Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC)

April 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Women who choose to have a VBAC will have emotions and fears about giving birth that are justifiably heightened. She and her partner will require more time and patience than your other clients.  This program focuses on advanced planning techniques for changing psychological patterns in the mother and father, and tips for avoiding pitfalls and safely supporting families through this most satisfying and empowering of childbirth experiences.

One of Gloria Lemay’s twelve Essentials of Maternal-Infant Care presentations for birthing professionals and other care providers who work with women during the childbearing year.  This series also benefits students of all levels who wish to delve into issues that arise repeatedly in clinical practice.

This session is 90 minutes in length.

Cost: $7.50

Certificate of Completion: $7.50 (completion of post-session questionnaire required).

Continuing Education Units are available for some professional groups.  To view a listing of CEU opportunities, click here.


Select One…




Filed Under: By Title, Healing from Birth Trauma, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Recorded Presentations, Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC) Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Healing from Birth Trauma Series

March 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Artwork provided courtesy of Birgit @ http://cesarean-art.com/

Conscious Woman is committed to providing women with accurate, helpful information on methodologies that will assist them in addressing and healing traumatic childbirth experiences. This kind of healing requires a multifaceted approach, and one methodology alone is generally insufficient to overcome all of the issues that arise. The goal should always be to enable women to integrate their experience(s) into a new and improved sense of self.

Medical doctors in our society tend to provide women with antidepressants and ignore the underlying causes of postpartum depression and/or Traumatic Birth Syndrome (aka “Post-Traumatic Stress Responses”). Although medications may be useful in extreme life-threatening situations, in general they have limited utility, serving as a mere band-aid that cannot heal wounds that exist on many levels. Traumatic stress responses are often misdiagnosed as postpartum depression; although birth trauma can include depression as a symptom, it is much more than that.

Most therapists have little or no understanding of normal birth and its importance in establishing a healthy bond between mother and baby; they simply do not have the skills to properly treat postpartum depression because they fail to recognize one of its primary underlying causes.

At the physical level, many women live for years with sexual dysfunction and/or severe pain after cesarean surgery and/or episiotomies – ignored by care providers who are not knowledgeable in nor trained to address the aftermath of modern obstetric birth practices. Most wellness (complementary and alternative health care) providers, although well-intentioned, also have insufficient understanding of birth trauma and its underlying systemic issues. By failing to adapt their modalities to the unique needs of childbearing women, they rarely succeed in affecting the degree of healing that their patients require.

The Conscious Woman Healing from Birth Trauma resources consists of online resources, references and a selection of pre-recorded webinars by outstanding, experienced healers to the internet, each of whom  introduces their modality of choice and how it can be used to re-awaken, restore and enhance the conscious, empowered woman that resides in every one of us.

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Healing from Birth Trauma Resources

Go to our Resources Section

 

Healing from Birth Trauma Pre-Recorded Programs

Moving From Pain to Peace with EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), with Eileen Sullivan

Restoration: Treating Adhesions, with Tanya Tarail, PT, MsT, CST

Helping Children Find Resilience and Balance After Trauma, with Stephanie Mines, Ph.D.

 

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NLP: A Birth Model for Change

July 16, 2008 By 6 Comments

The current model of birth is as deep a belief structure as the structure of our very nature. Trusting your body, trusting your mind and trusting your baby are entirely new concepts in the birthing world today. Making changes at this very core level takes skill and dedication.

In this two-part workshop series, Kathy Welter-Nichols introduces participants to a number of new technologies and science models that support gentle birthing practices, and explain why fear is so deeply enhanced through suggestion during birth.

