Birth Day - International Childbirth Education Association

Nurturing Laboring Women Through the Years
continued from previous page
here and you are not alone”. I wanted
to be there with them when they were
in the deep water of the sea of labor. I
was there with each contraction watching
the birth come closer and closer. I
saw the strength and courage in their
eyes as they knew that I believed in
their ability to birth their baby.
The pressure and harassment
continues for all of us who support a
change in maternity care and believe
in protecting normal birth. Riding
out the bad times takes courage and a
plan. We must take responsibility for
our time with the clients we much care
about. We must decide what we truly
care about. We must have complete
faith in birth and birthing women. We
must think positive. We must weave a
lifetime blanket of trust for the women
who come after us. We must help
renew their spirit and engage their
heart! We must support each other so
that we can continue to help, support,
nurture, and attend laboring women.
We must lift up others and help them
pull through the difficult times.
After giving a speech on labor
support at an area meeting, I received a
letter stating, “Sitting there listening to
you talk, I suddenly realized how much
I truly admire you for your energy and
your spunk, but also for your consistency.
I can see how it must be awfully
distressing for you sometimes, to seemingly
be banging your head on the
walls of hospital rules and regulations.
So when you are on the downswing,
think about how many women you
have helped to give birth positively and
perhaps they, like me, will find maturity
and peace through your influence.”
We fight for such a vital cause
that effect only how we birth, but
how our daughters will birth in ages
to come. Our care makes a difference
in the world of mothers and babies.
Our hopeful and helpful words can
positively change the course of a labor.
We must all remember this and try to
keep the faith!
I have learned how you face the
turns in the road will show how you
face life. I learned that I had the ability
to take things in stride. I have learned
to really know and feel compassion
and empathy for the pain of another
human being. I appreciated the emotional
complexity of perinatal nursing. I
learned that taking the time to listen to
my client’s stories helped me give them
better care. I learned that the quality of
care is what counts. And to this day, I
continue dancing under the rainbow of
perinatal maternity care.
Polly is an internationally known nurse
and public speaker. Polly is President of
C.F.E., Inc of Johnson, Vermont. She is a
consultant to hospitals, universities and
corporations on health care related issues.
Polly has always campaigned for patient
rights and for family-centered care. She
is the author of numerous articles and
books which include Special Women:
The Role of the Professional Labor Assistant,
The Nurturing Touch at Birth:
A Labor Support Handbook, Doula
Programs: How to Start and Run a
Private or Hospital-Based Program with
Success!, Special Women: The Role of
the Professional Labor Assistant - the
video, Birth Balls: The Use of Physical
Therapy Balls in Maternity Care and
Brain Attack: Danger, Chaos, Opportunity
and Empowerment. Polly can be
reached at pollyp@pwshift.com, www.
childbirthfamilyeducation.org or www.
cuttingedgepress.net
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Volume 24 Number 4 December 2009 | International Journal of Childbirth Education | 21