Greetings it is June already! Where is 2016 going to?
I was chatting to a pregnant woman this morning who is booked to have Cesarean Section in 2 weeks time for her 3rd baby. She was telling me how sad she felt that this time she had no choice. For the birth of her 1st baby her first labour lasted 30 hours before she had an Emergency Cesarean Section for failure to progress. For her 2nd baby 2 years later instead of labour she choose to have a booked C'Section(Cesarean Section) rather than take the chance of the same scenario happening all over again. Having had 2 C'Sections in a row she was now given no choice but to have a 3rd. If only she had known she was going to have a 3rd baby she would have chosen differently and and tried a V-Bac.
Vaginal Birth After Cesarean or V-Bac used to be called 'Trial of Scar' in London when I was working as a midwife. Mothers-to-be who had had just 1 previous C'Section could try for a 'Natural' labour as long as the gap was more than 12 months and the scar looked to be strong enough to withstand labour. If all went well then the baby was born vaginally with no danger to mother or baby. Having then had a natural labour the 3rd baby could also be born naturally and so on.
Of course not all Dr's will even today give you an option to try a Vaginal birth after Cesarean section. It really varies from Dr to Dr and by individual case. So if you would like to have a natural birth after having had a Cesarean then you may need to ask around for an sympathetic Dr to look after you during your pregnancy and see how it pans out.
I suggested that at least all 3 of her babies will have been born the same way and could all compare notes later on! I know that my 2 daughters like the fact that they were both born in similar circumstances and their babyhoods too were similar!
If you are travelling out of Singapore for the Summer holidays have a safe journey and a good break from routine.
Sincerely
Kiki
Monday, 6 June 2016
Tuesday, 3 May 2016
Spring is here and it is time to prepare for labour.
When I think of Spring I think of Cherry blossom and lambs being born, and that puts into my mind Ante or Pre natal classes.
Classes offer a chance for you and your partner to prepare for your upcoming labour and the birth of your baby. If you were running a marathon you would have spent at least a year preparing for the run in order to make sure you had the skills and stamina to get your gold medal. Logically then preparing for labour should be taken as seriously.
Choosing which classes to attend is important. I have some couples who when pregnant say I am going to have a C'section because I don't want to go through labour. But after they have attended 1 or 2 different types ofAntenatal class they are both so excited they decide to have a natural birth without any drugs, and usually do so with ease.
Mind over Matter is the key to successful preparation. Practice the skills until they become second nature. Your mind always controls how your body reacts to feelings such as contractions, to thoughts, beliefs, etc For example fear causes the flight or fight response in the body pumping Adrenalin into the blood stream and this tenses all the muscles, increases the heart rate and makes us run or freeze.
Imagine this reaction during labour. How can your uterine muscles contract and open your cervix easily without pain if your body has frozen and it tense and stiff making it a struggle? To enable opening your body must remain relaxed and floppy allowing the uterine muscles to do their job which is to lift, push down and open your cervix.
Your Antenatal classes shouldn't frighten you, but should make you feel empowered and excited about the up coming labour. As I aways say Knowledge Breeds Confidence.
Here in Singapore there are many different types of classes to choose from. Hospitals all have their own classes and then there is Mother and Child in Tanglin Mall which offers you fully comprehensive courses that cover everything you will need both Pre and Postnataly. And for those who prefer a gentler approach there is Hypnobirthing. This is taught here in many guises so look at the course content to make sure it is what you are looking for. They all differ.
The Sun has got it's hat on. Yeah.
Classes offer a chance for you and your partner to prepare for your upcoming labour and the birth of your baby. If you were running a marathon you would have spent at least a year preparing for the run in order to make sure you had the skills and stamina to get your gold medal. Logically then preparing for labour should be taken as seriously.
Choosing which classes to attend is important. I have some couples who when pregnant say I am going to have a C'section because I don't want to go through labour. But after they have attended 1 or 2 different types ofAntenatal class they are both so excited they decide to have a natural birth without any drugs, and usually do so with ease.
