Smartbirth.net

Most childbirth classes are held in a hospital environment. However, these classes tend to be uniform in content and reflect the hospital’s position on epidurals and medical procedures. This is sometimes challenging for the childbirth educator as her teaching philosophy may go against the grain of the hospital’s policies. For this reason, going to an outside source via a private class, or a class on the internet is a better option for expectant couples where information will not be withheld. For example, it is well known that the cesarean rate has increased dramatically nationally. Yet, hospitals and physicians are not comfortable sharing their cesarean statistics with “patients”, nor are instructors encouraged to discuss this in a hospital based childbirth class (even though couples are well aware of the rising numbers).

The problem with hospital based childbirth education is this: here is a medical model of managing a woman’s pregnancy and labor. If a woman is guided towards a traditional obstetrician, she will be enveloped into a care model that may not embrace her personal wishes on how she would like to birth her baby. Once she is on this “medical” path her education about preparing for birth is limited to the education provided by hospitals.

The Internet has provided a wealth of information in preparing for childbirth. Couples can find a variety of classes with different philosophies that meet their personal values online.
Online childbirth education is much more informative and frees expectant families to really explore what they want and how to get it. Technology – webnars, YouTube, conference calls, etc. make childbirth education not only more informative, but very accessible, even to the woman who is on bed-rest, or the mom who lives in a rural community and can’t get to a childbirth class. Online education provides incredible flexibility in when a couple may take a class. There is also the financial commitment. Certainly an online childbirth class will save time, money, and gas – three very important factors to consider during economical challenges.

Some couples when they go to a “live” class in a hospital, they like to meet other women and couples who are expecting also. It is a unique time of bonding and establishing the “I am not alone ” with other women. Also many classes may include a tour of their birthing facility which would not happen with an online class.

However, with the rise in social networking, sites devoted to just moms exchanging ideas, experiences, and wisdom, the live class may become obsolete. Yet the one most necessary factor that will always remain an important one, is human contact. The gentle, understanding touch on the arm, a message signaling everything will be alright, physical practice of techniques such as breathing, relaxation, and positioning, etc. Childbirth is physical and emotional. Hands-on practice prepares a couple for birth. One can read all they want on “preparing” for childbirth. But the reality is birth won’t happen through an iPod. The birthing process requires human involvement and contact This is why live classes will survive and continue.

Lesly Federici RN, BA

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Do you know what’s keeping you in crazy mode about pregnancy and anticipating the birth of that cutie pie? The pregnancy books you’re choosing to read. That’s right!

Think about it! Every pregnancy book on the market tells you the standard, basic information about pregnancy and birth. That’s why publishers are making so much money because, mom, you keep looking for something different than the usual information – and maybe THIS book will have it! It’s all wrong, backwards, and rehashed. The focus is wrong. What’s better is reading books that prepare you for the rest of your life as a parent.

Pregnancy and birth books are certainly informative. But, how many books can you buy with the same, tried and true, “mechanics” of birth that’s been a repeated known, physical process for thousands of years?

What IS refreshing is learning how to change your mindset about pregnancy and birth! You already know and understand the process of birth which you have learned from your readings. But learning how your thoughts can influence your birth? Not too many books on that one.

Stepping outside the usual, here are a few topic suggestions to investigate along with your current reading to prepare you for birth, and generate new perspectives about it.

1. How to relax – meditation, visualization, and other mind centered readings. Learn why it’s important to avoid images of flowers opening etc., before 36 weeks gestation. Read about stress and how it can influence the birth process in ways you can’t imagine physiologically. You want to learn and focus on inducing the relaxation response for birth as well as using these skills for a healthier life. Learning these skills are beneficial to you and baby and have the potential to enhance your birth experience.

2. Fear. Everyone experiences fear of some sort. The unfortunate thing about fear is it usually is self induced by our personal lack of confidence in something and our thoughts. I remember being scared to death to be a parent and I wasn’t going to have children beacus of how I was raised as a child. Thankfully I did – it’s been the BEST learning and rewarding experience in my life. And there lies why it’s important to understand where your fears come from, why you should understand and learn from them. If you get mad at your kid, it isn’t enough to just say “Because I said so!” You are behaving that way because it was something you learned from your own upbringing. When it comes to childbirth though, lots of fear surrounds you. Understand where it’s coming from and you’ll minimize it.

3. Intuition. As a society we forget that we were all born once to a mom, good or bad. Basic instinct played a role in our birth. And do you recall the word “imprinting” of species? You and I are of the Homo Sapien Sapien species. When any human newborn comes into the world their first instinct is to follow the scent of mom. Mothers have a unique scent that baby responds too, and by the way is an important success factor in breastfeeding. Intuition is that “gut” feeling, the “hunch” we get about something and usually causes us to act on it. It’s present during childbirth and women need to learn how to depend on it more.

What do you think?

