iBreastfeed - Get Over It!

Father's Presence During Labor: Help or Hindrance?

I've recently come across some interesting quotes. Michel Odent and Grantly Dick Read are both prominent obstetricians in natural birth circles and have spoken and written extensively in support of natural physiological birth. However, they don't agree on everything. Take a look at these opposing viewpoints:

‎"When a woman in labor knows that she will not be disturbed, that her questions will be answered honestly and every consideration given her, then she will be better able to relax and give birth with her body’s neuromuscular perfection intact. The presence of her loving husband and/or a supportive attendant will add to her feelings of security and peace, so she can center upon the task at hand." ~Grantly Dick Read

"The most common cause for a long and difficult labor is the presence of the baby's father." ~Michel Odent, M.D.

‎"When you are in hard labor, remember that the length of labor is usually proportional to the number of people around. Avoid the presence of anybody who might release adrenaline. The best situation I know for an easy birth is when there is nobody else around than an experienced, motherly and silent midwife who does not behave like a guide or an observer." ~Michel Odent, M.D.

So what do you think? Which is it? Is the father's presence during labor comforting and beneficial to the process, or does it detract and possibly hinder it?

When I was in labor I always felt comforted by my husband's presence and support. Even simply having him in the room with me helped me relax more deeply and feel more comfortable and at ease, but having him right next to me, touching me, was even better. Of course, if he'd been busy watching football or playing video games it would have definitely detracted and caused more stress for me. The key for me was having his focus on me during that time, and he has always done that very well.

What are your thoughts? What's been your experience?

The Sight of Blood

I'm not fainting; I'm terrified.

After my emergency room miscarriage in December I'd been anxious to get my body healthier and back on a normal schedule. I started making some big changes to my diet in late December as part of my “get healthier” goal. I don't do new year's resolutions because to me they've always seemed like well-intentioned empty promises. The irony that I made this big change in my life right before the new year is definitely not lost on me, but it was important enough that I dedicated myself to it.

I didn't know how long it would take for my cycle to return, and I decided I'd just be patient and not worry about it. I also decided not to worry about getting pregnant or preventing pregnancy. I wanted to focus on taking better care of myself so I could be a better wife, a better mom, a better me. I wanted to have more energy, to be physically strong and well, and to be happy. I also wanted to make sure that my body would be better prepared for carrying a baby to term when the time was right.

As time passed I realized it had been over a month since the miscarriage and I wondered when my body would resume it's regular cycle. I talked with a friend who'd had a miscarriage about month before my latest one, and we talked about cycles and feelings and everything that comes with the territory. It was really nice to have someone in a similar situation to talk with and share these things.

That very afternoon it came. There was blood, and I felt a sense of relief come over me. I wasn't pregnant, and I was fine with that. I was getting my period, which meant my body was getting back to normal, and hopefully a healthier normal. What I didn't expect was the feelings that would come over me the next day.

The bleeding started out dark brown, like old blood, and gradually became brighter and heavier. As time went on, over the period of a day, my anxiety levels gradually rose. I almost didn't notice it at first. A post I wrote about my miscarriage happened to publish on my blog that day and I read it and relived some of the memories and feelings from it. Every time I went to use the bathroom I had to face the blood, and I found myself absorbed in it. I was checking for clots, examining the color, the thickness, the texture (yes, I touched it), and the smell. You read that right, I smelled it. I wanted to be sure of what my body was doing.

I was exhausted and having cramps, which isn't typical for me during menstruation. The cramping hurt worse on one side than the other, and I found myself panicking. I even called my midwife to ask if the one-sided pain was normal. She told me not to worry, and to put on a heating pad and rest. That was exactly what I wanted to do, and I did.

In the back of my mind I couldn't get the thought out of my head that maybe I'd unintentionally become pregnant again and was having yet another miscarriage, or worse an ectopic pregnancy. While possible, this was unlikely. I kept telling myself that this was just my body getting back into a healthy rhythm and it was a good thing, but I couldn't quite make myself believe it.

