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 HHK receives regular requests for natural birthing articles so we're reprinting a few articles from our archives on this theme. First of all Natasha Clausen describes the birth of her daughter. This is followed by the Father's story of giving birth by Richard Clausen.
Our Birth Experience by Natasha Clausen:
It is just incredible how much can change in a week, now we are a family of three nesting happily and singing lullabies in our home. We reflect back to last week Saturday & Sunday, the 26 hour period it took to birth our baby and just marvel at how brilliant the experience was for us. As a tribute to my doula and midwife, Hulda Thorey, I have decided to tell my story.
It all started with making that very personal choice that is so different for every pregnant woman: how do I want to bring this baby into the world? With this thought in mind I set off to do the research to discover exactly what would be possible in Hong Kong and more so which birth option would best match what I really wanted to experience.
I had a very clear idea as to what I wanted and drew up a birth plan that best described my desire to have a natural active birth.
 I will start off by giving you some insight into my background. I really wanted the opportunity to put my training as a prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher into practice since I believe that there is a sensitive approach to pregnancy, birth and babies.
Furthermore I believe in the philosophy fostered by my yoga teacher’s Association. The approach we use is called Birth 'light' it refers to giving birth lightly, without undue strain on the body and making full use of the breathe, as well as to the light that can shine around birth.
Having these ideas in mind I set off to prepare for the marathon(birthing day) physically, mentally and emotionally. After gathering all the information that was meaningful, such as appropriate breathing techniques, relaxation positions, labour positions that can be used during contractions and massage strokes that offer relaxation.
I also gathered a birthing basket of aromatherapy oils, candles and favourite music cd’s. In retrospect the most important tools or allies where my support partners, my husband and doula. Together we worked through the labour step by step.
I woke up at 2h30am in the morning and my labour contractions started at 2h45am. My husband ran me a bath and lit candles and aroma oils in celebration, the day of our baby’s birth has arrived. Feeling both excited and anxious about what lies ahead we started timing contractions and made contact with our doula.
Starting off with a 60 sec contraction every ten minutes I knew that I had a minute to work through the contraction and a ten minute reward of relaxation at the end. I carried on working through the contractions, while my husband Richard catched a few more hours of sleep. We decided that he needed to reserve his energy since we would be in for a long day. I wanted him to be in peak condition, ready to massage and support me all the way.
I had a second bath around 10am and my Doula arrived at the same time. We discovered that the contractions had slowed down and Hulda explained that this was perfectly normal since a warm bath can be natural pain relief. Amazingly the contractions were very mild in the water.
We continued with the day, bringing movement; rocking, swaying and walking into each contraction. We continued as normally as possible by having lunch and during contractions I would move freely with my body to ease the pain. As the contractions became more intense I explored the different positions that made me feel most comfortable. We continued through to the evening and the contractions became more intense, I felt them deeply in my pelvis area.
Richard and Hulda alternated as my support partner where they assisted me during each contraction by breathing with me and then assisting me into a relaxation. During relaxation either of them would massage or talk me through a yoga relaxation or visualization. The idea was to completely relax my body, mind and spirit between contractions and start afresh. I had a clear view that each contraction was there to help me in birthing my baby. I knew that each contraction was one less to delivery and meeting our baby.
Early evening Hulda examined me and babies heart rate. I had dilated 3-4cm and babies heart rate was doing well. The goal was to be 8-9cm dilated and then go to the Queen Mary Hospital. I wanted the opportunity to move around our home and use positions that were the best to help baby on her way through the birth canal. Under Hulda’s expert midwifery guidance we felt that we had the best environment, our cosy home and medical supervision of our Doula to ensure a safe labour.
We continued to work through the contractions until the next examination at later part of the evening. Only to find that I had only dilated 1- 2 cm more. By this stage the contractions were really intense and we were using acupressure points to ease the pain. Finding out that I had only progressed a little inspired me to work harder because I felt that I needed to get more movement into the routine. I felt really tired since I had not slept for two nights running and then not holding my food in(Hulda explained that this is normal, the body is flushing itself in preparation for the delivery)added to the exhaustion.
