Small Stone Birth Activism

Edited to say that I’ve now added the 2009 version of the article here: Small Stone Birth Activism

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In 2008, I wrote an article called Small Stone Birth Activism for Citizens for Midwifery News. I revised the article in 2009 and it was published in the Fall 2009 edition of the International Journal of Childbirth Education (ICEA’s publication). It begins on page 8. I also have an older version uploaded here. This version is also slightly edited from the original version that appeared in CfM News.

Favorite Birth Class Videos

Sep15

The question of “what are your favorite teaching videos?” has arisen on several email lists I belong to recently. I decided to re-post my answer here, since I had it freshly typed up!

I have quite a few birth DVDs now and I don’t show them in class anymore, but I offer the selection to my clients and they can borrow anything they want to watch at home.

I have:

Orgasmic Birth (highly recommended! Beautiful births, powerful message)
The Big Stretch (kind of “hippie-ish,” but very lovely. Has naked man riding bicycle at the end–have to warn people about that!). I like how it is women talking about birth, no experts.
Birth, Joy, & Raspberry Leaves (all water births, from Compleat Mother magazine, kind of amateurish, but good).
Birth as We Know It (also hippie-ish, but really peaceful, beautiful births–clients seem to really like it. The voiceover content is mildly annoying).
It’s My Body, My Baby, My Birth (very reasonably priced at like $10–mostly about “natural childbirth” vs. showing a lot of births. Very good introduction to the “whys” of natural birth)
Pregnant in America–more of a birth activism/advocacy film than a birth movie. I give a disclaimer before offering anyone this one, because baby does end up in the NICU and you worry that she is going to die (she doesn’t)

Homebirth Dads–primarily “talking heads” format, a bit on the boring side really, but good to have available for homebirth couples.
Birth Day–nice waterbirth in Mexico.
Noa was Born–another nice waterbirth. Same filmmakers as the It’s My Body one. A lot of my clients love this one!
Gentle Birth Choices–rarely checked out because it is more “dated.” I make sure they know that the quality of the births doesn’t change though, only the hairdos! I like that it comes with the Gentle Birth Choices book (the set is around $15 and the book is a classic).
Penny Simkin‘s Rhythm, Relaxation, and Ritual, which is good to show for labor support purposes. I only have this on VHS and it is rapidly getting a, “how archaic!” reaction!
Laboring Under an Illusion–this one is brand new. Compares 100 birth clips from the media with the real thing and looks at the impact of media perceptions on birth. Clips from I Love Lucy, Coneheads, etc. Pretty funny and a bit of a different “take” than the other films.
Natural Born Babies–can be watched online. Nice, contemporary video that is almost like an extended “commercial” for homebirth/midwifery (in a good way!). No birth scenes, just modern couples talking about homebirth (some of them are doctors, which gives the video a little extra zest!)
Dance of the Womb–lovely instructional bellydancing video. Also includes bonus homebirth video.
The Business of Being Born–I think of this as a “classic” now. A must have. Very good activism video as well as educational.

There is also a nice series of free video clips available on Mother’s Advocate. This series is based on Lamaze’s Healthy Birth Practices and is a great resource for use in birth classes.

I also have several breastfeeding videos (the Mother of 7 ones), a babywearing video (Tummy2Tummy), and several prenatal yoga videos (my favorite is the Yoga Journal/Lamaze Yoga for Your Pregnancy DVD).

On my wishlist is:

The Rebozo Way

Fear Release for Birth

Aug15

I want to share a fear release exercise that I’ve used several times at Blessingways for pregnant friends. I got the idea from The Pregnant Woman’s Comfort Book and then modified the wording slightly. I think it is a powerful exercise to do in a group. We circle around the pregnant woman holding hands and then read the following together:

There goes all fear you hold about giving birth. The birth will be perfect.

There goes all fear you hold about healing. You will heal beautifully

There goes all fear you hold about not being a good mother. You will be enough.

There goes all fear of never being creative again. You have a deep well of creativity within your soul.

There goes the deepest, most private fears you have about giving birth. You will be enough.

You will be enough. You are strong enough.

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Depending on the setting, I’ve also changed the word birth in the second-to-last-line to “life” instead.

I have written several other posts about fear and birth.

I also use this handout in my classes when talking about fear: Tracking Your Tigers, Effects of Fear on Labor.

Comfort Measures Illustrations

Aug8

We spend a lot of time in my classes talking about different comfort measures for birth. In fact, one of my most popular classes is my “Labor Support and Comfort Measures” single session class in which we practice all kinds of different skills that may be of use for birthing.

I enjoy Childbirth Connection’s free pdf booklet “Comfort in Labor” and use this as a class resource. Very recently, they added a new section to their website with lots of helpful, line drawing illustrations for Comfort Measures During Labor. The illustrations are the same as in the booklet, but presented on one page without a lot of accompanying text—great for visual learners!

As I’ve referenced before, the Transition to Parenthood website also has a helpful section of comfort measures illustrations available to birth educators.

Even if it might feel silly, I encourage people to print out the images and physically practice the techniques illustrated a couple of times—this helps develop a “body memory” so that when you are actually in labor different labor-beneficial positions feel comfortable and familiar. Also, it helps for the birth partner to have a body memory as well to help reinforce healthy positions or suggest fresh ideas.

New Edition of The Guide to a Healthy Birth!

