Science & Sensibility

This is a big weekend for Lamaze International for many reasons.  The 2012 Innovative Learning Forum is happening starting tomorrow in Nashville, TN, and right now, childbirth professionals and those interested in improving maternity care for childbearing women are making their way to Nashville via plane, train and automobile to network, listen to a fantastic line up of keynote speakers, participate in interactive learning sessions taught by creative and dynamic presenters, shop and meet sponsors and exhibitors, enjoy good food, Nashville hospitality and socialize with men and women who share the belief that birth is normal.

Sharon Muza Book Reviews, Breastfeeding, Childbirth Education, Continuing Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Films about Childbirth, Films about Pregnancy, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, informed Consent, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Lamaze Method, Push for Your Baby, Uncategorized annual conference, book review, Childbirth Education, Debby Amis, Jeanne Green, lamaze, Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum, Lamaze Toolkit for Childbirth Educators, Prepared Childbirth the Family Way, Sharon Muza, tips for the childbirth educator

The 2012 Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum is scheduled for October 26-28 in Nashville, TN and now is the time to sign up for this exciting learning and networking opportunity. This year’s conference theme is “Safe and Healthy Birth: The Music of Our Head, Heart and Hands” and Lamaze International is offering a new approach, which includes more opportunities for interaction among attendees with lower costs and less time away from work and family. Contact hours good for Lamaze, Nursing, ACNM, IBCLC re-certifications will be awarded for attendance at this continuing education event.

The internationally recognized General Session speakers include Ina May Gaskin, (Birth Works, Why Don’t More People in the U.S. Know it?), Dr. Jack Newman, (The First Hour),  Steven B. Frye, (Adult Learning and Conceptual Change: Putting Theory to Practice), and Abby Epstein, (The Accidental Birth Advocate).

In between general sessions, you will be treated to Interactive Learning Sessions, where the topics of Maternal Safety, Infant Safety and Evidenced Based Teaching and Practice will be highlighted in the categories of Head, Heart and Hands.  Leave these sessions full of ideas to take back with you and implement to make your classes, client relationships and professional knowledge more effective and useful to all.

Morning Learning Sessions, Exercise Sessions, Film and Poster Presentations and a full Exhibit Hall present additional opportunities to learn, shop, connect and participate in all the 2012 Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum has to offer.

The social event of the conference, “Papas and Mamas Sing For Healthy Birth” Benefit Concert is a partnership between Lamaze International and Attachment Parenting International to benefit and celebrate healthy birth scheduled for Saturday evening.  The concert will feature Grammy winner Delbert McClinton and The McCrary Sisters.

You can save $145 dollars on the forum registration fee if you register by Monday, September 24, 2012, when “early bird” registration closes. This represents significant savings and a great value for your continuing education and conference dollars.

Choose to attend the pre-Forum workshops and attend a Lamaze Childbirth Education Seminar facilitated by DUKE AHEC or the Lamaze Evidenced-Based Nursing Care: Labor Support Skills Workshop facilitated by Judith Lothian and take advantage of the bundled registration fee for the specialized workshops and the 2012 Forum, saving yourself $100 in the process.

Stay a few extra days in Nashville and treat yourself to a DONA International Birth Doula Workshop led by Patricia Predmore, DONA International Birth Doula Mentor. Attendance at this workshop and the Forum saves you $50 over purchasing the two registrations separately.

Click here to register for the conference and get “early bird” rates when you register to attend by September 24, 2012.  You can also connect with other Forum attendees to find a roommate or two to share in your hotel costs at the beautiful Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel and take advantage of the special Lamaze Forum room rate.  You do not want to miss the childbirth education event of the year.  Sign up now.

