Monday, March 24, 2014

How to Choose the Best Doula


How Can You Choose the Best Doula?
This can be a stressful, and exciting part of your lives.  Don’t allow yourself to feel rushed or pressured to make a decision about your care, by your OB/Midwife, by friends, family, or the caregivers you interview.  Take time to ask questions, do your research and get to know the doula you will hire to help you birth and care for your newborn(s).
“Postpartum Doulas are higher skilled professionals, and more specifically trained than baby nurses or newborn nannies and every mother deserves one!” 
Your health insurance will not pay for a baby nurse or nanny, but they will help pay for a certified postpartum doula.  How do you find one your insurance company trusts?

What do parents need to know when it comes to hiring a Doula?
1.       What makes a good doula?

a.       She’s certified by a reputable organization.  She should also be trained in breastfeeding support as well as has the right philosophy to match your family.  So ask her what her views on things like “breastfeeding”, “vaccinations”, “cry it out” and “sleep training” are, among other hot topics.  A good doula will not have an agenda to push, but will be willing and able to support all parenting styles.  She will have a lot of experience, honest credentials as a doula, and she’ll be an active part of the local birth community.

b.      When you first interview potential doulas, it should be abundantly clear who has the most knowledge and experience  and who will be able to support your parenting style best.  Ask a lot of questions.  Don’t be afraid to take plenty of time getting to know her.  This is an important decision and even if you’re hiring her after the baby is born, you should not rush the process. 

c.       Finally, a good Doula will know how to navigate the insurance world for you.  She’ll work with you to get reimbursed as much as you possibly can for her services, from your insurance providers.  If she’s not able to bill insurance, look for another Doula.  Insurance billing knowledge and experience is another indicator of professionalism, credibility and overall superior care. 

A professional doula has a proven track record of insurance cooperation and reimbursement.  Ask all potential doulas if they will provide you with the forms and codes for insurance claims.  If they cannot, you need to keep looking.  Claims reimbursable doulas have proven to the insurance companies that their care is worth paying for.  You will be asked to pay up front, but part of your intake process with a professional doula should include a discussion about insurance, and they will ask for the details on, or a copy of your card for billing purposes.

 

2.       What are the MUSTS when interviewing a doula?

a.       Run a background check, or hire a doula through an agency that will provide one to you as part of their services, and it should be free of cost.

b.      Make sure she’s certified.  Contact the organization she’s earned her credentials with and verify her status is current and in good standing.  Many doulas claim to be “trained” but they never completed the work to be certified.  “Trained” and “Certified” are very different things when you consider the integrity of the doula and her practice.

c.       She should have current, honest credentials as a certified doula and she should also be certified in Adult and Infant CPR as well as First Aid.  Ask to see those certifications as well as any others she holds.

d.      Find out who she is accountable to.  Don’t be afraid to ask her, “If I have a grievance over your services, who would I contact about that?”  Independent doulas can be wonderful, but there are doulas out there who answer to no one and this can be a real problem for families who encounter issues later.

e.      Contact all her references and ask the tough questions like was she ever late, how did she invoice you, did you trust her, did she always follow through with things, where there ever any red flags while she was caring for you or your baby?

f.        Ask to see a list of care duties and also the contract, BEFORE the interview.  You should never feel pressured to sign the contract until you’ve had time to read it over and discuss with your partner.

REMEMBER, getting a word of mouth referral is great, but it’s not a failsafe way to hire a doula.  Make sure she is trustworthy by doing the above things before you bring her into your home to care for your family.

Written by: Anne Croudace, CPD, CPDT, CLD, CLDT, CBE, CLSE, CNPE, CPR
How to reach Anne Croudace:

Tranquil Seasons Doulas in San Antonio, TX
www.TranquilSeasons.com   or 210-548-8800

 
Anne is also the founder of the ethics-based “San Antonio Birth Collective”, which seeks to serve parents through education and practical support.  Take a look:  www.sabirthcollective.com

Sunday, March 16, 2014

Am I Making Enough Milk?

Breastfeeding and the New Mom

Something I haven't mentioned that I also do for families is I support breastfeeding for many mothers, and as a postpartum doula client with us, you will receive free, ongoing breastfeeding support as part of our care. If you choose to bottle feed or formula feed, don't let that stop you from getting help.  We support all families, but we DO have the ability to help you through all phases of breastfeeding - should you decide that is how you want to nourish your little one.

This isn't the norm for doula care.  I've received special training and certification as a Lactation Support and Educator.  Not all doulas have this additional training, but many are still wonderful when it comes to the basics of breastfeeding support.
Like the mother I met with today, at times, you might also find yourself wondering if you are making enough milk. Babies go through growth spurts that can trick us into thinking we aren't producing enough because they are gobbling it all up and wanting more - which is good, because in the end, it will increase your supply.
Think:  More Demand => More Supply. 
 
So today, I was visiting a lovely mama who is adjusting to life with her new baby.  She asked me to visit because she was concerned about her supply.  I offered to bring my newborn scale so that we could do a little experiment... 
 
We were able to weigh the baby after waking and a diaper change (9 pounds, 3 ounces), then she fed from both breasts for a total of 25 minutes (he was efficient, relaxed and happy when he was done).  Then we weighed him again (9 pounds, 6 ounces). 
 
Low and behold! Even though he had been eating like a crazy little monster and acting like he wasn't getting much, he was actually eating 3 ounces total from both breasts - which is a lot for a newborn of his age (3 weeks)!! 
 
