Birthing Your Baby

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Great Blog Interview

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:06:00 +0000

The blog may be a little slow over the next few weeks as I get organized for a big spring cleaning and get started out in the garden. But I just have to share a great interview post over at Progressive Pioneer: MamaViews: Donna of Banned From Baby Showers. Here's a teaser: "My focus as a natural childbirth educator is to reach the mainstream and help them understand that this is not about being “crunchy” or alternative. It's simply about doing what we, as women, are made to do. Our bodies are amazing, and to numb the experience of childbirth is a shame. We avoid drugs throughout the pregnancy and load up in labor. It doesn't make sense. 'Mainstream.' 'Alternative.' 'Crunchy.' How about just 'Woman.'"
Good stuff, eh?

Have you come across any particularly interesting interviews or blog posts lately? Share in the comments!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Diddos for Kiddos Consignment Sale Spring 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:41:00 +0000

For all of you Diddos for Kiddos fans - here is the spring sale information:

The spring sale is at the St. Paul Center (136 State Street) in Augusta. The sale dates are Saturday, April 17th, from 8am to 6pm and Sunday, April 18th, from 8am to 4pm. The Sunday sale is half-price on all items.

There is also a consignor sale on Friday, April 16th. For more information on consigning, or about the sale, click on this link to the pdf brochure.

On a personal note, I've been consigning at this sale for years. Not to make money, because most of my kids' stuff is handed down to my sister & her children. I consign just to get to the presale! And it is so worth it. I never come home with the same ratio clothes/toys - sometimes one kid gets way more than the other. But it works out perfectly for me to get birthday presents and spring/summer clothes at the Spring Sale.

I also make it a "girls night out" and go with a friend - each consignor gets an extra ticket to the sale - so we go to the sale and then out to dinner.

Maybe I'll see you there...

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins New Moms Group

A Week of Links: Personal Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:55:00 +0000

Rixa, at Stand and Deliver, recently asked women to share their epidural stories. She wrote, "When I was a PhD student, I was chatting with an acquaintance about pregnancy and birth. She had four children. She said something that was really hard for me to wrap my mind around. 'I just love it when I go into labor and get an epidural,' she said. 'I feel so empowered!'" Rixa goes on to wonder why "women have such different reactions to certain choices or life experiences", noting how potentially divisive women's reactions to others' choices can be.

At last count, there were 45 comments, with women discussing their personal experiences with epidurals. I found it very, very interesting.

Also interesting is the At Your Cervix post, "Some self loathing, some guilt, and a whole lot of venting". Here's an intro:

"Yes, hospitals, medicine and nursing care can save lives. However, ever notice the trickle down effect of us *causing* some of the problems in the first place?

I have been guilty of thinking far too medically as a nurse on L&D. I feel guilt for being that medicalized thinking nurse. I'm not talking about truly sick people, I'm talking about normal labor and births."

More post, coming up. Have you read anything interesting online that's been birth/pregnancy-related? Please share in the comments!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

A Week of Links: News

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:20:00 +0000

I've read some great posts lately, and I want to share several of them with you. First, the news items:

From the Motherwear blog, Study: Common antidepressants can delay milk coming in. According to the study, women who were taking an SSRI drug like Prozac, Zoloft, or Paxil had a median onset of lactation difference of about 17 hours - 69.1 vs. 85.8. This is especially important given that milk is termed "officially" delayed if it takes more than 72 hours to come in.

Of course all this is not to say that mothers taking an SSRI drug should not breastfeed! Just that they should be aware that it may take a bit longer for their milk to come in, and that this longer length of time is normal for women taking an SSRI drug. Ideally, they would also be aware of the problematic sequence of events mentioned in the post, and take steps to prevent longer-term challenges:

"delayed milk "coming in" can have some serious consequences, especially if it isn't managed well. The drill goes something like this: delayed onset of mature milk leads to higher than normal weight loss in the baby, which leads to supplementation, which can lead to compromising of the milk supply and/or nipple preferencing if the supplementation isn't done carefully. It can also increase the risk of jaundice.

Talking to a local lactation consultant, a La Leche League leader, and/or doing some reading ahead of time are all suggestions I would make to moms who want to prepare for this potential challenge.

And, from a link from Woman to Woman Childbirth Education blog, a blog post from the San Diego Birth Network on Cervical Scar Tissue – A Big Issue That No One Is Talking About. This is an incredibly valuable post for professionals who work with women during pregnancy and childbirth, as well as for women themselves who may have scar tissue on their cervix, from cryo surgery or other surgeries.

The midwife proceeds to explain to my sister that she is going to try and massage the cervix and break the scar up. With some discomfort for my sister, she went from a finger tip dilated to 3 cms in a matter of minutes. An hour later she was 4 cms and an hour after that my nephew was born. Once the scar tissue had completely released, she flew to 10 cms.

As you can imagine, I asked that Midwife a ton of questions. I wanted to know all I could about this scar tissue stuff. Besides “massaging”, what can you do before hand? She shared her knowledge with me. Told me that HPV is so very common and more and more women are having these standard procedures done, but are never informed that it most likely will leave scar tissue. Although less common, this includes women who have ever had a D & C after a miscarriage or abortion.

Once I was armed with the knowledge, my successful VBAC rate shot up as did my vaginal birth rate in general. I would ask the question and if the answer was yes, I would tell them what I knew."

