Healthy Parenting

Pregnancy and Birth

Ahhh...Pregnancy! No words can explain that first flutter you feel in your belly. Nothing can describe the feeling of pushing your baby out into the world and holding him for the first time. Joy, ecstacy, awe are words that come to mind BUT there are other parts to pregnancy and birth (and after) that need to be discussed as well.

Swollen feet and ankles, heartburn, morning sickness. Not being able to sleep on your belly, back pain, not being able to tie your shoes, waddling like a duck. The first REAL pain of contractions, transition, ring of fire. Having to do kegels when you sneeze, not taking all the pregnancy weight off, learning what it feels like to get no sleep for weeks on end, understanding what it means to have another life depending on you. All of it exciting, frustrating, amazing, fun, scary and worth it!

                    

My husband and I both got a physical before we started trying to conceive our first child. Ladies should also get a gynecological exam and discuss trying to conceive with your practioner (I use a midwife for well woman care). Two of the things you need to know are 1) you need to be taking folic acid when you are TTC (trying to conceive)and 2) you need to know if you have the antibodies to Rubella (German Measles). While Rubella is a mild childhood illness, so mild sometimes that symptoms do not present, it can be deadly to a fetus. You NEED to know if you have the antibodies prior to TTC.

Labor. I can remember when I would stick my fingers in my ears and "lalala" if anyone near me started talking about the pain of childbirth. Since I've always wanted children since I was a child myself, the thought of childbirth was something that I thought of over the years but was quickly pushed out of my mind.

Once my husband and I decided to start trying to conceive we started our usual research. The more we educated ourselves, the less fear I had. The more I learned about how a woman's body worked - how MY body would work during labor/childbirth, the more I actually became excited at experiencing a natural childbirth.

I truly believe that MOST women can give birth naturally and live to tell about it. The problem is that many women just aren't getting the proper information and support, especially those outside holistic circles.

Before we became pregnant with our first son in 1998, my husband and both got physicals. I also had a gynocological exam with a new OB/GYN (we had just moved). After the appointment, I realized I really wanted to use midwives and a birthing center and called the doctor's office to have my records sent to the Birthing Center here in NJ. The OB/GYN called me himself that same day to lecture me on my irresponsible decision to go with midwives and how it was "witchery". LOL. If I had ANY doubts about leaving the OB/GYN, they were eliminated by that phone call.

Sending happy birthing vibes to all those nearing their due dates!

Articles

Herbs in Pregnancy
http://www.healthyparenting.net/birth/herbspreg.php

Obstetric Myths vs Research Realities
http://www.hencigoer.com/obmyth/

Create your Own Natural Birth Plan - Brought to you by EarthMama
http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/birth_plan.html

Aromatherapy: Ease the Discomforts of Pregnancy
http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/pregnancy/aroma1/index.php

Natural Remedies During Pregnancy
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/remedy.html

Medical Risks of Epidural Anesthesia During Childbirth
http://www.healing-arts.org/mehl-madrona/mmepidural.htm

Women's Health Risks Associated with Orthodox Medicine
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ISW/is_2002_Jan/ai_81138249

The Ten Month Mama - by Leilah McCracken
http://www.birthlove.com/free/ten_month_mama.html

Safety & Usefulness of Ultrasounds
http://www.alternamoms.com/ultrasound.html

Recommended Reading

• Gentle Birth Choices : A Guide to Making Informed Decisions about Birthing Centers, Birth Attendants, Water Birth, Home Birth, and Hospital Birth
  
• Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way
  

Resources

*new*Birth Partners - A directory of natural childbirth providers
http://www.birthpartners.com/

Gentle Birth Archives - A midwifery archive of everything you need to know about pregnancy/prenatal issues, labor/birth and post partum issues.
http://gentlebirth.org/archives/#Parents

Currants and Spice: Herbs for Pregnancy, Birth and Lactation
http://currantsandspice.fateback.com/

Pregnancy Month-by-Month
http://www.med.umich.edu/obgyn/smartmoms/pregnancy/index.htm

Web Womb: Everything Needed for those TTC
http://www.webwomb.com/

Episiotomy Resources
http://www.childbirth.org/articles/epis.html

Birthing Naturally
http://www.birthingnaturally.net

Common Pregnancy Symptoms
http://www.birthingnaturally.net/pregnant/list.html

Vegetarian Pregnancy
http://www.vegsource.com/nutrition/pregnancy.htm

Birth Classes

The Bradley Method
http://www.bradleybirth.com/

Birthing Within
http://www.birthingfromwithin.com/index.html

Hypnobabies
http://www.hypnobabies.com/