I thought I'd been doing so well until that point. I'd coped with my loss primarily through writing and sharing my story, and I'd managed to pull myself out of a deep depression and started making positive changes in my life. I'd been feeling better until this slapped me in the face.

It made me realize how vulnerable we are as women, and even as human beings. We can't just go through something difficult and traumatic and expect to move on without any repercussions. Things impact us on an emotional level and they don't just go away. It reminds me of a book I read years ago called Feelings Buried Alive Never Die. It taught me that we have to face and deal with our feelings in order to properly process them and grow from them in positive ways. When we try to bury or hide our feelings they don't really go away. They can pop back up at any point and rear their ugly heads.

I don't think I was necessarily burying my feelings after my miscarriage, but I think that grieving happens in stages and waves. I think I was dealing with my loss as well as I could, and I've had to peel back the layers of emotions that are there. I'm pretty sure I'm not done grieving, but I think that's OK. I feel like this is part of my healing, as hard and debilitating as it can be at times, and that it's important to honor myself and my feelings and face them head on.

So this is me, right here and right now, facing them.

Labor Doula, Childbirth Preparation, and Gentle Birth

I'm happy to announce that three more of my articles were published on the Pampers website:


Why I Love my Labor Doula - My personal tribute to my amazing doula!


A Birth Doula Supports Women in Labor and Birth - This discusses the many roles of birth doulas, including supporting women with epidurals and c-sections.

Preparing for Labor and Delivery - This covers a little of each of my 5 birth experiences, emphasizing the need for proper childbirth preparation.


Is Gentle Birth Possible? - My experience in discovering gentle birth.

Support for Sexual Abuse Survivors Giving Birth

"A staggering 65 percent of women experience some form of sexual abuve in their lifetime... Katie Wise opens a 3-part Mother's Advocate series about survivors of abuse giving birth. She courageously shares her personal story and insights for other women who've survived, and for the people who care for them."


I Will Survive: Thoughts on Survivors Giving Birth


This article hit close to home. I'm a sexual abuse survivor myself. The part about the c-section restraints really resonated with me. I wonder if that's part of the reason I've always had an unnatural fear of c-section?

Post-Miscarriage Healing

My first miscarriage was nothing compared to the second one in terms of the physical toll on my body. I suspect the first one happened so early in the pregnancy that there wasn't much blood or tissue to expel. Indeed, the 5 week ultrasound had shown nothing, not even a sac, and I only bled moderately for a week. It was much like a period, and that was it. My cycle returned immediately and I conceived again right away. While the emotional impact was huge, the physical impact seemed minimal.


My second miscarriage happened later in the pregnancy and there was a lot of blood, clots, and tissue that I passed. I was amazed at the similarities between miscarriage and birth itself. Even the recovery period after miscarriage is very much like postpartum recovery, with continued bleeding for a few weeks and physical healing. 


I want to share some of the post-miscarriage healing aids I discovered. I found them to be helpful with both the emotional and physical aspects of recovery.

Homeopathy: After my day in the emergency room with my miscarriage I came home exhausted and coming down with a cold. I knew that the miscarriage put me at a risk of infection as well, so I took aconitum napellus to counteract that. I also took arnica for the bleeding. I took them in conjunction with using the essential oils.

Diet: For me personally this made a difference. My diet had included a lot of proteins and starches, and I decided to make a focused effort to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible, focusing mostly on fruits and juices. I was skeptical when I started, but as I seriously followed this I noticed results immediately. I had more energy and I was happier in general. I handled stress a lot better. The timing of this coincided with a day of rest, and it was the perfect combination for me. I was more relaxed and energetic at the same time. I think it was a way for my body to cleanse after what I'd been through, and I decided to adopt this diet regularly in an effort to become healthier before trying to conceive again.

Rest: This is really important to do, as needed. I was exhausted for days after my miscarriage, and I found hot baths and naps to be really helpful. I couldn't lie around all day because I had a family to take care of, but I did what I could to get as much rest as possible.

I also had a headache for days after my miscarriage, and I've read that this is common. I relied on my old headache tricks of applying ice to my head and neck, taking molasses each day, and making sure I got enough rest.

