Waterbirth International in danger of closing

I cannot yet imagine a world without the voice and work of Waterbirth International - we get calls and emails every day from women who need help convincing one hospital or another to let them labor or birth in water. If we die - a big part of the movement
dies. Waterbirth has shown us all that women know how to give birth and babies know how to be born. Waterbirth gave us “hands-off”, sit back and let the baby out. I see waterbirth mentioned on Blogs every single day, not to mention Baby Story on the TV. I took Waterbirth International to ACOG two years in a row - and was the ONLY booth
showing birth films to obstetricians and especially to student physicians. There were tears, laughter and outrage - just the thing to stir up those young crop of doctors. I am finally realizing a life’s dream. But now I am faced with letting this dream go. Perhaps I have done enough. Perhaps it is time to quit.

About 18 years ago, maybe it was longer, when Mothering Magazine was facing bankruptcy Peggy did a heartfelt plea asking their readers to consider ordering a Life-time subscription. I think the subscriptions were $1000 or $1200, I can’t remember now. I do remember that I couldn’t imagine not reading my Mothering. So, I bought two and gave one to my obstetrician’ s office.

How can you help us stay open to take the next phone call? - to convince the next obstetrician to incorporate waterbirth into his/her practice - to work with the nurse midwives to install pools in their facilities? To educate an entire hospital on the benefits of allowing women freedom of movement in the water. How much is it worth to see waterbirth become the norm in the US, like it is in the UK? I think we only need a few more years to make that happen. Do women really want waterbirth to be an available choice in every hospital? I think so.

Can you help us by getting the word out on blogs and lists? I had to let go of all of the staff except one person to process orders. Miraculously, we made payroll today, but we can’t hang on much longer. We need a miracle.

If I need to call every single waterbirth parent personally, I will. I don’t want 25 years of work to end over a measly $200,000.

The work that we have done the last few years has been phenomenal. How God arranged for me to teach in hospitals and medical schools around the planet - Taiwan, Venezuela, Turkey, Mexico, Canada, Holland, Portugal, China, Trinidad, Croatia - I’ll never figure that out. I laugh out loud sometimes when I get up in front of an
audience of physicians in a medical school overseas - who all want to hear about waterbirth and the incorporation of Gentle Birth practices and principles into their routines.

Think about what you can do and call me if you want to chat or if you have some great ideas on how we can quickly move into the black and keep waterbirth alive and thriving.

We need your help. Barbara Harper needs your help. The waterbirth/gentle birth movement needs your help.

Blessings,

Barbara
Barbara Harper, RN, CLD, CCE
Founder/Director
Waterbirth International
www.waterbirth.org
503-673-0026 -office (out of US or in Portland)
800-641-2229 - toll free
503-710-7975 - cell phone

We LOVE helping women get into Hot Water!! And have been doing it for 24 years!!

Quite a strong statement, I know but with the recent trend it can almost ring true. I’m all in favour of gynaecologists because they do have so much expertise and knowledge. They are trained and educated in high risk obstetrics and therefore see disasters lurking behind every door. When a women needs the care of a specialised obstetrician then I am 100% supportive but I’m not for all the proposed routine interventions they wish to offer low risk women and I cannot fathom how they expect women to just lie back and take whatever the almighty doctor decides is convenient for him or herself.

I’ve heard many times a nurse saying to a labouring mother…

“There dear, we need to
- shave you / give you an enema /have you lie flat on your back /give you an epidural - (take your pick)
 because the doctor really doesn’t like it when
- he cannot see down there / you make a mess / he’s not comfortable delivering / when you are screaming and making a noise.”
The gynaecologistis the new God, never to be questioned or inconvenienced. Woman have foolishly handed over their power to their doctors and in the process they are losing a most valuable part of the process of become parents - looking out for themselves and their families. Many women are mistakenly led to believe that they have very little choice in regards to how and where they birth.

It is a sad reality that women give birth on their backs not because this is how it is done but because the doctor won’t have it any other way. Midwives are regularly on their hands and knees with mothers. They are the greatest contortionists I’ve ever seen. They deliver babies in any position the mother chooses. Ever seen a gynaecologist bend down and look from the floor up to see the progress a mom has made. Never!

More education needs to be given to the new family with regards to informed choices and basic rights. There are basic rights that each labouring woman can undeniably expect, all she needs is to know what they are. All woman have the power to take back what is theirs and make choices based on what they need and want.

