The 40 Day Doula

09/02/2022

We're you told your baby would be big?

The accuracy of babies expected birth weight is often wrong.

Most women can and do birth 'big babies' perfectly fine. 'Big babies', just like breech babies, are a variation of normal and 9 out of 10 times can be left alone.

An informed and confident care provider will support (and not "allow") you to birth your baby how you choose. Their recommendation for any sort of intervention is only a reflection on their capabilities and strengths, or perhaps their weaknesses, and not at all a reflection on your body's capability to birth your baby.

So, raise your hand if you had a baby that chose their own birth weight?

🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️🙋‍♀️ my big boy was born at home in under an hour because I had a care provider who trusted my body 👊🤱

Let's talk about "big babies". This girl pictured here was born into her father's hands at 11 lbs 8 oz (about 5216 grams).⁠
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Did you know that research shows that a care provider that suspects a large baby is actually more risky for a birth than an actual big baby is? When a baby is suspected of being big, there is an increased chance of interventions during birth such as inductions and caesareans, and an increased chance of experiencing complications caused by those interventions, even if the baby is not actually big.⁠
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This is especially tricky because predictions of fetal weight before birth are notoriously inaccurate - up to 1 in 3 people are told their baby is big (>4000 or 4500 grams) at the end of pregnancy yet only 1 in 10 babies actually are!⁠
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In general, if there are no underlying medical problems, our bodies do not grow babies that are too big for us to birth.⁠

For more information and references check out:

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Big-Babies-Handout.pdf

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-for-induction-or-c-section-for-big-baby/

https://midwifethinking.com/2019/09/02/big-babies-the-risk-of-care-provider-fear/

26/01/2022

I use to always celebrate Australia Day as that was the Aussie way. A few years ago while homeschooling my eldest we did a small unit on Australia Day and what it represents.

What I discovered was that this wasn't a day to celebrate as a win for our nation, it was a day of remorse and a day to actively gain an understanding and respect of the lands original and rightful owners.

Today in our area there was an event showcasing traditional dances, wood work, weaving and art. It was inclusive, getting everyone to join in and give it a go. We were all amazed at the skill behind it all and to learn why the Aboriginals would do and use these items for.

Each year we learn a little more and what was originally a sad rabbit hole has become a fun and intriguing day.

01/01/2022

Happy New Year!!!

May 2022 bring you joy, abundance, and all round good times.

We're kicking the new year off camping with coffee and a swim in the pool, taking slow.

How have you spent your first day of 2022?

#2022

24/12/2021

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

To all my past, present and future clients, thank you for honouring me with the role of your support person and welcoming me into your homes. So many memories with you all, no doubt many more to come 💜

This year was full of all sorts of crazy, let's hope next year is a little more chill 🤞

28/11/2021

I recently ran my first online S*x Ed class - Our Bodies, How Babies are Made & Bodily Autonomy.

It was so much fun, honest and shame free.

We got to talk about how babies are made and their development within the womb, how babies are born and the placenta along with doing some pretty funny drawings - super hero s***m was a fun one to draw and got a few giggles!

Julie provided me with this amazing feedback which just filled me with joy to receive, I wanted to share it with you all!

26/11/2021

I recently took an unplanned break from social media.

All the crazy in the world can definitely get to one when we spend to much time engaging in it.

I'm back and have lots to share!

07/11/2021

Yes!

Thread: https://twitter.com/laurawritesit/status/1189207701341036545?s=21

28/10/2021

Yesterday I buried my placentas from babies 3 and 4.

I was so torn between burying them in a pot so if we move we can bring them with us, and burying them in our yard.

I decided on burying them in our yard as this is the land they were birthed on.

I wanted to say thank you to these amazing organs for all they had done, growing and supporting my 2 babies in utero.

I also wanted to give a blessing to my boys to see their futures full of positivity, abundance and good health.

I layed my placentas in the ground and sprinkled them with mint, rosemary and lavender.

🌱 Mint- attracts wealth and prosperity into one's life.
🍃Rosemary- Healing, improves memory and elevates mood.
🪴Lavender- Calming and strengthens health.

But how do these herbs help when buried?

Before deciding on what to do with my placentas I did some research into what other cultures do. I found the belief of the Aboriginal community to be fascinating and it resonated with me.

The Aboriginal communities bury the placenta to connect the child to mother earth. It is believed that the placenta holds the life path for that child and when he has his first wet dream, or she has her first period, that fluid connecting with the earth activates that child's life path. Mother Earth will connect the fluid to the placenta and that path is activated or released into the world.

Knowing this and the country my children are born in, it felt right to follow the traditions of this land. Not only because we are on Aborignal land but because I felt, feel, the placenta is so much more then it's given credit for.

It was such a healing moment and a gentle way to close the baby chapter of my life.

Mr 3 insisted on placing the soil over his placenta, it was so lovely and possibly his way of saying thanks.

18/10/2021

My youngest baby is now 2 years old!