In these two experiential online workshops, Kathy:

  • Reviews the effects of adrenaline and stress hormones and how these triggered responses are the foundation for the setting and seeding of misdirection during birth through the simple use of language; she also explains the use of language as a positive influence on a mother’s sense of well- being and the resultant effect on the brain’s chemistry.
  • Demonstrates how fear and the suggestion of something going wrong interrupt the limbic brain function; and when the limbic brain function is clouded or in retreat, how the fight or flight responses in the reptilian brain take over and slow and delay labor.
  • Presents the latest evidence from leading scientists and biologists that support a change in the brain chemistry, and how this will change the person’s belief about that experience.
  • Explains why women fall captive to the idea of pain and suffering and loss through mere suggestion during the intense experience of pregnancy and labor.
  • Examines the affect of positive suggestion, and how helping a woman remain calm, focused, relaxed and in touch with her body and her baby, encourages the natural responses in the woman’s body to release her infant in shorter times with less intense discomfort.
  • Shows how by utilizing the concepts of “mirror neurons” to connect with the infant, the mother both participates and guides her infant through the birthing process.
  • Teaches care providers, mothers and fathers to release whatever might be blocking them from achieving their birth experience, their way.

Listen to Kathy Welter-Nichols’ NLP Beach Induction in mp3!

Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) refers to language (words, as well as other symbol systems, such as physical posture, gestures and related non-verbal forms of communication) as a function of the nervous system and its transformation into ‘subjective experience’. Put more simply, it focuses on the way we use our five senses to create an internal map of our reality, which we then use to navigate our way through the world. It is a basic premise of NLP that the quality of our ‘maps’ dictates the quality of our lives.

The findings of this workshop series are based in the training Kathy has provided for women and in her own in depth study of the triune brain system, archetypal studies, and the myths of our feminine and masculine that are playing out today in the birthing dramas we see on television and in the labor rooms in hospitals and birthing centers.

Get certified as an NLP practitioner! Click here to learn more.

Midwives, nurses, obstetricians and parents that Kathy has birthed with have seen the difference and remarked at the presence of the mother, the control she has during the birth experience and ultimately the incredible bonds that occur with both mother and infant un-medicated through relatively short labors. Science as the partner in birth takes on a whole new relevance in support of this model for change.

Time after time, mothers under this kind of guidance give birth with success and empowerment. If these techniques are that effective, why aren’t more women choosing this path to birth?

This presentation is 180 minutes in length (90 minutes for Part I, 90 minutes for Part II).

Cost: $15.00

Certificate of Completion: $7.50 (completion of post-session questionnaire required).

Continuing Education Units are available for some professional groups.  To view a listing of CEU opportunities, click here.

Select One…

 

Filed Under: By Title, Healing from Birth Trauma, NLP: A Birth Model for Change, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Recorded Presentations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Helping Children Find Resilience and Balance after Trauma

July 7, 2008 By Leave a Comment

This presentation by Stephanie Mines, Ph.D., founder of the TARA Approach for the Resolution of Shock and Trauma, focuses on teaching language and energy medicine that can be used immediately and safely by parents and care providers.

The TARA Approach for children combines subtle, specific touch on meridian pathways with healing stories. A simple map of the body is provided with clearly identified locations that stimulate innate healing responses. Story structures designed to encourage neurological sequencing blend with this energy medicine treatment for the complete resolution of shock and trauma.

In this presentation Dr. Mines focuses on the following situations:

  • Babies’ experiences of prenatal and birth trauma;
  • Medical procedures;
  • Severe accidents;
  • Sexual abuse;
  • Adoption;
  • Divorce, separation; and
  • Loss

Dr. Mines is known for her remarkable capacity to evoke the healer and storyteller in everyone. She developed Jin Shin TARA, an acupressure like system that swiftly and gently sends messages of relaxation and balance to the nervous system. Stephanie’s storytelling protocols for children are now being tested in clinical trials and have been shown to be effective for children with cognitive struggles resulting from early shock. She is the author of The Dreaming Child: How Children Can Help Themselves Recover from Illness and Injury (Dom Project, 2003).

This presentation is 90 minutes in length.

Cost: $7.50

Certificate of Completion: $7.50 (completion of post-session questionnaire required).

Continuing Education Units are available for some professional groups.  To view a listing of CEU opportunities, click here.


