" Not enough doctors, not enough midwives: it’s a bad time to have a baby in Canada."
More and more pregnant woman are having a hard time finding a clinic that will take them for midwifery care.
Because there are only 400 registered midwives to serve the entire province, savvy mothers-to-be have taken to “strategizing” to secure a coveted spot... conitinue reading article
Mar 9, 2009
Feb 27, 2009
Tracking Certain Hormone Levels May Help With Postpartum Depression
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine (Yim et al., 2009) studied 100 women and found that 12 of 16 participants with postpartum depression also had high levels of corticotrophin-releasing hormone, or CRH.
View Abstract
View News item
View Abstract
View News item
Breastfeeding Cuts Baby Girls’ Pneumonia Risk
A study of babies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, conducted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee (2009), indicates that girl babies who are breastfed are least likely to contract pneumonia than boy babies.
Read News Item
Read News Item
Feb 24, 2009
Feb 19, 2009
Midwives Changing the World.
An 81 year old grandmother runs one of the most successful birthing clinics in the nation in the city with the worst infant mortality rate.
How to Massage a Baby
In this video Kathy Moore gives you a 'fun and relaxing way to bond with your baby. Enjoy!
View Video
View Video
What Causes Uterine Fibroids?
Uterine Fibroids are tumors (i.e. swellings) of the uterine wall that are
almost always benign. They are extremely common being present in up to 40%
of women at the time of death. Just being present does not mean they cause
any problems for the woman.
The types of problems they can cause include:
bleeding problems
pain or pressure problems
problems from being so big they take up too much room in the abdomen and press on
other organs
infertility and pregnancy problems
Fibroids occur where muscle cells grow into an abnormal ball of cells that
feel like gristle in the muscle of the uterus. They start as a single cell
and can grow to the size of a full term pregnancy. There can be a single
fibroid or multiple fibroids. They can be located in different areas of the
uterus, each with different significance to the patient.
The natural history of fibroids helps us to understand our holistic
treatment protocol. Fibroids feed off estrogen hormone and tend to grow very
slowly over time. At menopause, when estrogen is very low, fibroid tumors
stop growing and sometimes reduce in size. They rarely, if ever, go away.
Thus our holistic protocol includes many things to reduce this estrogen
effect. Many of these options are based on good medical common sense, not
medical studies. This is because most of these therapies have not been
formally studied relative to fibroids.
Many tools are available in addressing fibroid tumors. For most women, a
holistic protocol can reduce symptoms and slow fibroid growth.
Fibroids completely dissolving and going away is a very unusual thing to
happen in my practice of holistic medicine.
To properly institute a holistic protocol, you should first be evaluated by
a holistic physician. Exactly what is recommended to you depends on your
specific individual situation. It depends on your age and fertility desires,
the size and number of your fibroid tumors, the location of your fibroids
and the symptoms they are causing you. Any treatment protocol should be
tailored to the individual woman's situation.
almost always benign. They are extremely common being present in up to 40%
of women at the time of death. Just being present does not mean they cause
any problems for the woman.
The types of problems they can cause include:
bleeding problems
pain or pressure problems
problems from being so big they take up too much room in the abdomen and press on
other organs
infertility and pregnancy problems
Fibroids occur where muscle cells grow into an abnormal ball of cells that
feel like gristle in the muscle of the uterus. They start as a single cell
and can grow to the size of a full term pregnancy. There can be a single
fibroid or multiple fibroids. They can be located in different areas of the
uterus, each with different significance to the patient.
The natural history of fibroids helps us to understand our holistic
treatment protocol. Fibroids feed off estrogen hormone and tend to grow very
slowly over time. At menopause, when estrogen is very low, fibroid tumors
stop growing and sometimes reduce in size. They rarely, if ever, go away.
Thus our holistic protocol includes many things to reduce this estrogen
effect. Many of these options are based on good medical common sense, not
medical studies. This is because most of these therapies have not been
formally studied relative to fibroids.
