Pressure Waves and the End of Pregnancy
Near the end of pregnancy, it can be hard to tell the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions (which I will refer to from now on as warm-up pressure waves), and true labor contractions (birthing waves). Pregnancy books, and pretty much anywhere you can look it up on the internet, often make it seem like the onset of early birthing time is a clear-cut stage of the process. But the reality is that for many women, the beginning of birthing time can be hard to pinpoint. The transition between warm-up waves and true birthing waves is a slow progression. It can actually be a very frustrating, discouraging, and emotionally draining time…
Childbirth Myths
As a birth educator, I feel like I know a lot about birth. But the reality is that there’s an infinite amount to be learned on the subject! And, when it comes to birthing, there really are no rules. Often times, childbirth is portrayed as a fairly straightforward process with a general set order to it. Obviously, there are some consistencies between all births (or at least, all vaginal births); at the very least, the cervix needs to dilate, and the baby needs to come out through the birth canal. But other than that, the process of birth is so incredibly variable! And even those two basic rules don’t apply…
Abigail’s Birth Story
My birthing with Abigail was quite a journey. I expected to have her early, but ended up giving birth at exactly 41 weeks of pregnancy, longer than I went with Cody. The time I spent waiting at the end was very difficult emotionally, and as irrational as it was, I truly felt at times that I’d never have her. Of course, I did have her in God’s timing. Now that she’s here I am overjoyed! Abigail was born on Labor Day, Monday, September 4th, 2017 at 3:16 PM. She was born at home, completely unmedicated. She weighed 7 lbs and 12 oz and was 20 ¼ inches long at birth.…
Covid-19 Update
Hello to all the lovely gestating moms out there! I am continuing to teach Better Birthing classes during the Coronavirus pandemic, via two options: Remote classes via video call are always an option for my students, and will continue to be offered. For local students, in-person classes in my home or yours are also still an option I am offering, particularly since my classes are all private, one-on-one classes. For in-person classes, I will be following safety guidelines by wearing a mask and maintaining social-distancing of at least 6-13 feet while I am at my students’ home, or vice versa. I will also sanitize my hands frequently, especially before touching…
Can Birth Be Easy?
Ever since my first pregnancy, I’ve been passionate about natural childbirth. But before my childbearing years began, I was afraid of birth. Discovering natural birth, homebirth, and midwifery was the turning point for me, where I found that birth was something I could see myself doing without fear. Then, I discovered Hypnobabies, and birth became something I was actually excited about. The reason I am passionate about childbirth hypnosis is that it is a completely natural tool which allows women to birth in comfort. A simple way to avoid pain during birth, without the use of any drugs or interventions? Yes, please! (I have to be clear here, that not…
What is Hypnosis?
For many people, when they hear the word “hypnosis,” they might imagine someone similar to a magician inducing a strange and mysterious trance on a subject, who they can then make perform embarrassing and comical behaviors. In reality, that image is an exaggerated description of stage hypnosis—which is an entirely different subject, really, than therapeutic hypnosis. Although stage hypnosis is based in the same concepts as hypnotherapy, it is used differently and for different purposes. Hypnosis used for therapeutic reasons doesn’t look or feel like a mystical phenomenon for most people—and that’s because hypnosis is really just a deep level of relaxation which allows for access to the subconscious mind.…
Why Natural Birth?
Natural birth means different things in different contexts. Sometimes, natural birth refers to vaginal birth, as opposed to surgical birth via cesarean section. Other times, it refers to a vaginal birth without the use of medications for augmentation or anesthetic purposes (for speeding up the birth process or numbing pain). And of course, when some people hear the words “natural birth,” they picture a woman squatting in a field to give birth. In the context of this post, natural birth means vaginal birth without the use of medications, regardless of the other details; a natural birth can happen at home, in a hospital, in a birthing center, and with the…
Five Things {Most} Pregnant Women Don’t Need a Doctor For
In our culture, pregnancy and birth are sometimes approached like an illness that needs to be treated. Contrary to that point of view, these are normal, natural, and healthy parts of the life cycle for many women. We don’t need to be rescued from our own reproduction! In keeping with this way of thinking, I’d like to discuss five things that the majority of pregnant women don’t need a doctor to help them with. 1. Pregnancy Tests This one is quite simple. Women do not need a doctor to tell them they are pregnant. Despite the frequent appearance of “false positive” pregnancy tests on TV and in movies, it is…
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