Excerpt from Painless Childbirth: An Empowering Journey Through Pregnancy and Birth

When we pay attention to the messages of our dreams, we can open a window into our unconscious mind and identify the lessons we need to learn and the fears we need to remove before we birth our baby.  One morning, following yet another disturbing dream, I wrote: non ti vergognare sei meravigliosa! (Don’t feel ashamed. You are marvelous!) For years, I have suffered from what I used to call nightmares. When everything was going well on the outside, I’d go to sleep and a very painful dream would assail me.  My dreams were often staged at an old job where a boss was trying to shame me in front of a lot of people. I used to wake up in tears. At times, the feeling or state I experienced in the dream stayed with me for a whole day. To heal and learn what my unconscious mind was begging me to realize, I began to keep a dream journal. I concentrated on the feelings I experienced, not the images of the dream.  I zeroed in on the strong feeling I felt—shame, and using the Feeling Inventory Exercise [i] I found out where the shame had originated from. While growing up phrases evoking shame were often repeated to me not only by my primary caretakers but by the nuns I spent eleven years with. “You should be ashamed of yourself!” was their favorite reprimand.  Determined to heal my dreams, I called a hypnotherapist friend and revisited a very important chapter of my life in the nun’s convent.

I WANT TO BE THE MADONNA, a personal story….. get the book to read this story…..[ii]

This story tell the birth of a personal belief something that happened  forty plus years ago yet has haunted me for many years as a deeply rooted belief in my self worth.

The shame I experienced as a child entrenched itself deeply in my subconscious. Those recurring nightmares were simply a way my unconscious was trying to communicate to me the need to work on releasing old beliefs.  So now that I knew where my nightmares came from I needed a tool to help me heal from them.  I could not simply will them away, I had plenty of tools for behavior modification in my wakeful and conscious state, but I felt helpless when it came to dreams I had absolutely no control over.  How was I going to forgive the nun that hurt me so deeply? After all, I could forgive my parents by diving into the love I felt for them, but there was not much love when it came to those who had emotionally scarred me.

I had no idea why this particular nun had been so harsh on me, through hypnotherapy I went back to that audition with my adult-self. I sat down near that nun, realizing I needed to be careful not to insult her or take revenge on her, for that would not have yielded the kind of healing I was after. In my recollection, I took a seat next to her and put my arms around her, that was so very difficult because all my anger, frustration and hatred was making my arms shake uncontrollably.  I didn’t want to touch her, let alone hug her, but if wanted to change what happened I had to change my feelings towards her first. Just before she was about to pronounce her verdict on my appearance on the stage,  I whispered in her ears, “Wait, hold on to your words and think about them. What you are about to say will hurt this little girl (me) for years; I know you don’t want to do that.”  In my vision, she looked at me in puzzlement and said, “I didn’t know.”  Indeed, she must not have really thought of the dire consequences of her actions. She herself must have had such a hurt soul to behave that way with little children.  I saw her under a new light and realized that having little, challenging Giuditta in her class must not have been that easy. Maybe I reminded her of someone who had injured her, or maybe she envied my free spirit. Whatever the reason, I was able to look into this nun’s eyes and see her pain.  I simply let go of the years of shame I felt as a result of that first incident that marked the beginning of a war I fought with this nun for five long years.  I shed many tears for the hurt I had felt and carried for decades, and as I cried, I felt the weight of the old shame lifted. I took responsibility for hanging on to that particular episode and embraced the circumstances that had created such an event.

During pregnancy many women have very vivid dreams.  Whether good or challenging, you must pay attention to them. As creators of another human life our sense of intuition is extremely heightened. I had a client who dreamed she was going to have a little girl, even before she conceived and my son came to me in a dream in the early days of my pregnancy to tell me his name.

When you hear of the prophetic quality of dreams, you may be afraid of what your dreams are prophesying for the future. Have no fear, for dreams are loving teachers that can either reward you with prophecy or get your attention with a nightmare, but will never punish you.  In this time leading up to the birthing event, keep a dream journal on your bedside and jot down the feelings you have experienced throughout the night.  If you encounter strong feelings of fear, terror, shame, loss, or rejection, use the Feeling Inventory Exercise find out their origin and try to go back and heal them.  If the feelings that come up or the memories are very difficult I urge you to seek a professional who can help you navigate through them. Many moms worry that pregnancy is not the right time to work on their past, but I strongly believe that it is for this is a great opportunity to heal the past and let it go making room for your new life as a mother.  In the mean time as you heal your past you also show you baby growing inside your belly the tools she/he can use in the future in his/her own life., and you show them that self-care is one of the most important tools to live a conscious life……

To learn more about our hypnotherapy sessions follow this link

[1] A person from the south, specifically from Sicily or Sardinia.

[2] Welcome.

[3] Giuditta speaks through her nose

[4] What’s the matter darling?

[i] Chapter  2 dedicated to feelings – second chakra, in Painless Childbirth

[ii] Chapter 8 – eight chakra in Painless Childbirth

Painless Childbirth is a Scientific Reality *

A study conducted by CL Pasero and R Britt (August 1998). Managing Pain During Labor, published in the American Journal of Nursing 98:10-11, reports that indeed a painless childbirth is a reality for as many as 45,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR IN AMERICA. One of the universal laws states: if one person can do it, it can be done by others.

