The ability and process of making decisions begins when we are born. For a period of our childhood we are encouraged to reason things out and make decisions. As we age more and more rules, laws, policies and regulations guide and shape our decisions. Mostly the rules are made for good reasons. Well, they are good reasons for somebody. When it comes to birth, at least in a hospital, we feel there are rules that we should not break. We do not want to upset the staff or go against “policy”. We are vulnerable, and we are about to bring forth from our womb our tiny vulnerable human. We want the staff to like us and take care of us. So aside from knowing your options and rights before you go into labor, how can you politely deal with on the spot decisions during your labor? I recommend the B.R.A.I.N. method. Using BRAIN allows you to get the information, and time, you need to make an informed decision. Here are the specifics: B- What are the benefits of the proposed intervention/procedure? R- What are the risks of the proposed intervention/procedure? A- Alternatives, are there any? How do the alternatives compare in the benefit/risk analysis? I- Intuition. What does your gut/spidey sense/knee-jerk reaction tell you? N- What if you were to do nothing at this time? Or never? So I challenge you to use BRAIN the next time you go to buy vegetables or bread or meat. Which one is more healthy, which one will take more time to prepare, what could I get instead, what DO I feel like eating, what if I wait and buy groceries tomorrow? New skills take practice. Practice BRAIN as your guess date approaches, so that during labor it will be second nature. |
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One of the first things I learned at my Lamaze Workshop is the EVOLUTION of Lamaze. Lamaze began when women were drugged and strapped down to a bed. To. Give. Birth. At that time the only thing a woman even had a chance of controlling was her breathing. Therefore the he he ha ha's. Take a deep breath. Exhale. The birth environment of today is oh so much better! So Lamaze has evolved to match the healthier birth practices of today. So as a recap here are the current Lamaze SIX Healthy Birth Practices:
I should blog more. It is a way to process life, right? My Life. I wear many hats. I am wife to an awesome man. He makes me laugh. He treats himself, and I, with respect and honesty. I am a mother to two girls. They are perfect. At least I think so. They do well in school and they are well behaved, kind kids. I am a 4-H Leader. For those of you in the know, I don’t need to say more. For those of you that aren't, it is like having a large, extended, sometimes dysfunctional family, which produces some truly well rounded kids to be oh so proud of. I am a birth worker? I used to say I am a birth doula, but I am now on the cusp of becoming a childbirth educator as well. As a doula I help women have babies. I also help the people, that help the women, have a baby. I am still not real clear on what I will be doing as a childbirth educator. Hmmmmm........... I will be talking about birth to an audience that is also interested in birth! I will be educating them on the process of birth. I will be teaching them how to make an informed decision. I will be giving them the confidence to give birth. I will be teaching them about breastfeeding and newborn care. And the frosting on this cake is that some of my students will likely become doula clients! It will be like getting to see the end of the story. I am so excited about this next step in my birth work journey and the new hat I get to wear! |
Anne JungeWife, mother of two, childbirth educator and birth doula! I love guiding families to their best birth story! Archives
September 2017
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