In the pursuit of learning, every day something is acquired.
In the pursuit of Tao, every day something is dropped.

Less and less is done.
Until non-action is achieved.
When nothing is done, nothing is left undone.

The world is ruled by letting things take their course.
It cannot be ruled by interfering.

Tao Te Ching

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Book Review - When Survivors Give Birth by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus

Hi Everyone,

Today I'll look at a the book: When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Early Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women, written by Penny Simkin and Phyllis Klaus, it gives a sensitive, factual account of the experiences of many women who are survivors of childhood abuse and have gone on to become childbearing women. The style of the book is unassuming and friendly, yet gives pertinent information as to the wideranging effects of this situation on individuals, the babies they are carrying/birthing, and society as a whole.


Simkin and Klaus reinforce that mid-wives and practitioners need to be sensitive of these issues, yet keep clear that they are not counsellors, and the most effective route for all concerned is usually to refer their clients onto a professional, trained in dealing with survivors of this form of abuse.

The book identifies the necessity of those offering assistance during pregnancy and birth to develop a network of referrals to professionals trained to provide care for women who've been sexually abused if they are experiencing difficulties with it. Women who've been sexually abused can find control to be a very big issue. Birth professionals/support people need to clearly understand and behave in a way that is clear that the mother has the power. They need to be guided by the mother's wishes with regard to not only talking with her about her past experiences, but in all regards as she prepares for and gives birth to their child.


There are specific strategies offered throughout the book to aid in promoting a peaceful, empowered birth for the mother, and less anxiety related complications, largely related to separating the birth experience/pain from the initial trauma/abuse.


There is statistically a heightened risk for adult survivors of child sexual abuse developing postpartum depression (25%) which reinforces the value of reading quality books such as these. When Survivors Give Birth is relatively easy to find, but Amazon is the only outlet I have found who post to Australia.

Healing to Maximise the Birthing Experience offers more on this topic.

Cynthia Marston.


Saturday, September 10, 2011

Psychology Today Article - Where are the Happy Babies? Written by Darcia Naravez


Hi Everyone,

I was reading another blog and came across an interesting article

Where Are the Happy Babies?
Have we forgotten what babies need from (ALL OF) us?

Written for Pychology Today by Darcia Narvaez, Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Collaborative for Ethical Education at the University of Notre Dame, it raises some very interesting points. Primarily it asks us, as a society, whether we are making every effort to provide parents with the opportunity to care for and enjoy their children, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually?

Informal community groups appear to be on the decline in many areas, so a deliberate focus on creating community appears to be ever more necessary nowadays.

This effort toward community will promote the feeling of wellbeing a happily attached child and their well supported parent/caregivers can experience.


Definately an article worth reading and an ideal worth working towards.

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Friday, September 2, 2011

Healing to Maximise the Birthing Experience

Hi Everyone,

Sorry its been so long between posts. I've been extremely busy with the business of parenting and homeschooling my 3, 6 and 15 year old children and reading up on lots of fascinating birthing stuff!

The reading I've been doing specifically relates to the impact life experiences have on the mother's feeling of wellness and comfort before, during and directly after the birthing process. I have been looking in particular at birth experiences for survivors of childhood trauma and abuse, and anxiety felt by women going into second and subsequent births who have had a negative experience in the past.

Literature on these issues is relatively sparse, but I have come across a couple of sites of interest such as a doula support site which has sections for women in their childbirthing year who are survivors of abuse and professionals working in the field.
This site appealed to me for it's accessibility and non-patronising compassion for the women it's designed to assist.

The most practical/relevant book I found was written by Penny Simkin (childbirth educator, doula and author with over 30 years of experience in working with pregnancy and birth). When Survivors Give Birth: Understanding and Healing the Effects of Adult Survivors of Early Childhood Sexual Abuse on Childbearing Women is available on her (linked) website, at Book Depository and Amazon.

There are numerous complications for those survivors of childhood abuse who have not viewed and healed from their experiences of powerlessness and trauma. These issues may involve trust in medical personnel during examinations etc, lack of support/experience in setting healthy boundaries in the birthing process, a pervasive feeling of shame around their bodies and acute discomfort in discussing common symptoms of pregnancy (such as vaginal thrush, haemorrhoid's etc) with careworkers, and discomfort with the concept of breastfeeding and physical closeness.

I am aware that these issues are not limited to adult survivors, and of course all survivors of childhood trauma don't experience these symptoms, but the literature is clear that they are of heightened concern in these circumstances.

Another contributing factor to anxiety during labour that I've come across regularly in literature and interpersonally is a prior negative experience in giving birth and birth 'horror stories' told by other women which frighten expecting mothers (see my post on Birth Trauma Groups).

I know personally that after my first, highly medicalised birthgiving experience, I felt extreme trepidation when I thought about becoming pregnant again. The way I worked through my fears was by using rebirthing to relax and desensitise myself to the negative impact of my memories (psychological and cellular).

