Not all childbirth classes are created equal.  How does your childbirth class compare?  I hear new moms tell me over and over again "I had a great class!  We learned a lot!"  However, as our conversation continues it becomes quite apparent that although their class was entertaining it did little in regards of preparing them for the actual birth.  A childbirth educator needs to be current in evidence based research and needs to have recent time spent with a woman in labor.  Although birth never changes, the management of birth does, often quite rapidly.  What was taught last year is now a thing of the past.  So how do you know if you are getting the most current class?  Here are my
Top 10 Clues of an Clueless Class...

10.   If the instructor does not praise the benefits of being in water, sitting on the ball, laying over the ball, walking in the halls, etc.  then you can plan on being teethered to the bed unless you advocate for yourself.

9.  If they tell you there is an epidural window beween 4 and 7cms.  WRONG!

8.  If you cannot tell me what the 2 requirements are before getting an epidural.

7.  If they talk in absolutes...you will never need an epidural, you will never...etc.

6.  If you were taught the crazy breathing...hee hee hoo...run out now!

5.  If you did not discuss the beneifts of a doula or if you don't know what a doula is!

4.  If you cannot tell me at least 5 ways you know it is Baby Day.

3.  If you cannot list alternate positions to be monitored in and how to accomplish that.

2.  If you are told the the IV drugs (stadol/nubain) will take the "edge off" and will make pain go away.

1.  If you leave class more anxious than when you went in.  A great childbirth class WILL relieve anxiety and show you how great the body is at birth!

It is your right as a consumer to ask questions about your instructor, talk to them before hand and make sure you are a good fit.  Here's wishing you are great class experience!

www.dona.org

...that's why there is DONA International.  When choosing a doula or doula organization it is good to ask some questions.  Is the organization recognized and respected in the childbirth community?  When was it founded?  Who are the founders and the current board?  Are they respected in the childbirth community?  Does the organization provided certification and how rigorous is the process?

Currently, DONA International is the premiere doula organization in the world.  A brief founding history follows below (taken from DONA.org)...

"Drs. Marshall Klaus and John Kennell, Phyllis Klaus C.S.W.M.F.C.C., Penny Simkin, PT, and Annie Kennedy, all renowned experts in childbirth and newborns, founded DONA International in 1992. Their goal was to promote doula care – continuous emotional and physical support for women during labor and early postpartum.

Marshall Klaus, while running the neonatal intensive care nursery at Stanford University in 1967, discovered that many parents of premature and sick infants were having difficulty adjusting to their new babies. At that time, mothers were not allowed into the premature nursery until just before discharge. Klaus joined forces with Dr. John Kennell, his colleague at Case Western Reserve University, to study bonding. Their work was instrumental in gradually opening premature and sick baby nurseries to parents worldwide and to allow parents of normal, full-term infants to be with their parents during the first moments after birth.

Klaus and Kennell also discovered the importance of continuous emotional and physical support from another woman to women in labor. Klaus and Kennell, along with Phyllis Klaus, Penny Simkin and Annie Kennedy, chose the word “doula” to describe a woman who serves other women. Our five founders have continued their research and frequently share their knowledge through their writings and speaking engagements."

DONA International has multiple committees for educating and supporting both doulas and the families they support.  While the training program is accessible to most individuals, certification is NOT a guarantee.  One must go through a thorough certification process, including essays on what one learned through each experience and the value and purpose of labor support.  They are well rounded in basic childbirth education, lactation support, and labor/postpartum support.  This packet then goes to the certification committee for full review.  If they do not feel like the lessons learned were the intended ones, certification is denied and guidance is given to help the doula understand the appropriate lessons through additional births and then apply again.

This is a huge distinction to other programs that have their doulas go through a certification process of basic requirements and grading an open book exam.  I am not impressed if a doula can pass (not even ace) an open book exam to obtain certification.

I am proud to be a DONA International trained and certified doula and also the KS State Representative for such a prestigous organization.  For more information about DONA International, go to www.dona.org.

