Birth Affirmation Video

What a find this is!! A midwife by the name of Jessica at Indigo Birth created this video of birth affirmations. Thank you!!

Michel Odent- "Love cocktail" in birth

Michel Odent is a leading researcher and doctor in the birth and breastfeeding world.  In this short video he discusses the hormones of birth and their importance. His accent is adorable.

Success is the sum of small efforts

A bird creates a nest twig by twig.  What do we do as expectant parents to prepare for the birth of our little ones? We shape and weave our nest through education and the practice of relaxation techniques. 

Once our little ones are in our arms, success of breastfeeding is also the compilation of small efforts of preparation and then patience and dedication.  

Feel free to print and share this little artwork that I created! 

Worth the work

The work begins long before the first labor surge. Emotionally prepare by learning what your body does during labor and how you can make the most of it. Physically prepare by practicing labor positions and breathing techniques. It will be worth it-I promise!

Pushing for first time moms

Wish that having a baby was as simple as the stork story?
The second stage of birth, or the pushing the baby out time, is one that puzzles first and often second time moms. "What does it feel like and how will I know how to push?" It is actually is my personal favorite time in labor. During the first stage we as laboring moms have to let go and let our bodies do what they are made to do.We have to breathe through the surges and move and rest in ways that bring comfort and feel right. The cool thing about the second stage is that we get to actively participate in bring our babies earthside. Please excuse the phrase, but it is kinda like throwing up. We have all experienced the urge to throw up- more then our fair share for those who get morning sickness. Its not something we come up with on our own and then make our bodies do- we are just pulled into it. Our bodies push out the contents of our stomach. Pushing out a baby is a very similar urge. In a weird way it actually feels good to be able to respond to the pushing urge.
 Gloria Lemay, a brilliant midwife, wrote a short article for Midwifery Today titled Pushing for First-Time Moms. She very clearly describes this incredible time in our labor. She also shares some external signs of progress in labor. A must read for all expectant couples! .

Pushing for First-Time Moms  by Gloria Lemay <---link class="subhead" font="" nbsp="" style="display: inline-block; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 0.4em;">

Labor is an Important Job

The helpful ladies at your Doula Bag are at it again with this great inspirational art.  Be sure to bop on over to their site for some wonderful products for mom and little baby! I like their postpartum herb bath. After a hard day of birth work you deserve it! (the pic is a link to their site)

yourdoulabag.com » Labor as an Important Job

Peaceful Birthing Environment Infographic

The brilliant ladies over at my doula bag created this simple reminder graphic for hospital births.

yourdoulabag.com » Peaceful Birthing Environment Infographic

breathe

I am having way too much fun over at PicMonkey creating affirmations .  I am not crazy about this one but I have no idea when I will get another chance to try it again. Till then, this one will have to do...

The reason that I was so excited to make this one is because of the buttons.  As labor progresses we find ways to slow and control our breathing, think old days Lamaze. While it is not so much about the he-he-he or the ha-ha-ha breath pattern, it is more about finding what breathing technique works for you. One possibility is slowly breathing out as if to blow gently at the button on the shirt of your support person.

We used to always hear, "Bring a focal point" for your labor. What is now being shared is find your focal point from your surroundings.  Often times it is an absent minded choice- whatever is in view as the surge begins. One story that I was told is that of a laboring woman who found her self focusing on a button of her husbands shirt. While during a contraction he went to move and his wife lost her focus and exclaimed, "Don't move!" He had no idea until the wave was over and she was able to explain.

So whether it is the shiny gloss paint on the wall in front of you or a swirl on your pillow case, it matters not. The purpose of the focus is to help center and anchor you. As in the case with the husband and the button on his shirt the focal point can become a birth ritual that is part of the three R's of comfort, Rhythm, Ritual and Relaxation. But that is another blog post... 

(PS- Ask me about my embarrassing story of the focal point I brought for the birth of my second child!) 

Learn how to surf

 

This is my first affirmation that I made over at PicMonkey! I chose this one because it meant a lot to me during my own personal labors. Some people imagine that each contraction is a wave that they float over. As a California girl I felt that I would "dive beneath" each contraction or wave. I could almost feel the waves washing over my back and the relief as I would pop out on "the other side" and give a cleansing breath. I love how affirmations can mean something different to each of us!

 

Epidurals and a doula

I love this infographic!  We as Doulas must be doing some darn good stuff to be showing such a reduction in the chance of a C-section. I also like that it shows that a doula is for all expectant couples, no matter what their birth goals are.

Corona Regional Hospital is AWESOME!

 

As a Doula I have worked in good number of hospitals-

• Rancho Springs Medical Center
• Palomar Medical Center
• Fallbrook Hospital
• Riverside County Hospital
• Riverside Community Hospital
• Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital

And now add to the list Corona Regional Hospital- my new FAVORITE!!  As far as hospitals go Corona Regional has knocked the socks off all the rest! I recently had the opportunity to support a couple at this great hospital.  For so many reasons, it was AMAZING!  From the moment that we arrived the nurses were kind and patient.  They honestly seemed happy to see us. Throughout the rest of the labor they continued to be very accommodating to all of our needs. In a hospital environment the nurses make all the difference. I actually was really looking forward to this birth because I took a yearlong Lactation class with several nurses from Corona Regional. Sadly none of them worked while I was there but I made a couple new nurse friends that I look forward to working with again!! 