Eventually, with the help of a skilled rebirther/breathworker, I was able to embrace the experience of the birth and see the beauty in birthing the amazing baby I had delivered.
It seems incredible that something as simple as breathwork healed me and prepared me for a calm, relaxed birthing experience with my next child, yet this is what happened. My second child was born in an environment that I chose, with music, water and refreshingly free of unnecessary medical intervention (see My Waterbirth Story for Jay's birth). In short, I learned to trust my own ability to deliver my baby in the way women have been doing for thousands of years.

There are many ways to heal from these experiences, I chose rebirthing because I have seen it work many times as a client and a practitioner. Also because the nature of this therapy allows for the healing of our own birth experiences if that's what we need to do. This can have a direct physcal and emotional impact on how we birth our own children.
Danae Brooks makes this point in her book Nature Birth p105.....


Professor Elizabeth Fehr (researcher/psychiatrist at the Institute of Natal Therapy in New York, early 1970's) believed that once an area of obstruction had been pinpointed, the obstruction could be released. By using what she called 'Natal Therapy' (Rebirthing) to help people recall their birth experiences, she herself could see the area in which they became 'stuck' or obstructed during labour and delivery.......... If the rebirthing is done under affectionate relaxed circumstances, the adult is also freed from having continually to act out his/her birth traumas, because this time there is no anaesthetic, no instruments, no interference, but a loving welcome.
Writing this post, I am reminded once again why it is so important that as a society we acknowledge the impact of individual experiences of women during times of pregnancy, birth and early days after baby is born and support mothers and babies wherever we can.

Talk Soon,
Cynthia

Monday, June 20, 2011

Book Review - Alfie Kohn Unconditional Parenting


Hi Everyone,

Today I am reviewing Alfie Kohn's Unconditional Parenting.

Kohn has written over 12 books and many articles including
Punished by Rewards and Beyond Discipline: From Compliance to Community. He has been a long time advocate for limiting standardized testing and empowering children in their relationships by treating them with respect through loving, authentic interactions.

Unconditional Parenting was the first of Kohn's books that I read and I freely admit that it turned my assumptions around children and parenting upside down.

Kohn proposes that rewards and praise are a way to manipulate children to comply to our agenda for them.

My interpretation of Kohn's message in this book is that with love, we traditionally assume that offering praise will cause a child to
do the right thing. However, Kohn believes that children are naturally pre-disposed to make healthy choices (most of the time) if we trust them and deal honestly with them in a manner appropriate to their age.

For example, if a child paints a picture of a building, rather than give a value judgement such as
'wow, what a great picture' (whether the child has invested a lot of effort or very little). Instead, we could share a genuine appreciation for the work such as....'I like how this building contrasts with the sky', or simply hang up the painting and allow the child to draw his/her own conclusions about their work.

An experience I had at our local playground shortly after I read Unconditional Parenting gave me an amusing reminder of the concept of
overpraising to the degree that children cease to rely on their own perceptions of the world. The mother of a toddler was pushing her child on the baby swing and each time the child swung back she would say 'good swinging'...I almost felt like patting this loving mother on the back and chiming in 'good pushing' as she was doing all the work, and I know I have done similar things with good intentions many times.

This experience allowed me a really clear picture of how we as parents can train our children to require positive feedback to feel that they're doing an okay job, rather than being self-referencing and secure as individuals.


Another important facet of this book is that children flourish when they are secure in the
knowledge that they are loved unconditionally. Kohn alleges that while we assume that because we feel unconditional love for our children, they will automatically know this as the truth, this is not always the case. Unless we relate our enduring love to our children verbally and with our actions, they may assume we only love them as long as they meet our approval.

This surprised me, and I wasn't convinced at first. However, since I have been employing the statement
'I love you and will always love you no matter what....and now let's look at what happened' at the beginning of each significant discussion, I am experiencing an incredible shift in the energy of my interactions with our children. Immediately the child knows they are safe in my love, and need not be on the defensive, allowing issues to be resolved much more quickly and satisfactorily.

I will add here that unconditional parenting does
not mean allowing children to do whatever they wish, whenever they wish. It does not mean allowing our children to disrespect others or run the household. It means not withdrawing our love and approval in an effort to change their behaviour, but working for a respectful exchange of wishes which are resolved in a win/win capacity for all parties.

Personally I really enjoyed reading
Unconditional Parenting, even though it challenged a few paradigms for me and gave me a bit of a jolt initially :) I believe that by following it's basic principles, I now enjoy a much more relaxed and enriching relationship with my family and feel extremely grateful for this.

Talk Soon Cynthia x

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Parenting Article "I Want It Now!"


Hi Everyone,

Following is a parenting article I found thought provoking, so I'm sharing it with you :)

Written by Scott Noelle, it proposes that while we often demand immediate action and acquiescence of our children, we don't always employ a lot of patience ourselves. Interesting reading which encourages us as parents to think about the choices we make in our interactions with children....

The inner process of creating requires two things: asking and receiving.

People often fail to get in a receiving mode because of its paradoxical nature. To receive what you want, you must be free not to have it. The longer you're willing to wait, the sooner it will come.

If your child is complaining about not having what s/he wants right now, s/he's stuck in the asking mode. Ironically, parents often exacerbate the problem by saying or thinking essentially the same thing: "I want the complaining to stop NOW!"

