Health of a Doula

Hello all, 

ME

  I have neglected keeping this blog up, after my announcement in 2009 that I would not be able to work as a birth doula any longer, but have kept up my Doula Surround Facebook page, if you want to mosey on over there to find some great resources and stay up to date on this doula's world!  
  I am managing my Fibromyalgia (diagnosed last year) and have attended some beautiful births, even though I said I could not.  They were for friends, but still put a lot of work into them.  Three altogether, making my total of births attended 15.  
  I am still an active Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, also and have created a new page on FB for that, too. 
Thank you!


Kelly K, CD (CBI)

Fathers at Births

Why would a father NOT want to be at the birth of their child?
This article is not to judge, just to explore the decisions...


I assume it could be for different reasons;

maybe he is squeamish- in this case, could he at least "try" to hang in there?
I have seen a father practically pass out when the baby was delivered, but he made it through!

maybe he is "old school"- from a day & time when fathers waited outside in the hall... are there fathers this old much though?

maybe he is out-of-town or deployed- he wants to be there, but physically cannot. Webcam, maybe?

What are some other reasons a father may choose to not be in the home/room when their child is born? Seemingly, they will all be 'legitimate' reasons, as NO feelings are wrong! Feedback, please...


Kelly K, CD (CBI)

New Baby Boy- COLE

Sunday, the 25th of January, 2009 COLE, was born

to a family I had the privilege of supporting.

He weighed 7 lbs. 9 ozs. & was 19 3/4 " long.

Blonde hair & all the other cutie-pie features.

This mom KNEW exactly how to birth her baby. She rocked & swayed with each contraction, walked the halls, kept her bladder empty, all which helps the baby move down….stayed hydrated (ice chips, water, fluids) stayed vocal & worked with her body’s signals beautifully. She was successful in letting others know when she wanted something, either by mouth or gesture. She was adamant about getting her baby to latch on & they have had a great start to a successful breastfeeding relationship.

Dad was such a great support to Mom during this experience. He rubbed, spoke soothingly, wiped with a cloth, fed ice chips, set up the c.d. player with Enya, put lavender oil in, turned off his phone, and paid strict attention to his wife lovingly, the entire time.

I (Kelly) think this couple is so cute together & work very well, as a team. The communication is great between them & Cole has two fantastic, adoring parents. I am honored to have attended such a powerful, confident birth process.

Orgasmic Birth on 20/20 TONIGHT!

Some women even say that instead of agony, childbirth can be ecstasy.

"...the goal is not necessarily an actual orgasm."
"I hope women watching and men watching don't feel that what we're saying is, every woman should have an orgasmic birth," she said. "Our message is that women can journey through labor and birth in all different ways. And there are a lot more options out there, to make this a positive and pleasurable experience."

Watch the story Friday on "20/20" at 10 p.m. ET

Orgasmic Birth, January 2nd, 2009... that's tonight!

Virtual Labor

Only one who believes in women's bodies to birth & who may or may not be pregnant would enjoy this, but I thoroughly did. This tool is based on natural birth.

I love this Virtual Labor online of "what-to-do" and of what you CAN do when labor starts.
At each stop in the labor you will be required to make a decision about how to respond. The next part of your labor will be randomly selected based on the way you choose to handle the current situation. There is no right or wrong answer.

Welcome New Baby, Andrew!

This is to welcome a new baby, Andrew.

He weighed in at 8 lbs. 4 ozs.

I attended the birth of him on Thursday of last week.

Yes, it was on the American holiday, Thanksgiving!

He is a precious blonde. He was born happy and alert- nursed beautifully, too!

Good job, mommy!

Dog Birth at Our Home!

I have news from our home!

We have a litter of puppies... I got to witness this amazing process, too! (that is why I am posting it on this blog, as I have done on my personal blog, too)  I know it is not human birth, but it is a similar concept, huh?!   :)

Our dog, Sadie, was acting funny on Wednesday, early in the morning.  She usually sleeps till 9 am or so, so when I awoke to find her pacing back & forth & nesting in the box I had made for her, I knew what was going on.

6:30 a.m.- She asked to go outside, I waited for her, because I could tell she was anxious.  She did her business & then came immediately inside to her box.  

She was 'circling' in the box.  She started breathing heavy & licking repeatedly.

7 a.m.-  She gets in the box to stay.

7:15 a.m.-  Sadie is visibly pushing/grunting.

7:30 a.m.- Shaking, drooling heavily, trying to rest.

7:45 a.m.-  1st puppy born (blonde female)

8 a.m.-  More contractions

8:09 a.m.-  2nd puppy born (black female)

8:17 a.m.- 3rd puppy born (brown female)

8:43 a.m.-  4th puppy born (black w/white paws male)

8:55 a.m.-  5th puppy born (black female)

Sadie ate each placenta, each sac off of the pups.  I only helped remove the first sac, as she looked dumbfounded... I waited for 3 minutes to see if she would do it, then only removed it from the face of puppy, the puppy was not moving, was perfectly still for 3 minutes.  When she did finally squeal, Sadie knew exactly what to do from there.

