Happy New Years 2011

One of my New Years resolutions was to try to put my foot in others peoples shoes. In other words for me it means understanding where someone is coming from. When it comes to my work I try that I need to be very sensitive to the impact that the media, family and friends make on pregnant women. Some may offer positive imput but mostly it is not very positive. I take it upon myself to help women tap into their own inner wisdom during pregnancy and birth. I encourage and challenge them and their partners to look outside the box. That box is often filled with scary outdated hospital practices, old wives tales and basically misinformed facts that are not evidence based. Again my goal this year is to help women and couples realize and birth is phsiologically normal and that women are capable of giving birth just fine thank you and those around her need to help make the experience as positive as possible.....including the baby. Happy New Year....Happy Pregnancy, Happy Birthing!!

The Politics of birthing

In the December 2010 issue of "Soujouners Magazine, faith politics, culture" http://sojo.net/ some excellant articles were written on the politics of birthing;

Giving birth is perhaps the most singular, unique, remarkable, and miraculous event in a mother's life -- and at the same time one of the most universal of human experiences, with more than 6 billion occurrences in our lifetime alone.
In the United States, the process of childbirth has become more and more "medicalized" over the past half century. As our authors explain, birthing a child has come to be seen by the medical establishment as a process to be managed—almost as if pregnancy were an illness or a medical condition to cure -- rather than an act of human participation in God's creativity. This trend is perhaps best exemplified by the alarming growth in C-sections, which now constitute almost a third of U.S. births -- for women under 25, the rate of C-sections has increased 57 percent from 2000 to 2007. (The World Health Organization warns that C-section rates above 15 percent tend to result in more harm than good.)
While medical attention is obviously needed in some cases, many feel the pendulum has swung too far. The process of childbirth for many has been wrenched away from the woman at the center and the community surrounding her, and into the hands of institutions and establishments whose approach often seems to favor an almost industrial efficiency over what is best for mother and child.
But that is changing, as women across the country are building a movement of mothers, midwives, and doulas, home births, birth centers, and birthing rooms -- a spiritual movement for justice that recognizes the intrinsic sacredness of childbirth.
Cover Story
Unto Us a Child is GivenWhy is it such a fight to have a 'natural' childbirth? By Susan Windley-Daoust
Resources on Natural Birth
Why I'm Becoming a DoulaDiscovering the call to 'mother the mothers.' By Kierra Jackson
Reclaiming ChildbirthHow a resurgent movement is taking birth back from the medical establishment. By Shafia M. Monroe
Being ThereA reluctant uncle witnesses the home birth of his nephew. By Matt Hildreth
Features

The Splendor of Birth

I changed the name of this blog today but I couldn't get rid of the Splendor. I just love that word. I know it's not used much and maybe considered a bit old fashioned but Birth to me is beautiful and life changing. Not to discount those births that are disappointing and sometimes even traumatic. But for me Birth reminds me of great things like snow fluttering, my son playing a beautiful christmas song on the piano, the giggle of a baby, a thud in your chest that wakes me up and says, "This is it....Life, where we all began". Each time I support a couple through the journey of birth I am struck by this life giving event and how it impacts the parents and I too am changed. I never stop learning something at every birth I attend. I love being a birth Doula and I believe that if we are to change the world we must start at birth!

Hot Eggnog?

Eggnog, oh how I love Eggnog especially with a dash of nutmeg and a little rum is nice as well. But of course neither of these are a good choice during pregnancy. The eggnog contains raw egg and has the potential to make expecting mom sick with the bacteria levels and the rum....well we all know by now that alcohol is a definate NO NO during pregnancy. Other foods to avoid during prenancy are soft and/or unpasturized cheeses, raw milk, even deli meats can high levels of bacteria so steam them in the microwave before eating them. Large fish tend to have higher toxin levels and sorry, no sushi, wait till after the baby is born. I wonder what would happen if you heated eggnog up? Would it kill the bacteria? Would it change the taste? I just might have to check that out myself.

Normalizing pain in childbirth

Pain

P - Purposeful. The purpose of the pain in labour is in the end we have a baby. Also pain is signally us to do something like move, change position and get ourselves comfortable
A - Anticipated. Do you expect some pain in labour. Good! because knowing that we are going to have some pain prepares us mentally for the task before us. Also when you are in labour you also know that you can anticipate that you will finish one contraction and anticipate more will come
I - Intermittent. Listen I never would've had 3 children if it wasn't for the intermittent break relief in between the contractions. Contractions last for about a minute to a minute and half and when it has subsided you get your break you feel pretty much normal and pain free inbetween. Those are the moments when you recoup, relax and recharge to be able to continue on.
N - Normal. Pain during labour is physiologically normal. In our culture we accept that a marathoner would experience some pain during his run, we would accept that pain is a normal part of life and that some live with it more than others. But for some reason the pain of labour is treated as if it were not normal, is to be feared, avoided and must therefore be treated and minimalized. In fact pain alerts mothers to move during labour which often helps progress labour and speeds labour.

Quiet alert state

The mother labouring .......the quiet alert state

The baby freshly born ...... the quiet alert state

What can we learn from .......the quiet alert state?

Boobs

Boobs, breasts, (I am sure you could think of a few other names that apply here) whatever you want to call them women have them in their own shape and size. Aside from birthing my children the next most important thing I think I have ever done in caring for them and raising them was breastfeeding. There has been a movement that is suggesting that at birth mothers and babies should be treated as a unit not as separate. This obviously benefits both mom and baby in their efforts to breastfeed from the moment a baby is born. We need not look any farther than nature to see that babies were meant to breastfeed. They are born with the innate behaviour to survive and that happens to lead them straight to the breast. And womens breasts prepare prenatally and are ready to spring forth "liquid gold" or colostrum (the first milk). Then the whole wonderful process of feeding, bonding and nurturing begins. The human body never ceases to amaze me! What boobs can do is breastaking. LOL! Want to know more about breastfeeding? Peek at Dr. Jack Newman's site http://www.drjacknewman.com/