As we birth our babies, we also give birth to ourselves as mothers. Giuditta’s gentle guidance and spiritual nourishment will give confidence and joy on the exquisite journey to motherhood.

Sarah Bucley MD, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor’s Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices. co-authored by Ina May Gaskin

Most parents say that swaddling helps their babies get to sleep, stay asleep, and get comforted quickly, especially when they are newborns. My problem with this is that th

e focus is on getting the baby to shut up, settle, be quiet in  his/her crib, on his own. Dos this reminds you of an old adage, seen but not heard .  A baby will fall asleep in mom’s arms just as quickly.  A baby will sleep on dad’s chest just as sweetly, without needing to feel like he is back in the womb.  We are too quick to try to get our newborn to stop crying, or communicating. Have you ever thought about how crying for a baby is really talking? Babies speak one language we don’t quite understand right away, so we quickly respond by shushing, telling the baby “don’t cry,” and we are told that if we turn on vacuum cleaners or hairdryers we’ll see the baby’s gaze switch and they will quiet down. Yes, indeed that works, but what about allowing the baby to talk?  Now I don’t mean we should let a baby cry on his/her own, but have you heard how after a few weeks a mom will hear a baby cry and say, “I know that cry, he is hungry.  Or he needs to be changed. “  Mom’s eventually learn their babies language. So let’s change our perception from the baby is crying to the baby is talking, and let’s ask the baby what he/she needs as we offer, food, comfort, cuddle, empathy and love.

This being said one of the reasons why the swaddling methods, as well as the shushing methods, have come to the forefront is because those are tools we should use when our baby cry is making a mom go deeper into postpartum depression, or is making the baby being at risk of being miss-handled by a frustrated parent.  So, if you feel like you need a break or you will go mad, PLEASE SWADDLE your baby and turn on the vacuum cleaner.  Or better call a postpartum doula and go for a walk.  Don’t feel bad if you find yourself frustrated especially from the lack of sleep.  We all felt that way, and the quieting techniques have grown from the empathy felt by some experts for new moms.  But these techniques have become the norm, the crutch nearly used daily, instead of being the exception, the tool used in only special occasions.

So if you can, and I am only asking to put aside a few months of your life for this: hold your baby, go ahead it is O.K. you are not going to spoil her, in fact you might just teach her that what she says counts and you will listen.

“If your only goal were to get your baby to sleep through the night, then leaving him to cry would accomplish that goal. The problem is that the reason the baby stops crying and sleeps is that he becomes so discouraged he gives up trying to signal that he needs help. In effect, he has learned to sleep through the night……… out of despair rather than contentment.” ~ Dr. Martha Heineman Pieper, Author of Smart Love

Come and learn the Baby Right Method with Giuditta Tornetta

Baby Care Workshop

February 27, 2010
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm

Baby Right is a baby care workshop facilitated by birth and postpartum doula Giuditta Tornetta the last Saturday of every month at the Sanctuary Birthing Center in Culver Cit.

In this workshop you will learn:

• How to welcome your baby into the world – the first few hours
• Baby appearance at birth
• Bathing, diapering,
• Soothing techniques, understanding baby’s language
• To swaddle or not to swaddle,
• Baby gear what you should have,
• Introducing your pets to the newborn
• How to create daily rituals that will last a life-time – family dinner – the nighttime ritual
• Understanding baby’s language, cues and moods
• Babymoon how to enlist family and friends to help

COST $ 85 per couple

TO ENROLL:

Call the Birth Sanctuary          310… (please tell them you saw the class on our website)

Classes held the last Saturday of every month at

The Sanctuary Birth and Family Wellness

11965 Venice Blvd, suite 209,   Los Angeles CA 90066

Read more about Baby Right

Here’s what people say:

“In my pediatric practice, I have witnessed the wonderful work that Ms. Tornetta’s does with my families. I love her work!” – Jay Gordon, MD., Associate Professor of Pediatrics, UCLA Medical School

“Giuditta, a pre- and post-natal Doula, has helped many families learn about Natural deliveries and much more. I highly recommend her.” Edmond Sarraf MD  Beverly Hills Pediatrics

The influence of a vital woman vitalizes us -  paraphrased from Joseph Campbell (The influence of a vital person vitalizes.)

It was Joseph Campbell who, in the 1940’s, first brought to the public’s attention the Mythic and Archetypal principles embedded in the structure of stories.  In his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” Campbell identified the underlying patterns in myths, stories, and spiritual traditions.  In so doing, Campbell created a standardized language that made it possible to uncover and communicate the underlying archetypal structure of these narrative traditions.

This journey has crucial links to Cosmic Law – the Laws that govern all of creation — natural, human, and divine.  The same keys that govern the Universe and are present in all things including  myth, and  the structure of birth.

Here is Campbell’s structure:

Departure

1. The Call to Adventure
2. Refusal of the Call
3. Supernatural Aid
4. The Crossing of the First Threshold
5. The Belly of the Whale

Initiation

1. The Road of Trials
2. The Meeting with the Goddess
3. Woman as the Temptress
4. Atonement with the Father
5. Apotheosis
6. The Ultimate Boon

Return

1. Refusal of the Return
2. The Magic Flight
3. Rescue from Without
4. The Crossing of the Return Threshold
5. Master of the Two Worlds
6. Freedom to Live

Birth as a Heroine’s Journey

All myths are different yet they all contain some common denominators. In analyzing birth as the heroine’s journey I have touched upon all of Campbell’s suggested structural points to deepen the understanding of this sacred and magical moment in a woman’s life. Some women experience all of them while others skip through some of them.  In the end the journey, whether is through the world without or the one within, is a rite of passage, from womanhood to motherhood, from spirit to incarnation. If one is conscious of her actions, desires, and power the other, the baby, comes into this world strengthened in the knowledge of of his/her own potentiality.

Departure

The young maiden dwells in her ordinary world until she is called to set out on the heroine’s journey. The journey from maiden to mother through the birthing experience begins in the ordinary world:  regardless of social, economic or religious status, all women can give birth. The call to adventure is the point in a woman’s life when she is first given notice that once a baby comes into her life everything is going to change.  When a young girl starts her menstrual cycle, she is eligible for the journey. She can choose to enter the journey or not, but she needs to be conscious of her choices, for her life is forever changed. Often when the call is given, the future heroine refuses to heed it. This may be from a sense of duty or obligation, or due to career plans, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy, or not feeling ready.  In other words, a range of reasons may work to keep her in her current circumstances. At times, the heroine enters her journey by choice; she is ready for a change and she is willing to fulfill her destiny in society as the pro-creator of a new life.

