Post Natal Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Babywearing ...

Editorial 2Alba’s birth 4Ela’s birth 5Post Natal Depression:Jane’s story 8Leslie’s story 9A personal view 10Fiona’s story 10Aftershocks 12Wounded mothers 12PTSD 14Double Take 15Breastfeeding: 17Feeding twins 17Babywearing 18Book reviews 21Thanks and acknowledgements 25Timetable (week-at-a-glance) 26Notice board and contacts 27Activity listings 28Editorial Team:Nadine EdwardsDaisy DinwoodieKim BradieAndrea BalzariniEditorialIf time flies for you, as it does for us,you may not have noticed that there hasnot been an issue of Birth and Beyondfor some time. This is because Birth andBeyond is planned, collected, edited,proofread, and produced on an entirelyvoluntary basis. But, it is of great importanceto us that it continues to be producedon a regular basis. We receiveexcellent feedback that it is a source ofvaluable knowledge and contains arange of views and experiences thatdeepens our understandings about pregnancy,birth and parenting. It providesfeedback to health practitioners andcommissioners of maternity servicesabout what local women and families findsupportive and unhelpful during childbearing.Our editorial team has had to focus onother aspects of the Birth ResourceCentre, but we have been joined by Kim,Vroni, Daisy and Molly, and thank themfor their help in finally getting this issueto press. Sadly for us, Molly left for herhome country soon after her daughter'sbirth, but we wish her well. We are sureshe will enjoy and appreciate the supportof her family and friends back home inthe States.We continue to be appreciative andhonoured that women and their familiesmake time to continue to support theBRC in so many different ways . TheBirth Resource Centre could not functionas it does without the practical supportand goodwill that it enjoys (see page 25).And equally, we appreciate and feelhonoured that women continue to contributeto Birth and Beyond, sharing theirstories, suggesting resources, and writingso passionately, honestly and articulately.Thank you. Even when stories area joy to write, we know how busy yourlives are. When stories are distressing ittakes courage to retell them.As ever, we receive your birth storieswith delight. Many women tell us howhelpful it is to hear reflective stories whichcontain within them the many ways thatwomen meet the challneges of theirlabours. As Raquel and Yifat tell us,preparing in ways that make sense toyou can dispel fear, inspire confidence,increase inner strength and provide practicalsupport for journeying throughlabour and birth: that movement,mantras, focusing, breathing and havingtrusted companions who know yourhopes and concerns, can all be invaluable.We thank you for your deeply movingand insightful accounts and agreethat Ina May's Guide to Childbirth(reviewed in a previous Issue) is particularlyinspiring.This issue of Birth and Beyond focuseson two themes: depression and trauma,and breastfeeding. It is of course byno means exhaustive or definitive aboutthese. But we hope that the informationwill be helpful and that the insightful personalexperiences will provide supportand reassurance. As Fiona Armstrongsuggests in both her personal article andher book review, hearing others' storiesand knowing that we are not alone arecrucial in beginning to heal, when whatwe experience is not what we expect,and can be deeply underminingand frightening. As Fiona's, Alison's,Sophia's, Jane's and our anonymouswriter's stories tell us, finding someonewho listens, someone who does notjudge, or someone who has been therebefore is invaluable, no matter what weare experiencing. This may be an NHSpractitioner, a friend, a counsellor, someoneat the BRC: the list is potentially endless,but finding that supportive, listeningperson, with the knowledge and skills tohelp sensitively is, for many of us, crucialto begin healing and crucial to achievingour ideals. And sometimes, as our otheranaonymous write tells us, time is a healer.One of the issues we hope to shedlight on is that antenatal and postnataldepression, and postnatal trauma mayarise for different reasons, may feel different,and will need different kinds of support.Michelle's short article may helpwith this. Depression and trauma are verydifficult issues, but we hope you willagree that talking about them may helpboth those who experience them andthose who might be in a position to help.They are also very complex, which Benigaddresses when she suggests that experiencesof birth may awaken and collidewith previous life experiences. At theBRC we are very concerned about how2 birth&beyond

Alba's birthIt was 1.30am. It was still three weeks before my due date.Andy and I had been out for a big dinner in our favourite Italianrestaurant, Vittoria’s, and we were both very stuffed and tired. Iwoke up with a wet patch, and I said to Andy, “Look, do you thinkthis could be the waters?”. “Oh, no!” said Andy, “you must havepeed yourself, you know, baby pressing on your bladder”. So Iconvinced myself baby wasn’t coming yet!Well, after that I couldn't go back to sleep. I had a bit of a soretummy and thought it was a combination of indigestion and theexcitement of the nextday as it would be my lastday at work! So, I justwent to the living room,had some tea, read mySpanish novel, dozed onand off…Then at 6:30 in themorning I had a show andthe contractions started. Istill didn't quite believe Iwas in labour as I hadlately had lots of ‘BraxtonHicks’and the first contractionswere very mild.When I finally woke Andyup he believed me thistime, and after cuddling infor a while he encouragedme to phone the hospitalfor advice. I phoned my Little Alba, happy to be in the world at 3 days old.Mum and Dad first anddescribed the pain, anddiscovered that both I and my brother were born around 20 daysbefore the due date!My mum told me that she had gone with mild contractionsthrough the whole day and so I should try to move around andlive a normal day. At this point I was still convinced I would manageto go to work for my “surprise” leaving party!Then I phoned the hospital and they asked me how far apartthe contractions were. I just said every seven minutes withoutreally knowing! They told me to phone again when I had themevery three to five minutes.At this point Andy started faffing around wanting to find a stopwatch, then wanting to plot a chart to monitor the contractions,then wanting to record a tape of thumb piano music for me torelax in the labour ward... meanwhile I was throwing up with pain,dancing, pacing up and down, staring at a candle, crouching onall fours... and so on.Anyway, it went very quickly and by 9:45am we thought weshould leave as the traffic was now calmer; then it dawned onme that I had to sit in the car for 45 min! Oh, no! I couldn't faceit! So at this point Andy was very helpful and sweet: he reassuredme a lot, put big cushions on the back seat and gave me my eyemask to help me be in darkness and focus. He also remindedme to concentrate on slow breathing. So I travelled on all-foursin the back seat, hugging the big cushions! During the journey Istarted to feel the urge to push! Imagine! “Only 20 more minutesto go!” said Andy.During the car journey I felt I wasn’t there; I was totallyimmersed inside myself. It was at this point that I really felt somuch in touch with my baby and my own body.When we finally arrived at St. Johns Hospital, they did the routinecheck up to monitor the heartbeat of the baby and so on...only they couldn't find the heartbeat! They asked, "Has the babybeen moving?”A comment like that would have put me off in early labour, butat this point I knew the baby was arriving and it was all fine,except that the midwives hadn’t realised this yet.They said they had to put something on the baby's head tohear the heart, meanwhile I was having massive contractions andthe urge to push. They then saw that the head was coming! Ahead of hair!So, we quickly went to thelabour room and that wasit! Before encouraging meto push, the midwives hadto go through the procedureof asking if I wantedan injection for expellingthe placenta. I said thatI’d rather do it naturally.They replied by sayingthat it can take up to twohours of more pushing…Then I looked at Andy as Iwas in too much pain totake decisions and heasked: “Is it necessary?”,“No” they said,”but it isfaster”. So Andy said“well, it is not race, wewould rather not have it!”I was happy we had talkeda lot about the birth andAndy knew exactly what my feelings were.They didn't have time to run the water pool for the birth as Ihad wished, but it was beautiful anyway as I didn’t need any painrelief drugs and I was able to choose the position I wanted forthe pushing stage. When I was pushing, what really helped mewas Andy massaging my face with a wet cloth and also myMum’s comment which I used as a mantra, “One of these pushesis going to be the last, and baby will be here!”I arrived at the hospital at 10:30am and Alba was born at11:40am. It was amazing to be totally there, mind, body andspirit, pushing my baby out into the world, as we say in Spanish“Dar a luz” - “Giving the Light”.I had skin-to-skin contact for a long time, as I was waiting toexpel the placenta naturally. Alba started to feed from my breastthere and then 10 minutes after been born - it was very beautiful.It really made me feel at one with Nature!After a while of cuddling Alba, I suggested that I changed positionto go on all fours to see if gravity would help me push theplacenta out, but the midwife seemed to think that this wouldn’thelp. Then after one hour the midwife went to check with thedoctor and came back to say that if I didn’t mind he was goingto put in a catheter. “Why, and what’s that?” I asked. Sheexplained that it was a little tube to go into my bladder as thedoctor thought maybe my bladder was full and that was the reasonwhy the placenta wouldn’t come out. I said I would like totry one more time, and I asked her to hold Alba whilst I went onall fours. So as the doctor was coming down the corridor withthe “little tube” I had the placenta out in one push. It was mucheasier than the pushes to get the baby out. “How did the doctorknow what I needed if he hadn’t even seen me?” I thought.4 birth&beyond

love to leave her be as long as she wanted to stay inside, but itwas really getting dangerous for both of us because of the pressureon us. If we wanted to have an amazing birth together, itwould be worth for her to start making a move.That was the introduction, now for the story itself…Tuesday evening the contractions started. I only felt them inmy lower back. We went for a walk, I had a rest, communicatedwith my baby, told her how I was feeling and how proud I was ofher dealing so bravely with the situation and doing her part in ourshared “project”. A few hours later the contractions became moreregular – about every 10 minutes. One or two hours later again Ihad diarrhoea and the time between contractions came down toabout 4 to 6 minutes. Excitement kicked in, but I wanted to savemy strength for the birth. The back pain never stopped. I couldnot sit or lie down, only stand up. I stood in the shower and duringeach contraction Eric pressed on my pelvis. Knowing that thecontractions would be harder to deal with later on, I wanted Ericat least to get some sleep. I managed alone for 3 or 4 hours, thenwoke him up as the contractions got stronger. We decided it wastime to call our two birth companions. They arrived at ours andstraight away the world looked much rosier. I felt all wrapped upin love – maternal, feminine and masculine. Those three were justincredible. I felt like the most beautiful, beloved and sanctifiedwoman in the world. I should probably mention our birth companionshad a lot of first-hand home birth experience. One is afriend with knowledge about using homoeopathy during pregnancy,labour and post-natallyand the other my yoga teacher and a big supporter ofwomen’s right to give birth as they choose. Both went out of theirway to support me during the pregnancy and birth, after I askedthem. For me they are angels and I will always be thankful tothem.Dealing with the contractions was much easier than I thought.The only difficulty was the back pain, which remained throughoutand made it impossible for me to relax between contractions,even for a second. I could not sit or lie down. I wanted to be onall fours in the birth pool, but also wanted to hold off until I wasdilated enough to prevent any risk of the pool slowing thingsdown. My waters broke and there was some meconium staining,as we had been told there probably would be. However, this waslight staining from old meconium (the community midwives laterconfirmed this), so we did not worry about it. Soon after that Ericcalled the community midwives. Two midwives arrived. Theychecked the baby’s pulse, which was fine. Everything looked fine,except that it was getting harder to deal with my back pain andexhaustion as I could not get even the shortest of breaks. Laterthe contractions got very close together. The midwives examinedme and told me I was fully dilated, so I got into the pool.My birth companions and Eric took turns pressing on mypelvis; I could not stand any interruption of this, even for a second.While one person was pressing on my pelvis, the secondwould be in the kitchen talking to the midwives and the third infront of me, encouraging me, breathing with me and giving me todrink. The fact that they took turns was good because it helpedme keep a sense of time, and because I could get a different kindof support and attention each time. During the contractions I didn’tthink about anything, I just let things happen and went withthe flow. I felt close to myself and to my baby. I never thought“when will it stop” or “how far dilated am I” – I just enjoyed thesupport, breathed and roared like an animal. Nadine’s suggestionto say “oooooopen” over and over again in a low voice reallyhelped me (Eric says: low voice – hmmm – sounded more likescreaming the house down to me J). I felt myself opening – a feelingof sanctity, of being close to God, to a higher force. I am allwoman, nothing else. I was born, and now I am giving birth.At some point I felt my body starting to push the baby out. Fora while I pushed hard, then my yoga teacher asked me if I feltsomething coming down and going back up. I didn’t, eventhough I pushed as hard as I could, without fighting it and withoutworrying about releasing any “solids” into the pool in front ofthe others. I felt that something was wrong. One of the midwiveschecked me again and told me that the baby’s head was tiltedbackwards and that’s what caused the back pain. She also said Iwas only 9cm dilated after all, and that the cervix was swollenaround the baby’s head. I had to hold back until I was fully dilated.I got into the knees-chest position to fight the urge to push,relieving the pressure of the baby’s head until I was ready. After awhile I couldn’t hold back and be in that position anymore. Thatwas the only thing I could not manage. Throughout the labour Iwas able to remain in tune with myself and with all of creation, tolisten to my body and do as it told me to, but now suddenly I hadto do the exact opposite! I just couldn’t do it. This was my weakpoint.The baby’s pulse was still fine, but the midwives talked moreand more about transferring to hospital. (Eric says: I had a talkwith the midwives in the kitchen. They told me a part of the cervixwas still there, swelling and getting stretched out but not movingout of the way. They said it was possible to move it out of theway, but that they could not do this at home as the risk of serioushaemorrhage was too high. I asked what would happen ifwe stayed put with no medical intervention, and they answeredthat Yifat would probably get totally exhausted, or in the worstcase, end up with a ruptured uterus. That’s when I said fine, let’sgo back into the room and talk about transferring.) They lost theirconfidence and could no longer give me what I most needed –optimism. I was able to suppress 6 or 7 out of every 10 contractions,but the others got through. I became scared of hurtingmyself or my baby. The midwives said that an epidural wouldrelieve the urge to push. They called an ambulance and we wentinto hospital. Arriving there was horrible. Suddenly I was theguest, and they could decide who could be with me and whocouldn’t. Everyone talked about me being overdue, whichannoyed me and made it harder to fight the urge to push. I triedto ignore everything around me and visualise my baby. Ericseemed very worried and helpless. He held my hand and tried toencourage me. They did not let our birth companions come intothe hospital room for about an hour. An interminable half hour later(or one hour after the decision to go to hospital) the anaesthesistarrived. After a lot of talk and jabbing around for veins in bothmy hands to insert a drip, I got the epidural. An obstetricianchecked and confirmed that I was fully dilated and pushed mybaby’s head back. They put the monitor belts on and each time acontraction came they told me (I could not feel the contractionsafter the epidural) and I pushed as I had learned to before. After afew times my baby’s pulse started dipping and some amnioticfluid came out, stained with thick fresh meconium. At that pointthey gave up on the idea of a natural delivery and insisted onusing the forceps. They also stopped telling me when I had contractions.We went to the operating theatre. Only Eric was allowed tocome in with me. On the way to the theatre, Lyssa suggestedthat I talk to my baby and explain to her what was going on. Thathelped me a lot. I did not feel the actual delivery at all and thatwas quite sad for me.When the baby was born, they held her up for me to see for asecond and then took her off to resuscitation straight away. Ericwent with her, and the hospital staff agreed that Lyssa couldcome into the theatre now to be with me. That was absolutelyessential as I cannot possibly imagine staying behind alone insuch a situation. I had a feeling that everything was going to bealright, but I could hardly wait to hold my baby. Lyssa gave methe warmth and protection that I needed. After a while Eric6 birth&beyond

