What is Your Birth Wish by Barbara Negelow, RNC, CCE

After discussing birth plans with the owner of Lumina Birth and Bellyhaven, Lacy Henderson, I have decided to change the verbage to birth wish. These plans are about what you wish for, in a perfect world for your "perfect" birth. They are for you. They allow you and your support peeps the opportunity to research and discuss what you do or don't wish for your "perfect" birth experience. Your trusted providers and facility don't have a birth wish for you. They follow what is called a standard of care. It is not personalized but don't be cynical, it has what they have deemed your best outcome foremost in mind. But it is not what you wish for, for your "perfect" birth.

So, take your classes, read a book or two, visit a website like www.luminabirth.com for a list of questions to consider and discuss with the significant others in your life. Speak to a childbirth educator, check with a doula, talk to your providers and get the facts on what is considered standard of care and take it from there. This is your opportunity to have an educated voice about what you envision for your "perfect" birth.

Do you want a water birth? An epidural? Kangaroo Care? Who do you want in the delivery suite when you are pushing? Do you want low lights? Music? Collecting stem cells? Saving the placenta?  Do you want a midwife? The questions lead to more questions until you have the answers for your "perfect" wish for your "perfect" birth. So you have the knowledge to understand what is happening and have a voice, when you can.

So, do your homework and educate yourself about your desires and options. Know what labor and delivery is all about in twenty-first century America. Trust the providers that you have chosen to guide you and listen to you, in real time and have faith that they will follow standards of care to ensure the best outcome possible. But your wishes, they are yours alone. When you are ready, find that first star in the northern sky and make a wish.....

Barbara teaches a concise and to-the-point class called Everything You Need to Know About Labor and Delivery.  Click here to see the details of the upcoming class.

Visit www.readybirth.com for more blogs by Barbara.

Infant Massage: The Benefits & New Class Schedule!

       Infant massage has been around for centuries and is being practiced in many parts of the world. It is currently being taught in many hospitals across the country, often in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit, where it has been shown to improve an infant's weight gain, oxygenation, and general outcomes.

       For healthy infants, there can be a wide range of benefits, such as: promoting relaxation, helping to aid deeper and longer sleep, helping the infant feel loved, reduces fussiness, and many others.  Parents may benefit by having positive one-on-one time with their infant, becoming better at understanding their infant and his/her cues, assisting in bonding and attachment, to name a few.  There is no substitute for a parent's loving touch!

      Bellyhaven's infant massage instructor, Christine, is a Registered Nurse who has been working with parents and infants for more than 23 years in the Newborn Intensive Care setting. She began teaching infant massage to families when she noticed the positive effects it had on the babies in her unit.  She has served as a Newborn Consultant to several new parents in the Atlanta area through her company called Baby Care Connection.

      She donates her time teaching a weekly parenting class to young, unwed mothers called 'The Covered Diaper Project' at First Baptist Church in Woodstock.  She is the mother of three teens and has lived in the Atlanta area for more than 17 years.

      This class will be informal and relaxing, and parents are invited to dress comfortably. They will learn different massage routines and strokes, such as legs and feet, chest, face, and a gas/colic routine, and others. It promotes an individualized approach for each infant.  Click here to register and learn more about class dates and times.