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Man-to-Man Childbirth Prep – Austin’s First Fathers Only Class

September 2nd, 2010
September 13, 2010
7:00 pmto9:00 pm
October 24, 2010
2:00 pmto4:00 pm
December 6, 2010
7:00 pmto9:00 pm

N E W S

Release: Immediate
Date: September 2, 2010
Contact: Get Babied! Doula Collective: Ame Shillington doulas@getbabied.com

Man-to-Man Childbirth Prep – Austin’s First Fathers Only Class

Austin, (Texas) —The Get Babied Doula Collective is excited to bring the first ever fathers only childbirth class to Austin. Cliffs Notes for Dads sifts through what it means to be a dad in a fun, actionable dialogue filled with demonstrations, recommendations and anecdotes. Our goal is to help you be the very best husband and father you can be, while learning and having fun in the process. It’s pregnancy, labor and post-labor: for dads… by dads.

In this class, dads will learn:

* Things to do well before labor
* What to expect in the delivery room
* Dad’s role as a birth partner
* The Dad and doula relationship
* Comfort measures dads can do during labor
* Infant care 101

Cliffs Notes for Dads class will be taught by new father Leo Ramirez. Leo and his wife tried getting pregnant well before any of their friends and family did. Fortunately, and he’ll explain why in class, they were among the last to finally welcome their little one into the world! While the wait was hard, it helped him gain an immense amount of knowledge and experience living vicariously through those having babies before him. He researched everything to the nth degree and he and his wife even took a Bradley Method class once they knew their baby was on the way.

Cliffs Notes for Dads Instructor Leo Ramirez with wife Caroline and new baby Leif

There are a myriad of books you can read about the stages of your baby’s development and life, the changes your wife is going through, what labor is like and why it is that the only license you need to have a baby is a car seat! Some resources are great. Many conflict. And, almost all focus on mom and baby. But what about dads? They’re an important part of this, too!

And here’s the kicker… regardless of how ready you think you are: you have absolutely no clue what you’re in for until it finally happens! All you can do is inform, prepare and have an open mind and a heart full of love for the enormous joy being bestowed upon you.

Cliffs Notes for Dads will be offered on September 13th from 7-9pm at the Get Babied Doula Collective, 3823A Airport Blvd 78722. It will be offered again October 24th from 2-4pm, and December 6th from 7-9pm. Register online at www.getbabied.com.

Get Babied! 3823-A Airport Blvd. Austin TX 78722 (512)5-BABIED (512) 522-2243

www.getbabied.com

Display your art with us on the East Austin Studio Tour

August 20th, 2010

Hello Birth Artists!

The Get Babied! Doula Collective will be an exhibition space for the East Austin Studio tour this year.  Our inaugural exhibit is going to be “Birth”.  We’d like to invite any interested artists that have art to show on this topic to join in the exhibition.  Please apply by August 28, 2010 by replying to this email.

How will this work?

The Get Babied! Doula Collective will be providing the space at our office at 3823A Airport Blvd.

Artists provide the art and commitment to work within Get Babied! guidelines during the two weekend showings in November.

How many spaces will there be?

At this time, we hope to provide space for ten artists.

How do I apply?

1.  Email Get Babied!  doulas@getbabied.com requesting space.

2.  Submit two representative pdf photos of the kind of work you plan to show.

3.  Provide your very best contact information including your email address, physical address and phone number.

4.  Note any space showing needs.

5.  Less is more.

What are the qualifications?

Applications will be selected on a first come first serve basis.

We will give preference to Eastside Residents if we get a heavy response.

What does it cost?

If you are selected, we will ask that you pay a $20.00 non-refundable fee to cover exhibit, administrative and refreshment costs.

The application fees and application to E.A.S.T. will be handled by Get Babied!.

What’s My Deadline?

Get Babied will need to prepare an application to E.A.S.T. by September 1. To make sure you are in the brochure materials, please send us your application materials by August 28th.

