This is a lovely pictorial review of the natural home water birth of twins. Birthed by mommy and daddy with midwives and family and friends WATCHING! Hands off birth- with the second twin being born with an intact caul! Absolutely beautiful!!!!
Showing posts with label natural childbirth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural childbirth. Show all posts
Friday, November 26, 2010
Fixing the Licenced Medwife Problem
This is an excellent press release from Claire Hall- addressing the problem of some licensed midwives. Midwives- or medwives as I call some of them- are under the control of the Medical Machine and the patriarchal godhead that removes all control of birthing from the mother, pushing women through the obstetrical cookie cutter as fast as they can process them.
Some Midwives in Canada and America have fallen prey to the notion that birth is a medical procedure to be managed and controlled. I will not argue that having a midwife attended birth is far better than being dominated and suppressed by omnipotent doctors with a tee off time, but we need to ask ourselves: is "Better" good enough? Shouldn't we be striving for "best"? Many of our licensed midwives do the best they can working within the parameters that they are "allowed", but when those parameters are set up by oppressive medical associations that both fear and loathe free thinking women and uncontrolled birth, how are they to truly empower women to take charge of their births? I have met so many wonderful midwives and been horrified by their stories of how hospital administrators and staff undermine their autonomy at every turn, throwing continuous obstacles in their way and raising the hurdles with every passing year. "Jump through this hoop or else!"..... is it any wonder that there are so many medwives now practising in our two countries?
The time has come to break the cycle of control. The time has come for midwives to take back their power and use it to empower the women they serve.
But there is HOPE!!!!
Gloria Lemay is holding midwifery classes- classes that will no doubt teach the true empowerment of women and the real necessary training and skills needed to be a MIDwife!!! Her courses start in December and will cover these topics:
Dec 2 Female Pelvis-anatomy and physiology
Dec 9 Medical Terminology
Dec 16 Prenatal Clinic visit
2011
Jan 6 Palpation, Blood pressure
Jan 13 Rh negative blood type
Jan 20 Fetal circulation
Jan 27 Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Feb 3 Cervix—effacement, dilation
Feb 10 Confident nutrition counseling
Feb 17 Gestational diabetes prevention, screening
Feb 24 Anemia and blood work
March 3 Water birth
March 10 Genetics for midwives
March 17 Perineum, preventing tears
March 24 Newborn exam
March 31 Placenta (cut and clamp cord, examining)
April 7 Twins and breech presentations
April 14 Teaching childbirth education
And are you ready for this? The cost of taking these courses is $7.99 per 60 min session. You can choose individual classes or the entire curriculum of 19 classes ($110)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For more information about Gloria's amazing midwifery course, please go HERE
For more of Claire Hall's excellent writing, please go HERE
For more information about the wondrous phenomena called BIRTH please visit The Trust Birth Initiative
Some Midwives in Canada and America have fallen prey to the notion that birth is a medical procedure to be managed and controlled. I will not argue that having a midwife attended birth is far better than being dominated and suppressed by omnipotent doctors with a tee off time, but we need to ask ourselves: is "Better" good enough? Shouldn't we be striving for "best"? Many of our licensed midwives do the best they can working within the parameters that they are "allowed", but when those parameters are set up by oppressive medical associations that both fear and loathe free thinking women and uncontrolled birth, how are they to truly empower women to take charge of their births? I have met so many wonderful midwives and been horrified by their stories of how hospital administrators and staff undermine their autonomy at every turn, throwing continuous obstacles in their way and raising the hurdles with every passing year. "Jump through this hoop or else!"..... is it any wonder that there are so many medwives now practising in our two countries?
The time has come to break the cycle of control. The time has come for midwives to take back their power and use it to empower the women they serve.
MEDIA RELEASE: The Licensed Midwife Problem
by Claire Hall on Wednesday, 24 November 2010 at 18:09
MEDIA RELEASE:
Claire Hall invites the Trust Birth Initiative and all those who trust birth to end our medicalised midwife problem. It has been insidious in its encroachment of a woman’s right of autonomy over her own body, birth and baby. “The pervasive need for licensure creates a one dimensional view of birth – that of treating everything as a potential life threatening emergency – while at the same time creating a legal mine field for practitioners and trampling underfoot the basic human rights of women,” said Claire Hall, a midwife and protector of women’s knowledge.
For decades, women have been subjected to navigating the above ground medical system and myriads of tests and interventions, all the while taking it on faith that their care provider is skilled at attending births. Our current birth statistics indicate clearly that they do NOT possess such skills. Recent statistics in Australia alone indicate that 67% of women undergo some form of chemical induction/augmentation or major abdominal surgery. Depression and Post Traumatic Shock Syndrome statistics are continuing to rise, and mother/baby dynamics lay shattered all over the industrialised world. This disaster is has lifelong negative implications for the baby, for the mother, for the family, and ultimately for society. We need to address this issue before the deceptive mantra of “licensed equals’ safety” permanently permeates the public’s conscientiousness.
These statistics reflect a common misconception that birth is inherently dangerous, and that a licensed professional in attendance eliminates this danger. This belief leads women into the hands of a medicalised system that does not understand or respect the true nature of physiological birth without ever realising that the true power and safety lies within themselves. The knowledge of pregnancy, birth and mothering is the right of ALL women, and it has been progressively hidden from women by the medical profession with protocols and technology.
It is abundantly clear that legislation needs to be introduced to protect women and babies from such assaults and trauma, and all birth attendants must undergo accreditation from lay midwifes in how to sit on hands, and treat birthing mothers with the respect and authority they deserve. It is the goal of Claire Hall, The Trust Birth Initiative and other representative bodies of women’s rights to ensure women all around the world – not just the 50 states of America – have equal access to safe and affordable pregnancy and birth choices.
Ensuring all birth attendants have a trust and sound knowledge of true physiological birth is the only way we can address this medicalisation of midwifery. The licensed Midwife problem is a pressing issue that needs to be dealt with as a matter of urgency, as true autonomy for women disappears conversely as the amount of licensed Midwives rise.
“It is tantamount to the future of this country, and indeed the world, that the knowledge and authority over birth be returned to the individual woman so that she may choose the safest option for her and her family,”said Claire Hall.
But there is HOPE!!!!
Gloria Lemay is holding midwifery classes- classes that will no doubt teach the true empowerment of women and the real necessary training and skills needed to be a MIDwife!!! Her courses start in December and will cover these topics:
Dec 2 Female Pelvis-anatomy and physiology
Dec 9 Medical Terminology
Dec 16 Prenatal Clinic visit
2011
Jan 6 Palpation, Blood pressure
Jan 13 Rh negative blood type
Jan 20 Fetal circulation
Jan 27 Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
Feb 3 Cervix—effacement, dilation
Feb 10 Confident nutrition counseling
Feb 17 Gestational diabetes prevention, screening
Feb 24 Anemia and blood work
March 3 Water birth
March 10 Genetics for midwives
March 17 Perineum, preventing tears
March 24 Newborn exam
March 31 Placenta (cut and clamp cord, examining)
April 7 Twins and breech presentations
April 14 Teaching childbirth education
And are you ready for this? The cost of taking these courses is $7.99 per 60 min session. You can choose individual classes or the entire curriculum of 19 classes ($110)!!!!!!!!!!!!!
For more information about Gloria's amazing midwifery course, please go HERE
For more of Claire Hall's excellent writing, please go HERE
For more information about the wondrous phenomena called BIRTH please visit The Trust Birth Initiative
Monday, November 1, 2010
Birth of a new Blog: Birth Without Fear
I want to introduce you to a new Blog that I think you will all enjoy: "Birth Without Fear" I have been "friends" on Facebook with Birth Without fear for a while now and she always writes great articles and posts suportive comments about natural childbirth and all that topic entails.
What is a Birth Without Fear?
