orgasmic birth

in recent history, women in the united states have been taught to fear the birthing process.  they have been advised to labor in the hospital for their own safety and for the safety of their child.  they have been encouraged to take advantage of the many drugs available to them to numb the pain.  and they have become increasingly comfortable with elective cesarean sections, a major surgery.  also, insurance has been stepping in to control options and expenses for pregnant women.

have we forgotten?  pregnancy is a gift.  it is not a disease.  it is not a condition.   it is a beautiful, natural, transformative, age-old gift.

women had been giving birth successfully for more than a few years before obstetric surgeons.  they used doulas and midwifes who were fully capable of meeting all of their basic needs before, during and after labor.  traditional labor can offer exceptional joy, connection and usually an elated feeling of orgasm from the loads of oxytocin pumping through the woman's body.  and of course, some intense pain is to be expected.

it's true, obstetric surgeons have been integral to helping many women and babies survive labor, and that is priceless, but most births don't require their level of intervention.  furthermore, most interventions in obstetric practices do not have a sufficient history of long-term effects.  already, many drugs and practices that were developed to facilitate labor have been discontinued because they were found to harm women and their babies.  for example, women took scopolamine for almost 40 years which was found to cause twilight sleep; women screamed, scratched at doctors, tried to climb walls and spat at people.  this drug took away memory, self-awareness and self-control so, as a result, women were tied to their beds, sometimes for days.  also, pregnant women had systematic x-rays of their bellies until this practice was linked to cancer in babies.  next, thalidomide was used, which caused babies to be born without arms and legs.  then cytotec was given to induce labor in women; those with previous cesarean sections incurred ruptured uteruses and thus dead babies.  the point is that obstetric interventions are being taken very lightly although they may cause serious, permanent damage to mothers and babies.

an ob/gyn and researcher, michel odent, depicts a metaphor comparing current obstetric practice to a traveler lost on the wrong path.  once the traveler realizes that (s)he is lost, (s)he turns back, starts over and finds a different, previously trodden path.  he implies that our society has gotten off the time-tested path, that we should start over and reconsider the midwife as our best option.

in the 1960's there was a resurgence of home births.  today, more and more women are exercising their right to decide what kind of experience and treatment they would like during labor.

below is an excerpt from a friend's blog who is training to be a midwife in peru; she is sorting out some of the differences between pregnancy in a first world country versus a third world country.

As a pregnant woman who lives in a developed nation in the 21^st century, I do not worry that I will not survive childbirth. I do not worry that my child will not survive her passage into this world or make it her first year. I enter into pregnancy and labor fraught with my own fears that are based on 21^stcentury realities, likely that I will not be able to bear the pain of childbirth, that it will be too much for me. I have no reason to call into question the formal health system – my midwife’s or physician’s training, the quality of the hospital or birth center where I will deliver, the medical interventions that will be performed upon my body, or prompt access to necessary treatment, facilities or medication that will ensure the survival of me and my baby. I also do not question that I will be treated with respect and dignity, that I will have a voice and a role in my own labor, childbirth and newborn care. As a first world citizen, I also have implicit faith in my health system and the personnel caring for me. It is a privilege to feel safe in my pregnancy and upcoming childbirth, and to be able to concentrate on the celebration and joy of my new role as mother, my changing body, and the knowledge I am creating new life.

This is one of the true marvels of being a citizen of a developed, politically stable, and wealthy nation.

ballerina

i spent much of my early childhood dreaming about becoming a ballerina. i would train and rehearse; i would break in pointe shoes, wear leg warmers and tutus; i would eventually become a prima ballerina! today i watched a documentary about five young russian ballerinas in the kirov ballet. each young woman was very interesting and brilliantly talented, and it was fascinating get their perspective about their lives as dancers. and i confirmed why i am not one!

the anatomy of a ballerina is specific. she should have a small head, long neck and long legs. she should be slender and strong. she will start training when she is just ten years old so it will be hard to tell whether she will have a dancer's body after puberty. she will progress from slippers to pointe shoes when she has adequate foot and ankle plantar flexion, technique, training, alignment and strength.

she will benefit from developing strong muscles, gaining balance and coordination and forming bonds with other ballerinas and teachers, and she will build confidence in her performance on the stage. these are healthy, direct effects of her studying.

but even a ballerina is bound by gravity.

her body will undergo severe stresses that can cause temporary or permanent damages to her body. for example, if, like many students, she breaks a toe when she starts "en pointe" and does not allow it to heal properly, she will have crooked toes. if she is undernourished, endures regular, hard physical exercise, or has a lower than average fat/lean ratio, she will likely start menstruation later than her peers. she is at a higher risk to experiment with calorie deficits and develop an eating disorder. and, finally, she may experience psychological distress from physical and technical perfectionism.

prima ballerinas personify one of the most internationally recognized fairy tale endings. every little girl has dreamt of picking up handfuls of flowers and smelling them for hours after a brilliant performance. 

but few have the audacity and the fortitude... nor will their bodies allow it.

and yet, even though ballet is not for all of us, there remain exciting challenges for the non-professional athletes.   the amazing thing about our bodies is that they can be stretched to amazing lengths, if only we apply ourselves...

the "feel good" hormone

i hate running.  i have never enjoyed the burning in my lungs, the jolting of my joints, and the achingly repetitive motion.  but saturday morning i rallied some motivation from my inner depths, and i ran.  i biked one mile for a quick warm-up, ran six miles, and biked one mile home to cool-down.

much to my dismay, i had fun.  the sun was out, the trail was busy, birds were chirping... it was beautiful.  and i think i've learned that i never liked running, not because of the physical stress, but because i was bored.  my lungs didn't burn that bad, and my joints were fine...  and i felt great for the rest of the day.  was it the fresh air?  or the vitamin d?  or the endorphins?!

endorphins are endogenous morphine.  or, literally, "morphine produced naturally in the body."  except that there is no chance of addiction or dependence!

who wouldn't want an endorphin rush?!

endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus during exercise, excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm.  they resemble opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being.  and we can all trigger endorphin release.  we can participate in strenuous exercise, meditate, receive acupuncture or massage therapy, or make babies!  seriously, sex is a potent trigger for endorphin release and placental tissue, formed during pregnancy, excretes beta-endorphins into the maternal body system from the third month of pregnancy.

whether it was the beautiful day or the endorphins, i was inspired.  i ran again this morning and enjoyed myself, again.  have i found a new hobby?