BirthWays

Doula Care for a C-section

Posted by Sarah Meder on Monday, May 6, 2013 In : Caesarean Section

There is no other major surgery of it's kind where you will be handed a newborn baby immediately afterwards and expected to care for it, and there are very few other major surgeries where you will be wide-awake and fully conscious of what is taking place.

A c-section is a very remarkable and sometimes overwhelming experience for both the mother and the father, so having a familiar, caring presence with you during surgery can offer immense relief to both parents. While many medical professional...
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Natural C-section

Posted by Sarah Meder on Monday, November 12, 2012 In : Caesarean Section

You may have longed and hoped for a natural birth, but fate had something else in store and an elective c-section has become the fabulous life-saving technology it was always intended to be! While you can be glad of this option to delivery your baby safely, you may mourn the loss of a powerful natural birth and some of the benefits it offers, such as immediate skin to skin and delayed cord clamping. How can you bring these special elements into an elective c-section?

Enter the Natural C-Sectio...
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Natural Induction of Labour

Posted by Sarah on Saturday, October 13, 2012 In : Interventions

In this guide to the natural induction of labour, I will go through methods that are often recommended from innocuous suggestion of eat certain foods to more extreme methods in the form of castor oil.

The first thing which can help you determine if any kind of induction will be successful is to know your Bishop Score. You would need a doctor or midwife to assess what your score is, but you should have a score of above 8 for an induction to have a good chance of suc...

Induction of Labour - the new c-section?

Posted by Sarah Meder on Sunday, October 30, 2011 In : Interventions

These days women in South Africa have become a lot more clued up on the high c-section rate and the benefits of opting for a natural birth. Studies done internationally have shown that the saying "Too posh to push" may have been somewhat of a myth and that many women were instead being pressured by their care provider to opt for a c-section, rather than choosing it themselves from the outset. Certainly in South Africa, women have become much more informed on the subject and will be choosing t...
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Using a Birth Stool

Posted by Sarah Meder on Sunday, October 30, 2011 In : Active Birth

A birth stool is a great addition to your options when having an active birth. It's probably one of the oldest birth tools around, as even the Goddess Isis is depicted in ancient carvings as giving birth on a birth chair, or stool.

In fact, the modern origin of giving birth in the Lithotomy Position (ie. flat on back, legs apart) was the result of a certain King who found it to be the optimal position for his mistresses to give birth in for his viewing pleasure. As the role of birth moved fro...

Dianatal Obstetric Gel

Posted by Sarah Meder on Sunday, October 30, 2011 In : Interventions

This Obstetric Gel is now available in South Africa. It is essentially a lubricant for the birth canal and has been found to assist in easing childbirth and protecting against damage to the perineum.

Early Signs of Pregnancy

Posted by Sarah Meder on Thursday, October 28, 2010 In : Pregnancy

What are the earliest signs of pregnancy?

The early signs of pregnancy can often be difficult to detect, and can often be confused with certain illnesses as the symptoms are rather general.

The most obvious and accurate sign of pregnancy is a missed menstrual period, but many women would like to know if they are pregnant even before this. Here are some tips for seei...

The Most Effective Drug to Have in Labour!

Posted by Sarah Meder on Monday, October 25, 2010 In : Doula

This Miracle Drug is shown to have the following effects:

50% reduction in the caesarean rate
25% shorter labor
60% reduction in epidural requests
40% reduction in oxytocin use
30% reduction in analgesia use
40% reduction in forceps delivery

The are no contraindications
There are no side effects
It is 100% safe to use by all women

This miracle does not come in a bottle or a box though. It comes in the form of ...
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How to choose a hospital for childbirth

Posted by Sarah Meder on Sunday, October 17, 2010 In : Pollitics

When autumn comes to New Mexico, the aroma of green chile being roasted fills the air. Locals buy big burlap sacks of chile which are poured into a big drum that turns over a fire until the chile is charred (which then allows the skin to be peeled off).

Chile is mild, medium, hot, or very hot! Locals know enough to ask, “How hot is your chile?”

One day a newcomer to New Mexico stopped at the Grocery Emporium on Girard Boulevard and bought a bag of roasted Chile. The aroma made her ...

South African Unassisted Homebirth

Posted by Sarah Meder on Wednesday, October 13, 2010 In : Unassisted Birth

This is a beautiful story of an unassisted homebirth by a woman living in South Africa. It contains photo's and also the most fantastic video of the little boy following the birth, who is very alert and peaceful!

Unassisted Homebirth Story (this link will take you do a different website - please use your browser "back" button to return)

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