Birth Story: Leah & Arvin Atal Welcome to Birth Class PCC 204, Day 1

Beautiful Leah!

Day 1 Arvin is secretary of the group sharing common ideas.

Leah in the farthest end of the line doing her warm up exercise.

Shake shake shake off the hands.

Best exercise for back aches!

 Day 2 Again, Leah and Arvin are ones in the farthest picture.

The Butterfly, an exercise to prevent sore and shaking legs during pushing.

"I do" moment!

Prepared Childbirth Class PCC # 206 January 2012

As of Dec. 15, 2011

NOTE: THIS CLASS HAS BEEN CANCELLED!!!! 
IT HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A ONE DAY CRUSH COURSE PCC # 207 ON JAN. 7, SAT, 9-6PM. PLEASE LOOK FOR ITS ADVICE ON THIS BLOG SITE.

Prepared Childbirth Class
PCC # 206
January 2012

DATE: Jan. 8,15, 22, 29 (4 Sundays)
TIME: 2-5pm

VENUE: Santuario de San Antonio
Function Room, Mckinley Rd., Forbes Park, Makati
or
Soliman Corporation Center
2182 Don Chino Roces Ave. (fromerly Pasong Tamo), Makati
Ask lobby receptionist which room and floor
Near Makati Cinema Square, park on the available slots along the road

BRING: Exercise mat or towel, 2 bed pillows, ball point, paper for taking down notes, snacks & drinks

REGISTRATION IS A MUST! Text or Email, complete information so we could inform you of any changes.
"YES2BIRTH/ Month you will join/ Names/ OB/ Hosp./EDD/ Mobile/ Landline Home & Office/ Email/ How did you 1st learn about Chiqui Brosas/ Facebook email/

GLOBE: Olive +63917-4770628
EMAIL: birthtimes@gmail.com
BLOG: http://chiquibrosas.blogspot.com/

One on One Private Birth Class also available for one whole day or two half days in your home

FOR MORE PHOTOS & TO RECV. ANNOUNCEMENTS:
http://www.facebook.com/birth.times
http://chiquibrosas.multiply.com/
http://twitter.com/#!/chiquibrosas
http://chiquibrosas.blogspot.com/2011/10/prepared-childbirth-lamaze-class-n.html

Birth Story: Mia and Mon Teoseco Congrats to your angel!

  

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  18 hours ago

  Mia De Leon-Tioseco

  • Thanks Chiqui for the blog post! I gave birth last Sept. 18 via CS, a full day after my water bag started to leak. I was stuck at 1cm despite efforts to speed up contractions. Thanks to your birth class, we understood the whole process (no clueless looks when we hear the doctors talking) and why I ended up with a c-section, so no regrets on our part. Baby's safety comes first! Sloan came out healthy and we had no problems with breastfeeding. I'm still breastfeeding and expressing
    milk and I plan to continue until he is one year old.
    
    

    

    Birthing Suite

    
    

    

    Labor Bed

    
    

    

    Makati Medical Center Birthting Suit

    
    

    

    
    

    
    

    

    
    

    

    Cesarean in O.R.

    
    

    

    
    

18 hours ago

Mia De Leon-Tioseco

• Go ahead and share our pics. I hope many more couples come prepared for the births of their little angels!

Birth Story: Toni Asti, H's Natural Birth Story, P198

T. A. & B. P.    PCC 198

For my first ever blog post, I would like to share H's birth story. The start of my journey to Motherhood and beyond.

July 2 2011.Saturday


0445

My water bag broke. Woke up to the feeling of water trickling down. In my mind I know that it's showtime. H will make her grand entrance today. H has perfect timing, because just the day before I was given the 'all-clear' signal from my OB, no more UTI,  I can give birth without any worries....

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family and B's family for the support. The medical team  of MMC's Delivery Room, the nurses, the interns and of course my OB, Dra. Carla Espina-Castro and our Pediatrician Dra. Pamela Caedo.

I would also like to thank Ms. Chiqui Brosas-Hahn for sharing her knowledge about natural childbirth. Attending this class, prepared us and really made my journey through childbirth faster and easier. You may inquire class schedules through her website.

And of course, Thank you Lord, for the safe and relatively uncomplicated delivery of H and for giving us a beautiful, chubbylicious, baby girl.

Article: Skin to Skin Contact of a Newborn to his Mother is Essential

A new mom is skin to skin with baby in the labor room.

Photo © iStockPhoto

SSC should be a routine practice in the hospital. As soon as the baby is born, he should be placed on his mothers chest with his bare skin against hers and them being covered together with a blanket to keep them warm.

