When we birth with our sensuality we effortlessly allow layers of armor to melt away and reveal the hidden jewel of our sacred sensual strength and passion. Within this secret doorway lies all of the power and connection we need to have an amazing natural childbirth.

When we embraced this it can lead us far beyond birth ruled by pain and fear and into the infinite where we rediscover natural childbirth as an empowering, expansive, satisfying, deeply rich, and even orgasmic experience! In this article I will share with you how women are able to use their sensuality to achieve an amazing natural childbirth, how I did it, and how you can do it too!

Orgasmic Natural Childbirth

ORGASMIC BIRTH! I know, it sounds bizarre, but it’s not orgasmic like we think, it is sensual but not sexual, it’s a whole new orgasmic that stretches way beyond what we have perceived in our lifetimes. It stretches far beyond, it is amazing, powerful, expansive, mind blowing, indescribable, a truly out of this world experience!

Natural Childbirth Video “Orgasmic Birth,  The Best-Kept Secret”

Among the natural childbirth documentaries I watched while I was pregnant was “Orgasmic Birth, The Best-Kept Secret.” It resonated with me that giving birth was a simple extension of the very sexual very sensual experience that created the baby in the first place. As this truth shone down upon me I began to see birth as an amazing opportunity to dive into unrefined freedom and feminine expression!

The most common way people give up their power
is by thinking they don’t have any.
~ Alice Walker ~

Don’t Be Fooled- You Were Made for Natural Childbirth

One of the best kept secrets and one of the biggest truths in this world is that as a woman you are an amazing and powerful force in this world, which is why you were designed for natural childbirth!

The energy of natural childbirth is also an amazing and powerful force in this world, and one that we have been perfectly paired with. As powerful and magnificent as birth is we are just as powerful and magnificent ourselves!

The secret is to draw upon your personal power and energy and align it to merge with the energy of the birth. To do this you must first understand that birth, by nature is the ultimate feminine act, it calls us to operate from our full feminine power.

One of the greatest sources of our feminine power lies within our sensual nature.

“Dive into the lusciously rich experience of who you truly are and birth your baby from there!”

We are rediscovering our primordial feminine splendor and power that over time seems to have gotten lost. Within our core lies the very essence of what we are as women. We are truly magical and powerful beings.

We are a woman’s touch, soft, tender, and sensual

We are a Mothers love with everlasting strength

We are passionate and fierce

Yet at the same time we are soft and yielding

These gifts run through us and this is whats going to help you to birth your baby!

“It is possible to have an ecstatic birth—in fact, that is the best natural high that I know of. And these states of consciousness are best reached when a woman is fully aware and fully awake. Women don’t have a way to know how their body works until they really try it out in birth. I think that women can be just completely surprised by the change in them from giving birth—you have something powerful in you—that fierce thing comes up—and I think babies need moms to have that fierceness—you feel like you can do anything and that’s the feeling we want moms to have.”

-Ina May Gaskin

You are Responsible for Your Own Orgasm – You are Responsible for Your Own Orgasmic Natural Childbirth

Remember that birth is an extension of the sensual energy that created your baby in the first place; natural childbirth is the grand climax, this is when the energy peaks and flows powerfully through bringing your baby into life

As your birthing time begins the flood gate swings open and this powerful flame which has so patiently waited inside is set free.  Now how you choose to interpret and use this amazingly powerful energy is up to you, and can be the difference between whether your natural childbirth is experienced as pain or pleasure.

“You are responsible for your own orgasm” Meaning you are responsible for your own experience. Most women will agree that you can have horrible sex or amazing sex just based on how you choose to interpret and respond to it.

It’s all about how much you can allow yourself to release into it.  

Embrace and Explore Your Birthing Waves and the Sensuality of Natural Childbirth

In birth it is helpful to use many of  the same tools as you would in great sex……Release into it…… Turn it into something that you embrace and explore. It’s about the exploration, the journey as much as the destination. Ride the intensity of the waves, welcome them into you, become uninhibited, breathe, moan, and tell yourself how AMAZING it feels!

How Your Partner Can Help You to Have an Amazing Natural Childbirth

The answer is love, it is always love. I’m not talking sex, but the physical expression of love can be an enormous help! Kissing, cuddling, sensual caress, massage, and nipple stimulation can all have a positive effect on the progression of birth.

When you and your partner are able to remain conscious of allowing your love to flow freely without being restricted, then birth is more likely to flow freely without being restricted.

My Orgasmic Natural Childbirth

There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud
was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
~ Anais Nin ~

When my birthing time began I was amazed by the incredibly powerful sensations of the birthing waves.  They were nothing that I could have ever imagined! They were larger than life. About an hour into my birthing time a really powerful pressure wave came on and I thought to myself,”Wow that one hurt!” That moment will stay in my mind forever. It was my moment of truth.

As soon as that thought entered into my mind I felt myself instantly being jerked down to a place of fear.  Then a vision opened up in my mind of the long dark and painful road that was ahead of me if I continued to allow myself to interpret the sensations as pain.

With the very next pressure wave I made a conscious choice that no matter what happened I would interpret the sensations in my body as pleasure.

In that instant the sensations turned from pain into pure juicy life force. It was dancing within me igniting my sacred feminine power. I felt myself come to life, my sensuality, my passion, my power, my undying love, and incredible strength rose up within me. Birth called to the fierce lioness inside of me inviting me to embrace and unite with it’s power, calling me to surrender and ride the waves of ecstasy.

My mouth hung open wide as my breath poured from my body,  and entered again powerful strong and full, each breath building in momentum, each sensation stronger than the last, taking a hold of me, pulling me in, begging for my surrender, calling me to release and flow into it.

I moaned in ecstasy, it felt so incredible! Through this incredible sensual energy I transcended into an alternate reality, and became consumed by this exquisitley expansive feeling of connection on all levels. I was dancing with a pure and powerful energy. It spiraled through me and moved me baby out into my arms.

