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Looking back over the births of my two precious little ones, I have treasured the presence of my doula, Amber. She was the perfect comforting support person that facilitated a peaceful atmosphere during my labor. She provided that reassuring presence with her knowledge and expertise in the birthing process. Her service to me has been the launching point of my desire to serve others in this way. I wanted to be able to encourage women that the birthing process is a beautiful and natural experience.

What is a Doula?

Servant

A doula is an ancient Greek word and literally means “mother’s slave”. Her aim is to accompany women in labor to help them have a more satisfying birth experience.

Advocate

A doula provides you with emotional support, physical comfort and, as needed, be your advocate in communicating with the staff to make sure that you have the information you need to make informed decisions as they arise in labor. She is not taking the place of medical staff, but helps guide parents with balanced information and perspective. She can help you form your own birth plan and support you each step of the way.

She will not offer medical exams, but will help provide information so a couple can make informed decisions. She understands the birth plan, the desires of the mother and father, and seeks wholeheartedly to be an advocate for them. Her desire is that birth would be a beautiful experience for the family and that all would come away feeling the wonders of God’s design in the creation and birth of new life.

Wealth of comfort measures in her doula bag

A doula can provide reassurance and perspective to you and your partner, make suggestions for labor progress, and help provide physical comfort through massage, labor positions, hydrotherapy, optimal fetal positioning, aromatherapy, acupressure, deep relaxation and visualization techniques. My doula was extremely skilled in providing just the right comfort measures (from back massages to the rebozo technique – an excellent excellent for correct positioning of babies) and position changes for every stage of my labor. She offered that quiet support that was not intrusive in the least. She was there to continually remind me to keep breathing deeply, taking long slow breaths, to stay on top of the contractions, and encourage me with the right words continually.

Does not replace Dad

A doula does not take the place of a husband or partner. She is one that helps provide the father with ideas to support the mother. She is one that offers reassurance, reminders, and tips that he might be most effective. A doula has most often been through labor and delivery herself and can thus relate to the pain of the mother, and help the mother’s spouse/partner understand possible alternatives, comfort measures that they can team up together in providing for the mother.

My husband specifically loved the presence of a doula at our births. He saw her as one who did not take his place in the least but provided him with the tools and reminders of how to serve me most effectively. She helped him be my #1 support!

Constant Support

Especially in a hospital setting, nurses and doctors will come and go, but a doula will stick with mother, father and baby through the whole labor and delivery. She will often be available to help with immediate breastfeeding after birth. Postpartum doulas are even available to hire after the birth to attend your needs at home and help you through the transition process. This is a huge asset especially if you do not have family in the area. It would be an excellent gift idea!

Benefits of Doula Use

Studies on labor support show that the benefits of doulas are tremendous!

• C-sections reduced by 50%
• Length of labor reduced by 25%
• Oxytocin (induction) use reduced by 40%
• Use of narcotics reduced by 30%
• Forceps reduced by 30%
• Epidurals reduced by 60%

Long-term benefits include:

• Improved breastfeeding
• Increased time spent with baby
• Decreased postpartum depression

Doulas are independent and self-employed. I highly encourage you consider hiring a doula, especially if it is your first birth. They can be that knowledgeable support that is totally unique to even midwives.

To find a doula near you, visit Dona International or CAPPA.

Photo Credit

My home birth team at Titus' birth - March 2009

I write this post today merely to share of my personal experience home birthing, but I want to clarify from the outset that there is no condemnation here for any one who chooses a different route – be it hospital or birth center. I know you can have a beautiful experience in all three of these environments when you chose to embrace the process. My purpose today is simply to share my personal testimony of my experience and encourage you all to weigh the pro’s and con’s of every birthing option.

I have been so extremely blessed to have two beautiful and peaceful home births and we anticipate our third this summer. I’m even throwing around the idea of birthing in our hot tub! If you think I’m nuts, your not the only one…I still have to convince my husband. With my two births I have experienced the true beauty of giving birth.

Birthing each of my children has been a empowering experience and a sanctifying work in my own heart. It has changed me more than any other process, event or circumstance. I have had to lean on the Lord more intimately than ever before. And in the process, I have grown to truly love the birthing process. I have learned that fear only tightens our muscles and causes delay in birth, whereas a wholehearted embracing and working together with contractions and pain has allowed for a smooth, peaceful transition into motherhood. God designed this pain to bring that fruitful sanctification in my own heart and He extends grace for every birthing environment.