More time had passed (1-2hrs) and I got to a stage where I felt I needed to be in a position were gravity would assist. Richard and I went to the bathroom and I sat on the toilet. This felt most comfortable during contractions, and assisted in opening my pelvis even more. Not long after sitting like this did my waters break and under Hulda’s recommendation we had one more examination, now 8-9cm dilated we prepared to go to the hospital.
The contractions were really intense and I felt a great urge to push. At the same time I felt very protected and safe with my husband, mother, Doula and of course baby by my side. We arrived at the hospital and proceeded through to the labour ward. All the admin and examinations happened so quickly, before I knew it we were in a labour room and all systems were in check; the foetal heart rate monitor was attached, my bloodpressure etc was checked.
Doctors, midwives were all working very effeciently to get the paperwork done then came the moment where Richard and I were left alone with one midwife. Waiting for the contractions to come so that I could push and birth our baby. Surprisingly to us the contractions slowed down and initially they were two minutes apart on arrival, now they were 4 minutes apart. This meant that I needed to wait and really work hard at birthing baby since the contraction would have weaned off by the third push. The hours continued to pass and the doctor told us that we had one more hour until she suggests a vontouse delivery because the contractions were still to far apart.
I made several attempts and fortunately the midwife was gentle and patient enough to bear with us. She was open to try a position that I felt would really assist in birthing baby. I wanted to sit in a support squat position. During my pregnancy we were told that it would not be possible to change positions that the midwives only allowed two positions all fours or spreading your legs and placing them in stirrups with your back upright.
In the labour room this midwife was willing to try my suggestion, and she understood that gravity would assist and that my pelvis would open up a great deal more.
It is customary for the midwives to follow one way- the way the were taught yet it all felt perfectly natural to suggest another way and to my surprise when another midwife walked in she too was told that gravity would help and accepted it too.
My husband was on top form at this stage and really spurred me on. I explained to the midwife that I really wanted to birth baby naturally and wanted her to work with me. As a team we pulled together all energy resources, and I gave three consecutive almighty pushes and baby’s head emerged and her body followed soon after. I did not sign the consenting documents allowing an episiotomy, I said that we wanted to first have the opportunity to see what happened. This was the best decision for me since I had a 1cm tear that is well into healing.
Our daughter was born at 5h11am, a healthy 3.01kg baby girl. We arrived at the hospital at 2am expecting to have baby immediately because my urge to push was so strong at the time. It took all the courage and effort to continue and deliver our baby.
Delivering the placenta took another 1hour and in this time baby was handed to me for breast feeding. She suckled for a while then the paediatrician came to fetch her for examination. She was then brought back to me for a further 20-30min feed. She latched on and we had skin to skin contact.
We were pleasantly surprised since the medical team agreed to Richard cutting the umbilical cord. We were also pleasantly surprised since we came prepared with a camera and were allowed to take a few pictures. It was done very unobtrusively and we understood that it was not hospital policy yet we were given the opportunity. It is my feeling that the team felt that both mother and baby were safe and healthy and could share in our joy by allowing a picture.
 Against all odds and all the cannots(throughout the nine mnths we were told that certain things would not be allowed) we found out that it was possible to have my dream birth experience. One that left me feeling completely supported and loved. Since then I have had the energy/fuel to become familiar with breastfeeding. Our daughter, Savanna has been a wonderful team mate and it gets better and better each day.
I found the hospital staff to be very kind and helpful in the first few days with my and baby’s first lessons in feeding. Savanna had jaundice by day two and the neonatal care unit was just incrediable in looking after our baby and helping us through this time.
We had a few testing times in having to make decisions about how to best feed Savanna while she stayed overnight for phototherapy while I was discharged to go home. Since we have found out a great deal about jaundice and how common it is for babies to have in the beginning. Having worked through this we really felt relieved to bring Savanna home.
