Stages of Natural Birth Doula Handouts PDF Download

An A4 download for posters or handouts that take you on a journey through the stages of birth. An informative tool for pregnant women, doulas, birthkeepers and hypnobirthing teachers to give an idea of how the flow of birth may occur, and some of the comfort measures that might be helpful during each stage.

When I was first pregnant, I struggled to get my head round what to expect when birth came - so I've created the summary that I wish I'd had at the time!

I was planning a home birth, so instead of basing the phases around timing contractions and cm dilated, and when to call the hospital, I just wanted to know...

- What is going on in my body? (so I could feel connected to my baby's experience and my body, and feel safe with the sensations)
- How will I know if that is happening? (what are the things that might indicate I'm in a particular stage, how might it feel like)
- What shall I DO? (what might I want or need as things are happening, what could I do to support my body)

Addendum has been added as I've been made aware that the fetal ejection reflex is not the same as the 'Ferguson reflex' (spontaneous pushing).

"FERGUSON REFLEX
Discussed in an article by James Kenneth Wallace Ferguson in 1941 (another female bodily function named after a man). AKA 'utero-pituitary reflex' relates to when the baby's head descends and stretches the cervix and pelvic tissues stimulating receptors in these tissues to create a feedback loop that increases oxytocin and changes the contraction pattern to stronger and more expulsive. This is the normal uncontrollable spontaneous urge to push.

FETUS EJECTION REFLEX
This term was initially coined by Newton, Foshee and Newton concerning experiments on mice. Michel Odent applied the term to physiological human birth in his article 'The Fetus Ejection Reflex'. In the article, Odent discusses his theory of physiologic fear where the fetus ejection reflex is initiated by a surge of adrenaline and catecholamines. This reflex results in an extremely fast birth ie. immediate ejection of the baby as an evolutionary survival mechanism initiated by a threat (predator) at the end of labour. In his article, Odent writes "The fetus ejection reflex must not be confused with the Ferguson reflex. The Ferguson reflex is triggered by the pressure of the presenting part on the perineal muscles–in other words, local factors–while the fetus ejection reflex can start much earlier and is not triggered by local factors."
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Print Settings

The margins when you print the page are down to individual printer settings and alignment and are not controlled by the file itself. For best results I recommend scaling set to 'Fit to printable area'.

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Copyright and Limited Use Commercial License

These handmade images, text and files are copyright of Hannah Thomas of Womb to World Art and sole copyright is retained by them.

The limited use commercial license that comes with this download means that birth workers, doulas, hypnobirthing teachers, prenatal yoga teachers, antenatal educators and midwives can print to share and use with pregnant women, birth partners and clients. By buying this download you are agreeing to the following terms:

The license means you - as an individual - can:

- Print the downloads on paper or card at the size specified
- Give the printouts as handouts to your clients, or use as teaching tools or posters for your business
- You may use use a professional print service or print at home
- Add the images to a Powerpoint presentation to use with clients in person or remotely, as long as the presentation file itself isn't shared digitally
- Share the content using photos or videos of your printed materials on social media

The license DOES NOT allow you to:

- Print the images for any other reason than above or on any other material e.g. on a notebook or mug to give away
- Use the images as part of a product you will sell
- Share the digital files with anyone by email or another method
- Add the digital files to your website or use on social media
- Edit the images or remove my brand name
- Share the files with other professionals in your organisation

Thank you for respecting the time that has gone into creating this artwork. If you have any questions about the license agreement, please contact me.

Disclaimer:

Please note this information is accurate to the best of my knowledge, but I am not a medical professional and therefore there may be words that aren't 100% atomically and medically accurate. These are not intended to replace any medical caregiver advice.

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