Beth's Blog (9)

Conscious parenting begins long before that special day where you finally hold your precious baby in your arms. You instinctively know that there are certain actions that you must undertake in order to reassure your growing infant. In fact, you have been communicating your love for your child every time you caressed your belly in response to her flutters and kicks, each time you had your partner read the Dr. Seuss classic Oh, The Places You’ll Go into your navel and even by eating healthy foods… Continue

A birth plan is a great way to communicate to your care provider the desires and needs you have surrounding your upcoming birth. It is also an excellent way to encourage discussion between yourself, your birth partner, your family and anyone else who will be involved in your special day. If you are having a homebirth, make sure that you also create a birth plan outlining what considerations you would like made in the case of a transfer of care to a hospital setting. Things To Include In Your… Continue

Eutherial mammals (including humans) and sharks all pass placentas after giving birth to their young. While we share many things in common with our animal bretheren; such as seeking out a dark, quiet space in which to labour, surrounding ourselves with experienced individuals or withdrawing to be in private and wanting to be near our babies - there is at least one way in which most people are different from animals: we generally don't eat our placentas (a practice known as placentophagy). Tradi… Continue

his evening, I had the pleasure of watching an extraordinary DVD about natural childbirth called Birth As We Know It.Released by The Sentient Circle, it is a film directed by "Conscious Birth" co-creator Elena Tonetti-Vladimirova. As a doula and a birth junkie, I have seen a lot of movies and television shows about childbirth. Thanks to the popularity of reality t.v. and the Western world's obsession with knowing the most intimate details of celebrity life; many of us can compare our exp… Continue

t used to be that when your wife went into labour, you drove her to the hospital and then retired either to the hospital waiting room to sip bad coffee or to the local pub to gulp a few pints of ale. When it was all over, you would sit at your wife's bedside, where she would be pleasantly coiffed and wearing her pearls and lipstick. She would show you your new baby - bathed and diapered, tucked into the cradle of her arm. Suddenly, a revolution erupted. Men wanted to be more involved in their p… Continue

I was pleased to read this article this morning about Ina May Gaskin (a famous lay midwife from Tennessee who has helped to revitalize the popularity of midwifery in North America) and to learn that she is in the process of making a film - Orgasmic Birth. Pioneering midwife touts 'orgasmic birth' Some women can experience a sort of birth ecstasy, says Ina May Gaskin The Associated Press updated 2:00 p.m. ET, Sun., Feb. 24, 2008

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I have had a few people ask me lately, "How will I know when I am really in labour?" Care providers (including doulas!) are often guilty of simply replying, "Oh, you'll know." Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of way to determine whether or not your baby is on its way? Well, look no further: Am I In Labour? During those last few days of pregnancy, it is not uncommon to wonder if every little twinge is “The Big Event”. You may also worry that you will not know that you… Continue

Many of us are familiar with the story of The Little Engine That Could - the little train who struggled against the odds to chug his way up to the top of a great big hill. The other trains laughed at him and told him that he would fail, but The Little Engine kept saying, "I think I can! I think I can!" - and finally, from the top of the hill, he got to say, "I knew I could do it!" Pregnancy is a very special time - it is a moment in our lives that is filled with potential. Women and their partn… Continue

Welcome to my Midwifery Network Online blog! Posts here will be taken from the blog on my doula website over at http://www.freewebs.com/bethmurch. I invite your questions and comments. May your journeys be blessed and may the fruits of your hands bring peace and love. Beth Continue