The Experience of Birth

Come on a very special birth journey as some inspiring women show what it means to labour, give birth and become mothers. A huge thank you to all the ladies who are sharing their birth images here and who gave me the privilege of being their doula. You are all so very inspiring!

Michael Jackson's Kids and His Vision of Postpartum Care

I came across this article written by Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE. Very interesting read, explains a bit about what the King himself thought of the initial postpartum care of his children and their mother.

"Never in my mind did I think that there would be anything remotely related to Michael Jackson on my site. But tonight as I listened to Debbie Rowe, his former wife, talk about her relationship with the King of Pop, the children and her postpartum experience I changed my mind. Between Rowe's interview and snippets of an interview with Michael Jackson himself, you got a very odd view of what the postpartum experience was for the Jackson family.

With his first son, Prince Michael, the baby had some breathing difficulties right after birth. As with any new parent, Michael Jackson was frightened. But when the NICU nurse pronounced, several hours after birth, that the baby was healthy and doing well, Michael immediately took the baby home to the Neverland Ranch. Hours, folks. Seriously, in the hospitals where I live, you'd be lucky to see your baby out of the nursery sometimes in that amount of time and in your postpartum hospital room.Even stranger is where Debbie Rowe went when she was released from the hospital after giving birth. Michael Jackson had fixed it so that she could rest and recuperate at the Biltmore in Arizona. Now, that is my style of postpartum care! (I did have a niggling question about where she trashed the monster pads you have to wear after giving birth.) While I would have to have my baby with me, the Biltmore sounds like a smashing place. I did wind up doing a few days postpartum in a hotel after our seventh baby was born and our AC went out, but let's just say seven small kids in one room was not what Debbie Rowe had.

When Paris was born, Michael Jackson again, whisked the baby off This time he reportedly didn't even let the baby be dried off before returning to the Neverland Ranch. ( Mom went to a fancy new house of her own this time.) Wow. Part of me is amazed that anyone let this happen in the hospital. Part of me totally gets that this was all about what money could buy. My wish? That parents who wanted to give birth in the hospital, had the choice to return to their homes shortly after birth if they wanted to do so, even without having to moonwalk the baby out of the nursery under the suspicious eye of the nursery nurses."

What's your take on the story of Michael Jackson's babies' home records and the fancy postpartum digs?

Rites of Passage: Why Cesarean

Ina May Gaskin, Certified Professional Midwife, is the founder and director of The Farm Midwifery Center in Tennessee (USA). She is the author of Spiritual Midwifery (1975) and Ina Mays Guide to Childbirth (2003). She has been a home birth midwife for more than 35 years.

This interview clip is part of Rites of Passage, an exclusive video series and art/photo/ essay contest that engages mothers across the country in a dialogue about childbirth and the transformation of new motherhood. This series is hosted by Mindful Mama and features exclusive interviews with 25 of the world's leading midwives, physicians, activists, and scholars who advocate for safe, empowered birth.

Healthy Birth Your Way

According to Lamaze International, the basic principals behind the Lamaze Philosophy are:

Birth is normal, natural and healthy
The experience of birth profoundly effects women and their families
Women’s inner wisdom guides them through birth
Women’s confidence and ability to give birth is either enhanced or diminished by the care provider and place of birth
Women have the right to give birth free from routine medical interventions
Birth can safely take place in birth centers and homes
Childbirth education empowers women to make informed choices in health care, to assume responsibility for their health and to trust their inner wisdom

Lamaze International & InJoy bring you the Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices.

Birth and Death

During the week of the G8 meetings in Italy, White Ribbon Alliance is launching a short graphic film to highlight the scandalous lack of attention to how many women still die giving birth around the world.
Maternal death is the greatest health inequity of the 21st Century. Every minute, someones mother, sister, wife or friend dies needlessly giving birth. That adds up to half a million women a year.
It remains a global disgrace that more women in the developing world die through becoming pregnant than from any other cause.

Yet we know what to do to stop this. Weve tried it. It works. Even in countries usually considered poor.
The answer is many more trained health workers.
The G8 have promised to take action.
As yet, they havent.
Lets hold them to their promises.

Birth and Death is part of the White Ribbon Alliance Atlas of Birth project, in collaboration with GHP3 (University of Southampton) and Immpact (University of Aberdeen), July 2009.

http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org

http://www.whiteribbonalliance.org/im...
http://www.millionmums.org

In honor of a woman with a tremendous dedication to midwifery.