Mind over Matter is the key to successful preparation. Practice the skills until they become second nature. Your mind always controls how your body reacts to feelings such as contractions, to thoughts, beliefs, etc For example fear causes the flight or fight response in the body pumping Adrenalin into the blood stream and this tenses all the muscles, increases the heart rate and makes us run or freeze.
Imagine this reaction during labour. How can your uterine muscles contract and open your cervix easily without pain if your body has frozen and it tense and stiff making it a struggle? To enable opening your body must remain relaxed and floppy allowing the uterine muscles to do their job which is to lift, push down and open your cervix.
Your Antenatal classes shouldn't frighten you, but should make you feel empowered and excited about the up coming labour. As I aways say Knowledge Breeds Confidence.
Here in Singapore there are many different types of classes to choose from. Hospitals all have their own classes and then there is Mother and Child in Tanglin Mall which offers you fully comprehensive courses that cover everything you will need both Pre and Postnataly. And for those who prefer a gentler approach there is Hypnobirthing. This is taught here in many guises so look at the course content to make sure it is what you are looking for. They all differ.
The Sun has got it's hat on. Yeah.
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
Is there anyone out there?
Greetings from 2016. Is anyone out there?
I have been eagerly waiting for some questions on Pregnancy to come through my website but sadly nobody seems to have any!
I know that there are far too many Pregnancy websites and now of course Apps. I browsed and came across 50 different Pregnancy and Breastfeeding apps. Some were interesting, but of course to find out the piece of information you are looking for one has to troll through the pages of each one.
THEY ARE FUN THOUGH!
I love all things tech but am a a slow learner, user error features highly in the workings of my electronics! Electronics are the way of the future. A few months ago I attended a birth as a Doula, the father-to-be had been timing his wife's contractions at home using the app on his I-phone and insisted on continuing to do so throughout the 12 + hours of labour. It was comical, but it gave him a sense of control over the situation. Even during the 2nd stage, when the mother-to -be was breathing the baby down the birth path towards crowning he was timing her breaths on the app. Once the baby was out he pushed a stop button and the app congratulated him on a job well done! Toys for the boys!
I love my I-pad-mini. It fits into my handbags and can do almost everything I could possibly need. I grew up watching 'Startrek' and loved the tablets they used, of course they used one for each subject and today we have one that does everything but they nearly got it right and It is good to improve on ideas.
I know that I have to find a way to let people know about my website and I promise to do that. So IF you come across my site and have questions on pregnancy I am happy to answer them for you. I have 36 years of experience in the field.
Sincerely
Kiki
I have been eagerly waiting for some questions on Pregnancy to come through my website but sadly nobody seems to have any!
I know that there are far too many Pregnancy websites and now of course Apps. I browsed and came across 50 different Pregnancy and Breastfeeding apps. Some were interesting, but of course to find out the piece of information you are looking for one has to troll through the pages of each one.
THEY ARE FUN THOUGH!
I love all things tech but am a a slow learner, user error features highly in the workings of my electronics! Electronics are the way of the future. A few months ago I attended a birth as a Doula, the father-to-be had been timing his wife's contractions at home using the app on his I-phone and insisted on continuing to do so throughout the 12 + hours of labour. It was comical, but it gave him a sense of control over the situation. Even during the 2nd stage, when the mother-to -be was breathing the baby down the birth path towards crowning he was timing her breaths on the app. Once the baby was out he pushed a stop button and the app congratulated him on a job well done! Toys for the boys!
I love my I-pad-mini. It fits into my handbags and can do almost everything I could possibly need. I grew up watching 'Startrek' and loved the tablets they used, of course they used one for each subject and today we have one that does everything but they nearly got it right and It is good to improve on ideas.
I know that I have to find a way to let people know about my website and I promise to do that. So IF you come across my site and have questions on pregnancy I am happy to answer them for you. I have 36 years of experience in the field.
Sincerely
Kiki
Thursday, 30 July 2015
Birth writing.
