“We have a secret in our culture. . . And it’s not that childbirth is painful. It’s that women are strong” (Laura Stavoe Harm.)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Even after the most stressful days

Having children is one of the greatest joys that we can have, but many times that joy can turn into feelings of inadequacy's that we may not quite understand. Entering in a kindergarten room may bring up old fears of schools, a picky eater may make us feel insecure to give proper nutrition the list goes on and on. The goal is to see that for what it was- what was that scare little girl feeling all those years ago that we bottled up and shoved deep down inside of us- something we never quite dealt with in our childhood. When we have children we revisit these feelings. So when our children are criticized we internalize it we feel that pain that we have been hiding all these years, the surface has been scratch and we are a puddle on the floor all over again.
What I must ask myself and other-
What is the source, no matter how silly you may think it may be, find it.
Recognize it.
Listen to it- really listen to that little girl inside you.
Understand it.
Forgive and let it go.
Then take a deep breath and see if the criticism that felt so painful a moment ago still hurts.
See that person as a human being who has similar fears and pains as you do about their own childhood.
Now listen to it again.
Understand it
Take a deep breath and see what you can do.
Watching our children grow can be very challenging, comparing them to other children can be down right painful at times.
We need to see adults and children as humans with there own insecurities and fears and they pass them around as much as possible. Break the chain and heal from the words that passed on you.

Friday, April 16, 2010

What to expect when HypnoBirthing.

HypnoBirthing The Mongan Method, teaches women and there partners to deeply relax about their birth. Women are made to give birth, their bodies open and gently birth without any need for stress or anxiety. We should breath with each surge and know that each surge is a gift bringing us closer to our babies.
HypnoBirthing changes family’s perspective about birth, by using positive language- changing contractions to surges, we tell women not to push but to breath her baby down, we tell women to let go of fears and only listen to happy baby stories. HypnoBirthing is taught over a series of 5 classes, each one deepening the families ability to relax, by the end of the class a 45 minute self-hypnosis session will feel like 10 minutes. We teach women to listen to their bodies, expanding there lungs with each deep breath and focus on washing away stress and anxiety. The idea is that when a woman walks into their birthing room with no idea how to birth, she is scared and overwhelmed, stalling her pregnancy resulting in Failure to Progress, but the body is feeling Fear Tension Pain. The mother wants to protect her baby and stops her labor because she is unsure, and is not safe in her mind, we prepare the mind for the birth so that the body can open up and have beautiful joyful birth. We prepare the partner to be able to relieve stress, in the jaw, the shoulders or the hands, we teach them to be aware and helpful, we empower the partner to speak softly to the mother and speak thoughtfully to the doctor, we teach the partner how to set the tone of the room to make it feel warm and safe so that the mother can birth in comfort and stay calm. HypnoBirthing is for every mom, whether you are high risk or having your second natural homebirth, because overall it teaches families to make informed decisions about there bodies and babies. And if we can listen to our bodies while we are pregnant, then we can use the same calming tools to gently lull our baby to sleep.

