Friend #1 Answers to Questionnaire

1. i have been a professional dancer all my life, which has prepared me for any kind of bodily experience...from exercise to trauma to birthing. i figured: when (the shit hit the fan or) things got intense, i would breathe!!! i also figured: women have been doing this for years, so how bad could it be?!

2. about once a month

3. female ob-gyn

4. i spoke with friends who had been pregnant and did some research and took abirthing class (just one day)
-then i got a doula (early on) and talked through some options.
-i am very decisive, but knew that birthing can bring forth unexpected circumstances, so i wanted to do what would be best for my baby. thus, i had decided that if i were to be induced with pitocin that i would request an epidural. i've heard that pitocin makes contractions much more painful than "natural" birthing pain, and i also became aware that dosages of epidurals are minimal these days, allowing you to labor and feel the contractions, which i found to be true. i was overdue and had to be induced (first with a balloon-type device overnight, then with pitocin in the morning). i requested the epidural, and everything went so smoothly that i would do it again in a heartbeat.

5. hospital: alta bates, berkeley

6. hospital: alta bates, berkeley

7. vaginally

8. yes

9. the plan was: don't overplan. i mean, would you plan your death? exactly. i knew that if i were to get pitocin that i would also request an epidural. i also knew that before it got unbearable i might also request an epidural. in the event of an emergency c-section, it is good to already have anepidural in place to avoid general anaesthesia. also, those trippy paindrugs (not the epidurals but the ones that make you loopy) remove some of your capacity to act rationally---they make you "out of it"---so i prefer the localization of the epidural, which numbs (only partially) your body, but not your brain.

10. not exactly, but there was one (only one) irregular heartbeat during my check up the day before i was supposed to be induced (planned), so they induced that night instead to avoid any future irregular heartbeats during contractions. this was probably extra precautionary, but it was fine with me to be "better safe than sorry."

11. i am someone who knows my body well, and i really trusted both my instincts and medical knowledge. in other words, i did not buy into the myth that a"completely natural" birth (without drugs) is the best way to go. i loved my epidural and still had a completely involved birthing experience, pushing with each contraction and all! it was easy as pie and very straightforward. i used a combination of prior/existing bodily knowledge, doula's advice(and coaching during labor; plus husband coaching/soothing with her), and advice from my friends/books with medical knowledge.
-i found the second trimester the most energetic, and even performed in and choreographed a dance duet for myself and another 7-month pregnant dancer. nevertheless, i was not at all obsessed about working out, dancing, or exercising during pregnancy, and i find this to be an asset. pregnancy is not olympic training, and it's most important to listen to one's body, cravings, rest impulses, etc. i took prenatal vitamins. i also engaged in a fairly strenuous academic schedule, but then rested a lot the last month. and slept a lot throughout. and ate a ton. i gained 40 pounds, and was comfortable with it. i think that it's important to find a great source of advice during one's first pregnancy, such as a doula or best friend.