Positive Birth Stories
Women can overcome the fear surrounding labor and birth by hearing or reading Positive Birth Stories. I have asked a number of my Bradley Method® and Prenatal Yoga students to write their experiences down to share with other couples. Most of these stories on my blog http://prenatalyoga.wordpress.com are stories of natural birth. A couple of them are not, but these mothers were able to turn their baby's birth into an empowering experience and bring their babies into the world in the best, safest, and gentlest way possible.
"Women need to hear positive birth stories. Sadly, women who have positive, transformative, challenging but amazing births usually don't tell their stories. They may think it's not normal, or may not want to make other women feel inferior. Women need to share their birth stories, both positive and difficult, and when they're difficult, we should examine why and what could have changed. These stories have the power to transform how society looks at birth, to dispel the myths and relieve the fear." Debra Pascali-Bonaro
Want A Natural Birth? Avoid These Mistakes!
Want a Safe, Natural Birth? Avoid These Common Mistakes
1. Pay attention to your labor.
The best thing to do when labor begins is to IGNORE YOUR LABOR! Believe me, your labor will get your full attention when it kicks in to high gear. For now, if it is the middle of the night, go back to sleep. If it’s dinner time, eat dinner. If you were going to a movie but labor began, go to the movie. If you were heading out to do some shopping, go shopping. In other words, whether your contractions start out 4 minutes apart or 10 minutes apart, ignore them.
2. Time your contractions
As I said in the previous paragraph, no matter how close your contractions are, they should pretty much be ignored. It’s the emotions of labor that you need to pay attention to. If you can still chat between contractions, or continue to do what you would normally do at that time, then you should do it.
3. Don’t learn about the emotional signposts of labor.
Doulas, midwives, and childbirth professionals all know that moms emotions, how she’s feeling, the way she’s acting, and the sounds she’s making can tell you exactly where she is in labor. If you can say, while in labor, “ I think it’s time to go to the hospital or birth center.” THEN IT’S NOT TIME TO GO YET! It’s time to go when the moaning begins, mom can’t carry on a conversation between contractions, and she is totally focused on each contraction.
4. Go to your birth place when you’re first tempted to go.
Most first time parents go way too early. When you arrive at your birth place too soon, you risk slowing down your contractions, delaying progress, making labor many hours longer, and getting exhausted. You also add the risk of getting medication for pain relief, then getting artificial hormones to speed up labor, having time limits put on you by your birth place, and lastly an unexpected and unplanned cesarean section.
5. Don’t eat and drink during labor
I’ve heard it so many times. “I’m not hungry. I don’t want to eat anything.” Well, imagine running a marathon, or going on an all day hike and you don’t eat or drink anything. How do you think your body will respond to the lack of nutrition and water? Well, labor is a huge physical task and your body and your baby need food and water. Even if you eat a spoonful of yogurt, or a couple of bites of toast and honey, or a popsicle, it will help. Drink water with electrolytes ( Smart Water Coconut water, Gatorade G2). Your body will absorb it and perform a lot more efficiently.
6. Don’t Take A Bath
A local midwife I know calls the use of water in labor and “AQUA-DURAL” You get the pain relief, relaxation benefits, and more progress. So if you wake up in the middle of the night and contractions are keeping you awake, get in the tub. You can even pour in 2-4 lbs of Epsom Salts to relax you and slow your contractions enough so you can get back to sleep. During active labor, standing in the shower feels great. Don’t want to stand? Fold towels so you can cushion your knees and lean on a birth ball. Or sit on the birth ball. Throw a towel on top of the ball so you don’t slide and roll another towel to put around the base so the ball doesn’t roll. If you have a tub USE IT! If you don’t you can rent a birthing tub or use a blow up pool filled with warm water by attaching a hose to the faucet.