He has also grown over a pound since I last saw him, we discovered. So that answers a lot of questions for that mom, and reassures her that she is doing everything right and he is just growing super fast and that her breasts WILL catch up to his demand for more milk. :)
 
My #1 piece of advice for new moms who are experiencing what feels like a set-back in their breastfeeding relationship, is to seek out qualified help.  Do you have a breastfeeding consultant who can come to your house?  Those are the best.  We have support available, and if a situation goes above and beyond our expertise, we have resources in the community that we are happy to direct you to, in order to get your needs and the needs of your baby met, in a timely, professional manner.
 
Keep checking back, because soon, I will be posting another segment on how to make your best milk.  Quantity AND Quality.  :)
 
For now, keep loving those babies, mamas!
Anne
 
 
 
 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Simple Summary of Our Care

So, you've probably read a lot about doulas by now...
Not all doulas are the same.  Tranquil Seasons Doulas have specific, ongoing training in several modalities.

What is a good, simple summary of our care?


During Childbirth…
During labor and delivery, we support you at all times with emotional, informational and physical care.  We provide you with education and resources before and during your childbirth experience to help you stay comfortable and to relieve anxiety.  We provide non-pharmacological pain relief including massage, and maternal/fetal positioning to help keep you relaxed and to allow the baby to descend quickly, easily, safely.  We never take the place of your partner.  In fact we encourage participation and offer reassurance and guidance so that this experience is positive for both parents!

After Childbirth…
After birth, Postpartum Doulas help with breastfeeding, infant care, and understanding newborn feeding and sleep habits.  The calm, loving, gentle presence of a doula alleviates stress and helps mothers recover from birth
 in a positive, healthy way.  This assists in preventing or recovering from Postpartum Depression and Anxiety as well as Post-Traumatic Stress - which some mothers and babies experience after a difficult birth.

To speak with Doulas in San Antonio:
www.TranquilSeasons.com
210-548-8800

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Birth CommUNITY - Can we all just get along?! :)

Over the years, I've taught many different aspects of birth work.  I've taught maternity care ethics, doula certification workshops, midwifery prep courses, parenting classes, gentle infant "sleep training", childbirth preparation and lactation education, support group facilitation, small business marketing and even helped form a few birthy co-ops along the way... 

There's a lot to be said about the birth communities I've become acquainted with.  The variety is astounding.

Some are catty and awful - like a corporate scene where everyone steps on the others in order to get to what they imagine is the "top" of the pile.  Others are peaceful, encouraging, cooperative and truly sisterly.  What is interesting is that all groups want to see birth practices change.  They want to see improved outcomes.  They all would stand up for women's rights.  So how can they be so different in this thing we call a COMMUNITY...?

I think the main answer is where did they come from, and what's the undertone of the "oldies" in their area?  Let me explain.  If they are moms who come from a high-level corporate background, they are more likely to treat this new career with the same growth and glass ceiling mentality as their previous corporate America jobs.  So back-biting and one-up-manship is the norm.  Likewise, if the women who have been around a long time, doing birth-work in your city have a superiority complex or a corporation complex, you will see the younger, newer women taking on that same mentality.

Isn't it interesting that as women-servants - whether midwives, doulas, childbirth educators etc. - we are meant to be modeling love, acceptance, nonjudgmental attitudes, and most of all, self-sacrificing promotion of the best in others.  We "oldies" who have been around a while should really be the best models of this since we have had more time to practice.  :-)

So, how do we do it?  Practically speaking, what does this kind of care model and commUNITY model look like?

First of all.....
1. Stop the gossip.  Don't do it and don't listen to it, or you'll be tempted to share it.  This is the number one problem, tearing apart birth communities today.  People can smell a gossip a mile away.  You're only spreading a stinky reputation about yourself.

2. If a client tells you something about a previous caregiver, GO to that person, and encourage your client to be honest with them as well, if appropriate.  Don't text the other provider or email them, for heaven's sake.  Set a time to sit down over lunch or coffee and tell them directly, what the client's concern was.  How can we grow if we don't know where we failed?  When you speak directly about an issue to another provider, it shows that you are committed to not gossiping and that develops trust.  If you don't have the nerve to talk to them, you certainly should have the scruples to keep it to yourself.

3. Have a humble heart.  Serving requires humility.  Be willing to look at faults and mistakes and change.  The last and least helpful thing you can be is defensive.  It makes you look bad, too.

4. A BIG one - Stay out of other people's drama.  Even your clients' - if you can help it.  Don't expend your energy on anything that is not uplifting you, your family and others close to you.  You don't want to be labeled a busy-body or a drama queen. (this also applies to sharing your drama with others who aren't in your tightest circle of family/friends - just don't do it!)

5. Commit to getting to know your fellow birth workers.  Join or start a local birth collective group where the community can be built up.  Working together helps immensely!  Plan events, educational opportunities, and ways to promote each other as well as healthy birth.

6. Don't segregate.  Midwives need to get to know doulas, doulas need to get to know childbirth educators, etc, etc.  The birthing community is smaller than you think.  You all need to know each other, learn about each others' strengths and offerings so you have resources to provide your clients and yourself as you seek to improve birth practices in your area.

There are lots more tips I could give, but the main thing to consider is how you view your fellow birth workers.  Think long and hard about this.  Is there someone specific in the community that you don't get along with?  Don't fall off your chair now... You should bless her.  Send her a card.  Take her out for lunch.  Invite her to an event you're going to.

It's possible.  We are obligated to be models of love and acceptance.  We should help create and then celebrate each others' successes and when we do, the birth community as a whole will be lifted up.

Looking forward to more UNITY in birth.
Anne

Doulas - San Antonio
http://www.sabirthcollective.com