8 August 2008
Birth Professionals Are Frustrated With Childbirth Too!
There's an imbalance in childbirth. Everyone knows that and you as a doctor, obstetrician, CNM or Direct Entry Midwife and Doulas all know this. For years the issues around childbirth have been put into political debates. Things have changed yet somehow have stayed the same.
The debates have centered around broadly these issues: natural versus medical, doctor versus midwife and home versus hospital. Of course there are lots of little debates such as constant foetal monitoring as standard practice or cesarean delivery for all breeches and twins. The political debate goes on and on and on.
What if there is a social rather than political debate that has not come to the forefront. What if the debates are much less about the where a woman births or who is the birth provider and more about what expectant parents need to do for themselves regardless of where or with whom they give birth?
What if a social change could improve all birth professionals’ enjoyment of their work with birthing families? What if a social change could stop much of the political debate … at least stop the ‘either/or’ approach to birth care? This can happen when we reframe the relationship between pregnancy and childbirth from the point of view of expectant parents.
Obstetricians and midwives have all the skills to care for a woman in birth. Birth providers are highly trained from extensive education. What type of education is connected to expectant parents? Unfortunately even though birth is such a Big Event in a family, the current assumption strongly implies there is nothing a woman can do about an absolutely unknowable future event.
Given that attitude which is promoted by both obstetricians and midwives alike, families are left with either ‘do what the doctor says’ or create ‘Birth Plans’ to try to take some control over an experience that is surrounded closely by professionals. Let’s consider having the appropriate birth/coaching skills that give families the ability to feel in control by how they work with their baby’s efforts to be born.
Birth is ‘unknowable’ Does that mean it remains that way? No. Childbirth has a 100% chance of unfolding. Let’s consider the benefits of growing a social acceptance that connects pregnancy, preparing for birth, learning birth/coaching skills then using the skills during the birth.
Birth is an action word and the actions any birthing woman can take comes from the skills she learns. Because all women are human beings and all men have essentially the same body this means there can be a set of shared, common knowledge skills.
Regardless of where or with whom a woman gives birth, she has to breathe and her body will be in some position. Skills such as: Directed Breathing, the Pelvic Clock or Deep Touch Relaxation, Kate’s Cat, Hip Lift and Sacral Manoeuvre any woman can learn and then use with the necessary care assessments, monitoring and procedures that you do.
In reality every birth provider loves to see a woman have a great birth experience. Now that fathers are encouraged to come help at birth, all birth professionals really love to see men do something practical and helpful. Does having a skilled birthing population hinder or endanger the birthing process?
Doesn’t seem likely. In fact, preparing for birth, learning skills then using them should work well with maternity services. When more expectant parents arrive in your care with confidence, capability, maturity and ability to work with their baby’s efforts to be born this can make your job much easier.
Having a reframing of our social relationship between pregnancy and birth, must have a positive impact on how families feel about their birth experience … they feel more in control no matter what type of birth they have.
Birth professionals want the stalemate in childbirth to shift. Midwives want more ‘natural’ births and obstetricians want ‘safe and healthy mothers and babies’. Placing a greater ‘responsibility’ on expectant parents to prepare for birth, learn skills then use them in whatever birth they have can become part of the childbirth solution. Has any obstetrician or midwife required a woman to scream rather than breathe well?
Although breathing is something we do all the time, childbirth is called ‘labour’ for a good reason. It’s hard work. When we have the right skills for the task, we feel more in control and better about our effort. When a birth requires a surgical delivery by cesarean, any family can still enjoy preparing for birth, use the skills during surgery and recovery. Birth will always be an action no matter what.
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Friday, August 8, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Be Part Of A Childbirth Revolution
6 August 2008
There Is No Reasonable Reason Why Not To Learn How-to Birth During Pregnancy
There's an imbalance in childbirth. Everyone knows that. For years the issues around childbirth have been put into political debates. Things have changed yet somehow have stayed the same.
The debates have centered broadly around these issues: natural versus medical, doctor versus midwife and home versus hospital. Of course there are lots of little debates such as constant foetal monitoring as standard practice or cesarean delivery for all breeches and twins. The political debate goes on and on and on.
