Pampered Pregnancy – Blissful Birth

I had the honor to help with a very special birth on November 1 – sweet baby Jesse was born to parents Elizabeth and Doug with the unfathomably generous assistance of a surrogate, Lily. Elizabeth, Doug, and Lily’s husband Sam were all in attendance to help Lily through her labor and greet this gorgeous baby. – Steph Scott

I was so excited about going to this unique birth. Because it was an induction, I knew when it would happen (11/1/11 – nobody will ever forget this little girl’s birthday!). I had a hard time getting to sleep the night before, and an even harder time waiting for the call to head over to the hospital. Lily and I kept in touch by text. Finally I texted Lily that the anticipation was killing me, and she replied that she was ready for me!

I arrived around 10:00 am. The doctor had broken Lily’s water at 8:24 am, and contractions came on pretty strong soon after that. (Elizabeth mentioned that Lily didn’t like the idea of “contractions” and preferred “surges” instead, and I kept forgetting! Sorry, Lily!) Sam was helping Lily labor in the shower when I got there, so I said hello to Elizabeth and Doug. They were both so nice, and very excited to finally get to meet their baby! They said Lily was doing great and they all really liked Sherah, their nurse. I had never met Elizabeth and Doug, although Elizabeth and I had exchanged some emails. It was great to finally meet them both – we hugged hello, and then Lily and Sam came out of the bathroom and it was time to get to work.

Lily looked great and seemed like she had excellent control, but she didn’t feel like it. She was most comfortable staying upright and wanted to try the birth ball. We put the ball on the bed so she could lean over onto it, and I stood behind her massaging her back. Then she sat on the ball and leaned onto the bed while I massaged her back. Lily felt very hot, so Elizabeth fanned her with a magazine and Sam and I brought cold washcloths with lavender and peppermint for her face and neck.

I was struck throughout Lily’s labor by what a great support and positive influence Elizabeth was. She seemed to know just what to say to keep Lily feeling encouraged. She anticipated the needs of everyone in the room, not just Lily but Sam, Doug, and myself too. Little things like reminding Sam to drink water, checking if Doug needed anything, and asking if I needed a break to pump (thank goodness she asked – I did, although I hadn’t realized it!) – all of this helped to keep everyone in the room feeling cared for and important. I was amazed that Elizabeth’s heart was big enough, at the birth of her baby, to show such concern for the whole birth team.

Lily gets a back rub from Elizabeth & a shoulder rub from Sam

Lily labored on the ball for about 20 minutes and then wanted to take another shower. I dug out my lavender soap and my flashlight so she could turn off the bright bathroom light and still be able to see (not as nice as a candle but a flashlight on the counter does lend a certain ambiance!). After another 20 minutes in the shower, Lily wanted to lie down in the bed. Sam and Elizabeth made her comfortable with multiple pillows and bolsters, and I got behind her to apply counterpressure to her sacrum.

Around noon Lily asked Sherah to check her cervix. She was feeling the surges much more intensely now. Also, the baby kept hiccupping – which made Lily and Elizabeth smile despite Lily’s discomfort. When she was changing positions after the cervical check, Lily pulled her heplock out and nurse Sherah (who was wonderful) needed to replace it – she had a hard time getting it to go back in, and Lily was dealing with huge surges all the while. Elizabeth was getting teary seeing her friend in so much pain. Eventually Dr. Schiemenz came in to check on Lily, and she helped get the saline lock back in.

Dr. Schiemenz checked Lily’s cervix at 12:45; she was dilated to 7-8 cm. Lily was nauseous and shaky – great signs that she’d be pushing before too long! I put some peppermint oil on a cool washcloth to help with her nausea. Soon she wanted to get out of bed and back in the shower, so Elizabeth went to get the shower nice and hot while Sam stayed with Lily. Sam helped her into the bathroom, and Elizabeth, Doug, and I waited and chatted while I pumped.