Many tools are available in addressing fibroid tumors. For most women, a
holistic protocol can reduce symptoms and slow fibroid growth.
Fibroids completely dissolving and going away is a very unusual thing to
happen in my practice of holistic medicine.
To properly institute a holistic protocol, you should first be evaluated by
a holistic physician. Exactly what is recommended to you depends on your
specific individual situation. It depends on your age and fertility desires,
the size and number of your fibroid tumors, the location of your fibroids
and the symptoms they are causing you. Any treatment protocol should be
tailored to the individual woman's situation.
Feb 17, 2009
"How will I know when it's truly labour?"
Usually, childbirth educators and practitioners try to ease your mind with the standard answer of, 'You'll know.'
And while you will know, it's nice to have some ideas a head of time of how to know if this is really labour.
First of all your body normally gives you some signs of labour a head of time that labour is on its way. While these are signs of progress the do not mean that you will go into labour within a few hours or days. They are simply a means of saying that your body is getting ready to give birth.
Some of these signs of labour include:
A sudden burst of energy or the "nesting instinct"
Lightening or Dropping of the baby (you may be able to breathe easier and urinate more)
An upset stomach
Diarrhea
Bloody show (this may be the cervix beginning to open, or from sex or a vaginal exam)
Loss of your mucous plug (may come out in a chunk or you may just notice it slowly over a couple of days)
Weight loss
Slight increase in blood pressure
Increase in practice contractions (Braxton Hicks Contractions)
Some women notice these symptoms and while others do not, either way is perfectly normal. You should not worry if you do not notice these signs. Your body is simply preparing in a different manner. They may also change from baby to baby, so what you experienced the first time may not happen the second time.
Rupture of Membranes (Water Breaking)
Sometimes labour begins with the bag of waters or membranes rupture, about 12% of the time. However, 75% of the time this does not happen until very late in labour, usually after 9 centimeters. If your water breaks you may notice a near constant trickle of fluid from the vagina or a sudden gush. You should talk to your practitioner about when to call about your waters breaking before you reach the end of your pregnancy, but you should definitely notify them if you experience the following:
Fluid is not clear, but green or brownish
You have a fever
You feel something pulsing in the vagina (If you feel this put your knees to your chest on the floor and call 911, you may have a prolapsed cord.)
It is important to not place anything inside the vagina after your water has broken, so avoid: intercourse, baths, and vaginal exams.
Getting to the Place of Birth too early
Some women will make trips to the hospital or birth center, believing they are in labour, only to be sent home. This is nothing to be worried about. It can happen to anyone, no matter how many children that you've had.
Sometimes you've just gotten there and you aren't as dilated or as far along as you thought. Most of the time you can go home to labour more in comfort and return after the contractions have picked up.
Everyone experiences labor in a different manner. What you experience may be totally different from what you have read about. Trust your body. This preparation may seem to take forever, but your body and baby are making very important changes in preparation for the birth!
Remember, that technically, true labour ends with the birth of the baby. That is the one sure fire test of real labour.
False Labour
Contractions don't get closer together.
Contractions don't get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt only in the front.
Contractions don't last longer.
Walking has no effect on the contractions.
Cervix doesn't change with contractions.
True Labour
Contractions do get closer together.
Contractions do get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt all over.
Contractions do last longer.
Walking makes the contractions stronger.
Cervix opens and thins with contractions.
And while you will know, it's nice to have some ideas a head of time of how to know if this is really labour.
First of all your body normally gives you some signs of labour a head of time that labour is on its way. While these are signs of progress the do not mean that you will go into labour within a few hours or days. They are simply a means of saying that your body is getting ready to give birth.