Millions of women all over the world experience a natural, drug-free, and painless childbirth. You can too. If you would like to join this growing number, this is what you have to do.  Find out more

by Giuditta Tornetta

According to Amnesty International the likelihood of a woman’s dying in childbirth in the U.S. is five times greater than in Greece, four times greater than in Germany and three times greater than in Spain. After gathering their data from many sources, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AI concluded that approximately half of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. are preventable. In an article published in Time Magazines Ai’s stated that, “Women die in childbirth as a result of systemic failures including: barriers to accessing care, inadequate, neglectful or discriminatory care, and overuse of risky interventions like inducing labor and delivering via cesarean section.” Maureen Corry, executive director of Childbirth Connection, proposes that,  “We need to make sure that we reduce the overuse of interventions that are not always necessary, like C-sections, and increase access to the care that we know is good for mothers and babies, like labor support.” Recently the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a landmark resolution acknowledging maternal mortality and morbidity as a human rights issue. As more and more human rights organizations gather statistics to properly fight this terrible breech of a woman’s basic human right to life, we as birth professionals in the tranches need to inform and encourage women to identify, own and fight for their rights as individuals.

When thinking about basic human rights one might consider the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)   adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris. The assembly came out with thirty different articles. Beginning with the first stating, “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights…” to the very last Article 30 which says, “Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.” Another common statement about the sovereign rights of all men can be found in the United States Declaration of Independence with its coin phrase, “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In order to be granted basic human rights a pregnant woman must be considered and treated as a human being. However, today women are still described by the medical industry as a patient who needs fixing, managing and caretaking. Even the unborn child is often referred to as a mere passenger in the mother/vehicle. Both protagonists of the life-creating miracle are dismissed and treated like ignorant cogs caught in the wheel of the medical industrialization of birth.   It is common knowledge that, if the people we fight for do not fully believe in their own rights, we cannot make a difference. Jan Tritten of Midwiferytoday declares, “We must stand for the rights of mothers to be treated with reverence and respect during the birth process, including pregnancy and beyond.” But, how can a woman stand up for her rights if she doesn’t know what they are, or most importantly, if deep inside she does not feel like she deserves them?

Aside from the right to life, there are some more personal, subtle rights that are constantly challenged by our social, familial, cultural and even religious environment. These are the right to speak and hear the truth, the right to love and be loved, the right to take action, and the right to know, to name a few.  For example, if we were taught as children to never questions authority, we might not believe we can stand for our rights if they go against the medical norm. If these rights are denied in our childhood we might become incapable to stand up for ourselves or even believe we deserve to have any rights at all. Some of these right have been violated as early as during our time in the womb.

The study of perinatal and prenatal psychology, has taught us that the embryo begins learning and accumulating memory from the very beginning of its life in-utero. Mother’s personal choices and actions have significant impact upon the forming of the future, the coping mechanisms, the ability to grow and learn, and the relationship with all that surrounds the unborn baby. We know that what we learn as children bears a strong influence on our actions as adults. Research scientist Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., explains in his lectures, how a child learns behavioral patterns: “A child’s can download at a super high rate of speed.  From the moment the child is born through about the first six years of life, she is in a super-learning state. Children learn and assimilate from how we treat them and how we respond to each other.” This means that from conception  to about six years old children learn and establish patterns of behavior from observing their parents, teachers or the media, and as a survival response to their environment.  In other words we learn to behave a certain way to please and receive the love and approval we so desperately seek. These behaviors often do not mature in adulthood and we find ourselves reacting to life’s challenges with the same coping mechanisms we used as children. Anytime is a great time to learn about one’s patterns and reinvent oneself, yet the nine months of pregnancy is the ideal time to birth a new self as we are bringing a new life into this world.  Helping mothers identify these patterns and letting go of unwanted beliefs will help her obtain the birthing experience she deserve and desires and help future generations.

While writing my book, Painless Childbirth, I began seeing a close relationship between the nine months of pregnancy, fetal development in the womb and what I call the Nine Basic Human Rights.  The inspiration for the Nine Basic Human Rights of a pregnant woman and her unborn child came from studying the chakras or energy center. Many Eastern and now quite a few Western healers, believe that there is a close correlation between the chakras and the spiritual, emotional and physical well-being of a person. Chakras are centers of activity that receive, assimilate and express life force energy.  The activities in these energy centers influence our body shape, glandular processes, chronic physical ailments, thoughts, and behavior. When one (or more) chakras is blocked and the energy does not flow harmoniously imbalance is manifested in all areas of life. According to medical intuitive and author, Caroline Myss, who described chakras in her work Anatomy of the Spirit (1996), “Every thought and experience you’ve ever had in your life gets filtered through these chakra databases. Each event is recorded into your cells…” in effect your biography becomes your biology. If you think the chakras is too esoteric a concept,  remember that due to the similarities between the Chinese and Indian philosophies, the notion of chakras was quickly amalgamated to Chinese practices such as acupuncture which is more and more recognized as a valid healing modality. If you have gone to a yoga class you also have probably been introduced to the concept of the chakras.  Regardless of your belief in those energy centers, the Nine Basic Human Rights are very real.

