February 3rd, 2010
Why? Why would super, supermodel Gisele Bündchen go and say that giving birth wasn’t painful?! Why would she do that to all of us non-supermodel women? In a recent interview Gisele spoke about her experience giving birth saying, "It wasn't painful, not even a little bit. The whole time, my head was so focused . . . every contraction, the baby is closer, the baby is closer. So, it wasn't like, 'Oh, what pain.' It was, 'With every contraction, he is getting closer to me.'" If you’re thinking that she was obviously doped up on drugs to feel so good think again! She did it drug-free. She said, "I wanted to be conscious and present for what was happening. I didn't want to be anesthetized. I wanted to feel."
Now I have every intention of focusing as hard as I can on delivering this baby boy of mine safely and with as little self-inflicted pain as possible, but seriously. NO PAIN? Come on Gisele! Isn’t that… impossible?!
And just when you think it couldn’t get any worse she said she was back on her feet almost immediately, quote, "The second day, I was walking, I was washing dishes, I was making pancakes in the kitchen."
John, I love you, but I do not intend on doing dishes or cooking pancakes for us the day after giving birth. Gisele Bündchen… Supermodel or Superwoman?
Seriously Josie, I believe her...have you heard about "Hypnobirthing"? You've gotta check it out! There's tons of stuff on youtube on it and it's amazing! These women learn how to achieve a serious state of focus that allows them to totally relax and let their bodies do what they were made for without fear, anxiety or pain; inturn, they all report no need for medical or pain medication/intervention and experience birth naturally while remaining 100% present, aware and in control. I think its amazing and totally possible, but don't get me wrong, i'm no hero and if I need relief from pain because I can't manage it myself, I'm not going to beat myself up over it! Anyway, Chris and I are signed up for a hypnobirthing class (the Mongan Method), it starts next week...I'll let you know how it goes!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Josie!
ReplyDeleteI'm the mother of three beautiful children, ages 4yrs, 3yrs, and 6months and I can say from all of my experiences that you CAN and SHOULD expect some sort of pain! Sorry, but it's true! :P Childbirth isn't allways easy, but it's an experience that you will never forget, and should not be afraid of. I have had a c-section, natural with epidural, and a completely natural birth, and all three came with their share of surprises! To be very honest though, I found that natural child birth was much more pleasant all the way around. It's an amazing adrenaline rush to feel so close to your child at the very moment of birth and the elation of seeing he or she for the first time.That alone is a anesthetic it's own! If you have a c-section, be prepared to have a long couple of weeks recovering. But if not, a natural child birth can leave you feeling very energetic and very much so capable of doing many of your previous daily activities after a few hours.
Ultimately, it will be up to you to decide what you are feeling capable of doing after the birth. But don't be afraid! The entire process is one to be excited about, and the end result is well worth it!
Take care, and I wish you so much luck and joy with you new arrival!
I heard about your blog this morning on my drive into the city! Love you and the hot tub!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea with this blog!
I wanted to share with you a very special holistic, free paper that is produced here in Ottawa! I wonder if you have ever heard of it?
http://www.frombellytobaby.ca/
And there are a few locations throughout the city that cary the free publications.
Tammy
I'm willing to bet the reason she said she was walking and making pancakes is because she couldn't sit down! I know I couldn't for a number of days after my first baby was born. LOL. Don't worry, though, that too will pass.
ReplyDeleteI remember when you said that on Josie and the City, my mother and I both looked at each other and said "she's nuts!" I can understand the focus but not the no pain. I felt everything with my daughter and I pushed an extra time on each contraction because I could feel her inching down and I was anxious to see her...but I had been in labour for 17 hours by the time I started pushing! Let me point out though that the contractions hurt less while you are pushing. You also heal much faster if you can get through the labour without the epidural (I had a long recovery and my epidural only worked for an hour and a half...it stopped working when I hit 10cm!) I would recommend checking out the hypno birthing. Also...more than anything I recommend having a doula! She helped me through the whole pregnancy and labour. She was so calming and steady (unlike my hubby who fell asleep and then towards the end got nervous seeing me in pain).
ReplyDelete