Lesly

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Very interesting article. Read it and share what you think.  Do you think dad should miss your baby’s birth? I want you to comment about it.

http://blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant/2010/06/03/should-dad-skip-the-birth/

Interesting …

Lesly

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www.calmbirth.com

Calm birth is a program for childbirth preparation. This CD has three practices to listen to while it teaches you meditation for childbirth, promotes prenatal bonding, and well-being of you, baby, and your partner. This is an excellent program to use.

Right now the hospital I teach in is the only hospital on the East Coast where it is available to expectant mothers. We have teacher trainings, and soon more hospitals will offer this on the labor unit as well as in offering classes in it.

You must purchase the CDs from their website and instruction is available with me here at Smartbirth.

Contact me if you have any questions.

Lesly Federici

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The following article I found today posted on www.lamaze.org – very interesting! Let me know what you think.

Lesly

New Data Show Connection Between Childbirth and Spirituality

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Here is a common quote, “Knowledge is power”, right? If you’ve heard this you may have also heard – “Applying the knowledge you learn is more powerful”

I agree with the second one and let me tell you a story about preparing for birth.

There’s a woman who is also a Holistic physician. She’s well versed in complementary medicine and aware of the power of inducing the relaxation response in pain management. 

 In preparing for her baby’s birth, she took a class that focused on meditation for childbirth. She liked it, thought the method would work for her even knowing that she had to practice the skills to make it more effective during labor.

She had her baby and  a friend of hers asked how it went and this mother replied, “I tried the meditation and it didn’t work for me and I got an epidural instead”.

Now, when I heard this I was somewhat surprised because of this woman’s background in hypnosis, acupuncture, etc. Why didn’t the meditation work for her? And it’s fine she got the epidural …

BUT, I know the difference in applying the knowledge you learn verses knowing the knowledge and doing nothing with it.  This is why most couples that go to a childbirth class forget everything they learn – they don’t believe it or take the information seriously, or practice what they learn.

I think she didn’t believe meditation works because it sounded like she didn’t try it, or practice to the point where it may have worked. I know, I wasn’t there. But childbirth is similar to athletics: You have to “train” your mind and body for success. You can’t run a 5 mile race and not do the preparation for it. If you don’t, you’ll give up in the 2 or 3rd mile, or drop out!

Childbirth preparation takes building a “birth  mindset” to apply and use what you learn in managing labor discomfort. When you do, you’ll have a better experience.

Lesly

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When a woman thinks about having a baby often the initial thought is “how am I going to do this!” or “HOW is it going to come out of my body!” Amazingly, it’s usually not the mother’s body that has a problem, it’s how and what she’s thinking about that matters most.

 Labor is physical and emotional.  That’s for sure. But how a woman chooses to respond to it makes ALL the difference and will absolutely influence her birth experience. A laboring woman can choose her mindset. But first, she needs to be aware of her own “birth talents” first and way before the “birth” day of her baby.

 What are “birth talents”? These are individual expressions of attitudes, behaviors, and innate physiological processes that are unique to the mother and are present during pregnancy and birth.

 Attitudes:

Attitudes are beliefs a person has about themselves, interests, certain topics, life events and experiences.  For example, maybe an expectant mom thinks the birth process is messy and as a result may not want to touch or hold her newborn because it’s covered with amniotic fluid. Or, a new mother doesn’t want to breastfeed because she believes it’s unattractive and a “turn-off” for her partner.  Yet another mother is elated over her waterbirth experience in her home.  Attitudes and beliefs define behaviors.

 Behaviors:

Behaviors are learned. They are shaped by family, social, religious, and cultural opinions and beliefs. Behaviors reflect personal beliefs as well. Individual actions reinforce learned behaviors and attitudes. For example, childbirth is portrayed as a dramatic, painful experience on TV, and in movies. Even in cartoons the events surrounding having a baby are exaggerated for children. Little girls learn to fear childbirth. This specific fear will be dormant until she is confronted with pregnancy and an anticipated birth event.

 Physiology:

Hormones are “Generals” telling certain parts of the male or female human body what to do. For example, during pregnancy there is a hormone called Relaxin which actually relaxes the ligaments and tendons in the body to facilitate the birth process. The process or “mechanics” of birth belongs to the human body and will do what it needs to in its own time – not what the mind thinks it should do. Yet innate intuition and instinct play an important role during pregnancy and the birthing process.

 What are your attitudes and beliefs about birth? To help you discover them ask yourself these questions:

•  What did your mother, or other female family members say about their birth experiences? Did their stories influence you in any way?
• What are your friends saying about birth? Do you agree?
• What do you personally think about birth and where did that opinion come from? How did it develop?
• What does your partner think?
• What do you think of your own abilities to birth and where did these attitudes come from.
• What words do you use to describe your pregnancy and how do you respond when you hear them?
• If you have fears about birth, where do they come from?
• Are your opinions based on those from others? Or are they your own.

