Water Births - a Link with our Aquatic Past
Discover the potential disadvantages of water births, including challenges with pain relief, infection risks, and emergency care. Learn about safety considerations, monitoring limitations, and suitability for high-risk pregnancies to make an informed choice about your birthing options.
Is Lotus Birth Right for You? Key Information for New Parents
Throughout the last couple of decades, western medicine has faced an increase in a variety of natural methods and labour and birth haven't been left out of these notions. Lotus birth has gained a lot of attention lately, as more and more are choosing to abandon the common practice of severing the umbilical cord soon after birth. Lotus birth is often endorsed as being more 'natural' and more 'peaceful' for both Mumma and baby, but, this birthing practice/placenta ritual isn’t without its share of controversy or risk. Let's shed light on this trend.
Natural Pain Relief - and your options.
The topic of pain in labour and birth is a hotly debated subject around the coffee table and while pain in labour can't be entirely avoided (for most people), the fear of pain can be addressed and reduced. Taking good birth education classes, working with a trusted and supportive midwife, and having good continuous support from a partner, friend, or family member all can help greatly reduce your fear of pain in birth. It also helps to know a few things about labour pain.
Get UPRIGHT !!!
Birth moved from home into hospital during the 1900s. The medical model of maternity care became entrenched in society, along with the expectation that women would labour on a bed. Flat on their back, and sometimes with their legs in stirrups. There is a complete lack of evidence to support this physiologically dysfunctional birthing position, which simply came down to doctor preference, and subsequently, how they were then trained (bugger!)
What do labour contractions feel like?
A contraction is a tightening of your uterus. The uterine muscle can contract at any time from mid-pregnancy on, and those contractions might feel like nothing at all, or they might be completely overwhelming.
Your uterus is a large muscle, and just like any other muscle in your body, it will flex when it’s stimulated, Hormonal changes can start contractions—but how you experience contractions depends on your pain threshold and what type of contraction you're actually having (yep, there’s more than one kind). In the first stage of labour, your contractions gradually open your cervix. In the second stage of labour, they ease your baby down through your vagina and out. In the third stage of labour, they dislodge your placenta and seal off blood vessels, as your uterus contracts down.
Why you need to do Antenatal Classes.
Childbirth is full of wonderment, excitement, joy, trepidation and a huge dose of the unknown.... how am I going to cope? will my partner support me in the way I need? Do I actually have options, can I say no? What if I can't do this? how does my body make breastmilk, can I sleep safely with my baby next to me? What is involved with an epidural? How can I have a natural birth? Do I have to give birth in hospital? These questions and soooooooo many more will be answered during antenatal classes - there is a huge list of benefits and positives for you and your partner or support person.
Planning a homebirth?
Wondering if a planned home birth is right for you? guaranteed you have lots of questions such as, is it safe? Will you need a midwife? How do you create a backup plan? Is it messy (not as much as you think), Is it even possible?
Natural Pain Relief.
The topic of pain in labour and birth is a hotly debated subject around the coffee table and while pain in labour can't be entirely avoided (for most people), the fear of pain can be addressed and reduced. Taking good birth education classes, working with a trusted and supportive midwife, and having good continuous support from a partner, friend, or family member all can help greatly reduce your fear of pain in birth. It also helps to know a few things about labour pain.
Water Births.
There are some advantages to a water birth. Women labouring in water report feeling more in control, with less painful contractions. They are less likely to need epidurals for pain management or drugs to speed up their labour. It also seems that the first stage of labour might go more quickly.
