Native Lifestyle While Pregnant

Being pregnant is tough when you are Alaska Native. You are told by so many people not to do this and not to do that. In the winter, people kept telling me, "You shouldn't be riding a snowmachine. You might crash and have a miscarriage." In the summer, when my family and I went boating and fishing, people kept telling me I might go into labor upriver. I was told not to go out the ocean to check the crab pot because it was too rough. I was told not to go on long road trips because I might get caught in traffic and have my baby in the car. 

I didn't heed what others said. Instead, I went ahead and went boating, fishing, checking the crab pot, and took long car rides. I knew my body. I had two kids before this pregnancy so I threw out all those suggestions and went with what my body told me. I didn't have any pregnancy complications besides nausea and fatigue early on. I wasn't going to let my pregnancy stop me from living the traditional lifestyle. 

I was boating, fishing, and berry picking until I was 8 1/2 months pregnant.  

Fishing at main river by my in-law's cabin

Because we live in rural Alaska, our healthcare is limited to health aides and one physician. We aren't given the option to give birth in our hometown in case of emergencies. Pregnant women from our region are sent via airplane to Nome a month prior to their due dates because that is the only way to and from most rural Alaskan villages (besides snowmachine in winter time). I told our clinic I was not going to waste a month of my summer away from home when I can be out in the country and filling our freezer with fish and berries. We decided that we would fly into Anchorage, rather than Nome, to deliver our baby, but we wouldn't leave until the week before her due date. Turns out we didn't make a bad decision. 

Our baby doll 7 lbs 13 oz, 21 in long

Cassidy was born August 5th at 2:54 am. She turned out perfectly fine, regardless of the fact that I went snowmachining, boating, road tripping, and staying in my village longer than suggested. 

Cassidy at 5 months old