Sharon Muza Babies, Childbirth Education, Conference Schedule, Continuing Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Films about Childbirth, Films about Pregnancy, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Newborns, Push for Your Baby, Uncategorized Abby Epstein, annual conference, Childbirth Education, childbirth education conferences, Continuing Education, continuing education for nurses, Ina May Gaskin, Jack Newman, Judith Lothian, Lamaze 2012 Annual Conference, Lamaze Innovative Learning Forum, nashville, Sharon Muza, Steven B. Frye

Guest post by Ami Burns, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE

 ”What To Expect When You’re Expecting” authored by Heidi Murkoff and contributer Sharon Mazel, is now in its all-new fourth edition, with over 17 million copies in print, and been a perennial favorite on The New York Times’ bestseller list for years.  According to USA Today, WTEWYE has been read by 93 percent of women who read a pregnancy book. In May, “What To Expect When You’re Expecting; The Movie” was released, directed by Kirk Jones, and starring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Matthew Morrison, and others.  Over the years, the material and presentation style of the book have been questioned as potentially creating more fear and questions then providing reassurance and confidence to pregnant women.  When I heard that the movie had been released, I asked Ami Burns, a Chicago-based birthed professional to see the movie through the eyes of a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator.  - SM

SPOILER ALERT: If you plan to see the film “What To Expect When You’re Expecting,” you may want to read the review after you see the film.

What did I expect before buying my ticket to What To Expect When You’re Expecting, the film inspired by Heidi Murkoff’s book? To be honest, not much.  I’m not a fan of the book, and I assumed the movie would be another Hollywood portrayal of birth as an emergency, or featuring bumbling dads who don’t know what to do, along with a mom screaming, telling him what an idiot he is as she purple pushes her baby out. 

I knew I had to leave my judgement at the ticket counter if I was going to review the movie with my “childbirth educator/doula” hat on, not my “Matthew Morrison is hot so it won’t be a total waste of money if the movie stinks” one.

Lamaze International has the Six Healthy Birth Practices that offer evidence and research which provides a solid foundation for promoting safe and normal birth. Would What To Expect touch on even one? I was curious to find out.

Before I get to answer the question of how well WTEWYE does in following the Healthy Birth Practices, it’s worth noting that as far as childbirth education in general, the only mention comes during a short scene at the doctor’s office when the mom and dad to-be played by Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison see a flyer about The Bradley Method. Diaz says Morrison needs to learn it, but we never hear anything else about it, or see anyone take a birth class – Bradley, Lamaze or any other – throughout the movie.

So, let’s take a look at each care practice and see how WTEWYE stacks up against each one.

1.    Let Labor Begin On Its Own

I was pleasantly surprised that the women all went into labor naturally – one mom even has a strong contraction on live television. The dad played by Chris Rock talks about walking and having sex to start labor. There’s no mention of induction or augmentation, and one mom’s water breaks as she’s walking around. Nice!

2.    Walk, Move Around and Change Positions Throughout Labor

There are a few scenes that show the moms in hospital beds,  but at least they’re upright. A mom leans on the wall as her husband rubs her back, and the character played by Brooklyn Decker – a young mom of twins who has the perfect pregnancy —  labors on a birth ball at home.

3.   Bring a Loved One, Friend or Doula for Continuous Support

Just like there’s barely a mention about childbirth education, doulas aren’t mentioned either. Labor support isn’t talked about in general, but the fathers are very supportive during the births.

4.    Avoid Interventions That Aren’t Medically Necessary

Again, I am happy to report no talk of induction or planned cesarean section – even for the mom carrying twins. Elizabeth Banks’ character, who comes prepared with a birth plan, eventually chooses an epidural, reaches 10 cm, but the doctor suggests a cesarean section since the baby’s heart rate is low. Her husband holds her hand during the operation.

5.  Avoid Giving Birth On Your Back, and Follow Your Body’s Urges to Push

Here I am on the 5^th Healthy Birth Practice and still impressed!  One mom uses a squat bar, another pushes semi sitting, and Decker’s character not only only gives birth to twins vaginally, she literally sneezes one of the babies out.

