Melissa Stockwell, Certified Birth and Postpartum Doula

08/30/2022

🍑❓️Did you know your butt crack can tell you how dilated your cervix is?❓️🍑

76% of people during childbirth will display a purple line (red or white on dark skin), rising up as cervical dilation increases. It is hypothesized that it is due to vasocongestion (swelling of tissues caused by increased blood flow and localized increase in blood pressure) at the base of the sacrum.

The visibility of the purple line can provide an alternative to internal exams, which can be intrusive and uncomfortable.
I often see this line at births, which is my way of measuring a person’s progress.
● ● ●
Here is a link to the study if you’re interested! https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2393-10-54?fbclid=IwAR1_xTemOXURpkZnqZKdgySBdpJgTFjJSYBANe7HwLrzsx9tLgPY3aMiSk8

***y

08/16/2021

It's okay to want an epidural.
It's okay to want a homebirth.
It's okay to choose a scheduled cesarean.
It's okay to change your mind.
It's okay to want a hug.
It's okay to NEED a hug.
It's okay to not want to be touched.
It's okay to have an "easy" birth.
It's okay to labour for hours.
It's okay to say you feel like crap.

It's okay to love your baby bump.
It's okay to hate being pregnant.
It's okay to scream bloody murder.
It's okay to want silence.
It's okay to not be happy.
It's okay to be happy.

And it's okay not to apologize. Seriously.
It's okay. ❤

# homebirth

08/09/2021

42 hours of birth support.
So tired.
So incredibly in awe of the strength I witnessed today.
So grateful to bear witness.

Time for a nice LONG sleep.

08/03/2021

Placenta pills - Talk about THE most natural supplement out there for postpartum healing. As natural as it gets, really.🌿

Sending out this beautiful batch to a new mom today. I'm loving that encapsulation is really taking off in Yellowknife. I'm so happy to offer a service to all of you looking for a decrease in postpartum mood disorders, increased production of oxytocin, a decrease in stress hormones, restoration of iron levels following bleeding after birth, and increased milk supply. ❤

07/29/2021

To say that I have the best clients is an understatement.
Finishing my work with them is always bittersweet.
I've spent so much time with this Momma and her sweet little boy. We've gotten close. While I'm sad I won't get to spend as many days with them, I'm excited to move into the new role of friend and see how that relationship blossoms. 😊
Thank you Lara for the wonderful gifts! 💕 

07/12/2021

People ask me why I got certified in placenta encapsulation. Why do I think this is a service people need? The short answer is that I've experienced first-hand the benefits of placenta ingestion and I wanted it to be an option that was available to more people.

I had done a lot of research when I was pregnant and placenta encapsulation was something I was really interested in. The possible benefits of placenta encapsulation included: a decrease in postpartum mood disorders, increased production of oxytocin, a decrease in stress hormones, restoration of iron levels following bleeding after birth, and increased milk supply. As someone with anxiety, I was already at a higher risk of developing a postpartum mood disorder so I thought this would be a great way to try to combat that naturally. I also knew I wanted to breastfeed and the idea of increased milk supply was exciting. I figured I had nothing to lose in trying it out. With both my children I ended up feeling amazing postpartum, I didn't struggle with mood disorders, and I was a milk MACHINE. Seriously, I put cows to shame. 😂🤱
But the best most amazing benefit I got was the iron. Without going into too much detail, I lost a lot of blood when I had my son. I required several transfusions and they told me I would need to take iron supplements. I asked them to hold off on the iron to see if the placenta would help (I was pretty sure it would). Sure enough, just a couple days later my iron levels were back to normal and I felt fantastic. My midwives and the doctor were shocked.
I have nothing but amazing things to say about my experiences and I could ramble all day, but the main takeaway is that I provide this service because I'm a believer in the good it can do.
As always, don't just take my word for it. Do your research, ask questions, and make informed decisions. I'm always happy to chat! 💕

07/07/2021

Come on out and say hi at the farmer's market! Here until 7. :)

Stop by and say hi to Mélissa and Lara at the farmer’s market!

