This video was produced by the brother-in-law (Scott Seine) of one of my past HypnoBirthing clients. It's a very inspiring video...enjoy!
The song is called American Prayer written by Bono & Dave Stewart. Scott gathered a lot of great guests to participate and hope it inspires. Watch when you have 6 minutes to focus.
This is the time! Change~Hope~Progress
AMERICAN PRAYER:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVi4rUzf-0Q
Premiered on the front page of Huffington Post today
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-stewart/an-anthem-for-change_b_120514.html
Directed by Dave Stewart
Edited by Seth Dalton
Produced by Scott Seine
Share it with those you think would enjoy it...
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
An inspiring HypnoBirthing story
Here is a really inspiring HypnoBirthing birth story from one of my clients that took my class in June 2008. It shows how having a supportive team can really help even when you doubt the process....enjoy!
We have big news! A beautiful new princess has joined the B family. Kylie Anne B. was born on 8/18/08 at 9:59am, weighing in at a healthy 8 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 in long. The girls are thrilled about their newest little sister! We are home, and Mom and baby are doing very well! We will send pictures as soon as we can. I will surely have my hands full in this house full of women! God help me. Love,John, Anne, Lauren, Alexandria & Kylie
Here is Anne's birth story that she gave me permission to share: My original due date was August 12, 2008. I had an appointment with my OB (Dr. Dane Shipp at Pacific Coast Women's Health) that day. I was ready to have this baby, and discussed my options for induction. But, my doctor –knowing full well I wanted a natural delivery – told me that there was no medical reason to induce, and advised me to give it another week. So, I made another appointment for August 18, 2008 fully intending to schedule an induction at that time.
I woke up at 3:30a.m. on August 18th and knew the surges that I felt were different than the practice labor ones I had been feeling for weeks. I started timing them, and they were coming about every 6-7 minutes apart. By 4 a.m., they were every 2-3 minutes, lasting a minute. I woke John and we started getting ready. We waited an hour, but when they were coming every 2 minutes consistently, I really wanted to get to the hospital (Scripps Encinitas). We got there by 5:30 a.m., and checked in. I specifically requested a labor nurse that supported a natural childbirth, and got a wonderful nurse. She was only on until 7:00a.m. though, so I asked her to please assign us another one that also supported natural childbirth. She too was wonderful and I was pleasantly surprised at how the hospital staff went to great lengths to abide by our wishes.
When I got to the hospital, and was checked at around 6 a.m., I was 4cm dilated and 100% thinned. My doctor came in and checked me again at 8 a.m., and I was 6 cm dilated. I had been doing my breathing and listening to the CD until that time, and felt pretty relaxed through the surges; but at 6 cm, it was getting very intense and I started to doubt my abilities. About 20 minutes later, I asked my nurse for pain management options that did not include an epidural. She did tell me that I could have IV drugs, but felt that I would not like the effect they had on me.
By this time, John was really in full mode, doing light touch massage and telling me how great I was doing, how I was laboring just as I had planned through this whole pregnancy, and how I could achieve my goal of a completely natural childbirth. I really wanted to believe him, but really felt doubtful, but decided to try to hold out a little longer. Somewhere between 8:20 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., I knew that I had taken the HypnoBirthing as far as I felt I could, so I asked for the IV drugs. My nurse asked if I could wait for the doctor to check me, because she thought I may be pleasantly surprised by my progress. By 9:00a.m. when my doctor checked me, I was 9 ¾ cm dilated – so in less than an hour, I had progressed 4 cm – and was told that no drugs could be given to me now. I was relieved I had made it that far!