His birth was unlike his older siblings. My first 3 started with waters breaking, #4 started with a weird pain in my hip

I woke up at about 7am feeling as though someone was pulling on each of my hips sporadically, I told my midwife, and decided to see what it ended up doing. I was pretty convinced though that it wasn't at all labour.

I had plans on this day to take the kids motor bike riding so I popped up to coles to grab some snacks. While there I had a surge of discomfort that stopped me in my tracks, between the bananas and salad mixes, mid stride I stopped.

I figured it was an intense Branxton Hick and continued on 🤷

I got home and got the kids ready then off we went an hour away from home down a dirt road to a friend's place.

I had a phone call from my mum on the way there, she was just checking in. She later told me she had a feeling I was going to have the baby 🔮

I spent the better part of the day in my friends breastfeesing chair with a heat pack accross my lower back while the kids rrode around.

By the time we left at 4.45pm the feeling in my hips was still there and still slowing me down. I was still in denial 🤦‍♀️

On the way home, stuck in peak hour traffic on the high way, I had such a pain that I told the kids they would walk home if they spoke to me again, I needed silence. I had a thought in the back of my mind that perhaps I was having contractions, given my reaction in that moment. It didn't happen again so I shrugged it off.

By the time I arrived home the discomfort and pain was getting to me.

I pulled into the drive way, left the car on, kids in the car with all the gear, met my partner at the door and said "I'm in to much pain, you have to get the kids out I'm going to lay down."
And continued up the hallway to bed.

I messaged Jo to let her know I was still experiencing those weird pains, she asked if I was timing them, which I wasn't, and she suggested I start.

I did, my weird pains were 2 minutes apart lasting about a minute. I let her know, she was at another birth in the city that was about to wrap up so she said she'd come straight to me.

Jo asked if I wanted to start heading to my place and I said yes, I almost said no, still not entirely believing I was in labour, as my waters hadn't broken. Luckily I said yes as moments later my water broke and then it was on!

I could feel the uncomfortable suges rushing over me. By now the kids were all inside and my OH was filling the birth pool.

Jacquie arrived me found me in bed, still all wet. She called out to my OH to stop.filling the pool as the baby was coming.

She helped me out of bed, oit if my wet clothes and I kneeled at the end of my bed as FER kicked in. This baby was coming fast!

Just 15 minutes after Jacquie arrived our chunky 4.1kg baby boy was in our arms, his siblings watching from the bedroom door taking it all in.

After a few minutes baby and I hopped into our freshly made bed for our first feed. As I stood up from the foot of my bed the placenta made quite an appearance and as my eldest will tell you "It went splat on the floor!" 😂 Yep! It pretty well fell out!

After his first feed he was weighed and measured then cuddled by his dad while I showered ready to stay in bed all night! 🤱

09/10/2021

🤓 Beta testers wanted! 🤓

I am on the hunt for 6 kids/families to to do a bit of a test run of my online S*x Ed class, Our Bodies, Where Babies Come From and Bodily Autonomy, on the 13th of November (or earlier if numbers are met).

I will be checking to ensure all runs well, to gauge approximate length of the class along with feed back on class content via a short questionnaire.

This is being offered at a reduced class fee of $15

If you're interested please DM or email me the40daydoula@gmail.com

08/10/2021

Our Bodies, How Babies are Made and Bodily Autonomy class content is ready!

Here's a quick guide to what is included!

I would love to know your thoughts!

Remember, there is no age range on this class. It is up to you, the parent, to determine if your child is ready to take on this information.

07/10/2021

For the longest time now, human rights have been the cause that drives my passion for my work 👊

I will fight to the last breath for equal rights. I don't care where you are from or if your choices are different to my own. I will be the one who fights for your rights to bodily autonomy and informed choice.

Our current climate has shown me that when some are dangled a carrot they will push another's rights to the side and squash them like a mashed banana 🍌

I find it absolutely crazy that those in our community can't access basic services because they made a medically informed decision and some justify the discrimination and bullying that follows with statements such as 'well, you knew you couldn't do xyz if you didn't do abc'.

Like, how is this even a thing? How the hell did we get here? 🧐🤷‍♀️

Basic respect for one another has left the state!

The old school statement 'you wouldn't talk to your mother with that mouth' comes to mind or an even more relevant one, that I still say to my kids, 'if you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all.'

'IF YOU DON'T HAVE SOMETHING NICE TO SAY, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!'

Yep I'm shouting it now.

I am so disappointed, frustrated and slightly defeated that we have dropped to this level of degrading each other.

It's a sad state of affairs right now, we are all over it. Just be nice!

For the sake of that last little shred of humanity that's left, just be nice ✌

Respect that not everyone makes the same choices as you, that's their right, it's your right.

Everyone has the right to make choices that they feel are best for themselves and their families.

No amount of bullying or mandates can change this.

I support and encourage you all to do what is best for you. But know that not everyone is doing it exactly like you and that's ok!

I hate being asked to show personal details and playing 21 questions to do the basics so I won't ask you.

I respect that you've made the right choice for you - that's your right and I won't question you on it 💜