Here are some reasons why I love home birthing:

Comfort of my own home

My favorite aspect of home birthing is that I can stay within the comfort and security of the environment that I am most familiar with – my own home. My home is a place that I have made my own. It is a place I love to be because it encourages relaxation. I feel secure because it has been decorated and arranged to my taste. Home birthing views birth as a integrated part of our family life as we celebrate life together with family and friends. During early labor, I enjoyed baking in my kitchen to help keep me distracted.

Continuous labor support

With a home birth midwife you experience continuous labor support. My midwives are with me through the duration of labor rather than being distracted by the needs of others. They are continually available to answer questions, offer suggestions, and facilitate the birth as I desire. There is an absence of multiple nurses changing duties or coming in at undesirable hours.

Privacy

In my own home, I enjoyed the beauty of birthing with my dear husband by my side and my midwives, whom I have gotten to know extensively over the nine month period of pregnancy. There is no one else there unless I desire them. I am comfortable because these are people I am closest to. And when I am comfortable, my body relaxes, facilitating a natural delivery.

Freedom

I love the ability to set the mood in the room with calm music, dim lights, lighted candles, or whatever else might encourage my relaxation. I can move around as needed to encourage the process of labor. Numerous labor positions, space to walk, climbing stairs, and the like, all help encourage the passage of baby down the birth canal. I can eat during labor and satisfy the needs of my body. I can labor or birth in a tub if desired. In this freedom there is so many options and means of relief.

Lack of interventions

Any interventions are going to cause greater risk to mother and baby. It is important to evaluate the potentials risks of interventions when considering epidurals, cesareans, and inductions. These are often accepted as lifesavers without thought. It is also important to consider the slippery slope of intervention as well. Statistically, once you add an epidural you are at a much higher risk of induction (due to the way that epidurals often numb our bodies to the extent that it slows down the birth process), and both these produces increase the rise of cesareans. With these pain medications and such not being available, I am allowed to work together with my body in the birthing process. I can focus on embracing the pain rather than fighting it, which leads to a quicker delivery. Please note: there are certainly extreme cases when these procedures can be life saving in high risk pregnancies. I am thankful for advancement of technology in our modern culture, but also leery of how often it is utilized unnecessarily in low risk pregnancies.

Encouragement for immediate bonding and breastfeeding

Early breastfeeding helps mom stop bleeding, clear mucus from the baby’s nose and mouth, and transfer disease-fighting antibodies in the milk from mother to baby. I loved being able to bring my baby forth on my own or via my husband’s arms and carry directly to my chest. I loved having extensive time to just enjoy each other with uninterrupted time.

I have intentionally avoided addressing all the debate about the ideas of safety and conflicts that are attached to the idea of home birthing, because I believe there is plenty of information available for your own review. I’ve shared a few resources below.

Ultimately, studies show that home birthing is just as safe as a hospital setting. If you are low risk (which represents 85-95% of pregnancies), have a trained professional licensed midwife, and ideally have a hospital within close proximity and a working relationship with a physician in case of transfer, there really is nothing to fear. There is certainly instances when you want to avoid home birthing if you are diabetic, for example. And there is certainly a valuable place for modern health care in a hospital setting. Home births have been a natural way of life since the dawn of time. Statistics show that countries with large numbers of home births have less maternal morbidity and mortality than the United States.

I believe that God has beautifully designed your body to give birth in whatever environment you chose. It is ideal for the most successful birth that you do chose an environment that you are comfortable in and that will encourage the relaxation of your body. It is important to research your options and become knowledgeable in the pros and cons of every option so you can make an informed decision. Pray together with your husband rather than just embracing all the assumptions of our day and age.

Further Reading:

Karis’ Homebirth Story - learn about the crazy and miraculous events surrounding our Karis’ breech home birth delivery!
Titus’ Homebirth Story - read about the adventure of welcoming our second little one into the world!
The Thinking Woman’s Guide to A Better Birth - a balanced view addressing all the issues relevant to natural child birthing.
The Christian Childbirth Handbook – my favorite book on the topic of natural birthing with a sweet God-focused approach!
Bradley Birth or Brio Birthing Classes – I highly recommend every woman to take a serious birthing class – wherever you chose to deliver. The hospital birthing classes are unfortunately not very thorough or practice intensive. Bradley or Brio birthing classes are highly recommended because they really help train you how to work effectively with your bodies. They include lots of practice and help to work through any fear or anxiety you may be experiencing. The best thing we did in preparation for our births!
American Pregnancy Association – thoughts and resources on home birthing
The Homebirth Choice – an article by Midwifery Today

What birthing option have you chosen and what were the pros and cons of your experience? What do you think are the pros and cons of a hospital, birth center or home birth setting? Please keep comments considerate and respectful or they will be removed. Thank you!