There is more useful information on the blog post, so I highly recommend clicking on the link and reading the whole post!

More links tomorrow!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Give Aways!

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 15:01:00 +0000

The Motherwear Blog just had an incredible give-away week. It's not too late to add your comment and be entered into the contests. Wonderful books and cds, gift certificates and more!

Also, if you're looking for nursing clothes, I highly suggest you check out their clearance sale. I can't tell you how many wonderful items I've gotten from these sales for incredible prices. Some, I still wear now - a long black skirt, and pj shorts, for example.

And, from Progressive Pioneer, a blog I recently discovered: Giveaway: The Sitting Tree. Beautiful, beautiful!

Mamas & Muffins: Baby Food

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:25:00 +0000

Last Monday was the Mamas & Muffins group, so I got to snuggle some sweet little babies and we all talked about baby food. If you couldn't make it, here's some of the information we discussed:

… there’s no rush …

Frank Greer, M.D., FAAP, member of the American Academy of Pediatrics' (AAP) Committee on Nutrition, says breastmilk is the optimal choice of nutrition for your baby for the first 12 months.

“The AAP Section on Breastfeeding, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, WHO, United Nations Children's Fund, and many other health organizations recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life.”

… it’s a go …

Signs baby may be ready for solid food include:

baby sits upright

baby has lost tongue-thrust reflex

baby watches people eating & imitates

baby can pinch-grasp smaller objects

baby may have doubled(ish) birth weight

baby may be teething

There is no definitive sign, I don't think. I used the examples of my children. I started them both with solid food at about 5.5 months, when they could both sit up, they seemed interested, and could swallow tiny spoonfuls of food. Madelyn was still a few pounds off from doubling her birth weight, but she was teething. Owen was still months from getting teeth, but had long since doubled his birth weight.

In my opinion, the best way is to be guided by baby. If baby likes the food you offer, has no trouble swallowing it, and is happy at mealtimes, than it sounds like she's ready!

… first foods …

first: bananas, pears, unsweetened applesauce, avocado, sweet potatoes, rice cereal, peaches

and then: yogurt, egg yolk, oatmeal, finely chopped chicken, beans, cheese, cheerios, baby biscuits

I love the list of food suggestions in the Sears' Baby Book

I also mentioned to the Mamas about the BRAT & anti-BRAT foods, because I learned this the hard way. Madelyn wouldn't take rice cereal, so this wasn't a problem for her, but after I'd been feeding Owen solids for a month or so (applesauce, bananas, a bit of rice cereal), he became wicked constipated. Poor bubby. I hadn't heard of the BRAT diet, that people sometimes eat if they're recovering from a stomach bug or something else that may have caused diarrhea. Basically, it's Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, and Toast - which all have binding-up properties. Turns out I was feeding a lot of those foods to Owen. Then someone (thankfully!) told me that P fruits tend to have the opposite effect, loosening things up: pears, peaches, plums, prunes. All of these are good first foods for babies too, so it became a matter of simply adjusting amounts depending on the desired effect. I'd mix pears and applesauce, or peaches and banana, for example.

... make your own…

Making your own baby food can be easy. Roast vegetables like sweet potatoes or winter squash. Peel and use fruits like bananas, pears, and avocados. Mash with a fork, or food process. Scrape into ice cube trays; freeze; remove from the trays and store in freezer bags. Thaw the cubes in the refrigerator, or warm in the microwave. Check temperature and texture and feed to baby. Or if you want some real excitement, hand baby the spoon!

It really is that simple.

Once the baby was just a bit bigger, I'd spend an hour every few weeks - roast a few sweet potatoes; poach some skinless chicken breast; briefly cook a few peaches in a pot of boiling water (X the skin before you put them on so it slips off easily) and then puree it to the texture I wanted in the food processor. Put in the ice cube trays and I had baby meals for several weeks. Add to that the things I fork-mashed (banana, pear, avocado) or made to order (egg yolk) and some plain yogurt, and we were pretty much all set.

One of the other nice things about making your own baby food (beyond knowing exactly what's in it!) is that you can feed your baby more local foods, and foods that are in season. When Owen was a baby I got a huge box of peaches, in season, and pureed/froze them until he was ready for them. When we picked apples, I froze plain applesauce for him. I know that isn't a huge motivator for some people (and he had plenty of non-local bananas and avocados!), but it was something I felt good about.

… resources …

The Z Recs Guide publishes information about harmful chemicals in common baby products.

Also, a post I wrote about toxins in children's toys and products.

All about Baby-Led Solids

Foods to avoid, and why

KidSafe Seafood

Baby Safe feeder

The Baby Book by William Sears, MD and Martha Sears, RN

Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

Feel free to leave any of your favorite baby feeding tips, recipes, links, cookbooks etc. in the comments!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Date Night

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:26:00 +0000

At Your Cervix is one of my favorite birth blogs. It's written by a registered nurse who currently works on a L&D unit at a large teaching hospital. She's also in-training to become a midwife. Very interesting stuff, from a perspective that I won't have from personal experience.

She was recently invited to guest blog on another blog, and wrote "How to Take Charge of Your Labor and Delivery". Two things that she wrote in this post really stand out for me:

"Dads: what can you do to help Mom? Go to childbirth classes together. Consider it a date night before the baby arrives."

