Natural childbirth

We live in a country and an era where medicalized birth is standard practice. If you truly want a natural birth, set yourself up for it. Opt for a midwife over an obstetrician, or find an OB who believes in natural childbirth, even for first-time mothers. Then get an education on natural childbirth that includes various non-medicinal pain-coping techniques that go way beyond traditional breathing exercises. If you have to have a hospital birth for a medical reason, or if there are no midwives near you, it s still incredibly important to learn as much as possible about what you re about to go through. Even in a hospital, you can have control over decisions you may have assumed were up to the medical staff in charge. 

We can t make this to-drug-or-not-to-drug decision for you. We can only suggest you read as much as possible about it before your water breaks. And, again, keep your mind open. Every woman labors differently. You may think you ll have no problem with natural childbirth, but won t be able to take the pain. Or you may have one of those superfast births that don t even give you enough time to think about pain meds (don t we all wish ). Talk to your OB or midwife about their take on pain medications. Find out what is in the particular epidural cocktail your hospital will be using. This is an area of childbirth where both the... 

Breast feeding, natural childbirth, frequent touching, and colonization of the baby s body with the mother s body bacteria immediately after birth will create the strongest immune system for the child and minimize childhood ear infections. 

If opiates are such addictive and potentially lethal compounds, why does the body respond to them As with the cannabinoids (Chapter 7), it has been discovered that the body and brain possess numerous opiate-specific receptor sites. As many as nine receptor subtypes have been identified, with three of them being the most important p (mu), k (kappa) and 8 (delta). The finding that the distribution of opiate receptors did not parallel the distribution of any known neurotransmitter prompted the search for and identification of a number of endogenous compounds specific to these receptors. These enkephalins and endorphins are manufactured within the brain and other body systems (especially the gut and intestines) and form the body s natural response to pain. They appear to be produced in bulk chains of amino acids called polypeptides , with each active neurotransmitter being composed of around five amino acid molecules. These active neurotransmitters are subsequently cleaved from the larger polypeptides at times of demand for example, it has been demonstrated that the plasma levels of these active compounds rise during childbirth, traumatic incidents and vigorous physical exercise. 

Hormones regulate many important bodily functions and are also associated with cancer. One of the first hints of the relationship of hormones to cancers was the observation that nuns had a greater incidence of breast cancer. This was naturally related to the nuns not having children and now we know that breast cancer may be hormone related. Since then there have been numerous studies on the use of birth control with cancer, childbirth, and most recently hormone replacement association with cancer. In males there is ongoing study of the hormones and prostate cancer. While it is clear that hormones and cancer are related, the exact characterization of this relationship is still unclear. 

Finally, therapists may work with patients who are receiving central neural blockade in the form of an epidural or spinal injection. These procedures are common during natural and caesarean childbirth and in some other surgical procedures. Administration of local anesthetics into the spaces around the spinal cord are also used to treat individuals with severe and chronic pain—that is, patients recovering from extensive surgery, patients who have cancer, or patients with other types of intractable pain. In these situations, therapists may notice that an indwelling catheter has been placed in the patient s epidural or subarachnoid space to allow repeated or sustained administration of the spinal anesthesia. 

Birthing a child is a natural, normal, instinctive process with which the modern world seems to have lost touch. Today, it is too often seen as something that is done to a woman, rather than by a woman. Childbirth education is essential in debunking that falsehood and critical in helping women and their partners reclaim knowledge and an awareness that was once very common. The goal of a good childbirth class should be to leave you so well informed that you will be able to make decisions confidently—whatever the circumstances. 

Ergot figures among the earliest known medicinal natural products. Ergot was first mentioned in herbal medicine in the late sixteenth century (Barger, 1931). European midwives used sclerotia of Claviceps purpurea to hasten childbirth. Consumption of a few sclerotia frequently reduced the time of delivery by hours. 

BREAST-FEEDING (Lactation). Lactation is the period after childbirth when a woman breast-feeds her baby. This is an important time for both the mother and her infant. Maternal nutrition plays a significant role during this time. A good diet is necessary for maternal tissue maintenance and replenishment of nutrient stores. In addition, a high-quality diet helps produce breast milk that is an excellent and natural source of nutrients for growth and development of the infant. 

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