Gentle Birth

We cannot prepare for the future without embracing the meaning and the relevance of the baby's perspective on life. ~Michael Odent
If we hope to create a non-violent world where respect and kindness replace fear and hatred, we must begin with how we treat each other at the beginning of life. For that is where our deepest patterns are set. From these roots grow fear and alienation, or love and trust. ~Suzanne Arms
If you knew that the child you are bringing into the world is a Ghandi, M.L. King, mother Theresa.... Someone who makes a spectacular difference in our world....Then, how would you welcome this new being? Imagine a place where everyone around you.... Believes in the importance of the natural process Honors the work you do in labor, Gives you both support and privacy, Acts as if birth is sacred, offering blessings and prayers, Speaks to you with calm, affirming words, Respects your need to be spontaneous- to eat, drink, walk, dance, cry, shout, laugh, Cares for your baby as an aware & sensitive being, Keeps you and your baby together at all times, Helps the father be an integral part of the birth. Birth in a Sanctuary. ~Suzanne Arms

Moms and babies deserve a birth that respects their intuitive connection, instincts and knowledge. Why choose to give birth in an environment or with a provider who doesn't respect your choices? Why go into your birth space expecting a battle?

Interventions can be life saving, but they can also be greatly overused without medical indication. It's important to seek out a provider who is a good match for your family's goals.

Scars from birth can last for decades whether they are external scars from cesareans and unnecessary episiotomies or internal emotional scars from having a traumatic experience. Your birth experience does matter.

I always think about what the birth experience must be like for babies. To be born to the outside and be hearing sounds unmuffled for the first time, to see light unfiltered for the first time and to be touch for the very first time. I think about how gentle their skin is, how it must be like when you cut your fingernails down too deep and it is tender. How would you want to be greeted in your first few moments in the outside world? It's important to touch them with respect and gentleness.

The first several hours after birth are extremely important to initiation of breastfeeding and bonding. It is vital that babies spend as much time with their mother (preferably skin-to-skin) for as much time as possible. Most, if not all, of the newborn exam can be performed on the mother's chest or near the mother as well as any other newborn procedures.

Sometimes towards the end of pregnancy, families are surprised to find out what their provider's protocols are surrounding birth and feel trapped into a situation that they did not want. It's never too late to find the right provider for you. You are a consumer, it is always your right to change providers if you so desire.



~ Emily Heldt