What is Get Babied?

Get Babied! is the first 24/7 on-call doula collective in Austin.  We are birth and postpartum doulas that support pregnant mothers.  We also offer childbirth and parenting education, a board certified lactation consultant, a maternity massage therapist, and referrals to other birth professionals.

Check out our website at  www.getbabied.com

What is E.A.S.T.?

East Austin Studio Tour, see http://www.bigmedium.org/east.htm

Need more info?

Email dthe doulas at doulas@getbabied.com

Thanks!

Keep Austin Breastfeeding Celebration This Friday 11-1 City Hall

 

World Breastfeeding Month Flyer

Come on down to City Hall and help us celebrate World breastfeeding month.   Central Texas Healthy Mothers for Healthy Babies will be giving away free t shirts, ice cream, and have tons of great local resources for birth and breastfeeding.  This is our annual media event to show community support for natural birth and breastfeeing and sure to be fun for the whole family.  Free parking below city hall, so just bring your ticket up to be validated.

Thanks for your support.

Your Get Babied LC

Janet Jones

Protect your perineum!

August 15th, 2010

A recurring fear for many first time moms is tearing during their labor and delivery.   Here are some tips based on the literature on best practices to protect your perineum.  These are all things we as Get Babied! Doula implement in our practice and help remind you of during your labor.
1.  You are more likely to tear if you push in the traditional semi-recumbent feet in stirrup position.  The most perineal friendly position is on all fours.

2.  You are more likely to tear if you have an epidural.  If you can manage the pain without it, do it.  If you do get an epidural and don’t have enough feeling in your legs to support a hands and knees pushing position, pushing in a side-lying position is the most friendly to your perineum.  Epidurals also increase the use of forceps/vaccuum – which almost 100% of the time cause perineal damage.  So forgoing the epidural will bring this risk down as well.  If you have to get an operative delivery, the vaccuum is kinder to the perineum than forceps.

3.  You are more likely to tear if baby head has malpresentation – ie – not facing down.  If baby is coming out facing up or facing sideways it takes up more room in your pelvis and takes a wider opening to get out – hence more tearing.  You can correct a suspected OP or OT baby by laboring on your hands and knees, or sidelying; early prevention of OP is easy and cheap too – sleep on your front/sidelying position throughout pregnancy and do lots of walking during the day and throughout your pregnancy to the very end (exercise is good to get that baby down in the right position).

4.  Big babies are more likely to cause perineal damage – nothing you can do about that one – so just do your best on the top three.  :)

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0730-7659.2005.00365.x/abstract

ABSTRACT: Background: Most women will sustain some degree of trauma to the genital tract after vaginal birth. This study aimed to examine the association between maternal position at birth and perineal outcome in women who had a midwife-attended, spontaneous vaginal birth and an uncomplicated pregnancy at term. Methods: Data from 3,756 births in a major public tertiary teaching hospital were eligible for analysis. The need for sutures in perineal trauma was evaluated and compared for each major factor studied (maternal age, first vaginal delivery, induction of labor, not occipitoanterior, use of regional anesthesia, deflexed head and newborn birthweight >3,500 g). Birth positions were compared against each other. Subgroup analysis determined whether birth positions mattered more or less in each of the major factors studied. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. Results: Most women (65.9%) gave birth in the semi-recumbent position. Of the 1,679 women (44.5%) who required perineal suturing, semi-recumbent position was associated with the need for perineal sutures, whereas all-fours was associated with reduced need for sutures; these associations were more marked in first vaginal births and newborn birth weight over 3,500 g. When regional anesthesia was used, semi-recumbent position was associated with a need for suturing, and lateral position associated with a reduced need for suturing. The four major factors significantly related to perineal trauma included first vaginal birth, use of regional anesthesia, deflexed head, and newborn weight more than 3,500 g. Conclusions: Women should be given the choice to give birth in whatever position they find comfortable. Maternity practitioners have a responsibility to inform women of the likelihood of perineal trauma in the preferred birth position. Ongoing audit of all clinicians attending births is encouraged to further determine effects of maternal birth position and perineal trauma, to investigate women’s perception of comfortable positioning at birth, and to measure changes to midwifery practice resulting from this study.

