Rhea Dempsey in Frankston

Yesterday Rhea Dempsey, a Melbourne Birth Worker, Child Birth Educator and Counsellor came to speak to Peninsula Birth Support Group. The topic was originally 'Healing after a Caesarean', but it turned out that all attendees had only had vaginal births. So instead, we discussed all things birth, physiology, psychology and support. Rhea discussed the timelines of birth for primiparous (first pregnancy) and multiparous (second and subsequent pregnancy) and how the body has memory of opening in the first labour. As long as the baby is in an okay position and there have been no major changes in your life (new partner, your mother or child dying), and the baby came out of your vagina in some way, your second birth will inevitable be shorter and easier. Good to know for those of us that had had long or complicated labours! Her definition of established labour in a primiparous woman (a first labour) commencing when there have been 2-3 contractions in ten minutes lasting at least thirty seconds for at least an hour, to an hour and a half. In terms of cervical dilation, this would be around 4 centimetres. This would be the time for your birth support to be coming to attend. Multiparous women (second and subsequent labours) only need around three contractions, lasting thirty seconds to be in established labour, and dilation would be around 7 centimetres. It is an interesting thought that physiologically, these time frames are how the body works, and outside of this, something is holding the body back ( This is Rhea's theory anyway).

She also discussed that in first births if there are emotional or psychological issues, then these do effect the birth process. This can mean a long labour, precipitate labour, difficulty pushing the baby out, or being unable do deal with the sensations or pain. In second birhs, if the baby has previously come out of your vagina, emotional and psychological problems do not cause as many issues, because the body knows what it is doing, it has done it before. Physiology takes over, and the baby is born. 

This brings my thoughts to my labour with Charlotte. Why was it so long? Yes I guess the first day or so could be counted as prelabour perhaps. But why were my contractions regular, and then space out to ten minutely? In my mind, I had previously been thinking, 'If we had just stayed at home six hours longer (the time we were in hospital before she was born), Charlotte would have been born. I blamed (blame?) my midwife for making the wrong call. I arrived early at the talk yesterday, and was able to talk to Rhea about this. She said there is perhaps something about the hospital that makes you feel safe, that home did not have for you. strange, because from all I have seen, hospital is not a safe place for the majority of babies to be born. Nevertheless, this is something I need to ponder.

We also discussed the 'Primal woman'. When did I turn into the reckless, no talk, wild labouring woman? From the timelines she outlined (as above) I don't think this neccessarily coincides with transition. I didn't get there at home.

 I still had my thinking head on at home, primal woman did not arrive until I was in a bright unfamiliar room with strangers in tow.

Primal woman- naked and roaring. What was it inhibiting her?