Olympic Water Birth

The Many Benefits of Water

Rebecca Addlington, Olympic and Gold winning freestyle swimming has announced she wants a water birth.


With so many benefits of water its hardly surprising that more and more women are re-considering there options for birth. The warmth and buoyancy of a birthing pool is such a relaxing way to birth and perfectly compliments hypnosis for birth.

As Beverley Turner puts it "Water can do so much for you in labour, taking away gravity so you feel really comfortable, and giving natural pain relief, because as you relax things tend to hurt less. Many women who birth in water also say that it makes them feel safe, protected, and in their own special zone."


To read more about attitudes and benefits of water birth please see:

waters-great-for-swimming-but-would-you-give-birth-in-it

What is Shiatsu?

 

Shiatsu in Pregnancy & Labour

I must admit, before I met the lovely Hannah Mackay, I had little idea about what Shiatsu actually was.

The first thing that sprang to mind was a small fluffy handbag dog.

So, What is Shiatsu?

"Shiatsu is a physical therapy that supports and strengthens the body’s natural ability to heal and balance itself.

It works on the whole person - not just a physical body, but also a psychological, emotional and spiritual being.

Shiatsu originated in Japan from traditional Chinese medicine, with influences from more recent Western therapies.

Although shiatsu means ‘finger pressure’ in Japanese, in practise a practitioner uses touch, comfortable pressure and manipulative techniques to adjust the body’s physical structure and balance its energy flow.

It is a deeply relaxing experience and regular treatments can alleviate stress and illness and maintain health and well-being." Shiatsu Society.

Shiatsu can be used:

• Relax and engergise
• Help connect with your baby
• Reduce Nausea
• Reduce Back Pain
• Help reduce Pelvic Pain (SPD - Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction)
• Induce labour if you are overdue
• Decrease pain in childbirth
• Help with breastfeeding
• Post-natal: Help release birth trauma

Shiatsu Practitioners can vary in experience and knowledge when it comes to pregnancy and birth, so if you are interested in using shiatsu for pregnancy, birth & postnatal care - check out www.wellmother.org

Hannah Mackay is one of the leading Pregnancy and Birth Shiatsu Practitioners in the North West. For more information please see: Hannah Mackay - Shiatsu

12 Top Fears in Childbirth

Here's a link to an article in Pregnancy Beat by Charlotte Sanchez (CPM) - a Certified Professional Midwife and Childbirth Educator. It lists some of the top fears in childbirth. Perhaps you recognise some of them as your own?






Charlotte lists...

• A fear of not making it to the hospital in time or arriving too early in labor.
• A fear your doctor or midwife may not be available when labor starts and you end up with someone different.
• A fear your birth plan will not be taken seriously or totally disregarded. 
• A fear of feeling unbearable pain.
• A fear of being confined to a hospital bed unable to stand or walk. 
• A fear of receiving unnecessary interventions without an alternative such as episiotomy.
• A fear of having accidental body function such as urination, bowel movement or vomiting.
• A fear of the umbilical cord being around the neck of the baby.
•  A fear of receiving interventions that will lead to fetal distress.
• A fear of fetal distress that ends with a cesarean delivery.
• A fear of being separated from your baby or being prevented to bond properly.
• A fear of death of the baby during labor and birth.

It's good to try to address and learn as much about these fears before birth, so that you and your birth partner can feel confident during your birthing experience. Knowledge is power!

Top Birth Fears

Natal Hypnotherapy™

The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Someone told me the other day about someone she met on a train in Preston who had followed Hypnobirthing. Apparently the Hypnobirthing Mum-to-be was asked by the midwife to stop hypnosis as the pain was needed for her own safety. I'm not a midwife and I'm not medically trained so if anyone else could shed some light onto these comments I would appreciate it!

Hypnosis is a natural form of pain control. I think maybe medical staff who don't know about it might feel a little threatened if they are out of their depth? It is common for medical staff to be caught out by a birthing mother who is so calm and contented that the medical staff don't realise how imminent birth is!!

Going back to the train lady. If pain was a measure to keep her safe, what would happen if she had pethedine or an epidural? I wish I had more information!

I think midwives in general are becoming more accepting to 'alternative' methods of pain relief. Natal Hypnotherapy™ has actually just received accreditation from the Royal College of Midwives, so there shouldn't be any issue about using Natal Hypnotherapy™ techniques. I think the more midwives that see the results of a Natal Hypnotherapy™ birth can only be a good thing, restoring their faith in the abilities of women they attend to.

Natal Hypnotherapy™ doesn't guarantee a pain free labour, but is more about how women are able to manage the experience. In the following article midwife Mary McCallan at Altnegelvin Hospital, Northern Ireland discusses her experiences of Natal Hypnotherapy™ from a personal and professional perspective.

I Love Labour

Natal Hypnotherapy™ Blackpool