To help your child get in a receiving mode, model it: get in your own receiving mode about your child's receiving mode! :) How? Simply imagine your child happily anticipating the fulfillment of his or her desire.

As you deliberately enjoy that vision (even if your child is still complaining), you become the change you wish to see.

And when you demonstrate the receiving mode often, your child will eventually fall into it with you — naturally and willingly.

By Scott Noelle

Scott Noelle is a father of two, parenting coach, and the author of The Daily Groove: How to Enjoy Parenting... Unconditionally! Through his website, www.enjoyparenting.com, Scott offers a variety of inspiring and practical resources for leading-edge parents.


Copyright (c) by Scott Noelle. All Rights Reserved. Reprinted With Permission.

And for more on conscious parenting....next post I will review Alfie Kohn's book Unconditional Parenting.

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Find A Doula

Hi Everyone,

I want to mention an interesting doula website called find a doula.com

The site philosophy states that:


If a woman can birth with confidence and know that she has been given choice throughout her pregnancy and birth, she can have a better birth experience.

That’s why one Sydney doula set out to establish this website. Lucy Perry wanted to give Australian women lots of choice when it came to choosing the right doula for their family.

This site is completely independent and its services are entirely free.

The site features recommended books, videos, articles, and a range of other resources. Well worth a look if you're pregnant, planning on becoming pregnant or a doula yourself.

Talk Soon Cynthia x


Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Reader Birth Story - Megan

Hi Everyone,
Today Megan, mother of three is sharing her experience of being pregnant with and birthing Isla.....

I was diagnosed with whooping cough when I was about 6 months pregnant. I was sick for a long time. That was truly awful!

I'm sure that is what bounced my baby into a transverse position....non stop coughing! I spent a lot of time doing yoga as I recovered and trying to get baby to shift but she wouldn't! My doctor told me that a C-section was necessary for me to survive the birth when I was 36 weeks.

I begged the universe to help me out as I was terrified of surgery. I went in to labour the day my final "deciding" scan was due (38wks). But I never went to the scan.....I just walked and walked and walked for over 10 hrs then presented to my wonderful midwives and they had to do a simple "twist" of Isla (which _did_ hurt!) but she was born a minute or so later, perfectly healthy and me untorn and totally fine. We were both home within 1.5 hrs. :)

I am soooo glad I trusted myself. And I will truly love Marie and Jenny (my mids) forever.

Megan

Thanks for sharing Megan, Cynthia xx

Friday, May 20, 2011


Hi Everyone,

Today I am reviewing Getting Real About Growing Up by Amrita Hobbs. This is a book that I found invaluable as a parent. It gave me some solid, no nonsense resources and advice about the adolescent years and encouraged me to enter this time with the view of my child as a whole person, not defined by behaviours and reactions, but with a much deeper sense of who she is and how she wishes to be.

The language is clear and non-patronising, and deals with issues such as relationships, pregnancy, depression, abuse, homosexuality, social isolation and physical changes. It is written in a calm and factual way which dispels myths and empowers the reader, without imparting any particular moral prerogative.

Hobbs has written a realistic, deeply spiritual book about subjects that are all too often delegated either to the 'too hard' basket or treated as purely physical manifestations of growing up. This is no doubt due in large measure to the fact that she has facilitated many parent child groups over the years. Hobbs gently encourages the reader to question his/her own beliefs and assumptions and shares numerous poems, stories and input from teenagers who have been there before.

I found that sharing Getting Real About Growing Up allowed my teenager and I to discuss social issues in a relaxed and informed way we may not have done otherwise.

This is definately a book I will be sharing with all of my children as they reach adolescence and recommend it to anyone wanting a relevant, well-informed resource dealing with this often sensitive time.

Talk Soon, Cynthia x


Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Doulas Supporting Teens

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading about a not-for-profit organisation called Doulas Supporting Teens, and I am really excited by the results they are achieving. By offering the free support of doulas to girls who become pregnant in their teens, rates of peaceful births are slowly on the rise in this demographic.

Here is a direct quote from their web-site:

Founded in 2003, Doulas Supporting Teens was created as a grassroots effort to help fill the need pregnant and parenting teens in Oregon have for prenatal education, continuous labor support, in-home early postpartum care and continued support throughout the first year of parenting. Since 2003, Doulas Supporting Teens (DST) has provided services for over 200 pregnant and parenting teens and their families, and helped teen parents negotiate critical choices during pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood.

Doulas Supporting Teens' mission is to support and educate pregnant and parenting teens to bring healthy babies into healthy families to build healthy communities......

The purpose of DST is to increase awareness of, access to, and quality of education and health care for women age 18 and under and their infants. Doulas Supporting Teens:

  • Connects DST doulas (labor support professionals) with pregnant teens, providing evidence based information, as well as emotional and physical support during pregnancy, labor and postpartum.
  • Offers free teen-focused childbirth education classes, parenting support groups, social events, and referrals to community resources.

What a wonderful idea, and so simple. I remember as a teenager being generally unsure about the process of labour and childbirth. It seemed something alien and painful, and dramatic birth scenes in movies and on tv didn't really give me any information about the empowering calmness you can invoke during childbirth by going within! Offering grounded, caring support and information in addition to a direct experience of community to young mothers is an absolute gift.

