By 2006 Cesarean


delivery was the number one surgical procedure in American hospitals.


~U.S. Centers for Disease Control


practices, visualization, meditation and massage. When a mother isn’t con- nected to monitors and tubes, she’s free to experiment with positions and props such as balls, bars and pillows, plus a warm shower or bath. If a hospital birth is planned, Gaskin notes that labor often slows once a woman leaves the comfort of home, and recommends laboring at home as long as possible. There is no way to predict the course of labor and delivery when women let nature take the lead. Campbell, a mother of three, says, “I tried to focus on the intention of what I wanted for my birthing experience, while also surrendering expectations, knowing that I would have whatever type of birth I was supposed to have.” She adds, “The breath is the most important thing—it keeps us in the mo- ment, helps us to relax and supports us through labor.”


While the home birth option is im-


portant to America’s new generation of trailblazing women, it’s also significant on a macro level. Gaskin explains, “It’s hard for staff to change routine prac- tices in hospitals but home births make innovation possible.” Home births demonstrated that women don’t require routine episiotomies and have shown how maternal mobility and position changes can help labor progress and free badly stuck babies (earlier methods often injured mother and child). Gaskin has found, “Wherever and


however you decide to give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, mind, body and spirit for the rest of your life. No one should have a home birth who doesn’t want one, but it must be one of the choices.”


Meredith Montgomery publishes Natural Awakenings of Mobile/Baldwin, AL (HealthyLivingHealthyPlanet.com).


natural awakenings May 2015 25


ennifer Timbs, a direct-entry mid- wife and traditional homebirth midwife, believes that birth is a very personal and spiritual experience. Through her home- birth midwifery practice, My Birth By Design, she serves the northeastern region of Pennsylvania, including the Lehigh Valley and the Poconos. Timbs offers insight into the vari- ous options she offers for giving birth at home.


J Waterbirth is helpful to relieve pain,


lower blood pressure and minimize the chances of tearing. “Waterbirth will not completely alleviate the pain and pres- sure of contractions, but does help to make it more manageable,” she explains. HBAC stands for Homebirth After Cesarean and is an additional option for a homebirth. She says if a woman has already had a successful VBAC (VBAC stands for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) or prior vaginal birth, the chances of a successful HBAC are increased. Some women are good can- didates for a VBAC, even after multiple surgeries, depending on their history and present health.


A good candidate for a VBAC is


a woman whose previous C-section was not due to a prior pelvic deformity


For more information, call 570-476- 1476 or visit MyBirthByDesign.com.


Homebirth Options for Northeast Pennsylvania


or injury, and if she wasn’t re-hospitalized after her surgical birth for an infection. Hav- ing had an infection at the incision site after surgery can sig- nificantly weaken the uterine muscle and the risk of uterine rup-


ture is elevated in such a circumstance. For those seeking to have a home- birth after cesarean, Timbs encourages women to do their research very careful- ly before making a decision about when, where and how they will give birth. “A woman who is attempting a vaginal birth after cesarean is in a higher risk category than a mother who has not had prior uterine surgery,” she notes.


In the U.S., encapsulation of the


mother’s placenta has been growing in popularity, particularly in natural health circles. Timbs, who offers placenta en- capsulation, says it is becoming recog- nized as a possible alternative treatment for postpartum depression, milk supply issues and faster recovery after birth. “I have seen in my own practice women who heal faster post birth, produce more milk, suffer from less postpartum depression and have fewer issues with anemia,” she states.


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