Studies have show a lot of advantages with this process. To mention some of them are;
1.) cardio-respiratory stability was achieved sooner
2.) mother's maternal attachment to the baby was keener
3.) mothers touched their babies with affection more during  breastfeeding and so breastfeeding outcome was better
4.) more maternal oxytocin were released
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Matthiesen+2001+oxytocin
5.) Babies are kept warmer.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12725547

There is something magical that happens that the eyes cannot see when mother and baby is together and not separated at birth. There is no better place where infants belong then in their mothers arms. I say no to unnecessary intervention at birth and to immediate skin to skin bonding of infant's at birth.

Birth Story: Chami & Robbie Candelaria, Photos of Hospital Procedure for CS.

Thanks to Chami & Robbie Candelaria

8 hours ago

Chami Candelaria

• Hi Chiqui!!! Thank you ha! Yes, pls do! We really wanted to have a normal delivery but i have bicornuate uterus and its safer to deliver via cs! Even then, the class opened our minds to what could happen during birth (we really expected for the worst) that's why we were very much prepared during the big day! Haha you can see how relaxed we were! And few weeks before giving birth, i was in and out of the hosp and was advised to have bed rest due to pre-term contractions! During those times, robbie would coach me on the appropriate breathing techniques! Now, baby and I are in excellent condition
  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  

  
  

Article: Chiqui Brosas, Prepared Childbirth & Bradley/Lamaze Class in the Philipppines

20080502

“Anyone who thinks women are the weaker sex never witnessed childbirth.” – Author Unknown

Childbirth is one experience eagerly awaited by most couples – although most mothers, particularly those who are giving birth for the first time, may feel some amount of fear or uncertainty as their due date nears. Such fear stems from their lack of experience or from incomplete information about what to expect.

Although couples cannot really totally prepare for childbirth, as no one can tell the time nor the hour or the manner, it still helps to get as much information about the birth experience for as they say: “Knowing is half the battle.”

About Chiqui Brosas-Hahn’s Prepared Childbirth Classes and Other Services:
Chiqui Brosas-Hahn offers classes, services, and products to expectant couples, as well as new parents in the Philippines. She holds Childbirth Classes for couples and these can be given on a group or private (one-on-one) basis. One class typically runs for 4 sessions, once a week, every month.

She likewise offers classes covering aspects like baby care, breastfeeding, and first aid. She is also into lactation management and breast and pregnancy massage and sells/rents out items which expectant or new parents may need. These include: baby apparel and furniture; toys; breastfeeding pumps and outfits; and maternity belts. Some of the brands that she carries are: Avent, Medela, Chicco, Pigeon, Chu Chu, Safety 1st, Cosco, Smart Babies Playpen, Step 1, Shelcore, Vtech, Barbie, My Scene, Winxs, and Timelife Books. If you are interested in Cord Blood Banking, Chiqui can also assist you.

Who Can Benefit from Attending Chiqui’s Classes?

Expectant couples, new parents, grandparents, midwives, caregivers, and nannies will benefit from attending the available classes. Aside from having access to useful information and techniques which will make them better and more prepared parents and caregivers, the classes also provide a good time to bond and be together in a worthwhile activity.

Who is Chiqui Brosas Hahn and When Did She Start Her Childbirth Classes?

Chiqui Brosas Hahn is a mother of 5 beautiful children – all breastfed and all born naturally, without drugs and medication. She is a Certified Bradley Instructor, has been a Childbirth Educator since 1991, and is also a Breastfeeding Advocate. She has a degree in International Business Administration and was also Binibining Pilipinas and the 4th runner up in the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant in 1975.

Chiqui is a firm believer in freedom of choice based on education; empowerment through knowledge; and having passion, dedication, and commitment in everything she does. Her 17-year track record in helping couples have a more pleasant and informed “birth experience” demonstrates her passion and commitment to her mission and vocation.

If you would like to inquire about Chiqui’s classes and product offerings, you may reach her through the following contact information:
Olive 0917-477-0628 or 
Email: birthtimes@gmail.com

Please visit:

To see photos & befriend her at: http://www.facebook.com/birth.times
For class and other product details, you can visit her blog at: http://chiquibrosas.blogspot.com/
If you are on Multiply, you can also check out and invite her at:http://chiquibrosas.multiply.com

We would appreciate it if you will let her know that you obtained her contact information and learned about her Prepared Childbirth Classes and other offerings from http://www.AtYourWord.org

“…So the Lord answers, ‘Can a woman forget her own baby and not love the child she bore? Even if a mother should forget her child, I will never forget you…’” (Isaiah 49:15 TEV)

Article: by Chiqui Brosas, How Is The Bradley Method Different From The Lamaze Method?

