Leap and the Net will Appear
by Lesley Nelson

Tests of trust are innate to any path that faces the unknown.

I've been exploring many things these past few months with pregnant women. As I sat in my living room listening to Ramona worry over her change in identity and whether she'll be able to "do it" all -- school, job, being a mother -- and Crystal wonder whether she'll get to the hospital too early and if she'll be "heard" once she gets there, I realized that there's much more here than what we are seeing and hearing on the surface.

I believe that what's underneath all the worrying and wondering is facing the unknown. It reminds me of a story about the Holy Grail. In this tale, the hero inevitably comes to a ledge, from where he can see the Grail in the distance. However, there doesn't appear to be any way to cross. He knows he can't jump across, and he knows he's come to far to go back. Then he looks down into the chasm, miles below. Thankfully, he remembers an ancient Grail teaching that encourages one to step out in faith. As he puts a foot out, a bridge suddenly appears and he is saved.

The following week at our gathering, I told the new moms that we would be learning about trust. With soft scarves over their faces and nervous partners to guide them, the moms were prepared to embark on a Trust Walk.

I prepared the partners first. The instructions were to guide their charges around my backyard (avoiding any overlooked dog poop!), and to remind the mothers to breathe and feel the earth. Further, each new mom was encouraged to reach inside and find her own inner trust. With this said, the mothers donned their scarves and, giggling, set out.

For fifteen minutes most everyone walked and talked and laughed. The atmosphere was relaxed and strained at the same time. It was as if these new mothers were trying to get out of this ceremony as much as they could. Telling them all to stop, I instructed the partners to let go and step away. I asked the mothers to summon up their faith and trust. I reminded them to find their breath. Then I asked them to let go and walk.

When we returned to the house, everyone was anxious to talk about the role trust plays in the process of birth. It's more than just simply trusting our bodies to give birth. Rather, we talked about the journey of becoming a mother, and how we all are tested sometime during that journey.

Tests of trust are innate to any path that faces the unknown. How do we remain connected to our hearts? How do we continue to follow our own authentic path and be true to ourselves?

In birth, as in so many of the important events in our lives, we are faced with forces that challenge us. Taking the leap transforms us.

Lesley Nelson is a childbirth teacher, initiator and certified doula who has been learning from pregnant and birthing women for over five years. For more information, call 277-5051 or e-mail her at lesley@doula.net

HypnoBirthing
by Christine Oberts

 

When mind and body are in harmony, nature is free to function in the same well-designed manner that it does with all other creatures.

The HypnoBirthing method of childbirth education is as much a philosophy as it is a technique. It is a rewarding, relaxing, and stress-free method of birthing that teaches a mother, along with her birthing companion, the art and joy of experiencing birth in an easier, more comfortable, and often pain-free manner.

The HypnoBirthing program was developed in 1989 by Marie Mongan and is based on the works of English obstetrician, Dr. Grantly Dick-Read, the father of Natural Childbirth. HypnoBirthing proponents subscribe to the belief that when a woman is given the proper preparation for childbirth, she and her birthing companion can experience a safe, serene, and satisfying birthing, free of the fear that causes tension and pain. When mind and body are in harmony, nature is free to function in the same well-designed manner that it does with all other creatures.

Today, many programs have become information channels for the local hospitals, designed primarily to acquaint women with the "medical model" and educate them to the drugs, technological equipment, and medical procedures that are routinely in use at the hospitals. Some programs teach methods that attempt to take focus away from the pain so that women in labor will not be so aware of it, training them to cope with pain rather than reduce or eliminate it. Others suggest that women look upon the pain as an "empowerment of womanhood," something to rise above and triumph over. The new mother is taught to accept the pain of labor as inevitable but not surmountable. Some teach that childbirth pain is an unavoidable, but useful, friend that can be tolerated, worked with, and learned from. These techniques are premised on a basic belief that pain must be associated with labor and the pain must somehow be accommodated.