Some of these signs of labour include:
A sudden burst of energy or the "nesting instinct"
Lightening or Dropping of the baby (you may be able to breathe easier and urinate more)
An upset stomach
Diarrhea
Bloody show (this may be the cervix beginning to open, or from sex or a vaginal exam)
Loss of your mucous plug (may come out in a chunk or you may just notice it slowly over a couple of days)
Weight loss
Slight increase in blood pressure
Increase in practice contractions (Braxton Hicks Contractions)
Some women notice these symptoms and while others do not, either way is perfectly normal. You should not worry if you do not notice these signs. Your body is simply preparing in a different manner. They may also change from baby to baby, so what you experienced the first time may not happen the second time.
Rupture of Membranes (Water Breaking)
Sometimes labour begins with the bag of waters or membranes rupture, about 12% of the time. However, 75% of the time this does not happen until very late in labour, usually after 9 centimeters. If your water breaks you may notice a near constant trickle of fluid from the vagina or a sudden gush. You should talk to your practitioner about when to call about your waters breaking before you reach the end of your pregnancy, but you should definitely notify them if you experience the following:
Fluid is not clear, but green or brownish
You have a fever
You feel something pulsing in the vagina (If you feel this put your knees to your chest on the floor and call 911, you may have a prolapsed cord.)
It is important to not place anything inside the vagina after your water has broken, so avoid: intercourse, baths, and vaginal exams.
Getting to the Place of Birth too early
Some women will make trips to the hospital or birth center, believing they are in labour, only to be sent home. This is nothing to be worried about. It can happen to anyone, no matter how many children that you've had.
Sometimes you've just gotten there and you aren't as dilated or as far along as you thought. Most of the time you can go home to labour more in comfort and return after the contractions have picked up.
Everyone experiences labor in a different manner. What you experience may be totally different from what you have read about. Trust your body. This preparation may seem to take forever, but your body and baby are making very important changes in preparation for the birth!
Remember, that technically, true labour ends with the birth of the baby. That is the one sure fire test of real labour.
False Labour
Contractions don't get closer together.
Contractions don't get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt only in the front.
Contractions don't last longer.
Walking has no effect on the contractions.
Cervix doesn't change with contractions.
True Labour
Contractions do get closer together.
Contractions do get stronger.
Contractions tend to be felt all over.
Contractions do last longer.
Walking makes the contractions stronger.
Cervix opens and thins with contractions.
Nov 13, 2008
Baby You're Home
By JULIE SCELFO
Published: November 12, 2008
Alecia White Scharback between contractions, surrounded at home by her mother, Judith Deierling White; her sister, Amanda White; and her husband, Joshua Scharback, before giving birth to Noah with the aid of a midwife.
SQUATTING in an inflatable pool in the open kitchen of her apartment in Astoria, Queens, a very pregnant Alecia White Scharback, nude except for a bathing suit top, groaned in pain. It was 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 1, and Mrs. Scharback, 29, an actress, had been in labor for more than 36 hours. The contractions had been only mildly painful at first, but had grown increasingly fierce as a second night gave way to morning.
Read More
Oct 14, 2008
A Mother's Final Look at Life
In Impoverished Sierra Leone, Childbirth Carries Deadly Odds.
Sierra Leone has the highest rate of maternal mortality in the world. Hospitals lack basic equipment and medication, and factors such as poverty and lack of transportation make every pregnancy a gamble.
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone -- Fatmata Jalloh's body lay on a rusting metal gurney in a damp hospital ward, a scrap of paper with her name and "R.I.P." taped to her stomach. In the soft light of a single candle -- the power was out again in one of Africa's poorest cities -- Jalloh looked like a sleeping teenager. Dead just 15 minutes, the 18-year-old's face was round and serene, with freckles around her closed eyes and her full lips frozen in a sad pucker.
Her bare feet stuck out from the colorful cloths in which she had been wrapped by the maternity nurses who had tried to save her life. Her toenails bore the chipped remnants of cheery red polish.
In the dark hallway, her sisters and friends hugged and wailed, "Fatmata! Fatmata!" in a tearful song of grief.
Eight hours earlier, Jalloh delivered her first child: a healthy baby boy. Her official cause of death was postpartum hemorrhaging. She bled to death giving birth in a part of the world where every pregnancy is a gamble.
