What is “Orgasmic Birth”?
No doubt, the feature film of Bloom Spokane’s upcoming 2011 BIRTH! Film Festival has some of you wondering, “Orgasmic Birth? What kind of film festival is this?” It’s one you definitely SHOULD NOT MISS!
I’ve had a DVD copy of the film Orgasmic Birth sitting on the kitchen counter in my house for the past week and it has raised more than a few eyebrows of those who have passed through—my husband’s included. I knew that we had viewed scenes from this movie during the HypnoBirthing class we took in San Francisco over 4 years ago now, but I had never sat down and watched the full-length movie until tonight. I was blown away by the births represented in this film and you will be too.
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Pregnant With Twins? Now What?
Being pregnant with twins is hard. It’s hard on your body and your mind. During my twin pregnancy, I found it to be most difficult mentally (once the puking stopped around week 15 anyway). The medical establishment, and therefore most people, expects a woman pregnant with twins to have an elective cesarean section around week 38. This is not what I wanted, so I spent a lot of time researching my options. I am also a birth doula, so I went into pregnancy with a lot of knowledge.
The first thing to remember with any pregnancy is that you MUST be flexible. I wanted a natural, unmedicated birth. I did not get that. I spent my time finding a doctor who was supportive of the birth that I wanted, but he did lay out some guidelines. [...]
Birth Advice from Labor & Delivery Nurses
FEBRUARY 18, 2011
In the U.S., approximately 90% of women give birth in hospitals. It is the cultural “norm” in this country and the birth setting where most parents feel comfortable. However, the latest studies point to an unnecessary overuse of technology during pregnancy and birth. As Jennifer Block writes in Pushed, “Decades of research show that the healthiest birth for you and your baby — and that means your partner, your family, and your community — is a normal, vaginal birth with minimal intervention and maximum support.” [...]
Why Consider A Natural Birth?
I often think back to my first prenatal yoga classes when the teacher, who was also a doula (something I’d never heard of at the time), introduced the idea of natural birth. I guess I had always assumed that I would have my baby in the hospital, most likely under the spell of an epidural or other drugs that would make the experience entirely bearable. In fact, I don’t think anyone I personally knew had had a baby any other way, unless by accident. The only pregnancy book on my shelf at the time was “The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy” which, as funny as it is, would have me believe that one might die if she actually felt a single contraction or was made to “room-in” with her baby during the remainder of her hospital stay. Thank heavens for my prenatal yoga instructors! [...]
The Bradley Method: Up Close & Personal
Even though I’ve had two children myself, until this past week I had never attended a Bradley Method class. I title this post “Up Close & Personal” because I don’t think there’s another pregnancy or birth preparation class out there that provides such complete information on the physical and mental aspects of natural birth…and it doesn’t leave out one juicy detail. The idea is that with such intense preparation, couples will be prepared to achieve a natural birth and/or make knowledgeable decisions about medical interventions should they become necessary. [...]
Beautiful Natural Birth Video
This touching video shows a gentle water birth at home attended by a midwife. With the help of her husband and a doula, this mom calmly brings her baby into the world. It definitely brought a few tears to my eyes as I remembered the wonderful feeling of having my own son.
Birth Story Giveaway
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Every natural childbirth experience is unique. Whether you got the home birth experience you dreamed of or ended up with a surprise emergency c-section, your story can serve to educate, inspire and prepare expecting mothers for the journey that lies ahead. [...]
Choosing a Doctor or OB
Since Bloom was launched a few weeks ago, I have had a couple of inquiries from women wanting recommendations for local doctors and obstetricians (OBs) who have good reputations for attending natural births. While I believe midwives are the best care providers for low-risk, normal pregnancies I understand that there are women who require the prenatal medical care of a physician but are still interested in a natural labor and delivery. I have heard it said that most OBs may only give lip service to “natural birth” or consider any vaginal birth—even those with induction, medication and other interventions—a natural birth.
However, there are a few doctors and OBs who gain reputations for being supportive of natural childbirth. I have spoken to a few of our local doulas with a lot of hospital birth experience and done some online research to be able to provide these recommendations to Bloom readers. [...]
Birth Educator Cara Wright Interview
I had the opportunity yesterday morning to meet with Cara Wright. She is a pre- and post-natal yoga instructor and birth educator at Harmony Yoga in Spokane as well as a doula working with expectant mothers and fathers in our community. She is truly a lovely person—very well versed in all things related to pregnancy and birth—and her devotion to working with pregnant women and their partners is undeniable when you hear her speak about natural birth education. [...]
Natural Birth in Hospitals
Even though it is a radical idea to many mainstream childbirth professionals, it is entirely possible to have a natural birth in a hospital—one without any medical interventions, pain medications or surgical procedures. It is even possible to have a beautiful, satisfying and empowering birth experience in a hospital, provided the parents have chosen the proper health care professionals and received thorough education about natural childbirth methods.
However, pregnant women must take matters into their own hands—your birth is your responsibility! If you believe that natural birth in a hospital setting is the best option for you, finding the right Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) who will support your vision of natural birth is key to achieving your goal. As well, you should prepare for the experience by taking natural childbirth classes (Lamaze, Bradley Method, HypnoBirthing) and make sure that you have proper labor support. First time mothers giving birth in a hospital can greatly benefit from, and are more likely to achieve a non-medicated birth, with the help of a doula. [...]