7. Go to Your Birthplace If Your Bag of Waters Breaks Before Labor Begins
Studies show that your risk of developing infection comes when you insert anything into the birth canal ie: checking cervical dilation. Most women will begin labor within 24 hours and a smaller number will begin within 48 hours. So stay home, walk, sleep, eat, drink, take a shower and continue to do what you normally would do. If you want to get things moving along, try acupressure, acupuncture, and other natural techniques to induce labor. Just don’t put ANYTHING in the vagina. Read more about why it’s best to stay home when your membranes rupture before labor begins. What to Do if Your Water Breaks: Is Your Baby Coming Quickly if Your Membranes Rupture? http://childbirth-labour-delivery.suite101.com/article.cfm/what-to-do-if-your-water-breaks#ixzz0rc88vXKS
8. Don’t Ask Questions and Leave The Decisions To Your Doctor/Midwife
There is one thing you can always count on when it comes to labor and birth-THE UNEXPECTED! But when faced with a choice or a decision it is very helpful and empowering if you know the right questions to ask. Penny Simkin came up with her “Key Questions About Your Care” and in a nutshell it’s important to “Bring Your Brain To Your Labor and Birth”.
BRAIN is an acronym for the questions to ask before any procedure, medication, test, or any kind of treatment is proposed. Remember that you’re asking about how it will affect both you and your baby. B stands for: What are the Benefits for me and my baby of this procedure/test? R stands for: What are the Risks for me and my baby? A stands for: Are there any Alternatives to this procedure? I is to remind you to use your Intuition after you have gathered the information. N stands for the option that most people don’t think of: Do Nothing. Wait! As long as this is a safe option, take the time to think about it, talk about it, and trust your instincts.
9. Have An Audience
Having people around watching you try to labor and birth will have the same effect as if you had an audience while you’re trying to do a poop. If you don’t feel a sense of privacy, quiet, safety, and support, your cervix will never open. So choose carefully and wisely who will be with you during labor, and stay in the privacy and safety of your own home as long as you possibly can-longer than you probably want to!
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice |
Prenatal Yoga Classes Help With Birth
Below is another natural birth story with some valuable opportunities to point out lots of things Michelle did right that helped her achieve the natural birth that she wanted.
I want to thank you so much for the great Prenatal Yoga class that you offer at Babies In Bloom. I took your Wednesday and Saturday classes to help with my varicose veins in my left leg, and consequently, I also found out how much I enjoyed yoga and all of its benefits. I had pressure and pain in my leg due to my pregnancy related varicose veins, until I discovered your prenatal yoga class.
I felt improvement after the first class that I took and the pain went away after the second week of classes. There was one week that I had to miss two consecutive classes and I could feel the pain and pressure in my leg come back due to being on my feet all day at work and missing those classes. It was really amazing how the stretches and breathing practices helped my circulation.
Your prenatal yoga classes definitely helped me with the actual natural birth of my daughter, as well. I used your breathing techniques to ease and get through my contractions, your helpful natural birthing advice gave me knowledge and confidence to reach my final goal of a natural birth. And your pregnancy-catered yoga positions gave me the strength in my legs to squat during the actual birth. We had an amazing birthing experience with the help of you, Dr. Nick Capetanakis and the Scripps Memorial Encinitas staff!
Liza- Prenatal Yoga allows expectant mothers to relax and explore their emotional selves. By getting in touch with our emotional selves in preparation for labor and birth, we can learn how to view pregnancy and birth in a less factual or rational way. It opens the door to the idea or concept of trusting their bodies to not only grow their babies but also to birth their babies. Give my free 25 minute yoga class a try. The physical benefits are a nice bonus too.
Here is a short version of my birth story… I woke up at 2:30am with menstrual-like cramps and the contractions progressed from there. We labored at home as long as possible and we checked into the hospital at 8am.
Liza-Dr. Sarah Buckley says a laboring woman needs three things to progress in labor. She needs to be in a private place, like home, where she feels safe, and she is unobserved, yet supported. As you’ll read in the next sentence, Michelle was able to relax at home and let her body open up so she could birth her baby girl.