Now that she is a week old we can sit back and reminisce since we have all these beautiful memories that took place in our very own home and we have a deep appreciation for the fantastic medical support from both our doula and maternity hospital.
The lady in the centre is our Doula and midwife, Hulda from Annerley midwives.
May 2008 update
 Since 2003 I have had my second child Hunter Tanner Clausen now 11 mnths also had him at the Queen Mary and went through the public system from early pregnancy. The service was still very good and all my needs and requests where met in my birth plan. I birthed my 2nd child actively also using my body, movement and breathe to ease the birth pain and contractions. I strongly felt the ease in being able to work through my contractions when moving and found a few positions for the contractions and the relaxations that kept me and our baby boy moving at a rhythmn that worked for us so no need for medical intervention and pain relief. My body was open and the two birthing positions I chose the half squat and all fours made gravity a friend and baby passed through with three strong pushes and it was my biggest wish to feel I am doing it in my power and feel my baby birth and this is what happened.
I believe that if ones body is in the best open position there is no need for an episiotomy or even a tear. Both times I left the delivery room without being drugged, or needing stitches leaving me in a very good place for recovery and ready to focus on breastfeeding and discovering our little ones cues and special movements and needs.
I would be very happy to chat to you if have a specific question or concern about birthing your birthing your baby naturally.
Warm Regards
Natasha
+852 60504961 (M)
+852 24036055 (H)
www.natashaclausen.com
The Wonders of Birth by Richard Clausen
 Hospital: QMH "Queen Mary"
Story told by whose point of view? Male
Expected clinical due date: 31 November 2003
Signs of Labor Date: 1st November 2003
Actual Birth Date: 2nd November 2003
Time: 05:11 am.
It's a feeling that can't be explained. There is a magnet pulling me towards her each and every moment in the day that I have spare. Her smell, her soft skin & her little smile makes me feel overwhelmed with pride, joy & wellbeing. This little bundle of joy came into our lives through a wonderful experience, the wonders of birth.
Since I have met my wife, I have wanted to have children. Along with having kids, comes the day of the birth, the day a few guys feel a bit queasy thinking about. The whole birth experience really depends on you and your partner's attitude towards the birth & self preparation backed up by a good open & warm team of Doctors & midwifes.
Natasha is a Baby Yoga teacher & baby massage instructor & believes in things being left to nature. In our birth plan she never wanted pain relief, nor did she want any medical intervention unless it was life threatening to herself or the baby.
We started our whole birth experience months prior to the due date. We would read books & gather as much information as we could, whether it be good, bad, happy or sad. By doing so we could get a better look at the bigger picture. The more I read the more I came down to earth and realized that millions of Husbands & Wives have gone through this natural process, and still will with no or minor complications.
Natasha teaches at Annerley midwifes in central Hong Kong. Through Annerleys we know the owner Hulda Theory, a midwife from Iceland. Natasha heard from Hulda's sister that she was a doulla, a what? A Doulla. I also did not know what that was. Coming from Africa I thought that a doulla was a type of African witch doctor.
What is a Doulla?
A doulla supports women and their families in achieving the birth that they desire. Doulla's work in homes, hospitals and birth centers. A doula gives emotional, physical, and informational support. Your care provider, be they a midwife, OB/gyn or family practitioner will take care of your prenatal care and birth. Your doula will ensure that someone is always available to look after you emotionally and help you to attain the birth you desire.
Natasha booked antenatal " Anti-Night al ...Your nights are over guys" classes with Hulda, & her doulla services. The classes were fantastic. Enough to get you up to speed on all the medical technological gizmos and also soft, soothing & comforting with lots of positive mental images.
The classes are very realistic. I enjoyed the fact that we weren't brainwashed like sheep into thinking all will be hunkey dory. We were told that there would, & will be hard times, happy & sad, & that is what you want to hear. I'm a Pilot & coming from my aviation background feel that if you are told everything, & listen to everything, you as an individual can sought the fly poop from the pepper and build a picture in your mind. If you are just told about good experiences during the birth & a booboo does happen then you will not have mentally prepared for it & it seems to be a lot worse that it really is, and you end up making emotional, not rational calculated decisions.
