Birthing Poem

the woman speaks of birthing
After Langston Hughes’s The Negro Speaks of Rivers
I’ve known birthing
Before creation
And older than the labor of mankind
My womb is the mother of life
I carried Adam when seeds
In the garden were gestating
I pushed the head of Cronos from
Between my legs and swaddled
Him in the sands of time
I was midwife to the moon [...]

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When birth doesn’t go as planned…

Some time ago I was talking to a mother whose birth hadn’t gone as planned. She said that she knew that she needed a cesarean, but that she also knew she had missed out on a “very cool experience in life.” I think it is definitely possible to accept the need for a cesarean, while [...]

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Pushing

I have previously shared some thoughts about pushing. Today, I came across a helpful resource for first time mothers that really thoroughly explores the pushing stage of birthing your baby and has all kinds of information about “how to push” (really quick answer: with your body!). The technique shared is to “breathe the baby out”—but [...]

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Skipping Birth Class?

Yesterday, I watched a short clip on why people don’t take birth classes. The comment that I found most interesting from the expert interviewed was: “The instructors in a lot of these classes –are a little bit doctrinaire about their point of view. They made an issue out of saying  ‘You’re not a real woman [...]

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Can I really expect to have a great birth?

I received a comment via another blog asking “given my limited situation, can I really expect to have a great birth today?” (homebirth, midwife, and doula were all not options for the person asking the question). I think the answer is a qualified “yes.” The question really got me thinking about ways to help yourself [...]

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Personality and Birth

From Sheila Kitzinger’s book The Experience of Childbirth:
In a normal, straightforward labour a woman’s attitude of mind, her approach to the task that awaits her, and her preconceptions concerning the nature of the work that her body has to do, are more important than any sort of physical preparation she can make in advance. Whatever [...]

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Thoughts about Pushing

Also from Fathers at Birth, some quotes about pushing:
Powerful, authoritative, and wise energies assist in releasing the baby from the womb. Go with them.
Many women experience the work of pushing and the sensations of the internal movement of the baby as it moves and rotates through the birth canal as intensely gratifying. But some women [...]

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For Labor Support Remember TLC or BLT

When supporting a woman in labor, remember to use “TLC”:
Touch–this can be massage, hand-holding, foot rubs, stroking her hair, and encouraging frequent position changes. It also includes the use of water (hydrotherapy).
Listen–this is half of the emotional support in labor. Listening builds trust and meets emotional needs. Use active(reflective) listening and lots of encouragement.
Communication–there are [...]

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What to say to a woman in labor?

I always encourage support people to speak from their hearts when being with a woman in birth–your words mean a lot when they are authentic to you! However, I also realize people would like a “head start” on some good things to say. While all women are different and have different preferences, my observation is [...]

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Pain, Power, & Accomplishment

I love this section from Giving Birth with Confidence (Lamaze). It explores the role of pain in labor and its relationship to personal power and accomplishment:
The pain of labor, like most pain, is protective. Responding to pain with movement, including walking, rocking, and position changes, not only helps the baby rotate and descend through the [...]

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