Chandler, Arizona
Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
Blog
Getting Labor Started
Posted on October 21, 2016 at 12:29 PM |
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Among the common text questions I get, is "What can I/my friend do to get labor started?" The answer I want to give: Wait. My_theory is that here is nothing you can do that is going to start labor if the baby isn't ready. And sometimes it's not the baby...it's the mother. The mother has more factors in play that can be influenced: physical, chemical, mental, emotional...any one or all of these can delay the onset of labor. Since we are an action-type of culture, here are the things I offer when I get this text. All of them **do not** include "taking something". They are all things to help the mother and baby align physically and emotionally with the oncoming labor and birth of the baby. Along with "doing something", we also invite our students who send us this text to do some internal checks: is there anything they are worried about? That they have left to do or say before the baby arrives? Are there any unexplored conversations or feelings to face? An extra disclaimer: for any of the body workers, do your homework and check out their certifying organizations. In addition, trust your instinct - if you do not feel comfortable with them, politely decline an appointment and call the next person on your list. So, having said all that...here are some ideas to try if you feel like waiting is not an option... For Mom: Acupuncture - an ancient Chinese modality that involves inserting very fine needles along meridians of energy in the body. Acupressure - if you are needle-averse, this uses applied pressure on the energy meridians. Pregnancy Massage - your local childbirth educator, doula or midwife probably has at least one or two names for you to contact. These practitioners specialize in releasing tension and opening the body. Chiropractic Adjustment - again, your local birth workers may have some leads for you. A chiropractor trained in the Webster Protocol can do an assessment to see if the mother's body is optimally aligned for labor and birth. Making love - yes, really. If your partner is a man, his semen can help ripen your cervix with natural prostaglandins. If you were to be induced in the hospital, they will insert the synthetic version to get things going. Whatever gender your partner is, as long as they can help you climax, there is a possibility that one contraction of muscles may encourage the uterine muscles to start contracting as well. And if nothing starts, at least you (hopefully) both had an enjoyable time trying to get labor started. Self-Reflection - Is there anything you still want to do - say - accomplish before your Sweet Pea arrives? Any issues or fears you would like to explore or resolve? I encourage our students to do some kind of fear release exercise or an art exploration to access their right brain and see if anything new comes up or any ideas present themselves. Sometimes just naming them makes a huge difference in being emotionally ready for the birth journey. For Baby: Pelvic Rocking - encourages the baby into an optimal fetal position. When you are on hands and knees, it is more likely for them to put their heaviest side (spine-down) against your belly-button. Deep Chest-Knee Position - kneeling on the floor, instead of resting on your hands, put your chest on the floor. This position helps to get a malpositioned baby that has found a comfortable spot out of that spot that isn't allowing labor to start or progress. Once the baby is out of the pelvis, you can try other things to get baby back into the pelvis with a better alignment. Miles Circuit - a series of three exercises to encourage optimal fetal positioning. Two doulas brainstorming over the phone gave rise to this popular labor tool. Spinning Babies - a website that offers several ideas to encourage babies into an optimal fetal position. Read more about how we used Webster Protocol and Deep Chest-Knee position in THIS post. Disclaimer: The material included in this video is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog and video contain information about
our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official
website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Birthing From Within and Bradley Method® natural childbirth
classes offered in Arizona: convenient to Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert,
Mesa, Scottsdale, Payson |
Q&A with SPB: Delivering the Placenta
Posted on October 6, 2015 at 9:54 AM |
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This is a question that came up in class on Friday evening. I thought it would be great to answer it as a Q&A today: Here is summary of the info: Anywhere from 10 minutes to 1 hour could be considered range of normal as long as mom is doing well and not losing too much blood (<2 liters). Reference HERE HERE is a great article to read about the delivery of the placenta and possible complicaitons. Dr. Rachel Reed, who writes the blog, Midwife Thinking, offers information and writes about a couple of scenarios that might interfere with the delivery of the placenta. Please leave me a comment with your experience in this last phase of labor. Thankfully, all of ours were uneventful. Also, let me know if you have a question for next week! The material included in this blog and video is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The viewer should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information
provided. This blog and video contain
information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is
not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this
video and on our blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method®
or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Info Sheet: Amniotomy
Posted on February 6, 2015 at 9:23 AM |
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*Definition Amniotomy, also known as Artificial Rupture of the Membranes
(AROM) is the surgical rupture of fetal membranes to induce or expedite labor. Source: *History Amniotomy is used to start or speed up contractions and,
as a result, shorten the length of labour.