Another great reason why you should go to the "Anti Nightal" classes is because there is free beer, beer, beer & lots more beer & snacks. Hulda has really made the course a welcoming experience.
Once we all graduated from the class I was the guru at child birth. I knew everything there was to know - NOT! Put it this way, I felt excited and confident that I could support my wife during labour. Hulda kept telling us that Labor was called Labor because it is a lot of work. Ill add in that you guys had better be fit prior to your wife going into labor as well if she is going the natural way. Physically its not hard, buy mentally trying to stay awake & be suportive 150% while your wife is in pain is draining.
The big day arrived & we called Hulda to come around to the house to be with us. Within 2 hours she was sitting in our home taking Natasha's blood pressure, Temp & listening to the baby's vitals. This is reassuring to a guy, because all this natural earthy breathing stuff is great, but being guys; we need facts and real info. This all put me in a place where I could relax seeing that Natasha was in really good hands.
The wonderful thing about having Hulda at our home was that Natasha & I could do what we wanted, when we wanted & how we wanted. We walked, we had hot showers & did plenty of breathing exercises & massage (guess who gets massaged guys; I hope you have strong hands!)
At 01:00 am Natasha had fully dilated and her water broke. Natasha, Hulda, Monica (My mother in-law) & myself all squeezed into Hulda's tiny little Reno and zoomed off to the Queen Mary Hospital. Now let me tell you that after 26 hours of labor, massaging all night two nights in a row and hardly eating, driving a little car disguised as a sardine can and listening to my wife's choice of strange earthy music, sounding as if we were going to some Hindu rap party at 01:00 am is no easy feat. They should hand out honorary medals for husbands on nights like these.
We arrived at the hospital at 02:00 am, almost knocking over a poor old guy on a stretcher. Hulda told us to wait in the car as she went inside to arrange the paperwork & a mobile bed. Everything was like clockwork. The nurses on duty came running outside in absolute panic that Natasha was fully dilated & that her water had broken. Poor old Hulda had to deal with my poor wife in one hand that was about to pop & a paranoid nurse in the other, she was great. Hulda has obviously done all this before, as she even knew where you could store all your bags under this mobile bed thing. We had to say good by to Hulda & Monica & off we went to the delivery ward.
Once in the entrance to the delivery ward the nurse checked to confirm the dilation & Natasha's vital signs, they were fine. We then rushed off again to the delivery room. Now Hulda had told me under no circumstances must I leave Natasha's side, so that was what I would do, stay by her side. As we got to the room, the nurses told me to wait outside. I said "No."
 They said "Wait outside ."
I said "No."
They said "Wait outside."
Well you can see where I am going. We had come to a stale mate. I was following direct orders from my commander and chief (Hulda) and they were trying to tell me that I was allowed inside, but only once I had kitted up with surgical gear. Point taken & the door was shut.
"Help, someone please help me, I need to put on my clothes ."
The locals must have thought this poor white guy had gone mad. I was fully clothed outside a closed door asking for someone to dress me, the things we will do for our loved ones.
A cleaning lady ushered me over to another room near the entrance to the ward, where I found a locker with a key inside. She told me that this will be my locker & that I must put on these green surgical clothes. I didn't want to miss anything there in the delivery room, & I knew that my wife would want me there alongside her doing that in through the nose & out through the mouth breathing thing, so I rushed to get ready.
I rushed so much that I had my cap on, my surgical shirt on, but un-noticed to me my surgical pants had a draw string on them. Well the pants had slid down to my knees & as I came out of the changing room, the Dr's & nurses were laughing at me. I looked like a rapper with my pants down by my knees. The pants were so far down, that if my crotch had a party, I would have to send an invitation to my pants.