Monday, April 12, 2010

a must read

http://www.theunnecesarean.com/the-unnecesarean/

Letting Go of Fear

Whether we believe it or not fear is a large factor to becoming a new mom. We will never be the same after the birth of our baby. Our brains will never think the same, we are no longer alone, we are a part of another human being, caring for them in every which way. So we must examine that and explore our heart before we walk into our birthing room, because fear can change our point of view so drastically that it stops us in our tracks. Think of the fear of heights, or bugs- imagine someone with some sort of fear, what is there reaction? Freeze, run away, scream, panic- but why, what is the rational thought behind it? What will happen if that person walks across a steel grate- the thought is I will fall through- but it is possible? Or the daddy long leg spider that wonders pass a person, can that spider actually cause you any harm? The rational mind is no longer working, fear is shutting down the body causing it to go into a panic.
Now imagine that you have aimlessly wondered down your path during pregnancy, dutifully going to every appointment, the nursery is beautifully decorated and everything seems to be in place. But your rational mind is starting to fill with fears, about your birth, about breastfeeding, about caring for another human being, being solely responsible for another life. What if you yourself experiences a birth trauma, or listened and watched every TLC Birth Story thinking that this may help you prepare. What if you are unsure of what it will feel like to be in labor? If these thoughts have wandered through your brain, what will your body do when you actually go into labor? Will you run away, will you scream, will you freeze and clench your body?
Now imagine that you have faced that spider, that grate in the sidewalk and walked passed it because you faced your fear, you rationalized that there is nothing to be afraid of. HypnoBirthing allows both parents to face that fear about birth and parenting, allowing you to rationalize that this is what your body is suppose to do. Muscles working in harmony, a wave moving over your body allowing the baby to descend, the cervix to open, gently moving your baby closer to you and your partner. Breathing slowly and evenly, allowing your mind to float through the process with no resistances which would cause stress and pain. Birth can be joyful and loving, it can be as you imagined. I see time and time again when women do this course and release there fears about birth and concentrate about how there birth will look like, how it will feel, how long will they hold on to there baby before it is birthed, what part of the day it will be birthed and over and over again I see it come true. How confident the mother feels that she is in control of her body, in control and willing to open up and enjoy the wave. Imagine if you were so confident in your body before you gave birth that you welcomed it without any fear what so ever.

Friday, April 9, 2010

A Wonderful HypnoBirth!

hey kate-just wanted to write you a quick note and let you know our son izaac was born march 3rd and the birth was everything we had hoped for!

march 2nd was my due date and at my appt earlier that day, i was only 2 cm and 80% effaced. however, after a walk and acupuncture appt that afternoon, we called the dr @ midnight the same evening when surges were consistent of 5 minutes apart for 2 hours. he told us to come in but one of my other doctors advised if i wanted a natural birth to wait until 3 minutes apart so we informed the dr on call of that plan. after a bath, the surges became closer and more intense, pretty much went rapid from 4 and 3 minutes apart, which is when i showered and told my husband to get ready to go in. by the time we arrived at yale it was about 2am and i was 2 minutes apart...but when checked, even though 100% effaced, i was only 4 cms so the doctor told me he didn't expect anything until 11am, best case 9am and i would push for a couple hours...which i was not that happy to hear nor believed since i was already 2 minutes apart and they were very intense.

well at 4:30 i told the nurse i felt the urge to push, she woke the doctor and to his amazement, i was all the way dilated. by the time all was said and done i only "pushed" for about 4 minutes and baby was born at 4:50am. he was put on my stomach and immediately looked up at me. he was completely alert and all kept commenting on it, he was also very calm. only cried when they started to rub his back to ensure he was ok.

The delivery doctor who is very senior seemed very shocked by how quickly and smooth everything went, the nurses amazed. even all the staff on the post partum floor were making comments to us, including the head pediatrician to our practice who said called it "an 84 minute delivery" (they counted me admitted for less than 2 hours once i got into labor & delivery room from triage) and stated that izaac was one of the most alert babies he had seen. another pediatrician from our practice saw him at the check up and had asked if the baby was cesarean because his head and body were so perfect. i also was in good shape, only one small superficial tear and none of the typical pregnancy "pushing" side effects of bowel movements or hemorroids...baby and i were released after only 1 night at the hospital.

so all in all- a big thank you for introducing and teaching us how hypno birthing can bring you the experience you want, not the one the medical profession and those previous expect or tell you that you are goingto have. by all means, please share my story with other future moms. take care and couple of pics attached. ~tiff

Upcoming Class

Would you like a shorter birth?
The average HypnoBirth is 5 hours long, I will teach you to deeply relax and to let go of your fears about childbirth and parenting. By doing that your baby can have a calm and joyful birth, free of any interventions. Learn to work with your body, learn to let go and surrender to the birth process. Giving you and your partner trust and confidence. Learn to love your birth!

Upcoming classes starts on April 24th in West Haven.
This is 5 part series
You will receive
the HypnoBirthing Book
Helpful Handouts
Laminated Birth Companion's Guide
2 wonderful cds to deepen your practice
A customized Birth Plan
And the knowledge to trust what your body was made to do.