.

2010-03-05T22:27:00.001-05:00

Childbirth Classes in Full Swing!

2010-01-13T12:05:00.003-05:00

New Year! New Projects and our Childbirth teaching is primo on our list. We have had SUCH a blessed year in 2009 with 30 - THIRTY!!!! babies that we have helped welcome to the world. It has just been joyous! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

So, onto getting our teaching established better. We will be teaching mainly out of Julia's home which is more centrally located in the city area. Plan to have continual 5 week childbirth classes running and if demand gets high we will adjust to fit those schedules. As of now, a class will consist of 4 couples so will be nice and small, yet big enough to do our fun games and hands on activities. Our first class is planned to begin next week Wednesday, January 20th. There is still space in this class if you are due around March or early April. (Or have friends or clients due...let them know) We also have one beginning on March 31st for 5 weeks. Just contact one of us if you want to get in on these classes. We will post others as they are scheduled.

I want to leave you will a wonderful story that my amazing VBAC Twin mom from March sent to me. It is about VBAC TRIPLETS!!! It was in Georgia and I totally tip my doula hat to that doc, hospital and especially the MOM!!! Women are so amazing!

http://doulamomma.wordpress.com/2010/01/08/triplet-vbac-in-ga-with-dr-tate/

Spinning Those Babies

2009-12-07T20:45:00.001-05:00

Babies fit best when they come out facing your back. Lately there has been a rush on "sunny side up" babies where they are pushing their bony little heads into that tailbone of yours. This can cause undo pain called "back labor". There are a few reasons these babies are spinning out of control...

1. Mom's are positioning themselves so that the heaviest part of baby (their head and spin) let gravity pull them toward the back instead of keeping them rounding that belly outwards. These positions are when you get home from work and want to put your feet up so you recline back. Or maybe your recliner has become your best friend to sleep in so that you aren't suffering from the reflux from dinner...or lunch...or breakfast. Still in that back lying position, it encourages baby to spin its back toward the ground...ie your back. Amazingly, how we are created...just standing, our pelvis is tilted so that baby is encouraged in the right position. If you want to lie on your side, really pitch yourself forward so that gravity is still bringing baby’s back outward.

2. Happening in labor...the epidural. I have seen it time and time again....epidural = baby in asynclinic position (fancy name for not lined up right). Labor is longer, harder, and ultimately if baby doesn't turn or come down....c-section or assisted delivery with vacuum or forceps. Positioning while having an epidural can help, but the relaxation of the pelvic floor that can happen with an epidural can sometimes just not allow the baby to that the ideal condition for them to be able to spin. They kinda sink into it and stay in whatever position they find. Usually facing forward or side.

Being aware of what you can do before labor and in labor if baby seems to be facing less than ideal directions is key. www.spinningbabies.com is a great site to check out for good info on this and other positioning ideas. Check it out and GET OFF YOUR BACKS!

H1N1 Flu and/or Seasonal Flu Vaccine? Read this first!

2009-11-12T09:15:00.003-05:00

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/03/What-We-Have-Learned-About-the-Great-Swine-Flu-Pandemic.aspx

This is an amazing research based article on many facts about the swine flu, seasonal flu and the vaccines available to help prevent them, that have not quiet made it into mainstream knowledge. Please take a few minutes to educate yourself.

We are all responsible for our own health. We have the ability now days to do very in depth research and not just have to rely on others to give us their opinions or information filtered through their views. I am in no way saying the medical community is out to get us. On the contrary, I believe them to be in their positions because they care for people and want to look out for us. I appreciate their opinions and use them in my own decision making process. But I am so very thankful that with the internet and the network of people we surround ourselves with, we can find good evidence based information to help us make informed well rounded decision about our health and the health of our families - born or unborn. It takes time to sift through the anecdotal info for hard facts, but worth it. Invest in your self, your health and your future!

Listening to Mothers II 2006 report

2009-10-29T11:27:00.001-04:00

http://www.childbirthconnection.org/article.asp?ck=10396

In class I realized I was giving out information from the 2002 Listening to Mothers I report. Although very similar, I thought would be good to give you access to the 2006 report. It only recently came available for free and I will update my information! It is LONG but can scan through for things might be interested in. I thought pg 34 was interesting with all the interventions and how often they were used as well as the information on inductions. Nothing about the low amnio fluid. It shows me how "new" this cause for induction. I wonder where it will place on the next survey!