After all that embarrassment I was finally allowed into the delivery room. The room was warm & peace full. The midwife that was looking after us was a blessing from God. We had wanted a natural birth & for it to be as unrestricting as possible. We had heard that government hospitals would not allow you to do this, or that, and would all too often use a word that is hardly ever heard in Hong Kong " CANNOT ." (Sound familiar?)
There was one Dr who was rather strange in his manner. I think that he was new and rather under confident, so he felt the need to be rude & pushy. He didn't even say hello or introduce himself, but rather told Tash to sign for an episiotomy. Tash told him that she would rather not sign there and then, but rather wait until it was absolutely necessary. He kept on saying you MUST sign NOW. Natasha & I had discussed this prior to going to the hospital and felt that if the Drs have carte blanche then they will just do as they have been taught. If we do not sign and do not give permission, then one Dr will have to go get authorization from his senior to persuade us to do the procedure. This may sound silly, but in doing so the more senior Dr may see things in a different, maybe better way. Too many cooks may spoil the broth, but in our eyes, we are not food, and the more Dr's that put there heads together in making a decision the better. About ten minutes later the Dr's shift had changed & we got a lovely gentle female Dr.
What are Episiotomies and why are they performed?
An episiotomy is a surgical cut in the perineum, the muscular area between the vagina and the back passage. Generally a woman has a local anesthetic before the episiotomy is carried out, although if the midwife or doctor cuts at the height of a contraction, the procedure should not be painful. Having an episiotomy is no longer a routine part of labour . Your midwife might suggest one if your baby is becoming distressed and needs to be born quickly, or if she thinks that you may tear very badly unless the opening from the vagina is carefully enlarged. Some health professionals believe that an episiotomy heals better than a tear, although not all the research bears out this assumption.
Midwives now try very hard to avoid doing episiotomies, as some important new studies question their effectiveness and necessity. Research has shown that episiotomies can cause more serious injury to the mother than she would have sustained if she had torn in the normal course of giving birth.Our assigned Mid wife was amazing. She was calm, collect, had vast amounts of knowledge and fantastic people skills (They all have superior knowledge, but some are better at applying it along with people skills than others!).
The midwife put a heart rate monitor on Natasha's tummy & with that we could see the heart rate of the Mum, Baby & also the intervals & strengths of the contractions. The equipment & backup that you get from the government system is beyond mind blowing. Standing there besides my wife looking at all this equipment, & watching the midwife doing her job, made me realize that we were in the best hands in the whole of Hong Kong if a problem were to arise.
Natasha and I had discussed that she would not be taking any pain relief during the birth except some Nitrous oxide (Laughing gas). Natasha teaches Yoga & Baby massage in Hong Kong, and along with that comes breathing exercises that take away pain. She felt that if she teaches the breathing method, then she must apply it as well. This was the big test!
We had been in the delivery room for about one hour and the contractions were at there peak. We tried some laughing gas, but it only slowed down the contractions, so Natasha told me to get rid of it. We went through the breathing routines & meditation stuff that she had brain washed me with and it really calmed her down, I was amazed. This poor midwife, she must have thought I was nuts. One minute I was shouting like a wild banshee telling Tash to push like there is no tomorrow, and the next minute I'm saying " Breathe in through your nose & out through your mouth ." In a very soft sexual seductive male voice. She must have thought that she was at the circus.
Because the contractions had slowed down to every 4 minutes & 30 seconds, the whole process was taking a whole lot longer. The Dr came in and told us that she did not want any stress on the baby, or the Mother, so if after one hour the baby wasn't well on its way to being born, then a vantouse would be used.
What's a Vantouse?
Your doctor will decide to use either forceps or vantouse according to your reasons for needing assisted delivery. Nowadays, though, doctors are using vantouse, or vacuum extractor, more and more for assisted deliveries. This is because the vantouse is gentler for the mother. There's less risk of your bladder being damaged than with forceps, and you might not have to have an episiotomy. There are different kinds of ventouse's. Some have metal cups and some silicone plastic. Some are quite large, but the very latest are tiny and would fit into the palm of your hand.
Occasionally, a ventouse delivery is carried out when you are still in the first stage of labour if the cervix has opened up to 8cms, but doesn't seem to be opening any further. You can only have a vantouse delivery in first stage if you have previously given birth to a baby vaginally. It's more likely that your doctor or midwife will suggest a vantouse delivery during the second or pushing stage of labour because:
- Your baby's head is not moving down through the pelvis (this is called 'failure to progress')
- An epidural has relaxed your pelvic floor muscles too much, making it more difficult for your baby's head to make the right movements during second stage
- You are very tired
- You need help to deliver a second twin.
What happens is that you will be asked to put your legs in stirrups. The doctor (or, sometimes, a specially trained midwife) will place the vantouse cap on the baby's head inside the vagina, and then suck the air out of the cap using a foot-controlled vacuum pump or a hand-held pump. Once the cap is securely fixed, the doctor will ask you to push with your next contraction, and he will pull on the cup to help your baby out. Occasionally, the cap comes off the baby's head and has to be reapplied. After your baby is born
Babies often have cone-shaped heads for a couple of days when they've been born with vantouse. Sometimes a haematoma, or blood blister, forms on top of the baby's head, but this usually disappears in a week.
From my point of view - PANIC, my baby will have a cone shaped head.
"Push Tash, Push."
More assistant's came in to help our midwife, because when the baby comes out, there are a few checks & procedures that have to be carried out. For one, the umbilical cord must be cut. The baby's trachea must be drained & the chord must be cut again closer to the clip. The list goes on, so that's why a team of assistant's were there.
From that moment on the three of us worked like clockwork. Tash asked if she could sit up so as to let gravity assist with the delivery. Tash had a squatting position in mind and the Midwife went on one side and I was on the other. We lifted Tash up into a squatting position between contractions. The machines told us when the contractions would be coming even before Tash had felt them, so we would sit her back down again into the frog position and get ready for the contraction. By thi stage I had convinced everyone including the auxiliary crew that shouting and motivating Tash as if they were at a football game was the way to go. We must have all looked funny to an outsider; all we needed were pompoms & cheerleaders.
"I can see the head." Said the midwife.
This was great news to us, because when you are very tired it's great to have a carrot in front of your nose to get you pushing. The Dr came in again at around one hour after she was last there and asked how things were going. I found her approach fantastic. She did not interrupt the midwife by just taking over, but rather trusted her judgment & asked her. The Midwife told her that Tash & the baby were doing really well and for now a vantouse would not be necessary. The midwife asked the Dr If Tash could please be given more time, & the Dr agreed. She told us that she was going to the theater to help another lady who had just had a tear, but would be back in a flash if she was needed.
"Are you happy with that?" She asked.
We told her that we could not feel happier with the midwife and her team.
Around 05:00am the baby's vitals dropped to 80 bpm (Beats per minute). The Midwife stopped everything she was doing and looked at the monitor. I felt the tension, because ALL eyes were fixed on this monitor. She waited and the heart beat returned to 120Bpm. Shew!!! She told us that anything below 100Bpm is not really desirable. She told us that the baby could start getting stressed, so time was not on our side.
Natasha told the team(all of us) that she really wants to birth baby herself and we should spur her on . " Natasha, you must sum up all your energy now, look down and push ." She said.
With a lot of pushing and assistance from the midwife, little Savanna's head popped out. From there on the whole delivery took place in a flash. I was surprised at the downward force that the baby's neck can withstand.
The midwife had briefed me on cutting the umbilical cord & when little Savanna came out I was given a once in a life time gift, the chance to separate mum from baby and welcome her into the new world.
The assisting team cleaned out her trachea and Savanna let out her first little sounds. She never cried, but rather meowed like a little kitten. The emotions were so strong that I just started to cry. She was magnificent (I say no more)
Our little bundle of joy was born at 05:11 am.
