Postpartum Abdominal Support

Your baby has been born and your “6 week post partum period” has ended; yet you may still find yourself in pregnancy jeans with an extra pregnancy pouch. Many of us have this idea in our head that once the baby is out, our body just goes back to the way it was before. I hate to say it but I was astounded by how much my own body changed after having a kiddo. I have continuously told people to be gentle with themselves, after all it took 9 months to put it on why would we expect that at 6 weeks we would be back to normal. There does come a point where you are feeling rested enough and you are ready to get your body back, to strengthen the core and the muscles that have been stretched and weakened. When dealing with my own postpartum 6 years ago I was shocked to read all the different opinions on how to get your muscles back. I hope that this article will lay it out for you all simply.

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Happily After Giving Birth – 10 Things They Don't Tell You

You know in the movies when the woman gives birth and they hand her a perfect, clean 3-month old movie baby? The husband puts his arm around her and they gaze lovingly into each others eyes? Ahhhh, the end. Well, here are just a few of things that can happen after the credits roll. Most of them aren't movie friendly so sadly, the don't get discussed unless you have really good friends that let you in on these little secrets. Not all of them happen to everybody but, chances are, one or more will be added to your new role as motherhood so don't be alarmed.

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The Fourth Trimester

We all know that pregnancy has three trimesters. Most know what happens in each, and all that comes with them. What we don't realize or don't understand is that there is more to pregnancy than growing and then birthing that baby.

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How to be the Best Postpartum Visitor in 15 Minutes or Less

I LOVED this post! I have to say that even though I'm a doula, I have committed several visitor no-no's. The worst offense was when I FORGOT to bring dinner to a fellow doula and friend! Oh the horror! I still feel horrible to this day. I hope that many people will read this post andthe 15 minute visit will catch on like wild fire!

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Have a friend who had a baby and you're on the roster to drop off a meal? Here's everything they want you to know and do, but are too shy and polite to say and ask.

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The Hazy Transition into Motherhood

Original post from: www.BringBirthHome.com

“What? Did you say something? I’m sorry, I have no idea what you just said.”
My friend and I giggle as she fans her face with her hand. “Is it hot in here?”
I tell her I don’t feel that warm and remind her that her newborn is sleeping in the next room.
Is her baby okay? Is he waking up right now and wondering where she is? If he cries she will dash away as if to save his life. Her eyes glaze over as she strains to hear him utter a noise.

This post was copied from the website www.bringingbirthhome.com. Please read the entire article and her entire site http://bringbirthhome.com/motherhood/the-hazy-transition-to-motherhood/

Annual CAPPA Conference

Posted by Kim:
As seen on the CAPPA website






CAPPA conferences are a great place for you to expand your professional knowledge on childbirth, postpartum, breastfeeding and parenting topics. Attend the CAPPA FREE childbirth conference and earn CEUs that you can use for recertification. CAPPA is proud to present the world's leading authorities on all the topics you use in your practice as a professional. We are committed to providing you with an excellent conference that meets all of your needs. Look for information soon on our speakers and topics, but make plans now to join us!

The 2010 annual CAPPA conference will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina, July 22nd to July 25th. Our annual conference is free to all members of CAPPA, though additional sessions are offered at a low cost to extend your conference learning experience. More information regarding this conference will be listed on this page as it becomes available. We hope to see you there!

Location:

The Hilton Charlotte University Place

"The Hilton at Charlotte University Place is located at The Shoppes at University Place and offers a variety of diversions for a sunny afternoon. You can explore the walking trail that skirts the perimeter of a picturesque ten-acre lake, located at the center of the facility, or pass the time exploring a combination of unique, local specialty shops and well-known national retailers. After satisfying your shopper's cravings, rest under a patio umbrella and enjoy a glass of wine or an ice cream cone while you consider where to have lunch or dinner. The Shoppes offer a variety of restaurants from which to choose - Chinese, Mexican, Italian, sushi, seafood, snack foods, fast food - you name it. And after your meal, why not round out the evening and visit the movie theatre on site and take in the latest blockbuster?"

The room rate is $109.00 USD. Be sure to ask for the CAPPA room rate when reserving your room!

Partnerships - Operation Special Delivery - CAPPA

Posted by Kim:







Our mission as a company and as mothers is to not only enhance a woman's birth experience by changing what she wears, but also to forge partnerships with other organizations in the birth world so that we can use our business to help benefit women around the world. The first organization we joined forces with was Operation Special Delivery.

Press Release April 15, 2008

Boulder, CO - BINSI, the leading manufacturer of stylish and hospital-friendly labor and birth apparel, has partnered with the Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association (CAPPA) to support Operation Special Delivery. Operation Special Delivery provides trained volunteer doulas to pregnant women whose husbands or partners are deployed, have been severely injured, or who have lost their lives due to the current war on terror. The CAPPA-certified doulas offer emotional, informational, and physical support to women during childbirth in the absence of their husbands.

BINSI, a female-owned company since its inception in 2005, is committed to supporting women through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. Through this partnership, BINSI is donating 5 percent of their sales to CAPPA for Operation Special Delivery.