What a lovely idea! If a couple decides to do four classes with me, that's four date nights. Maybe they'll go out to eat afterwards, depending on time and finances. Or maybe they'll go for a nice long walk and talk. All of a sudden, what may have seemed a bit like a chore-commitment is a springboard for a really nice day together!

Also:

Why do people date? To get to know each other! And getting to know each other's ideas and preferences and fears around labor and birth is such an important part of the process.

Do dates cost money, at least some of the time? Yes. And so do birth classes. But for the cost of a night on the town, with a nice dinner and movie, a couple could attend birth classes that teach them life-long skills... classes that help them during an exciting and sometimes challenging time of life as individuals and as a couple... they get to explore, with each other, their ideas and dreams around meeting the life they created.

Dates sometimes take some planning, and some setting-aside-of-time during hectic daily life. So do birth classes. But is a date worth it? Yes. And so are birth classes!

Why?

Well, that's the other thing about At Your Cervix's guest post. She wrote, "Planning ahead and knowing what you might expect are important to your labor and delivery experience" followed by questions about the routine management of labor in most hospitals: fetal monitoring for how long? getting out of bed? IVs? Etc.

Of course it's important for moms & partners to know what the routine is at the birth place they chose. It's not good to think your date is to an elegant restaurant and then the car stops at McDonalds! But before women can choose where they want to give birth, they need to know their options! In order to know what we want, we need information.

Which takes me back to childbirth classes... independent childbirth classes to be specific.

If you're in the Central Maine area, and are having a baby - let's set up some date nights! They may be the most life-changing, important dates you ever go on.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Spring 2010 Diddos for Kiddos

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:50:00 +0000

I don't have the flyer yet, but the spring dates for Diddos for Kiddos are Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18th. I'll have all the details in the next month and will be sure to post the flyer as soon as I have it!

For anyone wondering what this is all about, Diddos for Kiddos is a consignment sale held twice a year (fall and spring). People who consign clothes get two tickets to attend the consignor pre-sale on Friday. The Saturday sale is open to everyone, and the Sunday sale is half-price on all items.

On a personal note, I've been consigning at this sale for years. Not to make money, because most of my kids' stuff is handed down to my sister & her children. I consign just to get to the presale! And it is so worth it. I never come home with the same ratio clothes/toys - sometimes one kid gets way more than the other. But it works out perfectly for me to get some of their fall/winter clothes and Christmas presents at the Fall sale, and to get summer/birthday clothes and toys at the spring sale.

I also make it a "girls night out" and go with a friend - each consignor gets an extra ticket to the sale - so we go to the sale and then out to dinner.

Stay tuned for more information!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Free Photography Sessions

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 17:06:00 +0000

I received an inquiry from a young woman who is a photography student at USM. She is interested in doing a photographic study on birth and is looking for a woman (or more than one) to photograph before, during, and after giving birth.

She writes:

"In return for the photography I will supply the mother with all of the photographs on a CD and at least ten 8x10 prints of favorite images. I would like to do at least one pregnancy session, one infant (or infant and mother) session, and a session during the actual delivery and birth. I am interested in starting as soon as possible with someone due as soon as this month, but I do believe (if I can find the right people) that this could be a long term project so I am open to any woman at any point in their pregnancy."

If you, or someone you know, may be interested, get in touch with her via email.

One reason I'm passing this information along is that I really wish I had more photos of myself during my pregnancies and of me and the new baby shortly after birth. And having someone along to photography frees up dad/partner to support the mama instead of snapping pictures!

Here's a bit more information about the project:

"At the moment this is just a class project that will only be shared with related people. But I am hoping that this could turn into a larger, more long-term project that may have a wider audience. At that point I would consult with the mothers and get their permission before showing any work in a public or online setting. My aim is to photograph the birth in a unobtrusive but realistic manner. Meaning that I would like to capture everything that comes with the birthing process but will not knock over your significant other to get a shot. I am very laid back and open to many options and am looking to work with woman and families who feel the same."

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Make Your Own Baby Sling

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:43:00 +0000

For those of you interested in making your own baby slings, I have two links to free patterns!

Here's a tutorial offering step-by-step directions and pictures on how to make a ring sling, like the Maya Wrap.

And here's how to make a pouch, kind of like a Kangeroo Kozy Pouch. I found this link through Progressive Pioneer's post on making a pouch for her new baby.

Happy Sewing!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Mamas & Muffins: Babywearing

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:02:00 +0000

We had fun today playing with slings and other ways to "wear" babies. In case you wanted to come but couldn't: here's the handout with resources that I gave out, complete with pictures of Owen in the sling during his first year, from two days old to 13 months old. I have my ring sling (Maya Wrap) always available for demos, and I'll continue to have my sister's Kangeroo Kozy Pouch and Moby Wrap on loan for a few more months (she has a new baby due this summer!), so stop by another time if you want to check them out.

And, because chocolate and pumpkin are so yummy together, and these are my favorite pumpkin muffins ever, here's the link to the muffins I made for the group.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

More on Eating, Drinking and Labor

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 18:55:00 +0000

This is just a quick post to highlight an article in today's New York Times Health section (by the way, I love getting this free, weekly, via email). The article is called, "In Labor, a Snack or a Sip?", and in it, an obstetrician is quoted giving the same example situation I give in my classes:

'“My own view of this has always been that you could say one shouldn’t eat or drink anything before getting into a car on the same basis, because you could be in an automobile accident and you might require general anesthesia,” said Dr. Marcie Richardson, an obstetrician and gynecologist at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Boston, who was not connected to the new study.'

