Class in Eugene

I"m returning from the Midwifery Today conference, and it was just wonderful. There were many doulas, aspiring doulas, massage therapists, aspiring midwives, midwives and RN's.

Yesterday I met a a lady in her 60's who was a physical therapist, had 7 kids, was a doula and is now a midwife! The great thing about the conference was that it didn't matter at all what your degree or title was-we were all there with the same mission. To learn how to help women have better childbirth expereinces. My biggest question going to the conference was "Would I feel out of place, not being a midwife?" and that wasn't the case at all. In fact, there were a few people there who had not assisted in a birth. One was a massage therapist who does prenatal and post partum care and she wanted more tools in her toolbag.

The first class was taught by a licensed massage therapist from New York, Elaine Stillerman. She wrote the book on prenatal, labor and post partum massage and teaches classes on it. In the 60's/70's and perhaps even early 1980's there was a time when pregnant women weren't allowed to get masage, as it was feared it could harm the baby. What is known now is quite the opposite-that pregnancy is a time when massage is VERY beneficial-to help improve blood flow/circulation, promote relaxation, get the body ready for labor by assisting in alignment of the muscles and bones AND to help decrease pregnancy related pain (such as back pain!). One reason I haven't done much of pregnancy massage at my clinic was because i hadn't had the extra training in it and wanted to be re-assured that I was doing it correctly. Now with this training, I"m thinking about how I can actively start integrating it into my clinic offerings.

The second class was taught by a very well known lay midwife from Mexico name Naoli Vinaver. I first saw her in a video my sister Bonnie had at her home-of her giving birth to her 3rd child in her tub at home. It is a beautiful 10 minute film called "Birth Day." Very simple and beautifully filmed by her father in law. I now show it in my birthing class.

Naoli taught us how to use a rebozo-which is a cotton shawl or garment worn by women in mexico. They are used to assist the women in labor by maneuvering the pelvis with it. And you can do body work with them, to help decrease low back pain, to encourage repositioning of breech babies as well as posterior babies .(I imagine as Patrick is reading this, he is yawning right about now...probably right along with other people not interested in baby stuff). :)

Or when labor has stalled and the baby needs a slight repositioning to help get them in a better position in the birth canal. It really is amazing and it all works on basic principles of biomechanics. Open up the pelvic outlet with the counterpressure of the rebozo and voila-space in the pelvic outlet opens and the baby can move.

So I now am the proud owner of a rebozo and look forward to using it in the months to come, as a shawl AND as a tool in labor & birth bag AND to use during prenatal massages! Fun!

Going to the class was truly wonderful. Naoli not only presented wonderful information on the rebozo, but also had wonderful insights on birth, as she has 20 years of experience. She has such a beautiful, peaceful way to her.

I stayed with the Mahoney's in Eugene, which was great. I miss them lots-they used to live here in Kodiak until moving to Eugene one and a half years ago. Their house there is just gorgeous. Completely redone-great back yard and work shop for John. John and Patty picked me up from the airport and we went to a Thai Restaurant for dinner while getting caught up on life. I miss them.
Thank you for a fun two days, John & Patty!

Zoya