Monday, September 29, 2014

The Many Hats of a Postpartum Doula - Part 2

 Part 2
So just what does a postpartum doula do? 

Remember, not all doulas are made alike.  Since doulas are an unregulated occupation, many women call themselves doulas without any doula training or certification.  Find someone who is not only a Certified doula, but also has references to help you be assured she's got the skills and integrity your families needs to rely on during this vulnerable, and blissful time in your life.

In addition to what we already mentioned in part 1, a postpartum doula’s hats can also include:

4. Peer to Peer Counselor. Is mom feeling stressed, anxious, depressed, or just simply overwhelmed with her new role? Mom’s postpartum doula is there to guide her through this time of transition. Giving birth is a huge feat to accomplish! Recovering not just in physical but emotional ways is crucial for any mother. Her postpartum doula is there to counsel her through this time.

5. Personal Assistant. With dad heading back to work and mom still transitioning, wouldn’t it be nice if someone else could go get the milk? A postpartum doula is more than happy to run errands for mom and dad including grocery shopping, picking up baby items, and more.

6. Newborn Nanny. Another dirty diaper? Postpartum doulas can assist with feedings and diaper changes. This is especially wonderful at night so that mom and dad can catch up on much-needed sleep. No need to wake -- baby will be taken care of by the loving arms of the postpartum doula.

The ultimate goal of any postpartum doula is to be a professional mother. No, not a mother to the baby, but a mother to the new mother.  She is there to support, guide, nurture, and love mom as she travels this sacred journey. Even seasoned mothers can gain from the experience and assistance of a postpartum doula as the family transitions into life with a new baby.

Would your family benefit from a postpartum doula? 
Contact Tranquil Seasons where we will gladly serve you and your family’s needs during this exciting time! 

Call 210-548-8800 
www.tranquilseasons.com 
or email annecwj@gmail.com for a consultation.



Monday, September 22, 2014

The Many Hats of a Postpartum Doula - Part 1

The many hats of a postpartum doula, part 1

Okay, now the labor is over. 
The easy part of child-rearing begins, right?

Oops! Did no one warn mom about her wacked-out sleep schedule or late night feedings? That dishes still aren’t cleaning themselves? That eggs still come unscrambled and bread still comes untoasted from the grocery store?

Being a new mom is a glorious time, but it comes with challenges. Having a trained, and CERTIFIED postpartum doula there those first days after birth can be a life saver for any new mom!  Not all postpartum doulas come with all these skills - so make sure yours is certified and not just "trained" which could mean anything.

A postpartum doula wears many hats as she assists mom and dad in those early days with baby.  Here are just a few of her "Hats":

1. Breastfeeding supporter. New to breastfeeding? Postpartum doulas are there for mom to assist her during those first stages of breastfeeding. It can be stressful or difficult to breastfeed at first, but mom’s doula will make the process more enjoyable. Difficulties will not faze an experienced doula who will lovingly guide mom and baby until they reach success.

2. Health coach. Is mom getting enough to eat and drink? Postpartum doulas make sure that the mother is having well-balanced meals and plenty of liquids to keep her energy up and health in prime condition. This in-turn will ensure baby has a well energized mommy to care for him or her.

3. Maid. Remember those dishes that are piling up in the sink and those eggs that can’t seem to scramble themselves? A postpartum doula will make sure that the kitchen gets cleaned up before the next morning. Mom will wake up smiling when she walks into the kitchen to find dishes done, countertops clean, and a hot breakfast on the table.  A postpartum doula can also do the other things that pile up, like laundry and basic nursery organization tasks.  You will wonder at how one little person can produce so much dirty laundry every 24 hours!

4. Chef.  Speaking of eggs that don't scramble themselves.  A new mom is a hungry mom.  Particularly if she's breastfeeding!  A postpartum doula will make sure mom has something to drink every time her baby feeds.  She will prepare snacks to keep mom nourished which helps with recovery as well as milk supply.



