I have my first Mumma! Yippee
She is due to give birth around the 13th October to her first child, a baby boy.
I will be assisting with her labor at home, then at hospital.
She is aiming for a drug free natural birth.
She wanted a Student Doula; I offered my services; She accepted! Whoo! ;)
Wish us both luck!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Here are some important questions to ask the doulas you speak to:
What are the best parts of the job?
What is the worst part of the job?
How do you keep a balance between your work and your home life?
How to you get support from other doulas?
How do you find your clients?
What did you wish you had known before you went to your first birth?
Can you actually support yourself financially doing this work?
Ask her the tough questions. Doulas are supposed to be honest, but sometimes they are too kind. Don't let her paint too rosy a picture of the work, but get her to tell you about the wonderful excitement of it too!
What is the worst part of the job?
How do you keep a balance between your work and your home life?
How to you get support from other doulas?
How do you find your clients?
What did you wish you had known before you went to your first birth?
Can you actually support yourself financially doing this work?
Ask her the tough questions. Doulas are supposed to be honest, but sometimes they are too kind. Don't let her paint too rosy a picture of the work, but get her to tell you about the wonderful excitement of it too!
a hymn
"Make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord let me lift up those who are weak. And let the prayer of my heart always be, make me a servant today."
Asynclitic
An asynclitic birth or asynclitism refers to the position of a baby in the uterus such that the head is tilted to the side, causing the fetal head to no longer be in line with the birth canal. Most asynclitism corrects spontaneously in the progress of normal labor. Persistence of asynclitism is usually a signal of other problems with dystocia.
Other abnormal birth positions include breech birth, posterior presentation, anterior presentation, and transverse presentation.
Kielland forceps are preferable obstetric forceps used in asynclitic births, for example by their sliding mechanism, availing for more appropriate adjustment of the blades.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asynclitic_birth
Other abnormal birth positions include breech birth, posterior presentation, anterior presentation, and transverse presentation.
Kielland forceps are preferable obstetric forceps used in asynclitic births, for example by their sliding mechanism, availing for more appropriate adjustment of the blades.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asynclitic_birth
Doula Bag of Goodies
Books to loan
DVD's to loan
CD's to loan
Birth Ball & Pump
Massager (Tennis Balls?)
Arnica Massage Oil
Rebozo
Heat Pack
Backup Camera
Example Cloth Nappy/ies
Lipbalm?
breathmints
bathing suit
hairtie
gloves
panadol
bendable straws
scissors for emergency cord cutting
written visualisations
hand sanitiser
Aroma Therapy Scents
* Lavender – soothing, calming for tension/stress
* Jasmine – Uplifting, Balancing
* Orange – soothes, restores and uplifts the spirit
* Ylang-ylang – soothing, relaxing
* Rosemary – energizing, stimulating (should not be used in pregnancy or high B/P
* Bergamot – Calming, Balancing, tension/stress
DVD's to loan
CD's to loan
Birth Ball & Pump
Massager (Tennis Balls?)
Arnica Massage Oil
Rebozo
Heat Pack
Backup Camera
Example Cloth Nappy/ies
Lipbalm?
breathmints
bathing suit
hairtie
gloves
panadol
bendable straws
scissors for emergency cord cutting
written visualisations
hand sanitiser
Aroma Therapy Scents
* Lavender – soothing, calming for tension/stress
* Jasmine – Uplifting, Balancing
* Orange – soothes, restores and uplifts the spirit
* Ylang-ylang – soothing, relaxing
* Rosemary – energizing, stimulating (should not be used in pregnancy or high B/P
* Bergamot – Calming, Balancing, tension/stress
What is a Doula?
A doula is an assistant who provides non-medical and non-midwifery support (physical and emotional) in childbirth. Depending on training and experience they may offer prenatal support, childbirth (birth doula) and/or postpartum. A labor doula may attend a home birth or during labor at home and in transport to a hospital or a birth center. A postpartum doula provides home care for the first six weeks (or longer in cases of postpartum depression) including cooking, breastfeeding support, newborn care assistance, errands and light housekeeping.
Doula comes from Ancient Greek δούλη (doulē) meaning "female slave." Because of the negative connotations, Greek labor supporters call themselves labor companions or birthworkers.
Doulas are not certified although preparation courses are available.
In Australia, the doula industry is not regulated and certification is not compulsory, thus, anyone can be a doula. Course requirements are not regulated, so courses range from weekend, online courses to year-long courses. Registration is not available. It is illegal for doulas to practise midwifery as this is considered practising midwifery without a licence. Doulas may not provide clinical care such as listening to the baby's heart rate or checking the blood pressure. They may not give clinical advice nor provide opinion on the advice of professional care providers.
Birth companions (doulas are one type) may help with shorter labor, less medication, induction and augmentation of labor and fewer Caesarian deliveries. Newborns in supported births have lower rates of fetal distress or admission to neonatal intensive care units. More doula-supported women breastfed. Women reported greater self-esteem, less depression, higher regard for their babies and their ability to care for them and higher satisfaction with their partner. These results are similar to findings that support from a female relative during childbirth has similar effects.
