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BIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH 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BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOKBIRTH BOOK

a practical guide to natural birth

Jenny Blyth

Contents

About the Down To Earth Birth Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Part 1

Healthy Pregnancy& Birth PreparationOptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

The Path of Self-knowledge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Nourish Yourself & Your Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Nutrition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Helpful Herbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Emotional Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Honouring Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Nurture Your Instinct & Intuition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Tune In to Your Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Body Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Exercise Guidelines For Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Gentle Yoga Postures & Other Exercises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Massage & Other Bodywork . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

In Touch with Your Breasts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Sex in Pregnancy? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Exploring & Preparing Your Vagina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Softening Scars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

Be Aware of Your Pelvic Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Learn to ‘Let Down’ in Your Pelvis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Jiggling Your Pelvis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Your Dynamic Anatomy & Open Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

Your Sacrum Rocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Breathe Through Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

‘Touch Me, Hear Me, Feel Me’ – Checking on Your Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Posterior Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

Breech Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

Carrying Twins? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Understand the Process of Natural Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

About Waters Releasing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

Remedies During Pregnancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92

Final Preparations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Special Info for Dads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Special Info for Birth Support People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

Final Reminders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

By One Month Before the Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Useful Things for Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Part 2

Natural BirthReminders for Birth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Affirmations for the Intensity of Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Birthing Warm-up ~ Pre-labour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112

Breathing for Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

The First Stage of Birthing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

The Second Stage of Birthing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

The Third Stage of Birthing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

The Umbilical Cord. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

The Placenta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

Waterbirth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Posterior Labour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Breech Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136

Plan Of Action for a Quick or Unassisted Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138

Dealing with some Possible Complications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Resuscitation of the Shocked Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147

Remedies During Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Part 3

After Birth CareIn the Beginning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

Quiet Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158

New Baby Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Initial Latching-on & Breastfeeding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162

Essential New Mother Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

The Time Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

More on Mother Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175

Gentle Postures & Exercises for After the Birth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Preventing Prolapse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Resuming Sex & Contraception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

The Darker Face of Motherhood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187

Remedies for New Mothers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

More on Breastfeeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Latching-on Difficulties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Understanding Mastitis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Foods for Early Breastfeeding ~ The Food List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Eat Well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Intolerances, Sensitivities & Allergies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Breastfeeding Vegocook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

Early Digestive Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213

More on Baby Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219

A Healthy Newborn Baby - Vital Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220

Common Concerns About New Babies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Babies & Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Being Environmentally Friendly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Gentle Infant Elimination Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230

The Vaccination Question . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Remedies for Babies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Part 4

Growing LoveBaby Massage ~ A Touching Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236

Solid Wisdom, Digesting Properly & Weaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Nurture Your Child’s Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Home Remedies for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

ExtrasA Personal Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 250

Pregnancy Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251

Labour Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256

Birth Record . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257

After Birth Care & Wellbeing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 258

So When Exactly are You Due?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Registering Your Baby’s Birth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261

Natural Birth & Death . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263

Birth Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Available Medical Routines, Checks, Tests & Interventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269

Some Conditions that Require Medical Attention . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

Recommended Books & Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

About the Down To Earth Birth BookBringing a baby into the world is possibly the deepest, most profound life experience you will ever have. Wherever and however you give birth, it is wise to be well prepared. There are always skills to remember and develop, contingencies to consider, and ongoing choices to be made, not only for yourself but the new life you nurture.

In Australia we have relatively easy access to an abundant array of quality fresh foods and water, and also the opportunity to relax and immerse ourselves in some of the most pristine environments and elements the earth has to offer. We are also free to birth wherever we choose, with or without assistance. There are many natural health practitioners and medical care providers experienced in facilitating wellness through childbearing, and we are fortunate to have access to free medical care, and emergency rescue when it is necessary. Regardless of the ever-changing politics of midwifery and birth care, many wonderful conditions exist to favour a healthy pregnancy and natural birth. This is especially so when we are able to maintain trust in our ability to birth, and continue to grow and share our natural birth wisdom.

What if you should choose not to access medical care? What if you are unable to access medical care? What if you give birth quickly on your own at home? Who will you rely on? How will you manage your own birth? What if you want to birth at home, or on your own? What do you need to know? What falls within the range of normal? What do you do when birth is difficult, or you are faced with a complication? What if you want to birth naturally in hospital?

This guide aspires to help you prepare for natural birth in any setting, and support you in making wholesome choices regarding birth care. Excellent self-care through your childbearing time keeps you connected to your body and baby, stimulating your awareness, instinct, and intuition. It also engages your sense of self-responsibility, a desirable if not essential asset in the realm of birth and parenting. Precious support from family, friends, health care practitioners and care providers deepens your connections to community and the wider circle of life and relationships. You bring a child not only into your world, but the whole world.

Birth is a huge topic. Only some aspects have been presented in this guide. It is meant to complement other resources rather than replace them.

Remember that every pregnancy and birth is unique. Though this guide has a strong focus on natural birth and natural health care, sometimes the advantages of medical pregnancy care and birth management will outweigh the ideals of a completely natural birth experience. If medical intervention or management is required, you can still use your body awareness, inner strength and emotional intelligence to make the most of your experience. Seek support and diagnosis for any chronic, acute, or worrying symptoms. Get a second opinion and do some research if you are not satisfied, or feel uneasy about any aspects of your self or your care.

Also remember that birth sometimes takes us by surprise and reminds us that we cannot always take either medical birth care or natural birth for granted. We need to be open to and prepared for either possibility.

Wherever and however you birth, I hope that The Down to Earth Birth Book inspires you toward a healthier pregnancy and birth, and more conscious parenting.

Jenny Blyth

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This book was compiled in the Fraser Coast and Fraser Island area of South East Queensland, originally inhabited by the Butchulla people.

‘In pre-contact times the Butchulla families were healthy, and considered by their western neighbouring tribes as wealthy people. They had a balanced diet and plenty of good food from the land and sea. They knew the seasons and where to find food.

There were women areas, and men areas. Birthing and looking after children was women’s business. Family support was always there from sisters, mothers, grandmothers and aunties. Babies were born in special birthing places under the guidance of the traditional midwife assisted by the mother’s sisters and old women. Babies were considered the greatest asset of the Butchulla people. We were salt-water people so the babies learned to swim.

The men provided food and protected the women and children on common grounds. The babies and children met with the fathers and uncles, but the children stayed with the women in the women areas until the age of double figures when the boys were sent to the men.

In today’s times everything is different, gone are the old ways of having children. Now they are born in hospitals, and fathers have more involvement in raising the children in urban areas all over the state.’

Retold by Aunty Olga Miller to Aunty Nai Nai Bird.

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