That look on her face right after...priceless. I know, I have pictures of myself with the same look. A homebirth, a UC, anything like it...it's just impossible to describe totally the feeling of it after you've had a c/s.
Wow! That was incredible. That woman is awesome! I cried, and cheered her on as I watched. Does she have a blog?
I've never had a c/s, but I can just imagine the feeling of sheer triumph and victory and power that beautiful mother must have felt as she got to birth her baby on her own. Wow! Thanks. What a great Mother's Day present.
I bawled like a baby watching that! What an inspiration she is. And what a transformation after she started running...wow! I love the pic of mom and dad grinning at each other after the birth, I can feel the joy just shooting out of my screen! :)
What a beautiful birth. She is absolutely inspiring. The looks of triumph and joy on their faces afterward are so special. She really took her power back, what a strong woman. Thanks for sharing. I was crying through the whole thing. Wendi
oh my goodness! I was crying and cheering and laughing! The song is perfect...now I am not a Christian, but that song translated so well for trusting your body for birth!
Horray for overcoming c-sections with homebirth, but who was taking care of her 3 little children while she was focusing on herself, her body and training every day? Why do we feel as women we need to keep having more and more babies to prove something? She had headphones on, a teeshirt, and her kids came in 20 minutes after, it looked to me like she was treating it as a running competition and not an intimate powerful life giving bonding experience. Sure, she proved something to herself but I feel bad for children when we get caught up in our "birth obsession"-it should be based on life quality.
Aurore, if you've never been there you don't understand. If you've never cried when they told you the induction is causing your baby to go into distress, if you've never given birth to a blue baby, if you've never met your baby HOURS after you've given birth you DON'T UNDERSTAND. It looks to me that she was perfectly capable of interacting with her children while in labor, and that her husband was right there. Along with her best friend.
And one more thing after having my second c-section I couldn't lift my first daughter (16 months) for 6 weeks.....so 2 weeks of labor and being out of commission for the birth she wanted, or 6 weeks of telling your crying daughter "Mommy can't".... I know what I would pick.
aurore, did you take care of your children 100% while you were in labor with other babies? that is why we have two parents in a household, or we have our tribe people, if living communally, or mothers or sisters or even the midwives. She coped with her labor the way she felt necessary, and how do you know what was playing in her ears? I would venture to bet it wasn't the Rocky soundtrack.
The thing I CANNOT tolerate about those who are so against homebirth or UC is that they are so quick to judge those of us who do it and the choices we make, but then come back at us saying we are judging them for not giving birth at home. Saying how she dealt with any pain is irresponsible or whatever is incredibly callous and judgemental. I commend her for now caving to another section. She didn't solve the pain by being doped and cut again.
I think we can only know what the woman on the video told us: that she felt incredibly empowered after her home birth, that her cesareans were very disappointing, that she had to work very hard to regain trust in her body's ability.
Whether or not her children were there, who was taking care of them, why she was wearing a t-shirt and headphones...those are all things we don't have any context for. I don't think the appearance of a t-shirt and headphones means the birth could not have been an intimate, bonding experience: I mean, when you're in labor you wear--or don't wear--without thinking about it all that much. My hunch is that the headphones were probably music she enjoyed, or hypnobirthing scripts.
Having many children is an admirable thing. It's something I hope to do, but with past fertility issues I don't know if I'll be able to do. Again, I would hesitate to assume that she kept having children just to prove something.
I am so happy for you! I had an unassisted homebirth April 16, 2007 after being threatened with a c-section because I was 2 weeks past my due date and had had a previous c-section. It was a wonderful birth. The Lord was merciful that week!
Hi! This is Teresa...the woman from the video :) I just have to say, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement and understanding since I first posted my birth slide show. And the other part of me is just so sad that there are so many women who can relate to my story, who know what it is like to have their births ripped out from under them, their babies sliced out of their bellies. It shouldn't be this way.