Jul31

One of my favorite resources to hand out in birth classes and to give to pregnant friends is Choices in Childbirth‘s booklet “The Guide to a Healthy Birth.” I’m so excited to learn that the second edition of the booklet is now available! (Thanks to Teri at Passion for Birth for the tipoff!) You can download the pdf version directly here. Or, for very minimal shipping, you can order print versions here.

I just ordered 50 copies, so if you’re a real life friend of mine or are taking a class from me, I’d be delighted to give you one of these phenomenal booklets!

Recent Publications

Jul17

This has been quite a month for me for publications!

My short article Centering for Birth was published in the International Journal of Childbirth Education (page 20)

My book review of Fathers at Birth was published in The CAPPA Quarterly (page 14).

My film review of Birth as We Know It was in The CAPPA Quarterly (page 15).

And, my piece of creative nonfiction Nursing Johnny Depp was published in Literary Mama.

I’m excited about all of these! 🙂

Active Birth Video

Jul13

Lamaze and Injoy videos have teamed up on a nice new website called Mother’s Advocate. The site has a variety of handouts and a booklet to download based on “6 Healthy Birth Practices” (which, in and of themselves form a nice little birth plan for a normal, healthy birth!). I especially enjoyed their video on active birth: “get upright and follow urges to push.” The video urges upright birthing positions and avoidance of directed/forceful pushing (the kind with counting that you see so often on tv!).

Free e-Booklets

Jul10

Before birth, breastfeeding, and birth education became my primary passions in life, I was deeply connected to several other causes and wrote three booklets based on different areas (non-birth related, though one does have a section in it for doulas). I have decided to make the booklets available for download as FREE PDFs.

Talking to a Battered Woman

A helpful guide intended for people working with battered women on a short-term basis: volunteers in crisis hotline or residential settings, crisis workers, hospital personnel, and informal helpers such as friends. Provides useful sections about: Domestic Violence Dynamics; Active Listening Skills & Empathy; Boundaries; Interaction Tips–Do’s & Don’ts; Sharing Pain; Self-Care; Resources; Sample Safety Plan. This 32 page booklet is perfect for use in training sessions and as an ongoing quick reference. It is also a convenient primer on general interaction skills.
* Publisher: Stonehaven Place LLC; 1st edition (2004)
* Pages: 32
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 097442661X
* ISBN-13: 978-0974426617

Talking to Someone Whose Child is Dying

Includes a special section with ideas for doulas and other birth professionals. This guide is intended for use as a general guideline for interacting with families of terminally or critically ill children on a short-term basis. Volunteers in residential or hospital settings, hospital or crisis workers, and informal helpers such as friends will find this guide helpful. Includes a resource section as well as sections about: Developing Rapport, Active Listening Skills, Boundaries, Do’s & Don’ts, Sharing Pain, Self-care, When a Baby Dies. This 28 page booklet is perfect for training sessions, for ongoing use as a quick reference, and can be viewed as a small primer in appropriate interaction skills.
* Publisher: Stonehaven Place LLC; 1st edition (2004)
* Language: English
* Pages: 28
* ISBN-10: 0974426601
* ISBN-13: 978-0974426600

A Quick Guide to Successful Volunteering

This helpful guide will help you explore what it means to be a successful volunteer. From choosing the best position for you, to tips from the field, this book presents a realistic overview off how you can help and how to define your role. Includes sections about: Choosing a position; Rewards & Benefits; Cautions; Rights & Responsibilities; Tips & Notes. This 28 page guide is intended primarily for long-term, human service volunteers working in formal non-profit agencies with both paid & volunteer staff members.
* Publisher: Stonehaven Place LLC; 1st edition (2003)
* Pages: 28
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 0974426628
* ISBN-13: 978-0974426624

Pushing

Jun30

I have previously shared some thoughts about pushing. Today, I came across a helpful resource for first time mothers that really thoroughly explores the pushing stage of birthing your baby and has all kinds of information about “how to push” (really quick answer: with your body!). The technique shared is to “breathe the baby out”—but it really goes into how to do that and what that means. The article also talks about what your birth partner can do. Check it out: The Pushing Stage of Labor.

Birth Affirmations for Fathers

Apr28

In my classes, I suggest the use of affirmations. Affirmations are short, positive statements that inspire confidence and positive feelings. I have a handout that is printed on the front side with affirmations for mothers to read to themselves and the reverse has the same affirmations worded in such a way that they can be easily read to the woman.

The book Mind over Labor by Carl Jones, there are some affirmations listed specifically for fathers:

I am able to make the best possible choices for a healthy, joyful birth.
I see my partner as a strong and capable woman.
I am able to support my partner during pregnancy and birth.
We are working harmoniously together. We are grateful for this powerful experience.
The power of birth strengthens me, my child, and my partner.

For women he shares the following ideas for affirmations, some of which are really nice and I should add to my handout above!

Childbirth is a normal, healthy event.
My body is my friend.
I trust my body to labor smoothly and effectively.
I am able to birth in harmony with nature, in the best possible way for myself and my baby.
My baby and I are working harmoniously together. We are grateful for this powerful experience.
The strength of my contractions is an expression of my feminine power.
I fully feel the force of new life within me.
I allow myself to celebrate the birth of my child with every sensation I feel.
I am giving our baby the very best start in life.