When I was fully opened and thinned, my doctor advised me to do what my body wanted to do naturally – if that meant pushing, great, but he was not going to coach me to push – nor was the nurse, he would just wait for my cues and follow my lead. After 6 cm, I had to abandon the HypnoBirthing breathing and really just did what my body needed (shorter breaths with longer ones between surges). But, I really tried to breathe the baby down, but did not feel that I could continue to do that, and once the last ¼ cm of cervix had opened, I pushed, but did so as gently as I could (until she crowned – then I purple pushed with all my might). The doctor turned all the lights down, used a calm voice, gave me some tips to make me more comfortable and advised what may help to get the baby out quicker, but all in all really supported me. He told me not to be scared of the actual delivery, that everything I was feeling was normal, but that I was doing great (By this time, I was shaking, having some convulsions and getting a little nauseous). He did advise me to slow my breathing down and take some deep slow breaths to gear up for the crowning and to regain some strength.
John was also just incredible during this stage, really giving me confidence to listen to my body and finish my goal, talking softly in my ear (I don't even remember what he said, it was just the sound and tone that kept me calm). I also want to point out that my membranes had not yet released by the time I wanted to push. My doctor said he was not going to advise me to break the water, that there was no medical need to do so, and to just let nature take its course. My membranes did release right after a good push, and Kylie was born about 10 minutes later at 9:59a.m. The hardest part by far was the very end when she was being received – which is when I purple pushed (I was able to help receive my baby – I just held my hands out and held on to her as she emerged –it was incredible.)
It wasn't until about 20 minutes after her birth that I really realized that her birth – although the most difficult thing I had done – was just what I wanted. No one urged me to "speed things along," I had my husband, doctor and nurse all talk me out of using any drugs or intervention – my nurse specifically said to me "I really think you will be disappointed later if you use any drugs right now, I know you can do it, you are doing great." John kept telling me how amazed he was by me, how great I was doing and that I could do it all naturally just like I wanted.
No one told me that they had to break my bag of water or anything. Really, the only thing my doctor insisted on was to start an IV because this was my 3rd baby and he was concerned that it would progress so rapidly that I may have too much blood loss – but I didn't have a problem with having an IV. Even when my placenta did not release after a ½ hour, he just kept waiting and massaging, trying to let my body do what it needed to naturally (it finally release after 50 minutes). I also held Kylie on my chest for an hour before they weighed her and checked her out.
I really wouldn't have changed anything about the way she was born. I think I was the only one that doubted my abilities – so I am so grateful that I had the support system that I did. Without John coaching me and encouraging me 100%, I am sure I would have gotten the drugs, but am SOOO happy that I didn't.
Kylie is a wonderful baby, she hardly cries, is very content and easily soothed. We are on day 2, and I feel refreshed and a lot less tired than I did with my other 2 deliveries. Although I did a mix of HypnoBirthing breathing and "regular" birth breathing, I think HypnoBirthing allowed me to get as far as I did and made this birth so successful.
I wish all the other couples a safe, happy and healthy delivery.
~Anne & John (and Lauren, Alexandria and Kylie)
We hope our story encourages other couples who want to pursue natural child birth.
We have big news! A beautiful new princess has joined the B family. Kylie Anne B. was born on 8/18/08 at 9:59am, weighing in at a healthy 8 lbs 13 oz and 20.5 in long. The girls are thrilled about their newest little sister! We are home, and Mom and baby are doing very well! We will send pictures as soon as we can. I will surely have my hands full in this house full of women! God help me. Love,John, Anne, Lauren, Alexandria & Kylie
Here is Anne's birth story that she gave me permission to share: My original due date was August 12, 2008. I had an appointment with my OB (Dr. Dane Shipp at Pacific Coast Women's Health) that day. I was ready to have this baby, and discussed my options for induction. But, my doctor –knowing full well I wanted a natural delivery – told me that there was no medical reason to induce, and advised me to give it another week. So, I made another appointment for August 18, 2008 fully intending to schedule an induction at that time.
I woke up at 3:30a.m. on August 18th and knew the surges that I felt were different than the practice labor ones I had been feeling for weeks. I started timing them, and they were coming about every 6-7 minutes apart. By 4 a.m., they were every 2-3 minutes, lasting a minute. I woke John and we started getting ready. We waited an hour, but when they were coming every 2 minutes consistently, I really wanted to get to the hospital (Scripps Encinitas). We got there by 5:30 a.m., and checked in. I specifically requested a labor nurse that supported a natural childbirth, and got a wonderful nurse. She was only on until 7:00a.m. though, so I asked her to please assign us another one that also supported natural childbirth. She too was wonderful and I was pleasantly surprised at how the hospital staff went to great lengths to abide by our wishes.