And as for the criticisms from the one poster, Rixa is right that you really don't know a lot about me and are making some inaccurate assumptions in your post. Who took care of my kids during labor? Well...if you notice, he was born at 6:56 in the morning, so my children were all sleeping soundly in their beds throughout the entire 8 hours of labor, until we woke them up to tell them they had a new brother; even then 2 of them stayed in their beds sleeping. And for the 2 weeks leading up to it, the labor was stop-start labor that lasted from about 2AM-5AM, so again, they were snug in their beds sleeping soundly. I find it really neat how women's bodies do that...look for peace, quiet and darkness to do the work of labor. And not that I think there is really any *need* to explain away your criticisms, but I want to do it so that she may be made more aware that it *is* possible to have your ideal birth, all the while maintaining your "normal" life; that was part of the appeal of it all to me. I wasn't wearing a t-shirt. I was wearing my very favorite pajamas; they are Victoria's Secret, the super soft microfiber material. If you notice in the first labor pic on the bed, I have the matching bottoms on. I mean, don't most people wear PJ's to bed????? And while training (which I intend to get back into in full force as soon as the baby puts himself on a relatively reliable schedule...albeit on the treadmill for 6-9 mos or so most likely), I wake up around 4:45 and work out from 5:00-6:15AM while my kids are STILL in bed & my husband is home with them. I would go for a long bike ride (3-4 hours) one day a week, which is my "me" time and I wouldn't trade for anything (well, except a sweet nursling...won't be doing the bike much this season for sure). Oh, and the last thing to address...my quality of life and therefore, the quality of life of my children has never been better in the past 11 years that any of them have been alive. I finally feel like I have my "self" back!! Thanks for watching the video!
Hi Teresa, Thanks for posting and clarifying some things! I admire your dedication to exercising...can't say I have the willpower to get up that early. Well I only have one baby, so I don't need to at this point! LOL
I think that mothers need time to take care of themselves--physically and mentally.
Theresa--Thank you so much for posting this. I have had 2 c-sections and a d&c, but unsure if I want to try for another child. We would love another child, but my uterus cannot handle too much. You have definitely inspired me to leave to the Lord.
As a mother of 5, soon to be 6, I really resent the comments by one poster as having to "prove something". My husband and I have almost 6 children b/c God gave them to us. We count it a wonderful blessing, not something I did to prove myself as a woman.
And God gave our kids 2 parents for a reason. It's not just my responsibility to raise them- it's both of our responsibility. I'm so glad my husband is more open that concept than others seem to be. It's a joint effort. I don't do it alone, just as I'm sure Theresa doesn't do it alone. That's what a partnership is all about. And what's up with expecting her to watch her own children while she's in labor??? My family enjoys watching our kids when we have a new baby. Our kids enjoy time with their family and it makes our reunion even that much sweeter.
Thankfully, I've never had a C/S, and hope that I never do. My mom had a VBAC for #5 at the age of 41, so I have no doubt it can be done.
Theresa, thanks for sharing your story. I really enjoyed it! I love that song too. One of our favs! God is good!
Headphones???!!! I just had to go back and address that post - Considering that the US sports a 98% epidural rate, meaning that just about all mothers here give birth plugged into drugs, I would have to laugh at the implication that this lovely mama was not focused on the birth of her baby. All my congratulations Teresa - from another VBAC mama.
Wow! I will never tire of hearing/seeing beautiful births. What an amazing journey you have been on. It's so good to know women are still taking charge and making great births happen for themselves everyday. Blessings from a 4-time vbac (2hbacs) mama Angela
I just had to comment again after reading some of the other posts. Teresa, you have nothing to explain or defend. You did what you needed to do for yourself and your babies. As a mother of 5 (no I had nothing to prove, I wanted 4, God blessed us with a bonus baby), I have learned that caring for myself IS caring for my children. Having a mom who is whole and well is so much better for them than having one who's sick and injured (as is the case post surgery). I imagine you would have some of the same people caring for your children during training and birth as you would've had if you'd been in the hospital. We are fooling ourselves if we think we can tackle this HUGE task of parenting alone. I truly does take a village. Anyway, the best things about being home are wearing your own jammies (which I did in the hospital too) listening to your own music and bbeing in the same room where the baby was conceived. It just doesn't get better than that. Blessings, Angela
Hi Teresa. I am planning a VBAC after 4 c's. My last birth was also attempted at home and ended in transport. I would love to make contact if possible. Thank you for sharing your story. God Bless. Theresa
wow! i am in tears. so inspirational and powerful. that mama rocks! :)
ReplyDeleteI cried. I love it! Is there a website, or where did you get it from?
ReplyDeleteSarah
That look on her face right after...priceless. I know, I have pictures of myself with the same look. A homebirth, a UC, anything like it...it's just impossible to describe totally the feeling of it after you've had a c/s.
ReplyDeleteWow! That was incredible. That woman is awesome! I cried, and cheered her on as I watched. Does she have a blog?
ReplyDeleteI've never had a c/s, but I can just imagine the feeling of sheer triumph and victory and power that beautiful mother must have felt as she got to birth her baby on her own. Wow! Thanks. What a great Mother's Day present.
