WELCOME TO MAY CHOICES!
May's Choices Meeting in Shipley will be an 'ask the expert' special with Independent Midwife Jo Twnham. We will also be joined by Gill Wright, Lotus Seed Process practitioner. Come along for tea, biscuits, advice, support and chat.
If you can't make it along to Choices this month and you would like us to send you your own FREE copy of The Little Book of Birth, email your address to angelina@aquabirths.co.uk
The session will be held on Tuesday 10 May at the home of Aquabirths, 89 Bradford Road, Shipley, BD18 3BX, starting at 7.30pm. Mums and Dads to be, parents, doulas, midwives and any other interested parties are welcome. There is no need to book and we just ask for a small donation to cover refreshments. Please come along. The more the merrier.
"I would like to thank you very, very much for confirming that a home birth was the right choice. Nick and I came along to one of your Choices meetings last November and we had a fabulous birth experience on Christmas Eve with the arrival of Imogen!"
(Caroline Kindy)
STOP PRESS * DON'T MISS THIS EVENT*
Aquabirths are delighted to be sponsoring the inaugural
NCT Bump Baby and Beyond Fair in Skipton
Saturday 21 May 2011
FREE ENTRY - FREE PARKING - FREE ENTERTAINMENT
Over 70 exhibitors including childcare providers, baby and children products, pampering and therapies, toys, activities for babies and toddlers, and many, many more! - a fabulous shopping experience!
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Support for every stage - whether you are thinking about having a baby, are pregnant, have just had a baby or have a toddler - lots for you and your family!
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Free trials/demos so that you can try before you buy or sign up
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Seminars/talks on the issues that matter to you
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Free entertainment for babies and toddlers (and mums, dads, grandparents, friends...)
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NCT Table Top Sale - bag a bargain!
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Free goody bag for the first 500 visitors!
AND FANTASTIC PRIZES!!!
Come and say "Hello" to us on the Aquabirths Stall.
See you there!
In this Choices Mailing
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NEW Birth Story - Airedale Mums' first Community Pool Scheme Birth
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THE LOTUS SEED PROCESS
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Comment - FREE RANGE BIRTH
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ONE WORLD BIRTH
The Lotus Seed Process - intro by Gill Wright
Getting pregnant is a huge duality; it is the most exciting thing in the world and the most scary. We help you get through the scary part so you can be 100% behind conception. This dramatically increases your chances of an easy conception, pregnancy, and delivery.
We all know how much baggage our well meaning parents, family, and friends saddle us with. How much do you want to give your kids?
What is your ideal life for your child? With the Lotus Seed Process we can help you achieve that ideal. We can help prepare you as you prepared your home. Prepare yourself because you are about to be the most important person in the entire world to someone very special.
To discover how The Lotus Seed Process can help you through pregnancy and birth, come along to the Choices meeting on Tuesday 10 May to meet Gill Wright - one of only 5 certified Lotus Seed Process Specialist in the UK or call Gill on 07985 584 267 or email gill@thelotusseedprocess.com
New Birth Story on our Website!
We are delighted to be celebrating the FIRST EVER AIREDALE MUMS COMMUNITY POOL SCHEME WATER BABY!
Sophia May was born on 18 March to proud Mum Leanne Jaques.
Here Leanne shares her Birth Story:
"The birth of Sophia May on 18 March 2011 was the most amazing experience of my life! It all began at 6am with cramp in my leg and waters breaking on getting out of bed.
By 9am my husband and Doula, Ruth Kitcher (highly recommended) were filling the pool and after a short walk, surges were coming thick and fast. The next hour I spent over my gym ball using breathing techniques and banging my legs/ feet against the floor (birth skills book). My lounge was dark with candles, fairy lights and I listened to a hypnobirthing cd and other relaxing music. I was also sipping water with arnica.
At 10am my midwife arrived. I was quickly examined before diving into the pool (not literally!) which was bliss!
I couldn’t believe how quickly and easily everything progressed and soon I felt urges to bear down.
Sophia’s head emerged in the water and it was amazing to feel her full head of hair!
Soon after I knew she was going to be born and with one last push she swam up to the surface to meet us!
Our new baby was soon feeding and my placenta came away in the pool without intervention.
Everything was perfect and I want to share my story with as many people as possible to help them get the birth they are dreaming of!!"
Read more Birth Stories and Testimonials HERE
COMMENT - FREE RANGE BIRTH
Why Choosing “Free Range” Labor May Make Birth Easier
Women should be wary of “routine” policies that confine women to bed, increase
risk for injury - content from LLamaze International, Washington DC.
Close your eyes and imagine a woman in labor. If you picture the
scene as it occurs regularly in movies, on television and in hospitals
everywhere, you probably see her lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV
and wearing belts around her belly to continuously monitor the baby’s heartbeat
and the contractions. Her “range” is limited to a few square feet.
What’s wrong with this picture? A lot, according to research.
“The best way to keep your baby moving down and out is to keep your own body in
motion.” said Marilyn Curl, CNM, MSN, LCCE, FACCE and president of Lamaze
International. “Being confined to bed, tethered to monitors and IVs,
interferes with the body’s ability to move the baby through the pelvic bones
and down the birth canal.”