Once the heroine has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, her guide and magical helper appear, or become known. This mentor comes in the form of a midwife, friend, doula or more often  a book. The mother-to-be’s soul resonates with a certain birthing experience. She senses that giving birth is a natural thing, something women have done for thousands of years, millions of times, relying only on their innate knowing.

Entering the first threshold, she encounters the industrialized birthing experience, fraught with doctors, tests, ultrasounds and medical opinions. At this point, the woman crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the everyday world and venturing into a realm where the rules and limits are unfamiliar to her.

The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero’s known world and self, into the realm of the unknown. No longer can the heroine live an unconscious life: she now needs to ready herself to become a mother to another human being,  teaching by way of example. This is the point where the woman is in between, or transitioning between worlds and selves. The world around her tells her there is one way of doing things,  surrender to the machine,  suspend her innate trust of her bodily temple, and give up her right to experience her desired outcome.  These impositions lead to abdicating all decision to a third party, regarding birth as a malady that needs fixing and management, supervised by an all-knowing doctor who will administer drugs or even surgically remove the baby to facilitate an easier birth.

But the mentor’s voice resonates in the conscious woman’s inner ear, she is the heroine of this adventure, she is the one who needs to make the choices which will bring her to her desired outcome. The inner struggle begins here. The separation has been made, or is being made or being fully recognized, between the established world and the unconscious self and the potential for a new world/self. The baby in her belly begs for communication and participation during pregnancy and for participation in the decision making.  When the woman enters this stage empowered and conscious, she shows her willingness to undergo a metamorphosis, retiring the old self for a new version of self.

Initiation

The road of trials is a series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the heroine must undergo to begin her transformation. If she strongly feels she wants a natural experience she may finds family members who discourage her, friends isolate her, doctors scare her and in some states, government rules stymie her (home birth being illegal in a few states in the US.) At one point during her journey she may doubt herself – maybe her instinctual desire to do things naturally is not the right one, maybe she should listen to others to the experts, surely she is new at this, surely they know more, better etc…..Her gut feeling is squashed to conform to the rules of the outside world.

In this phase she also encounters allies or seeks them out:  a friend who has had a natural home birthing experience, a doula and or midwife who encourage her to find her own truth. This is a key moment for her partner to stand by her and support her. The support of the partner enriches and strengthens the heroine more than any other ally.  All heroines have partners, who may be helpful or throw the chosen path into doubt.

The meeting with the goddess represents the point in this life adventure when the woman experiences a love that has the power and significance of the all-powerful, all-encompassing, unconditional love that a fortunate infant may experience with his or her mother. It is also known as the “hieros gamos”, or sacred marriage, the union of opposites, and may take place entirely within the woman. In other words, the woman begins to see herself in a non-dualistic way.  She becomes one with the unborn child. This is a very important step in the process and is often represented by a woman beginning to talk with and listen to her baby. Campbell symbolizes this step as a meeting with a goddess, unconditional love and /or self unification;  here the heroine chooses to listen to her own inner guide.

Temptation. At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the heroine to abandon or stray from her quest: fear of pain, fear of not being good enough or strong enough. Fear of being different or of being isolated. For Campbell, this is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life. Oblivion versus consciousness, comfort versus struggle, drugs versus a natural birth.

Atonement. In this step the woman must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his or her life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who has life and death power. This might come in the middle of the pregnancy when a woman decides she needs to change care provider or needs to confront her doctor and stand her ground. But most likely this will be the birth process itself. Choices have been made. Whether she enters the hospital, where her final battle begins with the machine (very much a patriarchal aspect of the journey) or whether she has decided to have a home birth, she still has to face the final ‘battle’ of managing her contractions till the baby is ready to be born. This is the central point of the journey. All the previous steps have been moving toward this place; all that follow will move out from it. For the transformation to take place, who she has been must be “killed” so that the new self can come into being. Even home-birthing moms need to slay the dragons of self-doubt, fear and pain.  The birth is hereby no longer an ordeal but a miracle: the body knows it must hug the baby out no matter what.

To apotheosize is to worship.  This is a god-like state; the woman is in heaven and beyond all strife. In the context of the birthing myth, one may consider this step as a period of surrender or rest, the baby is in the mother’s arm the love flows freely without thought, outside the real world in the realm of eternal, unconditional, ecstatic love. At times this moment in a hospital setting is negated to the mother.  Baby is separated and mom is left alone stripped from the fruit of her quest.  If the separation is too long both mother and child lose the precious and mystical union.

The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. The baby is born; s/he is in its mother’s arms. This is what the woman set out on the journey to obtain. All the previous steps served to prepare and purify the woman for this step.  In many myths, the boon is something transcendent like the elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, or the Holy Grail.  Once again this is a critical moment in the journey; mom and babe need not be separated and processed.  They need each other more than ever to slowly embrace and comprehend this new reality.  Their body is yet to understand the physical separation and the process needs to be gentle and slow.

Return

In many myths for a moment the hero might consider staying in the realm of adventure and refuses to go back to his/her normal world. Why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes? In the birthing myth, the refusal could be interpreted as the fear of caring for the child guided by the heroine’s own instincts. The postpartum blues lurching in the background, the baby is now without; not only is it a reality, there is a sense of loss from the complete symbiotic state of mother and child as well as the beginning of the new hero’s journey of separation.

Sometimes the heroine must escape with the boon. It can be just as demanding and dangerous to return from the journey as it was to go on it. The magic flight could literally be the new fight that mom has to endure in the hospital, to have her baby in her arms following the birth or to room in with her newborn and to shield the baby from all interventions that are routinely suggested in that environment, e.g., elective vaccination, circumcision, elective medicine, formula, pacifiers.

Just as the heroine may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring her back to everyday life, especially if the woman has been wounded or weakened by the experience.

The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom, and then to figure out how to share the acquired wisdom with the rest of the world. This phase is often extremely difficult. A woman who has given birth according to her desire will never forget the feat; the sense of self-confidence gained in the process will linger long in the depths of her being. The other, the woman who was unable to have the birthing experience she desired, will keep the teaching in mind and will also grow from the experience. Once victorious, the woman has a moral duty to share her story with others.

