Birth Magic

03/11/2023

Details for our second last meet up for the year. Same time, same place with our friendly volunteers. Let us know if you need anymore information?
See you there :)

29/10/2022

Thanks for the mention Homebirth Queensland ❤️

Big List Birth Worker
✨
Introducing Debbie Brauner
Birth & Postpartum Doula
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Located in Coolum Beach and supporting women on the Sunshine Coast
✨
Debbie’s contact details are
Debbie@birthingmagic.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/debbiebirthmagic
https://birthmagic.com.au/

15/03/2022

The first ABA Group meeting for the year is being held this Friday - the perfect place to ask your breastfeeding questions.

Welcome back to ABA Sunshine Coast Group Meetings for 2022. Our first meeting for the year will be held on Friday 18th March from 10am to 12 noon at the Orangery in Maleny. The topic will be Breastfeeding Q & A so bring along your burning questions about breastfeeding to ask our knowledgeable Counsellor and enjoy a drink and cake on us as well as the company of other mums. We look forward to seeing you there!

14/02/2022

Birth Affirmation: It is well documented that the power of our thoughts can have a strong influence over our physical body. Know that your body was designed for this exact purpose.

12/02/2022

What can I do for sore ni***es?.
Ni**le tenderness is common in the early weeks of breastfeeding as you and your baby navigate this new experience. However, pain that lasts beyond the first couple of weeks or persists throughout a breastfeed is not normal and should be addressed as soon as possible to avoid further complications.
• Many times, ni**le pain can be a sign that your baby is not quite attached correctly to the breast so this should be the first thing you look at if your ni***es are persistently sore during and after a feed.
• At the end of a breastfeed, hand express a small amount of milk and gently rub it into your ni***es and allow them to air dry for a few minutes, breastmilk has amazing healing properties when used on the skin (also can be great for nappy rash)
• Start the feed on the less sore side and then switch to the sore side after your milk has “let-down”
• When removing your baby from the breast ensure to break the suction with a clean finger to avoid any pulling on the ni**le
• If you are expressing you may find that hand expressing is gentler on your ni***es than an electric pump
• If your baby has a dummy or takes some feeds from a bottle, this can sometimes cause ni**le confusion as the method of sucking on these is different to the breast, this in turn may contribute to ni**le pain
• Some women experience ni**le vasoplasm which can be a burning pain which is worse when they are cold, applying a warm compress to the breast and ni**le before and after a feed may help.
• White spot can be caused by a blocked milk duct right at the end of the ni**le, frequent feeding and changing your baby’s position at the breast can often help to clear these.
• Dermatitis and other skin conditions can contribute to sore ni***es and could be caused by a reaction to soaps or detergents.
• Changes to hormones can also result in sore or tender ni***es and could be caused by your menstrual cycle or pregnancy
• If the pain is too great and you need to rest the ni**le for a day or so, continue to feed from the good side and express (by hand is recommended) from the sore side to avoid engorgement or mastitis and to keep your supply going.
Of course, with all things breastfeeding, if you need more information the best place to get help is the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Their website has loads of information and their 24/7 helpline is a fantastic way to get immediate support from a fully trained breastfeeding counsellor.
If you are wanting one on one support with breastfeeding and general support during the post-partum period in the comfort of your own home, I offer a variety of post-partum packages to support new mums.
www.birthmagic.com.au

Phot credit: Cleyder Duque

10/02/2022

Birth Affirmations - it is well documented that the power of our thoughts can have a strong influence over our physical body. During labour your body and your baby know exactly what to do. Trust the process.

08/02/2022

How do I know if my baby is getting enough milk?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions relating to breastfeeding and is understandable when you are unable to see how much your baby is drinking. Here are some signs you can look for to ease your mind:
• Your baby is having 5 heavily wet disposable nappies in a 24 hr period (or 6 heavily wet cloth nappies)
• Your baby has about 3 soft mustardy coloured bowel movements in 24 hours (up to 6 weeks old – less when they are older)
• They are gaining weight and growing in length and head circumference (please note that weight gain may be better looked at over several weeks or a month rather than week to week)
• Good skin colour and muscle tone
• Alert and mostly content (unsettled periods is completely normal)
• Your baby should be feeding at least once during the night – night feeding is important to maintain a good supply of milk
Of course, with all things breastfeeding, if you need more information the best place to get help is the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Their website has loads of information and their 24/7 helpline is a fantastic way to get immediate support from a fully trained breastfeeding counsellor.
If you are wanting one on one support with breastfeeding and general support during the post-partum period in the comfort of your own home, I offer a variety of post-partum packages to support new mums.
www.birthmagic.com.au

26/01/2022

This week is International Childbirth Education Week so I wanted to run a special offer on my Ante-Natal/Birth Education Package.