The Moon's Effect on Natural Childbirth

'Does this old wives tale have any validity? Contrary to common believe, this theory is true. The discovery channel had an episode on women going into labor during full moon. 

The moon changes the barometric pressure in water due to its gravitational pull. Just as the moon has an effect on the waters on earth which makes it responsible for the tide coming in (high tide) and the tide going out (low tide), it too has an effect on humans, as humans are 75% water.

The gravitational pull from the moon changes the barometric pressure in the woman's water sac and this change in pressure usually causes it to rupture which result in the women going into labor or the doctor having to induce labour due to the leakage.

In my own experience I have noticed a pattern of women going into labor anywhere from immediately to 24 hours after a full moon.'

Read more

Doulas as Essential Medical Care

This is an article written by Jane Fonda who bought the “Community-Based Doula Program” to Georgia where it has been under the wing of the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP)...The doulas make weekly home visits to pregnant teens and their families starting in the third trimester and up to one year after the birth of their baby. They help young mothers (and often times fathers) understand the birth process, and support them during labor and delivery. So many of these young parents don’t know what a real relationship feels like, but through their example, the Doulas model for the mothers and fathers how to be in relationship, how to bond. This is what transforms the young parents forever and gives their babies a better chance in life"
Read more.

Do you Doula Video

Making "My Birth, My Choice" A Reality For All Women

This is the manuscript for an interview between, Miriam Perez – Feministing blogger, RH Reality Check contributor, radical doula extraordinaire, health advocate, JayVon Muhammad, practicing Certified Professional Midwife   (check out Urban Midwifery, her web site, it’s incredible), and Steff Hedenkamp, Communications Coordinator with The Big Push for Midwives campaign.

Read interview

Upcoming Web Conference for Black Parents to Discuss Black Family Issues

Black Parents and Black Family Advocates are cordially invited to our upcoming conference. The BlackMomsClub.com and BlackandMarriedWithKids.com proudly present our first Live Online Event …
Creating Conversations
A 3 Day Web Conference for Black Parents to Discuss issues within the Black Family
Official Website: http://blackmomsclub.ning.com/page/event-1
June 12 - 14th 8pm est. 

Do Good Black Fathers Still Exist? 
June 12, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Role of African American Fathers today

Are Black Mothers as strong as everyone thinks?
June 13, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Real Issues that are overshadowed by stereotypes about black women.

What is happening to our babies? 
June 14, Webinar, 8pm est.
The Role of black parents as our children transition from childhood to adulthood What goes wrong and what are we doing right?

To join us: please visit the official website: http://blackmomsclub.ning.com/page/event-1 

Blueberry Girl - New from Neil Gaiman

Watch an animated trailer for Blueberry Girl, written and read by Newbery Medal winner Neil Gaiman.

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2009/02/this-is-prayer-for-blueberry-girl.html

BUMP: A weekly meeting place nurturing informed moms and moms to be.

BUMP is a weekly meeting place nurturing informed moms and moms to be. Swap stories and wisdom, support and advise moms and moms-to-be in a forum designed to get you talking about the issues of motherhood.

Facilitated by Kimberley Orton, Birth Doula, & Dr. Tanya Smith, Chinese Medicine, SPRING SESSION TOPICS INCLUDE:

June 3 - Nutrition for Pregnancy and Postpartum
June 10 - Mother-care
June17 - Carriers
June 24 - Eco-babies and Elimination Communication

10:00am -12noon, $5 drop-in, refreshments,
babes in arms and toddlers welcome!

nurturingbump.blogspot.com

Lifecycles Wellness, 94 Cumberland St., Ste. 805
647.428.7200
lifecycleswellness.com

Video about doulas in MSNBC

Happy Mother's Day!

"Having fallen the day after a spectacular moon, native elders and traditions hold as extremely sacred and intimately feminine, is our day to celebrate motherhood.

Let this be a celebration of the beauty of creation.  Let your heart feel the truth of love in its purest form.

The love between a mother and child is unparalleled. This mother’s day, celebrate that union by thanking all of those that shared that mothering nature with you.

Mother’s, what you do is a remarkable thing, an undertaking that breaks the ego, and creates selfless love.   Your tireless efforts seemingly go un-noticed or un-appreciated, but rest assured; the gifts that you give us have affected some of us deeply, and we don’t just value them, we grow to uphold the tradition of passing along that love.  You have inspired so many."

Let this day move your soul as you have ours.

Happy Mother’s Day!