Take this information and add it to you mental toolkit you bring with you to appointments and into labor. I give this to you to help you recognize the birth you would like and the reality of what is happening in deliveries so that you can be prepared to A) change your plan a bit to adjust to what the norm is so as to not be taken off guard. and/or B) advocate for the things you have researched to be most beneficial to the outcome you would like.

While some of you have had a medical journey up to the point of conception, you have been doing this all on your own up to today. Your body has been taking care of this baby and growing and feeding and loving and nurturing and protecting and surrounding it with so much good things! The reasons for any medical aspects needing to take part in your process of taking care of your baby on the outside rather than the inside are VERY minimal. Labor and delivery and parenting afterward are all just an extension of what you are doing already. And doing it beautifully! Keep up the good work!

The Magical Bond of Motherhood

2009-07-30T12:03:00.002-04:00

As a mother a women is another person than the women without child. She carries the fruit of the night for nine months in her body. Something grows into her life that never again departs from it. She is a mother and remains a mother even though her child dies. For at one time she carried the child under her heart and it does not go out of her heart ever again.

An Abyssinian noblewomen quoted by Leo Frobenius in Der Kopf als Schicksal

1 Day Refresher Classes

2009-05-01T08:37:00.002-04:00

1 Day Refresher Classes

May 23rd and June 20th
10-4 am
Greece, NY
Contact Christy at 576-0665
for more information

I love birth!

2009-02-25T21:40:00.004-05:00

I Love Birth! Sometimes I just have to shout it out for the world to hear (or - just our limited circle of bloggers, but hey...) - I Love Birth!

Last week I had the privilege of attending a wonderful, natural, normal birth. This was the birth of a beautiful baby girl, whose mama happens to be a friend. But I wasn't the only support person - oh, no. This mama was supported by a terrific husband who never left her side. But it wasn't just the two of us laboring with mama. This mama was supported by a very close friend, who had also been present at her first birth. But, no, that isn't the end either. This mama was also supported by another good friend who offered to be present for encouragement and help. And do you know? This mama kept all of us busy, all of the time.

At one point, I do believe that I had tears of joy in my eyes at the sight we made. One of those surreal moments when you look down on the scene from somewhere outside of yourself. Mama was in the tub, gently rocking and sounding through each surge as her body made way for this new little one. Dad sat at the end of the tub, offering his support through gentle words of encouragement and his near presence. I was next in line, scooping up warm water with a basin and gently pouring it back and forth across mama's belly with a rhythmic motion. One friend held her hand and kept cool cloths on mama's head, and another began a soothing reading about gentle birth choices in a dreamy, sing-song voice. It was inspiring.

No matter what else took place during the course of that mama's labor, that moment was normal, natural birth and it was unforgettable.

I love my job.

Birthdays... A Rite of Transition

2009-01-23T08:08:00.003-05:00

What is a Birthday, anyway? Wikipedia tells us that, "Birthday is the name given to the date of the anniversary of the day of a person's birth... Birthdays are traditionally marked by celebrations including a birthday party or, in some particular cases, a rite of transition."

When our children are born, they are not the only ones to experience a Birth Day. We, as adults, enter our own rite of transition on this special day... we become parents. Somehow our hearts grow bigger, our days grow more full, our minds grow busy with the anticipation of what lies ahead, and our lives are forever touched by something so small and precious. Time seems to stop for one amazing moment.

Someone once said that birth is like having your heart step outside your body and walk around in the world on its' own two feet. Happy Birthday, Heart.

Our own Christy Muscato celebrates her Birth Day this weekend... Happy Birthday, Friend - I'm so glad you were born!

Trusting Birth

2009-01-15T18:37:00.003-05:00

Things you can trust about birth...

1. Birth is natural... and you are beautifully designed to carry and birth the baby within.

2. Birth is powerful... the physical road, the emotional path, the mental marathon - the whole journey is powerful. And amazing.

