Macari makes an excellent argument for all women to explore within to find their Divine Feminine and take that to their pregnancy and birthing experience in order to have ‘Spirit’ present at the birth rather than “reducing it to a bodily function”, which unfortunately is exactly what happens in the majority of births today.

Reducing childbirth to a mere bodily function requires the same level of disconnect that casual sex requires, according to Macari. If women were to understand their value and worth, have self esteem and confidence, then they could stand up for themselves in childbirth and take back the right to choose and “demand respect, choices and freedom”.

Macari also explores pain in childbirth and never denies that childbirth has extreme sensations that some may call painful, but she continues to reiterate the idea that we do not have words in our language to describe these sensations. They are overwhelming and yes, sometimes painful, but they can also be pleasurable if women do not have preconceived notions about pain.

Macari describes childbirth as a rite of passage into womanhood, motherhood and more. Part of what makes childbirth a rite is courage in the face of pain and even compares it to walking hot coals that requires courage and the support of others to get through the rite and the very act of facing your fears and making it through to the other side is the magical, spiritual and transformational part of childbirth that is so often taken from us when our babies are violently taken from our drugged bodies in a hospital setting.

Macari also goes on to credit pain with being the very thing that makes birth possible. Without the contractions, the baby will never leave it’s mother’s body. She is adamantly opposed to the use of pain relief in childbirth, not because women should feel pain, but because of what it takes away from childbirth such as a woman’s instincts and inner strength to know what is right for the birthing process as well as the endorphins that create the natural “high” that is only present in natural births.

One of the most useful parts about “She Births” are the meditation and journaling sections at the end of each chapter. These are wonderful both for expecting women to really explore their feelings and perceptions about childbirth, but it also allows women who were robbed of their rite to find some comfort and perhaps some peace from what went wrong.

There is also a decent sized section in the book that contains natural childbirth stories which are always great to read and none are the gruesome medical childbirth stories that we dread. Some might even bring a tear to your eye. “She Births” is empowering and enlightening and will encourage any women who instinctively knows that childbirth is much more than a medical event to stand up and take back childbirth.

“She Births” is not a “how to” manual for natural childbirth but it does answer the question “why have a natural childbirth” from a fresh perspective. Childbirth is so much more than the physical act, and women have the unique and unparalleled opportunity to be the vessel that the spirit travels through to bring a new life into the world.

I would recommend this book for any woman who felt something intangible was missing from a previous childbirth or who knows that their rite of passage was taken from them during a previous childbirth. This is an excellent resource to work through childbirth trauma and find forgiveness. Even more importantly, this book should be required reading for any woman who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant and understands that there is an intangible spiritual side to life, birth and death that we can either deny or embrace fully to provide ourselves and our babies with the best, most joyous, fulfilling Birth possible.

If you would like to learn more about Marcie Macari and Shebirths, visit shebirths.com
Buy the book: She Births: A Modern Woman’s Guidebook for an Ancient Rite of Passage

The United States does the most “things” to pregnant and birthing women, so if the medical model has any validity, our maternal and infant maternal mortality rate should be the lowest in the world, correct? But it isn’t. It is woefully far down the list. How far down are we? According to a great article on maternal mortality at Woman to Woman Childbirth Education:

“The U.S. has the highest rate of obstetrician-attended birth in the world, and among the highest rates of hospital birth and C-section (if not the highest). We are the richest country in the world by just about anyone’s estimation, yet our maternal mortality rate is worse than Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. We are tied with Bulgaria, Lithuania and Portugal, and just barely edge out Luxembourg and Qatar.” Womantowomancbe

“After the birth (regardless of whether you have a home birth or not), a ‘kraamverzorgster’ –a professional maternity nurse– will come to your house for 8 days, up to 8 hours a day, to look after mummy and baby.”The Dutch way: homebirth and at-home maternity care!

Needless to say, women in record numbers are choosing to think for themselves because they looked at the numbers, looked at how birthing women are treated in hospitals, looked at the risks of interventions to both themselves and their innocent babies and even looked at the birthing model of countries with much better mortality rates and they have chosen unassisted homebirth or midwife assisted homebirth as the safest and most logical birthing solution.

The US could most likely improve their maternal and infant mortality rates by adopting the Dutch system where 1/3 of babies are born at home (vs. 1/3 of US babies that are filleted from their mothers), interventions are minimal, babies are birthed in an upright position and you automatically receive a postnatal in-home nurse to help out, make sure you know what you are doing and to check that everything is OK. The postpartum nurse is a great perk according to Babyccino

I have seen Dutch birthing videos in the past and I swear that if I ever give birth again and I cannot have a UC or lay midwife homebirth then I will cross oceans to have a Dutch birth.

