|
|
|
Breast Feeding Basics For Your Newborn Baby
It is a myth that bottle-feeds and breast-feeding is equally good. Mother’s milk is the best for proper growth of the child. There are certain nutrients in the mother’s milk that helps the baby fight illnesses while also promoting brain...
How To Deal With A Baby That Has Colic
Colic is still a mystery to Doctors. They still do not know what cause colic in babies. They will tell you that there is no known cure for colic. I have always heard of colic, and heard from mothers that have dealt with this problem. I have never...
Music - a great tool to develop your child's intelligence
Whether you have high aspirations for your child in the area of music or not, learning and listening to music is highly advantageous for your child. It is common for mothers of very young children to sing to them, in order to calm them at the end...
Tanning Is Great! But Get Some Sun Protective Swimwear.
Summer is the season of fun at the beach and there is plenty of sunlight making it imperative to put on sun protective swimwear . Whilst the great pastime time during this period is sun bathing, the greatest danger lurking along beaches and swimming...
Tike Tech Double Trouble Stroller
Having twins and strolling around the park or shopping in the mall is not a problem at all with the Tike Tech Double Trouble Stroller. Both of your little ones will be comfortable while they ride in style. The 5 point harness system is great for...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
What would I do without my Doula?
By the time my husband and I finally got pregnant the first time, I had done a lot of reading about birth options and we had already decided to have a midwife instead of a doctor. We believe that pregnancy is a healthy state of being, and unless something came up, a midwife was the best way to go for us. Besides, where we live, a midwife can deliver babies at hospitals, so I felt that was the safest way to go. (Although, now, I feel I could have had my babies at home... but that is a whole other article!).
When I was a few weeks pregnant I came across an article on doulas, but I had never heard of a doula so I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. A doula is a woman who supports women through childbirth. "Doula" is an ancient Greek word meaning "servant to women". A doula provides a woman with continuous emotional support, aides in her physical comfort, and encourages the laboring woman. She also provides praise, reassurance, and explains what is going on during the labor. While some husbands and partners may feel that it’s their job to offer support to the laboring woman, and therefore initially feel that they would not want a doula, after the birth they are very pleased and relieved that they had one. A doula can help husbands and partners by suggesting ways they can help the laboring woman, and doulas actually assist the husband to feel like he is contributing.
Studies have shown that women supported by a doula during labor have:
- 50% reduction of cesarean rate
- 60% reduction in epidural requests
- 30% reduction in analgesia use
- 40% reduction in forceps delivery
From Mothering the Mother : How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus (Perseus Press, 1993)
When I was about halfway through my pregnancy, we decided to interview some doulas and see if it would be right for us. We met with three doulas. The first one was Jan, who we ultimately picked. We liked her right away and I wanted to hire her on the spot, but my husband insisted that we meet the other doulas too because we might find someone we like even more. (How could that be possible?, I wondered.) Well, it turned out that the other two doulas were wonderful too, but our instincts told us to go with Jan. So we hired her.
We had to give her a deposit of $100 to confirm our commitment, and sign an agreement as well. How do I describe this fabulous woman? She is very tall and has a great presence. She is quiet, knowledgeable and thoughtful; she doesn’t speak a lot, but when she does it is carefully thought out. In other words, she is not “chatty” but not shy either. She has an engaging smile, she is discrete, and she is strong. I felt like she could sweep me up in her arms and take care of me!
Jan came over several weeks before my due date to do some one-on-one prenatal training with both James and I. She is a lactation consultant as well so she helped by answering my questions about breastfeeding in addition to my questions about what to expect during labor.
I went into labor three days before my due date, on August 13, 2001. It was about midnight and I was just getting into bed when I felt (or heard?) a loud POP! And then another one. And warm liquid dribbling down my legs. My water had broken. Yay! This was finally happening.
The contractions started immediately and James rubbed my thigh while I rested on the bed. The contractions got closer and closer together and James called Jan at about 5:00am when they were about 5 minutes apart. They got really intense after that and by the time Jan arrived, I was vomiting in a bucket on my bed.
Jan threw down the birth ball she was carrying, flew across the bed, grabbed my hand, looked me straight in the eye with her face close to mine and said, “I want you to breathe like this.” In an instant, she had me calmed down and breathing effectively. She was amazing. I went from being in a total panic to feeling like everything was going to be ok.
When my midwife arrived at 7:00am, she told me I was
about 3 centimetres dilated. I was so disappointed! But Jan was my cheerleader, telling me that I was working so hard, and managing so well, and that my body was only going to give me what I could handle. She helped James help me by suggesting things he could do for me, and he felt taken care of by Jan as well.
It was only about an hour later that Jan noticed my breathing had changed and she called out to our midwife who was in another room doing paperwork. Our midwife didn’t think that I could have progressed that quickly but Jan stood her ground and said, “It really sounds like she is trying to push.” So the midwife checked me again (doulas do not perform medical tasks) and I was about 7 cm dilated! This was going fast. Suddenly everybody sprung into action and started gathering up all the bags and things we needed for the hospital. If it wasn’t for Jan, I really don’t think we would have made it on time.
While James drove, Jan sat with me in the backseat holding my hand, talking to me, encouraging me and calming me. She was so amazing! After we got to the hospital, she never left my side. James had to go fill out the paperwork and park the car, but Jan was there beside me constantly.
I felt such complete trust in Jan that I had to hold her right hand a particular way through each contraction. It was quite funny! A contraction would start and I’d yell, “Hand! Hand!” and Jan would come running and grab my hand. I don’t know why, but it was only Jan’s hand that comforted me. It had to be Jan’s hand.
