NB Birth Doula

08/19/2021

Home and Birth Center births on the rise? Yes indeed! Joani Koenig & Ashley King, Joyful Beginnings Birth Care are probably busier than ever!

Perhaps this is one of the positives of COVID! Being motivated to birth at home or head to a birth center to avoid all the limitations of hospital protocol is just another great reason to take birth back to where it belongs. Remember Momma: You’re not a sick patient! You’re just having a baby. 💕

SAN ANTONIO (KABB/WOAI) - Mothers-to-be are weighing their options when it comes to where they will deliver their babies. The pandemic has made some expecting moms think twice about having their baby in a hospital. Caption: KABB. New Braunfels midwife Ashley King says just because a pandemic hit, do...

08/10/2021

07/23/2021

"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…)"⁠
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None of these are examples of informed consent. ⁠
Informed consent is a legal, human, and ethical right - established by law.⁠
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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
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Informed consent also includes the right to INFORMED REFUSAL.⁠
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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.⁠
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Your voice counts and what you say matters.⁠
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Being guilted into something or otherwise psychologically pressured is a violation of informed consent.⁠
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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.⁠
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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.⁠
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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.⁠
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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!

10/15/2020

Aviva Romm, MD nailed it. 👍

Pregnancy, birth, babies. All the curated instagram images make it look so s*xy and romantic. And then there are the things no one prepared us for - the blood sweat and tears - literally!⁠
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The shift into postpartum leads to the most significant hormone changes we experience in our lives, all in a matter of 72 hours, and with that, some ‘weird’ symptoms can manifest.⁠
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Below are some of the normal things nobody tells us about. Hopefully knowing will prevent you from thinking you’re totally dying or in the least, that something’s really wrong:⁠
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〰️ Shaking: Immediately after birthing, intense shaking and chills are common due to shifts in adrenaline as your body ‘comes down’ from the birth experience.⁠
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〰️ Baby blues: Different from postpartum depression, the baby blues are a common and normal period of weepiness, anxiety, and irritability in the first 5 days after birth, and can last hours or days. It’s due to massive hormone shifts - especially a plummet in estrogen and progesterone - that occurs after birth, and is aggravated by fatigue and low blood sugar. If you feel down for longer than this period of time, or find that the sadness is interfering with your ability to care for yourself and/or your baby, please talk to your practitioner.⁠
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〰️ Night sweats: many new mamas are alarmed to find themselves drenched in sweat the first couple nights postpartum - don’t be! Your body releases fluid volume naturally accumulated in pregnancy (and from IV fluids in labor). Sleep on a towel, have a change of jammies nearby, and an extra blanket layer on your bed if you feel chilled from sweating.⁠
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〰️ Fear of going to the bathroom: Fear of p*eing and pooping post vaginal birth, especially with a tear/repair or after cesarean, are common. If your yoni is tender, use a squeeze bottle with tepid water as you p*e; for pooping, eat fiber, take deep breaths, and take it slow, knowing it’s safe to let go - and go.⁠
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〰️ Mood swings: Hormone fluctuations can lead to wild mood shifts from intense moments of elation and gratitude to rage or sadness. This intensity will pass, though mom-feelings are still intense. Learn to ride the waves and have tools for inner calm.

08/25/2020

Love this Aviva Romm, MD!

This article is about how not speaking up - being a "good girl" can leave us feeling victimized and incompetent.

07/09/2020

09/07/2019

Wow! What a shot.

When a baby is born, anywhere from 25-60% of the fetal blood supply remains in the placenta. Waiting to clamp the umbilical cord, even for just 90 seconds after birth, allows the placenta to pulse this extra blood to the baby. In our practice we wait until the cord stops pulsing and sometimes it’s even after the placenta is delivered....there’s certainly no rush. This ensures that baby gets all of the vital stem cells, oxygen rich and iron rich blood needed for a smooth transition to life outside the womb. It also ensures baby will not develop iron deficient anemia for at least the first 6 months of life. We most often see it protect baby from anemia for at least the first year of life. The complete transfer of stem cells will help protect the baby from developing chronic disease later in life.
A delay in clamping also keeps mom and baby together and helps prevent postpartum hemorrhage in mom!
There has been a lot of chatter in Obstetrics about delayed clamping resulting in an increase of jaundice. Rest assured, in over two decades we have not seen an increase in the incidence of jaundice. In fact, we can count on one hand how many jaundice cases we have had. Most were mild and didn't require treatment other than a little natural sunshine and increased breastfeeding. Severe jaundice is rare in term physiologic birth.

Inside of your baby’s umbilical cord are two arteries and one vein. The vein allows nutrients and oxygen to flow from the placenta into the baby. The two arteries allow waste to flow away from baby and back through the placenta for excretion through the maternal body system. When conducting a placental exam after birth, we always check the cord to make sure it has two arteries and one vein. If the baby only has a two-vessel cord, also known as a single umbilical artery, they are sometimes at an increased risk for certain issues. It’s not that common, though - only about 1% of babies have a single umbilical artery!

Our bodies are amazing! ❤️

GORGEOUS photo via: DiGXIS 📸

08/01/2019

Funny, but true. If you were placed in a hospital bed for hours while in labor and wondered why your birth experience was long or difficult, just remember the ketchup bottle. 🍅

07/12/2019

This! ❤️

Please give yourself permission to be average. Most breastfeeding women have 10-20oz of milk stored in their freezer by the time their baby is 2 months old. It is unrealistic to compare yourself to images on social media. Let’s be real! Do you have an average freezer stash?