What exactly does it mean to birth without fear? It took me 4 births to finally experience what it is like to birth with no fears. The way I can start is the easiest way for anyone… share my experiences. I hope that through sharing what my journey has been like that you may find inspiration and maybe learn from my mistakes and my triumphs! It is my hope that from there this blog can take off and be a wonderful place to educate and support women in healing, educating and having empowering experiences in childbirth!HERE to read the entire Intro to Birth Without Fear
When I say my mistakes, I do not mean that harshly. I learned and grew greatly from the things I realized I should have done differently. Then I took that new knowledge and did the best I could the next time. I think as women though, we need to fill a very big void. As girls we don’t see our mothers or aunts giving birth. We don’t hear how normal and wonderful it can be. Instead, images of purple face pushing, feet in stirrups, pregnant mama screaming in excruciating pain and the father clueless is our exposure of what birth is. What can we do then?
Next I HAVE to post Birth Without Fear's latest article- which made me laugh and giggle!! So if you want great info on birth I highly recommend "following" Birth Without Fear"
10 Stupid Things You Never Want to Say to a Pregnant Mama
After asking this question on the Birth Without Fear Facebook page, I came up with a top 10 list. This is to help all of you think twice before you speak. Remember, birth is beautiful and so is the pregnant mama. Treat her with kindness and respect. If you can’t do that, just remember, we are allowed to be hormonal. Don’t mess with us!!!
Here we go!
10. After mom has her baby, “You look like you have another one in there.”
9. “You ready to pop yet?” No, but I might pop you!
8. “You are crazy/brave. Just wait. You’ll want the epidural.”
7. “When are they going to induce? When are you due? They are going to let you go that far?” People, babies need to birth when they are ready! Leave them alone already!
6. Implying mom is too big or too small with comments like “Wow, you are really giving up your body, huh?” or “You don’t even look pregnant.”
5. Mentioning anything to do with population control, because you are proving we might as well begin with you.
4. Anything about babies dying. Really?!? Way to be positive.
3. “Don’t you know how THAT happens?” or “Have you ever heard of birth control?” Idiots.
2. “You guys are like rabbits.” Jealous much?
1. And the number one thing to never say to a pregnant mama is “Are you sure there aren’t twins in there?” Automatic fail!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Water birth pics- born in the caul!
Beautiful pictures taken of a mother and hubby labour in the the birth pool and birthing together. The baby is born in the caul and with the cord wrapped around his neck.... no emergency, the father just calmly and peacefully deals with it. Absolutely amazing and heart warming- a must view for all birth addicts (like me!)
To go along with my previous post – special thanks to Moses and his sweet family for allowing me to share these photos. My apprentice, Laura Tanner, took these beautiful photographs.
Mom had requested that she and her husband work alone during labor until pushing. We were in the room some, then we were there when things got hard, she called for me, offered ice cold washcloths for face/neck and something to drink. I also gave her soft, verbal encouragement towards the end.
The girls were awesome – they laughed a lot at the noises and were generally more interested in the movie they were watching (and entertaining the midwives!) than the labor.
HERE to view all the wonderful and empowering Birth Pictures
pics of a watched birth…
March 28, 2010
To go along with Mom had requested that she and her husband work alone during labor until pushing. We were in the room some, then we were there when things got hard, she called for me, offered ice cold washcloths for face/neck and something to drink. I also gave her soft, verbal encouragement towards the end.
The girls were awesome – they laughed a lot at the noises and were generally more interested in the movie they were watching (and entertaining the midwives!) than the labor.
HERE to view all the wonderful and empowering Birth Pictures
Thursday, July 29, 2010
"When Birthing Becomes a "Fetish""
I read this article and wanted to cry and rage. Cry, because it's so true. Rage, because it's so true. When will women stand up and realize that this is all just another way that women are subjugated, manipulated and repressed?
In North America women like to think of ourselves as "Feminists" (although many of us hate that particular term due to the mass misuse of it), as women who fight for equality, who stand up for ourselves and our Rights. If someone decided that women had to stand on the bus and let all the menfolk have the seats, you can bet there'd be a mass uprising across our continent that would make WWII look like a dinner party. Yet these same women who would stomp on anyone who tried to take away their Equal Rights cower and prostrate themselves before the almighty Medical machine that tells them to shut up and birth their babies like good little girls, drugged to the nines, feet up in the stirrups, push on command and then lay quietly while their babies are manhandled, slapped, poked, prodded, stuck with needles, blinded by bright lights and eye drops, weighed & measured, & washed, and finally delivered into their mothers care bundled up like a neat package delivered by the post man.
And then when women stand up for themselves and try to take back their births, try to normalize natural birth as it was intended to be, Idiots like this write letters to the editor of the NY Times saying:
But Guggie Daly's article "When Birthing Becomes a Fetish" says it all:
Yep, tears of sorrow and anger.
And the saddest part of this is that so many many women will actually buy into this. They'll point their fingers at the VBAC'ing, Homebirthing, Midwife Using women and call us "Abnormal" because WE are standing up for our Rights and the Rights of our babies. Because WE are taking back the births that were taken away from us by the medical machine and the Good Ol' Boys Club.
We Fight because we HAVE to. We speak out because we HAVE to.
The wonderful Gloria Lemay posted this on her blog and I think it is extremely relevant to this conversation:
In North America women like to think of ourselves as "Feminists" (although many of us hate that particular term due to the mass misuse of it), as women who fight for equality, who stand up for ourselves and our Rights. If someone decided that women had to stand on the bus and let all the menfolk have the seats, you can bet there'd be a mass uprising across our continent that would make WWII look like a dinner party. Yet these same women who would stomp on anyone who tried to take away their Equal Rights cower and prostrate themselves before the almighty Medical machine that tells them to shut up and birth their babies like good little girls, drugged to the nines, feet up in the stirrups, push on command and then lay quietly while their babies are manhandled, slapped, poked, prodded, stuck with needles, blinded by bright lights and eye drops, weighed & measured, & washed, and finally delivered into their mothers care bundled up like a neat package delivered by the post man.
And then when women stand up for themselves and try to take back their births, try to normalize natural birth as it was intended to be, Idiots like this write letters to the editor of the NY Times saying:
"Under new medical guidelines “natural birth” fetishists can more easily choose vaginal birth after a Caesarean, which results in what your article describes as “quite low” rates of uterine rupture (.7 to .9 percent).HERE to read the original comments
Low? How many severely injured women and brain-damaged babies with multimillion-dollar medical and education bills do those “low” rates yield? And for what benefit?
How many physician hours and medical malpractice insurance dollars are to be expended on the inevitable lawsuits brought by the angry parents who regret their choice?"
But Guggie Daly's article "When Birthing Becomes a Fetish" says it all:
HERE to read the original article
"If mamas who want a VBAC are called natural birth fetishists, then men who exercise, change their diet and take medications after heart surgery must be artery fetishists. And people who do physical therapy after spinal surgery are spine fetishists. People commend and praise those who are recovering from non-birth surgery. Someone who wants his body to work normally is applauded and encouraged. But for women who want normal birth? Clearly, nothing but surgery is good for those pregnant women. Hack it open, pull it out and pay those surgeons! Your body is evil and useless! Or so society tells them.
Why is normal birth attacked in our society? The lustful sexualisation of a woman's body influences the way our culture handles this situation. Just as nursing a child draws criticism and restrictions, so does pushing a child through our birth canal. For in a lustful culture, women are merely objectified, non-person beings present for the satisfaction of males. Therefore, their duality cannot be tolerated. Female breasts are for sexual foreplay only and a female vagina is for sexual intercourse only. A woman who wants to wear provocative clothing is praised. A woman who wants to nurse her child in public is condemned. A woman who goes in for surgery to remove her child is making the "safe choice" while a woman who tries to birth vaginally is a "fetishist." Notice the projection?
