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Aches & Pains
Essential Oils In Pregnancy
Labor
Labor Prep
Loss Recovery
The Work Of A Doula
Let's Talk about it. |
All
Aches & Pains
Essential Oils In Pregnancy
Labor
Labor Prep
Loss Recovery
The Work Of A Doula
You're not alone in your fears! Pregnancy, especially if new to you, can come with some serious fears. Movies do a great job of scaring the crap out of you! Let's chat about some of those fears. Maybe I can help debunk some myths or at the very least - ease your mind a little! #1. Pooping in LaborIt happens. It seems embarrassing. You might get embarrassed. You might laugh. You might cry. You might even scream. Catch my drift? There are many responses to this little dilemma. Let me assure you, it will not bother me as your doula and it will not bother your nurses or doctors. IT HAPPENS! The same muscles used to push out a baby are involved in emptying your bowels, after all. And before you ask, why don't they give me an enema before labor...let me tell you: 1) it won't reduce the length of labor, 2) it does not lower the risk of infection in any way from contamination, and 3) that can be SUPER uncomfortable and the last thing you need at this stage of pregnancy is any more discomfort! Chances are, you may not even realize your do the doo. If by chance you do get embarrassed and run through one or all those emotions above, I can tell you it will be short lived and in active labor you literally won't give a poop! Don't be afraid of holding back during pushing because you'll only risk lengthening your labor or increasing your pain. Embrace the poo! #2. Having a Breech BabyAcupuncture. Moxibustion. Chiropractic Care. Webster's Technique. Maya Massage. Craniosacral Therapy. Inversions. External cephalic version. You can see, there are a few ways to handle this. All of which are no guarantee that little one will flip around. So what do you need to know? First of all, breech fetal position is completely normal before 30 weeks and often until about 32 weeks. Secondly, trust your baby and your body. As silly as it may seem (or not seem), talk to your body and your baby - manifest the direction the baby should be in. Third, you have some options to try prior to making the hard decisions needed for labor. Start with a chiropractor around 30-32 weeks. Some practice the Webster's technique (a sacral adjustment to align the pelvis), others use varying techniques based on their experience and results. Moxibustion uses mugwort on a stick, a lot like a stick of incense, and holds it over an acupuncture point heated 2-3x per day for about 2 minutes on each side of the body. Moms have seen success in flipping breech babies, mostly in the 34-35th weeks of pregnancy. As your doula, we can also help with teaching and guiding specific inversion techniques and positioning exercises to help baby flip around. It's important to note, these options are not always successful and that many factors come in to play here. Believe it or not, breech seems to run in families. Personally, all of my babies were breech at some point in pregnancy! The womb shape, cord placement, hip/pelvis size and twin pregnancy also have an influence on the baby's position. As the pregnancy goes on, you will have some decisions to make if these trials are unsuccessful. A) you grieve (if necessary) and deliver via c/section or B) find a provider who is successful or experienced attending vaginal births! Like anything, there are safety variables to consider. The baby should show no signs of distress. You must be at least 37 weeks gestation. Labor must begin on its own and progression occurs steadily. Anesthesia must be ready and cesarean available on short notice (unless you chose a homebirth, in which your midwife will account for this). A "hands-off" approach will improve success but some co-morbities such as diabetes and hypertension increase risks. The baby's head should be normal in size with a chin tucked and frank or complete breech births are preferred, footling breech comes with added safety concerns. The mother should be allowed to move freely during labor. #3. Stalling LaborSome women just need time. As your doula we encourage you to labor at home as long as possible. It's important to note that length of labor and pain of labor are two separate issues. "A long labor with unexpected strength and perhaps no or slow progress is called a stall in labor. Its only a stall if after 4 cm, though we want to pay attention to why labor stops if before 4 cm, too, especially if the water broke," ("What to do when...(in labor), 2015). A lot of "stalled labor" is guided by ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) who, thankfully, have redefined this guidelines to give momma's more time. Active labor is considered dilation to 6 cm (no longer 4 cm) and current recommendations are to allow women to labor longer as long as the baby is safe and not in distress. The less time you spend on the hospital's clock, the less you'll be pressured to give birth within any "time frame". Things to remember that will help: 1) keep things dimmed down, lowing the lights helps you feel calm and relaxed; 2) listen to music (I recommend soothing); 3) diffuse your favorite oils for concentration, strength, courage and energy; 4) practice affirmations, positive self-talk; and 5) drown out distractions around you If at some point your labor does stall out, trust in your doula to offer guidance. We are trained to help you get through this through Rebozo sifting, inversions and releases. Having an epidural too early can prohibit these techniques, so having good birthing preparation is key to a successful labor! #4. Not making the hospital in timePHOTO: https://www.today.com/parents/photos-capture-exact-moment-dad-delivers-baby-front-seat-car-t108732 It's legit. You hear the horror stories of moms delivering in an elevator or on the side of a road in a care - some on the freeway, for cripes sake! The fear is real. However, it is EXTREMELY rare! Chances are, especially as a first-time mom, you won't wait too long to head to the hospital - you are way more likely to arrive too early. If you really are concerned, if your Mom talks about how she shot out you and your siblings out like a cannon, then Google it. There really are step-by-step instructions out there on how to give birth in a car! Please note, as your doula, we are birth support and coaches - NOT A BABY CATCHER! Ha! We leave that to the docs ;) #5. Tearing the hoo-haPHOTO: (Lambrick, n.d.) It's a daunting thought, isn't it. OH, the things we do for those special wee-little one's! The thing is, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. Your perineum (the area between the vagina and anus) has to stretch something fierce to get that baby out. Sometimes it just can't do the job fast enough and this delicate skin tears in the process. There are varying degrees of the tear:
Perineal Massage during pregnancy and labor can help ease tears. Avoiding Pitocin and epidurals (Pitocin increased contractions and force, epidurals leave you without feeling and make pushing more challenging) will also reduce the risk of tearing, but the best thing you can do is to let labor progress naturally, on it's own, descending naturally and without pushing prematurely! References:
[Photograph]. Retrieved from https://www.today.com/parents/photos-capture-exact-moment-dad-delivers-baby-front-seat-car-t108732 Image ID : 64425566. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.123rf.com/clipart-vector/during_pregnancy.html?sti=myzjwhqjtfazzhizvt|&mediapopup=64425566 Lambrick, M. [Illustration]. Retrieved from https://www.the-pool.com/health/wombs-etc/2017/15/emma-jane-unsworth-on-talking-about-giving-birth Make Images, Videos and Web Stories for Free in Minutes | Adobe Spark. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://spark.adobe.com/sp//sp/ What to do when….(in labor). (2015, July 6). Retrieved from https://spinningbabies.com/start/in-labor/what-to-do-when-in-labor/
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