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Sweet Pea ​Births
Sweet Pea ​Births
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
...celebrating every swee​t pea their birth
Blog
Doula Services
| Posted on February 21, 2017 at 9:55 AM |
comments (29)
|
 More and more people are thinking about using doulas or making space in their birth budget for doula care. Doulas are a great resource and can be a huge asset when it comes to preparing for the birth journey. My favorite analogy is that they are tour guides - they have been on the birth journey before and can point out the major landmarks and the subtle nuances. It's up to you to decide how to use that information to have your best possible birth given the circumstances.Here are some things we share with our students when they are thinking about hiring a doula: ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL Doulas comes in a huge variety - there is no one right way to be a good doula. Be sure to interview at least 2-3 so you can get a feel for their personality. Most are happy to do a preliminary phone interview. If that goes well, schedule an in-person meet and greet. We ask our students to consider if they can see themselves naked in front of the person they hire...because it may just happen and if it does, you don't want to have to think about it - you just want to be able to do whatever you need to do to birth your sweet pea. BASIC SERVICES Standard doula care typically includes 2-3 prenatal visits, assistance through your birth, and 1-2 postpartum visits. Prenatal visits last anywhere from 1-2 hours, give or take. They are intended to help you and your doula get on the same page about your birth wishes, offer some time for childbirth preparation, and also have time to talk through what your wishes are if things start to move away from your plan. Birth support typically includes being on call for you 24/7 from 2 weeks before to two weeks after your due date. Doulas will not typically take on clients if they have a vacation planned within that window - they want to be there for you and that four-week window is a commitment they make to be available when you need them. You will decide during your pre-natal visits when you will be calling them. Some families want support while they labor at home, others only want labor support at the birth place. If you are having a home birth, then you will want to talk to your doula about their communication with the rest of the birth team. Again, there is no right or wrong way to use a doula - you hire them to support you in the way that you want to be supported. A doula will be with you when you are ready for labor support and will stay with you until your baby is born. Typically they stay for 2-3 hours after the birth to make sure you are settled in your recovery space at home or at the hospital, to make sure you eat something and that breastfeeding is off to a good start. Doulas are not necessarily lactation consultants; most do have basic training to help a MotherBaby get a good latch for the first feeding. Postpartum visits typically happen within a day or two of your sweet pea's birth, and then maybe one more at a week or two weeks postpartum to review your birth story and answer any questions you may have about your birth. While birth doulas have a different scope of practice than postpartum doulas, some may offer to prepare food or do a load of laundry or clean a bathroom, etc., while they are there. ADD-ON SERVICES In this day and age, many doulas offer more than birth preparation and support. Here are some of the different services doulas may also offer: Prenatal massage Reiki Maternity photography Birth Photography Newborn Photography Placenta Encapsulation Belly Binding Postpartum Care Packages Herbal Teas + Tinctures IBCLC Lactation Services PRICING Doulas have a lot to consider when they set the fee for their service. They have spent hours and money on training. Some continue to take classes every year to stay sharp and hone their skills. If they have children, they have to arrange and sometimes pay for childcare. Some carry liability insurance and have fees associated with maintaining a personal website. If they also offer childbirth education there are yearly dues with their certifying organization. If they are an accredited doula, they also have their yearly dues with their doula organization. In other words, it isn't free to be a doula! Doula services start around $400 and in some areas of the country range up to $2000 for their basic packages (prenatal visits, birth support, postpartum visits). Fees may vary based on their experience and added services that can be factored into their fee for a "one-stop shop" experience. Even if you don't think you can afford a doula, think about what you can offer. They can work for trade, barter, or exchange of other services. Some do offer a sliding scale or scholarship when they can - it never hurts to ask. Those of us who love birth work and believe in supporting families so that all mothers and babies have the opportunity to birth peacefully will work with you. Do not ask a doula to work for free - as I outlined above, doulas really can't if they are working to support their family. Even if a doula is new and "training" she has already invested in her skills in order to better support you. THOUGHTS TO CONSIDER Hiring a doula is a personal decision. The person that your sister or best friend loved may be a lovely person. However, that does not necessarily make them the best person to help you along on your birth journey. Take a minute to think about what you think your ideal labor support person is going to be: hands-on, hands-off? In charge? More of a guide? Involve the husband as a partner? Keep in mind that although The Bradley Method® places the wife and husband as equal partners in the birth process, not all birth partners want that mantle of responsibility. If your birth partner is saying they are not sure or they absolutely do not want to be in the middle of the action, explore how that works for you. Your doula will help you create a space that welcomes your sweet pea. Trust your instinct about what is right for your family and make the best of the birth journey that you and your baby need. What do you look for in a doula? Disclaimer:
Birthing From Within and Bradley
Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: convenient to Chandler,
Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale
|
Waiting For Baby
| Posted on May 27, 2016 at 8:54 AM |
comments (58)
|
 Originally posted Fall 2011 - sharing today since some of our Spring 2016 mamas are starting to approach their EDD's)So
your estimated due date is approaching...or maybe it has passed. Those
little ones we are carrying are happily ensconced in their warm, loving
