Valley Birth Network

by Anja Farin, Childbirth Educator, Doula, Midwifery Student

So you’ve done your research and decided that you want to have a natural birth. There are a lot of convincing reasons to choose a natural birth. Healthy, alert babies born to mothers who are conscious, alert and empowered are among the best benefits of natural birth. And while birth is by nature an unpredictable event, there are several steps you can take to increase your chances of achieving a natural birth.

1. Choose your care provider wisely. Be sure that your care provider is not just paying lip service to a natural birth, but is instead a true advocate for a woman who wants to make that choice. How often do the women in their practice have an un-medicated, un-interventive birth? Make sure that you choose a doctor or midwife who sees natural birth as normal, and anything else is a risky intervention. Ask about your chosen practitioner’s rates of specific interventions—epidural, episiotomy, etc. If “normal” for your chosen provider is a birth full of intervention, don’t expect that you will receive anything other than the routine.
2. Educate yourself. Make reading and researching about childbirth issues a priority. Share resources with friends, and make good use of the internet. There are lots of great books with information about natural birth—check out ones by Ina May Gaskin, Sheila Kitzinger, and Mothering Magazine for starters. Take a childbirth class. Be sure that your childbirth class is taught by an independent instructor; a childbirth educator who works for you can be honest with you about issues and concerns that you have because she only works for you. Make sure that your class will focus on how to have a natural birth as well.
3. Consider hiring a doula. A doula is a woman who is trained to support a laboring woman. Again, be sure that the doula you hire is familiar with ways to support a woman who wants to give birth naturally. There are many ways a doula can assist at your birth—she can advocate for your wishes while you are focusing on your labor, she can provide hands on support (backrubs, water, food), she can assist you with breastfeeding, and postpartum adjustment. While your doula is an advocate for you, she can’t speak for you, or make medical decisions for you. You will still need to advocate for yourself for a natural birth. Expect to meet with your doula a couple of times prenatally, and then to be able to call her when you’re ready for support during your labor. She will be with you during your labor and birth, and will probably do at least one postpartum visit to make sure you’re adjusting well to family life. “Doulas clearly improve clinical and service quality; they provide an absolutely safe way to reduce cesareans and other invasive birthing interventions.” Coming to Term: Innovations in Safely Reducing Cesarean Rates. Medical Leadership Council, Washington D.C. 1996
4. Surround yourself with people who believe in natural birth. It’s a big deal to give birth to a baby, whether you’re planning to do it naturally or not. The last thing you need is people doubting you. Try sharing your perspective, but don’t try to spend a lot of energy trying to change other people’s attitudes. Be confident that you’re making your choices for the right reasons.
5. Believe in yourself. Women have been giving birth naturally for millennia, and you can too. Your body was specially designed for the work of pregnancy and birth ~ don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
6. Remain flexible. Childbirth, by its very nature, is unpredictable. Keep your goals in mind, stay positive and confident, and be flexible about your birth because it may turn out very differently than you originally thought. Remember that there are times when medical intervention is appropriate and even necessary. Natural childbirth isn’t an unreasonable goal; it also shouldn’t be an inflexible goal. The health of you and your baby are paramount.

Many blessings to you on this wonderful journey of motherhood!

Please help us spread the word by forwarding this email to any pregnant moms that you know! Acupressure is a great option for couples looking for tools for pain relief during childbirth.

In our hands-on class we cover a variety of acupressure points that you can use for pain relief and to promote labor. Learn how to prepare the body for labor with acupressure massage, which points to use during different stages of labor, and how to use acupressure for specific challenges that can arise during childbirth.

Thursday, April 9th, 6:30-8pm

Class is held at Birthwise Health & Birth Center, 1703 S. Oneida St. in Appleton. The cost is $20/person or $30/couple. A detailed acupressure booklet is included.

Class size is limited, so please register with Leah Olson at 920.574.0447 or email leah@wholefamilyacupuncture.com.

by Cathleen Grunwaldt, Doula

While pregnancy and the birth of a child are suppose to be joyous times for women, survivors of abuse may not share that opinion. Survivors may feel as if they are being abused all over again due to the lack of control they have over their body during pregnancy and labor. Some survivors may not even realize the unique impact that the abuse has on them during this time and even into their mothering techniques with their children. There are a number of ways that previous abuse and also current abuse manifests itself during this time. Common themes and behaviors from a study in Madison, WI conducted by Jennifer Burian and Sara Williams include but are not limited to are a lack of willingness to disclose the issue, avoidance of health care, somatic discomfort, control issues, dissociation and flashbacks.

Most women do not readily disclose the fact that they have been or are currently being abused. Their abuser as well as society has probably made them feel shame and embarrassment. They may not want that information in their medical record. They may not feel a personal connection to their provider. They may not feel safe that once the information is revealed it will be handled appropriately.

Avoiding health care is also a common theme among survivors. Going for a prenatal exam in some ways mimics abuse knowing that unwanted and foreign objects will be inserted into her vagina as well as the anticipation for it to happen such as waiting in the lobby and then waiting some more in the room until the provider arrives. If the survivor makes the appointment they may find it difficult to keep.

Survivors may also have problems that manifest themselves as somatic disorders. Chronic headaches or migraines, back, neck and or abdominal pain, recurring vaginal infections, pelvic pain and even eating disorders are among some of the manifestations. Survivors react with the disease at the site of the abuse. (Blume, E.S.) For example, women forced to give oral sex may have a gag reflex that is triggered easily or even suffer from spontaneous vomiting.

Retaining control is very important to survivors since this is taken away from them while they were being abused. These control issues may present through aggression, submission, rituals or living in a state of crisis. Many do not consider compromise, as that is to give up their power and control.

Survivors also relate the sensation of feeling numb and not a part of their own body as a coping mechanism. This dissociation response is common during labor when pain triggers abuse memories.

Flashbacks to the abuse can happen anytime and anywhere. Almost anything can set them off. It could be something as simple as a smell. Some women have suppressed the abuse and when they experience a flashback they have no idea what is happening.

If you are currently pregnant and you know you are a survivor of abuse, it is recommended that you find a care provider, a doctor, midwife or doula, that you feel safe disclosing this information to. These care providers are not necessarily trained to aid you in counseling but they do know ways to help you get through your pregnancy and birth that will alleviate added discomfort. If you would like a place to turn to you can start by calling RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest, National Network) at 1-800-656-4673.
Reference:

Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, Abuse Issues in Pregnancy and Labor, n.d.,

Blume, E.S., Secret Survivors: Uncovering Incest and Its Aftereffects in Women. New York, Ballantine Books, 1989.