A Birthy Thanksgiving

I found out that Preparing for Birth is doing a blog carnival for Thanksgiving on being grateful for our birth experiences, so I'm joining in. I have so much to be thankful for with my births, both good and bad.

In my First Pregnancy and Birth:

• I'm grateful that I found information about natural childbirth. The paradigm shift I experienced changed me forever, and having had both a pro-epidural and low intervention attitude, I understand better where people are coming from.
  
• I'm grateful that I asked questions of the OB I had been seeing and realized his policies were not good obstetric medicine so that I didn't end up giving birth with him as my provider.
• I'm grateful that I found a wonderful midwife group who took me at 34 weeks and were very supportive and made me feel comfortable.
  
• I'm grateful that I learned how harmful going to the hospital too early can be.
• I'm grateful that I experienced pitocin induction, so I can sympathize with other women who have had it.
  
• I'm grateful that I had an epidural, both because it was what I needed at the time and because it taught me to be able to tell other women that sometimes the epidural is the best choice for that particular birth.
• I'm grateful that my epidural worked as it should, not too numb and not ineffective, and my baby was born without needing any further intervention.
• I'm grateful that I tore so I can empathize with women recovering with perineal stitches.
• I'm grateful that my husband was exactly what I needed him to be through the whole experience.
• I'm grateful that my birth experience was not exactly what I wanted because it inspired me to prepare more for my second birth and was part of what inspired me to pursue a career as a birth professional.
  
• I'm grateful for my beautiful, healthy little girl, who is now almost three.

For My Second Pregnancy and Birth:

• I'm grateful that I ended up with an amazing OB, who restored my faith in the profession.
• I'm grateful that I experienced the benefits of using Hypnobabies during my pregnancy
• I'm grateful that I can compare pitocin induction to spontaneous labor.
  
• I'm grateful that I got to labor as long as I did in the comfort of my own home.
• I'm grateful that I learned that I had the power to make my birth much more comfortable with focus and relaxation.
• I'm grateful that I progressed smoothly and arrived at the hospital at 8 cm, which further removed the temptation of pain relief.
• I'm grateful that I didn't know I was GBS positive so I didn't go to the hospital earlier, and that my baby was still healthy.
• I'm grateful that I learned how hard it can be to maintain focus with hospital distractions.
• I'm grateful that I wasn't able to keep using my Hypnobabies during second stage so I can understand how intense natural childbirth can be.
• I'm grateful that I did not tear and got to experience how much smoother recovery goes with an intact perineum.
  
• I'm grateful that my nurse carefully read my birth plan.
• I'm grateful that my husband exceeded my expectations as a birth partner.
• I'm grateful that my mother-in-law did not circumcise my husband, so my husband and I easily agreed to leave our son intact.
• I'm grateful that my experience with this birth reinforced my interest in becoming a Hypnobabies Instructor.
  
• I'm grateful for my beautiful, healthy 8 month old boy, who thinks he is a toddler already.

My babies have truly brought me a cornucopia of blessings :)

painting by Jan van Kessel the Elder [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!