homes. To us “carriers”, it feels like we have been pregnant forever!! I
remember that feeling very well. We have always had the good fortune
of having our babies before our due date. I am mentally preparing for
this baby to be the one that teaches us how to wait...and since we are
not planning to have any more children after this, reminding myself to
treasure every moment of the pregnancy...I’ll get back to you on that
after our baby is born. (Our youngest was born at 38 weeks - got lucky again!) As
a reminder, if you are a first-time mom, there was a Harvard study
published in the June 1990 edition of the medical journal Obstetrics
& Gynecology that demonstrated that we are probably not allowing
enough time when estimating due dates (read more). We give a copy of
this article to our students on the first evening of class. It is a
retrospective evaluation of pregnancies between April 1, 1983 and March
31, 1984. The
conclusion of that study was that the median estimated due date for
primiparas (first-time mothers) should be 8 days later than Naegele’s
rule (the 40 week date used to estimate due dates - it’s been around
since 1830), and that multiparas should have an estimated due date that
was 3 days later than Naegele’s rule. Per their study, if you are 41
weeks as a first-time mother, your baby might just be arriving to the
point when he or she is ready to be born. For
some of us, it is hard to be in the last two weeks before your due
date, wondering when labor is going to start. If you are personally
tired of being pregnant, it is hard to remember that every day your baby
is inside your womb is a day he or she needs to finish their
preparation for “life on the outside”. Because you are big, hot and
uncomfortable, and you are ready to be done!! I cannot even imagine
what it’s like to go past your estimated due date and then have people
you know constantly asking, “Is the baby here yet?” or, “Have you had
that baby yet?” At
that point, you might as well get a t-shirt made that says “Obviously
STILL Pregnant”. If your family and friends are constantly calling to
check on you, you could screen your calls. Change your phone message to
say “Still pregnant - don’t call me, I’ll call you! Leave me a message
if you are calling about something else.” All
kidding aside, here are some ideas that have been shared on our Facebook page that I hope
will help you pass the time as you wait for your baby to arrive safely
into your loving arms. From a Series 2 Coach: “[We] Reviewed Bradley® material,
continued to think about our own birth plan and contingencies,
continued to exercise (Kegel), and practiced relaxation techniques. Bags
packed, gas tank filled, friends/family/support group info programmed
into phone, phone charger? We also enjoyed the peaceful time we shared
as a couple and thought about our soon to be family of 3. Slept a bunch
too. Ahhhhh..... sleep.” From a reader in Phoenix, AZ: “My
confession: I had gathered supplies to bake birth-day cupcakes during
early labor. At about 10 days past ''due date,'' I caved in, baked the
cupcakes, and ate them! Our son arrived two days later. Despite our
Bradley® training, I was a bit impatient and I definitely learned my lesson!” From one of our Bradley® teachers: “The other kids kept me busy. Eating out is always a help.” From moms in our Series 2 and Series 4: “Retail therapy!” I
know one of our students from our Spring Series 5 is busy quilting a
blanket while she waits for her labor to start - they are already “past
due” their estimated due date by seven days. To
piggyback on the advice from our Series 2 Coach, it is vitally
important that you keep up with your exercise and relaxation practice.
Exercise is important to keep your stamina and your energy up, as well
as keep your circulation going. Some moms experience swelling in the
last weeks of pregnancy. Doing regular cardiovascular exercise will
make sure that things are circulating through your body as needed. The
pregnancy exercises will continue to keep you in good shape for your
athletic event, whether you have a “sprint” or a “marathon” birth. It
has been proven that exercise also produce endorphins. These “good
guys” will be a great asset to you if you are feeling a little cranky
about being uncomfortable. Anything you can do to stay positive will
help you have a better labor. Relaxation
practice is another key for coping with an approaching or passing due
date. It helps both mom and coach increase in their confidence to
manage their natural labor. If mom knows that coach knows what they are
doing, it will help her achieve deeper relaxation to manage the
discomforts of labor. If coach knows they know what they are doing,
they are confident and unwavering in their support. Relaxation
practice also helps keep mom’s blood pressure lower. If you go past
your due date, your blood pressure will be monitored every visit. The
better your reading, the less likely you are to be pressured to “do a
little something to speed things along” or schedule an induction. I
spent the last two weeks of our first pregnancy preparing Puma’s
pregnancy scrapbook. The attention to detail and the loving touches
made the time worthwhile. To date, she is the only one with a real book
- that was the last time I have made the time to work on one. The rest
of the kiddos have their items gathered and labeled...one of these days
there will be time again. If
you have older children, I find it’s important to spend one-on-one time
with them, too, wherever you are in respect to your due date. I do
have virtual albums made for each of the kiddos - they are a great help
as we prepare to welcome our fourth child. I use our special time to
look at their pictures with them, tell them their birth story, and
remind them that they were once babies, too. The
albums show their birth and their first year in our family. The
pictures show them how we took care of them, and we can relate how we
will be doing things for the new baby. You can also remind them that
you will always love them despite the fact it will seem like you are
spending most your time with the new baby. It may feel like the baby is
going to be a baby forever - showing them the pictures of their quick
progression may help demonstrate that this time will pass and soon they
will have more of your attention again. “Banking” some special time
with them now may help decrease the jealousy after baby arrives. I
would also suggest making time with your spouse. Create special date
nights for just the two of you, for it will be the last time you are
just the two of you, or “the parents of # children.” This is a time you
can spend talking about the plans for your birth, your hopes and dreams
for your children, and reminiscing about the days you fell in love.