6.    Keep Your Baby With You – It’s Best for You, Your Baby and Breastfeeding

While the labor and birth experiences were good, the fimmakers could have done a much better job with this one. Banks’ character owns a store, The Breast Choice, even before she conceives, but we don’t see any of the new moms nursing – or even bottle feeding, for that matter. I was disappointed that one of the last scenes in the hospital is of two dads talking as they watch their babies – and many others – in the nursery.

I’m also glad the filmmakers showed some of the realities of pregnancy – mainly Banks’ character, who is expecting the “perfect glow,” but instead has hemmorhoids, sore breasts and incontinence – and isn’t afraid to be honest about it.

So, I didn’t expect much going in, but overall found What To Expect When You’re Expecting a breezy, romantic comedy that didn’t make the childbirth educator in me cringe.

Did you see the movie? What are your thoughts? Would you recommend this movie to your classes? Could you use clips of this movie in your classes as teaching moments?  Have your students and families been to see this and brought up the film  in class?  What has been their opinions?  Let’s share ideas and thoughts on how we as educators can be better prepared to respond to comments and observations by families we work with.

 About Ami Burns

Ami Burns, CD(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, is the founder of Birth Talk. In addition to teaching, she uses her media background to promote healthy birth. Ami produced the Telly Award-winning 50 Years of Childbirth Education for Lamaze International, and writes for numerous websites, including allParenting.

Sharon Muza Breastfeeding, Childbirth Education, Evidence Based Medicine, Films about Childbirth, Films about Pregnancy, Guest Posts, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Maternity Care, Uncategorized Ami Burns, Childbirth Education, films, guest posts, Healthy Birth Practices, Healthy Care Practices, Lamaze International

As someone who is knowledgeable about pregnancy and birth, I often hear from far-flung friends and relatives who have questions. The questions run the gamut: “Can I take this medication?,” “Do I really need to be induced?,” “What does this test result mean?” But I hear in these questions a much more basic question: “How do I get good maternity care?”

Whether each woman can articulate it or not, all women want maternity care that is woman-centered, safe, effective, timely, efficient, and equitable. These are the domains of high-quality care.

So how can a woman get high quality maternity care? As part of our Join the Transformation Campaign, Childbirth Connection created a new resource to answer this question.

(You can download a PDF handout of these tips here.)

These ten tips give women the foundation they need to begin to engage as savvy consumers of high-quality care, but there’s so much more work to be done to retool our system to fully enable this kind of engagement. How can women choose their caregiver and setting wisely without transparent performance data to evaluate quality? How can women understand the evidence without access to high-quality decision support tools that are appropriate for their literacy and numeracy levels? How can women control their health records if they can’t even access them electronically?

We launched our Join the Transformation campaign to strengthen our work to address these gaps. We’re working with partners to implement key recommendations from our consensus Blueprint for Action, so in the future when women ask “How Can I Get Good Maternity Care?” the answer is clear and the resources are at their fingertips.

Maternity Care With a Heart from Childbirth Connection on Vimeo.

Posted by:  Amy Romano, MSN, CNM

Amy Romano Films about Childbirth, Films about Pregnancy, Maternal Quality Improvement, Maternity Care, Patient Advocacy, Transforming Maternity Care, Uncategorized Amy Romano, Blueprint for Action, Childbirth Connection, how do I get good maternity care, Join the Transformation, maternity care, Transforming Maternity Care

As pregnant women navigate the internet in search of a caregiver and a place to birth, some may end up opening a web page describing a birth center, and read a description such as:

“Imagine being respected for your choices of where and how to birth your family. The lights are dimmed, the room is quiet. You know who the people are in this room. You feel supported in a way that relaxes your body and allows you to feel safe. Trust prevails in the space. You can feel your body settling down. Your body knows how to do this. Your baby knows how to be born into this world.  You and your baby are doing this together, with the support of those who love you.”  **
The expectant woman sighs deeply, closes her eyes and gives thanks for having encountered professionals whose philosophy of childbirth appear to be completely congruent with  her hopes and dreams of a woman/baby/family-centered  birth.