Talking and writing: This was essential for me. I've learned that I process and heal much better if I can talk things through, repeatedly. For me this meant talking with several friends on the phone as well as writing and blogging about what happened, and chatting online when possible. It was important for me to go through the events and feelings of my miscarriage many times so I could make some sense of it and resolve my conflicting emotions. I also found the interactions in person and online to be uplifting, as I received much-needed support and love from others. The most reassuring thing anyone could say to me was that they understood how I felt.

Everyone grieves differently: This is really important to remember. I'm a talker, but some people handle things better by internalizing and not talking about it for a while. Grief is a very appropriate thing to feel after a loss such as miscarriage, and it's not to be trivialized. It's important to recognize the difficulty of the situation and allow the grieving person space to grieve in their own ways, but let them know you're there and you love them and support them. I found that my husband grieves very differently than I do, and I had to learn how to respect his methods while still nurturing my own.

The Essential Ingredient: Doula

From DONA International

Finding the Right Breast Feeding Support

Please check out my latest article on the Pamper Pregnancy website:

Finding the Right Breast Feeding Support

Touch in Birth

This is a great resource for partners, doulas, midwives, and birth supporters everywhere.

I've been supported in birth by my husband (as licensed massage therapist), a doula, and midwives.  All of them used physical touch in supporting me, and I can personally attest to the great comfort and importance of touch in labor and birth.

I found this video through Enjoy Birth

Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

You've likely seen people, cars, and websites sporting pink ribbons and advertising fundraisers.  Maybe you've sent pink foil yogurt lids in the mail.  If you're on facebook you've probably noticed mysterious status updates about where women like to keep their purses.  Oops, did I spoil the mystery?  Last year it was about the colors of our bras.

While it may be cute and garner attention, are we really raising the right issues about breast cancer?

Rather than focusing on raising awareness, perhaps we should be spreading positive information about prevention?

"Breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk (a whopping 59%!!) of breast cancer in women who have a family history of the disease and at least a 28% reduction for those without one (me). And it lowers your breastfed baby girl’s lifetime risk getting breast cancer by 25%!"

My Breast Cancer: Why I Won't Race for the Cure

"It seems it's about time there was a focus on breast cancer prevention rather than just breast cancer awareness."

Should Breast Cancer Awareness Turn to Prevention?

For information about promoting breast cancer prevention and THRIVING rather than just SURVIVING, please check out the Best for Babies organization.

Their mission is "To help moms beat the “Booby Traps”–the cultural & institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals. To inspire, prepare & empower™ moms. To give breastfeeding a makeover and give moms the solutions they need to make it work!"

That's a cause I can get behind!

Another thing I found interesting, is where the money from certain fundraising groups is actually going.

For instance, of the money raised for the Susan G. Komen Foundation, only 25% goes to the Susan G. Komen organization.  Up to 75% goes to fund Planned Parenthood clinics, whose primary function is to perform abortions.  Whether or not you support abortion, I think you would agree that money raise in the name of breast cancer diagnosis should go to just that.

For a list of breast cancer fundraising groups that don't fund abortion clinics, click here.

I think it's important when we're spreading awareness and information to strive to make that information relevant, supportive, and positive.  It's also a good idea to do your homework and know which groups you're lending support to and where that support is actually going.

The Roller Coaster: Support

This is the sixth post in a special bi-weekly series.  It's a sequel to The Longest Weekend of My Life series.  Please check back next Saturday for Part 7.

Part 6: Support

After my break down on Saturday I chatted online with a good friend of mine who is another pregnancy/birth blogger. I think she felt the despair in my words and tried to help me feel better. I knew I was in a dark place and I appreciated her support but felt bad for her having been put in that position. She told me she had to go, but what she did next was the best thing she could have done for me in that moment. She posted a question on her facebook fan page asking for experiences from women who have bled during pregnancy and gone on to have healthy viable pregnancies and babies. I think at least a dozen women responded, describing their personal experiences with bleeding during pregnancy. I had no idea it was so common, and that helped me realize that my despair was probably at least a little bit disproportionate to the situation.

