Here is a fantastic video put out by the World Health Organization’s Reproductive Health Library. It looks at the role of doulas all over the world.
(Window’s Media Player Required)
Category: Musings of a Doula
Industrial Childbirth – Birth story from Ireland
Here is a really sad and fascinating birth story from a woman who gave birth in Dublin where there is a lot of medical management of birth in hospitals (a lot like what can happen here in the USA).
It truly made me cry. First because of what she and other women have gone trough, and second because she still has this beautiful hope of what birth can truly be.
Check it out here.
Lyric’s Birth Story
Here is the story of my second daughter’s birth. I like to say that Haven made me a mother, which was about as earth shattering as you could get, but Lyric’s birth made me a doula and aspiring midwife.
Following a miscarriage in September of 07, my previous OB told me it was my fault because I was still breast-feeding. I had already decided I wanted a water birth with the second and wanted to switch providers but this really sealed the deal. I went looking for an affordable and more sympathetic (and less myth-based) approach.
Meeting the midwives at the Mountain Midwifery Birth Center I realized everything the midwifery model of care could offer. They actually seemed like the LIKED their jobs and talking to moms about their pregnancy and whatever else was going on in their lives, unlike my OB.
My last pregnancy was good, but Lyric’s pregnancy was even better. I felt fantastic, even right up until I went into labor. Towards the end she was measuring a little small, so Cassie sent me for an ultrasound. I was freaked out and the midwives were so great and supportive and listened to my fears (everything showed up fine).
I went into the office Wednesday, June 18 for my last prenatal appointment. Tracy did my forty-week check and found me to be 2 cm and 70% effaced. I was feeling totally overwhelmed and emotional and when I broke down and started bawling in the waiting room, Heather said, “I think you’ll have your baby really soon.”
Sure enough, that Wed I went into early labor, waking all throughout the night with contractions. They got much more regular at 9 am, from 2-5 minutes apart for three hours. At 12:30 we decided to head down to the Birthing Center since we live a bit far. We dropped off our stuff and headed to a nearby park to walk around outside. I think this turned out to be not the best idea since I couldn’t really get inside myself and settle into the Birth Center.
We returned at 4:30 where they checked me and found I was 2 cm, 70% effaced…exactly the same as yesterday! I was so frustrated! I didn’t mind a longer, slower, labor as long as it seemed to be doing something! Cassie and Tracy were awesome at talking me through my frustration, Tracy saying her last birth took three days to get there! Tiffany also helped me regain control by saying my baby might just need a little extra time to get used to the idea of being on the outside. They almost sent me home to a bath and glass of wine, but I really didn’t want to spend an hour in the car (contractions in the car are awful!) and I wasn’t sure when to come back since contractions were pretty close together anyway. They decided to give me two hours to see how I would progress.
I calmed myself down, refused to look at the clock, and went inside myself. After two hours Cassie checked me and I was at 4 cm so they decided to let me stay! I spent some time on the toilet where my water broke, a high tear that didn’t continually leak fluid. Two of my good friends came, including my friend who was a doula and was amazing at helping me with my breathing and rubbing my back! Contractions started getting really strong, along with bloody show and more of the mucous plug was lost.
I spent my time going through transition in the tub, which was great and made the contractions much more round. I was always a little worried I wouldn’t have a break if I did it naturally since I had had an epidural with Haven and it really helped my long labor by giving me a rest. Magically my body seemed to know this and contractions slowed down to 7-8 minutes after I had gone through transition. I even started to fall asleep in the water between contractions! My body was naturally preparing me to push.
I was checked and found to be sort of stuck at 9.5 cm with a little “lip” of cervix left. After sixteen hours at the Birthing Center, I really wanted to be done, so Tracy said I could try and push past it if I wanted to. I tried but it was hard, like pushing into a hammock where the baby kept bouncing back. Cassie ended up helping break the bag of water around her head which felt AMAZING, like her head was suddenly half as big. Then she helped hold the lip of cervix back while I pushed.
