|
|
||
|
|
A NEW
BEGINNING ... THE
BIRTH PROGRAM IN STELLE In August, 1977,
two Stelle women began the Stelle Birth Program. The program recognized the
need for an organized system to assist ‘women in Stelle who were approaching
delivery. The Stelle Birth Program offers assistance to parents-to-be in
consciously determining the options they wanted for the birth of their
children. It also conducts research to find optimal ways of giving birth. And it provides education on the birth process for the
community at large. Twelve years ago, Gail and Richard
Kieninger initiated birth in The Stelle Group by delivering their daughter in
the privacy and security of their home. Since that time, 24 babies have been
born into The Stelle Group. Sixteen women chose to have their babies at home,
usually with trained medical assistance; five had their babies in a hospital
setting, and three combined the experiences of home and hospital births. Much medical and psychological research
has been done recently in the field of optimal deliveries and from it we have been able to glean valuable information for use
at Stelle. Those of us involved in Stelle’s Birth Program encourage expectant
couples to educate themselves in optimal birthing. This includes study: reading, among others, Frederick
LeBoyer’s book, Birth Without Violence, Marion
Sousa’s Birth at Home, and Commonsense Childbirth by Lester Hazell. Expectant parents participate in Lamaze
childbirth education classes offered at Stelle which are
coupled with early-infant-stimulation seminars, preparing parents for
the all-encompassing job of stimulating their newborn. Many families have
found the childbirth films that we schedule for viewing for the entire
community to be valuable learning tools for their small children. In addition,
a three-hour seminar on the birth process was recently
offered for all Stelle members; single individuals as well as couples
enjoyed learning the details of the birth process. In Stelle we
recognize that the birth experience can be very valuable for the father.
Stelle fathers actively participate in the birth of their children. Some
fathers have delivered their babies with no medical assistance, but generally
most parents work as a team with medical attendants to help in their baby’s
birth. In Stelle we encourage parents-to-be to
examine their feelings about birth; to share perspectives with other
expectant couples, and to be in tune with each other
as they approach delivery, which is a One of the discoveries of psychologists
in recent years which we are incorporating in Stelle birth
is the process of bonding between the mother and newborn infant.
Psychologists have pinpointed a very special, sensitive period for human beings which is the first 45 minutes to one hour after
delivery during which time the mother “bonds” with her newborn child. During
this unique time human mothers go through a complete
transition—from a single individual to the adjustment of being a mother. If the mother and child have immediate skin-to-skin contact.
and are able to be together for the first 45 minutes,
the infant will establish eye contact with his mother. In addition, the
complete adjustment that the mother is experiencing—that of being a
mother—will include her newborn child. She will be more in tune with her
child for the rest of his life if she is bonded with
him. Since it is optimal that the mother, and perhaps the father, be left alone to establish this relationship, we encourage
couples to have as private a birth experience as possible. We recognize the importance of
breastfeeding as a practice as it enhances the mother/child relationship.
Immediately after delivery, breast-feeding helps the uterus contract and
passes valuable immunological substances to the baby. Many of us have found
Karen Pryor’s book, Nursing Your Baby
or the La Leche League’s The Womanly Art of Breast Feeding to be valuable assists in
learning the hows and whys of breastfeeding. It is every individual’s birthright to have
an uplifting birth experience. An uplifting birth experience means a gentle
entry into the physical plane, including the absence of harsh light, loud
noises, angry or upsetting vibrations, and uneasiness. It is our desire that
the Stelle child will encounter loving acceptance as he enters the physical
plane. Stelle births will be uplifting for the mother as well as the child,
as the mother, knowledgeable of what is happening, will be in command of her
body and her thoughts as she works to bring into reality the vehicle for a
new Ego to inhabit. The Brotherhoods have passed on to us the
information that each child makes arrangements on the astral plane before he
incarnates, choosing his mother, father and siblings, the particular egg and
sperm that will develop into his body, and the exact moment of his birth (he
triggers the mother’s body to begin labor). Usually the Ego stays near the
mother for the last couple of months before delivery. A clairvoyant can view
the Ego ready to enter the body (the Ego enters the newly born body with the
first breath). In Stelle we recognize that the Egos
incarnating are of equal or greater advancement than we are. Thus we are attempting to set up as uplifting a birth
experience as possible so that the transition for these Egos from the astral
to the physical plane is a joyous one. What is birth in Stelle like? Although
each childbirth is unique, let’s follow a couple
through their experience with pregnancy and delivery. First, our Stelle couple recognizes the
importance of a firmly established marriage before they conceive. Hopefully,
they will have spent at least three years intertwining their lives and
preparing the “nest” of their marriage to receive the children they wish to
parent. When a pregnancy is
first suspected, our parents-to-be will confirm it with a visit to
their doctor. From that point, along with her monthly visit to her doctor,
the mother-to-be will visit her midwife (or other medical person who will
assist in her birth, either at home or in the hospital).
