The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth
midwife in Mountain View, CA
The gentlebirth.org website is provided courtesy of
Ronnie Falcao, LM MS, a homebirth
midwife in Mountain View, CA
This video captures the sweetness of a woman's journey through her first pregnancy and birth. It's especially helpful in that it shows that sometimes the mom really has to work to birth her baby. The mom pushes in a semi-reclining position in the tub but then moves to a hands and knees position for the actual birth. It may be surprising that the parents chose natural induction for prelabor rupture of membranes, but seeing how full her belly still is, I'd be surprised if it were a frank rupture.
[Review by Suzanne Arms - The culmination of a 10-year project in Russia to prepare women to birth in water and babies to be adept swimmers, this video shows 5 extraordinary natural births - some at home in clear plastic tanks and some in the Black Sea. It includes candid interviews with mothers and fathers who speak convincingly about the choices they made and the impact of those experiences upon them and their children. This memorable film shifts the conversation about birth from one of pain and fear to the psychological and spiritual dimensions possible in birth, the importance of giving birth in the most ideal way, and what it means to be born fully.]
[WARNING - This video has some mild religious references, linking waterbirth to baptism, which may be offensive to some.]
This video is beautiful and inspiring.I especially enjoy watching the midwife catch her own baby, doing expert perineal support from behind and flexion of the baby's head from in front.
I was particularly interested in seeing that the babies left under water for a few seconds don't seem to be taking a breath.It's only after they're brought to the surface that they display a startle reflex, flinging their arms wide and expanding their lungs to take their first breath.They do really seem to be waiting until after they're brought to the surface.And . . . I’ll still encourage you to bring baby to the surface within a few seconds of the birth.
If you're interested in lotus birth, let me know and we can talk about
details and logistics
BLURB ON JACKET:
Birth Day
a short video documentary
Celebrating Life & Family
BACK:
Birth Day is a documentary
exquisitely capturing the
beauty of a natural home birth
in the lush mountain country-
side of Xalapa, Veracruz,
Mexico. Taped by the baby's
grandfather, Georges Vinaver and narrated by the
baby's mother, midwife Naoli Vinaver Lopez, we
are treated to the birth of this family's third child
and first daughter, Tamaya Okumura Vinaver.
"Needless to say, this is not your typical birth video. In
fact this is not your typical birth in the USA, which is all
the more reason that it should be shown, and often"
Claudia Stearns, Training Director,
Boston Association for Childbirth Education
This is a short video and very engaging - a wonderful video to watch together as expectant parents; it shows how much the laboring woman depends on her partner to be her anchor. This is also a good video for children to see because it is very gentle and shows the kinds of noises women make while birthing.
[Review by Suzanne Arms - This gem of a video follows Mexican midwife Naoli Vinaver and her family through the entire birthing day of her third child. Accompanied by traditional Mexican music and set in beautiful surroundings, Naoli's reassuring voice-over takes us along on the journey as the family walks to a nearby stream to play in the morning sun; shares a hearty lunch; and supports Naoli as she drops into the inner world of active labor and gives birth in warm water. Shows a woman completely comfortable in her body and a tender relationship between Naoli and her husband. This film captivates audiences of all ages, especially young children.]
Wow!This video is really terrific . . . very inspiring.It shows the normalcy of birth, yet with a very appropriate reverence for the process and the newborn's experience.
Some things to note - During Michel Odent's conversation with the Lighthouse couple from California, they're showing a waterbirth.Note the ridge of skin that forms along the midline of the baby's skull as the bones overlap to pass through the tightest spot in the pelvis; once the head reaches full crowns, this disappears as the head re-expands.
Throughout this tape, the breastfeeding techniques aren't great.They're kind of jamming the nipple in the baby's mouth without waiting for the newborn to gape the mouth nice and wide.
I liked the flowers floating in the water - feel free to get these for your waterbirth.
The baby born in the San Francisco Victorian is taken to the hospital for a checkup immediately after the birth.This is completely unnecessary, as I will do a thorough checkup of the baby about an hour after the birth and will refer you to your pediatrician if anything looks unusual.Actually, given the rise in hospital-acquired infections and antibiotic-resistant bacteria at hospitals in this area, taking a healthy newborn to the hospital is a really dangerous thing to do.
Regarding what to wear for a waterbirth . . . my assistants and I are comfortable with any level of family nudity, so please feel free to do whatever you're comfortable with.We see lots of naked people in our work, both newborns and adults.