What if there is a social rather than political debate that has not come to the forefront. What if the debates are much less about the where a woman births or who is the birth provider and more about what expectant parents need to do for themselves regardless of where or with whom they give birth?
Is there any good reason why expectant families shouldn’t have birth/coaching skills? Pregnancy is the only time to learn these task appropriate skills. Yet, no one is even suggesting that happen. We give more emphasis on a social expectation that if you want an auto license, you learn how to drive. We don’t accept any reasonable reason why not such as: ‘I’m working up to the day of my driver’s test, I don’t have time’ or ‘I’m just a teenager so I’m not expected to be capable.’
Unfortunately, for the past 40 years, women have been de-skilled based on a truth that pregnancy and birth are normal events in a woman’s life. However, connected to that truth is an accurate assumption which says: ‘Because birth is natural therefore you don’t need skills.’ Being hungry is natural but we value people who know how-to cook. These are learned skills appropriate for the natural, physiological feeling of hunger and need to eat.
Unfortunately there is also a belief that other animals (and we are mammals) don’t need to be taught how to birth therefore humans don’t. This is a wild supposition that does not factor in what makes us different from other mammals … our neo-cortex.
In fact, humans (and we are all human beings regardless of all factors from personal lifestyles to cultural diversity; from opinions about birth to health factors; to availability of modern maternity care or droughts, wars and tsunamis) love to be skilled. We thrive on feeling competent to do the task with the appropriate skills.
However, along with all the assumptive beliefs in childbirth today, there is also a truth wrapped up with another inaccurate conclusion. The Truth states there is no way to know what our birth will be like. The inaccurate assumption is that there is nothing we can do. Of course there is. The future is always unknown, but it unfolds. Birth unfolds and it happens to every single pregnant woman in the world without fail … one way or the other.
Birth is an action word and the actions any birthing woman can take comes from the skills she learns. Because all women are human beings and all men have essentially the same body this means there can be a set of shared, common knowledge skills.
Regardless of where or with whom a woman gives birth, she has to breathe and her body will be in some position. Skills such as: Directed Breathing, the Pelvic Clock or Deep Touch Relaxation, Kate’s Cat, Hip Lift and Sacral Manoeuvre any woman can learn and then use with the necessary care assessments, monitoring and procedures that you do.
Whether a woman births alone in the bush, taxi or home she should prepare her pregnant body for birth, learn birth skills and use them to work with her baby’s efforts to be born. Her husband, partner, friend or relative should learn the same set of skills to help her do this monumental task.
If the birth is going to be a cesarean delivery, pregnancy is still leading to the birth and families can enjoy taking time to prepare, learn the skills and use them during the surgery and recovery. Birth is always an action.
There is no reasonable reason why pregnancy and learning birth/coaching skills should continue to remain disconnected. We do a service to no one by just letting this amazing experience happen to us rather than know how-to. Power comes from small accomplishments.
There Is No Reasonable Reason Why Not To Learn How-to Birth During Pregnancy
There's an imbalance in childbirth. Everyone knows that. For years the issues around childbirth have been put into political debates. Things have changed yet somehow have stayed the same.
The debates have centered broadly around these issues: natural versus medical, doctor versus midwife and home versus hospital. Of course there are lots of little debates such as constant foetal monitoring as standard practice or cesarean delivery for all breeches and twins. The political debate goes on and on and on.
What if there is a social rather than political debate that has not come to the forefront. What if the debates are much less about the where a woman births or who is the birth provider and more about what expectant parents need to do for themselves regardless of where or with whom they give birth?
Is there any good reason why expectant families shouldn’t have birth/coaching skills? Pregnancy is the only time to learn these task appropriate skills. Yet, no one is even suggesting that happen. We give more emphasis on a social expectation that if you want an auto license, you learn how to drive. We don’t accept any reasonable reason why not such as: ‘I’m working up to the day of my driver’s test, I don’t have time’ or ‘I’m just a teenager so I’m not expected to be capable.’