eturned with the baby on his arm, tears in his eyes and a bigsmile. He laid her down on me and was very excited each timeshe gave a cry. She looked around with curiosity. We went in toanother room and within a few minutes she started to feed – agreat joy for both of us to be re-united.Although it did not go exactly as we had wished, I now knowthat I can deal with labour without any drugs, and even enjoy it,given the right kind of environment and support. I know I did itdespite not getting even a second’srest for twenty hours. Iknow the different kinds of contractionsand I know that nexttime around I will be able toexperience what I imagine to bethe most amazing part of all:pushing my baby out into thisworld. This experience hasstrengthened me a lot and gaveme more confidence and pridein myself, my baby and my husband.I am planning to have mynext baby at home (and makesure that the midwives in attendancewill be more skilled). Ericsays: Other dads probably saythe same but you really can’timagine how proud I am of Yifatand our little baby daughter forhaving mastered this difficult situationso well. No really, youcan’t. I’ve always known thatYifat has a lot of strength in herEla southing herself.but in the event it still surprised me when it came out to the surface– especially once we got to the hospital and it became clearthat things were not going to go quite as we had hoped for. I alsocannot thank Lyssa and Nadine enough for all the support theygave us – that was just as important for me as for Yifat.More than a week past the NHS due date, I felt that Yifat wasgetting upset from the pressure to induce, so I decided to workfrom home until the birth. All that stress just because of somenumber on a piece of paper! We saw a number of different communitymidwives, two of which were much more supportive andunderstanding than the rest. Let’s give credit where credit isdue: Alison McWalter and Patricia Bell. You two are brilliant,thanks for everything.At the weekend we went to watch the fireworks that mark theend of the Festival, hoping that our baby would not be able toresist such a spectacular welcome – but she clearly had otherplans. When Yifat’s contractions did start it felt like somethingvery delicate, to be shielded and protected. We had unpluggedour phone and switched off our mobiles the day before and keptit that way, except for calling Lyssa and Nadine, and (deliberatelymuch later) the community midwives. The entire time we were athome was very comfortable and felt like a kind of celebration.Yifat was very alert. When she was in the pool, after standing upfor many hours and not having got much sleep, the midwiveswere holding a mirror into the water to check if they could see ahead coming out. They did not tell Yifat what they were doing,thinking she would not know what was going on behind her.What a mistake! “What do you see? Tell me!”, she said.Hospital was a different world. First we lost Lyssa and Nadinefor more than an hour. That meant it was no longer possible totake turns pressing on her back – the hospital midwives did notsee this as part of their job. Then there was the long wait for theepidural that was supposedly “ready for us” and going to solveour problems straight away. Ela’s heartbeat was fine throughout,but once the epidural was in, she became distressed and ourhopes for a “nearly natural” birth faded quickly. It was a series ofsetbacks. At the end all we wanted was just to avoid a caesarean.Yifat stopped being scared and became calm and collectedas she pushed Ela out, while the obstetrician turned her headaround with the forceps.When they carried Ela off to resuscitation, her body wasn’tblue, but her limbs were completely limp and she was not breathingat all. They put an oxygen mask onher and suctioned her airways. Someof the mucus was difficult to get outbecause it was so gooey. Once I wasallowed to touch her, I put my handher stomach and started talking to herto encourage her. I think I was bawlingand blabbering away like crazy. Ihave no idea how long we were inthere for and how much danger shewas actually in, but it seemed a longtime until she started breathing, andeven she still needed extra oxygen forquite a while. Every little noise andmovement she made was a hugerelief. Whenever she cries now, I’mhappy beyond words that she canscream so nice and strong! In casesomeone up there is listening: it wouldbe nice if I did not have to go throughanything like that again in my life.Having said that, being there was stillmuch better than being outside, notknowing what’s going on. Once Elahad started breathing, I asked one of the hospital midwives to letYifat know, and she told me she had already done it. That’s oneof the most thoughtful and considerate things any NHS persondid for us. I don’t remember this midwife’s name but she is very,very nice and I would like to thank her.After Ela had had her first feed they wanted to keep her in theneo-natal unit for observation. After some lengthy conversations,and with Ela looking increasingly healthy, we were able to keepher with us. However, soon after that they wanted to transferYifat to a shared room with three other mums where dads arenot allowed overnight. Yifat threatened to go home, with hercatheter still attached and all, unless they found a way for me tostay with her. We got some spiel about how there was a shortageof one-woman rooms, which was sadly lacking in truth – Iwent for a walk along the corridor and saw lots of empty rooms.In the end, someone probably bent some hospital rules and wegot a room to ourselves. Lyssa and Nadine left us to get somewell-deserved rest. Yifat was exhausted but she noticed straightaway that they had taken away the blue folder with our casenotes, which had been with us throughout the pregnancy andbirth. We found out that the hospital keeps these and we’d haveto go through a whole complicated process just to get a copy.Why do people put up with this? As I write this, we still haven’treceived it and as a result there are a few details of the birth thatwe’re still not quite sure about.The night turned out to be a sleepless one for me as I keptchecking that Ela was breathing (and probably annoying her quitea bit in the process). Next day was one long struggle to get thecatheter taken out early, get all the checkups over with, get Elato feed, and generally get out of the hospital as soon as possible.I think we got home around 7 pm. What a relief!Ela is now nine weeks old and I still haven’t writtendown everything I wanted to say about her birth, so I guess Ibetter leave it here.Yifatbirth&beyond 7

Post Natal Depression4 women’s experiences: Jane’s storyThe following is an exerpt from SaraWickham's 2006 book, Midwifery:BestPractice, Volume 4 published byElsevier. The Best Practice series bringstogether some of the best publishedarticles from midwives and others fromthe midwifery journal, PractisingMidwife, along with some original work,including a chapter written by some ofthe women who run and who have usedthe centre entitled The Birth ResourceCentre: a Community of Women. SaraWickham’s site can be viewed atwww.withwoman.co.uk.For many years I suffered from severemental illness. I was suicidal and wouldregularly self-harm. I was offered beds inpsychiatric wards in three different healthauthorities as we travelled about the country;offers we never accepted.We wanted a child, so, contrary toadvice from the medical profession, weaccepted the so-called risks and decidedto start trying. I was approaching 35 yearsold and we felt we had wasted too muchtime simply waiting for me to get better. Icontinued to take medication for my illness,although we knew it was potentiallydangerous, but I think neither my husbandnor I believed I would ever become pregnant.It happened surprisingly quickly. I immediatelystopped taking the tablets, andwanted to know if taking medication for thefirst 3 weeks of my pregnancy could havecaused any problems. Nobody seemed toknow (or care).As I entered the second trimester, mymood began to sink lower and lower.Severe antenatal depression set in. I wasseeing a succession of different people formy antenatal appointments and care wasbased around the physical aspects ofpregnancy. How could I begin to unpackmy mental health history to a completestranger?Things became so bad that the GP andpsychiatrist recommended that I go backon the medication. They believed my mentalstate was more threatening to myselfand the baby than the risks of abnormalityfrom the drugs. With support from my husband,I refused, although every day felt likea lifetime and I just wanted to escape frommy own mind.During this time I began attending NHSparenting classes. I will never forget thetone of the first class. It went like this: birthhurts, really hurts, this is what we can doabout it … drugs leaflet handed round.Someone asked about natural childbirthand was informed that only hardy, stalwartindividuals did that. At the end of the sessionI spoke to one of the midwives andexplained a little of my situation. She suggestedI opt for a nice easy birth with anepidural, as traumatic birth has beenshown to increase the risk of postnataldepression. This made sense to me and Idecided to take the advice.I did discover at these sessions thathealth visitors were available to supportwomen antenatally. No one had offered meanything other than drugs before. This wasto be my turning point. My health visitorhad previously worked as a midwife andgave me a whole afternoon of her timeevery two weeks. When I was 26 weekspregnant, she brought me a flyer for theBirth Resource Centre. “I think you shoulddo some classes here,” she said. “Theyoga would be good for you, I think itwould help.”Nervously, I called the number andbegan to attend class every Wednesdaymorning. At each class we began byintroducing ourselves, then we performedgentle yoga-based exercises and relaxation,as our facilitator gently told us to listento our bodies, do what felt right, andtune in to our babies. After this, we had teaand talk. Someone in the class usually hada question, an issue to discuss or a parentingbook they had read, and we learnedfrom each other while the facilitator skilfullyand imperceptibly deepened knowledge ordispelled myths. Women who had givenbirth returned to show off their babies andtell their stories. They were eagerly questionedand their experiences added to ourknowledge.Gradually I realised that I was relaxedand happy during these classes. I wasParenting?Pregnant?In the everyday course of events, we get on with life without needingprofessional assistance, however, things come up which can de-spiritor disorientate us, resulting in feelings of helplessness or hopelessnessand we can “get stuck” or feel trapped.Sometimes the changes women experience around the time ofpregnancy or while parenting can be unexpected and/or frightening.From my experience as a mother, midwife and counsellor I have foundthat talking to someone who understands can help.I have been meeting women at the centre since January last year .My approach is based on Personal Construct Psychology (PCP),a practical and optimistic psychology which involves finding out howpeople make sense of their personal world. I work to build up apicture of each person and how life is from where they are standing.From there we can work together to see how things might beimproved.I welcome anyone who is experiencing distress of any kind at thistime. Those who come to see me may have as many or as fewsessions as seems apppropriate, there is no need to commit to comingfor a fixed number of sessions.For more information,please call Jo or Jenny on 229 36 67or Jenny can be contacted by email tocounselling@birthresourcecentre.org.uk8 birth&beyond

