Let's hear your birth traditions

[rgramjet]

I started our birth tradition, with our first back in May: hire a Doula.

+1000

We hired a Doula after having twins 2+ years ago.  Shes like a walking talking owners manual for the kiddos and will stay up with the kids and feed them so you can get a good nights sleep.  I fought the concept at first but after two weeks I gave in.  Ive never been so happy to pay $250 for 10 hours sleep!

Heck with being registered at Buy Buy Baby or the like, instead have people kick in towards a Doula fund.

[Sinister]

^^^Yep!  We didn't use a post-partum doula.  The birthing doula was great; I sipped coffee during the birth. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

The menfolk in my family make it a point to be "stuck in traffic" during the delivery.


Even if they drove her to the hospital.



I'm not one to argue with tradition 

[Betty Rage]

I think epidurals, cesarians, hospitals, and doctors are wonderful and have saved the lives of countless women and babies. However in my case, I am not high risk and believe in the power of my own body to be able to give birth through the pain. I applaud women for giving birth in ANY situation and would never dream of making someone feel bad for their own birth choices. Sometimes people surprise me though, because they make decisions based on little to no knowledge. One lady I work with told me that drugs are aMAZing because women used to die at a much higher rate due to the pain of childbirth and since drugs came along that killed the pain, people are now living through labor. The same woman then asked me a few days later when I was planning on being induced. Huh? Is it really that standard for people to plan their births? I think before any decision is made, whether it's a natural birth or a hospital birth should be made under careful consideration and research.

[somegirl]

Best wishes C, we'll be thinking of you.

[desmopr]

I think epidurals, cesarians, hospitals, and doctors are wonderful and have saved the lives of countless women and babies. However in my case, I am not high risk and believe in the power of my own body to be able to give birth through the pain. I applaud women for giving birth in ANY situation and would never dream of making someone feel bad for their own birth choices. Sometimes people surprise me though, because they make decisions based on little to no knowledge. One lady I work with told me that drugs are aMAZing because women used to die at a much higher rate due to the pain of childbirth and since drugs came along that killed the pain, people are now living through labor. The same woman then asked me a few days later when I was planning on being induced. Huh? Is it really that standard for people to plan their births? I think before any decision is made, whether it's a natural birth or a hospital birth should be made under careful consideration and research.

  With that attitude everything will be perfect.  We did a home birth with the assistance of a doula/midwife and it was perfect for us.  We dislike hospitals and like you my wife believed wholeheartedly in the power of her own body to give birth.  Used a kid pool with heated water on his room and I was the one that grabbed him when he got out.  He opened his eyes, looked at me and started crying.  After 6 years, we are planning on another kid and it will be done the same way.  My wife required no medication, no ivs, nothing.  Gatorade and that was it.  I looked like the one that gave birth instead of her.  This is not for everyone though.  Some of our family members thought we were crazy.  Good luck!!

[rgramjet]

I wonder if theres some way we could do a closed caption feed to cheer you on?  How cool would that be?

[Betty Rage]

  With that attitude everything will be perfect.  We did a home birth with the assistance of a doula/midwife and it was perfect for us.  We dislike hospitals and like you my wife believed wholeheartedly in the power of her own body to give birth.  Used a kid pool with heated water on his room and I was the one that grabbed him when he got out.  He opened his eyes, looked at me and started crying.  After 6 years, we are planning on another kid and it will be done the same way.  My wife required no medication, no ivs, nothing.  Gatorade and that was it.  I looked like the one that gave birth instead of her.  This is not for everyone though.  Some of our family members thought we were crazy.  Good luck!!

That's a very cool story. I am a firm believer in natural births out of hospital but a lot of women aren't comfortable with that and that's totally cool. It's whatever makes you feel the safest and for some people that's a hospital with drugs readily available. When it comes down to it, you're having a freaking BABY and any way you do it is your choice alone. Good luck on the new little one!!

I wonder if theres some way we could do a closed caption feed to cheer you on?  How cool would that be?

I don't think I want members of the DMF seein' muh bizniz if y'all know what I mean. Unless we can blur out all my naughty bits in a live feed. 

[rgramjet]

Ohhhh we'll be fine.....just think of us as a few hundred extra coaches.....Im sure thousands if it actually happened!!!   

[Popeye the Sailor]

We'd be able to comment on the lines the wee one took on his way into the world.


Left left left....lean!

[desmopr]

I reread your post.  Did you know that most of the births that are induced are out of convenience?  Pitusin sp? is actually mare hormone.

[Monsterlover]

Re: the original post,

My parents kept a book of their thoughts, descriptions of dreams they had, drawings they did etc during the last couple months i was in the oven.  I didn't know about it until they gave it to me when i was 25 or so.

It is hands down the most valuable thing I own and the only thing I'd come back into my burning house to save.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Re: the original post,

My parents kept a book of their thoughts, descriptions of dreams they had, drawings they did etc during the last couple months i was in the oven.  I didn't know about it until they gave it to me when i was 25 or so.

It is hands down the most valuable thing I own and the only thing I'd come back into my burning house to save.

Oh god, I'd hate to think what mine would look like if the parents had done that sort of thing.


It'd basically read

"fun, excitement hope, adventure, travel travel life of leisure.....

crap-she's pregnant-non of the above will EVER happen....

Oh god-it never shuts up! never argh!"

[Manny]

When the twins I nanny were born, I was hanging out at home with their grandpa. We got a call from the dad who said, "Baby number one is out... NOW. And here comes baby number two.... NOW." As they were born, the grandpa started a clock for each one. They are very expensive clocks that are expected to run for the duration of the kids' lives.

In a side note, the clocks tradition is from the dad's family. Each member of the family has one. When the mom married the dad, the grandpa started a clock for her too.

[rgramjet]

Thats a heap of clocks!  Im a bit of a "Clock o Phile", what kind?