More than 500,000 women a year -- about one every minute -- die in childbirth across the globe, almost exclusively in the developing world, and almost always from causes preventable with basic medical care. The planet's worst rates are in this startlingly poor nation on West Africa's Atlantic coast, where a decade of civil war that ended in 2002 deepened chronic deprivation.
According to the United Nations, a woman's chance of dying in childbirth in the United States is 1 in 4,800. In Ireland, which has the best rate in the world, it is 1 in 48,000. In Sierra Leone, it is 1 in 8.
Maternal mortality rarely gets attention from international donors, who are far more focused on global health threats such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS. "Maternal death is an almost invisible death," said Thoraya A. Obaid, executive director of the U.N. Population Fund.
The women die from bleeding, infection, obstructed labor and preeclampsia, or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure. But often the underlying cause is simply life in poor countries: Governments don't provide enough decent hospitals or doctors; families can't afford medications.
A lack of education and horrible roads cause women to make unwise health choices, so that they often prefer the dirt floor of home to deliveries at the hands of a qualified stranger at a distant hospital.
Women die in childbirth every day, according to people who study the issue, because of cultures and traditions that place more worth on the lives of men. "It really reflects the way women are not valued in many societies," said Betsy McCallon of the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, one of the few groups that advocates to reduce deaths in childbirth. "But there is not that sense of demand that this is unacceptable, so it continues to happen."
Natural Remedies
The theme of Midwifery Today Issue 87 is Natural Remedies. With technology and pharmaceutical remedies having taken over birth, natural remedies are often forgotten. In this issue we share a variety of natural remedies that can help make birth better. Included are herbs, chiropractic, humor, naturopathy, homeopathy and massage. As an added bonus, this issue also contains a thought-provoking article by Michel Odent on the origins of the language of birth and the negative impact such words can have on women.
- Naturopathic Modalities—Their Role in Achieving Positive Birth Outcomes, by Lisa Doran and Nora Pope. Naturopathic medicine and midwifery go hand in hand, and some naturopaths are going on to obtain the specialized designation of naturopathic midwife. This article also covers the principles behind naturopathic midwifery.
Do we have choice in childbirth?
The theme of Midwifery Today Issue 86 is Choice in Childbirth. Do we have choice in childbirth? When is a choice not really a choice? How do obstetricians and midwives control women's choices by the way they explain things? How can we help to preserve choice and make sure women are properly informed?
Working with Your Naturopathic Doctor in Perinatal Care—Our Philosophy: A Meeting of the Minds between Midwifery and Naturopathic Medicine, by Lisa Doran and Nora Pope. Two doctors of naturopathy enlighten the reader on the basis of naturopathy and why it works so well with midwifery.
A Message of Thanks
This message was sent to me from a fellow member of a community health & wellness holistic group. I would also like to extend this note as a form of gratitude to my wonderful Doula sisters, and to all the awesome birth professionals who continue to shine.
Mama Sayana
"The light seems to be getting brighter and brighter as we form ourselves into a tightly knit organically bound eclectic group of holistic practitioners, wellness professionals and health inspired individuals. Each one of us has carried our version of the same message from within to without as we share outwards with what has been kindled inwards. This light grows much brighter as we raise each others consciousness, and we become less independent and no longer bound by what Aldous Huxley described as "island universes of our own doing." We are bridging the gaps of darkness with the embers of our past experiences, and with the energy of the others that surround us with the same notions; those embers become the catalyst for our even brighter futures.
I want to thank all of you for doing the work that you do. The ceaseless self improvement by letting go of self deceiving parts of your ego, the balanced lifestyles, the caring for others, and the practice of eating right and not giving in to the norm is a difficult process to say the least. Just realize that the others that are watching you from your own communities; see you as a leader, and many may try to be adversarial to your beliefs. Hear them out, as they may contain a message for you to reflect upon, but when all is said and done-continue upon your path-because the work that you are doing is that of healing. It is one based in creation, and creation has no place sarcasm, avoidance, and deception. You become the fabric of society that brings back the humanity to being human; you are being humane. There will be many interesting twists and turns, but with a network such as ours; you can always find a mentor that has been down a similar path.