Lovely.

Would they also share her vision of having this transformational experience viewed by those who subscribe to watch it streamed live on the internet?  I sincerely hope so.
Welcome  readers to Nancy Salgueiro’s world!

This past Saturday, Nancy live-streamed her third child’s homebirth on the Internet for all the (subscribing) world to see.  From Salgueiro’s website:

“If you are pregnant or thinking about it, think you want a natural birth, and don’t know what to expect, then this invitation will allow you to  experience my home birth so you can see how wonderful and gentle birth can be.”

There are those who contend that live streaming the birth undermined the sanctity and privacy championed so eloquently by the Ina Mae Gaskins and Michel Odents of the birthing world.   Others have labeled it “publicity.”  One birth professional concluded it was a “side show event.” I hold a different opinion.

While Nancy’s decision may have offended some or shocked others, her choice of how to experience the birth was just that…her choice. She views birth as a joyous, safe and loving celebration and wanted others to have the opportunity to observe, witness and be inspired by watching hers. Women receive a barrage of negativity about labor and birth….isn’t her confident and upbeat attitude a welcome alternative?  Her homebirth brought the Six Healthy Care Practices of Lamaze into action!

While initially writing this post,  Salgueiro was at 40 weeks and 7 days of her pregnancy.  How many women have a positive role model for patiently waiting for labor to initiate on its own?  How many women may have, and will continue to, learn via Nancy’s experience,  that 40 weeks isn’t a deadline or an expiration date that necessarily requires induction to avoid?

Perhaps my willingness to embrace the idea of permitting observers, stems from the welcoming way it was presented to me by  the Dutch midwife who attended my first baby’s homebirth in Amsterdam in 1982. During a monthly visit, she proposed that I  attend another woman’s home birth and  asked whether  another pregnant mama  might come  and observe me during mine. In that typical, straight forward manner that characterized any suggestions my midwife made, it was presented as an option.  I remember my guest observer walking in after sunrise. It was just a couple of hours before my baby emerged and, I’ll  admit, I didn’t hesitate to “uninvite” this woman after the short while she spent in my living room sitting tensely on the edge of her chair, biting her lip, furrowing her brow and making all kinds of tut tutting sounds and sighs!    Even though my experience of having a guest observer wasn’t a favorable one, it was easily resolved by asking her to leave. Like Nancy, I could exercise complete self determination about my environment and could decide who would be present for my birth.  How wondrous if birthing women in the Americas had this kind of authority!

Nancy’s situation was different in that her observers were not physically present. Though there may have been thousands observing her, they were not sharing her physical space. Contrast that with women who endure the onslaught of unknown nurses, obstetricians, assistants, residents, interns and  technicians at their births. Or simply a change of caregiver at the last minute because their preferred attendant isn’t “on call.” The camera lens in Nancy’s home  simply  represented the faceless internet viewers who had submitted their requests to watch her birth.  Why is the former accepted, while the later provoked horror?

I find the furor over her decision a bit confusing.  When a woman reclaims her right to birth within the privacy of her own home, often because the clamor and intrusiveness of strangers in an institution is objectionable to her, we herald that step.  Why recoil  from a woman  just because she decides to share her triumph with others via the internet?   Is it the immediacy of the telecast that frightened or perturbed us?   Does a video have to be edited first? Would we have tolerated it better if it had been set to mood-enhancing music?

As a doula, I have participated in nearly 900 births and probably had a video camera present for nearly one hundred  of them. Only once did a laboring woman direct  her husband to shut the camera off.  He of course, complied.  More often, all of us completely forgot about the taping!  This holds true   especially when the video camera is simply set upon a tripod and turned on without further adjustments  to the  lighting or sound.   Then again, some video camera operators have been incorporated seamlessly into the tapestry of birth.