eginning to trust my body and my baby,and it was then that I realised that anepidural as first resort would not be rightfor me. I had learned of the risks associatedwith epidurals: how could I spendmonths trying to protect my baby to thenexpose him to unnecessary intervention?With this revelation came the need tobirth in an environment where natural birthwas supported and valued. Our maternityhospital had a normal delivery unit staffedonly by midwives. I spoke to my GP andsaid I wanted to be booked there. I wasinformed I was too old and I could have anormal delivery on the main labour ward.With my newfound confidence I phonedthe normal delivery unit myself. I spoke toa midwife who said she would be delightedto book me there. With my husband’sfull support and belief in my ability to birthmy baby, I began to feel calmer and, asforty weeks approached, I felt serene,powerful and whole.My labour was calm and beautiful. Icouldn’t stop smiling as I welcomed eachcontraction. We were really going to havea baby. We drove to the hospital and, inthe normal delivery unit, with soft lights anda single midwife, I travelled to my innermostbeing and birthed our first baby inconsciousness and strength.And the power of this glorious birth hasachieved what no doctor could. I now havethree beautiful children and have neversince taken any medication for mental illness.The BRC was crucial, in that I would nothave had that birth without the BRC, andwithout it it’s impossible to predict whatwould have happened. I feel that I’ve gotmy whole family to thank the BRC for. Thesupport I had from the BRC compared tothe support I had from the system washuge. It helped my relationship with mybaby, with my husband, with my whole life.This community of women has alwaysbeen there for me, validating me andvaluing me.Jane CreweLeslie’s story (not her real name)My second child was born onto my bedroom floor in her bagof waters. We stared in disbelief for a few precious moments -below the silvery skin of the amniotic sac a little face smiledserenely, buddha like. The midwife pierced the membranes andpassed me my baby - a daughter. Suddenly the calm vanished asour little one roared her first roar and my sister entered the room,jaw dropping in complete shock that a baby had arrived and droppingan armful of equipment - that was never needed - to the floorwith a clatter.After such a swift and easy labour and peaceful birth whocould have predicted what followed? The days following the birthwere as any new mum would experience; highs and lows,although looking back I see some subtle differences to my firstpostpartum experience. The day after the night she was born Ispent resting, but after that I refused to stay in bed and I rememberfeeling irritated to the point of distraction by the clutter andmess that built up around me. I was furious at those around mefor not seeing the dust and dirt. I was angry and dismissivetowards those who suggested I might forget about the houseworkas I had just given birth. I had expected a boy and althoughI was thrilled to have a little girl I cried bitterly for the boy I felt Ihad somehow lost. I didn't want any visitors, and I resented thepresence of anyone who had "just popped in" or any arrangementsthat were made to have people in.Breastfeeding was the first really big low. I had breastfed myfirst child for 10 months but I had experienced incredibly sore,cracked and bleeding nipples for the first 8 weeks....... it graduallybecame apparent that this time would be no different. My angerengulfed me. had been so sure that feeding would go smoothlythis time and I just couldn't understand it. I searched the faces ofthose I knew loved me and begged the midwives for answers butnobody could tell me what was going wrong. I ploughed on, andfelt as if I was wrestling some terrible beast to be able to bondwith my child. love flowed easily when I held and cuddled herand the connection was deep when I looked into her eyes butevery time she cried for a feed my body tensed up, I cried in anticipationof the pain and I had to resist a mild feeling of resentment.Whilst feeding became established and I accepted the difficultieswould go in time, at about 3 weeks postpartum I realised thatmy anxiety levels were shooting through the roof and that I wasincreasingly feeling more sensitive about certain issues. My eldestwas reacting badly to the arrival of a sibling and I was convincedthat this was my fault. I hadn't prepared my child for this; I was abad mother. I wasn't handling the situation well; I was a badmother. I resented my eldest child for making it difficult to havespace and time with my baby and I resented my baby for changingmy relationship with my firstborn forever;I was a bad mother.For around six months I hid my terrible thoughts from thosearound me, and I became very insular. It was a dark grey place. Ilost touch with friends and aquaintances and stopped going out.I was less anxious about life if I felt I was in my own environmentand so it became unusual for me to venture very far. So we all buthibernated;myself, my toddler and my baby. Everyday my heartsank as my partner left for work and I knew I another day layahead of trying to keep a lid on my feelings of anxiety and depression.I was plagued by tension headaches.Then one day, it was like I saw myself from the outside, and Icried all day at what I saw. I realised how low I had become and Ihated myself for it, the final layer of anxiety was an over-ridingfeeling of guilt at the damage I might be doing to my children.I recognised many of the symptoms of depression, but I wasinitially unable to admit that what I was suffering had anything todo with the postnatal period. I visited my GP with my own diagnosis- a thyroid condition. She agreed to test my thyroid levelsbut gently floated the idea that I might have postnatal depression.When the results came back they were borderline, she asked meto return in 6 months for another test but said nothing more onany other subject. One month later I went to my health vistor totell her I wasn't sure I was coping and might be depressed. Shereassured me that I was a great mum and I was doing fine. Shedidn't listen. She offered me fortnightly visits which I declined as Icouldn't see how that would help.Around this time I began to have very vivid dreams and daydreamswhich were so real, almost like hallucinations. I saw myselfbeing hurt and dying and one particular image which stays withme to this day was me swinging from the ceiling. I didn't reallywant to hurt myself or die but on some subconcious level thesedreams and images existed and were terrifying. I began to searchfor help.It was in an issue of Birth and Beyond that I found the numberfor the Postnatal Depression Project, I had no idea what to expectbut I rang up and asked for some information. What came in thepost was a breakthrough - a leaflet listing the symptoms for PND.I was astounded, relieved and pretty horrifed to be ticking everybirth&beyond 9

ox on that list. I called the number for my nearest centre (theyhave 3) the next day and made an arrangement to come alongand chat to someone.9 months after the birth of my daughter I was finally able totalk to somebody who understood my feelings and experiences.It was like the floodgates had opened and I cried with relief andgratitude - some of the feelings of lonliness and isolation andmuch of my paranoia began to unfold and recede almost immediatlelywhen I realised that 1 in 10 women struggle with PND. Afteran initial assessment it was suggested I have one to one counsellingonce a week, my children would be cared for by the crecheprovided by the project. One of the most important things I wantto get across is that you can self refer to the project as I did. Nohealth professional offered me details of the fact that thisresource existed and I can't help but wonder why and feel slightlyaggrieved. How many women are ignored, offered antidepressantsor become seriously ill without being given the informationor help that could change their lives?It took a long time for me to feel completely better, almost ayear, but I will be forever deeply grateful to the wonderful womanwho listened and helped me work through my illness. ThePostnatal Depression Project saved my life.LeslieA personal viewOf late I've noticed these drug advertisementsthat pop up on Yahoo. There's apicture of a woman looking sadly off intothe distance, silhouetted against a darkbackground. Who suffers from depression?I think the ad asks, and as you readthis, her children giving her a worried lookfade into the background. That's me, lostin a circle of worries, sadnesses, until myolder child brings me round with a start,repeating the question he's asked andlooking at me with that particular look ofworry that I don't want to settle on hisshoulders.It's funny, friends every now and then,when I've confided I am going to art therapysessions, sidle into the conversationtheir curiosity. In one way or another theywant to know what the symptoms are.How do you I qualify to be postnatallydepressed? I wish it were as tangible aspurple spots. That way I could definitelychart my progress. Instead of definitelyfeeling better, definitely feeling my bounceback, telling friends confidently so, findingthe coincidence of a few stressful factorsbrings that confidence crashing downaround my ears. It's worrying, the implausibility,the unbelievability of this fragility.I'm filling out job applications now andwonder if I'm lying when I fail to acknowledgethe status of my mental health problem.I don't know how, but oddly it is gettingbetter. The one year anniversary of B'sbirth and I did feel a mile marker, like I hadmore of my brain back, was more solidlyknitted together. Watching him stand at adistance from me, having walked there byhimself, some of me I've been straining togive him recedes back into myself, rests,becomes part of my reserves again. Iguess the one metaphor I have is that of aflower. When you give birth you open uplike the flowers of a petal. But flowersdon't have to pull themselves back intobuds. It's as if all the extended petals didn'tfold back in properly, some got bentout the wrong way and were left exposed,the others crumpled badly and don'tstand together properly.When I'm sad, it's not purely aboutthis. All the past wounds and hurts, theyare what I dwell on, what I wear day in dayout, what I can't see beyond, what I can'tbelieve myself beyond.But it is getting better. I've painted andscratched and scribbled some anger,some hurt, some opening out and closingin, drawing concentric circles until theyseem real, seem like they will hold. Andspring has happened. I've taken somerisks and been rewarded, done somework and been acknowledged, watchedmy children playing together, playing taground and round and round me sitting inthe middle smiling, glad to be able just towatch.I would never want my children to readthis and know I'd written it. How differentthan most of the birth stories I've read inthese newsletters! But there may besomeone else out there who will read thisdisjointedness and recognise it, feel recognisedwithin. If it helps lift just one layer ofa shadow, lessens the feeling of beingalone by one degree, then it's worth it.When I told my health visitor howdeflated I'd felt by some of the mum andbaby groups I'd been to – how better kittedout and able to cope all the othermums seemed to be, she told me, butthey'll be feeling just the same inside. Iwonder .....AnonFiona’s story:A personal account and what helpedI suffered from postnatal depression (PND) after the birth of myfirst child in 2000. She was a much wanted child, and my pregnancywas the most exciting and special time of my life, yet soonafter her birth, I began to experience a whole raft of unpleasantfeelings. I often felt low and exhausted, I felt I was a bad motheras my baby cried a lot, I desperately wanted to run away and Ifound it hard to be alone with her. It worsened at 6 months as Istopped breastfeeding, when insomnia kicked in and I foundmyself increasingly unable to cope. I was put on Prozac, and whileit helped with my sleeping, it made me worse in many ways, asmy anxiety levels soared and my mind wheeled from one terriblescenario to the next.While my GP was good in many ways, I found her unhelpful inher impatience at my difficulty in coming to terms with the label ofmental illness and my slow road out of denial about it. It had takena huge amount of courage to start taking antidepressants andI needed more understanding as I struggled to cope with what itmeant for me. Looking back, she also failed to realise that while10 birth&beyond

the medication helped with my most difficult symptom, inability tosleep, it had heightened my anxieties, and overall my mental statewas not really improving.I have no doubt that this is a problem with the system ratherthan the individual doctor, as my depression was being dealt within a 10 minute appointment once a month in the middle of a busysurgery. This time constraint means that the pressure is to simplywrite a prescription for the most likely looking drug, and there isno time to explore the issues or to go deeper with someone whois putting a brave face on things.I reached crisis point one lunchtime when my daughter wastwo, when I considered methods of suicide and had reached apoint of near collapse. Amongst it all, my mind was functioningon two separate levels. While it seemed that my mind was fragmenting,there was a core of clear thinking which made me pickup the phone, and call for help. My husband came home, a differentGP came out to see me at home and at last the mechanismsfor real help were activated.I was put on a different drug, Venlafaxine. Use of this is nowrestricted as there is a concern about heart disease, but I think itsaved my life. I was given a community psychiatric nurse (CPN),given sources to find counselling, and referred for cognitivebehaviour therapy. At this time my daughter started a part- timenursery place, and this gave me space for myself which I had nothad in 2 years, and also gave me the time to go to counselling,which I did every week for a year.Life changed its course at this point. I had had the unerringsupport of my husband and of friends. The constant help andsupport of one close friend in particular I will never forget; shehelped me through the darkest days when I was exhaustedbeyond belief and could not be alone. However, I was at a pointwhere I needed professional help, and this at last I received.My health visitor came round several times, and though shewas a kind lady and tried to help, she was much better at talkingthan listening, and overall I found her visits exhausting.My CPN, on the other hand, was a great help. He visited meevery week to begin with, then fortnightly, and seemed happy tolisten to whatever I wanted to talk about, as well as making mefeel that what was happening to me was really very ordinary. Thismatter-of-factness, compared to the hushed, concerned tones ofsome other people, helped me to feel normal, and his sense ofhumour was a relief.My counsellor, at Wellspring in Leith, was wonderful, giving mea weekly space to cry, to rail at the world, to talk. She helped meexplore all the issues that were seething below the surface forme, utterly non-judgemental and sensitive, but once I had madeprogress, firm in her refusal to let me slip backwards again. I knewit was time to stop when I simply ran out of things I wanted to talkto her about.This counselling is not available on the NHS, and cost £35 perweek, though Wellspring is a charity and offers reduced rates forthose needing them. I needed therapy then, and not 6 monthslater, which is when my NHS referral for cognitive behaviour therapycame through. I decided not to have it then as I had a goodongoing relationship with my counsellor, but have had some at alater date. It was helpful in dealing with specific issues, but what Ineeded back in 2002 was some in-depth counselling, and that iswhat Wellspring offered me.Antidepressants are a very useful part of the overall picture,but there is a tendency to use them in isolation for so manywomen with PND, as resources are so stretched, and drugs areeasy and cheap compared to hours of talking therapy. However,it strikes me as sad that it is necessary for a crisis to be reachedbefore there is even a mention that there is more help possiblethat just taking the tablets. PND is part of a health visitor’s remit,but how good they are seems so variable, and I wonder just howmuch training they receive in this sensitive area. There is no substitutefor skilled psychiatric specialists and counsellors, and thereis a real need for these to be more widely available.Fiona ArmstrongBoth Wellspring and the Birth Resource Centre offer affordablecounselling. Wellspring can be contacted on 0131 553 6660 orhttp://www.wellspring-scotland.co.uk/Contact Jo or Jenny at the Birth Resource Centre 0131 229 3667or If you would prefer to contact Jenny directly, you can e mail herat counselling@birthresourcecentre.org.uk.Independent Midwivesin Lothian/BordersNatasha McDonaldand Carrie McIntoshProviding holistic, one-to-one midwifery carethroughout the ante-natal period, birth andpostnatal up to six weeks.We provide continuity of care for women andtheir families wishing to birth at home and arehappy to facilitate water birth.Please contact us to dicscuss your needs:We Natasha: 01875 818858/ 07812155248Carrie: 07890 842514,www.mcmidwives.co.ukBirth ConsultancyDoula Preparation~ embracing the spirituality of childbirth ~pregnancy nurtureconscious birthpositive parentingAdela Stocktonwww.birthconsultancy.orgadela@birthconsultancy.org01387-740356birth&beyond 11

