Balanced Essential Living Midwifery, LLC

As a homebirth midwife, I get to see the beauty of God’s design day in and day out. On the rare chance I am with a client who chooses a hospital birth, or my client has to transfer into medical care for one reason or another, or a client comes to be for a subsequent pregnancy after being traumatized or dissatisfied with her previous hospital birth, I am always shocked by how much God’s design for birth has been hijacked by the medical world. It has forced me to reflect on h

By: Christine Russell, CPM Pain Relief Movement/Position Changes – As your baby moves through your pelvis, you will find different positions soothing at different times throughout labor. It’s helpful for the progression of labor to change positions at least every 30 minutes and to empty your bladder every hour or so to help baby’s descent into and through the pelvis. Find a position that feels good (or at least better) to help you cope with the pain of the contractions. Rel

By: Christine Russell, CPM How to Labor Continuous or intermittent monitoring In a hospital setting, you will have continuous monitoring, unless you ask for intermittent, and only if your provider is willing. Most continuous monitors involve wires from 2 electrodes on your abdomen hooked up to a machine next to your bed to monitor your contractions and your baby’s heart rate. This forces you to mostly stay in bed, or if the wires are long enough, possibly be standing or sit

By: Christine Russell, CPM Types of Birth Vaginal – a birth where baby exits through the vagina Vaginal Birth with Mechanical Assistance – baby is still born through the vagina but with the assistance of either forceps, vacuum, or Odon Device (a sleeve that goes around baby’s head as a gentler way to assist birth). Surgical – a birth where the baby is removed from the womb through a surgical abdominal incision through a Cesarian Section or C-section. A C-section can be plann

By: Christine Russell, CPM Provider Options No Provider (free birth, unassisted birth) – This option is often chosen because of previous birth trauma, but it provides the least amount of safety. It is true that about 80% of births left to their natural process go smoothly without any complications. However, it is very difficult to predict the 20% that will need some kind of assistance. As a midwife, knowing all of the skills needed to intervene in that 20%, it’s terrifying

By: Christine Russell, CPM To understand the why and the purpose and direction of this series, start here. Understanding Birth Settings Home – Women are typically most relaxed in their own home due to their normal comfort items/spots/foods being accessible to them as they labor. Obviously, if a woman is afraid of labor, then home could be scary for her without all of the medical supports she believes is important for labor. Most midwives carry all of the medical equipment n