February 25, 2022 | by: Lamaze International
Most of life's big events require preparation and childbirth is no different. It's not about having an "easy labor" (labor always takes hard work and focus), there are steps you can take, both throughout pregnancy and during labor, to make your experience less stressful, fearful, and clinical, and more comfortable, peaceful, and enjoyable.
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December 01, 2021 | by: Cara Terreri
Partners going through a first-time pregnancy often worry about what to expect during the upcoming birth. For anyone, the unknown feels scary and since birth is (unfortunately) associated with plenty of myths and negative stories, the unknown of birth feels particularly frightening. It's like being told to plan for an emergency situation of an unknown nature a few months down the road. Wouldn't you want to know more details, how to prepare, what to do?
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August 20, 2021 | by: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
Many years ago, one of the primary focal points of Lamaze childbirth education was a style of breathing in labor (hee-hoo, hee-hoo sound familiar to anyone?). Today, Lamaze is a comprehensive approach to childbirth that includes many comfort measures for labor, of which breathing or breath work is a part.
So what does it mean to "breathe" in labor and birth? Below is a summary, adapted from The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence by Judith A. Lothian and Charlotte DeVries.
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August 02, 2021 | by: Cara Terreri, LCCE, CD(DONA)
Tensing up your body's muscles is a natural response to stress and pain. But did you know that doing so actually causes more pain and stress? If you can learn to a) recognize when you're tensing up, and then b) release the tension, you can reduce the amount of overall pain and stress you feel. Of
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April 14, 2021 | by: Lamaze International
When you picture your upcoming birth, what do you see? Specifically, how do you see yourself moving through contractions? The key word here being moving.
Research shows, time and again, that moving around freely in labor provides pain relief, decreases the need for pain medication, may make labor/birth easier/faster, and improves your sense of control in labor as well as overall satisfaction with your birth experience.
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