Over at the couch, we could hear Lily in the shower moaning more and more loudly. I asked Doug how he was doing with all this. Other than talking with the social worker and annoying paperwork lady, he had been spending most of his time sitting on the couch with his laptop. He said he was doing great although the moaning was kind of freaking him out; Elizabeth had had epidurals with their two girls, so he wasn’t used to the sounds of natural birth. He was happy to be sitting back at a distance. He joked that at least Sam could rub Lily’s feet: “I know Lily doesn’t want me anywhere near her feet, so I’ll just sit right here.” J

Around 1:00 pm, in the shower, Lily asked if it was too late to get an epidural. Elizabeth went to talk to her about it and once again said just the right things – she assured Lily she could have it if it was what she really wanted, but the baby was really close to being born now and Lily would be thankful later if she stuck to her plan for a natural birth. Sherah came in while Elizabeth was talking, and Sherah said pretty much the same thing – plus Lily was so close now that by the time she could get the epidural she would be almost done, and she might be numb after the baby was born.

When Lily came out of the shower, she got in bed and said she was feeling a lot more pressure. At 1:20 Dr. Schiemenz checked Lily’s cervix again and said she was 9 cm and could push a little if she wanted to. Soon she was complete and pushing in earnest, with Sam holding one leg and me holding the other. Elizabeth changed her shirt for a hospital gown so that she could do immediate skin-to-skin time with the baby. Things got pretty intense right at the end when the baby’s shoulders got stuck – Lily basically screamed her out, with Sam & me holding her legs back as far as possible and Sherah pushing on her belly. This only took a couple of pushes though, and at 1:42 pm, out came a 9 lb, 10 oz, very adorable little girl!

Because of the baby’s color and the presence of meconium, she needed to go straight to the warming table to be evaluated and have her lungs suctioned. Elizabeth and Doug went with their baby and Sam and I stayed with Lily. Lily was relieved and felt like this had been the hardest delivery since her first, whose collarbone broke after he became stuck in the birth canal.

At the warmer, Elizabeth and Doug were helping to suction their baby’s lungs. They were both calm and serene – they were just so happy to see their little girl and knew she was in good hands and would be okay. At her new baby’s side, Elizabeth still never forgot about Lily. She kept updating Lily on the baby’s situation: “She’s doing great, Lily; we’ll bring her over to see you in just a minute.” Doug turned into a new man when he saw his baby – he was still calm and collected, but his eyes really lit up and he stayed right by her side. Before long she belted out a strong, vigorous cry, which everyone was happy to hear because it meant her lungs were clearing up nicely.

Elizabeth brought her over to meet Lily, and both of them were teary-eyed smiling at this new little person they had brought into the world together. It was such a special, unique moment – I tried to get as many pictures as I could. The sweetest part of the whole birth was when Elizabeth told Lily that while they still hadn’t settled on a first name, they wanted the baby’s middle name to be Lily. Elizabeth and Lily were both in tears, and I realized I was as well.

I got some great pictures of Doug enamored with his new baby girl, snuggling her close and looking absolutely smitten. The grandparents came in and met their new grandbaby, and they took some pictures too. Soon the baby started rooting and snapping at passing fingers – it was time to feed her.

They had a pump in the room, and Elizabeth said she was happy to feed the baby a bottle if Lily wanted to pump, but if she wanted to breastfeed that would be great as well; she was fine with whatever Lily wanted to do. Lily felt like breastfeeding would be way more comfortable – so we got her set up with some pillows and Elizabeth handed her the baby.

Having breastfed three kids already, Lily knew just what to do. The hungry baby did too – she latched on perfectly right away and started munching. Elizabeth stood by tickling her chin and feet to keep her awake when she started to fall asleep. After breastfeeding, Elizabeth sat down and cuddled her new baby, skin to skin, just as she’d wanted.

Cute Baby Jesse with Elizabeth

I really think what made this birth so beautiful was the wonderful dynamic between the two couples. Elizabeth, Doug, Sam, and Lily have become very close throughout the journey that led them to this day. The love between them gave Lily the strength to birth the baby how she had hoped to, and enabled Elizabeth and Doug to participate fully in the birth of their little girl.

Just before I left, I was again struck by Elizabeth’s selflessness as she offered to let me hold her new baby! At 9 pounds, 10 ounces, this was a big baby, but she felt so tiny and delicate in my arms. She was lovely, with lots of thick, blonde hair and luscious long eyelashes, making her look like a little lady. And she has adorably pudgy legs which I’m sure will attract a lot of kisses in the days to come!

