Hilda Highmoor - Doula Services

12/12/2020

What a neat photo! Great info too :)

The Amniotic Sac is made up of multiple layers, so you may have a small leak that seals back up preterm- Or you may experience your water break at the start of labor and break again when you deliver baby.

•The chorion: is the outer membrane. It is in contact with the uterine wall. It is attached to the margins of the placenta.
Histologically, it is composed of 4 layers:

cellular layer.

dense reticulum.

pseudo-basement membrane.

outer trophoblast.

•The amnion: is a transparent greyish membrane which lines the chorion. It covers the foetal surface of the placenta and the umbilical cord. The amniotic sac contains the baby.
Histologically, it is composed of 5 layers:

cellular layer

basement membrane

compact layer

fibroblast layer

outer spongy layer adherent to the cellular layer of the chorion.
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•The sac of amniotic fluid is described as having two sections – the forewaters (in front of baby’s head) and the hind waters (behind baby’s head). A ‘hind water leak’ refers to an opening in the the amniotic membranes behind the baby’s head. Often this is experienced by the woman as an occasional light trickle as the fluid has to run down the outside of the sac and past baby’s head to get out.

•During labour forewaters are formed as the lower segment of the uterus stretches and the chorion (the external membrane) detaches from it. The well flexed baby’s head fits into the cervix and cuts off the fluid in front of the head (forewaters) from the fluid behind (hind waters). Pressure from contractions cause the forewaters to bulge downwards into the dilating cervix and eventually through into the va**na.

•By the end of pregnancy the baby is surrounded by around 500-1000mls of Fluid. The amniotic fluid is constantly being produced and renewed. Baby swallows the fluid; it is passed through the gut into the baby’s circulation; then sent out via the umbilical cord through the placenta. This process continues even if the amniotic membranes have broken. So, even when the waters have ‘broken’ there is still fluid present ie. there is no such thing as a ‘dry labour’.
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Source:
Midwifethinking.com
Www.Gfmer.ch
📷: on IG

12/08/2020

12/08/2020

✨ WOMEN ARE MAGNIFICENT ✨

We are strong. We are capable. We are amazing!

Do not fear birth. Prepare for it!

Birth is a normal physiological process and a primal, sacred rite of passage.

INFORMATION IS POWER // This account has been set up on the same principle as s*x education - I would rather you were uncomfortable and not ignorant.

Every birth only happens ONE time. It is a once in a lifetime event. There is no do-over. You only get one chance.

Would you attempt to climb Mt Everest without thorough research, a support crew and preparation?...
You would certainly not show up on the day and hope for the best!

Yes, birth is a normal physiological, instinctive process, however we have been conditioned in such a way that many women have absolutely no exposure to birth and little, to no, ability to tap into these primal instincts.

Please spend your time, money and energy researching pregnancy/birth/postpartum/breastfeeding.

Birth trauma is very real and postpartum depression/post traumatic stress is very serious.

Birth has become taboo, demonised and surrounded by messages of fear.
I am frustrated and concerned with the dangerously high intervention rates.
I am grateful for the science and technology available, in the event of true medical need, but are women told about the risks and side effects of intervention?

Do women know they can refuse consent? You have the right to say "no", the same way you can say no in the bedroom and the workplace.

We have been failed by society, mass media and the current culture.

All women deserve beautiful, empowered births.

And to be nurtured postpartum.

Surround yourself with beautiful, positive stories and messages of birth - they do exist and desperately need to rise to the surface to encourage, inspire and support women.

As the wonderful Dr Michel Odent once said "One cannot help an involuntary process. The point is not to disturb it."

I really do believe we need to see images of birth. They change our perceptions of what our culture has taught us, that stereotypical presentation of birth as an intensely painful experience that's full of drama, being endured rather than enjoyed.

-Reposted from Bump Birth & Beyond

03/01/2020

Making decisions in pregnancy, labour and well, really, in LIFE can be challenging at times! We highly recommend using the simple BRAIN acronym.

If you are asked to make a choice or even 'told' - 'this is going to happen next', then, unless the situation is an emergency, there is always time to pause and consider your options.

Take a breath, and ask the following questions about the course of action that is being proposed, remembering to also ask, "What is the evidence for that?" if anything is being strongly recommended.

B - what are the Benefits?
R - what are the Risks?
A - what are the Alternatives?
I - what does my Intuition say?
N - what would happen if we did Nothing?

Remember, you ALWAYS have a choice. You also have the legal and moral right to be the key decision maker in anything that happens to you and your body.