The HypnoBirthing philosophy differs vastly from other views. HypnoBirthing is predicated on the belief that as a woman, you can experience birth serenely, comfortably, with dignity, and with as little medical intervention as possible. The program teaches you to go with the natural flow and rhythm of your laboring body; to release birthing over to your mind and body; and to trust your body to function as it was intended to, thereby alleviating pain.

Through classes taught by professional hypnotherapists, nurses, midwives, and birthing educators, trained in the techniques of hypnoanesthesia, you will become skilled in using your own natural abilities to bring your mind and body into perfect harmony. You will gain an understanding of the physiology of labor and learn special conditioning and labor techniques that will enable you to connect with and work with your body as you experience labor.

HypnoBirthing eliminates the fear-tension-pain syndrome before, during and after birthing. Relaxation and hypnosis techniques are taught to the mother-to-be and her birthing companion to do away with fear and tension. The couple is taught how the pregnant woman's body is designed to work in neuro-muscular harmony and with efficiency throughout labor so that each state of birthing is met with assistance, rather than physical, emotional or spiritual resistance. Guided imagery, visualization, fear releasing scripts, affirmations, breath patterns, hypnosis, progressive relaxation and physical preparation are all included as part of the training program. Four 2-hour classes with other couples are scheduled in the middle trimester. Individual couple sessions or classes may also be arranged.

Hypnosis is a naturally induced state of relaxed concentration --- a state of mind and body in which we communicate suggestions to the subconscious mind. This part of the mind influences what we think, how we feel, and the choices we make. It can actually control pain. There is no magic to achieving success with hypnosis. Almost anyone who chooses to can reach deep relaxation and redirected focus. However, success with hypnosis does require a commitment to practice the relaxation techniques.

Many women who have used HypnoBirthing, say that what they experience is similar to the daydreaming or focusing that occurs when you are engrossed in a book or when you start a fire. You will be conversant and in good spirits --- totally relaxed, but fully in control. You will be aware of your body's contractions, but will be able to determine the extent to which you feel the surge (contraction). You will experience the birthing in an atmosphere of calm and relaxation, without the fear and tension that causes pain. Your body's natural anesthesia (endorphins) will replace the stress hormones that cause pain. When it is time for your baby to be born, you will be fully awake and involved.

Childbirthing in this way mirrors nature, working with your body for a beautiful, peaceful, loving experience.

Christine Oberts has studied hypnosis and mind/body healing for over 20 years. She is a Doctoral candidate in hypnosis, Certified Hypnoanesthesia therapist and certified HypnoBirther. You can reach her at 907-283-4311.

Birth as a Rite of Passage
by Lesley Nelson

 

…to make the return, the woman must now recognize and honor her newfound wisdom

Birth is a sacred, holy, soul shaping experience. It is also a profound rite of passage. To participate with full awareness, staying connected to our hearts and babies, is to allow the impact of the moment to resonate within our being -- forever changing us and reshaping our understanding of what it is to be human.

A rite of passage is marked by three phases: preparation, the journey and return.

The Preparation:

Childbirth classes are most often the rituals that begin to prepare and initiate new mothers in our culture. While some classes can be empowering, others leave women feeling bereft. It is unfortunate that so many childbirth methods and educators teach as if they are the "knowers" while mothers are "empty," needing to be filled with their knowledge. While it's important for women in our culture to have the knowledge to navigate through the technology-laden territory that can accompany birth, what is often missing from these rituals of preparation is the spiritual component that women need to birth in awareness. To not recognize this is to deny the sacredness of the journey and, therefore, forfeit the profound impact birth has on a woman's psyche.

Every woman who is about to give birth has deep questions about her strength, her ability to endure, how she will mother and how she will love. Every woman's question is essentially the same, though uniquely applied to her own life and circumstance. Uncovering and living that question is an integral part of the preparation phase of a rite of passage, as is connecting with other women and mothers, learning more about one's own history, exploring beliefs about birth, pain, and mothering, and uncovering hidden resources for coping with the unknown.

The Journey:

All rites of passage involve a descent. Taking the descent in awareness peels back layers of the self. The descent shapes, molds and stretches the woman to be re-born as a something new. It's the journey that transforms the maiden into the mother (or the mother of "one" to the mother of "many", redefining her capacity to love). It initiates her on a body level of knowing something she did not know before.

