Zipadee Doula | Serving Portland, Oregon » Media

“Baby, You’re Home”

Nicole Murray — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 20:03:09 +0000

The NY Times wrote a great article about home birth on the rise a couple days ago. I always love reading about birth in the news. I think it is great the Ricki Lake’s documentary “The Business of Being Born” made such an impact on moms in this country. No matter what a woman chooses, I think it important that she knows what options are out there.

As a new mother, the reality of birth is so much different than what you expect it to be. By bringing birth out in the open, taking away it’s mystery, women are given a chance to see it for what it really is: an incredibly raw, brutally intimate, & overwhelming, life changing event like no other.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“Some people, concerned that a home birth might be traumatic for children to witness, send them to stay with a friend or relative for the duration. Ms. Rickert and her husband, Cameron Skene, on the other hand, saw it as an educational opportunity for their 2 ½-year-old daughter, Maya. “There’s nothing mysterious about birth unless you want there to be,” Ms. Rickert said. “For us it just introduced Maya to life, and how life comes about.”

Maya awoke around 4 a.m. and joined her parents in the living room. “She was munching away on her apple and talking about 2-year-old stuff when I was having contractions,” Ms. Rickert said.

When it was time for Ms. Rickert to push, Maya watched intently. Although she didn’t like the blood and water that followed the baby, her mother reported, she wasn’t surprised: for months Ms. Rickert had prepared the toddler with an explanation of what would happen.

Check out the article in it’s entirety HERE.

The Business of Being Born

Nicole Murray — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 22:59:33 +0000

I finally saw it! I know, I know. A little behind on the times. In my defense, I do not have Netflix, and there were no screenings nearby. I finally broke down, and watched it online. I really enjoyed it. I think my favorite part was when Michel Odent was talking about the “love hormone cocktail”, and the relationship that is formed right after birth. The beginning of attachment. Had me in tears!

I think that this documentary came at the perfect time. I know that before I really looked into birth, I really had no idea what I wanted or what could happen. I naively assumed that everyone would watch out for me, and that the doctors and nurses would do what was best for me. That was not the case, in my experience. I am happy for this movie, because I think that more women will strive to educate themselves on the choices available. More women will have the type of birth that they hope for, whether it be in a birth center, at home, or in a hospital. And hopefully, more women will be happy with their births, when all is said and done.

Books.

Nicole Murray — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:48:26 +0000

So, instead of posting a huge list o’ books on my sidebar, I’ve decided that having a post would be much better.

This will be an on-going list of books that I have read pertaining to pregnancy, birth, being a doula, babies, parenting (you get the idea!), along with my thoughts on each.

[Work in progress]

Pregnancy & Birth

Birthing from Within: An Extra-Ordinary Guide to Childbirth Preparation by Pam England & Rob Horowitz*

Ever Since Eve*

Heart & Hands: A Midwife’s Guide to Pregnancy & Birth by Elizabeth Davis*

Immaculate Deception II: Myth, Magic & Birth by Suzanne Arms

Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin*

Rediscovering Birth by Sheila Kitzinger

Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin

The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger

The Doula Book by Klaus, Kennel, Klaus*

The Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer

Unassisted Childbirth by Laura Shanley

Emergency Childbirth: A Manual by Gregory J. White*

Breastfeeding

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding by La Leche League International

The Nursing Mother’s Companion by Kathleen Huggins*

Post-Partum

Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler*

Saving the Whole Woman by Christine Anne Kent*

Natural family living

The No-Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley