I
will be leaving for Spain on June 8th. I have a couple births coming up
between now and then and am willing to take one more. However, I am
slowing down a bit and will not be offering the free classes or
meditations in the next few months because I am so busy organizing
Barbara Harper's (internationally renown midwife, for you non-birth
junkies) Waterbirth Workshops that will take place in Spain this June.
It will take place in 4 cities in Spain and they are continuing to fill
up! Very excited about that! You can learn more at www.barbaraharperespana.com
Because of these workshops and my annual visits to Spain I will not be
around for classes or births in June and July (unless you are in Spain,
or want to come with me!). I don't have a return date yet, but will
return for any clients that book with me with due dates around or after
August. The next blog post will be when I have a return
date. Until then I wish you a happy Spring and Summer.
March classes
Please join us for the following FREE classes
Pregnancy Guided Meditation
March 9th
at 5:30-6:30 pm
Come and join us for a calm and relaxing hour in which you
will quiet your mind and turn within, to create a deeper connection and
awareness to your changing body and growing baby.
It is often hard to find a moment to slow down, sit quietly,
listen to your body and your intuition and especially connect to the baby
growing inside you. This guided meditation will provide you with the
opportunity to be present in the moment and enjoy your pregnancy at a deeper
level. Your partner, should he choose to come, can join you in the journey of
the guided meditation and relaxation offering an opportunity to connect with
you and your baby in a more profound way.
Stay after for a short Q&A to discover ways to create
the pregnancy and birth you desire.
Meditations will usually be held on the first Tuesday of the
month at 10 am and on the 2nd Monday of the month at 5:30 pm.
Please be sure to check the schedule for any changes.
Intervention Intelligence Class
March 23rd 6:30-8:30 pm
March 23rd 6:30-8:30 pm
This class will discuss common medical interventions in
pregnancy and labor, as well as newborn procedures. If you plan to give birth
in the hospital you need to know: what interventions are done and what
procedures are followed, why they are done, what the benefits and risks are,
which ones are optional, and how to go about making the best decision for
yourself and your baby. Recognize that you have choices, discover what a
respectful birth is for you, and learn about different philosophies and
techniques for comfortable childbirth. This way you can make informed decisions
and play an active role in your birth experience.
This class will usually be held on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30 pm. Please be sure to check the schedule for any
changes.
LOCATION:
Both classes will be held at The Red Tent in Boca Raton
4838 Northwest Boca Raton Boulevard,
Boca Raton, FL 33431
For more information and to reserve a spot please call 561 808 3142
A wonderful birth!
I have a wonderful birth to share with you and information on classes being held.
I had the pleasure of getting back into the swing of things this new year with one of the most beautiful and sweetest births I have ever had the honor of serving. Luckily it seams that more and more clients are making informed decisions that help them create the birth they want. This last birth was with a repeat client who had a previous difficult hospital birth. With that experience behind them they decided to have a home birth with respectful midwives which lead to a sweet, gentle and fast birth. What does that mean? It means doing what the mother wants, being in the position she wants and were she wants, spontaneous pushing (never told how and and how hard to push), in an upright position as the baby is being born, as the baby gently emerges (no pulling on the head), baby guided into the mother's arms by the mother's hands, while leaning on dad, no suction, no hat, placenta is birthed on its own, the the cord is cut with no hurry, skin to skin, low lights, and taking a moment to take it all in. It truly is so beautiful to witness such a miracle, I feel so blessed!In addition to accompanying women and their partner's in pregnancy and birth I feel it is very important to create a good foundation for a relaxing and trusting birth. That is one of the reasons I enjoy offering pregnancy meditation and childbirth education classes, to help women create that foundation for the birth they want.
We had our first guided meditation on February 3rd, with the company of some lovely pregnant women. In the Childbirth Education tab are the classes and meditations offered the rest of this month. You can also register here. I hope you can join us and that you help us get the word out to help create even more loving births!
As always, thank you for your love and support,
Zeresh, CD, CBE, M.Ed.
561-808-3142
zeresh@alovingbirth.com
www.alovingbirth.com
FREE Classes!
Please join us for the following FREE classes
February 3rd
at 10:00-11:00 am
February 17th
at 5:30-6:30 pm
Pregnancy Guided Meditation
Come and join us for a calm and relaxing hour in which you
will quiet your mind and turn within, to create a deeper connection and
awareness to your changing body and growing baby.
It is often hard to find a moment to slow down, sit quietly,
listen to your body and your intuition and especially connect to the baby
growing inside you. This guided meditation will provide you with the
opportunity to be present in the moment and enjoy your pregnancy at a deeper
level. Your partner, should he choose to come, can join you in the journey of
the guided meditation and relaxation offering an opportunity to connect with
you and your baby in a more profound way.
