Isn’t summer in Florida fantastic? The beaches, the unpredictable weather, the hair-raising humidity… Pregnancy in the southern summer can be agitating. Researching the best local resources can be even more frustrating. So I’ve compiled a list of shops, groups, meetings, and people that I personally recommend as a must visit, do, or buy during and after pregnancy. 1. Chiropractic Care Carrying another human life inside you can take a toll on your entire skeletal system. Dr. Kaitlin Ross at Joint Venture Chiropractic will take the highest standard of care for you and your little one before and after delivery. Babies can benefit from chiropractic care as well. Click here for more information on infant chiropractic care. 2. Le Leche League Pensacola Breastfeeding isn’t always easy. Finding a support group doesn’t have to be. LLL of Pensacola holds meetings “to help mothers to breastfeed through mother-to-mother support, encouragement, information, and education, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby and mother.” You can find their meeting schedule on their Facebook Page. 3. ICAN of Pensacola A newest resource for cesarean birth mothers is the Pensacola Chapter of ICAN (the International Cesarean Awareness Network). ICAN is a “nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve maternal-child health by preventing unnecessary cesareans through education, providing support for cesarean recovery, and promoting Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC).” This could be a turning point for VBAC rates in Pensacola, and it is certainly a much-needed resource here since as many as 1 out of 3 moms in Pensacola have had or are facing cesareans. 4. Storkland Now, if you’ve ever been to Storkland, GET OVER THERE, GIRLFRIEND! You can get lost in there. Truly. Tell a trusted friend to call and check on you if they don't hear from you by a certain time. DO NOT tell your significant other (JUST KIDDING). They have EVERYTHING ranging from breastfeeding supplies, amber and hazelwood jewelry, car seats, baby wearing products, cloth diapers, and every nursery theme you can think of. Storkland is one of those places that carries many products that you can’t find it at chain department stores. They also provide gift wrapping and specialized registries. Be careful sitting in their nursery rockers, you may never get up. 5. Emerald Coast Birth Resources A list of local professionals ranging in knowledge from birth, mental health issues, breastfeeding, caring of the newborn, and fitness can be found here. Aside from brick and mortar resources, the support of fellow mothers and credentialed professionals is essential to making your journey from pregnancy, through birth, and into parenthood as smooth as possible. 6. L.E.A.P.S. “Love, Encouragement, and Postpartum Support” is the motto of this fantastic mothering support group. Connecting with other mothers and being able to open up in a safe space can take the world’s weight off of your shoulders. Being a parent is tough cookies, you don’t have to do it alone. They meet twice a month at the Community Educational Center at Ever'man's Cooperative Grocery. AND just this week, they have added two new meetings specifically for parents of black and brown babies! See their Facebook page for more information on meetings. 7. Pensacola Therapy Services Did you know that approximately 1 out of 7 women will experience a mood disorder such as depression, anxiety, or OCD? And mood disorders aren't just for the postpartum timeframe! They can happen during pregnancy as well. We are so fortunate to have this amazing resource in the area--the owner of Pensacola Therapy Services, Eileen Wolfe, has done extensive training with PSI (Postpartum Support International) and specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mood disorders pertaining to pregnancy, birth & the postpartum. If you or someone you know is pregnant or with a new baby, and struggling with feelings or thoughts, contact Eileen today through her website! 