The Natural Birth Workshop in Kwazulunatal presented the anatomy and physiology of Birth, addressed the effects of the emotional luggage we carry on our bodies and birth process and guided participants in techniques to manage the strong sensations of birth.
ecstatic birth
Foetus Ejection Reflex and Fathers
The foetus ejection reflex is a term rescued from obscurity in the work of biologist Niles Newton by Dr Michel Odent. It refers to the reflex that mice and all animals have when they give birth to their offspring in a secluded environment. Mammals need to release a flow of hormones, particularly oxytocin, to initiate [...]
Why I Choose Homebirth Again and Again
Although my mother gave birth to me at home herself, my training in a large government hospital in Cape Town 40 years ago dissuaded me from ever considering a hospital birth for my own children. As a student midwife I was forever helping the women to the bathroom so they could squat while the medical [...]
How the Bowlby Attachment Theory applies to Pregnancy and Birth part 2
It is these kinds of actions that will help us as a society to prevent the loss and despair in the newborn, described by John Bowlby so eloquently, and enable a mother to provide the right kind of interaction and closeness for her baby’s emotional and neurological development. It is out of such actions that mutual co-operation and loving partnerships will grow for our children.
