If your estimated date of birth is approaching, you are probably imagining an easy, not to say harmonious, birth - the kind we all dream of... during which the sweet baby, the one you are already strongly attached to, comes out of your body in a natural, quick process accompanied by a minimum of pain. But in reality, unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many women experience a difficult and challenging birth. I too, the writer, part of the statistics, went through a long, painful and especially exhausting birth. Therefore, I set out to find out with Ziva Eshel, a reflexologist and medical masseuse, who accompanies many women on their pregnancy journey, whether there is a way to make the birthing process positive, and even pleasant. Long story short: pregnancy, smile! there's hope.
The first question that Ziva asked me with her characteristic pleasantness during our conversation was whether I had undergone "preparation for childbirth". And how she said "preparation for birth", I remembered the course I took at the checkout, where we were taught mainly theoretical material about the woman's body, the birth process, and also some breathing practice. I won't lie, when she asked me the question, what went through my mind was that this preparation really didn't help me, and even bothered me a little - and just like in every class that bored me in high school and university - the material went in one ear and out the other, was forgotten and really didn't make it to the delivery room with me . But Ziva must have read my thoughts, because immediately after I answered yes, she added that she did not mean the birth preparation offered at the checkout.
Now you are intrigued, I replied in amazement. Is there an effective way to prepare ourselves for birth, in a process that will help us give birth easily, with minimal pain?
"You'll be surprised, but yes." Ziva said, "I offer a holistic process to prepare for birth - which includes both physical and emotional preparation. During the process I accompany my mother, and help her prepare for birth, but really prepare."
How do you do that?
"The two most prominent factors that may make childbirth a difficult and longer experience are fear, and control. The more fear does not rule us, and we learn to release control, the higher the likelihood that the birth will be easier. I help women trust themselves and their bodies, the more they trust their bodies, the more They will arrive at the birth safer and more peaceful.
Releasing control is also something that must be worked on before the birth - which means that it is important to release the control we are used to in our daily lives. As women, we have to juggle between so many tasks, children, work, and all the time To maintain control and organization because it's important for us to tick everything off and meet the tasks we've set for ourselves, and if at all as quickly as possible. And suddenly, in the delivery room, we don't control anything, the body does everything on its own, and control slips out of our hands."
Contact Ziva Eshel on the ZAP Doctors website.
The article is courtesy of ZAP Doctors
So how do you release fear and control?
"It's not that you press a button and everything changes - you have to prepare for this thing. Only with preparation and practice at home can you reduce the fear and release control as much as possible."
How do you help your mothers prepare for birth?
Ziva sees the utmost importance in connecting to the body, to the natural birth instinct that exists in us. Ziva's accompaniment combines massage and reflexology treatments, alongside mental tools to deal with the birth experience - for example: breathing techniques, guided imagination and introspection. "It is important not to give up on the process of real preparation for birth - my treatment helps reduce stress and tension, it relaxes and infuses oxygen. Many times births end in emergency caesareans because the baby is in respiratory distress, for a variety of reasons - the mother is already tired, she has not eaten enough and is simply exhausted, so You have to end the birth quickly, so either you end up with a vacuum birth, or God forbid, an emergency caesarean section. Nothing is 100 percent certain, but I can teach women to reduce the risk of that."
Does the attendant also have to take part in the preparation for the birth?
"Of course, I teach the attendant massage movements that feel the pain, and reduce the tension and stress. In the process, I teach the attendant how he can help the mother during childbirth - and he unequivocally can. There are points on the body that speed up labor, and release endorphins - which are natural pain relievers that are in our bodies. There is a very gentle massage that can stimulate them, it relaxes the mother and helps the brain to release endorphins so that it will be less painful for her, and she will be able to cope with these contractions. In addition, it is important that the woman is in a loving, inclusive environment during the birth, in which she feels enveloped - and the massages that I teach the attendant, help the woman in labor to feel this way."
Do you need to practice the tools you give at home as well?
"It is very important to practice. Many times women choose to use a doula, but they only meet her in the delivery room and this is problematic, because without practice at home it is difficult to really apply in the delivery room. Once you practice, the body remembers and then in the moment of truth the woman giving birth will know how to deal with the complex situations in the delivery room. This Just like sports, with practice there are results. In my opinion, taking a doula without practicing at home is a wasted investment of time and money."
At what stage of pregnancy should you start the process of preparing for birth?
"I recommend starting birth preparation treatments as early as the eighth month of pregnancy. "Women who consistently come to me in the third trimester of pregnancy go through childbirth in a completely different way," she explains. "They are more relaxed and calm, with self-confidence and the body's natural ability to give birth."
Hand in Hand With Ziva Eshel for an easy birth
we will return to me, the writer, who had a difficult birth experience - not to mention traumatic. After the conversation with Ziva, I feel the sense of calm slowly returning to me - both because of the energy that Ziva spreads, which says "everything will be fine", and because she fell I understand that there is a chance, quite high even, that if I arrive at my next birth smarter and more prepared, I will be able to get through it quickly and easily - without the unnecessary pain, and the war of exhaustion I went through. Ziva accompanies her births with devotion and love and gives them real coping tools that will make it easier for them at the moment of truth. As you can understand, I left the conversation with Ziva with real hope in my heart and even with a desire for another pregnancy. What about you? Talk to Ziva right now, for an easy birth experience as possible.
Ziva Eshel - a healing touch for healthy femininity. Aminadav 36, Tel Aviv
Stav Koren, in collaboration with zap doctors