Birth and time in labour can be and often is, different for every woman & baby for many different reasons. When we take time restrictions away, when we take our own expectations of how women “should be” progressing with charts and partograms, when we have a known Midwife and a relationship with the woman, when the woman gets to choose the people in her birth space and where she births, Birth unfolds exactly as it is needed for that woman and baby.
I feel just so incredibly lucky to have had the birth experience that I did. To have a healthy baby without any intervention or medication as I wanted is a blessing. If it wasn’t for my friend telling about Calmbirth, Janine from Calmbirth, the MGP program, my midwife Lucy, and Dr Bisits all being there at the right time giving the right advise and support it wouldn’t have happened this way.
The main reason I wanted to write this story is for more information to be out there that vaginal breech births can be perfectly safe and we need more doctors trained in it in order to give more women choice.
Did you know that in many parts in Latin America, the first 40 days is known as ‘La Cuarentenc’, which literally means ‘quarantine’. So ironically, this period of self isolation and quarantine is the perfect time to think about your postpartum journey, focusing all your energy on nourishing yourself and bonding with your baby, creating and holding your space at home. Use this time to create your own cocoon for resting, bonding, nourishing and healing from giving birth. This starts by asking yourself what you want in your home after birth? And how you want to take care of yourself so that you can take care of your baby.Today, this post partum period has been recognised as crucial not only for the healthy development of the baby, but also for the healing of the mother after birth and the transition to parenthood for both mother and father/partner alike.Midwife and Calmbirth Educator, Janine O’Obrien takes us on her magical, healing, nourishing, amazing and intimate postpartum journey.As a midwife I truly believe it’s important to slow down at the end of our pregnancies for our mind, body, soul and our babies. I encourage five days in bed, after birth, however I never knew how incredibly amazing it could be to truly take the time to heal, nurture, bond and connect with myself and my newborn in the postnatal period. It really was a dream.
