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Childbirth Graphics Celebrates The Amazing Penny Simkin
The end of the month of May marks the 80th birthday of Childbirth Graphics advisory board member Penny Simkin, PT. A renowned physical therapist who has specialized in childbirth and labor support since 1968, Penny also is marking her 50th year as an author, doula, childbirth educator, and birth counselor.
Throughout her career, Penny has dedicated herself to research, education, and helping growing families. By her own estimate, Penny has prepared more than 14,000 women, couples, and siblings for childbirth. She has authored or coauthored books for both expectant parents and professionals, and she has developed a variety of innovative childbirth education resources. She is co-founder of DONA International and PATTCH (Prevention and Treatment of Traumatic Childbirth). Penny also serves on the editorial board of the journal Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, as well as on the senior faculty at Bastyr University’s Simkin Center for Allied Birth Vocations, which is named in her honor.
After 50 years of unmatched commitment and accomplishment, Penny maintains her busy schedule of birth counseling, parent and sibling classes, conferences, workshops, and more. Congratulations, Penny, and thanks for all you do! We look forward to your amazing achievements in the next 50 years!
Products by Penny Simkin
Childbirth Graphics is proud to offer the following products by Penny Simkin:
Penny Simkin’s Road Map of Labor The Road Map of Labor is a fun, colorful way to teach parents-to-be about what to expect during labor. The road map shows normal labor as a journey that begins with early labor and ends with the baby’s birth. The journey includes three paths: a winding yellow brick road with twists, turns, and no fixed timeline; a detour for back pain, represented by a longer, rougher road that eventually rejoins the yellow brick road; and the epidural highway, which represents the choice to have an epidural for pain relief. The road map includes illustrations of a variety of comfort measures to use as labor progresses.
Penny Simkin’s Safe Positions With an Epidural Tear Pad Colorful with simple illustrations, this 100-sheet tear pad is a great quick reference on labor positions that are safe for mothers who have been given an epidural. The front presents 15 illustrations that are safe for the first and second stages of labor. The back provides detailed explanations of each position.
Clarifying Your Feelings About Pain and Medications Tear Pad Designed to help expectant mothers get the support they need during labor, this 100-sheet tear pad is an ideal handout to help women and their partners express their feelings about pain and medications during childbirth. The front includes a pain medications preference scale. The back provides additional information, including how to use the pain medications preference scale and four factors that determine whether a woman uses pain medications in labor.
Simkin’s Ratings of Comfort Measures for Childbirth Booklet A wonderful resource to help parents make informed decisions about a variety of pain-relief options, this 24-page booklet rates and compares 19 different ways to relieve pain in labor. It comprehensively covers both non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic methods. The booklet clearly explains the rating system and features black-and-white illustrations of comfort measures, positions for pushing, and more.
Relaxation, Rhythm, Ritual: The 3 Rs of Childbirth DVD Highlighting relaxation, rhythm, and ritual—the 3 Rs of childbirth—this 15-minute program follows 10 women as they cope with contractions during natural childbirth. This DVD is perfect for expectant parents to watch in childbirth classes or to view individually to encourage and prepare them for labor and birth.
Pain Medications for Labor and Birth PowerPoint This user-friendly, 66-slide PowerPoint presents a comprehensive overview of pain medications for labor and birth. It discusses coping with pain, general information about pain medications, systemic medications, local anesthesia, epidural and spinal anesthesia, and coping with the side effects of an epidural. It also includes detailed, printable presentation notes.