Unfortunately, for the past 40 years, women have been de-skilled based on a truth that pregnancy and birth are normal events in a woman’s life. However, connected to that truth is an accurate assumption which says: ‘Because birth is natural therefore you don’t need skills.’ Being hungry is natural but we value people who know how-to cook. These are learned skills appropriate for the natural, physiological feeling of hunger and need to eat.
Unfortunately there is also a belief that other animals (and we are mammals) don’t need to be taught how to birth therefore humans don’t. This is a wild supposition that does not factor in what makes us different from other mammals … our neo-cortex.
In fact, humans (and we are all human beings regardless of all factors from personal lifestyles to cultural diversity; from opinions about birth to health factors; to availability of modern maternity care or droughts, wars and tsunamis) love to be skilled. We thrive on feeling competent to do the task with the appropriate skills.
However, along with all the assumptive beliefs in childbirth today, there is also a truth wrapped up with another inaccurate conclusion. The Truth states there is no way to know what our birth will be like. The inaccurate assumption is that there is nothing we can do. Of course there is. The future is always unknown, but it unfolds. Birth unfolds and it happens to every single pregnant woman in the world without fail … one way or the other.
Birth is an action word and the actions any birthing woman can take comes from the skills she learns. Because all women are human beings and all men have essentially the same body this means there can be a set of shared, common knowledge skills.
Regardless of where or with whom a woman gives birth, she has to breathe and her body will be in some position. Skills such as: Directed Breathing, the Pelvic Clock or Deep Touch Relaxation, Kate’s Cat, Hip Lift and Sacral Manoeuvre any woman can learn and then use with the necessary care assessments, monitoring and procedures that you do.
Whether a woman births alone in the bush, taxi or home she should prepare her pregnant body for birth, learn birth skills and use them to work with her baby’s efforts to be born. Her husband, partner, friend or relative should learn the same set of skills to help her do this monumental task.
If the birth is going to be a cesarean delivery, pregnancy is still leading to the birth and families can enjoy taking time to prepare, learn the skills and use them during the surgery and recovery. Birth is always an action.
There is no reasonable reason why pregnancy and learning birth/coaching skills should continue to remain disconnected. We do a service to no one by just letting this amazing experience happen to us rather than know how-to. Power comes from small accomplishments.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Birth Center Success
4 August 2008
How Can You Increase Your Odds To Have A Successful Birth Centre Birth
Unfortunately Birth Centers are not at all common. If you live around a free standing Birth Center then you are very lucky. You’re more likely to have access to a hospital attached Birth Centre. You’ve already discovered that they have stringent protocols and it’s very easy to fall outside their guidelines for acceptance.
If you get refused from a Birth Center or get transfer to hospital if you have learned good birth skills, keep using them and you’ll still have a really positive birth. Once you’ve been accepted to birth in a Birth Centre it’s important to increase your chances of birthing there.
Often families choose to birth outside hospital yet not at home. Birth Centers offer that in between place. Families want a more relaxed environment for the birth of their baby. Many decisions (Birth Plans or choices) are based on political feelings about birth. Somehow hospitals have gotten a bad rap, but it’s curious that so many families will head there if needed. So somehow the hospital is a love/hate place.
When a family chooses a Birth Center because they have political/personal/philosophical beliefs around childbirth when some thing happens to change those choices often despair descends. So there are two aspects to this article. First is how to reduce or eliminate the risks of transferring to hospital. Second is how to improve your hospital birth if you end up there.
One thing is certain, you’ll still have medical assessments, monitoring and perhaps some procedures in your Birth Center birth. A perceived rough vaginal exam can occur whether the woman is birthing at home, hospital or Birth Center. So a Birth Center experience can be improved by what you bring to your birth … and that’s your preparation and skills.
In the simplest form childbirth is an exercise in plumbing. A large object has to get out of a container. Keeping this understanding in mind, you can see how important it is to prepare the container to let the object out as easily and safely as possible. Fortunately, pregnancy is the only time to do this and only after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Preparing your birthing body has to do with learning skills to keep your container open, relaxed and mobile. There are three parts of the container the object must negotiate to come out: the bony pelvis, open the cervix and open the birth canal. After 24 weeks our pregnant body begins it’s journey toward birth. Always keep in mind that birth is actually an active word. Actions are taken in order for the object to come out of the container.