Here is our birthing video where you can see and hear the ecstasy of the experience!

My Natural Childbirth Advice

Embrace the sensuality of natural childbirth. Open wide the door that leads to your feminine power. Welcome the energy and intensity of the birth. Say YES to the sensations. Repeat to yourself how amazing they feel. Choose pleasure over pain, become uninhibited, and give your baby a natural childbirth encompassed in LOVE.

The post The Sensuality of Orgasmic Natural Childbirth appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

Sounds fun right, but yes ladies this is indeed a part of preparing yourself for natural childbirth. You want to be as stretchy as you can be, so that your baby’s head will slide right on out easily without a lot of resistance. This can be beneficial to you in so many ways! First of all it can make natural childbirth a whole heck of a lot less painful, and it often helps the pushing phase to be much quicker and easier.

There are a few techniques that you can use to prepare yourself to be really stretchy. In this article I’m not only gonna share them with you, but also share my experiences using these techniques. So get ready to get up close and personal with my flower of life!  ; )

My Biggest Fear about Natural Childbirth

So I come from a family who is no stranger to natural childbirth, I was born at home and my entire life have heard nothing but what a great experience my birth was. So I was pretty confident about having a natural childbirth. But this does not mean that I had no fears. Boy oh boy did I! And this was my biggest fear; I did NOT want to be ripped open or cut during birth. I couldn’t even imagine the pain that would ensue. OUCH!!!!

However I also knew how extremely important it was to rid myself of those fears before my birthing time. I couldn’t very well be birthing my baby while the whole time I was thinking about my most sensitive area being ripped open! So to deal with this fear I decided that instead of dwelling on it I would find out how I could prevent this from happening.

What I found out was that during pregnancy certain hormonal changes occur naturally that help the tissues of the cervix and perineum to become extremely thick and elastic. And I also found out that there were indeed some pretty simple things that I could do to support this process, and to work with my body. I’ll start with the easiest first.

Foods That Help You to Be Stretchy

First I found that you have to stay super hydrated in order to keep your tissues healthy and to help your body with the elasticity. So I drank a ton of water! What I would do was fill up a gallon size water container every morning and just made sure it was all gone by the time I went to bed. Yes I had to pee a lot, but it was a small price to pay!

Also in order to support your body’s process in becoming super stretchy you have to make sure that you get enough of the right stuff: protein, vitamins, and what they call short-chain fatty acids, the “good fats”

Good Fat Sources:  Avocado, nuts, seeds, beans, cold-pressed oils and fish such as salmon and tuna.

Vitamin E Sources: (at least 1,000 mg per day) Wheat germ oil, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, safflower oil, peanuts, corn oil, soybean oil, and lobster.

Vitamin C: (very beneficial for tissue health, cellular integrity, elasticity and regeneration) Strawberries, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus foods.

Bioflavanoids: These are the compounds that make oranges orange, blueberries blue, and cherries red. Some foods rich in flavonoids are blueberries, cherries, citrus fruits, pears, grapes, cabbage, legumes, plums, and onions.

Preparing Your Perineum for Natural Childbirth

OK here is the fun part, perineum massage! This is the process of actually sticking your (or your partners fingers) inside of your yoni and gently stretching it using a certain massaging technique. You do it every day of your last month of pregnancy and it’s supposed to make your tissues uber stretchy so that when your baby’s head is crowning you won’t tear or have any need for an episiotomy.

My Wonderfully Thrilling Journey through Perineal Massage

This is my experience with perineal massage. My slightly kooky childbirth instructor told us in class that this was a good thing to do for many reasons. Not only would it make me super stretchy, but it would allow me the “opportunity” to get acquainted with the sensations that I would feel during birth giving me a platform to practice remaining calm, relaxed and breathing through the sensations.

Also, she suggested that instead of doing it myself that I would have my partner do the massage on me, because this would give us a chance to “work together, communicate with each other and build trust” in preparation for our birth.

Ummm..……..can you say, “AWKWARD!!!?”

Only after she assured me that my vagina wouldn’t stay stretched out forever, and that after birth it would snap back into place did I decide “What the heck, why not.”

After all, when it really came down to it I would do pretty much anything to prevent myself from tearing!

And since I felt like I had done this entire pregnancy by myself I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to con Andy into getting involved in preparing us for our natural childbirth. After all I didn’t make this baby on my own so I thought it only fair that he helped as much as he could. Also it might help him not to pass out if he got used to seeing my vag in a different sort of setting so that he wouldn’t be so shocked by the “expansiveness” during birth.

He was a bit hesitant, and only after cracking a crap load of perineum and vag jokes did he step up to the plate, and we went for it! Now that, is LOVE!

I took a bath to get myself and my tissues relaxed. I imagined that my birthing time had begun and that this was the real thing. We set the room just like we would for the birth; we dimmed the lights, put on the music I had picked out for our natural childbirth, the whole shabang!

Using almond oil to soften up the tissues he stuck both his fingers and his thumbs inside of me and began following the instructions that we had printed out on how to perform the “massage.” http://www.bloomingbellys.com/bb-blog/prenatal-perineal-massage/

I relaxed as much as I possibly could. He would gently and progressively stretch to a point where there was quite a bit of pressure, if it was too much pressure I would cue him by tapping on the bed to tell him to let up a bit, if I could handle a little more pressure I would tap on the wall so that he could apply a little more.

I was a bit shy at first, but I very quickly realized how this was helping us to communicate with each other and had also put us both in a rather vulnerable and intimate position where we had to let down our walls of resistance and really become open with each other.

Even still I have to tell you that it wasn’t much fun, and it actually did create quite an intense sensation! But, it was well worth it! I found myself really having to be creative to find ways to fully and completely relax. Which turned out to be a truly great way to prepare me for natural childbirth, because I got to experience firsthand the difference between how when I tensed up it created pain, and how when I relaxed it became easier and manageable.