At first I couldn’t tell what was a productive push and what wasn’t and I was losing all my energy out my voice. Tracy gave me a great pep talk to help me learn the right way, then I became much more productive. Twenty minutes of pushing and she was out! My daughter Haven watched as I brought her out of the water and then she and Kyle joined me in the birth tub. As soon as she came out of the water Haven said, “It’s a baby sister!” Even to this day she likes to tell the story. She says “Uterus squeeeeze the baby out and the baby came out Mommy’s yoni in the water and nurse and get all dry dry. That was hard work for Mommy, Mommy did a good job, good job Mommy!” Haven was totally thrilled with her new baby sister and held her even before Daddy! We got out of the bed and spent time cuddling as a family on the bed.
After a long time, Kyle and the nurses did all the weighing and checking while I took a luxurious, relaxing herbal bath. It felt wonderful! We stayed for a while, then packed up to go home…at 4 am! It was nice to be in our own bed after such a long night. The nurses and midwives needed a break too because with the full moon and Summer Solstice brought six new babies…IN 24 HOURS!
The recovery went really really well, much better than after Haven’s birth. I think I was able to be aware of what my body was doing so much more without the epidural and not rush my body into a place it wasn’t ready to go. As a result I had only one tiny tear that felt fine after a day or so.
Haven’s birth was good, but Lyric’s birth was phenomenal. I never thought I could be so nurtured and supported in the process. The midwives and nurses were all fabulous and Kyle and I both enjoyed the intimate atmosphere. We loved having Haven there to watch the birth. I can think of no greater responsibility than teaching our children (especially our daughters) that birth is a normal, natural part of life and nothing to be feared. It was all I could have hoped for and more.
Lyric Hana Brynn
Lyric: because she loves being sung to
Hana: meaning “flower” in Korean, her placenta is buried under a flowering linden tree
Brynn: meaning “little drop of water” for my little water birth baby
June 20, 2008
12:23 am
7 lb 3 oz
20 in
View Haven’s Birth
In the tub
She's born!
Proud Daddy
7 lb, 3 oz
So happy
Our family with my good doula friend Rebekkah
Mountain Midwifery Doula Training
I’m so excited, I just attended the Mountain Midwifery Advanced Practice Doula Training! The basic purpose for this is to have a core of doulas that Mountain Midwifery knows and trusts and can refer people to as well. There’s also an opportunity to be on call in case someone needs to be transferred to the hospital and would prefer to have a doula go with them. I think it’s great to create more continuity of care so to speak.
Maybe I’ll see you there!
Mother Blessings/Blessingways
In lieu of traditional baby showers, more and more women are planning Mother Blessings or Blessingways for the mother-to-be. Unlike a baby shower, where the focus is on the baby, Mother Blessings celebrate the upcoming birth of woman into motherhood! Birth is a rite of passage for many women and it’s great to show our support of her in her journey. I also have two books, Mother Rising and Blessingways, in my library.
Here are some ideas of things you can do pamper the mother-to-be in your life.
- Start by naming the mothers in your lineage (children, mother, grandmothers, great grandmothers). If you want you can link all of your wrists together with yarn or ribbon. After everyone shares their lineage the ribbon is cut to make bracelets. If you like, you can keep the ribbon on until the woman goes into labor to keep her in mind and support her.
- Cleanse the air with a sage smudge stick or salt lamp.
Give the mom a relaxing foot soak or massage.- Make the pregnant woman’s favorite food.
- Bring a “Bead and Seed.” Everyone brings a special bead and something from nature to symbolize the life growing inside her. The beads are made into a bracelet that the mother wears until labor is over.
- Henna, of course, is my favorite addition to this! It’s particularly fun when the stain is still visible when the mother goes into labor.
- Think about hiring a belly dancer or take a belly dance class with friends. Belly dancing was originally only for women dancing for women during labor, to show them how to use their abdominal muscles to move the baby out.