Elizabeth, Doug, Lily, and Sam – I cannot thank all of you enough for letting me share in this beautiful birth. What a lucky girl is this baby to be welcomed to the world with four such loving friends to greet her!

Welcome Baby Jesse!

Hello friends of Get Babied! We will be watching part one of “More Business of Being Born“- “Down on the Farm: Conversations with Legendary Midwife Ina May Gaskin”. It is about an hour long. FREE! Join us for the movie and a brief discussion afterwards!

www.thebusinessofbeingborn.com

Dear Keller,

Your mommy is one amazing woman!  The day of your birth, she demonstrated bravery and perseverance.  Those are big words, I know.  But one day, probably after years of watching your mom do amazing mom-things, you’ll know what they mean.

On the morning of Fri. Sept. the 9^th your mom called me, her doula (a fancy word for  a birth coach of sorts), and said she woke up around 7am feeling “not so good,”  so she “googled” her symptoms to see if it was a sign of labor.  Around 8am she started to have some contractions, and called her Aunt Janie an hour later.  By then her contractions were about 3-5 min. apart.   She really wanted to go run some errands that morning (like taking her car to the shop), and she kept thinking that maybe she could go get stuff done when she wasn’t having a contraction.  But then, 3 min later, she would decide against it.

I suggested that she eat some breakfast, like eggs, bacon, and toast, if she felt up for it, and to stay hydrated.  We talked about any other symptoms of labor she could watch for and any fears she was having.  She just was so happy she didn’t have to be induced the following week.  Because she said her contractions weren’t that bad, she decided she would call me later when she needed me to come out to her house to help her.   She then talked to your daddy and asked him to bring home some bacon, eggs, ice cream and lots and lots of water.

I called her around lunchtime, and she said she had thrown up, but was doing ok.  Then around 1:45pm, your mom called me, saying that her contractions were still 3-5 minutes apart and 45 sec. long, but were much more intense now, and she wanted my help at her house.  I got there about an hour later.

When I entered your house, it smelled like bacon.  Your daddy was making your mommy a snack.  Your dogs also were very excited and sniffed me lots and lots. Also, while I was at your house, I helped your mom by giving her water, by squeezing her hips and by giving her more ideas for brave words to tell herself.  She was already telling herself that she was ok during the contractions.  “I’m ok.  I’m ok. I’m ok.” And she would say, “Relax. Relax. Relax.”  Sometimes she would say, “Oh, Wow,” or “Oh Golly,” or “Owe! Owe!” and get a little overwhelmed.  Then I would start repeating “Out, Out,” or remind her to chant, “I can do it,” or “Open,” again.  She really liked talking during her contractions.  In between contractions she was pretty funny and talkative, too.  She would ask me how I could possibly have gone through labor 3 times willingly, and she always wanted to know if I wanted any water or bacon or anything.  So polite!

Around 4pm we decided it would be best to go to the hospital.  It was Friday after all, and we didn’t want to get stuck in really bad traffic.  Also, your mom’s contractions were pretty long and consistently 3 min. apart.  She was in active labor for sure by now.

I followed your mom and dad to the hospital, and when we arrived, I helped your mom get checked in while your dad parked the car and grabbed all their stuff.  We even had to do a couple of contractions while leaning over a bench in the hallway.  I breathed with her or squeezed her hips or chanted little things with her.

When we finally got checked into a triage room, a nurse quickly found out your mom was 6 cm dilated, so she got to go to a labor and delivery room.  Once we were there, the nurse had to put a hep. lock in.  This is one thing your mom did not like or did not want at all, but she was brave and endured a few pokes by not one, but two nurses, until they finally got some blood and secured the hep. lock.  The other thing she did not want was a catheter, but you can ask your mom about this when you get older.

After Nurse Sarah listened to your heartbeat for a while, your mom was able to get into the shower and really relax.  We were in there for such a long time that we accidentally flooded the bathroom floor with water!  She did start expressing some doubts about continuing on, and said, “I don’t think I can handle transition.”  I quickly told her that she was probably in transition and that she was handling it and doing great!  While she was in the shower, she started to feel a lot more pressure in her butt, and felt like going poop, so we got out and had the nurse or midwife Kathy check her.  8 cm dilated! 2 more cm to go!  This was around 6:30pm.

