Smartbirth.net

The words we use to communicate our thoughts, feelings, and actions are important. Especially to a woman in labor.

Kipling once said, “words are the most powerful drug to mankind” and indeed they are! They can are also be a source for added anxiety.

Let’s look at the word “contraction”. This is the most commonly used word to describe a physical action of the uterine muscle when a woman is in labor.  This is a hard and cold word. It creates tension. And because it is used so automatically and an accepted word, it’s use over rides any opportunity of the mother to choose her own words to describe what she is feeling physically. 

A contracted muscle just means it is in a state of tightness when in use. Contraction and relaxing of muscles simply creates movement. Like running, walking, forcing a muscle to contract in your arm, as muscle builders do.  The uterine muscle tightens and relaxes during the labor process to birth a baby.

Hospitals are notorious for using words that add to a laboring mother’s anxiety. “Contraction” is one of them. I Here are some better words to replace “contraction”to create a “sigh” of mental relief  for you.

waves, waves of energy, tides, sensations, tightening, and ___________ (what ever you what to call it). When you give it your own label, what you feel physically is accepted more and less anxiety is attached to it.

When you’re home tell your friends and family that for fun you decided to give the “contractions” your own name when they start. You call it ____________.  Okay, have a few laughs over this, but it helps.

When you’re at the hospital and you hear the word “contraction” numerous times, just know it’s an accepted term used in the medical profession to describe labor. Chuckle with understanding and continue to associate with your ______________.

It works. It’s part of the Birth Mindset

Lesly

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Years ago there wern’t that many choices available for building a website.  Now there are many solutions, webmasters and so on. But where to begin?Where can you find an affordable one? Who can you trust? Even though it may be a challenge, today it’s really a good idea to have a website.  Especially if you want to build your business, or increase the dynamics of what you do,promote to others, a website is a good starting point.

In 1998 I read an article about a website builder that was easy and affordable. It used a “drag and drop” system of design which made creating a website very easy. This was perfect for me, since I didn’t know any HTML and I have been with them ever since I picked up that magazine to read about it.

Now, the company is Homestead. Intuit bought them (the same company that puts out Quicken) but they still offer the same easy, drag and drop program as when I originally signed on with them in 1998. I LOVE Homestead.

You can go directly to Homestead here.  Or if you would like me to receive a referral fee, you can go here-scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the Homestead link.

Let’s look at what Homestead has to offer you if you’re new to website building. By the way, if you like to create your own website design, you can do it at Homestead. They offer both pre designed templates, or you can make your own.

1. ”Drag and drop” design. This means all you need to do is click on the design element you want from the menu and drag it on to the page. That’s it.  If you are familiar with Microsoft Word, Publisher, you know you have to create a Text box, then you can type in the box. Same thing with Homestead. HTML? No problem. There is a HTML box you use to paste the html code you copy from another place and paste in the box – that’s it. It’s very user friendly.

2. Domain names. Homestead takes care of that as well. I like having everything in one place. So I pick my domains through Homestead and they house it for me.  There are many scams out there about domain names, so it’s good to keep it all together in one place and system.

3. Pick your website template. Homestead has quite a few pre designed templates you can choose from. All you need to do is change the text to reflect your business.  You could literally have a website up in an hour or two!

You can do this and I am happy to assist you. It’s easy, economical, fun, and gets you on the Internet fast.

Lesly

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When a woman thinks about having a baby often the initial thought is “how am I going to do this!” or “HOW is it going to come out of my body!” Amazingly, it’s usually not the mother’s body that has a problem, it’s how and what she’s thinking about that matters most.

 Labor is physical and emotional.  That’s for sure. But how a woman chooses to respond to it makes ALL the difference and will absolutely influence her birth experience. A laboring woman can choose her mindset. But first, she needs to be aware of her own “birth talents” first and way before the “birth” day of her baby.

 What are “birth talents”? These are individual expressions of attitudes, behaviors, and innate physiological processes that are unique to the mother and are present during pregnancy and birth.

 Attitudes:

Attitudes are beliefs a person has about themselves, interests, certain topics, life events and experiences.  For example, maybe an expectant mom thinks the birth process is messy and as a result may not want to touch or hold her newborn because it’s covered with amniotic fluid. Or, a new mother doesn’t want to breastfeed because she believes it’s unattractive and a “turn-off” for her partner.  Yet another mother is elated over her waterbirth experience in her home.  Attitudes and beliefs define behaviors.

 Behaviors:

Behaviors are learned. They are shaped by family, social, religious, and cultural opinions and beliefs. Behaviors reflect personal beliefs as well. Individual actions reinforce learned behaviors and attitudes. For example, childbirth is portrayed as a dramatic, painful experience on TV, and in movies. Even in cartoons the events surrounding having a baby are exaggerated for children. Little girls learn to fear childbirth. This specific fear will be dormant until she is confronted with pregnancy and an anticipated birth event.

 Physiology:

Hormones are “Generals” telling certain parts of the male or female human body what to do. For example, during pregnancy there is a hormone called Relaxin which actually relaxes the ligaments and tendons in the body to facilitate the birth process. The process or “mechanics” of birth belongs to the human body and will do what it needs to in its own time – not what the mind thinks it should do. Yet innate intuition and instinct play an important role during pregnancy and the birthing process.