Although it will feel like there is less “couple time” after your baby
is born, I hope that you will be as blessed as we are with the birth.
Inexplicably, we are more and more in love with each other after each
birth when it seems like we just couldn’t love each other any more than
the overabundance of love we felt already. Have you documented your pregnancy yet? Make time to have a belly-cast done, or have some pregnancy pictures taken. You can share some laughs with the person doing your belly cast. Find a fun place to take pregnancy photos - maybe a botanical garden, the zoo, a historical building. Not only will you have a good day trip, but your child will have some great stories to hear some day when you tell them about the pictures. If
you are artistic, you can dedicate some time to writing, painting or
drawing. You can dedicate your art to the new baby, or explore your
feelings about your pregnancy through your art. These pieces will
probably become treasured keepsakes to your children. If
you are so inclined, you can also sew, knit, or crochet a blanket or
baby clothes. Older siblings might enjoy having an item of clothing or
outfit made out of the same fabric or yarn to show that they are all
going to be part of the family now. Just wear your “STILL Pregnant”
t-shirt when you go to the fabric store! It has been my experience that
the ladies at the fabric counter love to chat up pregnant customers. Best wishes to you if you are near or past your due date. Please feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] if you would like us to pray for you. Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It
is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical
advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider
to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own
situation. This blog contains information about our classes available in
Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The
Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily
reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of
Husband-Coached Childbirth®. Reference: Harvard Study: Obstetrics & Gynecology, Vol. 75, No. 6, June 1990, pgs 929-932 |
Inside Look: East Valley Infant Massage
| Posted on February 5, 2016 at 8:46 AM |
comments (84)
|
 I met Michelle Cordero last year when we both participated in PB&J Events' Pregnancy + Baby Fair. She is a wealth of information about infant massage, an amazing tool to help parents bond with their Sweet Peas. Infant massage can also help with common hurdles in the childbearing year: fussy tummies, teething, and bonding with siblings, to name a few. What makes Michelle's classes unique is that she is willing to work with families who have toddlers. Most Infant Massage classes only welcome families with non-mobile children, making you ineligible once your Sweet Pea is 6-months old. Not so with Michelle - since she is a licensed massage therapist, she is able to tailor classes especially to the group. I wish you enjoy this month's Inside Look with Michelle! Her contact information is at the end of the post if you want to enroll in an upcoming class, or take advantage of her FREE monthly intro classes. Tell me about East Valley Infant Massage. East Valley
Infant Massage (“EVIM”) provides private and group classes to
teach parents and caregivers how to massage their babies. I provide nurturing
touch skills to parents to impact children for a lifetime. What kind of clientele does EVIM serve? EVIM classes are
designed for parents and caregivers of infants and toddlers who want to include
a powerful tool in their care giving to help promote healthy bonding, growth
and development. Parents with babies who have tummy issues report that regular
massage has been helpful in minimizing digestion discomforts. Regular massage
also promotes better sleep and relieves other issues such as teething and
congestion. What age range of client does this service
care for? Is there anything you do not provide for? Our typical class participants range from 3 weeks
old to pre-crawling, mostly because we then have a captive audience. We do
welcome children up to around 3 years of age, but the more mobile the child,
the more creative we have to get in class. It makes for an interesting
session! Even though I am also a licensed massage
therapist and can massage the babies myself, I do not provide the massage to
the baby directly (I bring demo dolls with me to class) because I want to
empower the caregiver with the skills to massage baby not only in class, but
long after. There are some interesting studies out there that show that infant
massage can help parents become more confident in their abilities as
parents. What makes EVIM unique? I tailor each class for the needs of the
participants. I'm currently working on adding new classes at different times of
the day/week to best accommodate moms and dads with different schedules.
Because not one time is perfect for all babies, I understand that sometimes baby
will be sleeping or fussy during class. I encourage participants to tend to
their babies' needs, such as feeding, changing or rocking baby while watching
the instruction. I always send parents home with great handouts to help them
practice at home and welcome any follow up questions (during the next class in
a series or by phone/email/text in case anything was missed during class. What motivated you to start EVIM? I have been a massage therapist for almost 14
years and have worked on clients of all ages, including babies and toddlers.