Although not a television owner myself, I am aware of the national syndicated television program  “A Baby Story” whose parent company claims is  “ a voyeuristic peek at the drama of labor and the sheer joy and relief of the unforgettable birth moment.” Viewers are invited to  “share in the experience and all the emotions parents feel when they first greet their newborn.”   A production crew enters the woman’s private sanctum  to film, and later is given the authority to edit what has been taped!  I met one participant, Mindy Goorchenko, who provided the video (filmed by her husband) to the Discovery Channel with hopes of  demystifying and promoting normalcy in a twin birth.  She was dismayed when the televised version was edited in a way that made it appear as though an emergency had just narrowly been averted!!  With live streaming, there is no editing. There is no personal point of view by a producer or a director. Is this immediacy what makes it so formidable to some members and activists within the  birth community?

When I taught childbirth classes  to hundreds of pregnant women in a behemoth regional hospital in Mexico, I used an activity to underline the uniqueness of each woman’s pregnancy and birth. I would share a small sheet of paper and a pencil with each participant and ask her to either write  a word or phrase, or to draw something simple that would convey something unique about her baby’s conception. The hundreds of entries (none of which were signed)  conveyed graphically that  babies were conceived in homes, hotels, beaches, or cars.  That they were conceived on floors, mats, hammocks, beds, sleeping bags and with privacy or without. The women conceiving were joyful, scared, or sad.  The babies were conceived at different times of the day (usually just indicated by suns, stars and moons) and by women  who were seeking to be impregnated and those hopeful that they wouldn’t.   My goal in offering this “dinamica” or “activity” was to underscore that just as each woman had a unique-to-her memory, situation or position at conception, it was unfathomable that at the moment of birth they would all want or need to birth the same.  And so it follows that just as there is someone like  Nancy Salgueiro, who was eager to share her birth, there will be women who find the idea abhorrent. But there is room in the birth community for both!!!

Certainly no matter how many books she sells or how many new blog subscribers she obtains as a result of the publicity surrounding her child’s birth, Nancy offered a gift to the world.  For the viewers who previously thought birth was too painful to contemplate without anesthesia, or that birth can only be accomplished in an OR, or with the  woman exhorted to push by “experts,” Salgueiro’s live-streamed birth might end up having been transformational. Many professional caregivers who know the theory behind delayed cord clamping might not have ever seen it done before.  For the many educators, doulas and birthing families who dream of experiencing a birth in which the Healthy Birth Practices are a reality rather than what sometimes feels like a distant goal, this birth may have re-inspired.

The Salgueiro’s son was born at 3:18am on October 16th.  Baby Oziah  weighed 6 pounds 10 ounces (3.1kg) and arrived peacefully at home in the presence of family and friends. Active labor progressed very quickly and the midwives arrived shortly after the birth.  The video is already available, here.  To view, click on the text box and enter the password naturalbirthrocks.

Nancy will be re-streaming the birth and recording it on to Ustream so it will be available for viewing for those who feel better knowing the outcome before watching.

A postscript:
If the intimacy and immediacy of Nancy’s birth still doesn’t fulfill your expectations for observing birth,   then consider Marni Kotak.
She will transform an art gallery into a birth center and thus turn the birth of her first baby into art.
“I think if people give birth in the completely inhospitable environment of hospitals, hooked up to IVs and monitors and strapped with stirrups into a bed, I can give birth in an art gallery.”

Posted by: Joni Nichols, BS, MS, CCE, CD(DONA)

**(excerpted from  http://gracefullbirthing.com/)

Joni Nichols, BS, MS, CCE, CD(DONA), CBI Films about Childbirth, Healthy Birth Practices, Home Birth, News about Pregnancy, Science & Sensibility, Social Media, Uncategorized childbirth, Home Birth, homebirth, Joni Nichols, lamaze, live birth, Nancy Sagueiro, Six Healthy Birth Practices