Rainbows and unicorns can teach us many things about birth

Women of the earth, take back your birth, and while you are there…take back your squatting power!
Here is a reminder of the simple things in life, applied to pooping, but also applied to birthing 😉 Watch the rainbow unicorn and learn then come back here for a quick chat!
We know that in order to open the pelvis (and the colon) it is critical to be off our backs and in a squatting position. However, the way we teach squatting in the She Births® is a little different to your average childbirth education course.
Did you know that a full deep squat for childbirth actually puts a lot of strain onto the pelvic floor, and can even lead to increased risks of perineal trauma and postpartum bleeding? Did you also know that you can actually be resting your legs all throughout labour and safely squatting at the same time?
During early labour and first stage – If you are sitting on a very soft fit ball and the knees are higher than the pelvis then by definition you are squatting. In this optimal position for labour you can be resting your legs, implementing hypnotic spiralling and squatting all at the same time. You can even add a lovely pelvic tilt, leaning forwards onto dad during a contraction and move the tailbone out of the way easily by 4 centimetres – that’s a lot of extra room ladies and takes a lot off strain of any haemorrhoids – while also letting your baby move down. (You can see in the picture below that her fitball is still too high for a squat.)

For actual delivery and second stage – You can even be in a squatting position while still lying on the bed. This not only allows the pelvis to expand and the tail bone to move out of the way but it also saves your caregivers back too 😉 In case you haven’t gathered, these awesome birthing tips and lots more, are explained fully for you and your partner during the She Births® face to face and online course. I haven’t even mentioned the Rebozo Squat or the Love Squat.
I know there are some very serious things happening in the world right now and as people who care it can be hard to not get caught up in the collective negativity and fear. My suggestion is to stay with what is good, true and positive and within the reach of what you can actually do to help.
Remember that war has been with us since time began, or at least since we started documenting life. There are a horrific number of people murdered by terrorists in the world each year – approx. 40,000. But, there are still tragically more than 5 million children under the age of 5 years old dying of malnutrition every year, and more than 350,000 women dying during pregnancy and childbirth each year; 99% within the developing world – primarily due to malnutrition, lack of hygiene, access to care and access to either the finance or facility for training as a midwife.
OXFAM says “Discrimination and injustice are major causes of poverty worldwide, and women and girls bear the brunt of it in all aspects of their lives. You’re more likely to be poor if you’re a woman. And if you’re a woman, you’re also likely to be doing most of the work.” You are also make up two thirds of the illiterate population and are more likely to be abused physically and sexually within your lifetime.
I don’t want to belittle what’s happening but rather raise awareness of the many things going on that you can contribute to and help with. She Births® is not just about birthing – it is about bringing light to our whole planet. And our mission is to make She Births® accessible to every woman on the globe. We have 3 wonderful charities that She Births® supports and you may be interested in too. I believe that the honour we give to our pregnant women and the respect we have for a labouring mum and her unborn child shows how we take care of ourselves, each other and our planet. I also believe that the hand that rocks the cradle, rules the world…Loving your family and seeing the planet as one beautiful group of people (with a few that are darker and more ignorant than others) is the only way home.
So, I will not be putting a French flag over my Facebook photo folks even though I love France…because unfortunately I cannot also put a Syrian, Lebanese, Turkish or any other flag across it at the same time. I do believe that things may get worst from here on in, especially for us privileged people traveling the globe and living in big cities, but I would rather focus on what is true and good – that we are all one race and we are all in this together.
Together, I know we can create a better world through more peaceful and loving families and by fostering more gentle births for the next generation of peace keepers.
So, if you are pregnant, or any of your friends are, please come along to one of my upcoming She Births® super squatting courses or catch the next monthly charity talk: The Three Essential Ingredients to Creating a Beautiful Birth Experience. If you can’t make that then I invite you to book in for a 10 minute Private Discovery Session to discuss any concerns or specific questions about your pregnancy and birth. You can email me directly here nadine@shebirths.com
Sending lots of love to you and your family.
xxx Nadine
PS
If you are thinking about becoming a She Births® educator I am very pleased to announce that I will be holding two training rounds next year – February 2016 and September 2016. Numbers are very limited so email us here if you would like to know more.
The final Soul Mama Circle for 2015 starts Wednesday 25th November. Please register here to attend.
Don’t miss my last 2 talks for 2015 The 3 Essential Ingredients to Creating a Beautiful Birth Experience for mums, dads and birth workers.
And Leonie Percy is launching her wonderful webinar series this Thursday, Mindfulness for mums: From Chaos to Calm – I highly recommend you sign up NOW so you don’t miss out.