8. Maternity, Birth & Newborn Photography You always want to have the perfect photos for the once-in-a-lifetime moments. Amanda at Finding Beauty in the Ordinary specializes in everything pregnancy, newborn, and family (in fact, she took many of our website pictures as well as the picture in the blog header!). If you desire to capture the precious moments of birth, Natalie Zepp or Cassie Ringl would be the people for you! 9. Mom-Baby Circle Ever need a moment to just sit and have non-structured adult conversation? Located at Old Thyme Remedies, Mom-Baby circle meets several times a month. Moms with babies and toddlers 3 years old and under are welcome to drop in. There’s no fee and it is facilitated by Belly to Cradle’s doulas (come see ME!). You can visit their Facebook Page and click on the Events tab for their next meeting time. 10. The Belly to Cradle Resources Page Looking for a childbearing resource not listed here? Pregnancy-specific fitness options, health food stores, or a list of all the OBGYNs in town?? Then have we got the directory for you! We have worked hard to provide a robust list of all the possible services YOU might need for your pregnancy, birth & postpartum--and if you know of a resource that's not on the list, or you are a provider and would like to be added, PLEASE contact us--we'd love to know about it! Happy Summer-ing! Your Doula With Pearls, Lauren
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Back when I first started encapsulating placentas, way back in the olden days of 2011, things were a lot different. People talked about it in whispered conversations with looks of "Ewwww!" on their faces. I didn't even mention that I encapsulated placentas to 99.5% of the people I knew--and I didn't know of anyone else in town who provided the service. There was maybe one training organization for placenta encapsulation, and carrying placentas out of the hospital in unmarked coolers felt like black market smuggling. Well here we are, nine years later, and boy things are different. Tons of providers. Tons of talk about it on social media. Several certifying organizations. AND, instead of placentas being whisked out of hospitals in the dark of night, specialists (including myself) proudly provide branded coolers for placenta collection and storage. And instead of preparing the occasional placenta here and there, it's a THING for many encapsulation specialists who now prepare ten, twenty, even forty placentas a month! So now that it's more than socially acceptable to utter the words "placenta encapsulation", AND since 1) we've seen TONS of questions from moms on social media and 2) we've also seen TONS of potentially misleading information and unsafe practices being publicized, I'm about to bust the Top 4 Safety Myths we've come across about the process. Myth #1: Training Doesn't Matter Anyone can encapsulate a placenta. I mean how hard can it really be? All you do is cut it up, dry it out, grind it up and stick it in capsules, right? Let's rewind to 2011 when I was first asked by a childbirth education client about placenta encapsulation. Placenta encapsulation?? I had heard the term whispered in Facebook groups about birth, but I didn't know anyone who actually did it. And there was very little information on official training programs out there. When I started to do my research, it seemed like a majority of providers had learned from another provider or the always-available University of Google. I originally chose to train with a lovely midwife out of the local area who had been handling and processing placentas for her entire career--close to 40 years. And then I supplemented what she taught me with information from UOG (University of Google) and the knowledge base I had from several prior food handling certifications to make my offerings as safe as I thought I possibly could, not only for my clients but for my family. Well guess what? When I started my official certification in 2014 I was BLOWN AWAY by all the information I had overlooked, not known, or not found during my self-implemented training program. My training was so thorough that I realized I had only been cutting corners by not seeking official, structured training in the first place. And now, when I get inquiries from folks saying they are clients, but asking very specific questions about how I process, I sometimes wonder if they are actually trying to get into the industry the "old-fashioned way"--depending on information from already-established providers, and the good ol' U of G. A good training course will cover:
SO, be sure to look into your prospective placenta specialist's training. If you find pictures of their organization's training students barefoot with minimal personal protection, common sense says it might be worth thinking again before training with them OR hiring someone trained by them.
Myth #2: DIY Is the Way To GO!! Or is it? While doing your own placenta encapsulation might save you a few bucks when you've already shelled out a ton for baby supplies and medical bills, it could end up costing you in the long run. It's definitely POSSIBLE and maybe even necessary to process your placenta yourself, especially if you can't find a qualified provider in your area (like the missionary family I know who moved to Thailand this year). But...