Sources:
PROS
CONS
Sources:
*Link List For further exploration on your part
What do you think? Is this an option you would consider, or that you chose for during your birth? The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Birth Story: Baby P Born At Home
Posted on January 29, 2015 at 10:02 PM |
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We are thrilled and honored to share a very special birth story today. Our guest blogger, Cassandra is a newly minted mother of two - congratulations!! Today she shares the story of Baby P's arrival. It is the complete opposite of last week's marathon labor birth story. She and Baby P definitely had a different path! Baby P is baby #2 for our family; you can read my son’s home birth story from 2012 here on the blog. I have been blogging about certain aspects of my second pregnancy on Sweet Pea Families over the course of the last few months; fears, affirmations, newborn essentials, and most recently musings over my labor, what it would be like and who would be there. I had grand visions of a coming together of many women in the late afternoon or evening, laboring peacefully in the birth tub with plenty of laughter and wearing the cute new bra and panty set I purchased to look nice for the photographer that would be there. My daughter would definitely be born in the water since coincidentally her brother, even though we were in the tub, was born over the water. But, as it turns out (again!) babies decide things for themselves and we, as mothers are simply a vessel for whatever their life holds for them. My son was born at 43 weeks 3 days from my LMP. Dates were ambiguous due to irregular cycles and lack of ultrasounds, but with no vernix, long fingernails and an aging placenta at birth he was definitely a longer cooked baby. Going that far past my “due” date was definitely an emotional time: not knowing what to expect as a first time mom, worrying, comments from family/friends/strangers, etc. etc. Baby #2 was surprisingly conceived after my first cycle at 25 months postpartum. I got a positive pregnancy test on cycle day 30 and a twelve week and then twenty week ultrasound both matched up with my LMP due date. So, this time was different, we knew! It was always in my mind that maybe I just cooked babies a little slower than most but as the pregnancy progressed I didn't really think there was any way I was going to go past my due date. I was so cramp-y this time, so much more pressure down low, so much more active, I had a completely different lifestyle chasing an almost 3 year old every day than during my first pregnancy. But alas, my due date came and went and then a whole other week passed. At 41 weeks I was having doubts about the baby coming out any time soon and really just couldn’t believe I had gone so far again. At 41 weeks 1 day, a Monday, I was feeling good and talked with my midwife about just waiting it out another week and seeing what the weekend held. At 41 weeks 2 days, Tuesday, I was totally done being pregnant. My son and I had a great, exhausting day that day. We played at home, went grocery shopping, had a coffee and muffin date and met with a friend at the park to play in the sunshine for 3 whole hours. We came home and made dinner and he stayed up past his bedtime while my midwife came over for our weekly appointment. We chatted about the risks of the pregnancy progressing past 42 weeks, how we (my husband and I) each felt, what natural induction methods she likes to use and ultimately I decided I really just wanted a membrane sweep right then. I had one with my son that resulted in losing my mucus plug and then starting labor two days later and I was ready. It was the night of a super new moon and I finally felt at ease to try and do something (at this point we weren't employing any kind of help labor start tactics). If my baby and body weren’t ready I trusted that nothing would happen anyways and we would continue waiting. We were done with the sweep around 7PM with caution from my midwife that there could be spotting and cramps during the night, all totally normal and to try some nipple stimulation if I wanted. My son went to bed and my husband and I settled in on the couch for some Netflix while I hooked up to my breast pump for exactly ten minutes. We went to bed shortly after as we were both really tired from a long day and I fell asleep pretty quickly. I felt cramps on and off through the night in a very sleepy haze, my son slept horribly and was crying most of the night but thankfully my husband was comforting him and I spent most of the night able to drift in and out. I