This package is perfect if you would just like to dip your toe into doula support but don’t want the full package offerings. Here is what is included:

• 3 x ante-natal visits to discuss required outcomes and prepare your birth plan (approximately 2 hrs each), we will cover all aspects of third trimester, the last few weeks, optimal foetal positioning, fears and concerns, labour stages and positions, pain relief options, possible labour and birth outcomes, third stage and also fourth trimester (and everything in between). I will also nurture you with massage, guided relaxation and visualisation, reiki and rebozo.
All of this for just $200 (normally $390) if you enquire and book in during International Childbirth Education Week (25-31 January)
For more information please have a look at my website or send me a message if you would like to have a chat. I look forward to hearing from you.

www.birthmagic.com.au

Photo credit: Pavel Danilyuk

06/11/2021

03/10/2021

Yep! This ⬇️ Doula support can also be helpful when navigating this. ❤️

Oh Hi 👋 Today was a pretty cheery day after a couple of weird ones... here’s why.)

So my birth photographer tells me the other day that she has photographed over 100 births in the past 18 months and 1 (yep 1) of all of those women had a spontaneous labour. The other 99 had been induced.

I was the 1.
And I was offered an induction 3 times.
He was 12 days past his “due date” and he arrived when he decided to.
I said “No Thanks” to three inductions.
I was “booked” for rupture of membranes at 42 weeks.

How did I manage to avoid it? I had help. I had an independent midwife that was my trusted source of accurate evidence based information. I wobbled... I was nearly convinced to have a growth scan but my plan was going to remain the same even if a growth scan showed he was big. We knew he was big. He was big. He was 11lbs. Was it easy.. no but no birth is easy. I worked harder in the weeks before doing inversions and balance exercises from Spinning Babies and saw a Webster chiropractor that helped me with positioning.

Anyway..I worked harder not to get swallowed up by the system. Very hard.

Now I’m not saying at all inductions are unnecessary but I am saying that it’s unlikely that 99/100 women needed assistance to start labour.

So here’s my advice. Do YOUR research. You don’t need to say No either. You can say “I want more information/ explain to me the risks of induction/I need more time and “what would happen if we did nothing”

I can say this about my birth and I implore you to create this for yourself too.

➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖

I am the Captain of this ship.
I have an anchor. A solid powerful point to come back to, to reflect and consider. To be still and think.
I am the captain.
I have a crew, a crew that respect MY destination, MY travel plans and MY contingency plans. Going with the flow is not my plan, that belongs to someone else.
I am the captain.
I have a nagivator; she is an expert. She has travelled this path many many times. She is not bound by politics or financial gain.
I am the captain.
I choose the direction and whatever the weather it will be a glorious positive experience.

I. Am. The. Captain.
This is my ship.
This is my journey.

Be your own captain, Janet ❤️

26/09/2021

Love ❤️ Homebirth

# HOMEBIRTH MISCONCEPTIONS #

Aahhhh! More often than not, when you tell a fellow mum you have birthed at home or are planning to birth at home you are met with the same reaction: “O.M.G” , “WHY”, “I Couldn’t do that”, etc. There is so little education and normalisation about home-birth out there (in our country anyway) that there’s no wonder people don’t understand or sometimes even fear it. I am here to demystify some of the top questions I hear from people about home births!

1. “Aren’t you worried about something going wrong?”
When someone plans a home-birth, (unless they are free birthing- but that’s a topic for another post) they have hired a private midwife. These are trained medical professionals who have extremely high skill levels and first hand experience of all kinds of birth. They actually bring medications, oxygen and all the other items they may need in the case of an emergency. Two midwives are in attendance when your baby is born. You are cared for in the comfort of your own home and statistically speaking women and babies who are born at home have a lower chance of having/needing interventions during birth than they do with their hospital counterparts.

2. “Why would anyone want to do that”.
To many women, birth is seen as a normal, physiological event not a medical emergency and therefore they feel no need to go to the hospital to have their babies. Labour also progresses easier when the mother feels safe and the most comfortable. Where better place than her own home. The clinical, noisy environment of a hospital can sometimes stall a woman’s labour. There are a number of reasons a woman would choose to birth at home, everyone is different.

