Celebrity Moms Who Opted For Natural Childbirth

Celebrity Moms Who Opted For Natural Childbirth

Embracing the old-school way of birthin’ babies and have their kids at home or at a natural birth unit much like Genesis Clinic!
Here are some celebrity moms who had their babies the natural way!

Gisele Bundchen
Gisele just had her son Benjamin in early December and not only did she deliver her baby at home, without drugs but it “didn’t hurt in the slightest.” She told the Brazilian TV channel Fantasticoshe that, “my delivery was in a bath tub, in water, I wanted to have a home birth. I wanted to be very aware and present during the birth… I didn’t want to be drugged up. So I did a lot of preparation, I did yoga and meditation, so I managed to have a very tranquil birth at home.e.” She continued to say, “The whole time my mind was focused in each contraction on the thought ‘my baby is closer to coming out’. It wasn’t like ‘this is so painful’. So I transformed that intense feeling into a hope of seeing him.”

Idina Menzel
The star of stage and screen delivered her baby (with husband Taye Diggs) without any drugs at all. Taye said that his wife “was a warrior” during her labor that lasted about seven or eight hours. Nicole Richie
One site said that the mom of two popped “not even an aspirin” during childbirth with both her children, Harlow and Sparrow. But another said she had an epidural…who knows? But Nicole did say the birth of Harlow was “really mellow.” Yeah, maybe she did get some medicines to help with the pain but her labor was only about 10 minutes so maybe not! (source)

Jessica Alba
Josh Alba, Jessica’s brother, dished that Jessica opted to have a “all natural” childbirth and said everything “went really well.” Jessica herself said that during her daughter’s birth, “I didn’t scream. It was really Zen.” She continued to say, “the labour was more like meditation,” she says. “I did yoga breathing. I was focused.” Joely Fisher
With Joely’s second child – True Harlow – she said, “I decided to have her at home and had a lot of friends around and of course her father was there. And of course, the doctor, the doula, the midwife, the butcher, baker and candlestick maker.” Halle Berry
This A-lister reportedly had a long natural birth but not at home. Nahla was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Maria Bello
The actress Maria Bello said she “can’t imagine giving birth in a sterile environment like a hospital.” That is why the actress opted to give birth to her son Jackson (who’d now eight) at home and in her own bed. During her 22 hours of labor she “had a midwife and a thunderstorm with nothing more than an aspirin.” She said there were times where I wanted to say, ‘Get the ambulance — I’m done,’” but she thought, “I can do anything for 24 hours,” and the delivery took almost 24 hours.
Ricki Lake
Ricki believes so much in home births that she produced a documentary on The Business of Being Born that takes on the contrast between home and hospital births. The film included the filming of her very own home birth.

Many celebrity mums have favoured the natural way. Demi Moore, Cindy Crawford have all given birth at home three times.

And it's not unlike celebs to withdraw from the spotlight and move back to their roots for the delivery. Nelly Furtado gave birth to her first child, Nevis, back at home in Toronto and Charlotte Church gave birth in her native Cardiff.

Pamela Anderson had her two boys, Brandon and Dylan, 'back at the ranch'. She said: 'I gave birth at home both times, naturally, with a midwife, in water, with nothing.' In silence
Scientology is the 'fashionable' religion in Hollywood, endorsed by new dad Tom Cruise. And controversially, silent labours are one of the beliefs followers hold. So when Scientologist Kelly Preston, John Travolta's wife, gave birth to their daughter Ella her lips were sealed.

She said it was 'just a peaceful, beautiful entry into this earth', but speculation suggests she may have lapsed at one point and is reported to have shouted, 'throw me in the car! I want an epidural!'

Available for a mere £5,000 a pop, South African obstetrician Yehudi Gordon is famed for his laid back approach to labour. He encourages his celebrity patients to take control of the birth with yoga or in a birthing pool. (And to think you can do exactly that at Genesis Clinic with professional midwives!)
London's St John and St Elizabeth Hospital where he practices has seen many a tinted-screen limo pull up outside. Heather Mills, Kate Moss, Cate Blanchett, Jerry Hall, Emma Thompson and Elle McPherson all gave birth in the hands of this renowned birthing guru. Gordon reportedly performs his caesarean section operations under candlelight.

It must be said that this is not some 'celeb' trend, but that giving natural birth makes common sense... our bodies are quite capable, thankyou :)

Mother Instinct Shop and Resource Centre
Visit us at 129 Republic road,Fontainebleau, Randburg
http://www.motherinstinct.co.za/

Mother Instinct is a Pregnancy and Birth Resource Centre that caters for pregnant mothers, their birth partners and close support group. It is owned by sisters Elsabe Burger and Tertia Alkema.

