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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Gentle Birth Method - any opinions?

42 replies

soundbites · 27/02/2006 13:32

I found an article about the Gentle Birth Method in one of the Sunday papers and browsed their website - have a look \link{http://www.jeyarani.com/\here}. It sounds almost too good to be true - that the whole 'Western' approach to childbirth brings unnecessary fear, stress and pain to the experience both for the mother and the child and this can be fixed by diet, yoga and focussing the mind. Has anyone tried this out?

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lahdeedah · 28/02/2006 18:08

A friend of mine did the course with Dr Gowri, plus hired an independent midwife, plus a birthing pool. (She has a lot of money and time on her hands!) She told me that some of it was a bit airy-fairy, but on the whole found it really useful. She did the whole no wheat or sugar thing, lots of yoga and meditation. She hardly put on any excess weight during pregnancy, and had a wonderful water-birth at 39 weeks after only 6 hours in labour. Make of that what you will.

I went two weeks overdue, was induced and ended up with an emergency caesarean. I try not to be bitter...

runtus · 01/03/2006 10:16

Sorry for gatecrashing your thread ladies but was very interested to read some of you have practised breathing exercises and the like during your births. I am very interested in that side of things for mine (end of May) but I am unable to attend any Lamaze or Yoga classes, so was wondering if you can recommend a good book or DVD that I can get hold of?

I'm not really the meditation and chanting type to be honest but I do understand the logic behind breathing affecting your ability to deal with pain - in the same way breathing affects the bodies ability to perform from an athletic point of view.

Any ideas 'ladies in the know'??

morethan1 · 13/03/2006 17:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

wads · 13/03/2006 20:19

another vote for yoga, beathing & visualisation. Books "Yoga for pregnancy" by Wendy Teasdill & another of same title by Françoise Barbira Freedman. I had 2 fast, drug free births & credit visualisation during contractions with my very speedy dilation, & bearing down exercises with my 2 pushes & they're out births. That aside I think yoga (I'd never practised before pg & these books are both good for beginners) helps you attain that "inner calm" you need when labour takes over your body - & it does feel like you've been taken over!!

thebecster · 14/03/2006 12:29

I dunno, this is my first baby so no idea what's going to work for me at the birth. But some of these theories can feel a bit judgemental eg you only get pain if you've done the wrong things, or haven't done enough of the right things I know they're not intended that way, but they can feel that way if you hear them just after suffering really badly. I get so fed up of people telling me their crackbrained theories on why I've got such bad morning sickness. My MIL told me it was psychological 'because you're not naturally maternal' & people are so quick to tell me that if I'd only eat some ginger biscuits or whatever I'd be right as rain (can't tell you how many ginger biscuits I've thrown up over the past 25 weeks!) Anyway I'm doing the preparation for a natural birth, but not quite to the obsessive degree in this book. Most of it is more luck than judgement - I'm gluten free anyway (coeliac disease), and I haven't gained too much weight ('cos I throw everything up), and I've been going to yoga (always have done, it helps with my arthritis), and doing relaxation & hypnosis CDs every now & then (good excuse to get out of washing up ).

But I know that sometimes you just get dealt a bad hand, and all you can do is keep smiling & practise unconditional acceptance of the world as it actually is. Hmmm. Maybe when I've had the baby I'll market that as the becster birth method. I could call it the 's*d it system'...

Eve2005 · 14/03/2006 12:46

pick up the book as it's very good, even if you only use it as a guide, she's very good in terms of not completely ruling out pain relief or c-section completely like some natural methods do. basically she says any way you bring your baby into the world is right as long as mother and baby are healthy and happy but gives lots of tips for how to achieve a stress free, relaxed birth.... she never claims pain free! the yoga bit and massages your partner can give you are great, the diet is terrifying but it's well worth a read.

bought it when preg with dd and managed a drug free, surprisingly relaxed (considering circumstances) birth.

good luck with your baby

georgiemum · 06/04/2006 13:10

Try HypnoBirthing! It prepares you mentally and physically. I do believe that we in the 'civilised' West have medicalised birth to such an extent that giving birth has become as scary as going in to hospital for a triple bypass. It doesn't need to be!

