Does Television Cause Fear of Childbirth?

Posted by Danielle625 on December 8th, 2010 at 12:03 pm

In the past couple days, there has been a lot of talk about a clinical fear of childbirth, something that was certainly new to me, even as a childbirth educator and doula. But I am sure there is a clinical term for fear of most things in life.

The term tocophobia, or the unrelenting fear of childbirth, made an appearance in Jezebel the other day, and it sparked my interest because I have been writing about fear surrounding childbirth for a while. Just not the clinical kind.

But are women truly afraid, literally clinically afraid of having children? Or is it just a fear our society has been perpetuating through horrid depictions of birth on our televisions for as long as we can remember? I am willing to go with the less dramatic.

I flash back to watching General Hospital after school with my mother back in the day. The dramatic 1994 birth of Lulu — such a scary and surgical event for those Luke and Laura fans glued to the television like my mother was. I found myself tainted by childbirth from then on even though I was only in elementary school. I am sure other young girls shared similar experiences.

Since then it hasn’t gotten any better on television. Scary accidental home births on soap operas, Addison Montgomery turning every delivery into a near death experience on Private Practice, and A Baby Story with all their emergency situations to fuel ratings. I have come to a point in my life where I can no longer watch these deliveries on television because of what they represent.

Fear, and the broken maternity care system our country is thrusting on the next generation of mothers.

The message being sent to our sisters and daughters is that childbirth is something they should be fearing. Something scary, and emergent instead of the beautiful and peaceful event it can be. These less eventful deliveries are not making it into the public eye, while the crappy examples continue to flood the mainstream media.

Pushing these fears is a rising cesarean birth rate well over the recommended percentage the World Health Organization put in place for modern women of the United States. The multiples, and health conditions we see increasing risks in the women today. In fact, at the most we should see a 15 percent cesarean rate, and we are over double that. I know that is something that aided my fear of childbirth. Surgery is scary. Any kind of surgery. It is still scary to me after going through two c-sections myself, and various other surgical procedures over the years.

But ratings are what bring the money in. We shouldn’t expect to see low risk women birthing with midwives, or beautiful home births on these shows, and in prime time. They won’t get the numbers the networks need to stay afloat.

Although I think if we took a big time birth documentary like The Business of Being Born and put it on as a prime time special, it would get those same numbers the networks demand. And maybe help the next generation or even the current generation of mothers to take a second look at childbirth and maternity care as we know it.

Until then, we need to be the educators in our community and families, and help send the message that childbirth is not something we should be scared of because of the way it is handled today in our maternity care system.

http://blogs.babble.com/being-pregnant/2010/12/08/does-television-cause-fear-of-childbirth/

upcoming classes and a new location!!

Upcoming Class Dates:
March 2, Sugar House, Wednesday Evenings**
April 1, Salt Lake City, Friday Evenings
April 2nd, Pleasant Grove, Saturday Mornings

For more dates/times, visit www.thedoulahouse.com

**Newest Location!!

The Dangers of Early Cord Clamping and Cutting

Immediate clamping of the umbilical cord at birth has been associated with short- and long-term problems in newborns. Early clamping (within one minute after birth) can reduce the amount of umbilical cord blood transferred to the baby by more than 50 percent. Research shows that delaying clamping produces higher hematocrit and hemoglobin levels (more red blood cells, less anemia), healthier blood pressure, and improved heart rate and breathing in newborns. Polycythemia and hyperbilirubinemia are risks associated with delaying cord clamping, but studies find these risks extremely low.
Detrimental effects of early cord clamping
Nurse midwife Judith Mercer has investigated cord clamping in several studies and authored a 2001 literature review that points to some long-term harmful effects associated with early cord clamping. These include infant anemia, childhood mental disorders, and hypoxic ischemic brain damage.
Benefits of delaying for preterm infants
A 1993 study measured the effects of umbilical cord clamping on preterm infants. The investigators found that holding the newborn at about eight inches below the vaginal opening for 30 seconds before clamping the cord (sometimes referred to as “milking” the cord) improved bilirubin levels, decreased red cell transfusion requirements, and lowered the infant’s dependence on supplemental oxygen.
Lasting benefits of delaying for full-term infants
A 2007 study examined the timing of umbilical cord clamping in full-term babies. The conclusion was that delaying clamping for at least two minutes after birth improved the babies’ hemacrit and iron status (stored iron), and that these benefits extended two to six months into infancy. Similar results were found in a large 2004 study on 476 newborns.
La Leche League’s The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding cites this 2004 literature review. The authors conclude that delayed cord-clamping increases hemoglobin concentration in babies at 2 to 3 months, reduces the risk of anemia (especially in babies with anemic mothers), and does not increase the risk of complications.
Benefits of delaying for breastfed babies
In a 2006 study published in The Lancet, delaying cord clamping by two minutes resulted in increased iron stores in the babies at six months by 27 to 47 milligrams. And this effect was significantly greater in breastfed babies not receiving iron-fortified milk or formula, in babies whose mothers had low ferritin (a protein that stores iron), and in babies who weighed between 5.5 pounds and 6.5 pounds at birth.
A natural stem cell transplant
In a 2010 review article titled “Mankind’s first natural stem cell transplant,” researchers point out that a few types of important stem cells are transferred through the cord blood and argue that this greatly increases the benefits of delaying cord clamping.
Most research on the timing of cord clamping emphasizes the benefits of delaying. Only a few studies focus on the dangers of immediate clamping. From the studies cited in this article, one could conclude that the detrimental effects of early cord clamping are the loss of the benefits associated with delayed clamping, and these effects are significant and lasting.
Discuss this procedure with your birth attendant (obstetrician, midwife, or doula) and include your preference in your birth plan. As Ina May Gaskin, CPM, writes in her Guide to Childbirth, if you prefer to delay cord clamping, “the evidence is on your side.”

