A Bellycast, or Bellymould, is a plaster cast taken of your pregnant belly, that you can then decorate, and display as a keepsake of your pregnancy.

Casting Kits are available to buy all over the internet, or you can gather the materials you need for one yourself.

You will need:

• Plaster Gauze Strips (available from most pharmacies, or even art stores. Gypsona is reputably the best)
• A barrier cream, such as Shea Butter so the plaster doesn’t stick to you
• A Tarp, or plastic mat to cover your working area
• Scissors
• A bowl of body temperature water

1. To cast your belly, first prepare your plaster strips,  by cutting them into 30-45cm lengths. (Measure the girth of your belly with some string, that will give you an indication of how long they need to be)
2. Cut some smaller strips about 20-25cm if you intend on casting your breasts.
3. Then, strip down, cover yourself in barrier cream, get comfortable, and get a helper to dip the strips in the water, one at a time, and working from the top down, smooth them over your belly. Overlap each strip slightly, and make sure the plaster is smooth. 2 layers of plaster will make a nice strong cast.
4. The area under your breasts and at the bottom of your belly will be weakest, so reinforce them with a few extra strips.
5. The cast should set in about 20 minutes, and you can slowly and carefully wriggle your way out of it. Stuff it with newspaper to support it, and let it dry thoroughly for about 48 hours.
6. Then you can decorate it with whatever you like, paints, moasics, decopauge….

This is the arrival of James Tiberius, photographed by Evoke Art Photography.

My pregnancy was straightforward and healthy – it was a bit of a journey for me, just in the basis that I’m used to connecting spiritually to my babies very early in pregnancy, yet little James and I never felt that connection while he was within me.

I spent the 9 months consciously acknowledging him, chatting with him, and connecting to him in every physical way I could – with the hopes that we might find some sort of spiritual connection. Yet it was to no avail, the baby growing within me was my little physical being, The spiritual connection was to come during labour.

This pregnancy was another step for me to claim my power as a birthing woman. I had never gone into labour without some sort of assistance: my first son was induced – a hospital delivery – about as far from a natural childbirth as I could travel.

My second, home water birthed babe was gently encouraged with a stretch and sweep. A beautiful, natural labour and childbirth, but still helped along by gentle intervention.

I knew I wasn’t broken, and was determined to prove it. Thursday evening, of the 19th of August, I had an overwhelming urge go go for a run. So, pregnant belly in hand, at about midnight, in all of my enormous glory I ran around our block.

My husband made jokes about the water in his glass trembling as I returned up our street. I then had a shower, and snuggled up in bed with my beautiful family.

I was awoken Friday morning at around about six with some familiar sensations – nice, strong, contractions. I turned over, trying to sleep, but was so excited that perhaps, just perhaps I HAD gone into labour all by myself.

Half an hour or so later, I snuck out of bed, hopped in the shower, and texted my three best friends to let them know today was the day, and to light their candles and begin holding the space for my birth. I also called my gorgeous photographer friend Fiona, so she could organise care for her little one.

The boys woke up, and life went on as usual in our house, with me plodding around in the loungeroom and leaning over my fitball when I needed it, my husband rubbing my back, and lovely warm heat packs being brought to be constantly.

Then time for me stopped – I have no real idea of how long things took – Fiona arrived, and bless her heart started playing with the boys and entertaining them. I had a shower, or two… insisted the pool got filled, and called my midwife.

Labour for the next however long was a little scary for me- it felt different to my previous labours, and I found I couldn’t just settle into it. I knew if I went to the toilet it bring on stronger contractions, but I was so terrified of the sensations, I put it off for as long as I could.

Finally, I found my courage, went to the toilet and my waters broke, allowing James to finally move down.

Off the toilet, into the loungeroom, the most powerful sensations I’ve ever felt. There was fear again, fear of the pain, then the realisation that holy cow! I needed to push. With the support of my gorgeous husband, and my beautiful midwife I clambered into the pool.

Time stood still, I gently birthed James’ head. Into my own hands, feeling his divinely soft hair swishing in the water. Then, I leant back, and his shoulders and body slid into his daddy’s waiting arms.

I did it… I went into labour alone.
I birthed my baby and caught him!

I spent a few days post birth being annoyed at myself for the fear I felt – but now in perspective, it’s all been part of my journey with James, and a new step in motherhood for me.

Many women will naturally groan, or vocalise through contractions in labour.Vocalisation is a primitive response to pain. If you hurt yourself you cry out. Animals vocalise their pain too, just think of a dog yelping if you tread on it’s tail.

There are several ways vocalising helps you with labour pain.

Firstly, vocalisation allows you to focus on keeping the contraction productive. It can also be something to distract you from the overwhelming sensations of a contraction.