Because of this inequality, each person within the family unit is turned in violence towards the other, with both the mother and father turned against the child. The child, once seen as a symbol of the couple's unity and love, is instead looked upon as a thief, one who steals the woman's body from the man and one who ruins the woman's body so that she cannot appease the man to his standard."
Yep, tears of sorrow and anger.
And the saddest part of this is that so many many women will actually buy into this. They'll point their fingers at the VBAC'ing, Homebirthing, Midwife Using women and call us "Abnormal" because WE are standing up for our Rights and the Rights of our babies. Because WE are taking back the births that were taken away from us by the medical machine and the Good Ol' Boys Club.
We Fight because we HAVE to. We speak out because we HAVE to.
The wonderful Gloria Lemay posted this on her blog and I think it is extremely relevant to this conversation:
When Good Women Remain Silent
“First they came for the breech birthers, and I did not speak out–because I was not a breech birther;
Then they came for the twins, and I did not speak out–because I was not carrying twins;
Then they came for the high risk women, and I did not speak out-because I was not a high risk woman;
Then they came for the VBACs, and I did not speak out– because I was not a VBAC;
Then they came for me– and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
Taken from a talk by Laureen Hudson of California at the Trust Birth Conference (March 2010).
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Little mommies: when you know they've been listening!
You know they've been listening to mommy.
I have to tell you all about my wonderful afternoon with my youngest daughter.
As a mother, I've always tried to be very open with my children and talk to them honestly and straightforward. As an Activist, I've always spoken to my kids about what I'm doing, about why mommy sometimes spends a lot of time on the computer or on phone, and how mommy is trying to change things. But when you're talking to kids, you always wonder how much they are listening, KWIM?
Today I realized that my kids really are listening in on all those conversations about birthing and breastfeeding, about loving our babies, and about human rights.
It's been a long week this week (yes, I know it's only tuesday, please don't remind me). Feeling rather burned out, I was sitting on the couch struggling to nurse my 4 month old son (which many times is kinda like trying to dress a squid), while deciding whether to do the dishes or fold laundry... if he ever fell asleep that is.
Out of the corner of my eye I notice my youngest daughter (Keira, 5) coming down the stairs. She comes into the living room dressed in her usual quirky fashion (today's outfit consisted of grey woolly tights with black and silver snow flakes, jean shorts, and a hot pink tank top with a white sequinned bolero jacket over top), wearing her little sling that I made for her when she was just 18 months old with her baby in it.
She sits down on the couch next to me, crosses her legs- very lady like- and strikes up a conversation.
"Hello, my what a cute baby you have. My baby is just 3 days old and he is very small and delicate. He was born out of my vagina, because that's the way babies should be born, but I came out of my mommy's tummy because she didn't have a midwife then. We're waiting for our midwives to come and visit us right now." all the while she's rocking her baby in the sling.
So we chatted for a few minutes. She told me about her baby and I told her about my baby- you know: Mommy talk. After a minute or two she very gently takes her baby out of the sling and says
"Oh he's hungry. Don't worry baby , mommy's got lots of milk for you" and she pulls up her shirt and makes sure that her baby's mouth is exactly on her little nipple and holds him securely in a perfect cross cradle hold. While we nursed out babies together (one of which was far less wiggly), we continued chatting. She told me that babies needed to be breastfed and that bottle were not necessary. "Babies just need boobies and to be carried and hugged. Skin to skin is the best way, but I can't get my shirt off right now."
After the babies finished nursing (one of which didn't belch up a mouthful of milk all over his mother), we sat and bounced our babies on our laps (one of our shirts was already covered with milk, so the bouncing wasn't likely to make it any worse.) and she told me about how her baby nurses and sleeps with her, and that she loved to carry him around in her sling. "Oh I think he has to have a pee! would you mind holding him while I get his potty?" (then proceeded to tell me that I wasn't supporting his head well enough...good thing she was rummaging up stairs in her toy box for the little potty and didn't see my baby goobering all over her baby's head!).
When she returned she held her baby over the potty with perfect practised poise and made the "pee" noise, praised her little one for have a big pee in his potty, and then got him dressed again and put him back in the sling.
(Around this time her younger brutish three year old brother came running and yelling into the room and at that point the "mommy mirage" disappeared and off they ran together to see if Sesame Street was on TV).
The entire time we sat together, just two mommy's bonding with our babies, I couldn't removed the huge grin that lit up my face. As she ran off to fry her brain in front of the TV all I could think was:
"It worked!! We've changed the next generation!!!" I know that I'll have home birthed, breastfed, babyworn, attached grandchildren... sometime a long time from now!
So next time you find yourself wondering if your little ones are really listening, take heart: they hear and they are listening. We will change the next generation- one child at a time.
I have to tell you all about my wonderful afternoon with my youngest daughter.
As a mother, I've always tried to be very open with my children and talk to them honestly and straightforward. As an Activist, I've always spoken to my kids about what I'm doing, about why mommy sometimes spends a lot of time on the computer or on phone, and how mommy is trying to change things. But when you're talking to kids, you always wonder how much they are listening, KWIM?
Today I realized that my kids really are listening in on all those conversations about birthing and breastfeeding, about loving our babies, and about human rights.
It's been a long week this week (yes, I know it's only tuesday, please don't remind me). Feeling rather burned out, I was sitting on the couch struggling to nurse my 4 month old son (which many times is kinda like trying to dress a squid), while deciding whether to do the dishes or fold laundry... if he ever fell asleep that is.
Out of the corner of my eye I notice my youngest daughter (Keira, 5) coming down the stairs. She comes into the living room dressed in her usual quirky fashion (today's outfit consisted of grey woolly tights with black and silver snow flakes, jean shorts, and a hot pink tank top with a white sequinned bolero jacket over top), wearing her little sling that I made for her when she was just 18 months old with her baby in it.
She sits down on the couch next to me, crosses her legs- very lady like- and strikes up a conversation.
"Hello, my what a cute baby you have. My baby is just 3 days old and he is very small and delicate. He was born out of my vagina, because that's the way babies should be born, but I came out of my mommy's tummy because she didn't have a midwife then. We're waiting for our midwives to come and visit us right now." all the while she's rocking her baby in the sling.
So we chatted for a few minutes. She told me about her baby and I told her about my baby- you know: Mommy talk. After a minute or two she very gently takes her baby out of the sling and says
"Oh he's hungry. Don't worry baby , mommy's got lots of milk for you" and she pulls up her shirt and makes sure that her baby's mouth is exactly on her little nipple and holds him securely in a perfect cross cradle hold. While we nursed out babies together (one of which was far less wiggly), we continued chatting. She told me that babies needed to be breastfed and that bottle were not necessary. "Babies just need boobies and to be carried and hugged. Skin to skin is the best way, but I can't get my shirt off right now."
After the babies finished nursing (one of which didn't belch up a mouthful of milk all over his mother), we sat and bounced our babies on our laps (one of our shirts was already covered with milk, so the bouncing wasn't likely to make it any worse.) and she told me about how her baby nurses and sleeps with her, and that she loved to carry him around in her sling. "Oh I think he has to have a pee! would you mind holding him while I get his potty?" (then proceeded to tell me that I wasn't supporting his head well enough...good thing she was rummaging up stairs in her toy box for the little potty and didn't see my baby goobering all over her baby's head!).
When she returned she held her baby over the potty with perfect practised poise and made the "pee" noise, praised her little one for have a big pee in his potty, and then got him dressed again and put him back in the sling.
(Around this time her younger brutish three year old brother came running and yelling into the room and at that point the "mommy mirage" disappeared and off they ran together to see if Sesame Street was on TV).
The entire time we sat together, just two mommy's bonding with our babies, I couldn't removed the huge grin that lit up my face. As she ran off to fry her brain in front of the TV all I could think was:
"It worked!! We've changed the next generation!!!" I know that I'll have home birthed, breastfed, babyworn, attached grandchildren... sometime a long time from now!
