Your Labor Neighbor - Holly Milkowski, CLSP, BBCI, SBD

08/30/2024

11/30/2022

https://fb.watch/h7zkKyRRNY/

11/29/2022

Has it really been a decade already?!
Happy 10th solar return and anniversary of birth to my sweet, smart, awesome firstborn. Thank you, eternally, for making me a mom. ♡ Most importantly, *your* mom!
This time 10 years ago, I was just a few hours away from meeting you face-to-face, skin-to-skin, seeing you with my own eyes and holding you on the outside.
We arrived at the hospital around 6 p.m., in active labor for a few hours, pushed for 30 mins, and I couldn't wait to pull you close to me.
You chose 1:28 a.m., 11/29/12 as your special moment! Sagittarius vibes all the way. ♐
Love you, wonderful M!
~ HM | YourLaborNeighbor.com | MamasMilkNoChaser.com

11/15/2022

°•○ S.O.S. Edition: Preventing Vaginal Tears in Childbirth ○•°
YOU CAN TRY:
◇ Staying hydrated throughout pregnancy.
◇ Eating a fresh, whole foods diet with lots of healthy fats like avocados, nuts, olive oil, chia & flaxseed.
◇ Regular movement to tone & strengthen pelvic muscles (squats, kegel bridge, etc).
◇ Adopting a personalized kegel regimen.
◇ Frequent pleasurable in*******se in the last month of pregnancy.
◇ Choosing a care provider with a low episiotomy rate & hands-off delivery approach.
◇ Watching natural birth videos for reassurance -- your body will make room for baby!
◇ Encouraging baby into a good position (occiput posterior, nuchal hand & military presentation have increased tear risk). Side-lying & "hands + knees" delivery positions decrease tear risk.
◇ Taking/applying Evening Primrose Oil in the last 2-3 weeks.
◇ Working with a pelvic floor therapist.
◇ Seeing a counselor to address any tension caused by previous trauma.
◇ Considering whether perineal massage might be a good choice for your body.
~ HM | YourLaborNeighbor.com

11/05/2022

°•○ FREE PLACENTA TINCTURE ○•°
Free tincture (value $25-$75) with booking of placenta encapsulation (Raw or TCM method) for bookings in November through holiday season.
P.S. - Not pregnant? This is an awesome gift idea for the expecting parents in your life!
◇ Encap. balance must be paid in full by pickup
◇ Mention this post 📫
◇ Questions about placenta tincture/pills? See my website 👇
◇ Ready to book? Msg me at yourlaborneighbor@gmail.com
~ HM | YourLaborNeighbor.com

11/02/2022

Thank you to Shout Out Houston for featuring me in your publication! If you'd like to check out the interview, visit here: https://shoutouthtx.com/meet-holly-milkowski-childbirth-educator-holistic-doula-placenta-encapsulator/
~ HM | YourLaborNeighbor.com

09/27/2022

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=842053457154704&id=111288020231255

¿Sabías que antes del 1600 las Mujeres Occidentales daban a luz en cuclillas, sentadas y de pie?
Esto cambió cuando el rey Luis XIV de Francia dispuso que para poder él presenciar el nacimiento de sus hijos, sus mujeres debían dar a luz acostadas.

Aunque esa postura hace más difícil y doloroso el parto, pronto se generalizó, y los médicos franceses tuvieron que inventar los fórceps para evitar algunas de sus consecuencias. En poco tiempo se multiplicaron los instrumentos obstétricos, y se llegó a creer que el parto siempre era una urgencia que exigía atención médica para que fuera sin complicaciones.

Cada vez se populariza más la idea de que la mujer debe guiarse por su propio instinto en lo que se refiere al parto. El número de futuras madres que optan por el parto natural -entendido como aquel parto en el que la intervención externa es la mínima posible- va en aumento.

El obstetra francés Michel Odent, uno de los defensores más notables del parto natural, afirma que la parturienta no debe atenerse a ninguna regla, sino obedecer a su instinto, que la hace experta en dar a luz. Odent daba a sus pacientes entera libertad para proceder como quisiesen, e incluso les permitía sentarse en una tina de agua tibia para aliviar el dolor de las contracciones uterinas. De ahí surgió la idea del parto en agua.

Los conocimientos actuales de fisiología han demostrado que el parto vertical -de pie o en cuclillas- permite que el nacimiento del bebé sea más rápido y menos traumático. Sin embargo no existe una postura universal para dar a luz. En las comunidades más primitivas, las parturientas primerizas se guían por el consejo de mujeres más experimentadas.