Storey’s Story

August 15th, 2010

The Birth of Story                                                                                        Aug. 7, 2010

Early Saturday morning around 7:30am, your mommy called me, explaining how she was having some pretty intense contractions about 5 min. apart and maybe 30-40sec. long.  She had had some the night before, but since they were very manageable, she decided to go to sleep, and get some rest for your big day.  As her doula, (a fancy word for a person who helps moms and dads through the birth process), I was excited to meet you too, and I began to get ready to meet your mom and dad at their house to help them get ready to meet you.

I got another phone call from your daddy about an hour later, saying that yes, indeed, your mommy lost her mucous plug and the contractions were still intense.  I asked him if he would like to just meet at the hospital now, or if he still wanted me to come to their house.  He said to just come on over.  I arrived at your house around 9:15am, and your mommy was sitting in the restroom having some very strong contractions.  They were a little closer together, and seemed to last a little longer than before.  Your mom also started to express some doubts about giving birth, saying, “I don’t know if I can do this.”
Now, don’t worry, Story.  This is very normal for women to say during labor, especially towards the end, during a time called transition.  Judging from the intensity of her contractions, her emotional state, and the long drive we had to get to the hospital, I told your mommy and daddy I thought we had better take off.  Your daddy was ready to go in a heartbeat, and after holding your mommy for a few good contractions, we finally got her and your grandma into the car.

Following your daddy to the hospital was quite an adventure!  Sometimes he was even going 95 miles and hour. (This is very fast, just in case you want to know.)  We arrived from SW Austin to St. David’s in Georgetown in record time, and got your mommy checked into her labor and delivery room around 10:45am.  She sat on the toilet for a while, and tried to get in the bed for the nurses to get a good read on your heartbeat, but it was very hard to do this.  You see, her contractions were at this point very strong and close together.  I held her while she stood up and we rocked back and forth, and I kept telling her she could do it when she said she couldn’t.  She did great when it came to taking good deep breaths and relaxing her body, so that you could eventually make your way out.  When we finally got her onto the bed, she was 8 cm dilated, and definitely in transition.  She was also very patient with all the nurses’ questions and proddings during this time, which was very impressive.  When the Dr. came in and checked you mommy, she was very impressed that your mommy was already dilated some more to a 9.5.  Your mom was ready to push, and the doctor held back a small cervical lip while she squatted and pushed with a birthing bar for a while.  Then, she laid back and with all her strength, and a few more good pushes you were born!

You had such a sweet little cry and went from purple to pink very quickly.  Already, you had beautiful curly, dark hair and pink chubby cheeks!  You weighed a little over 7lbs.  Your daddy and grandma and I were there to cheer you and your mommy on.  You were also born one day before your daddy’s birthday and one day before your due date, Aug. 7, at 12:58pm.  This was only a little over 2 hours after being at the hospital!  Wow!  Not only did you come fast, but your mommy was able to deliver you naturally, with no medications at the hospital!  What a Momma!  What a Baby!