Republished from the archives…

I have been going through a challenging season in my mothering: sparatic insomnia, disciplinary struggles with a toddler, and challenges with getting the kids to sleep together in the same room. I have felt time and time again that I just wanted to throw in the towel and give up. I believe the Lord takes you through these seasons in order to reveal how much we desperately need Him in order to be faithful mothers to our children. I wanted to share with you today some encouragement that the Lord has used to lift me out of those feelings of failure and hopelessness. Mothering is not an easy task, nor is it a task that I would ever do on my own.

Take time to be alone
This may sound impossible, but I believe it to be essential, and possible if you are purposeful! I have found taking regular intervals of time to have a simple short retreat brings such refreshment to me. In this season of life with nursing, they have to be short, but it is amazing how an hour or two away can renew my spirits. I try to get out once or twice a month for a few hours on a Saturday morning or Sunday while my husband watches the little ones to just be alone and read the Word and write out my thoughts. I go to a coffee shop or sit alongside a river bank and spend time with the Lord. I always take my Bible and notebook with me to write out what struggles I am going through and the Scriptures that encourage and strengthen me. It is a testimony to look back upon and see what God has done. God has been so good to me lately through these times. If your husband is not available, seek out a friend to trade watching each other’s children. Schedule these times away and make it a habit.

Find refreshment in Psalms 23
I have been steeped in meditation on Psalms 23 lately…a passage we are all familiar with, but how often do we really meditate upon? It has brought such strength to my soul during this weary season and can bring encouragement to you whatever you might be going through. Here are the meditations that I wrote down that I wanted to pass on to you. It is re-paraphrasing Psalms 23 in part in my own words:

You are not alone
“The Lord is my Shepherd” - The Lord, God of the universe, Sovereign King, is MY SHEPHERD. Did you catch that? He is MINE! He chose to take on human flesh in order that He might adopt me into His fold.

Your every need is already met
“I have all that I need” – He has already supplied my present and future needs. He has already provided for the grace I need for each passing day in my mothering and wife roles. It has been a difficult season in child training – it feels like a dark valley with no light at the end of the tunnel, but in reality, this is only a passing season for which God has already supplied all my needs to make it through. I lack patience. I lack perseverence. Grant me, oh Lord faith and endurance. You are doing a good work in me. Growing me in Christ-likeness. Childbearing and childraising are God’s means of grace in my life to make me more like my beautiful Savior. It will bring great reward!

Let some things go
“He lets me rest in green pastures, He leads me besides peaceful streams.” Sometimes God takes us through difficult seasons and calls us to simply rest. For me that means we have been eating very simple and easy meals. We keep the house picked up but no deep cleaning is happening right now.

Focus on the goal
“Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life.” I am laboring to bring eternal souls into the Kingdom! That is my mission as a mother! I am co-laboring alongside my husband to serve the Lord and His church. My God is close beside me! He guides me along right paths. He is my Shepherd and Guide. He is my Source that I might bring honor to His name. He is my Enabler.

Be thankful
“My cup overflows with blessings.” It is not just full, it is overflowing! Do you see that? What are these blessings? Write them out. I am thankful for My God – I wouldn’t be here without Him. My Husband – who lovingly leads our family and cherishes me! My two adorable children. My family – for their support and encouragement. My cup truly is overflowing!

For further encouragement from Psalms 23, I would encourage you to listen to Revive Our Hearts recent series on it here. This series was what lead me to mediate on Psalms 23 and the Lord has used it mightily in my life!

May you dear sisters be strengthened today in your mothering! The Lord is with you!

What can you be thankful for today?

Photo Credit: Eggybird

Written by monthly contributing writer, Michele Augur.

Essential oils can often provide simple, natural solutions for pregnancy and postpartum concerns.

