MELISSA JOAN HART ON MYBESTBIRTH

Posted by Kim
Email received from Business of Being Born Facebook Group

Next week, we continue our celebrity webisode series with TV and film actress Melissa Joan Hart. We loved our interview with Melissa Joan because her two birth experiences mirror so many women that we hear from across the country.

Her first child was induced without any medical reason: “I was ready to just get my baby out and get my life going because I had been thinking about it for so long,” she said. What followed was a difficult labor that lasted 24 hours. It took several attempts before the epidural was administered correctly. Melissa’s doctor used a vacuum to assist. “There were three hours of pushing with my doctor saying, ‘One more push and you’re going for a C-section.’ I did whatever the doctors and nurses wanted me to do.” Melissa believes that her first son, Mason, just wasn’t ready to be born at the time she was induced. “I think he would have stayed in there another two weeks. I was mentally ready to have the baby, and because it was my first, I wanted to be done with it and have that experience,” she said.

When Melissa was pregnant with her second child, she wanted to do things differently. At a friend’s recommendation, Melissa enrolled in hypnobirthing classes where she learned relaxation and visualization techniques. “What I took away from hypnobirthing was the idea that you don’t have to be a good patient. You don’t have to do what the doctors and nurses tell you to do. They want to make it pain-free for you, and as easy as possible for them and for you. And they want to make you comfortable. But in hypnobirthing they teach you that birth is not a medical experience, and you have every right to bring the baby into the world however you want to, unless there’s an emergency.”

To hear how Melissa Joan’s second birth turned out, tune into mybestbirth.com next week! Melissa Joan’s story is being sponsored by our good friends at Milkalicious.

May is International Doula Month

Posted by Kim:

Did you know that May is not only Skin Cancer Awareness month but it is also International Doula month? WOW! May is a busy month!!! Carri and I both honor doulas and respect their role during a woman's birth experience. After all it was Carri's role as a doula that helped her create and design the BINSI birth skirt and through my passion for BINSI I have been impassioned to become a doula myself.

What is a doula?

According to the DONA (Doulas of North America):

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

What are the benefits of having a doula at your birth?

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

A Birth Doula

* Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
* Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
* Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
* Stays with the woman throughout the labor
* Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as
helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision
* Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care
providers
* Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
* Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

How can we celebrate doulas?

Some suggestions DONA has are:

* Write an article for a local publication or send a press release to your local media.
*Host a free doula info night at a library or community center to let parents know about your
services, which might also be a great reason for your local press to do a story on doulas.
*Have a movie night for parents and/or doulas. Show the latest movies such as "Orgasmic
Birth", "The Business of Being Born" or "Pregnant in America", or revisit some of the classics.
*Create a birthing circle where women can share their birth stories to support each other and/or
heal from their birth trauma
*Organize a networking day for local doulas to meet, network and support each other with new
ideas and co-opetition.
*Host an at-home spa party for local doulas.
*Put together info packages that hospitals and birth centers can hand out to expectant parents
and/or laboring mothers with suggestions for position changes and comfort measures.
*Create a goal sheet of what you'd like to accomplish between now and International Doula
Month next year.
*Give yourself a big pat on the back for working tirelessly to help women enter parenthood in a
positive way!