The Return:

The journey has transformed the woman. She is not who she thought she was. The return takes much longer for most women than the medically allotted time for post-partum recovery. Often, it can take years. When a woman makes the return, she comes to realize how profoundly she was changed. Her status is different. She gains a new level of respect and responsibility. She has participated in something that has changed her and how people will relate to her. She has gained wisdom that only a mother can have. This wisdom is born out of pain and opens her heart in compassion.

But to make the return, the woman must now recognize and honor her newfound wisdom. She has learned what really matters.

Those who have returned have tapped into their true power. They are able to cut to the chase and do what's important; they do not expend energy on what isn't meaningful. These women have re-defined their capacity to feel, change, grow and love.

Lesley Nelson has been learning from pregnant and birthing women for five years. She is a childbirth teacher/initiator and birth doula who teaches Birthing From Within. Call 277-5051.

Breech Baby? You May Not Need A C-Section After All!
by Treeka Sullivan

 

The good news is that there is a chiropractic technique that is widely used and very effective.

One of the biggest fears pregnant women often have is that their baby will be in a breech or transverse position when it is time to deliver. Most obstetricians will not deliver a baby breech because of risks and so they commonly schedule a Cesarean section, giving the mother no alternatives to this course of action. The good news is that there is a chiropractic technique that is widely used and very effective. It is called the Webster In-Utero Constraint Turning Technique, or Webster Technique.

The Webster Technique involves assessing and correcting any misalignments in the pelvic and low back area. This helps to keep the bones and joints in proper alignment, which in turn allows the ligaments and muscles which support the uterus to be relaxed. The woman's pelvis supports her growing uterus with specific ligaments. After balancing the pelvic bones, the uterus is able to enlarge symmetrically with the growing baby. It is the subluxation of the sacrum that causes the tightening and torsion of specific pelvic muscles, thereby producing uterine constraint. It is these tense muscles and ligaments which prevent the fetus from comfortably assuming the proper position. Therefore, correcting the misalignments allow for the optimal uterine position and a more favorable fetal position to allow the baby's spine to grow in a healthier way.

Another technique for correcting the position of a fetus in a breech position is the External Cephalic Version Technique (ECVT). This is a medical procedure wherein the fetus is manipulated externally in an attempt to reposition it into the more favorable head down position. This technique is risky and often the fetus reverts to the breech position again primarily due to the fact that the uterine constraint has not been corrected. This forceful technique is very stressful to both mother and fetus and has resulted in complications, such as clavicle fractures of the fetus, increased fetal heart rate and a ruptured placenta necessitating an emergency Cesarean section.

The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment which removes interference to the nervous system, balances out pelvic muscles and ligaments, removes constraint to the women's uterus and allows the baby to get into the best position for birth. It does not involve any moving of the baby as in the ECVT, so it is absolutely safe. Since this method is non-traumatic, I feel very comfortable repeating this adjustment as needed. In fact, I have seen it take as few as one but sometimes as many as five adjustments to get the baby to stabilize in the correct position.

In my many years of practice, I have seen how chiropractic care dramatically benefits all aspects of a person's body and health. As a Doctor of Chiropractic, I work to correct misalignments (subluxations) of the bones of the spine. Subluxations of the spinal vertebra cause interference with the associated nerve which in turn causes malfunction in the associated parts of the body and imbalance in the muscles and ligaments. Correcting these misalignments allow the nervous system, our internal communication system through which our brain directs the functions of our body, to operate at an optimum level.

Because of the wonderfully beneficial effects from chiropractic adjustments on all the body functions, I highly recommend that pregnant mothers have their spines checked regularly throughout pregnancy. This helps to have easier and typically shorter deliveries, and optimizes health for both mother and baby. It is very important for expectant mothers to realize that their baby's first adjustment is in the womb!

Dr. Treeka Sullivan, DC, FICPA, (Fellow in the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) specializes in pre- and post-natal, infant and child care. Alaska Healing Arts Chiropractic, 2490 E. 42 Ave., Anchorage. 561-4325