So next time you find yourself wondering if your little ones are really listening, take heart: they hear and they are listening. We will change the next generation- one child at a time.
...although don't get your hopes up about their fashion sense. A lost cause is a lost cause!
My little mommies- Quinlin 4 and Keira 18 months, wearing their baby slings I made for them!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
In the Pouch
| In the Pouch: Kangaroo care for newborns |
| (originally posted on Natural Mothering) | |
 His first cradle is the warm cozy womb that sways to and fro, gently rocking him as his mother walks through the park or dances in the the living room with his big brother.His first lullaby is the sound of the beat and swoosh of his mothers heart, mommy's beautiful voice talking to his daddy, laughing with a friend, singing and reading to his big sister. He is protected by the warm wet cocoon inside his mothers belly. He receives his food and oxygen directly from his mothers body. They are not two. They are One. His birth is a momentous occasion, both exciting and scary. Hormones flood into him to prepare him for his grand entry into this shocking world- so cold, bright and loud. All of a sudden he is no longer lulled to sleep by the sound of his mothers heartbeat. He is no longer gently rocking in his warm safe cocoon. He has been separated and cries out in fear- bereft, stranded, solitary and unattached... Then suddenly he is enveloped in warmth, laying wet and slippery on his mothers chest. He hears it- the beating of his mothers heart. He hears her voice, so clearly for the first time. He knows what he needs and he seeks out that attachment, the physical bond to tie them back together. Little toes flex and dig into his mother soft belly as he wiggles and squirms forward, his little mouth open and questing. The sound of her voice draws him forward. Her arms support him in his journey. In a feat of strength and coordination that is truly amazing he reaches his goal and re-establishes their physical bond. As he suckles her nipple, drops of liquid gold land on his tongue. Food yes, but so much more. Each drops reattaches him to his "self", brings him back to his core being. He lays on his mothers chest drinking the precious drops, listening to her heart beat and her voice, hearing it both from within and without. Her arms around him holding him close, warming him with her body. He relaxes. He breathes in and out and his breath calms. His heart beats in a steady rhythm. He is soothed. Though this new world is so big, and a bit frightening in its brightness and noise, He is secure and calm. He is with his other self, who protects him with her loving arms, warms him with her skin, comforts him with her steady heart beat and voice, and nurtures him with her breasts. He is content. Kangaroo care is a way of nurturing a baby, to enhance skin-to-skin contact between the baby and the parent. The baby, wearing only a diaper, is held upright against the parent’s bare chest. The term kangaroo care is used because the method is similar to how a baby kangaroo is nurtured by its mother - from the safe environment of the womb to the safe environment of the pouch where further maturation of the baby occurs. Skin-to-skin contact promotes more consistent heart and respiratory rates; it stabilizes oxygen needs; it aids in stabilizing blood sugar levels; it regulates body temperature; and improves weight gain and helps increase breast milk supply. The Father of modern Kangaroo care is Dr. Nils Bergman. Dr Bergman worked in South Africa, Ciskei and Sweden, before working seven years as Medical Superintendent and District Medical Officer at Manama Mission, Zimbabwe. It was in Zimbabwe that he developed and implemented Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for premature infants right from birth. This resulted in a five-fold improvement in survival of Very Low Birth Weight babies raising the survival rate of these tiny preterm infants from 10% to 50%. But Kangaroo Care isn't just for preemies. Skin to Skin contact is vitally important for all infants. "The very best environment for a baby to grow and thrive, is the mother's body," says Dr Nils Bergman, "When placed skin-to-skin on the mother's chest, the baby receives warmth, protection and food, and its brain can develop optimally. Not feeding the baby often enough and leaving it to sleep alone after a feed can result in the baby getting colic", he adds. "The mother's skin is the baby's natural environment, and both physically and emotionally the healthiest place for the baby to be". Failure to be kept in contact with the mothers skin, maintains Bergman, is not only a negative behaviour but also creates a state of pathophysiological stress. When the baby is separated from his mother he tries intensely to re-establish contact with its correct environment, usually by crying.If that fails, the baby becomes exhausted and lapses into a state of despair and becomes withdrawn in order to conserve energy and concentrate on survival. This results in lower body temperatures and heartbeat, and increases levels of stress hormones: because a baby separated from its mother, is in fact stressed. In the first 8 weeks of life, skin-to-skin contact is the most important stimulant for the development of the brain. Dr. Bergman says this continuous physical contact is an essential requirement if the fundamental structures of the brain are to be developed in a healthy way. After this requirement, the most important stimuli that the brain needs for normal development are eye contact, and the physical need to be carried by the parents. "Only in the last century we have abandoned our three million year-old pattern of caring for children. We have replaced continuous carrying of the child, co-sleeping with the parents, and breastfeeding on immediate demand with leaving the child to lie alone, ignoring its crying, and feeding it every four hours with formula", he adds. Kangaroo care is also very important in establishing breastfeeding. Dr. Jack Newman, world renown Doctor in the field of Breastfeeding and lactation, firmly contends that skin to skin contact is vital to building a strong breastfeeding relationship between mother and baby. Babies who are kept skin to skin with the mother immediately after birth for at least an hour, are more likely to latch on without any help and they are more likely to latch on well. A baby who latches on well, gets milk more easily than a baby who latches on improperly. When a baby latches on well, the mother is less likely to be sore, and her milk supply is balanced to the needs of her baby. According to Dr. Newman, skin to skin contact immediately after birth, which lasts for at least an hour (and should continue for as many hours as possible throughout the day and night for the first number of weeks) has the following positive effects on the baby:
But Kangaroo care is not just limited to mothers or even to biological mothers. Babies can benefit from skin to skin contact with their fathers, and adoptive/foster parents. Many times we hear from mothers that they want to introduce a bottle to their new born baby because the father wishes to "bond" with baby too. The use of bottles is completely unnecessary to create a nurturing bond between father and baby. Once baby has nursed and has a contentedly full belly, daddy can easily spend important bonding time being skin to skin with baby. Many fathers enjoy this special time with baby, and baby is able to get close and personal with daddy- breathing in daddy's own unique scent, hearing his heart beat and listening to the voice that he may well remember from being in the womb. This also gives mom some time to herself- for a nice hot shower, or even a few moments to play tea party with baby's older sister!! When all of babies physical and emotional needs are taken care of and they are warm and content, their energy is focused on growing and developing their brains and bonding with their parents. And really, what could be more wonderful than spending time cuddling with your beautiful new baby?! So slow down and enjoy your baby moon. Lock the doors, take the phone off the hook and spend a few days in bed, just mommy, daddy, baby (and siblings). Visits, and cleaning, and laundry can be taken care of next week. Just cuddle. http://www.infactcanada.ca/Kangaroo%20Care.pdf http://home.mweb.co.za/to/torngren/bergman-int.html Dr Jack Newman The Importance of Skin to Skin Contact http://www.kangaroomothercare.com/ |
Friday, May 28, 2010
When Activism becomes Detractivism
Why oh why can't we all just get along? When it comes to fiery debates, there doesn't seem to be a topic more incendiary than "Parenting"... well, maybe religion and politics, but still, you know what I mean right? I have never understood the need for people to bash other groups that don't follow your beliefs to the letter. We are all different people and we all make the best choices we can according to our own experiences, knowledge, and background. Are those choices always right? Are those choices always guilt-free? Are those choices always painless? No, they aren't. We are human, not omnipotent. We can not know all the answers in advance. We can not always make the "right" decision. And we can not be perfect parents 100% of the time.
WE try our best. We do our best. Then we live with the decisions we have made.
Someone once told me that no one can give you guilt. No one can force you to feel guilty. Guilt is an emotion that we generate within our selves, and we can choose what we want to do with that emotion. We can wallow in self pity, we can paint ourselves the martyr and point fingers at everyone else, we can rail at society for forcing these emotions upon us...
