Natural Pregnancy Project

Birth Day by Dr Mark Sloan is an interesting book about childbirth. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it when I started, but found myself very intrigued and captivated as I got deeper into the book.

Dr. Sloan is a pediatrician and in the book Birth Day he explores the science and the history behind childbirth. I was quite amazed at some of the interesting history behind our current state of childbirth. I also like Dr. Sloan’s voice in the book. He’s not only a man, and a doctor, but frequently speaks of his early experiences with childbirth, not only as a training physician but as a father.

The history of childbirth is quite interesting, and the changes from it being generally done at home with female assistance to almost always in the hospital as it is today came from some surprising sources.  The women’s movement not only changed the workplace, but the way we give birth as well.

Options for pain relief is covered quite nicely in this book, and the history of pain relief during childbirth has a pretty long and sometimes sordid history. Did you know that chloroform was used to help the Queen of England give birth ~ much to the chagrin of most of the medical establishment of the time.

This book is filled with interesting information, it also features a light hearted writing style that makes the information easy to process and read. The personal anecdotes really help to bring messages home, and make the entire book much more relatable.

If you are interested in childbirth I recommend reading this book. I certainly learned a ton while I was reading it.

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If you are birthing in a hospital setting chances are dramatically increased that you can end up with a Cesarean Section. Here are some things you can do to prevent a Cesarean and Avoid a repeat Cesarean.

• Avoid the first medical intervention
• Prepare yourself by reading as much as you can about natural childbirth before your birth day
• Exercise throughout your pregnancy
• Learn about possible medical interventions and their consequences
• Remember women have been giving birth naturally for centuries
• Take one contraction at a time
• Do whatever YOU need to do to get through your labor ~ go with it instead of fight against it
• Remember that VBAC is very safe
• Deal with fears, both conscious and unconscious, before your birth day
• Practice visualization techniques BEFORE your birth day
• Remember to lean on the people attending your birth
• Learn different positions to help with birth and pain ahead of time
• Tune into your inner strength when labor gets tough
• Remain clear about your needs and rights
• Have a labor coach that is willing to stand up for your birth plan
• Remember you can create the kind of birth environment YOU want
• Think about the baby with each contraction
• Take childbirth classes to help you prepare
• Eat healthy, nutritious foods throughout pregnancy
• Create a birth plan, and be prepared to stick to it
• Have a doula attend your birth
• Learn how to manage stress before giving birth (and practice the techniques you learned)
• Choose a caregiver with a low cesarean rate
• Join a VBAC support group
• Stay out of the bed as much as possible during labor
• Clear past birth experiences from your mind
• Understand your beliefs about yourself and your birth will determine the course of labor
• Identify the beliefs and attitudes you bring with you to your birth
• Develop positive attitudes toward giving birth naturally
• Use massage during labor
• Think about how lucky your baby is going to be to be born naturally
• Think about how much quicker you will heal and better you will feel after giving birth
• Use as little energy as possible during each contraction
• Tune into your body during labor
• Choose a doctor who believes in natural childbirth as much as you do

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If you are out there feeling a little lost and alone as a soon to be mom don’t be. There are tons of other women out there who are going through the same things as you.

Here’s a great post that will give you 100 places you can connect with other moms or get information from.  It’s a great collection of sites you will find very helpful. This is an amazing resource for moms to be.

Click here to see 100 best health blogs for soon to be parents

Here are a few of my very favorites from the list:

The Childbirth Connection

The Lactivist

Spinning Babies

Here’s a couple of my favorites that didn’t make the list:

Breastfeeding Moms Unite

Kelly Mom (this is where I got a lot of my initial information when I was first pregnant)

Enjoy the 100 health blogs and the couple extras from me.

Just remember ~

Don’t let 100 new sites to look at get your overwhelmed. Not all sites will feel good to you. Just keep the ones that feel good and fit your idea of parenting, pregnancy and childbirth and let the rest go.

You are the ONLY expert on YOUR pregnancy ~ stay strong, enjoy your pregnancy and if you have any sites that the 100 blog post missed or I missed, leave them below in the comments.

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