Gentle Birth: 5 Inspiring People for A Natural Birth

 Need An Inspiration About Gentle Birth?

 Hi, Mommas! It's really a great day to write something useful. What do you think of gentle birth? Firstly, you can't imagine how fear I am about giving birth. I thought about unbearable pain when I heard about that.

 My husband and I are excpecting a gorgeous baby.  This is my first pregnancy anyway. Then, we decide to have a gentle birth and join antenatal classes like bassic gentle birth, hypnobirthing, breathing technique also comfort measure during labor.

 Why we decide to have a  gentle birth? Because we both know that I get panic attack sometimes. Moreover when it relates to hospital things and doctors. Let's say I had traumatic moment with those things when I was a kid. Who isn't afraid of doctors at that time? So, we take an action to make me calm during my pregnancy and also when I give birth later.

 Second, I was wrong about the term of gentle birth. I thought giving birth at home would be called "gentle birth". Actually, is not always like that. We can give birth at hospital too and it's not always for vaginal birth but also for c-section. So, this morning I decided to share six inspiring people for a gentle birth to open our mind.

 

@ahock from unsplash

What Is Gentle Birth?

 Gentle birth is how to deliver your baby with comfortable, confident and minimal trauma. It's not only for vaginal birth but also for c-section like I said before. It's not about eliminating the pain at all. Even though, it's about how we can control and make ourselves relax during  and after labor. 

 Many people consider a gentle birth is anti-intervension, anti-cesarean section, anti-hospital or anti-doctors. All that I can say is No!

 It explains about how women can give birth naturally without drip of synthetic oxytocin. But, that approach is zero nowadays. So, the function of gentle birth is trying to have natural way for women to give birth without trauma. Though, of course interventions are allowed when a woman needs it because of special condition. That's totally fine!

 The problem is giving birth becomes a business nowadays and sometimes the provider just give unnecessary interventions during labor.

  I have a plan to give birth in a hospital with a doctor. Like I said before, to have a gentle birth is not about giving birth at home with a doula.  I choose a doctor who supports a gentle birth. 

 We need to prepare several things like knowledge besides choosing the right provider. Because, knowledge is the power to have a gentle birth.

 We have talked about gentle birth and my view on it. Now, I want to share who the inspiring people for a gentle birth are.

5 Inspiring People for A Gentle Birth

1. Ina May Gaskin, MA, CPM, Phd(Hon.) : The Mother of Authentic Midwifery

From pinterest.com

 Ms. Gaskin is an American midwife who supports low rate of intervension, morbidity and mortality. She has lectured around the world to midwives. For your information, she obtained bachelor degree in English literature. She also has no idea why she turns her path to become a midwife. 

 Ina may gaskin has been described as the most famous midwife in the world who introduces sphincter law. It explains how women's bodies function and how the environment can eiter open the cervical sphincter and allow the baby to be born or close the cervix and make it more difficullt for the baby to move through the birth canal (Gaskin, 2003). She believes every woman can have labor experience with confidence and without fear. 

 Ms Gaskin also discusses about business of being born. How it can be a business? Can you imagine it? As pregnant women, let's say we need a help from the provider. Above all, choosing the right provider is important. Here, She talks about the history of midwifery, her story and issues with hospitals.

"Whenever and however you give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body and your spirit for the rest of your life".

-Ina May Gaskin-

2. Michel Odent: The Pioneer of Natural Birth 

From Avnitouch.com

 Michel Odent is a French obstetrician and childbirth specialist. He was born in 1930 in French. I adore him because his character as a man in obstetrics also his view on giving birth. 

  

 I like his explanation that opens and changes my mind about natural birth. He said that a woman who gives birth easily is a woman with minimum disturb in labor. In this case, he talks about intervention during labor. He said that one cannot actively help a woman give birth. The goal is to avoid disturbing her unnecessarily.

 I'm quite interested in singing sessions for pregnant women and during giving birth. It's unique but I get it when I remember about breath technique during labor. There's a technique like singing or doing choir. I couldn't feel the pain when I tried it. In my opinion, it's not only for pain in labor but for all management of pain. 

 

 I used to think contraction is really hurt like our bones are going to be broken at the same time. Then, I try to get information about that from Odent because as I know he conducted oxytocin research. He talks about the role of oxytocin as a love hormon in birth.  Fortunately, I can manage my fear after digging more information about natural birth from him.

3. Penny Simkin: The Mother of Modern Cildbirth Education

From bastyr.edu

 Penny simkin is a physical therapist, certified childbirth educator, internationally certified birth doula also the author of many books.

  Talking about Penny Simkin, I like the Penny Simkin's  road map of labor because I can get knowlode about some paths in labor. We can understand easily from the picture what we should do when the path is not like what we want. She gives some alternatives in that map. 

 The roadmap of labor provides useful and clear framework to explain phsyological and  phsycological processes of labor. The most interesting thing from that roadmap is variety activities to comfort a woman during labor that also can be done by her partner. 

 Besides her road map of labor, I like Penny Simkin's comfort measure. You can see scene from Penny Simkin's comfort measure here and you should listen to the reason for using comfort measure. 

 You can visit Penny Simkin's website to get her products. There are more complete videos for comfort measure, classes, workshops and books there. If you want to read free articles and handouts from her, you can click this link.

4. Debra Pascali-Bonaro: Orgasmic Birth with Debra

From eatpraydoula.com

 What! Being orgasm during contraction? Honestly, it's out of my mind. LOL! But, it's kind of true story from Debra. Let's see who this gorgeous woman is. 

 Debra Pascali Bonaro is a doula, doula instructor and childbirth educator. She is also the director of orgasmicbirth. You can get free sample of her course here by submitting  your name and email. 

"I believe it is every woman's human right to have a pleasurable birth. It all comes down to how you define it".

-Debra Pascali Bonaro-

 She guides to a safe, satisfying and pleasurable birth. You can also watch the ripple effect podcast with Neolani Love. She talks to her about the story of orgasmic birth with Debra in this episode.  For more information, you can watch informative videos from OrgasmicBirth channel on youtube.

5. Yesie Aprilia: A Midwife Who Introduces Gentle Birth in Indonesia

From bidankita.com

 Aprillia is the owner of bidan kita clinic in klaten, Indonesia. She is an author, a lecturer, and also a midwife. Yesie Aprillia is ofen called "Budhe". Budhe is elder sister from our mom or dad in Bahasa.

 For your information, I join antenatal classes by her. I was afraid of giving birth as I told you before. But, my friend and my elder sister recommend me to stalk her. Okay, from stalking to joining her classes. All that I can say is she's so incredible. 

 Things I like from her service is Budhe provides offline and online courses for antenatal classes. We know she's kind of popular midwife in Indonesia. So many people join her classes including me even though I don't live in Klaten. Her online courses help us who live in different place from her moreover in pandemic situation.

 Talking about her online classes, I assure you to join. It works although it's not offline classes. We do it via zoom. She demonstrates everything in a clear way. Check her online class trailer! Don't worry! She asks the participants to practice too and she is going to check us. She makes sure we do the right thing in the right way.

 We also can read article from her website to get knowledge about pregnancy, fertility and some useful tips. You can go to bidankitashop if you want to buy her books, hypnobirthing audio, hypnofertility, tools for yoga and more. Watching her videos on youtube is also my favorite thing to do. Subscribe Bidan Kita channel to get lots of information about gentle birth, pregnancy and more.

 That's all and I hope you enjoy it. Have a great day mommas!

Best regards,

Mala

 

Source:

Gaskin I. M.  Ina May's guide to childbirth.New York: Bantam Dell; 2003. [Google Scholar]