This documentary takes a long hard look at maternity services in Australia and across the world in order to discover why so many women are left feeling physically and emotionally traumatised after childbirth. Birth Time highlights the significance of women’s birth experiences, educates women on the maternity care options available for them to access and advocates for global change so that our maternity services can better meet the needs of women.
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✨ Wireless headphones – rather than having music playing out loud, you may wish to take yourself off into your own world. They’re also a great way of avoiding unwanted chit-chat or interruptions.
✨ Eye mask – darkness helps boost melatonin levels & the mask will provide a visual cue for others not to disturb you.
✨ Hair ties – constantly moving hair out of your face gets really annoying really fast!
✨ Bendy drinking straw – makes it much easier for your birth partner to offer you a drink.
✨ Coconut water – a wonderful source of natural electrolytes to keep you going.
✨ Dark chocolate – for a boost of endorphins; the body’s natural pain relievers. Your birth partner can pop a square into your mouth for you to suck on & savour every hour or so.
✨ Thermos of hot water – also pack a variety of herbal teas (peppermint tea is fab for relieving nausea!) & coffee sachets for your birth partner!
✨ Loose, comfortable clothes – there’s no need to slip on one of those hideous hospital gowns, unless you want to of course! To easily facilitate skin-to-skin immediately after birth, choose something which is easy to slip out of.
✨ Warm socks – hospital floors are bloody cold!
✨ Pillows – hospitals are notoriously short on pillows, I honestly don’t know where they all disappear to! A pillow from home will also be comforting & familiar.
✨ Throat sweets – it’s very common to experience a sore throat after you’ve given birth, especially if you’ve been quite vocal during your labour.
✨ Lip balm – hospital air conditioning can be very drying on the lips so let your birth partner know beforehand to apply some often for you.
During the anatomy scan, which is usually done around the 20th week of pregnancy, the sonographer is checking that your baby is developing normally, that the amniotic fluid levels are sufficient and also checking the function and position of the placenta.
It is very common for women to be told at this stage that they have a low-lying placenta and then the conversation seems to steer in the direction of worst-case scenarios, leaving women feeling extremely anxious about their births. Quick fact check – according to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK, this issue will resolve by the end of pregnancy for 9 out of 10 women. This video aims to alleviate some of the worries by demonstrating the growth of the uterus and how this assists with a low-lying placenta.
Vicki Hobbs, a Perth-based doula, Hypnobirthing Practitioner, and Childbirth Educator, has written an excellent article on her blog about Privately Practicing Midwives and has put together an extensive list of private midwives who cover the Perth metro area. Click here to read Vicki’s article.
King Edward Memorial Hospital in Subiaco is Western Australia’s largest tertiary hospital. Most maternity units in WA base their guidelines on those published by KEMH, although there may be some slight differences from unit to unit. I wouldn’t recommend accessing these if you’re looking for a leisurely read but they do offer some insight into what hospital-based maternity care may involve. At the end of each guideline, there is also a list of references citing the supporting evidence. It is always worth remembering that hospital policies and guidelines are not law and do not always reflect the most recent evidence. You cannot be forced or coerced into anything – the choice is always yours to make! Click here to be redirected to the KEMH website.
Are you thinking about using a TENS machine during your labour but put off by the price, or the overwhelming number of products on the market? Laura, a Perth-based nurse and midwife, has you covered! Check out Laura’s website here, and have a browse at the wonderful products and services she has to offer!
Serene Births acknowledges the Whadjuk Noongar people as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waterways upon which we live and work. We pay our respects to their continuing culture and to Elders past, present and emerging.
