Tag: birth

USA / Europe: A realistic perspective on pregnancy and birth

Choux N CoLeave a comment

You’ve probably heard it, this is a massive subject in the USA: the profusion of medical care around childbirth. I actually feel lucky that I had my baby here rather than in France.

In 2013, 32.7% of births were operated via c-section in the United States.    [1] The same year, the rate was 20.3% in France.

While pregnant, I looked at documentaries I could find about natural/medical births: The Business of Being Born, plus the 4 other episodes they made afterwards (all available on Netflix). 40 Weeks. And The Mama Sherpas. I also read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, and Hypnobirthing from Marie Mongan.

I needed to educate myself. I started my pregnancy with what I’ve always heard and what I’ve always been told. Like everyone. except I am in a country with a medical culture that is not the one I grew up with.

I would not have searched any of that in France, because people are assisted in every way, so was I. 

I liked all of the movies and books but one. I was surprised how 40 Weeks was so negative. It’s like they wanted to tell the “truth” about all the cons of being pregnant. Without bringing all the other good things up.

This is so trendy to say “No one told me”, those days. How many blog posts are untitled like so. Well…, it’s not true. Read More »

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The unpractical survival guide to the first days following birth

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Do you feel the contractions? Here they are. Finally !

You try to follow your birth plan, if you have one. I, personally trained and prepared myself with and for hypnobirthing.

Long story short, I had quite a long labor with different phases: 30 hours and 1 hour pushing.

Yet, I was mentally and physically prepared.

Oddly, the one hour pushing felt like an easy game. Baby and I worked together, we were connected.

I gave birth.

And here she was, in my arms, on my chest. Like to pursue the connection we had built, to tell me “we did it mom”, she stared at me, with her eyes wide open. Balancing form my left to right eye. We were physically discovering each others. She was extending the bonding we created for 9 months. It was strong.

pied naissance Elizabeth (1)After minutes of intense fusion, they took her to the scale and did everything she was scheduled for, like every newborn.

I found this to be a tricky moment. Alone. Of course, daddy is with the baby. You still have work to end with the OB and the medical team. Read More »

I rocked my pregnancy, so will you

Choux N CoLeave a comment

     All I had was what I’ve always heard and what I’ve always been told. Pretty much everyone can relate to that.

From the very beginning of my pregnancy I felt amazing. Well, almost from the very beginning.

I will use the word “adjust” a lot in my blog. So let’s start now and say: I needed to adjust my mind for a few hours and, maybe a few days. This baby has been truly discussed, thought, desired and conceived with love.

I don’t know about you, but when I saw this + sign on this piece of plastic, but yet life changer, my heart jumped and I sure needed to sit down.

At that moment, no matter how prepared and ready I was, everything became unsure and I lost my confidence.

This is where the balance we have in our couple became important. I told my husband probably 5 minutes after I figured out. I was scared he will panic. He was of course (on paper) ready to have a baby. I say -on paper- because I don’t think a man is ever “ready” to have a child before he is confronted to the baby, but this is an all different subject I will write about.Read More »