In 2012 I bought you 12 Positive Birth Stories, a collection of births, some of them didn't follow the birth plans written by the couples but all of them had a POSITIVE birth experience.
2016 I will publish 'Zen and the Art of Birth.' which will give you some POSITIVE tips for labour and birth. These tips are gleaned from my 35 years experience as a Midwife in the UK and Doula in Singapore attending births.
In Cultures where the FEAR has been removed surrounding labour and birth, the event is easy and the labours short. Women don't need classes to prepare themselves for labour. They know instinctively that they can TRUST their bodies to birth their babies safely. When labour starts they Let go and trust their birthing bodies.
Somehow or other over centuries most of us have got lost, we are still frightened of labour and prepare ourselves as if preparing for a marathon, we train our bodies to increase our stamina and prepare our minds by taking as many different Antenatal classes as we can, we sift through all the information which is valid and useful to plan a strategy for labour.
Don't over think. You trust during pregnancy that your body will follow the pre designed plan so why not for labour and birth as well?
On another note:
]The Summer holidays are almost over, Schools and universities will be starting new terms in a couple of weeks, the carefree days will end as work begins a new. I am taking my vacation to settle my youngest daughter into University in USA. A new adventure for her, and for me too.
2016 I will publish 'Zen and the Art of Birth.' which will give you some POSITIVE tips for labour and birth. These tips are gleaned from my 35 years experience as a Midwife in the UK and Doula in Singapore attending births.
In Cultures where the FEAR has been removed surrounding labour and birth, the event is easy and the labours short. Women don't need classes to prepare themselves for labour. They know instinctively that they can TRUST their bodies to birth their babies safely. When labour starts they Let go and trust their birthing bodies.
Somehow or other over centuries most of us have got lost, we are still frightened of labour and prepare ourselves as if preparing for a marathon, we train our bodies to increase our stamina and prepare our minds by taking as many different Antenatal classes as we can, we sift through all the information which is valid and useful to plan a strategy for labour.
Don't over think. You trust during pregnancy that your body will follow the pre designed plan so why not for labour and birth as well?
On another note:
]The Summer holidays are almost over, Schools and universities will be starting new terms in a couple of weeks, the carefree days will end as work begins a new. I am taking my vacation to settle my youngest daughter into University in USA. A new adventure for her, and for me too.
Friday, 17 October 2014
Are you going to find out the sex of your baby during pregnancy?
October 2014.
I don't know about you but when I was pregnant with my first baby we decided not to find out if it was a boy or a girl. Guessing was half the fun. One has to wait until the birth to see the baby anyway so why not have a surprise?
Of course 23 years ago ultrasound scans were scarce with most pregnant women having only 3 in 40 weeks. Today pregnant women can have many more scans and chances to find out the sex during pregnancy.
In Ancient China they used to use a birth chart to predict the sex of the baby. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is used to determine the baby's gender. This particular Ancient Chinese birth chart was discovered in a 700 year old royal tomb. Some people said that this chart is over 95% accurate in predicting a baby's gender. However today, most people use it mainly for entertainment purposes.
I don't know about you but when I was pregnant with my first baby we decided not to find out if it was a boy or a girl. Guessing was half the fun. One has to wait until the birth to see the baby anyway so why not have a surprise?
Of course 23 years ago ultrasound scans were scarce with most pregnant women having only 3 in 40 weeks. Today pregnant women can have many more scans and chances to find out the sex during pregnancy.
In Ancient China they used to use a birth chart to predict the sex of the baby. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is used to determine the baby's gender. This particular Ancient Chinese birth chart was discovered in a 700 year old royal tomb. Some people said that this chart is over 95% accurate in predicting a baby's gender. However today, most people use it mainly for entertainment purposes.
The
original copy of ancient Chinese birth chart is now in the Institute of Science
in Beijing.
The Chart is based upon the Chinese lunar calendar - not the
western Gregorian calendar. To get your lunar age, you will need to do a
conversion. (You will need to add a year to your western age,
because the Chinese believe that you are one year old on the day you are born.)
