Continuous Support During Childbirth

Benefits of Continuous Support During Childbirth & Author's Conclusion on the matter:
"Continuous support in labour increased the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth, had no identified adverse effects and women were more satisfied." Read more in link above.

Birth Circle- Mon the 9th

Hello, it is that time of the month again! (no, not THAT time!! Lol)

It is Birth Circle Time!

This coming up Tuesday, Feb. 9th at my home in Staunton.... 7-9 p.m.

Come, share, snack, laugh.

Informational Breastfeeding Clips

Free Informational Breastfeeding Clips by http://www.breastfeeding.com/ , a reputable site for all things breastfeeding, all the time.

Many subjects covered, 57 clips on 10 different subjects. I think any nursing mother or pregnant mom preparing to breastfeed will find this site very useful.

Here is the direct link to the videos: VIDEOS

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.

Home Care for New Moms

This is one of the most thourough articles I have found about new mothers, after they give birth to their baby, whether it is a home birth or a hospital birth, this protocol should be followed for maximum success in breastfeeding the baby.

HOME CARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE NEW MOTHER

Flaxseed Oil has High Risk in Pre-term Births

Flaxseed Oil HasHigh Risk Of Premature Birth
ScienceDaily (2008-10-29) -- The risks of a premature birth quadruple if flaxseed oil is consumed in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, according to a new study.

How to Pack a Diaper Bag for Cloth Diapers

Since all 3 of my clients are/will be using Cloth Diapers, I thought this video would be useful to the moms.
Happy diapering!

Birth Circle Tonight!

Birth Circle Tonight! From 7-9 p.m. at my home!
We will observe a mom "wearing" her baby, talk about babywearing & talk about cloth diapers/nappies, & whatever else comes up with all the mommies!

Come if you can! You will be sure to enjoy yourself.

Snacks/beverages provided; children welcome, too!

After this week, the BC will be on the 1st MONDAY of each month, starting in FEB! Mark your calendars!

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."

Can Birth Affirmations Prevent C-Sections?

Can Birth Affirmations Help Prevent Cesarean Section?
Birth affirmations are quotes or sayings that you can repeat to yourself before and during birth in order to lift your spirits and give yourself encouragement. Using birth affirmations may be one way to prevent cesarean section.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/576269/can_birth_affirmations_help_prevent.html

Thoughts From This Doula

I am thinking about all the mothers I have been with in the past & counted up 2 girls out of 7 births! Wow! Lots of boys!
AND
I have 3 clients that are expecting & only one of them is expecting a girl...
hmmm...

Also, still lovin', lovin' , lovin' my job! I cannot even call it a "job"... I suppose it is a "calling" more like. Supporting a woman at such an intimate, sometimes scary time is such a privilege to me. I eat it all up like a sno-cone in July... :()) (yes corny, I know, okay?!?!)

I am opening a new shop on etsy.com tomorrow. I will be selling my Birth/ Pregnancy Affirmations & many other things that are printable, until I get brave enough to get craftier than I am now. . . May take some kind of miraculous change in how my brain works, but I await it patiently... lol Eventually, I will brave the cloth diaper world, as is my dream to open a diaper service in my area... I will make cloth diapers, liners, covers, etc. I will also be making breastpads, burp cloths, reuseable pads, etc.
Feedback?

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!

Got Boppy?

Why Every New Mom Should Own a Boppy Pillow
There are many products that help new mom's out, but there is just nothing better than the Boppy pillow for any new mom or her baby.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/187911/why_every_new_mom_should_own_a_boppy.html

A Pain in the Cervix

This article says from Science Daily :
Labor Pain Comes From the Cervix
quoted from article:
"Childbirth is painful, yet scientists are still somewhat in the dark about what actually causes the pain. A new doctoral thesis from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now shows where this pain comes from and opens the way to the development of improved methods of pain relief."
Read on...

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!