So we did it every night for the last month, and every time we did it I was stretchier than before, and it became easier and easier to do.

The Results- A Pain Free Natural Childbirth

So what were the results of all of our efforts? It was the 16th hour of my birthing time (of course I had not known that) I had gone to a place where time didn’t exist. I was fully consumed in this alternate reality, of complete surrender and unhampered connection with this HUGE universal energy that was flowing through me.

All of the sudden I felt my body make a changeover and suddenly I felt the urge to push. It felt so completely natural that I hardly even felt like I actually had to do much pushing at all. It more felt like my body was going to do it. So I tried to relax into it. Sure enough my body began to do some pushing and I helped it out by filling myself with enormous breaths and harnessing all of the power and strength that I had within me. This power expelled itself in these amazingly powerful moans!

I had heard all about the “ring of fire” that I was supposed to feel as the baby’s head came out and was secretly waited for the excruciating pain that was supposed to come. 3 gentle pushes and her head was out. No pain, no ring of fire, just a squish.

It actually felt amazing as her head and body came out, it was like this tremendous relief! And the best part, not a tear, not a rip, not a scrape. My perineum was perfectly intact and my yoni was all shiny and pristine! My baby was amazingly healthy and beautiful, no smooshed or cone shaped head, just perfection.

Oh and by the way, Andy was GREAT during the birth, not squeamish at all, he was oozing with love, tenderness and connection. For us the stretchy vagina techniques definitely paid off!!!

I would love to hear your thoughts! What do you think about this whole stretchy vagina, perineal massage business? Have you tried it, or would you think about trying it for a potentially easier natural childbirth? Or do you have any tips on how to prevent tears?

The post How to Make Your Vag Stretchy so that You Won’t Tear During Natural Childbirth appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

I know that there’s a ton of things that demand your attention when preparing for natural childbirth, but please do not allow yourself to overlook what to do to your baby’s umbilical cord at birth. In this article I would like to express to you the enormous importance and value of waiting to cut the cord! The difference in waiting a short amount of time after your natural childbirth may not seem particularly monumental to you but to your baby it is huge, and can affect them for the rest of their lives!

What the Umbilical Cord Means to Your Baby – While inside the Womb

The umbilical cord is your baby’s main source of life while it is in your womb. Among other things it takes the place of its lungs.  It connects your baby with the placenta which pumps this amazingly oxygen and nutrient rich blood through their entire body feeding, sustaining and nourishing them. And then when the blood is ready to be cleansed it pumps it back to the placenta where it is refreshed, renewed and sent back to them to use. This is a continuous ever flowing beautiful process that nature has created perfectly.

So there is a constant feeding, nourishing and cleansing system that is taking place between you, your baby and the placenta. In essence it is your baby’s “life cord.”

You Chose When to Cut Your Baby’s Cord After Natural Childbirth- Please Make an Informed Choice

After your babys’ natural childbirth it is still going to be connected to its umbilical cord until you decide that it is time to cut it. Sadly we are living in the days where everything is rush, rush, rush, hurry, hurry, hurry! We seem to have forgotten the importance of slowing down long enough to respect nature’s process. It’s all about the short cuts. And this is what it’s become in the medical community; the quickest way to get things done has taken precedence over the most beneficial.

All too often we just go along with whatever procedures are in place simply because we don’t know any different. But please do not allow your baby to miss out on all of the benefits that nature has intended for it. And remember that this is your baby and all decisions surrounding its’ birth and care are yours to make.

What the Umbilical Cord Means to Your Baby – After Natural Childbirth

Even though your baby is now able to survive on its own without being connected to the cord does not mean that it suddenly is of no use anymore. Remember that this cord has been your baby’s connecting life force for the entire span of its existence so far. So to cut it suddenly, abruptly and prematurely is not beneficial to your baby. In terms of health benefits and emotional benefits it is much better for your baby to wait to cut its cord.

When to Cut Your Babys’ Cord after Natural Childbirth

How long should you wait to cut the cord? After your baby’s natural childbirth the umbilical cord does not just lie limp not functioning. For several minutes after birth the cord is still very much alive and active, still pumping blood and oxygen into your baby. You should not cut the cord until it has completely stopped pulsating. Changes in the cord’s whartons jelly then produce a natural internal clamping within 10-20 minutes after birth. But as long as it is still beating it is still benefiting your baby.

Some parents choose to have what is called a “lotus birth” meaning that they chose not to cut the cord at all but rather allow the baby to naturally detach from the cord and placenta in its own time.

Benefits of Waiting Until the Cord Stops Beating

For one thing it forces everyone to be patient, and leads them as well as the mother to respect the rhythm and the sense of time ordained by the child.

Besides, leaving the cord intact allows the natural physiological changes to take place within the child’s body at their own pace, and allows iron and many other very important nutrients to be delivered to the baby.

What It Means for Your Baby to be Allowed to Experience Natural Childbirth in His Time

“In the act of drawing breath, of oxygenating his own blood with his own lungs, the child becomes himself. With his first breath, the child sets forth on the road to independence, to autonomy, and to freedom. Nature provides oxygen for the child through two sources: the cord continues to beat even as the lungs begin to function, the two systems work together, one taking over from the other, like a relay. The first system, the cord continues to oxygenate the child until the new system, the lungs, has taken over completely.

But practically speaking much depends on the way this transition takes place; whether this transition is made slowly, progressively, or brutally, in panic and terror. This can make the difference between a calm gentle birth or a…tragedy…

If the changeover comes abruptly it will leave a mark for the rest of life, any future changes will always be perceived as threatening.

