Class Three March 28th

Great class on Saturday. It was wonderful to experience everyone's willingness in sharing their knowledge, questions, thoughts and experiences (of all shades and colors). Pregnancy and birthing are transformative processes and there are so many narratives for each person throughout them, it's important to honor each one.

This week we talked about birthing in the squatting position and second and third stages of labor. To recap a little, the labor postures common to traditional women's cultures all over the world include sitting, kneeling, standing, squatting, or the hands-and-knees position. These postures might require various kinds of supports for mother to pull on, like chairs, bars, the embrace of a birthing partner, a wall, and even a tree (if you happen to be outdoors). Birthing in these upright positions have a list of benefits including:

• better use of gravity
• maximum circulation between mother and baby (no compression caused by the baby's weight on the mother's major blood vessels)
• better alignment of the baby to pass through the pelvis
• stronger rushes
• increased pelvic diameters when squatting or kneeling

Another interesting tid-bit is that the first recorded instance of a woman lying on her back during labor was of Louis de la Valliere, a mistress of King Louis XIV of France in 1663 and the position was requested due to Louis' desire to see the baby being born from his position (sitting behind a curtain). (Gaskin, 2003)

Ina May Gaskin, in her book, Ina May's Guide to Childbirth writes about trusting you "inner primate" and "letting your monkey do it". She says, "don't let your over-busy mind interfere with the ancient wisdom of your body". The following list is an excerpt from the book about things that women might tend to do in labor that can get in the way of the body accessing its more primitive nature:

• thinking about technology as necessary to birth-giving
• obsesing about their bodies being inadequate
• blaming their condition on others
• doing math about dialation to speculate the length of labor
• getting into a labor position that one is told to rather than what feels right
• being self-conscious about making noise, farting, pooping in labor

She continues by saying that learning to love your inner primate or horse, lion, dog etc. is a great way to get in touch with the animal instinct that is alive during birthing. Emulating an animal can allow you to access a power that you might rely on during the birth process.

So...you might think about your relationship to your primitive self and dig around a bit to see if anything there might be preventing you from imagining your ideal birth and if there is anything that you can use to guide you in having the birth experience that you truly want.

See you next Saturday!

Pregnancy Herbal Tea Recipe:

To make this tea, add about 1 teaspoon of each herb, except the yellow dock, to a glass quart jar. Use just a pinch of yellow dock, as it has a strong flavor and should be used in moderation. Add boiling water to the herbs, and let the tea steep for at least four hours for maximum absorption of vitamins and minerals. This tea tastes good at any temperature, and a quart should be drunk every day by pregnant women and nursing mothers.

• Raspberry leaf: This herb has been called “The pregnant woman’s best herbal friend” by Jeannine Parvati, author of Hygieia: A Woman’s Herbal. The foliage has long been used by native people and midwives, as it relieves morning sickness and eases birth.
  
• Yellow Dock: This herb is a mild tonic and laxative. Some sources say this herb should not be used in pregnancy, as it could cause mild diarrhea if taken in excess. Yellow dock is included in pregnancy tea, because it is an assimilated source of iron that is more effective than supplements. This plant is weed common to most of the United States.

• Alfalfa: Alfalfa is a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Especially important for pregnancy is chlorophyll, as it aids in relieving morning sickness and helps prevent anemia and hemmorhaging. It is often recommended by midwives instead of an iron supplement, as it helps people build red blood cells.

• Oat Straw: Oat straw is high in mineral content, such as phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium. It is useful for bone building and is a nerve tonic. It is also great for menstrual cramps.
• Red Clover: This is another herb that you may encounter as not recommended for pregnancy, as in rare instances, it causes spotting. My midwives suggested using it sparingly at first. Red clover, like alfalfa, contains chlorophyll and has been called by herbalists a “God given remedy”. Its alkaline qualities purify the blood. This herb is also useful for infertility.
• Nettles: This herb also contains a lot of iron, which helps prevent anemia that is common in pregnancy.
• Lemon Balm: This plant is also beneficial for relieving the symptoms of morning sickness, and it adds a wonderful flavor to the tea. It is also beneficial for eliminating melancholy moods and may help treat mild postpartum depression.
• Peppermint: This herb is very useful for alleviating the symptoms of heartburn common in pregnancy, and it gives the tea a soothing flavor. It is very useful for calming a queasy stomach and eliminating the nausea of morning sickness.

As always, consult your midwife or doctor about any changes you make to your diet while pregnant. Herbs can cause interactions with pharmaceutical drugs, and just because they are natural, does not mean they are safe for everyone. That being said, the use of herbs in pregnancy has a long, safe record in human history.

Class One

Hello and welcome to the Mindful Birthing Blog for the session beginning on March 14th. We are delighted that you all have joined the class and look forward to spending the next two months with you during this precious time before your child's birth.

We hope this blog can be a forum to ask questions (that aren't answered in class) to get to know one another better, to exchange more information and also a way to stay connected once the class has ended.

We will be posting things that seem applicable for the class and for parenting, babying and child-rearing in general. If there are topics that you'd like to see that aren't here, just let us know.

Warmly,
Janelle, Betsy and Monica