Australian government programmes meet some of these criteria, but current funding isn't allowing for this level of individualised support although,
several successful community and church based programmes are running to meet the challenge of social isolation and prejudice experienced by many teen parents.

Inspired by reading about the information on the DST site and the Midwifery Today article about the organisation, I am hopeful of one day finding a similar programme funded within the framework of the Health Department.
I can but dream..........

Talk Soon, Cynthia




Monday, May 9, 2011

Beautiful Breastfeeding


Another celebration of beautiful motherhood. Just as beautiful as those mums we see breastfeeding everyday on cafe booths, buses and park benches complete with milkstained shoulder and unbrushed hair after a night pacing the floorboards with baby :)

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

There is power that comes to women when they give birth. They don't ask for it, it simply invades them. Accumulates like clouds on the horizon and passes through, carrying the child with it.
Sheryl Feldman


A midwife has posted an inspiring video of a beautiful baby emerging in the caul, in a posterior position and managing beautifully on her own just as nature intended. Here's the u-tube link ...

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Saturday, April 16, 2011


Hi Everyone,

Ever since I saw this picture, I've been thinking about fashion designers, manufacturers and retailers and how they influence how we dress, eat, drink and indeed how long we breastfeed our infants....

A few years ago the picture of a standing child (toddler) breastfeeding would have been shocking, confronting and even indecent...still is to many.

There is copious medical evidence to substantiate the value of prolonged feeding to the health of our infants, and still mothers are judged by some for doing what they deem best for their child.


I personally recall sitting at a cafe discreetly feeding my eighteen month old child and having a middle aged man stare at me and pointedly move his chair to face his back to me.

Now, I'm pretty confident as a mother and within myself but I felt that touch of embarrassment, shame and anger creeping in at his obvious ignorance and intended rudeness. Fortunately I was with someone who reaffirmed with me my rights around these issues...what a blessing a good strong friend is :)


With this in mind, it's interesting to me that one retailer in a trendy European maternity boutique (above pic) has chosen to make this statement in a store window and it's flying around the internet to great acclaim. It would seem that there is a shift toward public acceptance of breastfeeding.

Maybe now that it's becoming fashionable to breastfeed, this will become the accepted norm, and our society will actively encourage mothers to nourish their children in this way, for as long as they wish.

We can but hope....

Talk Soon, Cynthia x




Tuesday, April 12, 2011

The Natural Child - Book Review

Hi Everyone

The Natural Child is a gorgeous book which I enjoyed from cover to cover. It's written by parenting counsellor and director of The Natural Child Project, Jan Hunt. It is full of compassion, ideas and gentle promptings about how we can all improve the quality of life for the children around us.

The Natural Child is divided into sections dealing with issues such as parenting with empathy and trust, living with a baby, siblings adjusting to baby, living with children, guiding children, helping children learn and advocating for children.

The section on parenting infants recommends Dr Elliot Barker's steps for healthy children. Summarised as a positive birthing experience, extended breastfeeding, minimal separations and consistency of caregivers, and careful spacing of children. Of course this is an ideal not always possible to achieve, but definitely worth thinking about as a theory.

I particularly like that Hunt has not left off caring for our children's emotional needs once they pass infancy. Children remain highly sensitive and impressionable beings well into childhood and attachment parenting is advocated throughout this book not as over protection or neurosis but as a necessary connection to maintain with your child to ensure independence in thought and emotional well being through to the teen and adult years.

Hunt shares her experiences as a homeschooling parent, and offers suggestions about how to best serve the learning needs of children, including those with a learning disability.

In The Natural Child, Hunt advocates caring for all children within our community rather than just our immediate family. She believes that children are the responsibility of the society they live in and that if they are suffering through dysfunction, then we as a community are all accountable. She offers practical suggestions for improving the experience of the parents and children around us, and shares that even if we see no immediate effect from our actions

the sheer act of standing up for the child can have a

significant impact on the child herself

Definitely something to consider.


I will finish with the concluding paragraph because I believe it sums up the book better than I ever could...
When we believe in our child fully, we trust that they are doing the very best they can at every moment, given their age, past experience and present circumstances.......Having someone dependably "on their side" is absolutely critical if a child is to grow into adulthood with a generous capacity for love and trust.
If we aren't on their side, who will be?
Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Saturday, April 9, 2011


Hi Everyone,

There is a new film called One World Birth that's just been released, and I was really impressed by the first installment. You can access it by following this link and signing up.

Cynthia x

Friday, April 1, 2011

Waterbirth Story & The Neo-Natal Ward


Hi Everybody,

In today's post I want to share with you my experience of my daughter Freida's waterbirth followed by her time in the Neo-Natal ward of our local hospital.


During my pregnancy with our youngest daughter, Freida I experienced a lot of sickness. I had low blood pressure and felt lightheaded a lot of the time, and vomited several times a day right up until the six month stage of pregnancy.

I accepted this as part of being pregnant, and assumed I was having another girl as I felt similar to the way I did when carrying my elder daughter, Alexandra.