Dr. Cap was already there and checked my dilation right away. I was 9cm and he broke my water while checking. The nurses grabbed a squat bar for the table and I had our baby girl exactly eleven minutes after checking into the facility!! I barely had to push, since gravity and the natural contractions guided her out. Dr. Cap was amazing and coached me through that final pushing stage. He helped me to slow down and massaged me with mineral oil so that I would not tear like I did during my first labor. I only had one tiny minor tear that healed within a couple of days. Dr. Cap was patient and let my husband, Jeff, catch our daughter and hand her to me right away.
Liza-What a thrill and honor for a father to be able to “catch” his own child, and be the first person to hold her…He did not have Jeff cut the umbilical cord until my placenta was out and the nurses let me hold and bond with our daughter for a couple of hours until they finally took her vitals in our labor room. It was amazing!
There are many benefits of letting the cord stop pulsating before it is clamped and cut. You can read about it here. Science and Sensibility and NBC News
Here is a picture of Anna Mary Raiatea Logandro (I mentioned to you that we were going to give our daughter a Tahitian middle name…we gave her "Raiatea" because of its significance to us. Jeff and I went to Raiatea on our Honeymoon and my friend, Riya ("Raia"), introduced us on a blind date.). Anna was born on April 26th at 8:11am. She weighed 8lbs 2oz and was 18-1/2" long.
Tags: Dr. Nick Capetenakis, natural birth, prenatal yoga, Scripps Memorial Encinitas
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice, Natural Birth Stories |
Cambria Lee
Below is the natural birth story of Emily, Tyson, and Cambria Lee Perez. I've added comments, highlighted, to emphasize things they did that were very helpful in achieving the birth they wanted for their daughter. If you want t learn more, click here.
Liza Janda
Cambria Lee arrived on Sunday, October 28 @9:36am. All 9lbs of her!!!
I was awakened around 4am on Saturday with menstrual-like cramps(about every 10mins). (A sure sign of early labor) This was the very first time that I had such cramping, so I had a big feeling that we would be meeting baby very soon. I didn't want to wake Tyson just yet to tell him because I knew we would need all the sleep we could get. ( Let your coach/birth partner sleep if you begin labor during regular sleeping hours. Your body has all kinds of hormones that help you get through labor and keep your energy up, but your coach doesn't have those hormones and may end up running low on energy)
When Tyson finally dragged himself out of bed, I was excited to tell him what I thought was happening. As the day went on Tyson made sure I was eating and staying well hydrated, taking me for walks, and just keeping me busy. (What a great coach-just what every labor support person is supposed to do.) I baked cookies for the staff and cleaned around the house. (This is a wonderful thing to do to help you ignore your labor and to get the staff support you'll need in labor) Throughout the day the cramping slowly became a little more intense and closer together. Nothing painful, just annoying. The Stage One App
came in very handy! (Most first time parents aren't sure when early labor turns in to active labor. Most first time parents in labor go to the birth place to soon. This free App can help time labor contractions, help you focus, and decide when it's time to go to your birthplace when you get to active labor) Later that evening, I had to start finding out what was the most comfortable laboring positions for me. It was quite interesting to find out that the positions I thought I was going to like…I didn't like at all. (This a good reason to practice relaxation in many different positions and scenarios)
I liked the heat pack on my back,
laying on my exercise ball,
leaning against Tyson, and standing in the shower. Tyson was SOO good at getting me to change to different positions at this point and keeping my energy up. ( If you want to be as good a birth coach as Tyson, read:The Birth Partner, Third Edition: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions (Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, &)
It wasn't until around 9pm when things starting really picking up. Knowing that we desired to labor at home for as long as possible, I don't think I had ever told or asked Tyson to go to the hospital. I just kept doing my thing and pushed through every contraction. Around 11pm, Tyson told my parents to come over to prepare for our departure. At this point I was laboring in the shower for quite some time. Poor neighbors probably heard me through the walls. Our drive to the hospital was a good 45mins. Tyson made sure we werent leaving too soon, contracting @ 2-1-1 verses the 4-1-1. We wanted to make sure we wouldn't be turned away from the hospital and have the least interventions.