Myth #3: Placenta Encapsulation is Regulated Um. Nope. It's not. This is both fortunate and unfortunate. Fortunate because if it WAS regulated, it would likely make the process prohibitively expensive and not very accessible to the common mother because of the licenses and facility standards that would be required (think...pharmaceuticals.) It's unfortunate because it sets the stage for specialists setting up shop who are practicing with little to no training in potentially unsafe environments, AND clients who don't know what the standards SHOULD be. So know this:
Myth #4: Placenta Encapsulation Should Never Happen in the Specialist's Home This is a commonly-held opinion; in fact there are two training organizations that require or strongly encourage specialists to ONLY prepare placentas in the client's home. Some clients do want this, BUT preparation in the client's home is not always the safest, when you consider things like kids, pets, or personal food prep alongside the placenta preparation process, and ESPECIALLY considering some of the things I have encountered while preparing placentas in client homes (preparation starts on one day and ends the next day) such as:
Here at Belly to Cradle/Pensacola Placentas, we are always down to answer any and all questions or concerns you might have about hiring us to prepare your placenta! So ask us--we'd love to provide safe, reliable, professional, and transparent placenta preparation for you! Visit the Pensacola Placentas website for more details and to book today! Questions to ask your Placenta Preparation Specialist:
Note from Amber: Everyone loves a good birth story, so we are excited and privileged to be sharing some of our clients' birth stories on the blog! We hope it will become a regular thing, so be on the lookout for more BTC Birth Stories in the coming weeks and months. All stories are written by the birthing mother, and as such belong to the birthing mother and should not be copied or reproduced elsewhere. All details and pictures are shared with permission. The pictures in this story were taken Against the Grain Photography and should also not be shared elsewhere. Thank you, Heidi, for sharing your amazing story with us! I was sure Lydia would come in my 39th week because my other girls came at that time. I was having prodromal labor and had several false starts. I was listening to my Hypnobabies tracks to keep my attitude positive. At my 39 week appointment I was 70% effaced and dilated 2.5 centimeters. As my due date approached I began to get disappointed. I went to my 40 week appointment begrudgingly. I even took a wrong turn because I just couldn’t keep focused. Dr. Andrews said Lydia’s head had moved down and was in a good position. (She had kept me up the night before banging her head around!) He offered to sweep my membranes. I decided to let him do that. I didn’t think it would work and was at peace with waiting until 42 weeks if need be. Still I thought, well, why not give it a try? It did not produce any pressure waves (contractions) that day, but I did have a TON of pelvic pressure. I almost couldn’t walk around because of it. I went to bed that night appreciating one more night of sleep without a newborn. At 2:45 am on May 11th I woke up out of a very deep sleep to use the bathroom. I had a pressure wave as I woke up, another one on the toilet and then another by the time I got back to the bed. I was disoriented from sleeping and just wanted to go back to sleep! I decided to listen to my Hypnobabies affirmations and see if they were going to pass like the other times. It only took a few more waves for me to realize that they were getting intense very fast. I timed a few and they were about 2 minutes apart and lasted about a minute. I decided I would pack the last few items in my bag and wake up Billy just in case. (He didn’t have the first thing packed!) I thought it might be the real thing and I felt anxious. I wasn’t as calm as I had been earlier in the week. I decided to stop packing and just listen to my track. I wanted to wait at least an hour before calling anyone to make sure it was actually TIME. Eventually we were sure Lydia was on her way and Billy decided to call my mom and Amber. He couldn’t get my mom on the phone and I started to worry. We couldn’t leave for the hospital until Dad came to be with my sleeping girls. We couldn’t believe they weren’t answering their phones. Thankfully we are neighbors! He sent our other neighbor to knock on their door, but they still didn’t answer. Amber arrived at our house around 5 AM. When she arrived Billy went over to my parents and got them out of bed. I was having really intense back labor and was so thankful for Amber’s counter pressure! I didn’t want to go to the hospital too early, but the waves were so intense I started thinking it might be time. I was trying to keep Lydia in a good position, but couldn’t completely relax on my hands and knees. I found the easiest way to relax was to lean over onto Billy and relax my upper body completely. He got a good arm workout that way! We left for the hospital around 6 AM. Billy drove and my mom sat behind me. The car ride was hard, really hard. It was much calmer than the car ride to the hospital when Elena was born though! I had my hypnobabies tracks playing in my ear buds, and my mom rubbing my back. My body stayed pretty relaxed and calm. I didn’t say much, but I was thinking about getting to the hospital, the land of epidurals!! I was watching the clock between contractions and got pretty irritated that Billy and mom didn’t seem to know how to get to the hospital. They even took a wrong turn a block from Baptist Hospital. I was thinking “NOOO! That way! We are so close get me there NOW." I mean seriously, you have one job, people. Get the birthing lady to the hospital! Finally, we made it! I was worried I hadn’t progressed into active labor. I just KNEW the nurse would say I was a 3 or 