Birth skills - Juju Sundin???

[Beach Mama]

Funny you should post in here today Nat - I was doing some yoga stretches today and was thinking about you and thinking I haven't come across your posts recently!!!!! How weird!
I was also watching this book on ebay just recently and am wondering now if I should bother. I have New Active Birth but feel like I want something else as well but not sure what! Might have to have a search around for another option methinks! Are the yoga options in your book for birth similar sort of strategies??? if that makes sense! My brain isn't all that switched on tonight sorry!

[Smoke Jaguar]

Janet's other book, Waterbirth, is a good read, even if you don't plan on having one - just for her word on labour etc

[Beach Mama]

Thanks Maya - not sure if I want to get a VBAC specific one or just birth based! They are excy so I might go to the local library on Wednesday and see what I can dig up and order.

[Smoke Jaguar]

Yep, I borrowed mine from the library If there is something you want and they don't have it, ask them to order it in for you (I mean, if one preggy woman wants it, how many others would, too?). Check the library catalogue (usually they have an online one) and maybe another library in the same group has a copy they can send to your branch.

[blue daisy]

hey Tan

big congrats for your impending number 2 baby

how exciting

my yoga book does work on the strategies I get on my soap box for with a focus on breathe awareness and how yoga benefits

its on my webpage

[SammyRo]

I know this is an old thread but thought I would post anyway. I just got this book and after reading lots of natural birth books I tend to agree with Natalie.... the terminology to me is a bit off-putting. I think there is probably some merit in the techniques but based on the above posts maybe not all of them are good - ie stomping not being good from a blood flow perspective??

I'm wondering what the best techniques are, does anyone have any comments based on their experience? I'm planning a home waterbirth so hopefully a lot of the fear/adrenalin problems will be a non-issue. However I had an epidural last time and want an undisturbed birth this time so would like some extra tricks up my sleeve (I am having a doula).

After having a very long, difficult birth with DD (she was fully posterior and I pushed her out with no intervention and no drugs), I wanted some strategies up my sleeve to help with DS as I had it in my head that he was going to be posterior too, so I borrowed Birth Skills at the recommendation of my midwife, as she has a whole chapter on posterior. I have to say, I did the stomping and it worked beautifully - I found once my contractions started I had to be on my feet but didn't want to pace through them - I ended up leaning on a windowsill and stomping. As they intensified, I focused on an object (a blue ofice chair I could see) and I then progressed to sending my breath towards the chair (the 'aah' breath that Juju talked about), but stomping through eash one. Once I needed something more, I ended up in the shower, still leaning on the rails and stomping, and breathing the pain down the plug hole. This all really helped until I got to the transistion stage, and I also went from 3cm to fully dilated in just over an hour. I didn't pay much attention to what Juju said about pushing, and I just went with what my body felt like doing (although, the first few bearing down urges I tried to ignore, because in my head there was no way I had dilated that quickly so again, I thought DS was posterior and I was tring to push at 6cm).

So, for me, her techniques worked to get me through the first stage of labour. Although, I have to say, both of my births have been empowering - the first one was due to the confidence my mw had in me and my ability to deliver DD posteriorly (is that even a word?)

[entreat]

I love the book, but find some of it really repetitive! I loose my place (and my interest) frequently, and I'm struggling to find the motivation to pick it up again. But the repetition is hopefully what makes it stick in your mind on the day. I have also read Active Birth by janet balaskas - but as that was in the 2nd tri, I've forgotten much of it now.

That it - I'm hitting the couch with a cramming session!