First I have got to say that I’m delighted to be writing this post. For the longest time, homebirth really wasn’t an option on my area so I didn’t do a lot of talking about it. But lately with the advent of more midwifes this is becoming a really viable […]
Birth
64 posts
As sometimes requested, here is the recipe for Groaning Cake from Ami McKay, author of The Birth House. Her moving novel is set in Nova Scotia, in eastern Canada, and portrays the turf war and philosophical divide between traditional homebirth midwives and physicians in the early 20th century, a story […]
In my prenatal yoga class, I am often asked if there are specific yoga postures that would be good to do use during labour. The answer is a resounding yes. There are quite a few really great yoga postures and movements that bring more comfort and ease to the birthing […]
Marie here – today’s article is a guest’s post is by my friend Yael Quittner of A Mother’s Instinct in New York city. She is an experienced hypnobirthing instructor, hypnotherpist and ultrasound sonographer. Today she will share with you a wonderful way to reflect and decide on the type of […]
I am reading “The Brain That Changes Itself” and thought this bit is very relevant to the work we do. I know it is long, but very interesting I thought. “According to Ramachandran, pain like the body image, is created by the brain and projected onto the body. This assertion […]
Most of you have heard me going on and on about the power of oxytocin in healing, bonding and labour. As you might recall, oxytocin is the “love hormone,” but it is also referred to as the “anti-stress” hormone. This morning I was sitting at home enjoying a quiet moment […]
“Add as much cayenne as you can handle, put on your coat and boots and get ready to meet that baby of yours!” The amount of cayenne in this recipe may look like a lot, but the cream and chocolate subdue it, making for a kick of spice and an […]
It is heart warming to hear of more and more breech vaginal births. Recently a first-time mother (a HypnoBirthing mother attended by her doula) made the news in Ottawa. Early Tuesday morning, April 13 Lily was birthed with her mother on her hands and knees. This is an unusual position […]
Here are some options so that in the event of medical intervention and surgical birth you can promote a calmer and more positive experience. We know natural birth is healthy for us and our children. But we also know that in some situations medical intervention outweighs the risk of a […]
Can something you eat actually cause labor to begin? For more than twenty years, women have gone to Scalini’s Italian restaurant in Cobb County, Georgia, with one thing on their minds: To go into labor. They always order the Eggplant Parmesan, which, so far, has helped encourage more than 300 […]
Here are several abstracts on the antibacterial properties of vernix. There’s a good reason why babies should not be bathed right away after birth. The power of vernix is truly astounding. Its main benefits are its various antimicrobial properties, which help protect a newborn against a wide variety of infections. […]
The other night one of my hypnobirthing couples asked me about the breast crawl. They thought that when their daughter is born, they would simply put baby to breast immediately, and that that would help her start breastfeeding faster, and therefore helping the placenta to come out faster. However they […]
This is the second in a series of articles exploring symbols as they pertain to pregnancy and birth. If you’re not already a symbolism junkie, get ready to be a convert! If you missed the first issue on symbolism, you can still find it on my blog. Further to last […]
This is the first in a series of articles exploring symbols as they pertain to pregnancy and birth. If you’re not already a symbolism junkie, get ready to be a convert! Read on to discover how easily you can use the power of form as you deepen your hypnobirthing practice. […]
Sometimes this question of what to wear in labor comes up in my hypnobirthing class. I often suggest that women watch to see what women wore in the videos – hospital gowns, bra tops, towels, big t-shirts, bath robes, nothing at all, or whatever appeals at the time… And when […]