The expectant parents, guided by the Birth Program, will read childbirth
books, labor and delivery guides, and literature on the spiritual aspects of
bonding. The expectant mother will recognize the
importance of remaining calm and peaceful during the pregnancy; she will be
aware that the body forming inside her own will be affected by any tension or
anxiety that she feels, as well as by the joyful, “giving” feelings. The expectant mother might join the
Mothers’ Study Group to share insights and expectations, and to gain
practical hints and ideas for further reading in child development and
psychology. She will share in the support that Stelle mothers give each other
in their desire to develop themselves into finer examples for their children. After some five to six months of
pregnancy, our expectant parents will join an exercise program to prepare the
mother’s body for both the hard work of carrying an extra 25 to 35 pounds of
baby and tissues, and for the labor and delivery. These exercises also help
speed up the body recovery time after delivery. At the seventh month, a Lamaze class will
be offered for the forthcoming parents to learn breathing techniques to aid
labor, to help acquaint parents with the mechanics of delivery, and to give
all the parents an opportunity to share perspectives of the upcoming birth
experience. They will be able to view several birth films and perhaps
participate in a Parents’ Workshop to help prepare them for the
responsibilities of educating their child. Thus, as the soon-to-be parents near
delivery time, they will be prepared—physically, emotionally, mentally, and
spiritually for the peak experience of delivering their baby. As soon as the expectant parents enter
labor, they will contact the midwife (or doctor who will assist them in a
hospital birth) who will monitor the birth by phone until the mother enters
the active stage of labor. The midwife will arrive at the couples’ home and
in the future, we plan to have a birth trailer, complete with all the
necessary emergency birthing supplies which will be wheeled in front of the
house, to be available at a moments’ notice in case of an emergency. As do
95% of all births, this birth will proceed naturally, with the father
participating integrally as part of the team: supporting, encouraging,
reminding of breathing techniques and concentration, and lovingly aiding the
mother. The father will “catch” the baby as it is born. There will probably
have been no anesthesia, shave, analgesia or episiotomy. The mother might
make use of a squatting or sitting-up position which
will greatly ease the delivery of the baby. The baby will
be immediately placed on the mother’s stomach and the extremely
important bonding time between mother and child will be facilitated with the
mother stroking the child, keeping him next to her, communing with the
newborn for the next hour. The cord will be cut
after it stops pulsating, and the placenta will be delivered naturally within
the next 30 minutes or so. Perhaps the parents will be left
alone to share the adjustment of parenthood for an hour or so. Then the baby will be weighed, dressed, and so on. Currently we do not have a Stelle birth
attendant with medical training. Ideally we would
like a flexible and patient M.D. who is interested in home births and family
practice and who would train midwives in Stelle. The Birth Program is working
towards establishing a clinic in Stelle. We are accumulating funds for the
purchase of prenatal and delivery equipment such as an infant suction set
(DeLee catheter), speculum, surgical scissors, fetoscope,
and lab equipment for blood tests. Selecting an optimal place to give birth
is a decision which each couple must make. Though
most of us have preferred to give birth in our own homes, it is possible to
have an uplifting experience in a hospital if it is carefully planned and has
the cooperation of all those who will assist in the delivery. A central point of those of us involved
in the Birth Program is that we would like birth to be as natural as
possible. The Angels lovingly designed our bodies so that all functions may
take place naturally. Often, man has interfered with the proper functioning
of the body. In Stelle, we plan to work naturally with our bodies by
eliminating the episiotomy, assuming a natural birth position, possibly
eliminating circumcision, and giving the father the place he deserves—working
with his wife in the delivery of their baby. The Lemurian philosophy emphasizes taking
responsibility for yourself—for your environment and your body. We feel that
this is best aided in the pregnancy, labor, and
delivery phase of a couple’s life by education, and by the loving support of
all involved in the birth. The Birth Program is setting up a Those of us involved in birth in Stelle
can see the tremendous changes we are all experiencing in refining and
uplifting the birth experience. It is an exciting time and place to be—in
Stelle, taking part in “a new beginning.” |
|
|
|
|
|