4. After all, I hadn’t been in labor for very long. We got settled into a room (thank goodness we didn’t have to wait in triage like at Sacred Heart). The nurse checked me and I was 6 cm! The thought of an epidural left my mind. Once, I knew labor was progressing nicely I didn’t consider it again. I handled my pressure waves much better when I could stay “in the zone”. I didn’t mind people talking or working around me, but answering questions and being forced into uncomfortable positions made me really frustrated. I remember thinking, “You can NOT slap the nice nurse.” Laying on my back in the bed felt like torture. I needed the time between contractions to collect myself, relax and get ready for the next one. I also found humming or vocalizing helped me quite a bit. By about 7:15 I was hooked up to monitors and IVs. Shortly after that Dr. Andrews came to visit me. He was usual light hearted self. I remember him remarking on my “fake labor calm”. By about 8 o’clock I was ready to try the labor tub. Right before I was getting in I had a crazy intense wave. I remember feeling a sensation like a spasm and trying so hard to stay relaxed. Then my water broke in a huge gush! It felt like such a relief I thought I had just peed everywhere. After I realized that it was my bag of waters not urine I wanted to get in that tub. I think my mom went to ask if it was still OK for me to get in. I was NOT going to wait around for the nurse to say no. I got my tail in that water as fast as a someone the size of a beached whale can! It felt too hot at first, then the next pressure wave hit and it felt amazing! Sadly, my time in the tub didn’t last long. I felt my first urge to push very quickly after getting in, so out I came. The nurse was very adamant about one thing. Lydia would NOT be born in the tub. Once in the bed she checked my dilation. I was 8 centimeters and the urge to push has passed. She let me go back to the tub thankfully. According to Amber, I spent about 20 more minutes in the tub even though it felt like seconds to me. ***Once I am in active labor time ceases to be. There is work (pressure waves) and there is rest. I have no idea how much time is passing in the moment.*** I felt the urge to push again so out I came!! This time I was 9 centimeters. I decided to sit on the squatty potty and let my body push when I felt the urge. I think at this point I stopped listening to my Hypnobabies tracks. The earbuds and phone had fallen by the wayside while getting in and out of the tub. I believe they were playing in the background from my computer during the pushing phase. I just couldn’t concentrate on the messages with all the other distractions. In some ways that was good because I felt more present and talkative. On the other hand, I think I would have listened to my body a bit more if I was focused solely on the positive messages. I was pretty tired at this point. From the beginning of labor all I wanted was to go back to sleep! I could see the end in sight now. As I sat on the stool I let my body do what felt natural. I was bearing down and grunting a lot. I couldn’t stop myself and it felt good to follow my body. I remember two things from this time period. Amber reminded me how great it was that I was getting to push the way I wanted! My thought was, “Yeah, whoop-di-doo. It doesn’t seem that great right now." Even so, her comment brought me back to my goals. As hard as this was, I was getting to experience something amazing. My body was working to bring my baby into the world all on its own! Not surprisingly, my other thought during this time was about food. It was around 9:30 when I asked the time. I was so surprised and encouraged! I was going to have a baby before lunch time! YAY! My baby was coming so soon and double YAY because I was going to get to eat lunch! SCORE! Eventually it became obvious to my entourage that I was actively pushing so they called the nurse. She wanted me on the bed so I complied. I tried to get into a squat position using the squat bar, but I couldn’t get comfortable in a way that satisfied my nurse. She asked me to lie on back and use the squat bar to prop my feet. I wanted to avoid being on my back, but at that point I was just tired. I didn’t mind trying it her way. Dr. Andrews came in at some point as well. It only seemed like a few pushes and I felt a lot of stinging down there! OW! I remember announcing to everyone in the room “Guys! This really hurts!” The crowd at my crotch informed me there was a not so tiny baby crowning--I was shocked. I mean I was aware that I was having a baby today, but I didn’t know it was like right NOW! I didn’t experience the ring of fire with Elena so I didn’t put two and two together. With their encouragement I put my hand down there to feel her head. WOW! I was shocked, overjoyed, and tired silly all at once. I’m so glad my photographer got my reaction on camera. I remember saying, “I’m going to have a baby today!!!” Like that was new information to the hospital staff! It felt real for the first time though. That was the push I needed to get her all the way out. I left my hand there for a moment to rest, then out she came in another push or two. One moment you are one sharing the same body and then suddenly your are separate. Seeing your baby, your tiny companion out in the world is breathtaking. I had a second where I just felt in awe, and then someone said, “take your baby”. There she was a sweet, slippery bundle. This pregnancy I had more conflicting emotions that with the others. Miss Lydia was a big surprise. Even though I always wanted her, I worried about the challenge it would be. That moment though, that moment when you hold your child in your arms it all becomes clear. When I held her I said, “ We didn’t know we needed you, but we did. We did need you!” In that moment I knew. I knew my heart had an empty space and she filled it. God gave us such a gift when he surprised us with Lydia.