Secondly, a low moan relaxes the vocal chords, throat. Amazingly, by focussing on relaxing the facial and throat muscles, you also help to relax the cervix at the same time.

Thirdly, and I love this little titbit of information, a recent study showed that uttering, moaning, or simply repeating an expletive (Yes you can say F**K) releases endorphins which aid in pain relief! (Actually the study said that any repeated word will work, but expletives were particularly effective as they were emotive)

Fourthly, your baby hears everything – certain tones are calming (think low, steady, ocean sounds) others are fearful – (high pitched, scared, panicky sounds) so by moaning low to the baby, you help keep him and yourself calm.

You can also vocalise along to a tone, some women like to use Crystal Singing Bowls, others like to use binaural sound, others like to use white noise on the radio.

So the trick is to use a tone that is nice and low, feels loose in your throat, and is emotive enough to produce positive  emotions. Given that you do not want to be “thinking” during labour, provided you keep it low – use what comes to you. Many women will roar, growl, or “moo” their baby to them.

Congratulations, you’re about to embark on one of the most incredible journeys our lives have to offer. The journey to becoming a parent.

You see, when a baby is born, it’s not just the baby that begins a life, it’s a mother who is born too. Becoming a mother is an entirely life changing experience from the moment the two lines appear on your home pregnancy test.

If you are in a position to prepare to try to conceive, there are lots of things you can do to make space for a baby and increase your fertility in your life, spiritually, mentally, and physically.

Get educated now, before even conceiving is a good time to research what type of birth you’ll have, what the implications of medications and pain relieving drugs are, how you would like care providers to treat you, and what kind of support team you’ll have. There is a great list of Trying to Conceive resources here.

Physically:

• Get your spine checked by a chiropractor, and consider regular spinal adjustments.
• Ensure you are eating a healthy diet, and consider eliminating toxins such as refined sugars, dairy, wheat, and chemicals.
• Make sure your diet is filled with lots of sources of folate (green leafy vegetables are great!) and if you are not getting enough folate in your diet, consider a supplement.
• Ensure you are getting adequate exercise (30 minutes, 3 times a week is a great start)
• Eliminate or significantly reduce caffeine and alcohol.
• Check in with your doctor or chosen care provider to make sure you’re in great health.
• Get in tune with your menstrual cycles
• Start researching topics such as vaccination,

Having a baby changes your life. Entirely. You become soley responsible for a little human being who is entirely dependent on you.

Mentally

• Ask yourself if you’re ready for a baby in this stage of your life?
• Are you financially prepared?
• Are you emotionally prepared?
• How will you feel when you are tired and your baby needs you?
• Are you prepared to give up a lot of your social activities, at least for the short term?
• Are you prepared for your childless friends to feel left out, or perhaps abandon you?
• What if your parenting or birthing methods conflict with your family’s or friend’s points of view?
• What if your parenting or birthing preferences conflict with your partner’s?
• How will you feel if trying to conceive takes longer than you expected/

Spiritually

• Make time to meditate and be still
• Prepare a calm body for your baby to be conceived
• Visualise holding your baby in your arms, and how you’ll feel
• Surrender to the journey.
• Tune in an connect with your unborn child

 
Welcome Earthside James Tiberius from Fiona Rogerson Baby & Maternity Photographer on Vimeo.

Spot the Difference.

My Hospital Birth
When I was pregnant with my first child, my experiences of pregnancy and birth, were what I’d seen on TV, and what my mom had shared with me through the births of her five daughters. Quite frankly, I thought I knew a lot. So when those two blue lines appeared on my pregnancy test, I wasn’t panicked, I was assured that I’d be in the best care in the private health system.

A cannula was inserted into my arm, and the contractions began. With each contraction, my plans for a natural childbirth seemed more and more distant. I was unable to move, unsupported, and afraid. Machines made noises that irritated me, the floor was cold, and the bed was hard. My husband tried to support me, but was as new to the process as I was, and felt helpless with me in so much pain.

After enduring 3 hours of seemingly constant contractions, I begged for an epidural. It was administered nearly immediately, as though they were simply waiting for me to “cave in”. Then, again, I waited.

3 hours later, my son was imminent. The obstetrician arrived, and some nameless midwives stood peering up my vagina. I was told to push. So I pushed. I was told to hold, so I held. I was told to wait, so I waited. I was told to look away, so I did, and in that moment, I was given an episiotomy, and my son was born.

The best part about his birth, was my baby. Everything else, I’d gladly forget.

My Home Birth

My second son, was born at home with a midwife resent. My pregnancy was so much more positive. I was a healthier, happier, fitter, and more focused me.
I met our wonderful Doula, and our plans for a homebirth began.
This pregnancy was a journey of healing for me, where I revisited the hospital birth of my first son, and picked every second of it to pieces, eventually coming to terms and peace with it.