(These two had a great plan and were able to progress past 5cm. As a rule, if you want fewer interventions and/or a natural birth, it's best to labor at home as long as possible)
We arrived at the hospital around 1am. I walked myself in the hospital, stopping to lean on Tyson during every contraction. You should have seen the look on my dads face!! Haha. He is not good during situations like this, which is why he stayed in the waiting room.
Checking in was a pain!! We told them exactly how things had been progressing and that I wanted a room right away, but they insisted on needing a bunch of info and needing to do some tests to make sure I was ready for a room. Tyson had to deal with a few battles when it came to interventions they were wanting to do. Lets just say, He didn't vibe well with the OB they had come in.
(Sometimes in situations like this, having a doula to support the mom in labor can be helpful so mom feels supported and dad can handle decisions, questions, anything that needs to be handled.)
Once I was in the room, I went back and forth from the exercise ball and shower. Nurses kept wanting to pull me out of the shower to do some tests, draw blood, and fetal monitoring. All stuff that I did not want to come out of the shower for. Our first nurse really didn't agree with things on our birth plan. Tyson had some KIND words with her outside of the room
.
(If you get a nurse who doesn't see things the way you see them, ask for another nurse. It's a simple solution)
Our second nurse…it was like the heavens had heard us and brought us and Angel!! A nurse who had 2 natural, non-medicated births and easily went along with our plans!!! She was really sweet and got things done the way we liked.
I have no clue what time they checked me, but I was at 8cm. About 2hrs later, they checked me again and I was at 10cm. I went to lay down in the bed. I had already been wanting to push so I was ready!!! Legs pulled back, C-shaped spine… OMG!!! The hardest part of the whole thing was that "RING OF FIRE"!!! Everything else was cake! I had pushed for about 40mins and then there she was, placed on my chest
Tyson and I fell in love instantly with our "surprise" baby girl. I still find it funny that many people insisted I was having a boy, including my midwife
.
We denied all tests except the hearing test and we left the hospital within 24hrs. Mommy and baby are getting along just fine, figuring out our new routine while daddy gets those special diaper changing bonding times
Thank you Liza for EVERYTHING you taught us. I felt extremely well prepared and feel like I knew exactly what to expect at each moment. I am so empowered by my first birth experience. A Natural, non-medicated birth is what i envisioned and it was just that and BEAUTIFUL! I didnt even ask for medication in which was a HUGE goal of mine!! Nor did i ever get "fussy" with the hubby during any of this. I knew i really needed him and didn't want him to leave my side
Thank you again!
Love,
Tyson, Emily, & Cambria Lee
Tags: baby, birth partner, labor, midwife, natural birth
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice, Natural Birth Stories |
Online Childbirth Classes-Award Winning and Doctor Recommended!
Take online childbirth classes at Your Place, At Your Pace!
http://www.birthclassonline.com
Travel a lot? Busy schedule? Spouse deployed? On bed rest in pregnancy? Can't find a childbirth class that fits your schedule? Our online childbirth classes are the perfect alternative to an in-person childbirth class!
Check out a preview of the class here
IF YOU CAN'T COME TO A CHILDBIRTH CLASS, WE WILL BRING THE CLASS TO YOU!
Online childbirth classes are the solution!
Go to www.birthclassonline.com or www.birthclassathome.com. For only $75.00 you get award winning online childbirth classes, access to a certified childbirth educator, bonus information about pregnancy, labor, and birth. All this will help you create the healthiest and the safest birth possible for both you and your baby.
WHAT DOES EVIDENCE BASED MEAN?
This online childbirth class is evidence-based. That means that the information you learn in the online childbirth class is backed up by medical research and analysis.
So how can you avoid things like an unnecessary cesarean birth? Learn about natural pain relieving techniques in labor? Know all your options and what questions to ask in unexpected situations? Get educated and informed. Being prepared is the best way to keep you and your baby healthy and safe!
Taking this online childbirth class gives you valuable information so that you and your partner can make informed decisions. You can have confidence that the information you learn in your online childbirth class is based on documented facts, and based on proof of the best medical practices, for the safest and the healthiest births possible, for both mothers and babies.
