Dream Birth Doula Services

08/12/2021

What would happen if we re-framed how we talk about uterine rupture?
⭐️
When preparing for VBAC, a lot of providers put a HUGE emphasis on uterine rupture risk and don't focus on your REAL chances of success or the escalating risks that come with repeat Cesarean. Take away the risk for uterine rupture and VBAC is just like any other birth.
⭐️
With a 99.5% (VBAC) - 98.5% (VBA2+C) chance of NOT having a uterine rupture, those are pretty amazing odds and in any other medical procedure, would be considered a no-brainier.
⭐️
- Brain surgery with a 99% chance that things will go perfectly, YES, please!
- Heart valve repair with a 99% success rate? AMAZING!
- Prescription drugs with a 99% chance you will have zero side effects? I'd TOTALLY buy it!
⭐️
Do you see what I mean? Why do we rush so quickly to a surgery that has a HIGHER chance than that of major complications when the odds of NOT having a uterine rupture uterine rupture are so high?
⭐️
Your odds of NOT having a major complication due to a Cesarean are 96.7%, by the time you are on your 3rd Cesarean it drops to 92.5% (which are still good odds, arguably).
⭐️
Let's put it all together:
-Your odds of NOT having a uterine rupture: 99.5%-98.5%
-Your odds of NOT having major complications due to a repeat Cesarean: 96.7% -92.5%.
⭐️
How does that make you feel??
⭐️
Find out more about uterine rupture at https://www.thevbaclink.com/uterine-rupture (link in bio)
-
Dig more into the facts about VBAC in our How to VBAC Prep Course for Parents: thevbaclink.com/vbac-class (link in bio)
-
***Statistics taken from the National Vital Records Database Birth Reports Data from 2016.

07/25/2021

https://www.facebook.com/100007008121885/posts/2925172584392984/?sfnsn=mo

07/13/2021

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=368620951292579&id=100044340310207&sfnsn=mo

"I'm going to check you"⁠
"I'm just going to break your water" ⁠
"We're going to start an IV antibiotic" ⁠
"You really need to do this right now"⁠
“You’re not allowed to (walk around, eat, fill in the blank…)"⁠
⁠
None of these are examples of informed consent. ⁠
Informed consent is a legal, human, and ethical right - established by law.⁠
⁠
It’s a discussion that includes:⁠
1️⃣ risks (including future potential risks, i.e. repeat cesareans, post-episiotomy pain, impacting s*x life)⁠
2️⃣ benefits⁠
3️⃣ alternatives⁠
⁠
Informed consent also includes the right to INFORMED REFUSAL.⁠
⁠
That means you have a legal right to say NO at your birth to anything you believe is not in your and baby's best interest.⁠
⁠
Your voice counts and what you say matters.⁠
⁠
Being guilted into something or otherwise psychologically pressured is a violation of informed consent.⁠
⁠
But violations are common and accepted. It’s common for a practitioner to say something like: ‘a good mom would do this’ and ‘you wouldn’t want to harm your baby’ or “I know this is what you want, but my job is to look out for your baby.” Legally YOU are the one who gets to choose for you and baby and LEGALLY that should be without repercussions to you regardless of outcome. YOU get to make the risk-benefit analysis, but that means getting educated ahead of time. And that’s what I’m here to help you do.⁠
⁠
If you want to learn what your birth rights are, the difference between birth rights and hospital policy, and more on how to be your own advocate, I invite you to join my FREE pregnancy, birth, and postpartum course via the link in bio.⁠
⁠
Once you join, you'll have access to the previously recorded videos (including the one on advocacy), in addition to supplemental PDFs and guided videos - and all of the ongoing classes coming up, plus the ongoing weekly support group.⁠
⁠
Speaking up for ourselves, and speaking our truth makes a difference. It’s how every change in healthcare has actually occurred. And never doubt what s group of committed women can do!

06/25/2021

What is safe and what is not?

Most of the time when your water breaks it is a normal and natural part of pregnancy.
When your amniotic fluid (waters) break you can either experience a rush or a trickle of fluid.
Some people get confused and think they have peed themselves. If it is yellow and smells like
urine, you may have done just that.
Breaking waters are considered a sign that a baby will be arriving in the next 36 hours or so, and
really exciting.
When your water breaks as long as the water is clearish and devoid of a strong smell you can
notify your care provider and continue with your day. If contractions pick up or start
communicate that when you notify your care provider. If it is not your normal care provider
make sure you tell them if you have precipitous labors, herpes, or group b strep. If you are less
than 37 weeks please call your care provider and notify them of your water breaking.
After your water breaks it is not advisable to have s*x, travel long distances or insert anything
into your va**na.
When you notify your care providers make sure you call and update your support people or doula
if you have one so everyone knows what is going on

06/17/2021

Can we just remove the words “success” and “failure” from maternity care entirely?

Anytime I write about VBAC, I talk about people who labored after a cesarean and had a VBAC or a cesarean. No success. No failure. Just what happened.