Image Source: Wikipedia.com

• Used car salesmen recommend against the use of bicycles
• Airlines recommend against automobiles
• Restaurants advise against homecooked meals
• Kmart advises shoppers to avoid Walmart

It might even be OK if they had any scientific data to prove that homebirth was unsafe in any way. But they don’t. In fact, many studies have been conducted showing that a midwife assisted planned homebirth is as safe or safer than hospital births. What really irks me about these findings is that they don’t even take into account the interventions which are unsafe in their own right. Someone slicing your pregnant abdomen with a scalpel is a problem! How about taking a giant scissors to your vagina? Sounds like something went wrong. What about clamping the umbilical cord immediately and potentially causing permanent brain damage to your child from oxygen deprivation?

If all interventions were calculated into the homebirth studies, then hospital births would be considered exceptionally dangerous to both mothers and their helpless babies.

The Lamaze Institute of Normal Birth recently posted a call to hospitals and obstetricians to “promote, protect and support normal birth.” In fact, the hospitals and birthing centers that will come out ahead in the next few decades, will be the ones who embrace normal birth and stop blasting, dragging and filleting babies out of women and let the babies come out on their own terms with the hospital support as a backup.

“Women who choose to give birth at home are making their decisions based on best evidence. If you need to be convinced visit the Cochrane Library, or read A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth, or read our book. The Childbirth Connection response to the 2006 ACOG policy statement on home birth is also important reading.” -Birthwithconfidence.blogs.lamaze.org
This is why women in the know, educated women, are choosing homebirth. It IS safer. It is also the only way you can do your best to guarantee that these terrible things will not happen to you and your baby.

Occasionally, babies run into a few difficulties while making their way into the world. Special procedures may be needed for example, to aid your baby’s exit from the birth canal. Or, if your baby’s health is at risk, a cesarean delivery may be required. Don’t forget, that no matter how the birth goes, a healthy baby is the primary goal.

Vaginal Delivery
The contractions that occur during labor serve the purpose of opening up the cervix to allow the birth of your baby. When your cervix has opened to 10 cm, you will notice a distinct feeling of wanting to bear down. This can feel like the urge to move your bowels, but much, much stronger. Your contractions may begin to slow down at this point, and it may actually feel good to push.

You will be instructed to push with each contraction. Your partner can participate in this process by counting out loud while you push. With each push, your baby will begin the descent through the birth canal. Your doctor or midwife may perform a small cut to widen the opening of the vagina to speed up the delivery. Local anesthesia is used before the cut is made, so you shouldn’t feel a thing. However, you can expect some pain afterwards as your episiotomy cut heals.

Some lucky women only need to push a couple of times before a baby is born, while others will work for hours. After your baby’s head emerges from the birth canal, one shoulder will slip out and then the other. After the shoulders the rest of your baby’s body will follow quickly. After delivery, the placenta will peel away from the wall of your uterus, and you may need to push a couple of more times to expel it from your vagina. You may continue to feel contractions that will help your newly empty uterus return to its former size.

Assisted Delivery
Sometimes a woman may push for hours without making much progress. Other times, the baby’s heartbeat becomes erratic or slow, or the position can make delivery harder. In these cases, the doctor of midwife may need to assist delivery by using forceps or vacuum extraction. This is done in about 10 percent of vaginal deliveries.

Forceps look like two large tongs. They are inserted into the vagina and placed around the baby’s cheeks and jaw. Then, the forceps are used to gently guide the baby’s head out of the birth canal.

Vacuum extraction is used similar to forceps, except a plastic cup is inserted into the vagina and applied to the baby’s head. Suction holds the cup in place. A handle attached to the cup allows for the baby to be pulled through the birth canal. In the vast majority of births where either forceps or vacuum extraction is used, there are no major problems. Still, both tools can bruise the baby’s head and cause tearing to the vagina and cervix.

Cesarean Birth
Over 20 percent of babies are born by cesarean birth. This means the baby is delivered from an incision in the mothers uterus and abdomen. While some cesarean births are planned in advance, some situations can occur during labor that can make a cesarean birth the safest choice for the baby.

You may require a cesarean deliver if:

• You have had a prior cesarean birth.
• You have certain medical conditions such as an active genital herpes outbreak.
• You have a large baby or a small pelvis. This is called cephalopelvic disproportion.
• Your baby is in an unusual position such as buttocks or feet down.
• You have a multiple pregnancy. Many women give birth vaginally to twins, but the chance of cesarean increases dramatically with each additional fetus.
• There are problems with the placenta blocking all of part of the cervix.
• The umbilical cord is pinched or compressed.
• Your labor fails to progress. This is the cause for 1 in 3 cesarean births.

Most cesarean births are fairly straight forward and quick. In most cases, the birth goes something like this:

1. You will be given an epidural, a spinal block, or general anesthesia to numb the pain during surgery.

2. The anesthesiologist will hook you up to equipment that will monitor your heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. You will also be fitted with a mask or tubes in your nostrils to receive oxygen.

