A letter to the Double Hip Squeeze

Dear Double Hip Squeeze,

You’re new here. You’re new to my body. You’re new to my life, but already I appreciate you so much.

I’m sure I met you as I sat in my childbirth classes with my first pregnancy, but it must have been one of those aquaintances that I forgot about because of the lack of interaction between you and I. I didn’t even know you and already I was taking you for granted.

I am a big believer in things happening for a reason, people reuniting when they are meant to be in each other’s life, and here we are again. I met you back in February, sitting in on a childbirth series, not even pregnant yet. I learned more about you. I learned you’re a committed squeeze as you must be held throughout a contraction.

Although I have not experienced your graciousness during labor, I have already experienced your wonders during my third trimester. You relieve the soreness felt by the fleshy parts of my lower rear area (aka my buttocks). You massage me so well in areas I didn’t even know I needed massaging. My goodness, where have you been all my life?

Last night, you found me leaning over a table, stretching my lower back, softly moaning as I tried finding a position to bring my tired body some comfort after a long day. You squeezed me in all the right areas. You counterpressured the muscles that ached with a long day’s pulling, stretching, and creating. You…? Wait, those weren’t your hands doing that! I’ve mistaken you for my doula (aka better half). My apologies, I think I’ve given you a little more credit than you’re due. Please, let me correct myself. Thank you for working with my doula to bring me comfort through your expertise. Thank you for supplying my doula some confidence as he provides me comfort.

I look forward to seeing what magic you and my better half can perform on me during labor.

With great appreciation,

Big Nugget

The anti-gravity position

Question for all the pregnant women or women who have been pregnant reading this (especially those who are 5 months pregnant or beyond).

How do you feel after laying on your back for just 20 minutes?
If you haven’t tried it, I don’t recommend it.

**A quick disclaimer**
The following is my opinion based solely on my experience(s), but I do know that laying on your back (in the supine position) is not especially good for a pregnant momma because it can compress an important blood vessel decreasing blood pressure. It can also reduce blood flow to the placenta and baby. Decreased blood pressure, in my case, caused nausea, light headedness, and a horrible after-effect that I couldn’t shake for about 45 minutes. The only time I have laid on my back for longer than 10 minutes this pregnancy has been during my first ultrasound which I had at 24 weeks. The technician took longer than expected on my ultrasound because she couldn’t get the images she needed. Zion would NOT stop moving!

Anyways, the reason I ask the question above is because I wanted to begin with, yes, giving the supine position a bad rep when it comes to labor. I won’t disagree that the supine position is obviously necessary in situations where a laboring woman receives an intervention that disables her from using her legs, but in a non-emergency situation where a woman is allowed to labor freely, the supine position should be the last position utilized. Why? Well because gravity is not on your side when in this position, and you need gravity helping you (along with many other factors) to bring your baby down down and out. Remember, gravity brings and keeps stuff down.

Here’s a blog post that gives you 6 positions that will help a laboring body do its job.

Beyond Supine: 6 Labor Positions That Really Work With Your Body

If you have any questions, comments, corrections, or concerns, please feel free to let me know. I am all about expanding my knowledge.

Cheers to all the women that bring life to this world!

For giggles.

What is your sound?

Did you know that making sounds during labor, specifically active labor, is completely normal? I’m not talking about screams or shrieks but deeper more instinctual sounds. When I think instinctual sounds, I imagine a wild mother bear laboring in a cave out in the middle of nowhere.

Why not scream? Although screaming during labor is understandable, it’s simply more of a waste of energy than it is helpful to your laboring process. Labor is called labor for a reason. It’s hard work. For those women who have undergone labor, you know what I’m talking about; you know how much energy and emotion goes into this moment in your life. So, let me restate the previous, screaming during labor, as they do in movies or shows, wastes too much valuable energy. It wastes the energy you need to get through the contractions, or the energy you need to tell your partner to get out of your face and chew some gum to freshen up his/her breath. (No, this didn’t happen to me, but it did happen in a labor I observed.) The sounds you should allow yourself to make are very instinctual sounds that come naturally from your belly. Heavier “oohs” and “aahs”. No, there aren’t only two sounds to make during labor, just trust yourself and your body to find the right sound when the time comes. Trust yourself to find your special sound. Once you find it, let your sound soar through the room you’re laboring in. Let those sounds perplex your support team; it’ll leave them in awe of your strength as your special sound gets you through those marvelous contractions that are helping bring your baby down into your pelvis.

Don’t be embarrassed. You might already be completely nude anyways, and honestly, who has time to think about what others are thinking when you’re focused on ejecting that baby you’re so anxiously waiting to meet?

Your special sound may be rhythmic, it may not. It may be loud like a roaring lion, or it may be soft like a fluttering hummingbird. However and whatever it may be, it is part of your natural intuitive power that will help you birth your baby. Your special sound is part of the voice that your baby has heard since his/her beginning. Your special sound is completely natural, normal, and almost necessary to your wellbeing. Necessary to your sanity. It helps you keep your sanity while your body processes and acts on the fact that it’s bringing a human being earthside. I think it’s majestic, the fact that we as women can say we nurtured, grew, and labored (worked hard) to bring a little human with our blood, nutrients, and maybe our nose to this earth. Mind-blowing!

You can do it momma! You and so many other women are in it together, laboring together. You are not alone. Let those sounds travel from deep in your belly and out your mouth. Let your partner, midwife, doctor, doula know that you CAN do it. You ARE doing it!

I would share a picture that our GoPro caught from my labor, but because it was set up at the tail end of my labor, it only caught the end of me pushing. So, here’s one of me 39 weeks pregnant. Need I explain why?

Cheers to trusting our instincts!