Tertia is a doula and Elsabe is a Nurse-Midwife.We both have a passion for pregnant women, birthing, newborns and breastfeeding. We offer high quality, hand-picked products to support mom and baby through pregnancy, birth and the early months. You will find beautiful baby carriers, homeopathic and herbal products, selected maternity wear and baby clothing and beautiful nursery linen and blankets.

Handmade baby toys and artful mobiles, as well as baby products, made of pure, natural ingredients, perfect for your baby’s soft skin. All this and more, nestled in our “home-from-home” store, where you are welcome to browse, try on that perfect maternity or nursing bra, try out our range of breast pumps for when you go back to work, sip a cup of tea, or just come in for a chat.

We have a selection of books that is not readily available in other bookstores and is handpicked to ensure that moms have the correct information available regarding pregnancy, choices in childbirth and care for your newborn. And grandparents and friends are also welcome to come and browse for that special something for the new mom and baby! We have brought together a group of practitioners working independently but sharing our space at Mother Instinct so as to meet the needs of new and expecting parents by providing the wholistic "woman-baby-family" care many expecting families long for during this very special time. If we don't have what you are looking for, we will assist you in connecting with the right provider for you.

Currently offered:~
Ante-Natal Workshops~
Pregnancy Yoga~
Birthing from Within Workshops~
Womb to World~
Therapeutic Reflexology~
Pregnancy Massage~
Post Natal Yoga~
Post Natal Exercises with baby~
Dustan Baby Language~
Breastfeeding Workshops~
Moms and Babies Support Group~
Birth Story Circle~
Baby Massage

We will be adding more services as time goes by to assist our pregnant and new moms. We believe that you will find something to help you along the way!

Welcome!

Father's Day!

Genesis Clinic would like to congratulate all new fathers and fathers-to-be this month of June! Remember when your baby is born, so is a father ...

Article on The Important Role of the Father During Birth and After Birth
This is dedicated to all the beautiful men who want to take part in the birth of their children but who have no idea what they can do to contribute to the experience of birth.

Husbands have regained much lost ground and become active in the labour support role. This is a vitally important role as no one on earth can fill the place of the husband to his wife who is experiencing such a life changing event: the birth of their child.

It is a truly intimate experience that solidifies the bonding between husband and wife in relation to the entire pregnancy and birth process. It has now come full circle: the conception of the child, the months of pregnancy, the expectation of labor, the experience of birth, the joy of new life.

During labour the husband can offer much support and effective encouragement to his laboring wife:

The husband is able to give labour support just by his physical presence whether that be someone to lean on, someone to hold her up, someone to support her while she takes a hot shower, someone to give encouraging words. The husband coached childbirth is empowering and encouraging during difficult, hard labour.

The husband offers a tremendous amount of relief from pain to his wife whether it be from a lower back massage to relieve back pain, counter pressure on the lower back during a contraction, massaging feet and hands to aid in relaxation, or holding his wife’s hand for reassurance.

The presence of the husband gives his wife a peace and comfort by knowing that she is protected and loved.
Husbands should be encouraged to take an active role in the birth of his children. Natural childbirth classes are an excellent way for the husband to become more involved in pregnancy and childbirth for first time dads. Many times the husband would like to help during labour but doesn’t know what exactly he can do. Natural childbirth training will give the husband and wife an incredible amount of knowledge about the birthing process but also practical how to suggestions on the logistical aspects of labour.

Husbands: You play a vital support role during labour. Involve yourself and interact with your wife. It will give her the confidence she needs to complete the work of labour and birth. Do not be offended if she yells at you or puts a fist in your arm or says, “This is all your fault!” ! Sometimes labour can be so overwhelming, you may be honoured to take the brunt of her frustrations. Hang in there. Give her physical support and emotional encouragement. This provides a much needed security during a time when your wife/partner feels most vulnerable.

No one other than the mother is more personally and profoundly affected by the baby's birth than you are. As the mother's lover and the baby's father, you are connected to them like no other. Your role-to provide stability and refuge-is unique to you. Your presence profoundly influences your partner and how she navigates through labour. As a vigilant attendant, you offer your partner tremendous refuge and have the power to alter how labour and birth unfold. Because the man's role can make such a critical difference, it is important men have access to the preparatory attention they need to fulfill their role.