Notice that they're holding the baby right side up so the fluids will pool in the back of the throat so they can suction them out.I prefer to hold the baby face down for a few seconds to let the fluids drain naturally.
NOTE 1 - There's a long segment at the end of this video about the work of Igor Charkovsky and the use of water for prenatal preparation, birth, and infant work. Some people may find the focus on performance mildly disturbing and this whole segment somewhat extreme.
NOTE 2 - There's an erroneous statement on the video: "Placental separation could cause lack of oxygen right away."This is completely false.The placenta and the umbilical cord contain oxygenated blood that can continue to supply oxygen to the baby for 5-10 minutes after the placenta is separated.
Elizabeth is very vocal in her birthing (I had to turn the volume down!), so this is a great video for older siblings to watch to hear the noises of birth.You might explain to them why the mother needs them to be quiet during a contraction, and you can help them to understand what Elizabeth says about how her vocalizations are not expressions of pain.You can point out the blood that appears in the tub after the baby is born, as they’re waiting for the placenta, which gets a nice cameo appearance.You can also point out that even with all that vocalization, the mommy is fine after the birth and is able to walk into the house shortly afterwards, although she is walking slowly because she’s a little sore.You might want to state what seems obvious to you – that you’ll be indoors for the birth.
[Note – the husband is naked in the tub, although visibility is poor.]
This video is very earthy and “hippie”; the footage is home video quality from a few years ago.It shows several waterbirths in darkened rooms, some with older siblings nearby.It begins somewhat starkly with “Birth is a sexual event” and later has a mom saying it’s the “closest I’ve ever been to enlightenment.”.
This video helps to make homebirth seem very normal and commonplace, especially with older siblings present.However, it does have what seems like “advertising” for the use of red raspberry leaves, which Compleat Mother sells.
One of the births has a lot of loud noise and joyous celebration right after the birth – I encourage a more quite, gentle welcome to reduce baby’s anxiety about all the newness.They talk about using a nice shoe lace to tie the cord so there isn’t a pokey clamp sticking into baby’s belly; I use an Averbach cord clamper, which leaves a tiny rubber band around the cord stump.
[NOTE – There’s a fairly strong religious/spiritual flavor to this video, but it’s nicely nondenominational, i.e. talking about “God’s fingers massaged my uterus.”There’s also an odd reference to sealing off the “back passage”, which I’d encourage you to ignore.]
This is overall a very beautiful video of a home labor with transition and pushing in the hospital; the mother, Ceiros Begg, has given us a wonderful gift in sharing this video of her completely natural labor and birth.
Some comments:
When Ceiros is laboring in the bedroom, there's a lot of chatter among her midwives and support people. This is generally not helpful - it's distracting to the mom and can be really annoying during a contraction. Being present at a labor should be more like attending a sacred religious ceremony.
When she's on her hands and knees, her partner's great with pressure on her sacrum; moms can give good feedback about position and pressure.
When Ceiros is talking on the phone, it seems as if her contractions have spaced out a bit, and they're not regular. Her labor up to that point is mostly either cervical effacement that could have been done in the weeks beforehand through with the use of herbs, or it's nonproductive contractions, which are painful but don't open the cervix. Both of these are a waste of energy in labor, and they can make the difference between a medicated an unmedicated birth, especially for an older mom; this is why I encourage the use of herbs in the last weeks of pregnancy to help efface the cervix, and, if necessary, during labor to relieve nonproductive contractions.
Notice that her contractions spaced out once daylight faded, and her adrenaline levels dropped.
There's a point where the midwife is checking her cervix; she's lying on the floor and starts to have a contraction. This can be really painful; in general, I try to wait until just after a contraction to start checking - sometimes the next one comes so quickly that there isn't time to get up.
The drive to the hospital in transition is one of my least favorite parts about the concept of laboring at home "as long as possible" and then going to the hospital for the birth.
When she's in the hospital, kneeling and getting close to pushing, you can see 20-40 drops of blood on the pad at first, and then more later; this is normal pushing blood.
Notice what a great job the midwife is doing with the massage of the lower back and buttock muscles - this helps to loosen the pelvis to facilitate descent and rotation of the baby's head. I don't do this kind of massage, but you can ask your partner or a friend to do this for you.
For a while, there's some bloody mucous or membranes hanging out, and then later, a midwife wipes it away.