Copyright www.caesarean.org.ukAftershocksDebbie Chippington Derrick, who had a HWBA3C (home water birthafter 3 caesareans), shares the emotions that hit her after the birth ofher niece. This article first appeared in AIMS Journal Volume 19 No 1 2007.Yesterday my brother’s partner gave birthto their daughter in their own home, andmy brother texted me from his bed lyingnext to his sleeping daughter. I shouldhave been able to receive this news withpure joy, but I am finding it impossible toaccess that joy through the tears andanguish that I have been left with from myown births.I cycled to school with my beautifulHWBA3C son, his long hair streamingbehind him on this beautiful windy morning,but my view of this was hazy as thetears streamed down my face, not thetears of joy for the new baby that hasarrived in our family, but my tears of sorrow,my own self pity; self pity that I trulyresent.It is nearly 21 years ago that mydaughter, my first baby, was born; whatshould have been a purely joyous event,but has been permanently marred by theinept and over medical mess that is ourmaternity service. My two eldest son’sbirths were hideous, when they couldhave been beautiful. Even my triumph of aHWBA3C, over 11 years ago, a reallygood birth, certainly in comparison tomost births, was not what it should havebeen because of the impact of medicineon birth. I want to scream out for whatshould have been.This morning I have been brought backto wanting to go and see every personthat was involved with causing me thistrauma; the midwife that would not supportthe home birth I wanted with mydaughter all those years ago; those thatlied to me and told me I could not have ahomebirth after a section; that I wouldhave a better chance of a VBAC if I wasinduced when I went more than 10 dayspast 40 weeks; and the stream of peoplewho physically interfered with me in thename of medicine. I want these peopleand others to know the impact of whatthey do to women during pregnancy andbirth, these effects last a lifetime, they arenot something that I will get over, this issomething that will continue to come backto haunt me.I am left to think what a mess I wouldbe now if I had not given birth to my thirdson, my fourth baby, if I had been connedinto further totally unnecessary surgery. Istruggle to contemplate how I would havecoped with never having given birth, neverhaving pushed a baby from my body,the way I should have done all four times.There is a lot of talk about treating birthtrauma, but that only helps you to live withthat trauma, for it not to dominate yourlife; it does not take it away. The wrongsthat have been done to me can’t be putright. Yes, helping those who have sufferedbirth trauma is crucial, so that peoplelike me can put their lives back together,perhaps not the way that they shouldhave been, but in a way that they are happywith most of the time. However, theonly way to fully address birth trauma isto stop it happening in the first place.Postscript: I am lucky that I havelearned how to defuse these emotionswhen they hit me. I know that writingabout what I felt was therapeutic and I amprivileged to have the support of manyother women that understand what I havebeen through; sadly many of them understandbecause they have experienced thesame trauma. I am also fortunate to havefamily that have taken the time to understand,which has not been easy for themeither. I was able to access support andpour out my emotions, this allowed me topull myself out of this emotional pit withinhours, something that I know I could nothave done alone.Debbie’s account of her three caesareans andher HWBA3C, Perseverance Pays,was published in the AIMS JOURNAL,VOL 8,NO 1, SPRING 1996.Benig Mauger discusses healing and loss of soul in childbirthWounded MothersA difficult birth often resultsin emotional wounding inboth mother and baby.Such ‘soul’ wounds are oftenoverlooked.‘The contractions suddenly came non-stop and I had no chanceto catch up and adjust to the excruciating waves of pain. I panickedand just could not stop screaming, and then when the babygot stuck I heard them say, “Get the forceps,cut her!” It felt like an attack.Afterwards, there was blood everywhereas if a murder had taken place.’Having a baby can be experiencedas a deep trauma as the words ofthis mother testify. She felt violated,demeaned and disempowered. It wasn’tthat giving birth was the problem; itwas rather that she felt traumatised byhow she was treated during her childbirth experience. My bookSongs from the Womb tells many women’s birth stories; theymake harrowing reading. Following such a birth, Emma had flashbacksand nightmares. When no one listened, she gradually withdrewinto a world of her own. She gained a child, but she suffereda devastating soul wound.A difficult birth often results in emotionalwounding in both mother and baby.Such ‘soul’ wounds are often overlookedbecause we have been taughtthat having a baby is a potentially hazardousphysical experience to be managedby medical professionals. If weemerge from the experience, relativelyphysically intact, with a healthy baby,then we have no cause to complain. Butmany of us do. Soul wounds can take years to heal. In our modernbirthing practice, preoccupation with the physical aspects ofchildbirth can mean overlooking the emotional, particularly the12 birth&beyond

negative psychological effects of highly medicalised births. Theinevitable focus is on making sure that a healthy baby is deliveredof a healthy mother. The medicalised management of childbirthand our technological advances are designed to make our liveseasier, but is there a cost?I believe there is. Technology, last time I looked, has no soul.Neither does the medical institution, which is based on the divisionof mind and body and has turned birth form a natural eventinto a technological feat. And since, as human beings, we aremade up of body and soul, mind and matter, and so much more,how can technology or medicine ever even come near to understandingthe mystery of modern life?Soul wounds are part of life and can propel us into healingpainful experiences necessary to our spiritual growth. Indeed thisis often what happens when a birth wound is activated. Theexperience of childbirth in this way can be a catalyst for healing.However, in an age where the same technological advances haveshown us that the unborn baby is a conscious, feeling being, anunderstanding of this does not lessen each person’s responsibilityin ensuring the incoming soul of a warm, loving welcome. Thepsychological impact not only of birth but also prenatal life is welldocumented by now. From research and studies in ante and perinatalpsychology we know that not only what happens in thewomb and at birth, but also at conception, is grafted into the psycheof the child, creating patterns that are carried into later life (1).And if the mother feels wounded, so does her child. No doubtbeing catapulted into life at 32 weeks in a traumatic way hadsome part to play in leading me to study psychology and writemy first book Songs from the womb. This experience informedme so that as a mother, antenatal teacher and later as a therapist,I was acutely aware of women’s disillusionment with themedical management of childbirth. Knowing the unborn andnewborn baby’s exquisite sensitivity meant questioning some ofthe practices that have become the norm in hospitals.People ask me, “Why is it so vital that women experience agood birth?” The answer is simple. Birth is a child’s initiation intolife and giving birth is every woman’s birthright. The desire to havea good birth experience is so basic as to be archetypal, whichmeans it is in our nature. So that when this doesn’t happen, itcan have devastating consequences, with both the mother andher baby bearing long lasting psychological scars.At the same time that I was involved in childbirth, I discoveredthe work of Swiss psychologist Carl Jung. He talked about ‘lossof soul’ and described it as a spiritual malaise afflicting modernman. He believed that in many ways we have become alienatedfrom our archetypal natures. Archetypal patterns possess a numinousenergy that exercises a strong influence on our lives. Denialof the archetypal dimension puts us off -kilter. Giving birth andbeing born are archetypal experiences of great spiritual and emotionalsignificance. However, modern medicine strips nature of itsspiritual dimension, dismissing soul and wounding mothers andbabies. When a birth is experiences in this way, it can propelwomen into trying again in an effort to ‘get it right this time’.Birth is a soul experience that for many of us is potentially profoundlyhealing and transformative. Most women want to experiencethe birth of their child as a fulfilling, joyous and creative act.Again, this is archetypal and universal. All too often this is deniedthem, since the psychological and spiritual dimensions of the birthprocess are largely unacknowledged.In my therapy room I see bruised, depressed and traumatisedwomen, battling to come to terms with an experience that falls farshort of what birthing their babies should have been. Thesewomen are wounded mothers. Often the hurt they experienceduring the birth of their child touches on other hurts from the past,which formerly lay hidden in their unconscious, or in the darkestcorners of their hearts. They are wounded because instead ofexperiencing joy in the birth of new life, they feel pain. Depressed,they may find it hard to feel love for their child or others close tothem. Or they may feel love, but it will be tinged with pain.Healing birth wounds is essential to recover a sense of innerwholeness and most particularly to create fulfilling and empoweringbirth experiences in the future.How can we heal birth wounds?We should remember that there is a collective as well as a personaldimension to human experience so that in healing the personalwe also heal the collective. We should also remember thateach person’s experience is unique to them and that each healingprocess is different. In the personal section (below), I have outlinedmy therapeutic approach, which most women have foundeffective in helping them heal from such birth wounds.On the collective level:We must empower pregnant women and return birth to parentswhere it belongs. Pregnant women, taught that birth is a technologicalfeat to be managed by professionals, are often disempoweredand alienated from their innate, instinctive ability to give birth.We must restore full choices in childbirth so that women cangive birth according to the dictates of their bodies. We need tofree the instinctive feminine.Healing the collective mother wound means reclaiming thefeminine in our culture so that childbirth is perceived and manageddifferently. It means reinstating the neglected and woundedmother archetype.On a personal level:Healing means listening to the lost voice of your soul. Be preparedto listen to your soul needs. Working therapeutically meansgiving voice and form to the unconscious by writing, recording ofdreams, painting, movement, telling your story to others, and havingit heard (therapy).Take responsibility for your healing process. Take your healthand well-being into your own hands. Although anger towardsthose who you consider to be the perpetrators is appropriate,remaining a victim to it will imprison you.Remember that what you don’t feel you can’t heal. Your willingnessto suffer and endure the wound will bring you, in time, tohealing. Try and clear a previous birth wound before giving birthagain. If pregnant, dialogue with your baby; remember and holdto your heart the amazing resilience of the human spirit in the faceof adversity. Keep your heart open and trust that your soul knowsthe way.When you come to give birth again, trust your inner wisdomand choose your place of birth carefully.When we understand our birthing challenges as spiritual tasksof empowerment, it both heals and frees us. Healing will happenwhen there is an awareness of the emotional and spiritual significanceof the birth experience. When birth attendants realise andhonour both the exquisite sensitivity of the unborn and the sacreddimension of giving birth, and combine technology with soul, wewill have a new model of birth, empowered yet vulnerable.This Article first appeared in AIMS Journal Vol.19 No.1, 2007Reference1. Raphael-Leff, Psychological Processes of Childbearing in Mauger, B.,Healing the Wounded Mother P.70.Benig Mauger is a Jungian Psychotherapist, writer, lecturer and pioneerin ante and perinatal psychology. She has a private practice, teaches andruns workshops internationally. Benig is also author of Songs from theWomb – Healing the Wounded Mother and Reclaiming Father –The Search for Wholeness in Men, Women and Children.For more information, please view: www.soul-connections.combirth&beyond 13