Of course the not so fun parts come after I held my bundle of joy. We waited to cut the cord and the placenta took a bit to come. I had some stitches so I needed some shots. That is worse than birth in my opinion. I did not pass out after this birth (like Elena’s), but I had one close call. The nurses were ready and kept me alert. The rest of the family began to arrive, but Lydia didn’t want to stop nursing. She wasn’t going to sleep and be passed around for pictures! We knew right then she had a little spunk in her. We did finally get her weighed, swaddled and passed around. She was a healthy 8lbs. 7.8 oz. and 20 inches long. I feel so blessed that I had another routine, healthy labor with another healthy baby. I’m also beyond grateful to my birth team for all their help. Bringing new life into the world is a crazy hard, amazing process. I’m always humbled to get to experience it. The first time I saw an animal give birth, I was in kindergarten. My kindergarten teacher--a gangly, kind young man named "Mr. Bob"--had misdiagnosed our class pet mice as both being female. Unbeknownst to our five-year-old innocence, this fact was discovered one fine morning when one of my classmates screamed "Mr. Bob! Pinky is killing Gracie!" We all ran horrified to the site of Gracie's apparent murder, where Pinky was furiously jumping on poor Gracie. Mr. Bob promptly pulled Pinky out by "her" tail and separated "her" into another cage. But alas, it was too late. Gracie was pregnant. Three weeks later, another pleasant kindergarten morning was once again punctuated by a classmate screeching. "Mr. Bob! GRACIE IS DYING!!" Once again, we all rushed over to Gracie's cage, where she was barely visible under a pile of pine shavings...with a tiny pink squirmy thing slowly emerging from her hind end. Gracie gave birth to ten eraser-sized babies that morning as fourteen mesmerized five-year-olds stood around her cage. Poor Mr. Bob. I will never forget how after each of her babies were born, Gracie would lick each one, examining it in between her little paws, nudging it with her little nose. Gracie the Mouse imprinted on me that morning. Now, as a doula, I can't help but think about physiological mammalian birth whenever I attend a birth. Think about it yourself: how do ALL other land mammals give birth when left alone to do so? They:
Now, how many humans do this? Not many. In fact, modern birth pretty much directly contradicts almost every single one of these instinctual things. If a momma is giving birth in the hospital she may:
Okay. So that's a stark contrast. And it bears the question--is physiological birth truly possible in the hospital setting? Keep in mind, while out-of-hospital birth sounds like the perfect answer to this, a home or birth center, or mossy woodland birth is not something many (most) women can have. So for those mommas, who can only give birth in the hospital--what options do they have to have a truly natural birth in a truly unnatural setting? In my experience, yes, this is possible. But it relies on several key components. First, your caregiver has to be on board. And this means that this caregiver is willing to follow YOUR cues. Which also means YOU have to be willing to call the shots. It sounds easy enough to take responsibility for your birth, but actually doing it is another. There must be an open dialogue and respect between you. In my case, this meant I was eating chicken Cesar salad and chocolate chip cookies a few hours before birth, during which my midwife never turned on the overhead light, and at one point was laying awkwardly on the bed, so I could stay in the hands-and-knees position I had assumed naturally while pushing. One of many examples of how SHE followed MY lead that day, instead of her telling me how to give birth for her convenience. Second, you have to sharpen and FOLLOW your instincts. If something doesn't feel right DON'T DO IT (or let it be done to you). And if you feel like something is necessary, DO IT (or ask that it be done). Third, choose your hospital wisely. Choose a hospital that gives you autonomy when it comes to what you will wear, where and how you will labor, what interventions you will choose, and will provide you with a comfortable space to make your own. Fourth, HIRE A DOULA! Part of my job is to help create your birth nest, and then to shelter that nest while you work away at birthing in it. And then I will continue to protect your nest as you welcome your little one into it and spend the first hours of your life together snuggling in it instead of being separated by the