3. Birth doesn't have to happen to you... it is a part of you.

4. Birth is an inward journey with an outward purpose... sculpting and molding your soul as it draws forth an amazing masterpiece.

5. Birth is a gift... you unwrap strength, courage, and beauty one layer at a time. Whatever your story, you can rejoice in what you find inside.

What do you know to be true about birth?

Childbirth Classes on the Westside, Ladies!

2008-12-05T16:34:00.005-05:00

We are very proud to announce that we will be starting Natural Childbirth Classes on the Westside beginning in the month of February.

We have two 5 week sessions. February 26 - March 26 and March 11 - April 8th. We will also have a 1 day course for those wanting a refresher or if your schedule just doesn't allow for the 5 weeks. This class will be on Saturday, March 28th.

Also in February we will hold a info class on what fun options you have during your pregnancy, childbirth and beyond. Everything from recommended books to mom's support groups. We will talk about different care practitioners, locations for birth, positions for birth, doulas, childbirth classes, etc. This class will be held on February 12th.

These classes will be held through the Greece Community Adult Education and the Hilton Community School District. Here are the numbers to contact for each class! Look forward to seeing you there and tell your friends!

5 week 2/26 - 3/26 6:30pm - 9pm - Contact Connie at Greece Community Ed 966-2053

5 week 3/11 - 4/8 6:30pm - 9pm - Contact Barbara at Hilton Community SD 392-1000 ext 7045

1 day refresher 3/28th - 9 am - 4 pm - Contact Barbara at Hilton 392-1000 ext. 7045

Pregnancy, Childbirth & Beyond Info night 2/12 6:30 pm - 8 pm - Contact Barbara at Hilton 392-1000 ext 7045

Feel free to always contact us to ask any questions! 392-7539

Community

2008-10-09T17:40:00.002-04:00

Women are cool. We just naturally feel the need to bond and take care of other women. Even when I meet or have contact with a woman that doesn’t strike me as “best friend material”, my brain still starts going through all the ways I might be able to support her through whatever trial she is going through. I am sure we have all had those women who have even been mean or hateful to us, but if/when we find out they are struggling or unhappy about something (usually why they lash out with bad vibes to begin with) our anger and hurt melts a bit and that caring community nature begins to bubble up to the top. We are just designed that way.

I just helped our own Pat Predmore, local and national pillar in the birth community, with her Birth Doula Workshop. I have to say we are SOOO lucky to have Pat here teaching your local doulas. She is the trainer of all the trainers of doula nationwide for DONA, International. She is amazing and really knows her stuff. Julia and I were both in the same Birth Doula Workshop 4 ½ years ago and are so honored to have had that opportunity to learn and continue to learn under her. Point being….she empowers the BEST doulas and a whole new batch of them just finished their training on Sunday. Julia and I both try and help out when Pat does a training and I take away something from each group and what really struck me this time is what a sense of community I felt. It is always reaffirming to meet and bond with women who are as “coo coo for cocoa puffs” for birth stuff as you are, but I was just so proud to see these strong amazing women going forth with a mission to help and support their community of women. Doula-ing in definition is involved in birth or the postpartum period, but those of us who are doulas know that doula-ing happens all the time between women in many different circumstances. So tap into your own inner doula and allow yourself to be aware of what is going on in your own communities of women and beyond. Find ways you can support women. Take that step outside of yourself. I promise you it is rewarding beyond measure.

Missing in Action

2008-07-21T07:41:00.002-04:00

We have been missing in action for many weeks now... Could it be months? Great apologies for our neglect. Summer hit with a wave of force and we disappeared in the action for a while. As with many transitions, it takes a little bit to get your head above water and then you can breathe again. Whew!

I attended a wonderful birth last evening and I am still reaping the benefits and blessings of the experience. Birth is such a miracle - normal, natural birth is a gift and right for every woman. What joy to watch the 'dance of hormones' over the course of a labor. To know on one hand that we have this curse of labor pain in our lives, but on the other hand to know that we have these amazing bodies that know exactly what to do and how to do it. I highly recommend reading "Ecstatic Birth," by Sarah Buckley - a fabulous walk through the hormonal blueprint of labor. Check it out on www.mothering.com in their article section!