...or we can accept it, use it to guide our future steps and start healing from the hurt it has caused.
The choices someone else has made for their family and their children and themselves is not about "us". Even if we have spent countless hours advising and educating someone, they still are responsible for making the final decision for themselves. If they make a decision that we don't agree with, well..... that it their prerogative and THEY have to live with the final outcome.
Why is it that people feel the need to resort to insults and swearing? I realize that parenting involves a huge amount of decisions and most parents base their choices on their own past and the influences of their family and friends. AND that nothing cause more debate than the choices in parenting that each mother and father has to make. Where there is discussion, there is debate. where there is debate, there is arguments….. FINE! I get it.
But why do people who have made their decisions feel the need to scream and throw tantrums and play junior highschool school yard games?!?
OK I’m goign to be blunt and just come out and say this:
Why is it that people who make choices that are NOT based on facts and research are the worst offenders when it comes to mud slinging?! Be it Breastfeeding and formula feeding, circumcision debates, natural birthing vs interventions and elective C/Sections, CIO or AP parenting……. I’m sorry but the facts are the facts. If you don’t want to know the facts, or are happy in the decisions you’ve made Regardless of the facts, then fine- it’s your decision to make. But don’t come screaming after others, calling names and swearing and making horrifying allegations just because they are stating the facts!!!! If you’re satisfied with your decisions then be satisfied that you're doing what you want to do. But don’t call me a breast nazi, because I’m posting information about breastfeeding that is based on solid facts that are accepted world wide by every single major health organization!!
We all make “mistakes”. W all make decisions based on the information (or lack there of) that we have at the time. If it turns out to be wrong, well we just have to deal with it and do what we can to rectify the situation, if possible. I started my eldest daughter Quinlin on baby cereal at 3.5 months!!! Why? because a health nurse told me to. So I did. Now I know it wasn’t the right thing to do and yes, I feel guilty that I didn’t research it better before going ahead. But I don’t turn around and get defensive and insult people who talk about Baby Led Weaning!!!
…..If you’re feeling guilty because you know that you didn’t make the right decision, then don’t yell at me. Own up to it and accept it. and make changes that will ease your guilt. Deal with it. Don't sling mud at others just because you can’t face up to your own mistakes or poor decisions.
And if someone makes a decision that goes against your grain, well, it's their decision to make. Yelling and pointing fingers is NOT going to make them change their decision. I don't know about you, but I'm stubborn: if someone starts ranting at me and telling me I did it all wrong, there is a good chance that I'll embrace my mistake even further and try to justify it even more.
I wrote an article for Natural Mothering a while ago on this topic. Whenever I start to get hot under the collar over a burning debate I'll re-read this article just to remind my self that how I respond to the debate/argument/question, may have a far greater influence depending on how I reply.
WE try our best. We do our best. Then we live with the decisions we have made.
Someone once told me that no one can give you guilt. No one can force you to feel guilty. Guilt is an emotion that we generate within our selves, and we can choose what we want to do with that emotion. We can wallow in self pity, we can paint ourselves the martyr and point fingers at everyone else, we can rail at society for forcing these emotions upon us...
...or we can accept it, use it to guide our future steps and start healing from the hurt it has caused.
The choices someone else has made for their family and their children and themselves is not about "us". Even if we have spent countless hours advising and educating someone, they still are responsible for making the final decision for themselves. If they make a decision that we don't agree with, well..... that it their prerogative and THEY have to live with the final outcome.
Why is it that people feel the need to resort to insults and swearing? I realize that parenting involves a huge amount of decisions and most parents base their choices on their own past and the influences of their family and friends. AND that nothing cause more debate than the choices in parenting that each mother and father has to make. Where there is discussion, there is debate. where there is debate, there is arguments….. FINE! I get it.
But why do people who have made their decisions feel the need to scream and throw tantrums and play junior highschool school yard games?!?
OK I’m goign to be blunt and just come out and say this:
Why is it that people who make choices that are NOT based on facts and research are the worst offenders when it comes to mud slinging?! Be it Breastfeeding and formula feeding, circumcision debates, natural birthing vs interventions and elective C/Sections, CIO or AP parenting……. I’m sorry but the facts are the facts. If you don’t want to know the facts, or are happy in the decisions you’ve made Regardless of the facts, then fine- it’s your decision to make. But don’t come screaming after others, calling names and swearing and making horrifying allegations just because they are stating the facts!!!! If you’re satisfied with your decisions then be satisfied that you're doing what you want to do. But don’t call me a breast nazi, because I’m posting information about breastfeeding that is based on solid facts that are accepted world wide by every single major health organization!!
We all make “mistakes”. W all make decisions based on the information (or lack there of) that we have at the time. If it turns out to be wrong, well we just have to deal with it and do what we can to rectify the situation, if possible. I started my eldest daughter Quinlin on baby cereal at 3.5 months!!! Why? because a health nurse told me to. So I did. Now I know it wasn’t the right thing to do and yes, I feel guilty that I didn’t research it better before going ahead. But I don’t turn around and get defensive and insult people who talk about Baby Led Weaning!!!
…..If you’re feeling guilty because you know that you didn’t make the right decision, then don’t yell at me. Own up to it and accept it. and make changes that will ease your guilt. Deal with it. Don't sling mud at others just because you can’t face up to your own mistakes or poor decisions.
And if someone makes a decision that goes against your grain, well, it's their decision to make. Yelling and pointing fingers is NOT going to make them change their decision. I don't know about you, but I'm stubborn: if someone starts ranting at me and telling me I did it all wrong, there is a good chance that I'll embrace my mistake even further and try to justify it even more.
I wrote an article for Natural Mothering a while ago on this topic. Whenever I start to get hot under the collar over a burning debate I'll re-read this article just to remind my self that how I respond to the debate/argument/question, may have a far greater influence depending on how I reply.
| When Activism becomes Detractivism |  |
Written by Dani Arnold-McKenny
Everyone has something that they are passionate about. Everyone has a cause that owns a special corner of their heart. Whether its saving the rain forests, freeing Tibet, going "green", equal rights for women, pro abortion, anti abortion, pro capital punishment, anti capital punishment, etc , ........Everyone has at least one thing that they are willing to stand up for, that they will jump into the fray with both (metaphorical) fists swinging, debating their passion till the wee hours of the morning.
You are right. You know you're right. And you will defend your cause/choice/moral obligation regardless of how many oppose you, or how loudly they bellow, because you have the passion that drives you to do so.
Now obviously some causes are considered more worthy than others to the average person on the street. Some causes are such social absolutes, that no one in their right mind would ever take the opposing chair against it in a debate. No one is going to disagree that someone in a wheelchair should have access to the public library. Or refute that all children deserve a roof over the heads, food on the table, access to education and medical care. These are definitely safe causes to champion: easy, non confrontational and completely acceptable.
But what if your passion is for a something that isn't so non confrontational? What if that passion that fills that special corner of your heart is one side of a heated debate, waiting to erupt into a boiling frenzy just by openly declaring it to others? What then? Will you enter into the grand melee carrying your colours aloft and brandishing your cause with sharpened words, leaving a field of the fallen in your wake, regardless of their cries for mercy (or at least for a moment to explain)? Or are you the enlightened one that sits with infinite patience, willing to speak the words of reason with an aura of calm that might quiet even the most boisterous of opposers?
The two sides of this coin can be likened to Vinegar and honey: One of them will catch the flies.
Passion burns brightest in the middle of a heated debate. And it can be beautiful in its eloquence, or scarred and ugly in its words of condemnation and accusation. Is the message getting lost because the flame is blinding? Is the message getting lost because the fire it possesses is burning everyone it comes in contact with
I am an advocate for Breastfeeding and Natural Childbirth Education. And let me tell you, nothing lights the fires of debate like both of these topics. Breastfeeding Advocates are very passionate in their endeavors to normalize Breastfeeding and to build support systems. Education is the key to changing the world around us. But when does education become condemnation? When does Activism become Detractivism?...