I wonder if more people need emergency general anesthetic after a car accident or during a Cesarean birth?

I imagine this article in the Times was prompted by the recent Cochrane review of the seven-decades-long ban on eating and drinking in labor enforced by many (but not all) hospitals. The review, Restricting Oral Fluid Intake and Food Intake During Labour is available online.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Wow! Links.

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:34:00 +0000

I love reading birth blogs. And I love the fact that I can share my favorite entries written by informed, compassionate birth professionals with you. Here are some great ones that I've read lately...

Navelgazing Midwife has had some fantastic photo posts lately. "Labor: A Visual Guide" explains some of the signposts Barbara uses to assess where a woman is in her birth journey.

So many of the mamas I work with ask about eating and drinking during labor. Kathy, a fellow independent childbirth educator, offers a terrific evidence-based post on this topic, "No Justification for NPO".

She also wrote a hard-to-read but oh-so-important post on circumcision. When a family I'm working with wants to talk about their plans to circumcise their son, I always ask, "Who is going to go with him for this procedure?". The responses are often telling: no one wants to go. When that happens, I hope that gives the family room to think through putting their infant through a procedure they don't even want to watch! There are some graphic pictures in this post, but I think it's an important one, "Circumcision Guidelines". I didn't watch the linked videos and so cannot comment on those.

Finally, Gloria Lemay has had some great blog posts lately too. Even though the H1N1/swine flu has gotten much less hype lately, I think her tips on staying flu-free are excellent ones throughout a winter pregnancy. You can read them at "Gloria Lemay's Regimen for a Flu-free Pregnancy". And her post, "The Slow Birth" movement may make some women who wish for short labors reconsider...

Have you read any excellent blog posts lately that you'd like to share? Or written a really good one? Leave a link in the comments!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

"Why Choose a Midwife?" Video

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 01:05:00 +0000

I saw this video on Gloria Lemay's blog. I think it's a terrific overview of the many reasons why women choose hospital or homebirth midwives. It was put together by volunteers from Our Bodies Ourselves and the Massachusetts Friends of Midwives.

Of course it's critical to remember that there are some OBs and family docs who practice evidence-based, woman-centered care and that there are some midwives who practice as "med"wives. That's why it's so important to get to know your care provider!

But for people who are just beginning to investigate the possibilities of midwifery care, or those who are curious, this video is a great introduction.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Status Quo: Not Good Enough

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 13:00:00 +0000

As usual, I enjoyed Peggy O'Mara's article in the most recent Mothering magazine, "The New Health Journalism: Challenging the Status Quo". What stood out to me most was this part, "Barbara Loe Fisher asked me if I have suffered for challenging the status quo. My job as a mother is to challenge the status quo . . . It is not my job to follow the current fashions, but to forge my own way, to develop my own personal ethic of parenting."

The status quo (defined by dictionary.com as "the existing state or condition") is not good enough. Just yesterday I got an email link to an msnbc news article, "C-section rates around globe at 'epidemic' levels", which makes a perfect Exhibit A.

"In the U.S., where C-sections are at an all-time high of 31 percent, the surgery is often performed on older expectant mothers, during multiple births or simply because patients request it or doctors fear malpractice lawsuits. A government panel warned against elective C-sections in 2006.

“The relative safety of the operation leads people to think it’s as safe as vaginal birth,” said Dr. A. Metin Gulmezoglu, who co-authored the Asia report. “That’s unlikely to be the case.”

Women undergoing C-sections that are not medically necessary are more likely to die or be admitted into intensive care units, require blood transfusions or encounter complications that lead to hysterectomies, the WHO study found."

This example fits Peggy O'Mara's warning perfectly. She explains that,

"As new parents, we believe that society will take care of us, has our best interests at heart, and will protect us. I want new parents to believe this, but health-care policy in the US is focused on eradicating rather than preventing disease. It is fear-based, interventionist, and compromised by economic considerations. At this time in history, assuming that society will protect you can be a dangerous belief."

Personally, I do not want new parents to believe this. I want it to be true; but until it IS true, I wish opened eyes and hearts for all of us, so we can make the best choices possible for our families' health.

Do you believe it is a mother's (or parent's) job to challenge the status quo? How have you challenged the status quo? What sources do you use to make your best informed choices for your families' health?

Mamas & Muffins Group Coming Up: Monday, 1/18

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:20:00 +0000

We're meeting in Winthrop (15 min from Augusta; around ~30 min from Waterville and Lewiston/Auburn) this Monday, January 18th. Free, fun, with food!

This group's topic is baby-wearing, with demos of a Maya Wrap (ring sling), a Moby Wrap, and a fleece snap sling. Come visit & try them out.

Pregnant moms welcome too!

For time, directions and more information, go to http://www.birthingyourbaby.com/postpartum.html.

We'll be meeting regularly, first and third Mondays of the month. Hope to see you there!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

More on Coping Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:27:00 +0000

Thanks for the comment on my last blog, Morgan. Reminds me that it might be helpful to post more specifics about the relaxation strategies I use! Here's the one I used the most during labor; it's also what I do if I'm in bed and worries or stressed about something, or if I'm having a hard time going back to sleep. Though I can't go through the whole "loose and limp" thing in situations like flying or driving, I do try to pay attention to and loosen up muscles that are tight due to tension, like raised shoulders or a clenched jaw.