When I had my son 4 years ago, I joined different mom groups online and in
person and saw a lot of moms asking for help in different areas with their
babies, including sleeping issues, tummy problems and advice for helping dad and
siblings bond with baby. I knew that infant massage can help immensely in these
areas and more, so I decided to get my certification to teach infant massage to
parents to give them more tools to help their babies and their families. Is there anything else our readers should know
about EVIM? I'm often asked for the magic massage routine
that will make all babies sleep through the night or get rid of gassy tummies
completely. I wish I could say that there is one surefire way to accomplish
these things. However, I know that touch is a simple, yet powerful and
underutilized tool that can be added to routine care giving and can make a huge
difference for families. Even if baby is a relatively "easy" baby,
the family can experience many benefits from massage. I love to facilitate
those benefits for my class participants. What inspires you? Tough question, since I have many sources of
inspiration. My son and husband inspire me daily; as they remind me to slow
down, enjoy the day-to-day and find joy in simple pleasures. I'm also inspired
by those who do for others with no expectation of getting anything in
return. Michelle's contact informtation PHONE: 480-269-1531 EMAIL: [email protected] SOCIAL MEDIA: WHERE TO FIND MICHELLE: **Free
intro class for expectant parents at the Ahwatukee Babies"R"Us on the
2nd Thursday of the month
from 6-7 **Group
classes held at Modern Mommy. Check the website as new classes will be added soon. Disclaimer: The material included in this blog is for informational
purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for
professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his
healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for
their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss
Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site,
or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about
our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official
website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained in this video and on our
blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American
Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®.   |
My Most Important Thing I Have Learned
| Posted on November 17, 2015 at 8:12 AM |
comments (0)
|
 Bruss taught class last week. As is our custom, he writes the next blog post as a follow-up to his class. Here are his thoughts on an original question he was asked last week: I received a question from a student that
I've never had before. Specifically, I was asked, what was the single
most important thing I've learned from our first labor. What a great
question that was. As a coach, going into the pregnancy and labor for
the first time, you don't know what you don't know. Everything is
completely new. Krystyna and I learned a great deal from our Bradley
instructor, as we did from our Doula during the labor process. Everyone learns differently, and so looking at our
100+ students I realize that all of them will take away different
things from the Bradley classes that we give. Further, they all have
unique pregnancy and labor experiences. So when teaching, I try to be
cognizant of this and give the students the depth and breadth of our
experiences over four births, as well as the anecdotal experiences from
our students' history. I also like to preface much of what I say in
class with the fact that these are my suggestions, based on significant
experience (144 hours of labor between four births). In addition, I encourage the students to gather as much information
as possible and then weigh that information against their own experience
and who they are as individuals. Ultimately these students are going
to have to make up their own minds about how they manage their
pregnancy, labor and being parents. I think it best for them to get as
much information as possible, take on those things that are meaningful
to them, discard those things that are not and make the information
their own. So, what single most important lesson that I take from our first labor? For
our labor, the single most important lesson that we learned was the
crucial importance of rest. We had heard this advice from our Bradley
instructor (as well as the manual itself) and immediately ignored it as
we went into labor for the first time. The excitement that occurs
especially with first time parents is unavoidable. But we took that
excitement to an extreme and tried to do everything without sleep. The
truth about labor is that until the baby is born you don't know how long
your labor is going to take. Some couples have shorter labors others
more lengthy but all labor is a lot of work and it is crucially
important for the mother to conserve energy as much as possible to be
able to have the emotional, mental and physical reserves necessary
especially towards the end of labor. For us, we just barely had enough
energy at the end of a 26 hour labor for Krystyna to push the baby out,
and that only with an episitomy. For our subsequent three labors we
made a conscious decision to really, really focus on rest during the
earlier stages of labor so that Krystyna would have energy for when she
needed it the most, during the more demanding labor tasks
(transition/pushing). Two of our subsequent labors were fully twice as
long as our first yet Krystyna had more energy at the end to push those
babies out without need for surgical interventions.  Now, in our Bradley classes both Krystyna and I make
the point to bring up the importance of rest during labor in almost
every class. It is that important.There are
1,001 things to learn about in pregnancy and labor, all of them
important. Yet, sometimes it is the simple things that can make all
the difference. Best, Bruss Disclaimer: 
The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional
medical
advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider
to
determine the appropriateness of the information for their own
situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House,
LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the
consequences
of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This
blog contains
information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ
and is
not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on
this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or
the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Natural Oxytocin Boosters
| Posted on October 23, 2015 at 9:27 AM |
comments (0)
|
 I am going to direct you to THIS article about how oxytocin helps to reduce stress and
promote peace. It's no surprise that oxytocin is
the same hormone that is released when we make love, arguably a great stress
reliever and a promoter of peace for couples. A lovely consequence of making love when the timing is right: welcome, baby, some 36+ weeks later!
In addition to being the “love” hormome, oxytocin is also produced in great
quantity when a woman is in labor. The
hard contractions can only happen if the woman’s body is producing ample
oxytocin. I find it so ironic that the physical
pain and the emotion of love are happening at the same time. That must be the combination
that makes natural birth possible, that helps bond us to our Sweet Peas, and why people sign up for the experience
more than once. I can honestly say that
I am really going to miss being in labor. Call me crazy! Anyway.