In myth, the step called Master of the Two Worlds is usually represented by a transcendental hero. For our heroine, it may mean she is now more competent in both the inner and outer worlds. She may spread the good news, and she can now help her daughter on a future journey.  Ironically all women love to share their experience of birth with others, no matter what when they see a pregnant belly they feel a compulsive need to advise, share and many, pontificate.  Our heroine has become an expert and she want to share with the world her story.  But only her empowered journey can change not only her immediate surroundings but the world. She has become a master of the two worlds. Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

The birth is now no longer an ordeal but a miracle: baby in arms, she takes the road back to the ordinary world with the treasure that has the potential of benefitting all from what he has learned from his matrix.

A Journey Within a Journey

The birth is also the baby’s journey from simple ethereal soul, to soul incarnate; the child growing inside a mother’s womb is going through a journey of its own. The water of the womb represents unconsciousness. The soul is dipped in the water, temporarily forgetting its origins. Exploring new territories and mastering its five senses, emotions, and mental abilities, the baby in the womb is instructed by its mentor, the mother, about the adventure ahead.

But the baby hero has come with its own cosmic agenda and the adventure s/he gets is the one she is ready for, maybe even one that the baby has decided to undertake before coming into this world. Thus, it is not only the mother who chooses the birth, it is also the child.  The decision can be shared in a conscious pregnancy.

Ultimately the goal of the hero is to reach some sort of nirvana, thus he/she undertakes the journey.

The hero and heroine of the birthing miracle can only achieve their goals if they are strong in their center. And we can only be aware of our center and harness it if we are conscious and in charge of our life in the present time.  The hero and heroine journey can only be fulfilled consciously. Athletes, dancers, martial artists, and spiritual leaders know about the power of harnessing the body’s center.  It is through having a strong center, a strong core, that you can achieve the seemingly impossible.

When you hold your center and act from that place, you will achieve your goal. In the end, even the various mentors who are showing you the way to your center will not be able to get there with you.  You are the only one who can find your own way.

What we seek in natural childbirth is the experience of being alive, of feeling the rapture of giving birth to another human being, of slaying the dragon of pain, of vanquishing the fear of death, to emerge victorious.

Birth is a heroine’s journey, regardless of the armor the heroine chooses. The difference is clear between those who co-create their experiences and those who abdicate to the dictates of industrialized medicine.

“Technology accelerates our progress, but that is often only a progress towards acceleration”-Aldous Huxley.

Most healthy pregnant women with no risk factors for problems during labor or delivery have their babies vaginally. Still, the rate of babies born by cesarean section (C-section) in the U.S. is on the rise with approximately 1 in 3 babies in the United States being delivered by cesarean section, many elective.

Even though,  the practice of elective cesareans is controversial among health care providers,  in 2003  the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) issued a statement essentially approving elective c-sections. Using patient autonomy as their justification, the ACOG took the position that doctors may ethically perform an elective cesarean that’s medically unnecessary as long as they feel it’s “in the best interest of the patient.” Some  question how many elective c-sections patients truly choose and how many are “convenience surgeries” pushed by medical professionals who don’t want their vacations or weekends interrupted by a spontaneous delivery. I can’t begin to tell you how often the phrase “I am concerned that your baby might be too big to deliver vaginally,” is heard by moms as early as on their 36th week gestational visit.

The Coalition for Improving Maternity Services (CIMS) also says that mothers who deliver by cesarean are less likely to breastfeed and may have more difficulty with infant bonding. Michel Odent, MD,  says ( and I paraphrase,) women will have problems bonding after a cesarean because it prevents the release of oxytocin, the “love hormone.”

Birth can be a slow and unpredictable process, which requires little or no technology. Yet, surrounded by all the gadgets and the gismos of modern technology, the industry of birth tends to want to use them. Many reasons given for a cesarean, especially prior to labor, can and should be questioned. A cesarean section is major abdominal surgery; the infant is delivered through an incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. The cesarean rate is alarmingly high in many industrialized countries, causing unnecessary risks to both mother and baby.

C-section can be a lifesaving operation when either you or your baby face certain problems before or during labor and delivery. Most cesarean sections go well for both the mother and the baby.  A cesarean section is major surgery and should be done only when the health of the mother or baby is at risk.

Many experts think that up to 50% all c-sections are unnecessary and the U.S. government is trying to reduce the rate.

There are very few true indications for a cesarean section in which the risks of surgery will outweigh the risks of vaginal birth. Some cesareans occur in critical situations, some are used to prevent critical situations. Here is a list of the most common reason a cesarean might be necessary or might be discussed but not necessary This list was compiled from many wonderful websites dedicated to the prevention of unnecessary cesareans including:  www.ican-online.org and  the extra risks are taken verbatim  from www.childbirthconnection.org

Placenta previa

This occurs when the placenta lies low in the uterus and partially or completely covers the cervix. 1 in every 200 pregnant women will experience placenta previa during their third trimester. If a marginal placenta previa has been diagnosed, a vaginal delivery may be an option.

Placental abruption

This is the separation of the placenta from the uterine lining that usually occurs in the third trimester. Approximately 1% of all pregnant women will experience placental abruption. The mother will experience bleeding from the site of the separation and pain in the uterus. This separation can interfere with oxygen getting to the baby and depending on the severity; an emergency cesarean may be performed.

Cord prolapse

This situation does not occur often but when it does an emergency cesarean is done. A cord prolapse is when the umbilical cord slips through the cervix and protrudes from the vagina before the baby is born. When the uterus contracts it causes pressure on the umbilical cord which diminishes the blood flow to the baby.

Fetal distress

The most common cause of fetal distress is lack of oxygen to the baby. If fetal monitoring detects a problem with the amount of oxygen that your baby is receiving, by showing a constant deceleration in the baby’s heart beat then an emergency cesarean may be performed.

Failure to progress in labor

This can occur when the cervix has not dilated completely, labor has slowed down or stopped, or the baby is not coming down the birth canal during the pushing phase. This can be diagnosed correctly once the women is in the second phase (beyond 5 centimeters dilation), since the first phase of labor (0-4 centimeters dilation) is almost always slow. Beware; sometimes mom’s internal clock is very different then the hospital or care-provider’s clock. As long as the baby is healthy and mom is doing well it is up to you how long you are willing to wait for your body to dilate. Failure to progress often happens during an induction, especially if the woman is induced too soon, or if mom or baby doesn’t respond well to the induction medicine.