 What are your attitudes and beliefs about birth? To help you discover them ask yourself these questions:

•  What did your mother, or other female family members say about their birth experiences? Did their stories influence you in any way?
• What are your friends saying about birth? Do you agree?
• What do you personally think about birth and where did that opinion come from? How did it develop?
• What does your partner think?
• What do you think of your own abilities to birth and where did these attitudes come from.
• What words do you use to describe your pregnancy and how do you respond when you hear them?
• If you have fears about birth, where do they come from?
• Are your opinions based on those from others? Or are they your own.

 It’s important to recognize that your attitudes and beliefs do have an impact on your pregnancy and birth experience.  Use this time, your nine months, to evaluate what’s Important and meaningful to you. Say “Thanks, but no thanks” to all the rest.

Lesly

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In 2001, a woman in her early twenties gave birth to a healthy, term, baby boy while in a coma. She had a vaginal birth. Physicians induced her labor with medications.

 Think about this.

 In spite of being in a coma, this mother’s body was still able to labor. Yes, with the help of medications. But her physiology, her uterus, was able to “mechanically” function as t should, to deliver her baby.  The innate “blueprint”, the “map” of labor was able to perform without the mother being conscious or emotionally involved.

 Labor is 30% physical and 70% emotional.

 Since the 16^th and 17^th century French and English physicians have been trying to figure out how a woman’s body works. They constructed female models out of crude materials such as leather and straw stuffing to demonstrate the “mechanics” of birth to physician hopefuls.  There were no doctors in America at this time in history.  Midwives delivered babies. If there were any doctors in America, they were trained and came from England. They brought with them the “new science” of looking at the female body as a machine.

 Labor is 30% physical and 70% emotional.

 In the 21^st century we have come so far with medical innovations and technology.  Yet we still approach labor and birth as a science to dissect to understand it. When in reality it’s as normal as eating American Apple Pie. We don’t need to understand it. We just need to let it happen.

 Here are some facts and tips to embrace towards birth:

•  Birth is normal and part of life
• Birth takes time and patience and should not be rushed
• A woman’s body knows how to birth with or without conscious effort or emotional involvement
• It’s not an illness and should not be treated as one

 Tips for women and expectant mothers:

•  Celebrate your abilities, the potential to birth and give birth
• Celebrate your abilities as a woman to have the talent to “build” a baby within you
• What are your fears about birth? Are they real or imagined?
• Celebrate your individuality and how incredible you are
• You know how to birth – it’s part of you, just like your body knows how to breathe, it knows how to birth

 Lesly

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Home births are a safe alternative to the traditional hospital – especially with a midwife at your side. Here is an interesting article and a positive birth story.

http://www.mercurynews.com/celebrities/ci_13911434

Lesly

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What do athletes and pregnant women have in common? Both anticipate an event that will be challenging emotionally and physically, but, one that will be extremely rewarding at the finish line. 

First let’s look at what athletes do.

Athletes train for an event. They are known to employ coaches to help build their “mindset” for recognizing past accomplishments, and building confidence in their strengths, talents, and abilities. They learn to trust and believe in their capabilities. Athletes use techniques such as visualization to “see” themselves doing their training perfectly, winning, succeeding in their goals, and celebrating their accomplishment.  Athletes train physically for hours, for days, weeks, and months to be in “shape”, while increasing endurance, stamina, and be physically fit for the competition. Athletes eat well for strength, get enough rest, and stay well hydrated.

 Let’s recap. Athletes:

 1. have coaches for emotional support

2. build positive “can do” attitudes and visualize success

3. learn to trust and believe in their skills and strengths

4. practice, practice, practice

5. take care of their body by eating well

6. prepare for the event

 Pregnant women have a lot in common with athletes. They know a physical and emotional challenge is coming – the birth of their baby. They know they need to eat well because they are “building” a baby. They prepare for birth by enrolling in childbirth classes. They enlist the support of family members and their partner.  Some women learn visualization techniques to prepare for birth.

 The difference of course is athletes are usually not pregnant! But what if pregnant women started developing an athletic point of view for preparing for birth? If they did, it might look something like this:

 From the first day a woman finds out she’s pregnant she goes into “training” for pregnancy and birth doing the following:

1. finds a healthcare provider – a midwife or doctor

2. starts an exercise program appropriate for pregnancy: swimming, walking, etc. to build physical strength, stamina, and endurance and does it daily. Health care provider approves program

3. hires a birth coach, Doula, or builds a strong, positive, support group

4. enrolls immediately in a relaxation program and uses it throughout the pregnancy. For example, pre-natal yoga

5. learns how to meditate daily to develop a “mindset” for birth, using birth affirmations, and positive visualizations

6. learns to trust her personal strengths and abilities based on past challenges and successes

7. eats healthy for “building a baby” not eating for two, takes prenatal vitamins, maybe sees a nutritionist

8, researches childbirth education classes and takes the one that meets her values and interests

9. learns about pregnancy changes of the body and fetal development

10. reads books on parenting

11. accepts pregnancy and birth as normal events in life

12. focuses on her own pregnancy experiences, turns off the TV, doesn’t listen to negative stories about birth

13. receives and celebrates her “prize” at the finish line – her baby

 Pregnancy “training” is a great way to prepare for birth from day one. Waiting until the last few months to prepare can add stress to the experience. Starting from day one creates time to “grow” with the pregnancy emotionally. Time is needed to discover methods of relaxation and breathing for labor that work the best for the physical challenge of birth. More important, with  time and preparation you can have the kind of birth and experience you want.

 Be a pregnancy “athlete”! The training is worth it.

 Lesly

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