Meghen…The Hypnobirthing Momma

August 15th, 2010

The birth of Emmett Hiller  by Amy Nevland

Meghen called me a little after noon from her place of work, describing how she thought her water had broken while she had used the restroom.  After listening to the details, I agreed with her, telling her that’s what I thought, too.  Because she wasn’t having any contractions yet, she wrapped up her stuff at work and got her bags together.  However,  since her baby was at 34 weeks and 4 days gestation, she did need to head to the hospital as soon as she could.  When she arrived at St. David’s around 2:15, her contractions had begun and were quite frequent.  She was 2cm and 75% effaced at the time.  She was immediately put on antibiotics and some IV solution to protect from unknown infections and to slow down the contractions.  This worked for a few hours; however, when I arrived at 5:15pm her contractions had picked back up again.  She did not have her dilation checked again until 11pm when she began having an urge to push.  At this point she was 10cm dilated and 100% effaced!  She breathed-pushed while reclining, and while squatting.  While squatting at the bar, though, the baby’s heartbeat decelerated, so she had to lie back down.  About an hour and a half later, a very healthy 6lb 15oz Emmett was born.  She received an episiotomy that was stitched-up, and had no 3rd stage complications.  Emmett was an 8 on the apgar, but was still taken almost immediately to the NICU due to his gestational age and some minor breathing issues.

As Meghen’s doula, I first gave her a crash course on nursing when I arrived at the hospital (b/c she hadn’t gotten to go to the class yet). Then we walked the halls together, even with her siblings in tow. (I showed her younger brother how to apply counterpressure on her back during one of the contractions.)  I applied counterpressure on her back quite a lot actually, as she was heaving quite a bit of back labor.  I also tried to make sure that she and Everett got all their questions answered by the doctors and nurses in a clear way.  This was very important, as Emmett was going to be spending some time in the NICU and this changed up the birth plans a bit. Later on, I got her husband some dinner at one point, and aided in reminding him where and when to provide massages and counterpressure.  During her transition time, I was more aggressive in reminding her to use her breathing techniques and to use a low voice.  When she was asking for the epidural, she was also saying she really needed to poop, but couldn’t.  The nurse and I discussed with her seeing where she was in her progress first.  That was when we found out it was indeed time to push.  During the pushing phase, I helped make sure she was able to try to push with the bar in squatting position for a while, and encouraged her on how well she was breathing.  I also was with her during the early postpartum phase while daddy was with the baby.

Meghen’s reaction to labor and birth was fearless.  She was able to go with the flow pretty well considering Emmett was a bit early, and things were not going according to the original plan.  The only times she seemed a little distressed was after the nurse from the NICU came and gave her the best case/ worst case scenarios.  She did regain her courage and go-with-the-flow positive attitude very quickly, though, and we were able to get out of bed and work on her contractions again.  She also had a very classic response to transition, complete with shaking and nausea, and saying “I can’t do this.”  But, besides those two very short times, her hypnobirthing techniques really did seem to carry her through labor and birth contractions very beautifully and calmly.  (She was picturing blowing up balloons.)

It was very fun to observe Meghen do her hypnobirthing thing and figure out how I could support her in this, as I had never done this before.  Her birth also reinforced how sitting on the toilette in the dark can be a very positive position to labor, in as this seemed to help her progress well and calmly. I also learned that not all 34/35 week olds are going to be “small.” Emmett was 6lbs, 15oz.

Dana’s Birth Story: Empowered Epidural

August 11th, 2010

Dana’s baby was due July 19. By July 29, after experiencing regular contractions for over 10 days, Dana was getting pretty tired of being pregnant. Her doctor scheduled an induction for Friday, July 30. The day before the induction, Dana’s doctor inserted a catheter into her cervix to try to get the cervix to start opening. That way, by Friday, her body would be better prepared for induction. I planned to meet Dana and her husband Wade at the hospital at 7:00 am on Friday morning.

The catheter was not supposed to be any less comfortable than a tampon – but for Dana it was excruciating. In most people, the procedure doesn’t cause contractions, but Dana started contracting as soon as the catheter went in. The contractions were excruciating and came right on top of each other, with no break in between to recover. Dana had to wait with her midwife after hours for her husband to come pick her up, because she was in too much pain to drive.

When I spoke to Dana at 7:30 pm, her contractions were 3 minutes apart. She had labored in the tub for a while, and wanted to try to sleep at home if she could. But about an hour later, she started noticing some bloody show and decided to go to the hospital. She got there at 9:30 pm and I met her there an hour later.