In my work as a doula and a hypnotherapist I began to notice a relationship between these nine basic human rights, the labor process and birth outcome. For example:  I once worked with a woman who was herself born onto a family who outspokenly wanted a boy rather than a girl. She revealed this while we were on a walk at the very early onset of labor. Once at the hospital, she feared for her daughter-to-be feeding off of the ancient feeling of not belonging.  This prevent her from relaxing and birthing her baby drug-free, and, even worse made her incapable to stand up to her provider who forcibly suggested an elective intervention.  The basic human right that had been violated, when she was a child, had been her right to be here in this world and to have what she deserved.  In another instance, a woman came to me and acknowledged that she grew up in an environment where she was not allowed to express her feelings or speak up for herself. During her pregnancy she found herself incapable of changing provider even if she would end up feeling terrible following each prenatal visit. Only after we worked on her right to her feelings, and the right to take action, she was able to change provider and obtain the birthing experience she had been dreaming of. I witnessed a woman who had been emotionally abused, and never really felt loved as a baby. She recalled during one of our hypnosis sessions, how her mother had been very angry while pregnant with her and how she never felt loved or cherished as a child. In her labor she got stuck at six centimeter dilation unable to progress further for fear of becoming the unlovable mother she was raised by. Her unsolved right born in her forth chakra the right to love and be loved.

As birth advocates we need to encourage mothers to own their own basic human rights so that they can feed off of a new sense of entitlement when it comes to birthing their babies.  Using the Nine Basic Human Rights as a starting point, we can heal ourselves and teach our children the tools for self-confidence, serenity, and self-healing.  When we become conscious of our relationship with each basic human right, and we are willing to do the emotional and spiritual work to heal or harness this relationship, we can obtain deep healing of body and mind as we teach our unborn children the tools for self-confidence, serenity, and self-healing.  I propose that each woman work on healing those rights that have been denied her by family, cultural, or societal standards, and harness those rights she feels strong about, to prepare for the miraculous that is the birthing of her baby. This is not a new birthing technique, but a call for a shift in consciousness from, “Pregnancy and labor are happening to me”, to, “My baby and I are working together towards the same joyful goal: the making of and arrival of new life into this world.”

Here is the table that shows the parallel between the nine months of pregnancy, the lessons or basic human rights encapsulated in the chakras, and fetal development in the womb.

Table of the Nine Basic Human Rights

Painless Childbirth is a Scientific Reality *

A study conducted by CL Pasero and R Britt (August 1998). Managing Pain During Labor, published in the American Journal of Nursing 98:10-11, reports that indeed a painless childbirth is a reality for as many as 45,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR IN AMERICA. One of the universal laws states: if one person can do it, it can be done by others.

Millions of women all over the world experience a natural, drug-free, and painless childbirth. You can too. If you would like to join this growing number, this is what you have to do.  Find out more

When a woman’s cervix is “eager”  (that’s what I call it, but you will not hear these terms, instead you will hear: frail, weak, or incompetent cervix) the baby is at risk of being born prematurely because the cervix shortens or opens too early. Before we get into the specifics I want you to pay attention to the words used, by your doctor, you and everyone around you.  Frail or incompetent are terms that if used, or thought about will set you up either for failure, or at the least for a feeling of inadequacy, not good-enoughness.  If you instead think of it as you cervix being  ‘eager ‘; eager to have the baby, eager to welcome him/or her into this world, etc. this shift in the way you see your body and talk about your situation will create a different relationship between you and a part of your body which is very important for the success and the well being of both you and your child.   It is OK to ask you doctor to refer  to it as eager, make it into a little private joke, tell your practitioner how important words are to you for your serenity and see the changes not only in your mind and state of being, but also in your body.  At the end of this article you will find information about hypnosis and this state of eagerness and how it can help. First some technical details,  since the more you understand and are familiar with it, the more you can feel in charge of the situation versus feeling like this is yet another thing happening to you.

What is an Eager Cervix?
Normally, during pregnancy, the cervix remains closed until you go into labor. At that point, the cervix begins to dilate in order to allow your baby to pass through the birth canal and be delivered.

As your baby grows, increased amounts of pressure are placed onto your cervix. In women with an eager cervix, the additional pressure causes the cervix to slowly begin dilating at about the 13th week of pregnancy, just as you are finishing your first trimester. This gradual thinning and widening of the cervix occurs without any contractions or labor, though, so you are often not aware that it is happening. While your cervix weakens, the amniotic membranes that surround your baby begin to protrude down into the cervical opening.

Causes for an Eager Cervix
Women who have one or more of the factors below are at an increased risk of having an incompetent cervix:

• Previous cervical surgery
• DES exposure
• Trauma or damage to the cervix (maybe caused by a previous difficult birth or a D&C)
• Abnormally shaped uterus or cervix (congenital defect)

Getting a Diagnosis
Since there are often no physical signs of an incompetent cervix, it is not always possible to have the problem diagnosed before a miscarriage occurs. However, women who have had multiple miscarriages in their second or third trimester or who suspect they may be at risk are more likely to have their health care provider monitor them for an eager cervix.

Determining whether a woman has an eager cervix is fairly simply. This condition can be detected either through a manual pelvic exam or through an ultrasound. An ultrasound can measure both the opening and length of your cervix, while a pelvic exam will determine whether your cervix is dilating. However, your cervix may begin to dilate prematurely for reasons other than an eager cervix. Therefore, if it is found that your cervix is beginning to open, your past history of miscarriages will also be taken into account.

In order to prevent premature labor, a woman’s doctor may recommend a cervical cerclage. A cerclage is used to prevent these early changes in a woman’s cervix, thus preventing premature labor. The treatment consists of a stitch being inserted into and around the cervix early in the pregnancy, usually between weeks 12–14, and then removed towards the end of the pregnancy when the greatest risk of miscarriage has passed. About 1% of pregnant women have a shortened cervix. Some doctors may wish to place certain restrictions on sexual and other activities, but don’t stop kissing, hugging and fondling for sex comes in all different variations and penetration is just one way. Aerobic exercise is not permitted, although walking and isometric exercise is sometimes allowed.

