Birth Works ENews, Vol I, Issue II

Welcome to the Birth Works E News. This is a forum for you to read about new and exciting things going on at Birth Works. Pass Birth Works E News on to your friends and colleagues--it's free! To subscribe to the next FREE Birth Works E-News, send your name and email address to enews@birthworks.org To stop receiving this newsletter: Send the email address you received it under to: unsub@birthworks.org and write unsubscribe in the subject box.

Birth Works=AE embodies the philosophy of developing a woman's self confidence, trust and faith in her ability to give birth. It is the goal of our Childbirth classes and Doula services as well as our Childbirth Educator and Doula certification programs to promote safe and loving birth experiences through education, introspection and confident action.

Doulas of Love: A Guidebook for Doulas and Expectant Parents is an original Birth Works publication written and edited by Cathy Daub, Founder, Designer and President of Birth Works, Inc. The Guidebook is both informative and inspirational...a valuable resource for women in labor and their companions. Topics include, the physiology of birth, recognizing progress in labor, optimal fetal and maternal positioning, understanding the risks of routine medical procedures, maternal and infant massage, wholistic nutrition, and working through fears. This book is also a resource that will help a new doula establish her services in her community. Tips for the first phone contact, sample forms, and marketing strategies are provided. The guidebook has been reviewed by leaders in the field of birth today including, Michel Odent, MD, Marshall Klaus, MD, and Nancy Wainer Cohen, Certified Professional Midwife. For the last fifteen years, Birth Works classes and programs have been helping birthing women and couples nationwide to have greater trust, joy, and peace at their births. The Doulas of Love Guidebook follows in this tradition. For more information and to order your copy, call 1-888-TO BIRTH or email us with your order at info@birthworks.org

"Birth Works is a unique and caring organization. Through its doula and childbirth educator programs, it offers a means of transformation by way of its philosophy of integrating the mind, body, and spirit." Marshall Klaus, MD

Midwifery Today is proud to introduce the Birth Market, our online Mother/Baby/Environment-Friendly Product and Services Directory. Check us out! Shop for wonderful birth-related products at the Birth Market or find a birth practitioner. Do you have a product or service to sell? Are you a midwife, doula, or other birth practitioner? Become a part of the Birth Market today! http://www.birthmarket.com

The Three H's: Head, Heart and Hands We can elevate our consciousness by practicing the three H's of head, heart, and hands. What the head thinks should be carefully examined by the heart, and the right decisions will be carried out by the hands. We often "react" to a given situation in our daily lives with an immediate outburst of emotion that has little basis in understanding. This is in contrast to being able to "respond" to situations by seeking to understand what has happened and why.

When a new experience occurs, it is the nature of the mind to check it out in the files of the subconscious to determine how it reacted to the same or similar experience earlier in life. In this way, old habits, reactions and ways of responding become enforced and positive change is more difficult. Utilizing the framework of the three H's in daily life and in our work as educators and doulas will help us bypass that subconscious and break old habits.

The human body has an innate ability to distinguish what is right from wrong. When a thought comes into the head, take it directly to the heart. Decide if this thought is good or not, kind or unkind, helpful or not helpful, wise or unwise. Choose to focus on what you determine in your heart as the right thing to do, and allow only that to flow into the hands.

Cathy Daub, founder of Birth Works, shares this common sense approach to decision making and communication in Doula Training Workshops throughout the country. Call the office 1-888-TO BIRTH to order your copy of Doulas of Love: A Guidebook for Doulas and Expectant Parents and for more on becoming a Birth Works certified doula.

Before talking or saying anything,
first ask yourself:
Is it necessary?
Is it true?
Is it kind?
Will it hurt anyone?
Will it improve upon the silence?

from Doulas of Love: A Guidebook for Doulas and Expectant Parents, The Value of Silence

Learning to Trust Birth Unfortunately, many women today have lost faith in their ability to birth their baby vaginally. They may have been told that their pelvis is small or that because their mother had a cesarean, they may need one too. How can we work to dispel the myth of the "small pelvis". Indeed, we know that true CPD (cephalopelvic disproportion) is extremely rare and that scores of women who had cesarean birth with a diagnosis of CPD, for a first baby go onto vaginal deliveries with considerably larger babies! What can we do as educators, doulas, midwives, and expectant parents to gain an understanding of our body's innate capabilities to give birth?

Here is an effective experiential exercise that is taught in Birth Works classes and workshops throughout the country that has helped many women begin to increase confidence and understand their pelvis and its ability to help birth their baby. This exercise requires no models or charts. In fact, that is really the beauty of experiencing pelvic bodywork. For women learn about THEIR pelvis. When we watch a model or view a tape of birth, we can say, "well sure, that woman could do it, but that wasn't me, that wasn't MY pelvis". This thought may not even be a conscious one, but very powerful. Pelvic bodywork is the way to begin strengthening the belief that MY pelvis is just the right size for the baby that I am growing and beautifully fashioned for the birth ahead!