WHAT DO EXPECTANT PARENTS THINK OF THE UNDERSTANDING BIRTH eCLASS?
Most expectant parents have a lot of fear about labor and birth.
Who wouldn't want to feel confident about labor and birth?
Who wouldn't want to feel relaxed and prepared?
99% of parents polled said that the time and effort it took them to complete the class was just right. And they felt confident going into labor and birth.
90% of parents polled said the ease of learning and following along was Outstanding or Very Good
" The videos in our online childbirth class were a reality check and let us know what we can expect during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. The class/exercises gave us a lot to think about and helped us prepare with checklists and things to ask our providers."
"I like being able to go at my own pace over a couple of days time period, and re-watching or going over information again with my husband at a later time. This online childbirth class is so convenient!"
- Learn about your changing body
- Recognize signs of labor
- Watch real-life birth videos
- Discover helpful comfort techniques
- Get an overview of medical procedures
- Understand cesarean birth'Prepare for your baby's arrival
- Know what to expect after giving birth
See a preview of the class or ENROLL TODAY!
Tags: childbirth class, online childbirth class
Posted in Best Cesareans Possible Positive Birth Experiences, Labor and Birth Advice, Natural Birth Stories, Online childbirth classes, VBAC |
Need A Childbirth Class?-Take This Quiz To Find Out
By Liza Janda AAHCC, E-RYT, RPYT
1. Epidurals
a. Have been proven safe for babies during labor and birth
b. Are necessary because the pain of labor and birth is unbearable
c. Can cause drops in blood pressure, fetal distress and fever in the mother
d. Can cause difficulty suckling and sleepiness in the newborn which interfere with breastfeeding
e. Can be quite effective in relieving labor pain
f. Increase risk of Cesarean
g. All of the above
h. C & d
i. C,d,e,f
2. Induction of Labor
a. Is necessary 60% of the time
b. Fails 50-60% of the time, ending in an unplanned Cesarean
c. Is necessary when you go past your due date
d. Is necessary when your baby is too big
e. Is necessary only when medically indicated
f. Can cause babies to be born late-term premature
g. Should always be done if your water breaks before labor starts.
h. Can cause admission of babies to the neonatal ICU (intensive care unit)
i. Can cause the need for epidurals and narcotics for pain relief.
j. None of the above
k. All of the above
l. Only b, e, f, h, i
3. Most women avoid caffeine, medications, alcohol during pregnancy. What they don’t know is that hospitals use opiates for pain relief. Opiates:
a. Are derivatives of cocaine
b. Cross the placenta
c. Cause central nervous system depression in babies
d. Can cause altered neurological behavior
e. Cause nausea, dizziness, and itching in the mother
f. Start working in less than five minutes
g. Have been proven safe for baby and mother
h. All of the above
i. None of the above
j. A through f only
4. The number one worry for most pregnant women is:
a. Pain during labor
b. Getting to the hospital on time
c. Getting to the hospital too early
d. A and b
e. A and c
f. None f the above
5. Good nutrition during pregnancy affects:
a. Your baby’s health, today only
b. Your baby’s development from nerves to muscles to bone to brain
c. Ha been shown to reduce incidence of preterm labor and bed rest
d. A only
e. A and B
f. B and c
a. Can affect your risk of having procedures such as cesarean surgery or episiotomy
b. Can affect your baby’s health
c. Is not important. They are all the same
d. All of the Above
e. A and b only
7. When a treatment or intervention is suggested, you should always ask
a. What is the problem? Why is it a problem? How serious is it?
b. Describe the treatment: How is it done? What are the risks/benefits?
c. What are the alternatives? What are the risks/benefits to the alternatives?
d. What if we wait and do nothing?
e. Can we have time alone to talk about it?
f. All of the above
How many answers did you get correct?
0-3 You definitely need to take a childbirth class
3-6 Better ,but…You still need more education and relaxation practice.
