Valerian Womb Doula

02/04/2018

Come see Adeline at her new page, Triple Moon Doula Birth and Lactation Services and www.triplemoondoula.com!

12/31/2017

Another testimonial from an AMAZING mama!

"Adeline was our birthing angel to say the least! Our birth plan was to deliver our baby unmedicated at the Swedish Ballard Birth Center with the Midwifery. My mother’s labor was rather quick when having my sisters and I, so I was convinced it would be the same for me. I was way wrong! We were in labor for 3-4 days! Adeline must have visited our house 5 times during that process. She is so patient, calm, warm and gives off the best positive energy anyone could ask for to get their labor!

We were admitted on a Friday night and after no progress, went home on medicated rest so we could try again when labor picked back up. Adeline coached us on how important rest was. She let us know the pros and cons of every situation. She helped us through positions to move Baby down and comfort me through the pain, she helped us schedule a massage on Sunday when Baby still had not come! When I was convinced I needed all the interventions she calmed us and suggested to relax, take a stroll, stop following contractions and see how we were feeling that night. Sure enough labor came back and Adeline was there again, comforting me, moving me through positions, cheering me on! To the birth center round 2! During transition I began begging for the epidural. She reminded me of what I wanted and bargained with me, suggesting the midwife could break my water to speed up the progress. Which did! As I transitioned baby’s heart rate kept dropping and as I became fully dilated, Adeline coached me through pushing to get Baby out! Finally Monday morning our baby boy arrived! We had a vacuum assist on the last push with no contraction. Adeline stayed by my side thru breast feeding. She was full of love and so complimentary, she made me feel like a warrior! Her post partum visits were lovely. We were just so empowered through the birth process with her at our side! Adeline has a most beautiful soul and way of making one feel so strong!! So thankful for her guidance!"

Adeline hill's seattle full spectrum doula practice

12/12/2017

💅🏼

09/05/2017

New testimonial! ❤️❤️❤️

"There arent enough words to describe my gratitude and appreciation for Adeline Hill. From the moment I met her, I knew that she was put in my life for a reason. Her first two visits were spent walking through my 'plan A and plan B' birth scenarios. Without her walking through 'plan B,' I would not nearly have been prepared for the C Section that I ended up having. In those first 2 appts, she was warm, empathetic, comforting and most importantly, knowledgeable. She made sure all our questions were answered and each appointment, my husband and I would say how much more prepared we felt for the big day. I ended up going into labor early but Adeline had already been ‘on call’ for me, shooting me texts every day to check in on how I was doing. When I went into labor, she was there to talk me through those early contractions, even answering my phone call at 2am to get me through (what I thought) was the worst of it. Over the next 2 days, Adeline was by our side helping me progress the labor at home, talking to me over the phone through tough ones or meeting us at the hospital when I was finally far enough along to check into triage. Unfortunately, when I got there, I still needed to progress so Adeline walked the halls of the hospital with me for 2 hours doing various exercises with me. The compassion that she demonstrated as I squeezed her hands through contractions and leaned on her shoulder to breath was unlike anyone I have ever met (let along known for just a few short weeks). When we finally got admitted, she made sure to remind me of my birth plan and ask the questions we had prepped. She constantly checked in on my husband too to make sure he was doing ok and that he was eating and getting rest. She was also by our side during our c section, helping me through some terrible trembles i was experiencing. Saying I highly recommend Adeline doesn’t nearly do it justice. She is an amazing woman, mother, confidant, friend and of course, Doula."

06/21/2017

Charleena Lyles was killed by the Seattle police she called for help, in front of her three children, while pregnant. Freedom from violence is reproductive justice.

In her memory, I am able to offer free birth doula services to two Seattle-area families of color. I am available for due dates in September, November, and December 2017, for anyone planning to deliver within an hour's drive of Seattle.

Please contact me at valeriandoula@gmail.com to make arrangements, and feel free to share.

05/27/2017

YES

Lip Appearance During Overuse

I’ve written previously about the importance of recognizing compensations when trying to improve infant feeding quality.