For the next hour, your mom was kneeling in the bed with her head and arms resting on the elevated head of the bead.  During her contractions she really was vocalizing and talking to herself.  This is what a typical contraction would sound like:  “Ohhh, here comes another one.  I can’t do it. I can’t do it. I’m done. I’m done. Get him out. Get him out. Get him out now. (And I would step in at some point and give her something new to say, like “I’m ok” or “out” or “This is normal.”), and she would start chanting that. “OOOUUUT!  OOOOUUUT! OOOUUUT!” Then,  “Ok. I’m ok.  I’m ok. Relax. Relax. I feel better. I feel better. I feel better. It’s over.”  At one point, too, she started repeating, “It’ll pass. It’ll pass.  It’ll pass.”  So we said that for a few contractions.  I thought that was a fabulous thing to say!  She also was cold one second and hot the next, so your dad and I kept changing the hospital room’s thermostat.  We also took turns squeezing your mom’s hips, because she still liked that.

Maybe an hour later, Kathy, your mom’s midwife came and checked your mom again. When she did your mom’s water broke and Kathy happily told us that your mom could begin pushing you out any time she wanted to now.

After praying for strength and wisdom, your mom started pushing while still kneeling in the bed.  Then she pushed while squatting using the squatting bar.  After that, she pushed semi-sitting up while holding her legs back.  It was then that we started to see some of your hair.  Then Kathy got a sheet, put a knot at both ends, wrapped it around the birth bar and let your mom tug on that for a while. It was then that we really started to see more and more of your sweet little head.  Your dad and I kept giving your mom water and dabbing her head with cold peppermint-scented wash clothes and encouraging her.

After pushing for a little over an hour, your mom gave birth to you!  It was 8:29pm.  Your head and both your hands came out at one time.  It was like you were either saying, “Touch-down!” or “Praise Jesus, I’m out!”  Kathy said it was like you were trying to swim out.  Your dad said you looked like an alien coming out.  You weighed 7lbs 1oz, were 20 ½ in long and cried and pinked up immediately.  You were wiped up put on top of your mommy, and were very happy to eat once your mom was ready.

It was then that your mom and dad had to take a good look at you and determine which one of the four names your were going to be.  Did you look like a Jack, a Joshua, a Keller or a Matthew.  (Your dad kept insisting on the name Elvis, but got voted down.)  Your name, Keller, was finally chosen.  Your mom said she liked that name, and I agreed. I asked what the name Keller meant to your mom and dad.  Your dad replied that it is the last name of an author, Tim Keller.  This author made such a great impact on your dad and his walk with God, that he thought it would be fitting to name you after such a smart and godly man.  That seemed to seal the deal!  I am so proud and honored to have been a part of your birth, little Keller Milligan.  Now you have some big shoes to fill, and a brave, tough mom to help you!

Your Mom’s Doula,

Amy Nevland CD(DONA)

A new series of Get Prepared Plus! is starting Thursday December 29th and will run for 6 weeks. It is taught by Megan Newhouse-Bailey, CHES, CLD, CD(DONA), CCCE, HCHD (all those letters mean she is a health teacher, doula, hypno-doula, and childbirth educator).

The course is very interactive. There are many activities and exercises that will help prep you for what you might experience during your labor and birth and help you make informed choices. We will do a lot of relaxation “practice” as well, so you have multiple tools in your labor tool box.

The class includes a workbook and a comfort measures quick-reference guide for labor.  Class fee is $150 per couple.

Get Prepared Plus! is a 6 week comprehensive childbirth class and will cover:
-Why labor hurts and why it doesn’t have to
-How to teach yourself to relax in preparation for labor and birth
- Anatomy and physiology of pregnancy and birth
-Nutrition and exercise
-What to expect in late pregnancy

-The stages of labor
-Interventions and how to avoid them
-Birth planning
-Comfort measures
-Natural induction methods
-The postpartum period
-Basic baby care and breastfeeding information

Here is what a past student has said about the series- “As someone who spent time early in pregnancy wondering which kind of childbirth class to take and feeling a bit flummoxed by all the choices out there (do we go with Bradley? Lamaze? Hypnobirthing?), I was very happy to find a class that set out to combine childbirth techniques from multiple methods. It seems like a great way to prepare for childbirth– learn different techniques and have a few you can try out in the moment. Overall, the class was great- I loved the instructor’s expertise, sensitivity, and positivity– and the content was inclusive without seeming too exhaustive.”

