Breathing – Pattie A

As I continued to read and finish Get Me Out by Randi Hutter Epstein, my knowledge of a female pregnancy has expanded. The last parts of the book really opened my eyes to the evolution of science in general and the extremes a female, wanting to be and or an expecting mother is willing to take to ensure a healthy baby or just start a family overall.

Back in the 18 and 1900’s, getting pregnant was not something for everyone. Science back then was still finding its ways with many theories on how to ensure a healthy pregnancy and child. One of these theories included DES, which was a pill that mothers would take during pregnancy to ensure a healthy “chubby” baby. All though tests were taken to prove that it technically caused more harm than good, many females continued to use it, grasping to the small percentage left of actually having good results. Today, many females who took DES suffer the consequences after it was learned that girls (daughters of DES users) have a high chance of not being able to produce a child themselves;  “discovered to be at increased risk for being born with malformations of the reproductive organs and later faced elevated rates of infertility and miscarriages themselves.”

Today, we see commercials, ads, programs and such that promote childbirth and protected sex. In this comes a healthy mind and body. Miscarriages isn’t something new to the world. According to Baby Center, about 10-20% of known pregnancies end up in miscarriages and the numbers slowly increase as time progresses. Yes, there are scientific studies and tests that have been conducted to prove why miscarriages happen, but not many people actually take under consideration that their own health is a key factor; “… 1990 study found that stress reduction with behavior therapy helped 34 of 54 women in an infertility clinic get pregnant” (106-107). As humans, it is in our nature to be stressed one can say. We go on and about in our everyday lives that we get blinded to things that actually stress us out. Not seeing what stresses us out sometimes stresses us out more, which releases stress hormones to the body. Too much stress can lead to a lack of sleep, anxiety, depression and for some women, skipping menstrual cycles.

When a female starts having irregular menstrual cycles, it can lead to serious effects that one tends to ignore. The body starts holding in toxins and can lead to problems when it comes to pregnancy. It’s easy for one to do a quick Google search on how to get pregnant and all these links and tips pop up. Most of these say to have regular sex, check the calendar to see when your time of the month is and plan around/accordingly, take vitamins and so on, but many people still pay little to no attention to their health.

When pregnant, it is important to remain calm and relaxed. It is normal to get food cravings during pregnancy which result in weight gain. Weight gain during pregnancy is normal but too much is pushing the risks. During a pregnancy, the soon to be mother is focusing on the baby shower, decorating the room, etc. Yes, these things may seem cute, but sometimes do take a toll on a mother, as everything needs to be “perfect”. Apart from getting prepared for the baby, a mother deals with other stresses and medical check-ups.

In general, dealing with stress and hormones is a challenge for all. When something consumes us to a point, we tend to “overuse” ourselves. During a pregnancy, a mother goes through an “emotional” ride and as females, we tend to be stubborn in our own ways, sometimes thinking we can handle the situation all by ourselves. Being pregnant is not an easy thing. One has to think about what kind of birth they want, home or hospital, money, etc. A mom gets so caught up that she herself forgets to breath.

 

 

 

 

It’s not expressed enough how important it is to be relaxed during a pregnancy. That’s the best possible medication on Earth – breath. Yes, it will/may be hard, but it’s important to keep things safe and simple. If anything goes wrong, we tend to rely on medications, which is not a good thing. Introducing a child to medication before he/she is even born is a direct VIP path to risks. Eating healthy, working out (to a certain extreme) and meditation is the most important thing a mom can do if she truly wants a healthy child; “How you view childbirth is a reflection of your philosophy of life” (167). At the end of the day, a mother has two choices, either rely on medication for a healthy child or two, take care of yourself, take care of your baby naturally and breath.