AquaNatal
Birth Center, we practice Leboyer, Kitzinger, Odent and Balaskas
natural birthing methods. Here is the background information for
you.
We
believe women have everything they need to safely give birth to
their babies without noise, intervention, or artificial breathing
techniques. Our specially-designed environment gives each woman
the surroundings she needs to give birth quietly, safely, and sanely.
At
AquaNatal Birth Center you will experience "Childbirth Without Violence"
for baby - and mother! Each time a new family is born, the universe
rejoices.
The
development of medical science has given us a number of childbirth
options. Depending on the health of the mother, the midwife and
mother choose the right kind of method. Leboyer Birth is one such
method which was named after its founder Frederick Leboyer. This
French obstetrician is credited for having portrayed the importance
of comfortable and traditional birthing methods. Commonly known
as the non-violent birth the process supports the baby's entry into
the world in a quiet room and away from bright lights. His contribution
towards developing certain norms to welcome the baby peacefully
cannot be denied.
Different
from the conventional methods, the Leboyer Birth does not believe
in cutting the umbilical cord immediately after the birth. In
this method, the baby is immersed in a warm bath and is then massaged
in a gentle manner until it stops crying. It had been evident
since the past that a traumatic birth had often affected a person's
wellbeing. The main purpose of a peaceful childbirth is to improve
the quality of the birth experience for the baby. Most midwives
and mothers have become influenced by the ideas of Leboyer.
We have encountered
different types of childbirth and labor, but the Leboyer Birth
is truly a unique way to give birth to your child. We must understand
the importance of creating a tranquil environment to welcome our
children. In this birthing method we often find a relaxed mother,
gentle lighting and a soothing atmosphere. If you are not aware
of Leboyer Birth, you must know that in this method, there is
no unnecessary conversation in the birth room. Those attending
the birth speak in hushed voices. It has been found that babies
born in this method appear more alert, smiling and content as
compared to the conventionally born babies.
Since
the babies born in a peaceful atmosphere experience a minimum of
trauma, it has inspired mothers to give birth naturally and in a
quieter atmosphere. Those who have endeared the LeBoyer Birth method,
feel the importance of reducing the stress of the mother and make
her feel more satisfied while she gives birth. In Leboyer Birth,
the midwife waits to cut your baby's cord and thus the baby has
the liberty to take their first breath on their own. One cannot
deny the importance of Leboyer Birth since it has been accepted
by the people all over the world.
The
Leboyer Method - Gentle Birthing the Leboyer Way
By Teri Brown
Choosing
a birthing experience is an intensely personal choice. Some moms-to-be
long for a water birth, while others want to stay at home or go
to a birthing center. Still others are most comfortable in a traditional
hospital setting.
Many mothers,
such as Carrie Lauth, mother of four from Atlanta, Ga., opt to
go for a more natural, gentle birthing experience. "In a nutshell,
I trusted that my body knew what to do," Lauth says. "Women have
been birthing for thousands of years and for the most part, things
go smoothly. In fact, the more we intrude, the higher the risks."
The Leboyer
birthing philosophy has been around for decades and is often credited,
in part, for the natural birth movement.
Before making
a choice, Lauth did her own research and found that the countries
that promote midwife care and where the majority of women receive
midwife care before and during birth have better outcomes for
Mom and Baby. "I also knew that a natural birth led to an easier
time breastfeeding," Lauth says. "I wanted what was best for my
babies, even if it meant me enduring pain, which actually serves
a very positive purpose of encouraging a cascade of 'love' hormones
- endorphin and oxytocin - that helps us bond and produce milk."
The
Leboyer Birthing Method
The Leboyer
birthing philosophy has been around for decades and is often credited,
in part, for the natural birth movement. When French obstetrician
Frederick Leboyer's book, Birth Without Violence (Revised edition,
Healing Arts Press, 2002), came out in 1975, many mothers were
entranced by the gentle, nonviolent birthing method.
Linda Goldberg,
a registered nurse, registered childbirth educator and the author
of Pea in a Pod: Your Complete Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth
and Beyond (Square One Publishers, Inc., 2008), says that
Leboyer believed that the traditional hospital births of the time
were traumatic for the infant.
"In
his view, the infant moves from a peaceful womb through the 'assault'
of labor into a world of bright lights and loud voices," writes
Goldberg. "She is held upside down, her cord is cut and she is immediately
removed from her mother. Dr. Leboyer stated that a newborn's senses
are very acute and that she perceives the intense sensations of
birth, often very vividly."