Cervical Cerclage Risks
While cerclage is a very helpful procedure, with 80% to 90% of women going on to give birth to healthy babies, it is associated with some risks. These risks include:

• Rupture of the uterus or bladder
• Maternal hemorrhage
• Cervical laceration
• Preterm labor
• Premature rupture of the membranes

However, it is important to remember that these complications are rare.

Cervical circolage does not always require bed rest, or total bed rest, and there are many other reason during your pregnancy that you might be required to go into total or partial bed rest.

Your doctor may also recommend bed rest if she suspects that your baby isn’t growing properly (intrauterine growth restriction), or if you have placenta previa (when your placenta is lying unusually low in your uterus, next to or covering your cervix). Also, you may be put on bed rest if you have mild gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. About 25% of women are put on bed rest at some point in their pregnancy. There are not many conclusive studies that prove without a doubt that bed rest is the best solution to any and all of these symptoms. More scientific studies are needed. In the meantime, experts disagree on when and how to prescribe bed rest. Many say that until there’s good evidence to the contrary, bed rest is worth it. Others disagree stating that bed rest itself can have negative effects and that women should not be subjected to it until we know that it does more good than harm. These caregivers tend to believe that the use of complete bed rest should be curtailed, and that some women would be better off just taking it easy — restricting their activity level, cutting back on work, avoiding heavy lifting or prolonged standing, and resting for a few hours each day. If you have been put on bed rest it can get pretty unnerving and discouraging and you are going to need the tools in this book more than ever. Aside from the obvious psychological downfalls of bed rest, restlessness, boredom and even depression, there is financial hardship, especially if your income is important in your family budget, the physical malaise of not moving insomnia, changes in your metabolism, bone loss, and aches and pains. As always everyone has an opinion. You have chosen your caregiver carefully and you now fully trust in his/her opinion. If she has suggested bed rest your choices are: listen and learn how to make the best of it; or get a second opinion and then listen and learn how to make the best of it!

Hypnosis can help a great deal with slowing premature uterine activities and  keeping the cervix closed. Private session from an experienced hypnotherapist can helped many expectant moms to enjoy a full term pregnancy, even with a history of several pre-term births. Your mind controls your body completely and  hypnosis, can create for you wonderful physical changes that positively affect your pregnancy and birth !

Impatience can look pretty

Painless Childbirth is a Scientific Reality *

A study conducted by CL Pasero and R Britt (August 1998). Managing Pain During Labor, published in the American Journal of Nursing 98:10-11, reports that indeed a painless childbirth is a reality for as many as 45,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR IN AMERICA. One of the universal laws states: if one person can do it, it can be done by others.

Millions of women all over the world experience a natural, drug-free, and painless childbirth. You can too. If you would like to join this growing number, this is what you have to do.  Find out more

	Get email updates

“The study, published in the spring issue of the Journal of Perinatal Education, found that understanding the spiritual dimensions of childbirth is essential in clinical settings.”  This article published by Lamaze International continues as follows: “While having a safe and healthy birth is typically a primary concern for pregnant women, new research shows that most women view childbirth as a spiritual experience as well. The just-published research shows that women across diverse cultures correlate having a baby with “growing closer to God.”  The themes that emerged in the study included: childbirth as a time to grow closer to God, the use of religious beliefs and rituals as powerful coping mechanisms, childbirth as a time to make religiosity more meaningful, the significance of a Higher Power in influencing birth outcomes and childbirth as a spiritually transforming experience. [1]”

I knew this instinctively, but in a world were science is queen it is nice to have evidenced based studies to back up some of our deeply rooted beliefs.

The right to be one with the Divine

Eastern religions speak of the Divine not as an entity outside of us, but as something we are a part of, something that is closer than our hands and feet, nearer than our breath. This abstract concept might become very real as you feel your baby growing in your belly, feel his touch and movements. Being a creator of a human life can awakened in you the awareness that your body is a vessel for the miracle of creation.  The nine months of gestation are a unique opportunity to learn the secret of conscious living.

This spiritual awakening was instrumental in my ability to experience a painless childbirth.

When I speak of spiritual awakening and close contact with my Higher Power, I am referring to a Higher Love that encompasses all.  Sometimes I call it God, or Higher Power, or Mother Nature.  At times when I feel the joy of simply going with the flow, without fighting anything, but in true acceptance for all that is as it is supposed to be, I call it FLOW. I encourage you to find your personal connection with a power greater than yourself.  Being spiritually enlightened and leading a conscious life can be done as a Christian, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and even an agnostic.  What you call it, how you refer to it, how you pray to it does not matter.  What matters is that you feel the power of creation within you and become one with this power. Personally I think you can seek your own relationship with the divine and you don’t need any intermediary, but if this concept is totally new to you a good teacher, priest, monk, rabbi, spiritual leader can really help.