Stay after for a short Q&A to discover ways to create
the pregnancy and birth you desire.
Meditations will usually be held on the first Tuesday of the
month at 10 am and on the 3rd Tuesday of the month at 5:30 pm.
Please be sure to check the schedule for any changes.
February 24th
at 6:30-8:30 pm
Intervention Intelligence Class
This class will discuss common medical interventions in
pregnancy and labor, as well as newborn procedures. If you plan to give birth
in the hospital you need to know: what interventions are done and what
procedures are followed, why they are done, what the benefits and risks are,
which ones are optional, and how to go about making the best decision for
yourself and your baby. Recognize that you have choices, discover what a
respectful birth is for you, and learn about different philosophies and
techniques for comfortable childbirth. This way you can make informed decisions
and play an active role in your birth experience.
This class will usually be held on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 6:30 pm. Please be sure to check the schedule for any
changes.
LOCATION:
Both classes will be held at The Red Tent in Boca Raton
4838 Northwest Boca Raton Boulevard,
Boca Raton, FL 33431
For more information and to reserve a spot please call 561 808 3142
How to Have an Empowering Birth
Well this is a subject that I could really delve into, but for now I will start with the basics. Since I wrote this, over two years ago, my whole idea on empowered and respectful births has changed a lot, and when I get another moment I will write about what I think truly empowered births looks like! But I still think I made some valid points when I wrote this, so for now I will share this with you...
Whichever way you look at it bringing life into this world
is an empowering occasion all on its own. However, all too often parents spend
more time looking into what TV, car or any other item they want to buy, than
they spend preparing themselves for one of life’s most altering events. There
are some simple yet important steps a woman and her partner can take to prepare
for that life changing moment.
An important decision is choosing the right care provider,
if she wants one. Women can chose between an OB,
a hospital midwife, or a homebirth/birth center midwife, or an unassisted birth.
In large part the care provider she chooses will determine the type of care she
will receive because of how they are trained to see or deal with birth. In short, an OB is great for high risk pregnancies, a midwife is
great for a woman with a low risk pregnancy, a home birth with a midwife is
good for a low risk pregnancy in which the woman feels that home is where she
wants to birth, and an unassisted birth is usually chosen by women who trust
birth completely and feel very educated and confident in their ability to birth.
Hand in hand with what care provider to choose goes where a woman wants to give
birth. All options are safe options given the right level of care and knowledge.
In addition to her partner, family, or care provider, having a doula as part of the birth
support team can significantly enhance her birth experience.
A woman needs to be knowledgeable about pregnancy, the birth
process, and her birth choices. One of the ways this can be achieved is by
taking a childbirth education class. That said, not all classes were created
equal. Women have many options to educate and prepare themselves for that
special day; it is beneficial to research those options. Here are some options,
in alphabetical order: Birthing from Within, Bradley, hospital childbirth
classes, hypnosis for childbirth (Blissborn, HypnoBabies), Lamaze, and others. My
personal favorite is a class that uses meditation and relaxation techniques for
childbirth. This method teaches you to regain trust in yourself and the birth
process and to let go of any fear or tension, allowing for a comfortable and positive
birth experience.
Women are often fearful of birth. Society portrays birth as
a scary event, when in reality birth is a natural, safe and marvelous process.
When birth occurs with respect, and women have the right level of care, preparation,
and support, they learn to let go of the fear, regain trust in themselves and
their birthing ability, and embrace their experience. It is ultimately a
woman’s choice of how, where, and who surrounds her when she gives birth.
Therefore it is important that all women educate themselves about their
choices, that they become advocates for their own birth experience, and that
they surround themselves by the right support. It is essential that a woman's wishes are
supported and that she feels confident in her birthing ability and her choices. That
is ultimately what will help her have an empowering birth.
What Is a Doula and Why Have One?
The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek word
meaning "a woman who serves". A doula is a professional educated in
the physiological and emotional changes that occur during pregnancy and birth,
and the techniques that aid the birth process. Although douals work for the mother they compliment the
mother’s support team including the doctors, nurses, midwives, partner, and family.
They attend both hospital and home births, and both medicated and unmedicated
births, as well as surgical births. Giving birth is one of the most life
altering experiences a woman and baby can have, and their experience can affect a
mother’s, father’s and baby’s emotional, psychological, and physical well-being.