Thank you for your continued efforts, your support, and the role you have played in making this world more wonderful."
-Eco Urban Shaman
Mama Sayana
"The light seems to be getting brighter and brighter as we form ourselves into a tightly knit organically bound eclectic group of holistic practitioners, wellness professionals and health inspired individuals. Each one of us has carried our version of the same message from within to without as we share outwards with what has been kindled inwards. This light grows much brighter as we raise each others consciousness, and we become less independent and no longer bound by what Aldous Huxley described as "island universes of our own doing." We are bridging the gaps of darkness with the embers of our past experiences, and with the energy of the others that surround us with the same notions; those embers become the catalyst for our even brighter futures.
I want to thank all of you for doing the work that you do. The ceaseless self improvement by letting go of self deceiving parts of your ego, the balanced lifestyles, the caring for others, and the practice of eating right and not giving in to the norm is a difficult process to say the least. Just realize that the others that are watching you from your own communities; see you as a leader, and many may try to be adversarial to your beliefs. Hear them out, as they may contain a message for you to reflect upon, but when all is said and done-continue upon your path-because the work that you are doing is that of healing. It is one based in creation, and creation has no place sarcasm, avoidance, and deception. You become the fabric of society that brings back the humanity to being human; you are being humane. There will be many interesting twists and turns, but with a network such as ours; you can always find a mentor that has been down a similar path.
Thank you for your continued efforts, your support, and the role you have played in making this world more wonderful."
-Eco Urban Shaman
Clear Light Toronto upcoming events
The Spiritual Practice of Parenting
Our children can be our most challenging and deeply loving teachers. Experience how the daily acts of caring for your family can be the path to profound spiritual understanding and bliss.
Since you shouldn’t miss out on enlightenment because you had to take your child to a swim lesson or birthday party, this workshop will be offered twice!
Sat Oct 25 from 2:30-4:30
at Yoga Queen - 1273A Queen St W, at Dufferin
Sun Oct 26 from 1-3
at With Child - 705 Pape Ave, at Danforth
About the Teacher: Cliff Spencer is a father, furniture maker, independent business owner, and experienced Buddhist practitioner. He is a graduate of the Asian Classics Institute and a student of Venerable Sumati Marut. With Lama Marut and others, he founded ACI-LA and The Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles, where he teaches Dharma, meditation, and Buddhist Debate.
By donation - $25 suggested. Each class is limited to 15 people. To register email clearlight.toronto@yahoo.ca. Children welcome. Parents will be responsible for attending to their own children as child care will not be provided.
Yoga and The Voice
A shout out for our very own Dawn Bailey, who will be teaching Yoga and The Voice at The Union Yoga Centre on Sat Oct 18 from 2-4 pm.
Uniting the two sacred arts of yoga and singing - a workshop for Singers and Yogis. Beginners to yoga and/or singing welcome.
Free your voice with yoga! Discover how yoga can help to free your body and focus your mind, how singing can help to open your energetic channels, and how uniting them both can bring more joy into your life. Dawn Bailey is a classically trained soprano and a certified Jivamukti yoga teacher. She will lead you through a sequence of yoga asanas specially designed to help you feel grounded and spacious, to open your energetic channels, and to allow your voice to resonate more freely. This will be followed by vocalization and chanting.
This workshop is for you if you:
- are a singer or musician looking towards yoga to open up new possibilities for your self-expression and art
- are involved in a profession such as teaching in which you use your speaking voice a lot
- are a yogi who would like to delve deeper into your practice of yoga by freeing your voice
- have always wanted to sing but feel that you are tone deaf or unable to sing
- are a yoga teacher who would like to feel more comfortable leading chants during yoga classes
This is not a Clear Light Toronto presentation, but we like to spread the word! If you know of an event that you think should be on our website, email us at clearlight.toronto@yahoo.ca.
