Beautiful Beginnings Doula Care

21/09/2023

03/09/2023

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19/04/2023

Every birth is a miracle💓

April is Caesarean Awareness month.

Cesarean mamas who might be struggling with an unexpected or undesired cesarean birth - this one is for you.

"I hope you know that you are worthy. That you are a warrior. That you are brave and powerful and strong. I hope you know that birthing your baby on an operating table makes you no less of a mother. No less of a goddess. Your birth story is holy and that beautiful scar on your belly is sacred. You are worthy of praise and celebration, honor and admiration.

I hope that you know it was worth it. Knowing this does NOT mean you can't mourn your dream. It does NOT mean "you and your baby are safe- that's all that matters!" It does NOT mean you can't wish things had gone differently. But I hope that underneath it all, you can find beauty in what was. What is. Your baby. Your birth. Your strength. Your healing. Your story.

Your journey wasn't easy. Perhaps it unfolded much differently than you had hoped- perhaps it shook you to your core and left you feeling the immense weight of a "what if" and "why".

Perhaps you're still wading through the heavy emotions of disappointment, anger, and grief. Perhaps you always will.

But whatever feelings you hold in your heart and in your womb, I hope that you can look at your scar and say "Hell yes, it was worth it. And hell yea, I am worthy"

And of course - this goes for mamas who had planned/expected cesareans too - and for those who rejoice in their birthing choice - how powerful and strong you are!

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24/02/2023

You are not a milk factory. As you feed, your child's heart rate slows, their attachment hormones spike, their microbiome is nourished and their brain falls into a deep, restorative calm, much like adult brains do during meditation.⁠
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Suckling causes oxytocin release in both mother and child, promoting a felt sense of wellbeing, safety, love and contentment. ⁠
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Oxytocin lowers blood pressure and stress reactivity in mothers. In infants, oxytocin increases resilience to stress and drives the formation of more oxytocin receptors in the amygdala (for healthy social behaviour and a lowered risk for anxiety). ⁠
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Simultaneous oxytocin release, repeated over time, changes both mother and infant brains, in ways that underpin long term attachment and synchronicity. It literally rewires brains in favour of love and wellbeing.⁠
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You are not a milk factory.⁠ You are a retreat, a safe space, a perfect tonic.⁠
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You are laying the foundations of long term wellbeing with every feed. ⁠
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You are a hero.⁠

⁠incredible words by

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28/01/2023

You’re doing a great job Mumma, I see you and I support you 🙌

12/01/2023

When women support other women ~ great things happen🙏

In ancient Greece, women were forbidden to study medicine for several years until someone broke the law. Born in 300 BCE, Agnodice cut her hair and entered Alexandria medical school dressed as a man. While walking the streets of Athens after completing her medical education, she heard the cries of a woman in labour. However, the woman did not want Agnodice to touch her although she was in severe pain, because she thought Agnodice was a man. Agnodice proved that she was a woman by removing her clothes without anyone seeing and helped the woman deliver her baby.
The story would soon spread among the women and all the women who were sick began to go to Agnodice. The male doctors grew envious and accused Agnodice, whom they thought was male, of seducing female patients. At her trial, Agnodice, stood before the court and proved that she was a woman but this time, she was sentenced to death for studying medicine and practicing medicine as a woman.
Women revolted at the sentence, especially the wives of the judges who had given the death penalty. Some said that if Agnodice was killed, they would go to their deaths with her. Unable to withstand the pressures of their wives and other women, the judges lifted Agnodice's sentence, and from then on, women were allowed to practice medicine, provided they only looked after women.
Thus, Agnodice made her mark in history as the first Greek female doctor, physician and gynecologist. This plaque depicting Agnodice at work was excavated at Ostia, Italy.

28/11/2022

Over the past two days I was privileged to be invited by my beautiful Doula client to join her & her husband in a Hypnobirthing class. Maxii’s class was very informative & engaging, for both Mum’s and partners, and even Doula’s.
If you are expecting and are looking for that extra support and knowledge of Hypnobirthing during your pregnancy and you want to feel empowered, you should definitely touch base with Maxii @ The Birth Teacher. I have no doubt you will love the class.

👶🏻 Baby due in 2023?

✨️ Now is the time to book your birth education class for you and your partner.

🤎 Preparation is the first step towards confidence and there's no better way to prepare for a calm, positive and empowering birth journey then with good, evidence based birth education like the Hypnobirthing Australia Positive Birth Program!

💯 Everything important we do in life; an exam, driving test, wedding... being prepared and confident take all the stress, worry and anxiety away and allows us to enjoy it and be excited for it, and childbirth is exactly the same!

🤯 Labour and birth is physically demanding and is also a big mind game! Preparing your mind and body is essential!

🌟 So, join me, The Birth Teacher, and book into a Hypnobirthing class. I cannot wait to help you prepare for a positive birth for you and your baby 💛

Please contact me for more information. I am always here to chat all things pregnancy and birth!

🤰🏽 Share with and tag a pregnant mama to be!

19/10/2022

I see you & I feel for you🦋

01/04/2022

✨Top tips for getting your head around and accepting normal infant sleep for new and expecting parents ✨
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1. Expect that your baby will wake A LOT and want to nurse back to sleep most times throughout the first year and beyond.
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2. Even if your baby starts sleeping longer… Expect it not to last.
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3. Expect there to be times when your baby will be super hard to settle and may be impossible to put down. Embrace the beauty of contact napping and the enforced rest it brings or look into your local babywearing group to find a carrier or wrap that enables you to keep moving and hands-free.
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4. Expect that your baby will sometimes catnap during the day (20 - 40minutes) and that may be all they need at that time. If they are hard to settle within 15 minutes, it's okay to stop and try again later.
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5. Expect that at times, you will need to call in back-up support to help you get the rest you need while meeting the night time needs of your baby.
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6. Expect that you may need to consider some sleeping arrangements that you may not see as your ideal situation (e.g. bedsharing when you really wanted a cot sleeper).
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7. Expect that your baby will want to sleep on the b**b and not let go at times. This is normal and not a sleep or supply problem.
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8. Expect that in a few short years, it is a long forgotten stress and all you miss is all the cuddles, nursing and closeness.
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Expect these things and then, if it turns out your baby finds sleep more easily than this...winner, winner, chicken dinner!

Realistic expectations (even if you consider them low expectations) make it so much easier to mentally to prepare, surrender and make peace with your baby’s sleep behaviour.

Your baby is so much more than their ability to sleep. Expect little in the way of sleep and enjoy them for the whole person they are 💙😴👍🏻
✨Carly Grubb, 2017
Founder of Little Sparklers, home of The Beyond Sleep Training Project and Podcast

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https://www.littlesparklers.org/beginning-your-journey-beyond-sleep-training

09/01/2022

Breast milk is breast milk, however long you breastfeed. In fact, breast milk milk is the original ‘toddler milk’. Not only does it continue to provide substantial amounts of key nutrients well beyond the first year, especially protein, fats and most vitamins, the immune factors in breast milk increase during the second year of your baby’s life. So just as your little one is becoming more mobile and mixing with more people – think, sharing toys and food with other ‘germy’ or ‘snotty’ toddlers – he is receiving important protection and support for his immature immune system. If your toddler is exposed to bugs even if you aren’t exposed to these same bugs, such as at childcare, not only will nursing soothe any discomfort if he gets sick, but the transfer of his saliva to your breasts will stimulate the production of antibodies so any illness will be short-lived, if not prevented altogether.

25/10/2021