When I got to the hospital, and was checked at around 6 a.m., I was 4cm dilated and 100% thinned. My doctor came in and checked me again at 8 a.m., and I was 6 cm dilated. I had been doing my breathing and listening to the CD until that time, and felt pretty relaxed through the surges; but at 6 cm, it was getting very intense and I started to doubt my abilities. About 20 minutes later, I asked my nurse for pain management options that did not include an epidural. She did tell me that I could have IV drugs, but felt that I would not like the effect they had on me.
By this time, John was really in full mode, doing light touch massage and telling me how great I was doing, how I was laboring just as I had planned through this whole pregnancy, and how I could achieve my goal of a completely natural childbirth. I really wanted to believe him, but really felt doubtful, but decided to try to hold out a little longer. Somewhere between 8:20 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., I knew that I had taken the HypnoBirthing as far as I felt I could, so I asked for the IV drugs. My nurse asked if I could wait for the doctor to check me, because she thought I may be pleasantly surprised by my progress. By 9:00a.m. when my doctor checked me, I was 9 ¾ cm dilated – so in less than an hour, I had progressed 4 cm – and was told that no drugs could be given to me now. I was relieved I had made it that far!
When I was fully opened and thinned, my doctor advised me to do what my body wanted to do naturally – if that meant pushing, great, but he was not going to coach me to push – nor was the nurse, he would just wait for my cues and follow my lead. After 6 cm, I had to abandon the HypnoBirthing breathing and really just did what my body needed (shorter breaths with longer ones between surges). But, I really tried to breathe the baby down, but did not feel that I could continue to do that, and once the last ¼ cm of cervix had opened, I pushed, but did so as gently as I could (until she crowned – then I purple pushed with all my might). The doctor turned all the lights down, used a calm voice, gave me some tips to make me more comfortable and advised what may help to get the baby out quicker, but all in all really supported me. He told me not to be scared of the actual delivery, that everything I was feeling was normal, but that I was doing great (By this time, I was shaking, having some convulsions and getting a little nauseous). He did advise me to slow my breathing down and take some deep slow breaths to gear up for the crowning and to regain some strength.
John was also just incredible during this stage, really giving me confidence to listen to my body and finish my goal, talking softly in my ear (I don't even remember what he said, it was just the sound and tone that kept me calm). I also want to point out that my membranes had not yet released by the time I wanted to push. My doctor said he was not going to advise me to break the water, that there was no medical need to do so, and to just let nature take its course. My membranes did release right after a good push, and Kylie was born about 10 minutes later at 9:59a.m. The hardest part by far was the very end when she was being received – which is when I purple pushed (I was able to help receive my baby – I just held my hands out and held on to her as she emerged –it was incredible.)
It wasn't until about 20 minutes after her birth that I really realized that her birth – although the most difficult thing I had done – was just what I wanted. No one urged me to "speed things along," I had my husband, doctor and nurse all talk me out of using any drugs or intervention – my nurse specifically said to me "I really think you will be disappointed later if you use any drugs right now, I know you can do it, you are doing great." John kept telling me how amazed he was by me, how great I was doing and that I could do it all naturally just like I wanted.
No one told me that they had to break my bag of water or anything. Really, the only thing my doctor insisted on was to start an IV because this was my 3rd baby and he was concerned that it would progress so rapidly that I may have too much blood loss – but I didn't have a problem with having an IV. Even when my placenta did not release after a ½ hour, he just kept waiting and massaging, trying to let my body do what it needed to naturally (it finally release after 50 minutes). I also held Kylie on my chest for an hour before they weighed her and checked her out.
