Lamaze
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lamaze International is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote, support and protect normal birth through education and advocacy. Lamaze members and volunteers include childbirth educators, labor support specialists, lactation consultants, maternal-child nurses, midwives, physicians, physical therapists, social workers, hospital nursing managers, students and parents.
THE LAMAZE PHILOSOPHY OF BIRTH
* Birth is normal, natural and healthy. * The experience of birth profoundly affects women and their families. * Women's inner wisdom guides them through birth. * Women's confidence and ability to give birth is either enhanced or diminished by the care provider and place of birth. * Women have the right to give birth free from routine medical interventions. * Birth can safely take place in homes, birth centers and hospitals. * Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices in health care, to assume responsibility for their health and to trust their inner wisdom.
LAMAZE'S SIX CARE PRACTICES THAT PROMOTE NORMAL BIRTH
Lamaze’s six recommended care practices are a guide for creating a birth environment that lets you tap into your innate birth wisdom and give birth simply and easily. Regardless of your baby’s size, your labor’s length and complexity, or your confidence level, these care practices will help you keep your labor and birth as normal as possible.
* Care Practice 1: Labor should begin on its own * Care Practice 2: Laboring women should be free to move throughout labor * Care Practice 3: Laboring women should have continuous support from others throughout labor * Care Practice 4: There should be no routine interventions during labor and birth * Care Practice 5: Women should not give birth on their backs * Care Practice 6: Mothers and babies should not be separated after birth and should have unlimited opportunity for breastfeeding
HISTORY
The Lamaze Technique was created a prepared childbirth technique developed in the 1940s by French obstetrician Dr. Fernand Lamaze as an alternative to the use of medical intervention during labor. Dr. Lamaze was influenced by Soviet childbirth practices, which involved breathing and relaxation techniques under the supervision of a "monitrice" or midwife. The Lamaze method gained popularity in the United States after Marjorie Karmel wrote about her experiences in her 1959 book Thank You, Dr. Lamaze.
Modern Lamaze childbirth classes teach expectant mothers a philosophy of birth rather than the technique created by Dr. Lamaze. Breathing techniques are no longer a hallmark of Lamaze, and often are not taught at all; instead 'breath awareness' may be taught, as are many other ways to work with the labor process to reduce the pain often associated with childbirth, such as hot and cold packs, changing positions, the use of a "birthing ball" to remain in an upright position, and orgasm to induce or hasten labor.
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