The WHO (World Health Organisation) states the following:

SUPPORTIVE CARE DURING LABOUR AND CHILDBIRTH

• Encourage the woman to have personal support from a person of her choice throughout labour and birth:

- Encourage support from the chosen birth companion;

- Arrange seating for the companion next to the woman;

- Encourage the companion to give adequate support to the woman during labour and childbirth (rub her back, wipe her brow with wet cloth, assist her to move about).

• Ensure good communication and support by staff:

- Explain all procedures, seek permission and discuss findings with the woman;

- Provide a supportive, encouraging atmosphere for birth, respectful of the woman’s wishes;

- Ensure privacy and confidentiality.

• Maintain cleanliness of the woman and her environment:

- Encourage the woman to wash herself or bathe or shower at the onset of labour;

- Wash the vulval and perineal areas before each examination;

- Wash your hands with soap before and after each examination;

- Ensure cleanliness of labouring and birthing area(s);

- Clean up all spills immediately.

• Ensure mobility:

- Encourage the woman to move about freely;

- Support the woman’s choice of position for birth.

• Encourage the woman to empty her bladder regularly.

• Encourage the woman to eat and drink as she wishes.

- If the woman has visible severe wasting or tires during labour, make sure she is fed. Nutritious liquid drinks are important, even in late labour.

• Teach breathing techniques for labour and delivery.

- Encourage the woman to breathe out more slowly than usual and relax with each expiration.

• Help the woman in labour who is anxious, fearful or in pain:

- Give her praise, encouragement and reassurance;

- Give her information on the process and progress of her labour;

- Listen to the woman and be sensitive to her feelings.

• If the woman is distressed by pain:

- Suggest changes of position (Fig C-2);

- Encourage mobility;

- Encourage her companion to massage her back or hold her hand and sponge her face between contractions;

- Encourage breathing techniques;

- Encourage warm bath or shower;

- If necessary, give pethidine 1 mg/kg body weight (but not more than 100 mg) IM or IV slowly or give morphine 0.1 mg/kg body weight IM.

Figure C-2  

Positions that a woman adopt during labour 

Would you please get up and go eat your food in the toilet.

I’d be quite taken aback. Wouldn’t you? I mean that is pretty revolting but it seems that our society doesn’t think twice when expecting a breastfeeding mom to do just that: feed her baby in a toilet.

Ever noticed in a shopping mall how there are clear signs for spaces to bottle feeding  your baby but no indication where a nursing mother should go.

I think it is time that we raise awareness and start getting some change done. Every public place should have a room for lactating mom’s with a clear international symbol  illustrated for all to see. The alternative otherwise is to ask others eating in public to please take their food and  go eat in the toilet!

www.breastfeedingsymbol.org

PHILOSOPHICAL ASSUMPTIONS AND GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF   

CHILDBIRTH CLASSES

1. Childbirth is a profound rite of passage, not a medical event (even when medical care is part of the birth).

2. The essence of childbirth preparation is self-discovery, not assimilating obstetric information.

3. The teacher is “midwife” to the parents’ discovery process, not the expert from whom wisdom flows.

4. Childbirth preparation is a continually evolving process (for parents and teachers), not a static structure of techniques and knowledge.

5. Parents’ individual needs and differences determine class content.

6. Active, creative self-expression is critical to childbirth preparation.

7. The purpose of childbirth preparation is to prepare mothers to give birth-in-awareness, not to achieve a specific birth outcome.

8. Pregnancy and birth outcome are influenced by a variety of factors, but can’t be controlled by planning.

9. In order to help parents mobilize their coping resources, it is critical for childbirth classes to acknowledge that unexpected, unwelcome events may happen during labour.

10. Parents deserve support for any birth option which might be right for them (whether it is drugs, technology, home birth, or bottle- feeding).

11. Pain is an inevitable part of childbirth, yet much can be done to ease suffering.

12. Pain coping techniques work best when integrated into daily life, rather than “dusted off” for labour.

13. Fathers help best as birth guardians or loving partners, not as coaches; they also need support.

14. For parents, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum is a time of continuous learning and adjustment; holistic support and education should be available throughout that period.

15. Childbirth preparation is also parent preparation.

 For further information please contact Rosalia 082 780-8965 or email rosalia@birthing.co.za

Here is a song I learnt while out in New Mexico with Pam England, author of the book Birthing From Within.
I sing it whilst with women in antenatal classes but most especially in labour.