Enjoy these lazy days of summer - even when they're not so lazy... they just don't last!

Recipes For Good Pregnancy, Birth & After

2008-05-27T08:23:00.003-04:00

Lately I have been coming across some great recipes and wanted to share a few with you. Every week it seems like more so I might just add one or two or five to each blog I do from this time out. But to catch you up a bit on my findings, let's get cooking!

Baby Nog

(from Having a Baby, Naturally by Peggy O'Mara - editor and publisher of Mothering Mag)

This is a great during to have all during your pregnancy and breastfeeding. I has tons of protein for energy and B vitamins to help with stress. Both the yeast and molasses are good sources (naturally bio available which means not constipating!) sources of iron. Good for first thing in the morning!

1 cup cow, soy, or rice milk
1 raw egg (optional)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (if the drink gives you gas, start with 1 teaspoon and gradually increase to 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses (unsulfered) - again, start with less and built up if the taste is strong for you
1 tablespoon honey

Blend until frothy and serve in a chilled glass.

I have had this the last two mornings...what women couldn't use more protein, B vitamins and iron! Tastes really good - but better cold so chilled glass a great idea or just add a few ice cubes. I did use the raw egg.

Labor Aid

(go figure!! These are from the Mothering blogsite http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=365589)

Recipe #1

1/2 c apricot nectar

1 c apple juice

2 c orange juice

1 c pineapple juice

twist of lemon or lime

Recipe #2

1/2 apricot nectar

1 c pineapple juice

1/2 c orange juice

1 1/4 t sea salt

Recipe #3

2 c tomato juice

1/2 c water

2 dashes tamari

juice of 1/2 lime

Recipe #4

1/3 cup real lemon juice

1/3 c honey

1 tablet calcium lactate, powdered

water to make a quart

Mothering blogsite comment: those are the ones my midwife gave me. what I ended up actually making while I was in labor was pineapple/orange juice with liquid calcium in it (I got liquid calcium at Marc's or any drugstore i guess) during labor I drank that, water, or 'pregnancy tea' if I wanted something hot.

Pre-made:

Emergen-C

Knudsen's Recharge

Recipes:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 Tablespoons sweetener (honey preferably)

juice of 1 lemon

1 quart of water

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup honey (or to taste)

1/4 tsp salt2 calcium/magnesium tablets, crushed

water to make 4 cups

1 quart water

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3-4 T sugar

1/2 packet sugar-free kool-aid (optional, or add juice for flavor)

1/4 teaspoon salt substitute (optional, but provides potassium)

1-cup cold water

1-cup fruit juice (apple or orange)

*1 teaspoon sugar or honey

1 pinch of salt

I can't verify any of these but the idea is that they are "clear liquids" that can be had during labor in some hospitals and that they keep up your energy/electrolytes. Oh yeah and HYDRATED!

Housepoet's Lactation Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons flax seed meal*

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats, thick cut if you can get them

1 cup or more chocolate chips

2 tablespoons of brewers yeast** (be generous)

Directions:

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.

Mix together 2 tablespoons of flax seed meal and water, set aside for 3-5 minutes.

Cream (beat well) butter and sugar.

Add eggs one at a time, mix well.

Stir flax seed mixture and add with vanilla to the margarine mix.

Beat until blended.

Sift together dry ingredients, except oats and chips.

Add to margarine mixture.

Stir in oats then chips.

Scoop or drop onto baking sheet, preferably lined with parchment.

The dough is a little crumbly, so it helps to use a scoop.

Bake 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cookies.

Serves: 6 dozen cookies

*can be found at any local health food store

**IT MUST BE BREWERS YEAST (Nutritional yeast same thing), NO SUBSTITUTIONS.

These I have made and often. They are my father-in-laws favorite cookies...he just doesn't know what they are called! hehe Delicious!!!!!!!

Enjoy and hope you send us some of your favorite recipes!!!

Transition unto Transformation

2008-04-09T13:04:00.009-04:00

My family is currently experiencing what I believe to be the throws of transition... So it got me thinking about birth (of course), because what we're doing is birthing a new day for our household. For a couple of years now we have been juggling the idea of actually settling into Rochester, finding that 'permanent job,' buying the house in the country, rounding off our family with this 'last' little one. Finding our groove. Basically ~ early labor.

