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My Experience With Natural Childbirth, Part 2

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There are many different ways to cope with the pain of childbirth. When it comes to a drug free birth, you have your choice of Lamaze, the Bradley Method, acupuncture, hypnosis, yoga, meditation, walking, massage, taking a bath or shower, or distracting yourself. I largely credit my ability to cope with the pain of childbirth to two things: prayer and the Bradley Method. I had taken a childbirth class through the hospital that loosely followed the Lamaze method, focusing on patterned breathing and relaxation. A few weeks before I gave birth to my son, however, we enjoyed dinner and conversation … Continue reading →

Single Parents and Childbirth Classes

I often write about single parenthood from the perspective of someone who has been at it for a long time, because I have. I don’t often think about what it is like for those who are just starting out or may, in fact, be pregnant with a child and going through that pregnancy as a single parent—whether by choice or evolution of circumstances. Those childbirth classes are often a single parent’s first experience into the world of feeling like and “outsider.” Here are some tips for making the most and the best of childbirth preparation classes as a single expectant … Continue reading →

The Importance of Pregnancy Support Groups

If you’re pregnant and feeling uncertain, or even if you feel great about pregnancy/childbirth, I still have an important recommendation: try to find a support group.  Not necessarily one called “pregnancy support group,” but try to find a group of other veteran, new, or expecting moms to spend time with. The support that’s offered just from spending time with others in the same boat, or who have been through it recently, is invaluable.  A lot of the weird things about pregnancy can be less alarming if you have others to talk about them with, who can say: “oh yes, that … Continue reading →

Should You Create A Birth Plan?

Should you create a birth plan?  It can be a helpful tool for making your wishes known both to your healthcare provider and the labor & delivery staff, but it also seems a little silly to plan something like one’s labor: after all, if we could control it, we would all have easy births. When I first heard about birth plans, I decided that they weren’t for me.  I’m a very Type A person; I get stressed if even my silliest of plans get messed up, if they’re ones I’m excited about.  Trying to plan my baby’s birth, and everything … Continue reading →

Why the High Maternal Mortality Rate in America?

Women in America more likely to die during childbirth than they are in most other developed nations. Despite our advanced health care and all the money spent on health care in America, why are so many women still dying as a result of childbirth related complications? There are many theories out there, and many point to the obesity epidemic in the US. Obesity significantly increases the risks of childbirth complications. Over a third of Americans over the age of 20 are obese. Obesity is defined by having a BMI of 30 or more. For a person that is 5′ 9″, … Continue reading →

Labor Pains (The Movie)

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I just got done watching the ABC Family Sunday night movie starring Lindsay Lohan. “Labor Pains” tells the story of an irresponsible secretary named Thea who works at a publishing firm and blurts out she is expecting when her boss tries to fire her, thinking it will save her job. It does, but the lie forces Thea to fake a pregnancy for the next two months! The lie grows bigger and bigger and so does her belly, thanks to the foam pregnant bellies she has been stealing from the maternity store. Throughout the movie, Thea and her boss are putting … Continue reading →