09/27/2022

If you are pregnant and in the College Station, TX area, we need your help!

Next month we are working on a huge project. We will be re-filming our online childbirth classes! We are looking for pregnant women that would be willing to come help us make our new classes the best yet! No experience is required and we will guide and help you the whole time.

Here's what we're looking for...
1. A couple of new moms to bring their newborn to demonstrate latching a baby to the breast and breastfeeding positions on camera.
2. A few women to help demonstrate comfort measures and labor and pushing positions.
3. A pregnant woman to be part of our new massage video. Basically get 2 free massages! Both are clothed. One sitting up focusing on head, neck, shoulders and the other lying on a couch focusing on parts of the body that pregnant people most complain about pain.

We are looking for a diverse group of women to help us out. Please share with any pregnant friends/clients/students who may be interested. We’d love to have you!

Forms to apply:
Birth Stories: https://forms.gle/a9tCVkaeLvSbwsnG6
Breastfeeding model: https://forms.gle/o2z5dHuUPrvrjFpMA
Labor/pushing/massage models: https://forms.gle/a47v9mw6V3ULaHiLA

09/09/2022

Queen Elizabeth after her fourth Homebirth

Her Majesty was the first royal woman to have her husband accompany her at childbirth when she welcomed her fourth child Prince Edward with Prince Philip present.
…
"The Queen, by then aged 37, had asked him to be there; she'd been keenly reading women's magazines that stressed the importance of involving fathers in childbirth and had become fascinated by the idea. Thus Philip became the first royal father in modern history to witness the birth of his child.”
….
Like her mother, the Queen gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, at home via caesarean, after a 30 hour labor, but went on to have three VBACs although with scopolamine.
…
Eventually Charles was born by a Caesarean section in a music room in Buckingham Palace which had been converted into a theatre. She was attended by Obstetricians Sir William Gilliatt and Sir John Peel, and also midwife Helen Rowe, who was thought to be present for all the births. Caesarean sections were also less common in the general public at that time; in the 1950s only around 3% were caesarean section. It would have been of some concern that the Queen required one.
…

The midwife Helen Rowe was known to be present as letters written to her by the Queen were discovered after her death. There is an irony in this as, in 1970, Sir John Peel, the queen’s obstetrician, was lead author of the report “Domiciliary midwifery and maternity bed needs”, which recommended 100% of births should be in a hospital.
…

There have been considerable changes that have taken place in maternity services since the births of the Queen’s children. The accessibility of research and information is only one thing! The Queen, in all her experiences as a woman and mother in the role, has paved the way for royal births to be different and opened the door for many of her subjects to challenge the status quo at the time. The importance of looking back in history to see how we have got to where we are should not be overlooked and I challenge others to investigate history of our profession over the past 70 years.
…
From

08/12/2022

☆ 5 Ways You Can Support Breastfeeding -- as The Partner ☆
1. Help them "set the table."
Maintain a few cozy "nursing nooks" for them. When they're ready to nurse, help adjust the pillows to support mom's body. Make sure she's equipped with water (with a straw!), a charged phone, snacks, and other items you've learned make things easier for their unique situation (wipes? a hair tie? music? nursing pads?).
2. Be a second pair of hands & eyes.
Know how to troubleshoot basic breastfeeding issues, like getting a comfortable and functional latch. Maybe you have a better view of baby's bottom jaw from your vantage point, or maybe you can help move baby's hand away from their face...
3. Take care of the practical tasks.
While baby is nursing, you can show how much you appreciate and value your partner's hard work by getting some chores done in the meantime. Is an IBCLC appointment needed? Is insurance reimbursement paperwork overdue on the breast pump? Easy items to cross off the to-do list!
4. Protect their needs fiercely.
Trust your partner's decisions when it comes to infant feeding, even if others may not understand those choices. If they're up against criticism, disrespected boundaries, discrimination -- stand up for them! They need to know you have their back. It truly can make ALL the difference.
5. Offer reassurance, encouragement & validation.
There will be tears. Questions. Doubt. Celebration. Memories to hold onto for a lifetime. Really good days and really bad ones. Let them know you're here for the ride, without judgement. Offer to find solutions when asked, but otherwise... just listen with your heart.
*BONUS* 6. Take pictures!
Selfies are pretty difficult when your hands are full with a feeding baby, so take a minute to capture the beauty of breastfeeding. It can be quite an experience that can make your partner feel like a superhero, whether it goes as expected or not. Show her YOU see the superhero in her, too.
~ HM | YourLaborNeighbor.com | MamasMilkNoChaser.com