dolphins go natch

A meditation on ideal breech birth:

Ina May and Breech Birth in the NYT

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/27/magazine/ina-may-gaskin-and-the-battle-for-at-home-births.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

A surprisingly unabashed admiration piece on Ina May Gaskin and the Farm.

Bruno the footling breech baby, two years on

Bruno has just turned two.  He still likes to keep one leg free for kicking.  He is a voraciously social little man, speaks both English and Portuguese, and loves penguins and firetrucks best of all.

A beautiful frank breech homebirth (NSFW)

The Breech Homebirth of Annaka Faith

 "This is a video of a successful, beautiful breech home birth. It is not intended for younger viewers or anyone not wishing to see an actual live up close and personal birth."

Thanks to Sarah Jelmeland for the link!

Researchers in Tel Aviv advocate for a return to vaginal breech birth

Breaching the Breech Protocol: Researcher Advocates Returning to Old-School Methods for Delivering Breech Babies
"Published in major obstetric journals world-wide and presented recently at the Canadian Congress on Breech Delivery, Prof. Glezerman's research indicates that breech babies are no more at risk during vaginal delivery than C-section, and there is reduced morbidity and mortality for the mothers. Based on his findings, Prof. Glezerman is campaigning worldwide for a return to skilled vaginal delivery of breech babies."

The Power of Birth Language

bringbirthhome.com/guest-writers/the-power-of-birth-language

"If you are wondering if your midwife/doctor will let you do something, consider examining why you, as an intelligent, empowered adult, need permission to do something your body already knows how to do. If you think of the birth process as a delivery, consider questioning why you frame it within the context of that language."

Portland Tribune article on midwifery care compared to OBs

http://www.portlandtribune.com/opinion/story.php?story_id=126946379588406800

"Choosing your type of birth provider is a critical choice in your care. Oftentimes, parents spend more time researching and picking out nursery décor than they do choosing a provider who meets all their needs. For some women, an OBGYN is the right type of provider and for others it is a midwife."

Ina May Gaskin on Footling Breech Birth

Midwifery Today has some great clips on youtube of Ina May talking about breech:



and



Enjoy!

why labor is good for babies

pregnancy.about.com/cs/laborbirth/a/aa042300a.htm?r=et

facts supporting trial of labor before a c-section.

c-section birth story: a healthy baby isn't all that matters

http://www.cafemom.com/journals/read/870028/A_Healthy_Baby_Isn_t_ALL_That_Matters

a very touching take about one woman's journey to informing herself about birth. thanks to sharon muza.

unassisted childbirth

ever worry that a homebirth is risky? this is one of the resources that i remembered when i was in labor, halfway dilated, and realizing that i couldn't have a midwife present. positive stories like these are what pregnant women should be hearing about, instead of all the crazy worst-case scenarios that we're routinely fed. www.unassistedchildbirth.com

Interview Questions for Breech Delivery

An excellent questionnaire to help you choose a provider from Jodi Rockwell, breech mama

more breech links, videos, and info

wonderfullymadebelliesandbabies.blogspot.com/2009/10/heads-up-part-deux.html

thanks to Sharon Muza of New Moon Birth, and to Jodi for the link.

Brazon's birth story - on loan from Jodi

Brazon the Brazen Breech
Mother: Jodi Rockwell, www.jodirockwell.com
Doula: Sharon Muza, www.newmoonbirth.com
Acupuncturist: Patrice Hapke, www.acupuncturebliss.com
Delivering Midwife: Jennifer Gallardo, www.waterbirth.net

At 25 weeks, the ultrasound technician casually mentioned the words “in the breech position.” A sense of panic rushed through me; I caught it before it surfaced. It is early. This is common. Most babies turn at 35 weeks.

come hear two breech mamas talk about their natural births

Jodi Rockwell, who had a frank breech baby this summer, and I will be speaking at the upcoming ICAN meeting (the International Cesarean Awareness Network’s Seattle Chapter). 7-9 pm on Monday, the 14th of December at Dragonfly Holistic Healing in Fremont, 760 N. 34th St., Seattle, WA 98103.

icanseattle.wordpress.com/ican-seattle-monthly-meetings/

Resources for Breech Birth

here are the primary websites that helped out when i was looking into my options with a breech baby. i'm dividing the list into four sections:
1.where to go
2.birth stories
3.discussions of breech delivery
4.extended resources (other sites that combine the three categories above)

a footling breech story in Midwifery Today

www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/footlingbreech.asp

a touching story by a midwife who was born breech, discussing her own birth and some of her clients' experiences.

bruno's breech homebirth

Here is my own breech story: my son was born on the 18th of August, 2009 at our apartment in Seattle, weighing in at 7.12 pounds, and 21 inches long. He was footling breech (coming out leg-first) and since we couldn't find a midwife in Washington State to care for us, we planned on driving to Portland to give birth. My labor was very efficient, so we never even made it out the door and had a beautiful surprise home birth. My husband and my mother helped me to catch the baby, and Jesica Dolin, our Portland midwife, was on the phone to give us support. Click here to read Bruno's birth story.

Spinning Babies' post on the breech conference in Ottawa

Spinning Babies Blog: Coalition for Breech Birth Conference

with lots of lovely links!

defending a woman's right to natural childbirth

the intent of this blog is to provide information and options to women who are pregnant with breech or other "high-risk" babies. when i was pregnant and found out that my child was breech, the only option that i was initially given was a scheduled c-section. after two weeks of lamentation, i finally found a supportive community and discovered my options for natural birth. i learned that carrying a breech baby was not "high risk" as i had been led to believe, and that i did not need to surrender to what i considered my worst-case birth scenario (a cesarean) without first giving my body the chance to prove itself. i spent the last weeks of my pregnancy intensively educating myself on the risks and benefits of natural breech birth, and my baby was born footling breech at 41 weeks, in a 5-hour natural, vaginal labor with no complications to mother or child (you can read the birth story here). i would be happy to talk or meet with you to discuss my experiences and your options. you can contact me by the email found in my profile page.