I wanted to call out their suggestions for non-medical ways to boost oxytocin
production and talk about how they may be options to consider while you are in
labor since the article was not birth specific.  Breastfeeding: If you have an older sibling who is nursing, you can nurse them during
labor. Nursing stimulates the
production of oxytocin, so I encourage you to be mindful of any contractions it
stimulates. You do not want to trigger
an early labor, so pay attention if you feel a pattern developing and it’s not
time for baby to make an appearance just yet. Touch: one of the cornerstones of The Bradley Method® is relaxation. Among the 11 specific relaxation techniques
that we teach during the course, two of them are massage and stroking. Even if a mother does not want to be spoken
to, a Coach can use those techniques. If
she doesn’t want that either, the simple act of holding her hand is listed as a
way to boost oxytocin. Daydream: Another relaxation technique
we teach is related to daydreaming. We
ask coaches to recount a past experience or a future dream that makes mother
feel like she is in her “happy place”. It might be a trip, an experience, dreams you have about your life as a family together...anything that is calming, encouraging and would elicit a smile.Oxytocin production in labor suggestions offered by Sweet Pea Births, instructor in the Bradley Method® natural childbirth classes offered in Arizona: Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, PaysonPet you furry friend: One of the many
benefits of laboring at home. Do you
have a four-legged friend that wants to cuddle? Go for it! Love on them, speak in
gentle tones…it will be calming for both of you.  Pleasant smells: This one has the added
benefit of paying dividends at your birthplace. One of the suggestions we make in Bradley™ class is to eat your favorite
meal when you think you might be in labor. The other one is baking some yummy treats to share with your care
providers. Hopefully both of those
things will generate smells that you welcome in labor. Either way: you are producing oxytocin, mama
is well fed if it’s the beginning to have energy for the duration of labor, and
your care providers get treats. We found
that feeding them kept them happy and that always made for positive birth
experiences for us. Music: Mamas or Coaches can take the
time to generate a play list to use in their birth space. I have seen couples use a music app to
choose the music for them in labor – it saved them from the planning/organizing time at
the outset while still providing the music that was soothing to mama. Find something that works for you and
remember to put it on your packing list so the music makes it to your birth
space.
As I leave you with these ideas, I want to remind mamas and coaches that even if you are doing all of these things, labor cannot progress by oxytocin levels alone. One of the key components of birth is surrender. Do the things that boost your oxytocin and then let go, give in, and open up to the whole experience of labor and the birth journey. The best gift is at the end when you meet your baby – it is SO worth it!
Best wishes for your upcoming birth – we hope some of these natural oxytocin
boosters will help you stay on course with your wish list! Which one of these do you like and/or have you used? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. *I think* that the amount of traffic you so generously
generate has led to a lot of spam posting. In an effort to keep the spam
to a minimum, I am taking the time to moderate comments now.
Disclaimer:  The material included on this site is for informational purposes only.
It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical
advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to
determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House,
LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences
of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains
information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is
not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or
the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
Meet the Doula: Grace
| Posted on September 18, 2015 at 4:19 PM |
comments (56)
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 Grace Burnham works in partnership with Amanda Santana of Enchanted Desert Doulas. I have the pleasure of having known both of them for the last three years - they are both talented and have much more to offer their clients beyond their doula skills. SPB: When was the first time you heard the word "doula"? GB: I was 19 the first time I heard the word doula. I was thinking about massage school, and I was reading a massage magazine and when I saw the term “massage doula". I looked it up right away and I knew that was something I wanted to do. SPB: How did you decide that becoming a doula was part of your journey? GB: As soon as I learned what professional labor support was, I knew it was some something I wanted to do. I researched training options and found the Seattle Midwifery School doula program. The first birth I observed was a birth center water birth. I was hooked after that experience. Since then, I have seen many different kinds of births at different places. Every one reaffirms my connection to this work. SPB: Are you a birth and/or a postpartum doula? GB: I do both birth and postpartum doula work. I enjoy both for different reasons. SPB: How long have you been a doula? GB: It feels like forever since I became a doula, I have been a doula for 7 years and originally l trained with Seattle Midwifery School's DONA program. I later trained with Massage Doula. Along with that, I am also a Licensed Massage Therapist and Lactation Educator Counselor. SPB: What do you enjoy the most about being a doula? GB: Everything! I like watching couples or individuals grow and become families. I like supporting people during difficult experiences and watching them process and grow. I like helping people find their power and become their own advocate. Also, babies! SPB: What is your philosophy when you go to a birth space? GB: My philosophy in the birth space is it’s not my space, it’s not the care providers space, it’s the families space. I ask myself when walking into a birth space, “How can I help this family find their own power?" I absolutely want my clients to feel empowered by their birth experience. SPB: How do you work with and involve the Coach? GB: It’s the family’s birth and I am there to support them, so I coach the coach. I pay attention to the coach’s needs, making suggestions for them, or offering pep talks. I want partners to feel empowered by the birth experience so they start off on the right foot as empowered parents. SPB: What is the toughest situation you have ever dealt with? How did you handle it? GB: Without going into too much detail, I had a client who was struggling in a way that she wasn’t able to care for her infant and older children, so I was worried about their safety. I was left feeling like this mom needed more help to be able to parent and didn’t want her to end up with social services involvement. I worked with her family to get her professional help as well as providing additional postpartum hours. It was worth it and now they are thriving. SPB: What keeps you working as a doula? GB: The birth high after a new baby comes into this world. I can’t imagine birth work not being a part of my life in some way. It's one of those things that I feel I was meant to do. SPB: What does your fee cover – how many visits or hours? Is there a different charge for a shorter labor or longer labor? GB: I work with another Doula, Amanda. Our base fee covers 3 prenatal visits and 2 postpartum visits. Access to two doulas for unlimited questions or concerns via phone, email, or text prenatally as well as a doula at your birth. I or Amanda attend the birth from when you call and want one of us there until the family is settled and baby is fed— usually 2-4 hours postpartum. The rate is the same regardless of how long labor is. In addition to our base fee all birth doula clients can add massage, postpartum hours, or other services at a discounted rate. SPB: Do you offer any other services to your clients? GB: In addition to birth and doula work, I offer massage, couples and infant massage classes, breastfeeding and baby wearing classes. SPB: Just for fun, what do you do when you are not doula-ing? GB: When I am not doulaing I am lifting weights and watching Star Trek, but mostly lifting weights lately. How to reach Grace and Amanda Email: [email protected] Phone or Text: 480-420-8797 Blog Doula Match Profile http://doulamatch.net/profile/6167/grace-burnham Disclaimer: |