You can try this for fun by going onto this site: Ancient Chinese Gender Predictor automatically calculates your lunar age and gives you the baby's gender prediction according to the ancient Chinese birth chart. It uses your age and the month you conceived. When I put in my 2 pregnancies it correctly predicted both were girls.!!
I used to work with an OBGYN in London who could look at a pregnant woman at 12 weeks and know the sex of her baby by the way she was carrying herself and he was right 100% of the time. My skills are not quite so accurate!
Guessing includes looking at the mother's pregnant shape, where she has gained weight, the direction a gold ring will rotate over the belly, her food preferences during pregnancy and using prediction charts. Well they have to be right at least 50% of the time!
You can try this for fun by going onto this site: Ancient Chinese Gender Predictor automatically calculates your lunar age and gives you the baby's gender prediction according to the ancient Chinese birth chart. It uses your age and the month you conceived. When I put in my 2 pregnancies it correctly predicted both were girls.!!
I used to work with an OBGYN in London who could look at a pregnant woman at 12 weeks and know the sex of her baby by the way she was carrying herself and he was right 100% of the time. My skills are not quite so accurate!
Guessing includes looking at the mother's pregnant shape, where she has gained weight, the direction a gold ring will rotate over the belly, her food preferences during pregnancy and using prediction charts. Well they have to be right at least 50% of the time!
Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Relaxation exercise
Greetings. I thought that today I would give you a relaxation & imagery exercise that you can use during labour. Practice makes perfect! You have to get into the right frame of mind to successfully let go and deeply relax.
1. Get into a comfy position, sitting, legs up.
2. shut your eyes and try and make your whole body go floppy.
3. Put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and let you jaw flop.
4. Breathe in through your nose imagining that there is a red balloon when your tummy is. As you are breathing in, fill up the balloon.
5. Slowly breathe out letting the balloon in your imagination deflate as you do. GOOD.
6. Take 2 more breaths like this.
( When you are in labour you can start this when you feel that a new contraction is starting.)
7. Now that you are relaxed I want you to imagine that you are walking across a beach. The sun is out and it feels warm on your back. The tide is low so that as you walk along the sand it leaves footprints.
As the cool water hits your feet you feel even more relaxed. Your whole body responds by relaxing each time you take a step across the sand.
8. The Air is also cool and refreshing. As you breathe in you can smell the ocean. You are relaxed, your labour is progressing and you feel on top of the world.
9. Focus your mind on a time when everything was going right for you in your life and you felt empowered. Re live that positive feeling now. EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL.
10. Continue to imagine that you are walking along the beach feeling empowered, in control of your labour. Look around you at the scenery, picture it in detail as your contraction builds. Nowlet your body go floppy as you enjoy the beautiful scene around you.
( During the height of each contraction you should let your imagination take you somewhere else while your body relaxes and your breathing slows allowing your birthing body to take over)
11. Let go and let all tension and pressure of this contraction dull into the background of your mind.
12. As the contraction fades you feel relaxed and calm. You can get ready to finish your walk along the beach. Opening your eyes and coming back into the room when you are ready.
Once labour progresses your husband/partner can talk to you and give you imagery that is personal, intimate and funny to help keep you in a deeply relaxed state of mind and body.
There are lots of techniques for relaxation during labour out there, but one of the most successful is Marie Mongan's HypnoBirthing course.
1. Get into a comfy position, sitting, legs up.
2. shut your eyes and try and make your whole body go floppy.
3. Put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and let you jaw flop.
4. Breathe in through your nose imagining that there is a red balloon when your tummy is. As you are breathing in, fill up the balloon.
5. Slowly breathe out letting the balloon in your imagination deflate as you do. GOOD.
6. Take 2 more breaths like this.
( When you are in labour you can start this when you feel that a new contraction is starting.)
7. Now that you are relaxed I want you to imagine that you are walking across a beach. The sun is out and it feels warm on your back. The tide is low so that as you walk along the sand it leaves footprints.
