Review: Natural Childbirth The Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon

As Jamie and I have been preparing to invite a new team member into our home, we have been doing a lot of reading and trying to soak up all of the wise counsel that friends and family have been willing to offer. Among the books we have been reading, NaturalChildbirth The Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon has been incredibly helpful as part of final preparation for labor.

While the book is over 20 years old, given that it is talking about natural childbirth, it isn’t like the information is going to be obsolete any time soon. The book does a great job of taking this incredibly miraculous process and giving expecting parents a pathway for preparation.

For most women who have never given birth there are stereotypes and stigmas at work that can cause significant anxiety. Some women tell horrible stories of the extreme pain and trauma that their bodies went through during labor. Television and movies almnormal, but we still were not sure what normal was/is.

ost always portray childbirth as happening while lying on one’s back, in stirrups, and with lots of newspapers, towels, and hot water around. At the same time, television and other media portray husbands/fathers as helplessly sitting in a waiting room anxiously pacing with cigars or bubble-gum to hand out to everyone as he proudly announces that he is the father of a boy or girl. Having spent some time in other parts of the world, and having several friends who have given birth, we knew that these stigmas and perceptions were not

Reading Susan McCutcheon’s book, helped us both shatter stereotypes, and have prepared us both to be able to contribute strongly during labor. Of course, Jamie is in the driver’s seat, and I am confident that she will perform like an Olympic athlete bringing her very best self to the unfamiliar to her, but well established by women, path through labor to bringing a new life into the world. For my part, I plan to bring my very best self to lovingly support her, relax her, advocate for her, and help her to focus on the fact that her mind and body (and the baby) are ready for her to go through this miraculous process.

The book is filled with relaxation techniques, positions to try, and encouragement that childbirth is normal, and we have a number of medical advances that can support us if complications arise, giving birth naturally is a strong possibility for most women and that it is worth giving the effort. If you are looking to learn more about natural childbirth be sure to give Susan McCutcheon’s book a read.

Reflection: Birthing Class

Recently in preparation for the arrival of Baby Williams, Jamie and I took a two day birthing class offered at Mon General Hospital in Morgantown, WV. The class cost $60, but one of the teachers said that it might be reimbursable through insurance. Regardless, I believe the class was well worth it.

Here are just a few reasons.

1)   During the class we were able to watch multiple videos of childbirth, and it really helped us reframe a number of our perceptions around childbirth. Neither myself nor Jamie have spent much time in a labor and delivery area (other than visiting friends and relatives after a birth), and so it was incredibly helpful to see several couples choosing to go a natural route with childbirth. The philosophy at Mon General is to encourage natural childbirth when possible, but be prepared for whatever is needed.

2)   Skills and tools for coaching, support, and relaxation were provided, and we were able to practice a few of them. These included experimentation with different positions that Jamie could take during labor, relaxation and breathing techniques, and massage and other support I could offer during labor.

3)   The class had more than a dozen couples in it, and it was a very tangible reminder that there are many other couples who are proceeding along a similar timeline, and who also are looking to learn all they can about the miracle of childbirth before their baby arrives. While intellectually we know that people are having children every day, there was something comforting about knowing there were so many of us locally preparing for the birth of our first child.

4)   Developing a birth plan and preferences. We had heard a good bit about birth plans before the class, but after taking the class, we have a better idea of what we want to include in Jamie’s birth plan, and have begun to lay out those preferences.

5)   Reduced anxiety around labor and childbirth. Well-meaning people tend to open up to Jamie about the trauma of their labor and childbirth, and much of what is available in the media portray childbirth and labor as EXTREMELY painful and traumatic. Those stories and portrayals serve to only amplify our own fear and anxiety. After this class, our perspective has been reframed to begin thinking about labor as something that does not have to be traumatic or EXTREMELY painful. We have no misgivings that it will be an easy process, but I believe the class has left us more excited about the process, and we are planning to go through as much of the process as we can at home. We will still give birth in a hospital, but we now know that we don’t need to speed to the hospital the first time Jamie has a contraction.

I could list many more reasons to take a similar course, and I’m sure Jamie could add several as well but we both wanted to encourage folks who are expecting to make the investment in a course. If you are local to Morgantown, Pam Po and Rhonda Hopkins at Mon General Hospital both do an incredible job teaching/facilitating the class.

Review: I’m Pregnant! By Lesley Regan M.D.

Shortly after we first discovered that Jamie was pregnant, we were having a discussion with another new mom, and she told us about this really great book by Lesley Regan that she felt was one of the best books out there to understand pregnancy, and track along with all of the changes happening in a mother’s body.

As a person who is utterly amazed at this mystery of life, I personally found it helpful to begin understanding all that was happening inside Jamie, and how this little miracle was beginning to develop week-by-week. Jamie also found the book incredibly helpful, and each week as we would read along together, we would discuss all of the amazing changes that were happening in her body and all of the progress our child was making in development.

The book gave us perspectives on Jamie’s changes, the baby’s changes and growth, and even what to expect from each of our ante-natal visits and checkups. The book is filled with colorful photos and diagrams that describe just about everything that a mother carrying a child would want to know. And as the book progresses along the 40 week timeline, it has helped us prepare as parents for these checkups. We have learned good questions to ask, and we have been able to think about what a birth-plan and a “go bag” might look like for us. Every family is different, and we love that the book offered suggestions but did not direct us toward what “must” happen.

If your family is expecting, or even if you are just curious about what is happening in a woman’s body as a child develops inside her, thisbook provides insights in easy to understand terminology. It has been an incredible tool for us as we have walked through each of these last few weeks in awe of what is happening inside of Jamie.