Do you have a high tolerance for pain? Is your husband gutsy enough to be by your side telling you how to breathe while you are on labor? Do you wish to give birth naturally i.e. without pain medications? If you answered yes to at least one of these questions, then you are likely to be more comfortable with the Bradley method for birthing. 
I have been teaching childbirth classes for eighteen years. Attended several ICEA (International Childbirth Education Association) conventions in the USA. Finished a full course of the Bradley Method as an instructor and have used the Lamaze method in my earlier births. Knowing that new couples are always eager to learn everything they can about their child’s birth, preparing for it is but natural. The best way to gear a couple on what to expect during childbirth is to attend a birthing class. The two most popular birthing methods are the Bradley and the Lamaze methods. Albeit both techniques lead to the same outcome-the birth of a couple’s little bundle of joy, the two differ in several aspects- the most significant of which is the issue of pain management. Below are some of the most significant differences between the Bradley method and the Lamaze method which can help a couple decide which method will best work for them, in case they decide to attend such class:
Date founded by obstetricians: The Bradley Method, popularly known as the husband-coached childbirth, is ahead of the Lamaze method only by a few years. For Dr. Robert Bradley started the Bradley method in 1947 in the USA while the Lamaze Method, popularized by Marjorie Karmel’s book“Thank You, Dr. Lamaze,” was introduced in France by Dr. Fernand Lamaze in 1951. Popularized by Marjorie Karmel through her book, Thank You, Dr. Lamaze.
Labor Partner: It was Dr. Bradley who paved the way for the husband to be with his wife in the labor & birthing room while the Lamaze , nine years thereafter, adopted the use of a monitrice or an assistant, other than the husband, to accompany the laboring mother.
Breathing: The Bradley method uses one kind of breathing from the beginning of labor to its end. It espouses a normal, rhythmic and abdominal breathing exercise aimed to ease tension on the muscles allowing the laboring mother to relax. It is the kind of breathing one uses while asleep. The Lamaze method, on the other hand, uses three altered breathing states - one breathing technique for each phase of labor.
Pushing: On the second stage of labor, or the phase wherein the baby is ready to come out and say hello, a Bradley trained mother is only taught to hold her breath to push the baby out of her womb while a Lamaze trained mother may be taught to hold or exhale while pushing.
Focus: Bradley uses internalization to control the pain of birthing. A mother is taught how to stay in tuned with her body and to focus on staying relaxed during labor while allowing her to welcome each contraction. The birthing mother has her eyes closed, thus the appearance of being asleep. The Lamaze method, on the contrary, uses more externalization. The mother tries to stare at a focal point during labor and resorts to different kinds of breathing to distract her attention from labor.
Comfort measures: Both methods resort to different massages and changing positions in labor.
Usual number of classes: There are twelve sessions ( or a minimum of eight classes if request is approved by the academy) in the Bradley Method and they are more focused on the naturalness of labor and birth, the way Mother Nature intended the birth to be. The Lamaze Method has six sessions. It is more liberal with regard to pain medication along with other medical interferences.
Success rate in giving birth naturally: Bradley aims for a 90% drug free or medical intervention free birth with over 80% average of success rate. The results of the births of the Bradley students are sent back to the American Academy of Husband Coached Childbirth which are then tabulated. In a statistic made out of 14,000 of Dr. Bradley’s patients, 94% of them were unmedicated. Only 3% required intervention because of medical reasons while the remaining 3% required cesarean operations.
Success rate for natural birthing is not being tabulated by the Lamaze method. When asked why, the best known Lamaze teacher and co-founder of ASPO ( American Society for Phychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics), the main office for training Lamaze teachers, Elizabeth Bing, wrote in her book Six Practical Lessons for an Easier Birth says, "I have often been asked the number of successes and failures among my students. I want you to realize that I do not accept the concept of failure in regard to women I prepare for childbirth. Before we train in our method, we all start off a point I call minus zero. Everyone of you will achieve zero plus, and this will be your point of total success." 
Studies show that a better informed mother on the birthing process is more likely to have a faster and an uncomplicated birth. Hence, attending a birthing class is ideal, choosing what class to attend, however, depends on the method which best matches the couple’s values, needs and level of commitment. No matter what method is chosen, always remember that each birthing is arduous but special. The ordeal makes the mother more empowered and the couple more bonded especially with the addition of a cute family member. This is regardless of one’s pain tolerance, or who the person she is with while on labor, or the use of any medication or intervention. At the end of the day, it is a healthy baby and mother that all matters. Happy birthing!