Maternity Care Quiz

Quiz: Maternity care, beware

Despite growing evidence of harm, many obstetricians and maternity hospitals still overuse high-tech procedures that can mean poorer outcomes for baby and Mom. Test your knowledge with our quiz below, and then learn more in our report.

True/False Quiz on Consumer Reports

Kelly K, CD (CBI)

Doula Surround- a Doula's View

Doula Surround- A Doula's View

By: Kelly Kravitz, CD

I am a birth Doula.

As I sit in the park, watching my six-year-old son play, I converse with the mom doing the same next to me. Then the subject comes up “What do you do?” I say, “I am a Doula”. I hear the usual response: “A what?” Then she says, “Like a midwife right?”

I smile; thrilled that she knows it has something to do with childbirth.

But no, “I’m not like a midwife”, I explain. I do not do anything medical. I am The Nurturer; The Guardian of the Birth Experience.

They smile with puzzled looks on their faces. I explain:

My purpose is to be there for the mother, to help her carry out her plans for birth, hold her hand when she cries, keep the rice packs warmed & on her back, if needed with each contraction, put cool cloths on her neck & forehead, wipe the sweat from her brow, massage her back when it aches, squeeze her hips to relieve the pressure, help her to change positions to get things moving, remind her to use the bathroom every hour and help her to get there, offer ice, water, and lip balm, walk the halls with her, turn on the music that helps her relax, remind her to breathe, remind her to picture the baby moving down the birth canal, remind her that she is strong, tell her she CAN when she thinks she can’t, and always tell her how great she is doing. AND, never forgetting what a powerful, yet fragile time this is and strive to protect that memory for her by keeping it a positive one.

I am there for her partner, too … to give him suggestions, pat him on the back and tell him that it really IS okay. I bring him food when he needs to eat, coffee when he needs a pick-me-up and a chair when he needs to sit. I offer suggestions he can do that will make his partner the most pleased, so that HE looks like the perfect picture of support to her. Most of all, I am NEVER there to take his place or get in the way of the couple’s special day.

We work as a team to care for the women he loves. I give them space if needed. I am always aware of glances, moments that are to be protected. I will take a shot with the camera so they can remember the intensity, the focus, the love.

In other words, I do anything and everything that I can to help her cope with her labor and make it an empowering, memorable experience. When she pushes; I am whispering to her how great she is doing, holding her leg, if needed & making eye contact so she is reassured that all is well.

When the baby is born and placed on her tummy, I smile and shed a tear or two, and tell her again what a great effort she has accomplished.

When the nurse checks the baby and dad runs over to see how beautiful this new baby is, I stay by the mother’s side and hold her hand so she knows she is not alone. I let her know how amazing she is.
I am there when she feeds her baby for the first time and reassure her that she is doing well. And when the family is all snuggled in close, loving each other, I take a few shots with the camera and then I quietly slip out the door.

I often wonder as I drive home from a birth:

Do these women realize how much they touch my life? I am truly blessed after each birth. I feel a renewed sense of life, I see my children as the precious gifts that they are, and I hold my husband a little closer. I go for weeks on the "high" of attending yet another birth of a loved child.

Being a doula is not a job to me, it is my passion, it was a “calling”.

I feel very deeply for the women I give care to, and I never forget them or the day they brought their precious babies into the world. I document their day with a birth log that I share with them keep copy for myself & look at from time to time, usually around the baby's first birthday.

After the postpartum visit to see the baby, hold the baby & review the birth, if the mother wishes to do so, I may or may not EVER see the family again. It varies greatly.

Whether they feel anything similar differs from woman to woman, but each birth is an empowering experience TO ME and I thank each and every family that I attend to, for the opportunity to share such a wonderful, intimate time in their lives.

Kelly K, CD (CBI)

inspired by another birth doula, to write my own view

Postpartum Doulas & Dads

I am training to be a postpartum doula, which means that I am studying to get certified, though no certification is needed, btw... I found this interesting article on how Postpartum Doulas can help the dads transition to new fatherhood, as well as the mom.

excerpt:

"
The importance of the father.s involvement and support during the weeks following birth
cannot be overstated. During this time he truly becomes a parent, getting to know this
tiny yet complete person who has entered his family. The doula can ease this
introduction, helping the father to discover all he can about his baby, as well as
developing his own concept of himself as a parent. In addition, the doula.s support can
help parents to adjust their own relationship, moving forward to enhance their previous
life together as a couple who are now parents.
The role of the doula is to help the family experience success."

A Lotus Birth

I have now learned something new... Lotus Births.

I did not know this existed till about 2 weeks ago, when I read the term online. I did not know what it was & vowed to research it, finding this page: Lotus Birth Questions

Very interesting, in that the placenta is left attached to the cord, which is left attached to the baby, until it falls off naturally!! Usually in 2-3 days! That is signifigantly shorter than the 1-2 weeks to wait for the severed, dried-up cord to fall off!

It is also referred to as "non-severence". It seemingly has health benefits, which I do not doubt for a second. The article linked above says that it is "cosmetic" & for the parents' convenience to remove the placenta.

If I had another child, I will most surely leave the cord attached until after the placenta is expulsed. No question!

I like learning all kinds of things about birth & thought I would share this with the bloggy world.

Thanks for reading!

Judging Progress in Labor

Dilation is not the only thing happening when a mother is laboring to deliver her child.
She can take weeks to dilate or hours. So, that is not always a good marker.
More importantly is the position of the baby in relation to the cervix (the stations) & how "ripe" the cervix actually is. (effacement)
Even more important is the emotional "map" of labor.
Follow this link at the Birthing Naturally website to see what emotional checkpoints that a support person can learn to recognize, as to how labor is progressing through each of the stages of labor.

• Pre-Labor
• Early Labor
• Active Labor
• Transition
• Pushing

New Breastfeeding Positions

New Breastfeeding Positions that mothers do not widely know.
I, personally tried them both when nursing my first son, without knowing I had found something not many moms knew... I was just using "trial & error", when my baby was fussing endlessly!



Whether you have already had a baby or are anxiously awaiting your firstborn, if you are breastfeeding or plan on doing so, you've probably heard of the standard breastfeeding positions: the cradle hold, the cross cradle hold, the football hold, the side-lying position. But there's a few more breastfeeding positions you might not have heard about, and these can be just as effective, if not more so, than the standard four.

The positions: Straddle & Prone

PRONE:
The Australian hold, the instinctive hold, the skin-to-skin position, the self-attachment position, uphill feeding, posture feeding – these are all terms that refer to one basic kind of nursing style – a prone position where Mom lies flat or nearly flat on her back (on a couch, on a bed, in a reclining chair) with Baby lying flat on his tummy on top of Mom. This position allows Baby to self-attach easily at the breast.
If you're worried about your baby being able to breathe while lying face-down on top of you, don't be. "Being prone is fine, as long as Baby is lying on Mom and no one is holding his head down," Watson Genna says. "Babies have very good antigravity reflexes. When they are lying on their bellies on Mom, they can lift up their heads well. This is part of their normal 'getting on the breast themselves' behaviors."

You can use this prone position with any age baby, but Garber Mendelson says it is particularly useful for moms of immediate newborns.

Read on for more info here, on the Breastfeed.com website. It has more info on the Straddle position, which is baby sitting on mama's knee, with pillows under his/her bum if they are not long/tall enough to reach breast.