Dana, Wade, and baby Ella, born 7/30/10

Dr. Schmitz and Dana’s nurse Ashley were surprised to learn that Dana was 6 cm dilated. Dana’s contractions slowed down after she arrived at the hospital, so we tried walking the halls to speed things back up. The contractions did come faster when Dana would walk, but we could only walk for 30 minutes at a time – we had to go back to the room so Dana could get back on the monitor for 5 minutes. The contractions would slow down again as soon as Dana stopped walking.

I suggested she try sitting on the birth ball to be monitored, in an attempt to use gravity and the movement of Dana’s hips and pelvis to allow the baby to descend. But the contractions still only sped up when Dana would walk, and she was tired. By 1:00 am, Dana concluded that her contractions were continuing the pattern of the past 10 days; they were not increasing in intensity or becoming more frequent. She wanted to preserve her energy for the induction in the morning, so she decided to try to sleep. I tucked her in with her fluffy pink body pillow and set up the convertible couch/bed thing for Wade, and then I went home for the night.

Dana promised to call me if anything happened overnight, but nothing did. She hadn’t slept much for the past 3 days so she was really tired, but she still couldn’t sleep. After a Phenergan at 4:30 am, she was able to doze for a couple of hours.

When I got back to the hospital at 8:00 am, Dana was munching on banana bread and looking beautiful and completely refreshed – although she said she was still really tired. I tried some labor-inducing acupressure, which brought on contractions but did nothing to speed them up or really get labor going  At 9:15, the midwife Lisa came to talk to Dana and Wade about how they wanted to proceed with the induction.

The options were pitocin or breaking the bag of waters, also called AROM (artificial rupture of membranes). Dana wanted to avoid the discomfort of the baby’s head against her cervix that AROM would cause. She chose pitocin because Lisa explained that they’d start it very gradually to find the smallest dose that would work. Lisa said that pitocin wouldn’t make the contractions any more painful than natural labor. Dana’s nurse Heidi started the pitocin at 9:30 am.

As soon as the pitocin started, Dana began feeling anxious. She worried that pitocin would make her contractions extremely painful, and after the ordeal yesterday, she was all too aware of how painful they could be. I encouraged her not to worry about what might happen and just deal with what was currently going on. By starting pitocin at 6 cm Dana was already ahead of many women who get induced, and she was coping very well with the contractions she was having now. So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Dana and Steph

At 10:15 Dana felt a bit lightheaded. About 5 minutes later, Heidi came in and said that the baby’s heart rate was a bit low, so she had Dana lie down for a while. The baby’s heart rate immediately returned to the normal range, and Dana enjoyed the rest, so she stayed in the side-lying position for a while.

Dana and Wade were really funny, constantly griping at each other playfully. They really cracked me up and I loved seeing how Wade used humor to lighten the mood and get Dana smiling and not worrying so much. Around noon, Wade told Dana, “You know, if we want to have another one you’re going to have to execute a little better next time.” Dana just kind of rolled her eyes. Later she told him, “You try pushing a baby out of your penis hole!!” He didn’t have much to say to that.

My favorite quote of the day, though, came when Wade had to get rid of some of the photos on their camera to open up more memory for baby pictures:

Wade: Do you want this picture of this dog humping this lady’s leg?

Dana: Well, it was really funny.

Wade: Do we need all four?

We placed bets on how much the baby would weigh. Wade guessed 8 pounds, 6 ounces. Dana guessed 8 pounds, and then Wade wanted to change his answer to make it lower, but Dana and I called him out on that, so he had to stick with his original guess. I guessed 7 ½ pounds.

Until around noon, we had been joking around and chatting about things like 15 pound babies, snake handlers, Appalachian weirdos, and people who live in the New York subway tunnels. Just the usual sort of chitchat. But around noon, active labor set in, and things started to get more serious.