Things went along smoothly apart from this, so when I felt those first twinges to say that she was on her way I was really excited. We had planned for a natural waterbirth like we had for our last child, and I had been practising meditation and visualisation exercises in the lead up to this time, so I felt confident and relaxed.

We called the midwife and went to the birth centre once the contractions became closer together.
After labouring in the birthing pool for several hours, our beautiful baby girl arrived and I settled onto the bed with her.

Our midwife noticed that Freida's breathing was a little shallow and suggested that I offer her to feed to see if she would latch on. I now realise that she was making every effort for Freida to start feeding and progress naturally into breathing independently without alarming me.
Freida showed no interest in latching on and continued to breathe irregularly and we were told that the neo-natal unit would need to take a look at her.

This was not what I expected but I thought it would be five minutes until we would be back snuggled together in the birthing unit's bed. This didn't happen as Freida needed an x-ray which showed congestion on her lungs which was causing her problems breathing.

She was put into a humidicrib and the only contact we could have with our beautiful newborn was by resting a hand on her head through a hole in the crib.
This was definitely not what we had expected or wished for and I just cried because I couldn't stop this whole experience from happening.

I believe that a newborn needs skin to skin contact and that she would respond to this as much as all the poking and prodding, but I also knew that her breathing is crucial and who knows if she would have survived without intervention.


Luckily this was my third baby and I felt confident in insisting on feeding her (and persisting until it
did work) that evening and as this was successful, we avoided nasal tube feeding and heel prick blood tests every six hours.

Thank goodness, Freida's breathing cleared after a short time and she could be held outside of the humidicrib in periods. I was told that I needed to go home and leave Freida at the hospital after two days but as that wasn't an option for me, I was given a bed and stayed with her until her release after five days when the x-ray showed her lungs were clearing.


This is not a scenario I would ever have wished for and I also know that I was fortunate that Freida's illness was shortlived and not as traumatic as some of those around her. I am sharing my experience to demonstrate that while birth can at times be unpredictable and even heart wrenching, it is what it is and things usually work out for the best.

I would also like to say trust yourself as a mother, you really do know what's best for your child and if you would like to breastfeed, co-sleep, whatever, you do have the right to ask for what you feel you and your baby need.


My girl is now 2 1/2 years old and smiley, cuddly and I'm sure feels absolutely loved. I worried about the impact of her first week on the planet for a while but now can see that she is fully up to the challenge and the love and affection she has received since have more than compensated for a bit of a rocky beginning.

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

The Business of Being Born - Film Review


The Business of Being Born is a film produced by Ricki Lake and directed by Abby Epstein. It is a documentary of the process around birth in the western world (filmed in the US it is quite closely aligned to the Australian experience).


The film follows the journey of one midwife on her rounds around New York, and the different experiences she encounters. I found this midwife down to earth, passionate and inspiring, just the midwife you would like around when you're labouring :)


The film also follows a woman's experience of pregnancy and birth, and her feelings about how things went for her.

Ricki Lake interviews mothers, expectant mothers, midwives, obstetricians, gynecologists and other birth experts. Her style is very natural and I found the film very engaging because its raw, unpretentious style allows you to feel part of things.


Some information that's presented is not new (ie the medicalisation of birth, elective Caesarean because of fear around giving birth etc) and is a bit depressing to watch, but definitely necessary to include in any balanced birth documentary.


Personally, I really feel this is a well made, realistic and necessary film for our time. It clearly demonstrates available birth choices and leaves the watcher to draw their own conclusions.


Talk Soon, Cynthia x



Monday, March 28, 2011


Being Born: How your Birth Affects your Learning Performance Lifestyle and Relationships. By Robyn Fernance.

Hi Everyone,

Being Born is a book written by rebirther and teacher of 30 years, Robyn Fernance. Fernance noticed a relationship between birth conditions and various life factors in her rebirthing clients and students.

The book is basically a handbook which lists various birth experiences as chapter headings including:

Big baby births, born in the sac births, breech births, caesarian-emergency births, caesarian-planned births, conditions of the mother births, cord around the neck births, drugged births, easy births, fast births, forceps delivered babies, held back births, induced births, late births, near to death births, normal births, premature births, turned at birth, multiple births etc.

Each chapter gives a description of the likely personality traits of various birth types and gives tips on how to work with this person, how learning in the home/classroom may be affected, how to get along with others etc.

The gradient of this book is pretty steep, and makes certain assumptions around the reader's spiritual beliefs (such as personal responsibility for life experiences). Some people may take this as a given, while others may struggle with such assumptions.

The final section of the book includes a Birth History page for identifying birth conditions, and a Positive Thoughts for Change section dealing with individual birth types.

A summary of rebirthing is given, as well as testimonials from those who have found relief from the effects of their birth and birthing experience through rebirthing. A list of rebirthing/breath work practitioners is given in the appendix of the book, but your local paper
or yellow pages will provide a more comprehensive and up-to date listing.

Personally I enjoyed this book and found it uncannily accurate in describing each of my children in relation to their birth experience. I think there's definately something in it all....

