Best of both worlds

I'm back! After taking some time off, I have another wonderful class in full swing. Although I haven't read this book, I plan to soon. Natural Hospital Birth: The Best of Both Worlds is written by Cynthia Gabriel, who is a medical anthropologist, doula, and mother of three. Since most Bradley couples tend to choose to have their birth in a hospital setting, it would be very applicable for my students (and me)! Dr. Bradley himself recommended birth in a hospital setting, due to the irreducible risk involved in the healthiest, most natural of births, even though the rates of medicated and/or C-section in his own personal practice were about 3%. At any rate, check it out yourself or you can wait till after I read it and put it in my library. I'll let you know what I think!

And if you're wondering, yep, I'm preggers again! Now 17 weeks along, I'm just due just after most of my current students, and will be even with many of my students in my upcoming class. :) So far I've had two natural births in a hospital setting... that is the plan for the third, coming in January 2013!

"The Milk" League

A couple of you in my class have asked about breastfeeding. While we cover the importance and touch on some of the practical aspects, it is not the main focus of our class time, while at La Leche Leauge - it is!!! 

Book Review: The Baby Whisperer

Parents can say, "I love you," to their babies in many different ways as long as they are meeting the baby's physical, emotional, and mental needs... which is why I am presenting another view in contrast to my previous post.

Personally, I love The Baby Whisperer. For our family, her philosophy and techniques worked. While the author, the late English nanny extraodonaire Tracy Hogg, is very much for breastfeeding and understanding why your baby is crying, not sleeping, or feeding well, much of her practical advise differs widely from La Leche League's recommendations in The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding on which I just wrote a review. She advocates Parent Directed Feeding while listening to the baby's cues and sleeping separately from your baby. Getting your baby to sleep through the night is a goal she helps to attain, whereas it is not and should not be a goal for the first couple of years according to LLL's book.


Her basic premise is that mom and the baby need to work with a schedule that works for both of them (the whole family really), so that everyone's needs are met. To do that, she suggests E.A.S.Y. (Eat, Activity, Sleep, Your time) which involves not nursing/feeding or other props to sleep, but rather using other natural cues.


She does not advocate a strict schedule that must be maintained at the expense of the baby, rather a routine so that everyone involved knows what usually comes next and helps everyone feel calm and secure. She also helps you to understand "Banguage" or Baby-Language to understand the different types of crying how you can best soothe for the different senarios. She also addresses breastfeeding, working moms, starting solids, baby's emotional needs, and much more.

I think both The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding (and other attachment parenting philosophies) as well as The Baby Whisperer books (philosophies advocating routines etc - NOT "Ferberizing" or "crying it out" methods) are both great, which is obviously why I recommend both books. I think that different things work for different families.


The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems By Teaching You to Ask the Right Questions is available to my current Bradley Method students for loan one week at a time.

Book Review: The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

La Leche League International is an amazing grassroots-type of organization of a local female leader and other local moms supporting each other in breastfeeding. This book is written by the mothers in this organization and it encompasses much more than breastfeeding. It includes chapters titled, "Going Back to Work," "Human Milk for Human Babies," "The Manly Art of Fathering," and "Mothers Helping Mothers." This book is kind of like a continuation after a natural childbirth on to natural, baby-led mothering (also known as attachment parenting).

Here are a few questions (written by me) that are answered in this book, with corresponding page numbers:

•  What is important about the baby’s head and lower jaw position for breastfeeding?
• His jaw does much better if he lifts his chin so that his head tips back slightly, chin in firm contact with the breast, nose lifted free or nearly free of the breast. (pg 70)
• What are the three “Keeps” if breastfeeding isn’t working for now?
• 1. Keep your milk flowing – hand express or pumping; 2. Keep your baby fed – drops on a spoon, from a dropper or bottle if necessary; 3. Keep your baby close – skin to skin contact will comfort, warm, stabilize breathing and heart rate as well as allow your breast to be available whenever he is ready (pg 77-78)
• Does breastfeeding need to be on a schedule?
•  When research showed that scheduled feedings led to breastfeeding problems, and we came to understand better how breastfeeding works, the recommendation changed to “feed the baby when he gives you hunger cues.” (pg 134)
• What percentage of breastfeeding mothers in Western countries sleep with their babies?
• Between 44 and 75 percent of breastfeeding mother sleep with their babies all or part of the night. (pg 228)
•  How often should milk be expressed while at work?
• In a nine-hour separation from your baby, you can expect to pump 2-3 times. (pg 270)

I have a 7th Edition copy and an 8th edition copy (page number references above and pictured above) available to my current Bradley Method students, for loan one week at a time.

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!

Amazon Mom

Who doesn't like free perks? Well, just for being the awesome mom that you already are, Amazon will give you a free 3-month Prime membership (free 2-day shipping) with the opportunity to extend (for free). Check it out for details at http://www.amazon.com/mom.

Book Review - Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way

If you'd like to do some additional reading about natural birth mechanics in addition to your Bradley Method classes, check out Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon. A word of warning that it does have some pictures (although they are circa 1975, made obvious by the lovely ladies' hairstyles and men's mustaches) with intimate views, if you know what I mean. There are great step-by-step instructions and contraction rehearsals for coaches and moms.


If I were going to recommend just one book in addition to attending class, this would be it. By the way, if you're going to buy it and use Amazon click through my site to support me at no cost to you!


Comment or email me to let me know if you read it and what you think!