I bawled like a baby watching that! What an inspiration she is. And what a transformation after she started running...wow! I love the pic of mom and dad grinning at each other after the birth, I can feel the joy just shooting out of my screen! :)
ReplyDelete-Jill
What a beautiful birth. She is absolutely inspiring. The looks of triumph and joy on their faces afterward are so special. She really took her power back, what a strong woman. Thanks for sharing. I was crying through the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteWendi
oh my goodness! I was crying and cheering and laughing! The song is perfect...now I am not a Christian, but that song translated so well for trusting your body for birth!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing video!
Horray for overcoming c-sections with homebirth, but who was taking care of her 3 little children while she was focusing on herself, her body and training every day?
ReplyDeleteWhy do we feel as women we need to keep having more and more babies to prove something?
She had headphones on, a teeshirt, and her kids came in 20 minutes after, it looked to me like she was treating it as a running competition and not an intimate powerful life giving bonding experience. Sure, she proved something to herself but I feel bad for children when we get caught up in our "birth obsession"-it should be based on life quality.
Aurore, if you've never been there you don't understand. If you've never cried when they told you the induction is causing your baby to go into distress, if you've never given birth to a blue baby, if you've never met your baby HOURS after you've given birth you DON'T UNDERSTAND. It looks to me that she was perfectly capable of interacting with her children while in labor, and that her husband was right there. Along with her best friend.
ReplyDeleteAnd one more thing after having my second c-section I couldn't lift my first daughter (16 months) for 6 weeks.....so 2 weeks of labor and being out of commission for the birth she wanted, or 6 weeks of telling your crying daughter "Mommy can't".... I know what I would pick.
ReplyDeleteaurore, did you take care of your children 100% while you were in labor with other babies? that is why we have two parents in a household, or we have our tribe people, if living communally, or mothers or sisters or even the midwives. She coped with her labor the way she felt necessary, and how do you know what was playing in her ears? I would venture to bet it wasn't the Rocky soundtrack.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I CANNOT tolerate about those who are so against homebirth or UC is that they are so quick to judge those of us who do it and the choices we make, but then come back at us saying we are judging them for not giving birth at home. Saying how she dealt with any pain is irresponsible or whatever is incredibly callous and judgemental. I commend her for now caving to another section. She didn't solve the pain by being doped and cut again.
I think we can only know what the woman on the video told us: that she felt incredibly empowered after her home birth, that her cesareans were very disappointing, that she had to work very hard to regain trust in her body's ability.
ReplyDeleteWhether or not her children were there, who was taking care of them, why she was wearing a t-shirt and headphones...those are all things we don't have any context for. I don't think the appearance of a t-shirt and headphones means the birth could not have been an intimate, bonding experience: I mean, when you're in labor you wear--or don't wear--without thinking about it all that much. My hunch is that the headphones were probably music she enjoyed, or hypnobirthing scripts.
Having many children is an admirable thing. It's something I hope to do, but with past fertility issues I don't know if I'll be able to do. Again, I would hesitate to assume that she kept having children just to prove something.
Wonderful!!! As a HBAC'er myself I can so relate to the elation and wonder of birthing a baby, instead of having it delivered! You go girl x
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you! I had an unassisted homebirth April 16, 2007 after being threatened with a c-section because I was 2 weeks past my due date and had had a previous c-section. It was a wonderful birth. The Lord was merciful that week!
ReplyDeleteHi! This is Teresa...the woman from the video :) I just have to say, I have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support and encouragement and understanding since I first posted my birth slide show. And the other part of me is just so sad that there are so many women who can relate to my story, who know what it is like to have their births ripped out from under them, their babies sliced out of their bellies. It shouldn't be this way.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for the criticisms from the one poster, Rixa is right that you really don't know a lot about me and are making some inaccurate assumptions in your post. Who took care of my kids during labor? Well...if you notice, he was born at 6:56 in the morning, so my children were all sleeping soundly in their beds throughout the entire 8 hours of labor, until we woke them up to tell them they had a new brother; even then 2 of them stayed in their beds sleeping.
And for the 2 weeks leading up to it, the labor was stop-start labor that lasted from about 2AM-5AM, so again, they were snug in their beds sleeping soundly. I find it really neat how women's bodies do that...look for peace, quiet and darkness to do the work of labor.