Make eye contact with your baby immediately at birth in order to maximize the opportunity for LOVE to activate within your own neurobiology and that of your baby’s. This is an extremely important suggestion and goes for both you and your partner.

The moment of birth offers a unique window of opportunity for the activation of love for all family members. The particular neuro-chemical soup that is available during birth (i.e., oxytocin, endorphins, and other hormones of love and well-being) will not be available in the same way at any other moment during life.

Immediate eye contact with your child can support the activation of the neurobiology of love within you and your child, which will allow you to cement the bond between you and lay the groundwork for the preservation of love in your family forever.

On a fundamental human level, babies need to look into the eyes of love immediately upon their arrival. This experience would happen naturally if birth were occurring in a gentle, loving environment, such as Genesis Clinic.

Similarly, it is extremely important for you to hold your child and place your child skin-to-skin on yours or your partner’s body. This will activate your baby’s sensory mechanisms to produce the neuro-chemicals of love, which will create an imprint of well-being that can last a lifetime.

Cut your baby’s umbilical cord until well after the cord has stopped pulsing. Better yet, cut the baby’s umbilical cord yourself.

When babies first emerge from the womb, they are not breathing. Instead, they are receiving all of the oxygen they need from the placental blood as it pulses through the umbilical cord into their tiny little bodies. When their umbilical cord is immediately clamped or cut, the baby’s oxygen supply is abruptly cut off, forcing him/her to gasp for breath in fear for his/her life.

Here’s to all the dads who plan to enact their full power and potency during birth!!! Our planet needs you desperately and the women and children soon to give birth thank you. May your days of enlightened fatherhood bring you much joy and the love in your family last forever.

OPEN DAY!

OPEN DAY

Saturday, 11th of June

10h00 to 14h00

exhibitors on show as well as

prizes to be won!

meet some of the midwives, have a tour of the

clinic and become empowered in

your choice as to where to have your baby!

5 Northwold Avenue,

(cnr of Jan Smuts & Northwold)

Saxonwold

Mother's Day

When a child is born, the mother is also born. Before that she was a woman; through the birth she becomes a mother. On one side the child is born, on the other side the mother is born. And a mother is totally different from a woman: a gap exists, her whole existence becomes qualitatively different. Before that she may have been a wife, a beloved, a sister, a friend, an aunt...but when a child is born, a new life has entered: she becomes a mother.

When a woman becomes a mother, something tremendously meaningful has happened to her. For a woman it is almost a new birth. When a woman gives birth to a child, it is life. When she looks into the eyes of the child, she looks into her own being. When the child starts growing, she grows with the child.

When a mother is feeding her child, she is not only giving milk as was always thought. Now biologists have stumbled upon a deeper fact, and they say she is feeding energy — milk is just the physical part. And they have done many experiments: a child is raised, food is given — as perfect as possible, whatsoever medical science has found. Everything is given, but the child is not loved, not cuddled; the mother does not touch him. The milk is given through mechanical devices, injections are given, vitamins are given — everything is perfect. But the child stops growing, he starts shrinking, as if life starts moving away from him. What is happening? … Because whatsoever the mother was giving is being given.
It happened in Germany that during the war many small orphan babies were put into a hospital. Within weeks they were all almost dying. Half of them died — and every care was taken; scientifically they were absolutely right, they were doing whatsoever was needed. But why were these children dying? Then one psychoanalyst observed that they needed some cuddling, somebody to hug them, somebody to make them feel significant. Food is not food enough. ” Some inner food, some invisible food is needed. So the psychoanalyst made a rule that whosoever came into the room — a nurse, a doctor, a servant — had to give at least five minutes in the room to hug and play with the children. And suddenly they were not dying, they started growing. And since then many experiments have been done.

When a mother hugs a child, energy is flowing. That energy is invisible — we have called it love, warmth. Something is jumping from the mother to the child, and not only from the mother to the child, from the child to the mother also. That’s why a woman is never so beautiful as when she becomes a mother.

Whenever a woman becomes a mother, the circle is complete. A grace comes to her as if from some unknown source. So not only is she feeding the child, the child is also feeding the mother. And there is no other relationship which is so close. Even lovers are not so close, because the child comes from the mother, from her very blood, her flesh and bones; the child is just an extension of her being.

Never again will this happen, because nobody can be so close. A lover can be near your heart, but the child has lived inside the heart. The mother’s heart has been beating, and that was the heartbeat of the child, he had no other heart; the mother’s blood circulated in him, he had no independence, he was just part of her. For nine months he remained as part of the mother, organically joined, one. The mother’s life was his life, the mother’s death would have been his death. Even afterwards it goes on: a transfer of energy, a communication of energy exists.