Repeat cesarean

You may be surprised to find out that 90% of women who have had a cesarean are candidates for a vaginal birth after cesarean for their next birth (VBAC). The biggest risk involved in a VBAC is uterine rupture, which happens in 0.2-1.5% of VBACs. However, there many doctors don’t like doing VBACs or are requested to be with you the entire hospital stay. Visit ICAN- Online.org or, VBAC.com to get more information on VBACs.

Get inspired:

Active genital herpes

If the mother has an active outbreak of genital herpes (diagnosed by a positive culture or actual lesions), a cesarean may be scheduled to prevent the baby from being exposed to the virus while passing through the birth canal.

Diabetes

If you develop gestational diabetes during your pregnancy or are diabetic, you may have a large baby or other complications. Your care provider may suggest having a cesarean. Granted that it is better to have the baby not much past the 38 week of gestation, due to his possible size, there are many diabetic women who will have a successful vaginal birth. Discuss natural methods of induction with your care-practitioner, and be open to a medical induction.

Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a condition of high blood pressure during pregnancy. This condition could prevent the placenta from getting the proper amount of blood needed and decrease oxygen flow to the baby. Delivery is sometimes recommended as a treatment for this condition. Only with severe preeclampsia is a cesarean needed.

Birth defects

If a baby has been diagnosed with a birth defect, a cesarean may be done to help reduce any further complications during delivery. Nevertheless, a vaginal birth of a disable baby might make you feel a lot stronger and better about working together to overcome life challenges, so make sure the doctor is not suggesting this solution because he/she thinks that you should not go through the pain of labor coupled with the troubles of having a disabled child. Ask a lot of questions and choose this avenue if this is the only safe way to delivery your particular baby.

Breech position

When dealing with a breech baby, a cesarean delivery is often the only option, although a vaginal delivery can be done under certain circumstances. Unfortunately most doctor are no longer taught how to delivery a breech baby, thus in the United States almost all breech babies are delivered via cesarean. If you feel strongly about wanting a vaginal birth, and you feel confident that you can do it, research for a doctor or a midwife in your area that will give you the option of delivering a breech baby. However, if the baby is in distress or has cord prolapse (which is more common in breech babies) a cesarean is necessary.

Multiple births

Twins may be delivered vaginally depending on their positions, estimated weights and gestational age. Multiples of three or more are less likely to be delivered vaginally, but is not impossible. Again most doctors feel more comfortable delivering twins or triplets via cesarean. If the babies are in a head down position there is really no need to perform a cesarean. Discuss your wish for a natural childbirth in details, and find a doctor who will deliver a breech baby as sometimes one twin is head first and one is breeched.

If you consider a cesarean, it is important to weigh any benefits the surgery is expected to offer against the risks involved. The benefits depend on your specific situation and the reason why your doctor or midwife may be recommending a cesarean. It is important to discuss these issues with your caregiver.

Here are some extra risks associated with cesarean section: Current research suggests that cesarean section has the following disadvantages  (19) in comparison with vaginal birth (3):

• Physical problems in mothers: Compared with vaginal birth, cesarean section increases a woman’s risk for a number of physical problems. These range from less common but potentially life-threatening problems, including hemorrhage (severe bleeding), blood clots, and bowel obstruction, to much more common concerns such as longer-lasting and more severe pain and infection. Even after recovery from surgery, scarring and adhesion tissue increase risk for ongoing pelvic pain and for twisted bowel.
• Hospitalization of mothers: If a woman has a cesarean, she is more likely to stay in the hospital longer and is at greater risk of being re-hospitalized.
• Emotional well-being of mothers: A woman who has a cesarean section may be at greater risk for poorer overall mental health and some emotional problems. She is also more likely to rate her birth experience poorer than a woman who has had a vaginal birth.
• Early contact with, feelings toward babies: A woman who has a cesarean usually has less early contact with her baby and is more likely to have initial negative feelings about her baby.
• Breastfeeding: Recovery from surgery poses challenges for getting breastfeeding under way, and a baby who was born by cesarean is less likely to be breastfed and get the benefits of breastfeeding.
• Health of babies: Babies born by cesarean are more likely to:
  • be cut during the surgery (usually minor)
  • have breathing difficulties around the time of birth
  • experience asthma in childhood and in adulthood.
• Future reproductive problems for mothers: A cesarean section in this pregnancy puts a woman at risk for future reproductive problems in comparison with a woman who has a vaginal birth. These problems may involve serious complications and medical emergencies. The likelihood of experiencing some of these conditions goes up sharply as the number of previous cesareans increases. These problems include:
  • ectopic pregnancy: pregnancies that develop outside her uterus or within the scar
  • reduced fertility, due to either less ability to become pregnant again or less desire to do so
  • placenta previa: the placenta attaches near or over the opening to her cervix
  • placenta accreta: the placenta grows through the lining of the uterus and into or through the muscle of the uterus
  • placental abruption: the placenta detaches from the uterus before the baby is born
  • rupture of the uterus: the uterine scar gives way during pregnancy or labor.
• Concerns about babies in future pregnancies: A cesarean section in this pregnancy can affect the babies of future pregnancies. Studies have found that they are more likely to:
  • be born too early (preterm)
  • weigh less than they should (low birthweight)
  • have a physical abnormality or injury to their brain or spinal cord
  • die before or shortly after the birth
• Planned cesarean compared with unplanned cesarean: A planned cesarean offers some advantages over an unplanned cesarean (a cesarean that occurs after labor is under way). For example, there may be fewer surgical injuries and fewer infections. The emotional impact of a cesarean that is planned in advance appears to be similar to or somewhat worse than a vaginal birth. By contrast, unplanned cesareans can take a greater emotional toll.
• Planned cesarean compared with vaginal birth: A planned cesarean still involves the risks associated with major surgery. And both planned and unplanned cesareans result in a uterine scar and internal scarring and adhesions. This means women with planned and unplanned cesareans face similar risks in future pregnancies and for problems related to scarring and adhesions at any time

Extra risks associated with vaginal birth: In a few areas, mothers or babies with vaginal birth have poorer outcomes in comparison with cesarean birth.

