Being circumcised in adulthood has been compared to going colourblind. Would you let a colourblind man choose your curtains?

A good Circumcision Resource page can be found at: http://www.icgi.org/birth_care_providers.htm

This page contains videos, articles, and pamphlets that discuss various aspects of the circumcision decision, as well as care of the intact child. Included is “The Prepuce,” a video produced by George Denniston, M.D., that discusses in detail the anatomy and functions of the foreskin.

I had similar issues with baby 1 and 2. With the second one, I had latch issues right away. I was disappointed b/c I had just finished breastfeeding my first child at the beginning of my third trimester of pregnancy with my second. So, I felt like I should be a pro-nurser at that point. But, I knew how to nurse a toddler. I didn’t remember all the newborn challenges. Anyway, I had an IBCLC come to my house the second I got home from the hospital and that helped a lot and we happily nursed for 22-months.

Love that you posted local resources. It’s so essential to have local contacts on hand! I’m so happy you were able to change the pattern in your family (so many of my friends who were not breastfed, didn’t even think to do it themselves, oddly. What, with all the current, wonderful information on benefits, etc.)

I’m so thankful that the military hospital in which I delivered both of my girls, does not do these on a routine basis . Even during the tour, the staff even told us that they try hard to avoid them. But, I still made it very clear in my birth plan that I did not want one.

I’m also grateful I had a waterbirth with my second one. As you know, water helps soften the area and, therefore, can help reduce tearing and so on and so forth.

During my first birth, after a slippery rope of events, mostly due lack of proper education on my part, I gave birth after an epidural and hours of pit. I feel I never bonded properly with my daughter and we still struggle to this day. Fortunatly, I was able to breastfeed and babywhere her into toddlerhood - without that, I don’t know where we’d be.

During my second pregnancy, I got my hands on everything I possibly could about natural childbirth, hired a doula and took charge. The end result was a beautiful waterbirth. It was the most empowering experience I’ve ever had in my life. Lila’s birth trumps any day I have ever had in my life - including my wedding. I was eurphoric for days and the feeling of complete contentment lives on in our relationship today. What a difference natural birth makes!

So many women get sucked into believing that birth is a medical procedure, when it doesn’t have to be, and miss out on a journey of a lifetime. This blog is a testiment that it doesn’t have to be that way - birth is normal! Great work, Beth!

In the intro paragraph I recommend to make an invitation - along the lines… we really want this birth to be as active and upright as possible and hope you(the staff) will use all the skills and knowledge you have to help us to have as non-interventive birth as possible. We look forward to suggestions on positions, massage techniques, etc etc

And instead of writing

~I prefer not to be separated from my birth partner during hospital stay. I would encourage couples to write: my partner really helps me stay calm and focused and we want to stay together continuously.
other possible edits.
I hope to drink liquids and eat fruit - to keep myself hydrated.
I want my membranes to release on their own - even if that means the baby is born in the caul
I hope to be active and upright but also patient and let labor find a rhythm of its own - as long as the baby is doing fine I am fine laboring on and on and on.
We would love suggests on non-pharmacological ways of dealing with the pain. Please note in our chart that “patient prefers not to be offered pain medication”. We do have a code word (which we will share) that when I say that it means “don’t talk me out of pain medications anymore” But until that time, please use all your skills in offering alternatives to medications.
We would love your suggestions as to where the best place to walk is and hope you will help us make sure we have access to a ball, an armless chair, a rocking chair. We have brought our own yoga mats.
We look forward to intermittent monitoring.
We are very concerned about privacy and hope you will help us limit the numbers who are present to just our support team, the doctor/midwife and the minimum number of nursing staff.
Thanks for being part of our support team on this special day - one that we will never forget - the day we welcomed our baby.

Gotta go - don’t know why I am writing you such a lengthy email……sorry I got on a roll of thinking about birth plans! Too often as i have travelled around to various hospitals, staff sometimes admit to equating length of birth = chances of cesarean. And that’s sad when they are seen as a barrier - not a communication tool.