This is the handout I give to all the moms/families I work with. Feel free to download it in word here, for personal use only, or link to it as you wish!

RELAXATION: BY YOURSELF

Lie on your side with a cushion under your head and another under the bent knee of your top let so that you are completely comfortable. Close your eyes, and allow all your body weight to drop comfortably onto the floor. Breathe deeply, relaxing each part of your body in turn with each exhalation. Keeping your awareness focused on your breath, find your center as you relax more and more deeply. Remain this way for 5-20 minutes. Before you come up, focus your awareness on your baby inside you, and spend a few minutes in peaceful relaxation together.

When you are finished, take your time to open your eyes, letting the light come in slowly instead of hurrying to look outwards. Keep the sense of inner peace and relaxation as you stretch out slowly and come up in your own time.

RELAXATION SCRIPT: WITH A PARTNER

Read quietly, slowly, and in a calm voice. Practice reading the script a few times to yourself. Eventually you won’t need it at all. Feel free to make it your own. Mom, let your reader know what works best for you! Practice at least 3 time/week.

Breathe with a steady, even rhythm. Not in the middle of your belly, but way down low. Listen to the quiet ease of your abdominal breathing. Use each outbreath to relax a little more deeply. Let the breath fill your entire body, surrounding and relaxing each muscle; wherever you feel tension, use the outbreath to send it away.

Concentrate on relaxing your belly extremely. Think of it just floating outward and away from you as you breathe in. Drop your head into the pillow. Don’t hold your head up with your neck muscles. Just let it drop into the pillow.

Smooth your eyelids, and concentrate on all those facial muscles being loose and slack. smooth your brow. Let your eyes rest. Let all the tension go from your face. Loosen your jaw and let it float open. Have a relaxed, open throat.

Drop your shoulders. Have no tension in them at all. Relax your back and let your belly relax completely, floating out and away from you. You can always relax your belly a little more. Each time you exhale, you let go a little more. Let your whole body sag and relax.

Locate any tension that is left in your shoulders and your arms and let go of it so it eases out through your hands. Let your hands be limp and let your fingers be loose and limp. Everything just sinks down into the pillows and mattress.

Let go of any strain or tension in your chest. Drop your whole body into that bed. Let go. Release everywhere. Relax your belly extremely. Concentrate on letting go and letting it float out and away from you. Keep your breathing very calm and quiet and steady and way down low in the bottom of your belly. Use each outbreath to relax a little more deeply. Let the breath fill your entire body, surrounding and relaxing each muscle; wherever you feel tension, use the outbreath to send it away.

Really let go. Don’t just hold yourself still. Keep loose and limp. Let your bottom relax completely.

Let your hips be slack and sink down into the bed. Let go of any tension in your thighs. Let it all go out through your legs and feet. Your legs are loose and easy now. Your feet are loose and limp.

That’s it. Go loose and limp. Breathe with a nice, quiet, steady rhythm. Listen to the sound of it, way down low in the bottom of your belly. You can always relax a little more and a bit more. Breathe and float.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Re-Using Coping Skills: Here is Your Life

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:16:00 +0000

Back when I attended Bradley Method classes to prepare for my daughter's birth, I learned about the effect deep, calm breathing can have on my physical and emotional state. I practiced these new coping skills in hopes of using them to help me relax during birth. I'm happy to report that they were incredibly useful during Madelyn's birth back in 2002 and for Owen's in 2005.

But their usefulness did not end there! Remember Guy Smiley on Sesame Street hosting the "Here is Your Life" segments - the one with the shoe? the one with the loaf of bread?

Well let's play "Here is Your Life" today so I can show you how the coping skills I learned continue to be a very helpful resource, 3 times even, in just the past week!

January 6th, 2010... I'm checking on my son after I put him to bed half an hour earlier, only to find that instead of being in bed, he is squatted down on the floor covering himself with his pillow. This is how he hides when he knows he's done something terribly naughty. I remove the pillow and ask him what the problem is... and he shows me that he bit the top off of a Christmas light, part of a strand that was decorating his room. Undoubtedly deep breathing on my part helped me to be calm, ask him if he had spit out the plastic and where was it etc... He was fine, I took down the lights, and I didn't yell (because really? who does that???) or laugh (because also: it was funny).

January 4th, 2010... First cross-country skiing of the year, on our local high school trails. Usually great conditions, but this time if was very, very icy. We'd gotten about 3/4 of the way around when we stopped to rest, and somehow my ski slipped and I totally rolled my ankle and crashed into the snow. It hurt, and I had heard an ominous crunching noise as I fell. My body wanted to panic - my heart started racing, and I got that light-headed, blurry vision feeling that precedes passing out. But deep breathing got me through. I calmed my body, realized the crunch was probably the ski against the icy snow, and that my ankle was not actually broken and that I was, in fact, going to live! Even to ski out and finish the day's errands, though my ankle did end up swelling from a slight sprain that's already better...