To
this end, the Leboyer method includes a dimly lighted room, which
is thought to be less shocking for the eyes of an infant who has
been in semi-darkness for many months. The room is set to a temperature
that will be comfortable to the baby and no loud noises are permitted.
That means all talking is done in whispers.
Pulling on
the baby's head is discouraged, so the baby can make its way down
the birth canal naturally. Medical intervention is to be avoided
if at all possible.
Another aspect
of the Leboyer method is a delayed cutting of the umbilical cord.
According to the Leyboyer proponents, this allows the baby to
continue receiving oxygen-carrying red blood cells. This means
the baby does not have to be rushed into breathing - making the
transition to breathing on her own much easier.
Infant
massage, a warm bath and immediate bonding with the mother are all
hallmarks of the Leboyer method.
The
Long-Lasting Impact
It's
easy to see how the Leboyer method has impacted birth in the United
States. Forceps are rarely used, most hospitals have gotten rid
of the brightly lit delivery room in favor of more private, comfortable
birthing rooms and babies are handed off to Mom almost immediately.
Because fewer drugs are given to the mother, babies are typically
more alert and need less invasive measures to help them breathe.
Because many
of Leboyer's methods are so widely used, most midwives and health
care providers are knowledgeable about gentle birthing, though
they may not know all the particulars of the Leboyer method. Women,
who now have much more input on their ideal birthing experience,
can easily incorporate the Leboyer method into their birth plan.
And having a more gentle birth can only be good for both Mom and
Baby.
Sheila
Kitzinger
Sheila
Kitzinger is an anthropologist, childbirth educator, writer, mother
and grandmother living in England. She published her first book
on pregnancy and birth in the 1960's when there was little birth
information available. She embraced a psychosexual approach to birth,
drawing on the works of Dick-Read and Lamaze as well
as her interest in birth within different cultures.
Kitzinger
believed if women were allowed to respond naturally to their labor,
rather than follow a set of breathing patterns, their breathing
would correspond to that of sexual excitement and orgasm. It was
the suppression of these natural responses to labor (because of
hospital birth practices, embarrassment, loss of control and cultural
attitudes) that inhibited women from grunting and groaning during
labor, leading them to feel more pain.
Kitzinger
advocates understanding how women can adapt to the work being
done by their uterus. This entails using breathing, relaxation
techniques, changes of position, massage and focused concentration
to get in tune with the contractions, as well as taking an active
role in giving birth, rather than submitting passively to being
'delivered'. She argues for the rights of women to define and
explore what they want out of their birth experience as a part
of being prepared.
Michel
Odent
Dr
Michel Odent originally worked as a general surgeon in a busy hospital
in Pithiviers, France. In the course of his duties he was often
required to carry out Caesarean births because there was no resident
obstetrician. In performing these operations he began to wonder
what was happening with the normal birth process to require so much
intervention, so frequently. He began to spend time observing women
in labor, trying to respond to their needs. He concluded that certain
conditions were necessary to allow labor to proceed normally.
Odent
felt birth was a very private experience and that the best environment
to give birth in was one that couples would choose to make love
in. He created a birthing room called the salle sauvage
(or natural room). A bedroom furnished with a large low platform
with lots of cushions, where the woman in labor could feel free
to walk around be herself and adopt whatever position she felt was
right. This environment made Pithiviers famous as a hospital where
women gave birth with fewer complications and little pain relief.
It was also one of the first obstetric units that supported water
birth.
Odent believed
that birth was instinctual and we should not disturb the natural
physiological process (in a similar way that animals need privacy
and to 'feel safe' when giving birth). He wanted to give birth
back to women and support each woman in doing it her own way.
Odent focused on the woman's needs in labor. He did not believe
in formal preparation classes because he felt that women knew
instinctively how to give birth without having to be told.
Janet
Balaskas
Janet
Balaskas is an English childbirth educator. She first coined the
phrase 'Active Birth' and founded the Active Birth Movement in 1982.
She believes in being upright and using gravity-assisted positions
to help the labour progress and for it to be less painful. In recent
years, Balaskas has advocated the use of water, to support and soften
the body, regardless of whether the woman chooses to birth in the
water or not. At the same time as water was starting to be used
more often for labor and birth, she promoted the idea of using water
to help relieve pain and to create greater privacy.
Balaskas
writes about the baby being an aquatic creature throughout pregnancy
and birth as a dramatic change with the newborn entering the world.
She felt that water birth could make this transition gentler for
the baby. Her overall philosophies include remaining active during
labor and utilising the support of water for pain relief and the
benefits to the baby if born into water.
