Since my last blog post we have moved to our fourth country in 2 years. Have baby, will travel :)
We now live and are in the process of settling and adapting to life in sunny Cebu in the Philippines. We have been here for a little under 2 months now.
As is said "at the end of your life you will only hold regret for the opportunities you did not take, the paths you did not follow and the decisions you did not make". We have chosen the road less followed and are loving it. There is so much more to this life than your village, town, city, province, country and even continent. You can read it, but you don't understand until you experience it.
I am looking into picking up my breastfeeding support work in Cebu. Wish me luck.
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
Doula! Film Introduction
I came across this short introductory film piece which tries to explain what a Doula does. This film warms my heart and brings a smile to my face.
I think we need a screening here in Scotland. I am on it!
I think we need a screening here in Scotland. I am on it!
Saturday, 26 February 2011
I really wish I had a Doula at my Birth, here's why...
When we settled into our then new home and I started planning my home water birth I knew I wanted a Doula to be part of my birthing care team.
I started searching for a Doula, I was even happy to have the support of a doula trainee. I couldn't find a Doula who would charge less than £250 to support at my home birth. We couldn't afford this, I was devastated and also a bit angry. I really missed the support of a Doula at my Birth, there was a definate role she would have fulfilled. * I am flexible with costing, discuss it with me *.
I went into labour on a monday night, I was in my 40th week of pregnancy and had experienced 5 practice labours so dh and I knew it would be soon. In preparation for the upcoming birth and in order to get all his work done dh worked extra late and went in extra early the monday I went into labour. Consequently he was bushed when he got home and in the early hours of tuesday morning I sent him to go catch some zzzzz's in preparation for the long labouring day ahead. At this point my midwife had come and gone, with some wise words basically letting me know that I needed to get a grip, this was just the beginning. Your midwife will most likely not be able to be with you in early labour and the Labour & Delivery of your hospital ward will send you home.
At this point let me say I found my early labour the hardest to deal with. I really could have done with a Doula to help me through early labour. I got through it but it was a bit lonely breathing through my contractions in a darkened room whilst dh got some much needed rest.
I think it is important for pregnant moms to bear in mind that your partner/mom/sister may not be able to give you the support you need at some point during your labour. This is not because they don't love you or don't want to, on the contrary I think its because they love you so much that they struggle to see you in labour pain and sometimes don't really know how to support you in fear of either angering you or somehow making it worse (Think about it, how many labours and births have they supported at, having a baby is not the same as supporting a mom have her own baby). A Doula on the other hand is more objective and intrinsically understands that labour and birth are a journey and can walk the road with you and offer you support in various ways without fear of reprisal. Plus Doulas have a much larger knowledge and experience base to work from, as well as tried and tested comfort measures. A Doula can also help by directing your birth partners to better support you.
Just a thought :)
Are you interested in finding out more about what part a Doula could play in your birthing support team? Drop me an email. Doulatam (at) gmail (dot) com
PS: I am based in West Lothian Scotland
Friday, 25 February 2011
Watch Your Words
A twitter friend posted a tweet this morning discussing her symptoms of pregnancy. Which got me thinking.
Why do we call the natural signs of pregnancy Symptoms? The definition of Symptom: Sign of Illness or Problem (Dictionary.com). Is that really how a new mother wants to view her budding pregnancy, to refer to the unborn child in her womb as a problem or illness. Even if you think one step further and argue that you are not referring to her baby but to the process of carrying and growing life in a womb... As problematic or as an illnessn it is still fraught with negative connotations.
Pregnancy is a natural process, a beautiful amazing process. It is not a problem or illness, if it is viewed as such, then human beings will want to heal it or solve it. You cannot heal or solve a pregnancy. You may believe that you are stronger than that, but that doubt will sit in the back of your mind and niggle, it will surface at the most inopportune time like at the end of your pregnancy when you are preparing to give birth. If you have generally viewed your body in a positive light during pregnancy, that will carry through to labour and birth. If however you get to 40+ weeks discussing pregnancy as a problem or illness, it is likely that you will search out a solution in the form of medical intervention.
We define our experience of this world with the words we use. Choose your words wisely.