HERE to read the entire article
Friday, February 5, 2010
Vindication!!! New VBAC study!!!!
I woke up this morning to be greeted with happy happy news. The kind of news to make a woman 39 and a half weeks pregnant, who's spent months fighting for her right to have a VBA3C, get up and dance around the kitchen....albeit awkwardly and vaguely penguin-like, lol.
New research to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , has found that women with 3 previous Caesarean Sections have similar outcome rates of success as women with only one previous Caesarean section in a study of 25000 women attempting a vaginal birth after a Ceasarean section. The study shows that not only did the women with 3 previous C/Section uterine scars have a very similar rates of success in having a VBAC birth, but that the rates of morbidity were also very similar between the women that had a VBA3C and those that chose to be delivered by elective repeat caesarean.
This is the first study that has analysed this large a group of women- over 25000 women with at least one previous Ceasarea section over a period of 3 years. I am currently waiting to receive the full abstract of the study and will post it here for those women, like my self, that are searching for the hard proof to back up their decisions to have a VBAC Birth.
Not only am I going to be giving a copy of this article to my midwives this morning, but I think I will attach a copy to my birth plan that I will be handing out at the hospital to the Obstetrical staff.
....Pardon me while I go dance a gig in my kitchen again.
Do We Need To Revisit VBAC Guidelines For Women With Three Or More Prior Caesareans?
Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 04 Feb 2010 - 1:00 PST
HERE to go directly to the original Article
HERE to read the original abstract of the study
FURTHER information about VBA2/3/4C
AND MORE info...
New research to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology , has found that women with 3 previous Caesarean Sections have similar outcome rates of success as women with only one previous Caesarean section in a study of 25000 women attempting a vaginal birth after a Ceasarean section. The study shows that not only did the women with 3 previous C/Section uterine scars have a very similar rates of success in having a VBAC birth, but that the rates of morbidity were also very similar between the women that had a VBA3C and those that chose to be delivered by elective repeat caesarean.
This is the first study that has analysed this large a group of women- over 25000 women with at least one previous Ceasarea section over a period of 3 years. I am currently waiting to receive the full abstract of the study and will post it here for those women, like my self, that are searching for the hard proof to back up their decisions to have a VBAC Birth.
Not only am I going to be giving a copy of this article to my midwives this morning, but I think I will attach a copy to my birth plan that I will be handing out at the hospital to the Obstetrical staff.
....Pardon me while I go dance a gig in my kitchen again.
Do We Need To Revisit VBAC Guidelines For Women With Three Or More Prior Caesareans?
Main Category: Pregnancy / Obstetrics
Article Date: 04 Feb 2010 - 1:00 PST
New research to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has found that women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt vaginal birth have similar rates of success and risk for maternal morbidity as those with one prior caesarean, and similar overall morbidity (adding vaginal births and emergency caesareans together) as those delivered by elective repeat caesarean.
Planned vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) refers to any woman who has experienced a prior caesarean birth who intends to try for a vaginal birth rather than to deliver by elective repeat caesarean. Although relatively low complication rates, including uterine rupture, have been demonstrated among women with two prior low-transverse caesareans who attempt vaginal birth, there are very limited data available on outcomes among women with more than two prior caesareans. Neither the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG) nor the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) currently recommend planned VBAC attempt in women with three or more prior caesarean deliveries1.
In this study, the researchers sought to estimate the rate of success and risk of maternal morbidity in women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt VBAC. The study reviewed multi-centre data from 17 tertiary and community delivery centres in the Northeastern United States from 1996 to 2000. A total of 25,005 women who had a least one prior caesarean delivery were included.
The findings indicate that women with three or more prior caesarean deliveries did not experience a difference in morbidity based on whether they attempted VBAC or elected for a repeat caesarean. The 89 women with three or more prior caesareans who attempted VBAC were as likely to be successful as women with one or two prior caesareans, 79.8% compared to 75.5% and 74.6% respectively. In addition, none of them experienced significant maternal morbidity such as uterine rupture, uterine artery laceration, and bladder or bowel injury.
The authors suggest that, given the findings, precluding VBAC for all women with three or more prior caesareans may not be evidence based. Although there is a measurable maternal morbidity associated with delivery for a woman with a history of three or more prior caesareans, it does not differ significantly by mode of delivery. Risks associated with multiple caesareans are several, including surgical morbidity and abnormal placentation in future pregnancies.
Lead author, Dr. Alison Cahill, from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, said "These data suggest that women with three or more prior caesareans who attempt VBAC have similar rates of success and risk for maternal morbidity as those with one or two prior caesareans, and along with other publications, suggest that perhaps it is time to revisit the current recommendations for VBAC attempts for women with more than one prior caesarean".
"Many have proposed a 'conservative' approach to VBAC attempts, which we agree is prudent. But our evidence does not suggest that a conservative approach, which we interpret as one that aims to reduce morbidity - and specifically the risk of uterine rupture - is necessarily achieved by allowing VBAC attempts only in women with one prior caesarean. Given appropriate patient selection, VBAC following two or even three previous caesareans in certain cases may be reasonably safe."
Prof. Philip Steer, BJOG editor-in-chief, said "Although confidence in the findings of the study is limited by the relatively small sample size of women who have had three previous caesareans, these findings provide additional information for women, and contribute to the available evidence on VBAC success and safety in women with more than one prior caesarean.
"As childbirth does not always 'follow the plan', the results may also serve as a useful reference for clinicians when a women with three or more prior caesareans presents in spontaneous labour."
Notes
BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology is owned by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) but is editorially independent and published monthly by Wiley-Blackwell. The journal features original, peer-reviewed, high-quality medical research in all areas of obstetrics and gynaecology worldwide. Please quote 'BJOG' or 'BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology' when referring to the journal and include the website: http://www.bjog.org as a hidden link online.
Reference
"Vaginal birth after caesarean for women with three or more prior caesareans: assessing safety and success."
Cahill A. Tuuli M, Odibo A, Stamilio D, Macones G.
BJOG 2010; DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2010.02498.x.
1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). Practice Bulletin #54: Vaginal birth after previous cesarean. Obstet Gynecol 2004;104:203-12; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Green-top Guideline No.45, Birth After Previous Caesarean Birth (February 2007) available online here.
Source
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
HERE to go directly to the original Article
HERE to read the original abstract of the study
FURTHER information about VBA2/3/4C
AND MORE info...
Friday, January 22, 2010
"Basic guide to nourishing your pregnancy"
A really lovely blog written by a Montreal Doula, outlining 10 steps to "Nourish yourself", physically, emotionally and mentally during pregnancy and birth. A wonderful read...I only wish she'd written it about 6 months ago!!!
HERE to read the original Blog by "Musings of Montreal Doula"
Thursday, January 21, 2010
A Doula's Basic Guide To Nourishing Your Pregnancy
Technically, it takes very little to have a decent birth experience. Most women can squat in a forest and have a baby without any instructions, never mind interventions. Of course, things happen beyond our control, but MOST of the time, the process works fine. I have heard midwife Karen Strange say, "Birth is meant to work when noone else is there," and I believe that is true for the vast majority of birthings.
As a doula, I know for a fact that many outcomes that have been less than favourable have actually been caused by too much meddling with the process...too much doubt, too many attempts to control all contingencies. And I have also sadly seen not wonderful outcomes when there have been no interventions and there should have been. So, knowing as a reality there truly isn't much control over what direction a birth decides to take, there are ways you can increase your chance of a nice, happy birth. No guarantees, but a fighting chance doesn't hurt.
I've outlined a few steps on how to nourish yourself during pregnancy and beyond. Nourishment is a concept that goes far beyond just what you put in your mouth. It refers to anything you "digest" physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
1) Eat well.