I really wouldn't have changed anything about the way she was born. I think I was the only one that doubted my abilities – so I am so grateful that I had the support system that I did. Without John coaching me and encouraging me 100%, I am sure I would have gotten the drugs, but am SOOO happy that I didn't.
Kylie is a wonderful baby, she hardly cries, is very content and easily soothed. We are on day 2, and I feel refreshed and a lot less tired than I did with my other 2 deliveries. Although I did a mix of HypnoBirthing breathing and "regular" birth breathing, I think HypnoBirthing allowed me to get as far as I did and made this birth so successful.
I wish all the other couples a safe, happy and healthy delivery.
~Anne & John (and Lauren, Alexandria and Kylie)
We hope our story encourages other couples who want to pursue natural child birth.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Childbirth after Previous Birth Trauma
Here is some information about a new Study on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder):
Subsequent Childbirth after Previous Birth Trauma:
In order to help clinicians provide better care to mothers who are having a subsequent childbirth after suffering through a previous traumatic birth, Cheryl Beck (Professor at the University of Connecticut) and Sue Watson (chairperson of TABS) are now conducting a research study on this topic.
Women who have had another child after having experienced birth trauma are invited to participate in this research study. Just like Professor Beck's previous studies on birth trauma and PTSD after childbirth, this study will be conducted over the Internet. Mothers will be asked to describe their experiences during pregnancy, and labor and delivery after having suffered a previous traumatic childbirth.
If you are interested in participating in this research or wish to find out more about this study, please contact Professor Cheryl Beck directly at the University of Connecticut. Her email address is Cheryl.Beck@uconn.edu.
http://www.awelllivedlife.net/
http://www.awelllivedlife.blogspot.com/
Subsequent Childbirth after Previous Birth Trauma:
In order to help clinicians provide better care to mothers who are having a subsequent childbirth after suffering through a previous traumatic birth, Cheryl Beck (Professor at the University of Connecticut) and Sue Watson (chairperson of TABS) are now conducting a research study on this topic.
Women who have had another child after having experienced birth trauma are invited to participate in this research study. Just like Professor Beck's previous studies on birth trauma and PTSD after childbirth, this study will be conducted over the Internet. Mothers will be asked to describe their experiences during pregnancy, and labor and delivery after having suffered a previous traumatic childbirth.
If you are interested in participating in this research or wish to find out more about this study, please contact Professor Cheryl Beck directly at the University of Connecticut. Her email address is Cheryl.Beck@uconn.edu.
http://www.awelllivedlife.net/
http://www.awelllivedlife.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Babies Absorb Chemicals
Babies absorb chemicals from personal care products
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/about_childrens/press_releases/2008/02/003170.asp
Use of Baby Personal Care Products Associated With Higher Levels of Phthalates in Children
February 4, 2008
Babies recently treated with infant personal care products such as lotion, shampoo and powder were more likely to have man-made chemicals called phthalates in their urine than other babies, according to a Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and University of Washington study appearing in the February 2008 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Phthalates (pronounced "THAH-lates") are added to many personal care and cosmetic products, as well many common household plastic and vinyl products. Some studies suggest phthalates may affect reproductive development in humans. Animal-based studies of phthalates have found that these synthetic chemicals can harm reproductive system development, and studies in humans have found that prenatal exposure or exposure through breast milk can alter hormone concentrations. Early-childhood exposure has not been extensively studied, so additional research is needed to determine if phthalate exposure can indeed cause reproductive development problems or other adverse effects in infants.
Phthalates are commonly found in many plastic products like children's toys, lubricants, infant care products, cosmetics, and personal care products. Since phthalates are not chemically bound to these products, they can be released into the air or into liquids, possibly leading to exposure through breathing, ingestion, and skin contact. Product labels in the United States are not currently required to list phthalate content.