To Register go HERE

Being prepared makes me so excited! (photo cred Andria Crawford-Whitehead)

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It’s that time of year again!  The Christmas season is upon us!  Is a doula on our Christmas list this year?  If you are thinking about hiring a birth doula, we would love to meet you at one of our December Meet the Doulas Nights!  We at Get Babied are always so excited to meet future moms and dads, check in with current clients, and reconnect with couples whose births we attended.  Our Meet the Doulas Nights are always a lot of fun, and they are a great opportunity to meet all of us face to face, take a load off, have some yummy food and soothing tea, and find out more about our services.

This month, we have our Meet the Doulas Tea on Tuesday, December 13, from 7-9 pm.  This is a casual Meet the Doulas Night with tea and light snacks.  We won’t have a guest speaker or birth testimonial.  The entire evening will be focused on chatting and getting to know each other.

Our second Meet the Doulas Night will be on Saturday, December 17, from 7-9 pm.  Please note that we are moving our Saturday MTDN up so that it doesn’t interfere with Christmas. Tiziana Barrow from A Family Village will be speaking about her organization’s mission to help families find other families, build support groups, and help new parents who may be struggling with the new changes in their lives and could use the support of other new parents going through the same transition.  Also, one of our previous doula clients will be telling the story of her birth center birth this summer.  It will be a fun and informative evening!

All of our Meet the Doulas Nights are held in our office at 1825 38 ½ Street.  You don’t need to RSVP.  Just show up!  We look forward to meeting you!

Here are the stats for mamas supported by the Get Babied Doula Collective through November 29. (n=124)

Average active (4cm-10cm) labor duration: 8.35 hours (national average – 11.7 hours, Campbell, 2006)

Percentage of pitocin inductions: 19.0% (national average – 27%: Kramer, 2010)

Percentage of pitocin augmentations: 24% (national average – 55%:  Selin, 2009)

Percentage of epidurals: 41% (national average – 76%, McGrath, 2008)

Percentage of c-sections (unscheduled): 19.4% (Texas average 34.5%:  DSHS, 2008)

Percentage of 3rd degree or worse lacerations: 0% (national average 11%: Dudding, 2008)

Percentage of forceps/vacuum deliveries: 1% (national average 16%, Hodnett, 2002)

Percentage of episiotomies performed: 4% (national average 18.9%: Mei-Dan, 2008)

VBACs attempted: 10

VBACs successful: 7, or 70% (Texas average successful VBAC 6%: DSHS, 2008)

Middle School Career Day: Austin, TX

“My mom should have known about you” – 8th grader with a 3 month old sister
“I’m so happy you made me stop and talk.”
“So, you’re like a mentor during labor.”
“You’re like a therapist…”
“That sounds like a really great job.”

Let me start by saying Meet The Doula – Middle School style – is exhausting; but was so rewarding. We are some fortunate women to work in such a rewarding field.
As usual I walked into the Middle School gym nervous as all get up… that feeling seems to never leave, no matter how old you are. Would the kids even talk to me, I mean really talking birth to middle schoolers, this could be tricky. So, I took a breath and found my seat (next to a flight attendant might I add, how could I compete).
As the kids poured into the gym and started making their rounds, glancing at my “DOULA (emotional and physical support during labor)” sign, it became apparent that if I didn’t change something quick the big fat WEIRDO sign hanging over my head would never leave. So, I grabbed a marker, flipped my sign over and wrote: “Ask me what a DOULA is…”
With the weirdo sign gone the questions began rolling in. The kids we fascinated. The little feminists in the making thought that this was just so cool that there is a career out there that supports women having birth choices; that we offer nonjudgmental support and resources. I even had some boys intrigued, I told them how we help the dads out and show them techniques to help their wife.
To help them really understand what choices women have we talked about some basics:
First, there are three typical places in the USA where women have babies:
1.) Hospital
2.) Home
3.) Birthing Center
Then we talked about options during the labor:
1.) Natural non-medicated
2.) Some interventions/medication
3.) More medication/interventions
4.) Cesarean
Once we broke that down they could clearly see that there were many options. We went on to discuss how all women should know those options and have support regardless of their decision; that no matter which decision was made the reality is that child birth is still difficult and no one should do it alone. They all agreed.