Alternatives to Pregnancy Symptoms:
- expressions of pregnancy
- manifestations of pregnancy
- tokens of pregnancy
- evidence of pregnancy
Discuss your "bodies expression of your pregnancy", FTW!
Why do we call the natural signs of pregnancy Symptoms? The definition of Symptom: Sign of Illness or Problem (Dictionary.com). Is that really how a new mother wants to view her budding pregnancy, to refer to the unborn child in her womb as a problem or illness. Even if you think one step further and argue that you are not referring to her baby but to the process of carrying and growing life in a womb... As problematic or as an illnessn it is still fraught with negative connotations.
Pregnancy is a natural process, a beautiful amazing process. It is not a problem or illness, if it is viewed as such, then human beings will want to heal it or solve it. You cannot heal or solve a pregnancy. You may believe that you are stronger than that, but that doubt will sit in the back of your mind and niggle, it will surface at the most inopportune time like at the end of your pregnancy when you are preparing to give birth. If you have generally viewed your body in a positive light during pregnancy, that will carry through to labour and birth. If however you get to 40+ weeks discussing pregnancy as a problem or illness, it is likely that you will search out a solution in the form of medical intervention.
We define our experience of this world with the words we use. Choose your words wisely.
Alternatives to Pregnancy Symptoms:
- expressions of pregnancy
- manifestations of pregnancy
- tokens of pregnancy
- evidence of pregnancy
Discuss your "bodies expression of your pregnancy", FTW!
Tuesday, 23 November 2010
What happened to my placenta?
What did they do with you?
Where did you go?
Nobody asked me...
Why was I not told?
Did you get thrown in a furnace with unwanted bits of human beings?
I wanted you...
Makes me grump actually,
where is my placenta?
Nuff said.
Where did you go?
Nobody asked me...
Why was I not told?
Did you get thrown in a furnace with unwanted bits of human beings?
I wanted you...
Makes me grump actually,
where is my placenta?
Nuff said.
Tuesday, 16 November 2010
Milk Sharing is Making a SPLASH!
Breastmilk provides the optimum nutrition for human infants. End of.
What happens if you truly cannot breastfeed but still want the best for your baby? Well then you will simply have to get some breastmilk for your baby. BUT HOW?
Get a hold of EatsOnFeets today: This is what they do:
Easy peasy squeezy - go and post your request on EatsOnFeetsUK (or your local chapter which can be found on facebook and on their site EatsOnFeets.org). A lactating mum who is willing to share and local to you will contact you and you can organise to collect her expressed milk or ask her to wet nurse your baby. Visit their website and read their extensive FAQ's. Everything is covered from hand expressing to flash-pasteurization. Brilliant. Simple. Necessary. Safe. Green. Natural. Perfect. Healthy.
Thinking about Home Birth
In my daily wanderings of the web, I came across a well written, straight forward, no nonsense, quick loading home birth site. <- www.thegoodbirth.co.uk
I particularly like the answer provided to the following question.
Sounds lovely doesn't it? Wait let's look at some of the answers again...
- A less painful labour. Yes labour can have a measure of pain involved, but if you can minimise the intensity of pain without the use of drugs, why would you not? Have you ever felt a bit poorly and just wanted to be at home, because you know you will feel better at home, you can rest at home... EXACTLY!
- Knowing the midwives who will be at your birth. I cannot stress the importance of having a connection with the members of your birthing team. How do you feel when walking into a room full of strangers? A bit self-conscious, a bit shy, a bit awkward? All natural responses but in your labour, you cannot afford to be bogged down by all that self-consciousness malarkey. When you know the people who will be at your birth, when you have spoken to them prior to your labour and honestly spoken about your birth expectations, you can just BE yourself and concentrate on the important work of birthing your baby.
- One to One midwifery care. I had 3 midwives at my home birth in 2009, one shift change, but the two middies who were there when dd was born were there for my active labour, birth and 2 hours post birth. I was really comfortable with them in my space.
