Preparing dp to be helpful... any dvds, videos to watch?

[mangostickyrice]

Dp will be with me for our new arrival in November. He's not going to read a book about ways to support labouring women and we don't have access to classes etc (not in the UK), but I think I could get him to watch a video. If one exists, that is. Does anyone know of any?

There's loads on youtube, just search under childbirth.

the business of being born. google it

Skip the book / DVDs. Get him to go to a yoga birthing workshop with you. Worked a treat for my DH. Got him all excited about the birth and taught him about how to support me during labour (positions, mental support, reflexology, massage, homeopathy) etc. T'was invaluable - he was the best birth partner I could have asked for.

NCT classes helped for my DP, who hates reading.
Or try the videos on mybirth.tv, they are brilliant, especially the video diaries on the left hand column. Great stuff! Watch some through first so you can pick one you think he would like

Ooh thanks, thought there were going to be no replies after this dropped off active convos.

Would love to take a class instead of video, but unfortunately not an option for us.

Am looking at some of the mybirth.tv videos, there's a huge range isn't there?

where are you mango?

Thailand - seriously rural Thailand at that!

would there be traditional birth attendants in that region who may be able to look after you in the weeks/days/hours before full labour and easily into labour? they could do the role of a doula for you if you would like first world medicine to be primarily in charge.

back home some TBAs are expert at giving pregnant women 'healing' massages. in fact one friend went to see a masseuse / TBA for a massage twice and both times she told my friend that her 'problem' was that she was pg. my friend says it put her off going back for a massage just in case she found out she was pg again.

The film "The business of being born" is very good. You can buy a DVD of it quite cheaply off ebay.

Interesting foxy, where we are I've never heard of traditional birth attendants being used in the villages (and sils have had 4 births between them in the last few years, plus lots of friends/ relatives). Maybe we're just close enough to the local hospital that they're not considered 'good enough'. The hospital has some pretty bad practices, noone is allowed to be with the birthing mother in any circumstances, a very high rate of c-sections, babies are kept in a different building from recovering mothers so they can 'rest' after sections...

So the plan is definitely not to give birth there under any circumstances! I've found a good obstetrician (for me, that means very into active, natural birth) in the nearest biggish city (6 hours away), and we'll go well before the due date. I would like to find a midwife or a doula to be with me through the labour, but no luck so far. Will try to talk to the hospital midwives/ labour room nurses at my next antenatal appointment (here all antenatal stuff is with the obstetrician), but it won't be the same.

Actually, it was watching 'the Business of Being Born' together that made me think videos could be the way forward! Thanks for the suggestion, though. What I really really want is like an NCT class on video - someone explaining/ demonstrating different techniques for pain relief in early labour.

if I were you I would investigate TBAs. A lot of times in these countries people see TBAs as only for 'poor' people who cannot afford to go to hospitals and like you have commented, they would have probably had a better birthing experience if they stayed away from a hospital in the first place. Colleagues of Ina May Gaskin have worked to train existing TBAs to enhance what they already know and to formalise their qualifications. In a lot of developing countries including Thailand, the gov't relies on them to promote good antenatal and post natal care to shore up a modern medical system which does not address the needs of all parents especially those in rural areas. But maybe I digress. I do not want to put you off the plans you have. Your obstetrician being natural birth friendly ought to know more about TBAs in Thailand if you ask and answer some of the questions we cannot. I would find it a fascinating way of learning more about the country in which I live to meet one and use her services even if I wasn't planning on using all their services.