This is the question I found myself asking when someone brought up that they would be using a doula for her delivery. I had seriously never heard of a doula. I am going to guess I'm not the only one this applies to. Again, I turned to The Business of Being Born film for a general education on the topic.
A doula is someone who offers physical and emotional support to a woman and her family before and during labor as well as immediately following birth. What does that mean? A doula uses comfort measures such as breathing, relaxation and positioning. A doula also provides information and reassures the mother and her partner (1). A doula doesn't take the place of a healthcare provider. doula's are different from labor and delivery nurses because you are the only person they are taking care of during your labor and delivery, they are focused only on you.
How do you pick a doula, and when should you pick a doula? It is recommended that you have your doula chosen by the end of your second trimester. According to doula association DONA, it is best to speak with several doula's to find the best fit for you. DONA recommends asking questions about the doula's training and background as well as his/her experience. Another important question is about their fee schedule. They might not be as expensive as you think! For additional interview questions, visit this website.
Do a quick search for doula's in the Des Moines area, and you will find there are many available. DONA has a search engine on their website to find local doula's.
There are many benefits to having a doula at your side during labor and delivery. Women who work with a doula are 40% less likely to have a cesarean section according to the American Journal of Public Health.
In 2006, a study was conducted of women's childbirth experiences. The study found that only 3% of woman in the United States had a doula attend the birth of their child (2). A 2012 study of 2,400 women who delivered a single baby in U.S. hospitals between 2011 and 2012 concluded that 6% of women had a doula attend their birth. Another 27% of women from the same study indicated they didn't have a doula, but wanted one (3). The studies indicate the number of women using a doula as part of their birth team is on the rise in the United States.
As a final note, here are a few things that doula's don't do. Doula's are not medical professionals and do not perform medical tasks such as vaginal exams. Doula's do not deliver babies, and doula's do not change shifts. They are also not intended to take over the role of your partner in the birthing experience.
1. http://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/
2. http://www.childbirthconnection.org/pdfs/LTMII_report.pdf
3. http://www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2014/2014-vol20-n8/potential-benefits-of-increased-access-to-doula-support-during-childbirth
-N
r.modern life | a romantic perspective on modern life in the midwest
Monday, April 27, 2015
Friday, March 20, 2015
Birth Options: Induction, Epidurals and Natural Delivery
Before we get too far into the weeds on these touchy subjects, I'm going to state for the record I personally have not experienced childbirth. However, as someone who fully intends to experience it and is considering all options at the moment, I merely hope to share what I learn with others and open a dialogue on the topic.
The very thought of a totally natural delivery with no pain meds freaks me out more than I can say. However, billions of women have done it and there is something to be said for that. One of the ideas presented in the Business of Being Born film, also mentioned in my previous post, is the cycle of women being induced, which strengthens contractions causing the desire for pain medication to assist with the pain which then causes labor to slow or stall out or the heart rate of the baby to jump. In turn, the increases the need to have a cesarean delivery. The argument makes sense to me.
Induction, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a procedure used to stimulate uterine contractions during pregnancy before labor begins on its own. Primarily used when there are concerns for the mother or the baby's health. When I think of a woman being induced, however, I feel like induction generally takes place when the mother is past her due date. When I think of all the pregnant ladies I have known over the past few years, the first thing I felt like I asked if they were past due is "when are they going to induce you". Ladies, slap me now if I ask you this question. The whole concept of a due date is silly to me anyway. It is a guesstimation at best. In my mind I compare it to the expiration date on milk. Who is to say that the date printed on the carton is the drop dead date that milk is no longer going to be consumable? By all accounts, a due date could be up to two weeks off.
The way I see it, a baby will come out when they are ready. If you haven't gone into labor, it is the baby and the body's way of saying it isn't ready yet. Have you ever heard of a baby staying in the womb forever? No, it doesn't happen. That being said, I do understand there are certain circumstances when induction of labor is necessary.