And not that I think there is really any *need* to explain away your criticisms, but I want to do it so that she may be made more aware that it *is* possible to have your ideal birth, all the while maintaining your "normal" life; that was part of the appeal of it all to me. I wasn't wearing a t-shirt. I was wearing my very favorite pajamas; they are Victoria's Secret, the super soft microfiber material. If you notice in the first labor pic on the bed, I have the matching bottoms on. I mean, don't most people wear PJ's to bed?????
And while training (which I intend to get back into in full force as soon as the baby puts himself on a relatively reliable schedule...albeit on the treadmill for 6-9 mos or so most likely), I wake up around 4:45 and work out from 5:00-6:15AM while my kids are STILL in bed & my husband is home with them. I would go for a long bike ride (3-4 hours) one day a week, which is my "me" time and I wouldn't trade for anything (well, except a sweet nursling...won't be doing the bike much this season for sure).
Oh, and the last thing to address...my quality of life and therefore, the quality of life of my children has never been better in the past 11 years that any of them have been alive. I finally feel like I have my "self" back!! Thanks for watching the video!
Hi Teresa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting and clarifying some things! I admire your dedication to exercising...can't say I have the willpower to get up that early. Well I only have one baby, so I don't need to at this point! LOL
I think that mothers need time to take care of themselves--physically and mentally.
Theresa--Thank you so much for posting this. I have had 2 c-sections and a d&c, but unsure if I want to try for another child. We would love another child, but my uterus cannot handle too much. You have definitely inspired me to leave to the Lord.
ReplyDeleteThat was awesome! I had a HBA2C on February 28 and I was nearly in tears as I watched the video. The birth reminded me so much of my own.
ReplyDeleteAnd FTR, I also wore headphones and a tee shirt during my labor and I have never trained for anything, lol.
As a mother of 5, soon to be 6, I really resent the comments by one poster as having to "prove something". My husband and I have almost 6 children b/c God gave them to us. We count it a wonderful blessing, not something I did to prove myself as a woman.
ReplyDeleteAnd God gave our kids 2 parents for a reason. It's not just my responsibility to raise them- it's both of our responsibility. I'm so glad my husband is more open that concept than others seem to be. It's a joint effort. I don't do it alone, just as I'm sure Theresa doesn't do it alone. That's what a partnership is all about. And what's up with expecting her to watch her own children while she's in labor??? My family enjoys watching our kids when we have a new baby. Our kids enjoy time with their family and it makes our reunion even that much sweeter.
Thankfully, I've never had a C/S, and hope that I never do. My mom had a VBAC for #5 at the age of 41, so I have no doubt it can be done.
Theresa, thanks for sharing your story. I really enjoyed it! I love that song too. One of our favs! God is good!
J
Headphones???!!! I just had to go back and address that post - Considering that the US sports a 98% epidural rate, meaning that just about all mothers here give birth plugged into drugs, I would have to laugh at the implication that this lovely mama was not focused on the birth of her baby.
ReplyDeleteAll my congratulations Teresa - from another VBAC mama.
Oh I have chills and tears and my soul is shouting "VICTORY".
ReplyDeleteI have a friend that has had 2 UAHB's after 5 c-sections.
What a glorious moment for you and your family. Never forget what God has done for your family.
Wow! I will never tire of hearing/seeing beautiful births. What an amazing journey you have been on. It's so good to know women are still taking charge and making great births happen for themselves everyday.
ReplyDeleteBlessings
from a 4-time vbac (2hbacs) mama
Angela
I just had to comment again after reading some of the other posts. Teresa, you have nothing to explain or defend. You did what you needed to do for yourself and your babies.
ReplyDeleteAs a mother of 5 (no I had nothing to prove, I wanted 4, God blessed us with a bonus baby), I have learned that caring for myself IS caring for my children. Having a mom who is whole and well is so much better for them than having one who's sick and injured (as is the case post surgery).
I imagine you would have some of the same people caring for your children during training and birth as you would've had if you'd been in the hospital.
We are fooling ourselves if we think we can tackle this HUGE task of parenting alone. I truly does take a village.
Anyway, the best things about being home are wearing your own jammies (which I did in the hospital too) listening to your own music and bbeing in the same room where the baby was conceived. It just doesn't get better than that.
Blessings,
Angela
Hi Teresa. I am planning a VBAC after 4 c's. My last birth was also attempted at home and ended in transport. I would love to make contact if possible. Thank you for sharing your story. God Bless. Theresa
ReplyDeleteHope,
ReplyDeleteYou can contact Theresa at momma2boyz at hotmail.com