Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Thursday, November 3rd, 2011
Why would anyone not want to use drugs for labor? Today in the United States 90% of laboring mothers use drugs. Drugs are used primarily for 3 reasons; for induction, C-Sections, and comfort. Compared to the 1970’s there is a 25 % increase in inductions, 25% increase in C-Sections, and an 50% overall increase in the use of drugs for labor. The national U.S. cesarean section rate was 4.5% and near this optimal range in 1965 when it was first measured (Taffel et al. 1987). There is no question that drugs are overused in today’s birth setting. There are times when drugs are necessary and beneficial but let’s take a closer look at the benefits of not using drugs for labor.
Read more... (978 words, 1 image, estimated 3:55 mins reading time)
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Sunday, July 3rd, 2011
What is Attachment Parenting?
There are a lot of different philosophies out there about how to raise your children. One of more popular parenting philosophies that’s been publicized in the past few years is attachment parenting. Many people don’t understand exactly what it is. Attachment parenting is when the parents try to form a close, special bond with their children. This strong relationship with their parents is said to help a child develop strong, healthy, secure relationships in the future.
While there are many ways to develop these strong bonds with young children, Attachment Parenting International, a major proponent of this philosophy, has released a list of 8 ideals for attachment parents. It is important to realize that these are something to strive for, not something most people totally achieve without certain challenges. The ideals they give are: Read more... (651 words, estimated 2:36 mins reading time)
Tags: attachment parenting, birth options, childbirth education, choices in childbirth, natural birth, natural parenting, parenting, pregnancy
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Thursday, April 21st, 2011
The answer is yes and no.
I’m not talking about contraception. I am speaking to the idea that we can control birth. Actually birth itself can’t be controlled. No one has any way of knowing what is going to happen in the birthing time. The birth process is inherently intelligent and when undisturbed takes its own course and happens the way it is meant to. It is only when interference occurs that the process and outcomes are altered and “controlled”. You’ve heard the saying “nature knows best”, right? What if birth is not meant to be controlled? What if there is something bigger going on ?
If birth is not meant to be controlled, does that mean we give up our power? No. In fact it’s quite the opposite. The true power is in the surrender. We take charge of and influence the things we can, and let go of the rest. Read more... (807 words, estimated 3:14 mins reading time)
Tags: acceptance, birth, birth options, childbirth, childbirth education, choices in childbirth, natural birth, personal growth, pregnancy, surrender, trust
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Monday, April 4th, 2011
I’ve heard so many people say they do what the doctor says because, ” they are the expert”. When I first became pregnant I thought that way too. I figured I’d do what everyone else does, listen to the doctor and go to the hospital and have my baby. Thank goodness I was raised in a family who taught me to ask questions.
Through my own process of exploration during my pregnancy I learned a few things. I learned even more when I became a Certified Bradley Teacher and Birth Doula. One of the most important things I learned that I like to share with my clients and students is to never just accept something because someone says it’s so, even if they are an “expert”. Shoot, don’t even take my word for it. Do your due diligence. Educate yourself, ask questions, get answers and go within. Read more... (766 words, estimated 3:04 mins reading time)
Tags: birth, Birth Empowerment Coaching, birth options, childbirth, childbirth education, choices in childbirth, interventions, natural birth, pregnancy
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Saturday, March 12th, 2011
The key to labor is your ability to relax.
For many of us, relaxation doesn’t come easily. It is especially challenging when there is pain or discomfort present. But it is worth learning to relax and being able to do it in labor, in order to experience less pain, and be able to cope better.
Why is relaxation the key to coping with labor?
–Our bodies instinctively know what to do in labor and when we relax, we help our bodies do what they are made to do.
–During labor, our bodies release oxytocin, a hormone that helps us in labor. When we are relaxed and feel safe, our bodies release hormones that protect us and help with the natural process of labor.
–When we are scared, tense, or overly anxious, our bodies respond with Fight or Flight and produce adrenaline which can create more pain and stop the good hormones from protecting us.
–When we realize pain has the purpose of signaling when something is wrong or letting us know how labor is progressing, then we can relax and deal with it.
There are 3 types of relaxation:
1. Physical relaxation has to do with what your body is feeling. Massage is one good technique to help achieve physical relaxation. There are many others.
2. Mental relaxation has to do with what you are thinking about. Guided imagery is a powerful mental relaxation technique.
3. Emotional relaxation has to do with how you feel about what is happening.
Feeling supported through your physical environment, along with encouragement and verbal support from a good coach, can go a long way in accomplishing mental relaxation.
Each type of relaxation has different techniques, and all 3 go hand in hand and are important in achieving optimal results.
Relaxation for labor takes practice:
· Concentration is required. You must actually concentrate on relaxing and not simply watch T.V. or fall asleep.
· One size does not fit all. Try various techniques to see what works best for you.