Along with preparing the pregnant container for the activity of birth, it’s important to learn birth skills. Coaching skills for the birthing partner is as vitally important. Where ever you birth, pain is often connected to the activity of birth. Being at a Birth Center does not change the pain perception and women can as easily tense up their container in a Birth Center.
The pain is connected to the cervix opening. This means it’s essential you learn to relax inside your pelvic clock, keep your sacrum mobile, remain in positions that keep the bell shaped curve of your contractions and stay open. These are learned skills that you use by linking your mind to your birthing (activity) body.
If you don’t know how to reduce your own birth tension in response to pain this is more likely to lead to more assessment, monitoring and procedures and even transfer to hospital. So, the first thing you need to do is make certain you learn birth skills that come from preparing your pregnant body so you can cope and manage the pain in a relaxed manner. This means you have to look and act like you are coping with labour pains. That’s the number #1 way you can assure a Birth Center birth.
The number #2 way you can guarantee a Birth Center experience is to make certain your baby comes through your birth canal. If you have tight muscles inside or tense up as this large object comes down to this area then you risk delaying the final exit of your baby. By doing internal work from 32 weeks onward, you can assure that this part of your body can open easily without the characteristic stinging that occurs.
Planning a Birth Center experience is just one step on the road to success. However, once you’ve prepared your pregnant body and learned great birth/coaching skills then you’ll realize that you’re more likely have a successful Birth Center birth. However, you’ll also absolutely know that if you need more medical care that all your preparation and your skills will give you the birth you imagined even if you end up in that place … a hospital.
How Can You Increase Your Odds To Have A Successful Birth Centre Birth
Unfortunately Birth Centers are not at all common. If you live around a free standing Birth Center then you are very lucky. You’re more likely to have access to a hospital attached Birth Centre. You’ve already discovered that they have stringent protocols and it’s very easy to fall outside their guidelines for acceptance.
If you get refused from a Birth Center or get transfer to hospital if you have learned good birth skills, keep using them and you’ll still have a really positive birth. Once you’ve been accepted to birth in a Birth Centre it’s important to increase your chances of birthing there.
Often families choose to birth outside hospital yet not at home. Birth Centers offer that in between place. Families want a more relaxed environment for the birth of their baby. Many decisions (Birth Plans or choices) are based on political feelings about birth. Somehow hospitals have gotten a bad rap, but it’s curious that so many families will head there if needed. So somehow the hospital is a love/hate place.
When a family chooses a Birth Center because they have political/personal/philosophical beliefs around childbirth when some thing happens to change those choices often despair descends. So there are two aspects to this article. First is how to reduce or eliminate the risks of transferring to hospital. Second is how to improve your hospital birth if you end up there.
One thing is certain, you’ll still have medical assessments, monitoring and perhaps some procedures in your Birth Center birth. A perceived rough vaginal exam can occur whether the woman is birthing at home, hospital or Birth Center. So a Birth Center experience can be improved by what you bring to your birth … and that’s your preparation and skills.
In the simplest form childbirth is an exercise in plumbing. A large object has to get out of a container. Keeping this understanding in mind, you can see how important it is to prepare the container to let the object out as easily and safely as possible. Fortunately, pregnancy is the only time to do this and only after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Preparing your birthing body has to do with learning skills to keep your container open, relaxed and mobile. There are three parts of the container the object must negotiate to come out: the bony pelvis, open the cervix and open the birth canal. After 24 weeks our pregnant body begins it’s journey toward birth. Always keep in mind that birth is actually an active word. Actions are taken in order for the object to come out of the container.
Along with preparing the pregnant container for the activity of birth, it’s important to learn birth skills. Coaching skills for the birthing partner is as vitally important. Where ever you birth, pain is often connected to the activity of birth. Being at a Birth Center does not change the pain perception and women can as easily tense up their container in a Birth Center.
The pain is connected to the cervix opening. This means it’s essential you learn to relax inside your pelvic clock, keep your sacrum mobile, remain in positions that keep the bell shaped curve of your contractions and stay open. These are learned skills that you use by linking your mind to your birthing (activity) body.
