My Body, My Baby, My Birth

Pregnancy and birth has become so high tech. Makes you wonder what they did all those years ago when women just got pregnant and nine months later had their baby.

Here are some of my thoughts and views regarding my pregnancy and birth.

My First Prenatal Appointment: Although I was having regular blood testing in the beginning of this pregnancy for low progesterone levels, I did not have the first prenatal appointment until 17 weeks. The group of midwives we chose were eager to help me over the phone before hand as I needed though. I love the attention that I get from such nurturing care. I spend 5 minutes in the waiting room and 45 minutes in my appointment....not the other way around.

Routine Testing and Procedures During Pregnancy: So many tests are dne while you are pregnant - many of which have declined! I give a urine sample at each appointment which is very inevasive. I plan to have an iron test done which involved a stick and is fairly inevasive. I have opted out of taking tests like glucose and many of the other unnecessary (in my opinion) blood testing and other screenings. And, I definitely steered clear of the flu and swine flu vaccines.

Ultrasounds: Before I was pregnant, I vowed not to have an ultrasound. But, when I began spotting at 5 weeks and it continued until week 12, I felt it best to ensure the safety of the baby and pregnancy. However, I am not a fan of ultrasounds. There is too much evidence out there that shows ultrasounds to be very dangerous to the health of the baby. Have you ever had an ultrasound and your baby was moving and kicking around a lot? The technician may have even joked about how much your baby was moving. Did you know that the ultrasound waves sound like a freight train to your poor, innocent little baby. Their tiny ears are just trying to acclimate to normal noises like the voice of Mommy and Daddy. Imagine how harsh those loud sound waves must be like.

Because we have not an ultrasound with this pregnancy since the bleeding at 12 weeks, we will not find out the gender of our little one. People's reactions are very interesting. Some say, "Oh, that is wonderful. There are so few surprises in the world." Others say, "I am too much of a planner to not find out." I find the latter response amusing. You see, I am a first born and a Virgo. I plan, organize, and research to the max. But, when it comes to having a baby, I prefer taking a simpler approach.

Childbirth Classes: Whether you birth at home, birth center, or hospital, I highly recommend taking a childbirth class to prepare you for the birth. We are taking The Bradley Method with my friend Donna. Bradley encourages the father to play a large role in labor and birth of the baby. It teaches many techniques to support a natural birth and avoid unnecessary interventions. ABC News did a recent report on the best childbirth classes to take. Check it out here.

Our Place of Birth: Home. For us, we could think of no better place than our home to welcome our little baby. It is a peaceful, quiet, safe place for my husband and I to have a calm and relaxing birth experience. And, our baby will be born into an environment free of bright florescent lighting, gloved and masked care givers, and cold, stark air. ACOG (American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology) states "Choosing to deliver a baby at home is to place the process of giving birth over the goal of having a healthy baby." All I can say to that is that those doctors have obviously never had the joyful experience of welcoming a baby into the world in a homebirth setting. They must often see babies born under severe distress due to the birth they highly intervened in with the use of drugs, induction, and/or cutting them open to get the babies out. I believe that my body and baby will be just fine at home. It is just pure, natural instincts for a woman to know how to have a baby. What kind of birth she decides to have is largely based on her ability to not be afraid of her own body's normal, natural function to give birth.

As a mother-to-be, I feel very strongly about the choices we have made about this pregnancy and the birth of our first born. I know this isn't for every mother and her baby, but it is right for us.

Acupressure for Labor and Birth - Fort Worth

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE ACUPRESSURE FOR MY LABOR AND BIRTH?
The majority of babies born in the U.S. show signs of stress or traumatic imprinting which begins with their fist interaction with the outside world - namely their birth. Natural, non-invasive techniques such as acupressure, acumassage, and gentle Asian massage techniques can prevent such trauma and help the mother and child to bond and enjoy their first moments of physical interaction. These techniques also aid in the process of giving birth and can eliminate some of the issues that can arise during this precious time.

WHAT IS ACUPRESSURE USED FOR?

• Facilitates labor to start for post due babies
• Encourages labor to progress at a steady pace and may prevent the use of medical intervention
• May help baby to position correctly for birth and/or help turn a breech baby
• May help to maintain the mother's and baby's vital signs and prevent unnecessary medical interventions

ACUPRESSURE SERVICES
$60 per hour
outcall fee - $15

My First VBAC

About a week and a half ago I got a call from a mom to be who was due in three days. She had a previous cesarean birth with her son and after much reading and discussing with her husband they thought that a doula would be very helpful for them for the VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) birth they desired to have with their daughter. Usually I get weeks to prepare with clients, but these were special circumstances because we were so close to the due date.

In her eighth month of her pregnancy she changed care providers from her doctor to a group of midwives who practice at a local hospital. (Side note: changing care providers late in pregnancy is always an option if you are not satisfied. As long as the baby is still inside of you, you have choices. Get the kind of care and birth that you desire!) So, after she changed groups, she decided to look into a doula. Thanks to a referral from a previous client, she was led to me.