Unfortunately, because the lighting is dim, it's hard at first to tell the difference between her pubic hair and the baby's head, then it becomes clearer as the baby's head starts to bulge out.
The mom makes good, productive grunty noises with her pushing.
As just the baby's head is born, you can see how the baby purses her lips and grimaces; this is what we see with waterbirth and part of the reason why the baby doesn't take a breath underwater.
Just as the baby's born, you can see the baby's arms up by her head, and the knees drawn up; this is a sign of a very robust newborn!
There's nice skin-to-skin contact for baby's first breastfeeding.
The mom has a moderate perineal tear; this might have been prevented by a slower birth of the shoulders or perineal support during that time.
Notice the abundant hair on the baby's shoulder and upper back - this is lanugo, and it gradually disappears after the birth.
As the midwives are waiting for the placenta, the mom sounds so hoarse - somebody get her a glass of juice or water!!!
During suturing, the mom might have appreciated some pillows for support so she could relax her legs! It's hard to see the difference between the tear and the bloody labia.
They take the baby away from the mom much sooner than I would - I think the baby's not even an hour old yet, and they've taken the baby away from the mom to do the newborn exam. The baby is unnecessarily stressed by this - this can wait until after the baby is all finished with nursing and starts to fall into a post-birth stupor.
The midwife has bare hands, which concerns me because it means the baby's skin is being colonized with her germs, not the mom's germs. I try to wear sterile gloves when I touch the baby shortly after the birth.
Also, the baby doesn't need to be dressed and wrapped in blankets. Breastfeeding is easier when the mom and baby are skin-to-skin. It's nice to have a diaper around or under baby's bottom, as nursing stimulates baby's bowels to move.
"This film would be a good resource to use in Women's Studies classes, or in any introduction of healthy childbirth to young women. It might also be helpful for medical students and residents to view this film as an exposure to homebirth and the concept of birth as a non-medical, holistic event. The Farm's birth statistics, which are presented at the end of the film, should convince even the most staunch homebirth skeptic: for 1,918 births, including 12 sets of twins and a breech rate of 3.2%, the cesarean section rate was 1.8%."- Journal of Nurse-Midwifery]
Many of these births were from the early days of the renaissance of midwifery in the United States, and lots of women are lying on their backs.(In general, labor doesn’t feel very good lying down, but sometimes it can help.) This was true “lay midwifery”, i.e. untrained birth attendants who were smart and willing to learn, but with no formal training.They do a lot of hands-on the perineum, pushing the tissues off the head, and there’s a fair amount of pulling the babies out, which I try to avoid.
This video has an excellent discussion of the father’s involvement. Most of the births in this video occurred before our current awareness of the newborn’s experience of birth, so there tends to be lots of noisy celebration at the births.This kind of loud noise right t birth can actually frighten the baby and they might “hold their breath”.
By the way, the soundtrack for this video features “Ancient Mother”, which I can lend you.
The video has a mild goddess orientation.
This is a fairly intense video, and it takes time to go through the book and video.The book suggests taking it a chapter at a time, and I second that!
Some notes: I found the Australian accent a little hard to understand at first, but the other speakers have a more North American accent.
When they’re using the models, they tend to show the baby’s back on the mother’s right side, whereas most babies like to start labor on the mother’s left side, which helps keep the baby from rotating posterior.Maybe babies start out on the right side in the southern hemisphere?
I was a little put off by their vocabulary – avoiding the word “vagina” and using “outlet hole” or “down there” or “that area” instead.It seems a little weird to me – maybe it’s a cultural difference, or maybe they were trying to make the video sound less technical?And although they pronounce perineum with the accent on the second syllable, I’ve mostly heard it pronounced with the accent on the third syllable.
If you find yourself wondering how you’re ever going to make all the
position changes they recommend, take heart!Those position changes are
MUCH easier in the buoyancy of the tub.By the way, the pelvic movements
they show are unlikely to be helpful for most of early and active labor.They
are more likely for late labor (transition) and pushing as the pelvis opens
for the baby.
BLURB ON JACKET:
Eight Golden Bay women talk about labour pain in natural childbirth
suitable for mature audiences contains labour and birth scenes
Offical Copy:
This DVD, made by midwives in New Zealand offers insights into the
way women view the pain of childbirth and the way they handled it during
normal, natural births. We hear eight women talking of their experiences,
the highs and lows and the triumph of mastering this often very painful
experience in their lives. A useful discussion starter for prenatal programs
and useful for the parent library shelf.
