An excerpt from Pregnancy & Birth – A New Generation by Joy Wisdom

Giving birth is a million dollar business

Forty six per cent of USA births are carried out by Caesarean section and America also has the highest newborn death rate in the developed world. 

In the UK, (on average) 40% of hospital births are by C-section and it appears to be very much the norm these days.  It is the wealthy countries in the western world, which seem to have indicators of high intervention during birth, but is this a help or a hindrance to the infant and mother ? 

In this book we will explore all aspects of birth and pregnancy, providing new ideas and scientific facts to help new and existing mothers.  We will also look at women’s and children’s health issues and wellbeing, nutrition, behaviour disorders, Post Traumatic Stress and Post Natal depression.  This book offers a broad range of information; self help ideas and new perspectives offering alternative and preventative choices for improved health and wellbeing.

Medicine has improved a great deal over the last 50 years.  Most medical disciplines now acknowledge that the mind and body are not separate; that the two work together.  Emotionally however, I believe that health and welfare systems have a lot of learning to take on board.  In hospitals today, we are, to a great extent, emotionally ignored.  Scientifically, the premise that emotions are often the root of disorders and unhappiness is not fully understood.

Having a baby is a very emotional experience.  The birth process can sometimes be easy and sometimes difficult, but the more the mother is in control, the easier it is for nature to help.  With natural instincts taking over, the body already has the tools for birth in readiness for the event. 

When the mother becomes stressed, so does the baby.  You might consider that to be perfectly logical, but it is something, which seems to be ignored in today’s birthing process.  Intervention and stress interferes on many levels, shutting off and overriding natural abilities and making the process more painful and emotionally destructive.  It causes babies to be born in shock and to suffer post-traumatic stress (PTS).  I call them ‘Car Crash Baby’s’ the result is just like being in a car crash, both mother and baby are left in shock and with the added burden of PTS, anxiety and depression.  Is this how birth was meant to be?

Through my own practice, I have treated mothers and babies suffering unduly from the most natural process in the world – giving birth.  I have been able to help women and children when the general medical profession has ignored them. 

As a result, I felt compelled to write about the many areas of unexplored health issues because, despite a lax approach from many establishments, there is help and assistance available.   Children do not need to cry continuously; there is always an explanation.  Babies don’t cry for nothing and they won’t grow out of it as health visitors and the medical profession often suggest.  I have treated 70 year-olds still suffering the trauma experienced from their birth process and lack of bonding.  I found the original problem created patterns that were carried on into adulthood. 

Emotionally there is a price to pay if problems are not dealt with, but often these can be corrected very effectively at an early stage.  The older we get, the more ingrained the pattern, so it makes sense to tackle it early on.  I have proved this time and time again within my practice.  Fortunately, I have been able to help on all levels through non-invasive clinical techniques and releasing emotional impacts, clearing a foundation for growth and life.

Not that long ago, it was still believed that when children are born they do not feel anything.  Let me assure you that they do.  While in the womb, they feel and sense, picking up on mum’s emotions and taking on board her stress and anxieties.  In general this is not an area spoken about or discussed.  Why are some babies more distressed and anxious than others?  Why is it that a mother can deliver one child naturally and have a baby which is calm and laid back, then have her next by C-section and the child needs constant attention, won’t settle and is prone to allergies and chest problems?

In this book I explain the reasons why ‘How’, ‘When’ and ‘Where’ are all important choices in birth.  How the baby arrives.  When – if it is according to the baby’s schedule or induced before the child wants to arrive.  Where – at home?  Or in a hospital - Where, in some cases (depending upon where you live) women wait for beds and are on a birth production line according to hospital convenience and protocol.  All will have an impact on the baby and mother, with long-term consequences for some.

I am a mother of two.  I had my children in the 1970s when we were more in touch with the mother’s requirements and more in tune with her natural abilities, instead of being subject to a quick-fix delivery to clinical time-tables.  We were given time to bring our children into the world in the time-honoured way, when the infant itself decided by instructing hormone activity, preparing mother and baby for the event.

I have seen so many women who were bruised and shocked emotionally from their experience.  I have also seen infants who have suffered shock because of either a quick or a long and traumatic birth and are still suffering ongoing nightmares at five months old as a result.  Parents have been at their wits end, with the whole family anxious, stressed and confused.  ‘It should not have been like this,’ I hear over and over again. ‘No one would listen to me.  They just kept telling me they would grow out of it.’

The majority of my clients are referrals.  They come via word of mouth, the recommendation passed on from one mum to another.  Through my experience, I have been able to help them, giving practical advice and clinical treatment, offering a helping hand and a sympathetic ear to listen to their concerns.  Together we have lightened the load and the children have stopped crying, sometimes overnight after their treatment session, and begun to show almost immediate contentment.  A happy child creates a happy and contented family.

I believe that we have lost the knowledge of the original village elders who passed their wisdom down from woman to woman.  In recent times, clinical intervention has taken over, changing our thinking and handing our power over to the medical profession.  Instead of using and connecting to an inbuilt intuition that has served women through the centuries, we now let others decide, often to our cost.

This is what I want to share with women in this book

Pregnancy is not an illness.  Women should not be fearful when pregnant.  They should be nurtured and cared for.  It is a special time.  It is the most natural thing in the world and is a magical time, which involves the re-creation of life.  Being pregnant should be a time of good health, happiness and joy, not full of fear, pain and stress as more and more women experience today.

We shall explore all aspects of pregnancy, infertility and miscarriage and see how you personally can help yourself.  Through simple steps and information for as an example, infertility, you will discover how to make changes, which will improve egg and sperm quality, your general health and your emotions.

A healthy pregnancy and a healthy child are things that we all strive for and outcomes that we all want.  I believe that preparation is the key, preparing a good foundation for your union to grow.
Copyright 2010 Joy Wisdom | Web site

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