I had decided to turn my personal writings of this experience into a blog series. I thought that by publishing one portion each Saturday it would allow my story to unfold slowly to my readers and give me time to figure things out and maybe somehow find a resolution to the whole thing. I felt strongly that I needed to not only keep writing, but to share it with everyone I could. I felt that this was part of the purpose of what I was going through. I knew it couldn't possibly be the whole purpose, but being able to find an impetus to move forward and try to help others by sharing my struggle gave me strength, resolve and greater peace.

That evening I made a difficult decision. I had a strong feeling I should share my entire thus-far unfinished story with my family and personal friends on facebook. Oddly, I still didn't feel comfortable making a simple phone call to family members or friends to let them know what I was going through. By breaking the news in this manner I felt safer opening myself up to the masses. I prayed, asking if this was really what I should do, and I felt it was. Even as I typed my personal status update I was nervous:

“Most people wait until the threat of miscarriage has passed, but I'm no good at keeping quiet. There's a chance I could lose this pregnancy, and I don't want to go through this any longer in silence.”

My heart fluttered and I had to step away from the computer without sending the message. I took a moment to collect myself and then I came back and pressed the send button. I then posted a comment on my status explaining the situation very briefly and letting everyone know that I'd been writing as a form of therapy and would post everything I'd written so far for my friends to read if they wanted to. Then I spent the next half hour or so transferring my writings from the word processor into notes on facebook.

I felt that having my friends and family read what I'd written would be easier than trying to explain the situation individually. I understood that some people might be off-put that I didn't approach them individually, but this was part of my coping and healing and it was how I needed to do it.

I talked with my husband that evening, partially to give him a warning that I had just announced to our little world about everything we were currently going through, and he understood. He reminded me that part of how I process and heal is by being able to talk openly about what I'm going through, and this meant having my entire support system available. I loved him even more for understanding that about me, even though it's not how he functions himself. I reflected on how we'd connected in deeper ways over the past week, and it had given me glimpses of how much we really get each other. A different facet of our love was emerging.

Part 1: Looking Up

Part 2: Seeing Red

Part 3: Malaise

Part 4: Possibilities

Part 5: Break Down

Part 6: Support

Part 7: Perspective

Part 8: Normal?

Part 9: Hindsight

Part 10: Shift

Part 11: Empty

"a baby story tlc dr vaginal breech"

I have this tracking widget installed on my blog that I can check whenever I want to.  It's a live feed that shows roughly the last 50 hits on my blog.  It's pretty nifty, and it shows me where each hit comes from (usually just a regional area), which browser and operating system they use, whether they were arriving to or leaving from my blog, and how long ago it was.  One of my favorite features is that it shows how someone got to my blog, whether it was through a link on another site, a direct entry, or through an internet search.  


I like looking specifically at the phrases that people search for which lead them to my blog.  For instance, I get a lot of searches for "postpartum binding" or similar verbage.  I'm a little embarrassed to admit that page gets more hits compared to any other page on my blog.  I think it's sad, and an indication of the world in which we live, that the majority of the people online are searching for something related to body image rather than something like "intrahepatic cholestasis in pregnancy" or "hellp syndrome", or even something as simple as "benefits and risks of epidural".  Yes, I do get the occasional hit on those topics, but not as often as I'd like.  I guess I just expect people to be as interested in all of these pregnancy-related topics as I am, and it surprises me that I don't see more searches for what I consider to be the more weighty issues that pregnancy and birth involve.


Once in a while I come across a really interesting search phrase.  One which makes me wish I could somehow track down that person who searched for it and have a really good conversation with him or her.  For instance, someone recently found my blog by searching the phrase "a baby story tlc dr vaginal breech".  Sadly the search engine directed the person to this page, probably because the post title included the first 4 words in the search phrase.  That's not so bad, but it would have been really nice if, instead, the person could have been directed to any number of my blog posts regarding breech babies: Breech Resources: Turning a Breech Baby, Breech Baby,  Thinking Out Loud Re: Breech Babies, Breech Presentation: Risks and Options,  among others.  I'll just blame the search engine for not reading my mind on where to send people!  