7 Pretty good! But you still need to practice relaxation, and learn all you can about the emotional sign posts of labor. Get ready. It’s like training for a marathon. It’s never too late to start! Go to www.birthclassonline.com and download your free healthy birth booklet to get started on your way to the safest and healthiest birth possible for you and your baby!
Answers:
1. i
2. l
3. j
4. a
5. f
6. a
7. f
Where to find a childbirth class
Tags: childbirth classes, labor and birth, labor pain
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice |
Carpal Tunnel and Pregnancy: What Can I Do To Relieve The Painful, Prickly, Numbness in My Wrists?
by Liza Janda AAHCC, E-RYT, RPYT
What exactly is the cause of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in pregnancy?
There are solutions to carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy.
Rid your body of fluid imbalance reducing inflammation in wrists and the rest of the body.
· Your kidneys maintain fluid balance in your body. Start every day by drinking hot or cold water with two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. This purges the body of extra fluid and stimulates elimination. Sweeten with stevia.
· Nettle tea is a safe diuretic because it doesn’t deplete your body’s calcium and potassium balance but gets rid of excess fluid. Drink nettle tea hot or cold-2-3x a day. Add stevia or honey to sweeten.
· Add dandelion greens to any salad-a delicious way to help lower blood pressure and flush fluid.
· Drink dandelion root tea.
· Eat bananas or apricots for added potassium.
· Add 1 tablespoon of unfiltered apple cider vinegar, daily, to water sweetened with raw honey.
· Take omega 3’s .
· Add turmeric and ginger supplements to your diet.
Acupuncture relieves carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy
· An experienced acupuncturist will know just what to do to help relieve your pain
Wrist support helps
· Get a carpal tunnel wrist brace to stabilize your wrists.
· Wrist Assured Gloves or Yoga Paws help on the yoga mat.
A little ice and a little heat go a long way
· Alternate ice on your wrists 10 minutes
· Take a bath in Epsom salts-2-3 lbs.
Take these simple steps and you will find quick relief from your carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy.
Everything you need-just a click away:
Resources:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_carpal-tunnel-syndrome-during-pregnancy_234.bc
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0425.asp#main
www.webmd.com
Liza Janda does not accept any liability to any person for the information or advice (or use of such information or advice) which is provided in this fact sheet or incorporated into it by reference. We provide this information on the understanding that all persons accessing it take responsibility for assessing its relevance and accuracy. Women are encouraged to discuss their health needs with a health practitioner. If you have concerns about your health, you should seek advice from your health care provider or if you require urgent care you should go to the nearest Emergency Dept.
Tags: carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy, dandelion root, diuretic, edema, fluid, inflammation in pregnancy, nettle tea, pregnant, swelling, wrist support
Posted in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in pregnancy |
Birth Plans- Do You Really Need One?
Earth Mama Angel Baby® Pregnancy Products
You definitely need a birth plan if you are planning a natural birth, a planned Cesarean, or if there are particular things you know you want that may not be the norm for your birthplace. You need to make it clear to the staff and you need to talk about it with your doctor or midwife in advance.
Have you ever heard the acronym K.I.S.S.? Keep it simple sweetheart!
You need a birth plan to give to the busy hospital or birth center staff. The nursing staff is usually very busy taking care of more than one laboring mom at a timYou definitely need a birth plan if you are planning a natural birth, or if there are particular things you know you want that may not be the norm for your birthplace. You need to make it clear to the staff and you need to talk about it with your doctor or midwife in advance.
Here are some important points to remember:
You birth plan is just that…A PLAN. The definition of a plan, in this case, is a well thought out, and written program or procedure in order to achieve a particular outcome.
BUT…a birth plan isn’t written in stone, nor is it a binding legal document.
So envision your intention and goals for your ideal birth, write them down, hope for the best, but plan to be flexible. If things don’t go as planned, don’t abandon the entire birth plan, just make whatever adjustments you need to get back on the road to your goals.