As her "due date" came and went, she was visiting the midwives to assure that her pregnancy was still going well and that she and baby were fine. Of course, everything checked out and she was given 14 days past her "due date" before they would do any sort of medical intervention.

On Friday, six days past her "due date", she had an appointment with the midwives for stress testing. Her cervix was dilated to a four, but she and baby were fine and she was not in active labor so she went home. I went over to her house to work with her. She had taken Castor oil, been walking, and was ready for anything more at that point. I arrived early in the afternoon and worked with her for several hours doing acupressure and labor enhancing massage techniques. She was having contractions and things were seeming to move forward, but when the evening approached, I felt it best to let her rest and try and get a good nights sleep in case labor did come on. I did not want her to be too tired for what was ahead of her.

On Saturday morning, I woke up to find I had not received a call in the night. When I called her that morning, she told me she had gotten a good nights rest and that she felt that things had progressed in the night. I told her I would come later that afternoon to work with her more unless her labor started before then. At about 4:00 that afternoon, I went back over to work with her some more. This time not much was happening. The contractions were few and far between and she did not feel as though they were as productive as they had been the day before. Her mother and sister arrived at about 8:00pm. Again, I decided that it would be best for her to rest and at 9:00pm I left them for the evening with instructions for she and her husband to take a walk and relax.

On Sunday morning at 2:24am, I received a call from her husband telling me that contractions had picked up. I didn't get much information other than they were coming on stronger than ever, but told them I would head over to help them labor at home, and it was their call on whether to head to the hospital at that point. It took me about 10 minutes get dressed and head out the door. I said many prayers on the way. I was unusually calm as I drove down the road in the middle of the night. The streets were bare and the rain was falling. I had a good feeling that this was going to be okay. Just as I approached the highway to turn left toward their home, he called and told me they were headed to the hospital. I could tell there was no time for talking and I told them I would see them there. I took a right onto the highway instead of a left and headed to the hospital downtown. I parked in the parking garage, which can be kind of scary at that time of night. My birth bag was in the trunk and I wasn't sure what to take out of it or take the whole thing in. I popped the trunk, hurried out of my car, grabbed the bag and got back in my car and locked the doors. I searched for a couple of minutes through my bag before deciding just to take the whole thing in. After all, there is no telling how long these births can last. With my cell phone in hand and my purse and birth bag tucked tightly against me, I headed for the parking garage elevators down to the ground level and into the hospital. I was greeted by a security guard. He asked me who I was coming to see. I said "I am a doula, and I need to get to maternal observation." "A doula?" he replied. Well, once we got that all straightened out, I was off to meet them on the maternity floor. I waited in maternal observation. When I saw the dad behind the double doors I got my things and went on back. He rushed past and told me he was headed to the restroom and she was in room 4. I thought I heard room 4, but then I second guessed what I had heard when I got down the hall. Then I heard the moans of a woman in labor and he nurses in the room calling her name. I knocked on the door and two nurses suddenly yelled at me to move the wheel chair in the hall out of the way and that the baby was crowning. They were telling my client not to push as they rushed her in the bed down the hall to labor and delivery. I ran with her, leaving her husband behind. I wasn't really sure what to do, but felt she needed someone with her, so it was with her that I stayed. As she approached L&D the nurses rolling her bed were shouting, "she is crowning!" About six nurses rushed into her room and I moved off to the side while they got her squared away. They pulled up her gown and I could see the baby's head. Her mom and her husband got to the room and we all squeezed past nurses to get up next to her as she began to push.

At 3:24am, just one hour after I received the phone call, they were holding their baby girl in their arms. She did it! She had a VBAC! It was a success for them and for me, as now I can say that I had my first VBAC and it was successful doulaing experience and they can go on to have many more children vaginally as they plan to.

When we all settled down after the birth to admire the baby, I sat on the sofa next to my unopened birth bag. You just never know.

The Seduction of Induction

As a doula, I have to be up to date on all the statistics, findings, pros, cons, and all the other information out there on induction of labor. According to statistics, induction of labor accounts for42% of all births (research done by www.solaceformothers.org). I think it is important to point out that in most cases their is no evidence of better maternal or neonatal outcomes with induction of a normal, healthy mother and baby.

The most common methods of inducing of labor are done by introducing a synthetic hormone called Pitocin into the bloodstream through a continuous IV drip or by inserting a prostaglandin suppository into your vagina for cervical ripening. Each of these methods is usually followed by the artificial rupture of membranes. If you are scheduled for an induction, I recommend that you do all of the research you possibly can about what is involved. In most cases, many other interventions will follow that you may not understand or wish you knew more about.

Note: The decision to have an induction could be the last decision you make about your birth.

In her talk, Penny Simkin raised the question, "Are there repercussions from interrupting normal pregnancy and bypassing the normal birthing process?"