Select One…




Filed Under: By Title, Healing from Birth Trauma, Helping Children Find Resilience and Balance After Trauma, Recorded Presentations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Restoration: Treating Adhesions

March 20, 2008 By 3 Comments

Trauma to the abdomen and/or pelvic regions – the core of our balance and power – is a major contributor to a variety of subsequent health issues. Following cesarean surgery, episiotomies and/or instrumental deliveries, women may experience any number health problems, including back problems of any kind (which in the long run may become slipped or herniated discs); headaches, sinus problems and breathing difficulties; heartburn and heart problems; increase in blood pressure; gallstones; pinched nerves (anywhere); teeth and jaw problems; pelvic rotations; bowel and/or bladder problems; sexual dysfunction; joint problems and more. Adhesions (scar tissue) contract the entire body into itself. The ramifications can be very serious and are entirely preventable through proper treatment.

Join us in a fascinating and unique presentation by Tanya Tarail, a physical therapist of more than 20 years who practices CranioSacral Therapy, Visceral Manipulation and Urogenital Manipulation. Tanya has worked extensively with women following birth trauma; her specialty is scar tissue and trauma from any cause.

Tanya treats cesarean and episiotomy scars literally from the inside out. In addition to her physical therapy work, Tanya integrates Somato Emotional Release into her sessions, with an in-depth understanding that the emotional content of the trauma (how a woman feels about the birth, the scars, the after-effects such as sexual dysfunction, bowel/bladder changes, abdominal and pelvic weakness, etc.) can all be released along with the tension of the scar tissue.

I generally start a patient (if willing) on the table and have her share her story. I can get a lot of information by laying my hands on her as she shares with me. I can get a sense of where to begin unraveling the story that she has caught in her body and how her body reacts to it. This is generally done with a gentle touch. Many times a woman can’t handle having her scar touched at all. Sometimes I can talk with her until we work through it, many times I use alternate areas of the body to begin to loosen the scar. The scars that cause problems generally have adhesions/scar tissue attached to underlying or adjacent tissues such as the pelvic or abdominal organs, the spine and of course the surrounding soft tissues. As I loosen the adhesions, the scar begins to soften. Many times in the first session she will let me work on the scar, sometimes it can take 2-3 sessions. Many times I start with the epidural point of entry to take the pull out of the spine, then take the pull out of the pelvis and finally the scar. Other times I start at the respiratory diaphragm and work my way down. Every woman is different. I feel it’s important to work with a woman where she is and go from there. ~ Tanya Tarail

This remarkable healer can identify what kind of birth a woman has had simply by the way she walks and carries her child. She can explain physiologically why women have breastfeeding difficulties and any number of conditions after cesarean surgery and/or instrumental deliveries. This program is not to be missed! It will benefit women on their healing journey and enlighten all practitioners who strive to assist them.

Of all the modalities I utilized in my healing quest, Tanya’s work was by far the most effective. For two and a half years after the cesarean surgery, every bowel movement felt like the worst of my labor contractions. Intercourse was so painful that my husband was unable to insert more than the tip of his penis into my vagina. This of course put a strain on my marriage, affected my ability to work and to be a parent, and was a major contributor to an extended state of PPD and PTSD that I experienced. Just a few treatments with Tanya restored my body to its pre-delivery state and enabled me to live without pain for the first time in years. Her work paved the way for all the extraordinary things and people that have come into my life since. ~ Raquel Lazar-Paley, Executive Director, Conscious Woman, Inc.

This program is 90 minutes in length.

Cost: $7.50

Certificate of Completion: $7.50 (completion of post-session questionnaire required).

Continuing Education Units are available for some professional groups. To view a listing of CEU opportunities, click here.