Exactly a year ago we hit active labor hard and heavy ~ my husband landed a great job in a career of his choice, we gave birth to baby number five, and we sold our wonderful home in the city and moved out to a beautiful (but totally different!) country location. What a year. Non-stop action for twelve straight months. One might think that was it... labor pains done, on to greener pasture.

Along comes transition. Ahh - what a word. According to Wikipedia, " 'trans' is a Latin noun or prefix, meaning "across", "beyond" or "on the opposite side [of]." Transition is that incredibly real and somewhat treacherous part of the journey to the other side. Typically short-lived, it is the embodiment of pain, challenge, questioning and fear. What is happening? Why did we do this? I want to go home! Make it go away.

This is exactly where my family finds itself right now... worn out from active labor and in the midst of major transition. We're trying desperately to settle in and claim this new way of living - to find the rhythm of our labor as it moves fast and furious through our home. Gardens, flower beds, new work schedules, commutes to the city, new neighbors, pool maintenance, a busy toddler, bugs, snakes, chicken coops, clothes lines, wood burning furnaces, school work, major lawn mowing, children that grow like weeds, new doctors - dentists - hair dressers - stores - sports groups - clubs and more. The list goes on and on. Transition ~ crossing over ~ can be painful and it's hard work. But wait a minute...

A word about transition - it is most definitely not without its' merits. Transition is undoubtedly the most painful and frightening part of labor... the time when you wonder if you can possibly make it through. Many women contemplate the use of pain medications during transition (I'm currently considering chocolate by the truck load), they doubt their ability and strength (My husband is trying to figure out who this person is that he's married to and what happened to his wife) and they need access to unlimited support and reassurance (I'm about to call in the 'mother ship' for reinforcements). But this is also a time for 'crossing over' in our lives as women ~ finding a new strength and passion inside ourselves that we might not know exists. Drawing courage from deep within, leaning on the strengths in your life and moving forward with perseverance. You will be a different person for the experience ~ completely transformed.

Let transition work for you.

Now second stage... pushing! That is what I'm hanging on for. Work ~ with reward. Children running the countryside in bare feet, vegetables peeking their heads up out of the rich soil of my new garden, chickens laying eggs for little hands to collect, laundry blowing in the breeze, hot and lazy days of summer to jump in the swimming pool, a warm and cozy home heated with our own fire when the days once again turn cool, routine. Second stage just feels different, and the gifts are visible and within arm's reach!

VBAC...we got your back

2008-04-08T15:54:00.004-04:00

April is not only the true sign that Spring is REALLY HERE!!! But it is also Cesarean Awareness Month. So I wanted to share a little about an email we received that blew me away. It was from a woman with amazing foresight and an incredible respect for birth. She was not yet pregnant with her second child, but since her first was born via c-section she wanted to start collecting information and preparing for a future VBAC. A VBAC is a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. The reason for a cesarean can vary from elected to emergency. Most all fall in the middle and are due to presentation of the baby. This means the mother and her body have in no way “failed” in their ability to give birth, but that baby 's preferred position was one that the health care provider wouldn’t deliver a baby in. Or perhaps baby's presentation just wasn’t lined up right and no amount of pushing was going to get baby out. Doesn’t mean baby was too big or you were too small, just not the right way and didn’t fit well.

Contemplating a VBAC can bring up doubt in your ability to give birth. You have basically been told “Your body can not give birth”. This may have had an affect on your ability to breastfeed and bond with your baby. It might have even made you question your ability to parent. C-section is not just a surgical birth, but a completely abnormal event that takes your body and hormones a second or two to recalibrate to what just happened. One minute you are pregnant and the next you are not. Make sure you give yourself a bit of a break regarding how you felt and thought after baby was born.

In planning for your next birth your health care provider might say you may have a “trial of labor” which always makes me think “guilty or innocent” or that your labor is on trial to see if it will pass or fail. You may begin to think… “Well, we didn’t do so good last time…perhaps we should just skip the disappointment and pain…” but ladies this is not what labor is for. When labor begins on it’s own it signifies that the baby is ready to be born. It has released the hormones to begin labor. Throughout the labor, the baby’s system gets the stimulation it needs and the hormones released during the process, to make a better transition to life outside the womb. Being born though the birth canal also helps to remove the excess fluid off the lungs and gets baby ready to breathe. Labor and birth are significant to all of you.