The first step in gaining trust in our bodies ability to give birth is to understand some simple anatomy of the pelvis. The pelvis is not one large immobile, circular bone as we tend to visualize it. Rather it is a series of three sets of bones all connected with ligaments and cartilage which soften and relax through the loving work of hormones. These hormones are released in greater and greater amounts leading up to the time of birth. We can discover for ourselves the bones that make up this protective cradle for our baby. We can actually feel these bones ourselves, measure their diameters, and feel how they adjust and expand as we assume various labor positions.

Part one of pelvic bodywork is to identify the bones of the pelvis and measure their vertical and horizontal diameters. Stand comfortably and first find the pubic bone, the bony ridge in front of the vagina. Run the hand firmly over the pubic bone and what do you sense? A small indentation in the middle. This is a fibrous joint called the symphysis pubis. The wonderful thing about this joint is that during the birth process, it expands as necessary for baby's passage. Next bring the hands up to the hip bones or ilium. March in place and notice how the hip bones have a great ability to become asymmetrical. Asymmetry is effective at helping some baby's make the rotation from face up to face down in labor. Now, take your hands to your mid back and run them down the spine till you come to a triangular wedge shaped bone called the sacrum. As you continue further down toward the buttocks, you will come to the coccyx or tailbone. The tailbone and sacrum are also connected by softening ligaments which help the tailbone actually move up and out for baby's descent. The sacrum and tailbone have the most flexibility when we avoid compressing them with back lying postures during labor. Finally, sit on a hard chair and find your sit bones, technically called ischial tuberosities. These bones too have great range of motion.

Measuring our own pelvis can be done quite simply and effectively. Locate the pubic bones and place the heal of one hand on this bony ridge. Extend this hand toward the rectum. Can you reach your tail bone with the tip of your middle finger? Usually the diameter from the pubic bone to the tailbone runs most of the way down the middle finger. This is the vertical diameter of the pelvis. Now, locate the horizontal diameter by simply finding those sit bones again (this part is easier if done on a hard chair). Place the fist between the sit bones. Usually there is room for the entire fist and some depending on whether you are measuring in a sitting or standing position.

So, now we can place the palm of one hand up and see for ourselves the measurement of our pelvis by tracing the vertical and horizontal diameters with a finger from our other hand.. Draw an imaginary circle connecting the horizontal and vertical diameters. Most women will exclaim that they are pleasantly pleased to discover that THEIR pelvis seems to have more than enough room for a newborn's head. In fact, a newborn baby's head does fit ever so nicely in the palm of our hand. The baby is designed to accommodate the pelvis much the same way we are designed to accommodate the baby. A newborn's skull bones are not fused until later allowing the bones to come together temporarily as they navigate the pelvis.

To take a Birth Works childbirth education class and learn more about pelvic bodywork contact a Birth Works educator in your area http://www.birthworks.= org/directory.phtml

Your spirit as a woman has all the knowledge and power you need to give birth and nurture your child. It is in your genes, it has been with you since you, yourself were conceived. You can trust its wisdom" - Gurmykh Kalsa

The Blessing Way Ceremony is a special gathering to honor a woman close to her time of birth. A blessing way is attended by whomever the woman wishes to invite, friends, family members, and those who may be with her at birth. What a wonderful opportunity for a doula and the expectant mother to strengthen their spiritual bond through song, poetry, and ritual. Each blessing way ceremony is unique but brings women together in a spirit of friendship and love. Activities at a blessing way are as varied as the gifts and talents of those doing the honoring. They include rituals such as massaging the honoree's feet with cornmeal, a Native American custom symbolizing the nourishment given by the earth. Sometime there is a sharing of beautiful yarn or string that is wrapped around each attendees wrist while they share their personal wishes for the mother's upcoming birth. The bracelets are worn until after the birth to symbolize unity and continued goodwill. Or, is a special presentation of hand made gifts. Words of strength and courage are shared to fortify the woman's spirit for birth. For some women the blessing way is a time of great healing, where they can experience feeling truly honored and strengthened by the love and support of other women who believe in them, believe in birth, and trust that the ancient wisdom that has grown their baby, will soon birth their baby as well. The following picture depicts a circle of women who have come together to honor Tammi McKinley at a blessing way ceremony. Tammi is a Birth Works Doula expecting her second child this month.

Birth is ancient all women know how,
Innate wisdom is theirs right now.
Trust the inner voice inside
Let is always be your guide.
Come together now and sing,
Feel the harmony it brings.
Stars are many but the sky is one,
Women are many and their bond is one...their bond is one.

Birth Works, Inc. is pleased to announce the development of their secure site online shopping service on www.birthworks.org

Beginning September 1, 2000 you will be able to order all Birth Works videos, cassettes, books, promotional products, and class packets on the internet, securely and easily. Don't forget, Birth Works members receive a 10% discount which will be calculated automatically as you complete your transaction. Take advantage of this wonderful time saver and shop on-line beginning Sept 1st!

September 8-10	Flemington, NJ	Doula
September 22-24	San Diego CA	Doula
October 13-15	Austin, TX	Childbirth Educator
November 3-5	Memphis, TN	Childbirth Educator

To contact us: email info@birthworks.org or write to us at Birth Works, Inc. PO Box 2045 Medford, NJ 08055 call us at 1-888-TO-BIRTH check out our web site www.birthworks.org