As the cool water hits your feet you feel even more relaxed. Your whole body responds by relaxing each time you take a step across the sand.
8. The Air is also cool and refreshing. As you breathe in you can smell the ocean. You are relaxed, your labour is progressing and you feel on top of the world.
9. Focus your mind on a time when everything was going right for you in your life and you felt empowered. Re live that positive feeling now. EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL.
10. Continue to imagine that you are walking along the beach feeling empowered, in control of your labour. Look around you at the scenery, picture it in detail as your contraction builds. Nowlet your body go floppy as you enjoy the beautiful scene around you.
( During the height of each contraction you should let your imagination take you somewhere else while your body relaxes and your breathing slows allowing your birthing body to take over)
11. Let go and let all tension and pressure of this contraction dull into the background of your mind.
12. As the contraction fades you feel relaxed and calm. You can get ready to finish your walk along the beach. Opening your eyes and coming back into the room when you are ready.
Once labour progresses your husband/partner can talk to you and give you imagery that is personal, intimate and funny to help keep you in a deeply relaxed state of mind and body.
There are lots of techniques for relaxation during labour out there, but one of the most successful is Marie Mongan's HypnoBirthing course.
Friday, 9 May 2014
SPRING is here
Congratulations to all Mothers-to-be. I hope that your PREGNANCY is going comfortably?
Spring is here already. I was in France and England a couple of weeks ago where everything was blossoming and the sun was shining. Beautiful.
As a Midwife I want to remind all of you that if during your pregnancy you feel something is not right, an inkling, or gut feeling that your baby is not behaving as you have come to expect PLEASE CALL YOUR DR IMMEDIATELY. It is much better to check and reassure yourself that all is well even if you end up wasting your time because everything is quite normal and on track. We don't mind. Far safer to check. PLEASE.
A reminder about FOODs.
You can't east soft unpasteurized cheese even if it does come from The Four Seasons restaurant! Just because it comes from a fancy place it is still unpasteurized and unsafe during your pregnancy. Better to wait until after your baby is born!!
BIRTH.
I attended a lovely birth a few months ago. Due to be born in hospital the little girl didn't want to wait and was born at home. It was the mother's 3rd baby and a very quick and easy labour. Granny was on hand to take the big Brother and Sister to the pool while I went upstairs to the Condo to deliver the baby. Once safely out and on the breast her Brother, Sister and Granny came to meet her. It was a lovely family moment with the 6 of them.
"The best laid plans of Mice and Men."
I will now Blog every couple of weeks. If anyone is following this I apologise for the slow start! I am now launching my website and am here to answer any PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH related questions so email me.
Sincerely
Kiki
Spring is here already. I was in France and England a couple of weeks ago where everything was blossoming and the sun was shining. Beautiful.
As a Midwife I want to remind all of you that if during your pregnancy you feel something is not right, an inkling, or gut feeling that your baby is not behaving as you have come to expect PLEASE CALL YOUR DR IMMEDIATELY. It is much better to check and reassure yourself that all is well even if you end up wasting your time because everything is quite normal and on track. We don't mind. Far safer to check. PLEASE.
A reminder about FOODs.
You can't east soft unpasteurized cheese even if it does come from The Four Seasons restaurant! Just because it comes from a fancy place it is still unpasteurized and unsafe during your pregnancy. Better to wait until after your baby is born!!
BIRTH.
I attended a lovely birth a few months ago. Due to be born in hospital the little girl didn't want to wait and was born at home. It was the mother's 3rd baby and a very quick and easy labour. Granny was on hand to take the big Brother and Sister to the pool while I went upstairs to the Condo to deliver the baby. Once safely out and on the breast her Brother, Sister and Granny came to meet her. It was a lovely family moment with the 6 of them.
"The best laid plans of Mice and Men."
I will now Blog every couple of weeks. If anyone is following this I apologise for the slow start! I am now launching my website and am here to answer any PREGNANCY & CHILDBIRTH related questions so email me.
Sincerely
Kiki
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