Bonding with your baby and gentle parenting

It`s a well-known fact that the  first moments after baby`s birth are crucial to baby`s proper adjustment and adaptation to life out of mom`s womb. Baby will immediately start breathing on his/her own, and gradually regulating temperature, breastfeeding and internal organs will begin its functions-liver will start with blood clotting thus protecting new-borns from bleeding, then breaking extra waste and red blood cells and bilirubin to prevent jaundice,

GIT will initialize digesting breast milk and passing the first stool- Meconium.

Urinary system will be maintaining body`s fluids and electrolyte balance.

Nowadays all this is well taken care of in hospitals. Babies are being properly examined immediately after birth by specialized pediatricians, then given shortly to moms and then whisked away to nurseries.

Babies physical needs have been well studied, documented and all care providers agree that  physical needs need to be taken care of in order to achieve the best possible health and potential for baby`s development.  But what about baby`s emotional needs? Aren`t they of equal importance as the physical ones? How does baby feel once separated from his/her mom? How will this early separation from mom affect him/her?

If taking care of physical needs is necessary for baby`s proper development, so is taking care of baby`s emotional needs promote baby`s well being , calmness, emotional stability and ensure raising a balanced and well-adjusted child.

Baby needs to feel safe and protected. Baby wants to smell mom`s scent and hear mom`s voice. Baby also wants to feel mom`s gentle touch. The same sensations and experiences as those in mom`s womb ensure smooth transition and adaptation to baby`s new life. You can observe that babies are usually calm in their mom`s arms and cry once taken away. Again they will calm down when returned to their moms.

Bonding between mom and her baby has numerous beneficial effects like: baby is calm, baby`s heart rate, breathing and temperature regulation are optimal. Baby can breastfeed in peace and learn proper latch which is vital for successful breastfeeding.

Review of Ina May Gaskin`s book: Ina May`s Guide to Childbirth

Ina May Gaskin: Ina May`s Guide to Childbirth

Ina May, the famous midwife and founder of the independent birthing center The Farm introduces us to art of birthing naturally, informing us about true capacities of female body as experienced by real women which are or are not recognized by medical 

authorities. She suggest that childbirth affect women health and wellbeing later in life.

" Whoever and however you intend to give birth, your experience will impact your

 emotions, your mind , your body , and your spirit for the rest of your life."

She provides her deep insights on how labour can be painful and ecstatic  in the same 

time , reviving an ancient system of knowledge about birth. 

Review of Janet Balaskas`s book : Active Birth, the new approach to giving birth naturally

Janet Balaskas`s book Active Birth is resourcesful manual for all pregnant ladies who want to labour and deliver naturally. The author urges mothers to learn about their bodies, being active during pregnancy and labour  and thus become active birth givers. She suggests that moving freely during labour, finding comfortable positions , following their instincts and taking control of the childbirth experience may result in seldom or no need of drugs and obstetrical interventions.

My BLOOMA Prenatal Yoga Training

I would like to share with you photos from Prenatal yoga training course which I took during January 10-13, 2013 at RanaFit Studio , located in premises of Kuwait Women`s Cultural Society. 

This article is reposted from BirthKuwait web site.

Blooma is prenatal  yoga school registred by YOGA ALLIANCE.

Prenatal yoga is an hour long workout , consisting of four fazes , imitating stages of childbirth : Meditation, Heating up, Intensity and Final rest. The sequence of exercises is specially design to tone up muscles and keep them flexible in order to stretch and enable baby to pass through the birth canal quickly . It also concentrates on breathing techniques and strenghtening muscles of the pelvic floor ( aka birthing muscles).  Every pregnant lady can benefit from prenatal exercise not only during pregnancy, but also during actual labour , where she can be active and combine her routine positions which made her feel comfortable during pregnancy with resting positions which will restore her energy.

Meditation ( Introduction) with our beautiful trainer Sarah Longacre

Gentle Birth: A Calm Birth, A Peaceful Birth for your baby

Pregnancy and labour are supposed to be natural and normal events. They provide a woman with a unique opportunity to learn about her body and soul. A woman experiences changes in all aspects of her life as the pregnancy progresses, and thus can experience transformation into an intuitive, relaxed and receptive mother. She is given a chance to find out how powerful and competent she is by facilitating bringing a new life to this world.

" Whoever and however you intend to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body, and your spirit for the rest of your life" Ina May Gaskin

 How does your body prepare for labour?

The transition from pregnancy to labor is a sequence of events, that often begins gradually.

The physiological transition from being a pregnant woman to becoming a mother means an enormous change for each woman, both physically and psychologically. Every system in the body is affected and the experience represents a major transition in a woman's life.

EXCLUSIVE : Prenatal yoga teacher training course coming soon

Reposted from BirthKuwait
(for registration kindly visit web site BirthKuwait )

For the first time ever, brought to you by BirthKuwait:

Join founder and owner of Blooma, Sarah Longacre and training director Stacy Seebart for Blooma's Level 1 Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training.

BirthKuwait event: Workshop Breastfeeding situation in Kuwait

BirthKuwait event : Workshop "Breastfeeeding situation in Kuwait" took place 29th May 2012 at the Women`s Cultural Society. The programme consisted of five presentations:

1. Dr. Mona Alsumaie : Breastfeeding situation in Kuwait
We learned that 82% of women in Kuwait initiate breastfeeding ( even if only once ) , but only 12% of them continue exclusive brestfeeding up to 6th month of baby age. The most common reasons why women stop breastfeeding are lack of proper information, motivation and help.

2. Dr. Alia Abdeen : Kuwait Lactation Consultants Society: mission and activities
Kuwait Lactation Consultant Society currently has 37 members who took certification exam and qualified, they are distributed in govermental hospitals all over Kuwait and available to help mothers whenever needed.

3. Zuzana Nadova, Midwife : BirthKuwait - mission, vision and activities
BirthKuwait is a local nonprofit birth network— a collection of birth-related professionals—networking together and working towards providing better support for mothers and improving maternity services in Kuwait by making resources available for mothers and advocating for evidence-based maternity care.

4. Heba Al Ali, BSF founder: BFS breastfeeding support club 
The most important message of this presentation was to start preparing for breastfeeding during the pregnancy , setting the priorities right and having support system.

5. Carolyne Presber, LLL leader-Kuwait: La Leche League in Kuwait
We learned about history  and activities of La Leche League, which is international non profit organization providing Mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information and education for women who breastfeed their children.

Programme was followed by interesting discussion.

Photos from the event:

Invitation for the lecture

Dr. Alia Abdeen ( left) , Zuzana Nadova, Dr. Mona Alsumaie

Carolyne Presber ( left ), Dr. Alia Abdeen, Dr. Mona Alsumaie, Heba Al Ali

Carolyne Presber ( left) , Heba Al Ali

Zuzana Nadova