At any rate, the reason I wish I could speak with this person is twofold: 

1. I would like to explain that he or she would be hard-pressed to find any episode of TLC's A Baby Story which shows a vaginal breech birth with a doctor, or any vaginal breech birth for that matter.  I've never seen one yet, and I have watched that show more times than I probably should admit to.
2. I'd really just love to sit down and talk about breech babies with this person, and share my own beautiful story of my vaginal breech home birth.  There has got to be a reason this person was looking for footage of a vaginal breech birth, and whatever that reason is I wish I could be of more help than what a silly search engine provides.  At least if someone searches for that phrase now, it will bring them here.

Here's a tip for anyone that uses search engines to find blog posts.  Blogger, and many other blogs have a search function at the top of the page.  If the page your search brings you to doesn't match what you're looking for, try using the internal search function to do a search within that blog itself and see if something more relevant comes up.  Happy reading!

Alternative Infant Feeding, In Honor of World Breastfeeding Week

World Breastfeeding Week has begun!  It goes from August 1-7.  It's a great chance to support breastfeeding moms all over the world.

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I want to share my very favorite breastfeeding resource: The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, by Jack Newman, MD, and Teresa Pitman.

This book taught me so much about breastfeeding.  I had already breastfed four babies by the time I read it, and there was still so much that I didn't know.  

For instance, when breastfeeding isn't possible Dr. Newman provides at least 3 other feeding options including cup, tube, and finger feeding expressed breast milk before turning to formula. He also teaches how to improve breastfeeding while using these alternatives.  His book is full of detailed information and advice to help every woman find success in breastfeeding.

I posted this on my facebook fan page yesterday and I got some great comments from moms who were unable to breastfeed for a time and used alternative feeding methods to ensure their babies got the best nutrition (breast milk).  Here are some of their experiences:

Brandi said: "I fingerfed my baby for 8 weeks while I was trying to get him to latch. He never did, so I ended up exclusively pumping (been at it for 7 months!). I think a lot of women don't know about alternate ways to feed their baby. Before I ran into all our breastfeeding issues, I always assumed that if you can't breastfeed then you formula feed. I didn't realize there were any alternatives, because you don't hear them talked about a whole lot."

From Brooke: "We did syringe feeding with my colostrum for the first three days. I didn't get to try and actually latch him on until after my milk had come in. (He had under developed lungs and couldn't eat and breathe at once.) But because he'd gotten the colostrum he was familiar with and eager for it."

Nicole commented: "We did tube feeding with donated breastmilk for 6 months with my youngest. It's a great way to keep babies interested in staying at the breast; bottle feeding is so much less work for them and can lead to breasts refusal."

Using these alternative feeding methods instead of a bottle can help avoid nipple confusion and help the mother continue breastfeeding efforts.  Breastfeeding is natural and normal, but it's not always easy.  Moms need love and support to have the best chance at making it work.  Even if you aren't currently breastfeeding you can be a source of strength and support by providing information and encouragement to expectant and breastfeeding moms everywhere, even by simply recommending Dr. Newman's book.

Eileen said: "I love Newman's book and website. The videos were really helpful and the concept of using compression has been a godsend and make a big difference in my ability to breastfeed."

From Chelsea: "Love this book...I pumped for nearly a year with my daughter because of latching issues. She never has had more than 2 canisters worth of formula total, in her life. I want to buy this book for every expecting and new mom!!!"

“While breastfeeding may not seem the right choice for every parent, it is the best choice for every baby.” - Amy Spangler

If you want more information and support for breastfeeding, please see Dr. Jack Newman's website.

Breastfeeding Advertising and Public Image

There's a new ad campaign by Best for Babies which describes breastfeeding as a miracle. "According to the ad, the real miracle isn’t the bra, but mothers, and their ability to make milk for their own and others’ babies."

The Best for Babes Foundation was established in 2007 to fight the barriers to breastfeeding, and to give breastfeeding a makeover by using mainstream marketing and branding.

