collective sigh of relief. He was out!All told, from the time we came through the doors of the hospital until the baby was out, was TEN MINUTES! Charlotte beamed and proceeded to talk to us for the next two hours as if we were at a garden party, using lots of "anyhoos" and other ecstatic language. We texted pictures to her happy husband and they talked for some time of the swiftness of events. She was full of energy, full of life and FULL of endorphins. She had used deep focus and relaxation, low moaning and deep breathing and had created, if not the birth she had envisioned, one that she felt was the very best for her and her baby.

Can't wait to see this movie!

I am working on putting together a screening of the movie, Orgasmic Birth. Please contact me at melissa[at]rawmelissa.com if you're interested in helping promote it or you'd like to be part of the audience!

Life

Hello beautiful people. Well, life has been happening at speeds of about 140mph around here. As some of you know, in my other life, I'm the business owner of Raw Melissa and we just took on a HUGE new project that has set me back a bit. So - Childbirth classes are actually starting in January, and the Doula Training has been rescheduled for November 13-15. Hope to see you there!

Childbirth Classes Starting Soon!

I taught childbirth classes for ten years, every Saturday morning. About four years ago I got burned out and decided I would LOVE to have my Saturday mornings back! Well, after a four-year break, here I am again, teaching classes. I'm teaching a brief, but very comprehensive four-week series and will start in November. The cost is just $40, a fraction of the cost of other childbirth classes (I know because my four-year-ago classes were a deal at $80!). I'm wanting those who are eager to learn and be more prepared for the miracle of birth, to have a program to attend that's worth their time and money. So here it is! Watch for further updates on the time, location and other details.

Here I am with one of my first students. She is now one of my very best friends in the world!

A Snippet from Cheralyn

I got a call last night from my friend Cheralyn who is studying to be a doula and will be in our fall training at the beginning of November. She told me of a book she's reading, the timeless birth classic, Childbirth Without Fear by Grantly Dick Read. She said it's a wordy book with a lot of deep insights; not necessarily an easy read, but she's finding she can hardly put it down. She told me it made her realize that this is what she is supposed to do: birth. I smiled and said, "All of us in this work feel the same way. We know we're supposed to be here. Welcome to the club."

She also shared with me a very cute story which I asked her to send to me so I could post it. Enjoy!

When I was in labor with my baby who is now 8 months old, as the contractions got harder towards the end of labor I found it very helpful in my controlled breathing to moan deeply as I breathed out, working with the contractions. Today my husband, who is a massage therapist, was doing some trigger point therapy on some muscle knots in my neck. As a coping technique I practiced my controlled breathing, moaning deeply with my expelled breaths. Our little baby girl was sitting on the floor in front of me, and as soon as she heard my moans she looked up at me and smiled a big beautiful smile. I said to my husband "Do you think she remembers her birth?" and he replied, "Well, it was a momentous occasion for her!" She seemed truly happy to hear the sounds she must have heard while in the womb preparing to be born!

The Business of Being Born

You HAVE to see this movie. Here's a description from the imdb website:

"Birth: it's a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more than anything, birth is a business. Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruited filmmaker Abby Epstein to explore the maternity care system in America. Focusing on New York City, the film reveals that there is much to distrust behind hospital doors and follows several couples who decide to give birth on their own terms. ...Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potential medical emergency?"

Click on this blog entry's title to be directed to the official site for the movie and click on this link to hear a very short interview with the film's executive producer, Ricki Lake:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2HJZPKAJJVZ8W:mU434FE9LT5M0