Unassisted Childbirth: One Woman’s Story

There has been a bit of controversy about unassisted childbirth after Janet Fraser, the birth activist who coined the term “birth rape“, gave birth to a baby girl who died. Afterward, the was a lot of finger-pointing, some support and sorrow... 

To continue reading...

Postpartum doulas help moms to cope

"Helpful services given after birth to avoid the baby blues."

BY MARTA GOLD

 

Colette and Paul Pritchard knew they'd have their hands full when they returned home from the hospital with their second baby.

So they hired an extra pair -- the experienced hands of Maria Keirstead, a postpartum doula.

While a birth doula helps parents through pregnancy and birth, a post-partum doula helps new parents and their babies in the first weeks and months after the child is born.

"It's been wonderful," says a smiling, laughing Colette, sitting in the sunny family room of their Beaumont home with Maria and two-week-old Adrian.

"I wish I had known about her before.

"The benefit is getting some sleep and not worrying that the baby is going to wake up and I won't hear him. And she's been there a lot for emotional support."

When Colette's first son, Grant, was born four years ago, the new mom was overwhelmed.

She had trouble breastfeeding and was getting little sleep. She began to get dragged down by the "baby blues," she says. Her own parents are older and were unable to help much with the newborn, and Paul's parents live far away.

"That put a lot of burden on Colette," recalls Paul. "And that post-partum depression is a sneaky thing. It just creeps up on you." This time, Paul was determined to be more prepared.

"I wasn't aware of the depression that women can suffer because it isn't talked about that much," he adds.

He read books, looked online and found the Doula Association of Edmonton. Through them, he found Keirstead.

Some of her clients, like the Pritchards, have other children and need extra help to keep their busy households running. Others are first-time parents who appreciate her advice and guidance on caring for a newborn.

"We're really there to help the family get a good start," says Keirstead. "We're not there to take over. We're not a nanny and we're not a nurse, but at the same time, we're not there to be their maid."

Keirstead has done everything from helping Colette with Adrian's first bath to folding laundry -- anything to help the new mom take better care of herself and her new baby

When Colette headed out shopping for the first time since Adrian's birth, Keirstead came along for support. When Grant had questions about the new baby's behaviour (like, why does he cry so much?) Keirstead helped answer them.

"She's been a lifesaver," says Colette. "She's there to help you, to listen, which is what I need. And I'm not worried about being judged."

Postpartum doulas are like the modern-day version of the baby nurses of old, hired by mothers to help in those first, sleep-deprived, trying weeks and months of new parenthood.

It's a small but growing specialty, says Megan Lalonde, co-chair of the Doula Association of Edmonton. The group's certifying body, Doulas of North America, lists only about two dozen certified, postpartum doulas in all of Canada.

But many more have taken the specialized training and haven't yet applied for official certification, or have birth-doula training and will do post-partum work as well, says Lalonde.

"There's definitely a need for new families to have extra help," she adds. "I think there's more recognition of how challenging the postpartum period can be." Keirstead says there is a huge demand in the Edmonton area for the kinds of services she provides. Postpartum doulas typically charge $20 to $30 an hour.

Virtually all new parents in the region get free help from the province's Healthy Beginnings program, which has baby nurses who phone and visit the home in the days after a new baby is born and who are available by phone to answer questions and provide referrals to other agencies.

But some families want, or need, extra support, says Keirstead. For more information, go to edmontondoula.org or dona.org

Today's new mothers are more likely to live away from extended family, who traditionally have helped out when babies are born. Some women have been busy with careers or have moved here more recently and don't have large networks of friends to help them. Fathers may be working out of town or unable to take time off work.

Keirstead helps as many families as she can, but her schedule is limited by the needs of her own five children. Usually, her services are offered for a few weeks or months postpartum, but she has helped families for longer periods, particularly if they have special-needs children or are hampered by postpartum depression.

Elimination Communication

Can Infants Really Be Potty Trained?

Elizabeth Parise of Concord, Mass., is mother to six, so to say she has her hands full is probably an understatement. But this mom also has found the time and commitment to essentially "potty train" the youngest three children from birth, in a method called Elimination Communication.

"When I first heard about Elimination Communication (EC), my first thought was that it would fit well with my parenting style," Parise says. "I already had three children and I was pregnant with my fourth and had always practiced natural or attachment parenting. I breastfed, co-slept, carried my babies in slings and other carriers, and I thought EC would fit right in. I especially thought it made sense because I breastfed 'on cue,' now I could potty 'on cue,' too. This meant that just like I fed my babies when they showed signs of hunger I also offered the potty when I noticed signs of needing to eliminate."

