Editor: Cathy Daub PT, CCE, CD
Volume IV Issue 2
March 17, 2004
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A publication of Birth Works®, Inc. Editor: Cathy Daub PT, CCE, CD Volume IV Issue 2 March 17, 2004 |
Welcome to the Birth Works ENews
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 our goal to promote safe and loving birth experiences through education, introspection and confident action.
We believe that the knowledge of how to give birth is already inside
every woman. Through a unique, innovative and experiential program that
integrates the mind, body, and spirit, we encourage pregnant women to have
more faith in that body knowledge.
"I have lost all sense of time and space and am riding purely on
sensation. Now I know I must get back into the water. A quick empty of the
bladder and I slide into the tub. What joy! Upon checking, I seem to be
nearly completely dilated and the waters are still intact. Although I keep
waiting for the sensations to come back to back, they don't. And during
them, I am thinking how badly they hurt. Inside myself, I want to run and
escape. I feel a panic and must focus to breathe slowly and not
hyperventilate. I tell myself, "I can do this. I was created to do this.
Each break, I find it amazing that I remain calm, polite and even cheerful
at times..."
— Tara Carlin
The internal dialogue of the mind and body in this woman demonstrates the positive effects of affirmations for women in labor. A part of her wants to "run away and escape." But she remembers what she has learned and tells herself, "I can do this. I am created to do this." This affirmation calms her mind and she remains confident. The mind is simply a system of nervous impulses that can be compared to a monkey jumping out for everything it sees. Affirmations, or positive thoughts, are a way to calm the mind, and bring a sense of peace over the entire body. Childbirth Education needs to help women understand the nature of the mind. It is the key to a successful labor and a birth that will provide memories for a lifetime.
The stomach is the governing organ of the body. Food enters the mouth and then goes to the stomach. It is from the stomach that food is sent to all parts of the body. Some of the food sustains the organs, bones and other tissues. Some of the food also goes to the more subtle parts of the body, which includes the mind. When we eat foods that are spicy and hot, they can cause irritation in our moods. If we overeat, the mind can become lethargic and lazy as after a Thanksgiving meal. In addition, the way we eat food matters. We could have a healthy plate of good food but if we are in a rush or are angry, it won't be digested well. What kind of foods are you eating and feeding your children, including a fetus if you are pregnant, and how are you eating them?
Fast foods have become symbolic of our lifestyle. We want to eat food already prepared and eat it fast, while driving to our next appointment. It is also symbolic of how many women want to birth— having it done for them and in the shortest time possible. We are running into trouble with both food and birth. Obesity is becoming rampant in our society as people consume high fat and large amounts of refined sugars in their meals and snacks. With this obesity comes a multitude of health problems, including infants born with fatty deposits already in their blood vessels at birth. In birth, women are increasingly choosing surgery over labor to deliver their babies. Hormones that have been programmed to carry out both physiological and behavioral functions over thousands of years, are not able to do their work fully. For example, a characteristic of endorphins, (morphine-like substances produced by the body during labor), is to help the baby's eyes dilate to see its mother for the first time. We must ask ourselves the question, "What is the future for a generation of babies who do not experience labor?"
| Date | Location |
| March 19-21 | Washington, DC |
| June 6-8 | Medford, NJ |
| June 11-13 | Chicago, IL |
| July 9-11 | Vancouver, Canada |
| November 12-14 | Cleveland, OH |
For more information on Educator Certification, visit http://www.birthworks.org/cecert.html
If you have read Eric Schlosser's book Fast Food Nation, you will understand and realize the utter disregard the fast food industry has for our health. They are only interested in ways to get you to spend more and more of your money on their food. If they can successfully market their foods to young children, they have their business for a lifetime. According to Schlosser, in 1997 by including a Teenie Beanie Baby with each purchase, McDonald's sold about 100 million Happy Meals. In 1996 Walt Disney Company signed a ten-year global marketing agreement with the McDonald's Corporation. "Now you can buy a Happy Meal at the Happiest Place on Earth." The advertisement read, "Only McDonald's Makes It Easy To Get A Bit of Disney Magic." The unspoken message was, "It's an easy way to feel like a good parent."
But this is not a way to be a good parent. Succumbing to this kind of advertising and marketing has the result of negatively impacting the health of you and your children over a period of time. Fast foods also promote the drinking of soda by our children. A 1997 study published in the Journal of Dentistry for Children found that many infants were indeed being fed soda in those bottles. Each can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar. Coke, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, and Dr. Pepper also contain caffeine. These sodas provide empty calories, which can lead to calcium deficiencies and bone fractures. Schlosser goes on to say, "About one-fifth of our nation's one and two year olds now drink soda. Pepsi, Dr. Pepper and Seven-Up encourage feeding soft drinks to babies by licensing their logos to a major maker of baby bottles, i.e. Munchkin Bottling, Inc."
There is a two-letter word that can literally help you and your family to be healthier. That word is, "NO!" When there is no market, a company can't sell its products. Start saying "no" to your children when they want prepared, fast foods, and know that just this two letter word can begin to make a difference in improving their short and long-term health and the health of the entire family.
The mind, body, and spirit are so closely interconnected that what affects one, impacts all. What is the spirit? It cannot be seen and yet we talk about it. How do we know that it exists? The same can be said of air. Can we see air? No. We know it exists because we breathe it in through our nose and/or mouth and know that it keeps us alive. In the same way, the spirit is our inner guidance system that lets us know right from wrong and gives us a "gut" feeling that we depend on greatly when making decisions. The spirit fills us with awe and wonder because we sense its power but cannot really understand it. Yet we feel its presence. One who displays negative qualities such as anger, jealousy, and pride (ego) cannot "hear" his/her inner guidance from the spirit as well. This can be likened to an iron bar covered with rust— the magnetic power is greatly decreased. This concept becomes highly pertinent for a woman in labor and for her birth team. Much decision-making is necessary during pregnancy, labor, birth and postpartum. "Will I have a drug-free delivery?" "Will I be able to breastfeed?" "Should I stay home with my baby?" A woman who is open to her spirit will receive its guidance, and this guidance will always lead her in the direction right for her.
Birth Works E News has been written to provide information on Birth Works, Inc. programs and general information about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. The information provided is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation with a childbirth educator, lactation consultant, doula, midwife, or physician.
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