artificial light and warmth of the newborn warmer. So, the answer to the question...is physiological birth possible in the hospital setting? Well, there will not be a daisy-studded field, or a pile of soft leaves, or a crystal clear pool from the water of an Alaskan glacier...but, you CAN have a self-directed birth which will translate into the closest thing possible inside a hospital. As a mother and a doula, I am used to taking care of others, to pouring my heart and soul into other people’s experiences and needs. When you are so used to tending to others, it can be incredibly difficult to recognize when you need to be tended to. Almost exactly a year ago, I heard about Rebecca Thompson’s work through a good friend and fellow birth worker, Jen Chendea. I was very interested in the topic of Healing Stories as I felt it would be a great addition of knowledge for my own work. I was not prepared when Jen asked me if I would be open to demonstrating the process of a Healing Story through telling the story of my fourth birth with my new little six-week-old daughter. At first I was reluctant—but why would I be reluctant? I had experienced a great—albeit difficult—empowering birth with a doula of my own and a fantastic team surrounding me.. How could I possibly benefit from something like this? But then I agreed—as a favor, I suppose, to Jen and the other attendees since no one else had stepped up to the plate. The first part of Rebecca’s talk was an explanation of the process and what can be gained from it. When the second part—the part I would be participating in—came up, it was honestly uncomfortable. Being surrounded by a group of people, some of whom I knew, others who were complete strangers, getting ready to share things I didn’t really want to share made me realize there were things under the surface of my birth experience that needed to be tended to. The process of telling Emmaleigh’s and my story involved telling our birth story from my perspective to the people surrounding me, and then again TO the baby as if she was an adult and could comprehend and process all of the emotions and thoughts surrounding the process. Emmaleigh lay on my stomach during this time, and was given access to breastfeed. But the storytelling included her processing what I was saying through her actions—which involved her making her own way up my belly to my breasts. This process is called a "breast crawl" and is something that any baby will automatically do from birth if given the chance. The idea behind giving a baby the opportunity to do the breast crawl is that the physiological response that comes from this physical activity--and the reward at the end, the breasts--helps the baby transition to life outside the womb and integrate the experience of birth. Basically, it helps the baby blend the lines between the womb and the world. This sounds strange at first, but it was amazing to watch her physical cues coincide with the parts of the story I was telling. You wouldn't think a six-week-old would be capable of communicating much through anything other than crying, but it was clear as she wriggled her way up my belly, that she was listening and responding to our story. As I told it, she told it through her motions. And when I got to the hard part of our story—about an intervention I didn’t want—she responded with her own frustration, crying and frantic. And as soon as I acknowledged how frustrating it had to have been for her (I had never thought about how SHE felt about her birth!) she immediately calmed and latched herself on to my breast and began nursing. I was shocked at the emotions I had not processed about the circumstances surrounding my birth and how simply telling our story helped integrate those emotions. I am used to being a support person on a birth team, not the person needing support. I suddenly realized that I had never seen my own birth from the eyes of the mother giving birth. I had analyzed it from every possible direction but my own. And being surrounded by a group of supportive, compassionate listeners made me realize it was absolutely necessary that I attend to myself before I could possibly expect to care for another mother. When I first heard about Rebecca Thompson’s work, I thought it would only help those who had traumatic birth or life experiences—I never imagined it would be helpful in my circumstance. Thankfully I was wrong and now know how deeply birth, no matter how benign it seems, can impact a mother, a child, a partner or even a whole family. |
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