Talk Soon, Cynthia Marston

Sunday, March 27, 2011

The First Hour Following Birth: Don’t Wake the Mother!

Hi Everyone,

In this post I would like to share with you points from an article entitled The First Hour Following Birth: Don’t Wake the Mother! It was written by Michael Odent, and is used with the kind permission of Midwifery Today. For the entire article and many others of interest visit Midwifery Today.


Michel Odent, MD founded the Primal Health Research Centre in London and developed the maternity unit in Pithiviers, France, where birthing pools are used. He is the author of ten books published in twenty languages. Two of them—Birth Reborn and The Nature of Birth and Breastfeeding—were published originally in the United States. His most recent book is The Farmer and the Obstetrician.

The hour following birth is undoubtedly one of the most critical phases in the life of human beings. It is not by chance that all human groups have routinely disturbed the physiological processes in this short period of time, via beliefs and rituals. Our cultural milieus are to a great extent shaped at the very beginning of the mother-newborn interaction.

The first hour following birth may be looked at from a multitude of complementary perspectives. My objective is to catalogue 12 such perspectives to demonstrate the real dimension of this enormous subject.

Perspective 1: The sudden need to breathe

We do not need to develop this widely documented perspective. It is well understood that during the first hour following birth the baby must suddenly use its lungs.

Perspective 2: The behavioral effects of hormones

Today we are in a position to explain that all the different hormones released by mother and fetus during the first and second stages of labor are not yet eliminated during the hour following birth. All of them have a specific role to play in the mother-newborn interaction...The key hormone involved in birth physiology is undoubtedly oxytocin. Its mechanical effects have been well known for a long time (effects on uterine contractions for the birth of the baby and the delivery of the placenta; effects on the contractions of the myo-epithelial cells of the breast for the milk ejection reflex).......

The results of hundreds of such studies can be summarized in one or two sentences: Oxytocin is the typical altruistic hormone; it is involved whatever the facet of love one considers.

These data appear important when one knows that, according to Swedish studies, it is after the birth of the baby and before the delivery of the placenta that women have the capacity to reach the highest possible peak of oxytocin.......highly dependent on environmental factors. It is easier if the place is very warm (so that the level of hormones of the adrenaline family is as low as possible). It is also easier if the mother has nothing else to do but look at the baby’s eyes and feel contact with the baby’s skin, without any distraction.........................

Oxytocin is never released in isolation. It is always part of a complex hormonal balance. ........ Oxytocin and prolactin complement each other. Furthermore, estrogens activate the oxytocin and prolactin receptors. We must always think in terms of hormonal balance.

It was also in 1979 that the maternal release of morphine-like hormones during labor and delivery was demonstrated........................ In the early 1980s we learned that the baby also releases its own endorphins in the birth process, and today there is no doubt that, for a certain time following birth, both mother and baby are impregnated with opiates. The property of opiates to induce states of dependency is well known, so it is easy to anticipate how the beginning of a "dependency"—or attachment—will likely develop.

Even hormones of the adrenaline family (often seen as hormones of aggression) have an obvious role to play in the interaction between mother and baby immediately after birth. During the very last contractions before birth the level of these hormones in the mother peaks. That is why, in physiological conditions, as soon as the "fetus ejection reflex" starts, women tend to be upright, full of energy, with a sudden need to grasp something or someone. They often need to drink a glass of water, just as a speaker may do in front of a large audience. One of the effects of such adrenaline release is that the mother is alert when the baby is born. ............ Aggressiveness is an aspect of maternal love. It is also well known that the baby has its own survival mechanisms during the last strong expulsive contractions and releases its own hormones of the adrenaline family. A rush of noradrenaline enables the fetus to adapt to the physiological oxygen deprivation specific to this stage of delivery. The visible effect of this hormonal release is that the baby is alert at birth, with eyes wide open and dilated pupils. Human mothers are fascinated and delighted by the gaze of their newborn babies. It is as if the baby was giving a signal, and it certainly seems that this human eye-to-eye contact is an important feature of the beginning of the mother and baby relationship among humans.

Our current knowledge of the behavioral effects of different hormones involved in the birth process helps us to interpret the concept of a sensitive period introduced by ethologists. It is clear that all the different hormones released by the mother and by the baby during labor and delivery are not eliminated immediately. It is also clear that all of them have a specific role to play in the later interactions between mother and baby.

Perspective 3: The perspective of ethologists

Ethologists observe the behaviors of animals and human beings..... Harlow studied in particular the process of attachment among primates.

The importance of the ethological approach is gradually emerging after the recent discovery of the behavioral effects of hormones involved in the birth process.

An ethological study of the first hour following birth among humans is difficult because the physiological processes are routinely disturbed. However, it is possible in unusual circumstances. Imagine a woman who gave birth in her own bathroom while her husband was shopping. She is in a very warm and quite dark place. She does not feel observed at all. ....... First, the mother looks at her newborn baby between her legs. After a while she dares to touch her with her fingertips. Then she becomes more and more audacious and wants to hold her baby in her arms. At that time most women are as if fascinated by the baby’s eyes.