 More Scientific Studies

At one of the many DONA conferences I attended one presentation entitled “Early Childhood Influences on a Woman’s Later Childbearing” by my mentor and dear friend, Penny Simkin, really stuck a deep cord in me.[2]  In the presentation she explained the following: “Events of pregnancy and birth have a profound and lasting impact on the person as she grows to adulthood.  Research illustrates that often adults who had a traumatic birthing experience will experience similar complications once they give birth.  Studies have also shown that ‘resilient women,’ those who did not repeat their own negative birthing experience, had one or more of the following four attributes in common:”

a)      They had a significant adult figure in their lives who made them feel ‘safe’ during childhood.

b)      They had been raised in a non-gender typified family where ‘girls are equal to boys.’

c)      They had significant episodes of success in activities that ranged from sport to business and/or artistic expression.

d)     They exhibited a strong faith in the Divine.”[3

Many illustrious men and women spend time in contemplation and come out of it renewed, restored, and prepared to fulfill their destiny. They are born into this world to become immortal teachers. Moses was in contemplation for forty years, Confucius for three, Jesus for forty days, and Mother Teresa prayed for six years before she decided to become a nun.

You have nine months, or however many are left as you read this. You have been offered a great opportunity, one that men do not have, at least not this way. It is a great destiny to fulfill and it is important. Every woman who embraces the nine months of pregnancy as a conscious contemplation, a period to come closer to the Divinity of creation, a time to learn about herself, her Higher Power, and the world around her, will be ready to really enjoy and embrace  the magic unfolding at birth.

What does it mean to be one with the creator? Will I have to give up me to be one with IT? No, you do not lose yourself when you embrace the oneness, actually you gain -- the Divine. Once you have learned to access and become one with your Higher Power, your only requisite is to name your desire. The result of that desire is compelled to seek you out. One of the characteristics of Divine power is “all needs are met.” Thus, when you feel part of IT, you’ll feel part of a universe that rallies for your own good.

Research has show that the emotional stability in each of the parents at the time of conception and pregnancy is most important for healthiest development of the embryo and placenta. [4]

Mother Nature would not have made you capable of bringing into this world a child if the only way to do it was through excruciating pain. Birth is our Divine right; it is the one moment when every woman becomes one with the creator. Focusing on this oneness with God in any occasion will allow the sensation of pain to dissipate because there can’t be pain where God is.

Painless Childbirth is a Scientific Reality *

We have been helping women achieve the birthing experience they deserve and desire for fifteen years, bringing hope, courage, inspiration and love to thousands of families around the world. We hope our books and products touch your life in a similar way. Give the gift of one of our books or products to a family member, a friend, or yourself. Always a great value, they are a reminder of your love.

Millions of women all over the world experience a natural, drug-free, and painless childbirth. You can too. If you would like to join this growing number, this is what you have to do.  Find out more

*A study conducted by CL Pasero and R Britt (August 1998). Managing Pain During Labor, published in the American Journal of Nursing 98:10-11, reports that indeed a painless childbirth is a reality for as many as 45,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR IN AMERICA. One of the universal laws states: if one person can do it, it can be done by others.

Get Email Updates

Sleep Training . Is it good for my baby?

This is a very controversial issue, Dr. Sears has written a great article on this subject (please read here) and I admit I agree with a lot of what he is saying.  In essence: beware of sleep trainers out there as“most of these methods are variations of the tired old theme of letting baby cry it out.” And he continues with “you run the risk of becoming desensitized to the cues of your infant, especially when it comes to letting baby cry it out.”

So why do I sleep train my client’s kids? First let me tell you that I consider it more parent training than child training. Also very important to me is that the child be at least 11 months old, as I personally believe most younger babies should not sleep alone. Second I will not recommend to sleep train a child automatically even an 11 months old without meeting the child and the parent, as all children are different and all need to be considered on an individual bases. Thirdly, I always ask the parent to try it themselves first, I think the child has a right to know it is his/her parent intention, hope and desire for them to sleep through the night on their own.  Finally I go an assess the situation myself and see how the parents’ method can be implemented, improved upon and brought to success.

I NEVER allow the child to cry and always go to them to reassure them that I, an adult who they got to meet and know during their awake time, is here to respond to their calling.

So why is it that some parents just can’t train their child themselves?  Well sometimes they just don’t understand that they are the one that are holding on to their child’s sharing their bed, or there are other things that stand in the way of the training.  So Some parents need someone to hold their hand through  the setting up of personal boundaries when it comes to night sleeping, rather than train the child.

To Find out more about loving sleep training services click here

I nostri antenati hanno fasciato i neonati per secoli e le nostre nonne hanno avvolto i loro figli nella stoffa oppure hanno utilizzato delle  splendide fasce per portarli sulle spalle o sui fianchi e trasportarli ovunque. La fasciatura crea l’illusione di essere di nuovo nel grembo materno.Se ha funzionato per loro, funzionerà anche per voi.   Ma ricordatevi di usare questo rimedio solo con neonati particolarmente difficili, non è necessario fasciare un bambino perfettamente felice.

Personalmente nel mio lavoro di pospartum doula, incoraggio le mamme ad usare la fasciatura come uno strumento e non come un metodo. La fasciatura ha un effetto calmante, ma il bambino non deve essere sempre tenuto calmo. Molti genitori sostengono che la fasciatura aiuta i bambini a dormire, a rimanere addormentati e a tranquillizzarsi velocemente, specialmente quando sono appena nati. Il mio problema con questa pratica è che è spesso mirata a calmare il bambino e ad azzittirlo per poi metterlo giù da qualche parte, culla, sediolino, ecc.  da solo. Questa non era l’intenzione originale di chi ha suggerito la fasciatura per quietare un bambino agitato anche se poi molto genitori hanno dato questa interpretazione. In un famoso DVD dedicato alle strategie per calmare i bimbi usando anche la fasciatura, c’è il commento di una mamma che dice, “Mio figlio prima dormiva solo due o tre ore per notte, ma adesso con la fasciatura ne dorme anche cinque di fila!” Purtroppo l’età del bimbo non e’ menzionata ed è pericoloso pensare che la fasciatura che induce un bimbo a dormire per cinque ore di file sia una cosa positiva per tutti i bimbi.  Infatti se si parla di un neonato nelle prime settimane di vita la fasciatura non è  indicata, e soprattutto lasciarlo dormire per cinque ore di seguito senza mangiare può creare dei grossi problemi. Tenere in braccio un bambino oppure lasciarlo dormire senza fasciatura gli permette di svegliarsi quando sente fame, mantenendo il ritmo naturale dell’allattamento al seno. A volte la fasciatura causa al neonato un sonno così profondo da fargli saltare i pasti, correndo così il rischio di una perdita di peso.