Make sure you have at least three copies of your birth plan:
1. One copy signed by your doctor and placed in your file at the office
2. Another signed copy to take with you when you pre-register at your hospital or birth center
3. Another signed copy to hand to your care providers when you arrive at your birth place in case they misplaced the one you gave when you pre-registered. Feel free to bring more copies of your birth plan to hand out in case there is a staff change while you are still in labor.
Keep in mind these categories in your birth plan:
· Comfort techniques
· Pain management
· People present
· Positions for 1st stage Fetal monitoring
· Interventions: ie: medications for pain relief, augmentation of labor,
· Whether you want to continue to eat and drink
· Music playing or not
· Cervical checks
· Positions for second stage
· Care of perineum
· Cord cutting
· Placenta birth
· Cesarean section
· Contact with baby and after care
There are many resources on line for birth plans. Just make sure to start writing your birth plan by the beginning of your 7th month. You should have already started a childbirth class by then. If you haven’t it is NEVER too late to start. Good luck and have a wonderful, joyful birth day!
Tags: birth plan, Cesarean, Cesarean Birth Plan, doctor, midwife, natural birth
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice |
Fears About Labor & Birth-3 Steps To Overcoming Your Fears
Step one-write down your fears about labor and birth:
I want _____________________________, but I'm afraid_________________________.
Step Two-just ideas, use creativity. Your job at this moment is creating a strategy to face the fear(s) about labor and birth in order to create a different outcome. You are only planning at this point,
Don't execute your plan.
Don’t worry about it.
Just outline it.
I can do the following things to help prevent my fears about labor and birth from manifesting:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Step Three-Small steps to overcoming fears about labor and birth.
You only have to take that first step.
Finished that one?
Okay, now take the second step.
Keep going.
One at a time.
One at a time. One at a time. One at a time.
Tags: birth, fears about labor and birth, labor, labor and birth
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice |
What Vitamins and Supplements Should You Be Taking In Pregnancy?
Am I really getting the right nutrition for my baby?
What vitamins do I need for a healthy pregnancy?
There are so many vitamins and supplements for pregnancy! How do I know what's right for me? How do I know which additional supplement my baby and I need?
Confused About Vitamins? Take the Dr. Weil Vitamin Advisor today to find out if you are getting the best nutrition in pregnancy.
FREE Vitamin Recommendation from Dr. Weil
Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin and you need about 10 minutes a day of sunshine. But if you live in northern climates or you wear sunscreen, you're not getting adequate D3. Prenatal vitamins will have about 400 IU and so you may need up to 4000 IU per day. You can have a simple blood test to see if you need more vitamin D in your diet. This is a supplement for pregnancy that is best gotten in pill form.
Iron is a very necessary supplement for pregnancy because you are building blood every day. If you are vegetarian or vegan, then you definitely need to supplement your pregnancy diet with some form of iron. Some suggestions for iron supplements are; Floradix, Rainbow Light Plant Sourced Iron, or Energizing Iron by Enzymatic Therapy. TopBrandVitamins Offers Free Shipping on Orders Over $49. Products are herbal and do not contain prescription ingredients.
Probiotics ( I like Garden of Life Probiotics, Source Natural, Nature's Way, Doctors Best) strengthen your immune system and help with digestion by introducing and aiding friendly bacteria in the gut. It will help strengthen your baby's immune system too. Even if you feel you are getting adequate nutrition in pregnancy, adding Probiotics may help keep colds and viruses at bay as well as help with digestion.
Taking your prenatal vitamins as an addition to your nutrition in pregnancy is a must. Even if you think you're eating a balanced diet, you're probably missing some important vitamins or minerals. So take your prenatal supplement for pregnancy, daily.
Good nutrition in pregnancy affects your baby's development, how your body grows your baby, and can even affect how your labor goes.
Earth Mama Angel Baby® Pregnancy Products
Tags: baby, Dr. Weil vitamin advisor, friendly bacteria, immune system, iron in pregnancy, nutrition in pregnancy, plant based iron supplements, probiotics, supplement for pregnancy, vitamin D in pregnancy, vitamins, vitamins and supplements in pregnancy
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice |
Advice For The First Weeks Postpartum
What do you really need after bringing baby home? One of my students gave this advice to her fellow Bradley Method students for bringing baby home, in an email, after her baby was 6 days old. What a wise woman, after only 6 days!
