Doula Awareness month FOD day 6

Did you know that doulas often drive a seperate car when going on outings with family just in case they get called in?

Fear

“Fear can be overcome only by Faith.”

 ~Grantly Dick-Read, M.D.

Birth Tub Rental Now Available

Contact me today about your birth tub rental

The AquaDoula is the original heated, portable spa developed specifically for labor and waterbirth.

As seen on the Learning Channel's "A Baby Story", the AquaDoula, for years, has helped mothers and babies worldwide experience a gentler birth.

Easily set up in minutes with minimal assembly, the AquaDoula is soft, yet sturdy, and comfortably accommodates mother and helpmate.

Furthermore, the AquaDoula's lightweight, modular design makes for a compact shipping size (2 sq.ft. box/approx. 60 lbs.) allowing convenient transporting and storage.

 Available for due dates in 2013

Do you have thoughts of enjoying a wonderful water birth for your upcoming labor and/or birth?  If so, you now can rent the AquaDoula through Whoz Your Doula Birth Services.   This tub is available for your birth at home or in the hospital.  Please ensure you have spoken with your care provider about 
your wishes for a water labor or birth before completing your tub rental agreement.  Tub must be picked up in Tupelo, Mississippi.  If delivery is needed, extra fees will apply depending on location. Whoz Your Doula Birth Services doula clients receive 20% off of their tub rental.  

Tub Rental is only $250 for the three weeks around your due date.

In order to reserve your pool please contact us for more information.  A deposit of $50 holds your duetime.  Full payment is due by your 37th week.  There is a $20/day fee due if the pool is not returned or arrangements made for pick-up within the first week after your birth.  

Birth and Sex

  Sheila Kitzinger on her book about Birth and Sex.  The core message of this book, according to Kitzinger herself, is we must trust our bodies and ourselves and stop looking at birth as an exam that can be passed or failed.  She speaks to first time mothers saying research evidenced based information to have a more informed birth.  Kitzinger says that the book is really geared towards women who are having their second children as well because it can help heal traumatic or unexpected birth outcomes.

This book is available on amazon for less than $15.  I just finished reading Kitzinger's Rediscovering Birth with a book club for birth workers and it was an awesome (and very quick) read.  It is now available in my library for clients and friends.  Birth and Sex is on my wish list!

Until next time, Have a safe and super journey to birth

I Breastfeed and.... week 3 bf blog hop

It's week 3 of the Breastfeeding blog hop hosted over at Sisters n' Cloth.  This weeks topic is I Breastfeed and.. (multi-taksing or other "green" things).  When I read that topic the first thing I thought of is pee.  Yes, I have breastfed a baby while peeing among other things.  I don't remember anything green though.   (that was TMI!  I know) 

  Anywho! It's been a while since I breastfed anybody.  Almost two years exactly.  I have been free of a nursling and it does feel kind of weird    Those of you who have breastfed and have now weaned totally understand that feeling.  So the list of things I remember doing while breastfeeding here we go:

fold clothes, change a diaper of both a nursing child and an older one (not simultaneously of course-I know you thought I was super woman), fixed dinner, shopped at wal-mart, held a non-nursing child, held another nursing child, nursed another child, wrote a term paper, talked to someone on the phone about their breastfeeding child, doula-ed on more than one occasion, taught a childbirth class, taught a breastfeeding class, hosted a community baby shower, ran a Girl Scout meeting (those are some of the most breastfeeding friendly teenagers you will ever meet now), tended a fire, built a roman empire (Caesar was my favorite game while I was breastfeeding my second child), studied for school, went hiking,  read a magazine, geocaching, hung clothes on the line (this was tricky though), mopped floors, watched one child's performance in Annie while my youngest who was colicky breastfed the entire time (people kept offering to hold the baby and I would politely say oh she's eating), recycled, sat in the back of a court room waiting to be dismissed from jury duty, vacuumed, read a book, made some cloth diapers and some mama cloth, tried to crochet -I never was successful in doing that while breastfeeding though-.  pumped for the baby's needs for the next day, wrote a letter, typed with one hand, updated my Myspace  had a conversation with someone who was oblivious that I was feeding someone at that time, ate a meal, ordered a meal, ran a La Leche League meeting, took part in a Breastfeeding Awareness walk, went shoe shopping for other kids, donated items to a clothing closet and food pantry, sat through a church service, completed a doula training, pumped milk to donate, homeschooled children that belonged to me and some that didn't , oh and my all time favorite- turn backwards in the car, hanging my boob over a baby so he can be comfortable and my husband could continue to drive the car in peace after our 15th stop on his first car ride.  

Well, I'm sure there are a ton of other things that I have done while breastfeeding.  This for sure took me down memory lane.  ;) After breastfeeding four babies for a total of 91/2 years, breastfeeding pretty much is done without a second thought during everything that is done in life.  

Happy Breastfeeding memories to you and remember to read all of the awesome bloggers on this blog hop.  

Five quick FAQ's about water birth

1. Will my baby drown if he is born underwater?  Actually because your baby is still attached to the umbilical cord he will have all of his  oxygen requirements met the same way as it has been all of these months that he has been in utero.    Air breathing begins only after  your baby has been exposed to a change in temperature and air pressure.  That’s why it is so important to maintain the temperature of the water during the labor and birth. 

2. What does the water temperature have to be during my labor and birth?  The water needs to be kept between 95-100 ˚F.  It should not exceed 101˚F.  Make sure you are comfortable.  Water that is too cold can make you lose body heat, too hot can cause dehydration and cause you to feel drowsy. 

3. Are there any special precautions I need to take during my water birth?  Yes, don’t argue if your birth attendant asks you to get out of the tub, and make sure you drink plenty of water so you will remain hydrated.

4. Are there any special considerations regarding my birth tub selection?  When choosing your birth tub consider your place of birth.  If you are delivering in the hospital it is imperative to talk to the hospital about any  rules they have regarding your birth tub.  Your tub should be deep enough for the water to reach your armpits for better buoyancy. 

5. What benefits can I expect from having a water labor and birth?  Many women benefit from the increased comfort they get from water even during difficult births as it promotes relaxation.  It can improve the efficacy of your labor and some women even benefit from the perineal support the water provides decreasing their chance of tearing.  It has also been shown to decrease moms blood pressure and shorten labors. 

Want more information check out:

www.waterbirth.org

www.waterbirthinfo.com

And as always here's a video of a natural water birth: 

The most awesome baby bath

This is  one of the most awesome baby baths I've ever seen.