Counselling for positive Outcomes. Gail Hart Midwifery Today conference, Harrisberg , Pennsylvania 2012
Ok, so I believed that after every day at the conference I would write up my notes on my new shiny box! Not true! I totally forgot how much concentration and writing I would be doing every day not to mention running, smiling, sorting stuff and generally giving loads of energy to all of my favourite midwives and birth activists! So obviously I lunched out my homework! So now, I am about to start transporting my conference notes to blog world, I hope they are as exciting and informative to you all as they are to me!
COUNSELLING FOR POSITIVE OUTCOMES- GAIL HART
- Every pregnant woman should be supported with all she needs when she becomes pregnant.
- stress changes positive outcomes- life can be stressful. U.S. women are expected to do everything with minimal support
- NUTRITIONAL ECONOMIC, SOCIAL – These are all kinds of stress- which lead to high blood pressure and then other complications.
- Nutrition- council for positive outcomes
- assist women to value themselves and respect themselves and their babies by eating well.
- sit and talk, “what did you eat yesterday?”
- you have to know where a woman is dietarily before you can positively affect her diet
- cook for people- bring gluten-free cookies to work
- introduce people to new foods- sprouts, houmous, stevia, seaweed
- sometimes people know how to eat properly but can’t afford it. Assist by organising get-togethers and food shares
- The value of prenatal care is the time spent with the woman, which gives more confidence and connection between you both, raising levels of oxytocin thereby creating better birth experiences
- This is an exciting time for you?” use leading questions to discover where she is with her pregnancy experience.
- Risks and fears need to be planned for but they do not need to be stated as problems to terrify women!
- Try to keep our fears ( and adrenalin) low and the fears of our women low too!
- All women are unique! No matter how you have been educated you need to remember that each woman experiences life differently
- Always ask permission before touching- this creates body respect.
- see the whole woman , use your eyes and ears, heart and hands
- When birth experiences are bad women seem to talk of it less, with fewer details
- Pick up the clues – get the whole story
- Women rarely repeat their birth experience physically- most women put their experiences into perspective
- Each birth is different- each time they change because they grow and change with the birth experience
- Always talk calmly and remind women of the dangers of unfounded fear-mongering thru the internet and gossip.
- High blood pressure is not a symptom of Eclampsia or pre-eclampsia, it is a symptom that something is wrong and needs attention!
- Only 1 out of 100 people diagnosed with pre-eclampsia actually has a seizure at birth
- possibly calcium regulation is a factor in preeclampsia – also kidney functions are a factor.
- MODERATION IN ALL THINGS EXCEPT COMPASSION AND LOVE