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.

Virtual Labor

Only one who believes in women's bodies to birth & who may or may not be pregnant would enjoy this, but I thoroughly did. This tool is based on natural birth.

I love this Virtual Labor online of "what-to-do" and of what you CAN do when labor starts.

At each stop in the labor you will be required to make a decision about how to respond. The next part of your labor will be randomly selected based on the way you choose to handle the current situation. There is no right or wrong answer.

Fun, fun for all my Birth Junkie Friends!

YAY!

Using a Rebozo in Labor

I have a doula client due in August that loves the "hip squeeze". I was hoping to utilize a rebozo in helping her in labor. My doula-friend has one at her home that she made. I am hoping she will allow me to use it.

Here are some ways to help a mother in labor, to use a rebozo for management of pressure.

• Have the mother sit in an upright position. Place the rebozo so that it is under the mother's arms and goes over her chest. The coach stands behind the mother, holding the ends of the rebozo to support the mother's weight. The coach can gently sway the mother from this position.
  
• Have the mother get in a hands and knees position. Wrap the rebozo under the mother's belly and around her thighs so that the coach can hold the ends above her. The coach will gently sway the rebozo side to side.
  
• Wrap the rebozo around the mother's eyes and ears, blocking and muffling incoming sights and sounds to help the mother relax.

Here is a link to more info on using a Rebozo .

Prevent Cesarean Surgery

"...real quotes spoken by women who have had both cesarean and vaginal births, it presents invaluable information that is researched based. All women of childbearing age will benefit from this educational movie. It is a must see!"

Please inform yourself, so as to avoid any unecessary pain, including emotional pain.

Preparing for Labor: Exercises you can do

Preparing for labor
During the final months of pregnancy,
a few simple exercises can help prepare your muscles for labor.

Kegels
For example, Kegel exercises help tone your pelvic floor muscles. Simply tighten your pelvic muscles as if you're stopping your stream of urine. Try it for five seconds at a time, four or five times in a row. Repeat throughout the day.
Various other exercises target the muscles that will receive the most stress during labor and delivery.

Tailor sitting
The tailor sitting position stretches the muscles in your thighs and pelvis. It also improves your posture, keeps your pelvic joints flexible and increases blood flow to your lower body.
Sit on the floor with your back straight. Bring the bottoms of your feet together, pull your heels toward your groin and gently drop your knees. You'll feel a stretch in your inner thighs. Try tailor sitting anytime you're able to sit on the floor.
If it's difficult to sit in this position, use a wall to support your back or place cushions under each thigh. Remember to keep your back straight.

Pelvic rock
The pelvic rock stretches the muscles in the lower back, which helps relieve backaches.
Rest on your hands and knees with your head in line with your back. Pull in your stomach, rounding your back slightly. Hold the position for several seconds. Then relax your stomach and back, keeping your back as flat as possible. Repeat several times. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions.
You can do a similar exercise leaning against a wall. Simply stand up straight and push the small of your back against a wall.

Wall slide
Squatting during labor can help open the pelvic outlet, which gives your baby more room to descend through the birth canal. But squatting is tiring. It may help to practice ahead of time.
Try the wall slide. Stand with your back against a wall, your feet shoulder-width apart. Slide down the wall until you're in a sitting position. Hold the position for a few seconds and then slide back up. Repeat several times. Gradually work up to 10 repetitions.
For less stress on your knees, try the wall slide with an exercise ball behind your back. You can also squat without the wall. Keep your back straight and your feet shoulder-width apart.

May is International DOULA Month!

The month of the Doula has arrived! May is International Doula Month!

Doulas provide much support for women in pregnancy, in labor & afterwards.

Emotional, physical & informational support is their focus, for ALL mothers & their families.

Here are some questions to ask when choosing a Labor Doula for your birth:

Choosing a labor doula: Answers to your most-asked questions

Midwives' Model of Care

The Midwives Model of Care is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal life processes.

The Midwives Model of Care:
*Monitors the physical, psychological, and social well-being of the mother throughout the childbearing cycle
*Provides the mother with individualized education, counseling, and prenatal care, continuous hands-on assistance during labor and delivery, and postpartum support
*Minimizes technological interventions
*Identifies and refers women who require obstetrical attention

The Big Push for Midwives Campaign

The application of this woman-centered model of care has been proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.

Making Nursing Work, while Working

Women have always combined work and breastfeeding. You can too. Take at least 6 weeks to focus on your baby and breastfeeding, if you can. The longer you delay going back, the easier it will be for both of you!

Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC talks about Combining the two, for a smooth transition & a continued relationship. She discusses Timing, Equipment, Childcare, Expression of your Milk, Storing of the milk, Supplements, Bottles & a Working Mother's Rights. You have a recognized right to breastfeed your baby. If you need help protecting that right, contact your physician, La Leche League, or a certified lactation consultant. Read the full article here:

http://www.wiessinger.baka.com/bfing/older/work.html