REVIEW FROM Ronnie Falcao, LM:
This is a really great video to answer a common question . . . what does labor and birth really feel like? In a group discussion format, eight women talk about their recent natural birth experience. There is occasional video from their individual births, but it is mostly a simple sharing of their personal reality - very powerful.
Specifics:
It can sometimes be difficult to understand their New Zealand accent.
Good info about how women are empowered in so many aspects of their lives, but have actually given away their power in birthing.
14:00 Some talk about prenatal preparation to prevent tearing, possibly with Epi-No?
Some good talk about birth as a rite of passage into motherhood.
She knew that as soon as she relaxed, this would take her further into the labor - this is an EXCELLENT summary of how women can get in their own way by NOT relaxing.
Good mention of how it sometimes feels as if the back or pelvis is opening up.
19:23 Beautiful video of crowning and the birth of the head.
Some overlap of video from "The Birth of Neko Pilara".
This is a really nice depiction of what sisterhood in motherhood can really be!
You can tell from the look on their faces what pleasurable memories they have of their natural births, even though they experienced pain at times. It's especially helpful to hear the women contrast their natural births with previous medicated births.
32:50 EXCELLENT discussion of how to respond to pain - just "letting it be", and not tightening up against it.
"I was yelling, but it wasn't because I was in pain - it was because I was birthing my baby - my baby was coming out of me, and it was wonderful. It was a lot better than I expected."
"I think that's why the pain's there - is to find which position you're most relieved in."
40:10 "The baby's having a painful experience, too." No, actually,
with natural childbirth, the mother's endorphines get through to the baby
and get added to the baby's own endorphines, so baby gets an extra boost
of natural pain relief.
Here’s a blurb review: “The first part of this video shows a number of women labouring and giving birth in a clinic in Austria. The birth room is set with a huge mattress (no bed!) and a variety of equipment, including birth ball, birth stool, hanging rope and a support ladder. Using these, the women mostly give birth in upright positions, supported by the fathers. The montage of labours is accompanied by gentle music, the pictures tell the story. Ideal for prenatal classes. The second part uses animated computer graphics to illustrate the physiology of labour and the cardinal movements of birth. It offers simple, clear explanations of the various stages, with the emphasis on normal, active birth in upright positions. This part would be useful for midwifery students. Highly recommended!”
This is generally a very good video, and the animation of the birth process is terrific!
Just a few criticisms: I’m appalled that the healthcare provider puts a bare finger into the baby’s mouth!And they mention that the “bonding phase should not be disturbed”, but they take the baby to the nursery at one hour after the birth.Babies need to stay with the mother after the birth until they fall into a post-birth stupor.They also show the baby getting a bath and being handled in a way that clearly disturbs the baby, but they show it as if it’s necessary and right.WRONG!They also show the baby’s cord clamped with a pokey clamp; I use an Averbach clamp, which leaves a tiny rubber band on the cord stump.
[Some interpretations of the British terms: “retrograde movement” of the baby’s head immediately at birth is called “restitution” here.They use the term “tidal volume”, which means “blood flow”.]
This book and video set provides a new model of maternity care that relies less on high-tech intervention and more on preparation and good health for mother and child. This video blends interviews with midwives and physicians of six actual births, showing the options of water birth, squatting, home birth, and vaginal birth after prior cesarean.The video clearly and forcefully demonstrates the power of women during childbirth and the choices available for a healthy and happy birth experience.] Also shows a waterbirth.
WARNING - The soundtrack has some static on it; it may be mildly annoying. This is a dated video, but the births are great. Some notes about and in response to the video:
At 2 minutes into the video, the birth attendant announces the baby's sex. I don't do this.
4 minutes - About the benefits of hospital birth, i.e. the woman "enjoyed being in the hospital and being waited on."I can recommend some good postpartum doulas who will come to your home and wait on you.
6 minutes - "The labor progressed slowly through the day".If a woman hasn't kicked into active labor by late morning, it's unlikely to happen until evening.
9 minutes - I'm happy to support dads in catching the baby.
Birth #1 - homebirth - I don’t wrestle the head out like that. Notice how white the baby's body is from the compression in the birth canal compared to the darker color of the head.It's quite common for a baby's body to be really white like that immediately at birth.Typically, they pink up right away. Then there are some really nice descriptions of coping with the intensity of labor pain and great descriptions of birthing energy.