A postpartum doula wears these hats as well as many others! 
Stay tuned for Part 2! 



Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Emotional Vulnerability as a Doula

It's not easy being a doula. One aspect that might surprise you when you begin attending women, is the vulnerability you must allow within yourself when a mom NEEDS you in that way. 

Ever really held the gaze of someone suffering who is literally pulling the strength and hope they need from you - out of your eyes?!  You cannot look away in that moment. You just cannot, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel. It may be a full length contraction from 1-2 minutes long. Yes. It happens. Have you held someone's gaze that long, while emitting love and approval, pride and concern within your eyes?

 Postnatal moms also at times will want you to hold them, nurture them, even cuddle them as they cry. It's part of mothering the mother. Can you be that open?  Can you be that emotionally available?  It's challenging. 

In order to do this, one must be very solid within themselves. They can't waiver. They can't back off. They must possess the kind of humble confidence and surity that isn't common in the regular population. 

Do you have what it takes?  In all honesty, not everyone does. It takes very special women to do right by this blessed role. 

You can't approach becoming a doula just thinking about what you will get out of it because it's not about that. It's far more about how much of yourself you will be giving to each and every client (and it's more than you think).
Only in that, the more you give and the deeper your commitment, will you gain anything as a doula. 

Peaceful birthy blessings,
Anne

Two of our amazing doulas, Natalie and Melody, at the 2014 Mama & Baby Expo!
Http://www.tranquilseasons.com 



Monday, September 15, 2014

How nice! Massage in Labor...

Did you know....?
Massage benefits laboring moms in a lot of ways!

When was the last time you had a massage? It may have been a professional massage at a spa or it could have just been a quick backrub from your honey, but didn’t it feel good?

According to research, massages can actually assist mothers to labor faster and more comfortably. Even a quick and simple massage can do wonders for decreasing a mother’s anxiety and pain. 
Just check out the findings from this study:
“Twenty-eight women were recruited from prenatal classes and randomly assigned to receive massage in addition to coaching in breathing during labor, or to receive coaching in breathing alone. The massaged mothers reported a decrease in depressed mood, anxiety and pain, and showed less agitated activity and anxiety and more positive affect following the first massage during labor. In addition the massaged mothers had shorter labors, a shorter hospital stay and less postpartum depression.” (1)

During labor, sometimes the focus can all be put on having the mother breath and push. Without a relaxed body, however, focusing all energy (emotional and physical) on these important tasks becomes difficult for mom. Having nurturing support she can trust and feel safe with is important.  Massage facilitates this.

That’s where a well-trained, certified, professional Doula comes in. Having a doula there who knows how to massage and comfort a mother with touch throughout the labor process means that mom can receive that much-needed massage any time she needs it! Find a doula who is certified and specifically trained in maternal-fetal positioning, and the best techniques for helping mom relax her muscles. A massage during labor (whether from Dad or Doula) also allows the mother to breathe easier and keep her rhythm. The results? A less-stressed, less-depressed mom and a shorter labor process and hospital stay. 

Who can say no to that? 


Resources:
(1) Field, T., Hernandez-Reif, M., Taylor , S., Quintino, O., & Burman, I. (1997). 
Labor pain is reduced by massage therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and 
Gynecology, 18, 286-291.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

Pregnancy and Birth are Normal Functions of the Female Body

Pregnancy and birth is a normal physiological function of the female body.  In general, the female body is as capable of pregnancy and birth as it is breathing, digesting food or passing urine.  It is logical to assume that interference is not necessary unless and until a problem presents itself, and not unless or until there is evidence that the body’s self-correcting restorative capabilities are not meeting the need of the problem.

It is also very important to remember that the variety and ability of the female body to conceive, carry and birth a baby constitute a large range of “normal”.  For example: Just because one woman labors best in a certain position does not mean that all women labor best in that position.  That “best” position may not suit the same woman in subsequent labors, either.  The ways in which they can “get the job done” is as varied as the women themselves and the babies they carry. 