woke up at 6:40AM and had what felt like bad period cramps, sharp, painful cramps super low in my pelvis that went away very quickly. I wondered if I should still be having cramps 12 hours after the sweep (?) and hoped they would go away soon. I got up to go to the bathroom and brush my teeth and had lots of bowel movements. This used to happen to me every time I had period cramps so I wasn’t surprised; and afterwards laid back down to try and sleep some more until my son woke up. He was up a little bit after 7AM and I was still having the cramps so I text my husband around 7:15 and asked if he could come home for a little bit to be with our son until these cramps went away. I was fine in bed but T was asking for breakfast, etc. and I just felt icky and wanted to stay resting. He didn’t respond so T and I read books in bed and then looked at photos on my phone. Around 7:45 I was still having them so I called my husband (he hadn’t seen the texts) and asked him if he would just come home from work for a little bit. T and I stayed in bed cuddling, goofing off, laughing and watching videos of him on my phone. Around 8:30AM my husband finally walks in just as I was about to call him again, he had brought breakfast and I was so happy because I was starving! I used the opportunity to finally get up and go to the bathroom again and the cramps were still coming, fairly frequently and kind of radiating down and out into my pelvis. Definitely still cramps though, did not feel anything like a “contraction”. We decided to call the midwife as she emphasized calling her as soon as I suspected anything since my son was born fairly quickly after active labor began. I dialed her at 8:37AM and left a message. She instructed on her voicemail that if she didn’t call back in 15 minutes to call our other midwife. Right afterwards I text our photographer, she has a son that she needed to make arrangements for so I wanted to give her as big of a heads up as possible if there was any chance I was going to be in labor today. “Hi it’s Cassandra, I might be in labor today!” I told her about the sweep the night before and that I was just having cramps so I wasn’t sure and I had called my midwife but was just waiting to hear back and that I would keep her updated. After that I came out of the bathroom and tried to lean into our hallway wall during one of the cramps to see if that alleviated the pressure, it didn’t so I headed back to the bathroom. I was starting to think this was a membrane sweep gone horribly wrong and I had brought these insane cramps on myself and now who knew what was going to happen! I felt much better on the toilet. I would push down into the sides of the toilet seat during the cramps and kept having to pee or poo so it was better anyways. 15 minutes passed so I called our second midwife at 8:51AM. We talked for 8 minutes about what was happening (cramps, mucus tinged with blood, bowel movements) and I had two of the cramps while I was on the phone with her. She said she couldn’t tell I was having them and it sounded like early labor stuff and to try and lie down and rest between them, eat something and to let her know when they seemed to undergo a change. So I got off the toilet and lay down in bed and asked my husband to bring me some pancakes. I was still so hungry and so happy to be eating, I had two bites and then another cramp came and I immediately needed him to take the food away from me. I also did not want to be lying down. There was NO way I could rest; so back to the toilet I went. I listened to my husband and son playing a Frozen matching card game in the other room and was still trying to understand what might be happening to me. The cramps got stronger and I asked for a chair from the kitchen to put backwards in front of the toilet so I could drape my arms over the back and press into it during the cramps. At 9:17AM I had a cramp that left me shaking and immediately breaking out into sweat all over. This was intense! I text my midwife “Ok getting hot and sweaty and shaky. Can’t rest” and she responded she was on her way. There was also a lot of blood after that and I finally knew this was definitely labor. Midwife called at 9:21 while she was driving and I couldn’t even really talk to her. I text my photographer at 9:24 and said “Ok def in labor. Midwife coming over now, 15 mins away.” She wrote back that she would be over in about 15 or 20 minutes too! This was when I told my husband to start filling up our tub – it had been inflated and ready to go for weeks and he just needed to fit the cover on it and then add water. I had wanted to alert