Info Sheet: Choices in Childbirth Education
| Posted on May 16, 2014 at 6:00 AM |
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What! A Bradley Method® teacher writing about other kinds of
childbirth education?? Yes, absolutely!  The Bradley Method® is designed for families who are planning to have One Mama who wants to prepare for a natural birth + One Coach who is invested and wants to be the main coach for the mother, and in some cases we train assistant coaches as well. There are so many other dynamics and variations in mothers and in their pregnancy. Today’s information sheet will look at the different childbirth preparation options and offer links to find out more about the different courses offered if The Bradley Method® is not the right fit for you.Why would I do an information sheet on this topic and allow other educators to "brag on" their classes?? It is because I believe that there is no “one size fits all” childbirth education class. If one method were perfect, there wouldn’t be so many options out there. Each method speaks to the people who are attracted to the principles offered in that course. When we do presentations about natural childbirth and our classes, we offer an evaluation guide so that families can weigh any method against their own values and desires for their birth. Just like individuals are unique, they must find the education that fits their personality, timeline and budget. HISTORY: Once upon a time, birth was a community event. Children were born at home; families and neighbors experienced birth with all of it's beauty, goopiness, noise (or lack thereof) and rare complications (most complications of birth happen at a rate of 2% or less). Birth happened to us and around us - it was part of life and living. Then birth started to move to the hospital. Parents went away to have babies, and came back with siblings. Children were no longer privy to what happened during birth. And birth changed - it became medically managed because true, uncomplicated childbirth has a very hard time showing up when you take a mother to a place where she has to birth with an audience of strangers. We began to lose our knowledge and trust in birth - many of us have never experienced a live birth until it happened to us. Hence, the "birth" of childbirth education classes: to teach mothers and their partners how birth looks, sounds, and is likely to proceed if it is allowed to happen as nature intended. Little by little, hospitals and care providers in the hospital setting are open to the idea that interfering with birth is the problem, not the process of birth itself. PROS Most courses will cover provide some, if not all, of these benefits:
CONS
A closer look at the choices in childbirth education Note: this section will be updated as I receive first-hand descriptions of the courses from educators in our area who teach these classes. In our area (Phoenix, AZ), most childbirth education courses run between
$250 - $350, regardless of length. Most
courses are 3-6 weeks long. If you do
the math to figure out the cost per hour, that makes our 12-week Bradley™
course the best value for the money! However, budget is only one factor when
considering a childbirth education course.
Here are some questions you can ask when you are considering
which class is best for you:
To ensure the best quality
of instruction, it might be important to know if the childbirth educator you
are considering is a current affiliate with the certifying organization, or if
they were just trained and never completed their certification. For example, we must carry our most recent affiliation certificate with us when we teach. We are required to re-certify every year. Someone thinking about Bradley™ classes would want to know if the class is a Bradley Method®
class, providing the most current workbook and updated information (our
organization publishes updates to our course outline every year), or is it a
class “just like Bradley™” taught by a former instructor who no longer has
access to the most current information and might only be teaching their
favorite parts of what the method offered them? Here are descriptions of the most common childbirth education methods. Each of the websites listed below has links to find an
affiliated instructor in your area for that “brand” of childbirth instruction.
The bottom line is that there are several options in childbirth
education and preparation. Choose the
method that speaks to your heart – and get the information from the people that
are passionate about and currently affiliated with the method that they teach. We wish you all the best as you do the research to find the best method of education for your Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby Birth-Day. The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |
WW: Little of this, Little of That
| Posted on August 28, 2013 at 9:29 AM |
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We have been collecting photos of the different choices we make that support breastfeeding: babywearing, co-sleeping, and daddy bonding, as well as breastfeeding pictures. Here is an assortment of pictures that didn't make it into their respective weeks - enjoy!       Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and
posted. Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. The Bradley Method® for New Parents: September 6, 2013 through November 22, 2013 Classes meet at 6:00 pm Bradley™ “Next” – full series plus focus on sibling preparation September 7, 2013 through November 23, 2013 Classes meet at 2:00 pm For more information or to register, please call us at
602-684-6567 or email us at [email protected] |
Wordless Wednesday: Bonding with Coach
| Posted on August 21, 2013 at 2:06 PM |
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Today we are sharing photos of different ways our students and fans have found for coaches to bond with baby *without* bottlefeeding; thereby eliminating an opportunity for nipple confusion.  Sharing a moment with coach in the family bed Read to your with nursling Investigate with your nursling  Go for a walk and meet geese wearing your baby Study with your baby Share a laugh with your baby  Visit the zoo and cuddle your sleeping baby Explore the water with your baby The Coach hold Snuggle your newborn baby I am so bummed I didn't download pics of Coach Bruss doing bathtime with our babies! He is the king of bathtime at our home :) I will add them tomorrow when I am reunited with the external hard drive :) To see pics of coaches and toddlers, visit our sister site: |
Blueprint for a Vaginal Birth
| Posted on April 26, 2013 at 7:35 PM |
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 While
there are no guarantees that the kind or amount of preparation you do will lead
to a vaginal birth, there are things you can do to increase your opportunity to
have the vaginal birth you want for your baby.If I could write a blueprint for having a vaginal birth, I would follow the Five-Point Plan outlined in our Bradley Method® classes. Here are five things you can do throughout your pregnancy to decrease your chance of a cesarean when you go into labor: 1. Exercise Have you ever heard of a person signing up for a race on the day of the event with no prior running experience? Have you ever heard of an athlete being signed to a team without any previous training in that sport? No. You would not participate in an athletic event without at least three months of prior training. Labor is like an athletic event. You will have the best outcome possible if you are free to move, walk, and engage your body in different physical positions. A body that is ready for that event will perform much better than a body that starts labor with no preparation at all. 