- Bringing baby home requires some organization. With a serious lack of sleep it's hard to keep track of feeding, diaper changes, and how long your baby slept. Install the Baby Connect App
if you can on your phone. Its been AWESOME for recording feedings, diapers, and sleep. Otherwise really hard to keep track.
- Also install Contraction Master-Great Free Apps-
or just use the version in safari. This you'll only use once, when you start labor but also an amazing easy tool for measuring the contractions, time in between, length etc. This I used in the beginning and then Sam used when I was in more pain to know when to call midwife.
- After bringing baby home, you may need some help with breastfeeding. Find a lactation consultant in your area through The International Lactation Consultant Association™ (ILCA™), the professional association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLC®)Advent Breast Shells - They have been a MUST for breastfeeding. You can catch the milk of one breast while your nursing on the other (for me there has been A LOT, otherwise I would totally drench everything I wear). You also can use them to then store that milk in the freezer with special breast feeding zip-lock bags.
- Breast feeding can be made easier with the right tricks, tools, and support. Make sure you have some nursing tanks or bras ahead of time-Check out the latest deals on tees & tanks at Destination Maternity!
A friend gave me 3, so thank full! Just way easier then a regular tank top cause you can still wear a sweater on your arms if your cold. Pretty much get your regular size cause they stretch a lot so should still fit when milk comes in.
- Make sure your aware of two things while breast feeding: proper alignment of baby in the various positions and how to detach with your finger the suck. Also since I couldn't sit up in the beginning, I had to use the side lying position to breastfeed, the first couple days, which thankfully I could do. Now I am just using the cradle position. Also, when in doubt always burp!! One thing I watched in pregnancy said that here in America we don't burp our babies enough but it really helps with gas and air caught in their little bodies which can lead to lots more crying, fussiness, sleepless nights etc.
- Wipes warmer
- & music box = awesome for changing diapers after bringing baby home!
- Tummy wrap – a friend highly recommended this to us and now we do to you!! You where it 24/7 starting within a couple hours after birth. Helps get blood out, uterus firm, and abs go back… so we heard.
- Babies in bloom has a free scale you can use to check on baby's weight if you like in between doc visits. http://babies-in-bloom.com/breastfeeding/
- Last but not least, if you don't have it set up yet, make sure someone will be at your FULL attention the week after. Whether your husband, mom, friend, or even hire a post-partum doula if you need to. It will be worth it, trust me, and you just never know what can happen if you need to be in extra recovery for anything. When you bring your baby home and start breastfeeding, it is really hard work, and can sometimes be a real challenge just to get a shower, or feed yourself, or get dressed. Sam had to still work a little that week (we own our own painting business) but I had my mom 24/7 here. I'm not sure how I could have done it without her and Sam while I recovered because I couldn't walk and/or rock baby, change diaper, etc for the first 2-3 days.
- A little TLC goes a long way after you bring your baby home from the hospital or birth center. Start with a sitz bath. A sitz bath can be relaxing and healing. When you sit in the warm/hot water up to your hips ,after adding this herbal combination, you will feel a great deal of relief from pain and discomfort. For sore bottoms, try sitz baths and Bottom butter. You'll be saying AAAAAHHH!!!
bath
How do I know why my baby is crying? There are two great DVD's I can recommend. I remember the frustration of trying to figure out why my baby was crying. It just breaks your heart to hear your baby's cry and not know what to do. My suggestions:
Tags: Advent Breastfeeding Shells, Babies In Bloom, Breastfeeding, Breastfeeding Made Simple, bringing baby home, Dunstan Baby Language, Earth Mama Angel Baby Mama Bottom Butter, Happiest Baby On the Block, Munchkin Nursery Projector and sound, music box, Postpartum Sitz Bath, Postpartum tummy wrap, Sitz bath, Wipes Warmer
Posted in Labor and Birth Advice |