Many hospitals have routine protocols like continuous fetal monitoring that
limit movement and the use of epidurals commonly requires confinement in bed.
Researchers have examined published studies that compared policies that
encouraged movement during labor with policies that restricted movement.
The conclusions show that the policies which encourage women to walk, move around,
or change positions during labor may help women experience:
* less severe pain
* less need for pain medications, such as epidurals and narcotics
* shorter labors
* less continuous monitoring
* fewer cesarean surgeries
* lower likelihood for an episiotomy and use of vacuum extraction or forceps
Why does movement during labor have these effects? Staying upright during
labor means that gravity can aid the body’s natural efforts, which let the
pelvic bones open as much as possible. Women who are laying on their backs
confined in bed lose this advantage, which increases the likelihood that the
baby will be unable to navigate through the pelvic bones.
“It's frustrating to see women routinely put on their backs and confined to bed
and then be told that they 'failed to progress' or that the baby 'didn't fit'
through their pelvis when a simple move into an upright position could easily
resolve both situations,” said Marylou Carrico Tietz, LCCE, FACCE, a Lamaze
childbirth educator from Bethesda, Md. and president of the Washington, D.C.
chapter of Lamaze International. “Women need to be encouraged to listen to
their bodies in labor and question routine hospital policies that may slow
their progress.”
Lamaze educators find that many women also report that movement during labor is
an effective pain management tool, reducing pressure on the lower back,
increasing space within the pelvis and allowing for an easier descent. Tietz
continued, "The mother's movement throughout labor can help ease the baby
through tight spots in their journey to being born. The easier it is on the
baby, the easier it tends to be for the mother as well."
The best ways to avoid unnecessary confinement to bed include:
* Choose a care provider who supports “mobile moms” – If they express support,
put their answer to the test and ask what percentage of their patients end up
staying up and mobile during labor.
* Know the facts on fetal monitoring – In low-risk mothers, research shows that
occasional checks of the baby’s heart rate are just as safe as constant
monitoring.
* Know the facts about epidurals – The benefits are well known, but also
consider the possible drawbacks. Switching positions can help get babies
“un-stuck” but an epidural will render you mostly immobile.
* Choose the right support – A doula or labor support person who will help you
stay moving and can “negotiate” with your care provider or nurses, as needed.
They can also help you manage each and every contraction.
* Use a birthing ball when you need a rest – Remember that you may need to
bring your own, since many hospitals still don’t support women laboring in
upright positions.
* Stay upright during the pushing phase too – Many care providers will “let”
mothers walk or sit up during the dilation phase, but will put them on their
back or bottoms during the pushing phase. These positions shrink the pelvis
and make it harder to push the baby out.
* Don’t be afraid to insist – It is difficult to go against hospital routine,
but remember that many hospital routines are in place for the comfort and
convenience of staff, not the health and safety of you and your baby. The
easier the birth is for you and your baby, the better the chances of a safe and
healthy outcome for both of you.
Avoiding unnecessary medical intervention is part of Lamaze’s Six Healthy Birth
Practices. Based on recommendations by the World Health Organization and
backed by extensive research that supports a woman’s natural ability to give
birth, these 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
To learn more about the Lamaze Six Healthy Birth Practices, please enroll in a Lamaze childbirth education class and visit www.lamaze.org/healthybirthpractices
ONE WORLD BIRTH - join the global community
The makers of Doula! and Real Birth Stories have unveiled their latest film project and want to include YOU in their community.
"I am all the time getting evidence of the activity that's building up, the swirling commitment that women have that they really inspire the women of the future." Sheila Kitzinger
http://www.oneworldbirth.com/
One World Birth is more than just a one-off film, it is an ongoing "living" documentary that keeps its finger firmly on the pulse of what is happening with birth all around the world.
Most importantly, however, it is a growing online community of birth professionals and all those who have a deep passion for birth. All with one goal in mind: to make birth better and safer for all women around the world. The key element of One World Birth is the community of like-minded people who are fighting for change. Visit the site and add yourself to their email list to join the online community. We want to bring together the passionate individuals all around the world to create a body of strength so powerful that it will help bring about this change.
If you haven't already seen it, please click on this link to watch the preview trailer featuring Ina May Gaskin, Michel Odent, Sheila Kitzinger, Elizabeth Davis, Cathy Warwick (Royal College of Midwives) and lots more.
News and Views
We gets lots and lots of things sent to us for Choices. We can't include them all in their entirety, so here are some links for more interesting articles/ reading etc that has come our way this month:
1) Help, Support and Further Reading relating to induction of labour. NICE guidlines are poublished HERE. Also, an aritcle entitled A TIMELY BIRTH by Gail Hart, which you can read in full on Midwifery Today HERE is very useful for Mums-to-be who feel they may have to 'go into battle' over due dates and unwanted induction.