I invite you and every mom you know who has delivered in the last 3 years to go to www.thebirthsurvey.com and share your birth experience.  This information will then be taken and added to the other mom's who have delivered in your area, at your hospital, with your care provider and will be published in a user friendly format so women can go online and see intervention rates for various hospitals and care providers.  This transparency in maternity care has been years in the making and will only to serve to improve maternity care in the US.

The results will also be compared with data released by each hospital to ensure that the rates we are seeing from moms are the same as are being reported by a hospital.  This should help quality improvement throughout the maternity system.  

This is a fantastic way to make a difference in your community regarding maternity care.  Thank you for spreading the word-your voice will make a difference!

I admit it.  I am actually watching the controversial new television show,  "Baby Borrowers."   It started as a bored curiosity when I set my DVR to record the first night.  And as irritating as it is to watch a bunch of whinning kids pretending to be "grown-ups"  (what ever THAT definition is!) I am drawn to the differences between the males and females.  Each week it becomes more apparent that it is the Dad's that are picking up the pieces, trying new things, making educated guesses when the Mom's have given up and fallen into the sticky swamp of parenthood.  Each episode shows these Dad's doing whatever it takes to keep their "pretend" families together.  It is amazing to watch these young men take their roll seriously.  It makes me question how in our society Dad's have become the incompetent ones in regard to childrearing.  While we tend to assume women have the "Maternal Instinct" and are to be deferred to, it is clear that the "Paternal Instinct" is just as strong and much more unfaltering in adversity.  They bring a "fix it" perspective to the table.  And although their frustration levels ebb and flow as much as mom's, their determination is unwaivering.  I end each episode with a great admiration for these young men and even though the show itself is flawed beyond belief (see commentary below) it shows us Dad's are an equal part in the parenting equation when given the chance.    

Here is the commentary of the shows from the respected organization, Zero to Three.  Check out their website for great developmental information!

“It’s not TV, it’s birth control” is how NBC promotes its new reality series “Baby Borrowers.” On June 25th, the show will be launched on national television as an “intriguing new social experiment that asks five diverse teenage couples to fast-track to adulthood by setting up a home, getting a job and becoming caring parents.”  Unfortunately, the NBC series exploits very young children in the pursuit of entertainment.

The babies and toddlers participating in this series will be separated from their parents and caregivers for three days. Unfamiliar teenagers will take care of them during this time. This setup can be very harmful for the babies and toddlers involved. For the past 80 years, many studies have shown unequivocally that babies and toddlers suffer when they are exposed to this kind of prolonged separation from family and left with people that they do not know or love. As all parents know, babies and toddlers are very distressed by separation. They cry, cling, and search for their parents. The longer the separation, the more upset they become. Some children are unable to sleep and refuse to eat. The responses routinely last long past the child’s reunion with the parent. Prolonged separations heighten young children’s separation anxiety and damage their trust that their parents will be available to protect and care for them. Children can become angry and rejecting of their parents after being reunited with them, damaging the fabric of the child-parent relationship.

These findings have become the basis for a new science of early childhood. A robust body of early childhood development and brain research clearly confirms the critical nature of early development. It is a time when young children form attachments with parents and caregivers, develop security and a sense of self, and learn what to expect from the world around them. Studies show that babies and toddlers need to feel safe and secure in order to form a positive sense of self, to form healthy relationships, and to feel confident to explore their world. This sense of security is dependent on the availability and stability of their trusted primary caregivers. Being separated for a
three-day period from a parent or trusted, familiar adult, and being thrust into the care of a total stranger who has no experience with the child—how he or she is comforted, likes to be fed, held, etc.—and who has no experience caring for young children at all, can be very stressful for the child. 