January 3rd, 2010... I'm returning from a visit to PA for the holidays, driving the normally nine-hour trip, just the kids and me. I get off to a good start, through NJ and up into NY. Close to Albany though, the wind is joined by snow (not "showers" as had been predicted by the weather.com) and the driving conditions deteriorate. It's terrible the last part of 87 and the beginning of 90 in NY, and really bad in the Berkshire Mts in Massachusetts. The other cars are also going slow, mostly, and I get behind someone going about 40mph, perfect for the conditions. Thankfully the children were very quiet & well-behaved, though they did wonder why I was going so slowly... just as they asked, a red car tried to pass me and we all watched as the car lost control, spun around, and ended up (I think) in the median. It was scary and added just that touch more of stress and panic to the already challenging driving conditions. You better believe that I was doing my deep breathing then. And listening to music (just like in labor) to help myself stay calm. The weather got better after the Berkshires, but by the time I got to NH and up into Maine, many hours later, I was exhausted, it was dark, and it was raining/sleeting/snowing again. As I drove, concentrating on keeping us safe and moving homeward, I kept reminding myself - that's another mile down: I don't have to do this mile again. Just like contractions - each one brings the baby closer, and each one down is one less to go. We ended up safe at home, where I fell into my husband's waiting arms and cried a few tears of relief & exhaustion, 11 hours from when we started in PA.

So those are my examples in the past week, how deep breathing helped me keep my brain and body calm. I've used it many other times in the past too...

Flying on Airplanes... I flew many times with my infant daughter, and later with my toddler daughter and infant son, by myself, on the way to PA. They were (thankfully!) short flights, but I am terrified of flying and I knew I had to do my best to remain calm so I could effectively parent, as well as to reduce the chance that I would freak out my kids. Because that would be so helpful - all of us crying in panic at the same time! The breathing helped incredibly, and those times I traveled with the children were some of the calmest trips I've had on airplanes, even though I had the additional stress of solo parenting while flying.

Watching my Kids do Scary Things... Like the time my kids were climbing some very scary stairs to a local lookout tower. Safe enough in theory, but absolutely terrifying for me to watch. Someone else helped them, of course, while I walked away and did my calming breathing.

Kids & Medical Problems... The time my son's finger got slammed in the door and looked terrible... the time I put him down for his nap fine and got him up to find his entire body covered in huge, puffy hives, including his neck. Deep breathing helped me stay calm and make effective decisions, while comforting him.

Anger Management... Two kids, a husband, life. Anger happens. Deep breathing helps me avoid losing it (at least some of the time!) and saying or doing things I would regret later.

In addition to using these techniques myself, I am teaching them to my children... when they are feeling angry or overwhelmed, or have been hurt, it's amazing to watch how well simple breathing in through the nose and out through the mouths, big belly breaths, helps them settle back down. It's a simple and extremely effective parenting technique.

Anyone care to join me in sharing a "Here is Your Life" with coping skills story? Which were your favorite for birth? Which do you use now? How?

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

You Have a Choice - Video

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 02:11:00 +0000

I've seen this circulating through various birth-related blogs. I first saw it on Gloria Lemay's blog. Since it clearly fits in with my last few blog entries, I thought I'd post it here too in case you haven't already seen it.

You Have a Choice (A Short Birth Documentary) from Goodrich Creative on Vimeo.

It turns out, apparently, that my (unintentional) theme for September was centered on asking questions & making choices. I have some posts brewing on postpartum life and parenting, so look for them in October!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Fall Classes & New Mamas Group

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:16:00 +0000

I'm currently scheduling group and private classes for this fall and early next year - moms with due dates from October thru January! Classes are held in Winthrop, which is about half an hour from Waterville and the Lewiston/Auburn area, and fifteen minutes from Augusta.

For more information, feel free to email me or visit Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine.

Read below for some of the benefits of attending Birthing Your Baby classes!*

CLASSES THROUGH MONMOUTH/WINTHROP ADULT EDUCATION
Preconception & Early Pregnancy Class

An introduction to pregnancy, with activities and discussion on nutrition, exercise, and self-care for a healthy, comfortable pregnancy as well as tips on choosing a care provider and putting together a supportive birth team. Enrollment is limited to women and their partners who are trying to conceive, or who are less than twenty weeks pregnant.

Thursday, September 24th, 6-9pm
Winthrop Middle School Library
Fee: $20/couple

To register, contact the Winthrop Adult Learning Center from 8-2:30 Monday thru Thursday at 377-2265 or Friday 8-10am.

Coping Strategies for Labor and Birth

Introduces a wide variety of coping strategies for labor and birth, including breathing, relaxation, massage, visualization, position change, and water therapy. Some practice time and a short video will help you start thinking about which strategies might work best for you. This class will also be helpful for the birth partner, providing lots of concrete ideas of how to be supportive during labor and birth. Enrollment is limited to women who are in their second or third trimester. Participants are encouraged to bring a support person.

Monday, November 9th, 6-9pm
Winthrop Middle School Library
Fee: $20/couple

To register, contact the Winthrop Adult Learning Center from 8-2:30 Monday thru Thursday at 377-2265 or Friday 8-10am.

MAMAS AND MUFFINS: NEW MOMS GROUP!

I invite all mamas and their "little muffins" ;-) to drop in anytime from 9 to 10am, have a muffin and some tea, and enjoy chatting with other new moms. From 10am to 11, there will be time for women to share their experiences, ask questions & get support. Free and open to all new mamas and their pre-crawling babies.