The Bradley Method® asks students to consider THESE exercises to tone the back,
belly and bottom, the most active muscle groups in labor. We also ask all our students to find some
kind of stamina-building exercise that they can do on a regular basis. Each mama is encouraged to at the very least
walk 20 minutes per day. There are also
other exercises that are safe for a pregnant mother that do not cause excessive
strain on the mama by bouncing up and down on the Kegel muscle: swimming,
jogging in a lap pool, water aerobics, and prenatal yoga are all forms of
exercise that former students have found beneficial to build their stamina for
labor.2. Good Nutrition Coach Bruss tries to impress on the coaches that they have a vested interest in ensuring that their partners are eating a healthy, whole food diet. The benefits for the long-term health of the growing baby will last their lifetime. The mother will benefit in pregnancy and labor if she is well hydrated and well nourished. You can read more about the details of what we teach in Bradley™ classes HERE.
In the event that the MotherBaby do have a cesarean birth, the well-nourished pair
has a better chance at recovery and establishing breastfeeding. Barring additional complications from
surgery, Mother can withstand the trauma of labor and her milk should come in
without too much delay if she has been well nourished. Her good nutrition made strong, healthy,
stretchy tissues, so she may also have a better recovery healing from the
physical rigors of a cesarean. Baby has
been afforded every opportunity to have all the right nutrients for growth
while in-utero, and they are likely to be born at their best health
possible.
Anecdotally, I can share that most of the babies born via cesarean to our
students have had lusty appetites when they are reunited with their mothers! 3. Education You and your partner are going to live with your baby for the rest of your lives. The decisions you make and the information you learn during your pregnancy will help you make the best decisions possible when it comes time to make choices for your birth.
When time allows, take a comprehensive childbirth education course. We love the Bradley Method®, which is why we took it twice and then became certified instructors. We both wanted to work together to bring our children into the world so it made sense for Bruss to train as my coach. We felt the topics covered in the twelve weeks would help us to be as knowledgeable as possible about the process of labor and how to handle the work of labor. We liked the focus on communication, exercise, nutrition and relaxation every week.
If “one size fit all”, there would not need to be any other types of childbirth
preparation course. The reality is that
what works for me, may not work for you, and what works for you, may not work
for your best friend, etc. There are
several other methods to prepare women and/or couples for birth. Along with a link to The Bradley Method® main
page so you can find an instructor in your area, I have listed some of my
colleagues in the Phoenix area who teach other methods at the end of the post,.
I also recognize that sometimes classes are not possible due to timing or
resources. Read THIS about the natural alignment plateau. I also put a suggested reading
list at the bottom of this post – you can read as much or as little as you want. I did list my top three choices if your time
is limited and you really want to do your best to be ready for your birth.