So on this note, Genesis Clinic would like to wish all mothers and mothers-to-be , an amazing Mother's Day and remind yourself every day you are doing a fantastic job!

(part of this article taken from http://sureshg.wordpress.com/2006/11/23/whenever-a-woman-becomes-a-mother-the-circle-is-complete/)

What is a Doula?

Doula is a Greek word for “woman’s servant.”
In nearly every culture of the world, women have traditionally surrounded themselves with other women to care for them during childbirth. Artistic depictions of childbirth usually display two or more women supporting the birthing mother. Usually, one of these women is a midwife, who is the person responsible for creating a safe passage for baby. The other women, usually on either side of the mother to comfort and soothe her, are doulas.

The Doula does not replace the role of the father/partner. Fathers are often able to participate more fully with a doula present. The top two fears that a father has surrounding pregnancy and birth are the worry about the safety of his unborn child and his partner. Much of that fear is gone when a doula is present because she can provide informational support about the labour as it progresses, and her calming influence allows the father to give the love and support that his partner needs to feel.

The presence of a doula complements a father's role and strengthens it. A doula often can give suggestions and encourage the father to touch, to talk, and to help in ways that feel truly comfortable to him and comforting to the mother.
Fathers, with the support of the doula, are able to participate at any level that feels right and natural for them. In this way, fathers can experience fully the joy and wonder of watching their babies come into the world.

Birth Doulas (aka Labour Support Doulas)
A birth doula is a supportive companion professionally trained to provide physical and emotional support during labour and birth.
A doula provides continuous support, beginning during early or active labor, through birth, and for approximately 2 hours following the birth. The doula offers help and advice on comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation, movement, positioning, and massage. She also assists families with gathering information about the course of labour and their options. Her most critical role is providing continuous emotional reassurance and comfort.

Doulas attend home births and hospital births; medicated births and unmedicated births, with women whose care is being overseen by doctors or midwives. Doulas may be the only support person for the mother, or may be part of a labour support team including mom’s partner, friend(s), and/or family members.
Doulas specialize in non-medical skills, and do not perform clinical tasks, or diagnose medical conditions.

Doulas do not make decisions for their clients. Their goal is to provide the support and information needed to help the birthing mother have a safe and satisfying birth as the mother defines it.

Postpartum Doulas
There are also postpartum doulas, who provide support after the baby is born. They have knowledge about postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, and newborn care. Their services vary depending on your needs, and might involve anything from a one-time visit for information and advice, to providing overnight care every night for a month.

Proven Benefits of Doula Care
-Decreased medical intervention in labour
-Reduces need for cesarean by 26%
-Reduces the need for forceps or vacuum extractor by 41%
-Reduces use of pain medication by 28%
-Reduces dissatisfaction with birth by 33%
-Reduces length of labour

Six weeks after birth, mothers who had doulas were:
-Less anxious and depressed
-Had more confidence with baby
-More satisfied with partner
-More likely to be breastfeeding

Please look at the DOSA website (Doula's of South Africa) to find a Doula, or even if you want to learn how to become a Doula! http://doula.org.za/

Roald’s Birth Story

Baby boy, Roald, born on the 3rd of August 2010 ,his birth story told by his mommy,Genesis Staff (& Private) Midwife, Juriet Nieuwoudt, who was the first staffmidwife to birth her baby at Genesis Clinic !

I wasn’t particularly looking to fall pregnant again as I already had 3 kids ( more than enough according to me) as well as that I had recently started my own midwifery practice. So juggling the practice, being a full time staff midwife at Genesis as well as being a mom was more than enough for me. But as luck would have it something else was written in my stars than what I had intended.

Initially , I was quite embarrassed about being pregnant yet again and only told my husband. What I found though was the longer I kept quiet about it , the more difficult it got to “disclose my status”. Every time I thought it was a good time to announce my pregnancy somebody else would spill their beans before me. First it was our unit manager Tamzin and then my business partner and colleague Nicolette. When I got to my 12th week of pregnancy I had no choice but to tell the hospital manager. When I told her that I had some news, the first thing she said was:” Please don’t tell me you are also pregnant”. The news didn’t go down too badly and life went on from there.