Groups will be held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, from 9-11am at the Winthrop United Methodist Church (58 Main Street in Winthrop), upstairs in the nursery. Use the side Wonder Awhile Nursery School entrance. Signs will be posted. Although the WUMC graciously hosts the group, the group itself is not connected with the church and is secular.

September 21st, 2009
October 5th & 19th, 2009
November 2nd & 16th, 2009
December 7th & 21st, 2009

*Wondering about the benefits of Birthing Your Baby classes?

Birthing Your Baby classes are centered in a deep belief in a woman’s ability to give birth… that birth can be an empowering, transforming experience in a woman’s life…that birth is an essentially safe process for baby and mother. The philosophy that drives these classes also inspires confidence and joy in the birth process and in your new lives as parents.

Birthing Your Baby classes are independent. I am not required to teach from a rigid curriculum that only “approves” of certain kinds of birth. This is your birth…your baby!! I will provide up-to-date, evidence-based information and then you can make your best decisions for a healthy and satisfying birth experience, whether it’s an all-natural home birth or a hospital birth with a planned epidural. We will also discuss and practice helpful communication skills so you can maintain an open dialogue with your careproviders.

I believe small classes work best, so there will never be more than five couples in a class. Small classes allow for more student interaction, for more discussion, and for the class content to be personalized to address each student’s particular needs. Private classes are also available.

I offer a variety of classes – group classes that last four to six weeks, as well as private classes. We discuss everything from how you’re all feeling that particular week and addressing any questions that have come up, to self-care during pregnancy, prenatal testing, nutrition, and exercise, to the emotional and physical aspects of labor, comfort measures, birth positions, and communicating with your caregivers, to the transitions of post-partum life, new baby care, breastfeeding and a lot more – the time seems to fly by… you’ll be talking, writing, laughing, drawing, moving around (a lot!), viewing videos, discovering sensations, and practicing, practicing, practicing!

Birthing Your Baby classes are consumer-oriented. In other words, I am not “prepping” you for the policies and routines for any particular birth place or caregiver. As Dr. Sears writes in The Birth Book, “some hospital-based educators, constrained by their own hospital’s birthing policies, prepare parents to more to be compliant patients than to be informed consumers” (53). Instead, Birthing Your Baby classes will teach you (and give you lots of time to practice) a variety of coping skills, relaxation techniques, and positions for labor and birth. Labor is impossible to predict, so the more tricks you can pull out of your bag, the better prepared you will be!

In addition to the individualized class attention, I provide (free) unlimited telephone and email consultation. Any time (pregnancy, birth, post-partum) you have questions or concerns, I welcome your call or email. I can research a topic… offer emotional support and affirmation… or simply listen.

I have a well-stocked pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting “lending library” that includes books, magazines, and videos that I encourage you to borrow from at any time. I have read all of these selections and can help you find ones which address the topics that interest you.

Birthing Your Baby classes encourage you to be open to the possibilities of birth. I will help you create a birth “plan”, but we will also talk about what the “next best thing” is if everything doesn’t go according to plan. Studies have shown that women who feel like they coped well and were active in making decisions about their care had the most satisfying birth experiences. Regardless of your plans for birth, whether this is your first birth or your third, Birthing Your Baby can provide the information and hands-on practice time to enhance your birth experience.

If you have questions about any of these classes or events, please email me or give me a call at 512-2627!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Circumcision Information

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:41:00 +0000

I'm always on the lookout for information on circumcision that I would be comfortable passing on to parents. I think these .pdf documents offer useful information in a neutral, nonthreatening tone. If you work with pregnant women or are pregnant yourself and trying to come to a decision about circumcising, these documents might be helpful.

Infant Circumcision: Some Considerations
10 Reasons Not to Circumcise Your Baby Boy
Myths & Facts About Circumcision
Flawed African Circumcision Trials & US Circumcision Debate

Any other good resources out there on circumcision that you'd like to share? Leave a note!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Why Ask Questions: Part II

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 20:01:00 +0000

I just watched a YouTube video on Nicole's blog Bellies & Babies. The post was about midwifery support videos on YouTube. But one of the videos in support of Australian midwives stood out to me as highlighting, again, the importance of asking questions. If you watch it, you may see why:

I'm going to assume that all these babies and mamas in this video were healthy after the birth. But what an enormous difference in their (mamas and babies) experiences. Sometimes medications or procedures are truly necessary... but sometimes they are a consequence of choices and decisions made earlier or they are agreed to when a mother/family has not been given all the information, has been coerced or bullied or rushed.

So, again: Ask questions. Own your power.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Rights

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:42:00 +0000

Rixa at Stand and Deliver wrote a short but powerful post yesterday about "Iron in my Soul" that I encourage you to go read. I think the "iron in my soul" feeling is the same feeling that my sister & I talk about when we say something/someone brought out the "Mama Bear" in us. You know how you don't want to get between a mama bear & her cubs... we've all heard about the lengths a mama bear will go to if she believes her cubs are threatened.

If you're wondering about a woman's rights are during the childbirth year, I encourage you to download a free copy of The Rights of the Childbearing Woman. Being informed is so important, and I hand out this document to every woman I work with. In some ways, it goes back to what Diana Korte and Roberta Scaer, authors of A Good Birth, A Safe Birth, said: “If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any.”

But. We parents are powerful - we have iron in our souls. We have a Mama Bear ready to be unleashed. A parent's intuition and the strength to act on the small voice that whispers (or shouts!) "something is wrong, something is wrong" is the most important, in my opinion.