Instead of “we need to get the baby’s mouth bigger”, we should ask “Why is the baby keeping his mouth so small?”
Instead of “you need to flip those lips out”, we should ask “why is the baby pursing her lips in so tightly?”
Instead of “lip blisters are totally normal”, we should ask “are blisters anywhere else considered to be normal?”

I would argue that the #1 compensation that is made by a tongue-tied baby is overuse of the lips. If the tongue cannot hold the seal, then the baby cannot generate a vacuum. Without that vacuum, there’s no feeding. So what does the tongue-tied baby do? They use their lips.

So what’s the big deal about using the lips? Well, lots. First, the baby cannot use the lips and maintain a wide latch at the same time. To achieve a compensatory seal with the lips, the baby turns the ni**le into a straw. If the baby is holding the latch up front with the lips, that means that there’s no contact between the tongue and breast. Since we already have several studies demonstrating that mid-tongue elevation of the breast to the palate is the key to generating a normal vacuum, the baby who uses their lips must generate the vacuum in a different manner: jaw muscles. That’s why they bite down. That’s why they fatigue so quickly and fall asleep. That’s why mom can have residual milk despite feeding the baby at the breast.

Lip blisters can be pretty dramatic. Chafing and chapping are also frequently seen and are the precursor to blisters. One more sign that’s important to recognize: two-tone lips (see picture). If the baby pops off the breast and the inside portion of the lips are pale, it’s a good indication that the baby is overusing the lips. In chronic cases, the lips remain pale even between feedings. There’s often a thin rim of pink around the pale lips.

Keep your eyes out for these signs. Question your lactation consultants and primary doctors if you’re told it’s normal. It’s not.

05/08/2017

"Trauma is a soul wound." Amazing talk on intergenerational trauma, culture, and breastfeeding by amazing Native lactation consultant Camie Goldhammer at the Beyond Birth Seattle conference!

05/01/2017

So lucky to have seen Dr. James McKenna speak on breastfeeding, cosleeping, SIDS, and colic last week thanks to NAPS Doulas! Here's his guidelines for safe bedsharing: http://cosleeping.nd.edu/safe-co-sleeping-guidelines/

Professor James J. McKenna’s Mother-Baby Behavioral Sleep Laboratory at Notre Dame studies how sleeping and co-sleeping environments affect mothers, breastfeeding, and infants’ physiological and psychological well-being and development.

04/26/2017

Now accepting appointments via the Acuity scheduler! You can use this tool to schedule your first interview, our prenatal and postpartum visits, and postpartum doula shifts! Please feel free to share with anyone needing doula support in the coming months.

Schedule your appointment online with Valerian Womb Doula

04/18/2017

What happens when a doula gives birth? Here's my story!

This is the excerpt for your very first post.

04/17/2017

Classic article, still wonderfully true!

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

What is a doula? According to DONA International, a doula is a professional who is trained in childbirth and provides continuous support to a mother before, during, and just after birth (postpartum doulas are not covered in this article). Doula comes from a Greek word that means “a woman who serves”...

04/12/2017

I'M BAAAACK! Birth calendar is officially open for July and beyond, and I'm rebranding with a new super hippie name and extra hippie website. I have 76 births under my belt, not including my own home waterbirth. I have experience at every major hospital and birth center and with most home midwifery practices, from Everett to Tacoma and the Eastside. I serve pretty much anywhere, with a negotiable travel fee for clients/birth locations outside of Seattle. Experience with VBAC, twins, breech, high-risk/medically complex, pregnancy release including expected and unexpected stillbirth and late termination due to fetal anomaly, rainbow births, plus-size parents, HypnoBirthing, teen/young parents, surrogacy, adoption, and more. I speak Spanish, I know ASL, and I offer sliding scale. I'm bisexual and poly, and LGBTQ families are my people.

Other things: I am a fetal positioning geek and love figuring out how to get wonky babies through pelvises. I'm very pro-science, but with a massive soft spot for all things woo. I'm a certified breastfeeding specialist, working towards my IBCLC via Pathway 3 with Sound Beginnings and Joy MacTavish

I would love and appreciate your referrals, and to welcome new clients! Thanks!
www.valeriandoula.com
www.facebook.com/valeriandoula/
https://doulamatch.net/profile/8342/adeline-hill
520-907-9616

Adeline hill's seattle full spectrum doula practice