I am opening up to the sweet surrender,
to the luminous love light of my child.
I am opening up to the sweet surrender,
to the luminous love light of my child.
I am opening, I am opening.
I am opening, I am opening.

It is such a sweet tune and the words help mother’s remember to open up to the love of their children but also to open their bodies for birthing. It creates an awesome feeling of connection to the baby and to other women who are labouring at the same time.

Try it now while you are still pregnant. If you sing it daily the baby will become familiar to it and then when you sing it in labour it will be soothing. Some sing it when welcoming the baby into the world.  Imagine the baby hearing the song out in the open after it has heard it for so long through the protective filter of the womb.

The tune can be made up otherwise call me up and I’ll teach it to you ;-) 

Way back when there were no electric lights and transportation consisted of a cart pulled by an animal, there was a strange concept about a village. We no longer think of villages unless we think of some remote place away from civilization. The demise of the village from our lives takes with it so much more than just a small group of people.In modern day, our village consists of our own nuclear family with perhaps a small portion of elected extended family members subject of course to approval.  We have lost the benefits of having a village. The support that goes with it is also lost. The related experiences that are told in the form of folklore or myth that assist in making sense of what is happening in our lives has become some gift that few can tell. This is a dear price to pay indeed and I’m not just talking about birthing mothers. We all suffer from this loss.An interesting note is how in little villages, which provide support in all areas of life, there is less crime. Each person knows his neighbour and interacts with him on a daily basis. This is probably true for all the members of the village; everyone would know everyone else whereas today in our mega-metropolis we seldom know our neighbours let alone those in the complex where we live. So where do we find our support?Tough one. Even if you have a large group of friends you will be hard pressed to find a buddy that would support you in the deepest, darkest moments of your life. It would be a true friend that would be with you as you flounder in the sea of bankruptcy or something equally trying. The same is true when it comes to providing support after you have birthed your precious child. I don’t see many friends cueing up to provide shopping assistance for the new family or laundry services. What about cleaning? We all just assume that everyone has a maid. Not true. There are still those that clean up after themselves and do their own laundry and ironing.Having a baby should be a community affair. People should all be supporting and encouraging these new parents-to-be. Support before the baby is born can be provided in many ways.
Here are some tips how to help someone you know is having a baby:

• Provide accurate and positive information about birth and parenthood (no birth horrors, please)
• List things that were truly useful for you if you’ve had a baby. There is so much that really isn’t needed.
• Invite the couple out once in a while to still enjoy activities such as eating out at a restaurant, going to a movie etc.
• Prepare meals that can be frozen so that the mom-to-be can just take them out of the freezer when she is having a slow day. (Pregnant women have some really low days where everything seems too big an effort).
• Celebrate the mother’s journey into motherhood with a Blessingway instead of a baby shower. Presents are showered on the mother in honour of her transition in this rite of passage.
• Do not call her three times a day to ask her if she has had the baby yet. The new parents will be the first to let everyone know when the baby is born. Have faith in this, it has worked every time.
• Avoid asking her if she has popped yet. She is not a pimple but a human giving birth to her baby.

 Support for during labour:

• Light a prayer candle in honour of her journey.
• Sms or call another person she knows to let them know that labour has begun and that they should light a candle foe her and call someone else to do the same.
• Prepare more meals for the new family so that they can babymoon for a week or two after their precious baby has arrived and not worry about cooking.
• Do not call for updates; no-one will be answering anyway.
• Buy a newspaper of the day the baby was born as a sweet memory of what was happening in the world that day.

Tips for after the birth:

• Volunteer to take care of some aspect of daily life, i.e. cleaning, laundry, shopping, babysitting older children etc.
• Prepare a baby welcoming ceremony to give presents to baby this time. Now everyone will be sure whether it is a boy or girl.
• Do not ask what you can do for them, just do it. They will never want to bother you but if you spontaneously rock up at the door with a casserole you can bet your boots that they won’t turn you away.
• Do not forget them as the months go by. They may have their hands full and not get a chance to go out. Organise a trip to the movies for them in the morning when there is less likelihood of a baby crying interrupting others viewing pleasure otherwise it will be years before they go to the movies again.

Of course support can be extending to the actual birth itself. A doula is an amazing support for both mom and dads in labour. Consider paying for a doula as a blessingway present.Now, as it was probably never said, go out and be supportive.

What you think about you bring about.
Your thoughts become your actions.
             and my favourite…
Positive thoughts produce positive results.

