The Role of Grief in Birth
From afar, birth is joyous, miraculous, and full of hope. It is the renewal of life- the start of an entirely new person who will have unique experiences. It can feel that way for those experiencing it too, but it is more. Birth taps into a deep well of emotions not typically accessible in the day-to-day. The vulnerability needed to trust a team of professionals to help you at a cornerstone moment in your life leaves a family feeling raw and exposed. It does not mend quickly. The tenderness is a gift of sorts. This a reminder to go slow. An awareness of a new kind of healing.
Racism and Discrimination in Maternal Health: What Can You Do?
The American Academy of Pediatrics made a bold statement last fall about racism in the United States, and has admitted that it should be treated as a "socially transmitted disease." The disease is showing itself by way of chronic stress and is connected to many health problems. Research from 10 years ago linked racism and discrimination to low birth weight in African American populations. More and more connections are being made to widespread institutionalized racism during pregnancy and childbirth, and well-known women of color, like Serena Williams and Beyonce, are giving the problem a recognizable face. Racism is not new news, but it is starting to be taken seriously in the birth world.
Preparing for Birth with PTSD
We have long recognized that through discomfort and adversity we are given the opportunity to transform and grow. Birth is classified as a normative crisis in a female's life and requires giving up their identity and assimilating another. Add to that the hard fact that there is "little professional or public literature which agrees on the psychological symptoms women experience" during childbirth. I would say all birth has some level of trauma. Whether that trauma is transformed into stress or growth has a lot to do with how supported you felt as a birthing individual.
Postpartum Anxiety
I didn't take my baby to a restaurant until he wasn't a baby, technically, any longer. About 14 months after he was born, I was starving, forgot to bring a snack for myself while out running household errands, and it would still be hours before I would be back home with the rush hour traffic. My child was happy, and seemingly unbothered by the fast-paced world, the tedious safety straps of his car seat, or of any logistical conundrums of needing to change a diaper in a place with no changing station. Thankfully, he is a relatively go-with-the-flow sort of kid.
Understanding Your Due Date
As a Kansas City birth doula, I spend a significant amount of time talking about pregnancy due dates. I take a limited number of doula clients per month. When determining my availability for your birth, your actual due date is pretty irrelevant to me. I take clients based on their birth month rather than their actual due date. Most people find this information shocking! I would love to explain why I determine my availability the way I do, but first, let’s talk about when you are actually due.
Doulas of Greater Kansas City, Featured Doula
This month I was honored as the Doulas of Greater Kansas City’s featured doula! In case you have not been on their website recently, here is the article of mine they shared. Hi, I am Charity, owner, birth doula, and photographer of Mahina Birth Support. As September’s featured doulas, I would love to share a bit about myself with you.
How the Mind-Body Connection Affects Your Birth
I would love to talk a little bit about the mind-body connection during childbirth and how as your doula I can use this connection to support your best birth. In this post I will talk a little bit about a few of the essential hormones needed during childbirth and how we can both encourage and understand them:
The Weeks Before Birth
The last few weeks before the birth of your child is often considered the most challenging of your entire pregnancy. It is the time between who you once were, and who you are about to become. By this time you have already decorated the nursery, packed your bag for the hospital, loaded your freezer with meals, washed all of your new baby clothes, and are just waiting… and waiting… and waiting.
How to Choose a Doula
When you find out that you are expecting, you suddenly realize there are so many things you need to make decisions on. Many of these things you have put little to no thought into before your pregnancy. How will you make these decisions, especially when you are not even sure what questions you should be asking? Choosing a doula is one of these decisions. You know you would like to have a doula at your birth. All of those lovely stories from friends about how their doula massaged their back and squeezed their hips for hours, screams, SIGN ME UP!!!
Doulas Are For Dads Too
Finding out that you are expecting is such an exciting time!!! So many hopes and dreams are born in our minds. We have visions of how we want to bring our babies home, and images of our happy family all snuggled together. As our due date gets closer, we often start to wonder how our birth itself will look. Do we want an unmedicated (“natural”) or medicated birth? How will we handle this experience? How will our partner handle this experience? Who will we have to support us? These are important questions to ask.
What to Pack for your Hospital Birth
If you are anything like me, then you like to be prepared. I have always been the type of person who finds comfort in knowing that I have some control over my life, especially when preparing for something as uncontrollable as birth. I am totally “that mom” who always has a bottle of water, Aleve, Carmex, peppermint oil, and honey sticks in my purse… at all times… just in case.