ACOG (American College of Gynecology) states that induction is okay for the purpose of medical reasons such as illness, oligohydraminios (low amniotic fluid), post dates, prolonged PROM (premature rupture of membranes), IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), and *M.D. decision on a case by case bases. ACOG is now silent on induction of "big baby" as of 2009.

*I personally feel that this leads to a wide variety of interpretation by doctors and their patients.

Now on to Macrosomia or better known as the "big baby" theory. How many of you have been told were going to have a large baby, only to give birth and find out they were overestimating by pounds? A "big baby" is classified as being suspected to weigh 8.5 lbs. or larger. I say "big baby" with quotes because there is truly no way to tell how much a baby weighs while in utereo and the ultra sound can be off by as much as 10%. "Big baby" is a relative term. Often times there is fear associated with inducing for a suspected "big baby" such as shoulder dystocia or further baby weight gain throughout the remainder of the pregnancy. Shoulder dystocia occurs in only about 30% of babies over 8.5 lbs. and it is also important to know that SD can occur in babies of all weight and size. Furthermore, induction for "BB" does not prevent a cesarean delivery, nor does it improved the outcome of mother and/or baby.

The reasons for induction vary across the board. I do not advocate all of these. In fact, I am highly opposed to many of these. But, I am not opposed to induction as a medically necessary procedure when absolutely necessary. Here is a list of reasons. I will let you decide what sounds like a "good" reason for induction.

• A mother is between herpes outbreaks
• She had a previous rapid labor
• She and her partner are a long distance from their birth place
• The father/partner must leave home for an extended period of time (i.e. military)
• The mother is at or near term. Why not go ahead and just induce?
• She wants her caregiver to be the one to deliver her baby
  
• They are scheduling her induction to ensure adequate hospital staff
• The parents want to choose to avoid or coincide with a specific date
• Suspected "big baby"
• The baby is post due
• The mother has an illness
• There is low amniotic fluid and the baby is at risk
  
• There is prolonged PROM (premature rupture of membranes)
  
• The baby growth is being restricted by an unpreventable cause IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction)
• M.D. decision on a case by case bases.

Remember: You are the consumer. The illusion of control can be very alluring.

Because induction of labor is so widely practiced now, and you may have many friends who have had an induction, it is important to understand the issues involved and how to have a conversation with your caregiver regarding this topic. Many women are not aware that induction, in a majority of cases, is an elective procedure. You need to understand the difference between a medically indicated and an elective induction. It can be very difficult to resist the offer of an induction to the "ninth month woman". Induction becomes a "hurry up and wait" process. You will be restricted from food and drink, possibly for many, many hours during this process. Also note that when you choose an induction, you are also choosing to have an IV and continuous fetal monitoring because of the risks involved to you and the baby. And, you may be told to call ahead of your scheduled induction because the unit is too busy to take you on until later that day or the next. This can be very unsettling and emotional for the women who has been told that her induction is "medically necessary". Here are some suggestions to ask your caregiver when deciding on an induction.

• Is there a problem? How serious is it? How urgent is it that we induce? What are the next steps if we hold off on the induction?
  
• Describe the induction procedure. (Often times they will give you a hand out that explains it all. I highly recommend you get it straight from the mouth of the caregiver.)
• What are the risks?
• What are the alternatives?
• What if my induction fails?
  

Because I love what I do, I work with women who have inductions. It is part of today's birth world. Again, my main focus is getting my clients educated and informed about making decisions that are right for them at the place where they are.

Thought: I agree with Penny Simkin, birth should be seen like the weather.

What Do You Want?

Hello Friends!

I have missed you. I just returned from a DONA (Doulas of North America) conference in Atlanta. It was a packed three days of much information that I cannot wait to share with you. We had speakers who are well known to the field and are authors, educators, and professionals such as Dr. Robert Sears, Penny Simkin, Marshall and Phyllis Klaus, and many others. These amazing people have written many of the books that I now have in my library for expectant mothers.

I am eager to start posting all about the things I have learned. I would like your feedback on where to begin. Here are some of the topics that I am now a bit more knowledgeable on:

• SOLACE - Ongoing care and support for the mother who has had a "traumatic" birth experience
• Vaccinations - As per Dr. Robert Sears and The Vaccine Book
• Kangaroo Care - Immediate skin to skin care for preemies to full term babies
• Attachment Parenting - Attachment ideas for new families versus schedules for new babies
• Teen Mothers - Helping support pregnant and birthing teens as they become new parents
• Hospital Birthing - How to efficiently and effectively work with the hospital staff and parents. There are some great ideas for negotiating and having an amazing birth in the hospital setting.
• Seduction of Induction - Penny Simkin's talk on the lure of induction in today's society and the outcomes of such
• Attachment for the Laboring Mother - How to effectively help a mother by attuning and attaching to her during birth for better infant and maternal outcomes
• Eco-Friendly Birthing - What are we coming to by taking the natural, normal, spontaneous, birthing process away from the mothers and manipulating it into a convenient package

Ok, let's start there. Anyone want to suggest the first post from those ideas?

