BirthWays

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For those:

• who have had a home birth
  
• who have wanted a home birth
  
• who are planning a home birth
  
• whose home birth didn't go according to plan
• who are thinking about having a home birth
  
• who have ‘caught’ babies born at home
  
• who have supported mothers giving birth at home
• who are interested in home birth...
  

R30 per person,

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VBAC is an acronym for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean and is pronounced "vee-back".

In the 1980's when medical interference with birth was at it's very highest and c-sections were being overwhelmingly common, there was no real research on the safety of having vaginal birth after the uterus had a scar on it. It was then that the saying "once a cesarean, always a cesarean" became known.

Today things are a little different. During the 1990's began the start of a movement where women started re-explo...
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1. Continuity of Care

Obstetricians/Gynecologists often work in teams. While you might still get to see your doctor for each of your prenatal visits, when you go into labour you will see whoever is on call at the time (which might be anywhere between 1 other, to 3 or 4 other doctors). In some cases, where a woman would like to guarantee that her doctor is the one delivering the baby an elective c-section will often be encouraged.

It's completely understandable that you would want the same perso...
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The Due Date - That special date when you get to meet your precious new born child!

This will often be one of the very first things you will found out following a positive pregnancy test and it's the first thing people want to know when they discover you are pregnant.

It's a date that women think of with great excitement in the beginning, and towards the end of the pregnancy it torments them because it either feels like they'll never reach it or they have to deal with disappointment when they ...
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Birth Plans have, over the years, been highly promoted by birth activists as a way the pregnant mother can take control of her birth and have her needs heard, instead of just being treated as a sick patient. While the intention of creating a birth plan is great, when it comes to the practical application of this, the plan generally gets thrown out the window.

As a Birthing From Within mentor we do not generally advocate the use of a birth plan, as we know just how unpredictable birth can be an...
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This is a pose used in Yoga and it is called “The Tree Pose” or in Sanskrit “Vrksasana”.

When using this pose, a person should be like a tree, with roots holding them firmly to the earth but still able to bend and sway in harmony with the breeze or mighty gale.

A similar mindset is needed to face childbirth, where you are firmly grounded and can have a sense of inner peace and calm while being able to adjust and accept any obstacles that may arise.

By empowering yourself with knowledg...
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According to this article:

"If a blood pressure gauge is placed on an unclamped umbilical cord, it will pick up pressure rises as high as 60 mm Hg with each uterine contraction. This indicates that these contractions are intimately involved in the transfer of placental blood through the cord. A striking pressure rise, which persists through the first few hours of life, is also evident in the baby's vena cava and right atrium of the heart. All studies on this indicate a sign...

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First, make sure you check out the article called "A c-section, but naturally"!

Penny Simpkin is an American author of several books and is an outspoken birth activist since 1968.

If you find yourself in place where a c-section has become the best and safest option for the birth of your child, then this is the document for you. This download is aimed at helping you take charge of your birth and offers suggestions on how to best deal with the birth by c-section. Mothers having a c-section need t...
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This is a new term that is gaining popularity as it provides a very different approach to Ceasarean Surgery.  It offers parents, and their baby, some aspects of a vaginal birth that are not normally associated with ceasarean birth.

During the traditional method of ceasarean surgery, the doctor tries to perform this as quickly as possible. The baby is pulled from the mother uterus as soon as possible after the incision is made and then whisked away to be evaluated, then swaddled and brought...

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