Eating well is a very important aspect of prenatal care. It cannot be emphasized enough that good nutrition is essential to creating the best chances for the best outcome. I have seen women heal symptoms from the annoying to the dangerous by adjusting her diet. Your baby's optimal growth is dependent upon the food you take in. Yes, I know, even ladies in very poor circumstances can have reasonably healthy babies, but we're talking about optimal health. It's not hard to eat well....eating organically as much as possible is preferable, but if that is not possible, many find that simple, healthy food is actually a lot cheaper than processed food. Why not give it a go?
2)Exercise gently
Walking, yoga, swimming, bellydancing...these are all ways not just to nourish and tone your body and make you strong and supple for birth, but to help you connect more deeply to your centre. These exercises put you in a more meditative state, perhaps helping you discover areas you hold tension, and help you work through that tension.
3)Receive loving touch.
Massage, osteopathy, shiatsu, chiropractic...all of these things help you relax, aid in balancing and aligning your body, and work out aches and pains. They can also help you with somatic/emotional integration, as what often happens with receiving bodywork is a greater awareness of where unprocessed emotions tend to live in your body.
4)Gravitate towards those you have the best relationships with.
Loving, nurturing relationships are crucial to the wellbeing of the pregnant woman. Laughing with good friends, chlling with your mom, having great sex with your partner, consciously tending to and being tended help you grow your baby in an environment of love. If you're having challenges in your primary relationships, it's important to have a safe space to talk about these issues. If there were ever a time to get on top of challenges in your love relationship, now would be it for you and your partner to actively work on problems, either together intentionally, or with the help of a good counsellor. Things won't get easier after the birth of the baby. Being on the same page and figuring out each other's values surrounding parenting is something that should be worked out.
5)Work with your emotions.
Take inventory of some of the things in your life you'd like to explore, like fears around your changing identity from regular old you into a mother, fears about childbirth, or patterns you've outgrown but haven't found ways to change. Preparing for birth and motherhood is about creating space. When you can let go of some of the emotional energy you may be hanging onto, you have greater access to the resources you need to give birth and mother in a more grounded way. There are many tools you can use to process your emotions, from journaling, creating art, talking to loved ones, or talking to a trusted teacher/guide/therapist.
6)Surround yourself with beauty.
When your surroundings are clean and comfortable, you tend to feel like you have more space within as well as without. The nesting energy of later pregnancy tends to help us with this task. Taking walks outside in Nature and watching movies or things on TV that are uplifting, funny, or inspirational are probably healthier than subjecting yourself and your baby to the chemical reactions that inevitably occur when viewing something violent. Let the smells that suffuse your home be gentle, natural, and yummy, not harsh and chemically.
7)Breathe.
Learning to breathe deeply into all parts of your body to receive life giving energy, then breathing out tension is essential to help you achieve deep relaxation. Learning to focus your breath will help you cope with labour and moments of stress in parenting. Having something for your mind to chew on during labour can be really helpful, and breathing is a great tool. Practice it every day. If you are interested in breathing techniques for labour, you can find many resources to learn them. But practice. I find the most useful breath work is deep abdominal breathing, "ocean breath" of yoga, and vocalization to help release the intense sensations of labour. A great prenatal yoga teacher can be a gem to your pregnancy.
7)Educate yourself properly.
Reading a bunch of things about the birth process that are scary or alarmist doesn't really help you. Instead, focusing on positive stories of birth and breastfeeding will keep you less stressed, keeping in mind that stress affects your hormones, thus affects birthing and milk let down. You already know the unexpected can happen, but delving into all the possibilities just "to know" isn't as healthy as perhaps focusing on the couple of things that really stand out to you as frightening. If this is the case, focus on those and figure out what's bugging you and why. Do some emotional work around it to discover what energy is bound up with these fears. Don't let people tell you their horror stories about birth. Your hearing them will not help you "prepare".
Learning your birthing options is crucial to your education. As it's been said, "if you don't know your options, you don't have any." Your doula or midwife should be able to help you with this, and guide you towards the best resources to give you the most practical prenatal preparation education for birth and mothering. If you are being followed medically, talking to your doctor about your options is important to figure out the birthing terrain. Do a tour of your hospital to find out what sort of resources they have to support your desires. The last thing you want to be is vulnerable to medical interventions you don't want by not knowing your rights as a consumer of medical care. Private prenatal education tends to be more nuturing and helpful than hospital sponsored classes, though great teachers can be found here too if you don't have any other resources.
8)Gather support.
If you are going to give birth in a hospital, quite simply, you need a doula, especially if you are hoping for a low to no intervention birth experience and good start to breastfeeding. Hire a postpartum doula to help you build your confidence and make sure you are nurtured afterwards. Ask friends to bring you food if they want to visit. If you've ever thought about hiring help around the house, now would be a good time. Make sure your doctor or midwife are on board with your desires as much as possible. If your doctor or midwife make you feel small for asking questions, even LOTS of them, or don't honour you with straight answers, you probably don't have the appropriate caregiver for you. So CHANGE caregivers. I help people do this all the time. You are entitled to ask questions, and deserve their time of day. Remember, even if your doctor or midwife are truly too busy to give you the time you need (not because they're mean, but because there is a terrible shortage and they need to serve as many people as possible), a doula or good childbirth educator can help you fill in the blanks.
9)Slow down.
Growing a baby is a full time job, and often women work in worlds that look down upon pregnancy, or are not fully supportive of the physiological and emotional shifts that go on. Working right up 'til your due date is not something I normally recommend, unless your job is something that really nourishes you or you simply cannot afford to take the time off (in which case, make space where you can, at lunchtime or breaks). I know that my pregnancies were a very rich time of creative energy, and I needed time to bring forth those creations. Stopping to communicate with your baby inside, taking time to envision your birth, making space for emotional checking in...these are all important aspects of preparing for birth. Imagine working in a stressful environment right 'til the day you go into labour, your head full of "to do" lists and worries about "abandoning" your work? This could make labour...interesting.
10)Let go.
Now that you've done all your work, let it go. Your birth and breastfeeding experience will unfold as it will. The tools you have used to nourish yourself as fully as you can will serve you well to weather your experience. Knowing you did all you could to prepare yourself body, mind, and soul, you own your birth. You have taken responsibility. You have the resources to cope with all the richness and complexity that is your own unique birth and mothering experience.
Blessed birthing!
HERE to read the original Blog by "Musings of Montreal Doula"
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Guide to Emergency Childbirth
So, What I want to know is, if the US Dept of Defence can write up such an easily understood guide to childbirth, Why is it impossible for Doctors, OB's and Medical staff to follow it? What? Do these guidelines only work in emergency situations outside of hospitals? Why does being in a hospital automatically change the rules and change the way that childbirth is viewed and cared for?!
EMERGENCY CHILDBIRTH
What to Do
1. Let nature be your best helper. Childbirth is a very natural act.
2. At first signs of labor assign the best qualified person to remain with mother.
3. Be calm; reassure mother.
4. Place mother and attendant in the most protected place in the shelter.
5. Keep children and others away.
6. Keep hands as clean as possible
7. Keep hands away from birth canal
8. See the baby breathes well.
9. Place the baby face down across the mother’s abdomen.
10. Keep baby warm.
11. Wrap afterbirth with baby.
12. Keep baby with mother constantly.
13. Make mother as comfortable as possible.
14. Identify baby.
What Not to Do
1. DO NOT hurry.
2. DO NOT pull on baby, let baby be born naturally.
3. DO NOT pull on the cord, let the placenta (afterbirth) come naturally.
4. DO NOT cut and tie the cord until the baby AND the afterbirth have been delivered.
5. DO NOT give medication.
DO NOT HURRY - LET NATURE TAKE HER COURSE.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Primal parenting
This is a wonderful article!! An amazing example off all that western society has done to completely screw up birth, babies, and families. WE need to return to the roots of parenting. The roots of birth and babies and the unity that is natural for a family. Where babies are birthed in joy and peace, held close in love, fed their fill, and kept in harmony with the entire family.