The hospital is a little older but what it lacks in fanciness it makes up in quality maternity care.

Another great thing about Corona Regional Hospital is that it is an accredited Baby Friendly hospital. It is one out of only 164 hospitals in the whole United States to earn this award! I watched them up hold all of the Ten Standards required.

Click here to learn more about Baby Friendly Hospitals.

Check out Corona Regional Hospital and see if it will fit your birth needs. They offer free Maternity walk-through tours:

Wednesdays (two per month) from 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. and

Saturday (one per month) from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. 

Reservations are required. Call 951-808-6721 to schedule a tour.

Note: I was in no way paid or compensated for writing this. I just feel that praise needs to be given when it is earned. 

Photo credit given to : "Mother And Her Newborn Baby" by David Castillo Dominici

Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait

The March of Dimes has begun a new campaign to encourage mothers to wait for birth to start on it's own. In their own words:
-"The Healthy Babies are Worth the Wait™ education campaign was developed in response to the growing number of inductions and c-sections prior to 39 weeks for non-medical reasons. Campaign messaging is not intended for mothers who have their babies early for medical reasons or who go into early labor on their own"

The article that was released in August of 2011 shares information on why this campaign is so important. Here is a little snippet:

Why scheduling an early birth can be a problem Experts are learning that scheduling an early birth for non-medical reasons can cause problems for mom and baby. For example:

• Your due date may not be exactly right. Sometimes it's hard to know just when you got pregnant. Even with an ultrasound, your due date can be off by as much as 2 weeks. If you schedule to induce labor or schedule a cesarean birth (also called a c-section) and your date is off by a week or two, your baby may be born too early.
• Inducing labor may not work. If your labor is induced, the medicine your doctor or certified nurse-midwife gives you may not start your labor. When this happens, you may need to have a c-section.
• A c-section can cause problems for your baby. Babies born by c-section may have more breathing and other medical problems than babies born by vaginal birth. (Most babies are born by vaginal birth. The mother's uterus contracts to help push the baby out through the vagina, also called the birth canal.)
• C-sections can cause problems in future pregnancies. Once you have a c-section, you may be more likely in future pregnancies to have a c-section. The more c-sections you have, the more problems you and your baby may have, including problems with the placenta.
• A c-section is major surgery for mom. It takes longer for you to recover from a c-section than from a vaginal birth. You can expect to spend 2 to 4 days in the hospital after a c-section. Then you'll need 4 to 6 weeks after you go home to fully recover. You also could have complications from the surgery, like infections and bleeding. So it's important to stay in touch with your health care provider even after you go home.

Thank you March of Dimes for all that you do!!

Online Expectant Parent Education

I just found a site with loads of great info! Sutter Davis Hospital in Northern California has got it going on! Check out all of the Special fact sheets for new (every) mothers that this great hospital has to offer! I LOVE all of these 2 page fact sheets because they are based on scientific research. If I had to choose, my favorite topics in the prenatal section are:

Topic #2 Only Breast milk for the First Six Months Shares the scientific reasons of why this is important.
Topic #4: Possible Effects of Medications and Anesthesia
Topic #5: Early Skin to Skin Contact

Be sure to surf around this site if enjoy reading information published by this amazing hospital.
Expectant parent Eduction provided by Davis Hospital in Northern California
--links are bold and underlined

Cervical Effacement and Dilatation during labor

Reducing Infant Mortality Video

Reducing Infant Mortality from Debby Takikawa on Vimeo.

I found this beautiful video over at one of my favorite sites, Spinning Babies. Personally I have a hard time seeing infants who are struggling so the first 3ish minutes were not my favorite. Get through those and learn a wealth of information. Minute 9ish talks about the incredible positive impact of breastfeeding on avoiding infant mortality. Many awesome moments of breastfeeding mothers.
I did hesitate a little in sharing this clip. In the video, the births that had minimal interventions are by mothers that many would consider hippy-ish or too natural because they are often naked or birthing in a position other then on their back. Dress or birth in a position that is comfortable to you. Intervention free or natural does not mean naked. For the birth of our 4th child I choose to wear a tankini top because I did not want my ta-tas flopping around like they did in my 3rd birth.

Positions for Labor

Fabulous article on positions for labor. It perfectly describes the reasons of why staying up and mobile are so important during labor. Also with in that page are links for info on relaxing and breathing. Great stuff!

Labor Progress

Another great website is Birthing Naturally. The different physical and emotional signs of labor progress

Howling during labor

Thank you to who ever this is for being comfortable enough to share this video with the world. I love it!! This is how her husband explains it:

My wife was given something by the nurse to take the edge off of the pain before the epidural. Instead of calming her down it made her high as a kite. This is one of my favorite videos ever.

Something else I noticed in this family's other posted videos: lots of BYU stuff. Hmmm...

Stations of baby during labor

Understanding stations of the baby's head <--link br="">
You Tube's description of this clip: "The animation follows the baby's progress through the mother's birth canal, marking the baby's position by how her head lines up with specific points in the mother's bony pelvis."

Coccyx

I love this animation because it includes a view of what it looks like "starring down the barrel"so to speak. Observe how the coccyx or the "tail bone" moves out of the way for the baby. Imagine how hard this is take place when women are laboring and pushing in the semi-reclining position.
This diagram is a front view of the pelvis. You can see the coccyx there in the middle.