Our midwife was brilliant, lovely, warm, and accepting of our birthing choices, she seemed as excited as I was that a baby was arriving, and made me feel like the only woman in the world to birth, as well as connected to every other birthing woman.
Each month, my antenatal visits were in my home. I saw the same midwife, and student midwife, and chatted about my concerns, or plans over a cup of tea. I never felt rushed, and I always felt listened to.

The whole pregnancy I felt surrounded by support. My lovely doula listened to my concerns, and helped me chat through them, she provided me with books and resources to ensure I felt empowered and knowledgeable, and recommended books to help me make healthy choices.
Despite the support, and encouragement, while I felt safe birthing at home, I was never able to visualise the birth of my child. I could never picture in my mind’s eye, him arriving into my arms.

The evening of his birth, I felt edgy, and nesty, I couldn’t get comfortable, and all of a sudden, the birth that I hadn’t been able to visualise was forefront in my mind. I knew our baby was arriving, and I relished the idea that I was about to birth, and I was going to do it in my dining room, with my husband and son present.

The contractions began, I put on my special birthing necklace made by lovely friends, and climbed into bed to see if I could sleep a bit. As the contractions got stronger, I danced around my bedroom, moaning a little, and chatting to the baby in between. Pretty soon, I was convinced I was in labour, so I woke my husband up, who instantly began fetching heat packs, and re-inflating our birthing pool.

Together we began to get a bit excited, and a bit nervous. The contractions hurt, but they were never bigger than me. My doula arrived, and sent us on a walk around the block, as we walked I clung to my husband through the contractions, and breathed. It was surprisingly cold for February, and i couldn’t stop shivering, so we came home. In the dark of my lounge room, I lent over the couch, as my doula encouraged me, rubbed my back, and I ate chicken sandwiches. I managed to laugh, and even sleep a little.
Then my labour ‘really’ began. I bounced on a fitball, and squatted through each contraction, trying to mentally welcome them. At some point I went to the toilet, this was the only point in my labour I was fearful, because for whatever reason, my contractions were unbearable whilst I was on the loo!

Then, bliss of all bliss, my doula suggested I get into the birth pool. The warm water was delicious on my back, and all of a sudden, my mind relaxed, and I remembered I WAS HAVING A BABY, and I was FEELING my own labour.

My wonderful midwives arrived, and snuck silently into the house, asking permission before they checked the baby’s heart rate, or checked me. Other than that, they sat and held my hands when I needed it, and helped me work through each contraction. my doula, my Midwife, and my amazing husband kept me grounded, kept me moaning nice and low to the baby, and held my hands through each contraction.

Labour progressed pretty quickly, and there were moments where I felt I couldn’t continue, but as the contraction passed I was relishing the fact I could feel MY BODY working. Apparently this was so noteworthy; my midwife included it in my hospital notes.
Then, it happened, that feeling, that “urge to poo” sensation – I got to experience it, every bit of it, as my body began to push my baby out. I could hear myself making new sounds, but wasn’t in control, something bigger than me was bringing my baby into this world, I wasn’t afraid, I was birthing.

And then there he was, arms, legs, open eyes, and a cord thicker than I’d ever seen – looking up at me in the water of the pool. I scooped him up, I had done it. I had BIRTHED my baby. It was him, and me, and the whole world didn’t matter for a moment. We’d done it!

My little baby and I sat in the pool, we breastfed, and snuggled, and got to know each other. His cord remained attached until it stopped pulsing, then his daddy cut it. I birthed the placenta in the pool, and ate a sandwich, and a delicious hot, sweet cup of tea.

Looking back, I don’t regret my first birth. I did the very best I could with the knowledge I had. My homebirth was so healing, and so empowering, that for months afterwards, I felt like queen of the world. It was wonderful for my husband too, and he has become the world’s greatest homebirth advocate. You can see his story here!

Often touted as something to be feared, perineal tears are a common, and sometimes unavoidable hazard of giving birth. However, tears do heal, and they are something you can actively minimise.

The routine use of episiotomy, is unncessary, especially when it is performed in the name of protecting the perineum. A natural tear, will go through skin, and many less layers than the episiotomy, which cuts through into the muscular layer.

A natural tear will often heal faster than an episiotomy, often not even requiring stitches.

Natural tears are often less painful than an episiotomy, whilst healing, on account of the fact there is less swelling, and less stitching (less layers to stitch)

Preventing tearing, or at least minimising it, is something you can actively prepare for.

Prior to labour, you can practise perineal massage, and oil the perineal area with olive oil after showering or specialized perineal massage oil.

