Page 102 - Demo

102 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JULY 2015to stop the contractions. I was incapacitated. I had to call the nurses any time I needed help moving side to side or up and down in the bed. I was only allowed water, broth, Popsicles, and ice chips. Monday morning rolled around, and I was 4 centimeters dilated. The doctor on staff said you%u2019re not going home you%u2019re having a baby today, tomorrow, or the next day. No sweat! I had my birth team, Kevin, my doula Kris, and my aunt Beverly (my mom died 3 years ago so my aunt was the person I chose to be there) who happens to be a retired labor and delivery nurse. I labored from about 9:30am until 4:30pm on my hands and knees on the edge of the bed. Each time I had a contraction Kevin would massage my back which is what we learned in the natural birthing class. My doula would coach me on breathing, and I would squeeze my aunt%u2019s hands. This was how I could best cope with the pain from the contractions. The doctor that was on staff that day was very flexible. He allowed my doula and I to run the room and respected my wishes for a natural birth. I was on an IV since I had been admitted Saturday night. I also had fetal monitoring. However, that was it! No other medical interventions, not even pain medications. Dr. Martinez came in at 4:30pm, and I was 9.5 centimeters dilated. At that point my doula and Kevin made sure I didn%u2019t wimp out because I almost did. At that point the contractions were very intense. My team did their job in helping support a natural vaginal birth without medical intervention. My midwife was allowed to come into the room then and helped coach me on the %u201cpush%u201d while the doctor delivered a healthy baby boy, we named Grayson. Our birth did not go according to our plans, but according to God%u2019s perfect plan. In the end it all worked out. We women need to support one another and continue to promote birth without fear. I felt amazing after. Grayson was in the NICU for 10 days. He was born on Monday night, and I was released on Wednesday afternoon. He did not have any infections, but he just needed to gain weight in order to be released. Those 10 days allowed for my recovery, an easier adjustment to #momlife, breastfeeding education, and learning how to care for our newborn. Once home I carried Grayson in a wrap as much as possible and even slept with him on me at night. Being a premie, he should have still been inside of me another few weeks. Babies thrive with human contact from their mothers, especially skin-to-skin and breastmilk. In primitive cultures and in many other countries, moms carry their babies with them all the time. They can easily catch cues for hunger, sleep, and elimination, meeting their baby%u2019s needs without any crying. Many think letting a baby cry it out is best. If you ignore a baby%u2019s cry they grow up thinking their needs aren%u2019t important. My message to moms and couples is more than returning to your pre-pregnancy body, it%u2019s about giving our children a good start in life, especially their physical and emotional health. Years 0-6 are crucial for their health and emotional well-being. Infants whose continuum needs are fulfilled during the early, inarms phase grow up to have greater self-esteem and become more independent than those whose cries go unanswered for fear of spoiling them or making them too dependent. I didn%u2019t start working out until almost 6 weeks postpartum per my midwife%u2019s orders. That first month back in the gym, I only had time to work out once a week. Then, by the next month I was able to work out twice a week, which didn%u2019t affect my milk supply. Before giving birth I only did cardio once a week. As a Chek Holistic Lifestyle Coach, #forktomouthcurls are key, no matter what age, sex, or shape you are in. After birth I didn%u2019t do any cardio, I only lifted weights twice a week. My consistent proper nutrition helped tremendously in my postpartum transformation. I%u2019m 10 months postpartum, still nursing my son, and I%u2019ve only taught 4 cardio kickboxing classes. Yes I%u2019ve only done 4 hours of cardio in 10 months%u2019 time. Personally, I wasn%u2019t in a rush to get my body