For some, I had to break down the wall of embarrassment. I was able to do this by mentioning that each and every one of us in the room was born which meant that every one of our mom’s went through child birth in some fashion… this seemed to put the boys at ease. At the same time I could see reality set in for these teenagers, Doulas have the ability to touch the life of everyone and every family.

One girl came up to me and said “I have you on my list of people to talk to… I really like to help people, it sounds like you help women, can you tell me more about being a Doula and why you became a Doula?” As I talked to her I couldn’t help but stare at the beaming grin on her face… I realized that we may have some future Doula competition…

Another girl engaged me in a conversation in which she asked me about working with teen moms… wow! She was so in touch with life and world issues… we then went on to talk about homebirths, she asked if it was mainly disadvantaged people who have homebirths and I explained to her that it is typically the opposite; that the population that typically have homebirths in the USA are those that have become educated on birth, and their options, and have the money to pay for it out of pocket. This same conversation led us down the path of the history of birth and where we are today… and ultimately back to the importance of having choices. Wowzaa!

I could go on and on… the kids were simply amazing. I do have to mention that my 13 year old proudly sat with his Doula mom during his lunch break, man do I love that boy… But here, I will end it on this note:
Q: What is it you like most about your job?
A: I get to see life being born, and a family made.

All the kids (boys and girls) couldn’t help but smile, nod their head with approval, and say “coooool.”

It’s that time again!  We are holding our Meet the Doulas Night this Saturday, November 19, from 7-9 pm. The Get Babied doulas will give a brief presentation about the services we offer and the many exciting things going on at the collective, from birth doula services to postpartum doula services to prenatal yoga, childbirth prep, massage, etc.  The list of offerings goes on and on!

Then, midwife Brielle Epstein will be speaking about the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN) and previous client, friend, and associate Sarah Ricord Griesemer will be sharing the story of her recent birth.

After that, we will break off into stations so that each woman or couple will be able to meet all of the doulas, speed-dating style (only without the awkwardness of actual speed-dating!).  We will also have some yummy homemade snacks and tea.  Good company, good food – is there a better way to spend a Saturday evening?  It promises to be a lovely event, and we hope you will join us!

All of our Meet the Doulas Nights are held in our office at 1825 38 ½ Street.  You don’t need to RSVP.  Just show up!  We look forward to meeting you!

There have been rumors, but its finally here…

GET BABY-SAFE!

In the New Year we will offer a new class where parents can get OFFICIALLY certified in CPR, First-Aid, and AED, with a healthy dose of babyproofing and infant/child safety on the side.  This fun, yet educational class covers all the basics parents (and grandparents) might need to know to help keep family members safe and sound.  Class sizes are purposely kept small in order to allow couples plenty of hands-on training.  Unlike other programs, you will finish class as a CPR/FirstAid/AED certified parent with the confidence and knowledge to handle the little emergencies that parenthood can throw your way.  This certification also fulfills the workplace 2 yr. renewal requirement for most jobs.  This 3-week class meets for approximately 2 hours with a quick intermission.  Light refreshments, air conditioning/heat, and comfy seats.

Get Baby-Safe EXPRESS! This is the one-night stand version of the Get Baby-Safe class.  Just the ultimate child/infant CPR/First-Aid basics in an hour and half, no babyproofing, no certifications, no breaks, no dilly-dally.  For parents with only one night to spare or for last minute shoppers, this fast express class is just for you!

Classes begin in January 2012! Stay tuned for exact dates/times and registration deadlines.  For alerts or to be added to the email list for this class, please send your info to the CPR/FirstAid/AED certified instructor Noelle@getbabied.com.