I think this is much needed, and I'm really glad that breastfeeding advertising has had a makeover. The "Breast is Best" campaign wasn't able to really shift infant feeding mentality in the United States.

However, while I love the depiction of breastfeeding as a miracle, I can't help but wonder if it will have the desired impact in shifting views of breastfeeding. One potential problem I see is that it doesn't necessarily normalize breastfeeding. Afterall, if we want all mothers to breastfeed their babies, doesn't this mean we need to normalize breastfeeding for the public? If we tout breast as being best or being a miracle, are we successfully normalizing this amazing, beautiful, natural, NORMAL process?

What do you think? Does the new ad campaign portray the right image of breastfeeding? Do you think it will help normalize breastfeeding and shift public images about infant feeding? Is there anything that can be done to counteract the mass advertising by formula companies?

Do you know why breastfeeding is essential and formula is bad for babies? The Ultimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers by Dr. Jack Newman is an excellent resource. Dr. Newman explains why formula is bad, but the bulk of the book is dedicated to helping mothers overcome breastfeeding challenges and successfully nourish their babies the way their bodies were designed to.

There are real dangers of using infant formula, and this is something I think we should be advertising. Expose the risk of NOT breastfeeding, and then maybe we'll get the message across of how normal and essential breastfeeding really is. It may be controversial to come straight at formula as being bad for babies, but should we be walking on egg shells worrying about offending people, or should we be exposing the lies the formula companies have perpetuated?

Here is a video on the subject that I really like. What are your thoughts?

"Hope is better than nothing"

Women in Charge blog wrote this. It really touched my heart, and I want to pass it on to my readers:

Hope is better than nothing

by Maria Iorillo

I keep thinking about Sara from Uganda. She runs a 15-bed clinic along with 2 other midwives. She receives $5 per delivery. Some women come for prenatal care and not too many people come postpartum. Once a healthy baby is born, most of her clients feel they don't need to return.

Sara came all the way to Washington, DC to represent the Ugandan Midwifery Association at the Symposium to Strengthen Midwifery. She received a scholarship to attend Women Deliver. The UMA has over 2000 midwives and was started in 1948 when the government tried to make midwives retire at 55. You can imagine what the midwives said to that! So they formed an organization to better represent themselves to the powers that be. Sara says the UMA is the best midwifery organization in the world.

When the Symposium was almost over, Sara was discouraged and asked me what would happen on the ground. On my last day with Sara, we were walking from store after I had bought chocolate for her to take home to her children. She was hopeful, particularly because I had just made a blog for her that morning. She wants to use the blog to tell the stories of maternal death in Uganda. She wants to post about the midwifery meetings they will have. She has a new vehicle for communication. She is going home with SOMETHING already in her pocket. She says that hope is better than nothing. She says that she has a new friend, she has a blog, and that she knows that she is not forgotten. That the women of Uganda are not forgotten. Sara decided to call her blog, Women for Survival.

Women for Survival

I keep thinking about Sara and our fast friendship. I am thinking about our partnership and how one-on-one we can help each other strengthen midwifery. I know so well how the Bay Area's midwifery community has grown simply because of the one-on-one support we give each other. Why can't we do that across the global? I guess I'm saying there's no reason why not.

Thoughts About Labor Support and Unassisted Birth

I've been thinking a lot lately about unassisted childbirth. I must admit that the idea is becoming more appealing to me the more I think about it, and I'm starting to consider this as an option for my next baby's birth.

Don't worry, I'm not pregnant again... yet. We want another baby, but we're not trying to conceive at this time. I'm always thinking and planning for the future.

My childbirth experiences have been a journey. I feel I've been on this road, and I keep growing and learning as I go. My journey from fully medicated birth to unmedicated birth in the hospital, then to birth at home, has been a progression for me. I'm always wanting to find something better and more fulfilling, and possibly more challenging as I go.

I like challenging. It stretches me, helps me grow.

"When you're through changing, you're through." -Bruce Barton

What's the next step? Is it freebirth?