my friends from my blessingway when I was in labor and now that midwives and photographer were out of the way I could finally let them know. I sent out a text to everyone in the group at 9:27AM that said “Baby’s coming, send love – need it already <3” I remember trying to make sure that I included everyone and that I was trying to count the names and count the girls in attendance and it was hard for me to concentrate, but I did get everyone! The responses were just starting to come in when my midwife walked in about 9:30AM. Just before then I was starting to get worried about continuing to do this on my own as my husband was tending to the tub and playing with our son so I was really happy to see her. She asked if I was pushing and I was kind of caught off guard, pushing!? No way, what? I was definitely not pushing! Then another wave came and AH! There was a head! I was pushing!? I half yelled out that I was pushing and she asked if I could feel the baby’s head. I said no but then I barely reached up and the head was right there. She told me I needed to get off the toilet, which was seriously the last thing I wanted to do. She helped me down onto the birth stool where I tried to sit and then hold myself up against her but it was really unstable and I needed to get down. This entire time I could feel baby’s head right there. When I got off the stool I felt her head kind of suck back up a little and wasn’t sure where I was going or what I was doing but I heard hands and knees and I just kind of fell onto the floor in that position, head facing the corner, butt facing the doorway. This all happened in a couple of minutes and soon our photographer, Kirsten, walked in. She was greeted in the bathroom doorway to my bum and then a little bit of baby’s head starting to come out. On the next push I moaned out so loud and low, it didn’t even really sound like me, I think this was the first noise I made the entire time. I was proud of myself that it was loud and low and not high pitched screaming (like I was with T). I knew I had to keep it that way and gosh the burning, ah! I literally just gave way to the burning, told myself it was happening and just feel it, don’t fight it and then her head was out! I said I wanted the rest of her out, just get her out! but I knew that wasn’t what I really wanted. Tearing so badly again was one of my biggest fears around labor and I knew this was the moment. My midwife told me to pant and I tried but couldn’t really so I started just breathing shortly and blowing raspberries, I could do that and it calmed me down and gave me something to focus on while I just stayed in hands and knees with her head out. I heard my husband say something like oh my gosh eyes! A little nose and mouth, awww! I kept up my breathing/blowing and then all of a sudden her body was out! She handed her to me and I sat back on the bathroom floor and held her, it was 9:51AM. Not even an hour and a half from when my husband walked in the door with breakfast and our baby was here, so mind blowing. I felt fantastic. I had so many emotions rush me all at once and I felt energized and ecstatic and it will definitely be engrained in my mind as one of the best moments of my life. I got up and walked to the other room to lie down in bed and seriously just could not believe how great I felt. T was right there in the doorway watching the entire time and once I got settled in bed he climbed right up to touch and kiss his new baby sister. Needless to say the tub was not filled up enough for me to get in it once I had to get off the toilet and the pictures are not going to be anything like I had imagined. I did not get to diffuse my Serenity blend or light my beeswax candles or stare at the affirmation wall I had created in the bedroom, but I wouldn’t change anything about it. So intense, but so quick and so perfect. It was a beautiful sunny day and after everything was cleaned up we all hung out in bed as a family of four watching movies, reading books and playing games and I couldn’t have even imagined the amount of bliss I felt. I learned so much from baby P’s birth, there was not a single sensation that felt the same as my last labor and birth. Again, mind blowing. It was a great reminder to throw out any and all expectations I may have surrounding this little girl and being her mama, as we truly are never in control. Congratulations, Cassandra, Eric, and new big brother T !! Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Birth Story: Penelope
Posted on January 9, 2015 at 9:12 AM |
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It’s birth story day!!