Amy Mitchell is a freelance writer in Jacksonville, Florida.

Additional References:
American Academy of Pediatrics, Evidence-Based Review of Science for Cord Clamping, http://www.aap.org/nrp/pdf/030B.pdf
World Health Organization, Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping of term infants on maternal and neonatal outcomes (Reproductive Health Library Commentary), http://apps.who.int/rhl/pregnancy_childbirth/childbirth/3rd_stage/cd004074_abalose_com/en/index.html

Another Hypnobabies story, from France!!

Kerry received this email from a mom in France who did the home-study course!

Hello,

I’d like to take a minute to thank the Hypnobabies team for helping me have the best birth experience of my three children.

I live overseas in France and had to go through my first pregnancy without the help of my mom, sister or good friends. I was learning lots of pregnancy related vocabulary in French, trying to navigate through the medical system here, and in retrospect, I was like a little girl who did what everyone said without really thinking about what kind of birth I wanted to have. I had an epidural (after having been stuck 4 times with the needle) and my son was born early in the morning.

I never thought that the birth of my next child would be much different, but my water broke first and we arrived at the hospital to wait while the anesthesiologist was busy with an emergency c-section. I hadn’t taken any birthing classes since my first pregnancy and wasn’t mentally prepared to handle a natural birth. I panicked and didn’t know how to breath or focus. By they came for the epidural, I felt like my body was going to be ripped in half. They tried 16 times to put the needle in my spine before I told them to stop and examine me – my daughter basically came flying out as soon as I lied down on the table. I had less pain the next day than with my first birth, but the 16 holes in my back made me promise myself that for the next children, I would do things my own way.

When I found out I was pregnant last November, I decided that I wanted a natural, home birth. I called all the midwives in my area, but unfortunately in France, there are few midwives who agree to this because they are not insured for home births. I next looked into birthing clinics but they only exist in the larger metropolitan areas. The midwife that agreed to do my birthing classes gave me the alternative – have the baby at the hospital and leave the next day if both the baby and I were healthy. The midwives then do the check-ups at your home for the next 4 days. In order to really prepare for the birth, I started looking into more methods for a pain free birth that I could do at home. That’s when I stumbled on to the Hypnobabies website. I really enjoyed the testimonies from other moms and when I started listening to the CD’s, I really felt at peace with my choice.

So on August 18th I woke around 7:30 with a contraction that was slightly painful…since I was just 4 days from term I had a feeling that this was going to be the day. Throughout the morning, I prepared breakfast for my two older children, husband and parents-in-law and did some cleaning around the house. At lunch I told my husband that the contractions were getting stronger and that if they continued then the baby would certainly come that night. He was very glad that the birth happened while he was on vacation! After lunch, I dropped my kids off at a friend’s house and she said that she could bring them home if I had to leave for the hospital. All this time, the contractions were coming about every 20 minutes and I kept using the Hypnobabies technique that minimizes the pain but lets you move about and talk to others.