02/25/2020

02/07/2020

Watch: Many in the community are working to support a well-known perinatal coach. Taylor Rattray explains.

02/05/2020

What is a birth doula?

A birth doula is a woman who is professionally trained to provide emotional, physical, and educational support to a mother (and partner) during pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum.

Birth doulas use a variety of practical skills, guidance, and a compassionate presence to help women and families experience a more satisfying, memorable, and empowering birth experience.

02/05/2020

Such a fabulous illustration of the pelvic floor.
I would say that a huge number of my patients do not really understand the pelvic floor and are really fearful of it.

Essentially it’s just a group of muscles and rather than surrounding it with smoke and mirrors my aim is improve awareness of the treatment modalities available to improve the strength and function and overall health wellness, libido and continence.

We work in collaboration with with some amazing products and assessment tools.
.

The Pelvic floor muscles are the layer of muscles that support the pelvic organs and span the bottom of the pelvis. The pelvic organs are the bladder and bowel in men, and bladder, bowel and uterus in women.

9.6 million experience a degree of incontinence and leakage and it’s about time we started talking about what can be done to help.

02/01/2020

We are parent-flexible. Don't worry about being late or having to leave early. Your family comes first and we are happy to see you. // Small nutritious snacks are always welcome at meetings, if you have time.

01/31/2020

What is the difference between a midwife and a doula?

Midwives are highly trained in the medical aspects of birth. In North America primary/medical birth care is offered by a midwife or a physician.

Doulas offer non-clinical support and comfort measures. They work as part of the team with doctors or midwives, but not instead of. It is outside of a doulas scope of practice to attend births as a primary care provider.

01/30/2020

Soon there will be a Regina and Area ICAN chapter!! Hilda Highmoor and I will help bring awareness and education about Caesarean birth and VBAC.

01/13/2020

"We MUST change the conversation about dilation and the role the cervix plays in birth. I witness cervical checks and emphasis on dilation ruin births often. Or the chance to even let spontaneous labor begin. Below is some great insight about this!

We think in pictures and we should be painting accurate pictures. The cervix nor the va**na bloom. The cervix is not a zip lock bag. The purpose of labor is NOT the creation of an opening or a hole... The purpose of labor contractions and retractions is to BUILD the fundus, which will, when it is ready, EJECT the baby, like a piston. Without a nice thick fundus there is no power to get baby out....the cervix does not dilate out....it dilates UP as a result of the effort to pull muscles up into the uterus to push muscles up to the fundus. The cervical dilation is secondary to that. The cervix is pulled up as a result of the building of the fundus. Assigning a number to cervical dilation is of little consequence and we make a huge mistake by interpreting progress or predicting time of birth to that number. Any experienced midwife or OB can tell you that the cervix can be manipulated and that a woman whose cervix is at 7 could have the baby in a few minutes or a few hours.

If more providers and educators knew the truth about birth physiology, we could make a huge difference for mothers. What is important is to keep her well supported for the purpose of the appropriate chemistry, to keep her well hydrated and nourished for muscle strength, and to believe in her. We should be supporting her so that her physiology and that of her baby are unhindered, so they can finish what they started.

We should not be measuring, poking, or interpreting her labor. THIS CHANGE in teaching about labor could make such a difference for women who are imagining what is happening in their bodies during labor. How much more strength might they have if they have an accurate picture?" -Carla Hartley

Pic credit: Sacred Sage Birth Services

12/30/2019

This birth took 2 weeks... Well, sort of..
Two weeks before this picture, I loaded up my doula bag and my camera and headed to these first time parents' apartment and supported them during labor for a solid 8-9 hours. We even called in the midwife, but it seemed "off". Well, a cervix check later, we discovered that she was 1cm and not actually in labor. Just having some awesome strong prodromal labor that was making her miserable. Some therapeutic rest-helpers and two weeks of this nonsense and then she finally "went"! And when she did, it was glorious.
We (the midwives and I) all arrived at about 9:30pm and from there things escalated quickly. This warrior mama birthed her nearly 11lb baby just 5 hours later. She was surrounded by love and support. At one point she was overcome by the pains and she kept saying "OW!!!" and I gently encouraged her to change her word to "OPEN" and as soon as she did, she slipped back into control, and was pushing less then 30 minutes later. The mind is sometimes our most powerful tool during natural labor and this mama rocked it.
Words and Photo by Nicole Hamic from Living Body Works, Doula and Certified Birth Becomes Her Birth Photographer. Phoenix, Arizona.
https://www.lbwdoulaandbirthphotography.com/

12/29/2019

from

12/09/2019

12/06/2019

a love letter to my doula