During pregnancy and postpartum seasons (and beyond!), I’ve loved surrounding myself with soothing scents. Here are several of my favorite basics:

• Lavender Essential Oil: I’ve kept a bottle by my bed, adding a couple drops to a pillowcase for restful sleep. It’s also lovely in a relaxing massage or warm bath. I dozed through much of my labor, even staying peaceful through transition, as I was soothed by a very fragrant lavender candle.
• Tea Tree Essential Oil: I enjoy adding this to a refreshing foot soak bath, and it’s also useful in addressing fungal/thrush/yeast concerns.
• Peppermint Essential Oil: This invigorating oil is not recommended during pregnancy, but can be useful during labor (some midwives suggest it for stimulating a slow & tiring labor, soothing nausea, or even helping babies to turn!). It makes a lovely foot rub in a massage oil/lotion for tired mamas’ feet!
• Lemon Essential Oil: Smelling the bright citrus scent of lemon may help soothe morning sickness nausea (try placing a few drops on a handkerchief), and is delightful when added to a lip balm.
• Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Congested sinuses are often a normal occurrence during pregnancy; add in seasonal allergies or a bout with a cold/flu, and mama can be quite uncomfortable! A eucalyptus oil sinus steam or several drops added to a diffuser/vaporizer can help bring some relief naturally.
• Rose Geranium Essential Oil: A more affordable option than true rose oil, this “rosy-smelling” oil is not recommended during pregnancy, but can be especially refreshing for postpartum mamas during stressful times of hormonal fluctuations or after an emotionally-trying birth. Try it in the Mama’s Passion Bath Salts!
• Sandalwood Essential Oil: This oil can be more expensive than the others; to keep it in my budget I just purchased a bar of natural sandalwood-scented soap to use on occasion while showering. This scent was especially emotionally uplifting for me on dreary days.
• Clary Sage Essential Oil: This relaxing oil is not recommended during pregnancy, but some women find it helpful during labor or the trying-to-conceive season, when added to a massage oil.

Building up a small “remedy kit” of staple oils can be manageable for most budgets: small bottles of quality, basic essential oils are usually affordable (typically under $5 or $10, or so), and last quite awhile.

What are your essentials?

This post is by contributing writer, Michele Augur.

If you are that queasy early pregnancy season, I just want to let you know that I empathize with you!

Once you are experiencing morning sickness, there are a some things you can do that might help. However, any remedy will likely not eliminate your discomfort 100%. During my seasons of morning (all day!) sickness, I have found it incredibly helpful to meditate upon Psalm 23 in the midst of it. (It really was surprisingly refreshing!)

Just as in any other challenging season of parenting, our Lord is faithful to walk with us, and can use these times for refining us. He may be calling you to simply rest in Him (and on the couch at times), and we cannot necessarily expect to complete all that we had before pregnancy. Give yourself grace, dear one.

Nourish yourself and your little one.

Get Your Protein

Keep pursuing the high-protein diet. Even if it doesn’t seem to help with the morning sickness right now, it can have many benefits in the long run. Referring to the Brewer Diet checklists may be helpful in setting meal/snack habits. I actually found it most helpful to begin this diet (as well as including some “detoxing”/cleansing herbs) several months before conceiving, in order to establish a healthy foundation.

Eat Often

Small, regular nourishing snacks (every hour or two, if needed!) can help prevent that intense queasy feeling. Keep finger-foods handy in the fridge or your purse to munch on. During the day, you can keep a slow cooker filled with a protein-dense snack, such as oatmeal & peanut butter (add some cinnamon, raw honey, & coconut) or brown rice & cheese (stir in some sea salt, herbs, and sunflower seeds). You can quickly spoon out a small bowlful for a snack. Eat even if you feel too sick to eat. You’ll likely feel better, not worse (if it comes back up, oh well).

Eat at Night

This tip from my midwives made such a difference for me. Whenever you wake up in the middle of the night (pregnant mamas know about those potty trips!), before heading back to bed, grab a half cup of whole milk yogurt from the fridge. Drizzle it with a bit of raw honey. The combination of whole milk fats, the probiotics, and the benefits of raw honey help with balancing blood sugar and with digestion (both of these issues can contribute to nausea), as well as helping you fall back asleep.

Don’t Wait for Breakfast

I found that I was less nauseous in the morning, if I ate before getting out of bed. My husband would bring breakfast to bed (or I would keep snacks at the bedside), and we would eat together before I sat up (moving too quickly started that motion sickness feeling!).

Eating an early breakfast (before 5 or 6 am), helped me start the day. (Waiting for a later breakfast meant intense nausea from hunger.) After eating, I could either doze or get up. I would then feel ready to get up and take care of my toddler’s breakfast by 7 or 8 am when she awoke.

Take a Nap

Tiredness from “overdoing it” can lead to feeling poorly. Make sure to take times throughout the day to rest. Little ones can certainly be playing nearby while you rest. A half hour or so of laying down can make such a difference.