Epidurals: The Tip of the Iceberg

Recently in my reading, I have come across many alarming statistics, but one in particular stuck out.

From Birthing from Within
by Pam England and Rob Horowitz

"It is a popular myth that epidural medication doesn't get to the baby. Epidural anesthetics do cross the placental barrier. Anesthetic levels in the baby's blood have been found to be as high as one-third of the maternal blood levels. As a result, compared to unmedicated babies, babies in the epidural or pitocin-epidural groups showed "drugged behavior" (trembling, irritability, and immature motor activity) on the first day, with behavior recovery by the fifth day. It takes 48 hours for a newborn to eliminate the epidural anesthetic from its system."

I am going to try and not to step on anyone's toes too much here, but I find it interesting to hear a variety of birth stories. (I am more fascinated by watching all kinds of births, but that is for another post.) What I hear often in medicated births is "the epidural was amazing" or "I don't know what I would have done without it." Some women will bend over backwards to take extreme care during pregnancy by eating well, making every visit with the doctor to see how the baby is developing, exercising, taking prenatal vitamins and other supplements, getting enough rest, and staying hydrated. Parents buy safety locks, outlet plugs, and put all breakable and sharp objects out of reach before baby is even born. But, when it comes to the birth, they seem unphased by the paramount risks the epidural poses to their baby.

Having an unmedicated birth is something you need to decide before you get to the hospital. Often times nurses will try and talk you in or out of having an epidural. The time of birth is not the time to decide to have a natural birth. The anesthesiologist may arrive at a point where all you can think about is "getting drugs!" Can a woman honestly weigh the risks and benefits of an epidural at that stage in labor? Education before the birth is key.

Natural birth takes preparation in a different way then medicated births. I tell anyone who is having a natural birth to take The Bradley Method childbirth class. (FYI: Donna is teaching a Bradley class June-August for those of you expecting in the DFW area).

If you choose to have an unmedicated birth, there are many ways a doula can support you and your partner. As a doula, I provide comfort measures and relaxation techniques to help mothers in labor. I also help dads learn how to provide support to their partner as well. I meet with couples prenatally 2-4 times or more to discuss the birth and needs of the family during birth, as well as provide pregnancy support with nutritional consultations, massage, and acupressure.

Parents, I encourage you to do your research and educate yourself before the birth day. That way, when you decide on your choices for birth, you can have all the facts and support you need to make the decisions that are best for you and your baby!

Website of the Week

Time your contractions at www.contractionmaster.com!

Book Pick of the Week

Birthing From Within
by Pam England, CNM, MA and Rob Horowitz, PhD

This book helps inspire you to bring out your inner "artist" while pregnant and adds a new dimension to your pregnancy and birthing ideas. Understand how getting creative in your mind and thoughts can help you have an amazing birth.

Hannah Who??

Fields and flat plains you can see for miles. The smell of wheat harvest in early July and backyard barbecues. Just the sounds of the wind and small creatures at night. A place where the grocery store is just around the corner, you shop locally because their business is your business, and everyone knows you.

I am just a small town girl from Kansas and this is my story.

Being the first born of five children, I had a lot of responsibility growing up. My siblings are 2, 6,12, and 18 years younger than I am. Needless to say, I became a chauffeur, babysitter, cook, and seamstress, just to name a few. Don't get me wrong, I never really minded that much. I was kind of a homebody anyway. I was involved in 4-H for 11 years growing up. It taught me the domestic side of life. I stayed home baking, babysitting or sewing on the weekends and summers. I guess I kind of had a natural calling to help and nurture others.

As a junior in high school, the last thing you want to find out is that your mom is pregnant. I was horrified and upset when I first found out. I was just getting used to it being just the four of us kids. Plus, high school was a delicate time for me. I didn't have time for my parents to be consumed with yet another child. That sounds selfish, I know, but remember, I was a teenager. I sure was glad when my brother was born though. I can't imagine what our family would be like without him now.

In the fall 1999, I went off to college. I started an interior design major at a small private college in Oklahoma. With aspirations to do well in the business and move to Texas and start a career after graduating, I decided to transfer to the University of Arkansas my junior year to complete by degree. I chose the U of A to be close to my sister when she went off to college that year.

