Kegel Exercising Benefits in Pregnancy & Beyond

Ahh, Kegels... the exercise of perineum champions!!!

Kegel exercises can help prevent incontinence, & abdominal, pelvic, vaginal & urethral pain during pregnancy.

Doing Kegels regularly can also lessen the risk of vaginal tearing during childbirth.

Following the birth of your child, they can help strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, increase nerve activity & blood circulation in the sexual organs & preven postpartum incontinence.

*Do 6 Kegels each time you empty your bladder, while pregnant, for best results. Hold them for up to 10 seconds each.

*Do Kegels every day in either a seated or standing position during pregnancy & on into the rest of your life!!!
Reference: Holistic Pregnancy & Childbirth by James Marti w/ Heather Burton

Doppler More Powerful than Ultrasound Exams

According to Anne Frye, midwife and author of "Understanding Lab Work in the Childbearing Year" (4th Ed.)p. 405:

Doppler Devices: Many women do not realize that doppler fetoscopes are ultrasound devices. (apparently, neither do many care providers. Time after time, women are assured by doctors and even some nurse midwives that a doppler is not an ultrasound device.) . . . .
Not well publicized for obvious reasons, doppler devices expose the fetus to more powerful ultrasound than real time (imaging) ultrasound exams. One minute of doppler exposure is equal to 35 minutes of real time ultrasound. This is an important point for women to consider when deciding between an ultrasound exam and listening with a doppler to determine viability in early pregnancy. . . . .
If you have a doppler, put it aside and make a concerted effort to learn to listen yourself! Save your doppler for those rare occasions when you cannot hear the heart rate late into pushing or to further investigate suspected fetal death. " copyright l990, Anne Frye, B.H. Holistic Midwifery.

Personally, after 23 years of attending births, I would not permit a doppler in my house if I were pregnant. You always know that something is ultrasound because there will be "jelly" involved. If you want a cheap listening device for the baby's heart just save the core from a roll of toilet paper. Put one end on the lower belly and the other on hubby's ear.

If you want to know your baby is doing well, count the fetal movements in a day. Starting at 9 a.m. count each time the baby kicks. There should be l0 distinct movements by 3 p.m. http://gentlebirth.org/archives/preScreen.html#USResources

Difference Between Doulas and Midwives

A common misconception is that we, as doulas, can do what a midwife does. That is NOT true. Our roles seem the same, but in the midst of the laboring mother's world, the roles are different, yet both lead to raising the chances of having a normal birth.

Why have a Doula?

♥ Great testimony that rings true in most births with a doula attending. ♥

Birth Circle next Monday!

Come together to explore this significant time in your life.

Pregnant Women at any stage and New Moms

and anyone interested in Birth in general!

This Birth Circle will give you the opportunity to

focus on your pregnancy and transition into Motherhood.

There will be time to ask questions and to share

experiences with other Mothers and Mothers to be.

I host a Birth Circle at my home in Staunton, VA- every 3rd Monday at 7p.m. Please join us, if possible. We would love to have you!

Email me here for more info & directions: kelly@doulasurround.com

Children are welcome & we will have light refreshments!

Pelvic Types- 4 Different Kinds!!

Many women do not realize that they can have one of four different TYPES of PELVISES. Some women's pelvises are a mixture of two or three or four though!
I learned it in my 'doula training'. Not Surprisingly so...as it was like a mini-midwifery course!


The 4 Basic Types of Pelvis' are: Round, oval, triangular and flat .
They are different shapes in different women.



Why it matters: Rotation and descent of baby varies between the different shapes!!
Some women cannot 'squat' because of the certain shape they have, some women have naturally flat bellies, when not pregnant, because of their specific shape, some women have "boyish'' hips because of their pelvis shape...


So, you see??


Why it does not matter: Because NO MATTER WHAT PELVIS YOU HAVE, you can birth your baby vaginally!!
I would love to share a site called spinningbabies.com that can give you more info on this.

6th Birth Attended

I attended a birth on 8-21-08. One day shy of being 2 weeks overdue! It went fabulous.
Mommy wanted to labor at home as long as possible, but seeing as her cervix was not ripe enough for labor to begin, she used an inserted "helper", having to STAY at the hosp. then.

It worked within 12 hours... she had contractions that made her 'stop talking' through each one, starting around 9 - 10 a.m.

I arrived at the hospital around 11 a.m. She was working through them easily, as they were on the mild side.... just 'showing themselves'. She was still laughing then.
After a couple of hours of intense labor, from about 1-3, she was about 9cm. No more laughing.

She hit 10cm & baby was born around 3:45p.m.

The cord was around his neck, so the midwife cut it before he was fully born... he was born, turned pink & was making everyone in the room cry tears of joy. He weighed 7.5 pounds & is nursing beautifully.