A dad sent us a story the other day. He and his wife had gone through and learned their Birthing Better skills. They were keen to use them at their birth. They had planned a natural birth in their local hospital. Well, she went several weeks over their due date and eventually agreed to an induction.
The induction was quite gentle and they were using their skills very well.
Their obstetrician came in after several hours and didn’t feel the woman was progressing quickly enough so she turned up the IV.
This kicked in very intense contractions. This dad said that his wife just lost the plot and started to cry. He said he was floored and didn’t really know what to do. His skills went out the window. He then realized that he just couldn’t sit around an do nothing. He told his wife that they had to use their Birthing Better skills right now! And they did.
They just focused on each other and how to use every single moment of their time applying one or more of their Birthing Better skills.
- No, they didn’t like the induction was but that was what was happening!
- In fact, they didn’t like that the doctor had pumped up the augmentation but that was what was happening.
- They didn’t think pumping up the augmentation was necessary but was what was happening.
- They were angry with their obstetrician but chose to spend absolutely no amount of time dwelling on that.
They just used their skills and after the birth was elated by their ability to cope with what was frankly unpleasant but this was how their birth had unfolded.
There is no doubt that there are other childbirth education systems BUT all of them are trying to achieve ‘natural’ births and to reduce medical intervention. The techniques they teach tend to fail or not be used once the birth becomes more medical.
The Birthing Better skills always work when you use them because they are skills and not techniques.
This dad told a great Birthing Better birth story! Bravo!
Birthing Better skills were developed by moms and dads in the early 1970s in the US and used by many thousands globally in all types of birth. Birthing Better online birthing classes are housed in Common Knowledge Trust.