As my junior year in college wrapped up, I was looking forward to the summer break, working part-time, and taking some summer classes. My sister and I were living in an apartment with two other girls for the summer. One evening, about a week after classes got out, my sister and I decided to make a home cooked dinner. As I stood there in my summer attire of shorts and a t-shirt chopping vegetables to make egg rolls, the pan of hot olive oil caught fire. Not taking a second to think what to do, I picked up the fiery pot and took it to the sink where it flamed up and I spilled it on me. At this point, the kitchen had several small fires and all I could think was to run and get help. I ran out the door and knocked on every apartment door upstairs and down until someone answered. I screamed at our unsuspecting neighbor to call 911, that our apartment was on fire. He ran up to help my sister who was putting out the fires. As I stood in his apartment downstairs in shock, I can remember looking at my hands, arms, legs and feet thinking "I am burned". I stood at his kitchen sink sobbing and running cold water on my wounds. I didn't know what to think. My sister and neighbor, were able to put the fires out with no real damage. I needed an ambulance though. I sat on a bar stool shaking as my sister stayed with me and never left my side. In her calm, soothing voice, she kept saying everything will be okay. Was it really going to be okay? What had just happened to me? The next few hours are a blur as I was whisked away in the ambulance, sirens and all. My sister stayed with me all night, bless her heart. I was pumped full of Morphine and not feeling a whole lot of pain in what I had come to find out were 2nd and 3rd degree burns along the right side of my body, mostly hand and foot. The next day, my mom and four year old brother arrived. Recovering from burn wounds is long and painful. The doctor advised daily debriding which consisted of scrubbing the wounds to prevent infection. For about four days I suffered through this excruciating process. When we arrived back in Kansas, my mother researched holistic and alternative approaches to burn healing and we opted for that route. Still, seven years later, now and then I can feel the pain of the nerve damage. I have scars on my hands and feet that get many questions that I don't mind to answer. It is a reminder that from that day on, my life was about to take a drastic and wonderful change.

That fall I went back to school. I struggled in many of my classes. My interior design classes were especially difficult, as we were building scale models and constantly drawing and sketching. With my hand still wrapped in gauze, those small tasks became huge endeavours for me. That semester I failed psychology. The ride home to Kansas at Christmas was miserable. I played over and over in my head how I was going to explain to my parents that I needed a break from school. Surprisingly, they took it well and agreed I needed a break. That following March I landed a career at the Wal-Mart corporate headquarters in Bentonville, AR in the product development department. Handbangs, scarves and gloves became my life. After six months, I was promoted. The money was good, but I found myself sobbing at night on the phone with my mother. Nine months in, I wasn't happy in the corporate lifestyle. While I continued to work there, I decided to take classes to get my degree in holistic nutrition. While taking my first class, was reading a book called Healthy Healing. As I sat on the porch of my town home reading the chapter on "Your Health Care Choices" it hit me, I was not going to spend my life in a cubicle. Six months later, I quit my job at Wal-Mart and enrolled in massage school. Seven months after that, I began my career in massage, moved to Texas, and then got married in the summer of 2006. I continue to do massage in addition to my newest pursuit.

Over the years I have had a strong interest in becoming involved with childbirth. After getting information from several midwifery schools I put it on the back burner. I wasn't sure being a midwife was quite my "calling", so I waited. In the meantime, my sister had two amazing home births. One in 2005 and one in 2008. My brain continued to be interested and I waited and listened.

One hot, summer day last August, I wasn't feeling just right. I woke up that morning feeling off. I had one massage appointment that I prayed myself though. I called in sick to my job that afternoon. Throughout the day I felt worse. Scott was at work and I stayed on the couch most of the day. As the day progressed, I was drinking tea and resting. I knew something wasn't right because I was bleeding. But, I chalked it up to being a cyst or something minor. I decided that I should make an appointment with a gynecologist just in case. They said they could get me in in two weeks. I said okay and then called Mom for advise. She did a little research and called me back. From what I had been explaining my symptoms were, she thought it could be a tumor or an ectopic pregnancy. One month earlier we had tried for a baby, but it had never occurred to me that I could be pregnant. Two weeks earlier I had been bleeding as usual. This was more serious than I had originally thought, so I called the gynecologist back and asked for an earlier appointment. They could fit me in first thing in the morning but advised me to go to the ER if I felt worse. At 9:30 that night I texted Scott on his way home from work. I was in desperate need of some ice cream. When he arrived home, I told him I thought this may warrant a trip to the ER. We debated our options. I wasn't in a lot of pain, but enough to feel "off". At 11:00 we went to the hospital. Three hours later I was in a room. They took blood samples and let me rest for another couple of hours. I told Scott to go out and sleep in the car. I was sure it wasn't serious, and he had to be at work early the next day. At 5:00am the sonographer came in. I asked him what he needed to do. He said my pregnancy test had come back positive and he needed to take a look. An hour later and with many views of my insides, sure enough, I was six weeks pregnant in my fallopian tube. Not five minutes after he left, Scott and I were being told that emergency surgery was necessary to remove the baby. That is a lot of information to find out all at once, but babies don't survive growing in the fallopian tube and neither does the mother. Just before noon, my surgery was complete. In just one day I went from finding out I was pregnant to losing a baby all at once. Thankfully, I acted on my intuition that night. I could had lost my life in just a matter of a couple of hours if we had not gone when we did. Amazingly, that summer was the only time in our marriage that we have had health insurance. We were surely being watched over. Now, our prayer is that God will bless us with a baby when the time is right.