Doulas aid the birth process by providing continuous informational, emotional
and physical support, as well as encouragement to the mother and father,
before, during, and after labor. The main purpose of a doula is to help women
have their best birth experience possible and provide for a more satisfying
birth experience.
The role of a doula has come into existence from a need.
This need has risen from the changes that have occurred in our culture and
society. In history it used to be that women would have other women supporting
them through labor, using their personal knowledge and trust in the labor
process to aid labor. Since birth became medicalized the role of the supporting
women disappeared. Medical advancement has played an important role in
improving maternal and new born outcome. However, that has pushed aside a much
needed aspect of birth; that of having a person knowledgeable and experienced
in birth who is there by the parents side the entire time a woman is in labor,
providing the essential nurturing, caring, and supportive component to labor
and birth. That vital type of support is something that is not always available
in hospital births, seeing as doctors come when it is time to deliver the baby
and nurses don’t stay by a woman’s side during the entire labor. However, a
doula is there for support from pre-labor, through labor, and into postpartum.
As stated doula support starts before a woman is even in
labor. It is essential that parents have the information necessary to make
informed decisions and that they know their rights as patients. A doula can be
pivotal in providing information and encouraging parents to educate themselves about
their birth choices. This is the basis for what will shape a woman’s birth
experience. In addition, once a woman is in labor, a doula’s knowledge about
the labor process is crucial for support and in helping parents make informed
decisions, as well as help them feel reassured about what they are going
through.
A woman’s ideal birth experience can vary from woman to
woman. However, current research shows doulas can help women have a positive
birth experience by reducing c-section rates, shortening labor, and reducing:
epidural requests, pitocin use, analgesia use, and forceps or vacuum deliveries.
Doulas help in reducing those procedures by using their knowledge about techniques
and positions that aid the natural and positive development and progress of
childbirth, in addition to providing continuous emotional support to the mother and
partner. Reducing those interventions is important because they all affect a
woman’s and baby’s birth experience both emotionally and physically, mother
baby bonding, and successful breastfeeding. “Women who have used a doula are
more satisfied with their birth experience, feel more confident in their
ability to mother, bond faster with their newborn, are less likely to have
post-partum depression, and are more likely to breastfeed” Klaus, Kennel, and
Klaus 2001.
Giving birth puts women in a very vulnerable state in which
it is hard to always communicate with the caregiver. Doulas are able to serve parents
in moments when support is needed the most. In carefully discussing the parents’
wishes and birth plan before birth a doula becomes very familiar with their
wishes and is then able to guide the parents in making their whishes known and
respected. In no time does a doula take the parents’ decision making power away
from them, on the contrary, the doula makes sure that the decisions are always
that of the parents’ and that those decisions are clearly communicated and
respected. This makes the laboring woman feel safe and empowered.
A doula also provides valuable emotional and physical
support by offering the woman comforting techniques or by helping the partner
offer that support. Such support can include: encouragement, guided imagery,
focus, breathing, massage, and position changes. This gives women the ability
to go through the labor process more comfortably and confidently. Having a
doula present also relieves pressure and offers support to the birth partner,
so that the partner can be more relaxed, feel more confident in their role, and
provide more adequate support to the woman in labor.
In order for a doula to serve a woman adequately it is not
only important that women know what a doula’s role should be but also what a
doula can’t and should not do. Most "Standards of Practice" state that
a certified doula should not perform clinical or medical
tasks such as taking blood pressure or temperature, fetal heart tone checks,
vaginal examinations, or postpartum clinical care. This becomes a question of
ethical standards which require that a doula maintain high standards of personal conduct in the capacity or
identity as a labor support provider.
Choosing a doula to serve during pre-labor, labor, and birth
is one of the most important things a woman can do to ensure a positive birth
outcome. A doula can do this by educating, supporting and comforting her and
her partner throughout the entire birth process. This in turn provides the best
scenario to welcome a baby into this world, providing a strong foundation for a
healthy, happy life ahead.
Back in Florida
Birth Services in Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
After a year in Spain (2013-2014) I am happy to say I am back in Florida and taking on birth clients.
I only take 2-3 birth clients a month to better provide individual attention, therefore availability is limited.
To see what I was up to in Spain you can visit www.doulavida.com, www.tupartoconsciente.com and http://elpartoenelaguaconbarbaraharper.blogspot.com.es/
After a year in Spain (2013-2014) I am happy to say I am back in Florida and taking on birth clients.
I only take 2-3 birth clients a month to better provide individual attention, therefore availability is limited.
To see what I was up to in Spain you can visit www.doulavida.com, www.tupartoconsciente.com and http://elpartoenelaguaconbarbaraharper.blogspot.com.es/