My Experience of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after ChildbirthMichelle BarnesPost Traumatic Stress (PTS) is a set of normal reactions to atraumatic experience. Reactions such as dizziness, feeling faint,elevated blood pressure, feeling numb or dreamlike, fear, denial,irritability, anxiety, intense anger with self or others, poor decisionmaking, panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, tearfulness/emotionaloutbursts, sleep problems, and reluctance to talkabout the event or wanting to talk about it all the time etc.Sometimes stress reactions appear immediately after theevent, sometimes days, months or even years later. Only if thesesymptoms persist for more than a month is it referred to as a disorderand called PTSD. The Birth Trauma Association(www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk) provides support and adviceto women with PTSD after child birth. With understanding andsupport stress reactions have been found to pass more quickly.After the birth of my son in September 2003 at times it felt likeI was going mad. I have since discovered that PTSD is a psychologicalphenomenon, and an emotional condition, from which it ispossible to make a full and complete recovery. I was not goingmad but I did require specialised help.Unfortunately, giving birth turned into an event that shatteredmy deeply held beliefs about hospitals being safe and benevolent.The months that followed were the worst of my life whenthey should have been the best.Following a traumatic, potentially life threatening event thebody is in chaos. It takes some time for the brain to accept thatthe danger has passed. It took months for me to accept that myson wasn’t going to die and over 2 years to discover that he wasnever in danger in the first place. It was like a dark cloud washanging over me and I was worried and anxious about everything.I heard fireworks outside and it filled me with dread, I couldn’teven watch television and had to keep turning the sound down.I was obsessed with good hygiene and became tense and onedge if visitors came and wanted to hold him. Even though I wantedto protect him I was unable to bond with him because myemotions were numb. I lost my appetite and people even commentnow on how quickly I lost weight. Everyday it felt like I wastaking one step forward and two steps back, the smallest taskwas a struggle.By the time the Health Visitors came I was too scared to sayanything because I felt that bad I truly believed I might have to goback into hospital, or that they might try to take my baby awayfrom me.Luckily and not uncommonly the severe symptoms spontaneouslysubsided after a couple of months. I have sincecherished every moment with my precious little boy and the bondwe have is truly amazing. Luckily I found AIMS and through themthe Vaginal Birth after Caesarean E-Group http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/ukvbachbac/. Both have given me the muchneeded information, emotional support and encouragement tohave another baby.I am currently working with a local Maternity Forum Group andSheffield Maternity Services Liaison Committee. I and another ladywho suffered PTSD are lobbying to get the Trust to provide PTSDpsychological support. We hope that if the Trust is made to payto repair the damage they’ve caused they might start to look attrauma prevention as a more cost effective solution. I am also inthe process of writing a book about PTSD after child birth. I amhoping to raise awareness of this serious condition of anxiety, andensure women get the immediate help they so desperately needafter a traumatic birth. For further information or to make a contributionplease email: mmmbarnes@blueyonder.co.ukFor further information, support and self-help in surviving traumavisit www.traumatic-stress.freeserve.co.uk.AIMS Journals available from www.aims.org.ukJournal Vol 19,No 1 - Birth TraumaIn this Journal - Guest EditorsMichelle Barnes and SarahStenson introduce this issue,Jean Robinson asks 'Where dowe go from here?', Michelle talksabout her PTSD after childbirthand her emotionally healing secondbirth, and Sarah tells us why'disappointment' trivialises theimpact of traumatic birth whilstMavis Kirkham in 'TraumatisedMidwives' discusses why mothersare not the only casualties ofthe system£3.00Journal Vol 18,No 2 - BreastfeedingIn this Journal - BeverleyBeech reviews the uphill battle tobreastfeed in a modern society,we report on Nestlé exit from thePerrier Award for Comedy, andtheir involvement with Body shopand Jean Walker questionswhether our society undermineswomen's ability to breastfeed bypromoting early weaning, additionalfeeding with artificial milkand over emphasises weight.£3.0014 birth&beyond

Vroni HolzmannDouble TakeThe Double Take programme enables mothers to meet other newmums and share their problems, as well as the chance to receivea professional portrait of their baby. There is also the opportunityto learn about photography and by the end of the sessions theparticipants will skillfully take photographs of their own children."What is my future?", an exhibition shown at the OceanTerminal in Leith, featured photographs by Edinburgh-based artistVroni Holzmann, as well as statements about motherhood fromthe participants themselves. Vroni is a photographer, musicianand mum of one, and specialises in baby and child portraiture.Double Take has been short-listed for a Social EnterpriseDevelopment Award from Scotland Unltd. The photography forthis exhibition took place at the Birth Resource Centre.Vroni is keen to repeat the success of the Double Take project,andwould like to hear from women with babies or small childrenwho feel vulnerable for any reason. Participants may be incircumstantial difficulties e.g. very young mothers, single mothers,housed in deprived areas, medical difficulties or mothers whostruggle for personal reasons. Please call or email Vroni to noteyour interest if you would like to take part, or if you would like tosponsor a place in the project.Contact details:e-mail: doubletake@babyphotographie.comor call 0131 228 4373birth&beyond 15

BreastfeedingBreastfeeding for me felt like it started when I was pregnant.After an antenatal class I had a vivid dream where I was breastfeedinga cat (perhaps this was a sign of things to come)! When Iwoke up I had made some sort of connection and knew I wantedto breastfeed my baby.After a very long and difficult labour my baby was born byemergency caesarean section. I did not get to hold him straightaway. We had skin-to-skin contact in the recovery room but Iwas exhausted and emotionally detached. Soon after we weretaken to the post natal ward. It was upsetting and frustrating tohear him cry but have to wait on someone responding to a buzzerbefore I could touch him. The midwifery staff told me it wasimportant to change his nappy before I fed him. Although I askedthem not to do this, it was what they did, and so Luke was distressedby the time I got him in my arms. I fed him lying downand a bond began to form between us, it was such a warm feelingto watch my newborn relax at my breast. I knew little aboutbreastfeeding but instinctively felt we were doing okay and werelearning together.Two days postpartum, and having only just begun being ableto move on the bed myself, a member of staff came up to me andtold me I was “doing it wrong”. She told me to sit up properlyand then demonstrated how to hold my baby. My disability didnot allow me to hold Luke the way she proposed and so she saidit could not work and someone would have to latch him on forme. Having no experience or confidence and struggling to copewith the birth, I did not question this. I let her position my babyon me and from that point on asked the nurses or my husband toposition Luke whenever he was hungry. Very quickly I began tofeel sore and each feed became a distressing and painful experiencefor both of us. My nipples cracked and I cried as he tried tosuckle. I felt useless and humiliated. Not only had I 'failed' thebirth but I wasn't even able to feed this baby myself. By 6 dayspostpartum, feeding felt like torture and one of the midwivescalled the infant feeding specialist. Karla came to watch us feedand was very encouraging. She showed my husband how toposition Luke better but it was still agony. She left me her numberbut I didn't think I'd call her.Two days later the women in the ward who had arrived after mehad all gone home and the midwives started to ask if I thought Iwas ready. I didn't but realised that this was not working, and evenif they did not believe me capable, I had to try to feed Luke myself.I was able to walk about now and so next time he looked for thebreast I lay down like I had done in the beginning. It was sore, asevery feed now was, but was no worse than when the midwivespositioned him on me. Each time after that we practiced togetherand late that afternoon we were discharged from the hospital.Back home things didn't improve, Luke was feeding often, thepain remained acute, my nipples didn't get any chance to heal ...and then I started feeling unwell. I had developed mastitis (whichI'd never heard of). The number I thought I'd never use, I calledoften. Karla was very supportive and began to try to work withme to find ways that I could manage feeding on my own. Sheoffered advice on how to deal with the problems that were ongoing.She lent me a pump and, with that and medication, my nipplesbegan to heal and the mastitis cleared. However blockedducts and mastitis was something that I seemed to have a tendencytoward and although the pain lessened it did not go awaycompletely. I started to look on the Internet and read the booksshe lent me. One day the pain became much worse again, socrying I got back on the phone to say that it was useless, that thepain was worse and as much as I wanted to breastfeed Luke itjust seemed it wasn't to be. I went to the breastfeeding clinic atthe hospital and when Karla saw Luke and me she said shethought this new problem was thrush. We were both prescribedmedication but the pain did not improve. I spent time on thephone to Karla, and, increasingly time on the Internet looking foradvice. While my GP believed thrush could exist in a baby'smouth she did not believe that this could cause them problemsfeeding and she said there was no evidence to prove nipplethrush even existed. Fortunately between Karla's advice and acouple of informative websites I trusted that this could improve.My GP prescribed All Purpose Nipple Ointment (the ingredientsfor this I found in one of Jack Newman's online handouts) andFluconazole for both Luke and I on the request of my consultant.After weeks of pain, this medication started to work and thingsbegan to mprove.Luke was 8 weeks old before we felt we were really getting thehang of breastfeeding and managing to control the pain. Duringthe first 6 months I had repeat occurrences of blocked ducts andone more occurrence of both mastitis and thrush. The frequencyof my contact with Karla reduced but I continued to use theInternet and seek advice from a breastfeeding peer supportgroup. After 6 months there were many 'stages' to get through(distracted baby, introducing solids, biting etc) but on the whole ithas been an enjoyable and rewarding experience. It has givenLuke and me an attachment I don't believe we would have foundany other way, and provided an important connection during mypost natal depression. It also proved invaluable when he endedup very ill in hospital. It also got us through me returning to work,and many other situations.The next main challenge to our breastfeeding relationship happenedwhen I became pregnant when he was 17 months old. Iwas ill with hyperemesis gravidarum and was worried about continuingto feed my toddler while pregnant. I went back to theInternet sites I'd found useful before and found a couple of newones. I also called Karla again for the first time in many monthsand was reassured. My new baby is due soon and my toddleronly feeds once a day now. I have no idea what will happen toour breastfeeding relationship when the baby comes, nor whatthe new one between my new baby & me will be like. This timethough I will trust my instincts more and will look for help from theplaces I trust as soon as any problems arise. I have no doubtthat persevering with that initial bad advice caused many of theproblems that then took weeks to resolve.Being part of a breastfeeding support group has helped at allstages of breastfeeding. Initially for 'technical' advice then foremotional support for choosing to continue feeding my babywhen others had stopped (around 4 to 6 months among mothersI know). More recently being able to support other womenthrough their own experiences has been incredibly rewarding.I have also spent a lot of time reading and looking at various websites.Unfortunately I found it impossible to find a support groupfor disabled mothers choosing to breastfeed, this would havebeen most useful in the early days. The resources I found mostuseful and have returned to are.Alison McDonaldWebsites:www.breastfeedingonline.com/newman.shtml, www.lalecheleague.orgwww.askdrsears.com, www.kellymom.comBooks:Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League InternationalUltimate Breastfeeding Book of Answers, Jack Newman Md.Mothering Your Nursing Toddler, Norma Jane BumgarnerAdventures in Tandem Nursing, Hilary Flower16 birth&beyond

Breastfeeding Supportat the Birth Resource CentreThe Birth Resource Centre and La Leche League are workingtogether to offer information and support to breastfeeding mothersby hosting regular support group meetings. A trained breastfeedingcounsellor facilitates meetings on the second and fourthFriday of each month.On the second Friday, mothers meet from 1030 – 1230 for discussionson a range of topics like how breastfeeding helps mothersto meet their baby’s needs, how to overcome challenges, andstarting solids. Mothers with all ages of breastfeeding babies arewelcome. Come and bring your questions!Mothers with older breastfeeding babies often have differentquestions –, for instance what benefit does breastfeeding give mybaby now that she’s older? Or, how do I deal with criticism fromothers? On the fourth Friday each month, mothers with olderbreastfeeding babies meet from 1030 – 1230 to discuss their particularquestions and concerns.And if it’s a fourth Friday and you need help feeding your brandnew baby, come along – you’ll be in the company of a host ofexperienced mothers who will be happy to help!Karla NapierFeeding Twins“How are you feeling?” she asked as I wentinto the scan room. “Pretty tired this time,”I replied, “but I suspect that’s because thistime I’m running around after a 14 monthold toddler”.Little did I know. Five minutes later andshe turned to me again with “well we cansee now why you’re quite so tired – you’recarrying twins”.With that my world completely changed…. realising that life would never be thesame, three children under 2, would thepregnancy and birth be over-medicalised?How was I supposed to care for three childrenin nappies? What about the practicalthings – new car, double buggies …. thelist was endless.And since I was still feeding Phoebe atthe time, how did you manage to breastfeedtwins?Thankfully nowadays you have sixmonths from that scan to get used to theidea of twins and to read as much as youcan – while coping with an extraordinarilyheavy and tiring pregnancy. And so atnearly 39 weeks, I gave birth to Rhona andFreya at 9lbs and 8lbs 1oz! Rhona’s birthwas swift and wonderful, Freya got stuckand I needed a section. Three days later Iwas home, very anaemic, weak from thesection, with a 21 month old who didn’tknow what had hit her and two verydemanding, but thankfully healthily largebabies.Having fed Phoebe to 16 months, I wasdetermined to make a good stab at feeding.The midwives in the hospital werewonderful at encouraging me, trying toteach me how to do both at once, but alsodoing all they could to help me expressand therefore increase my supply swiftly.Rhona and Freya enjoying Mum’s milk.Rhona was plethoric (had too many redblood cells) so we had to get a lot of milkdown her very quickly, and despite the predictionsof the junior doctor I was determinedshe was going to get through thefirst week with no formula. So right fromthe start we were expressing like mad andfeeding with a syringe. It was hard workand the first night out of hospital I nearlygave up (to the point that I sent my husbandout to get some cartons of formulathe next day – we’ve thrown two away costhey’re now past their sell-by date and theothers are still on the shelf!).Teaching two babies to breastfeed isdifficult – you don’t spend nearly as muchtime with them, cuddled up, relaxing andgetting to know each other. Your time isspent simply surviving. The sheer exhaustionof the operation after the heavy pregnancy,the demands of the toddler and thefeeding demands of two took everythingout of me and I spent most of the time onthe sofa feeding one and then the otherthroughout the day. Each day was abonus, and each day I thought I’d be givingup before too long. If I hadn’t fedPhoebe I would have given up, the pain,the exhaustion, the feeling of being completelytied to the babies – but I knew itwould get better. The first six weekspassed with many tears, many frustrationsand many dark times, but then I began toget the hang of feeding both at once (andbirth&beyond 17

