We are seeing bundle after bundle rolling out to improve care and all they seem to do is increase paperwork and scare The bundles are a bungle of tokenistic action despite well established solutions that would cost but a fraction! There are two bundles in recent times that have been cause for concern. The first …
Preparing for Birth is like preparing to climb Mount Everest, but with much more chance of success and a lot more warmth! When climbing Everest, a Sherpa is an essential part of your team. They know the landscape, the climate and remain calm and alert. In Birth, a doula is like a sherpa. The doula is familiar with the location, the people and the physiology, remaining calm and alert, guiding and supporting you.
This is the story of a Birth Plan that was not used. A Birth Plan that was carefully made, was informed and detailed, but was never even looked at during the birth.This is the story of a cup of tea, left to go cold. Rebecca* was determined that her birth would not ‘go with the flow’ , …
Across Australia, we are seeing the roll out of the ‘Safer Baby Bundle’. This is an initiative to reduce stillbirth. This is an obviously noble goal, with five key areas of focus in the form of hashtagable social messaging. The five key areas are: #Quit4Baby #GrowingMatters #MovementsMatter #SleeponSide #LetsTalkTiming As I explored the resources associated …
The horror of birth, in all it’s unpredictable gory, is the glee of birth skeptics and trolls across social media. The birth plan is the perfect target , scapegoat and crime; there is no point writing one.
or is there?
what if we talked about and prepared for a positive birth. No Matter What.
I saw the above doodle on the facebook. It prompted me to create the below: Not as simplistic, perhaps, or sweet even, but I still felt compelled to point out how a Birth Map, is the opposite to the first doodle. Birth Mapping (or Birth Cartography) is a powerful process of becoming aware of all …
Is there such a thing as Too Much Information? A point where overwhelm means overcome? Is it possible that blissful ignorance Protects us from being The One? The One who has a bad time, The One who gets The Lot, The One who is disappointed The one whose birth was shot. And what does it …
If you want to Go with the Flow, be sure to choose right current.
Is it possible to to make an informed decision, let alone provide consent, in a maternity system that disregards birth plans and favours intervention over interaction?
A health care directive contains many decisions, for various what ifs. Including explicit instructions regarding what will happen with your remains, beyond burial vs cremation, is very helpful. There are ethical considerations, and if you do not express your decisions, others will be left to decide.