Even as a doula and knowing I would have a doula at my birth, I still had a lot of mental preparation to do for my VBAC. I KNEW I could do it, but I didn’t believe I could do it sometimes. There is totally a difference. It was told to me and I believe it, that the number one reason for a successful VBAC is your Health Care Provider's confidence that you can do it. This is paramount. Even if they mean to or not, they have such subtle powers of causing you to doubt yourself. Make sure you have someone who believes in you and trust the birth process. I surrounded myself with wonderful and supportive people and trusted my body. The birth was life changing. Internal, external, eternal.

Here at BBC, we are doulas who have had VBAC and supported VBACs. Julia and I are excited for you to give birth vaginally but we understand the emotional and physical impact a previous cesarean can have on a birth and we will do everything in our power to help you. Educate yourself and allow yourself to be helped through this amazing experience.

A wonderful source of information is the International Cesarean Awareness Network website. Please use their site http://www.ican-online.org/ and contact them for further support and advice. They are a great group of people. As always, you know our support is only a phone call or email away.

Bottom of the Ninth, Bases Loaded...

2008-03-17T05:39:00.000-04:00

"Enjoy the end of your pregnancy..." "Take these last few days to relax and enjoy each other before baby joins you..." "Just spend this time feeling the baby move inside you and savor the moment..."

Pleeeeeease! Can you imagine saying this to the major league ball player in the bottom of the ninth, with the bases loaded? "Just enjoy the end of the game..." "Take these last few at bats to relax and have fun with each other..." "Spend this time savoring the sound of the crowd and the feel of the bat in your hands..."

While I will encourage any mom in the last few weeks of pregnancy to get a pedicure, have dinner out with dad, schedule a massage, or write a few special moments down in a precious baby book - when you are the one facing ten months and a watermelon bouncing on your pubic bone, these 'special moments' don't come across as optimal at the time. Rarely. Your primary thought is this so-called imminent labor. When will this baby get down to business and why isn't my body working right?

Trust, my friends. Your body is working perfectly. There are so many things that are working together to bring this baby into the world and - although it doesn't always seem like it - your body knows exactly what to do. (A good web article on the Six Ways to Progress in Labor - www.thedouladifference.com/six_ways_progress_labor.htm - your body is working hard!) Your baby has a time to be born and the hormones at work in you have a job to do. Whether it's a long wait, a long start, or just a long labor - there's a reason for everything. Each mom is uniquely designed and no two labors are alike. Ever. This birth belongs to you and your baby - it is not your mother's birth, not your sister's birth, not your best friend's birth, it certainly is not the birth of the check out lady at the grocery store, and it's not even one of your other children's births.

From someone who's been there (and not all that patiently... ask my doulas!), take heart. The bottom of the ninth, with the bases loaded, can be torturously thrilling ~ but the win is just ahead. Pretty soon your score board will read...

Peace, Love and Understanding...

2008-03-10T22:28:00.000-04:00

Peace... it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.

Michel Odent, MD

Couldn’t we all use a bit of peace? Michel Odent is an amazing normal birth advocate and was talking about our strength in finding peace during the work of labor, but couldn’t we also apply this to any area of our lives? Once the baby is out, (they do all come out), motherhood begins and that can be surprisingly…unpeaceful at times. Babies, toddlers, teenagers…they really are SO much less maintenance those first 40 weeks of life…in the womb! But just as you have your doula and partner during your labor to protect your space and help you to feel safe and find your peace; seek out support during motherhood. There are women that would welcome you to open up…vent…bounce ideas off. Julia and I have even thought about holding a monthly coffee date for that very reason and inviting other women to come and share and support each other. Help each other find peace in our everyday labors of love as a mother. We’ll keep you posted.

First Steps...