The Union Yoga Centre. 242 Carlton St at Parliament. Cost is $30.
Ending Depression, with Cliff Spencer
Sat Oct 25 from 7-9pm
at The Carrot Common
348 Danforth Ave
2nd floor, entrance beside Book City
Since the Buddha said life is suffering, what would he have to say about depression? In a world with plentiful wealth and amenities, why is depression and medication to keep us happy so commonplace? Hear a personal experience with depression and how Buddhism played a significant part in the recovery of one person trying to stay happy.
About the teacher: Cliff Spencer is a graduate of the Asian Classics Institute and a student of Venerable Sumati Marut. With Lama Marut and others, he founded ACI-LA and The Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles, where he teaches Dharma, meditation, and Buddhist Debate.
Emptiness, Discipline & Happiness - a talk with Cliff Spencer
Emptiness, Discipline & Happiness: Mahayana Lojong
Fri Oct 24 at 7:30-9pm
at The Snow Lion - 708 Pape Ave
at Danforth Ave, across the street from the Pape TTC station
Join us in Toronto’s renowned Dharma bookstore for a talk on what a bodhisattva looks like, combining wisdom and ethics to project the mind of enlightenment that seeks, one-pointedly, to help all beings. This talk is based on verses from Master Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life. Cliff will cover the basics of emptiness and karma, how it relates to lojong compassion practice, and how this is all attainable in this lifetime.
Cost: Dana/by donation (according to your means)
*Please arrive early as the doors will be closing at 7:30pm (no admittance after doors close)
Co-presented with The Snow Lion as part of their ongoing Discipline and Freedom Lecture Series
About the teacher: Cliff Spencer is a graduate of the Asian Classics Institute and a student of Venerable Sumati Marut. With Lama Marut and others, he founded ACI-LA and The Mahasukha Center in Los Angeles, where he teaches Dharma, meditation, and Buddhist Debate.
Oct 9, 2008
Baby Carrots sold in the Supermarkets
The following is information from a farmer who grows and packages carrots for IGA, METRO, LOBLAW'S, etc.
The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a
machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots . most people probably know this already.
What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution
of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural
protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator
for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to
have aesthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?
We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from
and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen.
The small cocktail (baby) carrots you buy in small plastic bags are made using the larger crooked or deformed carrots which are put through a
machine which cuts and shapes them into cocktail carrots . most people probably know this already.
What you may not know and should know is the following: once the carrots are cut and shaped into cocktail carrots they are dipped in a solution
of water and chlorine in order to preserve them (this is the same chlorine used in your pool) since they do not have their skin or natural
protective covering, they give them a higher dose of chlorine. You will notice that once you keep these carrots in your refrigerator
for a few days, a white covering will form on the carrots, this is the chlorine which resurfaces. At what cost do we put our health at risk to
have aesthetically pleasing vegetables which are practically plastic?
We do hope that this information can be passed on to as many people as possible in the hopes of informing them where these carrots come from
and how they are processed. Chlorine is a very well known carcinogen.
Oct 3, 2008
Carrying My Baby African Style
You saw me today at the zoo with my baby girl strapped snugly on my back and you were so fascinated by the concept that you stopped me and questioned me at length. You just stared and marveled. The baby looked so happy, so content, so peaceful, and so secure. How could that be?
And I looked so comfortable too, walking so freely with a 20-pound baby on my back. My hands were free to so whatever I pleased, plus it was so easy on my back. I was constantly moving, so the baby was lulled to sleep by the movement. She could not see my face, but she could hear my voice and feel my body. She knew who was carrying her, and there was not a peep out of her for the three or so hours we spent at the zoo. I only flipped her deftly off my back to nurse briefly, and then back on the back she went!