That experience led me to pursue my certification as a Doula. In the weeks and months leading up to this loss, I had been researching. I felt it was meant to happen in order for me to become the kind of Birth and Postpartum Doula I was called to be. I now work for a local adoption agency that houses young women who desire to place their baby for adoption. My loss, I believe, has helped a few of them cope with their own loss.

Since getting the training to become a Doula, I have attended 12 births in the last six months. I know that my background in Holistic Nutrition and Massage Therapy is great asset in my work in pregnancy and childbirth. Women have the power to do anything they desire. I am an advocate for her physical, mental, and emotional well-being. She can have a natural pregnancy and a natural birth and I am here to support her. I have compassion, not experience. I learn by watching, reading, talking, and doing for others. My birthing day will come soon, but until then I am living on my desire and passion for women and expectant mothers to have exactly what they are hoping for. My prayer is that I have the strength and ablily to be just what they long for in their child birthing journey.

Here I am today, in Texas. I see the Fort Worth city skyline, the hustle bustle of cars as they race to their destination, sirens blaring throughout the day, stores and supermarkets full of strangers, and shopping for the best deals with people you don't know. It isn't Kansas, but I think we'll call it home.

And that is how I came to be.

Acupressure for Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond

There will be an upcoming Acupressure Class for Birth Professionals that will be in Wichita, Kansas in May. It is designed for massage therapists, acupuncturists, doulas, midwives, chiropractors, and childbirth educators. This class will include learning such points for the natural induction of labor, positioning for the baby, fertility, breastfeeding and more. It will be taught by Dr. Lorraine Jones. You can visit her website at http://www.drlorijones.com/.

As a doula, I recently attended two births where I used some of these techniques to facilitate a smooth labor for my client and birth for her baby. I am a believer in acupuncture and acupressure anyway, but after seeing how powerful these points can be in birth, I cannot wait to learn more!

If you or anyone you know may be interested in taking this course, please let me know and I will make sure you get the information and a mailing of the information and class registration. Date and cost will be determined on the class size and interest.

Believe me, this will set you apart as a birth professional. You don't want to miss it!

Movie Pick of the Week

Tonight I watched a National Geographic film called "In the Womb". It is a fascinating documentary of conception to birth. Although I don't agree with some of the things they were advocating, such as 3D and 4D ultrasounds, I found it to be a great education resource. The woman had a natural birth on her hands and knees with a midwife. I believe it was filmed in the UK.


Some take aways from the documentary:

• 500 million sperm are produced with each ejaculation. Only one gets in and once it does and the egg is fertilized, it produces a hormone that will not allow any more sperm to penetrate.
• Only 50% of fertilized eggs develop into a baby.
  
• An early miscarriage may look like a heavy period, and the mother may never have known she was pregnant.
• Progesterone is produced in high levels by the mother during pregnancy so that no eggs are released.
  
• At 23 weeks, babies have been known to survive birth. The lungs of a baby this small are severely underdeveloped. The baby may be left with minor to severe brain damage or learning disabilities.
• At 24 weeks, the sensory organs are starting to develop. The baby now has all of the organs and functions it needs to survive. At this point it is just growing.
  
• At 26 weeks, the heart can be heard through the mother's abdomen when an ear is placed next to it.
  
• One theory about babies having hiccups is that they do so as a reflex in order to be able to latch onto the nipple to feed once born.
• A 33 week old fetal brain and a newborn brain are believed to be at the same developmental level.
• Only 5% of babies are born on their "due date".
• The lungs are the last organ to fully develop.
• The lungs and the placenta determine the timing of birth. When the lungs are mature, they secrete a hormone to the placenta to slow the release of progesterone and triggers the release of Oxytocin which initiates uterine contractions.
• The pain of child birth can be eased by giving birth squatting, sitting, or standing. Lying on your back will increase the need for medical intervention and Cesarean sections. (I personally like that they added this one!)
  

A Birth Story

One great reason to hire a doula is for the birth story you get after your baby is born. So many things happen during labor and the birth of your precious new baby, that you can't always remember them all. A birth story is a great way to capture the memory of that. I have written a story below of a recent birth I attended.

"In the days leading up to your birth, there were many people anticipating your arrival. As the birth doula for your mommy and daddy, I helped your mommy with some pressure points on her feet. This was just one of many things they tried to get you here. You were anticipated to be a big baby, so an induction was scheduled after you didn’t come on your “due date”.

On Friday, February 6, 2009, your parents went into Baylor Medical Center in downtown Fort Worth for the induction. At 8:13 am, you mommy called me to let me know they had gotten all checked in and that I could head that way. I arrived at the hospital at 8:40. When I arrived, your nurse, Sally, and student nurse, Stephanie, were going over questions with your mommy and daddy. They had already put the fetal monitors on your mommy to see how you and she were doing. At 9:05, they put a heplock on your mommy just in case they needed to start an IV. At 9:12, Sue, the midwife, came in to break your bag of water and to work to open your mommy’s cervix. Your fluid was clear (a good thing) and your mommy was dilated to 3 cm, 80% effaced, and -2 station. We waited 20 minutes after the water was broken to get up and start moving around. We only had two hours to make progress before they were to start the Pitosin.