In this study, researchers set out to see if using baby personal care products was associated with urine phthalate concentrations. To accomplish this, they collected urine samples from 163 infants aged 2 months to 28 months, and measured the levels of nine different phthalates in those urine samples. They also had the babies' mothers fill out questionnaires on their use of infant personal care products in the past 24 hours. When they cross-referenced the data, they found that the use of baby powder, lotion, and shampoo were each strongly associated with higher phthalate levels in the urine. The scientists also found that every baby had detectable levels of at least one phthalate in their urine, and about 81% of the infants had detectable levels of seven or more phthalates. Younger babies from birth up through 8 months of age showed the strongest associations between product use and phthalate concentrations, as did babies whose mothers used more infant personal care products.
"We found that infant exposure to phthalates is widespread, and that exposure to personal care products applied onto the skin may be an important source," said the study's lead author, Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH, a researcher with Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "This is troubling, because phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies, runny nose and eczema. Babies may be more at risk than children or adults because their reproductive, endocrine and immune systems are still developing."
Parents who want to decrease their baby's exposure to phthalates should limit the amount of baby care products used on infants and young children, and apply lotions or powders only if medically indicated. Since phthalates are also found in many household plastic products including plastic food containers, parents can also stop heating plastics in the microwave oven and use glass alternatives for food storage whenever possible. Phthalate-free cosmetics and personal care products are also available.
This research project was supported by grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. With Sathyanarayana, the research team included Catherine J. Karr, MD, PhD, Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, and Elizabeth Brown, PhD, from the University of Washington; Antonia M. Calafat, PhD, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Fan Liu, MS, and Shanna H. Swan, PhD, from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
For phthalate-free health & beauty products, choose Miessence certified organic products for your family. Go to www.AWellLivedLife.Net & click on the Miessence tab at the top to learn more about the difference between certified organic, organic & natural according to the cosmetic industry. You'll be surprised!
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/about_childrens/press_releases/2008/02/003170.asp
Use of Baby Personal Care Products Associated With Higher Levels of Phthalates in Children
February 4, 2008
Babies recently treated with infant personal care products such as lotion, shampoo and powder were more likely to have man-made chemicals called phthalates in their urine than other babies, according to a Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and University of Washington study appearing in the February 2008 issue of the journal Pediatrics.
Phthalates (pronounced "THAH-lates") are added to many personal care and cosmetic products, as well many common household plastic and vinyl products. Some studies suggest phthalates may affect reproductive development in humans. Animal-based studies of phthalates have found that these synthetic chemicals can harm reproductive system development, and studies in humans have found that prenatal exposure or exposure through breast milk can alter hormone concentrations. Early-childhood exposure has not been extensively studied, so additional research is needed to determine if phthalate exposure can indeed cause reproductive development problems or other adverse effects in infants.
Phthalates are commonly found in many plastic products like children's toys, lubricants, infant care products, cosmetics, and personal care products. Since phthalates are not chemically bound to these products, they can be released into the air or into liquids, possibly leading to exposure through breathing, ingestion, and skin contact. Product labels in the United States are not currently required to list phthalate content.
In this study, researchers set out to see if using baby personal care products was associated with urine phthalate concentrations. To accomplish this, they collected urine samples from 163 infants aged 2 months to 28 months, and measured the levels of nine different phthalates in those urine samples. They also had the babies' mothers fill out questionnaires on their use of infant personal care products in the past 24 hours. When they cross-referenced the data, they found that the use of baby powder, lotion, and shampoo were each strongly associated with higher phthalate levels in the urine. The scientists also found that every baby had detectable levels of at least one phthalate in their urine, and about 81% of the infants had detectable levels of seven or more phthalates. Younger babies from birth up through 8 months of age showed the strongest associations between product use and phthalate concentrations, as did babies whose mothers used more infant personal care products.
"We found that infant exposure to phthalates is widespread, and that exposure to personal care products applied onto the skin may be an important source," said the study's lead author, Sheela Sathyanarayana, MD, MPH, a researcher with Seattle Children's Hospital Research Institute and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "This is troubling, because phthalate exposure in early childhood has been associated with altered hormone concentrations as well as increased allergies, runny nose and eczema. Babies may be more at risk than children or adults because their reproductive, endocrine and immune systems are still developing."