Perspective 4: The first hour as the beginning of lactation

There was a time, not so long ago, when we wouldn’t have considered the first hour following birth as the time when lactation is supposed to start. Imagine a baby born at home a century ago. The cord was cut right away. Then the baby was washed, dressed and shown to the mother before being put in a crib. An anecdote can help us realize how recent this perspective is. In 1977, in Rome, at the Congress of Psychosomatic, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, I presented a paper about the early expression of the rooting reflex. I was simply describing the ideal conditions that allow the baby to find the breast during the first hour following birth. None of the obstetricians and pediatricians present at that session could believe that a human baby would be able to find the breast during the hour following birth.

Today most midwives know that the human baby is naturally programmed to find the breast during the hour following birth. Moreover, one can understand that, in physiological conditions, when the newborn baby is ready to find the breast, the mother is still in a particular hormonal balance. She is still "on another planet." She is still very instinctive. She knows how to hold her baby. Among humans, breastfeeding is potentially instinctive—during the hour following birth. After that there is room for education, imitation and even technique.

Perspective 5: First hour and metabolic adaptation

As long as the baby is in the womb the nutrients, particularly the vital fuel glucose, are provided in a continuous mode via the cord. Immediately after birth the baby must adapt to a discontinuous supply. The remarkable ability of the neonate to respond to significantly low glucose value has been studied in depth by M. Cornblath in the United States, and by Jane Hawdon, Laura Derooy and Suzanne Colson (see Suzanne's article "Womb to World," Midwifery Today Issue 61, page 12) in the United Kingdom.

Perspective 6: The bacteriological point of view

At birth, a baby is germ-free. An hour later there are millions of germs covering her mucous membranes. To be born is to enter the world of microbes. The question is, which germs will be the first to colonize the baby’s body?......... from a bacteriological point of view, the newborn human baby urgently needs to be in contact with only one person—her mother. If we add that early consumption of colostrum will help establish an ideal gut flora, there is no doubt that, from a bacteriological point of view, the hour following birth is a critical period with lifelong consequences. Our gut flora can be presented as an aspect of our personality that cannot be easily modified later on in life.

Perspective 7: Starting up the process of thermoregulation

While in the womb the baby never had any opportunity to experience differences in temperature (apart from possible episodes of maternal fever). Once more, the first minutes following birth appear as an interruption of continuity. As the mechanisms of thermoregulation are not yet mature at birth there are theoretical reasons to be worried about the cases of maternal hyperthermia during labor that are induced by an epidural anesthesia or a too hot bath. Such situations might challenge in a dangerous way the thermoregulation of the baby by exaggerating the differences of temperature between the intra- and the extra-uterine environments.

Perspective 8: Adaptation to gravity

During the first hour a new relationship to gravity is established. Suddenly the vestibular nerve, which serves equilibrium, is carrying to the brain an unprecedented flood of impulses from the semicircular canals, utricles and saccules.

Perspective 9: The ethnological approach

.....Most cultures disturb the first contact between mother and baby during the hour following birth. The most universal and intriguing way is simply to promote a belief, such as the belief that colostrum is tainted or harmful to the baby, even a substance to be expressed and discarded. Such a belief necessitates that, immediately after birth, the baby must not be in her mother’s arms. This implies rituals such as the ritual of cutting the cord immediately. The first contact between mother and baby can be disturbed through many other rituals: bathing, rubbing, tight swaddling, foot binding, "smoking" the baby, piercing the ears of the little girls, opening the doors in cold countries, etc.

...........The greater the social need for aggression and an ability to destroy life, the more intrusive the rituals and beliefs are in the period surrounding birth.

If disturbing the first contact between mother and baby and promulgating such excuses as the belief that colostrum is bad are so universal, it means that these behaviors have carried evolutionary advantages.

After taking into account and combining all the perspectives that indicate the importance of the hour following birth, and after referring to perinatal rituals and beliefs, we are in a position to claim that the cultural milieus are to a great extent shaped during the hour following birth. Now we can consider the hour following birth in the context of our modern societies.

Perspective 10: The obstetrical approach

All these considerations were necessary before looking at the hour following birth in the context of our modern societies. In our societies the cultural control of childbirth is mostly a medical control.

From medical literature and textbooks it appears that, in obstetrical circles, the question is: "How do you manage the so-called third stage?" Medical journals periodically publish prospective randomized, controlled studies comparing different ways to "manage" the third stage. The only objective is to evaluate the risks of postpartum hemorrhage. These studies are conducted in the context of large obstetrical units. All research protocols use a negative definition of "expectant management" (e.g., no use of uterotonic drugs and no clamping of the cord). The factors that can positively facilitate the release of oxytocin are not included in the protocols. The results of such trials have led to the practice of routinely injecting oxytocic substances into all mothers at the very time of the birth of the baby. Such substances block the release of the natural hormone; furthermore they have no behavioral effects. The effects of these obstetrical routines must be considered in terms of civilization.

Perspective 11: The midwifery approach

Certain midwives can still practice authentic midwifery. This means they are not prisoners of strict guidelines and protocols. They can play their role of protectors of the physiological processes. Immediately after the birth of the baby the main preoccupation of such midwives is the release by the mother of a high peak of oxytocin because it is necessary for safe delivery of the placenta and is the hormone of love.