At 9:40, your mommy got out of bed. Mommy, Daddy, and I all walked the halls for about half an hour. Then, we went back into the room to check your heart tones again and your mommy sat on the bed doing some rocking of the hips. The nurses had brought in two balls for your mommy to use as well. Your mommy was beginning to have contractions that were 30-40 seconds long. She was a little hungry so she ate an apple. The midwife came back in at 11:00am to check the cervix. She explained to your mommy and daddy that she wanted to place an internal fetal monitor next to you and start the Pitosin. Mommy and Daddy wanted a chance to talk about it. The decision was made to go ahead and place the monitor so that if labor went past 5:00pm that the midwife could give a report to the Dr. on call that evening, just in case he had to take over for any reason. The idea was to avoid a Cesarean section for you and your mommy.

After being placed on the IV of Pitosin and the internal fetal monitor was put in place, your mommy was still able to move around. At this point she was 4cm dilated, 80-90% effaced, and -2 station. Sue was glad your head didn’t bounce away from her when checked you, meaning that you were fully engaged and not moving back up. But, your mommy did have a few uncomfortable contractions while being checked. After that, your mommy decided to do some work on the birth ball while I talked through some visualizations with her. Daddy was watching over us. Mommy also tried some different positions on the ball as your daddy and I helped her, but she was having a bit of a hard time finding something comfortable for her. She was wanting to rest and was feeling weak.

By 1:00pm the contractions were coming more often and a lot stronger. Your daddy was sitting by her side helping her through each one. Mommy didn’t particularly like it when he rubbed her hand with his thumb though. She liked it when he was still and held her hand. At 1:50pm, the nurses came in to check the progress again. Mommy was 5cm dilated, 90% effaced, and -1 station. She was making progress and you were coming. The next hour was pretty rough for you mommy. She was feeling a lot of pressure and feeling the pain of child birth. She was very uncomfortable and no position seemed to relieve the discomfort. At that time, the nurse had come into the room and discovered a puddle of liquid on the floor under the IV pole. It was the Pitosin running out from the bag onto the floor. It had never gotten hooked up to your mommy at all. Your mommy had done all that work on her very own. The nurse attached the Pitosin back to the IV on your mommy’s arm. The nurse had told your mommy that the contractions she was seeing on the monitor were not strong enough to have you and she was going to have to have more contractions to get you out. This was very discouraging to your mommy because she was feeling as though she was working so hard and it was disheartening to hear she would have to work even harder. Come to find out, you were coming, it just wasn’t picking up on the monitors.

By 2:50pm, your mommy was very tired and worn out. Even though she had your daddy and me there for support, she felt as though she could no longer do it on her own without pain relieving medication. She was feeling bad that she needed some help, but also thinking she was not strong enough to finish. Your daddy was hesitant to do it and was stalling. He knew to stall from the Bradley child birth classes your parents had taken. Your daddy and I tried to encourage her that she was very strong and she could do it, but she decided to get some relief. I encouraged her that she was not a failure and that sometimes it turns out this way (at the time, we didn’t know your mommy was actually in transition). Finally, your daddy called for help and the nurse and midwife came in to see what kind of relief she wanted. She had been working so hard, but said she was feeling scared and didn’t think she could do it. As the epidural was being ordered, your daddy and I stayed in the room with your mommy. Your mommy began to feel the urge to push you out. I told your daddy to call the nurse to get someone back into the room. They were just outside the door. The midwife came in to check your mommy again and said that she could push if she wanted to. Just as she said that, the anesthesiologist came through the door and then left as quickly as he had come. Your mommy decided that she could do it after all. A few good pushes and you were born just shortly there after at 3:10pm. They put you right away on your mommy’s chest so you could have skin to skin contact and begin your breastfeeding. The placenta came about five minutes later. Mommy had to have a few stitches. You were a big boy, weighing 9 lb. and 10 oz., and 21 in. long.

While I stayed with your mommy to get cleaned up, your daddy went with you as you laid on the warmer in the room. He didn’t leave your side, it was so precious. After your mommy was finished, you got to eat right away. You started out being a great eater and I didn’t have to help out much with that part. I left you to bond with your mommy and daddy for a while before I left. You were expecting your grandparents and big sister to come and visit.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your birth. I enjoyed being there as you came into the world."

Written by Hannah Reasoner, Birth Doula

Baby Alayna

What a great birth of Baby Alayna!!

I have an awesome birth story to follow very soon.

The team of midwives that came to her home birth.

Being the doula for Rachel and Andrew.