According to an article jointly published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine in November 2014, from 1990 to 2008 the rate of inductions in the United States went from 9.5% to 23.1%; nearly 1 in 4 women were being induced. At the same time, the rate of cesarean deliveries rose at approximately the same rate. While the article argues that you cannot make the direct correlation between inductions and an increased risk of cesarean delivery, it does indicate the being induced leads to other risk factors. Induction of labor does lead to increased risk of fetal distress, which leads to an increased chance of delivering via cesarean.
If you are looking for some information on the potential side effects of an epidural, check out this website. It is fairly well documented that an epidural slows down the process of labor possibly by inhibiting contractions. It seems the most common side effect of an epidural on the mother is a lowering of her blood pressure. Many times, this is mitigated with an IV. The most noted side effects for the baby when a mother receives an epidural are problems with temperature regulation and low blood pressure.
Have a few minutes to spare, or maybe an evening to blow? Go check Pinterest for a list of natural ways to handle childbirth. I realize in the realm of natural childbirth, this barely scratches the surface. There is a lot more information out there. Hopefully, none of you are currently reading this thinking to yourselves, "this is all well and good, come talk to me when you actually deliver a baby". To that, I will leave you with this
-N
The very thought of a totally natural delivery with no pain meds freaks me out more than I can say. However, billions of women have done it and there is something to be said for that. One of the ideas presented in the Business of Being Born film, also mentioned in my previous post, is the cycle of women being induced, which strengthens contractions causing the desire for pain medication to assist with the pain which then causes labor to slow or stall out or the heart rate of the baby to jump. In turn, the increases the need to have a cesarean delivery. The argument makes sense to me.
Induction, according to the Mayo Clinic, is a procedure used to stimulate uterine contractions during pregnancy before labor begins on its own. Primarily used when there are concerns for the mother or the baby's health. When I think of a woman being induced, however, I feel like induction generally takes place when the mother is past her due date. When I think of all the pregnant ladies I have known over the past few years, the first thing I felt like I asked if they were past due is "when are they going to induce you". Ladies, slap me now if I ask you this question. The whole concept of a due date is silly to me anyway. It is a guesstimation at best. In my mind I compare it to the expiration date on milk. Who is to say that the date printed on the carton is the drop dead date that milk is no longer going to be consumable? By all accounts, a due date could be up to two weeks off.
The way I see it, a baby will come out when they are ready. If you haven't gone into labor, it is the baby and the body's way of saying it isn't ready yet. Have you ever heard of a baby staying in the womb forever? No, it doesn't happen. That being said, I do understand there are certain circumstances when induction of labor is necessary.
According to an article jointly published by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine in November 2014, from 1990 to 2008 the rate of inductions in the United States went from 9.5% to 23.1%; nearly 1 in 4 women were being induced. At the same time, the rate of cesarean deliveries rose at approximately the same rate. While the article argues that you cannot make the direct correlation between inductions and an increased risk of cesarean delivery, it does indicate the being induced leads to other risk factors. Induction of labor does lead to increased risk of fetal distress, which leads to an increased chance of delivering via cesarean.
Now, lets talk about epidurals to manage the pain. Typically, when I hear people talk about having a natural delivery, an epidural is what I consider the meat and potatoes of what they are talking about. I have always understood there were risks associated with an epidural. To be honest, I'm not sure which worried me more, the thought of squeezing a baby out or a giant needle in my back..... Perhaps I thought I would be able to tolerate the short term pain of an epidural versus the extended pain of labor and delivery. In the name of researching all options when it came to labor and delivery, I started researching alternatives to an epidural.
If you are looking for some information on the potential side effects of an epidural, check out this website. It is fairly well documented that an epidural slows down the process of labor possibly by inhibiting contractions. It seems the most common side effect of an epidural on the mother is a lowering of her blood pressure. Many times, this is mitigated with an IV. The most noted side effects for the baby when a mother receives an epidural are problems with temperature regulation and low blood pressure.
