Below Header
Below Header
On Natural Birth...
The real question about safety is not whether you want a pleasant birth at home or a safe birth in the hospital ? It is, “Do you want to give birth at home and run the miniscule risk of an emergency that might (but not necessarily would) be handled better in the hospital, or do you want to give birth in the hospital and run the considerably increased risk of infection, the certainty of additional stress, and the near certainty of having unnecessary (and potentially risky interventions?”) ~ Henri Goer

Members of the home birth movement have chosen their alternative form of care not through faulty understanding of medical principles, but as a result of active and reasoned disagreement with them. ~ Bonnie O’Connor

Pre Natal Care

 

 

  • Prenatal Birth Class Outline Here
  • Prenatal Common Questions Here

Mind, Body, Spirit...

Prenatal work includes physical, mental / emotional, and spiritual work. This work is for both the midwife and the woman she is working with.

 

“The emotional work the midwife does with each woman helps her know she is strong and beautiful. She needs to know this and when she feels this it goes through to her baby.

 

It is simple.  It is love.  It builds confidence in her birthing process and then she creates her birth story.” ~ Clare

.

 

Attachments to previous births and traumas need to be dealt with before labor begins .This may mean that the mother just becomes at peace with things  that are not resolved and writes them down and puts them away in a box that closes.  If these issues are not addressed they will likely come up during the strenuous process of labor.  A woman’s mind is vulnerable to outside energies and issues that are in the air and unsettled.  Clear the air so that the birth can be a smooth and natural passage.

 

Physically women need to continue to exercise all the way through the pregnancy up to the birth.  This will make the labor more easy on the body and less of a push.  Like any athlete preparing for an event, women need to prepare their bodies for the journey of birth. Making sure that the exercise is appropriate and does not strain the mother.  During exercise, and all the time, women should be bound.  A cloth is wound just under the belly, snug but not too tight, to help support the back and stomach muscles.  As the woman’s body is changing and stretching all through out the pregnancy. 


Yoga is a great way for women to get exercise.  Checkout www.yogafinder.com to locate a yoga center or gym near you.  They may also have a mom and baby class for after the baby Is born where you can go and get exercise and rebuild the muscles in your stomach and back.   There is also a great website for prenatal yoga that has a video of poses for the mother:  Here we need the website from Rosi in Bulgaria.


“What the mother eats is a reflection of the health of the baby and the well being of the earth, water and air.  The importance of healthy food for the mom and baby connects them to the health of mother earth. Working toward the protection of mother earth and the water is the same as working with the diet of the mother.” ~ Clare


Women need to be eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, especially the dark leafy greens; kale, collards, chard, spinach, brussel sprouts, broccoli.  These greens are high in vitamins A, C, calcium (collards), and surprisingly protein.   Protein is important for the growing baby, protein builds new cells.  If you are craving sugar it is probably a lack of complete proteins, try to have snacks like nuts, yogurt(unsweetened) and hard boiled eggs easily accessible.  Complete proteins can also be obtained from grains and legumes.  The optimal ration is 3 parts grain to 1 part legume.  For example 1/2 cup rice, 1/4 cup corn, and 1/4 cup kidney beans.


A woman’s spiritual path is all her own and what she decides is right for her is the best.  Birth is a great ceremony for mother and child.   Before it happens women need to prepare their self by making a birth plan.  This plan includes the place and time of the birth, who will be attending, what the woman would like to have happen during and after the birth, and what the environment will feel like. 


Besides all of the necessary supplies that are needed for birth, mothers should have their own props that assist them personally on their journey.  Whether it is sounds, smells or visual; music can be a great way to guide the labor, smells from oils, flowers and candles can ease the mind and relax the body.  Having a visual stimulus during contractions and pushing is also great for focusing; like a mandala on the wall,  a picture of the Buddha, or a simple flower wreath, whatever it is make sure that it resonates with your own spirituality.


Remember that birth is a ceremony for the women, the baby and the family.  Songs, chants, hymns and prayers are a great way to welcome a life into this world.  For the way that we bring a new soul into our home is a reflection of our respect for the world.  Let us give great thanks to the mothers that bring us to this world and guide us through it, the birth mother, mother earth and all the women that teach our children as mothers.