 Well, is this true? I believe so but hey that’s just me. Think on it a sec…

…how many people approach you when you are pregnant with a positive birth story? Not many huh?
How about your doctor’s approach to birth? Is your doctor supporting you actively and enthusiastically with positive encouragement or are you getting the usual run of the mill about all those wierd and obscure things that could go wrong if you were dilerious enough to try and attempt the natural birth you want?

Imagine focusing all your attention on one single outcome. If you are trying for a VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) and all everyone is saying to you is “uterine rupture” what do you think your greatest fear would be? Uterine rupture! Why is everyone focusing on that when there are other things that could also possibly go wrong. Well it sounds big, bad and ugly doesn’t it, all the better to scare you with, my dear!

How about turning that around and saying that your chances are greater at achieving a natural birth. After all, that is generally what happens. Why do we focus on the negative?

I’ve been discussing this with women lately and I’ve reach the conclusion that we need to do some spinning (any of you see the movie ‘Thank you for not smoking’ all about how to spin an argument in your favour) and start entraining others to voice the positive outcomes which are generally greater than the negative ones.

So this is for all of you positive thinkers out there. You’re not alone.

Well now, let’s see, where does this fit in with birthing a baby. Well I would say that it is an integral part of the process but sadly very little of it is going around nowdays.

Seldom do we hear good, positive birthing stories about how everyone involved in the birthing process worked as a team and each brought their own personal gifts to the event.

Who would need to bring trust? Everyone! starting with the mother-to-be herself. She would need to trust her body and her baby and ultimately those in her sacred birthing space. The midwife, Doctor, Doula or partner need to be trusting that this wonderous event will unfold, as nature intended it to, ever mindful that a new life is about to be breathed into this plane. Who are we to interrupt and co-ordinate this event.

Trust is a deep thing, you can’t just hand it over to someone who walks in through the door. It is built on a foundation. It will take time and energy and maybe even some good will. It seems that fewer and fewer people want to take the time to build a relationship on trust. We want it all and we want it now! But this is just not going to work in birth or in life.

Ahh respect. I suppose respect can mean different things to different people, but fundamentally we’ve lost its true meaning. It’s enought o just watch human interactions on our busy, taxi-infested roads to realise that all respect went out the window a long time ago. It’s all about us and what we can get and the rest can just go bungy if they don’t like it. Bringing it back to birth - how does one bring respect to the birthing process? Well this is a sacred rite of passage for mother and father. As the child is born so is a mother and father. There is no return. The maiden is no longer and the mother is here forever. Powerful stuff this but do we, in our highly medicalised world, stop to think a minute that we are being witness to a life transition that other cultures would treat with respect and reverence. Says a lot about us doesn’t it. We’ve become accustomed to seeing only the outer layer, the top most, where things just are. Life is like an onion (or an ogre;-)) and the juicy, tender bits are covered and kept secret and safe inside. Why not surprise yourself today and discover what lies deep inside you or someone else?

Stop and think a moment…
Has anyone ever heard a women saying I had a natural birth because…
The contrary is very true though. Women who have had a caesarean either by desire or unwanted but necessary always feel justified in explaining to others why.
I found myself doing this over and over and now that I’m aware of it I still do it but with very different reasons attached to it.

What is it that makes us feel we need to justify ourselves?
Our society.
This is why I have created the VBACSA group to try and debunk some myths as well as to support and honour women.
I think all women are amazing, caesarean or vaginal deliveries, because it takes guts and determination to go through with either choice.
I’m proud of my pregnancy stripes (stretch marks) and my birth wound (c-section scar) as well as my vaginal after caesarean. I am a true warrior woman!
I believe that each birth I had defines me as a women and each kid I had defines me as a mother.
Woohoo to all you fabulous warrior women.
Do something to honour yourselves and the experiences life has bestowed on you, for you are stronger, more beautiful and infinitely more wise for it!

Love and delight
Lia
xxx

Well here I am again after some extended time away.

I am currently all fired up and on a new mission.
I am a VBACtivist meaning I activiely support women wanting a VBAC. So, in order to better support local women I have created a yahoo group called VBACSA.

The posts are getting lively and there is great team spirit and support. Loads of good info is being pooled for all to share. Our main goal, in my opinion, is to raise awareness about the possibility of VBA2C and getting more support from our gynaes.

Anybody interested in joining can sign up by emailing to VBACSA-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Well this is a good step towards creating awareness so I’m feeling rather positive as there have been some positive steps already taken.