Birth #2 - hospital birth - This is her first baby, and she's having a really long early labor; taking prenatal herbs can shorten early labor dramatically. Laboring on your back is just asking the baby to turn posterior, which may have been a big problem with this labor. I don't encourage pushing flat on your back if at all possible. I don't splash betadine all over the mom's bottom and the baby's head. Notice how much the head is molded - birth and babies are amazing. [The molding of the head confirms that the baby was likely stuck in a posterior position, which is why labor progressed so slowly and was so painful for this woman.We'll be working hard to prevent a posterior position.] I don't routinely suction vigorous babies!
Birth #3 - birth center birth - This dad is rubbing the mom's back in the typical way that a nervous dad does.I'm sure the mom is basking in his loving attention, but she might appreciate it even more if the rubbing were a little slower and less frantic. It also seems to help to massage mostly in a downward direction - something about helping to focus on moving the eergy down and opening the cervix rather than holding things up. Any baby who's biting the doctor's finger doesn't need suctioning! Notice that they're holding the baby right side up so the fluids will pool in the back of the throat so they can suction them out.I prefer to hold the baby face down for a few seconds to let the fluids drain naturally. The mom said she would have liked it to be slower.If things seem to be moving too quickly for you, a hands-and-knees position or even a knee-chest can slow things down and help you regroup.
[Review by Suzanne Arms - Made in 1978, this classic film is still used by many educators to gently help shift the focus and discussion from pain to hard work, joy and empowerment. Gives the stories of five women, illustrated by lovely black and white photographs by Suzanne Arms of their labors and births. Includes a thoroughly natural gentle birth in hospital, home birth, and both a vaginal and a cesarean breech birth. Four of the women are first-time mothers; one is a single, self-assured woman supported by her mother. Each tells her story a year after birth, describing the choices she made (or let others make), her experience of labor, and the impact of this birth on her life. Viewers see birth can - and most often should - be normal and natural. Easy viewing for kids too.]
This is a beautiful video, but it's really more like a slideshow set
to music, with the video panning over about 17 still photos. It might
be an excellent choice as an introduction to a childbirth education class,
but if you're looking for videos that show the mechanism of birth, you'll
be disappointed.
In general, these are nice births.This video shows some things that I wouldn't particularly recommend, in particular, having a laboring woman lying almost flat on her back.
Birth #1 (with Dr. Gregory White) - The noise level at the birth seems quite high for a sensitive newborn who's hearing unmuffled noises for the first time.I encourage a much lower noise level.Also, I try to make a point of not engaging in lots of conversation at and immediately after the birth, because my chatting distracts the baby and parents from greeting each other. I try to respect that this is the family's special time.I encourage family members not living in this household to allow the immediate family quiet time to get to know their baby according to their own instincts.They'll let us know when it's time for the rest of us to meet the baby.
Birth #2 - The OB's technique is much more aggressive than I like to see. Also, you won't be required to wear caps or masks.[grin]
Birth #3 - Note the crumpling of the scalp just before the head pops back out at the full crown.Also note that the placenta is still attached to the baby when it's birthed.You don't often see this in a video.
Birth #4 - This appears to be an unassisted birth; I liked the way the
mother astutely notices that the baby is gurgling from fluids in the throat
and suggests that the dad hold the baby with the head slightly lower for
a bit. Notice how well this clears the baby's airway.(I generally encourage
this for 5-10 seconds immediately after the birth, typically on the mom's
belly.)
[Dr. Righard's study, published in The Lancet (1990, Vol. 336), 1105-07), looked at two groups of newborn babies.In the first group, the infant was placed on the mother's abdomen and within 50 minutes most infants had self attached to the breast and were suckling correctly.in the second group the newborn babies were removed from the mother's abdomen, bathed measured and replaced on the abdomen.The infants in this group from an unmedicated birth self attached but half of them had a faulty suckling pattern.Most of the infants from a medicated birth were too drowsy to be able to suckle at all.]
