About This Blog....

This blog was created for the benefit of all women in Southern Illinois who recognize their right to choose what type of childbirth they want to have. Our choices are being limited more and more by the hospitals and doctors in this area and as a result we are being told how to deliver our precious children. We sincerely hope that you find some helpful information here. Please feel free to post comments and submit information to assist in our efforts to restore our rights and choices for safe and natural childbirth methods.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Testimonials

Please submit a testimonial about your birthing experience in the comments section of this post. Here are some examples of what we're looking for:

-Positive natural childbirth experiences
-Negative experiences with regards to medical interventions in childbirth
-Experiences relating to positive or negative issues with hospital policies or procedures
-Experiences specific to Shawnee Women's Health
-IF YOU'VE NEVER GIVEN BIRTH: tell us what you would look for in a practitioner, what options you would like to be available to you, what procedures you are comfortable with and what you're not comfortable with.
-IF YOU HAVE BIRTHED WITH JOY WAYMAN (OR ANY OTHER MIDWIFE): tell us about your experience and what you appreciated about the midwife model of care and why it's important to you
-Tell us about differences in your birthing experiences between natural and medicalized births
-Tell us anything about why you want your birthing options expanded in Southern Illinois

4 comments:

  1. On September 29,1997, I delivered a healthy beautiful daughter a doctor's way. I was stuck in a bed to wait, until a nurse came to check me. The level of care was so different, I felt like a hog in a butcher shop, picked and prodded, while I laid there and took it. The baby was beautiful, but the experience was not so much. And then, on March 12,2007, I delivered a healthy baby boy my way. I went to Joy Wayman because I wanted a natural childbirth. I did not want to be stuck in a bed to suffer back labor. I wanted to work with my body while delivering, I mean why not our bodies were made to deliver babies. I talked to Joy and she asked me if I had thought about a water birth, I said yes, I had, and from there our birthing plan was formed. And let me say it was one of the best experiences in my life. Joy never left the room. I never had any pain medicines at all. When I went into the water my back labor was gone, and not long after my son was born, with no need for stitches. It was such a wonderful experience, that when I was pregnant with my third child I did not hesitate on where to go. Joy Wayman again was my midwife, however Joy broke her leg during my third trimester, so she was unable to deliver my baby. I assumed that Dr. Bisop would carry through the rest of the pregnancy, but upon talking to him, he would not help me with a water birth. I was flabbergasted. So I began my search for a new midwife. To my dismay no one in the SIH group would help me in a water birth. I had to go to Marion to find a new midwife, Tracy Carr, and again I had a beautiful experience with water birthing, and another beautiful baby. I was very disappointed to have to drive an extra 20 miles to deliver my baby, and my husband was definitely not happy, when I reached the hospital 7cm dialated. I do not think water birthing is for everyone, however it was definitely for me. I do believe that everyone should have an option on how to deliver our babies. After all pregnant women are not sick, they just need to be in a safe place, in case they do need medical attention. I hope this post will help someone, and I hope I am not too late. Deanna M.

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  2. I am a southern Illinois native but have been living in Colorado for eight years. I am astonished to hear that there are very limited options in your area. I chose the Hypnobirthing method (hypnobirthing.com) for my natural childbirth in 2007. I watched beautiful vidoes of women giving birth without drugs. One womane even had a 13 pound baby, thus solidifying my theory that your body is made for this. My OBGYN was totally on board with my method, and was willing from the beginning to let me go past 41 weeks if need be without asking me to be induced.
    On my due date, I labored mostly at home, arriving at the hospital only 4.5 hours before the birth of my daughter. I had a doula assist me and my husband, and we requested nurses who wanted to be a part of my natural childbirth. I moved around the whole time, never hooked up to any machine or strapped to the bed. The lights were low and it was quiet. The only time a nurse joined me was when my doula called for her. Even when it was time to check the baby's heart rate and it had noticably dropped, everyone stayed calm and helped me find different positions for delivery. A c-section was never mentioned to me and neither was medication. It was just as I had requested.

    I hope that people will learn to educate themselves on childbirth outside of what is considered "normal" these days and the risks associated with ptocin and epidurals and their higher chances of leading to c-sections. Birthing doesn't have to be painful or scary; it doesn't have to include cutting and stiches; and it's not a disease. I know that doctors in the OB field have a higher percentage of malpractice cases against them and that is a shame because it has lead the profression to these extreme measures of "doctoring" in childbirth instead of "assisting". I encourage you to find a doctor/midwife/doula who is on board with YOUR birthing plan.
    Carmen M
    Denver, CO

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  3. I have given birth twice, and my experiences could not have been more different from one another. My first daughter was born after laboring in bed with an epidural. Shortly after giving birth, I became very sick and could not even sit up without vomitting. I had to be given medicine to stop the vomitting, and this medicine caused me to become so drowsy that I slept for most of my daughter's first day of life. I was told that my getting sick was likely a reaction to the epidural. I decided right then and there that my next experience with childbirth would be different.

    I explored my birthing options in Carbondale, and was drawn to Joy Wayman. I met with her after becoming pregnant with my second daughter, and immediately knew I was in the right place. She really listened to me, and treated me like a person rather than a number. Before going into labor we discussed what I wanted my birthing experience to be like, and Joy assured me that I would be able to get the birth I wanted-free of drugs, bright lights, and IV's. When I did go into labor, Joy was wonderful. She supported my decision to have a natural childbirth, and even protected me from the lab person who was attempting to draw my blood during a contraction. As I was pushing, Joy quietly and calmly coached me from the side of the bed rather than shouting numbers at me. I gave birth to a beautiful little girl in a dim and quiet room, with only a few people present, with no needles or tubes involved. It was the most amazing moment of my life. And I owe much of it to Joy's amazing guidance and encouragement during my pregnancy and labor. After giving birth, I felt wonderful- a stark contrast from my first experience with childbirth.

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  4. I delivered my daughter in 2008 after being forced to be induced a week early for "fear of being too big from G. diabetes" although the U/s tech said the baby was only about 7 lbs. after 16 1/2 hours of labor, not being allowed to walk the halls at all, told i HAD to take the epidural when it was offered before i even had experienced one contraction on my own (the dr was leaving to go to surgery and they scared me into getting it saying it would be bad and i wouldnt be able to get it later), they refused to give me even a single drink of water and i was just highly uncomfortable the whole time. when i was pushing the dr had to use a vaccum, my daughter came out not breathign and we spent a week in the hospital. could all this have been avoided? im sure of it. babies are meant to come when god intends them to. now i am 7 weeks preggo again and looking for other options

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