Meeting Ella

Looking over my notes now, I’m amazed to see how quickly this happened. We moved around the room trying different positions that would allow me to massage Dana’s back between contractions and do the double-hip squeeze during contractions. Dana tried standing and leaning over onto the birth ball, sitting on the birth ball, and sitting on the toilet facing backward so I still had access to her back. Ame, my Get Babied doula buddy, popped in to say hello during this time – she had been down the hall working with another client having an induction. Dana and Wade both said hi to Ame and talked to her a bit.

By 12:30, Dana was sitting on the ball moaning through her contractions. I encouraged her to keep her voice low and deep and her throat open, so she could relax and her cervix could open. This came naturally to her at first, but it became more difficult with each contraction. Over the next half hour, she went from moaning deeply with control to sobbing hysterically and nearly hyperventilating. I could guide her to get control of her breathing between contractions, but during contractions she was in so much pain that she was overwhelmed.

At 1:00, Dana announced that she was done. I reminded her that this was what happens in transition, when you’re almost ready to push – it’s the hardest part of labor but also the fastest. I knew Dana was ready to give up. I asked her if she’d like to get checked to see how dilated she was – because learning that you’re at the end of transition can be a great motivator to keep going.

Dana got checked; she was 7 centimeters and 80% effaced. She was discouraged and knew she was too overwhelmed and exhausted to continue to deal with the ever-increasing contractions. I asked if she could just take it one contraction at a time and see if she could get through three more, but she said no. I suggested she get on her hands and knees because that might help ease the pain in her back – no again. I asked, “What do you want to do?” Dana looked straight into my eyes and said clearly, “I want an epidural.” I smiled and said okay.

Heidi explained how the epidural would work, and told us that she had called the anesthesiologist but Dana still needed to get a bag of fluid through her IV first. So we still had quite a bit of coping to do. Dana was up for it – knowing that relief was on the way was really encouraging to her. Lisa came in to talk to Dana about the epidural too. Lisa assured Dana that accepting pain medication is not a failure; everyone’s labor is different and you never know how it’s going to be till you’re in the situation.

The next hour was very intense as we waited for the anesthesiologist, Dr. Miller, to arrive. He placed the epidural at 2:00 pm and by 2:15 Dana’s contractions were manageable. Finally she was able to get some much-needed rest. She felt disappointed that she got the epidural – she knew she couldn’t have kept going, but she wished that she could have.

At 3:20 pm, Dana’s cervical check showed that she was 8 cm dilated, 100% effaced, and the baby was at -1 station. Dana requested AROM to help speed things along, and when Lisa broke the bag of water we learned that there was thick meconium. Lisa explained that because of the meconium, they wouldn’t stimulate the baby immediately after birth; instead, they’d try to suction the meconium before the baby cried and possibly inhaled it.

"Thanks, Dad, for wearing your lucky shirt today!"

Another cervical check about an hour later revealed that Dana was almost completely dilated, and she was 100% effaced. At 4:30 Heidi explained that they wanted Dana to try to labor down as much as possible to get the baby lower without having to push as long.

At 5:05, Dana was complete and the baby was at +2 station.

We could see hair as soon as Dana started pushing. Heidi and Lisa explained how to push, and Dana did beautifully. She made it look so easy! I held one of her legs and Heidi held the other, and Ella was born in under 30 minutes.

Ella wasn’t too happy about all the suctioning, but she didn’t have to put up with it for very long. The nurses worked quickly, and in a few minutes Ella was ready to get weighed and measured. She was 21” long and weighed 7.2 pounds – so my guess was the closest! She was absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful long graceful fingers and long, thick eyelashes. I took some pictures and video of her first moments as her parents finally got to meet her.

