Avoiding Preeclampsia

The Bradley Method® encourages pregnant moms to follow the Brewer Pregnancy Diet, for MANY reasons, one of which is avoiding preeclampsia, as we learn in class. When you have to pee in a cup at essentially every appointment, one of the things they are looking for is protein in your urine (a symptom involving malnutrition and/or preeclampsia).


Preeclampsia is a disorder that occurs only during pregnancy and the postpartum period and affects both the mother and the unborn baby. Affecting at least 5-8% of all pregnancies, it is a rapidly progressive condition characterized by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine. It can lead to eclampsia, which can cause convulsions and is potentially fatal (2% of cases).


Although it is not a well-understood disease, it is very serious and incurable, generally needing to induce or deliver the baby to avoid further complications. Amazingly, Dr. Brewer discovered a well-balance and high protein diet essentially eradicated this previously unknown disease from a susceptible population of women, repeated through many years. Unfortunately, possibly because it was not a randomized, double-blind trial which would have included the purposeful malnourishment of pregnant mothers to show the non-placebo effect of the diet, the Brewer Pregnancy Diet has not been as widely taught to OB/GYN and therefore as many pregnant moms as you might think.


Remember that eating well for your baby is the single most important thing you can do while he/she is growing inside of you. You might ask your doctor or midwife about their knowledge/recommendation about the Brewer Pregnancy diet and see what they say... let me know!

Bottoms Up

All but 4% of babies turn to be in the head head down position naturally by the time they are born (yes, some flip during labor although not common). But it can be difficult to know what you can be doing yourself to help Baby turn if baby is in the breech (head up) position when you are in the last half of your third trimester. Unfortunately, most OBs don't offer much by way of support other than offering to schedule a c-section usually right away. Midwives usually have more resources or ideas to offer. Hopefully your provider is one of the types that will actually catch a breech baby, as was always done previously. While it is not possible for everyone, it may be worth looking for a provider who will support a breech birth. Some OBs will do an external version when you full term (usually at least 38 weeks).

While The Bradley Method (and I myself) always recommend that you start with your doctor/midwife to ask for their recommendations, it is also up to you to ultimately make choices and ideally it is best to know what the options are, right? So here a link that you may find interesting if you find yourself (or rather Baby) in this position.

Try a date

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Here's a news link a study showing how pregnant women consuming date fruit during the last 4 weeks of pregnancy helped their labor and birth outcomes! Amazing. I don't love dates, but I think it would be worth trying for a few weeks to impact my labor and birth positively. And it is just fruit! No side effects or possible harm to the baby! :) Let me know if you try it!

Your hospital's C-section rate

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While the national average is about 1 in 3 births by C-section, the Bradley Method students are significantly much lower at less than 1 in 10.  Hopefully you are learning all that you can about how to potentially avoid this serious surgery that is not without risk, and doing all that you can NOW while you are pregnant so that you hopefully do not have a need for a C-section. If you do end up needing a C-section, you can be thankful this amazing technology exists and that you did the absolute best you could for your baby and you.


What about your hospital? Check any CA hospital's rates out here.

Relaxation Poem

We discuss mental relaxation in Class 4 as one of the three important ways to practice and learn to relax: physical, mental and emotional. I want to share the poem that we read during our relaxation practice in Class 4, as a sample of something to relaxing on which to focus your mind. 

Coaches - It is a great idea to gather some poems, verses, and/or book passages that your wife/parter would enjoy hearing you read both during relaxation practice throughout pregnancy as well as during early labor. Another wonderful idea is to write a letter together (or two letters separately) to your unborn baby about how excited you are to welcome him/her to the outside world. This could be a wonderful encouragement and relaxation for a mom to hear her coach read this aloud to remind her of the beautiful work and important purpose of what her body is doing to bring your baby from life on the inside of her womb to life in your arms together.


P.S. The poem was written to be read during class to the couple, but I've included a few words to exchange when the coach is reading to his partner in [brackets]. And remember to read VERY SLOWLY, pausing frequently, softly, and in a low voice.
...


Let your whole being
sink slowly, slowly, slowly,
Feel your muscles
becoming limp and loose and comfortable.
Drifting or floating,
relaxed and comfortable,
warmth and heaviness spread through your body.
The baby in your uterus
is warm and heavy.
Feel warmth and heaviness
spreading from the baby to your abdomen, hips
thighs, knees, lower legs, ankles,
feet and toes.
Slowly, the lower half of you is
loose and limp,
warm and heavy.