• Perineal pain: While a woman with a cesarean birth is more likely to experience more intense and longer-lasting pain overall, a woman with a vaginal birth is more likely to experience pain in the vaginal area in the weeks and months after birth.
• Incontinence: A woman with a vaginal birth is more likely to leak urine (urinary incontinence) and to leak gas or, more rarely, feces (bowel incontinence). Pregnancy itself and other factors such as the woman’s weight play a role in these problems. Few women experience troubling symptoms beyond the recovery period in the weeks and months after birth.
• Nerve injury in babies: In comparison with a baby born by cesarean section, a baby who is born vaginally is more likely to have a nerve injury that affects the shoulder, arm or hand.

Get more information

Internal scarring is often not discussed when it comes to cesarean, here is what I have learned about scarring after a cesarean:

As a result of the natural healing process after surgery, internal scars called adhesions may form on or between internal organs and/or body tissue. The occurrence of C-section adhesions can be more of a health issue than visible Cesarean scars on the outside of your body because adhesions can be painful and debilitating. These internal scars may also cause complications with future C-sections and other surgeries.

Because C-section surgery involves the cutting and manipulation of internal tissues and organs, they may become inflamed. As a result of these tissues healing close together, C-section adhesions may form between your uterus, ovaries, bladder, and abdominal wall.

Some C-section adhesions do not cause problems. But adhesions that prevent tissues and organs from moving freely become a health issue, causing the affected tissues and organs to become twisted or pulled from their normal positions. (1. Lyell DJ, Caughey AB, Hu E, Daniels K. Peritoneal closure at primary Cesarean delivery and adhesions. Studies suggest that adhesions develop in approximately 50% to 70% of patients after their first C-section (Obstet Gynecol. 2005;106:275-80.)

Talk to your doctor about internal scarring. Good article about scar massage click here

But some babies simply do not want to turn around before delivery. Watch this amazing video of a home breech birth, please note that in most US states midwives are legally forbidden to preform a beech delivery.  Find a doctor in your area if you can there are still some out there:

Below please read the Coalition for Breech Birth Statement
Vaginal breech birth was practically banned following a significant international research study in 2000. This study, the “Term Breech Trial” or TBT, appeared to prove that caesarean section was substantially safer for the delivery of all breech babies. The trial was highly criticized, but many birth care providers took this opportunity to do what they wanted to do anyway – to stop offering vaginal breech birth to their clients, and to insist instead upon a surgical delivery. Very few centers continued to offer vaginal birth. To read the original TBT report, click here.

In addition to all the professional criticism, the TBT’s own two year follow up negated the original results, suggesting that any difference in safety between vaginal and surgical birth of a breech baby is negligible – for both mother and child. Despite this evidence, many Birth Care Providers (BCPs) still avoid balanced informed choice discussions with their clients, denying them the opportunity to make an informed choice. Most frequently, it is flatly stated that surgical birth is the standard of care, and that is what is going to happen – regardless of that mother’s individual circumstances. If vaginal birth is mentioned at all, it is brushed off as an inferior, unsafe choice. However, cesarean surgery, while it presents many advantages for the surgeon, has lifelong ramifications for the birthing woman and her family, including issues with subsequent pregnancies, secondary infertility, Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC) availability, and depression, not to mention a risk of death in childbirth increased threefold over vaginal birth.
Women should not be obliged to accept these serious risks as “standard of care” when clinical research clearly demonstrates that vaginal birth of a breech baby does not pose an increased level of risk. In addition, the recommendations of professional organizations such as The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada do not support automatic caesarean for breech. Yet, time and again, vaginal breech birth is presented as tremendously difficult and dangerous, and cesarean risks glossed over.

Our mission is to fill the gap in the informed choice discussion by offering women the evidence-based information and the vital support they need to make their own decisions.

Please read the research on breech (research) there are a few doctors in Los Angeles that will deliver a breech baby (no midwife can do it at home in many states legally.)

Some pregnant women may also experience more intense itchiness during pregnancy. This is often seem in conjunction with itchy, red bumps and larger patches of a hive-like rash on their bellies. This is known as pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) or polymorphic eruption of pregnancy and will effect about 1% of pregnant women.

Fortunately, the rash will not harm the baby and subsides after delivery of the child for most women. It is very uncomfortable and the usual recommendations are topical itch creams and histamine blockers to assist with sleep. Be aware that if blisters start to develop, it may be pemphigoid gestationis which is more serious and needs to be discussed with a doctor. For pupps, work on stress reduction techniques to calm your mind. Tell yourself that it is not life threatening and you and your baby will be find. Keep this as your main priority and use it calm yourself.

PUPPP will usually effects women who are in their first pregnancy, carrying twins, and is usually at its worst during the third trimester No one is certain of what may cause PUPP, as it is not associated with other complications such as preeclampsia, hormonal abnormalities or fetal abnormalities. Most western doctors will tell you the only CURE is to deliver the baby…which means literally MONTHS of misery for women who contract it. Other dubitable treatments of PUPP involves high strength steroid creams or ointments, applied 5 to 6 times a day to relieve the itching and prevent any further spread of the rash. Once the rash is under control, changing to a lower strength steroid used less frequently is advisable. In other cases oral steroids can be used to help control the itching.

Needless to say I am not a great believer in steroids especially during pregnancy. there are however some people who have had success with homeopathy, here is a good story I found on the web:

In my case, I woke to go to the restroom in the middle of the night and my palms were BURNING. Red, and burning…I just kept trying to rub them together and when I washed them after wards I just left them in the cool water for ten minutes. I thought, “Weird”….until I felt the burning spreading to my stomach and chest. I ripped my nightshirt off and sure enough I had raised bumps all over my body (not arms or legs, just stomach and chest). I screamed for my husband to bring me the phone and called my midwife in a panic thinking I had measles or something. **Laughing** she calmed me down, asked me several questions and started taking some symptoms. It began with burning palms, better for cool water, angry raised bumps that felt like (as I could best describe it at 3am) “I had rolled in a fire ant hill and been swarmed by mosquitoes at the same time.”
She had me take a tepid bath in oatmeal and said she’d call me back with a remedy. I guess she did some checking and in a couple hours told me to take a Homeopathic remedy called Apis Melifica 30C. I had HEARD of homeopathy but had NO clue about it. But at that point I was willing to try ANYTHING! I knew cortisone cream or antihisimines would be only temporary cover-ups at best. The only person in my small backwoods town I thought MIGHT have something homeopathic would be my chiropractor (whom I also work for as his massage therapist). I called him at five am and his wife brought the remedy by my house on her way to the office about 8am or so. I took as my midwife “suggested” (they can’t prescribe anything in this state).
One pill immediately gave relief and the burning sensation stopped although the bumps remained. She told me not to take any more until the burning returned. 20 minutes later I took another dose. An hour and a half later I needed to take another. The next day about 3am (same time it started up the day before) I woke to take another dose and that was it! Two months later I was stung by a wasp and had the Apis with me at my in-laws house so took one more dose but that was it.
Later, on talking to my mother, I found out one of her colleagues had this same condition and suffered for three months BEFORE her delivery and for another 6 weeks afterwards. I could NOT imagine. All I can say is, THAT is when I became a believer in homeopathy and what it can and cannot do.
Angela E. from Texas