Being informed and confident in one's intuition is an extremely powerful combination!

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group

Why Ask Questions?

noreply@blogger.com (Christina Kennedy) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:24:00 +0000

I've read several blog posts lately that highlight the importance of asking questions in very dramatic (and uncomfortable: reader beware) ways.

Birth Trauma
Navalgazing Midwife wrote "Just because it's the standard of care* doesn't mean it's ethical" which lists and lists and lists some of the abusive things done and said to birthing women. She writes, "How can people NOT believe women would consider their experiences traumatic and abusive"??

Ask questions well ahead of time about the standard of care used by your doctor/midwife and birth place. Their answers and attitudes will help help you assess the likelihood that you may be on the receiving end of treatment like that listed by Navalgazing Midwife.

Lest you say, this could not happen to me, not here... let me offer you two examples in this local area:

"You have to have an IV or your baby could DIE!"

The details in this situation are that the woman (who took my birth classes) was asking about IVs because needles made her very nervous, and she was hoping to avoid one. She was also planning an unmedicated childbirth. This hostile (and untrue) response prompted her to change care providers. She ultimately had an unmedicated birth without an IV - a gorgeous, healthy baby girl - in a different birth place, with a different care provider.

"The anesthesiologist is leaving. If you want an epidural, you need to have it now."

Said to a friend of mine (who didn't take my classes) whose water had broken before contractions began. She went to the hospital, where she was admitted, and was waiting for contractions. Because she felt pressured, and didn't want to cause a scene, she had the epidural before she ever felt one contraction.

There is not any 100% guarantee against birth trauma. There are certain things you can do to avoid it though. Here are a few:

Ask questions.

Think carefully about where you are planning to birth and with whom.**

Educate yourself.

Have continuous support with you at the birth (partner, friend, relative, doula).

I think there are certain uncontrollable/less-controllable factors that come into play as well. Mostly I believe we "make our own luck", but I do think there is a certain amount of luck involved too. I'll use my birth stories as an example.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I did everything I could think of to educate myself, and to work towards having a relatively smooth, trauma-free, unmedicated birth. Which, thankfully, happened. But looking back on it, I realized that I had left one big variable open - care provider. I had established a wonderful relationship with my OB. She was in a practice with three other OBs. It didn't really dawn on me that I only had a 25% chance of birthing with her. I had not met two of the other OBs in the practice because, as a teacher, I could only schedule appointments after school, and these two OBs didn't have appointments after 3pm. The other OB I met I was not happy with - he measured this, checked that, said "any questions" without looking at me or sitting down, and strode briskly out of the room.

It turned out that the doctor who attended my daughter's birth was neither of the OBs who I had met - though I am very happy and thankful to say that she was fantastic. Very supportive and friendly. She ended up helping me off the bed where my pushing wasn't very productive and onto a birth stool on the floor. She and the nurses sat cross-legged on the floor surrounding me, with the blue drapes all around me. I was like a birthing island in an ocean of blue. I gave birth as the sun rose, surrounded by these wonderful supportive women, one of whom remarked, "This is lovely! It's like a slumber party!!" I'll never forget that. At the time, it didn't feel much like a slumber party, but looking back I understand why she said that - it was the energy in the room. And that's where the luck came in - what do you want to bet that the birth energy would have been very, very different if the OB whom I had met and not liked attended the birth?

I realized how lucky I was after the birth. For my son's birth three years later, I wanted to be sure I didn't leave care provider so much to chance. I chose to birth with two midwives, so I would know for sure that the person who attended my birth matched my preferences for standard of care and philosophy.

Technology
I believe that in this country at least, there will always be some new technology (machine that goes "ping" for you Monty Python fans) awaiting some women when they give birth in a hospital. Think forceps, earlier in the 20th century, or continuous electronic fetal monitoring. There is nothing inherently wrong with technology, certainly there are times when a Cesarean birth, or using a vacuum extractor or a dose of Pitocin, is what has become necessary for a healthy baby and mother. But! Technology used most of the time, for most births, low and high risk? Maybe not something all women want during their birth...

Which is why it's so important to ask questions. Things like this lurk on our birth horizon.

While you're at Nursing Birth's blog, take the time to check out her "Don't Let This Happen to You! The Injustice in Maternity Care" series. Scroll all the way down to start at the beginning. I think this series could highly motivate someone to ask questions, lots of questions!

*What is "standard of care"? Standard of care is the typical, common (standard) care that is usually provided by a doctor/midwife/hospital. Various pressures (legal and financial and bureaucratic and staffing) as well as training, philosophy, routines at the birth place, peer pressure and current trends all impact the standard of care offered by a particular doctor/midwife. It is very much part of the time and place in which a woman births. For example, some hospitals have a Cesarean birth rate of 50% while some homebirth midwives have a Cesarean birth rate of less than 5% - with similar outcomes for mom and baby. Clearly the standard of care offered would be very different.

**There are some that say "you bought the ticket, you go for the ride". Which is usually true. For example, if a woman gives birth at a hospital with a high Cesarean rate, she should not be surprised if she has a Cesarean. It would be like going to McDonalds and expecting a luxurious, five-course, chef-prepared dinner. Not going to happen.

Christina @ Birthing Your Baby
Independent Childbirth Classes for Central Maine
Mamas & Muffins: New Moms Group