This week I am sharing a birth story from our Fall 2012 class. In today's video, Courtney is talking about her family's birth journey
with our Winter 2012-13 class. Jake was working, so Courtney shares his words of wisdom for coaches, too. Here is their
backstory:
How their birth journey progressed:
In Courtney's own words: You Tube link: http://youtu.be/TePr1aqKezg Video Highlights: Note: Looking back, Courtney was so grateful she advocated for a longer pregnancy. One of the biggest concerns about gestational diabetes is that babies are larger than average. At birth (40 weeks gestation), their baby weighed 6 pounds, 9 ounces and measured 21 inches long. This is clearly *not* a baby that would be called “large for gestational age” when you consider the average birth weight for a term baby is about 7.5 pounds. Which labor tools worked for you to manage the intensity?
What would Jake (husband) say if he were here?
Some images from their birth:
PostScript: Courtney and her husband Jake were the last couple that
enrolled in that class series with a last-minute phone call, “We really need to
get into this class!” You would be
hard-pressed to find a birth worker who would say no to them!! It is so humbling to hear that saying yes to
them when we had a full class already made a big difference for their birth. I
praise God for His wisdom and His incredible design. What did you learn from your birth journey? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
I believe
Posted on June 2, 2014 at 5:27 AM |
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The female form is beautifully made to grow a baby and birth a baby. Birthing wisdom tells us that, in general, Sweet Peas will not grow bigger than the outlet the vessel carrying them can provide. Another idea that is brought to mind is the analogy that our bodies know how to maintain our heart beat, breathe, digest, and do all the other autonomic functions that keep us alive. All this, without any instruction or direction from us! Why, then, would these miraculous bodies fail us when it comes to childbirth? Believe!! A tenet of The Bradley Method® is for parents to attend classes and then read, read, and then read some more to be be informed and confident consumers. This confidence begets the abtility to birth without fear of the process, possible interventions, variations or complications. Prepared parents can believe in the ability of the mother to birth. This allows them to approach their labor and birth with the best intentions for an unmedicated, vaginal birth, and then see that birth through in spite of any variations or decision points they may face. The mother has the confidence in the process and her ability to birth. The Coach has the confidence and the motivation to be at her side and meet her needs for support and encouragement. NOW COMES THE BIG *HOWEVER*... I have to admit, this affirmation gave me pause as I was preparing it. We have had students in the past who have worked so hard and so beautifully to have a vaginal birth, and it just did not go that way for them. So I put this out today with a caveat...believe in your ability to birth for a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome. Sometimes, the focus may need to switch to "I will give this baby the birth that (s)he needs," which gives us the space to change from our expected path to the birth that needs to happen for a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome. If that is the case, please talk to someone who understands that a mother can grieve her birth experience while still appreciating the fact that she has a healthy baby. THIS article by Milli Hill articulates so beautifully the feelings a mom may have with the knowledge that she has a healthy baby AND a variation from the birth experience she may have wanted. Here is a picture from our last birth - still the look of surprise and the "I did it!", even though it was our fourth birth!! Never cease to be amazed by the miracle of life that you grew within you...no matter how you birth, take heart from the fact that the new human being you are holding in your arms was grown within you and by you with loving intention. Image: ©2011 A Bunch of Smiles Photography
All rights reserved - we are not models - please do not copy image - thank you! What is a birth mantra or affirmation that helped you or inspires you? Please leave a comment - it will be moderated and posted. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Birth News: December 12, 2013
Posted on December 12, 2013 at 12:58 PM |
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Happy Thursday to all of you! P.S. I also did an early morning posting of our Wordless Wednesday from yesterday...the day got away from me! Enjoy a peek into our home as we celebrate the season. FERTILITY Low folate in male diet linked to risk of offspring birth defects
From Medical Xpress http://bit.ly/1h3mTKr Study shows moms may pass effects of stress to offspring via vaginal bacteria and placenta
The Almagest http://bit.ly/1h3nBaI BIRTH Early lung infection exacerbates asthma risk in preterm birth children Study Finds Adverse Effects of Pitocin in Newborns
http://bit.ly/1jIzyEO Vaginal Births Without Epidural Anesthesia Lead To Happier Moms, Point To Potential Cure For Postpartum Depression
Ithaca Times : News http://bit.ly/18FSsHX Retrospective cohort study: Timely Progestin Lowers Risk for Preterm Birth
maybe we should have therapy dogs for labor!
Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
5 Step Plan for Labor
Posted on December 10, 2013 at 4:28 PM |
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If you follow these steps, you
can figure out if you are in “real” labor.
If you are not, somewhere along these steps, your contractions will fizzle
out. And if they do, mama has eaten
well, slept, and hopefully had a good nap so that you are rested for the next round
of contractions when they begin again. If you are in labor, you will go through these five steps and discover that despite the change in activity and positions, your contractions are progressing. Now you can get excited because you will be meeting your baby sooner than later. And then, settle down to "work", because labor is definitely an athletic event, albeit one of the most rewarding ones ever! Eat
Drink
Walk
Shower
Nap
You can definitely follow this labor pattern over and over, until the mother is unable to sleep anymore because she is going through transition, and/or having the urge to push. It is definitely a way to manage labor without additional pain relief. The love and support of an invested coach, replenishing energy, and rest can go a long way for a family to have a natural birth. If you liked the way you labored, what was your recipe for success? Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Dr. Bradley's Keys to Labor
Posted on December 9, 2013 at 8:00 PM |
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We saw that one of our mamas from our Fall class is in labor...so exciting! I thought today would be a great day to share these instructions Dr. Bradley left for laboring mothers in his book, Husband-Coached Childbirth. Here is a written version: Here is a visual version: I hope that one of them will be a great reminder for what you can do to have the energy you need to see your labor through from beginning to end when it's your turn. I will write more about the principles behind these bullet points tomorrow :) Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Rally to Improve Birth 2013
Posted on July 16, 2013 at 6:59 PM |
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I first became aware of ImprovingBirth.org when they held their first rally last year. In order to bring awareness to the maternity health care crisis in our country, the organizers chose the date of Labor Day for the national event. This year, they are truly nation-wide – there is at least one rally planned in all 50 states, and as of today, it looks like they are up to eight international locations. What maternity health care crisis in the United States, you ask? Here is a look at the numbers. In the world:
So do you know why I find this so infuriating?
Are you motivated to stand with women, children and coaches to rally for
change? On September 2, 2013, from 10 a.m. – 12 noon local time, cities across the states are going to host a Rally to Improve Birth. The rally is not to promote one kind of birth over other kinds of births. It is not about bashing care providers and birthing facilities.
What is the message that Improving Birth is striving for? Here are some of the messages they hope to get across that day (hint...ideas for rally signs):
You can click HERE to find
your local rally (readers in the Phoenix, AZ area - local info at the bottom of this post): http://rallytoimprovebirth.com/find-a-rally-near-you/ If you can’t stand side-by-side with the families attending the rally, you can still participate. All the rallies are 100% volunteer organized – even a donation of $10.00 can help buy water to hydrate all the mamas, babies, coaches and care providers standing under the hot sun on Labor Day to bring awareness and change to the maternal healthcare system.
HERE is a story from an "eye-roller" at last year’s rally, to a supporter at this year’s rally. I would like to think that these stories are few and far between. Unfortunately, I know they are not. Due to my involvement in the birth community at large, I have personally heard stories from several women who felt completely violated by their care providers and the current standard of care. We can make a difference. We can stand together and insist that it is time to humanize birth again, to use evidence-based care, and to involve the birthing family as partners in their birth story. For more information, please visit their main website: Readers in the Phoenix, AZ area Here is the info on our local event: September 2, 2013 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Tempe Beach Park 54 West Rio Salado Parkway Tempe, Arizona 85281 To stay up-to-date on the local event, visit the Facebook Page. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
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