- Do some sort of fire/water/sand ceremony where each guest either lights a candle, pours a cup of scented water into a bowl, or layers colored sand in a glass while sharing a bit of advice or well-wishing (you can also do this with presenting your bead). You can pour the water into a special vial and keep it as a reminder of the support of your friends.
- If your friends have had children already, share a birth experience of your own.
- Instead of decorating onesies like so many baby showers do these days, have your guests decorate a square of fabric to be sewn into a blanket.
You can even send the fabric out with the invitations. If you have the party early enough, you can finish the blanket or pillow case by the time the mother starts labor to remind her of the women who stand behind her. A less time intensive option is to decorate a pillow case with positive birth phrases, encouragement, and quotes.- Do a belly cast to preserve her shapeshift into motherhood. You can purchase kits online and decorate them after they harden. Some people put the baby’s hand
prints on the belly after the baby is born or paint them with an image that is meaningful to them. You can also have guests at the Mother Blessing decorate the belly themselves. Another option is to hire a professional lifecaster to do the cast for you. Unlike do-it-yourself kits where the finished product is the strips of plaster and gauze, lifecasting creates an exact replica of yourself by creating a cast and pouring medium into it (see right). It’s definitely the more beautiful option, but also more expensive (around $150-300). Some lifecasters in Denver are Chris Guarino, or to find other artists you can visit the Association of Lifecasters. - Make a “Help” list where the guests can sign up to do chores or bring meals after the baby is born.
- Make a “Belly Bowl.” Some casting studios in your area may have the option to make a cast from the mom’s belly and turn it into either a bronze or ceramic bowl. With the ceramic bowls you can decorate them yourself before firing. With the bronze bowls you can choose different patinas (bronze finishes) and it “rings” when struck to the individual tone of mom and baby.
Fabulous Sibling Prep Book!
I just got the best sibling prep book for any sibling and/or parent who is interested in attending a birth. My Brother Jimi Jazz follows the story of Trinity as she prepares for the birth of her new baby brother. It’s frank and honest, but still very beautiful. It has the laboring mom in all these great, active positions like hands and knees and squatting. It talks about making birth noises, the crowning, umbilical cord, how the placenta looks like a tree, everything! The book has great illustrations that are both realistic and beautiful. I think this book is essential to anyone planing to have a child attend a birth! Of course, it is a part of my lending library. You can view the author/illustrator/mama/doula’s website here. You can purchase it from Attachments Catalog and it’s a little cheaper. She also has a new book on breastfeeding that I’m interested in buying.
New book/dvd in my library!
I’m so excited, I just ordered a new book/dvd set entitled “I Watched My Brother Being Born.” I think it’ll be great to add to my list of kids books and a resource for my Sibling Doula niche.
Here is a synopsis for the book:
This book by mother and daughter team Anne and Katarina makes a great compliment to the DVD by the same title. Katarina and her five year old brother Magnus watch their baby brother being born and tell about it in this charming and fact-filled book. The book takes on the voice of Katarina but also has an introduction for parents.
“My goal with this book is to teach our children that giving birth is a natural, safe and fulfilling process. Unless the birthing mother has an illness that needs special medical attention, it need not be treated like a disease. By including our children at birth they can see that it is a normal and healthy physical event…”
Illustrative photos from Anne’s third childs actual birth at home in a birthing tub make this book a rare find.
Here is a synopsis for the dvd:
I’m really excited about this great DVD that shows home water birth with children present. This is a great tool you can use to get your child(ren) ready to experience the birth of a sibling. This 21 minute movie is about two siblings ages five and seven who are present for their brother’s home water birth. Partially told in the voice of seven year old Katarina, this is an excellent resource for expectant parents and birth professionals who are wanting to prepare children for the arrival of a new baby. A paperback book version seen above is also available which is a great accompaniment to watching the video. 21 minutes long.
Mandala Doula - Gentle Birth Services 