[Review by Suzanne Arms - This short but extraordinary video, done in Sweden by pediatrician/researcher Lennart Righard, shows the innate ability of newborn babies to get to their mothers breast successfully without any help. Watch a newborn whose mother did not receive any drugs or anesthesia in labor, as it is placed on its mother's abdomen and then creeps up her body to where its face is between her breasts. Then watch as it self-attaches and suckles. Learn that babies born to unmedicated mothers and were separated after birth had difficulty and that most of the infants from medicated mothers were unable to suckle by themselves at all
The video does a very good job of explaining the basics of a pain-free latch, although I thought their drawings didn’t do a good job of showing the nipple well into the baby’s mouth and away from the baby’s palate.
However, I was appalled that the doctor was putting an ungloved finger into the baby’s mouth and touching the woman’s breast and nipples with an ungloved hand, even though the nipple was abraded and scabbed.I thought this would be a great segue into a segment on thrush, since these are ideal ways for a healthcare provider to introduce yeast into the baby’s mouth and the mom’s breast ducts.
My chief complaint about this video is that it ignores the influence of the birth experience and mother-baby separation on breastfeeding.I have attended a number of births at StanfordHospital, where Dr. Morton practices, so I’m familiar with their routine separation of mother and baby when the baby is about one hour old.Dr. Morton doesn’t offer any commentary on how breastfeeding is affected by suctioning at birth, separation of mother and baby, and the prolonged effects of drugs given to mothers during labor.She notes that some babies seem sleepy for a few days – gee, could that be the effect of narcotics in labor?She also says that “the typical baby will need a little hands on help at first.”Yes, babies who are drugged at birth, suctioned aggressively and separated from their mothers will often need a little and may need heaps of help.
I find myself questioning either sincerity or sanity of someone who focuses their efforts on trying to remedy the effects of unnecessary impediments to successful breastfeeding.For many women and their babies it is too little, too late.
[Dr. Morton is thanked for volunteering her time in the production of
this video, but she owns the copyright, and this is a high-priced film
for what it is. Strange definition of volunteering.]
They have some nice video of babies doing breast self-attachment shortly after birth, and they affirm that “the first hours are vital for bonding!”They talk about the view of the mother-baby dyad as an inseparable unit and the universal newborn response to separation from the mother . . . the protest-despair response.There’s some good science about the higher levels of stress hormones in babies separated from their mothers: twice as high with any separation, and up to ten times as high when there’s a lot of handling and testing away from the mother.Then, a return to skin-to-skin contact with the mother lowers the stress hormone levels 75% again.The science continues with evidence of improved regulation of baby’s temperature and heart and respiration rates with Kangaroo Mother Care, and the increased physical and emotional satisfaction for the mothers as well. And they even show a dad wearing a baby, kangaroo-style.
There is a nice mention of the importance of continuous mother-baby contact to the development of a happy, healthy breastfeeding relationship.It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that you can’t breastfeed a baby in a separate room, but many healthcare providers don’t seem to understand this basic law of physics.
Quotes from mothers who were wearing their babies kangaroo-style: “The alternative of p uttinga baby in an incubator is basically inhumane.”From a mother who had experienced two typical hospital births before this baby, “Totally different consciousness, totally difference experience of bonding, just beautiful because she was still part of me.”
A healthcare professional summarized this new attitude: “The mother is the baby’s natural habitat.”
I have a very minor complaint that the brief footage of births shows the mothers lying on their backs.They need someone like Dr. Bergman in their OB department to help them see the obvious insanity in their practices, too.
[Review by Suzanne Arms - Produced by South African pediatrician Nils
Bergman, this fascinating video shows why all newborns, not only premies,
should spend many hours a day in skin-to-skin contact on their mother's
chest, right from birth. It also show how to do this, by means of a simple
wrapping technique, freeing the mother's arms. Scientific evidence proves
that all human newborns are born physiologically immature and need to be
in close physical contact with their mother. Skin-to-skin against the chest,
in addition to breastfeeding, gives remarkable benefits for babies: including
stability of their temperature, heart rate and breathing, and results in
fewer infections and other problems. The message of this video is: never
separate a mother and her newborn. The evidence is compelling. The implications
would transform mother-baby care in hospitals and redesign intensive care
baby units to be mother-baby units. We see mothers from various ethnic
backgrounds kangarooing premies and full-term babies in hospital and later
at home. Provides essential knowledge for all health professionals working
with childbearing women and babies. Important for various college courses.
Birth educators need this information and will want to show at least part
of this video to their classes.]
This is a fabulous video - every pregnant couple and new family should
see this!
