A New Mom Shares

Mothers and Mothers-to be,

We are blessed with a beautiful baby girl on early hours of Sunday. 

First, thanks to Teresa for all the wisdom about motherhood that she has passed on to us. I had a natural birth and I believe it happened only because of Teresa and her wonderful team. 

Girls, please make a note of this. If you want a natural birth and want to enjoy your birth experience, have a DOULA with you. She is your mother when you are going through labor and can guide you through the process especially when you are overwhelmed with pain and anxiety and are clueless of what is going to happen.

The Holistic Stages of Labor

This is a wonderful article that helps a woman and her care providers understand her labor better than the medical model of the stages of labor. I think if you can embrace this information, you will find yourself learning how to listen well to your body and as a provider learn to watch a woman and understand what she needs.

The Holistic Stages of Labor

 Written by Whapio Diane Bartlett

Embarkation

(Pre-labor and Latent Labor)

Labor is a Journey. The preparation has often been elaborate, conscious and consuming. There is usually an all-important ritual of Arrangement preceding the actual event. We call it nesting and Mother has moved about in a final flurry of activity, taking care of all last details…clothes are washed, food fills the freezer, house is ship-shape…all is in order.

Nesting is part of Embarkation. Mother senses that labor is soon. Perhaps contractions and the loss of a bit of the cervical mucus has offered a hint that the journey is about to commence.

Steady, Steady, Hold, HOLD!

Sunday at church Steve Gooch was preaching. He was talking about "re-uping" to the initial pledge we made to God. He shared a scene from Braveheart after Mel Gibson had completed his freedom speech and how he led the charge to battle.

It is quite timely as I had just completed the last class of my childbirth series and in it we do an exercise called "Warrior." I always mention Braveheart and the battle preparations. It is not so much so that women will be ready to battle the medical community- but instead to battle the voices within them that try to seed the great doubt that they will often face in labor. This great doubt is definitely watered by the nay sayers- our friends, our family and often our medical support system. But we also carry the seed within us. The fear of the unknown and the fear of us not "performing" the way we hope or the birth unfolding in a way that is out of our control is always within us.

Jaundice and the Newborn

Folks come to me all the time talking about their baby being separated from them to go under bilirubin lights. Occasionally someone insists on bringing their baby home and they use light therapy there or even use the bilirubin blanket. I wanted to share what is actually the issue with bilirubin levels in an infant and some protocol that has been shared with me. I just feel you need to know the facts- know the Pediatric Guidelines and know what you can do to help your baby and your breastfeeding relationship not be interrupted. 

A Trio of Praise

This is a letter I got from a woman who hired Pam Roe to be her labor doula, took Pam's classes and Teresa's breastfeeding classes and hired Jennifer Fargar as her postpartum doula. Pam was sick and Guina Bixler filled in as her doula. This is the letter she sent regarding our services:

Info on hiring us!

“I am interested in hiring a labor doula. What do you need to know and what do I need to do next?”

Amanda Shares Her Birth Story

I’d like to preface this story with a note about contractions.  My body is extremely sensitive.  I feel Mittleschmerz when I ovulate, and I start feeling Braxton-Hicks contractions starting around 16 weeks into pregnancy.  I get lots of those practice contractions as I get further along, culminating in about 6 an hour starting around 34 weeks up until I deliver.  I get so used to them, I don’t notice them much.  So when I describe contractions in this story they are the real thing.  The pain starting in my back and lower pelvis and them circled around me, with a definite peak of intensity.

Dancing for Birth Classes

I just took my training to become a Dancing for Birth instructor. Not only is this a great prenatal class but it also a great postpartum class. It starts off with a circle time of affirmations for birth and mothering. It is far more than just an exercise class for your body. It also embraces the mind so that the mind body connection is embraced fully. We teach some belly dancing, some African and some Latin moves that help to open our hips for labor and jiggle the baby down into that nice open space! We teach about optimal fetal positioning within the class as well. I love the fun aspect of this class as we don't judge bodies or specific choreography but instead we embrace moving! ?New moms share with the pregnant moms. And babies are worn during the class so they get to enjoy it as much as they did when they were in utero.  I am excited about how this is a great teaching time but also a fun time! I am looking forward to scheduling my first class!

Thankful Parents Share Their Gratitude

This is the emails they said I could share:

Team Approach or Solo Doula

Recently I had a mom concerned about the lack of consistency in doulas if she chose the team approach we are now offering- this was my reply:

Wednesday morning I received a call from a mom who was two four days later or two days earlier from her due date depending on which due date you accepted from her two her doctor vs her ultrasound had given her. I went to her at 10am in the morning on Wednesday. I returned home on Thursday at 6:30am and crawled in bed. An hour later a mom who was a week early with her second called me to alert me something was up with her. She said she would call me after her 9:00am doctor appointment. The next call came at 9:30am that she was being told to head to the hospital. I got up after 3 hours of sleep and showered and headed back out. Thank goodness her labor was a brief one. She gave birth within two hours of arrival to the hospital- I got there only minutes after she did. And I was back in bed by 3pm. I happen to be on call for another mom whose due date is today. I am well rested now and ready to be with her whenever she calls.