eating for Scotland – you need a phenomenalamount of food for feeding twins),although when I was very tired, which wasmost of the time, feeding two at once wasuncomfortable on my legs – you’re muchmore fixed with two attached at once. Youfeed them, they fall asleep and you’retrapped on the sofa cos you’ve got thiscushion attached around you, and if youtry to move one, you’re going to drop theother! You don’t get time for the relaxingfeeds – as soon as you’ve finished one,you have to put them down and deal withthe other (and then work out what to dowith your toddler!)How did I get through it? I gave myselfshort targets – at first I wanted to getthrough to six weeks, then I thought threemonths would be good, and then by thenI had been in contact with an old universityfriend who was still feeding her twins at12 months (with two other children) – thatinspired me, it could clearly be done … ifshe could do it, I could! That’s what I neededto keep me going.Soon after three months, I realised I hadgot to the point of dreading the introductionof bottles, everyone assumed we’d goonto formula at some point, as did I, butnow the idea of sterilising, mixing andworking out what you did with formulafilled me with panic – there’s enough to doin the day of a mother of twins withoutadding to it. And so it was easier to continuefeeding. The horrendous times, withtwo going through growth spurts at thesame time, or both screaming hungry butrefusing to feed, faded in my memory.Now nearly seven months, Rhona andFreya have still not had formula, they arenow getting too distracted to feed at thesame time, but have worked out how tofeed swiftly and efficiently. We haven’t hadso many of those wonderful times youhave with one baby when she feeds untilshe falls asleep in your arms, but lookingdown and seeing four identical eyes lookingup at you as they feed is an amazingexperience.And we’ve carried on expressingthroughout. My compromise to the twinswas to give them expressed milk at night– I hoped that this way they wouldn’t associatecomfort with night feeds, but primarilyit meant that my husband could feedone and I could feed the other – it was asociable way of doing the night feeds andit meant that no-one fell asleep till the end– feeding twins is very soporific! The constantexpressing has meant that my supplyalways outstripped demand which hasbeen a great comfort especially throughgrowth spurts.Breastfeeding twins is possible, itrequires even more food, drink and sleepthan breastfeeding one, it requires a firmcommitment and a lot of support frompeople around you – I would not have continuedif my husband hadn’t been so preparedto do everything to help, and friendswho told me I could do it. But in the longrun it is easier and nicer, and of course, somuch better for babies and mother. Twinshave so little mother-time compared totheir single counterparts, that I felt this wasa good way to ensure that they at leasthad some time to bond properly with me.Sophia MarriageGillian BaxendineBabywearingI sometimes think that what a newmother expects of her baby is driven bythe objects she is encouraged to buy him:a cot for sleeping in; a bouncy chair for sittingin; a pram and a car seat for travellingin. It can be frustrating when she finds outthat her baby hasn’t read the samebrochure; when she discovers just howmuch of the time her new baby wants tospend in her bed or in her arms. She maywonder how on earth she can get anythingdone. Part of the answer for me was tolearn the age-old practice of babywearing(the other part was to learn to get lessdone, but that’s a different article!).I have heard many descriptions of thisintense in-arms phase. Some people talkabout the “fourth trimester”, others of “ninemonths in, nine months out”. In Bali,babies were carried exclusively for the firstsix months of life and their six-month birthdaymarked with a “ground touching” ceremony.In Yucatan, Mexico, carrying wasso much part of baby care that there wasa special ceremony to mark the transitionfrom cradle carry to a hip carry when theinfant can sit by himself. What is beyonddoubt is that, until a baby is crawling andfreer to choose for himself where he goes,most babies will try to insist on being withtheir mothers or another beloved carer asmuch as possible. Few of us have the luxury- or patience - to spend more than afew days sitting in chairs with our babieswhile others maintain our homes and fetchus food and drink. But getting things donecan be very hard and the immediate reactionmay be to train baby to sleep and playalone as much as possible. There is acompromise to be struck between whatbaby wants and what you want, butSome people talk aboutthe “fourth trimester”,others of “nine monthsin, nine months out”focussing too hard on freeing your armsfrom your baby may backfire later on. Ababy who leaves your arms in his own timemay well be more independent and secureas a toddler than one who was pushed outahead of his own schedule.Think of the baby’s behaviour in thecontext of his experience. Inside his mothersounds from outside are muted, heardagainst the reassuring background of herheartbeat, breath and digestion. There islittle or no variation in temperature, light,smells or tastes and he need not worryabout eating or breathing – all that is takencare of. There is plenty of movementthough, as his mother sits, stands, rollsover, swims, dances. Even when she issleeping, he can still feel the rise and fall ofher diaphragm (perhaps this is why somany newborns love to sleep lying on aparent’s chest).Then he is born and suddenly the worldis full of bright and dark, loud or strangenoises, hot and cold, new smells andtastes. He has to learn to breathe, to eat,to see, to move his hands and a hundredother new things. Above all, suddenly, hismother can go places without him and hecan experience being uncomfortable, hungryand lonely. In time, he will learn that hecan have an influence on his experience;that his calls, smiles and movements willget results but especially in the earlymonths, he needs a lot of reassurance thatthe world out here is a manageable place.So what does a sling offer this newbaby? Something as close to the womb ashe can get. He is warm and secure, initiallywith his vulnerable chest and stomachturned in to his mother. The sounds andsights of the world reach him through the18 birth&beyond

safe surroundings of his mother’s smell,breath, voice and movement. When it getstoo much, he can fall easily and peacefullyasleep, knowing that he will not wake upalone. As he gets older, he can begin toexplore the world outside from the samesafe place – and more or less from hismother’s point of view so that he is intimatelyinvolved in her activities and conversations.There are less obvious benefits too.Dr Sears reports research which suggeststhat:• Close mother-baby attachment stimulatesthe baby’s adrenal hormones,which promote night sleeping and daywaking;• Close contact with mother’s voice regulatesbaby’s limb movements, teachinghim to move more purposefully as hesynchronises limb movements with theinflections of her voice;• Babywearing helps to develop thebaby’s sense of balance (the “vestibularsystem”) by constantly stimulating himwith forward/back, up/down and side toside movement.In short, babies seem to have been bornexpecting this kind of close contact and todevelop optimally when they get it.And what does the sling offer to baby’sparents – apart from a happy, secure baby,a significant benefit in itself? First of all, itvirtually eliminates the frustrating and timewasting effort of getting reluctant babies totake naps – and it can be used to get arestless or fussy baby to go to sleep atnight as well. You can take a nap yourselfwith a sleeping baby snuggled in a sling onyour chest. A baby in a sling will drift offwhile you are clearing up the kitchen, goingshopping, or just taking a relaxing walk inthe sunshine (or even the rain!). Once theyare asleep, you can usually carry on with asitting activity for some time before theystir (this article is being written with asleeping baby slung on my front). Thechances are they will sleep longer than in abasket, rather than coming wide awakethe first time they stir. With practice, it issurprising just how much you can get donewhile carrying a baby, although I continueto insist to my partner that washing up isjust too difficult… And at the risk ofappearing superficial, carrying a 4 or 5 kiloweight for a few hours every day can helpsignificantly with post-pregnancy weightloss and deliver a very well-toned pair oflegs!For fathers in particular it can be difficultto find their role with a new baby, especiallya breastfed baby. Mother appears tohave all the advantages – baby is alreadyfamiliar with the pace of her walk and herbreathing and quickly identifies her as thesource of food and comfort. It is notunusual for babies to cry, apparently inconsolably,whenever they are passed awayfrom mother. However, most fathers findthat a fed and changed baby will settlequickly and happily in a sling for an hour ortwo. While a pram or car seat may alsokeep a baby calm, the advantage of a slingis that the baby is getting used to the feeland smell of his father and beginning toassociate his body with an alternativesource of comfort; and the father is gettinga much more intimate grounding in thebaby’s patterns of napping and chattering.The same advantages apply to other carers– grandparents or babysitters may allfind that a sling is a wonderful solution fora sad or tired baby.Happy Mum and Baby with a Sling.As I know from my own experience, inthe first weeks particularly, baby wearingcan seem like very hard work - especiallyif you are used to a fairly sedentary life.You have to be realistic about what youcan achieve, or expect a fair few achesand pains. Ideally, you would share thecarrying with other people although thatis not always easy in our rather isolatedsocial set-ups. More likely, you will sharethe load between a sling and a pram.Many mothers take both on an outing,with the sling as an infallible safety net ifbaby gets fed up of the pram. JeanLiedloff suggests taking a sling to carrythe baby and a pram for the groceries!The good news is that a baby does notneed to be carried all the time to benefit.In a 1986 study in Montreal, researchersfound that babies who were carried for atleast three hours a day, and who were carriedas a matter of course and not just inresponse to their fussing, cried significantlyless (43% less to be precise) than a lesscarriedcontrol group. Dr Sears suggestsAs he gets older,he can begin to explorethe world outside.that this happens because the motion ofbeing carried reminds the baby of thewomb: “The familiar overcomes the unfamiliarto which he is now exposed” and hisanxiety reduces; he can relax.Let’s say you are now persuaded of thebenefits of babywearing: which carrier touse? There is quite a range, and differentpeople adore different ones. The simplestto use – and also the easiest to buy instores – are front carriers with lots of clipsand straps. These have the advantage offeeling very secure and being easy to learnbut they are the least flexible: for example,they cannot be used to carry a toddler onyour hip, to cradle a breastfeeding babyor to carry an older baby on your back.The most flexible carriers – in effect, a longstrong scarf which you wrap round you –have the steepest learning curve and canbe hard to use with confidence unless yousee someone else using them first. Andthere are a myriad of rings, wraps andpouches in between.Gillian BaxendineBecause this can all be rather confusing, wehave set up a “sling library” at the BirthResource Centre, where you can try out differentcarriers before you decide what tobuy for yourself – with help and demonstrationsfrom other mothers who are more expe -rienced babywearers. A range of slings will beavailable to try at the centre on Fridaymornings at the same time as the breastfeedinggroup meets. You don’t need to bebreastfeeding your baby to come along and tryslings – all mothers, including those withtoddlers, are welcome. And if anyone hasa sling they would like to loan or donate to thelibrary, it would be very welcome too.Contact us for details aboutour upcoming sling days at the BRC.birth&beyond 19

THE BIRTH RESOURCE CENTREBirth PoolsThe BRC hires oval and hexagonal birth pools for use at home andsometimes in hospital. The pools are strong, easy to set up, can be hiredfor a month and are very affordable.The Birth Resource Centre aims to make pools available to all,irrespective of income.Contact Iizi on 0131 553 6532 or the BRC on 0131 229 3667'20 birth&beyond