Everything in a woman’s life changes when she gets pregnant.  Her body’s changes are the most prominent because we can look at her and it's right there.  However, change is also present in the way she sees and thinks about herself and the world around her - as well as the way the world sees and thinks about her.  The mothering instinct is quite strong and predominant in some, while it is more subdued or delayed in others.  

No matter what the mother thought or felt about herself before, she will now envision herself with another person in her life depending on every breath and calorie - unlike any relationship before it.  That transition will manifest in beautiful ways when she is supported properly during pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period.  But hey, you already knew that!   Congratulations!

Have you ever considered becoming a doula?  Are you good at smoothing things over and keeping things calm when others around you are freaking out?  You might be a doula on the inside.  :) 

Our job as normalizing anchors…

We as doulas are meant to be a sounding board for mothers.  They will usually tell us how they are feeling, in detail.  We are so lucky to get a glimpse into the intimate part of a woman’s journey, whether this is her first or 10th pregnancy.  

It is always our responsibility to have an accepting, nurturing attitude toward the mother.  I call it “putting on love” toward her.  As we do this, we can help to normalize things she is concerned about or may cause alarm in others when truly it’s not a crisis.  She needs someone to be sturdy, and someone she can count on to provide her with reassurance.  

Tell her all you know, while focusing on the positive, and being realistic about the negative – that women have been growing babies and giving birth for eons, and she’s not broken or strange.  One thing I say is to look around, the world has been peopled!  

You’re not the first, and you probably won’t be the last to experience ____________.

Doulas are not all the same, but a well-trained, professional doula who has the integrity of being certified is going to have the skills to nurture and keep you calm when labor gets difficult, and all the times before that too.  

Be picky about who you choose, and remember...  Experience (in years and number of families served) is valuable and it's is worth paying for.

May your birth be blessed with peace and rest.
Anne Croudace

Monday, September 1, 2014

Help! My Baby Won't Sleep!

Sleep Deprivation

Have you ever experienced sleep-deprivation? Many of our military have... It's a form of mental and physical training and often used as a torture practice to wear an enemy combatant down, make them submissive and controllable.

If you've ever had a new baby in the house, you'll know what sleep deprivation is like. When you're really desperate, you may have even considered the counter-intuitive, old practice of making your baby "cry-it-out". We now know that making a baby "cry-it-out" has a strong, negative effect on infant brain development. Parents who cringe at the idea of rejecting their baby's only mode of communication when it comes to sleeping, were right all along. There ARE better ways!!

Being sleep deprived has a negative effect on parents both physically and emotionally, that is certain. However, the experience can also be beneficial to YOUR development as parents. During those foggy brained nights and days, we are still able to meet our baby's needs. We are quick to answer their calls, and we find a deeper patience and resilience within ourselves that we didn't know we had before.

Sometimes our sleep deprivation is caused by a baby who isn't sleeping much more than a few hours at a time (which is physiologically normal and good in the first few months), or it can be caused by our own anxieties or something else. At times, parents get so sleep deprived that they cannot even sleep when they want to. How frustrating!

The trouble with the negative effects from sleep deprivation is that we often times don't know how to cope with the challenge of this transition into parenthood. In America, we turn to medications to help us "fix" the depressed state that comes along with lack of sleep. This in turn can lead to a dependence on mood-altering drugs and usually, an end to the breastfeeding relationship - which is not beneficial for Mom or Baby.

With insight into what babies need to sleep well (and longer) at night, you can troubleshoot and help yourself and your own baby to sleep more at night. Eventually, the deeper phase of sleep will last longer and longer, until baby and parents are sleeping through the night safely and soundly.

At this months' PTN in San Antonio, I will be featured, as a local Infant Sleep Consultant, and will teach parents about newborn physiology in regard to sleep and provide a short quiz to identify their own baby's obstacles to sleep and help them to get more rest!

This will be a mini class, and a full-session class will be held on Oct 6, 2014.
Please contact us to register for class: 210-548-8800