3. “But what about all the mess, I don’t want that in my house”
Once your baby Is born and you are all taken care of, the members of your birth team clean up everything for you. Whether this be your midwives, partner, doula etc. No one is going to leave a mess for you to clean up with a newborn. Your midwives will (most of the time) bring along blueies, plastic sheets etc to catch any fluids.

4. “Hang on… Where do you give birth?”
ANYWHERE YOU WANT -
Thats just one of the many benefits of birthing in your own home. You can give birth on the floor, in your bed, in the shower, wherever you feel most comfortable. Some midwives bring birth pools with them, or you can hire/buy one yourself for the big day. The possibilities are endless. EVERYTHING is your decision.

So there you have it Mama.. what’s holding you back??

24/09/2021

I am super excited to announce the official launch of Birth Magic Doula Services! Yes, that’s right, I am finally a fully certified doula providing birth and post-natal support for women and their families on the Sunshine Coast, Qld. Thank you to all the families that I have had the honour of serving this past 6 months, it has been wonderful to share your individual journeys into parenthood either for the first time or to watch you grow as a parent as you add to your family. It has been a privilege and honour to walk that path with you.
As a special introductory offer and to celebrate the launch of my website, I am offering a huge 30% off the next three birth doula bookings!
If you or someone you know has been considering doula support for your upcoming birth, please get in touch so we can have a chat about how I may be able to support you through this very special time.
Also included in my service offerings are post-partum support packages, pre-natal and birth education packages and my parenting support package. For all details, prices and availability please visit my brand new website:
www.birthmagic.com.au
I look forward to speaking with you soon.
Debbie x

21/09/2021

I love this advice from • How to support a friend during her first forty days postpartum.
Under the current restrictions in Australia, as far as I am aware, compassionate care remains a way to provide and access support in the home.
This includes the care of newborn mothers, healing from the most monumental physical, hormonal and emotional event their bodies will ever undertake.
If we care about the future of humanity, this is where it starts.
Visit your new mum friends please.
Bring food.
New mothers need company and witnesses to come and sit with them in non judgement, to let them talk and dissect their birth experience, how they are feeling about becoming a mother, what they are loving and hating.
They need people who knew the before, to meet the after.
An identity death and rebirth is underway.
They don’t need advice giving, they need loving listening while they laugh and cry and marvel over how their baby is the most magnificent thing in the world.
They also need to rest a lot, much more than they think they do. Staying in bed is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
This means they need practical support. Dishes that need cleaning, a load of laundry put on, windows opened for fresh air, milk stained sheets changed.
Their bodies need tender touch. A foot rub. A shoulder massage. Recovering from birth, breastfeeding, carrying a baby, it’s all hugely physical work.
If that makes you uncomfortable to read, it shows how allergic we have gotten to caring for each other with our hands. You don’t need a massage licence to provide comfort and healing touch to another human.
Treat newborn mothers like newborn babies. Stroke their hair.
If you cannot physically be there for your friend, then I will always and forever recommend food.
Good quality, nutrient dense, postpartum specific (if possible) meals. Warming, easy to digest, full of fats /proteins. If that’s too intimidating, then the next best thing is whatever your favourite dish to make is, cooked with love and intention.

20/09/2021

Breastfeeding Drop In
9.30am
21st September
Cotton Tree Park

07/09/2021

Breastfeeding Drop In Gathering. Providing support for mums choosing to breastfeed 💙

12/08/2021

Doula Care Explained
In this series of posts I will explain the various aspects of doula care (from my perspective) and what you can expect from me as your doula.
Practical Support - This is typically a large part of the post-partum care provided as a doula. It can mean any task performed that will make life easier for the post-partum woman such as preparing a meal, doing the dishes, making the bed, holding the baby while she showers or sleeps, entertaining a toddler, putting on a load of washing, hanging out or folding washing.

08/08/2021

Doula Care Explained
In this series of posts I will explain the various aspects of doula care (from my perspective) and what you can expect from me as your doula.
Physical Support - This can take many forms and is an important part of doula support and provides the birthing woman with comfort, some examples are soothing touch such as massage and pressure points, rebozo, creating a calm environment such as lighting (candles, dim lights), water (holding shower heads, running a bath), hot packs, cold compresses, support while changing positions or walking, getting up and down, providing food and drinks. Physical support during the post-natal period could be assisting with positioning for breastfeeding, moving about the home particularly after c-section. For more information see the blog on my website: www.birthmagic.com.au

07/08/2021

A healthy placenta will develop calcium deposits at term, meaning when the baby is ready to be born, just like we get grey hairs when we get older. It's a healthy part of a growing placenta and isn't a reason to induce.