Although the child is out of the womb he remains dependent on his mother through the umbilical cord, which continues to beat strongly for several minutes four or five sometimes even longer. Oxygenated through the cord and thus protected from anoxia the child can, without shock or danger settle down to breathing without being rushed – in his own time…

For a few minutes the baby straddles two worlds as it were. Then slowly, slowly he can cross the threshold from one to the other peacefully and easily, and with all safety, as long as we don’t rush in, interfere”

~ Frederick Leboyer “Birth Without Violence”

Trust and allow nature to work as it is intended, birth is not an emergency or a race. It is so precious, and those moments right after birth are what defines your child’s view of it’s new world. Savor those moments, allow them to be sweetly sacred. Just taking a little extra care and those few extra minutes can make all the difference in the world to your baby, sending them the message that you are there to support love and respect their individual journey in this life.  After your baby has been allowed to make the change over in its’ own time, and the cord has been detached you can keep it, make art out of it, all sorts of really cool stuff! What are your thoughts on the importance of this process? Do you have any plans on what you’re gonna do with the cord after your natural childbirth, or are any of you planning a lotus birth?

the beautiful umbilical cord stump

umbilical cord art

happy baby minutes after birth with umbilical cord still intact

The post Natural Childbirth: How Cord Cutting Can Affect Your Baby for Life appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

What is a Birthing Ball?

Very simply it’s an exercise ball that you can find at any department store. We call them birthing balls because we use them for birth, but you don’t have to go seek out any sort of specialty “birthing ball.” They’re pretty inexpensive and definitely invaluable.

1) Using the Birthing Ball During The Early Stages of Birth

When you first start to feel your rushes coming on using your birthing ball is a great way to ease into the process. The best way to use your birthing ball in the beginning is to simply sit on it and begin spiraling your hips in a circular motion. Having your birth partner standing in front of you holding your hands or being available for you to rest your head on between rushes can help you feel more supported.

Don’t think too much, don’t worry about the direction your going, or counting your spirals. You can just follow the natural flow and rhythm that you feel in your body. Remember to trust your body and allow it to lead you. This spiraling movement is one of those essential keys to moving the rushes through without allowing them to compound and become painful. The birthing ball makes it easy to move without  a ton of effort allowing you to just relax and merge that connection between the rhythm and movement of your body and the flow of the birth. While simultaneously it is opening up your pelvis creating space for your baby to move down.

Using Spirals on the Birthing Ball to Get into Active Labor

Now this one is similar to the first one but is used to get your birthing rushes started. Perhaps your water has broken but it’s taking a while to progress to the point of contractions yet, so to get things rolling you can sit on the ball and do smooth but active circles (perhaps to the same flow as salsa music)  for 20 minute alternating directions periodically during that time. This will bring your babies head right down onto your cervix and some nice juicy rushes (contractions) should start flowing.

2) Rocking and Spiraling on Hands and Knees Over the Birthing  Ball

Great to use any time throughout your birth. It’s a good way to maintain that hands and knees position without putting any extra strain on your wrists. And the birthing ball is a fabulous support for your upper body allowing you to relax while your body does the work. In this position you can lean over the birthing ball and rock or sway your hips from side to side or from front to back. This movement feels really nice, and can be very soothing. Or even better spiral your hips in this position.

3) Using the Birthing Ball When Mama gets Tired and Needs A Little Extra Support

Another great reason to have a birthing ball on hand is because there may be times during your birth that you get really tired and movement may become challenging. This is when the birthing ball comes in handy. With the help of your birth partners you can sit on the ball and they can easily help to move rock and spiral your hips while your on the ball. Since balls move around easily it is a way to keep your body moving and flowing with the birth without exerting a lot of effort. Also if you’d like to lean over the birthing ball as in the previous position while your birth partners rub your back or apply warm compresses it can help you to relax and release your muscles.

4) Using Birthing Ball to Progress Labor or Get Baby into Favorable Position

This is a position to use if birth has slowed for some reason and you need to get it going again. Sometimes when birth has slowed it is because the baby has moved into an unfavorable position. This one will help to correct this and get your baby properly aligned. You sit and bend your knees touching the soles of your feet together. The birthing ball is placed in the space between your knees and you lean forward to hug the ball. Now you have two trusted people at either side of you.You vigorously rocks side to side as your support team holds your arms and shoulders to hold your weight when you lean towards them preventing you from falling. This is a vigorous movement that shifts the asynclitic  (the baby’s head is tipped as if listening). It may correct the angle of the baby’s head and allow it to descend if it was in an unfavorable position.

5) Deep Squatting with the Birthing Ball

Squatting is a great position to be in during birth, because you are upright and working with the pull of gravity to move the baby down, it also creates a wide opening in your pelvis. The arch of the ball can help to support your upper body while in this position. This is a great one to use during all phases of birth and may even be a good possiblity during the pushing phase.

So go out and get yourself a birthing ball! You can practice doing some of these moves while your pregnant such as leaning over the ball (which is awesome to help with back strain) or doing the comfortable spirals on the ball. I used my birthing ball through my whole pregnancy, which relieved a ton of the discomfort and pressure especially the further along I got, and I used it some during the birth. If you already have a birthing ball and have any tips that you’d like to share or if you have any questions please leave me a comment below

The post 5 Great Ways to Use a Birthing Ball For an Easier Childbirth appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

Oh yes, I had this same dilemma, it took me the majority of the pregnancy to convince Andy that I wasn’t just trying to be a rebel, but that it was the most educated thing to do. In the end he gave me his full support, he was absolutely wonderful during the birth, we had an amazing experience and now he is Mr. Home Birth!

My partner wrote this wonderful article on how you convince someone who is accustomed to thinking of birth as a medical emergency that it’s really not such a big deal.

Why Men Think Having a Natural Childbirth at Home is a Crazy Idea

By Andrew Briggs

 The key is in understanding how they are accustomed to viewing birth. Imagine in general how uninformed women are about the birthing process and then imagine someone whose only experience in the matter comes from dramatizations they see on television.