MrsBadger · 06/04/2006 13:24

becster - I'd buy 'the s*d it system'!

Did venture onto the Jeyrani website, but she shot herself in the foot on the third page by telling me (a scientist) that honey 'becomes toxic when heated'.
Am trying not to judge but would definitely want to see a peer review before committing myself...

ladymads · 06/04/2006 18:02

Hi there
I have bought the book and the hypnosis cd and although it seems aimed at ladies with lots of time and money to have reflexology and all sorts of other treatments every week, i really liked the way she spoke and it made me feel confident and positive about the whole experience for the first time instead of horrified! the cd is really relaxing and although i am aware it may not go according to plan i will give it a go. I won't be taking all the herbs she prescribes and I will not be giving up my cake no matter how congested she says it makes my uterus!

kayzed · 07/04/2006 16:28

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CarolinaMooncup · 07/04/2006 16:49

ooooh, can we have a link to MI's articles please?

Spidermama, I don't think it's a matter of optimism/pessimism. I read Sheila Kitzinger's Experience of Childbirth and Janet Balaskas's Active Birth when pg and then felt utterly crushed that I hadn't been able to make it happen that way (ds got stuck and was born by em cs). I wish I'd realised that sometimes you just have to take life as it comes, it can't all be controlled.

Although having said that, maybe if you are truly relaxed, you'd be equally relaxed in the face of a cs.

PinkTulips · 07/04/2006 16:57

thats how i felt about it all, when asked in labour ward what pain relief i was planning i took advice from the book and said' i'll try it with none, but if it gets bad i'll take gas and air' i didn't need it in the end but not restricting myself is what made me more able to cope, i don't think it's healthy to go in shouting 'i'm going to do this with nothing' as you'll feel like you failed if it's too much.

the relaxation techniques were cool and i do believe the abdominal massages she suggests that my dp gave me helped my low lying placenta to move up.

don't even read the diet section though, depressing stuff!

katyp · 07/04/2006 17:28

I know someone who had a very bad birth experience first time round - was planning a home birth but had to in to hospital, very traumatised by the actual birth, etc. She actually saw the book's author (Dr Motha) 2nd time round as a sort of independent obstetrician (but also went along to NHS appointments and booked an NHS home birth and arranged a birthing pool) and Dr Motha was at her baby's birth as a sort of birthing partner. I was quite worried that things might not go accorting to plan again but she did have an easy home birth, which was everything she wanted and I was so pleased for her.

Skribble · 07/04/2006 17:30

All I can say on this subject is 11lb7oz and gentle don't go together .

PinkTulips · 07/04/2006 18:44

scribbler. i've just crossed my legs in sympathy

Blandmum · 07/04/2006 18:55

I had a very gentle section with ds All planned and very civilised.

While it is undoubtibly a good idea to be as relaxed and stress free and positive about the birth as possible, it doesn't mean that you will, 100% guarenteed, have a relaxed and trouble free delivery. And anyone who tells you differently is telling porkie pies. Prepare, great, but also be prepared to be flexible if things don't go to plan.

the gluten thing and the cervix sounds like a load of cobblers to me BTW

cej603 · 07/04/2006 19:51

I tried acupuncture 5 days before the due date and then had a water birth.It was my 1st and I'm quite an old mum - so they say! The midwife wasn't very keen on the water birth (sure because she got rather damp!), but I only used 'gas/air' and really internalised with myself and told myself I could do this and went with the flow. It was amazing.I was so in control, I hardly listened to a word the midwife said, I just listened to my body and just ensured I heard the words 'the baby's doing fine'. Someone said to me afterwards: you must have been so in tune with your body. I think I was, so I really think it can be done. Do what you want - Sorry to everyone who wanted too but it didn't. I realise I was lucky!

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