Tag Archives: delivery

Why I Have A Doula

We’ve written a little bit before about doulas on the site, but we’ve never been able to share personal experiences with one until now.  Back when I first found out I was pregnant, I wanted a midwife but couldn’t find one.  I thought at least I might be able to find a doula, because that would be better than nothing.  I wanted someone, other than my at-times too logical husband, who would definitely be all on my side during labor. It took me a while, and I actually ended up finding a midwife first, but I was able to find … Continue reading →

How to Push

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My mother-in-law has a really impressive skill. She can whistle so loud, it can be heard above a cheering crowd at a wrestling tournament. (Just ask my husband; he was a wrestler.) But if you ask her how to do it, she can’t tell you. She knows how to do it because she figured it out by chance. As a kid, she just kept trying until it worked. Pushing a baby out during delivery is similar. You don’t really know how to push when you’re a first time mom, and you don’t know whether you’re doing it right until the … Continue reading →

How to “Act” Like You’re in Labor

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Actress Dianna Agron is doing a little personal research for her upcoming birth scene on the show, “Glee.” She has been getting advice from her mom and friends about what she should do since she has never given birth in real life. What advice would you give Dianna? Obviously she could go with the classic Hollywood birth scene. You probably know it by heart. Woman is doing something ordinary and abruptly either 1) howls in pain over her first contraction or 2) displays a look of horror on her face because her water has broken at a completely inopportune moment. … Continue reading →

Pregnancy Dreams: What Do They Mean?

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When I was pregnant I kept having the most terrifying dream. I was on the delivery table in the hospital. Bright lights were shining down on me and the doctors and nurses were scurrying around as I prepared to give birth. I sat up enough to see the top of the baby’s head emerge, covered in dark hair. Suddenly, the child’s hands crept up around his head. The fingers had claws and he used them to pull himself out, exposing his monstrous face and gnashing teeth. He started biting me and growling, scaring the nurses and the doctors. One of … Continue reading →

Celebrity Births

I love hearing labor and delivery stories. Whether I’m talking to friends, relatives, or watching TLC’s “A Baby Story,” I can’t get enough of the different experiences women have. Some go all natural, some get an epidural the second they arrive at the hospital, and many fall in between. Some births are scheduled C-sections, some are induced, and some begin all on their own. Many women give birth in the hospital, while others opt to give birth at a birthing center, or even at home. I often find myself wondering, “What type of labors and deliveries do celebrities have?” There … Continue reading →

Quality of Care — Elizabeth Letts

“Quality of Care” is a new release from first-time author Elizabeth Letts. From the very first page of the book, I was taken with the realistic depiction of a maternity ward setting, and was not surprised to find that the author is a nurse-midwife by profession. I don’t think she could have portrayed the book so realistically without that level of knowledge; it was that real. Our character is Clara, a doctor who is on call at the hospital. It’s late at night and she has a few patients laboring, but all is going well. She looks up to see … Continue reading →

Aromatherapy for Labor

Aromatherapy can be a great addition for pain relief in a natural labor. Many women want to avoid drugs and look for alternative methods for relieving pain. However, fear and anxiety in labor increase pain and make some women opt for the drugs. Aromatherapy can help relieve the fear and anxiety that are so common in labor. Massage also feels great for many laboring women. In addition, massage can help relieve tension and anxiety. Massage and aromatherapy can easily be combined to give you the best of both methods during labor. Get a small bottle and fill with either organic … Continue reading →