The Nurturing Touch at Birth: a Labor Support Handbook- Third Edition

NEW Third Edition! Revised and Enlarged! This book is for anyone who needs to help a laboring woman like dad, friends, nurses, midwives, doulas, montrices and childbirth educators. With this book you have one-stop shopping for the knowlege and skills you can use to provide support throughout the entire birthing process.This valuable book covers the unique art form of emotionally and physically assisting the laboring mother. Labor support is the human part of what we do in the birth room and the heart of this book centers around the supportive care given to the laboring mother and details the labor support techniques useful when caring for the laboring woman. The topics include let's talk about pain, trusting relationships, the value of education, communications skills and tools, relaxation, affirmation, visualization, touch and massage, aromatherapy, music therapy, visualization,breathing techniques, focusing, rituals, therapeutic use of water, reflexology, acupressure, reflexology, maternal positioning, and other strategies and techniques like the birth ball, lunge, dangle, towel pull, pelvic circles and the use of the rebozo in perinatal care. Nancy Travis, a director of a busy busy obstetrical unit says the following- I recommend this book to all of my new nursing staff to assist them with the development of their hands-on labor support skills. From aromatherapy, birth balls and communication skills, to positioning and rebozo use this book has it all! Perez says that often society has difficulty accepting that something intensely painful or demanding like birth might also encompass a feeling of empowerment. Empowerment begins with connecting with the patient or staff member as a person and building rapport with them. Empowering them is one of the best ways that we can show them that we care an essential ingredient is the health care system. A good nurse, midwife, or doula practices her craft with pride and care that is developed by understanding her patients needs and wants. Empowerment is close to our concept of mastery and locus of control. Being empowered emphasizes our feeling of having control over our own destiny. Always remember that you are the backbone of our maternity care system and your wisdom and strong, yet gentle support will help change the portrait of birth that each mother paints for herself to include strokes of confidence, courage, power, strength, and dignity. Seize the opportunity to use the information in this book to educate yourself about new ways to care for laboring women. Adapt this material to the needs of each laboring woman you work with.