2008-02-13T14:44:00.000-05:00

Green is a wonderful color ~ a symbol of growth. The growing that we all do as women, as mothers, as parents on our journey. I would like to share these words from my own first steps in the world of birth…

My experience with birth has been one of both wonderment and fear, sprinkled with a twist of sheer joy like a smile working its way across the center of my soul. Since my first birth experience in September of 1996, I have grown to appreciate and respect the birth process in a way that I never quite expected, making me proud to carry this mantel of womanhood.

In September of 1996 I was prepared, or so I thought, to give birth to my first born child. This was a very exciting time in our lives. My husband and I had been married since 1993, had seen many friends and family members experience the joys of parenthood, and were ready to embark on the journey ourselves. We had taken the prescribed childbirth education course at the hospital, read "What to Expect When You're Expecting," knew that I wanted as natural of a process as possible, and had decided that I was going to breastfeed our baby. An ultrasound early on had informed us that we were having a healthy baby girl and we already had a name picked out… Kaela Ann Sittig. Her arrival was anticipated with excitement and joy.

By the time I approached the week of my due date, I was more than ready to have this baby 'on time!' A friend recommended that I drink a small amount of prune juice daily in order to induce a natural labor (I was to chicken to try some of the other methods). By Thursday morning, I was having small, but regular, contractions every 20 minutes. These contractions continued throughout my day at home and through the evening. By nightfall I was experiencing more difficult contractions at seven to ten minutes apart. Too excited to sleep, and too afraid to eat anything, I spent the night awake, marking every contraction down on paper while I played card games on the computer. By Friday morning, the contractions were wearing on me and I had not slept or eaten since Thursday morning. I was exhausted and beginning to feel defeated in my spirit. We phoned the doctor mid-morning and she sent us in to the hospital at about 11:00 am. By 12:00 pm, the attending physician at the hospital had sent us home stating that I was only 1 cm dilated.

We spent Friday afternoon at a college soccer game. My husband cheering in the stands, and me walking around the track timing contractions and swearing that as long as I lived I would never do this again. We were to be a one-child family. With contractions at four to six minutes apart and at least 60 seconds long we headed back to the hospital at about 5:00 pm. The hospital was crowded at this point, so I was put in a 'delivery room' instead of a birthing suite - I had missed my opportunity earlier that morning! Examination revealed that I was only 2-3 cm dilated and they were preparing to send me home once again. My one bowl of raisin bran and no sleep since Thursday morning had taken its toll… I was fragile and breaking into pieces by the moment. Relief came to me when I heard my doctor's report, "Keep her, I coming in and we're going to make this thing happen!"

My labor was all in my back at this point. My husband was with me and supportively rubbing the small of my back, holding my hand, and helping me to the bathroom. My parents came to witness the birth and the room was filling up. Lights were on, commotion in the hallway, the TV at times, nurses and attendings in and out. For some reason, I could not relax. When the pain began to worsen in my back, I began to loose control quickly. It seemed as if it would never end. My confinement to the bed at this point was due to the monitor and IV hookups, and I was being checked frequently as I slowly began to dilate. At some point during the evening, my doctor offered to break my water in order to speed the process up. I agreed.

After my water was broken, the pressure was so intense that I began to panic. When the nurse offered me Nubane, a drug to give me some relief, I accepted. Anything but a needle in my spine was ok with me. As the drug began to take affect, I was not only able to relax between contractions, but I began to fade out. The medication made me dizzy and disoriented when the pain was absent. I remember the room just spinning in circles. When the time to push came around 11:30 pm, I really did not know how! I was using all of the wrong muscles and I was so disoriented that I could not understand my doctor's instructions. Shortly after midnight someone said they spotted a head - this alone reminded that I was having a baby, a new life - and it spurred me on to finish the job. Kaela was born soon after and she was a wonderful, bloody, gooey mess with chubby legs and a lower lip that stuck out in a beautiful little baby pout. I was a mom. Through all of the pain, all of the confusion, all of the disorientation I knew one thing. I was a mom. Somehow, everything else had a way of evaporating in the moment.