Allowing your body the optimum chance to stretch slowly, will help avoid a tear. As the baby’s head is crowning, don’t push conciously - it will often come down, and go back up again, giving your perineum plenty of time fan out and accomodate the baby’s head. Breathing the baby out is often a

9lb 6 oz, intact perineum!!

technique taught to birthing women.

The hospital policy of coached pushing is a recipe for perineal damage. Especially when combined with supine positoning (flat on ones back, or with feet in stirrups)

Your best option is to trust your body, and go with it’s urges. Push when you feel the need, stay upright, and move as you feel you need to.

Chiropractic works on the principle that if the spine is functioning optimally, the body will function optimally. By removing nerve interference, chirpractic makes way for optimum health.

So it stands to reason, that a pregnant woman recieving regular chiropractic adjustments, will have a healthier body, to grow and birth her baby with.

Women assume that the “ailments of pregnancy” like fluid retention, and heartburn, are unavoidable unpleasant side effects of gestating. But this is not necessarily the case.  Regular adjustments will allow the body to do what it inately knows how to do, without the discomfort: that is, grow and birth a baby.

New research has again revealed that Chiropractic can assist in birthing-  by removing pelvic distortions, the body can labour and birth at it’s most efficient – the baby can present in optimal position, and the uterus knows how to contract effectively.

Women recieving chiropractic adjustments on average have  a shorter labour too. With the average length of labour for a first time mum being 9 hours.

A good article on this is here:http://www.pr.com/press-release/136771

Photo credit: Williamholling

A blessingway, or mother blessing, is the non-commercial “equivalent” to a baby shower. It’s a ceremony for a pregnant woman, to honour her transition into motherhood.

Traditionally, a South American ceremony, marking the transition of Maiden to Mother, blessingways are an opportunity for a mother to be surrounded by close friends and family who she trusts – and can gain wisdom from.

A typical blessingway might include ceremonies such as henna tattoos on the mother’s belly, a belly cast, candle lighting, a bead ceremony, or anything that is personal to the mother to be to honour her impending birth.

Like a baby shower, it’s a lovely opportunity to share good food, and good company, but that’s where the comparison ends. A blessingway, is focussed on the mother to be, and it’s her day to be pampered, and spoilt.

Here are a couple of ideas for blessingways, that pamper the mom to be, and are fun for the guests.

Bead Ceremony:

Each guest brings a special bead to the blessingway, and threads it onto a strap to make a necklace for the mother to be. It’s a nice thought to give a blessing or message with your bead as you thread it on, perhaps why you chose it, and it’s significance.

Candle Ceremony

Each guest brings a candle to the blessingway, and the labouring woman lights it when she is in labour, to be surrounded by positive and loving energy.

OR

The mother to be provides each guest with a candle to light when she goes into labour, so their thoughts are with her from afar.

Quilt Ceremony

Each guest brings a piece of fabric, or quilt panel to the blessingway, and together they lay out a quilt design to be sewn together. It’s nice if someone other than the mother to be has the responsibility of sewing the quilt!! So it’s a lovely gift.

The wonderful thing about a blessingway is, it’s so personal to the mother to be – so if she’s crafty, centre the activities on that. If she’s a gardener, plant a commemorative garden, if she’s a cook – bring food (that said, it’s nice for guests to bring a freezable meal for after the birth) If she’s musical, compose a song. Use your imagination.

Photo Credit: embodied yes

Pregnancy induced hypertension is often cited as a reason to induce labour,  in medicalised birth. It can be argued that the occurence of a gentle rise in maternal blood pressure, is a naturally occurring and necessary function of the body in order to birth.

However, maintaining a healthy blood pressure, and a healthy pregnancy are a sensible idea. So what strategies can one implement to ensure that their body is in optimum health?

• Engage the services of a reputed Chiropractor, to eliminate any nerve interference.
• Practise relaxation, and deep breathing techniques
• Excercise gently, and regularly
• Eat a healthy diet – try the Brewer Diet
• If this is  your second or subsequent child, consider breastfeeding throughout your pregnancy
• Engage the services of an accupuncturist.
• Indulge in pregnancy massage (Massage has been shown to dramatically lower blood pressure during pregnancy, and it feels divine)
• Corn Silk tea has been shown to assist with Pregnancy Induced High Blood Pressure simply brew the silks from a corn cob, as a tea.
• Visualization of perfect blood pressure

1. Download the installation file(s)
ContractionTimer.zip

2. Extract the installation files

3. Run Setup.exe. This will install any prerequisites if necessary.

4. Once the prerequisites are installed you will be presented with the installation screen

Press next

5. Select the installation folder and who on the computer can use it. You can keep these the same as the defaults.

Press next

6. Press next to confirm the installation

7. The install program will now install the application

8. Installation is now complete and you can press close

Installation is now complete and you can now run the program by going

Start > Programs > Contraction Timer > Contraction Timer