Book ReviewImpact of Birthing Practiceson Breastfeeding: Protectingthe Mother and BabyContinuumBy Mary Kroeger with Linda SmithPublished by Jones and BartlettPublishers, 2004Price: £25.99ISBN: 0-7637-2481-5Ruth Bowman (reviewer)On reading this book, I had to ask myselfwhat was new. Does it simply confirm whatmany of us have suspected for years – thatafter a complicated birth it is harder toestablish breastfeeding? There is of coursemuch more to it than that. Mary Kroegerand her co-author Linda Smith, respectivelyan experienced midwife and a lactationconsultant, suggest a clear linkbetween the difficulties so many newmothers encounter in establishing breastfeedingand the inappropriate use of interventionsduring labour, birth and the periodimmediately afterwards. In particular,they highlight the effect many of thoseinterventions have on the baby’s behaviourfor several weeks after the birth, and theycriticise the lack of ‘joined up thinking’ ofcertain contemporary health care policieswhich fail to support the vital mother-childdyad by not acknowledging the effect ofbirth interventions on both parties.This book sets childbirth and breastfeedingin a historical and cultural context,discussing the range between birthaccompanied by supportive family andbirth in large impersonal hospitals, andhighlights what we in the technology-dominatedWest can learn from birthing practicesin different cultures.The authors argue the need for solidscientific evidence to support a returnto practices that encourage straightforwardbirth. They examine the evidencebase for many current childbirth practicesand acknowledge where there is aresearch gap.Chapter by chapter, there is detailedexamination of the evidence associatedwith childbirth practices, including emotionaland practical support in labour,maternal position, eating and drinking,pain medication, surgical interventions inbirth, and immediate skin-to-skin contactbetween mother and baby. The effect ofthose practices in either hindering or fosteringthe mother-child dyad which isessential to a happy and confident breastfeedingrelationship is discussed. Forexample, they detail the growing evidencethat an infant whose mother has usedepidural pain relief in labour will be lessalert and his motor behaviour significantlyaltered for several days after birth, and thatthis effect can continue for up to a month,the period during which mother and babyare learning to breastfeed.In a chapter entitled ‘Physics, Forcesand Mechanical Effects of Birth onBreastfeeding’ Linda Smith examines theeffect of birth interventions on the baby’sphysiology. She describes in detail how‘disorganized feeding’ can result from acaesarean or instrumental birth becausethe nerves and muscles involved in sucking,swallowing and breathing have beeninterfered with.If women and babies are to overcomethe additional obstacles to establishingbreastfeeding after a complicated birth,then their caregivers need to be aware ofthese issues too, and to take these problemsvery seriously. The authors challengehealth care practitioners to empathisemore with both mothers and infants, andto spend time imagining how it must feelto be on the receiving end of so manyinvasive procedures.The authors are to be commended fordrawing attention to an issue which hasbeen too long overlooked. While thisbook should be essential reading forall professionals involved in caring forwomen and their newborn infants, itwould also be an informative read for anyinterested lay person.Breastfeeding in Hospital:Mothers, Midwives and theProduction LineBy Fiona DykesPublished by Routledge, 2006Price: £20.99ISBN: 0415395763Reviewed by Clare BartosFirst published in AIMS QuarterlyJournal, Vol 18 No 2 2006available from www.aims.org.uk.This research-based book tackles the theoryand practice of both mother’s and midwive’sexperiences of breastfeeding in hos-POSTNATAL DOULA SUPPORTHelping a mother to have the space,time and confidenceto more fully enjoy early motherhood.For more information please go towww.mothertomother.co.ukor call Clare on 0131 445 4445birth&beyond 21

pital. Fiona Dykes starts by taking thereader through a lot of academic theory inorder to create an understanding in thereader of why the parallel experiences ofmothers and midwives are as they are.She then relates these theories to the evidencegained during her research and indoing so conveys to the reader the realityof breastfeeding in a post-natal ward in2006. The picture is a sad one. Despitethe promotion of ‘breast is best ‘, mothersand midwives struggle in a climate where‘productivity’ is paramount, time is scarceand seen as the enemy and caring foranother is perceived as plainly demanding.The result is overworked, stressed midwiveswho operate in a ‘factory-like’ environmentand unsupported, confusedmothers who often experience motherhoodin a detached way. Her final chapterconsiders the possibilities for the provisionBreastfeeding inHospital: Mothers,Midwives and theProduction Line.Price: £20.99ISBN:0415395763has been rhetoric for too long. The publicationof this book will hopefully open upthe much needed debate on these matters.What could be more important?Clare Bartos (reviewer) qualified as a midwife in1997 but following time at home with her childrennow works as a post-natal doula and istraining to be a breastfeeding supporter.Birth CrisisBy Sheila KitzingerPublished by Routledge, 2006Price: £65ISBN: 0415372658Reviewer: Jenny NewlandJournal, Vol 18 No 2 2006 availablefrom www.aims.org.uk.“I will never have any more children,I will not subject myself to that again . . .I remember exactly what was done andsaid and by whom. I have the relentlesstorture of re-living this experience daily,especially at night . . .The videotape isalways going on in my head.” SheilaKitzinger's most recent book exploresthe crisis of emotional suffering whichcan occur following childbirth whenwomen feel out of control, not listened toand not respected during birth.that everyone should read, but probablymost of those who will are women who arealready more than familiar with the issuesraised. For those women who have had abad experience with maternity services inthe past, there is plenty of validation forthose experiences as well as informationabout how they might approach and plandifferently in the future.I think many pregnant women will notbe drawn to this book because there is avery understandable wish to trust that theservices are good and that 'they will beOK', and some of this book could beexperienced as rather frightening. Thisreminds me that it can be a very difficultline to draw between giving informationthat could be frightening and informationthat is useful. Culturally, I think that thebad experiences that many women haveare hidden from women who are pregnantfor the first time in order not to frightenthem, and as a midwife, I have heardwomen report back in different ways aboutthis – “the information I was given wasfrightening and actually, I don't know whatall the fuss was about”, and “if only I hadbeen told, I could have been prepared”.Personally I fall in to the second category,but I know that not everyone does.of post-natal care in a supportive, caringculture where relationships matter morethan productivity. This is important as shesuggests that the relationships betweenmidwives and mothers are reflected in therelationship between mother and baby.Possibilities suggested include moving thefocus from promotion to support of breastfeeding,more community-based postnatalcare, and within the hospital settingin particular, more peer and voluntarybreastfeeding support. Fiona commentson the contrast in peer and voluntarybreastfeeding supporters’ approaches andattitudes to those of midwives and suggeststhat midwives have much to learnfrom the voluntary organisations.Although a fairly demanding academicand theoretical read, this book will appealto many who have an interest in midwifery,women and child health, social and politicalpolicy and of course breastfeeding!The reference to research is refreshingamidst the background theory and clearlyreveals the need for change in the provisionof post-natal care. The importance ofpost-natal care and breastfeeding supportTopics include:· increasing intervention in pregnancy· the change in emphasis from relatioshipsto technology in childbirth· how family, friends and professionalcaregivers can respond to the needs oftraumatized mothers· why those working in the maternity systemshould promote changeUsing quotes from women throughout, sheprovides a clear, comprehensive and easyto read exploration of all aspects of disempowerment,how it comes about and theemotional trauma that can be experiencedas a result.Birth CrisisPrice: £65ISBN:0415372658In a way, I think this is probably a book thatwon't be read by those who should read it.By that, I mean that it is one of those booksEyes Without Sparkle –a journey through postnatalillnessBy Elaine A. HanzakPublished by Radcliffe 2005Price: 185775655XISBN: £16.99Reviewed by: Fiona ArmstrongElaine Hanzak suffered severe postnataldepression (PND), including an acuteepisode of puerperal psychosis, the illness’smost serious form, following thebirth of her son in 1996. Eyes WithoutSparkle is her first hand account of herexperiences and recovery.Following a rather difficult birth (readingbetween the lines, at least part of the problemseems to be that she was required topush her baby out by hospital staff longbefore she was ready or feeling any urgeto push), Elaine brought her much wantedfirst baby home from hospital, and verysoon began to slide slowly into depression.Feelings of exhaustion and inadequacywere followed by self harm, suicidal feelings,and a breakdown requiring months ofin-patient care in a psychiatric hospital.The book then charts her recovery, rebuildingof her relationship with her son andeventual return to work as a teacher.This book is aimed at least in part athealth professionals, and she tries to drawout in her story the impact upon her of22 birth&beyond

the approach of the various professionalsshe came into contact with antenatally, duringthe birth and during her depressive illness.She par- tially succe-eds in this, butthere are a number of ar-eas where thereEyes WithoutSparkle –a journeythrough postnatalillnessPrice:ISBN:could have been a much clearer understandingand discussion of this vital topic.I found her writing style initially difficult, asshe uses clichés constantly and peppers herprose with exclamation marks, but in someways this flaw represents one of the book’sstrengths as it is a personal account writtenin her own words. The book gets verybogged down in the first 60 or so pages withendless details of shopping trips, giftsreceived, and other things which could onlybe of interest to her friends and family.Similarly the account of her recovery seemsto deal largely with visits to Ikea and Marks& Spencer. It would have been better tochoose one or two of these as examples ofhow she was doing at any given period,rather than writing at such length about matterswhich give us little insight into what postnatal depression really feels like.The book is not without its merits.There is some mention of the triggers ofPND, suggesting the complex interactionbetween hormones, the physical andemotional changes of pregnancy andhaving a baby, exhaustion, and socialpressures and expectations, as well asself-imposed pressures to fit an ideal ofnew baby bliss. She illustrates well whatkinds of emotional support and empathycan be most helpful, as well as thereverse. She describes “competitivemothering” at mother and baby groups,where it seems she is the only one whohas found new motherhood hard. Thestrain on her worsens as she wonderswhy everyone else appears to havebabies who sleep all night and can effortlesslyjuggle motherhood with all of life’sother tasks – and these are groups ofwomen whose babies are only a matterof weeks old. She writes poignantly ofhow it would have helped her to hear ofother women’s difficulties too.The profound problem with this bookis, I feel, its writer’s lack of insight. There isa lot to be learned about PND in this book,but readers must largely find it out forthemselves as Elaine Hanzak does notalways seem to have realised it herself. Shenever questions the raft of assumptions shehas about what parenthood is about, norher ideas about “perfect mothers and goodbabies” which seem at the root of some ofwhat went wrong for her. I do not by thismean to imply that there is any element offault, but what I do mean is that depressionand the recovery from it can be a tool forself-discovery and a greater understandingof what we feel and think and why, and thisis singularly absent from this book. It maybe that she did not receive the counsellingor therapy which would have helped her tounderstand more about what happened toher and why, as she does not go into anydetail about what she talked about to herdoctor or psychiatric nurse. Somehow a lotof this book seems very superficial, which Ifind astonishing as it deals with such a profoundmental illness. I am reminded of oneof the best books on depression I haveread, called “Sunbathing in the Rain” byGwyneth Lewis, which says that if you donot learn the lessons your depression is tryingto teach you, it will come back and hityou again until you do.This book might interest a mother experiencingPND who may find reassurance inrecognising similarities between her ownsymptoms and those of Elaine Hanzak,and it also contains some points of use toa health professional wishing to understandbetter the experience from thepatient’s viewpoint. However, for a muchmore insightful, moving and better writtenaccount of PND, I would recommendBrooke Shields’ 2005 account “DownCame the Rain” over this.The Mother to MotherPostpartum DepressionSupport Book - Real Storiesfrom Women who LivedThrough It and RecoveredBy Sandra PoulinPublished by Berkley, 2006Price: £6.99ISBN: 0425208087Reviewed by: Fiona ArmstrongThe aim of this book is to provide supportto women experiencing postnataldepression by offering a collection of personalaccounts from women who havegone through it and come out the otherside. The message is that whatever youare feeling you are not alone.There is a wide range of stories grouped intochapters with common themes. Topics coveredinclude women who have had difficultbirths or breastfeeding problems, motherswith various symptoms like insomnia or anxiety,single mothers, women with twins ormore and women who have experiencedpostnatal psychosis. There is an interestingchapter on fantasies and expectations ofmotherhood and the relationship betweenthis and depression, looking at the “mothermyth” and expectations upon oneself andfrom others about “perfection”.The way the stories are grouped allowsthe reader to home in on the stories whichmay be closest to her own situation whileallowing each individual mother’s story to beheard. There is no editorial comment exceptin the introduction and conclusion, which isgood as it leaves each experience to speakfor itself. All accounts are quite short whichis helpful as the book can be dipped intoeasily, and a reader can find something relevanteven if she has little time available.Most of the accounts are from the USA,though there are some from Britain, Australiaand New Zealand. The style is quiteAmerican, with lots of talk about “mommies”etc, and there is a slightly cheerleading feelingabout recovery: each account ends withThe Mother to MotherPostpartum DepressionSupport Book - RealStories from Womenwho Lived Through Itand RecoveredPrice: £6.99ISBN: 0425208087a section called “Now that I’ve recovered” or“Thoughts for a better day”. While overallthe positive message of the book is excellent,I wonder whether in the depths ofdepression, someone might find all thisactually made them feel worse by comparison.Also, there are frequent references toGod, and quotations from the bible in littleboxes on the page, which might be off-puttingto some people.This book is quite unique in that it iswomen’s own voices talking about how theyfeel. There are a few personal experiencebooks around about postnatal depression,but they tend to be of one woman’s ownexperience, where this one is a collection ofmany different perspectives and is all thericher for that. Even a mother who isn’t necessarilysuffering depression but is findingsome aspects of new motherhood challenging,or is feeling isolated in any way,would find a lot of comfort and recognitionamongst these pages.birth&beyond 23

Home BirthSupport GroupThe focus of the group is to offer support and information to anyone who might beinterested in the many choices surrounding place of birth,to provide a meeting point for those who may be considering (or those who have previouslychosen) a home birth, and reassurance that home birth is a realistic,reasonable, and most importantly, safe option for mother, baby and midwife.1st Sun of each month11am – 1pmwww.homebirthsupport.org.ukIntroduction toHomoeopathyCome and join an afternoon workshopon this fascinating subject. Learn about the principlesof homoeopathic philosophy, basic informationand some home self-help ideas.29th March 2008, 10.30am - 1pmat the Birth Resource CentrePlease call or e-mail for further information(£15 incl. refreshments, concessions available)THANK YOUVolunteersThanks to everyone who contributed to our fantasticfoundraiser event on November 3rd.It was a very successful event, we had a great timeand we are planning the next one.THANK YOU TO YOU ALL.GIFT VOUCHERS……are now available to buy from the Birth Resource Centre.A thoughtful and original present to buy your friend or relative which will be much appreciated.Buy a block of classes, or part of a block, to celebrate a birthday, Christmas or the birth of a baby.Hand-made vouchers make this a special gift and classes include Yoga for Pregnancy,Baby Shiatsu or massage, Parent and Baby Yoga or baby music.For further information, please call or write to Joor Jenny at the Birth Resource Centre.24 birth&beyond