I returned home and decided to take a bath around 4:30 and listen to my favorite Hypnobabies CD track. My husband had left to help a neighbor get a load of firewood, so I told him to keep his phone on and to hurry! At 5:00, I called my husband and told him he had better hurry home…then I called the hospital and told them I would be arriving in the next 30 minutes. My contractions started speeding up and I was using the Hypnobabies techniques, walking, and a gym ball during each contraction. Then my husband took a quick shower, but our friend called and couldn’t bring the kids home so my husband went to get them and I started panicking because I felt something like the head. I checked myself and wasn’t sure what it was, but later the midwife told me it was the water bag. She said I was very lucky that it didn’t break or I would have had the home birth I so wanted! So I was finally able to leave for the hospital at 6:00 and the whole time I kept praying there would be no traffic jams and I held on the handle in the car to keep from sitting completely down.

We arrived at the hospital 20 minutes later, directly at the emergency room when I felt my water start to break. The nurse wheeled me to the maternity level and directly into the delivery room, where I barely had time to get undressed before my water starting trickling even more. The midwife examined me and said that I was fully dilated, so she had me lie down and said not to do anything so she could get ready. Well, my baby didn’t agree with that…he was ready! The water bag had completely descended and burst and three pushes later, my second son was born. My husband arrived on the second push…he had to park the car. I asked the midwife to let the cord continue to beat until she cut it, which she did.

My son barely made a sound when he came out – a small cry and then he snuggled up to me. I do like this hospital because they leave you, the baby, and the father to bond for about 30 minutes until they come back to deliver the placenta and clean up. Our little Owen was so calm that I had to ask if he was even breathing! I believe that my birthing choice and the fact that I was able to stay calm, focused and in a hypnotic state had an enormously positive influence on my son. I honestly feel like I was in charge of this birth. I was able to keep it natural with no epidural, no perfusions, no exams every 30 minutes. The choices were mine and I was able to leave the next day. Owen is a wonderful addition to our family and we can’t wait to complete it with a fourth baby in the next year or two.

My midwife asked if there were any plans to translate the CD’s – she enjoys learning about new techniques to include in her birthing classes. If you ever are interested in that, I do translation work here in France and would be happy to discuss that option.



Cordially,

Merry Gilliot

Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, France

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=11688&post=75355&uid=216516692353#post75355

Hypno-Mom Kari shares her third daughter Chloe's Hypnobabies Birth Story!

Chloe’s Hypnobabies Birth Story

Wow...I can't believe the time has come for me to post my very own birth story! I wasn't sure I was going to have a very exciting birth story to tell... it was!!!

This was my third baby girl, but my very first all natural Hypnobabies birth! I'm so happy to be a part of the elite women who have a natural birth, it's very empowering!!

Chloe's ETA was September 22nd, but I had anticipated her arrival to be the weekend before, sometime between the 17th and the 19th. I even told my best friend the month before to make her trip out from Utah that weekend... so she did. We usually have our babies on weekends and I couldn't imagine her coming the weekend AFTER her guess date so it had to be this weekend!

I kept myself SUPER busy all week walking with friends, doing pre-school stuff with my 4 yr old, and making hair-bows for my THREE girls! I decided to make the last days nice and fun! I'm SO glad I did.

I had a Dr. appt. on Friday the 17th, where the doctor checked me and I was 60% effaced and 2 cm (nothing different for me during the last weeks of pregnancy). I ran some errands with my mom, Home Depot, health food store, etc. (We live in the San Bernardino Mountains in California, so trips up and down the mountain take about 45 minutes, so we do major shopping when we're down there). I had been experiencing lots of Braxton Hicks all week (as well as other changes in my body that told me she was coming soon) nothing to complain about, but they were starting to change a bit while walking around with my mom. I didn't think much of it though, didn't want to get my hopes up. I wanted Chloe to come when she was ready...even though I had felt ready for a while! We got home about 7 pm. On the drive up I felt the PW's (pressure waves) had more of a pattern and they felt a bit more like real PWs, but still didn't think this was it. I picked up my two girls from my dad and took them home to get ready for bed.

