Monday, July 13, 2009

Rethinking Birth- A New Approach to Natural Birth

We all want to have a healthier lifestyle, and we all want a healthier environment. We switch our usual cleaning products for cleaner, greener ones; we check our food labels and switch our beauty products to include organic ingredients only. We are working harder than ever to reduce our energy consumption and cut down on greenhouse gases. So why, after making all this effort to live a greener, healthier lifestyle, do we throw it all out the window when it comes to birth?

A typical healthy woman will take huge strides to ensure the health of her own and her baby’s body throughout pregnancy, only to reach the birthing room and give up all control to endure a battery of unnecessary augmentations and interventions. These are not only physically and emotionally draining, but hard on the environment as well. Lets consider a new approach, a better concept that facilitates a better birthing. Lets call it “Organic Birth”

We all understand the concept of organic food and clothing. Crops are grown and nurtured then harvested and processed without the use of herbicides and pesticides, making sure to respect and preserve the plant and the earth that nurtures it. An Organic Birth follows the same principals, a birth not altered by synthetics or unnecessary interventions. A birth where we make sure to respect and preserve the well being of the baby and the mother that nurtures them.

So what kind of steps can you take to help ensure that you have as organic a birth as possible?

#1. Eat healthy organic food.
Keeping unnecessary synthetics out of your diet can greatly impact the health of your baby and yourself.

#2. Get Active!
Gentle exercise like prenatal yoga, swimming and walking all help to prepare the body for the upcoming birth.

#3. Practice positive affirmations.
Make a list of all the positive affirmations regarding birth and make sure to meditate on them every day. A good example of a powerful, positive affirmation would be: “I am healthy and strong, and I trust in my body’s ability to birth”.

#4. Hire a midwife.
If you are considering hiring a midwife, make sure to contact them very early in your pregnancy. Midwives are in high demand, thanks to their level of obstetric care that in some cases far outweighs the level of care found in hospitals. Choosing a midwife also allows you more flexibility in your birth options.

#5. Hire a Doula.
Doulas are professionally trained in all areas of birth and immediate postpartum. They provide physical and emotional support separate from the clinical care provided by doctors, nurses or midwives. They are there strictly to ensure you are fully supported before, during and after the birth and can assist you in making a birth plan, relaxation and other comfort measures for labor and much more.


If you are interested in learning more about how you can plan for a healthy organic birth, please feel free to contact me.

Caitlin Taffs
Labor Doula (C.A.P.P.A)
HynoBirthing Support Doula
Postpartum Extended Care
416. 655.4888
416. 698.5888
eastenddoula@gmail.com
www.freewebs.com/eastenddoula

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