They first make sure the room is warm enough. During the third stage women never complain that it is too hot. If they are shivering, it means the place is not warm enough. In the case of a homebirth, the only important tool to prepare is a transportable heater that can be plugged in any place and at any time and can be used to warm blankets or towels. Their other goal is to make sure the mother is not distracted at all while looking at the baby’s eyes and feeling contact with the baby’s skin. There are countless avoidable ways of distracting mother and baby at that stage. The mother can be distracted because she feels observed or guided, because somebody is talking, because the birth attendant wants to cut the cord before the delivery of the placenta, because the telephone rings, or because a light is suddenly switched on, etc. At that stage, after a birth in physiological conditions, the mother is still in a particular state of consciousness, as if "on another planet." Her neocortex is still more or less at rest. The watchword should be, "Don’t wake up the mother!"

Perspective 12: A Political Note

It makes sense that studying the third stage of labor from a non-medical perspective makes many people—particularly doctors—feel uncomfortable. Any approval that might lead us to reconsider our attitudes during this short period of time is shaking the very foundations of our cultures. Research can be politically incorrect. Politically incorrect research includes certain aspects of "primal health research," particularly studies exploring the long-term consequences of how we are born. The medical community and the media shun the findings of these important studies—on such topical issues as juvenile criminality, teenager suicide, drug addiction, anorexia nervosa, autism, etc.—despite their publication in authoritative medical or scientific journals.


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Friday, March 25, 2011

Birthwork - Book Review


Birthwork: A Compassionate Guide to being with Birth

By Jenny Blyth

A physically healthy mother and baby is usually regarded as a good birth outcome, but we know that there can be far-reaching emotional, psychological and spiritual issues for mothers. The holistic style of care advocated by Birthwork ensures that these issues, along with many others, are carefully considered.

Jenny Blyth has drawn on her experience of more than 20 years in support of women through pregnancy, birth and early parenting to bring us this volume of wisdom and inspiration. Birthwork is sure to become a point of reference for a whole generation of care providers.

The book delves deeply into the sacredness and spirituality of birth, and highlights the emotional vulnerability of birthing women, while also imparting loads of practical advice.

Birthwork clearly demonstrates how our actions and words can profoundly affect women in their birthing. If all birth care providers were to read and apply this text, I believe there would be much less incidence of birth trauma and postnatal depression.

A beautifully written and presented guide of over 450 pages, Birthwork is punctuated with real stories of women’s birthing experiences. There are also exercises at the end of each chapter to facilitate reflection and self-awareness.

Jenny Blyth’s style of writing is like that of her birth care – she offers gentle suggestions and guidance clearly from the heart. It often feels like there is pure love pouring from the pages as one reads.

One of the main focal points of the book is the relationship between the birthing woman and her care providers, offering guidance on communication, negotiation, group dynamics and other aspects of relationship.

There is also very practical information on working with labour, and a valuable section on the wider personal implications of the birthing journey. Jenny Blyth goes on further to examine issues in the birthing community and the culture surrounding birth.

Birthwork not only suggests how care providers may assist birthing mothers, but also discusses how they may manage their own concerns such as stress, personal boundaries, fear, intuition and more.

Essential reading for birth care professionals, Birthwork would also benefit anyone experiencing birth, including partners, support team members and mothers in preparation for birth.

Reading Birthwork evoked a variety of powerful emotions within me, but most of all it gave me a sense of connectedness. I found that the wisdom of Birthwork could be applied to life, not just birth.

We have the opportunity to create harmony in the world and texts such as this can show us the way. Birthwork may very well become the “Spiritual Midwifery” of our times.

Article Submitted by Natural Parenting Site.

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Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Birth Trauma Groups

Hi Everyone,

I have noticed recently that support groups have emerged to help women de-brief and move on from traumatic birth experiences.

I see such a need for this kind of group within our society, where until fairly recently
birthing horror stories were built up and passed from generation to generation leaving many pregnant women, including me, generally afraid of giving birth and ready to reach for whatever drugs were on offer.

The cyclical nature of this situation (the epidural inhibiting the natural desire to push, which leads to synthetic oxytocin, leading to stronger contractions, and more intervention...) is well documented now, and perfectly describes my first birthing experience.


Fear and fear alone led me to go down that path, and I can now see that those who told me their enhanced, negative stories of birth were actually not supported in their own recovery from an over medicalised birth experience.

In the past, women were sent into the labour ward, left to labour (often in stirrups) without a partner's support and understandably traumatised by their experience. The fact that women were instructed to lay in a position of powerlessness, which directly fights against the help of gravity is totally irrational and must have left a residue of anger and betrayal in many women.


How wonderful then that mothers are supporting mothers to heal from these experiences and assisting each other to learn how to give birth in an empowered way. If more women heal, our daughters can learn that birth is a natural process which is sometimes unpredictable, but generally organic and manageable with support.

The rise in popularity of the doula and the respect given to mid-wives is another hopeful sign that we are moving back to beautiful birthing and empowerment of the birthing mother.

Talk Soon, Cynthia x

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