Childbirth Community in Oman

Well, we had our first childbirth class last week. We talked about the anatomy of pregnancy and childbirth. Using an anatomically correct pelvis, uterus, placenta and baby, we talked about the ideal positions (for the baby) in labor and what happens as the cervix dilates and the the baby descends into the birthing canal. The fathers were fascinated:) We did some pre-natal yoga and some exercises for helping the baby engage properly. Then we did a little birth art. All the mothers in the class are going through birth for the second time. I had them paint or draw a picture of what they felt like during the most intense moments of their previous labor. We all enjoyed sharing our stories with one another. :)

When I first started forming this ante-natal class series, I was simply responding to a need in the local community. One of the unexpected outcomes is that I have been contacted by several different women who work in the birthing community. I hope that this will be the beginning of a gathering of like minds, of other women--midwifes, doulas, breastfeeding advocates, etc.---who are anxious to network together to improve childbirth and early motherhood here in Oman.  I have been contacted by a CNM, a Professional Midwife, a Doula and other mothers who are excited for this new opportunity. I am hoping to gather everyone together in the near future to form a birthing community network for Oman. If you are interested in helping or joining or have suggestions, please let me know. I'll update as things develop :)

NEW CHILDBIRTH CLASSES IN MUSCAT

I'm excited to announce a new childbirth education class here in Muscat, Oman. This will be a mix of the best: well, at least what I think is the best, from Bradley Method, HypnoBirthing, Birthing From Within and other schools of thought. Primarily, I want participants to come away from the class with a lot of practical knowledge and skills that will help them navigate all the possible curve balls that pregnancy and labor can throw at you! And the best way to do that, is to know what options are out there so that you can adapt to the circumstances.

Tuesday Nights, 7-9 pm beginning Oct 19th-Nov 9th. I'm offering a bargain deal since this is my first set of classes here in Muscat: OMR 50 for 4/ 2-hr. classes. Email me at: muscatmums@gmail.com if you are interested.

Let's Play Waterbirth

I grew up believing in motherhood. My mom always made her children a priority. Whenever I asked her about childbirth though, her recollections were vague. I don’t know if years of motherhood, pregnancy, childbirth, and nursing had taken its toll on her memory, or if she was just trying to spare me some of the more uncomfortable details. I’m sure it did have something to do with being the seventh of those nine children.  I don’t remember her exact words, but whatever she told me about childbirth, taught me that it was a rite of passage, an opportunity for a woman to be challenged beyond her perceived limits and discover her potential power. She also told me that giving birth to her nine children was like walking through the “valley of the shadow of death.” It painted an interesting picture in my head, but lacked the details I wanted as I approached the birth of our first child. 

I want to pass on all of these same beliefs to my children, and add to it some more practical detail about the physical and emotional process of childbirth.  I don’t want birth to be mysterious or scary. I want them to respect the miracle of participating in the creation of life while at the same time being confident and comfortable with the process of childbirth. I want them to know that birthing is normal and not a medical emergency.

So far my children think of birth as a pretty normal topic to talk about and apparently to make believe about.  Today my 10 yr old (A) “married” my six yr old (O) and four year old (C).  After suitably settling down, (O) and (C) then announced to me that they were having a baby. Two minutes later, “O” walked past me wearing a T-shirt and underwear. She had a baby doll stuff up under her T-shirt. “A” explained to me that “O” was nearing the end of her labor, and heading for the birthing tub-the large tub in the master bathroom.  A few minutes later, “O” emerged with the doll wrapped in a sling and told me she was nursing her new baby. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I’m sure we’ll have many more discussions in the future, but for now, I’m glad they can say: “Let’s play waterbirth.”

Patience please...

This is a new blog, still in its conception. More to come soon!