Especially imagine the births you see in movies set in the Middle Ages, when I thought about birth before hospitals that’s where my mind went. So that’s how I thought a homebirth would be; dark and dank room with wet rags as our only tool against all the bleeding and screaming along with infections and dirt everywhere.

So that made me think it was going to be a dangerous, dirty and scary way to give birth!

When in reality that is not the case at all. And none of this view actually holds up if given a rational examination of the situation.

What you are going to need to show them is that home birth is just as safe as hospital birth because safety is going to be their only real concern.

How to Talk to Your Partner about Having a Natural Childbirth at Home

When you approach them you need to do so directly and let them know how important it is to you that they keep an open mind.

I was very stuck in the hospital mindset to begin with because I had used them often in the past so it was natural for me to think that everything they do there is for the best. So my initial reaction was to scoff and mock the idea but when April let me know how serious she was about the idea I became more open to evaluating it honestly.

Have Them Specify and List Their Fears

What you need to do is get them to analyze their preconceptions and actually specify and list the actual fears. Once the fears are listed they seem less overwhelming and can be refuted one by one. This will take some research, but from what I was told all the risks of home birth for healthy women can all be minimized by educating and preparing yourself.

When given enough information they will discover that there really is very little to fear, you just need to introduce them to that fact, and if they are anything like I was they really have only a vague idea of the potential risks.

Get the Facts on Natural Childbirth

Use as many hard facts as possible. If you can, get the actual percentages of complications they fear, show them how unlikely that situation happens in a homebirth scenario and what the midwife is able to do to help if it does happen.

 Persistence is the Way to Get Them to Except Natural Childbirth

It can be very difficult to change an ingrained misconception. This is the key to getting them to adjust their opinion. It was for me, and without the persistent extermination of the causes of my fear it would have been difficult to imagine such a dramatic change in my paradigm.   

The Big Whammy- Our Natural Childbirth

The birth itself I found to be a very exciting and fascinating experience!

Most of the birth I just tried to read what April needed and do anything I could to make her comfortable.

It was near the end when I went into the tub and got ready to deliver our daughter that I was most thankful to have the midwives there to reassure me that I was doing everything right. With them there I wasn’t really nervous or afraid of anything.

After Lileahs birth it seemed infinitely easier than I ever thought it would be! Everyone’s birth is different and I think I got off easy but in general I think guys are more afraid of not knowing what to expect than when they are in the middle of it.

It was great doing it at home because of how personal and peaceful it all felt. No body was running around screaming, and it was just me and April through the whole thing until the very end.  I was in the tub and when she came out I brought her up out of the water. It was the most amazing experience of my life to be the first one to welcome Lileah into the world!

Seeing Natural Childbirth Made Me a Believer!

After experiencing the birth of my daughter and seeing the benefits of natural childbirth versus hospital births I was convinced that this is the only way to bring our children into the world. The difference in her and other kids I saw that were born on drugs in the hospital is amazing! Lileah could hold her head up immediately and had her eyes wide open and alert for hours after she was born.  She was able to push herself up on her belly, she was unbelievably strong and healthy.

I was impressed and completely blown away by the experience so I have since been very much an advocate for natural childbirth! This is a huge change from how I thought just 6 months before Lileahs birth and it’s very much a result of Aprils research and our daughters beautiful entry into this world.

” And remember be Persistant!” -Andy

Aww I love him!  What a Great man! If you haven’t seen our birth video yet you should definately watch it, he completely surrounded me with LOVE and support, he was so Amazing!! Makes me cry every time! When you work together the possibilities for a great natural childbirth are infinite!

The post How to Get Your Partner on Board With Your “Crazy” Natural Childbirth Idea- A Mans Perspective appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

~Peggy Vincent

If I could tell you the most important thing that you could know about natural childbirth it is that your birth will be what you imagine and allow it to be!  The physical act of natural childbirth is quite simple and natural; it is only when our minds get in the way that it becomes difficult. In this article I will share with you how you can shape your perception to allow the release of harmful thoughts and to embrace natural childbirth in a way that can open up the doorway to experiencing a truly amazing birth!

Go Beyond the Skewed Perception of Natural Childbirth

For most of us, before we got pregnant the thought of birth and what it’s going to be like rarely entered into our minds. Now suddenly it consumes our thoughts, and all we want to know is, “what is it going to be like?” Since most of us have never actually seen or experienced what a natural childbirth is really like and scince we have nothing to compare it to, this is a difficult question to answer. So we tend to draw from the only sources of reference we’ve had: Movies, TV shows and the chatty women at the office.

But little do we know that what they are telling us is not the truth. The picture of birth as a long scary and painful process is only a false idea that has been wrongfully passed along for too long!

“We must not allow other people’s limited perceptions to define us”

~Virginia Satir

 If we wish to reclaim birth, then we must break free from the restraints of fear and realize that it is us that makes the choice!  How we  experience natural childbirth will greatly depend on what we expect and allow ourselves to experience. If we continue to see birth as something undesirable that is happening to us and allow ourselves to be sucked into that fear then we are allowing our perception of birth to be fogged over and all we will be able to see and experience is pain and struggle.

But when we allow ourselves to see through that fog of misconception suddenly the doorway opens to realization that birth is the most amazing act that we will ever get a chance to be a part of. And that is when the potential for an amazing natural childbirth becomes limitless!

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is – infinite”

~William Blake

Birth is the ultimate gift, the ultimate act of creation. It is the power of God manifesting itself through you to bring new life in existence. It is a bridge that finds you and your baby linked together straddling the gap between two worlds with the common purpose of life. It is a powerful, pure, and magnificent force!

Birth is a journey, birth is beautiful, birth will transform you, birth is work, birth is a reflection, birth is life, birth is LOVE!