Movie of the Week

If you plan on having a baby, you HAVE to see the movie....The Business of Being Born. I first saw this movie about 2 months ago. I have it in my media collection if you would like to check it out from me. It is an eye opening documentary that gets right down the what truly goes on with birth in every setting, from home to hospital.

A Home Birth Story

Yesterday morning at about 2:00am I got the call. It was the call I had been waiting for for about two weeks. She said "Hannah, my water just broke and I am having really strong contractions." I said, "ok, I will be right over. She was having a home birth and lives about 25 minutes away. Surprisingly, I was not nervous or anxious despite the fact that this was only my second "natural birth" and the other one I had attended was not truly "natural" (that story is for another time). I had been praying a lot that I would have the instincts to know what to do for her when the time came. I had also been praying very specifically that I would be able to attend all of her birth and that the baby would not come at a time that I could not get to her immediately due to other obligations.

I arrived at their home at about 2:4oam. She was still in first stage labor and dealing very well with her contractions. We tried several different positions for her to be comfortable. I did some massaging on her back to ease her contractions as well. Ultimately she found the bathtub filled with warm water to be most comforting. She had prepared for this birth which The Bradley Method (taught by my friend Donna) and with hypnobirthing techniques. While in the tub, she became very peaceful and allowed her body to work for her not against her. So much so, that none of the midwives, nor I, could really tell when she was having contractions. Although extremely tired, she was very relaxed and trusted her body at that point. As she got close to second stage (pushing) she wanted to be out of the bathtub. As it was being drained for her to safely get out, she began to have the strong urge to push. It seemed as though she wasn't going to be getting out of the tub and that the birth was going to take place right there. With her husband and I at her head coaching her along, she had one midwife at her bottom and one midwife at her side. With several pushes a baby girl was born at 5:22am. Mother and baby bonded right away. After immediately nursing, mother and baby enjoyed an herbal bath together. Dad did an awesome job in his support roll for her. It isn't always easy to fully understand the needs of a laboring woman and, in my opinion, we worked together well to achieve the mothers needs. I stayed for about two hours postpartum to ensure mother, family and baby were doing well. The midwives were going to stay for a few hours as well. I will be visiting her at least one postpartum depending on her needs.

I feel very honored to have been a part of the birth. It is such an intimate experience for the family and to be asked to attend is such a wonderful feeling. I enjoy working along side women who desire to have an amazing and memorable birth experience. I know that having support and comfort during that time means a lot to moms..... and dads too!

And, I highly recommend the midwives at The Cleburne Birthing Center in Cleburne, TX. They were amazing!

The Safest Birth Place

I get asked this question a lot. "Where is the safest place to give birth?" I think that after my last post, many of you know where I think the safest place to give birth is. But, that is because I think that will be the safest place for me. My husband is comfortable with it and that is important for me as well. I believe that the safest place to give birth is wherever you feel the safest. Your environment the people you surround yourself with during your birth need to make you feel calm, comfortable, and at peace. If you are worried about your husband, your other kids, the dog, bright lights, cold air, phones ringing, medications, and so on, you will not be at peace. Try no to feel pressured to make a decision about your birth place because someone else believes it best for you. You know your needs and your body and what is most relaxing to you. As a doula, I support birth in the place of your choosing, whether that be in a hospital, a birthing center or in your home. It's your birth after all!

I want to hear from you. Take the poll on where you believe the safest place to give birth for you is.

Choose Your Birth Place Wisely

I have attended two hospital births in the past week and a half, both resulted in a cesarean birth. I believe this was due to the excessive amounts of interventions, medications, and clock watchers on the staff. I am saddened and concerned for the young ladies that had to go through this. It is difficult, as a doula, to believe that this is how it "had" to be because in my heart of hearts I believe otherwise.

Having not had children of my own, I don't necessarily have a validated biased opinion, however, I plan to give birth in my home when the time comes. Many people that I tell this to are appalled that I would consider such a "dangerous" way to give birth. A lack of education and information allows them to form such an opinion. My husband and I believe that for our birth, that our home if the safest place to be. I, myself, have only heard through the grapevine of one instance that a friend of a friend went to the hospital during her home birth. I have, on the other hand, heard of many successful and wonderful home birth stories. My sister has had two amazing home births that transpired incredibly well. She is quite an inspiration to those who have questions or fears about having a baby at home. She trusted her body and it did for her what she wanted and prayed for it to do.

My friend, Donna, has recently blogged about her take on home births. She has had two of them herself. Take a look at her blog for some more fascinating information! Click here for Donna's Blog!

My Birth Bag

Babies are coming and I am packing a doula birth bag. From what I have read, this is what I have packed so far:

• a rolling pen
• a rice bag (for heating or cooling)
  
• massage tools
• unscented lotion
• wash clothes
• a timer
  
• my notebook and a pen
• snacks and beverages (for me)

I need suggestions.....anything that you think I should add that would have felt good to you in labor? I am new at this and haven't had the labor experience myself. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!