where we get milk

My Kindergartner said the cutest thing the other day. "Do you know the three places we get milk? Cows, mommies, and coconuts!"

Since they see my nursing Audrey, breastfeeding is totally normal to them.

Breastfeeding report card

United States stats of breastfeeding rates, broken down by state.
Check it out here.

The NBC Video

Here it the video from the news segment on the VBAC birth that I had the privilege to attend as a doula 2 months ago. I am so proud of Jen for sharing her story! She is an amazing woman and I'm sure her story will help others. It is all over the birth blogs now and I think it's worth looking into for the broader issues that the news segment doesn't cover, mainly VBAC.



The Unneccesarean does a great job covering the story, with links to Jen's birth story that she wrote and links to the ICAN of DuPage leader who was guiding Jen during the last few weeks as to what her rights are. She played a big role in helping Jen. I was so happy for Jen when she had her vaginal birth after cesarean, and so happy now that her important story is being told.

birth photography

My last client had her friend Jenni, a professional photographer, photograph the birth. The pictures turned out beautiful! You find find them on the photographer's blog
(There's a few of me, looking very serious. I guess I really concentrate when I'm giving massages!)

click here to see the pictures! They are really sweet.

my client in the news

My client who had a successful VBAC after being dropped by her providers at 41 weeks is going to be featured in a news story tomorrow night on NBC 5 Chicago at 10 pm. If you are local--tune in!

blood pressure cuff attachments

I'm currently reading The Doula Guide to Birth by Ananda Lowe and Rachel Zimmerman. I think it's fantastic so far. I read this paragraph today and had to nod in agreement:

"Other conditions within a hospital that might affect your comfort and coping abilities include a lack of locks on the doors, staff coming and going without knocking, doors rarely being closed behind staff, a lack of comfort tools such as bathtubs or stereos to play music for relaxation, rules that limit visitors of your own choosing, the restriction of food or food being unavailable even it if is permitted, beds and showers that are not large enough for a partner to join you, and being attached to equipment that restricts freedom of movement"

Yes to all of the above. It all kind of creeps me out. (One small thing I do when I am in the hospital with a client is shut the door all the way.)

What I want to talk about now is being attached to equipment that restricts freedom of movement.

And I want to talk about one very small piece of equipment: the blood pressure cuff. This in my mind would be the simplest attachment to detach. I hate the automatic blood pressure cuffs. I understand, after a woman gets an epidural, she needs her blood pressure checked often every few minutes because the blood pressure may drop, and then an automatic cuff might be nice. But for a normal laboring woman, a permanently attached cuff is a nuisance.

Checking blood pressure is such a basic skill. It was the first thing we learned in nursing school. It was fun to practice on each other and get the hang of it. I still enjoy getting my blood pressure taken by a real person. First they gently put the cuff on me; their touch is soothing. Then the cool stethoscope on my arm just feels nice (I love my arms being touched or stroked). Then the cuff inflates, and as it releases, it somehow relaxes me.

Wouldn't it be nice if women in labor were cared for by human beings instead of machines? Is a blood pressure machine that much superior to a nurse taking a blood pressure? Why the reliance on machines over people?

At the last birth I was at the mother finally just removed the irritating cuff. However, when the next automatic blood pressure was due the machine started beeping. We learned to silence it and had to repeatedly press the silence button for the next while. That was almost as irritating as the cuff itself!

Kindergarten birth stories

I was just in my boys school for some volunteer time. On the walls were displayed one of their recent projects called "On the day I was born". They got to dress up and decorate a life size paper doll, bring a baby picture, and tell a bit about their births (Moms mainly filled this part out). Of course I had so much fun reading the birth stories and I came away very encouraged! Many of the stories were like this: "You came so fast! The doctor didn't make it!" or "You came so fast daddy almost wasn't there" or "It was so quick the doctor had to catch you like a football!" or "I just gave one push!" Seriously, it seems half the births mentioned being fast. There was one planned home birth "You were born in a tub at home surrounded by your family" and one emergency home birth "You came so fast I had you at home and then we called the ambulance". One sheet said "You were a breastfed baby". Another said "You were born breech".

The kids were all so excited about the project. It was so fun to see them displayed on the walls and remember once again the wonder of birth!

Nursing Audrey

I still nurse Audrey a little bit, a very little bit. I'm surprised I still have milk, but I do have enough for a morning feeding, which is the only time she is interested in nursing. She still sometimes wakes up at night and I nurse her so sometimes it's two feedings. I plan to just continue until she gives it up completely. I still think it's cute and sweet when she nurses and since it's not very often it's not inconvenient. Plus I enjoy ten minutes extra sleep time while she nurses first thing after she wakes up. I think it must still have some health benefit because when I got sick with the flu a few weeks ago she didn't get it. Maybe she got my antibodies through my milk.
I know not everyone can or wants to nurse, but I think it's such a wonderful aspect of childbearing, and just as important as birth (if not more because it lasts longer). I do feel proud that I have nursed all my children for over a year.

Thank you everyone for your kind comments from my last post.

I just read a great quote and I want to implement it more in my life:
"With realization of one own's potential and self-confidence in one's ability, one can build a better world" Dalia Lama

some of my feelings at the moment

I have really been enjoying reading some of the wonderful birth blogs out there recently. I admire so many of these women I have never met. They have had empowering births; they are empowering others. They are citing research and facts and also telling moving stories and respecting the beauty of birth. Thank you to all you powerful, knowledgeable women!

I haven't felt like blogging as much lately because I don't know if I have as much to say. (Also I'm busy with my kids and I've been sick and my computer died too).

I do absolutely love my doula work. I had a birth this week with a client and it was just wonderful. I love being there for the entire labor, watching the rhythm and intensity build as the hours pass and then the culmination of a new person into the world is just amazing. Mothers are so powerful.

I am now officially a certified doula. CD(DONA). I don't have any more clients scheduled so now that I am official I want to get my name out more. I feel I am a good doula because I care deeply about the women I work with and I want to support them. I was reading in my journal the other day from when I was in L&D during nursing school. I wrote, "I feel like supporting women during birth is what I was meant to do". That was back in '02, before I even knew what a doula was!

But there is a part of me that feels inadequate. I feel like a failure myself because I have had two scheduled c-sections. I have never even been given the chance to labor. Sometimes I blame my doctors and midwives for that, sometimes I blame myself. I think I would be a better doula if I experience labor and birth myself. Other times I feel like my experiences make me a good doula. For instance, I know first hand that c-sections aren't as safe as vaginal births in most cases. I am passionate about helping others VBAC or avoid the first c-section. I know what it's like to have a baby in the NICU. I know what it's like to be a mother, is that enough to make me a good doula?

I care deeply about women and what happens during birth. It's very important. I know that because 16 months after my second c-section I still cry about it. Not very often, but writing this out is making me cry now. I wish I would have just had my VBAC. But then I probably wouldn't be on this path now of being a doula so in that aspect it's okay.

Well, that's enough of rambling for now. It feels good to get some of my feelings out.


Audrey's birth 08

James and Nathan 03