Don't get me wrong. I'm not going to put myself or my baby at risk just because I enjoy a good challenge. I don't make any big decisions without doing my homework and knowing all the ins and outs, exactly what I'm getting myself into.

I also believe in divine personal inspiration, and I'll pray about my options and move forward with what I feel is right and best for my family. I prayed about home birth with my last baby and felt such overwhelming peace that I knew that's what I should do.

Right now I'm researching and considering my options, and I'll pray about them when a decision is needed.

I'm all about labor support. I'm a doula. I DO labor support. I feel it's important to have the right support for birth. But what is the right support? I think it can be different for each birth.

When it comes to unmedicated, natural, spontaneous birth without unnecessary interventions, I've always felt that with the right support and care I can do anything. I love my doula and midwife who each worked with my husband to provide encouragement, comfort measures, and a level head to help me through what's always been for me a somewhat long process of labor and birth.

At one point during active labor with my planned home birth I found myself alone. My midwife was in the other room. She had left my husband and I alone because I was coping well with his support and she was respecting our private space. My husband had to go to the bathroom, and just as he was gone a strong contraction hit.

I had been depending on my husband's support, and it suddenly occurred to me that I was alone! Panic hit, fear set in, and I experienced the worst pain of the entire birth experience. It's the only part of Liam's birth that I consider to have been actually, truly painful. Even transition was nothing compared to the pain I felt at that moment.

I learned two things from that experience:

1. The Fear-Tension-Pain syndrome is REAL. When we experience fear our muscles invariably get tense, which causes pain. This is definitely true in labor and birth, and I experienced it first-hand in stark contrast to the rest of my otherwise relaxed and peaceful labor.
2. I have had the belief that I can only handle natural labor if I have support from others. Whether my belief was true or not, it was real and it affected me completely in that moment.

I've reflected on that experience a lot since then. What about women who experience spontaneous precipitous labor and have no support, but still have an amazing and beautiful birth? What about those who plan unassisted birth and handle it just fine without any outside support (other than that of their partner)? Why would I only be able to handle labor well with support, if others could handle it just as well on their own?

If I plan an unassisted birth I would still have my husband's support so I wouldn't be completely alone. Do I actually need the support of a doula and/or midwife or others in order to have a beautiful birth experience?

New Data Show Connection Between Childbirth and Spirituality

As posted on PRLog

Spiritual beliefs may have a place in the clinical assessment for women having babies.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PR Log (Press Release) – May 27, 2010 – While having a safe and healthy birth is typically a primary concern for pregnant women, new research shows that most women view childbirth as a spiritual experience as well. The just-published research shows that women across diverse cultures correlate having a baby with “growing closer to God.”

The study, published in the spring issue of the "Journal of Perinatal Education," found that understanding the spiritual dimensions of childbirth is essential in clinical settings. As such, authors of the study recommend clinicians include the question, “Do you have any spiritual beliefs that will help us better care for you?” during their clinical assessment.

“Childbirth and motherhood provide many women with an ideal context in which to recognize the spiritual aspect of their lives,” said Lynn Clark Callister, R.N., Ph.D., FAAN, a professor of nursing at the Brigham Young University College of Nursing and study co-author. “Our research illustrates that for most women, childbirth is a deeply spiritual experience. As healthcare providers, we need to recognize and support this evidence, and listen to women’s voices to guide their care.”

In their study titled “Spirituality in Childbearing Women,” authors Callister and Inaam Khalaf, R.N., Ph.D., dean and professor of nursing at the University of Jordan Faculty of Nursing, discovered five themes in a secondary analysis of the published and unpublished narrative data collected over the past 20 years from about 250 culturally diverse women.

“This study is both insightful and intuitive,” said Sharon Dalrymple, president of Lamaze International. “It’s no surprise to see a woman’s spirituality is an important part of her well-being, but it’s interesting to consider how this information can be used by women and their healthcare professionals to enrich and further empower women when they are giving birth.”

