HW#41

http://www.intuitivedoula.com/?gclid=CLDSspbO-acCFUvd4AodWmNKsA

Intuitive Doula is a website where you can apply to take doula training sessions. After taking this course you can contact Carla Stange, a registered midwife to become a doula in association with her self and Marilyn Lemos, a certified childbirth educator and birth assistant with a BA in Psychology. On her website she gives a definition of what a doula does and what the job entails. “A doula offers continuous presence and emotional care, comfort measures and an understanding of the laboring woman's desires for her birth. Beside her partner there may be no other person to provide a continuous presence, and the doula, unlike a doctor, a nurse, or a midwife, has no other obligation during labor other than the woman in labor. A doula's ability to remain calm and objective may prove invaluable.”

http://www.doulaura.com/About_Laura.html

This website includes a short autobiography of Laura Gigantino, a certified Doula. She begins by giving her background story and the reason why she became a Doula. “When I was thirteen, I helped a family friend with her newborn while she worked from home part time. I loved spending time with the baby, watching him grow and learning all the little joys of infancy. The same friend became pregnant two more times in the next few years. I continued to spend a lot of my time with her and her growing family and felt honored to be a part of such an amazing thing - the family unit! Observing all of the smiles, tears, ups and downs made me realize how amazing life is. This wonderful experience, among others, sparked my interest in human and family development.”

http://www.dona.org/mothers/index.php

What is a doula?

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
A Birth Doula

·                            Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life

·                            Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor

·                            Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth

·                            Stays with the woman throughout the labor

·                            Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decision

·                            Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers

·                            Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience

·                            Allows the woman's partner to participate at his/her comfort level

A birth doula certified by DONA International is designated by the initials CD(DONA).
Research evidence shows that the quality services of a postpartum doula can ease the transition that comes with the addition of a baby to a family, improve parental satisfaction and reduce the risk of mood disorders.
A Postpartum Doula

·                            Offers education, companionship and nonjudgmental support during the postpartum fourth trimester

·                            Assists with newborn care, family adjustment, meal preparation and light household tidying

·                            Offers evidence-based information on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, infant soothing and coping skills for new parents and makes appropriate referrals when necessary

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/havingadoula.html

What are the benefits of having a doula?

Numerous studies have revealed the benefits of having a doula present during labor. A recent Cochrane Review, Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, revealed a very high number of positive birth outcomes when a doula was present. When a doula was present, women were less likely to have pain relief medications administered, less likely to have a cesarean birth, and reported having a more positive childbirth experience¹. Find a Doula Now.

Other studies have shown that having a doula as part of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40% and the request for an epidural by 60%².

Doulas often use the power of touch and massage to reduce stress and anxiety during labor. According to physicians Marshal Klaus and John Kennell, massage helps stimulate the production of natural oxytocin. The pituitary gland secretes natural oxytocin to the bloodstream which causes uterine contractions and also secretes it to the brain, which results in a feeling of well being, drowsiness and a raised pain threshold. Synthetic IV oxytocin cannot cross into the blood stream and brain, so it increases contractions without the positive psychological effects of natural oxytocin.

What about the father's role when using a doula?

The role of the doula is never to take the place of the husband or partner in labor, but to compliment and enhance their experience. Today, many husbands are taking a more active role in the birth process, but some partners feel that this is a huge expectation and would rather be able to enjoy the delivery without having to stand in as labor coach. With a doula as a part of the birth team, a father can do whatever he feels comfortable with at each moment. Doulas can encourage the father to use comfort measures and can step in when he needs a break. Having a doula allows the father to be able to support his partner emotionally during labor and birth and also enjoy it himself without the pressure to remember everything he learned in childbirth class!

Are doulas only useful if planning an un-medicated birth?

The presence of a doula can be beneficial no matter what type of birth you are planning. Many women do report needing fewer interventions when they have a doula, but the role of the doula is to help you have a safe and pleasant birth, not to choose your type of birth. For women who know they want a medicated birth, the doula still provides emotional support, informational support and comfort measures to help the women through labor and the administration of medications. Doulas can work alongside medication by helping mom deal with possible side effects and filling in the gap that medication may not cover; rarely does medication take all discomfort away.

For a mother who faces a cesarean, a doula can be helpful by providing constant support and encouragement. Often a cesarean is an unexpected situation and moms are left feeling unprepared, disappointed and lonely. A doula can be with the mother at all times throughout a cesarean, explaining what is going on throughout the procedure while the partner is able to attend to the baby and accompany the newborn to the nursery if problems arise.

HW#40

Hello Ms. Vincent it is nice to meet you! Let me just say thank you for writing Baby Catcher. Your main idea formed as a result of all your personal experiences made me truly believe that first-time moms as well as women who have had children before can in fact have a calm, natural childbirth without the need for unnecessary interventions or use of unprincipled methods. Hearing this new refreshing theory on birth after believing my whole life that birth was horrible and painful made rethink how I feel about our medical system and what drives them to make certain decisions.

"Really, which parts were most effective or important for you?"

In the last third of your book I understand that you were beginning to bring together all your ideas and insights presented earlier to culminate into the big idea that birth can in fact be natural which connected back to the first two thirds of your book by restating the main idea you want to reader to understand by using personal experiences. More specifically the most important parts of your book for me (although it was all very interesting and educational) were the parts where you mentioned your own births and decisions you made through your birth process. The concept of spirit babies resounds with me even now and throughout your whole book from the point you mentioned it on approx. page 140-150. On page 260 when you learned that you were being sued I felt the other side of midwifery where things can actually be dangerous and midwifes are putting themselves at risk when they take responsibility for the birth of a child.