Other Natural Remedies

Avoid hot showers and baths, which can dry out your skin and make the itching worse. Use mild soap and be sure to rinse it off well and towel off lightly. Then slather on an unscented moisturizer — some scents can cause irritation.

Try an occasional warm oatmeal bath. (You can buy oatmeal bath preparations in drugstores.) Wear loose cotton clothing and avoid going out in the heat of the day, since heat can intensify the itching.

Acupuncture  has been  found helpful in resolving the itching and rash. Pine tar soap externally and dandelion root internally is also recommended.

Any recommendation needs to be discussed with your doctor and evaluated for safety.

Loyalty, honor, and justice are tribal traits. When taken to their extreme, they can cause great pain and suffering. At times, we are extremely loyal, remaining in harmful situations too long, and we often allow our tribal beliefs to stand in the way of our better judgment. Doctors are sometime seen as gods in our society. We believe they can do no wrong, especially if we don’t feel we have the same amount of schooling under our belt. I see this regularly with my clients.

No matter how much information they have gathered to understand each and every procedure, once at the hospital, they forsake their own instincts and embrace their doctor’s opinion without question. Except in an emergency, birth is not a medical event. Each one of us has an innate ability to know what is right for our own body and our child. We need to collaborate with our caretakers, not let them take over our care.

I met a woman at one of my lectures who complained about her doctor: “He makes me cry every time I see him. When I told him I didn’t want to have an epidural, he told me I was crazy. He treats me like a little girl.” I asked her if she would go back to a hairdresser after a terrible haircut. “Of course not,” she responded. “Then why go back to the same doctor?” I exclaimed, trying to keep composure. “After all, we live in Los Angeles and there are thousands of doctors to choose from who are just as qualified.” She told me she felt she should be loyal to him since he had seen her since the beginning of her pregnancy. I suggested she let her intuition advise her and ask her baby directly for his input.  As I embraced her to say goodbye, I reminded her that everything would work out and that she had all the knowledge she needed to be the best mom for this particular baby, or he would not have chosen her.

This was an intelligent woman, one who had made many important decisions in her career, one who could negotiate great deals for her clients.  What had happened? Why did she lose her self-esteem and confidence when confronted by her doctor? Giving birth and parenting are two of the most important jobs a woman will ever have, yet no one has bothered teaching us the basics. In the past, there was the village, and we learned by watching other women, our mothers, cousins, aunts, or sisters. We witnessed some births and saw women breastfeed their babies. We knew it was a natural process. We learned the tricks and the joys, and we gained confidence. Today, we are all little islands. Most of my clients have never even held a newborn, let alone seen one breastfed, changed, bathed, or birthed. Thus, we abdicate all powers to our provider. But should we? When it comes to wanting a natural birth, it’s not important to ask our doctor’s opinion about the alternative ways we choose to give birth, but we do need to ask for their support.  Doctors are there to give us a medical opinion and we are very grateful for that.  Keep in mind, though, that how you are going to have your baby—whether you choose to do it without medication or with the help of a doula, whether you choose to deliver squatting or on all fours—those are your decisions and no one else’s.

I met that same woman after she had her baby. She told me that she had finally gotten the courage to change doctors, she had met a group of midwives that operated out of a hospital and she felt so happy with them after the initial visit it turned ot it had not been so hard after all to let her doctor go. That had been the best decision she had ever made. You could see the love in her eyes, self-love and appreciation for standing up for herself.

PRACTICAL STEPS

It is your right to have the birthing experience you desire.  Get informed, go to classes, get a doula, bring your village, find a woman who has gone through the kind of birthing experience you would like to have and speak to her. Don’t stay in any harmful situations out of loyalty to anyone. Your loyalty should reside only with yourself and the well-being of your child.

The decision to change doctors or midwives is never easy, particularly during pregnancy. Though sometimes there comes a point when you realize that neither you nor your practitioner are happy and that you need to find someone who can provide you with the care that you need and deserve in pregnancy.

There are many reasons why you might decide that you need a different doctor. Some of the reasons that women share include:

• Practitioner doesn’t listen (poor communication)
• You don’t like how you are treated
• Too many doctors in the practice
• Not enough time is spent with you
• Different philosophies of birth
• Found another practitioner you like better
• Disagreements on treatment practices
• Issues with office staff or insurance
• Very long waits for appointments
• Your practitioner leaves practice or no longer does births

The first thing you should try to do is to resolve the issue with your midwife or doctor. Explain the problem and search for a resolution together. This may not always be possible. If you fins yourself in a situation where you have tried and things still aren’t working out, it is time for a change.

1. Interview other practitioners.
   Go back to your original list of questions and find others to interview. Perhaps you had a second choice when you originally selected this doctor. If you’ve already interviewed them, you might simply select them off the bat.
2. Make a decision on which one you will chose.
   Call to see if the practice is accepting new patients and takes your insurance. Sometimes, at the end of pregnancy you may have a harder time switching practices. Usually you can get in if you talk to the office manager or practitioner and explain the situation.
3. Notify your old practice.
   Once you’re ready to leave, you will need to notify your old practice. You can do this in writing or via a phone call. Be sure to cancel any previously scheduled appointments well enough in advance to prevent missed appointment fees.
4. Get a copy of your medical records.
   You will need to request, in writing, a copy of your medical records. You can chose to hand carrying these records or to have them sent directly to your new practitioner. State laws may vary slightly but they cannot refused your records, they can, however, charge you for them. This is usually a slight copying fee and in many states the first copy is free. This can be done in person or have them fax, email or mail you the form they need you to fill out.
5. Start seeing your new practitioner.
   Be sure to make an appointment with the new practitioner. Depending on how far along your are in your pregnancy, the timing may not be convenient if they are working you in.

