Birth Faith

Archive for the ‘Improving your birth’ Category

Enduring a mile (or a centimeter)

By Buscando la luz on Monday, March 26th, 2012 | 2 Comments

After finishing a mile-long run, I recognized that the same things that helped me to navigate the journey of childbirth also helped me to get through that mile (and would probably help me get through a marathon as well, if I ever actually get around to running one). Here’s a play-by-play…

Doula ripples

By Buscando la luz on Wednesday, February 1st, 2012 | No Comments

Did you know that the benefits of having a doula’s assistance don’t end at birth? There are significant ripples that impact a woman, her baby, and her relationship with her baby’s father.

Dolphins and birth plans

By Buscando la luz on Friday, January 20th, 2012 | No Comments

Given how protective I feel of my pregnant and laboring loved ones, I suppose it’s no surprise I grew up with such an affinity for dolphins. I wish I could circle protectively around them throughout their pregnancies and births as the dolphins do. Maybe if I ever start an official doula business, I’ll have a dolphin logo? (Click over to read the full post.)

God takes the pain away?

By Buscando la luz on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012 | 5 Comments

Women’s minds and spirits are more open during pregnancy than perhaps at any other time. As I’ve pondered the power of spiritual meditation over the past few weeks, I have come to feel more and more strongly that it is precisely this type of preparation that most modern women are lacking as they approach childbirth. We read magazines and books about the logistics of pregnancy and childbirth, we may take classes on how to cope with labor through a variety of means, but it is rare to find books or resources for spiritual childbirth preparation. Spiritual meditation far surpasses relaxation and non-spiritual meditation in studies of pain, stress, and anxiety. What a powerful tool most of us are missing! (Click over to read the full post…)

Excerpt from our book

By Buscando la luz on Friday, October 28th, 2011 | No Comments

As we near our book’s release, we have been posting excerpts from the book on our book’s website. The most recent excerpt release was a piece written by yours truly: “Counsel with the Lord.” Here’s a teaser…

Improving fetal monitoring

By Buscando la luz on Thursday, October 27th, 2011 | 1 Comment

My sister emailed me a link to an article about electronic fetal monitoring this morning: “Unnecessary C-sections performed due to fetal heart rate system” from KSL.com. The article explains: “Maternal-fetal medicine specialists believe fetal heart rate patterns may not be a good indicator of a baby’s health, and may lead to such unnecessary interventions and higher health care costs.” I’ve heard this many times before in my own research, so I was glad to see it getting more attention in the mainstream media. While it’s definitely important to ensure our babies are weathering labor well, the current system of monitoring and interpreting eletronic fetal monitor tracings definitely needs to be improved. I blogged about this issue in July of 2009 on my old blog. Here’s a re-post… (click over to read the full post)

Cervical scar tissue and cesareans

By Buscando la luz on Monday, September 12th, 2011 | 30 Comments

And now I’m even more convinced than ever that a large percentage of today’s cesareans and “failed” VBACs are happening as a result of cervical scar tissue. (click over to read the full post)

Baby shower basket essentials

By Buscando la luz on Friday, August 26th, 2011 | 4 Comments

After nearly eight years as a momma, I’ve learned a thing or two. For instance, I’ve learned that a lot of the things on most soon-to-be parents’ baby registries (and in some of their carefully decorated baby nurseries) are non-essential. There are really very few things most new parents/babies need, and some of the best essentials aren’t really available for baby shower presents (boobs, for instance). It has been a while since I attended a baby shower for a first-time momma, but next time I’m invited, here’s what I wish I could afford to load into a pretty basket for her, though I’ll probably settle for just one or two items from the list…

Reducing childbirth pain?

By Buscando la luz on Thursday, June 30th, 2011 | 3 Comments

It has never been easier getting from 0 to 9 centimeters as it was for me during my fourth birth. I couldn’t believe how comfortable I was at 7, 8, 9 centimeters. I’ve thought a lot about that fact over the past four months, wondering… what made the difference? I can really only speculate, but these changes might at least partially explain the reduction of labor pain I experienced… (click over to read the full post).

Healing your home

By Buscando la luz on Saturday, May 14th, 2011 | 5 Comments

So… air pollution. We hear so much about the global warming debate, but we rarely hear about how toxins in our air may be impacting human health and happiness. This subject has been on my mind a lot over the past week, and I felt impressed to do some digging about it. How are those toxins impacting pregnant women and their babies? And how can we protect ourselves? (Click over to read the full post…)

You are what you think

By Buscando la luz on Saturday, April 23rd, 2011 | 3 Comments

Our thoughts can create almost instantaneous physical reactions! How amazing is that?! And how frightening too. It all depends on what you are thinking about. (Click over to read the full post…)

Building a better bond

By Buscando la luz on Saturday, February 19th, 2011 | 13 Comments

As I’ve been preparing for the birth of our fourth child, I have been thinking a lot about that moment immediately following the birth, wondering how I will feel, and hoping I’ll finally be able to experience that sudden, ecstatic, euphoric, intense love for my child that I’ve never previously felt (at least not immediately). At the same time I don’t want to set myself up for disappointment by expecting or hoping for it too much. It’s a tough balance to figure out. (Click over to read the full post…)

I’m ready now

By Buscando la luz on Sunday, February 13th, 2011 | 10 Comments

For weeks whenever anyone has asked me, “Are you so ready for this baby to come?” my immediate response has been an adamant, “No! I wish I had two more months! I’m not ready!” I’ve been nesting for quite awhile and crossing things off my before-the-baby-comes to-do list every day (only to think of more things to add and then cross off), but, beyond the physical preparations for the birth and postpartum period, I haven’t felt an ounce of readiness. Each night as I have gone to bed, wondering whether a birth would be waking me soon, I have felt an overwhelming lack of surety… a feeling that not everything was in place… a yearning for something to bolster me and give me the foundation I need to give birth in peace in confidence. Today it came. (Click over to read the full post…)

Busca’s birthing brew

By Buscando la luz on Saturday, February 5th, 2011 | 9 Comments

As I’ve brainstormed what I wanted to consume in labor over the last few months, I determined that I wanted to include things that would…

* Provide a nutritious energy source
* Help me stay hydrated
* Promote labor progress
* Protect me from hemorrhage

It’s also my plan to drink this concoction every day for the remainder of my pregnancy to prime myself and my baby for the birth process. So I’ve known all along that I also wanted to include ingredients that would help prepare my body and my baby for the journey ahead. (Click over to read the full post.)

Growing, Glowing, and Going: Midwife’s Orders

By Buscando la luz on Monday, January 31st, 2011 | 3 Comments

During our home visit last Thursday, my midwife, Mary, mentioned that the baby is still “really high.” Since two of my births have started with my water breaking, we definitely don’t want the baby’s head high much longer since the cord could easily prolapse. She told me to do lots of walking to coax the baby down into my pelvis. (Click over to read the full post.)

Archive for the ‘Improving your birth’ Category

Enduring a mile (or a centimeter)

Doula ripples

Dolphins and birth plans

God takes the pain away?

Excerpt from our book

Improving fetal monitoring

Cervical scar tissue and cesareans

Baby shower basket essentials

Reducing childbirth pain?

Healing your home

You are what you think

Building a better bond

I’m ready now

Busca’s birthing brew

Growing, Glowing, and Going: Midwife’s Orders

Our Book

Birth Faith’s Greatest Hits

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