Natural Childbirth - Birth Day Presence
Having a baby is a fantastic experience for both the mother and father! Even the grandparents actually! However having a baby can change a lot of things for the woman, and it is quite common for women to suffer from depression after childbirth.
This depression after childbirth is commonly known as postpartum or postnatal depression. This is a mixture of emotional, physical and behavior changes that affect the mother after delivering her baby. Depression can also occur during pregnancy, but it is more common after delivery of the baby.
Depression after childbirth occurs because there are hormonal changes in the woman's body. Around 70% of pregnant women experience depression after childbirth, however it does not have to affect the mother immediately. It can take up to a year for postnatal depression to become apparent.
During pregnancy the woman's levels of estrogen and progesterone rise, and 24 hours after giving birth the levels of these hormones drop rapidly to their normal levels. Scientists believe that this sudden change in female hormone levels can trigger depression in some women. This is backed up, because small changes in hormone levels can cause the woman's mood to change.
Inspired by the good doctor, the HypnoBirthing movement gathered pace in the US in the latter part of the 20th century. Created by hypnotherapist Marie Mongan, it provides a structured training programme for practitioners as well as books and CDs offering practical advice and information for expectant parents.
Extensive research, mainly in the US but including some small studies in the UK, demonstrates without exception the many benefits of hypnosis in childbirth. Despite this and the fact that there are a growing number of hypnotherapists trained to support maternity services, HypnoBirthing is not available within the NHS.
Midwives in Scotland who dipped into their own pockets to pay for hypnotherapy training earned numerous testimonials from happy parents for their trouble. But, as is the case with the majority of alternatives to drug-centred treatment, the medical establishment is reluctant to acknowledge hypnotherapy as a valid treatment for any kind of condition. And this is even though a study conducted back in the 1950s gave it sufficient credibility for the BMA to recommend that hypnosis techniques should be taught to all medical students. Needless to say, the recommendation was never taken up.
However, the National Childbirth Trust is a testament to parent power, proving that sizeable numbers of us would prefer to keep medical intervention in childbirth to a minimum using safe, simple, tried and tested methods. On the whole, our heroic midwives support this aim and we are fortunate indeed to have all the technology NHS budgets can afford to provide life-saving treatment when things don't go to plan. That said, if you do a straw poll of any number of mums in your acquaintance you'll find an unsettling number pale at the memory of their labour and, if pressed, will reveal something traumatic about the birth of their cherished little ones.
When is it enough? Why can't we just give women some real and proven options to have a natural childbirth, rather than pressure? This is my mission in life, to give women choice and educate them on the wonders of childbirth so they can work with their body and their baby.
2009 is The Year of Hopefulness as mentioned by OPRAH, so how about we give women hope rather then fear and expectation. With all the choices available to them, women can create an atmosphere that is positive and allow their confidence to shine.
I have endeavored to help women around the world gain the confidence back in their bodies. I have interviewed 7 of the worlds leading authorities on natural childbirth techniques such as Acupressure, Acupuncture, Hypnobirthing, Reflexology, The Bradley Method and many more.
In the 7 part natural childbirth series the experts have opened women's minds to a new world of possibilities and options they may not have heard before. Natural childbirth will become more about choosing what type of method works for them rather than just choosing whether to have a cesarean section or not. Most women will enter into their birth journey with the pretense of 'trying not to have drugs', this is all well and good, however, ending up with a fulfilling natural birth is rare. Women need to plan for their birth and equip themselves with knowledge of how their bodies work, how to work with their body and baby and have complete faith that their body was made to birth. For more info visit http://www.birthdaypresence.com.