 It’s important to recognize that your attitudes and beliefs do have an impact on your pregnancy and birth experience.  Use this time, your nine months, to evaluate what’s Important and meaningful to you. Say “Thanks, but no thanks” to all the rest.

Lesly

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In 2001, a woman in her early twenties gave birth to a healthy, term, baby boy while in a coma. She had a vaginal birth. Physicians induced her labor with medications.

 Think about this.

 In spite of being in a coma, this mother’s body was still able to labor. Yes, with the help of medications. But her physiology, her uterus, was able to “mechanically” function as t should, to deliver her baby.  The innate “blueprint”, the “map” of labor was able to perform without the mother being conscious or emotionally involved.

 Labor is 30% physical and 70% emotional.

 Since the 16^th and 17^th century French and English physicians have been trying to figure out how a woman’s body works. They constructed female models out of crude materials such as leather and straw stuffing to demonstrate the “mechanics” of birth to physician hopefuls.  There were no doctors in America at this time in history.  Midwives delivered babies. If there were any doctors in America, they were trained and came from England. They brought with them the “new science” of looking at the female body as a machine.

 Labor is 30% physical and 70% emotional.

 In the 21^st century we have come so far with medical innovations and technology.  Yet we still approach labor and birth as a science to dissect to understand it. When in reality it’s as normal as eating American Apple Pie. We don’t need to understand it. We just need to let it happen.

 Here are some facts and tips to embrace towards birth:

•  Birth is normal and part of life
• Birth takes time and patience and should not be rushed
• A woman’s body knows how to birth with or without conscious effort or emotional involvement
• It’s not an illness and should not be treated as one

 Tips for women and expectant mothers:

•  Celebrate your abilities, the potential to birth and give birth
• Celebrate your abilities as a woman to have the talent to “build” a baby within you
• What are your fears about birth? Are they real or imagined?
• Celebrate your individuality and how incredible you are
• You know how to birth – it’s part of you, just like your body knows how to breathe, it knows how to birth

 Lesly

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It’s very sad to know that the USA is #30 on the list of countries with the greatest infant mortality. We are at the bottom of the list!  It is important for women to learn about Midwives and use them as their care provider during pregnancy and birth.  This is part of the Birth Mindset – to educate yourself and choose the maternity model of care (Midwives) that is more benficial to women than the medical model.  Watch this video, learn more, and share with others.  What to do if there are no Midwives in your area?  Look for a Doula.

Lesly

Reducing Infant Mortality from Debby Takikawa on Vimeo.

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Most childbirth classes are held in a hospital environment. However, these classes tend to be uniform in content and reflect the hospital’s position on epidurals and medical procedures.  This is sometimes challenging for the childbirth educator as their teaching philosophy may go against the grain of the hospital’s policies.  For this reason, going to an outside source via a private class, or a class on the internet is a better option for expectant couples where information will not be withheld. For example, it is well known that the cesarean rate has increased dramatically nationally. Yet, hospitals and physicians are not comfortable sharing their cesarean statistics with “patients” nor are instructors encouraged to discuss this openly in a hospital based childbirth class (even though couples are well aware of the rising numbers).

 The problem with hospital based childbirth education is this: It’s a medical model of managing a woman’s pregnancy and labor with medical technology. If a woman is guided towards a traditional obstetrician, she will be enveloped into a care model that may not embrace her personal wishes on how she would like to birth her baby. Once she is on this “medical” path her education about preparing for birth is limited to the education provided by hospitals or her physician. 

 The Internet provides a wealth of information in preparing for childbirth. Couples can find a variety of classes with different philosophies that meet their personal values online. Online childbirth education is much more informative and frees expectant families to really explore what they want and how to get it. Technology – webnars, YouTube, conference calls, etc. make childbirth education not only more informative, but very accessible, even to the woman who is on bed-rest, or the mom who lives in a rural community and can’t get to a childbirth class. Online education provides incredible flexibility in when a couple may take a class. There is also the financial commitment.  Certainly an online childbirth class will save time, money, and gas – three very important factors to consider during economical challenges. 

 Some couples when they go to a “live” class in a hospital, they like to meet other couples who are expecting also.  It is a unique time of bonding and establishing the “I am not alone ” feeling with other women. Also many classes may include a tour of their birthing facility which would not happen with an online class. 

 However, with the rise in social networking, sites devoted to just moms exchanging ideas, experiences, and wisdom, the live class may become obsolete. Yet the one most necessary factor that will always remain an important constant, is human contact. The gentle, understanding touch on the arm, a message signaling everything will be alright, physical practice of techniques such as breathing, relaxation, and positioning, etc. Childbirth is physical and emotional. Hands-on practice prepares a couple for birth. One can read all they want on “preparing” for childbirth. But the reality is birth won’t happen through an iPod. The birthing process requires human involvement, human contact, and patience.

 “Live” classes will continue in hospitals, but if you want the opportunity to explore childbirth classes that are more informative, meet your needs and values, it is best to seek them outside the hospital environment. 

Lesly

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