You may or may not decide to let your old practice know why you have left their services. If you think that you would feel better or that they would learn from it, you may decide to send them a letter. Many women never hear back from their old practices. Though occasionally they will get a letter or a call. Decide in advance how you will handle that and be prepared for it, in case it happens.

While switching doctors is never easy, so many moms have done it before and are very glad that they did. One mom said that she had considered waiting until her next baby but then asked herself, “Doesn’t this baby deserve the best I can offer?”

Ever since man began worshiping one God giving himself the prerogative of being the chosen one, or calling himself the son of this god, man began also believing in his own superiority to nature. In the early Judeo/Christian beliefs nature and God were not seen as one, but one subordinate to the other.

After the industrial revolution and the evolution theory’s victory over creation, man declared himself all knowing over nature, able to outsmart, out-create and even improve on nature’s design. Some further declared that God really did not exist; nature was a series of coincidences, measurable, calculable and even fixable. In philosophy the theory of materialism holds that the only thing that exists is matter; that all things are composed of material and all phenomena (including consciousness) are the result of material interactions. In other words, matter is the only substance. Science reigned supreme in fact not only there was no god but humans, and especially women, needed help from science to understand and do anything, including having a baby.  Then in the 20^th century quantum physics began to tell us that the world, or the matter maybe it was not so clear cut, measurable or easily predictable as we thought. In the realm of quantum physics, observing something actually influences the physical processes taking place.  So the influence of man might actually be more important than the mechanical or mathematical calculation of an outcome.  In fact the deeper scientists got into quantum physics the more they marveled at the design that some emeritus believe can only generate from a supreme intelligence.

But never mind that… medicine, way too practical to bother with new discoveries and financially well set in its ways transformed childbirth and child rearing (birth being one of the highest income revenue for hospitals, and babies being the new and lifelong potential clients) from a natural event to a ‘condition” that needs to be fixed, managed, made efficient, streamlined, made quantifiable, predictable and of course greatly improved.

So it began. More doctors delivered babies at home pushing away the midwives, but that became truly inconvenient. Birth had to be taken away from the homes so that it may be supervised by highly skilled surgeons in the hospitals. Doctors observed, consulted among themselves and declared they could improve on the condition called childbirth. But first they had to make the woman stay still, lay on her back quietly, so they could focus their lights, placed their rolling stools in front of her spread legs, insert their expert fingers into her vagina and calculate, speculate, improve and help the poor thing do what she obviously was not really meant to do on her own – birth her baby.

In the fifties women were told that they would be helped endure the unnatural way of natural birth and were sent to oblivion (with total anesthesia,) so that they successfully  could escape the curse of laboring and birthing., never mind the babies came out  with an overdose of narcotics running in their blood streams.  The nurses would skillfully observe them for days in the nursery away from the unskilled eyes of the mothers.

Now the drugs are milder but the approach similar. In essence today with an epidural we are told “It will not harm the baby and please, let us deliver you from the evil of childbirth, relax and enjoy some television while you are laboring.”

The more the surgeons observed this condition the more they realized that they could take away the annoyance not only of pain but of the unpredictability of the due date. Yes , they declared, we can indeed induce and schedule a birth, to help with women’s busy lives.  Oh the heroes. But wait the inconvenience could even be completely eliminated. To further ease the poor mother’s distress at having a baby, surgeons now could cut the baby out of the mother’s belly thus this whole event could be scheduled, catered, and designed.

Country or regional comparisons of cesarean birth rates are challenging because of varying types of data available, but overall rates are estimated to vary from 2.9% in Sub-Saharan Africa to 26.3% in Southeast Asia (Stanton & Holtz, 2006). Elective primary cesarean birth rates are among the highest in the world in Latin America, with a reported rate of 80% to 90% in white, insured women who give birth in private hospitals. Differences in rates have been found in Greek public and private hospitals and in South Korea, where a study reported that providers and the health care system contribute to high cesarean birth rates rather than maternal demand. These high rates are significantly higher than the 15% cesarean birth rate recommended by the World Health Organization, and thousands of elective cesarean births are performed each year.

Worldwide the cesarean rate is growing in leaps and bounds, vanity also being called in to convince our women that sectioning a baby is far better than the ancient pagan way of vaginally delivering it. Indeed isn’t it better to cut that baby out than to stretch your birth canal…unnaturally… darling?
More Mistakes Found

Every decade is marked out by a craze for some form of unnecessary surgery. In the fifties, they whipped out your adenoids (except in the case of Melvyn Bragg, who mistakenly had an extra couple of sets put in,) in the Sixties they wanted your tonsils, and foreskin. Even today the battle for circumcision endures. It must have been a grave mistake in the divine’s design to give you those unwanted parts.

Again in the fifties /sixties women were told that formula was far better than mother’s milk, heck even now we hear that formula has vitamins lacking in mother’s milk. The formula ads during times of flu scare, whisper “You feed his brain, we feed his immune system.”

In the 21st centuries we have the means to change our body, face, appearance that was given to us and improve the original design. We now have expressionless men and women who rather have Clostridium botulinum bacterium (botox) injected into their forehead than show how disappointed they are with a simple frown.

When I contemplate the universe, the nature of matter, and the presence of life and this planet, the great mystery is how it was possible at all. Given the range of properties of matter that could have occurred in the Big Bang or whatever happened at the Beginning – the balance between strong and weak nuclear forces, the mass of the electron, the strength of gravity, the speed of light – I am stunned that there was a choice of values for all these and many more properties that could lead to the formation of stars and planets, the existence of the water molecule and the vast world of carbon chemistry. The most fundamental building blocks of this universe are filled with evidence of intelligent design.

Then there is the marvel of DNA, of birth and reproduction, of the mind and its ability to grasp math, music, and art, to be self-aware, to love, to weep, to strive. These are not the fruits of crass natural selection blindly churning away to select the toughest predators.

The issue is not whether you can improve the human body or enhance the process of creation, but rather what happens when you modify the natural course of things – without creating a cascade of deleterious consequences at the physical as well as emotional level for both mom and babe.