The themes that emerged in the study included: childbirth as a time to grow closer to God, the use of religious beliefs and rituals as powerful coping mechanisms, childbirth as a time to make religiosity more meaningful, the significance of a Higher Power in influencing birth outcomes and childbirth as a spiritually transforming experience.

“At Lamaze, we understand childbirth is not just another day in a woman’s life, childbirth is a major life event and it can be a transformative experience that profoundly affects women and their families for generations to come,” continued Dalrymple. “It is important to acknowledge the inherently spiritual nature of childbirth and create a birth environment that lets women give birth simply and safely. A key component to creating this environment is avoiding unnecessary medical interventions.”

To support women in their efforts to have safe and healthy births, Lamaze International developed the Six Healthy Birth Practices based on recommendations by the World Health Organization and backed by extensive research that support a woman’s natural ability to give birth. The Six Healthy Birth Practices are:

• Let labor begin on its own
• Walk, move around and change positions throughout labor
• Bring a loved one, friend or doula for continuous support
• Avoid interventions that are not medically necessary
• Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your body's urges to push
• Keep mother and baby together; it's best for mother, baby and breastfeeding

To learn more about Lamaze’s Six Healthy Birth Practices, please enroll in a Lamaze childbirth education class and visit http://www.lamaze.org/Default.aspx?tabid=251.

Quick Update on Dr. Biter and His Birth Center

Dr. Biter is moving forward after his resignation from Scripps Encinitas Hospital. There is a new blog to follow the development of his birth center: Build Babies By the Sea

Here is a message from Dr. Biter:

"I am happy to say that I still am able to do 100% of my gynecological practice. As far as my OB practice goes, my staff & I are currently arranging the schedule only for pregnant women at this time. In many OB practices, a doctor sees a patient at some visits and a stranger delivers. You know that I do not practice that way. Everything that I have done has kept you, my patients, as first priority. This has cost me hospital privileges that I rightfully won back, a lot of money, and even more nights of lost sleep. I don't know what to say to reassure you other than that. My commitment to you has never been up in the air. My refusal to allow your birth to be a political or financial deal has put me into this unwanted situation, but you and your baby are worth it. Ours is a huge trust of faith....keep the faith. Birth matters."

Click here for more about Dr. Biter

Articles About Breastfeeding

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding for all infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) similarly recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life, continuing at least through the infant’s first birthday, and as long thereafter as is mutually desired. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 2 years of breastfeeding for all infants.

The Risks of Not Breastfeeding for Mothers and Infants

"Health outcomes differ substantially for mothers and infants who formula feed compared with those who breastfeed, even in developed countries such as the United States. A recent meta-analysis by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reviewed this evidence in detail:

• For infants, not being breastfed is associated with an increased incidence of infectious morbidity, including otitis media, gastroenteritis, and pneumonia, as well as elevated risks of childhood obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, leukemia, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Among premature infants, not receiving breast milk is associated with an increased risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC).
• For mothers, failure to breastfeed is associated with an increased incidence of premenopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, retained gestational weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome."

Low Breastfeeding Rates and Public Health in the United States - This is an excellent article which provides an overview of the history of breastfeeding as a public health issue in the last century. It's chock full of information and explains very effectively the need for more mothers to initiate breastfeeding and continue breastfeeding as long as possible. It opened my eyes to some of the real issues in the ongoing debate of breast milk versus formula.

Join Me in Marching for Babies

I'm proud to announce that next Saturday, May 22, I'll be marching for babies with the March of Dimes!

"When you walk in March for Babies, you give hope to the more than half a million babies born too soon each year. The money you raise supports programs in your community that help moms have healthy, full-term pregnancies. And it funds research to find answers to the problems that threaten our babies. We’ve been walking since 1970 and have raised an incredible $1.8 billion to benefit all babies."

I'll be doing the 3 mile march with my 5 kids. Please make a pledge in support of my march for babies.

"Your gift will support March of Dimes research and programs that help moms have full-term pregnancies and babies begin healthy lives. And it will be used to bring comfort and information to families with a baby in newborn intensive care."

Click here to search for March for Babies events in your area.