Day 17: Book
First, before I start, I should mention that I have been alerted, by Mr. Hed, to the fact that I should have been referring to a person yesterday. SomeONE I could live without. I was supposed to get all dramatic and throw said person under the bus. Uh... huh.
Yes.
Well, actually, the subject matter gave the option of referring to either someONE, or someTHING or someone I could live without. So, yeah. Takin' the high road. I know... it's hard to find, according to Broken Bells. (Contrary to what Mr. Hed originally thought about the band by name alone, this band is not made up of hot chicks. Sorry, dood.) Anyway, I'm resourceful, dammit!
Today, I'm supposed to be talking about a book that has changed my views on something. This has happened a few times, but I think the greatest influence for me was "The Thinking Woman's Guide To a Better Birth" by Henci Goer. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, going into my second pregnancy, I was still pretty mainstream, and had originally resigned myself to having a "repeat zipper surgery", as my doctor so eloquently put it.
I put up with it for about a month, and then found some support and direction. I was leant this book. It is pretty technical and cerebral... and frankly hard to get into, but her research really showed me that trying to have a natural VBAC, away from a hospital, was the safest option for me.
I read passages of it to Mr. Hed, and they were also enough to convince him that perhaps this time we should stay out of the hospital. I carried my daughter to day 1 of week 43, and had a very fast, and furious labour. I caught her myself, and left the experience feeling very empowered. The last time we did this, I had major surgery, and there were probably at least 10 people in the room. This time, there were only 3: The midwifery apprentice who was overseeing the birth center, Mr. Hed, and Moi. The rest of the birth team arrived a few minutes after she was born, and I was able to go home the next day. I had guests the day after that, and things quickly went back to normal.
It goes without saying that this was much better than my first birth, where I was laid up for weeks after she arrived.
Second, this book and subsequent experience opened up many doors for me. In the process, I went from being completely dependent on allopathic medicine, and probably on the fast track to an early grave via many unnecessary meds, to relying more on my own body wisdom, and self-healing.
I used to be considered dangerously high-risk for serious respiratory illnesses, as well as ridiculously dependent on respiratory meds. I feel like I can finally take myself off of that list after 20 years of battling some extremely debilitating asthma. I now use meds on an as-needed basis only, which has gone down about 90+ percent, thanks to further research, dietary changes, and amino acid therapies.
Seriously miraculous.
I wonder if I would have ever been motivated to take this path without such strong positive results as a starting point.
If I ever meet Henci, I will personally thank her for giving me such a powerful start on this journey. It's nice to have confidence in my body and its ability to do what's necessary to thrive and survive.
-H
Yes.
Well, actually, the subject matter gave the option of referring to either someONE, or someTHING or someone I could live without. So, yeah. Takin' the high road. I know... it's hard to find, according to Broken Bells. (Contrary to what Mr. Hed originally thought about the band by name alone, this band is not made up of hot chicks. Sorry, dood.) Anyway, I'm resourceful, dammit!
Today, I'm supposed to be talking about a book that has changed my views on something. This has happened a few times, but I think the greatest influence for me was "The Thinking Woman's Guide To a Better Birth" by Henci Goer. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, going into my second pregnancy, I was still pretty mainstream, and had originally resigned myself to having a "repeat zipper surgery", as my doctor so eloquently put it.
I put up with it for about a month, and then found some support and direction. I was leant this book. It is pretty technical and cerebral... and frankly hard to get into, but her research really showed me that trying to have a natural VBAC, away from a hospital, was the safest option for me.
I read passages of it to Mr. Hed, and they were also enough to convince him that perhaps this time we should stay out of the hospital. I carried my daughter to day 1 of week 43, and had a very fast, and furious labour. I caught her myself, and left the experience feeling very empowered. The last time we did this, I had major surgery, and there were probably at least 10 people in the room. This time, there were only 3: The midwifery apprentice who was overseeing the birth center, Mr. Hed, and Moi. The rest of the birth team arrived a few minutes after she was born, and I was able to go home the next day. I had guests the day after that, and things quickly went back to normal.
It goes without saying that this was much better than my first birth, where I was laid up for weeks after she arrived.
Second, this book and subsequent experience opened up many doors for me. In the process, I went from being completely dependent on allopathic medicine, and probably on the fast track to an early grave via many unnecessary meds, to relying more on my own body wisdom, and self-healing.
I used to be considered dangerously high-risk for serious respiratory illnesses, as well as ridiculously dependent on respiratory meds. I feel like I can finally take myself off of that list after 20 years of battling some extremely debilitating asthma. I now use meds on an as-needed basis only, which has gone down about 90+ percent, thanks to further research, dietary changes, and amino acid therapies.
Seriously miraculous.
I wonder if I would have ever been motivated to take this path without such strong positive results as a starting point.
If I ever meet Henci, I will personally thank her for giving me such a powerful start on this journey. It's nice to have confidence in my body and its ability to do what's necessary to thrive and survive.
-H
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