You wanted to know how it was done. You had tried it, at home, you said and it didn't work. It was awkward; it was uncomfortable for both you and your son. You just did not get it right! You would love to be able to have this peaceful situation as you cook and do some light housework, so you can keep him with you if he frets. I tried explain with words how it is done, but really, I did not learn it that way either. Passed down by generations of African women who had to do it that way to keep their babies with them as they worked on the farm, traded in the market place or did their chores, it is a method I never had formal lessons in learning to do it. One may need a little help with one's first born but only because the baby is so tiny you don't want to fling him unaided on your back. After that it just came naturally. Instinctively, yes, but probably more from observing.
What kind of fabric should you use? You asked. Well, traditionally we (Yoruba women) wear buba and iro, usually a cotton top with coordinating wrapper. My wrapper is a pretty two-meter length of cotton that cost me about ! The wrapper is used to wrap the baby who is then further secured with a sash (oja). The oja is often very ornate and very sturdy. I crocheted myself a sober grey one and it works very well!
We chatted about how weird it looked to the average westerner, to see me going about with a baby strapped on my back and how I deal with the stares and the questions. I told you a woman carrying her baby in front where I come from would look pretentious and silly. What, no free hands? How would she bend over, sweep the floor, do the dishes, cook, clean with the baby in front! But it is really just a cultural difference. I loved carrying my baby in front also until my back gave way.
What more can I tell you?
The method is perfect in all kinds of weather. In warm weather, she remains surprisingly cool, and I can add some shade by carrying and umbrella to shield her from the sun. In cold weather, she is snugly warm with body heat.
I think it is the perfect way to carry a baby!
Thank you to Bola Ansa for sharing this story.
And I looked so comfortable too, walking so freely with a 20-pound baby on my back. My hands were free to so whatever I pleased, plus it was so easy on my back. I was constantly moving, so the baby was lulled to sleep by the movement. She could not see my face, but she could hear my voice and feel my body. She knew who was carrying her, and there was not a peep out of her for the three or so hours we spent at the zoo. I only flipped her deftly off my back to nurse briefly, and then back on the back she went!
You wanted to know how it was done. You had tried it, at home, you said and it didn't work. It was awkward; it was uncomfortable for both you and your son. You just did not get it right! You would love to be able to have this peaceful situation as you cook and do some light housework, so you can keep him with you if he frets. I tried explain with words how it is done, but really, I did not learn it that way either. Passed down by generations of African women who had to do it that way to keep their babies with them as they worked on the farm, traded in the market place or did their chores, it is a method I never had formal lessons in learning to do it. One may need a little help with one's first born but only because the baby is so tiny you don't want to fling him unaided on your back. After that it just came naturally. Instinctively, yes, but probably more from observing.
What kind of fabric should you use? You asked. Well, traditionally we (Yoruba women) wear buba and iro, usually a cotton top with coordinating wrapper. My wrapper is a pretty two-meter length of cotton that cost me about ! The wrapper is used to wrap the baby who is then further secured with a sash (oja). The oja is often very ornate and very sturdy. I crocheted myself a sober grey one and it works very well!
We chatted about how weird it looked to the average westerner, to see me going about with a baby strapped on my back and how I deal with the stares and the questions. I told you a woman carrying her baby in front where I come from would look pretentious and silly. What, no free hands? How would she bend over, sweep the floor, do the dishes, cook, clean with the baby in front! But it is really just a cultural difference. I loved carrying my baby in front also until my back gave way.
What more can I tell you?
The method is perfect in all kinds of weather. In warm weather, she remains surprisingly cool, and I can add some shade by carrying and umbrella to shield her from the sun. In cold weather, she is snugly warm with body heat.
I think it is the perfect way to carry a baby!
Thank you to Bola Ansa for sharing this story.
African mothers see baby strollers as abhorrent fad Tradition of carrying children upheld; 'they can't sit like lumps'
Nairobi , Kenya -- Irene Wambui can't imagine why anyone would buy a baby stroller. She says she sees it as a cold cage filled with useless rattles, cup holders and mirrored headlights. Imagine children being stuffed into such a contraption and pushed around town like some kind of pet...
