Welcome to the Birth Works E News. This is a forum for you to get to know us better and read about new and exciting things going on at Birth Works.

Birth Works 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. 

In This Issue.......

• for the mind...Understanding the Medical Literature: The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth
• for the body...A Common Sense Approach to Good Nutrition
• for the spirit...The Three P's: Purity, Patience, and Perseverance
• Schedule of upcoming 2001 Educator and Doula Training Workshops!
• Announcements
• Support our Sponsors! Advertise online with Midwifery Today's Birth Market

Birth Works Feature Articles

...for the mind

Understanding the Medical Literature- Learning about the risks, benefits, indications, and alternatives to medical technology at birth can be a daunting and confusing proposition. Many couples today are encouraged to write a birth plan and discuss this plan with their careprovider prior to birth. The birth plan is often a springboard for questions about common medical procedures like inducing labor and epidural anesthesia.

Birth Works childbirth education classes provide an excellent forum for learning about obstetrical interventions and procedures. Each expectant woman/couple is encouraged to take responsibility for their birth by making informed choices, balancing the risks and benefits for themselves and their birth. An important goal of the discussion is to help expectant parents learn to distinguish between the routine application of interventions and the judicious use of technology in select situations.

Many routine procedures are finding less and less support in the current medical literature. For example, it is now recognized by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology that routine episiotomy (a surgical incision made in the perineum to widen the vaginal opening at the time of birth) should not be a part of routine delivery. It was once believed that perineal stretching and a longer pushing phase were both harmful to the mother and baby. The research shows this to not be the case. In fact, women with episiotomies are more likely to experience increased blood loss, risk of infection, and more pain after delivery. Likewise, we now know that the routine use of continuous electronic fetal monitoring (a machine that monitors the baby's heart tones in response to uterine contractions), although helpful in selected situations, actually shows no benefit to the low-risk mother or baby and actually increases the incidence of forceps or cesarean delivery. These and other important research findings are highlighted in Birth Works classes.

More and more women today wish to avoid "feeling" and "looking" like a sick patient while giving birth. They desire to learn more about the physiology of labor and are making birth plans that support their belief that birth is indeed instinctive - a safe journey into parenthood, and the mother and baby are willing participants in the process.

We must each sort out the truth from the rhetoric and look deep within ourselves and our belief systems as we interpret reseach. Our underlying beliefs about birth affect the conclusions we draw from what we read and the research we choose to cite or ignore. In Birth Works classes we recognize the importance of uncovering these beliefs and fears which can have such a great impact on our birth decisions.

An in depth look at the issues surrounding the medical literature can be found in Henci Goer's book The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth. Henci Goer is a Lamaze certified childbirth educator and doula and a member of the Birth Works Inc. Board of Advisors. The Thinking Woman's Guide helps the reader contrast various birth options available today and shows us how we can avoid unecessary interventions. Supported by current research and complete with literature summaries, this book is an invaluable tool for expectant parents who are in the process of making birth choices and plans. It is a book that every childbirth educator and doula should have in their library. It is now available through our online store at http://www.birthworks.org/store.phtml. To order by phone, call toll free 1-888-TO-BIRTH. Birth Works members are entitled to a 10% discount on all products!

...for the body

Sharing a Common Sense Approach to Good Nutrition- Teaching about good nutrition has long been a part of the Birth Works curriculum. Birth Works childbirth educators have many creative ways to help couples in their classes learn more about the food choices they make, explore their own emotional relationship to food and ultimately adopt sound nutritional habits for a lifetime. Pregnancy is often a time when most women are very open to making changes in their diet. They instinctively recognize that the food they eat is also the food that nourishes their growing baby.

We are a society that values convenience and unfortunately, there is no truer example of this than the proliferation of fast food and prepared meals that abound in our grocery stores and restaurants. The first principle in a common sense approach to nutrition is to remember that food value is greatest when food in consumed closest to it's natural fresh state as possible. The more we process, cook, change, and package our foods, the less life giving energy those foods will possess. Most experts now recognize that sound prenatal nutrition is one of the most important things that we can do to help prevent complications during pregnancy and birth. But now research has shifted to also look at the quality of the fats that we consume. The molecular change that occurs when vegetable fats are converted into a solid or spreadable product results in the creation of a partially hydrogenated food product which contains trans fatty acids.. Did you know that research has shown that trans fats are fetal growth inhibitors? Trans fats are found in many foods like margarine, french fries and doughnuts.

Most Birth Works classes allow time for a "social break" each night. This is an opportunity to not only give participants a chance to support each other informally, but to taste a myriad of healthy snack alternatives. Each class participant takes a turn at bringing a healthy snack to share with others. These snacks range from simple things like apples and peanut butter to homemade whole wheat breads or fresh vegetable trays. When we view nutrition in a wholistic way, we accept that anything taken into our body through our five senses is food for the body that can deplete us or strengthen and nourish us!

See what is good
Hear what is good
Eat what is good
Touch what is good
Smell what is good
This is the way to good health for the mind, body, and spirt.

Cathy Daub from Common Sense Nutrition

For more information on wholistic nutrition for pregnancy and a lifetime, order our new nutrition guide, Common Sense Nutrition written by Birth Works founder, Cathy Daub, PT and Horatio G. Daub, MD. This 7 page guide covers many aspects of nutrition for a healthy pregnancy as well as information on phytochemicals, trans fats, sugars, organic foods, vitamin supplementation and pre-conceptual folic acid. Ten principles of common sense nutrition are recommended. The Common Sense Nutrition Guide can be ordered from our online store http://www.birthworks.org/store.phtml for $3.00. Quantity discounts are available upon request. Call 1-888-TO-BIRTH

...for the spirit

The 3 P's In Birth Works workshops, Cathy Daub, founder of Birth Works, Inc. explains how the three human values of purity, patience, and perseverance can help us achieve more balance in our lives leading to better health and happiness.

Purity is the value of unifying word and deed. When practicing purity, what is said is always done. We follow through on our promises to others with a mental attitude that is focused on the positive rather than negative.

Patience is the key to approaching life's obstacles with equanimity. We can face obstacles knowing that they are present to teach us and help us become wiser persons. We respond to blame or anger from others by waiting, not reacting. When we exercise patience, listen and calm our minds, we can better respond in a loving way.

Perseverance is the ability to exercise steady effort. It is the skill of quieting the mind and keeping it focused on our task or purpose. When we allow silence in our lives, listening more and talking less, this can be a great strength to developing perseverance.

A more detailed explanation of how practicing the "3 P's" can enhance our lives can be found in the Birth Works Doulas of Love Guidebook: A Guidebook for Doulas and Expectant Parents. To order your copy online go to http://www.birthworks.org/store.phtml or call 1-888-TO-BIRTH.

Upcoming 2001 Birth Works Training Workshops