How to Shift Your Perception to See How Amazing Natural Childbirth Really Is

You realize very quickly when you become pregnant that it suddenly seems that everyone has an opinion and is dying to share it whether you ask for it or not. Let me tell you there will be no shortage of bad information and negative stories flying your way!

I don’t think that these people truly realize how harmful fear can be or else they might think twice before saying some of the things they say. But despite all of their bad advice the most important thing to remember is that it is completely up to you what beliefs you choose to embrace! Do not allow negative ideas to have power over you. If it does not serve you let it go!

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

 ~ Albert Einstein

For a Positive Natural Childbirth Fill up with Positives

If you wish to have a great natural childbirth you must focus your thoughts and attention on experiencing a great birth! Here are some tips to help you.

Watch Positive Natural Childbirth Videos

If you wish to have a great birth you must take control of what images you allow to enter into your mind. Stop watching movies and TV shows that depict birth in a negative light and start replacing those images with positive images of natural childbirth.

No more TLC  birthing stories, no more Hollywood drama, instead start filling up with real live natural childbirth videos, the kind that shows birth in its full glory! Utube is a great source to watch natural childbirth videos, there are also a number of natural childbirth documentaries that show how inspiring and empowering natural childbirth can be when we allow it. Also my birth video is on this sight under the “my birth video” tab if you want to check it out

Practice Hypnobirthing

Hypnobirthing is a quite popular and effective way of getting rid of negatives and reprogramming birth into your mind as a positive and enjoyable experience. For more about hypnobirthing check out this video

Positive Natural Childbirth Affirmations

Another helpful tool is to practice natural childbirth affirmations. Take some time to think about and write down some affirmations that you can repeat to yourself everyday that remind you of how capable you are, and how much you trust birth. Tape them on your mirror and read them first thing upon waking up in the morning and last thing before going to bed.

Through affirming to yourself every day how powerful, capable, and amazing you are, how perfect your body’s knowledge of birth is, and how peaceful and loving your child’s birth will be you are actually recreating that reality inside of your head. You are actively filling your mind so full of positives that there is simply no more room for negatives to linger about. Birth then no longer becomes something that you fear but rather something that you look forward to embracing. With this mind-frame it will be much easier to relax and allow your body to do it’s work without interfering.

“Just as a women’s heart knows how and when to pump, her lungs to inhale, and her hand to pull back from fire, so she knows when and how to give birth.”

~Virginia Di Orio

How I Used My Perception to Create an Amazing Natural Childbirth

While I was pregnant I opened my mind to the significance of birth, not only for me but for my child. I saw in natural childbirth a chance to discover myself, a chance to discover my capabilities, my strength, my power. This was my time to reach beyond fear into the inner most depths of my soul to guide my baby into life with perfect love.

This was a rare opportunity for us to experience something amazing and powerful together, and one that I would not allow to be wasted. She was dependent on me to allow her the peaceful entrance into this world that she so rightfully deserved and I was not going to disappoint her!

“There is no way out of the experience except through it, because it is not really your experience at all but the baby’s. Your body is the child’s instrument of birth.”

~Penelope Leach

With no way out the only option left was to go into it, fully and completely, and so that’s what I did! When I did that my entire perspective shifted, and I began to view and experience birth not as pain but as an amazing and powerful act of energy. This is a picture that I drew when I was pregnant of  how I had imagined my birth would be.

It was turning out just as I had imagined it! With every pressure wave I imagined pure white energy spiraling through the universe and traveling amazingly through my body expanding me in every sense of the word, opening up a beautiful pathway for the energy to pour out of me bringing my baby right down with it and out into the world.

It was a very powerful feeling, and I knew that if I allowed myself to fall victim to fear for even one moment those magnificently powerful sensation would very quickly and easily turn to pain. So I kept it in my mind as the ultimate act of love and a gift that I was giving my child. I embraced it and it was Amazing!

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.”

~Albert Einstein

 Remember that what you focus on with your thought and feelings is what you attract into your experience. Learn to become still and take your attention away from what you don’t want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind! Imagine yourself experiencing an amazing natural childbirth and then make that your reality! Happy Birthing Mommas!

The post Natural Childbirth- Secret #5 Your Perception Matters appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

~ Sheryl Feldman

Mothers throughout the ages have shared a very primal connection to creating sounds during natural childbirth.

The act of natural childbirth calls to a sacred and powerful place inside of us that we may not have even known existed before. When we embrace this we begin to witness ourselves acting within our full source of power. Without any thought or preparation sounds begin to permeate from inside of us releasing in an intrinsic expression of hums, moans, chants, song and even animal noises. These sounds create a certain harmonic within our body that helps to release pain, keep us focused, and in general makes birth easier and more manageable.

What most of us aren’t aware of is just how significant these sounds are, or the enormous effect they have on us, our babies and the birth as a whole.

Through the right kind of vocalization a wonderful doorway opens up that can connect us with the harmony of birth and life in a profound way!

In this article I will share with you just how significant vocalization is during natural childbirth, and give you tips and techniques that will help you to use your voice to bring forth your personal power and create an amazing natural childbirth for you and your baby!

The Vibration of Natural Childbirth

“In the beginning was the word… or in Sanskrit, “Nada Brahma,” the world is sound”…

During natural childbirth a dramatically increased charge of vibration travels through your body. Not only is the individual vibration of our bodies at work, but we also have the vibration of our baby’s body at work, as well as the power and vibration of birth.

This magnificent harmony of increased vibration is what brings life over the threshold and into the world. How we choose to work with this energy can be the difference between whether birth will be a struggle or an act of magnificence!

In order to have an amazing natural childbirth you must open to this energy and allow it to not only enter into you but to flow out of you.  If this influx of energy is not given a path to release itself it will build inside of us and turn into pain. Vocalizing is one of the body’s most primal ways of providing an outlet for this energy to flow through so that it can maintain balance.