Those so-called design flaws may be the result of divine optimization.

Philosophically speaking we can view the intensity of birth as an obligatory rite of passage for the woman to transform herself into mother. It would seem obvious that breastfeeding is the necessary method to be introduced to the world with a sense of trust for all human kind, and that the foreskin’s location and structure indicate that it is the most important sensory tissue of the penis. Its persistence over millions of years suggests that it has played a role in the propagation of the species.

But never mind philosophy, we have now medical evidence. Indeed, studies have shown what we knew all along, but needed studies to believe in it. We now know that a natural childbirth (regardless whether is at the hospital or at home) has the best outcome and the least complication for both mom and babe, we know that biologically the absence of added chemicals into the mother and baby’s body promotes better health and bonding. We know that breastfeeding is the best nutrient for our children, we know that allowing bonding immediately following the birth preserve the babies natural instincts for a successful latch on, allows the mother to produce milk in a timely manner, promotes bonding, among a myriads of other important psychological and developmental improvements. We know that breast milk increases the baby’s immune system and promotes better health. According to Dr Taylor the various parts of the penis, including the foreskin, form a functional whole.

Mankind has tried to do better, with their own supreme intelligence, to conquer the world but their system is not working. The planet is dying, our mothers are dying in hospitals, our men are getting more diseases in this country than in those of uncircumcised men, and fake beauty is killing our women and girls.

It’s time to respect Mother Nature and her ways trusting that Divine design is indeed flawless.

Happy Holidays,
Michelle

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My husband and I are expecting our first baby and I am currently at 11 weeks. I was searching for info online about giving births with the dolphins in Hawaii, and natural birthing and such when I came across your book Painless Childbirth by chance. I read over a lot of reviews and your website and decided I wanted to give it a try. My husband bought it for me before I even had a chance! I am only 1/3 into the book and I had to tell you it truly is a Godsend. I can relate to the things you says so deeply it sometimes makes me cry(tears of joy that is:). Its so refreshing to know that I am not alone in the ways I feel about the birthing experience. My parents were never into conventional medicine and I have really followed them down that path. My sisters on the other hand went the whole epidural, inducing, fertility drugs, etc. route. I have seen a few births and heard MANY stories from my friends and families about their experiences and they have all terrified me. Especially my very close friend who just had a baby on Monday. I just really agree with you on being concious and ready and wanting the experience that makes it less “painful”.

I want to thank you for sharing your experiences and staying so true to yourself and spirituality. You have really given me some great tools already. I am so exctied to read the rest of the book! My husband plans to read it also and since hes an only child and doesn’t have much experience with newborns and births, I really think this will help him to understand it in a non medical world kinda way.

I had my first appointment with a nurse at the hospital and it was crystal clear that was not the route for me. It made me so uncomfortable, everything was so technical and a warning and just made me sick. I was thinking wheres the joy in this? So my husband and I are in the process of moving back to Maui and I fully plan to get a midwife there and hope to have our baby at home in a birthing tub.  So thank you again. I really wish I had an opportunity to meet you just once at least. Take Care!

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Wish I had read this sooner,  Sumithra Gopalan

This fantastic book showed me what an amazing gift motherhood is. Mama has to be strong and healthy to help baby grow strong and healthy. I found, while carrying Sara, that there were tons of things that other books never told me about – until I landed on this one. This book is a Process – I had to read each page twice over to allow the deep introspective messages to sink-in. Filled with wisdom on the different levels at which true healing is needed, it focusses our attention to them allowing us the freedom to heal those areas in our own unique ways without thrusting the author’s opinion on how it needs to be done. It guides Mama through 9 very important aspects that define a person. The book also contains several true-life anecdotes on other pregnant women which helps us empathize and find a common ground and not feel like we are going this alone. Our bodies were created to accomodate an intense experience as delivering a baby – why then should it be deemed painful when the body has been designed to accomodate it unless of course, fear has an influence on our psyche that delivery has to naturally be painful. This book helped me in delivering my baby angel without fear of pain and in total freedom which has made all the difference. I have come a long way as a mom from having read this book. This is a must-read for all pregnant moms. My only wish is that I had laid my hands on it sooner.

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Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Childbirth, August 12, 2009

By	Theodora S. Harvey – See all my reviews

Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Childbirth is a wonderful book for all expectant mothers whether or not they plan to have their baby naturally or with the help of an epidural. This beautifully written book prepares you emotionally, physically and spiritually to have your baby and the birth experience you want. Exercises are included to help mothers move through any blocks. I was blessed to have Giuditta, the author, as my doula. With the help of her wisdom and experience, found in her book, I was able to have an amazing, painless home birth. Well almost painless.

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Wonderful Book. A Must Read!, June 17, 2009

By	Nicole (Venice, CA) – See all my reviews

Every once in a while, we get a glimpse of an impending paradigm shift; something so extraordinary it changes the future and makes us rethink the past.

Tornetta provides just that in her marvelous book about childbirth. Tornetta is convinced women have been disempowered by a medical culture that says women need machines, they need monitoring, and they need to be told what to do, often by a man, who will never have to give birth. Her book offers a detailed, step-by step approach for women to empower themselves. To have the birth they want and to be the parents they dreamed of.

Without judgement, Tornetta provides insight on how we can carry limited beliefs from out childhood forward, and helps women to identify and clear up old problem. Beyond birth and parenting, it puts women on track to achieve the life they want.

Bravo!

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Empowering and deep, June 13, 2009

By	Diana Hinek “Didi” (Los Angeles, CA USA) – See all my reviews

I had the pleasure and fortune to read “Painless Childbirth” during the pregnancy of my first baby. The book is easy to read and yet very rich and knowledgeable.
I loved the structure of the ten chapters which correspond each to a chakra and the stage of the development of the baby. Giuditta adds her personal stories and real life experience as a doula, showing that painless childbirth is not only possible but especially a right. The human right we all have as mothers and as babies.
When I started my journey as a future mom there were so many questions and doubt about how things were going to happen at birth and once I read the book I felt stronger and emotionally supported. Moreover, the book is the evidence of what a wonderful doula and person Giuditta is.
I recommend “Painless Childbirth” to anyone, moms and dads to be, who wants to consciously partake to a more natural, empowering and yet possible birth.
Also a perfect baby shower gift!