In continuation of our Celebration of Life Month I interviewed Kristina Kyle who also gave birth at home and one of her births was a water birth. Now, this Colorado Springs mother of two, is in the process of teaching others natural childbirth.
Why did you want to do a home birth?
Kyle: I originally didn't put much thought into where I wanted to give birth until I started looking around for an OB/GYN when I became pregnant with my first child. I assumed that I would have a hospital birth. After contacting my gynecologist's office and being dissatisfied with the answers to my questions, and how much money they wanted me to shell out (we didn't have health insurance at the time), I started questioning going with an OB. After sharing my concerns with a friend, she suggested I look into a midwife and gave me the name of her midwife, Merrie MacDowell. My husband and I interviewed Merrie, who was very encouraging and gave me all the confidence I needed to know that yes, I could give birth at home without drugs. She made a believer out of my husband too, who had gone into that interview telling me, "We can do this interview, but we are NOT doing a homebirth!" We were excited that there was another option for us, which were not only cheaper, but better care and the type of personal care I was told not to expect by my gynecologist's office.
Tell us about your birthing experiences.
Kyle: My birthing experiences were wonderful! I knew exactly what to expect and how to get through it with grace. Did it hurt? Yes, there were sensations of pressure and even pain, but nothing that I couldn't handle. The rush of endorphins afterward and the "hormonal cocktail" that follows natural childbirth is amazing!
To prepare myself for I went through 12 weeks of intense childbirth classes and practiced relaxation daily. I prepared my body with specific prenatal exercises aimed at strengthening my birthing muscles. I followed a pregnancy-specific diet that was rich in nutrients. Like anything else worth doing right, one must put in hours of practice and be dedicated to the goal.
You did a water birth for your second child, why was that?
Kyle: For my first child's birth, my daughter, I was too chicken to try a water birth because we would have had to rent the tub, which I was afraid that we would set it all up and I wouldn't like it. For my second birth, my son, we were living at a new house and we had a Jacuzzi bathtub in our bathroom. I had known that I would do another homebirth and that now that I knew what to expect, I wanted to try a water birth, or at least labor in the tub for pain relief. What a difference! The warm water was very soothing and it allowed me to move around in various positions to find what worked best as labor progressed. Laboring in water, often referred to as the "liquid epidural" or "the midwife's epidural,” is very effective at pain relief in labor. I highly recommend water birth for not only the laboring mother's sake, but for also for the gently entry into the world that it provides for the baby.
What was your husband's role in the birthing experience?
Kyle: My husband had a very active role in both my labors, as we had practiced. Our childbirth preparation courses stressed husbands as active coaches, as based on Dr. Robert Bradley's life work, which was Husband-Coached Childbirth. Men don't just jump to their wife's aid in labor and intuitively know what to do; they must be trained. My husband was not only my emotional support, but also my physical support. He had to hold me up, help me to and from the toilet, massage me, feed and water me, give me positive affirmations and mental imagery to concentrate on, time contractions, give me cool washcloths, cover me with blankets, and the list goes on.
How did you get involved in teaching the Bradley Method?
Kyle: After my second birth, I knew that I wanted to share my positive birth experiences and knowledge with other pregnant couples so that others may learn and give birth with joy! At the time, The Bradley Method was the leader in the field of true natural childbirth courses, which was the reason we sought the training during both pregnancies.
I understand that you will be learning Brio Birth now.
Kyle: I am very excited to have signed on with Brio Birth, which is the newest natural childbirth education movement and has gained quite a following! Much of this year will be spent fulfilling my training requirements with Brio Birth, but hopefully I will be teaching in the latter part of 2011.
What is the one thing you want all women to understand about home and water births?
Kyle: It is a safe, viable and rewarding experience that women with low-risk pregnancies would probably really enjoy if they could open their minds to the possibilities, leave their irrational fears behind, and get educated about the real risks and benefits of both homebirth and hospital birth. The truth is out there! One of my favorite quotes from a fellow unnamed "birth junkie" says it all... "I gave birth at home. Not brave. Not crazy. Just educated."
Keep checking back all this month for more stories from local moms and their unique birth stories. Do you have an intresting birth story that needs to be shared? Email Dinah, Motherhood Examiner, with your story idea.
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