Un bambino si addormenta altrettanto velocemente in braccio alla mamma o appoggiato sul petto del papà, senza per forza doverlo fasciare come se fosse nel ventre materno. Spesso sembra che   un neonato che piange, deve immediatamente essere calmato e azzittito, ma avete mai pensato che il pianto in realtà è un modo di comunicare?  I neonati parlano una lingua che non è immediatamente comprensibile e rispondere immediatamente cercando di farli tacere subito manda un messaggio chiaro, “quando parli devo calmarti, correggerti, preoccuparmi, e fare di tutto per farti stare zitto.”

Un famoso pediatra Americano  suggerisce persino di provare ad accendere l’aspirapolvere o l’asciugacapelli per catturare l’attenzione del bambino e farlo calmare. Sicuramente entrambi funzionano, ma perché non lasciamo che il neonato provi a comunicare, a parlare con noi? Con questo non intendo dire che dobbiamo lasciare piangere un bambino senza curarcene, anzi. Avrete notato che spesso dopo qualche settimana le mamme sono in grado di riconoscere il pianto del neonato e capiscono se ha fame o se ha bisogno di essere cambiato. Alla fine la loro voce diventa linguaggio comprensibile, e dunque dobbiamo solo cambiare la nostra percezione e capire che il bambino non sta piangendo, ma sta parlando, allora possiamo chiedergli di cosa ha bisogno offrigli cibo, conforto, coccole, empatia ed amore.

Detto questo, uno dei motivi che hanno portato ad un così vasto utilizzo della fasciatura e di altri metodi per calmare il neonato è il fatto che il pianto costante può portare alle depressione post parto e al rischio di non riuscire ad occuparsi adeguatamente del bambino. Pertanto se sentite la necessita di prendere una pausa perché avete la sensazione che state per impazzire, FASCIATE ASSOLUTAMENTE il bambino ed accendete l’aspirapolvere. Oppure chiamate una doula post parto ed andate a fare una passeggiata. Non dovete sentirvi in colpa per la frustrazione che provate, spesso è dovuta principalmente alla mancanza di riposo e di sonno.  Tutte le mamme del mondo si sono sentite stanche e frustrate ad un certo punto ed è  per questo motivo che sono state messe a punto le tecniche per tranquillizzare i neonati, ma oggi questi metodi sono diventati la norma e vengono utilizzati quotidianamente anziché solo in caso di vera necessità.

Pertanto, se ci riuscite, quello che vi chiedo di fare è di dedicare alcuni mesi della vostra vita a questo: tenete in braccio il vostro bambino, parlate, cantate, danzate con lui; non lo vizierete, ma anzi gli farete capite che quello che sta dicendo è importante e che voi lo state ascoltando.

Why Your Due Date Isn’t when You Think

By Misha Safranski

We have it ingrained in our heads throughout our entire adult lives-pregnancy is 40 weeks. The “due date” we are given at that first prenatal visit is based upon that 40 weeks, and we look forward to it with great anticipation. When we are still pregnant after that magical date, we call ourselves “overdue” and the days seem to drag on like years. The problem with this belief about the 40 week EDD is that it is not based in fact. It is one of many pregnancy and childbirth myths which has wormed its way into the standard of practice over the years-something that is still believed because “that’s the way it’s always been done”.

The folly of Naegele’s Rule

The 40 week due date is based upon Naegele’s Rule. This theory was originated by Harmanni Boerhaave, a botanist who in 1744 came up with a method of calculating the EDD based upon evidence in the Bible that human gestation lasts approximately 10 lunar months. The formula was publicized around 1812 by German obstetrician Franz Naegele and since has become the accepted norm for calculating the due date. There is one glaring flaw in Naegele’s rule. Strictly speaking, a lunar (or synodic – from new moon to new moon) month is actually 29.53 days, which makes 10 lunar months roughly 295 days, a full 15 days longer than the 280 days gestation we’ve been lead to believe is average. In fact, if left alone, 50-80% of mothers will gestate beyond 40 weeks.

Variants in cycle length

Aside from the gross miscalculation of the lunar due date, there is another common problem associated with formulating a woman’s EDD: most methods of calculating gestational length are based upon a 28 day cycle. Not all women have a 28 day cycle; some are longer, some are shorter, and even those with a 28 day cycle do not always ovulate right on day 14. If a woman has a cycle which is significantly longer than 28 days and the baby is forced out too soon because her due date is calculated according to her LMP (last menstrual period), this can result in a premature baby with potential health problems at birth.