From us to you...Thanksand acknowledgementsWe thank Rivka Owen for stepping in like a breath of fresh air, toassist Jo last term. She was a pleasure to work with, and wewish her well on her journey to become a midwife.Our co-ordinators are a crucial part of the organisation, and manageto juggle the many different tasks expertly and with exceptionallygood humour and ability.Previous facilitatorsMany women support our classes, as facilitators.We were sorry that Lee Seekings Norman was unable to continuefacilitating one of our yoga for pregnancy classes. Lee hasbeen very involved with the Centre over many years, she is still aDirector, and we look forward to welcoming her back soon.We were sad to lose Sandra Farmer, who led some of the yogafor pregnancy sessions and the birth preparation workshops,coming all the way from Glasgow each week, to do this. We verymuch appreciate your commitment to the Centre and wish youwell with your classes in Glasgow.Photo: Vroni HolzmannThank you from the BRC DirectorsVolunteersWe would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who doso much to support the BRC. No task is too small or unappreciated.We have many volunteers who generously help us by offeringtime, skills or both. Fiona Armstrong, particularly, continues toprovide us with much needed background support of all kinds.Thank you Fiona for your continued involvement. We very muchappreciate knowing that you are there. Thank you to all.Co-ordinatorsWe would particularly like to acknowledge the huge contributionsthat Jenny Newland has made over a number of years to theBRC, as our previous main co-ordinator. We would not be wherewe are now without her. We welcome her back as our counsellor,administrative co-ordinator and co-ordinator of our perinatal mentalhealth group.We were sorry to lose Jo Harknett as one of our very activeDirectors, and thank her for all she did during that time, but weare delighted to welcome her as our current co-ordinator.Michelle Gow and Eva Bofias have been instrumental in keepingthe breastfeeding support groups going for many months, afterour previous La Leche League leader left us to take up full timework. We so appreciate your reliable, support on a completley voluntarybasis. The groups could not have continued without you.Claire Bruce ran our popular baby music groups before leaving tohave her second baby, and was a great support to the Centre.We thank you, and hope you might come back some day Claire,and meantime wish you well looking after your girls.Yifat Haber started our wonderful International Group last yearand Anna Neubert has been co-ordinating it over the last months.We would like to say thank you to all those women who havemade this group such a success and have offered your supportto other women who have recently arrived in Scotland, or whoare far away from their countries and families.New facilitatorsWe welcome Julie Mason. We are delighted that Julie has comeback to facilitate the Thursday evening yoga for pregnancy sessionsand is now running many of the birth preparation days.We are delighted that Jackie was able to come back from hermaternity leave to lead our baby music classes, as Claire wasleaving. Welcome back Jackie, and thank you for putting on extraclasses to try and meet the demand..We also welcome Daisy Dinwoodie and Karen Haggis. They areour new Directors. Both Daisy and Karen have already contributeda huge amount to the Centre, working among otherthings on Birth and Beyond (Daisy) and on our fundraising dayand evening in November (both) and co-ordinating our Directorsmeetings (Karen).Finally we welcome Karla Napier. We are delighted that Karla hasrecently started facilitating our La Leache League Group twice amonth. It is much needed and we know that it will grow fromstrength to strength. (see page 17)birth&beyond 25

Timetable of BRC ClassesWeek-at-a-glanceMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sundayam09.45 – 11.00Baby Music11.15 – 12.30Toddler MusicJACKIE10 – 12Yoga forPregnancyNADINE10.30 – 12.00Parent Baby YogaANDREA10.00 – 11.15Toddler Music11.30 – 12.45Baby MusicJACKIE10.30 – 12.00LLL GroupBreastfeedingsupport2nd and 4th Fridayeach monthKARLA NAPIER10.00 – 4.00Birth PreparationWorkshops17th February16th March20th April17th May15th June11.00 – 1.00Home BirthSupport Group1st Sunday of eachmonthpmeve.1.00pm – 2.15Baby Music2.30pm– 4.00drop in sessionfree and open to all7.15pm – 9.15Yoga forPregnancy1.00pm – 2.15Baby MassageLINDA6.30pm – 8.30Yoga forPregnancy12.30pm – 2.00Post NatalParent and BabyyogaANDREA1.15pm – 2.30Baby ShiatsuTAMSIN7.00pm – 9.00Yoga forPregnancy2.30pm – 4.301st and 3rdFriday of themonthInternational groupsupport groupfor international parentsand childrenNADINE, JULIEOR KIMNADINENADINEJULIEFIRST AID AND LIFE-SAVING SKILLSAre you interested in learning some basic firstaid and life-saving skillswith a focus on children and babies?The Birth Resource Centre offers brief classes toparents and parents-to-be covering manyaspects of first aid including choking, seizures,burns, broken bones and fever.The half-day session is facilitated by adoctor who works in paediatricsand who is a mother of two small children.Please call the Birth Resource Centrefor availability and prices.26 birth&beyond

Notice BoardWaiting Lists / Class CancellationsWhen classes are full we keep a waiting list and will contact you when aplace becomes available. Please could you let us know if you move houseor change phone number so our records are up to date and we can letyou know when a place is available. Also very rarely a class might be cancelleddue to illness, again we'd like to be sure we can contact you andlet you know in good time.Breastfeeding Support GroupWe are delighted that Karla Napier is facilitating La Leche League Supportgroups for breastfeeding on the 2nd and 4th Friday of each month. Youcan read more about this information on page 17.Useful ContactsLa Leche League (LLL)LLL provides support and information on all aspects of breastfeeding.Local contacts for information and breastfeeding support: Caron Howden01506 414010 (or email:caron@cbahowden.icuklive.co.uk)Ingrid 01383 731644 (or email: lll_fife@yahoo.co.uk)24 hour Helpline: connects you through a local advisor 0845 120 2918.Birth Resource Center (BRC)Classes / mail / meetings;18 St Peter's Place, Edinburgh. EH3 9PH(Reg Office ; 40 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4JL)Tel: 0131 229 3667, www.birthresourcecentre.org.ukSara Wickam Midwifewww.withwoman.co.ukPost Natal Depression ProjectProvides advice, counselling and information on post-natal depression.Phone: 0131 538 7288 for further details. Drop-in centres;8A Palmerston Place, West End, Tel: 0131 220 3547Brunstane Road North, Joppa, Tel: 0131 657 9844Natural Nurturing Network (NNN)Bi-monthly newsletter, summer camps andcontact network 0116 288 0844.NNN, PO Box 5622, Wigston, Leicester, LE 18 2ZAwww.naturalnurturing.org.ukBook ReviewsIf you come across an interesting book, journal or other publication let usknow the details and we can contact the publisher for a review copy – thisis a great way to spread information and we put the books in the libraryafter review.If you would like to review a particular book for Birth and Beyond pleasedo get in touch with Daisy 0131 333 07 88.Birth Resource CentreVolunteers Wanted! As you probably know we are a charity and arealways looking for volunteers or people to do fundraising.If you are interested in becoming involved, please contact Jo onvolunteers@birthresourcecentre.org.ukBirth Pool HireThe BRC has three pools for hire (two oval and one octagonal) for use athome or in hospital. The pools are strong, easy to set up, hired for a monthand very affordable. If you are interessted in hiring a pool, please phonethe BRC or e-mail: izilove@gmail.com for availability and more information.Association for Improvements in Maternity Services (AIMS)The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS) providesa range of informative, readable booklets on the second and thirdstages of labour, home birth, water birth, VBAC, induction, breech birthand other topics as well as a lively Quarterly Journal.For a free Publications List please phone 0131 229 6259.National Childbirth Trust (NCT)Breastfeeding Support Line: 0870 444 8708.General enquiry Line: 0870 444 8707.For information on local activities, phone the NCT Edinburgh Centre on0131 668 3257 or visit the website www.nct-edinburgh.freeserve.co.ukNCT Centre, University Health Service, 5th Floor, 6 Bristo Square, EH8 9AL.Bumps & Babies Group meets Wednesdays 10.15am-11.45amat Blackhall Library, Hillhouse Road (on Queensferry Road)Buses Lothian 41 & 32, SMT 43.For expectant parents and babies up to 6 months.Hire of Valley Cushions(to ease post-birth discomfort when sitting), Liz Goudie 339 3454.Egnell Breast Pump HireLaura Joffe 0131 476 9228, Barbara Smith 0131 449 5734.BallsThe BRC always carries a small stock of the large green birthing balls.Women find these comfortable to sit on in pregnancy, kneel over in labour,and sit and rock their babies on post-natally. We like to make these availableat a reasonable cost and therefore only provide a local service. Thismeans that the balls can be sold to BRC users for £18 and others for £20,(cheaper than other sources). Please contact our co-ordinator or any ofour group facilitators for details.Letters PageHas anything in this issue sparked your interest, raised issues or questionsyou would like to comment on or discuss. We have a letters pageas a place for your thoughts and as a forum for discussion. Letters canbe sent to BRC, 40 Leamington Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4JL markedFAO Birth and Beyond or by email to nadine@nadineedwards.org.uk.HomoeopathyThere is an Introduction to a homeopathy event on 9th March at theBRC. See page 24 for more information.First AidHave you wanted to know more about First Aid so that you can dealwith accidents or emergencies? You are lucky. We have courses comingup. Call us for more information.birth&beyond 27

Birth Resource CentreActivity Listings 2008What When Description Facilitator & CostYoga for Pregnancywith discussion andrelaxationMondays: 7.15 – 9.15pmTuesdays: 10.00am – 12.00noon6.30pm – 8.30pmThursdays:7.00pm – 9.00pmA time to 'be' with yourself andyour baby, to stretch, release andrelax with gentle yoga, followed byan informal discussion of pregnancyand birth related issues.Led by Nadine Edwards orJulie Mason.£40 (£20 concession)for a 5 week blockBirth Preparation Workshopsfor women and theirbirth partnersSaturdays: 10.00am – 4.00pmNext workshop dates: Pleasephone or email.Extra workshops are run ondemand. Please contact us if youwould like to come but cannotmake the above dateOne day workshops which focuson support during labour,positions, massage and naturalbirth aids. Please enquire aboutadditional dates.Led by Nadine Edwardsor Julie Mason.£70 (£35 concession) for eachcouple; £85 (£42 concession) forwoman and two birth partners.Parent and Baby YogaWednesdays:10.30am – 12.00noon(4 mths to crawling)12.30pm – 2.00pm (under 4 mths)Fun, flexibility, ease and calmfor both parent & baby!Suitable for babies from newbornto crawling.Led by Andrea St Clair.£35 (£17.50 concession) fora 5 week blockBaby Massage Tuesdays : 1.00pm – 2.15pm Nurture your baby by learning thestrokes for baby massage.Baby Shiatsu Thursdays: 1.15pm – 2.30 pm Applying some Shiatsuprinciples to working with babies,using oil to gently stroke themeridian channels.Techniques and acupressurepoints for dealing with colic etc willalso be taught.Led by Linda Bendle or JulieOwenson.£30 (£15) per 5 week course.Led by Tamsin Grainger£30 (£15) per 5 week course.Baby MusicMondays:9.45am – 11.00am (Babies)11.15am – 12.30pm (Toddler)1.00pm – 2.15pm (Babies)Thursday:10.00am – 11.15am (older Babies)11.30am – 12.45pm (Babies)Songs, music and fun for babies.These classes are very popular, soplease phone before booking.Led by Jackie Macdonald£30 (£15 concession) for a 5 weekblockHomebirth Support GroupBreastfeedingSupport and Information1st Sunday of each month11.00 am – 1.00pm10.30am – 12.30pm2nd Friday La Leche League babygroup4th Friday of the month La LecheLeague older baby and toddlerAn Informal meeting place forexpectant parents consideringhomebirth to get together. Alsoan opportunity to ask any questionsyou may have and meetsome other parents who have hada homebirth.An informal get together for mumsand a chance to get to know othersand share breastfeeding successesand challenges.Led by Nicola Goodall andKim BradieDonation £2/£1for tea and biscuitsLed by Karla NapierDonation £2/£1for tea and biscuitsInternational get together1st and 3rd Friday of the month2.30pm-4.30pmAre you pregnant or a motherand far from home?We aim to provide emotional support,an opportunity to meet otherwomen and make friends,exchange information about birth,pregnancy and local maternityservices.Donation £2/£1for tea and biscuitsPLEASE contact Jenny or Jo by phone 0131 229 3667 or emailbefore attending a class – details may change and someclasses may be fully booked.We offer concessionary rates on all classes.28 birth&beyond