Once home I just did all the normal stuff, feeling the waves but not really giving them much thought. After my girls were in bed, my husband and I watched TV and I told him that maybe we should get some stuff packed because I was having waves about every10 minutes. So I started getting my things ready. I decided that I should try to sleep a little and listen to Hypnobabies. I did for a bit, but had to keep going to the bathroom. So, I decided I should get my kids bag packed. As I was walking around getting things together for them I started feeling them very close together, but thought it was just because I was walking a lot (they felt like a side ache from running, just in the front lower part of my abdomen.) I still was unsure if this was it! I told my husband I was going to call his mom, he told me to wait because he didn't think it was time yet either. But, I called her anyway around midnight she is a Labor and Delivery Nurse and I told her I wasn't sure if I should go down to the hospital or not. She asked how close together they were and I told her they felt about 1-2 minutes apart. I was starting to have to focus now. She told me she would come to sleep with my babies and that we shouldn't wait around any longer. She lives 5 minutes away, but in the meantime I decided I should try to make the nurses some brownies to keep my mind off of the PWs. She arrived and told me she would finish the brownies for me and we needed to go. I called my sister and parents and told them we were going down, that my waves were about 1-2 minutes apart and I'd call once I knew if this was it or not.

My husband and I left about 1 am. The car ride down was a little rough with all the turns, but I listened to Hypnobabies and held my lavender and chamomile pillows to my face. I remember feeling SO good once a wave had passed and making sure my body was nice and loose during them. I told myself to "open".

We arrived at the hospital about 1:45, they checked me and I was 5 cm! "What, really??" I still couldn't believe this was it! My parents and sister arrived about 10 minutes after us, then soon after them my brother and his wife showed up. (Even though I told them all we'd call them... oh well, it was good they got there when they did!) My PWs were starting to come one after the other. I was so proud of how I was handling them. I felt a little agitated with my family just sitting there starring at me. I really only wanted my sister and husband in there but I felt bad because I didn't want to hurt my mom's feelings (she'd been there for my other two, so I just put the pillow over my face and stayed inside myself. At one point my mom said, "You can always change your mind and get the epidural!" Annoyed, I told her to "Shush or get out!" I wasn't in that kind of pain, I was just very focused and occasionally moaned and whispered "relax, peace, peace, peace, peace". I told my mom that the moaning was helping me feel better, I wasn't doing it because I was in excruciating pain.

I could feel my body trembling a bit and new that my body was entering transition. I was looking forward to it, but not sure what to expect. The nurse came to check again, I was a 6 with a bulging bag. She asked how I felt about having my water broken because sometimes things can slow down because the baby's head can't get into the birth canal with the bag in the way. I was starting to feel like I wanted this to be over very soon so I said sure.

The Doctor came in and checked me about 5 minutes later, I was a 7 and the water broke, Right when that happened my body went from having PWs to a HUGE pushing feeling which was extremely intense. I had never felt what it was like to feel the pushing waves and I got a little scared. Right after the 1st pushing wave the doctor still had her hand in there and said, "Whoa, this baby wants out NOW!" She said I was now a 9 and she was stretching things out...it was VERY uncomfortable and I told her to get her hand out of there! She apologized and began getting ready for the birth.

With each pushing wave my body just pushed on its own. With the first one I lost my focus and never really got it back because everything was happening so fast. My husband, sister and mom had never seen me birth this way so they didn't really know what to do or say so I had no one to help bring me back and try to relax me more. The sensations were very intense and I definitely was not quiet throughout them, I have to admit I let out a few choice words (and I'm not a "truck driver" kind of person) and about 3-4 pushes later Chloe was out! No tearing or anything! I was VERY happy that I had her naturally. Actually even though it was quick and intense I was happy it was quick rather than LONG and intense. MY husband joked that he'd stood in longer lines at Disneyland!!

Chloe Lynn Cummins was born at 3:36 am on September 18th, just two hours after we arrived at the hospital! She weighed 8 lbs and was 21 inches. She's the perfect mix of her older sisters Madison (4) and Riley (2). She's the sweetest little baby... We're all obsessed with her! Everyone was amazed that I predicted her birth so well, especially my friend who drove all the way out from Utah!

I loved Hypnobabies! Everything happened almost EXACTLY how I had visualized it. Funny enough the only thing I had trouble visualizing throughout my pregnancy was the pushing faze, which ended up being the part where I lost focus. Even though I couldn't think and get myself back once pushing it was a godsend during my pressure waves and made my entire pregnancy much more enjoyable. I couldn't believe how relaxed I was, which made everything move so quickly. For my next birth I NOW know what it's like to FEEL the baby coming out and I can focus more on making that experience a little less intense using my hypnosis. I still feel it was a WONDERFUL experience and a GREAT birth!

I also loved being a part of the Hypnobabies Mom’s support group and hearing all of the wonderful birth stories! If I could offer any advice to future Hypnobabies moms, it would be to really practice your visualizations and know that they make all the difference.

Love, Kari

http://www.hypnobabies.com/mylink.php?id=6293