The Midwives Of New Jersey
Serving Women, Honoring Birth
Why Avoiding the First Cesarean Matters When thinking about how and where to give birth, many families focus on the immediate experience such as pain relief options, who will be in the room, and how the baby will be cared for. But the decisions made in a first birth can have long-term consequences that stretch …
The Definition of a Doula The word “doula” comes from the ancient Greek meaning “a woman who serves” and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during …
5 Last Minute Ways to Avoid a Cesarean Birth 1. Carb Load in Early Labor Labor is incredibly hard work and your body needs fuel. Think of your labor like running a marathon. As you start to feel contractions or when your water breaks, eat plenty of carbohydrate foods, you will store Glycogen in your …
Labor is uncomfortable. Women in general are very frightened of the pain associated with labor. This fear keeps many women from even considering natural childbirth. Women who often refrain from taking any medication at all their entire pregnancy will allow very strong medications injected into their epidural space for their delivery. Even when they know …
Many families today are seeking a more natural, empowering, and low-intervention birth experience. A major benefit of choosing a birth center birth, is a significantly lower risk of cesarean section. Cesarean section rates tend to be significantly higher in hospitals compared to birth centers. National data shows that cesarean rates in accredited birth centers are …
When trying to avoid surgical birth, a woman must consider that the longer she is under the care of medical professionals, the more likely she is to experience intervention in her labor and birth. Most mothers and their partners head for the hospital at the first sign of labor. This is generally true because she …
When avoiding Cesarean section, mothers need to promote a progressing labor. One of the things that help labor move along is starting the contractions with the baby in an optimal fetal position. Once a woman is in her 3rd trimester, she can ask her provider what position her baby is in. Identifying a baby who …
A woman must prioritize optimal dietary choices for more reasons than just avoiding a surgical birth. An excellent pregnancy diet is the single best choice a mother can make for herself and her baby because her diet impacts her own body and mind, her placenta, and her baby’s current and future health. How Weight Gain …
Alternative medicine therapies like chiropractic, acupuncture and massage should be considered when working to decrease cesarean risk. These alternative medicine therapies are very safe in pregnancy and promote wellness and comfort throughout the childbearing year. Chiropractic Medicine Chiropractors believe that the cause of much illness and pain is the inability for the nerves, coming through …
Consider Psychological Roadblocks That Might Keep You From Laboring Normally Women rarely consider that their minds can prevent their bodies from performing as they are able. But psychological roadblocks are as much of a problem as a big baby or a smaller pelvis. A woman may never relax enough to let the instinctual part of …
There is no doubt that exercising during pregnancy can be difficult to accomplish. You are TIRED, so very TIRED! You just want to sleep. It is hard to take a walk when every step makes you want to puke. And it is really hard to even move when your sciatic nerve is acting up. With …
Are Birthing Classes Worth it? In the current climate of obstetrics, it is incredibly important to enter your birth informed and empowered. Childbirth education classes are not necessary to have a baby but birth is much less scary when you know what to expect. A woman who has actively sought knowledge throughout her pregnancy will …
Make Informed Choices about Birth Providers and Birthing Facilities One of a couple’s first and most important choices to make, once they have conceived, is in choosing their care provider. All providers of prenatal and childbirth care are not equal. Before heading off to the first person found on the internet, a couple should understand …
Evidence tells us that the events surrounding a conception can affect the outcomes of the pregnancy, birth and mother and baby’s health for a lifetime. When planning a vaginal birth, begin by planning the pregnancy with a preconception birth plan. An unhealthy conception can result in problems that will impact the delivery. Things like fetal …
“Once a low-risk woman has a cesarean delivery, she will never have a low-risk pregnancy again.” (source? Lisa is this your own quote?) The origin of this series of posts about avoiding Cesarean birth dates back 17 years. The reason I’m writing about avoiding Cesareans hasn’t changed; there were too many before, and there are …