Parents who want to decrease their baby's exposure to phthalates should limit the amount of baby care products used on infants and young children, and apply lotions or powders only if medically indicated. Since phthalates are also found in many household plastic products including plastic food containers, parents can also stop heating plastics in the microwave oven and use glass alternatives for food storage whenever possible. Phthalate-free cosmetics and personal care products are also available.
This research project was supported by grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. With Sathyanarayana, the research team included Catherine J. Karr, MD, PhD, Paula Lozano, MD, MPH, and Elizabeth Brown, PhD, from the University of Washington; Antonia M. Calafat, PhD, from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and Fan Liu, MS, and Shanna H. Swan, PhD, from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
For phthalate-free health & beauty products, choose Miessence certified organic products for your family. Go to www.AWellLivedLife.Net & click on the Miessence tab at the top to learn more about the difference between certified organic, organic & natural according to the cosmetic industry. You'll be surprised!
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
Friday, August 8, 2008
A HypnoBirthing story
This wonderful birth story is from one of the moms from my classes....enjoy!
Jake Andrew was born on Friday, June 13th, thirteen days early (we think we have a pretty good idea what his lucky number will be!). He weighed 7 lb, 5.3oz, just short of 19.5" long, with a full head of hair! Andy and I couldn't be more happy!!
HypnoBirthing really helped me get through the discomforts of the final weeks of pregnancy, as well as speed up our labor. My water broke at 3 PM on Thursday, June 12th. We were checked into the hospital by 6 PM. I was 1 cm dilated. My doctor came in to check in on me at 7 PM. She indicated that since we were two weeks early and my water had "ruptured", that our labor would be a long one, and she would see us sometime in the late morning. Boy, was she wrong.
Surges became consistent at around 10 PM, with intense surges starting at midnight, I was checked again - still at 1 cm. From midnight to 1:30 AM, surges were extremely intense. At this point I asked for an epidural. Knowing my wishes on our birth plan using HypnoBirthing, both the nursing staff and Andy made sure that this is what I truly wanted. I was checked again - we were now at 7 cm - we had gone from 1 cm to 7 cm in 90 minutes. I credit this progression to everything we learned in HypnoBirthing and our practice. I still wanted the epidural - and it was administered at 3 AM. By 4 AM, I was fully dilated. (If only I could have held on for one more hour!). The decision was made to have the baby move down on its own, since my doctor was at home. I think this worked in my favor because I did not have to "push the baby down". The doctor arrived at about 5:20, and with six surges, Jake was born at 5:42 AM.
Even though I didn't go the full way with HypnoBirthing, I still believe that it was by far one of the best things we did during our pregnancy. Thank you for everything Carol!
Marisa & Andy
P.S. I would recommend that if HypnoBirthing Moms-to-be are having a hospital birth, to request a nurse with experience in natural childbirth. It helped me quite a bit. And just keep visualizing the baby moving down with each contraction, I really think that made our dilation move so quickly.
http://www.awelllivedlife.net/
http://www.awelllivedlife.blogspot.com/
Jake Andrew was born on Friday, June 13th, thirteen days early (we think we have a pretty good idea what his lucky number will be!). He weighed 7 lb, 5.3oz, just short of 19.5" long, with a full head of hair! Andy and I couldn't be more happy!!
HypnoBirthing really helped me get through the discomforts of the final weeks of pregnancy, as well as speed up our labor. My water broke at 3 PM on Thursday, June 12th. We were checked into the hospital by 6 PM. I was 1 cm dilated. My doctor came in to check in on me at 7 PM. She indicated that since we were two weeks early and my water had "ruptured", that our labor would be a long one, and she would see us sometime in the late morning. Boy, was she wrong.