To read more of this article... Click here

Diaper Free Baby

DiaperFreeBaby Ontario is hosting a Potluck Picnic in the Park on 
Sunday, June 7, 2009, in Toronto. Everyone is welcome!

Date: Sunday, June 7, 2009
Time: 12 - 2 pm
Rain venue: none
Place: Dufferin Grove Park - East side of Dufferin St., just south 
of Bloor, across the street from Dufferin Mall. We will meet at the 
main firepit, in the centre of the park.
Food: Potluck - bring something to share

Take the DiaperFreeChallenge!

The DiaperFreeChallenge is inspired by the phrase "I tried it and I 
was hooked". For many people "trying is believing". So, we are "challenging" parents and other caregivers to try Elimination Communication (EC) for just one day. For those already ECing the 
"challenge" is to pick a day to let your child go completely 
diaper-free- if you haven't already. Others not ready to "take the 
plunge" will be "challenged" to find out more by attending our potluck picnic!

http://diaperfreebaby.org/>http://diaperfreebaby.org/
http://diaperfreechallenge.org/

For more information, please email:
carol_7301 at <http://yahoo.ca/>yahoo.ca or claritee at 
http://gmail.com/>gmail.com

Faith in student pays off

"Boy succeeds beyond expectations after school saw potential and mobilized support."

by:ANDREA GORDON

David Burke's school life started to turn around the day an educator looked into his eyes and saw promise. Until that moment in Grade 6, on his first day at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School in Scarborough, his experience had been painful.

He was the kid with a learning disability who struggled to read. He was the student who needed constant one-on-one help to do his school work. He floundered in a system that didn't recognize his creativity, determination and generous spirit, or accommodate his learning style.

David arrived at his new school three years ago with a thick file listing all his challenges, recalls his mother, Nicole Bourassa-Burke. The principal took one look at all the paperwork "and was determined to help David succeed."

The school applied for funding to get him a computer that would help him read and write so he could follow the curriculum. The boy soon discovered he loved history.

As David mastered his new equipment, teachers spotted his talent for technology. They set up a student tech team and put him on it. In short order, David was helping other kids learn on their computers, setting up interactive SmartBoards for teachers to use in classrooms and laptops for assembly presentations and overseeing photography and videos of school events. He became the school's go-to guy for all things digital.

Last year, in Grade 8, he was head of the tech team. Realizing that soon he would be off to high school, he set about training other kids to take over the reins.

David's special education teacher, Elyn Catli, nominated him for an award from the Toronto chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children, which advocates for kids with special needs. In her nomination letter, Catli noted that technology opened the door for a child who had "been silenced in class" with no outlet to demonstrate his learning.

"His achievements in technology have enabled him to express himself and give back to the community by his generous and selfless way of sharing," she wrote in the nomination letter, now framed on David's bedroom wall.

His contributions to the school "will be felt long after he graduates."

Last spring, David was presented with the council's "Yes I Can" award at a dinner at the National Yacht Club. In the fall, he received the council's provincial award at a lunch in London.

"It felt pretty good that I'd been nominated," says David, now 14 and in Grade 9 at Neil McNeil Catholic Secondary School. "It was good to feel appreciated."

Most parents know that one teacher can change a child's life. David had several.

"In this school, we try to identify a child's needs and strengths and work with that," says Tonya Williams, his classroom teacher in Grades 6 and 8.

The public school system can get caught up in red tape and the formal processes of assessing and diagnosing problems. Williams says her school's support team – which includes teachers, the principal and a school psychologist – tries to be proactive and also offers clubs and teams that allow kids to shine and learn new skills.

"We don't have to wait for (formal) identifications in order to help a child," she says.

While building on a student's strengths makes sense, a growing number of education advocates and psychologists worry that the process of qualifying for special ed support is too focused on identifying deficits.

They argue that creating resilient kids requires looking at the whole child and helping each understand and value his or her own particular learning style and talents.

To Bourassa-Burke, the dividends of that approach have been enormous for her son.

"They got a child with huge, huge difficulties and said, `Let's do the best we can for him.' He just blossomed under that and, in response, he gave back."

School is still tough for David but, with the help of assistive technology, he says he enjoys it.

"The most important thing about this is I think it has turned him into a lifelong learner," his mother says. "He wants to learn and he's not afraid to try."

Toronto Star