Select One…




Filed Under: By Title, Healing from Birth Trauma, Online Presentations (Videos and Resources), Pregnancy & Childbirth, Recorded Presentations, Restoration: Treating Adhesions Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Moving from Pain to Peace with EFT

March 24, 2005 By 1 Comment

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a powerful and effective tool for resolving trauma and promoting healing at all levels: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.  This unique form of “psychological acupuncture” uses the ancient Chinese meridian system – the energetic pathways in the body – to relieve psychological stress and physiological pain.  By tapping on meridian release points on the face and body, the body’s energy system is balanced and emotional conflicts are neutralized at their source.

Eileen Sullivan, a childbirth educator and doula with over 20 years of experience, is an EFT Advanced Practitioner (EFT-ADV).  She has used this modality for many years to successfully facilitate the resolution of birth trauma, and for VBAC preparation.  In this program, Eileen demonstrates the use of EFT specifically for birth trauma.  This program is appropriate for birth practitioners, counselors/therapists, and women who have experienced a traumatic birth, and focuses on the following:

  • Learning to recognize birth trauma and its causes.
  • The foundations of EFT, including how our thoughts and emotions affect our bodies.
  • The short-cut EFT tapping procedure and some basic trouble-shooting, so that even beginners can achieve great results.
  • Important things to remember when working with mothers experiencing birth trauma.

I ended up needing a crash cesarean section and did not have an epidural at the time, so they tried a general anesthetic.  I blacked out at first but when the OB began to cut into my belly, I remember everything from then on.  I was later diagnosed with PTSD.  The regimen for recovery was medication that made me even more tired and less reactive.  [Pregnant again], I was so scared of another c section, the thought made it hard for me to breathe.  I was having flashbacks and panic attacks so often I was afraid I would cause myself to miscarry. I found Eileen through my doula.  Our session began with us talking a bit about why I was there.  Even today I remember how difficult it was for me to tell my story.  It was something I was unable to speak of without bursting into tears.  We spent two and a half hours “tapping.”  I remember after a few rounds of EFT, I could actually visualize some of the birth without going into a severe panic attack.  I felt relief, as though a huge weight was being lifted off of me.  When we were done, I could breathe.  I could move past this tragedy and feel.  I could break down this ten inch titanium wall that sat between me and my son, and allow a bond to occur.  I had never felt so free… After our session I went back to my doula’s house to pick up my son and when I walked in the door, he ran to me!  As though he just knew something was different.  On any other day he would not run to me to be held.  I was in shock, but so very happy! I used EFT to resolve some other issues during the pregnancy, and my doula even used it with me during my labor.   I had a successful VBAC and I still use EFT to this day.
–  Chelle Clas (To read Chelle’s story in its entirety, click here)

EFT was originally developed to reduce the therapy process from months or years down to hours or even minutes.  Early practitioners noted that as emotional problems faded, physical health and personal performance also improved, sometimes dramatically.  Emotional Freedom Techniques is a tool that is gaining popularity, and is the subject of a growing number of scientific studies.  For more information on EFT, visit Eileen’s website and the World Center for EFT website.

PLEASE NOTE: During the recording, you may hear mention of Part II of the program, which was a practical session for participants and is not being offered for viewing due to confidentiality concerns.

This program is 90 minutes in length.

Cost: $7.50

Certificate of Completion: $7.50 (completion of post-session questionnaire required).

Continuing Education Units are available for some professional groups. To view a listing of CEU opportunities, click here.

 

Select One…

 

* Disclaimer:  This is not a certifying program in the practice and instruction of EFT.  The Conscious Woman Healing from Birth Trauma Series is intended to introduce participants to a variety of healing modalities that have been shown to, or show promise in, assisting with the healing of trauma.  We assume that all of our participants take personal responsibility for their own healing process and for their well-being at all times.  EFT has shown fabulous results with trauma resolution in a variety of settings; however, note that neither Eileen Sullivan nor Conscious Woman, Inc. will assume responsibility if this practice does not yield the results you wish.

Filed Under: By Title, Healing from Birth Trauma, Moving from Pain to Peace with EFT, Pregnancy & Childbirth, Recorded Presentations Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,