Curious about the birth process? Have a hundred questions about giving birth? Stay tuned to hear birth stories from mothers who experienced a variety of births and used many different coping techniques. Join us to learn from their experiences.
When to Call the Doctor or Midwife!
Trying to decide if what you are experiencing is a common discomfort or something serious that requires immediate medical attention? Here’s a list of concerns:
Taking a blog vacay!
With the many twists and turns of life in a pandemic, I have not been keeping up with this blog! I apologize and assure you it will be back! If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me, I’m still here for you. Stay safe, stay healthy, see you soon!
Coping with the Fear of Labor & Birth
Many of the emails and calls I am getting these days are about FEAR. Many of you have had your plans turned upside down by new restrictions set in place because of the covid pandemic. Some are afraid of the unknown as you haven’t been able to take classes to prepare for pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Others are afraid of being alone during labor or are fearful of their ability to cope with the discomfort and pain.
What can you do? Let’s start with the old “Fear Tension Pain” theory. The more fear you have, the more you tense, the higher level of tension increases the pain of labor! The goal is to replace Fear with Knowledge, replace Tension with Relaxation, and reduce the level of pain!
So, how do you do that? I have some basic tools for you to use:
Knowledge-
1. Talk to other women who have had positive birth experiences.
2. Read all you can about labor and birth.
3. Get online and find encouraging birth videos. Take note of various positions in labor and other comfort measures used. Get familiar with a variety of comfort measures and incorporate them into a “labor practice” a few weeks before your birth.
Relaxation- (you’ll need this for the birth AND to help with the stresses of being a new mother.)
1. Start practicing slow, deep breathing and relaxation exercises on a DAILY basis. Practice NOW and OFTEN so it comes natural during labor. If you are planning an epidural (I blogged about that last year) remember you still need tools to help you in early labor until you are dilated enough to get an epidural.
2. Make a list of comfort measures for labor that add to your relaxation.
Please contact me at your convenience so we can schedule a free consultation and assess your needs! I would be delighted to assist you with breathing and relaxation techniques that will help you have an easier labor.
Free Childbirth Consultations
This Covid 19 situation is such a hardship in so many ways. My heart breaks for all who have been affected. I am writing to you from overseas and have been in lockdown for over two weeks. We are only allowed to go to the local store or pharmacy or bank. No public transportation is available, and everyone doing their best to prevent transmission.
I realize that for many of you, your birth plans have changed and/or you can’t get to prenatal classes. I want to use my free time as a way to help others. At no cost. Please don’t hesitate to contact me online and I will do all I can to help get you educated and prepared for birth.
“Perfect Love casts out all fear” 1 John 4:18
Do not be fearful or discouraged, you are not alone. There’s no need to panic or add more stress to your life. I am willing to help you help yourself as you prepare for your amazing birth!
Overcoming Back Labor
Depending on the statistics you read, “back labor” occurs in 25-30% of labors. This is often caused by the baby’s position, facing towards the mom’s front, not towards the back. So the back of the baby’s head is pushing against the mom’s sacrum and tailbone, causing pain in labor. It can be more difficult for the baby to descend through the birth canal and can lengthen your labor. Over 90% of the babies in this position rotate before birth, the rest are born “sunny-side up”!
Now, no one wants a longer, more painful labor, so what can you do? If you find that you are in that group of women with back labor, don’t panic! There are positions that may help rotate the baby during labor and comfort techniques to help ease the pain.
Best positions to help your baby rotate:
Pelvic tilt on hands and knees
Any position where you LEAN FORWARD.
Side Lunges
All of these positions are more successful if the baby is still high in the pelvis and not “engaged”. If a baby is low in the pelvis, it’s much more difficult for baby to change position.
So what can you do to ease the pain of back labor? If you would like a copy of my handout “Comfort Techniques for Back Labor”, just send me a message and I will gladly email you a copy! Or, if you want more details and a face to face, online consultation, message me and we can get started!
TOP 3 DIGESTIVE TRACT COMPLAINTS IN LATE PREGNANCY
The #1 "Go-To" pregnancy book!
There are so many informative books about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, baby care and postpartum care. In the future I will list my top 10 of all time for those of you who love to read! But, for those of you who don’t have hours and hours to read (or dislike reading) you might consider purchasing “Pregnancy Childbirth and the Newborn the Complete Guide. The authors are Penny Simkin, the Queen Mother of all doula care and childbirth educator; Janet Whalley, nurse and childbirth educator; and Ann Kepler, a lactation specialist and nurse.
This book is up-to-date and easy to use because it is so well organized. You will LOVE the illustrations and photos as well as the easy to understand charts!
I don’t want this to sound like an advertisement (it isn’t!) but this REALLY IS the best book of its kind if you are looking for that #1 book about pregnancy, birth and newborns. It covers all the basics and more in an easy to understand format. You can read it cover to cover, or check the table of contents for just the section you are interested in. One goal of Simply Pregnancy & Birth is to make things simple. I want to help you eliminate distraction and not feel overwhelmed by too much information.
Some of the topics in this book would be good points for discussion. Please feel free to contact me for an appointment to discuss the topics that are important to you. I want to help you have Your Birth Your Way!
