Dad (to me): “So, how painful will childbirth be for her?” Before I can answer, Mom blurts out, “It’s the worst pain of your life!” This is one of the most common myths about childbirth. When we talk about pain, we need to put it into context. “Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” Me: “Well, […]
“I didn’t know what I didn’t know.”
I hear this quite a bit from moms who are pregnant with their second or third child. I hear this from moms who didn’t take a childbirth preparation class. I also hear it from moms who took a childbirth prep class that focused on natural birth only and neglects to cover the reality of hospital birth in […]
Tuesday Inspirations #1
Inspiration – To Breathe In. To be creatively stimulated. Today starts a weekly series on inspirational pregnancy and birth quotes. Enjoy! You are a midwife, assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening. If you must take the lead, […]
If I know I’m getting the epidural, do I really need a childbirth class?
In short – YES! Ok and now for the longer answer: Your anesthesiologist won’t come to your house and you won’t be admitted to the hospital if you are too early in labor. So, what do you do while you labor at home? How do you know when to go into the hospital? What if […]
It’s not the Method, it’s the Mother.
Bradley, Hypnobabies, Brio Birth, Birthing from Within, Lamaze and so many others… Does it matter which flavor of childbirth education you take? Maybe. Every method has its benefits. However, every method is not for every mother. Not every mother needs a method; not every method will work for an individual mother. I note that we […]