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Shining Light

Building empowerment, self-confidence and connection through candid education and compassionate advocacy for all families before, during and after pregnancy.

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  • Additional Writings
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Natural Childbirth Advocate? *or* Realistic Childbirth Advocate?

September 6, 2011 By Deena 5 Comments

A posting by Barb, “The Navel Gazing Midwife” helped me crystallize something that’s been rolling around in my head for the last few weeks.  She also gave me the term for it – Realistic Childbirth Advocate.  She gives us a pretty good idea of how a dogmatic view of childbirth can be problematic. As a […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: C-section, Childbirth Education Classes, Choice, Decision making, Emotional State, Fear, Interventions, Lamaze, Media, Valid Medical Reason, Yamas and Niyamas

Perfection vs. Purpose OR the Birth Experience vs. Giving Birth

August 26, 2011 By Deena 3 Comments

To interrupt the series on “Integrating Yoga and Lamaze” for a moment…  I’ve had something nagging at me for a while…  I keep hearing the same theme from mothers who didn’t have the natural birth they wanted; the birth they were told they were *supposed* to have.  They feel like failures because their “birth experience” […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Birth Plan, C-section, Childbirth Education Classes, Communication, Decision making, Expectations, Fear, Labor, Non-Attachment, Orgasmic Birth, Pain, Traumatic Birth, VBAC

Does Your Attitude Towards the Hospital Staff Affect How They Treat You?

June 24, 2011 By Deena 3 Comments

“The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behavior which makes the original false conception come ‘true’. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning. […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Be Present, Birth Plan, Brains, Communication, Decision making, Emotional State, Expectations, Fear, yoga

The 4 “P’s” of Birth – The Need to Sync your Body, your Baby and Your Mind

June 18, 2011 By Deena 4 Comments

When most of us hear about birth it’s in the singular, “When I was in labor…” or “The baby just didn’t budge.” or “They told me my pelvis was just too small.” or “I felt really strong and proud of giving birth naturally.” All of these things describe just one component of labor and birth. […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: C-section, Coping Skills, Emotional State, Fear, Ina May Gaskin, Interventions, Labor, Pain, Position

Prenatal (and Postnatal) DVD’s and Books

June 7, 2011 By Deena 2 Comments

Please Note: These are in no particular order. I do own all of these myself, so I’ve read / watched them and can recommend them. A word of caution – You can read too much and become overwhelmed. Pick 2-3 of the pregnancy books, 1 breastfeeding book, and 1-3 Yoga DVDs. Any more and you’ll […]

Filed Under: Into the Light, Main Blog Page Tagged With: Books, breastfeeding, Decision making, DVDs, Expectations, Fear, Ina May Gaskin, Labor, Media, yoga

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About Shining Light

Building empowerment, self-confidence and connection through candid education and compassionate advocacy for all families before, during and after pregnancy since 2012.

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