The inaccuracy of ultrasound

First trimester: 7 days

14 – 20 weeks: 10 days

21 – 30 weeks: 14 days

31 – 42 weeks: 21 days

Calculating an accurate EDD

Recent research offers a more accurate method of approximating gestational length. In 1990 Mittendorf et Al. undertook a study to calculate the average length of uncomplicated human pregnancy. They found that for first time mothers (nulliparas) pregnancy lasted an average of 288 days (41 weeks 1 day). For multiparas, mothers who had previously given birth, the average gestational length was 283 days or 40 weeks 3 days. To easily calculate this EDD formula, a nullipara would take the LMP, subtract 3 months, then add 15 days. Multiparas start with LMP, subtract 3 months and add 10 days. The best way to determine an accurate due date, no matter which method you use, is to chart your cycles so that you know what day you ovulate. There are online programs available for this purpose (refer to links in resources section). Complete classes on tracking your cycle are also available through the Couple to Couple League.

ACOG and postdates

One of the most vital pieces of information to know when you are expecting is that ACOG itself (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) does not recommend interfering with a normal pregnancy before 42 completed weeks. This is why knowing your true conception date and EDD is very important; if you come under pressure from a care provider to deliver at a certain point, you can be armed with ACOG’s official recommendations as well as your own exact due date. This can help you and your baby avoid much unnecessary trauma throughout the labor and delivery. Remember, babies can’t read calendars; they come on their own time and almost always without complication when left alone to be born when they are truly ready.

Sources:

Mittendorf, R. et al., “The length of uncomplicated human gestation,” OB/GYN, Vol. 75, No., 6 June, 1990, pp. 907-932.

ACOG Practice Bulletin #55: Clinical Management of Post-term Pregnancy

Painless Childbirth is a Scientific Reality *

A study conducted by CL Pasero and R Britt (August 1998). Managing Pain During Labor, published in the American Journal of Nursing 98:10-11, reports that indeed a painless childbirth is a reality for as many as 45,000 WOMEN EACH YEAR IN AMERICA. One of the universal laws states: if one person can do it, it can be done by others.

Millions of women all over the world experience a natural, drug-free, and painless childbirth. You can too. If you would like to join this growing number, this is what you have to do.  Find out more

	Get email updates

Click the link below to listen to a sample of our MP3 recording.

GET YOUR   Joy In Birthing Home Course PACKAGE HERE

 “45,000 American mothers experience a pain free, all natural birth every year. Our Joy In Birthing program is designed to help you become one them. Click here, to learn how you can have the most intimate and meaningful birthing experience possible.”

Our Intention

We want to facilitate 10,000 Painless Childbirths in the next year, and every years after that! GET YOUR PACKAGE HERE

Our Strategy

One of the greatest fears that many expectant mothers face is the stress and intense pain often associated with the birthing process, and understandably so. In movies and television, we often see childbirth portrayed as a painful and often terrifying experience. Although when I say painless childbirth I don’t mean you will not feel anything, I propose a shift in consciousness looking at childbirth as a miraculous event that will be INTENSE but manageable. Women have done this for thousands of years without the help of modern technology, encouraged by other women they learned how to stay in the moment and ride each wave as it came, one wave at the time, one minute at the time. After all a labor wave (contraction) lasts on an average one minute then you have a reprieve. All you need to do is learn how to manage one wave for one minute… but you can’t do it alone, you must learn how. And that is exactly what the full Joy in Birthing: Home Course Birth Preparation will teach you.

Bringing a life into this world is meant to be an intimate and special experience, free from strong medications and unnecessary medical procedures. It might sound far-fetched in a world that relies so heavily on modern medicine, but childbirth CAN be a drug, and PAIN, free experience. My unique E-Books and audio course, Joy in Birthing: Home Course Birth Preparation, is carefully designed to help any expectant mother experience the wonders of an all-natural birth as comfortably and anxiety free as possible.

 GET YOUR   Joy In Birthing Home Course PACKAGE HERE

How It Works

We often underestimate the power of the human mind, and its control over the body. Through self-hypnosis training, anyone can learn to harness these powers of the subconscious mind to prepare herself to embrace and experience a joyful child birthing experience. The use of self-hypnosis is a practice rapidly growing in popularity, and has many highly respected supporters in both the psychology and medical fields. Joanne Marrow, PhD and professor emeritus at Cal State Sacramento has this to say about the technique’s practice, ”Hypnosis is helpful to anyone who is going into medical treatment, because it helps the person to stay relaxed and de-stressed”. Read what renown OBGYN, Docotrs and Pediatricians say about our products

This series of products is designed to teach expectant mothers how to mentally prepare themselves throughout their pregnancy to achieve a pain-free natural birth, as well as improve overall serenity and knowledge of the various phases of labor and delivery. By teaching you how to remove the myth that pregnancy and childbirth needs to be a painful and stressful experience from your mind, the Joy in Birth home study course can empower you to:

• Learn the phases of labor and childbirth – Knowledge is power, fear is often associated with the unknown the more you are aware of what to expect the easier your birthing experience will be.  Learn about hospital birth or home birth, pain manegemeant, what to expect from your care provider, what test you need, what you don’t need. Find out what you can do to avoid unecessary medical interventions and more.
  

• Sleep more soundly – By teaching meditation and relaxation techniques, this home study course will help you sleep longer and more soundly throughout your pregnancy. A well-rested mom is a happy mom. And, studies show that mothers who sleep well during pregnancy are more likely give birth to healthier babies.

• Release the fears and anxieties of childbirth - Many expectant mothers, especially those pregnant for the first time, claim that the anxiety surrounding the approaching birth can be a stressful experience. The self-hypnosis techniques that I cover in this course are designed to help alleviate those fears and feelings.