Have a few minutes to spare, or maybe an evening to blow? Go check Pinterest for a list of natural ways to handle childbirth. I realize in the realm of natural childbirth, this barely scratches the surface. There is a lot more information out there. Hopefully, none of you are currently reading this thinking to yourselves, "this is all well and good, come talk to me when you actually deliver a baby". To that, I will leave you with this
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Birth Options- It's OK To Question
Some people call it skepticism, but I like to call it being inquisitive. However, when it comes to birthing options I call in to question "the norm". When you think of delivering a baby, the first thing that comes to mind is a woman in a hospital room in bed during most of the delivery. I don't know about the rest of you, but the thought of that just makes me want to run away screaming. To be honest, when the topic of kids comes up, labor and delivery is the thing that first comes to mind and that pretty much dismissed the thought of kids from my mind.
I am a total sissy when it comes to pain; I know I'm not the only one out there. When it comes to the very thought of labor and delivery, my lady parts started to freak out. Most years I can't walk into the OB/GYN for my annual appointment without feeling like I want to run away, and I really like my OB. I say all this to paint a bit of a picture for you of just how much the whole idea scares me. I have always maintained when it came time for me to have a baby, I was going to be rolling up to the hospital asking for an epidural.
Over the past five years, I have watched many friends have babies, some of them more than one baby. While talking to them about their experiences during childbirth, it got me thinking, "there has to be another way". Some of them have had very easy labors and some of them not so much. But, I thought to myself, "why am I so afraid of delivery". Recently, I had lunch with another friend who also does not yet have kids. We discovered we both have much the same fear when it comes to delivery; pain.
So, I have started on a journey to uncover some alternatives and challenge my mindset about delivery. I would like to take you on this journey with me as I go through the various options. Feel free to comment on posts if you have suggestions, recommendations, or general comments. I love talking to people about this topic as I find everyone has their own unique thoughts on the matter. I think it is important to open up a dialogue and challenge the status quo on the topic of childbirth, labor and delivery.
While surfing Netflix one Saturday morning and seriously wondering if I had watched every decent thing there was to watch, I came across a documentary called More Business of Being Born. It actually has several parts to it on various topics. I picked the first one and started it up. A little ways into the film, Andrew came downstairs to see what I was up to. He ended up sitting down and watching the rest of the film with me. I remember texting a friend of mine who lives out of state after the film was done talking about how much my mind was blown by the film. Andrew and I have actually had a number of conversations about the film since watching it.
The things they talked about were absolutely eye opening, but made total sense. Now, I try not to be a bandwagon person, so I didn't want to buy into what they were presenting in the film without researching further to back up their claims. Some light research confirmed the information presented in the film. I found the original film to the serious The Business of Being Born online and quickly watched it as well. I sent a text to the friend I had been talking about labor and delivery with and told her she HAD to watch the film; we had lunch a couple weeks later to discuss.
After watching both films, I found I had more questions than answers. The films did a great job of explaining things like what a Doula is and his/her role during delivery. They also explained what a Midwife is. However, I had more questions. I wanted to know if there were options for Doulas in the Des Moines area? Do we have Midwives in Des Moines, and can they deliver in the hospitals, or will I have to deliver with a doctor? Are there options outside of delivering in a hospital? Why are so many women induced? What did women do before the days of an epidural? These were all questions I had as I have started my journey of questioning the norm when it comes to delivery. I have tried to focus my research on local options to calm my intense fear of the delivery process.
Each post in this series will focus on a different option I have looked into. My goal in these post is to educate others and encourage them to look into other options rather than accepting the norm.
-N
I am a total sissy when it comes to pain; I know I'm not the only one out there. When it comes to the very thought of labor and delivery, my lady parts started to freak out. Most years I can't walk into the OB/GYN for my annual appointment without feeling like I want to run away, and I really like my OB. I say all this to paint a bit of a picture for you of just how much the whole idea scares me. I have always maintained when it came time for me to have a baby, I was going to be rolling up to the hospital asking for an epidural.
Over the past five years, I have watched many friends have babies, some of them more than one baby. While talking to them about their experiences during childbirth, it got me thinking, "there has to be another way". Some of them have had very easy labors and some of them not so much. But, I thought to myself, "why am I so afraid of delivery". Recently, I had lunch with another friend who also does not yet have kids. We discovered we both have much the same fear when it comes to delivery; pain.