I had my first 3 children with Growth Spurt (Sandi delivered all of them) and I really needed my trusted midwife, colleague and friend to deliver this baby as well. But Sandi had given up private practice when Growth Spurt moved their practice to Genesis and this was a huge problem for me. I phoned my friend and told her that number 4 was on the way and I really wanted her to birth this little Nieuwoudt as well. Sandi agreed to come “out of retirement” for the delivery of my little one. But seeing as she was working full time at Linkwood, we had to work out a plan B for in case she could not come out for the delivery. So I kept on seeing Growth Spurt for my ante natal check – ups and I had arranged that if I could not get hold of Sandi I would phone Henny directly and we would work out an alternative. So with all my ducks in a row , I continued my pregnancy without much problems (Except for the ever present heartburn).
I was due to start my maternity leave on the 1st of August, but as it was a Sunday and I was working the Saturday, Tamzin could not find anyone to work in my place on the Sunday. So she asked me to postpone my maternity leave to the 2nd and I obliged.

I finished my shift on the first and was grateful that my maternity leave had finally begun as I was quite exhausted. On Sunday night at midnight I started having contractions about every five minutes and I decided to just keep an eye on them for a while as I wasn’t going to wake every one up for a false alarm. About two hours later the contractions tapered down and I finally managed to fall asleep again. The whole of Monday though I was not feeling myself. Just utterly exhausted and listless. I slept till about 11h00 and then went about my daily routine with much effort. Finally it was time to go to sleep for the night and I was relieved. I had slept for about an hour when I woke up at 23h00 with contractions and I thought, “oh here we go again. Another night without rest.” I timed the contractions for about an hour until 00h00 and then decided that this was not another false alarm, but the real deal. So I woke my husband up, phoned my parents to tell them that we were bringing the kids over and got all our bags together and in the car. As Murphy would have it I tried getting hold of Sandi and her phone just rang and eventually went to voice mail. When I could not get hold of Sandi I phoned Genesis and booked a bed and I thought that if worst comes to worst one of my colleagues would be the lucky one to deliver my baby. Then I phoned Henny as arranged and she told me that Linda (her partner) was already at Genesis with another client so I could just go through.

While dropping off the kids at my parents house Linda phoned me and asked how I was feeling. I was coping pretty well at this stage. She said that I should just let them know if anything changes in the car so they can run the bath for me before I arrive. Half way to the clinic my contractions started getting quite intense and I was sure that I was going into active labour, so I phoned Genesis and told them to run the bath so long. We finally arrived at Genesis at about 01h00 and I was still able to crack jokes (So I think my colleagues Tegan and Nicola were not convinced that I was actually in labour). Nicola told me after the fact that I would just get this far off look on my face when having a contraction and when it was gone I would say “oh that was a tuff one” and just go on as normal. I had prayed very hard for a quick labour this time around as my third child’s labour was a long and dragged out event and I knew I would not be able to cope with that again. So I was quite relieved when Linda checked me and I was 5 to 6 cm dilated. We did a short CTG tracing of baby’s heart and I promptly got in the bath that was ready and waiting. What a relief to get in the water. It just feels like you are on another planet when you get into the water. It is so soothing, but at the same time my contractions now really started getting quite intense. So being the sissy that I am, I told Linda that I needed Pethidine and Aterax. I think she thought I was kidding and for about 10minutes she just bluntly ignored me. So I said to her “ Linda, I was not joking. I really need something for the pain” She eventually obliged and I had my pain meds.

Approximately 10 minutes after she gave me the pain relief, I had the urge to bear down. When Linda checked I was only 7cm dilated, but as I gave a push my cervix just disappeared and I knew that I could now give it my all. What a nice feeling to be able to push and bring my baby out into this world.
Listening and doing what Linda coached me to do with the crowning of the baby’s head took a lot of effort as the desire to push was so intense. But I knew that I had to listen carefully to her instructions if I wanted to avoid any tears.

At 01h48, my precious baby boy Roald Nieuwoudt (Meaning: famous ruler) slipped into the world and into his mommy’s heart. He weighed in at 3,35kg and was perfect in every way and I was so happy that my wish for a short labour had been granted. Unfortunately I sustained a skin snick and Linda had to give me one stitch as I was bleeding (quite disappointing as I had been intact with my last two babies, but at the same time not the end of the world).
and Roald is welcomed into the world!

At 05h00 my phone rang and it was Sandi. She had forgotten her phone in her handbag in the lounge and never heard it ring. When she woke up to go to the loo, she realised she didn’t set her alarm on her phone and went looking for it. That is when she got my message that I was in labour. But in the end all’s well that end well.
Look at me, all of 3370grams!

After being back at work I needed to do combined statistics for Genesis for the whole of 2010 and when going back into the maternity register I found it quite amusing that the first entry in the register for August I was present at the birth and the entry after that was my birth.