HERE to go to the original article
A Pygmy Model for Partnership Relations
by Ushanda io Elima
| Sexual Maturity and Pregnancy Birth
To celebrate the birth of her child, Hallet noted, a mother will sing this song:
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HERE to go to the original article
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Seven Tips for Creating a Calm, Joyous Homebirth
by Gloria Lemay
© 2008 Midwifery Today, Inc. All rights reserved.
[Editor's note: This article first appeared in Midwifery Today Issue 88, Winter 2008.]
As cesarean and induction rates in hospital climb to astronomical levels many women are turning to homebirth. When interventions become excessively high, the risk/benefit ratio of being in a hospital swings more dramatically into the “riskier” zone, and even physicians and nurses begin choosing homebirth. Just removing your birth from a hospital setting doesn’t guarantee that it will proceed in a natural, flowing manner. Too many women learn the hard way that a midwife can bring a hospital mentality and interventions right into the home and negatively affect the course of the birth. How can you assess the type of midwifery practice that you are purchasing? Here are some tips to help you assess the care that will be provided by midwives:
- Ask to see a video of some births your midwife has attended. This is the modern age. Many people videotape their births and an experienced midwife will have been given many copies of videos with permission to share them with other families. Videos tell you a lot more than photo albums. Be wary of the midwife who won’t give or show you videos. Watch the videos for things like: Is the father playing an active role in the birth? Are the attendants quiet when things are normal and healthy? Is the cord left to pulse until the placenta is born? Does the baby breathe spontaneously without routine suctioning? Are the baby and mother locked in eye contact with no disturbance? Is a water tub part of the birth?
Watch the time clock on the video to see whether the birth of the placenta occurs in a leisurely way or whether the midwife wants it out in less than 30 minutes.
Gloria Lemay is a lecturer, midwifery educator and traditional birth attendant in Vancouver, BC, Canada. She specializes in VBAC and waterbirth. She has served birthing women for 29 years and was honored with a nomination for the 1996 Woman of Distinction Award by the YWCA in her community. She is a contributing editor of Midwifery Today and an Advisory Board Member of ICAN.
Robotic birthing....When childbirth looses it's last shred of humanity
In an age of cookie cutter births, where women are processed through maternity wards like prisoners through the penal system, the final shreds of humanity are stripped away to reveal "Birth" through the eyes of the Medical Machine.
This short 3 minute video shows nursing students learning about "Birth". This is what they are taught is Normal. This is what they are taught to expect, and how to support and encourage a birthing woman.
Is it any wonder that child birth has become a intervention driven, medicalized hospital event that more closely mimics a surgical procedure, instead of the natural, empowering and intimate experience that it is meant to be? How can women expect to birth their babies the way nature intended- and has been done for a millenia- when the people who are supose to be there to support her have never even witnessed a "Natural" birth?
It is through training like this that we can blame the current medical mess that reigns in Maternity Wards across North America. It is through medical training like this that we can partially lay the blame for the soaring Caesarean section rates and mass use of medical and surgical interventions that cripple women emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Until the suposed "Child Birth Professionals" are actually trained to support women while they are experiencing a completely natural bodily function, we will never see a decline the the frightening numbers of medicalized births.
....Maybe it's about time that all child birth professionals - be they doctors or nurses- should be forced to attend a few home births with true midwives to better understand the nature of birth and to witness first hand the TRUE realities of Natural Childbirth.
"Barbie Gives Birth"
This short 3 minute video shows nursing students learning about "Birth". This is what they are taught is Normal. This is what they are taught to expect, and how to support and encourage a birthing woman.
Is it any wonder that child birth has become a intervention driven, medicalized hospital event that more closely mimics a surgical procedure, instead of the natural, empowering and intimate experience that it is meant to be? How can women expect to birth their babies the way nature intended- and has been done for a millenia- when the people who are supose to be there to support her have never even witnessed a "Natural" birth?
It is through training like this that we can blame the current medical mess that reigns in Maternity Wards across North America. It is through medical training like this that we can partially lay the blame for the soaring Caesarean section rates and mass use of medical and surgical interventions that cripple women emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Until the suposed "Child Birth Professionals" are actually trained to support women while they are experiencing a completely natural bodily function, we will never see a decline the the frightening numbers of medicalized births.
....Maybe it's about time that all child birth professionals - be they doctors or nurses- should be forced to attend a few home births with true midwives to better understand the nature of birth and to witness first hand the TRUE realities of Natural Childbirth.
"Barbie Gives Birth"
Monday, November 30, 2009
"Coping with Labour Naturally"
Our latest article on Natural Mothering! Our resident Homeopath Rebecca Gower shares her insights and knowledge about the use of Homeopathic remedies during Labour & Delivery.
Written by Rebecca Gower, B.A., M.A., DSHM (hons)
If you are pregnant, it is hard not to think about the pain that is associated with labour at some point during pregnancy. This is especially true if you are pregnant with your first child. The good news is that the pain won't last forever and you get the precious gift of your baby as the best present of having had to deal with that pain. It is also very possible that you could have a very different experience of labour with each child. For example, you may have a very quick labour with your first child and a slower, irregular labour with your second one- or vice-versa.
The Birth Plan:
Whether you want a home birth or a hospital birth; a natural birth or wish to choose medical interventions, having a birth plan is very important. This is so you and your partner or labour support person are on the same page. It is also vital that your care team know about your birth plan. This would be especially important if you are opposed to medical interventions, such as an epidural or the use of forceps, except in a case of an emergency. You can always change your mind if you feel for example, that the pain is unbearable. However, share this information with your partner or labour support person. The goal here is to try to create the conditions that lead to the labour experience that you and your family desire.
Natural Medicine for Labour & Delivery:
Whether or not you have chosen to have a natural birth or not, Homeopathy can play a huge role in dealing with a variety of issues in terms of labour and delivery. I believe that Homeopathic medicine is your best choice because it is gentle, safe for both the pregnant person and the baby, and will work quite quickly. Although it is most ideal to begin homeopathic treatment before trying to conceive and secondly, during pregnancy; homeopathy can still help with a variety of physical and mental/emotional issues that can occur during pregnancy....
HERE to read the whole article
| Coping with Labour Naturally | |
If you are pregnant, it is hard not to think about the pain that is associated with labour at some point during pregnancy. This is especially true if you are pregnant with your first child. The good news is that the pain won't last forever and you get the precious gift of your baby as the best present of having had to deal with that pain. It is also very possible that you could have a very different experience of labour with each child. For example, you may have a very quick labour with your first child and a slower, irregular labour with your second one- or vice-versa.
The Birth Plan:
Whether you want a home birth or a hospital birth; a natural birth or wish to choose medical interventions, having a birth plan is very important. This is so you and your partner or labour support person are on the same page. It is also vital that your care team know about your birth plan. This would be especially important if you are opposed to medical interventions, such as an epidural or the use of forceps, except in a case of an emergency. You can always change your mind if you feel for example, that the pain is unbearable. However, share this information with your partner or labour support person. The goal here is to try to create the conditions that lead to the labour experience that you and your family desire.
Natural Medicine for Labour & Delivery:
Whether or not you have chosen to have a natural birth or not, Homeopathy can play a huge role in dealing with a variety of issues in terms of labour and delivery. I believe that Homeopathic medicine is your best choice because it is gentle, safe for both the pregnant person and the baby, and will work quite quickly. Although it is most ideal to begin homeopathic treatment before trying to conceive and secondly, during pregnancy; homeopathy can still help with a variety of physical and mental/emotional issues that can occur during pregnancy....
HERE to read the whole article
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