Hypnobirthing

I am currently taking a Hypnobirthing Class from Muneeza with Let's Birth Calmly in Stamford, CT. It is a wonderful approach to a healthy, calm, relaxed birth. Hypnobirthing uses lighter, nicer words during birth, keeping Mom and Dad positive and connected to her baby.

I hope to be able to use what I learn in the class with my Hypnobirthing clients.

Check out this ABC article about hypnobirthing: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/ReproductiveHealth/hypnobirthing-free-women-pain-childbirth-exclude-doctor-drugs/story?id=10512469

How the Media Influences Us

Check out this article about how the media influences our perspective of birth

More and more articles about birth are being published which is good because like it or not, people listen to the media. Let's just hope they are telling the truth about birth. Because the truth is that BIRTH WORKS.

going past your "due date"

There has been a lot of debate about how long a provider will "allow" the mom to stay pregnant. Fact of the matter is, every woman, every baby is different. For the same reason some babies come at 38 weeks, some might need to stay in their first home for 42 weeks.

It is very common for mom to be impatient and feel as if she has been and will be pregnant forever. But really, no one will be pregnant forever. Try to cherish your final days of being pregnant. Use this time to relax, sleep, and pamper yourself. Get a massage, go for a walk, read a book and if you are having trouble sleeping, drink a nice warm mug full of chamomile tea before bed time. Snuggle with and make love to your partner. Stay positive and open. Your baby WILL be born soon!

If you are thinking about induction because you are sick of being pregnant, consider the following:
-Being induced is a medical procedure
-As soon as your induced with prostaglandins or synthetic oxytocin (aka Pitocin), you are going to be monitored closely which means you will be at the hospital, with machines dictating your status and progress
-Research has shown that induction increases your chances of have a C-Section

Unless there is a REAL medical reason to be induced, try to avoid it. If your doctor suggests induction, ask why. Do your research and follow the BRAN model of intervention by asking:

-What are the BENEFITS
-What are the RISKS
-What are the ALTERNATIVES
-What if we do NOTHING

The Oketani Method

My wonderful women's studies professor in Hawaii told me about the Oketani Method. It's a method of breastfeeding from a Japanese midwife who believes that breastfeeding is best and that although there are obstacles, everyone should at least try to breastfeed and seek help if she runs into problems. She has also developed a breast massage healing technique to help women overcome some of the problems such as engorgement, mastitis and other breastfeeding related issues.

I emailed midwife Masayo Awano to ask how I could learn more about the Oketani Method and she was kind enough to send me the written material called "Breastfeeding Your Child: The Oketani Method" translated from Japanese to English. I am very much enjoying reading it. I'm not sure how else to get this material as I wasn't able to find it in English anywhere on the internet. If you are interested in learning how to get material related to Oketani method, please contact me at doulaura@gmail.com.

"You go to the moon when you're at a birth"

I attended a Labor Doula workshop a couple days ago and one of the things the teacher, Judith Halek, said really stuck in my head. She said "You go to the moon when you're at a birth...if you don't know and feel that, you shouldn't be attending births." If only everyone who attends birth (moms, dads, sisters, OBs, midwives, nurses, doulas) could see it as this sacred life changing experience, maybe they would treat themselves, women, and babies with more compassion.

Part of my job as a doula is to teach both men and women about the miracle of childbirth so that they and their partners can achieve their goals for the birth of their baby with a supportive team by their side. It is possible to have a safe, happy, AND healthy birth!

A Joyful Birth Video

Some people may think doulas aren't unnecessary, but in today's society, there is a major lack of support for pregnant, laboring and new mothers. Doulas can provide this very important support to help make your experience the best it can be. Every woman deserves that.

Read an article about how doulas can provide this lost support.

The Face of Birth

SO many new movies and documentaries about birth coming up!! Hopefully this will help women get educated BEFORE birth so that they can make the right choices for themselves.

The Face of Birth website

The Face of Birth Trailer

Amazing stuff. I get goosebumps just watching the trailer!

A Breech in the System

A new documentary about Breech Birth. Click to check out the trailer.

Too often in pregnancy, things are seen as a problem because they MAY pose a risk. It is important to explore your choices to see how you can still make your birth experience as normal and natural as possible.

a doctor's note

"I want women to know that if you’ve had a cesarean birth, an induction, or an epidural, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to bond with your baby or you can’t lo...ve this baby, or any of that. Humans are incredibly adaptable. But why adapt if you don’t have to—if you can let your body do what it was designed to do? I believe that the connection between overuse of intervention and postpartum depression is enormous. If women experienced the ecstasy of birth, they would have the high that would get them through the hormonal changes of the next week. Your body and your inner wisdom give you that high."

-Christiane Northrup, MD

relax and be mindful

The following dharma quote can be useful in every day life and in labor:

"Once mindfulness is continuously established, an unscattered mind is "just there," on the spot, whether we are walking, eating, driving, or performing other activities. We can watch the mind and see how our mental state shapes our world. But when we watch it, we should just relax. Milarepa advises us in a vajra song:

Rest naturally, like a small child.
Rest like an ocean without waves.
Rest with clarity, like a candle flame.
Rest without self-concern, like a corpse.
Rest unmoving like a mountain."

Relaxing and being present and minful in labor can help us be in control of our body and thoughts. Most of the intense energy (aka contractions) felt during labor can be redirected into positive, useful energy if we only realize what it is for. Bringing a baby into the world is one of the most powerful and miraculous things we can do. Feel your body work a miracle!


artwork by Laura Levy

Breastfeeding Media

A new film called Latching On explores (the lack of) breastfeeding in the US.

I also read this article today: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/05/breastfeeding.costs/index.html?hpt=T2

At some point we will realize that breastfeeding should be a public health issue but for now, we have to keep trying to educate people.