Try to grab a chance to put your feet up, by snuggling up on the couch or pulling out a lawn chair while children play in the yard. My little girl enjoyed books on tape, Signing Time DVDs (we learned a lot of sign language last year!), reading preschool books together, nature “treasure hunts” in the backyard, and tearing pictures from catalogs. (We would save these special activities for “Mama’s Resting Time.”)

Drink Your Tea

Drinking a quart of “pregnancy tea” throughout the day provides quality nourishment. Find (or make) a tea that includes herbs for digestion, such as peppermint or ginger.

Add Some Lemon

Friends and I have found that drinking homemade lemonade or lemon water has helped refresh us and provide some nausea relief during pregnancy. (You can add some carbonated water to make it bubbly, if that is additionally soothing for you.) Toss some lemon slices in your water bottle while on outings. You might also find a natural ginger ale helpful, as well.

See a Chiropractor

Regular chiropractic care has been one of the best elements in our family’s pursuit of wellness. A chiropractor can help correct any imbalances that may be contributing to extreme symptoms.

Try Acupressure

I’ve never tried it myself, but I have heard of some mamas benefiting from the use of acupressure bands (originally designed to prevent sea-sickness).

What natural remedies have worked for you?

{Photo Credits: Esparta, Plinkk}

Karis & Titus in our Joovy Caboose

When we were preparing to welcome our little Ty man (#2), I was debating within myself whether I should pursue finding a double stroller. I went back and forth, back and forth. I personally disliked those large caravan type double strollers that took up the entire trunk of the car and was difficult to maneuver in tight places. I also didn’t prefer the idea of a side by side stroller that couldn’t make it through doorways without difficulty, if at all. But I had two little ones, close in age, and we love walking! I could put one in a carrier and the other in a single stroller, but that could only last so long before my back started to break. So, here I am today with a double stroller and one that we love! I did a lot of research and decided to go with a sit and stand stroller. We chose the Joovy Caboose Ultralight Stand On Tandem Stroller and we absolutely love it and cannot recommend it more highly. Why?

1. It is compact. It is easy to fold down, takes up hardly any space in the back of our car, and is lightweight. As a mother, I didn’t want to haul around a huge stroller that would kill my back to take in and out of the car. This stroller has been the perfect solution.

2. It opens easily with one hand. With a baby on the hip, this stroller can be opened easily with one hand. It does require two hands to close, but is very simple to do.

3. It fits 2 or more children comfortably. Baby can sit in the front with the car seat adapter compatibility which can be easily graduated to a seat at a later date. The older child can sit or stand on the foot tray behind the baby. The foot tray is large enough that one child could actually sit while another could stand or both stand together. We have used this stroller for three munckins in this manner and it works wonderfully.

Ty man enjoying his ride up front

4. An older toddler can get on or off easily. The older child can easily stand or get down and walk next to the stroller as desired. No fussing about lifting the child in and out or buckling or unbuckling (although there is a seat belt that is easy to use). The padded handles for the toddler to hold are perfect for sitting or for holding on to while walking beside the stroller.

5. It is a lightweight and easy to maneuver. At just 21 pounds, this stroller is lightweight!

6. Large size basket that is accessible! The toddler seat slides forward and backward easily opening up access to the basket underneath.

7. Offers a parent organizer. While this was not essential, it is a nice feature to hold our water bottles, cell phone and keys for easy access.

8. Easy to clean. The nylon fabric is very easy to wipe down for a quick clean.

Honestly, the only thing I don’t really care for on this stroller is the over sized canopy. Yes, it is large but it can only cover one child sufficiently at a time. I don’t think there really is a solution to this, but the canopy can easily be removed. I guess this is where the rain cover would come in handy. Considering we bought ours used and the previous owners had already used it for two children, and it still remains in excellent condition, this stroller will serve us well for many years to come!

Although I think all sit and stand strollers are wonderful alternatives to the standard double stroller, I especially like the Joovy Caboose Ultralight because it is so light and yet incredibly sturdy! The original Joovy Caboose definitely is cheaper and was my first choice apart from the Lord providing a Ultralight for us at a great price off Craigslist. The Ultralight’s only superior feature is the decreased weight. The larger canopy is a take it or leave it feature as is the parent organizer. All other features remain the same. So if you are on a tighter budget, check out the original Joovy Caboose. You can always buy the parent organizer separately.

We also love having a small umbrella stroller for those quick trips here and there. This is especially useful when I might just have one of the kids with me, or if we are in a tight shopping center, etc. That was another awesome $5 craigslist find!

Karis enjoys her ride in the back

I guess its turning out to be a product review week on Passionate Homemaking!