So, I have started on a journey to uncover some alternatives and challenge my mindset about delivery. I would like to take you on this journey with me as I go through the various options. Feel free to comment on posts if you have suggestions, recommendations, or general comments. I love talking to people about this topic as I find everyone has their own unique thoughts on the matter. I think it is important to open up a dialogue and challenge the status quo on the topic of childbirth, labor and delivery.
While surfing Netflix one Saturday morning and seriously wondering if I had watched every decent thing there was to watch, I came across a documentary called More Business of Being Born. It actually has several parts to it on various topics. I picked the first one and started it up. A little ways into the film, Andrew came downstairs to see what I was up to. He ended up sitting down and watching the rest of the film with me. I remember texting a friend of mine who lives out of state after the film was done talking about how much my mind was blown by the film. Andrew and I have actually had a number of conversations about the film since watching it.
The things they talked about were absolutely eye opening, but made total sense. Now, I try not to be a bandwagon person, so I didn't want to buy into what they were presenting in the film without researching further to back up their claims. Some light research confirmed the information presented in the film. I found the original film to the serious The Business of Being Born online and quickly watched it as well. I sent a text to the friend I had been talking about labor and delivery with and told her she HAD to watch the film; we had lunch a couple weeks later to discuss.
After watching both films, I found I had more questions than answers. The films did a great job of explaining things like what a Doula is and his/her role during delivery. They also explained what a Midwife is. However, I had more questions. I wanted to know if there were options for Doulas in the Des Moines area? Do we have Midwives in Des Moines, and can they deliver in the hospitals, or will I have to deliver with a doctor? Are there options outside of delivering in a hospital? Why are so many women induced? What did women do before the days of an epidural? These were all questions I had as I have started my journey of questioning the norm when it comes to delivery. I have tried to focus my research on local options to calm my intense fear of the delivery process.
Each post in this series will focus on a different option I have looked into. My goal in these post is to educate others and encourage them to look into other options rather than accepting the norm.
-N
Monday, January 26, 2015
Valentine's DIY
Now that Christmas and New Years are over, it's time to think about Valentine's Day. The Christmas tree is down, and the snowmen came down last week in an effort to usher in spring early. I was left with no decor until Easter, so I came up with some DIY projects for Valentine's Day.
The frames were repainted from another project. They are plain wooden frames from Michaels. The wooden words are also from Michaels and are currently available for $.99 each.
Happy crafting!
Here are a few of my DIY projects!
Happy crafting!
-N
Monday, January 19, 2015
Thinking Spring
Since this will mark our first post of 2015, Happy New Year to you all! Hope 2015 is off to a great start for everyone! With the warmer weather the past few days, spring has been on my mind. Spring is probably my favorite season. I look forward to the flowers blooming starting in March to break the monotony of winter. Today, I thought I would share with you a little spring beauty to inspire you!
Hopefully these beauties will tide you over until the flowers start to pop out of the ground in the coming months!
- N
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Thanksgiving Tables
With Thanksgiving coming up in a couple of weeks, I thought it was an appropriate time to share some beautiful tablescapes I have come across on Pinterest the last couple of weeks. We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year, so I have been on the hunt from some inspiration for my own Thanksgiving table. Hopefully these beautiful tables provide you with some inspiration for your table decorations!
These gold pumpkins are gorgeous along with the pine cones dusted in gold glitter.
Traditional fall colors mixed with candlelight makes for an intimate setting.
I love the mixture of white and metallic on this table as well as the various heights.
The rustic look of this tablescape is beautiful.
Love the contained look of this wood box mixed with the simple runner.
The various textures on this table are amazing.
Beautiful gold accents on this Thanksgiving table.
Love the burlap on the table runner.
These green pumpkins are so fun on this table.
Love these tree stumps and candles!
These trees with lush greens at the base are breathtaking.
Beautiful green and smokey brown glassware with vintage plates.
*for photo sources, click on each photo
- N
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