Surges became consistent at around 10 PM, with intense surges starting at midnight, I was checked again - still at 1 cm. From midnight to 1:30 AM, surges were extremely intense. At this point I asked for an epidural. Knowing my wishes on our birth plan using HypnoBirthing, both the nursing staff and Andy made sure that this is what I truly wanted. I was checked again - we were now at 7 cm - we had gone from 1 cm to 7 cm in 90 minutes. I credit this progression to everything we learned in HypnoBirthing and our practice. I still wanted the epidural - and it was administered at 3 AM. By 4 AM, I was fully dilated. (If only I could have held on for one more hour!). The decision was made to have the baby move down on its own, since my doctor was at home. I think this worked in my favor because I did not have to "push the baby down". The doctor arrived at about 5:20, and with six surges, Jake was born at 5:42 AM.
Even though I didn't go the full way with HypnoBirthing, I still believe that it was by far one of the best things we did during our pregnancy. Thank you for everything Carol!
Marisa & Andy
P.S. I would recommend that if HypnoBirthing Moms-to-be are having a hospital birth, to request a nurse with experience in natural childbirth. It helped me quite a bit. And just keep visualizing the baby moving down with each contraction, I really think that made our dilation move so quickly.
http://www.awelllivedlife.net/
http://www.awelllivedlife.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 3, 2008
An analogy for birth
An Analogy for Birth-by Mickey Mongan, Founder of HypnoBirthing
There is a rhythm and a flow to each individual labor, just as there is for all of Nature.
I told of a lemon experience story in my last class that made me become even more aware that very little in Nature is synchronized to all happen at the same time and according to someone else's expectation with no consideration of time variation.
As the story goes, I went out to my lemon tree a few months ago to grab some lemons. Well, that's just what I did. The first just wouldn't release no matter how I pulled, so I reached up beyond the lemon and tore the stem from the limb. Yes, I damaged the bark on the limb, but the only thing that really counts is that I ended up with a healthy lemon and a tree that would mend. I next took another lemon and twisted it until it separated from the stem. I had a slightly bruised tree from all the pulling and twisting, but I had a healthy lemon, and I was happy.
I then reached up and cupped another lemon that immediately fell into my hands from the star-shaped end of the stem. I ended up with a happy tree, a healthy lemon, and I, too, was happy.
We need to be able to see labor as individualized as we would see other factors of Nature. For everyone to be happy, we need to wait for the clues from Nature that will come only when Nature is ready. If we trust birth and believe in it's perfect design, then we cannot expect to see everything happen in one time frame.
By the way, I apologized to the tree for attempting to approach the task with a one-size-fits-all mentality.
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
There is a rhythm and a flow to each individual labor, just as there is for all of Nature.
I told of a lemon experience story in my last class that made me become even more aware that very little in Nature is synchronized to all happen at the same time and according to someone else's expectation with no consideration of time variation.
As the story goes, I went out to my lemon tree a few months ago to grab some lemons. Well, that's just what I did. The first just wouldn't release no matter how I pulled, so I reached up beyond the lemon and tore the stem from the limb. Yes, I damaged the bark on the limb, but the only thing that really counts is that I ended up with a healthy lemon and a tree that would mend. I next took another lemon and twisted it until it separated from the stem. I had a slightly bruised tree from all the pulling and twisting, but I had a healthy lemon, and I was happy.
I then reached up and cupped another lemon that immediately fell into my hands from the star-shaped end of the stem. I ended up with a happy tree, a healthy lemon, and I, too, was happy.
We need to be able to see labor as individualized as we would see other factors of Nature. For everyone to be happy, we need to wait for the clues from Nature that will come only when Nature is ready. If we trust birth and believe in it's perfect design, then we cannot expect to see everything happen in one time frame.
By the way, I apologized to the tree for attempting to approach the task with a one-size-fits-all mentality.
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Go check your tires--it might be lifesaving!
A must see. It could be lifesaving...
I know a lot more now when I go to buy my next set of tires!
ABC News.url
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
I know a lot more now when I go to buy my next set of tires!
ABC News.url
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897
www.AWellLivedLife.Net
www.AWellLivedLife.blogspot.com
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