How Vocalizing Effects You and Your Baby During Natural Childbirth

“In the germ, when the first trace of life begins to stir, music is the nurse of the soul; it murmurs in the ear, and the child sleeps; the tones are companions of his dreams- they are the world in which he lives”
~Bettina Skrzypczak

The sounds that are created during birth cause very real physical and molecular change within our bodies.When vocalizing  during birth, remember that your baby is living in a world comprised of those sounds. Do not allow yourself to loose control and get caught up in sounds of fear such as screaming or yelling that frighten the child and can cause physical changes in the baby’s heart rate, blood pressure and stress levels. Avoid harmful sounds that can trigger pain such as saying OW, instead remain focused and tuned in to your body. Use sounds that encourage calmness, peace and opening.

Using sensual sounds as we do when making love encourages us to release into the intense energy flow of the birth; and sounds like OM, AH, or WOW that require us to open our mouths wide encourage the opening of our bodies.

There is no set way to vocalize during natural childbirth and every woman will have her own unique birth song. The important thing to remember is to try and tune in to the energy and harmony of the birth and match your harmony in accordance. Listen to your body and do what feels good!

For an Amazing Natural Childbirth- Release Your Fear, Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone and Free Your Voice!

The best way to become comfortable with vocalizing during natural childbirth is to practice it often while you are still pregnant. In the local community classes that I teach we do chanting, which is pretty much universally awkward and uncomfortable at first, but once we get into it and we feel ourselves breaking out of our shells we start to realize what an amazing and powerful force we truly are! And then the awkwardness fades and we become very tuned in to that primal force that exist within us, it is then that we become empowered and ready for natural childbirth.

The magnificence of sound brings forth life, and will  bring forth our babies in perfect harmony! If we can allow ourselves to connect with birth on this very primal level allowing the strong vibrations to flow through us then natural childbirth will happen like a powerful song!

The post Natural Childbirth- Secret #4 The Power of Vocalizing appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

~Rumi

Secret #2 to having an amazing natural childbirth is through your breath. The simple act of breathing is surely the most natural, primal, and universal human experience, quite similar to birth.

When used to its’ full potential your breath can open up a whole new way of natural childbirth,  that can not only be free from fear and pain, but can actually emerge as an amazing and truly enjoyable experience!

In this article I will share how to use the power of  breath to assist you in remaining calm, flexible and relaxed during your birthing time, to effectively focus the energy of the birthing waves, to minimize discomfort, and allow you and your baby a much more comfortable and enjoyable natural childbirth.

Through Breath Lies Everything You Need to Give Your Baby a Great Natural Childbirth

“You know that our breathing is the inhaling and exhaling of air.  The organ that serves for this is the lungs that lie round the heart, so that the air passing through them thereby envelops the heart.  Thus breathing is a natural way to the heart.  And so, having collected your mind within you, lead it into the channel of breathing through which air reaches the heart and, together with this inhaled air, force your mind to descend into the heart and to remain there.”

~Nicephorus the Solitary

Because we are always breathing, like most things, we tend to take it for granted, and fail to recognize the infinite store of potential that lies within the power of our own breath!

We each hold within us everything that we need to bring our babies into the world: personal power, love, strength, confidence, passion, wisdom and determination.

When you breathe with conscious awareness into your heart it activates all of these systems, as you inhale it gathers them together, and then on the exhale pours them out over your birthing time.

You must understand that when you are operating from love and strength there is simply no room for fear, they cannot share the same space at the same time.  And in the absence of fear there is no limit to what you can achieve.

Your Breath Sets the Tone for Your Natural Childbirth

Your breath sets the tone for your entire body. If your breath is relaxed your body is relaxed.

So the goal is to get your breath to be a mirror of what you are trying to achieve in both body and mind during your birth. So the goal of your body is to remain relaxed, and to be open and expansive, but at the same time your mind must be calm and strong. So then these are the things to encompass in your breath, these are the things that you should focus on incorporating into your practice.

Natural Childbirth Exercise: Mastering the Breath of Birth

As you focus your awareness on your breath take the time to notice each one of these qualities,  Go down the line and activate these things within your breathing, relaxed breaths, open breaths, expansive breaths, calm breaths, strong breaths. There is no need to change the way you breathe, or to breathe in a certain way. Your breathing already encompasses these qualities,  your job is to simply bring your awareness into your breath and to be aware of these qualities that already exist within it. Be the “watcher of your breath” so to say.

Proper Breathing for Natural Childbirth and for Life

First you must relearn how to breathe correctly:  Which is through your abdomen, as you inhale you abdomen rises, and as you exhale it sinks. We were all born breathing this perfect way,  but as life and stress compound we learn to take short shallow breaths through our chest. This way of shallow breathing really limits the potential of our breath and tends to disconnect us from the primordial connection with the one universal breath or flow. In order to embrace the power and strength of your birthing time it’s essential to reconnect with this powerful primal breath , because this is what reconnects us with the powerful breath and energy that propels birth.

Spiral Breath

Throughout your practice and birth always maintain a relaxed jaw and wide open mouth. Inhale and exhale through your mouth, this encourages the opening of your body’s sphincters. As you breathe in and out feel your breath flowing into and out of you. Now do it again, but this time there is no pause between the inhale and exhale,  just imagine it flowing into and out of you in a continuous flowing spiral. Good Job!

The Amazing Secret To Using Your Breath is to Gather, Compress, and Disperse

As you inhale imagine gathering energy or “chi” as a beautiful light… picture it flowing into you through your breath… as it flows into your body it begins to gather and activate all of your gifts:  your personal power, your love, strength, confidence, passion, wisdom, and so on… it then compresses, and as you exhale they flow through you carrying out all negative, dark or stagnant energy and dispersing it.

Focusing the Energy of the Birthing Waves and Dispersing Pain

During your birthing time you use this same Gather, Compress, and Disperse to handle the intensity of the pressure waves.

