Maternity Advocacy
Mamas on Bedrest: How Are You Planning for Your Delivery?
April 18th, 2012Something about spring makes me think of preparation. Spring is definitely a time of new beginnings and for mamas getting ready to give birth, they are most certainly preparing for a new beginning-into a whole new stage of their lives!
Preparing for the pending birth of a baby can be a bit different for a mama on bed rest, but most certainly no less important. While mamas having uncomplicated pregnancies may be doing last minute shopping, finishing up tasks at work and handing off assignments to co-workers before going on maternity leave, preparing the nursery, attending hospital tours and childbirth classes, mamas on bed rest are often restricted in their abilities to prepare for the addition to their families. Those with family and friends close by may in fact have a baby shower and have help preparing their nurseries. Because of their bed rest status, work is often a long gone event-one they hope to get back to after the baby is born. But its the individual preparation, the childbirth education that I find most mamas on bed rest lack.
In this age of the internet, mamas on bed rest need not go without the vital childbirthing information that they need. There are literally hundreds of programs available, locally and online, that can prepare mamas for their childbirth experience. We share just a smattering of them here.
Doulas and Birth Attendants. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I really wish that I had had a doula at my first birth. While I don’t believe that she would have prevented anything that happened with me or my baby, I think that having a skilled attendant to help my husband and I while things were coming completely unhinged would have been great.
Doulas are often that impartial third party that can help mamas maintain their focus and confidence, help calm spouses and partners so that they can provide support to a laboring mama and they can act as a bridge between the health care providers and mama when she cannot necessarily speak up for herself. There are lots of doula resources but two of the most widely known are Doulas of North America (DONA) and The Childbirth and Post Partum Professional Association (CAPPA). While they both offer training and educational resources they also list their members and mamas can find a doula in their area to assist them. The International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) is another great doula resource especially for mamas of color.
Lamaze International. Lamaze promotes a natural, healthy and safe approach to childbirth and early parenting. They offer childbirth education classes and support for families as well as education and training for health care professionals. Lamaze education and practices are based on the best, most current medical evidence available. They can help reduce the use of unnecessary interventions and improve overall outcomes for mothers and babies. The Lamaze Safe Birth Practices were adapted from the World Health Organization and promote, protect and support natural, safe and healthy birth. The 6 healthy birth practices are:
- Let Labor Begin on Its Own
- Walk, Move Around, and Change Positions Throughout Labor
- Bring a Loved One, Friend, or Doula for Continuous Support
- Avoid Interventions That Are Not Medically Necessary
- Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back, and Follow Your Body’s Urges to Push
- Keep Mother and Baby Together – It’s Best for Mother, Baby, and Breastfeeding
The Bradley Method. The Bradley Method “stresses the importance of Healthy Baby, Healthy Mother and Healthy Families”. By taking classes in The Bradley Method® of natural childbirth, mamas and papas will learn about:
- Prenatal nutrition & exercise
- Relaxation for an easier birth
- Husbands as coaches
- Birth plans and more!
Hypnobirthing.The Mongan Method used is a unique method of relaxed, natural childbirth education, enhanced by self-hypnosis techniques.
Mamas, pain, fear and lots of sterile instruments don’t have to be your memories of your child’s birth. Find out your options for labor and delivery. Find out who can be with you, who can assist with the birth and what you can do in advance to be prepared and as calm and in control of your body as possible. The above childbirth methods (and so many more!!) are available to help you have a stress free and reasonably pain free labor and delivery. Many of the above organizations and services offer online courses and some educators even make house calls! Find out your options and educate yourself today!
If you know of another effective method of childbirth, please share it with us at info@mamasonbedrest.com so that we may share it with other mamas. Check out our resources page for other resources on pregnancy, health and maternal and infant well being.
Mamas on Bedrest: Meet The Mahogany Way Birth Cafe
March 30th, 2012In this podcast I have the pleasure of interviewing Darcel Harmon, owner, founder and blogger of The Mahogany Way Birth Cafe. Darcel is a mama passionate about all things birth! After a disappointing experience giving birth to her first child, Darcel made it a point to find alternatives for her subsequent pregnancies. Her research and her own experiences giving birth at home to her second and third children inspired Darcel to share her knowledge with other mamas, especially mamas of color, on The Mahogany Way Cafe.
Mamas on Bedrest: Who is Ban Ki-Moon?
March 9th, 2012
International Women’s Day was yesterday, March 8, 2012. International Women’s Day, helps to culminate The United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), 2 weeks of meetings during which world leaders come together to discuss the status of women and girls around the world. The meetings are wrapping up this week.
The head of the UN is Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon. To mark the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Secretary General noted gender equality and the empowerment of women are gaining ground worldwide, but urged governments, civil society and the private sector to continue to commit to gender equality and the empowerment of women as a fundamental human right and a force for the benefit of all in his statement to the UN counsel and partners.
I have only recently began to study Mr. Ban and I am heartily impressed. This man is a staunch advocate for women’s rights and well being. One of his primary initiatives as Secretary General is empowering women. Here is what he has done during his tenure as Secretary General:
The Secretary-General pressed successfully for the creation of UN Women, a major new agency that consolidates the UN’s work in this area. His advocacy for women’s rights and gender equality has also included the “Unite to End Violence against Women” campaign, the “Stop Rape Now” initiative, the creation of a “Network of Men Leaders” and the establishment of a new Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Within the UN itself, the Secretary-General has increased the number of women in senior management positions by more than 40 per cent, reaching the highest level in the Organization’s history.
How fantastic is it that a man with such global power has such a heart for the health and well being of the world’s women? One could argue that Mr. Ban is inspired by his wife, Madam Yoo (Ban) Soon-taek. Since 2007, Mrs. Ban has devoted her attention to women’s and children’s health, including autism, the elimination of violence against women, and the campaign to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. So maybe his interest stems from her interest, her “whispering sweet nothings in his ear”?
That is not the impression that I get. In his own words, Mr. Ban says, “I grew up in war” (Mr. Ban was born in the Republic of Korea (South Korea)) and he knows first hand the destruction and hardship people often endure. He also knows the importance of global help in order to rebuild a nation and its people. But even more key, Mr. Ban recognizes that for a nation to be strong a nation must tend to the care of all of its people and when one or more segments of the population are not thriving, the nation and subsequently the world, cannot thrive.
I am thrilled that I am learning about his plans for global women’s empowerment. I think that it behooves all of us to learn more about the United Nations’ initiatives on women’s empowerment and to see what we each can do to help move these initiatives forward-after all, they will impact us all in one way or another. There is something for everyone to do. For some of us, it will be making financial donations. For others, it may mean becoming involved with one of the many partnering organizations. I think most of us will work in our immediate neighborhoods, towns, cities, states and nations to effect change. There is nothing wrong with that. We are not all called to perform on the global stage as Mr. Ban does, but we are all called to serve.