As a “safeguard,” NBC has hired a nanny to be nearby in case there are concerns.    However the nanny is no more familiar to that child than the two strangers who will be caring for him for three days. The nanny does not know him or what his signals
mean—such as what he needs when he cries out in the middle of the night, or how he shows he is hungry, tired, or is overwhelmed and needs a break from play. Moreover, even though the parents of these young children are watching via closed-circuit television, the babies are not aware of that and have no way of knowing how long the parents will be gone. 

Legitimate social experiments are not conducted on national television or on reality shows. "Baby Borrowers" may have a catchy theme, but it exploits young children with potential harmful consequences. This is no social experiment. It is an extremely misguided endeavor that puts at risk our most vulnerable citizens, young children who need our love and protection.

ZERO TO THREE: National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families 2000 M St. NW | Suite 200 | Washington, DC | 20036 | (800) 899-4301 | (703) 661-1500 ***zerotothree.org***

A call for help, some encouragement, to ask a quick question, to get another opinion, or to just hear another adult voice is always a good reason to call your doula.  It could be months before a due date, hours before birth, days after birth, or even months or years after a birth and it is always a good time to call your doula.  I think of my moms often.  I enjoying watching your little ones grow through their own blogs or websites, online photo albums, on Christmas cards or in person.  I remember each and every family as we shared a special day together.  I try and follow up with my moms a few times in the immediate postpartum and then try to provide some space as they become a family and find their way.  I would much rather spend hours on the phone trying answering questions and find a workable solution to life's challenges than to be told six months later that the challenges were numerous and great and we had to give up so many of our plans.  Our job as doulas do not end once we leave your birth.  We did not join this profession to work nine to five hours with no interruptions after work.  We chose this profession because we LOVE to support new families.  We are HONORED to be a part of your Baby Day.  We sympathize, empathize, understand, and expect life's challenges to make their way into your homes.  We are trained to support new famiiles and give fresh ideas to overcome them.  If we do not know where to begin, we have an amazing amount of resources at our fingertips.  So please feel free to call/email anytime, for whatever reason, I am always happy to help! 

Today I greeted my 100th baby...Alexandra.  And this day could not have gone any better-a zen mom, 1 loving dad, 2 fantastic nurses, 3 hours of contractions, and 12 minutes of pushing.  What an amazing journey this has been.  Welcome to the World little one and thanks for letting me share in your birthday celebration.

Or the day the earth fell off its axis as I like to refer to it.  At one point I had three moms in labor at two different hospitals at the same time-a statistical improbability that goes against my philosophy...that baby days just have a way of working out.  And thanks to my amazing back-up and a baby who decided a fiesta birthday was not his thing, I was able to be a part of every baby!  There's nothing like three babies in a twenty four hour day to prove that I really do love my job!

Check out the Spring 2008 issue of Shawnee Magazine to see an article on my services and a previoius client's view on having a doula present.  Thanks to Megan Helm for a great interview and Jason Dailey for his photo shoot.  It's exciting to be able to share the benefits of having a doula present to a whole community.  We are definately changing the world-one birh at a time. 

It's official.  I am a certified breastfeeding educator.  It was great to reinforce all the information I already knew and add to it in a larger capacity.  A special thanks to Debbie Bocar, RN, PhD with lactation-consultant-services for presenting a balanced view of breastfeeding education.  
Here are a few facts...
*3000 bottle-fed babies create 70,000 tons of solid waste from cans and packaging
*30- 50% of mothers may be undecided on how to feed their baby in prenatal period
*Exclusively breastfed infants had a 50% reduction in SIDS
*Warm colostrum helps stabilize infant's temperature
The overriding theme was mothers and families need support and information to make the best decisions regarding their family.  Breastfeeding doesn't have to be all or nothing and we need to support mothers in acheiving their feeding goals.

Today I throw myself into the blogging world.  None of this tippy toe-ing into things-full speed ahead!  And so far to good.  I need a forum to post updates, stories, events, research, and anything else my little birth activist heart desires.  I hope you can laugh and learn a little bit through these posts.  Please share the comments that swirl through your head as you read.  The more the merrier.  Many Birth Blessings!