I will close this section with a parting thought: you would not save up your
money for the vacation of a lifetime and then hand over that savings to a
travel agent and say, “Book it” without any further investment in the process. Your child is priceless. Take the time to read, form a community and
really be confident in the choices you want to make for your birth, and the
options you are willing to consider if your birth takes a different course than
you prepared for. 4. Take Responsibility Piggyback on the last idea: you are the ultimate arbiter of your pregnancy and labor. You can inform yourself and make the best decisions, or you can be completely casual and careless, or something in between.  There are resources like the Environmental Working Group that provide lists of safe products and foods for families. We spend a whole class talking about harmful substances, environmental hazards, and alternatives to them in our Bradley™ series class on Pregnancy.You can also take responsibility for your pregnancy by taking care of yourself physically and emotionally. Avoid stress and overwork. Instead of popping a pill, what do you think about going to see a chiropractor, getting a massage, or going to prenatal yoga classes to ease the discomforts of pregnancy? Some of the most important choices for you to make intentionally revolve around your birth plan. Do you have a provider that supports your birth choices? What is their primary cesarean rate? Are you at a birthing facility that supports your choices? What is the facility’s primary cesarean rate? This information is public record – you can find it. If not, you can contact an advocacy group like Childbirth Connection or Improving Birth to help you uncover that information and find the most vaginal-birth friendly providers and birthing places in your region. Especially if you choose a hospital birth, you can also explore your feelings about hiring a doula. Learn what a doula’s role is in birth, how to hire one that best suits what you anticipate your needs as a couple will be, and then plan it into your budget. Some doulas work on sliding scales, and they are willing to trade and barter – all birth workers want to help you in any way they can. Realistically, couples in all birth places can benefit from a doula – read up and see which choice is right for you. 5. Relaxation Relaxation is the key to The Bradley Method®. Dr. Bradley believed that a well-trained mother who was accompanied by her loving coach could do anything that nature intended. With the knowledge of the progress of labor, she doesn’t have to be afraid of “what comes next”. A well-trained mother welcomes the sensations of labor with the knowledge that this is a journey she must take to grow as a mother. Bradley™ classes teach strategies for physical, mental and emotional relaxation
to have as many tools as possible to break the Pain-Fear-Tension cycle. We teach our couples various positions for
labor so that a mother can follow her instincts and get into the best position
possible to achieve maximum relaxation. Both she and Coach know the
roadmap. They also know that their
course may be a sprint or a marathon, or maybe something in between – their
role is to accept the labor and follow mama’s instincts about what she needs
and when. Once she is completely relaxed
and able to surrender, labor can progress beautifully and unencumbered to an unmedicated,
vaginal birth. In closing: As I mentioned earlier in the post, sometimes you do all the right things and
yet, you are still being presented with a situation that looks like it may lead
to a cesarean. HERE is a good post that
covers how to handle different labor scenarios that may present as a reason for
a cesarean. If mom is okay and baby is okay, you can think about asking for more time.
What if you do everything right and you still end up at the operating room? Read HERE to learn about your options if you
want to maximize your cesarean experience to capture the essence of a vaginal
birth. Again, you must educate yourself
and prepare. Consider writing a cesarean
Birth Plan B so that your provider is well aware of what you want to happen
before you are in labor and so that when you ask for these things, they are not
forgotten. A natural approach to a
cesarean takes more time than a standard cesarean. By discussing these things in pregnancy, you
are not going to ask them to change their “game” without fair warning. All of our students come to class with the intention of having a natural,
vaginal birth. There are times when they
have made the choice to have a cesarean for a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome
after laboring and using the tools they learned in class. They had the skill
set to help them identify that despite doing all the things they could, the
cesarean was the birth that their baby needed.
The overwhelming majority of them have been grateful for all the
preparation and the communication skills they learned. Unlike families who felt railroaded into
their cesareans, couples who prepare for their births choose to have cesareans
that ensure a Healthy Mom, Healthy Baby outcome and they have a degree of peace
with their birth to help them on the road to healing. I know gratitude for the process doesn’t take away the feelings of not having the birth they planned and prepared for. Barring the rare complications, having an empowered pregnancy does give them the best possible chance of a VBAC next time. If you did everything right and still had a cesarean, I encourage you to accept your birth. Your baby had a reason for needing a cesarean, and assuming you hired a capable, experienced care provider that you trusted, they knew that knew that was the birth you needed. Seek support from other women who had cesareans through the ICAN organization in person or on-line. Lastly, there is a group of women who will always need a cesarean. They may be high-risk, or they may have high-risk pregnancies. To those women, I say, “You are strong. You are lionesses.” Cesarean births are no joke, and to be willing to undergo them again and again for the love of family, you are the ultimate examples of a mother’s love. Thank you. What do you think – would you add or subtract anything from this list? Please leave us a comment - it will be moderated and posted. *I think* that the amount of traffic you so generously generate has led to a lot of spam posting. In an effort to keep the spam to a minimum, I am taking the time to moderate comments now.
Reading list: Top Three-Four, especially if you are not going to take a class Natural Childbirth The Bradley™ Way – Susan McCutcheon, AAHCC Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth – Ina May Gaskin Thinking Woman’s Guide to a Better Birth – Henci Goer The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding – La Leche League, International Other very informative books: Husband-Coached Childbirth – Dr. Robert Bradley Exercises for True Natural Childbirth – Rhondda Hartman, RN, AAHCC The Birth Book – Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, RN Active Birth - Janet Balaskas A Child is Born – Lennart Nilsson What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know – Gail Sforza with Dr. Tom Brewer Metabolic Toxemia of Late Pregnancy – Dr. Tom Brewer Children at Birth – Marjie and Jay Hathway, AAHCC The Baby Book – Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears, RN Main Page for The Bradley Method® Hypnobirthing: Marinah Farrell (4-6 week course) 480-528-1689Hypnobabies: Noelia Waldo (6 week course) (480) 295-0895 Birthing From Within: Alejandrina Vostrejos (6 weeks) 480-206-1985 Disclaimer: The material included on this site is for informational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult her or his healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation. Krystyna and Bruss Bowman and Bowman House, LLC accept no liability for the content of this site, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided. This blog contains information about our classes available in Chandler, AZ and Payson, AZ and is not the official website of The Bradley Method®. The views contained on this blog do not necessarily reflect those of The Bradley Method® or the American Academy of Husband-Coached Childbirth®. |