BLURB ON JACKET: "David and Suzanne summarize over thirty years of research on the consciousness and capacity of new human beings. Babies are learning from and remembering what takes place before birth. David is a researcher and the author of The Mind of Your Newborn Baby. Suzanne is the author of many books including A Season to be Born, and Immaculate Deception.
This is a really nice summary of the current state of perinatal psychology.
There is a strong emphasis on what is known about prenatal awareness, and
the effects of the prenatal environment on the baby's psychological development.
There is also an emphasis on the importance of the birth experience in
shaping the baby's psyche.
[Review by Suzanne Arms - This hard-hitting, factual film aimed is intended to inform people of all ages, backgrounds, professions and interests about the need to stop the practice of newborn male circumcision. It answers all of the commonly asked questions and dispels the various myths that still surround newborn circumcision, which is common in the U.S. and a significant religious ritual globally. Features interviews with wide array of experts, including an Oxford-trained historian, a neurophysiologist, a Jewish pediatrician, and an anthropologist. Also shows an alternative bris done without cutting.]
I thought this video was excellently persuasive, as in it’s hard to
imagine how any sane adult could watch this video and then request that
their baby have their foreskin amputated.They show a non-cutting bris.
[Review by Suzanne Arms - Featuring best selling author and PBS television host obstetrician Christiane Northrup, MD, FACOG, ( author of the bestselling "Women's Bodies: Women's Wisdom"). Learn what scientific evidence has discovered about the importance of normal birth and hear it from three obstetricians. Explore issues of fear, pain in labor, epidural anesthesia, cesarean, routine hospital procedures and midwife care. Giving Birth presents the differences between the medical and midwifery models for birth and the importance for babies and mothers.]
This is very nicely produced and is an excellent film for sharing with family who are dubious about your homebirth choices.There is a single homebirth shown.
*********************************************************************
"Trusting Nature"??????????????????
I found this video so disturbing I've removed it from my collection.It's hard to imagine the circumstances under which it might be valuable; perhaps a mom having a truly necessary induction might find this an appropriate video. Otherwise, it's full of really unhelpful mental images of birth: Most of the women have IVs in; many women are lying on their back, even in very early labor.And the footage seems to be all hospital births, even though many women planning hospital births will sensibly labor at home for as long as possible, at least in early labor.What's the deal here? I get the distinct sense that Penny has sold out here, essentially pandering to the hospital industry instead of getting her message across about non-pharmaceutical pain relief.Truly, I would expect most women laboring under the conditions shown in this video to need an epidural pretty quickly, given the lack of upright positions and the notorious discomfort of laboring on your back.The joke, of course, is that she does describe the basics of an "unsupportive environment" - stark surroundings, bright lights, loud noises, lack of familiar objects - but neglects to mention that these could all be very easily avoided by laboring at home.
As you can tell, I thought this video was horrible.I wouldn't show it to my labor coach clients except as noted above - if they're facing a medically necessary induction - and then we presumably wouldn't have time to watch the video in early labor.I suppose I could toss it in my labor support bag and we could watch it while the mom's lying flat on her back with pitocin and an epidural.I thought this video should be entitled, "How to Cope with Unnecessary Pain caused by an Unsupportive Environment and Lying On Your Back". And, no, I'm not done yet.It is very difficult to watch a video that offers suggestions for how to cope with the horrible pain of back labor without mentioning that you should fire your birth attendant if they didn't notice a posterior presentation early in labor?What are you paying them for, anyway? To stand by and blame you for the posterior position as you're being wheeled down the hall for your Cesarean?It's a good thing she mentions so many ways of coping with back labor, because all those moms lying on their backs will end up with posterior babies, whether or not they were posterior to begin with. This video is "obscene" in its pretense that this video has anything to do with normal birth.
Comments:I won't be wearing makeup at your birth.
The caloric recommendations of 2000 calories/day and total weight gain of about 25 pounds are much lower than I would recommend.
The video is unsuitable for homebirth clients, and contains some gross untruths, such as the claim that the hospital tour will put "everyone's mind at ease".When the video tells you it's time to go take a tour of the hospital, just take a stroll around your home and think about where you might like to be during your labor.
The side-lying position isn't great for most of labor.
Men were not the first midwives - I've never heard this before and consider it highly unlikely.
I have a copy of "Secret Life of the Unborn Child" by Verny and am happy to loan it out.
