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WHAT IS A GENTLE BIRTHING EXPERIENCE?
From Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper, RN
Compiled by Andrea Eastman, MA, CCE, IBCLC for Gentle Birth Alternatives
"A gentle birth begins by focusing on the mother's experience and by bringing together a woman's emotional dimensions and her physical and spiritual needs. A gentle birth respects the mother's pivotal role, acknowledging that she knows how to birth her child in her own time and in her own way, trusting her instincts and intuition. In turn, when a mother gives birth gently, she and everyone present acknowledge that the baby is a conscious participant in his or her own birth. The experience empowers the birthing woman, welcomes the newborn child into a peaceful and loving environment, and bonds the family. The goal of gentle birth is to reclaim the wonder and joy that are inherent in the beginning of a new life."
"A gentle birth takes place when a woman is supported by the people she chooses to be with her during this most intimate time. She needs to be loved and nurtured by those around her so she can feel comfortable and secure enough to follow her natural instincts. A birthing woman must be trusted so she can in turn trust herself, her body, her partner, her baby, and this process of giving birth. Her intuition must be respected. During a natural gentle birth, a woman feels and senses the power of the birth and uses this energy to transform every part of her own being. A gentle birth is not rushed. The baby emerges at its own pace and in its own time, received into the hands of those who love and recognize it for the divine gift that it is."
SUGGESTED INGREDIENTS OF A GENTLE BIRTH
PREPARATION
A REASSURING ENVIRONMENT
FREEDOM TO MOVE
QUIET ATMOSPHERE
LOW LIGHT
OTHER INGREDIENTS
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