Another example: Failed induction. Nope. The induction happened and the person either had a va**nal or cesarean birth.

It breaks. my. heart. when people refer to themselves as failures because they had a cesarean.

I know you feel that way, but from where I’m standing, I see someone who made a plan and followed it through. As we do with every other decision in our lives.

We constantly make plans without any guarantees on the outcome.

How about marriage? Friendship? Starting a new job? Getting another degree?

We are constantly putting one foot in front of the other, towards that goal. There is so much learning and growth that happens *in that process.* That doesn’t disappear because the closing scene changed.

And while there may be grief and sadness if things play out differently than you wanted, please know, I do not see you as a failure.

And birth professionals, please, remove “failed VBAC,” “failed induction,” and similar language from your vocabulary.

I’m looking at you too academics and researchers. I simply don’t care that this is the language so many use. Let’s do better. Let’s bring more compassion and humanity to medicine.

What other words and phrases deserve the ban hammer?

06/16/2021

https://www.facebook.com/2640979852794620/posts/3717187005173894/?sfnsn=mo

Walcher's Position

The Walcher's position is an engagement technique that allows contractions to help a baby who is higher up engage into the pelvis.
Enegagement is when the baby settles into the pelvis. 1st babies will usually engage by 38 weeks and any subsequent babies will usually engage before or during early labor. Your baby has to get into the pelvis before it can go through the pelvis.
Walcher's position can be used when labor has already begun but strong, frequent contractions aren't helping the baby move down and engage. It opens the brim of the pelvis from front to back and opens the p***c bone away from the spine. This makes more room for the baby to engage.

📷:

Repost

05/29/2021

https://www.facebook.com/165902360284990/posts/1824922104382999/

✂️💥 Facts about routine episiotomies (where scissors are used to cut the va**na when the baby is born):

- NOT evidenced based
- NOT “normal” and should NEVER be routine
- does NOT make birth easier
- does NOT make tearing less severe

- should only be used the case of a dire emergency for YOUR BABY

- if there is time for lidocaine, it’s not emergent

- does NOT heal faster or better than a natural tear

- should NOT be used “because you were going to tear anyway”

- CAN be refused 🙌

And yes, they are still widely used in hospitals today, particularly with older providers who have “always done it this way” 🤮

How to prevent it?
- ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS while you’re pregnant! If your provider cuts even ONE episiotomy a month, SWITCH FAST!! (Midwives have an almost 0% episiotomy rate, btw 😉)



👉👉 Watch my CajunStork Episiotomy vs Natural Tear Video Here to Learn More: https://youtu.be/rJBfQ6PPX4I

🗣 Yes, at the BirthHouse we take most insurances AND late into care (third trimester) transfers too!

05/21/2021

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=4684757934874618&id=228342423849547

Insurance covered Lactation Consults- Available Now
You can have professional, in home (or tele-health) consultation with me 👋🏻 at NO COST all. Through my partnership with , most Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem and Cigna plans will fully cover the cost of your lactation care and even a prenatal visit (just an easy form for Pre-approval) link in bio.
I am an IBCLC, an infant feeding expert. You do not need to struggle alone or decipher the conflicting information on the Internet. I am here to work with you- learning about your unique situation and providing accurate information for any challenge you face.
I can help with:
🚫Low milk Supply
🚫Sore Ni***es
⬆️ These are the top two reasons people stop breastfeeding
🚫Managing Breastfeeding - Creating a Family Plan that works 😍
🚫Slow Weight gain
🚫Oral Restrictions aka Ties
🚫Fussy Baby
🚫Pumping
🚫Bottle Feeding
🚫Breast Pain
🚫Mastitis
🚫Thrush
🚫Plugged Ducts
🚫Oversupply
🚫stooling Problems
🚫Starting Solids
🚫Weaning
🚫Late Preterm feeding
🚫NICU Graduates

I work with families via tele-health anywhere in the US and in-home visits to those local to the Mississippi coast. If insurance does not Pre-approve coverage, I offer a reduced fee of $90 (that can still be submitted as an out of network expense).

05/05/2021

Positions of how a baby can be in the womb

04/28/2021

P L A C E N T A❤️
the only temporary organ, a multifunctional organ, acting as baby's lungs to supply oxygen, kidneys to filter out waste, and as gastrointestinal and immune systems by delivering nutrients and antibodies.
• MATERNAL SIDE:
attached to uterine wall
• FETAL SIDE:
connected to baby via umbilical cord
✨The placenta detaches from the inside of the uterus after the baby is born, this leaves behind a wound 6-8 inches in diameter that needs time for healing to ward off infection and hemorrhaging—at least 4-6 weeks for the wound to completely heal.
One of the many reasons birth givers need lots of rest and community care to recover & heal✨
**that is an internal wound the size of a dinner plate but does reduce with the contraction of the uterus (involution)**
Be gentle with yourself!



・・・

04/25/2021

Free breastfeeding support tomorrow, Monday April 26 from 9:30-11:30 am via zoom!