If you don’t know how to reduce your own birth tension in response to pain this is more likely to lead to more assessment, monitoring and procedures and even transfer to hospital. So, the first thing you need to do is make certain you learn birth skills that come from preparing your pregnant body so you can cope and manage the pain in a relaxed manner. This means you have to look and act like you are coping with labour pains. That’s the number #1 way you can assure a Birth Center birth.
The number #2 way you can guarantee a Birth Center experience is to make certain your baby comes through your birth canal. If you have tight muscles inside or tense up as this large object comes down to this area then you risk delaying the final exit of your baby. By doing internal work from 32 weeks onward, you can assure that this part of your body can open easily without the characteristic stinging that occurs.
Planning a Birth Center experience is just one step on the road to success. However, once you’ve prepared your pregnant body and learned great birth/coaching skills then you’ll realize that you’re more likely have a successful Birth Center birth. However, you’ll also absolutely know that if you need more medical care that all your preparation and your skills will give you the birth you imagined even if you end up in that place … a hospital.
Birth Center Success
4 August 2008
How Can You Increase Your Odds To Have A Successful Birth Centre Birth
Unfortunately Birth Centers are not at all common. If you live around a free standing Birth Center then you are very lucky. You’re more likely to have access to a hospital attached Birth Centre. You’ve already discovered that they have stringent protocols and it’s very easy to fall outside their guidelines for acceptance.
If you get refused from a Birth Center or get transfer to hospital if you have learned good birth skills, keep using them and you’ll still have a really positive birth. Once you’ve been accepted to birth in a Birth Centre it’s important to increase your chances of birthing there.
Often families choose to birth outside hospital yet not at home. Birth Centers offer that in between place. Families want a more relaxed environment for the birth of their baby. Many decisions (Birth Plans or choices) are based on political feelings about birth. Somehow hospitals have gotten a bad rap, but it’s curious that so many families will head there if needed. So somehow the hospital is a love/hate place.
When a family chooses a Birth Center because they have political/personal/philosophical beliefs around childbirth when some thing happens to change those choices often despair descends. So there are two aspects to this article. First is how to reduce or eliminate the risks of transferring to hospital. Second is how to improve your hospital birth if you end up there.
One thing is certain, you’ll still have medical assessments, monitoring and perhaps some procedures in your Birth Center birth. A perceived rough vaginal exam can occur whether the woman is birthing at home, hospital or Birth Center. So a Birth Center experience can be improved by what you bring to your birth … and that’s your preparation and skills.
In the simplest form childbirth is an exercise in plumbing. A large object has to get out of a container. Keeping this understanding in mind, you can see how important it is to prepare the container to let the object out as easily and safely as possible. Fortunately, pregnancy is the only time to do this and only after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Preparing your birthing body has to do with learning skills to keep your container open, relaxed and mobile. There are three parts of the container the object must negotiate to come out: the bony pelvis, open the cervix and open the birth canal. After 24 weeks our pregnant body begins it’s journey toward birth. Always keep in mind that birth is actually an active word. Actions are taken in order for the object to come out of the container.
Along with preparing the pregnant container for the activity of birth, it’s important to learn birth skills. Coaching skills for the birthing partner is as vitally important. Where ever you birth, pain is often connected to the activity of birth. Being at a Birth Center does not change the pain perception and women can as easily tense up their container in a Birth Center.
The pain is connected to the cervix opening. This means it’s essential you learn to relax inside your pelvic clock, keep your sacrum mobile, remain in positions that keep the bell shaped curve of your contractions and stay open. These are learned skills that you use by linking your mind to your birthing (activity) body.
If you don’t know how to reduce your own birth tension in response to pain this is more likely to lead to more assessment, monitoring and procedures and even transfer to hospital. So, the first thing you need to do is make certain you learn birth skills that come from preparing your pregnant body so you can cope and manage the pain in a relaxed manner. This means you have to look and act like you are coping with labour pains. That’s the number #1 way you can assure a Birth Center birth.
