Special Event: Mindful Pain-Coping Class

When we are visited by pain, it can often be difficult to deal with. North American culture teaches us that pain equals suffering and encourages us to cope by turning automatically to drugs. Though pain in life is pretty much inevitable, suffering can be a path we choose (or don't choose).

Aimee Sturley invites you to a one-hour introduction to mindful pain-coping. The class will cover six different styles of mindfulness practice from breathing in awareness to exploring the edges of pain. This is a free class and you will be able to take away useful tools that you can put to work in your life without further instruction ( i.e. this class is not a loss-leader; I don't want to sell you more classes or anything of the sort!).

What: One-Hour Mindful Pain-Coping Class
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Date: Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Where: Please RSVP for location (Commercial Drive area)
Who: Aimée Sturley is mentoring and a mish-mash of her friends are invited to attend
Cost: Free!

Please RSVP to drivegirl@gmail.com or call Aimée at 604.288.8608.

Looking forward to sharing this with you!

Be well,

Aimée

The Childbearing Years

http://www.adarbirthservices.com

When you start telling people that you are expecting a child, you will quickly find that there are a sea of recommendations for preparatory reading on pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding. When I work with a new doula or prenatal massage client, I like to give them this list of books; it's short, the books are engaging and I consider them to be an excellent foundation.

All of these books are usually available at the People's Co-op Bookstore, 1391 Commercial Drive, 604-253-6442 . If they don't have one in, it is likely already on it's way. Support our small booksellers!

May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin

A truly wonderful book that will inspire you to embrace the experience. Gaskin is an internationally-respected midwife (the only midwife to have an obstetrical manoeuvre named after her, "The Gaskin Manoeuvre") who has attended thousands of births.

The first section of the book is dedicated to the stories of women who have had their babies with Gaskin. They describe their experiences in their own words with some commentary by the author. The births that are detailed in these stories are extremely varied and yet they are not just a rare sampling of successful outcomes as you can see when you look at her records spanning over 30 years of practice (in all that time her C-section rate has remained below 3%).

The second section focuses on the clinical aspects of natural childbirth with solid and well-presented information on the realities of current medical practise around birth.

As one reviewer said: "she once again relies on her story-telling techniques for getting across her central message: If you're surrounded by people who believe you can do it and who support your own belief that you can do it, then guess what? You can do it."

Birthing From Within by Pam England, Rob Horowitz

This a wonderful book that focuses on what each individual woman and her partner can do to prepare for their own birth as well as for the post-partum period and beyond. It has a holistic approach, meaning that it addresses not just the need for clinical-type knowledge (i.e. stages of labour, cervical dilation, Braxton-Hicks contractions etc.) but also the couple's need to explore the emotional and spiritual aspects of the radical changes that they are going through. England makes good use of creative exercises such as drawing and sculpting to encourage parents-to-be to dig deep into their unearthed feelings (positive and negative) about pregnancy, birth and parenthood.

Birthing From Within provides accurate, evidence-based information on the various options available to women, and yet it is non-judgemental in terms of individual choices. Following the exercises in this book will help couples work through their "issues" and prepare for the best birth possible for them.

The Breastfeeding Café : Mothers Share the Joys, Challenges, and Secrets of Nursing

by Barbara L. Behrmann

Another book that mixes storytelling with information, it is a wonderful companion to have at your fingertips as you negotiate the challenges and joys of breastfeeding. The stories are brief and engaging and cover a very wide range of women's experiences.

Not Recommended!

What to Expect When You're Expecting

This book is a wonder of marketing. Amongst birth professionals it is commonly called "What to Be Afraid of When You're Expecting" due to the way that it focuses heavily on the possibility of complications. As one Amazon.com reviewer wrote:

This might be good material if you are still planning and have nothing to fear. Or not.

In my case, the idea of pregnancy was a little scary at first, so I bought this book in order to be as well informed as I could... the results were: a whole week crying in desperation and fear that all those awful things could happen to me at once, and the urge to make a bonfire out of the whole book.

Another thing that gave me shivers was the authors' obsession with the nearly demonic effects of eating refined sugar. It seems that all problems in pregnancy are caused by sugar... It's amazing to think how millions of women throughout the decades have had so many kids and are still alive, in spite of the sinful sugar consumption.

Luckily, I have understanding people around me who eased off my mind from the horrors of pregnancy. Now I am prepared to enjoy every stage of this awesome part of my life. With another book, of course.

If you find that the things that you are reading are making you feel stressed, take a break and check in with you body, with your partner, or with a friend to try to figure out what it is about the book that is making you feel anxious. While reading and getting prepared for your birth are excellent endeavours, don't forget to take time to relax and enjoy yourself as well.

The Childbearing Year

Strategies for coping with your changing body:

Swollen extremities?

You probably know that raising your swollen limbs so they are above the heart level can be helpful. Another method to reduce the swelling is to take a cool or cold shower or to just soak your hands or feet in cold water. You can also combine these strategies by using a towel to fasten an ice pack or a bag of frozen vegetables to your hands or feet while also keeping them above heart level. Make sure to have the ice pack wrapped in another towel first so that it is not directly in contact with your skin, and apply it for no more than 20 minutes at a time.

Sore lower back?

Try sitting in a chair with a firm seat and full back support while your partner sits on the floor in front of you and leans back into your knees, or sits facing you and presses your knees back with her/his hands. This will help to relieve the pressure on your sacroiliac joint.

Alternatively, you can try the all-fours position on the floor while your partner presses on your sacrum. For this move it is imperative that your partner knows where the sacrum is before proceeding or you can be injured. It is important to note that this move should never hurt. Check with your Massage Practitioner, Physician or other healthcare professional for guidance if you are unsure and always proceed slowly, stopping if you experience any pain.

Sleeping problems?

Sleeping on your side doesn’t come easily for some. Making sure that you have enough support can go a long way to getting a good night’s rest. Use a variety of pillows to bolster yourself: a small wedge-shaped pillow fits nicely behind your back and a second one can support your belly. You can also use a folded towel for this purpose.

A long “huggy” pillow is good for ensuring that your spine remains in alignment by raising and supporting your top leg and arm (you hug it and hold it between your knees). Finally, get someone to help you to assess if the pillow you are using for your head is the right height to keep your head and neck in line with your spine. Perhaps that same person would be willing to give you a very light massage, just running their hands lightly over your skin to help you to relax and drift off.

Engorgement?

Any breastfeeding woman who experiences engorgement knows that it can be uncomfortable and even painful. And while some measure of engorgement is usually considered normal (and even an essential result of the body’s need to increase production as your baby grows), it is also important to know that moderate to severe engorgement should be taken seriously as it can predispose the breast to mastitis. If you think that you are experiencing unusual engorgement, you should consult your lactation consultant, midwife, community nurse or doctor without delay.

La Leche League International counsels women that, “Mothers experience less severe forms of engorgement with early frequent feedings, self-demand feedings, unlimited sucking times, and with babies who demonstrate correct suckling techniques.”[i] They also recommend a self-massage technique called, “alternate breast massage” which is done during the pauses that occur while the baby is latched and feeding, and is a combination of breast massage and breast compressions (which are well-demonstrated on video on the website of Dr. Jack Newman - http://www.drjacknewman.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18&Itemid=42). There are other home remedies that are often very effective including hot and cold therapies, chilled or room-temperature cabbage leaves in your bra, and hand expressing or pumping to comfort. I will be addressing engorgement in greater detail in a later article.

---

[i] Walker, Marsha. "Breastfeeding and Engorgement". La Leche League. June 24, 2007 .