· Practice often and in various situations. Practice every day and try to relax while riding in the car, standing in line, and in many other situations, not just while lying down.
The number one thing you can do to prepare for labor is learn to relax. Try out different relaxation techniques and practice them often and in many situations. If you are able to achieve relaxation easily in practice, you will be better equipped to relax in labor. And that is the key to experiencing less pain and allowing labor to progress normally and naturally.
Tags: birth, childbirth, coping techniques, labor pain, natural birth, relaxation techniques
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Thursday, December 30th, 2010
As 2010 comes to an end, you might be thinking about the year ahead. If you are like me you are constantly looking to the future without slowing down long enough to reflect on accomplishments and lessons from the past. We are either living in the past, present or future. Where do you spend most of your time? How has it been working for you?
I have been participating in a mastermind group for the last 6 months which has been very powerful in terms of my personal growth and spiritual evolution. In our final session we shared our leaps, learning, and letting go for the past 6 months. It was very powerful to recollect all that has happened in 6 months. I was able to see how far I had come and what I had let go of. Some of my biggest breakthroughs were letting go of the need to be perfect or get it exactly right which enabled me to finally launch my Birth Empowerment Coaching Program after holding onto the idea for more than 2 years. Also, letting go of self-judgment and criticism and releasing the questioning of the value of my work has allowed me to move forward in big ways that are allowing me to live my life purpose more fully and show up more completely and authentically. Read more... (653 words, estimated 2:37 mins reading time)
Tags: goal setting, moms, new year's resolutions, personal growth, visioning
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Sunday, November 28th, 2010
If you’re pregnant you might already be imagining how great it’s going to be connecting with other moms to talk about babies and motherhood OR When I was a new mom I loved being a part of play groups talking about babies and motherhood. Some of my friends preferred to connect with other moms via message boards and forums…
Connecting with other moms is a crucial part of motherhood and everyone prefers to do it in their own way. On December 1, Mamasummit 2010 will be bringing 12 speakers together to enlighten (and humor!) participants.
As a speaker at Mamasummit, I am excited to be able to share with you my take on Birth Empowerment and to open up the conversation with you in a more personal manner.
The other ladies that I am speaking with are absolutely amazing. They are speaking on a variety of topics, from pregnancy, being a new mama, to being a momprenuer. The list of speakers includes: Read more... (232 words, estimated 56 secs reading time)
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Thursday, September 23rd, 2010
Recently I’ve been polling people to name my new Birth Coaching Program. The two choices are Birth Readiness Coaching or Birth Empowerment Coaching. While I have been overwhelmingly getting Empowerment as the preferred name, the Readiness voters have alluded to the idea that Empowerment sounds too strong or that it implies we don’t have power. My point in offering this program is that we are powerful and are meant to be powerful in birth yet too few realize this due to many factors. So I came up with this list of factors that I believe take our power away in the birthing time.
We give our power away when we: Read more... (312 words, estimated 1:15 mins reading time)
- believe birth is a medical event that we need to be rescued from
- place 100% confidence in Doctors and hospital procedures rather than in our bodies abilities and the perfectly designed process of birth
Tags: birth, Birth Empowerment Coaching, childbirth, doula, http://www.themamacoach.com, http://www.thepregnancycoach.com, natural birth, pregnancy, pregnancy coach
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Monday, September 6th, 2010
The practice of gratitude as a tool for happiness has been in the mainstream for years. Long-term studies support gratitude’s effectiveness, suggesting that a positive, appreciative attitude contributes to greater success in work, greater health, peak performance in sports and business, a higher sense of well-being, and a faster rate of recovery from surgery.
But while we may acknowledge gratitude’s many benefits, it still can be difficult to sustain. So many of us are trained to notice what is broken, undone or lacking in our lives. Right? And for gratitude to meet its full healing potential in our lives, it needs to become more than just a Thanksgiving word. We have to learn a new way of looking at things, a new habit. And that can take some time. Read more... (433 words, estimated 1:44 mins reading time)
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Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Becoming a mom is one of life’s most precious gifts and a great opportunity for personal growth. For most of us, having a baby completely changes our identity. It is a big transition from being all about “me” to completely caring for and meeting the needs of a totally dependent life. Often times the “me” gets lost even after the transition has been made. We lose that connection to our old selves and our old identity and sometimes question “who am I now?”
Being a mom is amazing. It allows us to truly know what unconditional love feels like. Motherhood creates many opportunities for personal growth. Every challenge, if we allow it, can be seen as an opportunity to become the person we would like to be, the parent we had always envisioned being. We all know being a mom comes with ups and downs, just like life does. But is being a mom enough? Read more... (1042 words, estimated 4:10 mins reading time)
Tags: birth, childbirth, doula, http://www.themamacoach.com, http://www.thepregnancycoach.com, natural birth, pregnancy, pregnancy coach
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