- More privacy and control in labour and afterwards. Let me start by saying throw the idea of controlling your body during labour out of the window (you do not need to control your body, it knows what its doing, it knows how to birth your baby) so spend your energy on things you can control. Like your birthing environment. In your home YOU have total control of your birthing environment. You can light candles or not, listen to music or not, sleep in YOUR BED or not, eat your choice of food or not. It may seem inconsequential but its all in the details. This is opposite to a hospital where I personally don't feel I have control of anything but my body... but during birth my body does not need to be controlled.
- Greatly reduced need for medical intervention. Be wary of the slippery slope of intervention, once an intervention is introduced, others can and usually do quickly follow. Why is this? Well during an intervention and drug free labour a women's body will release oxytocin, oxytocin is the bodies natural pain remedy and it is strong. Very strong, quite lovely actually :) . I think its all about 'out of sight, out of mind', eg: when there is no pitocin or IV equipment available, you will not have your labour automatically induced and or speeded up (augmented) which means your body will be able to naturally handle your intensifying contractions by releasing oxytocin, which means no need for man made pain killers, which means you can move your body however you like (no big needles, no IV lines, no nausea, no feeling of being out of body etc etc etc), which means birthing in a position perfect for you, which means no need for an assisted birth (ventouse, forceps) which all equates to a natural birthing experience.
Home Birth is safe. Home Birth is calm. Home Birth is kind.
I particularly like the answer provided to the following question.
Many women assume they will be having their baby in hospital because that is what their friends or relatives did. or it is what they have seen in television programmes or read about in magazines. Home birth has very many advantages which deserve careful consideration when you are choosing your place of birth. These include:
- A less painful labour
- Knowing the midwives who will be at your birth
- One to one midwifery care
- More privacy and control in labour and afterwards
- Greatly reduced need for medical intervention
- Healthier mum and baby
- Baby is more likely to breastfeed
- Lower rates of postnatal infections for mum and baby
- Dad is never sent away or reduced to visitor status: you can start family life from day one.
- If you have other children they can be as involved as you want them to be
Sounds lovely doesn't it? Wait let's look at some of the answers again...
- A less painful labour. Yes labour can have a measure of pain involved, but if you can minimise the intensity of pain without the use of drugs, why would you not? Have you ever felt a bit poorly and just wanted to be at home, because you know you will feel better at home, you can rest at home... EXACTLY!
- Knowing the midwives who will be at your birth. I cannot stress the importance of having a connection with the members of your birthing team. How do you feel when walking into a room full of strangers? A bit self-conscious, a bit shy, a bit awkward? All natural responses but in your labour, you cannot afford to be bogged down by all that self-consciousness malarkey. When you know the people who will be at your birth, when you have spoken to them prior to your labour and honestly spoken about your birth expectations, you can just BE yourself and concentrate on the important work of birthing your baby.
- One to One midwifery care. I had 3 midwives at my home birth in 2009, one shift change, but the two middies who were there when dd was born were there for my active labour, birth and 2 hours post birth. I was really comfortable with them in my space.
- More privacy and control in labour and afterwards. Let me start by saying throw the idea of controlling your body during labour out of the window (you do not need to control your body, it knows what its doing, it knows how to birth your baby) so spend your energy on things you can control. Like your birthing environment. In your home YOU have total control of your birthing environment. You can light candles or not, listen to music or not, sleep in YOUR BED or not, eat your choice of food or not. It may seem inconsequential but its all in the details. This is opposite to a hospital where I personally don't feel I have control of anything but my body... but during birth my body does not need to be controlled.
- Greatly reduced need for medical intervention. Be wary of the slippery slope of intervention, once an intervention is introduced, others can and usually do quickly follow. Why is this? Well during an intervention and drug free labour a women's body will release oxytocin, oxytocin is the bodies natural pain remedy and it is strong. Very strong, quite lovely actually :) . I think its all about 'out of sight, out of mind', eg: when there is no pitocin or IV equipment available, you will not have your labour automatically induced and or speeded up (augmented) which means your body will be able to naturally handle your intensifying contractions by releasing oxytocin, which means no need for man made pain killers, which means you can move your body however you like (no big needles, no IV lines, no nausea, no feeling of being out of body etc etc etc), which means birthing in a position perfect for you, which means no need for an assisted birth (ventouse, forceps) which all equates to a natural birthing experience.
Home Birth is safe. Home Birth is calm. Home Birth is kind.
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