The Eco Midwife

So this month has been incredibly busy for me from moving house to preparing the nursery. But the biggest achievement for me personally was getting published in this month’s MIDIRS for a subject I feel highly passionate about.

 
As a hypnobirthing teacher I believe that parents should have the best possible birth, their way with all the preparation, facts and informed choices possible. I had the absolute privilege to support a couple a few months back in upholding their birth preferences and supporting the father in ‘catching’ their child. Following this I decided to write an article as there has been very little research available in this field of Midwifery as father’s or partners assisting in the birth of their child is still a fairly new concept. The full article is attached for your own information and reading in this blog post.

 
Around half of all babies in the UK are ‘delivered’ by Midwives (Please note as a woman you deliver/birth your baby -midwives merely facilitate or assist in the birth itself). But as cultures are changing and adapting more and more parents are requesting to have their own hands on. Only a month ago did I have a couple where the parents both lifted their baby up out of the water and ‘caught’ their baby girl. The student working with me (who passed the baby through the mothers legs in a kneeling position) had never witnessed a Midwife facilitate this request before. Both parents were emotional and were crying with sheer joy and happiness and I was there monitoring the whole time with my hands in the water ready to take over if there was a nucal or short cord. Those parents will forever remember the moment they first touched their newborn baby. Both parents had requested this and both parents had their wishes respected.

 
When you choose to undertake a hypnobirth course either online, by undertaking further reading or face to face preparation with bumpstobabbas you are filled with the knowledge to take you forward into your labour and birth. During that time you are encouraged to be an active participant by making a birth plan. My favourite birth plans to read currently are the visual birth plans which you can download from pinter and martin (link attached at the bottom of the page). In that birth plan you can inform your care provider of who you would like to help lift your baby up if all remains well.

 
More and more mum’s are now requesting to be the first person to touch/catch their baby as well and depending on the circumstances and the position you are in during birth will decide if this is possible. It may be that the midwife will put her hands over yours to assist with the baby in being lifted up to your skin if this is on your birth preferences.

 
Whatever and whoever you choose to be the first person to have their hands on your baby at birth is your decision alone. Hypnobirthing mums are well informed, strong and confident and empowered to make the decisions for you that suit you and your partner the most.

 
http://www.pinterandmartin.com/the-positive-birth-book-visual-birth-plan-free-download.html

Should father’s be ‘allowed’ to catch their baby