One study found doula support without childbirth classes to be more helpful than childbirth classes alone, as measured by emotional distress and self-esteem four months after birth. Women in the doula-supported group reported their infants as less fussy than those without support.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula
it is more than a work of touch, it is a touching work.
Source: FB comment.
Physical and Emotional Support
Labor doulas are trained to offer comfort measures such as massage, acupressure, hot and cold cloths, or other non-medical techniques requested by the mother. We provide emotional support when the mother may feel overwhelmed or exhausted, giving encouragement to go on with the pre-arranged birth plan, or to be flexible if an unplanned intervention becomes necessary. We support the birth partner as well, reminding them that childbirth is a normal physiological process, offering tips on what to expect and how to support their partners, and even letting them take a rest if needed.
Holding the Memories
At the core of labor doula work is the notion of holding a protective space around the mother, satisfying her physical and emotional needs, empowering her to continue through the challenging periods during labor, and preserving the memories of her experience so she can completely surrender to the experience of the birth. Some doulas are asked to photograph the labor and delivery, and afterwards, they help the mother process her experience and integrate it into her new identity as a mother.
Continuous support during labor and birth through 1-2 hours postpartum
Your doula and/or your backup doula will stay with you from the time you call us to come to your home or the hospital until the first hour or so after birth to make sure you and your partner are settled in, have had a shower, and attempted breastfeeding if that is in your birth plan. If there are medical complications, we can stay longer to ensure that you and your partner have the full support you need.
1 postpartum visit
About a week after your birth, your doula will come to your home with a homemade meal and a special gift bag of goodies to help you to take good and gentle care of yourself in these early weeks with your newborn. We will check in, make sure breastfeeding is going well, answer any infant care questions you may have, and listen to you and your partner’s birth story.
If at this time you would like to consider continued postpartum doula services, we can discuss those options as well.
Source: http://cascadiabirth.com/services/labor-doulas/
Doula comes from Ancient Greek δούλη (doulē) meaning "female slave." Because of the negative connotations, Greek labor supporters call themselves labor companions or birthworkers.
Doulas are not certified although preparation courses are available.
In Australia, the doula industry is not regulated and certification is not compulsory, thus, anyone can be a doula. Course requirements are not regulated, so courses range from weekend, online courses to year-long courses. Registration is not available. It is illegal for doulas to practise midwifery as this is considered practising midwifery without a licence. Doulas may not provide clinical care such as listening to the baby's heart rate or checking the blood pressure. They may not give clinical advice nor provide opinion on the advice of professional care providers.
Birth companions (doulas are one type) may help with shorter labor, less medication, induction and augmentation of labor and fewer Caesarian deliveries. Newborns in supported births have lower rates of fetal distress or admission to neonatal intensive care units. More doula-supported women breastfed. Women reported greater self-esteem, less depression, higher regard for their babies and their ability to care for them and higher satisfaction with their partner. These results are similar to findings that support from a female relative during childbirth has similar effects.
One study found doula support without childbirth classes to be more helpful than childbirth classes alone, as measured by emotional distress and self-esteem four months after birth. Women in the doula-supported group reported their infants as less fussy than those without support.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doula
it is more than a work of touch, it is a touching work.
Source: FB comment.
Physical and Emotional Support
Labor doulas are trained to offer comfort measures such as massage, acupressure, hot and cold cloths, or other non-medical techniques requested by the mother. We provide emotional support when the mother may feel overwhelmed or exhausted, giving encouragement to go on with the pre-arranged birth plan, or to be flexible if an unplanned intervention becomes necessary. We support the birth partner as well, reminding them that childbirth is a normal physiological process, offering tips on what to expect and how to support their partners, and even letting them take a rest if needed.
Holding the Memories
At the core of labor doula work is the notion of holding a protective space around the mother, satisfying her physical and emotional needs, empowering her to continue through the challenging periods during labor, and preserving the memories of her experience so she can completely surrender to the experience of the birth. Some doulas are asked to photograph the labor and delivery, and afterwards, they help the mother process her experience and integrate it into her new identity as a mother.
Continuous support during labor and birth through 1-2 hours postpartum
Your doula and/or your backup doula will stay with you from the time you call us to come to your home or the hospital until the first hour or so after birth to make sure you and your partner are settled in, have had a shower, and attempted breastfeeding if that is in your birth plan. If there are medical complications, we can stay longer to ensure that you and your partner have the full support you need.
1 postpartum visit
About a week after your birth, your doula will come to your home with a homemade meal and a special gift bag of goodies to help you to take good and gentle care of yourself in these early weeks with your newborn. We will check in, make sure breastfeeding is going well, answer any infant care questions you may have, and listen to you and your partner’s birth story.
If at this time you would like to consider continued postpartum doula services, we can discuss those options as well.
Source: http://cascadiabirth.com/services/labor-doulas/
Monday, August 16, 2010
a link about cervical scar tissue - stalling labor
http://beautifulbirths.blogspot.com/2010/02/cervical-scar-tissue.html
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