“Dr. Frederick Leboyer was the first physician to challenge society’s deeply held beliefs about awareness in the newborn. His pioneering works on birthing, including “Birth Without Violence”, have forever revolutionized the course of prenatal care and the way babies are introduced to the world. He also pioneered introducing infant massage to the Western world.”
The publishers Pinter and Martin have given Lactivist a copy of Birth Without Violence to celebrate the re-launch of the book.
“Birth without Violence revolutionised the way we perceive the process of birth, urging us to consider birth from the infant’s point of view. Why must a child emerge from the quiet darkness of the womb into a blaze of blinding light and loud voices? Why must an infant take its first breath in terror, hanging upside down as its vulnerable spine is jerked straight? Why must the infant be separated from its mother after spending nine months inside her nourishing body?”
There is a chance to meet Frédérick Leboyer at the Pinter & Martin home/offices on the 28th May 2011. Mr Leboyer will read from his classic book and answer questions. The reading will be followed by drinks and a light buffet dinner and guest will have the opportunity to get books signed. The admission fee goes towards author’s fees and expenses.
In addition guests will be sent a voucher code to buy any Pinter & Martin book in stock at 33% off, including Birth without Violence.
Venue: Pinter & Martin, 6 Effra Parade, London SW2 1PS
Date: 28th May 2011
Time: 7pm – 9.30pm (reading expected to start at 7.30pm)
Advance booking essential. Tickets will not be on sale on the evening.
Nearest tube Brixton (Victoria Line) – 10 minutes walk, nearest rail Brixton & Herne Hill - 10 minutes walk, buses 3, 37, 196 stop outside (Effra Parade/Dalberg Road stop).
If you have any queries or would like to book over the telephone please call us on 020-7737 6868.
If you want to book online please visit www.pinterandmartin.com
This is an interview with Frédérick Leboyer in 2006. He is an amazing man with a vast expanse of knowledge – anyone who says ‘pregnancy is not a sickness’ gets the thumbs up in my book!
To win a copy of Birth without Violence just comment below with your top tip for a calm birth. Each tip gets you one entry and you can get extra entries for tweeting and sharing on Facebook, blogs and forums – please let me know how many entries you are claiming in your comment.
Comp ends on the 28th May 2011 and is only for people in Europe – sorry!
The winner will be drawn at random and notified by email.
Any Old Cow – Shopping Bag 
Mummy Milk Rocks – Shopping Bag 
Care Instructions – Shopping Bag 
Educate yourself well about the process of labour and birth so that when the time comes, you understand what’s happening in your body. It definitely helped me to relax and trust that my body and my baby were working in perfect harmony to bring our son safely to us.
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my tip is to know what is calming for you, for me it was water and my husband! So i had a ‘relatively’ calm water birth with my husband holding my hand and rubbing my back
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Remember that its the most normal, natural process and trust your body to do a good job. And remember that the reward simply couldn’t be better!
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My tip for a calm birth:
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Have a doula or someone you can trust to be calm and advocate for you, so you can relax and focus inwards, knowing the outside world is being taken care of
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I also used the Natal Hypnotherapy CDs, i was extremely lucky the 2nd time around, in that my birth was quick (i had a planned home birth) but i was unlucky in a way because the midwife didn’t make it on time and we had to deliver him ourselves. Having 2 births to compare i can tell you this… panicking makes it more painful and slows things down, stay calm, breath NORMALLY, don’t pant! Concentrate on the feeling of your baby moving down, don’t waste strength pushing when you don’t have to, your body is pushing your baby for you and your baby is pushing down too! Get comfortable, e.g don’t lie on your back and find you can’t get up again (like i did with baby number 1!) sitting on the toilet, was the most comfortable for me, and on my knees at the crucial moment, have someone with you you completely trust to take over in an emergency! You will feel more relaxed if something there is clued up, and you don’t have to worry about a thing, if you have an other half who is willing to cooperate, train him up, make him revise the birth plan and TEST him on it
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Someone even (not something!) sorry!
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go to good parent education classes beforehand, have faith in your ability and trust and listen to your midwife. Have a birth partner who will keep you calm, when you panic you produce adrenaline, which diverts blood away from your uterus and makes contractions less efficient.
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Conserve, then use your energy for the actual birth, following your midwife’s guidance – she has been there before!
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Shared on facebook.
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Make sure you have a healthy lifestyle and diet 6 months before you are pregnant.
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Take with you more than one birthing partner, i had my hubby and my mum with me and it made all the difference
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Keep an open mind and remember you are in control. Thats what I will be telling myself next time!
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Trust in yourself and your body. Women have been giving birth for melinia. If you are healthy opt for a home birth, where you will be allowed to proceed at your own pace, with the help of a trusted midwife. Avoid stess and intervention if possible.
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I’d recommend to read a lot on the matter so that you knew what to expect.
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I would have to say ‘don’t make a birth plan’. With my first child, when I got to the delivery room the midwife asked if I had one and I said other than getting the baby out as quickly and as painlessly as possible and not wanting a needle in my back – then no. If I had wanted various things (music, candles, certain outfit etc) I think it all adds to your stress if it’s not able to be done.
My second birth would have been a prime candidate for not having one, as I would have been more seriously depressed if i’d had any plans at all; everything went horribly wrong! But we both eventually came through it.
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