The number #2 way you can guarantee a Birth Center experience is to make certain your baby comes through your birth canal. If you have tight muscles inside or tense up as this large object comes down to this area then you risk delaying the final exit of your baby. By doing internal work from 32 weeks onward, you can assure that this part of your body can open easily without the characteristic stinging that occurs.
Planning a Birth Center experience is just one step on the road to success. However, once you’ve prepared your pregnant body and learned great birth/coaching skills then you’ll realize that you’re more likely have a successful Birth Center birth. However, you’ll also absolutely know that if you need more medical care that all your preparation and your skills will give you the birth you imagined even if you end up in that place … a hospital.
How Can You Increase Your Odds To Have A Successful Birth Centre Birth
Unfortunately Birth Centers are not at all common. If you live around a free standing Birth Center then you are very lucky. You’re more likely to have access to a hospital attached Birth Centre. You’ve already discovered that they have stringent protocols and it’s very easy to fall outside their guidelines for acceptance.
If you get refused from a Birth Center or get transfer to hospital if you have learned good birth skills, keep using them and you’ll still have a really positive birth. Once you’ve been accepted to birth in a Birth Centre it’s important to increase your chances of birthing there.
Often families choose to birth outside hospital yet not at home. Birth Centers offer that in between place. Families want a more relaxed environment for the birth of their baby. Many decisions (Birth Plans or choices) are based on political feelings about birth. Somehow hospitals have gotten a bad rap, but it’s curious that so many families will head there if needed. So somehow the hospital is a love/hate place.
When a family chooses a Birth Center because they have political/personal/philosophical beliefs around childbirth when some thing happens to change those choices often despair descends. So there are two aspects to this article. First is how to reduce or eliminate the risks of transferring to hospital. Second is how to improve your hospital birth if you end up there.
One thing is certain, you’ll still have medical assessments, monitoring and perhaps some procedures in your Birth Center birth. A perceived rough vaginal exam can occur whether the woman is birthing at home, hospital or Birth Center. So a Birth Center experience can be improved by what you bring to your birth … and that’s your preparation and skills.
In the simplest form childbirth is an exercise in plumbing. A large object has to get out of a container. Keeping this understanding in mind, you can see how important it is to prepare the container to let the object out as easily and safely as possible. Fortunately, pregnancy is the only time to do this and only after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
Preparing your birthing body has to do with learning skills to keep your container open, relaxed and mobile. There are three parts of the container the object must negotiate to come out: the bony pelvis, open the cervix and open the birth canal. After 24 weeks our pregnant body begins it’s journey toward birth. Always keep in mind that birth is actually an active word. Actions are taken in order for the object to come out of the container.
Along with preparing the pregnant container for the activity of birth, it’s important to learn birth skills. Coaching skills for the birthing partner is as vitally important. Where ever you birth, pain is often connected to the activity of birth. Being at a Birth Center does not change the pain perception and women can as easily tense up their container in a Birth Center.
The pain is connected to the cervix opening. This means it’s essential you learn to relax inside your pelvic clock, keep your sacrum mobile, remain in positions that keep the bell shaped curve of your contractions and stay open. These are learned skills that you use by linking your mind to your birthing (activity) body.
If you don’t know how to reduce your own birth tension in response to pain this is more likely to lead to more assessment, monitoring and procedures and even transfer to hospital. So, the first thing you need to do is make certain you learn birth skills that come from preparing your pregnant body so you can cope and manage the pain in a relaxed manner. This means you have to look and act like you are coping with labour pains. That’s the number #1 way you can assure a Birth Center birth.
The number #2 way you can guarantee a Birth Center experience is to make certain your baby comes through your birth canal. If you have tight muscles inside or tense up as this large object comes down to this area then you risk delaying the final exit of your baby. By doing internal work from 32 weeks onward, you can assure that this part of your body can open easily without the characteristic stinging that occurs.
Planning a Birth Center experience is just one step on the road to success. However, once you’ve prepared your pregnant body and learned great birth/coaching skills then you’ll realize that you’re more likely have a successful Birth Center birth. However, you’ll also absolutely know that if you need more medical care that all your preparation and your skills will give you the birth you imagined even if you end up in that place … a hospital.
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