My husband cut the cord and the nurses began to work on Kaela, measuring, weighing, and putting meds in her eyes that gave her a very blurry first view of her new parents. Meanwhile, my doctor began to work on my rather large episiotomy. When I was given my new baby to hold and she began to cry, the nurses encouraged me to put her to my breast. I believe that the drugs from delivery were not without their effects, because our first few tries at nursing were rough at best. In addition, I had not had adequate training in proper positioning. My new baby girl and I would struggle at this for six weeks, through pain, blood, scabs, and tears, until we finally made our way to a La Leche League meeting. We never gave up and she nursed successfully then until she was 18 months old.

My first childbirth experience was nothing short of a miracle, as births are, and I will forever love to recall those first few moments of my child's life - the rise and fall of her chest, the sound of her cry, the feel of her skin. As I recall the sequence of events now, I am able to look back and see what made certain parts of the experience frightening, exhausting, and difficult to handle. There is so much more that I wish I had known and been prepared for in order to make the experience more positive on all fronts, for both my baby and myself. I would learn from this experience… growing in the wisdom of motherhood.

Doula Support...

2008-02-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

Connection through birth is an amazing reality. In this most incredible passage of life, we as doulas have an opportunity to connect with the journey itself. The journey of life into being. The journey of a woman into motherhood. The journey of a couple into a family. What an awesome responsibility! This connection is made when we reach out one woman to another and attempt to weave supportive threads into the fabric of the journey. The threads themselves are the very tools we rely on – education, physical comfort, emotional support, encouragement. Using these tools ever so gently and efficiently, we have the privilege of helping those with whom we work to connect with not only the product, if you will, but the joy and discovery of the process.

As a doula looks in her tool bag, one of the first tools she must draw upon is the role of education. In most situations, the initial contact between a woman, her chosen birth partner, and a doula is in the final months before her birth. It is at this crucial time that doulas actively educate and help to facilitate the process of knowledgeable decision making by the parents. Perhaps a birth plan has been developed… the doula may review this with her clients and use it as a point of reference for discussions about what decisions have been or may be made and how those may impact the outcome of the birthing and immediate post partum process. It is also important that during this time, the doula uses this opportunity to listen – hearing what is most important to her clients and what the primary aspects of the birth plan are is a key to a positive experience for a woman/couple. This is an invaluable learning process for both sides of the team.

After a doula has been called to a birth and a woman is in early or active labor, other tools such as physical comfort, emotional support, and encouragement will take a front row as the doula provides continuous labor support for her client. Whether in a home or hospital setting, a doula’s role is the same – we are present to support. Physical comfort measures may take on the role of addressing positioning for contractions, suggesting showers or baths for pain moderation, administering massage to mom or to dad during times of exhaustion, or breathing through contractions together to show patterning as well as empathy. Emotional support and encouragement are key during these minutes and hours as we support through our presence, never denying the impact of the woman to woman bond that is present in the room, but also never overstepping the role of the birth partner or the medical staff in this process. Laboring is a difficult job, and as the body wears thin so often does the spirit. It is our role to emotionally bear the task together, stepping through one contraction, one decision, one step at a time. Doulas can emotionally support and encourage through our body language, through our voices, through our hands.

When an infant is born, the birth doula has the privilege of carrying her duties into the first few hours and days of post partum. It is key to help establish breastfeeding, if desired, immediately after the baby is born, as well as to set up a post partum visit. Post partum, our job also stretches to encompass helping to capture the birth memory – ensuring that mom and family have a positive view of their birth and an innate trust in the journey.

The value of having a doula present at births has been grounded in research as well as in personal experience. It has been proven that obstetrical outcomes have been improved with the presence of a doula, including a reduction in the need for cesarean section, shortened length of labors, a decrease in pain medication required, and an enhancement in bonding and breastfeeding (The Doula Book, 2002). Beyond research, personal experience as a doula will tell you that most clients have a much greater rate of satisfaction with the birth process when a doula is present. When a doula’s job is complete, the woman and family with which she has worked has been more peaceful throughout the process, more informed in decision making, more empowered to advocate for themselves, more relaxed in the environment, hopefully more comfortable in labor, and expectantly more satisfied with the experience overall.

It is a doula’s job, and joy, to use the tools that we have been given in order to help ensure a more positive and healthy birth experience as the woman defines it. We have the unique privilege of connecting with others at this most intimate and tender of moments – the moment when a family is born and the world is graced by another beautiful presence.