The upper half of you awaits its turn.
Slowly release, let go,
warm and heavy,
limp and loose.
Let every cell absorb and enjoy,
spreading up back and front,
chest and shoulders.
Arms and hands and fingers let go.


As your neck releases tension,
your head slowly shifts and becomes
more and more relaxed.
Nearer and nearer that comfortable state of
relaxation.


Erase the worries from your brow,
eyes loose but closed.
Eyes and all around the eyes
limp and loose.
Cheeks loosen and droop,
jaw drops.
Tongue is loose in your mouth,
lips part slightly.
Warm, heavy, and comfortable.


Deep slow, heavy breathing.
Breathe in and out slowly,
abdomen up an down slowly.
Limp and loose,
warm and heavy,
comfortably relaxed.


In your mind's eye...
hold a softly purring kitten in your lap
while sunshine warms you [us] both.
Listen to the laughter of children
sledding on a crisp sparkly snowy hill.
Ride a bicycle on a lazy autumn afternoon,
hair blowing in the wind.
Sit before a roaring, snapping fire
with a red shiny apple ready to eat.
Watch a robin build her nest,
weaving string and straw with precision.
Lie on the warm sand, you and your love [me],
while the waves roll up on the beach.


Limp and loose,
warm and heavy,
comfortable and relaxed.


by Rhondda Evans Hartman
© AAHCC

More to Birth than Mechanics

While The Bradley Method® spends a lot of time teaching about the mechanics of birth, we also teach how to support as well as the importance of supporting mothers throughout pregnancy, labor and birth. There is so much to learn about the amazing process that the mother's body (and baby too!) goes through, that sometimes unfortunately we, as moms, can underestimate the transforming and empowering experience that giving birth is.


Bradley Ferner, a Birthing from Within childbirth mentor, writes about having realistic expectations, while trying turn societal messages that ignore the profound wonder in the experience of childbirth upside down in this article.

Book Review: Assistant Coach's Manual

Planning on having a doula present at your birth? Will your mom or close friend be in the room in addition to your husband/partner? This book worth giving/loaning to someone who will attend your birth for additional support, but will not take the role of primary coach which is ideally reserved for your husband/partner in The Bradley Method®. Just as there is a lot to learn about the coaching role in The Bradley Method® classes, there is a lot to discuss and learn about what is expected and desired from an additional person who will attend your birth. 


Will someone be there to relieve and take care of the coach if labor is long?
Will someone be able to get food for the coach and/or mom if mom doesn't want the coach to leave her?
Who will update the family/friends during labor?
Who will take pictures, if desired, and what types of pictures do you want?
Will someone video any part of the birth or after baby arrives?


While in my class, you may be able to borrow this book from my personal library for 1 week at a time, but if you may consider purchasing it as a gift to that special someone who will be giving you extra support on your upcoming Birth Day!

If You Need Anything...

It can be awkward sometimes if someone offers, "If you need anything, let me know!" and you don't know what to say. You might want HELP when the baby comes, but have a hard time accepting it. This happens especially if you don't know them really well. 

From FoodTidings.com

One of the best ways that local friends and family can help out during the first weeks after your wonderful little bundle of adorableness arrives is to bring meals to your family! There may be a lot of other things you really need, like, um,  a full night of sleep, but there's probably not a whole lot your co-worker from your last job or second cousin can do for you in that area (although they may be able to hold Baby while you nap!). It can be difficult to just sit still and take time to put food in your mouth at times, let alone actually make delicious and nutritious food and then clean up the mess.


So have one of your close friends or family members set up a meal delivery schedule for you (or do it yourself). An online meal schedule that I've enjoyed using is FoodTidings.com. It is free and really simple to use and it will even email the person who signed up for a particular day to remind them a couple of days in advance. 


The way I've set it up before the baby arrives, is to make a "schedule," but leave the days blank since you don't know when the all-encompassing cuteness will arrive. You (or your friend/family member) email out a link to the blank schedule to any interested family/friends that says that another email will be sent when dates are available to sign up to bring meals after Baby arrives. Obviously, once the kiddo has entered the world, your designated person can ask you what dates work/don't work and they add those dates to the schedule and send another email letting them know.


Then the new mom & dad, family, friends, co-workers, church members and neighbors are all in synch with meals, can check the schedule at any time, and know how to bless your family!