Rebozo comfort measure in labor

Useful, effective.
Love the Rebozo for the "hip squeeze"

The Middle Wife

The Middle Wife

By an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher:

I've been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself,but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second-grade Classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell..... So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, Show-and-tell is pretty tame Kids bring in pet turtles, model Airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that.

And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they're welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid,takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. 'This is Luke , my baby brother and I'm going to tell you about his birthday.'

'First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom's stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord..'

She's standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I'm trying not to Laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

'Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts saying and going, 'Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!' Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans.
'She walked Around the house for, like an hour, 'Oh, oh, oh!' Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.

'My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn't have a sign on the car like the Domino's man. They got my Mom to lie Down in bed like this.' Then Erica lies down with her back against the Wall.

'And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in Case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled
all over the bed, Like psshhheew!' This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!
'Then the middle wife starts saying 'push, push,' and 'breathe, Breathe. They started counting, but never even got past ten.
Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom's play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there.'

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.
I'm sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it's Show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case
another 'Middle Wife' comes along.

Birth Circle

We had a great time at the Birth Circle last night. Mothers that were pregnant, had a newborn & are veteran moms attended.
We discussed nursing in public, how to "wear" your baby with demonstrations & talked about the new book: "Homebirth in the Hospital" that will soon be added to my lending library! Read a great review of it here at the Stand & Deliver blog.

I also found out that a NEW Birth Circle is forming in Waynesboro on Tue, April 7th!
Call Jenny for more info at: 540-221-4090 !
How exciting!


Kelly K, CD (CBI)

Birth Story Mad Libs

Fill in this Birth Story Mad Libs...
should prove to be fun, fun!

Kelly K, CD (CBI)

Miracle Diapers- Cloth for All!

Miracle Diapers

Spread the Cloth Diaper Love!!

Our 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is dedicated to providing cloth diapers, baby products, and natural living items to struggling families all over the world.

We accept donations that were given generously by caring individuals and redistribute them to families who are in need of assistance.

The use of disposable products decreases resources, increases waste output, costs more, and has significant health risks.

Through providing cloth diapers and other natural living alternatives to low income families, we aspire to increase the use of reusable items on a larger scale, therefore helping improve the environment.


Kelly K, CD (CBI)

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)

Baby's Bellies

Many mothers worry that their newborn is not getting enough breastmilk. This may reassure that mother....
On the 1st day of life, the baby's tummy is the size of a marble!
On the 3rd day, a ping pong ball &
on the 10th day, the size of an egg!

That explains all the small, frequent feedings.

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

Baby Picks Own Day of Birth

One of the biggest obstacles to natural birth is misunderstanding your "due date." A due date does not mean there is only one safe day for your baby to be born. It is meant to establish a range of time that your baby is mature and safe to be born. Because modern obstetrics narrows this to a specific day, unnecessary interventions, like inducing labor, come into practice.

In a well-nourished, low risk pregnancy it is normal for your baby to be born between 37 and 42 weeks gestation*. Many natural events take place within your body during the last weeks of pregnancy to prepare you for labor. Allow time for the natural process to occur.

Use this due date calculator, if you please:
http://www.mothersnaturally.org/naturalPregnancy/dueDateCalculator.php
Kelly K, CD (CBI)

Ultrasounds/Sonograms

Most all women have two during pregnancy & don't think much of it. I know I did, I even welcomed them!

BUT:

Unbeknownst to many, ultrasound DOES radiate some heat (not radiation) & puts out high frequencies of sound to fetal chamber (similar to subway train passing through a station!) .

Why else do you think baby moves AWAY from the wand when under this "testing"? Because it is warmer than usual & loud, too!

Makes sense... be informed, even if it goes against mainstream.

Get ONLY medically necessary Ultrasounds/Sonograms; not for entertainment purposes, please!

This .gov site confirms this.......

Birthing Film Contest $1,000 prize!

Birth Matters VA Film Contest

Here’s how to enter:
Step 1: Make a video (Possible Topics)
Step 2: Upload your video to YouTube (see How to Submit Your Video)
Step 3: Enter the contest by filling out the entry form by May 10, 2009
Step 4: Tell everyone you know to go vote for your video on YouTube!
Step 5: Wait to see if you won! (see Prizes)

Length: 4-7 minutes
Style and Tone: factual, informational, educational, inspirational

Why Does This Matter?

A celebrity nursing another child in another country. What is the big deal?
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6864594&page=1

Using a Midwife AND a Doula

Does this combo work ?
Over half of the mothers I have attended to have had midwives & the midwives have always spoke positively of the support given. The parents, too.

I would like to hear from mothers who have had both, or who chose NOT to have a doula because they HAD a midwife attending- my curiosity was piqued from this blog post at a Doula Speaks.

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.