Birthing and Resolutions: Keeping Good Things in Motion

Welcome to the first edition of the Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted by Authentic Parenting and Mudpiemama!
In the month of January, we start afresh, a new year, new ideas. Hence, our participants have looked into the topic of “Birth and New Beginnings”. Take a look at the end of this post to find a list of links to the entries of the other participants.

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The New Year brings with it so much possibility, so much potential, it is a time to make resolutions and promises.  This year however, I decided to skip making resolutions and instead enter the year already with good things in motion.

Change is often difficult, setting a date and having to stick to it can be daunting. After I made a list of my possible resolutions – I just set about getting started when it felt right. This way, by January, things were already in motion, I just had to keep it going.

This is also how I dealt with labor. When I was laboring my second child, I was aiming for a VBAC, natural birth, minimal interventions I wanted to have  a breast crawl, . My first birth experience was a c-section and was not what I had imaginaged. The second time around I was determined to have things go differently – not perfect or better, but at least different.

Reflecting on the birth of my second child, I realized that during labor I didn’t concentrate on “getting to the end”,”having a successful vbac”, “watching the breast crawl” etc… I just tuned into each wave  and each moment as they came and just kept going.

When my water burst onto the kitchen floor I tried to  focused on each sigular sensation, I felt a pop  and felt the rush of warmth. I smiled, I was starting labor – on my own this time.

I remember driving to the hospital and being at a four way intersection, the lights beemed on the trees swaying in the wind and I took deep breaths through a long and steady contraction. The light in the sky was amazing. The contraction was powerful, but I got through it.

For each contraction thereafter, I stayed present but entirely lost within that wave of sensation. I danced holding onto to handosme hubby and then at one point I trembelled so much I crouched down to the floor and started admiring the pattern of the floor.

When the nurses offered pain meds, I just told them I didn’t need any at that moment. I didn’t make any assumptions or predictions. I told them I was going with the flow. They were totally ok with that.

Later, I listened as the nurses discussed the need  to prep an OR as my blood pressure they said was getting too high.( They had been measuring me during contractions but I was so quiet they didn’t realize that until later.)

I didn’t fret, everything felt right. I had these soft urges to “will” the baby down and out so I wasn’t going to give up. I just kept doing what felt right. I just worked to keep good things in motion.

A doctor came to check on me and started telling me labor can take long hours and that Vbacs are especially delicate situations.  I think I smiled,  but I was so in my own world, I know I said  that I was going home because the baby was on its way out so I needed to go. The nurses and handsome hubby laughed   ( in a nice way ), told me I could go soon but that first I had a baby to deliver.   Then, and only then, did I start to visualize the baby actually being born.

Somehow they flipped me into that  roasted chicken delivery position but I was too overwehlemed by the next feelings to argue, ( I changed that in delivery number three but that’s a different story!) I was in the midsts of pushing anyways and in minutes, Nicolas was born. Start to finish, It all happened in about three hours, and it seemd both like it had been just five minutes and an eternity.

Staying in motion and present with each moment felt right and in the end my no meds, no interventions,VBAC, and breast crawl were all possible.

Starting the year with my resolutions already in motion has been such a positive experience, much more fluid and authentic than having to wait for a certain date. The second time around I labored mostly on my terms,and focused on my needs and the present moment, and that is what I’m trying to do now too, not just for January 2012 but always.

How do you keep good things in motion? 

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Visit Authentic Parenting and MudpieMama to find out how you can participate in the next Authentic Parenting Blog Carnival!
Please take time to read the submissions by the other carnival participants:

• Becoming Intentional with My Time Valerie at Momma in Progress shares the beginning of her year-long journey toward more intentional living. 
• Alirik’s Birth Story: Sweet Surprise Lauren at Hobo Mama tells the sweet surprise unassisted home water birth story of her second child.
• My Rebirth: An Honest Look Darcel at The Mahogany Way talks a little about some of the fear and insecurity she’s felt over the years since starting her parenting journey and her blog.
• Trusting My Body: Ailia’s Birth Story After a very challenging birth with her son, Dionna at Code Name: Mama was nervous about having another natural birth. But practicing relaxation techniques and birth affirmations proved to be just what she needed to have her perfect, peaceful, unassisted homebirth.
• My Homeschool Philosophy Paige a Bay Dust Diaries shares her new year’s resulution about homeschooling. 
• Yet Another Resolutions Post... Zen mummy‘s resolutions for a better 2012
• Renewing Green Passions in the New Year Jenn at Monkey Butt Junction talks about renewing a passion for green living in the new year
• Birthing and New Beginnings… And Better Mothering Sheila at A Living Family shares her first ever New Year’s resolutions to be a more mindful, compassionate and respectful mother to her two-year old daughter after the recent birth of her son.
• An Open Letter to MTV Regarding 16 and Pregnant Jennifer at Hybrid Rasta Mama delivers a pointed message to MTV about how they misrepresent birth and parenthood on 16 and Pregnant.
• Setting Intentions Megan at The Other Baby Blog shares another way to ring in the New Year.
• Spencer’s Birth Story Momma Jorje shares her family’s story of birthing her son with Down syndrome.
• Looking Forward, Looking Back Erica @ ChildOrganics shares how she is able to look back at the loss of their daughter and yet move forward with her family at the same time. 
• Unique unto Itself. Melissa of Vibrant Wanderings has chosen a word for her second child’s birth: awareness.
• The Unassisted Birth of The LIttle Buddha. Laura at Authentic Parenting shares the birth story of her new baby
• Birthing and Resolutions: Keeping Good Things in Motion. MudpieMama shares her VBAC story and why she skipped making resolutions in the traditional way. 
• The Birth of a New Era by Mandy from Living Peacefully With Children