Most women don't feel fetal movement until 16-20 weeks, although some feel it earlier.
Kegels are not a contraction of the perineum.The perineum is the skin around the vagina; the muscles of the pelvic floor toned by Kegels are the pubococcygeal muscle some inches inside.
Episiotomies are never necessary.They are never better than a tear. About pediatricians attending the birth.
The reality of hospital birth is that you have very little control over who's in the room at the time.If you're lucky, the OB you've hired to attend your birth will actually be there, but in the middle of the night, you're likely to get whoever's on call. Once the umbilical cord is cut, the midwife or OB's responsibility for the newborn is terminated and care will be provided by whoever's on duty or on call among the nurses, neonatologists and pediatricians.
Regarding a Non-Stress Test, this cannot ensure your health or your baby's.All it can do is assess it.
It's not necessary to time contractions precisely; it helps to time them for a half hour before calling me, but otherwise, they tend to keep the woman and her partner in their intellectual part of the brain, rather than the primal part that gives birth.
About not eating in front of the laboring woman because she's probably very hungry: For heaven's sake, FEED HER!
The claim that bumpy rides don't help start labor is not necessarily true.Bumpy rides can put pressure on the cervix and help shake the baby into a good position to apply the head well to the cervix.
Maternal & Fetal Wellness Program (Fred Schwartz - 19?? - ?? minutes) This new cassette combines powerful relaxation techniques along with the hospital tested Transitions Womb Sounds and music to foster increased bonding and a less stressful environment for mother and her unborn child.
Transitions (Fred Schwartz - 19?? - 30 minutes) Sounds to soothe mother and child during birth and beyond.Contains actual womb sounds plus simulation of the sounds an unborn child hears.
Journeying through Pregnancy and Birth (Jennifer Houston, CNM, 1997 - 80 minutes) Taking a scared approach to birth, Jennifer Houston guides the listener to relaxation using visualizations and meditation in preparation for labor and birth.This is one of the best birth meditation tapes available, with the music relaxing and unobtrusive and Jennifer's guidance effective.She deals with opening the heart to the fears that are place on women by our society regarding childbirth, and using past negative experiences as tools to empower and strengthen the soul to prepare for this great transition of life.Jennifer goes beyond the typical relaxation and guided imagery process to prove the heart of women everywhere in this effective and supportive ritual.
Relax and Enjoy Your Baby Within (Sylvia Klein Olkin, 1984 - 45 minutes) 3 separate 15-minute relaxations/visualizations for communicating with and loving your inner child. Baby & Me (Sylvia Klein Olkin, 1984, 45 minutes) Guided Relaxation especially for PRETERM LABOR
Relax for Childbirth (Penny Simkin, 1988, about 20 minutes) recorded three times each side, ideal for playing during sleep or nap
Great Expectations (Emmett Miller - 1983 - 60 minutes?) The joy of pregnancy and birthing - techniques for an easier delivery A loving guide through pregnancy - from conception to post delivery. You (and those around you) can learn to let go of tension and enjoy the miracle happening within. A Special Place For You and Your Baby - not yet reviewed [The following tapes are of chants or affirmation that may be particularly helpful during labor.You might want to sample them beforehand, or you might even want to use them while you nap, relax or meditate.This can develop an association that will help your body to relax automatically during labor when you hear them. If there's one that you particularly love, please feel free to ask me to record a hypnosis tape using your chosen tape as background music. This should serve to really reinforce the level of relaxation you can easily achieve when you hear the tape.] Waiting for a Child (June Whitson and Roxanne Potter - 1995 - 60 minutes?) Songs, Relaxation and Visualization for Childbirth
Music To Set A Sacred Mood... RITUAL SONGS (the Colorado Midwives Association) Acapella chants and songs performed by four members of the C.M.A.. Wonderful for gatherings such as blessingways and women's circles, as well as private meditations to cleanse, heal and strengthen. Includes "Woman I Am," "I Am the Circle," "Mother Moon."
A CIRCLE IS CAST (Libana) Drawing on Native American, African, Anglo, Israeli and European sources, this is a beautiful collection of songs to accompany you through your rituals and meditations. Side 1 traces the seasonal changes of a year, while side 2 marks the facets and cadences of a ritual gathering. Includes an invocation to the elements and the casting of a circle. Mostly a cappella with some simple instrumental accompaniment.
This information collected and provided by Ronnie Falcao, LM MS
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