27th Feb
The theory is that women who use upright birth positions (walking, sitting, standing or kneeling) during labour may shorten their delivery time by as much as an hour. Lynn Goodman, spokesperson for British Doulas, says that staying upright and moving the hips helps ease the baby’s head towards the birth canal.
Sounds logical to me.
That said; each birth experience is different and women should be encouraged to do what is most comfortable for them. There are a number of birth positions that can be adopted:
1. The Slow Dance – exactly as the name suggests (think high school disco): stand facing your birth partner, put your arms around his shoulders and neck, resting your head on his chest. He’ll support you by placing his arms around you and clasping his hands behind your back. Best at the ‘active stage’ (initial stage).
2. The Crab – (I laughed out loud when I read this birth position!) Kneel down on all fours, keeping your legs open. Use a birthing ball or lean on a chair for extra support. Best at the ‘transitional stage’.
3. The Rock ‘n’ Roll – Sit on a birthing ball with your feet a comfortable distance apart and flat on the floor. Placing your hands on your knees will offer extra support. Best at the ‘transitional stage’.
4. The Lap Dance – With your birth partner sitting on a chair, rest your head on his lap whilst kneeling on cushions with your legs open. Best at the ‘transitional stage’.
5. The Frog – The most common delivery birth position: sit on the bed with your back against the bedhead, bringing your knees up. Best for delivery.
9th Feb
Birth, and the mere thought thereof, can be utterly overwhelming.
When I was pregnant, I decided that living in ‘Pleasantville’ until the day my water broke was the best option. I attended one antenatal class, at the last moment, and it got me through 12 hours of labour and a pretty straightforward delivery. But I am not the best example! Not at all! Learn as much as you can mums-to-be…
… and to help; there is a new antenatal iPhone app! How cool is that!?
Lazy Daisy, the UK’s fastest growing Active Birth and antenatal class programme, has launched an antenatal iPhone app to help educate mums on the go.
The antenatal iPhone app has been designed to guide expectant mums through a toolkit of techniques to support pregnancy and birth. The antenatal class app explains pregnancy and birth visually (with top tips for each trimester), auditorially (through guided relaxations to boost birth confidence) and practically (with virtual labour practise designed to help mums embrace the sensations of labour.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
1st Feb
Big news, ladies! BIG news. Mums-to-be will be given the right to have their babies by caesarean section – even if there is no medical need.
Wow! Talk about controversial.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) says that caesareans have become so safe that every woman should be able to choose to have C-section birth.
But can the NHS afford this?
The Daily Mail reports that C-sections cost around £800 more than natural birth. Caesareans, increasing in popularity, account for just under a quarter of all deliveries.
Economists have calculated that reducing uptake by one percentage point could save the NHS £5.6million a year.
It’s likely that many women will be championing the fact that mums-to-be will be given the option to make an informed choice in terms of which birth procedure best suits them. But should the NHS fork out the extra cost per demand?
Written by: Andrea Zanin
16th Nov
Do we really want to talk about the perineum? I mean, must we!?
What is Perineal Massage? Perineal massage is kind of a weird topic but birth is not for the faint of heart, so a little perineum discussion isn’t going to destroy your psyche, dent it a little maybe but you’ll emerge in tact – I promise.
So, what is the perineum? It’s the area of skin between your rectum and your vagina that might be cut (an episiotomy) or tear during birth. Which leads us to what is called “perineal massage.”
Experts recommend that mums-to-be massage the perineum in the last weeks of pregnancy. Massage encourages blood flow to the area and increases its elasticity in preparation for birth.
How do you massage down there when you have a giant bump blocking the path? Here’s the answer (and you may not like it): sit down and lean back, or lie on your side, then put your fingers (or your partner’s) into the vagina and massage down towards the anus, gently stretching.
Do this for about three to four minutes. You can use natural oils such as grape, coconut or almond, and many shops sell perineal massage oil.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
23rd Apr
Hypnosis during child birth seems a little weird to me. Seriously. Maybe I am a skeptic but I am not really sure someone would be able to talk anyone out of labour pain.
They say that to be hypnotised, you have to open your mind to it. I guess it’s fair to say that I am pretty closed minded on this issue – like staring at a swinging watch is going to stop pain… sure – although anything that claims to inhibit the agony of labour does deserve some consideration.
When it comes to the idea of hypnosis in birth I can’t help but imagine a ‘Worm Tongue from Lord of the Rings’ type scenario, whereby Mr Hypnotists speaks soothing words into my ear and in so doing, takes control of my mind in a bid to further some hidden agenda – steal my baby perhaps. Who knows?
Yes… yes… perhaps a tad dramatic and over-imaginative. What can I say? Fantasy is my fiction of choice.
I have since come to learn that hypnotherapy, as a pain management technique, is not the hifalutin mumbo-jumbo that I mistook it for.
Let me introduce you to Natal Hypnotherapy; an affordable, portable, personalised, birth support and therapy toolkit for parents-to-be that provides a comprehensive way to train the mind and body to fully prepare for labour.
Written by: Andrea Zanin
Written by: Andrea Zanin