3. Your partner or labor coach will be asked to put on a sterile mask and gown and then will be seated next to you in the operating room.

4. A nurse will prep you for surgery by washing our abdomen and shaving any hair between your pubic bone and navel. A catheter will be inserted into your bladder, and an IV line will be started in a vein in your arm or hand. Your abdomen will then be swabbed with antiseptic, and sterile drapes will be placed around your abdomen.

5. The doctor will make a small incision through your skin and the wall of your abdomen. Depending on the position of the baby, the cut could be made either vertically or horizontally.

6. The doctor will then spread apart your abdominal muscles and cut through the lining of your abdominal cavity. The doctor will then make another cut in the uterine wall.

7. Your baby will be delivered through the incisions. Next, the umbilical cord will be cut, and the baby will be passed to a nurse. The doctor will also remove the placenta at this time.

8. The uterus and abdominal wall will then be closed and stitched with sutures that will dissolve in your body. Stitches or surgical staples will be used to also close the incision in your skin. A dressing will be placed over the incision.

by Julian Hall
About the Author: Julian Hall of GiftBabies.co.uk - The Baby Gifts Company - The Most Unique, Innovative Gift Ideas for Babies, Christening Gifts, Newborn Gifts, Personalized Gifts, Organic Clothing, Nappies, Blankets, New Baby Gifts

Sheryl’s Comment:
This article is accurate. This is really what happens in a medically managed childbirth. Now let me explain why most of it is unnecessary or dangerous.

First of all the primary goal is a healthy mother and baby, not just a healthy baby. While most mothers would in fact give their life for their child, it does not mean that she should undergo unnecessary torture as if her feelings and pain just don’t matter. A mother does not lose her basic human rights just because she is giving birth.

Forced pushing. This is one of the most ridiculous aspects of a hospital birth. When you reach dilation, a team forms around you, they make you lie on your back, in the worst possible position to deliver a baby in and they all yell at you to push while you hold your breath. There are so many things wrong with this I don’t even know where to start.

A. They make you hold your breath while you push. These people are idiots. Babies need oxygen. Why on earth would you hold your breath? Pant, count your breaths or do what comes naturally but for heavens sakes, do not hold your breath for ten or twenty seconds at a time!

B. You are on your back. Your baby’s weight will be compressing your vena cava which supplies oxygen rich blood to the baby. As I mentioned in A., your baby needs oxygen (combine supine, breath holding and tetonic Pitocin induced contractions….hello birth injury!) . Just because your doctor or midwife are willing to sacrifice your child’s oxygen for a better view does not mean you should comply. Get on all fours if they won’t let you squat or kneel. They will still have their precious view and you won’t be suffocating your baby.

In addition, the supine position (on your back) does not take advantage of gravity, it forces your baby into your tailbone, it forces the baby to actually move uphill against gravity to emerge from the birth canal and it forces the mother to physically push the baby out with her abdominal muscles rather than uterine contractions. Get off your back ladies.

C. It is just unnatural. Your baby will emerge from the birth canal naturally if you simply let gravity and your contractions do their job (believe it or not). Do you see your cat holding its breath and pushing for ten seconds when it gives birth? Do you think teenagers who give birth in the bathroom of a McDonalds hold their breath and push for ten seconds? It is simply preposterous.

Everything you just read also applies to assisted delivery. If you are squatting, kneeling or on all fours, your pelvis will open up to 30% more than while you are laying down. Your back will naturally arch, opening up the birth canal. Even cases of cephalopelvic disproportion can often be birthed naturally if the mother assumes a more natural, effective birthing position. Dangerous, damaging forceps and vacuum extractors are only necessary because the mother is on her back.

Cesareans are barbaric. Cutting a baby from its mother’s womb is butchery. It should be a last resort. Unfortunately it lines the pockets of obstetrical surgeons, it is great for scheduling their vacations, and it has been sold to countless women as “the more civilized alternative”. There are very few legitimate reasons for a C-section. One of them is placenta previa, where the baby simply cannot emerge through the birth canal because the placenta is blocking it’s path. If you are diagnosed with a placenta problem then please, schedule a cesarean with my blessing. Otherwise, you are probably risking your health and your baby’s health for ulterior motives. How ethical is that?

Buy the Book: Obstetric Myths Versus Research Realities

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/whiskeyboytx/2162605996/

As Dr. Mercola passionately explains in this video, the only legitimate reason to inject helpless newborns with this vaccine is if the mother is infected with Hepatitis B. If the mother is not infected, then the baby gets all the risk of a vaccine when they are at their most vulnerable with absolutely zero benefit.

If you have made the decision to have your baby in the hospital rather than at home then stand up for yourself and your baby and refuse this shot if you are not infected. You have that right and you have that responsibility to your child. Please email this video to every pregnant woman you know.