She also helped by taking me to the bathroom and getting me water to drink, a cold cloth for my forehead (without being asked), and waving tissues with aromatherapy oil on them around the room. I found that I couldn’t communicate what I wanted or needed, but Jan always seemed to know, thank goodness. She suggested different laboring positions and she helped during the delivery by suggesting positions for pushing, too. I only pushed one hour and then our beautiful Hana was born. (Hana means “flower” in Japanese). Jan stayed with me while I delivered the placenta (James was on the other side of the room with Hana) and helped me attempt to breastfeed right away. She stayed for about 4 hours after Hana was born and helped me take a shower and gave me lots of help with breastfeeding.
What more can I say about having a doula? She made my birth experience fantastic. I am one of those people who can honestly say that I enjoyed labor (twice!) and I want to do it again! When we found out we were pregnant for the second time, I could not imagine doing it without Jan. It was a much easier labor and birth, but I am still so grateful that Jan was there – she made it a great experience again. It is true that continuous support during labor has many, many benefits, and I am one of the “lucky” (or is it “well prepared” because I hired a doula?) women who was able to fully experience birth without drugs, or intervention. I had a healthy birth and a healthy baby. And a doula to help us through it all.
For more information, or to find a doula in your city, visit DONA, the Doulas of North America website.
I also highly recommend these books: The Doula Book and this one which is required reading for doulas: The Birth Partner
I wish you all the best during your labor and birth!
About the Author
Suzanne Doyle-Ingram is the mother of two daughters, Hana and Alexa, and married to her best friend James, who is a stay-at-home dad and educational game developer (and he makes a mean grilled chicken!). Suzanne is also the creator of Pregnancy-Leads-to-new-babies.com, an informative site for pregnant women and new moms.
|
|
|
|
|
| Babies Online FREE Online Birth Announcements: Create your free ... |
| Create a web page for the new baby with pictures plus information for new and expectant parents. Free. Password protection available. |
| www.babiesonline.com |
|
| BabiesToday.com - Baby advice for raising health, happy babies ... |
| Community, articles, interactive tools, ideas, expert advice for you and your baby during that first year. |
| babiestoday.com |
|
| Celebrity Baby Blog |
| The only website dedicated to celebrity babies (and their parents)! ... 10Copyright 2011 Celebrity Baby Blog Inc., Celebrity Baby Blog tm ... |
| www.celebrity-babies.com |
|
| Babies"R"Us Home - Baby Products and Baby Gifts - Toys"R"Us/Babies ... |
| Babies R Us is the leading retailer of baby products, baby supplies, baby gifts, baby bedding, and baby accessories. |
| www.toysrus.com |
|
| Parenting Babies and Toddlers |
| Articles and links on all aspects of raising babies and toddlers. Free newsletter, active forum and chat room. |
| babyparenting.about.com |
|
| Ty |
| The creator of Beanie Babies. Features information regarding new and retired beanies. Includes club, trade board, and electronic cards. |
| www.ty.com |
|
| Ty: Beanie Babies |
| Angeline, Attic Treasures, Baby Ty, Basket Beanies, Beanie Babies, Beanie Boppers, Beanie Buddies, Beanie Kids, Bow Wow Beanies, Classic ... |
| www.ty.com |
|
| Baby gifts, baby shower gifts, new baby gifts, newborn baby gifts ... |
| Puzzles, developmental toys, carrier toys and shower gifts. Free gift wrapping included with orders. |
| www.geniusbabies.com |
|
| Pregnancy: Humorous week-by-week calendar and free pregnancy tickers |
| Humorous week-by-week pregnancy calendar and pregnancy tickers - 100% free. |
| pregnancy.baby-gaga.com |
|
| Infant - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| An infant or BABY is a very young child. The term "infant" derives from the Latin ... Quite often babies are called infants until they reach the age of one. ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Amazon.com Baby Store: Clothes, gifts, toys & bedding for babies ... |
| Online shopping from a huge selection of baby products at the Amazon.com Baby Store; clothes, gifts, toys & bedding for baby boys & baby girls, ... |
| www.amazon.com |
|
| FUSSY BABY |
| Get help dealing with a fussy baby, including ways to soothe and calm your baby when he is fussy and reasons why babies fuss. |
| www.askdrsears.com |
|
| Babies Galore - Shop Online for Children Aged 0 - 2 |
| Babies Galore are specialists Baby Cots, Baby Strollers, Baby Prams, High Chairs, Car Seats, Toys as well as many other Baby Products. |
| www.babiesgalore.com.au |
|
| 123 Baby Names: Baby Girl Names & Baby Boy Names, Meanings and Origins |
| 123 Baby Names: Baby names. ... Whether you’re looking for baby names for your boy or girl, or if you want to find out the origin of your own name, ... |
| 123-baby-names.com |
|
| where babies come from in germany |
| Where Babies Come From in Germany Click on the image to progress. |
| www.planetdan.net |
|
| babies san francisco :: pamper the pets you love |
| www.babiessf.com/ - 3k - Cached - Similar pages |
|
|
| Baby Shower Favors - Baby Shower Gifts - Personalized Baby Shower ... |
| Offers party favors, baby sock corsages, and diaper cakes. |
| www.bamababiesandbirthdays.com |
|
| National Statistics Online |
| Ellie, last year’s second favourite name for baby girls, has fallen into sixth place. Olivia is the only new entry to the top five, up three to number four. ... |
| www.statistics.gov.uk |
|
| Egg Babies |
| The Egg Babies are individually hand sculpted in polymer clay by hand. The babies range in size from ... The eggshell emphasizes how fragile new babies are. ... |
| www3.telus.net |
|
| Baby Place: Pregnancy, Birth and Babies |
| A parenting resource for all aspects of pregnancy, birth and baby care. Includes free stuff for parents, health resources, morning sickness treatments, ... |
| www.baby-place.com |
|
|