2) Save our NHS - update from 38 Degrees: "Here's what the Chief Political Correspondent at Sky News has said about it last week: "I can reveal that the Tory wobble is the result of a lobbying campaign by a pressure group called 38 Degrees, which has launched an internet petition which already has more than 252,000 signatures." That's us! Now we need to decide what we should do next to save the NHS. Please answer a few quick questions here: http://www.38degrees.org.uk/up-the-pressure
3) Changes to EU regulations regarding Herbal Remedies came into effect on 1 May meaning that many traditional medicines will be banned. Reaf the Guardian's article on the impace of the changes HERE and if you want to add your name to the voice of protest, you can sign the online petition HERE
Dates for Your Diary
1) Natural Immunity and Vaccinations Meeting. Sunday 22nd May at 3.30pm in East Keswick. The meeting will be an informal discussion and a good way for parents interested in these topics to get together and meet like-minded people. For further information, email Olivia at oliviabrabbs@googlemail.com
2) Post-Natal Depression Workshop - Monday 23 May, 10am - 12noon, Kirkgate Community Centre, Shipley. Many people experience Post-Natal Depression but feel fearful to seek support. This event aims to raise awareness, share experiences and make real changes in the services and support to those effected. For more information contact HALE on 01274 271 008
Find Local Support - Groups in Yorkshire
Bradford Choices is the 2nd Tuesday of the month, beginning at 7.30pm. This month's meeting on 10 May and is an 'ask the expert' Special with IM Jo Tywnam. At the home of Aquabirths (and the Weston family) 89 Bradford Road Shipley, BD18 3BX. You can call Ruth on tel. 07824 990 345 / 01274 532111 for more information and directions.
NEW GROUP! Huddersfield Birth Support Group meet on the third Thursday of the month at the home of Karen Himendra, 58 Longcroft, Almondbury, HD5 8XW. A small, friendly, informal group - come along for help, advice and support on the services available for Mums-to-be in Huddersfield area. Call Karen on 07702 706711 for directions. New members very welcome.
NEW GROUP! Calderdale Home Birth Support Group meet every six weeks. Find them on Facebook HERE
Leeds and Bradford Caesarean and VBAC Support Group. A 'peer' support group for women and their partners and children who are considering caesarean, who have had a caesarean and want to disucss their emotions relating to their experience, for women planning another baby or already pregnant and wondering about their options and choices to birth normally next time around. Click HERE to go to their Facebook Page.
Harrogate Homebirth Support Group. 3rd Sunday of the month, 10.30am - 12noon at the home of Jennifer Speight. Next meeting 20 June. Email: homebirthharrogate@gmail.com
Calderdale Choices is hosted and facilitated by independent midwife Susan Stephenson. Sue also runs antenatal classes. Call her on 01422 825593
NEW VENUE! - Beechtree, Moor Road, LS6 4DB Leeds Choices is known as Leeds Homebirth Group and runs the second Sunday morning of the month, facilitated by Doula Hannah Robertson and IM Debs Neiger. There are toys and the room is child friendly. Donations are requested to help cover the cost of the room and refreshments. Call Hannah on 07909 835 327 for info and directions.
Manchester Homebirth Group. Contact Jo Hawkesford on 0161 439 8505 or 07807 189562 or email: jo.hawkesford@hotmail.co.uk.
Wakefield Choices. Contact Hypnotherapist Sue Nicol for more information on 0779 149 8314
Choices in York is known as the local homebirth group for women and their partners who want a home birth or are thinking about it and want more info. Other birth choices are discussed, ie 3rd stage/ Vit k, induction / water/ tens/ hypnobirthing. The York contact is Alison Goodwin 01904 799097. Generally the meetings are held on the first Monday of the month.
Sheffield HomeBirth Group go to http://www.sheffieldhomebirth.org.uk or contact Michelle Barnes mmmbarnes@blueyonder.co.uk
La Leche League Ilkely - Ist Friday of the month. Lower Hall, Christchurch, The Grove, Ilkley
La Leache League, Shipley - 3rd Friday of the month. 10am - 12noon. 89 Bradford Road, Shipley, BD18 3BX
If you want to dip into Choices news in the mean time and share the life a campaigning Mum then check into bornstroppy.wordpress.com or take a look at Ruth's Scrapbook at www.aquabirthsathome.co.uk
Aquabirths At Home and Little Birth Kits are now on Facebook. Please "like" our pages, by following the link below
Aquabirths At Home Facebook Page
Little Birth Kits Facebook Page
Please also join to Campaign on Facebook to get them to stop censoring images of childbirth and breastfeeding HERE
Final Thought:
For all those technophobes out there:
THE COMPUTER SWALLOWED GRANDMA
The computer swallowed grandma.
Yes, honestly its true!
She pressed 'control' and 'enter'
And disappeared from view.
It devoured her completely,
The thought just makes me squirm.
She must have caught a virus
Or been eaten by a worm.!
I've searched through the recycle bin
And files of every kind;
I've even used the Internet,
But nothing did I find.
In desperation, I asked Jeeves
My searches to refine.
The reply from him was negative,
Not a thing was found 'online.'
So, if inside your 'Inbox,'
My Grandma you should see,
Please 'Copy,''Scan' and 'Paste' her
And send her back to me.
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