• Ease your nagging aches and pains – Let’s face it, carrying a child does place an unusual type of stress on the body’s muscles and joints that can be quite unpleasant. The same techniques that help release stress will help your body remain more relaxed and free of the annoying aches and pains many expectant mothers often go through.

• Improve your mood – The audio contained in this product was carefully crafted to calm and relax the listener, as well as help ease physical discomfort. As a result, many users find that it helps alleviate the variations in mood associated with the body’s natural hormonal changes during pregnancy.

• Achieve a pain free birth – Studies have shown that up to 45,000 women experience the wonders of a painless birth in America each year. You can be one of them, and my course is specifically designed to help you accomplish just that. Learn how to ditch the drugs, and have the most meaningful and intimate birth experience possible!

A Goal Worth Having

As a result of the Joy in Birthing: Home Course Birth Preparation you can achieve a drug-free, painless, joyful and sacred experience, as you learn the tools to manage your labor contractions. Additionally, you will learn how to talk to your unborn child, prepare the way for a happy, peace-loving human being, remove your fears and anxiety about pregnancy, childbirth and parenting, while you are followed step-by-step by a virtual doula.

ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS MAKE A SMALL INVESTMENT IN YOURSELF START HERE

STRATEGY

GET YOUR PACKAGE HERE

What’s Included

Our Joy in Birthing series is a collection of e-books and audio content carefully designed to teach you how to have the best possible birth experience. Throughout the home study course, you will learn how to bring your child into the world as pain and anxiety free as possible. Order now for instant download, no more waiting by the mail wondering when you order will arrive. With your order you will receive:

Instant E-book Downloads

• The Book of Painless Childbirth – Go on an empowering and self-affirming journey through pregnancy and birth. This is Giuditta’s best-selling book.
• The Painless Childbirth workbook – The exercises in this workbook will teach you how to harness the power of your subconscious mind throughout each month of pregnancy, leading all the way up to childbirth.

Self-hypnosis Mp3 audio downloads

Click the link below to listen to a sample of  Painless Childbirth Mp3.

• Painless Childbirth – Let self-hypnosis help you tap into the power of the subconscious, and learn to achieve a painless childbirth!

• Turn Baby Turn - Help your baby achieve a perfect head down position

• Welcome Baby – Natural induction Mp3. This recording can help you gently initiate labor without medical intervention.

Order now, and enjoy two complementary, absolutely free products!

• Celebration (Mp3) – This Mp3 is designed to help you appreciate and celebrate to wonders of life.

• Daily Affirmation for a Painless Birth (E-book download) – This collection of daily affirmations was created to enhance the rest of the Joy in Birth collection with daily affirmations regarding a painless, natural birth.

If you act now, you can get all these products for a low price of $75, with no shipping and handling. (Original value $130 which would include Shipping and Handling). Why accept anything less than your desired birth?

GET YOURS HERE

What Our Clients Are Saying

Numerous women have had excellent results using our Joy in Birth products, and have nothing but great things to say! Here’s just a one of the comments that our satisfied clients have sent us, click here to view more testimonials about our products from happy moms and experts around the world.

“Dear Giuditta, I had to write and tell you how much I appreciate your Joy in Birthing CD. I listened to your CD almost every night before bed and practiced your techniques. As you know, I went home to Texas to have my second child and be with my family. I still felt your presence even though you were not with me during the delivery. I had to be induced with Pitocin due to some complications. Your words gave me the courage and strength to endure nine hours of labor without an epidural. I gave birth to a healthy, 8-pound, 10-ounce boy! Jon and I thank you for guiding us again!”
-Love, Kelley
Find out what are the steps to achieve a Painless Childbirth read this step by step guide and then come back to purchase your own home course.

This is a win-win situation

You get amazing tools to prepare for the best outcome at an impossibly small investment — We win the challenge and facilitate 10,000 natural and painless births a years, plus you get the birthing experience you deserve and desire and we both pay it forward by sharing our stories and giving hope and courage to thousands of women all over the world!

About the creator

Giuditta Tornetta is a certified birth and postpartum doula, lactation educator, a certified clinical hypnotherapist, a NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) practitioner. She has helped hundred of women in her private practice and thousand through her books and audio recording, have the birthing experience they deserved and desired. Throughout her career, her expertise in the birthing field has been called upon by some of the world’s largest media outlets, to help shed light on some of the most recent and exciting pregnancy trends. She also runs monthly seminars for expectant mothers, and other birthing industry professionals. She has published hudndreds of articles in both print magazines and on the web both in the US and all over the world. To see more about Giuditta Tornetta, click here

Want to get individual products?  Visit Here

To enroll in a Painless Childbirth Workshop click here

	Get email updates

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 the focus is on getting the baby to shut up, settle, be quiet so he/she can be put down in  his/her crib on his own. Does this reminds you of an old adage, seen but not heard. BTW that is not the intention of those who suggest swaddling to quiet a fussy baby, but many parents have interpreted this way.  We even hear comments such as,” My baby used to sleep two to three hours at the time, but now after swaddling he will sleep up to five!”  First of all if that is a newborn that is NOT good.  A newborn should never sleep that long without feeding. Holding a baby  or even putting him down without swaddling will allow the baby to wake up when he is hungry, keeping the natural rhythm of breastfeeding. At times swaddling will put the baby into such a deep sleep that he might make him  skip important feedings and lose weight.

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 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:

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

	Get email updates