• Gather- as you inhale you gather and allow the pressure and intensity of the birthing waves to flow into you,  gathering and activating your calm inner strength, love, confidence, and personal power
• Compress- you then allow the intensity to combine with your personal power, and as it compresses the  energy is focused downward
• Disperse- as you exhale you take all of the intensity, energy, discomfort etc. and allow it to completely disperse back into the earth clearing the way for the next pressure wave to come.

Renewing Cleansing Breath

One of the most powerful qualities that lie in your breath is the amazing cleansing ability that it has. Every breath is all new. And even if with your last pressure wave you got pulled into a place of fear, that’s OK because each and every breath is a chance to start over fresh.

Every breath is a choice. With every breath you must choose relaxation. With every breath you must choose pleasure over pain, love over fear. With every breath you must choose to gather and bring forth your calm inner strength, with every breath you must choose to embrace birth, to embrace the energy, to embrace the magnificence, and to embrace the power of it.

You must allow yourself to breath openly, and freely.

Although the body is moving, the mind remains centered with the steady flow of breath creating a dynamic since of tranquility and internal strength. With this on your side birth is more enjoyable on every level! It can emerge as a painless, empowering, and amazing act of love that can give you and your baby an enjoyable natural childbirth without fear!

The post Natural Childbirth- Secret #2 The Breath of Birth appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.

I am going to share 5 techniques over the coming weeks that will be super helpful to you!

One thing you must really understand is that in order to achieve a great birth you must work on opening the doorway to your “true state of being.”  This is where you must reside throughout your birthing time, in the “seat of yourself “,  the place inside of you that knows how powerful you are, how strong, capable, wise, loving, and masterfully designed you are for natural childbirth.

The best way to prepare yourself to operate from that place during birth, is to practice accessing that place while you are still pregnant. I’ll share with you some of the exercises that I used to do that. These exercises teach you how to access and use your energy to work in accordance with the birthing energy, which makes birth a lot easier and more comfortable.

Secret Doorway #1 To An Amazing Natural Childbirth-

Enter through The “Universal Spiral”

Natural Childbirth and the Universal Spiral or “Golden Mean”

A great mathematician by the name of Leonardo Fibonacci became aware of the “Universal Spiral,” or when broken down into math terms is called the “Golden Ratio.” This is the idea that many if not all things in our world come into existence through the same universal spiraling motion.

Here’s a short video that explains it a bit more:

So if it is true that possibly all things come into the world within this spiral then it would seem to make sense that we would follow this same pattern of movement when bringing our babies into the world.

The Benefits of Spiraling for Natural Childbirth

The spiraling that is practiced for natural childbirth is an actual physical movement where you spiral your hips in big flowing circles, it is a very empowering movement that can open the doorway to the primordial connection that exists between your body and the universal birthing energy.

Lack of movement during your birthing time enables the intense energy of the rushes to build and compound in the abdomen which causes a great deal of unnecessary pain. But if you allow your body to glide along this spiral, then the intensity of the rushes is being actively moved and spiraled downward which prevents pain, focuses the energy in a useful way, opens your pelvis and encourages your baby to travel downward.

Natural Childbirth Video – “Birth into Being” an Awesome Documentary that Embraces the Act of Spiraling during Birth

When I was pregnant I watched this amazing documentary. This is where I was first introduced to the idea of spiraling during birth. There are some really beautiful natural childbirth stories in this film. It’s a Must See!!!

Wow! If spiraling was going to allow me to have an amazing natural childbirth like those ones, I was going to spiral my little heart out! So I began practicing it as often as I could. It felt so amazing that I would practice it many times a day!

Natural Childbirth Exercise: The Practice of Mastering the Art of Spiraling

You may sit on your birthing ball, on your hands and knees, or you may stand.

Close your eyes, and begin to bring your awareness to your breathing….. Feel yourself taking full, controlled breaths…. inhaling and exhaling completely….feel the flow of the breath spiraling into you and out in a continuous flowing cycle…

…Still your mind and go to a place of peace within yourself….. Now begin to move your body in Big Circles like you’re outlining a large sun with your hips… circling your hips around and around….. …Just relax and allow yourself to flow into this movement……

…As you are doing this,  imagine gathering energy from the heavens, and as it enters into your body it fills you with this beautiful white light that is flowing through in a downward facing spiraling motion.

This feels wonderfully rejuvenating!  The effects of this exercise works on many different levels to remove harmful blocks within your body’s meridians or (energy centers), and to refill with a  light and refreshing energy.

What makes this exercise successful is the combination between breath, movement and imagination.

My Natural Childbirth Story – Spiraling My Way To An Amazing Birth

As soon as I felt the first rushes of my birthing time I immediately went into this place of calm inner strength. I focused my awareness on my breathing and allowed it to channel the intensity of the birthing waves down through my body. This was working well, but as the intensity began to build I felt a very primal urge to move my body.

I instinctively began this spiraling motion. I moved my body in wide opening circles and imagined the birthing energy just as I had during my practice, as a white light, but this time it was intensified 100 fold. I visualized all of the power of the cosmos pouring powerfully through my body. It was a magnificent feeling that I welcomed into me!

I kept spiraling and felt like I was grabbing a hold of the intensity of the rush and was able to focus on spiraling it downward and then releasing it through my breath.

At one point I stopped spiraling just for comparison, this time when the rushes came in, instead of being spiraled downward they began to compound and build in my abdomen and was becoming pretty painful. The moment I began spiraling again the pain dispersed.

My Natural Childbirth Video-

Here is the video of our birth, where you can see the spiraling motion that I did throughout almost the entire birth.

I hope that you enjoy practicing and exploring this beautiful spiraling movement, it can make an incredible difference in the quality of your natural childbirth.

Next week we will learn Secret#2  “The Breath of Natural Childbirth”

The post Natural Childbirth- Secret #1 “Spiraling” appeared first on My Natural Childbirth.