But what could I have done to make this a better book - that would more effectively fulfill its mission?"

I honestly feel as if this book was perfect because it definitely succeeded in getting its point across and if I enjoyed it I can only imagine how great it must be for a woman who is expecting or a woman who is planning to get pregnant to read this fresh book and be able to gain a new perspective. If you were to add anything else I would ask for more statistics that blend well with your experiences with your clients or with your time working as a nurse. I understand that your style of writing focuses on narratives from the perspective of a midwife but I think that including data to support your experiences can help your book reach out to a wider variety of readers that are looking for a educational book that is also fun book." The author

"Thanks! Talking to you gives me hope about our future as a society!"

“I know! If only there were more people like me!”

HW#39

Vincent, Peggy. Baby Catcher- chronicles of a modern midwife. Scribner Edition. 1. New York, NY: Scribner, 2003. 110,112,125,149. Print.

(Vincent 110) At this point Hallie begins to give birth and Peggy describes the process of determining whether the baby’s umbilical cord is wrapped around its body and a physical description of this process and how it felt.

(Vincent 112) When Janelle is introduced, Peggy recollects when they met and the fact that Janelle is a “Christian Scientist”. Through this introduction I learned about the Christian Science Church and their policies regarding childbirth and Midwifery.

(Vincent 125) The idea introduced by Colin regarding “Spirit babies” Stuck me as particularly interesting because someone in my family went through the same experience of losing a child although it was much farther along.

(Vincent 149) Building off of the idea of “Spirit babies” Tammy’s Experience is much like the story of my family member who went through the same. I won’t ever be able to imagine how a mother or father must feel losing a child even if they look at it from Colin’s perspective

The major insight the second hundred pages of Baby Catcher tries to get across is the importance of the relationship between children and the mother during the pregnancy. Each of the stories that Peggy tells the reader relate to each other because they all have to do with mothers who have children and how they deal with being pregnant and ultimately the birth. I enjoy reading through the process that each of these mothers went through including Peggy because I went through this process (but from a different perspective). I remember never wanting a sibling and gradually changing how I felt about my parents having a child as I grew older. But to now think of it from my mother and father’s perspective as they consciously prepared me for a sibling is nothing short of amazing.

HW#38

The main method of organization in this book is fairly simple but complicated in the sense that it does each thing for a very specific reason. Each short chapter (kept short to maintain the flow of ideas and keep the attention of the reader) is usually limited to a personal experience of the author with birth and sometimes the experience of another person she was not involved with. After each of these short stories, she analyzes her experience and gives the reader some insight or knowledge she gained from each occurrence. The majority of the book is geared toward asking and answering the question, “Why do we treat birth in such odd ways?” and “How can we change that?” So far I am still not too sure how I feel about the way we treat birth, but I am sure that we need to update our methods. A few things that I agree on with the author include the idea that childhood should be natural although painful instead of completely drugging the mother to the point they are asleep the whole time. The inclusion of men during childbirth is also a touchy subject but I personally believe that their presence is necessary but not up to the point of practically helping the midwife or doctor. Aside from these thoughts about the actual process of birth, I believe that the company and help from a midwife with personal experience is essential throughout the pregnancy to assist the mother-to-be. The major insight of this book is about challenging the dominant social discourse on birth and analyzing the reasons why we treat it certain ways and how that has evolved or will evolve in future. I feel as if all the evidence the author uses is based on her personal experience wand how she feels about what happened. In a way, this type of raw evidence straight from the source is an element of understanding the key idea she is trying to get across. 

HW#37 Comments

Comments for Rigel:

The clearest and most focused on idea in your blog is that of the connection between the mother and child, inside and out of the womb. I specifically found this idea to be very thought provoking because is made me muse about how my mother or my other relatives felt during pregnancy; specifically whether they felt a connection like each of mothers you interviewed. This post has driven me to look up studies on the scientific definition on this “connection” between mother and child and whether or not a actual psychological connection exists

Comments for Kristin:

I think that the distinction between wanting a child and not really wanting one is essential in understanding the way the child is raised and how it will grow up. The fact that you mentioned how your uncle and the doctor were watching basketball instead of paying 100% attention to your aunt is an interesting idea to introduce because of how it puts the difference between gender roles into context. I also began to wonder how gender roles during pregnancy have evolved over time.

Comments for Anthony:

I like how you talk about the physical and emotional toll that pregnancy can take on a couple no matter what age as wells the situations you proposed to the interviewee’s. I wonder what influences a mother’s reaction to pregnancy and if it should be considered an emotional reaction to the pregnancy or if it should be looked at as a process of nature despite they unorthodox way it works.

Anthony said...

Felipe I enjoyed reading your post because I talked to my mom about her pregnancy right now and it really compares to your mothers. I’m 15 years apart from my brother so I definitely feel your sister's pain. It was good to see that you took the extra step and wanted to research and ask a different question after your interview with your mom.

amandap said...

My favorite line was "we came to the conclusion that we would both like to have a child and raise him/her the way we would have liked to have been raised.” This for me gave me an alternative point of view for why people have babies. In this case it was to make up for the kind of parenting your parents wish they had had growing up. I liked how you used direct quotes to answer each question and added personal thoughts after the quotes, so basically i liked the format, because it allowed me to see the exact wording your mother used.

Nice work, Amanda