I know Dana would like to have had a natural birth. I tried to help her understand that she was amazing for having worked so hard and gone through all that she did. She had never experienced anything as intense and painful as what she did that day – I hope she gives herself credit for that. And I hope she realizes that it takes a lot of strength to recognize that things aren’t going how you’ve planned and you’re going to have to do things differently from how you’d hoped. There’s definitely power in being able to accept that.

Doesn't that smile just melt your heart?

Valerie’s Birth Story: The Graceful C-Section

August 8th, 2010

40 weeks came and went for Valerie. Then 41. 1 day shy of 42 weeks was her scheduled induction date. I joined Valerie and Brendan a few hours after they checked in to find Valerie comfortable on a low-dose of pitocin. Valerie is the perfect doula student – she had read every hippy trippy birth book out there (which we love). She watched all of the required documentaries (The Business of Being Born, Orgasmic birth). She took all of the classes we offer at Get Babied and was as educated about her choices in birth as any mom could be. So Valerie knew the pros and cons of medical inductions, epidural anesthesia etc. She hoped that a little pitocin would get her to a place where her baby would be low enough for an artificial rupture, and the AROM would stimulate her own oxytocin where she could turn the pitocin off. This was the plan, and the plan worked beautifully. By mid afternoon Valerie was off of the pitocin, off of the IV, and off of the continuous monitoring, free to walk the halls and labor as she pleased. She was about 6cm and contracting regularly. Things looked beautiful for Valerie and the spiritual birth experience she was hoping for.

Val liked three positions for laboring – sitting on the toilet, walking the halls and taking contractions leaning against the wall, and doing a hands and knees position on the hospital bed using a ball at her head and Brendan and I at her hips for counter pressure. She would labor in a position for a good 15 minutes, and then as soon as she needed a distraction, she would choose a new position. Her positions were all different and used gravity to her advantage to get her cervix open and her baby down. Her hospital room was also set up so peacefully. She chose to have the lights turned low. She had yoga-meditation music on her ipod dock. Lavender aromatherapy lingered in the air.

Valerie entered transitional labor in a calm, peaceful, inwardly reflected, deep breathing state. When a contraction (we called them rushes in honor of Ina May Gaskin’s Spiritual Midwifery, which was preferred reading material in early labor) started she would breath deeply, close her eyes, and choose a mantra with the words open or relax or similar in her head. When the rush reached it peak she would use her voice in a very low grounded bovine (again thanks for the reference Ina) moan. She moved progressively to a cervical exam that put her at 9.5 centimeters. 9.5 is my pet peeve of the week it seems (Val is the third mama of ours this week with an issue of incomplete dilation). As a doula I knew that anterior lips and cervical swelling without pushing are often an indication of occipital posterior (OP) position of the baby – “sunny side up”. Immediately we employed positioning that would take any pressure off of the cervix (like squats and such) and moved to positions that created the most room for baby to rotate – hands and knees, lunges, and side lying. Valerie took each position in stride.

Brendan was a wonderful birth partner. He would hug and kiss Valerie to help maintain intimacy throughout her labor. When Valerie was having a difficult rush he would give her relief by doing a double hip squeeze, and when it was my turn to take over double hip squeezing he would be at her head scratching her scalp and playing with her hair, something she found soothing and relaxing. When the peaks of the rushes were intense, he would moan along with Valerie and remind her to take deep breaths, and to keep her voice low and body relaxed.

For most people transition labor (8-10 cm) can be between 30-90 minutes. Intense, but brief in relation to the journey of labor. For Valerie it was over 4 hours. Not once did she feel she couldn’t manage her pain. Not once did she ask for pain relief. She didn’t look at the clock. She just stayed in her zone and hoped that time would be on her side to get her baby turned rotated and engaged in her pelvis. After 4 hours Lisa Carlisle the midwife (of OBGYN North) actually recommended the epidural. Valerie continued on past this recommendation for an hour or so, but ultimately decided that it was time to change plans. The midwife was hoping the epidural would give Valerie a rest – she had been working hard for 15 hours and a rest might help her body relax. She also recommended turning the pitocin back on – while resting this would turn her contractions up a notch, and might also help in finishing that dilation. With a quick cat nap under her belt and within the hour, Valerie was feeling the uncontrollable urge to push. Her epidural was perfect – took the pain of the peak of her contractions away, kept the pushing pressure sustained, and she had full feeling and mobility of her legs.