Read more
Sep 24, 2008
The HypnoBirthing Experience?
HypnoBirthing® is as much a philosophy of birth as it is a technique for achieving a satisfying, relaxing, and stress-free method of birthing. This amazing program teaches you, along with your birthing companion, the art and joy of experiencing birth in a more comfortable manner. You will learn how to call upon your body’s own natural relaxant and thus lessen, or even eliminate discomfort and the need for medication. When a woman is properly prepared for childbirth and when mind and body are in harmony, Nature is free to function in the same well-designed manner that it does with all animal mothers in Nature.
You will be fascinated as you view HypnoBirthing® films, showing labouring mothers, awake, alert and in good humour as they experience the kind of gentle birth that you, too, can know when you are free of the fear that causes pain and tension. Through self-hypnosis, special breathing, and visualization, HypnoBirthing® teaches you to release all prior programming about birth, how to trust your body and work with it, as well as how to free yourself of harmful emotions that lead to pain-causing fear and unyielding muscles.
You will learn the art of using your own natural birthing instincts. With HypnoBirthing®, you will not be in a trance or a sleep state. You will be aware and fully in control, but profoundly relaxed.
HypnoBirthing® Advantages
Teaches deep levels of relaxation to eliminate the fear that causes tension and, thus, pain.
Greatly reduces and often eliminates the need for chemical painkillers and drugs.
Shortens the first phase of labour.
Leaves mother alert, fresh, awake and with energy.
Helps keep oxygen supplied to baby during birthing.
Reduces the need for an episiotomy
Reduces and often eliminates fatigue during labour.
Empowers parents with techniques to achieve a gentle, calm birth for themselves and their baby.
Gives the birthing companion an integral role in the birthing.
Embraces the concept of pre-birth parenting.
Teaches breathing techniques that allow a woman to gently breathe her baby into the world without the violence of hard, physical pushing.
This unique prenatal series is being offered at:
Becoming Maternity April 26th-May 31st (with a 2 week break between May 11th and May18th for Mother's Day and Victoria Day). Couples can register with Becoming.
The JCC with Baby and Me Fitness (couples can register with B & M Fit) April 22nd-May 20th.
Please contact Amanda Burke for more details: amandaburke@rogers.com
You will be fascinated as you view HypnoBirthing® films, showing labouring mothers, awake, alert and in good humour as they experience the kind of gentle birth that you, too, can know when you are free of the fear that causes pain and tension. Through self-hypnosis, special breathing, and visualization, HypnoBirthing® teaches you to release all prior programming about birth, how to trust your body and work with it, as well as how to free yourself of harmful emotions that lead to pain-causing fear and unyielding muscles.
You will learn the art of using your own natural birthing instincts. With HypnoBirthing®, you will not be in a trance or a sleep state. You will be aware and fully in control, but profoundly relaxed.
HypnoBirthing® Advantages
Teaches deep levels of relaxation to eliminate the fear that causes tension and, thus, pain.
Greatly reduces and often eliminates the need for chemical painkillers and drugs.
Shortens the first phase of labour.
Leaves mother alert, fresh, awake and with energy.
Helps keep oxygen supplied to baby during birthing.
Reduces the need for an episiotomy
Reduces and often eliminates fatigue during labour.
Empowers parents with techniques to achieve a gentle, calm birth for themselves and their baby.
Gives the birthing companion an integral role in the birthing.
Embraces the concept of pre-birth parenting.
Teaches breathing techniques that allow a woman to gently breathe her baby into the world without the violence of hard, physical pushing.
This unique prenatal series is being offered at:
Becoming Maternity April 26th-May 31st (with a 2 week break between May 11th and May18th for Mother's Day and Victoria Day). Couples can register with Becoming.
The JCC with Baby and Me Fitness (couples can register with B & M Fit) April 22nd-May 20th.
Please contact Amanda Burke for more details: amandaburke@rogers.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)