It’s going to hurt…there’s no way around it. The fact is, we are preparing you to walk through the doors of your hospital for the guaranteed painful experience. The good news is that you will have options! Giving birth in the 21st century provides you with viable options to manage the pain. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for avoiding interventions….your body is built to give birth, I recommend giving it a fair shake at what it was built to do. On the other hand, if you are having the typical long, first baby labor, are no longer making progress and running out of steam, you may need to make new decisions about pain management. Maintaining a flexible attitude, working with the healthcare team, and distinguishing between coping and suffering are paramount. McMoyler Maneuvers: these are places and positions to be out of the labor bed, to assist your body in making progress and engage your mind through what can feel like ball buster contractions (sorry, but it is a pretty good analogy.) This is when partners are key in supporting you to be “Up, Walk, Rock and Keep the Pelvis in Motion.” This ‘McMoyler mantra’ is a good focus and helpful as you work through the many hours of labor…if, however, the time comes when the body and mind, the baby and the uterus have become fatigued to the point that labor is at a standstill, it is time to re-assess and switch gears. It may be time for hi-tech to take its turn. We call this getting wired for sound: when there is something going into or out of every orifice of the body. Not necessarily a romantic take on birth- and sometimes necessary to get to the end result: baby in your arms. I would rather present reality based information prenatally, so that you have time to digest and discuss all the possibilities for how this day of labor may unfold. Believe me, I have been the nurse at the bedside with couples who had no idea what the “tools of the trade” were and why they were being used.

To summarize, let me say from experience, that it is so much more productive and helpful to enter this day knowing the options, that you can decide along the way what you need as you need it and that the labor and delivery team is there to help guide you-they are professionals who do this every day and do it well. They have the same goals you do: Healthy Moms/Healthy Babies!

May 1, 2008

Hello and welcome! Whether you are expecting a baby, have had a baby or are considering taking the plunge into pregnancy-you are welcome here.

You’ve all heard about people in the world who follow their passion and find success…I am one of those lucky people. Success in that I LOVE what I do. Proud Mom of two great teenage boys’, a husband who supports my every ambition and a business that is going strong after fifteen years. My passion has always been, birth, babies and new families. To the point that I have delivered a book and with the help of an amazing team- now a DVD and Webcast.

This is a dream that has become a reality; and let me say before you think that it has all been a bed of roses and a downhill journey-it hasn’t. This has been a labor of love with allot of blood, sweat and tears along the way. While I wanted to have a baby when I was 17 years old-I actually had my first baby when I was 34 years old. On the way to that pregnancy, there was a miscarriage-possibly the saddest day of my life so far. Not to bring you down, but many, many people have experienced a miscarriage, and often never tell their family or friends. It was a loss of a monumental proportion for me. Jeff and I had postponed starting our family for 7 years and we were aching to be pregnant. When it was clear that this early pregnancy was not going to hang on, I wept to the point that the medical staff in my doctor’s office got teary…it was heartbreaking. We waited the recommended few months and happily the stork landed quickly back on our rooftops and that baby is our 19 year old son Luke. Tall, handsome, caring, smart and my running partner in the San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon! Two years later our second biggest event arrived and he is our 17 year old son Corey. This actor turned musician is currently living on the island of Sardinia in Italy as a foreign exchange student for the year…we miss him like crazy and are bursting with pride! My husband Jeff and I will celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary this month…two words-DATE NIGHT! That’s the secret to staying married for 25 years. Let’s face it, babies do one thing only: inhale you whole! That doesn’t change anytime soon. So start planning who will watch your most precious possession, pick the night out and stick to it.

A tip to those of you who are undone with the idea of the pain related to childbirth: keep your eye on the prize. It’s not to say that it won’t be painful, it will, I guarantee it. When you combine the fact that there are viable options for pain management with the vision of this new little baby in your arms…it becomes a whole lot more do-able.

That’s it for today- I look forward to hearing from you; your stories, your concerns, your trials and tribulations. Anything and everything surrounding the birth, babies, family arena, it’s all fair game.