Valerie pushed for about 45 minutes in alternating positions. She pushed on hands and knees and side lying – two positions that were comfortable for her, but also kept maximum pelvic room to keep the baby rotating. 45 minutes of pushing brought no progress. The midwife recommended another hour break, where Valerie could rest and the pitocin/epidural combo could keep working for her to labor baby down without Valerie getting exhausted. After another hour, Valerie needed to push again. This time we tried even more positioning; hands and knees, side lying, lying on back and pulling against a rebozo, and pulling out the squat bar to squat “Indian style” while pushing. 45 minute more of strong effective pushing still did not bring baby in to the pelvis. Val’s cervix was swollen even more, and the top of baby’s head was starting to swell.

Valerie working the squat bar

Valerie knew she was essentially out of options at this point, but I have to respect the nurses and midwives at NAMC – not once did any medical staff member even mention the word ‘C-section’. After the 23rd hour (literally) of labor the midwife told Valerie she could keep resting, and keep pushing – baby on the monitor was tolerating everything very well. If Valerie had the energy, she could continue as long as she wanted. But she was also a realist with Valerie – she said Valerie had tried everything she possibly could to get this baby out – and all of the things she had implemented one would think that this baby would be dropping out by now, and that more of the same might not make any difference.

It’s a beautiful thing when a C-section isn’t an emergency, and isn’t an ultimatum (“you can push for 2 hours and then it’s a C” – I seem to hear that attitude or tone from other doctors). Valerie had all of her options on the table, and it was her choice to elect to have a C-section. Many of us consider a C-section the end of the world. But to Valerie it was an empowered decision she chose. Valerie went in for the surgery around 5:30 in the morning, and baby Lilah Mae was born at 5:57, about 24 hours after Val had checked in. The C-section did confirm our suspicions – Lilah was OP and was not engaged in the pelvis. She was 8 lb 9 oz, pink, chubby cheeks, calm, peaceful (just like Valerie’s labor had been).

I met Valerie in recovery to talk about her experience. She felt that from beginning to end she had a spiritual and empowering experience. She had full freedom to labor the way that she wanted to. She discovered things about herself she didn’t know – how she had it within her to labor with intense pain and manage it on her own. She rediscovered a beautiful intimate connection with her husband whose hands were on her the entire time in a loving and supportive way through the end of her c-section. She felt a connection to her baby throughout labor and delivery and had time to get skin to skin contact with her right after her c-section delivery, and for a full hour of successful breastfeeding within a few minutes of arriving in recovery. I am so grateful to have had this learning experience, and to be reminded that a C-section can be a graceful, empowered and spiritual experience.

Lilah Mae Sterne born July 31st 2010

Breastfeeding Flash Mob

August 8th, 2010

If you look closely you might see Get Babied! doulas Janet and Margaret busting a move.

Pregnancy Spa Day

August 8th, 2010

Indulge yourself to a relaxing day just for you! Bella Mommies Pregnancy Twosday Spa Day is the perfect opportunity to unwind and pamper yourself and your belly! When: Tuesday, Aug. 24th from 10a-7p Where: Susan Hart Spa and Salon, 200 E. Main Ave. in Round Rock, TX Cost: Admission is $40 which includes healthy snacks, treats, pregnancy tea, plus your choice of two (2)  spa treatments: – Prenatal Massage – Mini Facial – Belly Facial – Manicure or Pedicure – Feet or leg treatment – Makeup consultation Given that space is limited, you must RSVP for the event – http://mommy2baustin.com/bella-mommie-rsvp/