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 […]
Integrating Yoga and Lamaze: How the Ethical Practice of the Yamas and Niyamas Relate to Pregnancy and Childbirth. Part 4 – Brahmacharya
Brahmacharya – Restraint or Self Control: Traditionally Brahmacharya is defined as chastity or sexual restraint. Although that may be applicable during certain aspects of pregnancy, such as the first six weeks postpartum, it is not practical, realistic or helpful to your relationship to take Brahmacharya to its strict definition. So, for our purposes, we’ll use […]
Decision making tool – BRAINS!
I love these acronyms. They are great decision making tools for your labor and birth, as well as your prenatal tests and procedures! BRAINED Trying to make a decision? Get BRAINED! Ask yourself, and your caregivers, these questions: Benefits – How could the recommended course of action help me or my baby? Risks – How […]
Ultrasounds: Safety and Efficacy
A conversation I had last week brought this topic to mind. This was with a non-medical person who works with pregnant women. I found I needed to explain to her what “valid medical reason” meant, with regard to ultrasound during pregnancy. It also brought me to tell her of the risks of ultrasound to the […]