{"id":654,"date":"2021-05-15T22:24:36","date_gmt":"2021-05-15T22:24:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.mutusystem.com\/en-us\/?p=654"},"modified":"2023-12-15T10:59:02","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T10:59:02","slug":"could-be-anything-youve-had-a-lot-of-drugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mutusystem.com\/en-us\/post-birth-recovery\/could-be-anything-youve-had-a-lot-of-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"This is my birth story – Wendy Powell (MUTU Founder)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\u201cI believed my body let me down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I know that women\u2019s bodies are strong, adaptable, powerful and occasionally capable of miracles. But I have \u2018wobbled\u2019 on 2 fairly major occasions to maintain that belief, namely my very own birth story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us have had traumatic or physically damaging birth experiences and just as many have fantastic, unassisted and empowering experiences (I applaud you whilst being just slightly<\/em> envious).<\/p>\n\n\n\n I needed to re-think the advertising for my pregnancy and postnatal personal training business after I had my first baby in 2005. I had been one of those trainers who with the very best of intentions would assure clients how easy their birth could be if they just followed the correct pregnancy exercise regime. How quickly they would pop out their baby with their finely tuned pelvic floor muscles and how swiftly they would zing back to energetic gorgeousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My births did not go according to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I felt short-changed, bitter and broken. It was so unfair. I\u2019d \u2018done everything right\u2019. I had eaten and exercised by the book, so how come none of it worked out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n My daughter was a damaging ventouse delivery after 28 hours labor; postpartum hemorrhage; a \u2018manual evacuation\u2019 (yuk) and a catalogue of gruesome and crappy moments which I won\u2019t bore you with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her brother was born nearly 2 years later, a natural birth with the full support of doctors who assured me that there was \u2018no reason why it would happen again\u2019. His birth was glorious \u2013 but then the hemorrhage came again and this time it was vicious. Paramedic helicopter, theatre and a whole series of \u2018procedures\u2019. A terrified looking nurse told me the next day how she \u2018thought we\u2019d lost you there\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At one point I asked, \u2018Where did that bruise come from?\u2019 as I groggily noticed yet another angry needle site. She shrugged \u2018Could be anything, Love. You\u2019ve had a LOT of drugs\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I recovered I was mad. Mad with my body for letting me down. Twice. Bitter because it wasn\u2019t fair. Other women could do it\u2026 why couldn\u2019t I? Women who weren\u2019t as fit\/ strong\/ healthy\/ \u2018knowledgeable\u2019 as I was. I had wanted \u2018that natural birth\u2019 so badly. What was the point of all that preparation and exercise? What did I do wrong?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back at home my midwife put it in perspective and stopped me feeling quite so sorry for myself. \u2018You think most women can still squat after 24 hours of labour?\u2019 she asked. She reminded me of my strength and stamina. Of my core and strength and how my nutritional knowledge had enabled me to nourish my body so quickly back to vitality after such massive blood loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It helped a little. But the bigger result was it gave me purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mother Nature and my Midwife taught me that there is an awful lot about labor and birth that really is in the Lap of the Gods. We can do some things to help\u2026 and by eating for optimum health, exercising to restore, and having confidence and respect for our body, I think we empower it to do (and bounce back from) incredible things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We play the hand we\u2019re dealt. Our babies are born (thank God\u2026 and Doctors and Midwives\u2026). And then we start to heal. It makes me so sad to see women being made to feel they should or could have done it better \/ more naturally \/ more beautifully \/ more anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cCould be anything. You\u2019ve had a LOT of drugs\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s hard giving birth. We did good, however we do it.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n