"No woman should ever have to give birth without someone there to lovingly support her," says Carri Grimditch, founder and co-owner of BINSI. "Operation Special Delivery offers that support by providing doulas to the women whose husbands or partners are away making an immense sacrifice for our country."

Just as it's important for women to feel comfortable and empowered by the clothing they wear during labor and birth, it's also important for them to have people there to advocate for and encourage them. Research has shown that women who have a doula present during labor are less likely to require emergency C-sections and other invasive medical procedures. "Partnering with Operation Special Delivery seemed like a natural fit for BINSI" Grimditch says.

About BINSI
BINSI's mission is to help women feel supported and empowered throughout their pregnancy, labor, and birth by offering products that make them feel healthy, beautiful and in control of their motherhood journey. BINSI Labor and Birth Apparel is comfortable, modest, and stylish while still being fully compatible with any labor position and medical equipment - a great alternative to unflattering, immodest hospital gowns. All BINSI products are tested and approved by mothers, doulas, midwives, obstetricians, and nurses. For more information about BINSI, visit www.BirthInBinsi.com

Doula Digest - Bradley Birth Education

Posted by Kim:

As part of my doula training I had to take a childbirth education class (not pregnant). It seems like I am always meeting Bradley birth educators and a lot of people are talking about it so I thought I would check it out, plus I really loved the idea of the Husband Coached Childbirth. It sounded like a method that my husband would have liked and appreciated. If only I was as educated then as I am now. I almost feel like I know so much more now that it is a shame that I am not having another baby. This is not to say that I haven't been lobbying for baby #3 for the last year! Back on track......

For convenience sake and the fact that I already knew her I decided to enroll in Michelle Mueller's Natural Childbirth Education class. There were four pregnant couples in the class and as the weeks passed we became a pretty close group. Unlike the birth education class we took. In our class there were about 50 people in our class and there was absolutely no intimacy or sharing of information between the students. WE simply learned what the teacher wanted us to know. Not that she was a bad teacher, we definitely learned the facts, but we didn't get the different perspectives from the students because no one really felt open to share in front of 50 people! Again I digress, back to Bradley.

Our class met for 11 weeks beginning in September and we covered the following topics:

• Exercise
• Nutrition
• Pregnancy/Gestation
• Variations and Options
• Intro to First Stage
• Intro to Second Stage
• Birth Plans
• Coaching
• Postpartum
• Advanced First Stage (Labor Rehearsal)
  
• Advanced Second Stage

Each class started with Michelle asking each couple how their week went, how their nutrition was for week and if they have any concerns (including concerns about their care provider). In addition Michelle would ask each couple if they had been practicing their Taylor sitting, kegels and relaxation techniques. What struck me the most about this class was how fun it was to see each couple grow and develop during their last trimester. There was definitely quite a difference between the first class and the last, boy could I relate to how they all felt as they grew closer and closer to their due date.

The primary theme throughout the class was nutrition, labor management and the intervention spiral. We discussed the common interventions, why they are done, benefits, risks and alternatives. Some common interventions and their alternatives that we discussed were:

• Vaginal Exams - request that they do not do the exams unless there is a compelling medical reasons.
• Non-Stress Test - fetal movement counting
• Induced Labor - Waiting, nipple stimulation, sex, accupressure, herbs, acupuncture, or Castor oil
• Membrane Stripping - Nipple stimulation
• Vaginal exams in labor - Limit exams prior to pushing,
  
• Gowning - Wear own clothes
• Separation of mom from support during admission - Do all admission work ahead of time
• IV - Stay hydrated
  
• Restricting food & drink - eat lightly, drink sips of water, eat ice chips or popsicles. Energy gels or honey.
• Electronic Fetal Monitoring - Use fetoscope or doppler or intermittent EFM
  
• Doptone - Use fetoscope if someone is trained to use it.
• Restricted movement during labor - walk around, change positions often, take a shower or bath
• Amniotomy - Use natural ways to speed up labor like walking, suck thumb, nipple stimulation, acupressure or acupuncture
• Narcotics/Analgesics - Natural methods of pain relief
• Epidural - Natural pain coping techniques: relazation, changing positions, movement, birth ball, visualization, bath or shower
• Augmentation - Use natural methods of speeding up labor
• Episiotomy - Choose a caregiver who does not perform them. Do pre-natal perineal massage. Do not lay on his back to push, practice kegels
• Forceps or Vacuum Extraction - Prevention: good pushing positions and techniques, avoiding epidural

The Cascade Effect of Interventions:

1. Break water to advance labor
2. Gel
3. Pitocin
4. Drugs/Epidural
5. C-Section

Common side effects of the Epidural are:

1. Drop in mom's blood pressure
2. They only work 85% of the time
3. It may only work on one side
4. Epidural headache 25% of the time
5. Pain at the injection site
6. Need for the use of forceps ro vacuum extraction
   
7. C-Section
8. Episiotomy

Overall I really enjoyed this class. I thought Michelle presented a great point of view and each couple could cater the information they learned to their own wants and needs. However, learning about Bradley made me more curious about the other methods of childbirth education. I think I may need to take the other methods so I can learn about them and then be knowledgeable about the different methods my different doula clients may choose to follow. Now I just need to find the time!

To learn more about the Bradley Method of childbirth please visit their website www.BradleyBirth.com