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:
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:
Practice 2-Move around. Change the angle of your pelvic inlet AND outlet. Liberate Thy Coccyx! I love typing that! Asymmetrical positions are important too....Pose like the "Captain". Or walk up and down some stairs. Your tiny human has to maneuver through the bony maze of your pelvis. Baby has to rotate a 1/4 turn twice on the way out to meet you. Help your baby out by moving around and giving him/her the space needed to rotate his/her head. |
Practice 3 - Continuous Support. Those in your "circle of trust" are excellent options for labor support. Add a birth doula to your birth team and you will have emotional, physical and informational support from the first contraction to the last contraction! Continuous Support. Support you can trust. Support people that know your choices for birth and will support your choices for your birth. Strong support. Support with endurance. |
Practice 5 - Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back and Follow Your Body's Urges to Push Sometimes there is a resting phase before the urge to push is felt (therefore baby is not quite ready to come out of the dog cage...er...womb). Spontaneous pushing directed by what your body is telling YOU is the best way to push. It gives your little one more oxygen and breaks between being squeezed and pushed during the eviction process. Also pushing in an upright position gives your coccyx a chance to "open the door". |
Practice 6 - Keep Mother and Baby Together - It's Best for Mother, Baby, and Breastfeeding. Brought to you by the sisters shown here (my beautiful nieces), feeding two of my great-nephews. These mamas know the value of skin-to-skin and keeping baby close. Both have successfully breastfed two babies each! They make me proud! |