Immediately after the chord had been cut, the trachea cleaned & oxygen delivered, I was given Savanna to pass to Mom so that she could breast feed & bond. Mom & Savanna bonded skin to skin for 40 minutes. During this time the midwife was attending to a minor tear of one cm that Tash had and was preparing for the delivery of the placenta. She told us that the breastfeeding assists with the detachment on the placenta by releasing hormones into the system (Prolactin I think)
The midwife was going off duty at 06:00 am & knew that I had travelled a long distance to be here. Visiting hours weren't till 12:00 pm so she said she would stay on longer so that I as the Dad, could also bond with little Savanna.
At 06:25am I said my goodbye's & the midwife gave us both a big hug, what an experience!
I went outside to see if I could find my poor old mother in law who was new to Hong Kong arriving the night before. I walked past the waiting room & there was Monica & Hulda. I was so surprised to see Hulda there as well. Instead of going home to her comfortable bed, she decided to stay behind at the hospital and look after Monica. Poor old Hulda also only had about 1 hour sleep in the past two days, what a honey!
At 12:00am Monica & I returned to the hospital to visit the new Mummy & Little Savanna Arin Clausen. If I have ever walked on air in my life, then this was it. Make sure that when you go and visit, you have no time constraints. I think I just looked at Savanna for the entire hour.
The next day I was visiting Tash when the nurse came in and told us that they had to take Savanna away because during the tests they had discovered that she had jaundice. PANIC again, what the hell is jaundice? They whisked her away and we were left worrying about this jaundice thing. Since then I have done plenty of research into the topic & have found that it's common in almost all new borns. Little Savanna had her Bilirubin levels up at 184 units within 24 hours, which justified photo therapy, a painless procedure. Here is some information regarding jaundice. Go visit http://www.californiawebsites.com/neo/ for some great information regarding this topic.
What causes Jaundice in newborns?
Jaundice is a symptom that develops in just over half of all full-term babies and about 80 percent of premature infants during their first week or two of life. (Actually, virtually all newborns have some degree of jaundice, but it's only noticeable in about 60 percent of babies.) In most cases, it's thought to be harmless and can easily be treated when necessary. But in a small percentage of cases, it can be very serious, requiring close supervision and treatment.
 Jaundice happens when the blood contains an excess of bilirubin, a chemical produced during the normal breakdown of old red blood cells by the liver. Newborns tend to have higher levels of this chemical because their livers are just taking over the process of metabolizing bilirubin and they sometimes can't do it fast enough. As bilirubin levels rise above normal, the skin takes on a yellowish cast that can move downward from head to neck to chest and on down until, in extreme cases, it reaches the toes. This type of jaundice, called physiologic jaundice, usually appears on your baby's second or third day of life and disappears within two weeks. (For premature babies, it peaks at five to seven days and may take up to two months to recede.) It doesn't cause your baby any discomfort. In some cases, your baby's doctor may suggest treatment, but in most cases, the jaundice goes away on its own.
Savanna underwent two days of treatment in the phototherapy room. It was not a stressful event at all, especially after we had done research into jaundice & talking to various Drs. We could visit her whenever we wanted & would be there every three hours to breast feed her. Besides that, she never even knew she was there. She would sleep all the time & Natasha & I were there to sing "This old man." to her (Her absolute favorite song.I think.
Savanna & Mom are home now & every day I thank God for our little bundle of love and her Mommy. This birth experience shared with my wife, Savanna, Hulda, the hospital staff and God has changed my life.
I'm a Daddy.
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Natasha Clausen is a Sivananda Yoga Instructor in HK specialising in antenatal and postnatal yoga. She teachers Infant massage, Baby yoga and infant and small child CPR in HK. She can be contacted at www.hkbabies.com
For further information about Doula services or active natural birth support contact Annerley Midwives the centre Tel: 2983 1558 fax: 22050110 e-mail:
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or visit www.amidwife.com
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The original article can be found here: www.holistichongkong.com/archives/2003-12/birth.html and here: www.holistichongkong.com/archives/2004-01/birth2.html
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July 2
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