Fibroid horror stories are NOT the only stories.
Did you know that Uterine fibroids affect almost 50% of women of childbearing age?
However, despite what many ob-gyns may say, you can still plan and prepare for a healthy vaginal birth if you have fibroids.
Most Fibroid pregnancies don't have serious complications. In fact, my mother birthed me vaginally, at home, unmedicated, sans complications with fibroids. So, this post is dedicated to all of the positivity in support of your beautiful, safe, and successful fibroid pregnancy without complication.
A Healthy Pregnancy Begins in the Mind
If you've been following my blog from the beginning, then you are familiar with the very first post titled 'Mindset for Wellness" , where I discuss how your mindset influences how you make sense of the world, and how you make sense of yourself. With this understanding, comes the realization that this mindset must be applied to your healthy pregnancy as well.
There is so much negative noise around fibroids and the pregnant body that a new mama can become overwhelmed with one-sided statistics. These uninvited thoughts can take up space in the mind and shift the outcome of your birth if you let it. The cure for a negative thought is a positive affirmation.
Three Ways to Shift Your Mama Mindset
A small change in mindset can significantly impact your health and the health of your womb, baby and pregnancy. Here are three simple ways to keep your mind pointed toward positivity in your pregnancy:
1. Incorporate meditation and breath-work in your daily routine: Start and end each day by simply sitting in silence and taking deep breaths. Allow the vision of the labor and delivery outcome you desire flash through your consciousness. Whenever someone or something tries to challenge the plan you have for yourself and your birth you push back by going inward and holding onto your vision.
2. Drown out negative thoughts with positive affirmations: Quickly catch negative thinking and drown these thoughts out with a big, positive affirmation. Create a positive affirmation for every single negative thought or comment that has crossed your mind, and be prepared to shout it (or think it) every second throughout the day. I personally record myself speaking or singing my affirmations in voice notes on my mobile phone, and then I play my track whenever I need a boost (ie. in the shower, in the car, working out, cooking, cleaning etc.) during the day. This track can also support you during labor.
3. Be intentional about your personal growth: flood your consciousness with music, TV programs and books that reinforce positive thoughts around vaginal delivery with fibroids, fibroid pregnancy without surgery, etc. And on the flipside, avoid people, articles and conversations that are rooted in fear and negativity. If your current doctor does not support vaginal/natural delivery with fibroids then you should switch doctors. If it's not medically necessary to deliver in a hospital then don't, and find a midwife and doula who have experience with the delivery you desire.
If a hospital is your birth place of choice, find a doctor who has experience with supporting moms as they deliver vaginally with fibroids. Make sure that every nurse who enters your birth space is pro-vaginal delivery with fibroids.
No matter where you choose to give birth, your team needs to be in your corner, believing you can do it, supporting you doing it, and not wanting you to do it any other way.
Fibroid Horror Stories Are Not The Only Stories
There is so much power in sharing your story. When we hear stories of other mamas successfully birthing with fibroids, it increases our confidence and tunes up our own power. Every negative story and comment mamas hear that are in opposition to what she desires requires a positive story to counter it. Knowing this, I've gathered real-life comments from mamas who have successfully given birth with fibroids, both vaginally and by c-section.
Gerpla's Birth Story
"This sweet little girl had to share my uterus with a 9 cm fibroid for 9 months. No real complications. Born via c-section, planned for other reasons. The horror stories aren't the only stories. Most fibroid pregnancies don't have serious complications. Keep calm and stay off google;)"
"Having fibroids doesn't mean you have to have a horrible pregnancy, or that you can't carry full term" – Babybeautisme
Momofone617's Birth Story
"I have a positive fibroid story. I had terrible pain before getting pregnant due to the fibroids. The pain stopped when I got pregnant. I went to my due date and delivered naturally with no complications other than hemorrhaging which they got under control quickly. The fibroids went from 1 at 2.5 cm to 2 at 12 cm each and multiple smaller ones. I loved being pregnant! My son is now 11 months old and perfectly healthy."
Lifeisgood8's Positive Birth Story
"I had a healthy baby delivered vaginally despite 2 large fibroids. They did cause premature rupture of membranes at 36 weeks, but the baby was not impacted in anyway. I was regularly monitored via ultrasound every 4 weeks. My gyno said the fibroids are much more common than it seems. Many women apparently have little to no complications in her experience. I was apprehensive initially too, but in the end everything turned out beautifully! I know it's hard not to worry, but stay positive and best wishes!"
Rtperry's Positive Birth Story
"I have two fibroids, and the larger one is low lying and pedunculated. It started at 5 cm and grew during pregnancy to at least 8 cm before it became too difficult to measure due to baby’s size. I had regular growth ultrasounds during pregnancy, and delivered my 9 lb 12 oz boy naturally at 41 weeks!"
Fibroids often shrink after pregnancy. In one study, researchers found that, 3 to 6 months after delivery, 70% of women who had live births saw their fibroids shrink more than 50%. -WebMD
You Can Have a Safe and Healthy Birth With Fibroids
In the words of my father, "energy follows thought", and whatever you focus on will indeed flourish. So if you want a particular birth outcome, you can not engage in thoughts or conversations that will weaken your belief in yourself or your body. If Lebron James wouldn't hire a trainer who has never coached a champion, then why would you choose a doctor or midwife who is anti-natural/vaginal/non-surgical birth with fibroids? You can have an uncomplicated, natural birth with fibroids, but you must first know that you can.
So go and prepare for your unforeseen good. Allow every thought and every act to express your unwavering faith in yourself, your body and your baby.
Click HERE for more positive fibroid birth stories. If you need a pro-vaginal birth with fibroids doula, click here. And if you have a positive story of your birth with fibroids then I invite you to share in the comments below.