06/29/2021

Let’s talk placenta encapsulation!🙌
 
The placenta is an organ that is entirely created by your body when you become pregnant. That’s right, your body creates a brand-new organ to help sustain and nourish your baby. It helps protect the baby from the birthing persons immune system, nourishes them, brings in oxygen and removes waste – it acts as their liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal system, lungs, endocrine, and immune system until baby can do this on their own.
 
❓How is the placenta encapsulated?
 
I use the traditional method of encapsulation. The traditional method is based on traditional Chinese medicine. The placenta is washed, steamed with citrus, ginger and hot pepper then dehydrated. This method is typically easier to digest and the steaming kills any bacteria that may be present.
 
❓What are the benefits?
 
- Can speed up postpartum recovery – including decreasing postpartum bleeding, regulating postpartum hormones
- Helps to increase iron levels
- Increases energy
- Increases milk production
- Helps prevent baby blues and anxiety
- Helps uterus return to pre-pregnancy state.
 
Currently the only research on placenta encapsulation is from the 50’s – with two small pilot studies having come out in 2016. We are expecting another larger study to come out in the coming years with more rigorous testing on the benefits of placenta encapsulation. However, as of right now the information on the benefits of encapsulation are largely anecdotal. (I will share my own experiences with encapsulation in a separate post)
 
❓What should you consider if you are thinking about placenta encapsulation?
- Talk to your provider. There may be reasons why encapsulation may not be safe for you.
- Do your research. What are you looking for in the postpartum period and how can encapsulation help you achieve that?
- Talk to an experienced and knowledgeable encapsulation specialist. (Like me!)

As always, reach out and ask questions if you want to know more! I love encapsulation and adore talking about it! 💕

06/07/2021

No cell phone reception? No problem. Even when I'm off-grid, my clients can always reach me.
Drive 5 minutes outside of Yellowknife and you've got no bars. That always stressed me out and kept me from having adventures while on call. Now I know I'm always reachable in case labour starts and can get to them when they need me. 😊
🇨🇦

05/26/2021

Yesterday, I posted about BRAIN decision making and how it can be used in labour to make informed choices. Today I'd like to share a real life example from when I was in labour with my second child and how my doula guided me through BRAIN when I was feeling conflicted about an intervention.

My birth plan was to have an unmedicated water birth at home with the assistance of midwives. This is how I chose to birth and it was very important to me to stay in my own space.

At a certain point, the mixture of excitement, lack of sleep, and contractions had started catching up to me. My midwives noted that I was showing signs of exhaustion and spoke to me about my options. They suggested artificially rupturing my membranes (breaking my water) to possibly speed up the process and get me to the final stages of labour. I was very close, but my baby's head just wasn't pushing hard enough on the sack to actually break my water. They acknowledged that I had previously said I didn't want interventions but explained the whole procedure including risks, benefits, etc and gave me the space to think it over.

My doula and I went over BRAIN:

•BENEFITS: Might speed things up/get things moving and I would still have some energy left to have my baby at home.

•RISKS: Increased risk of infection & water might break but still no progress. Could end up having to go to the hospital.

•ALTERNATIVES: Continue labouring as I was, try position changes and movement

•INTUITION: My intuition was telling me I was close to having my daughter and I just needed something to kick start the final stage.

•NOTHING: If I chose to do nothing, I could continue labouring at home but risked exhaustion and potentially a transfer to the hospital.

As soon as I had said everything out loud, it was clear to me that I had made my decision. I wanted to stay home, I wanted to meet my baby soon, and I felt that I was so close. I agreed to the rupture of membranes. Less than 5 minutes later, my daughter was in my arms. 💕

While my plan was to have no interventions, having all the information and the space to make the decision for myself was empowering and let me be in control of the process.

05/25/2021

A simple tool to help you navigate decision making before, during and after birth.
Remember that unless you're in an emergency situation, you should always be given the time to take a few deep breaths, ask questions, and think about what you want to do. Take that time to make informed choices. 💕
I use BRAIN all the time with my clients, to the point where they're like "BRAIN again, Melissa?!" But you know what? This is the single most important tool I have in my doula bag of tricks. It promotes discussion, information gathering and client empowerment. 💪🥰
• • •
I'll be sharing an example from my own birth experiences later - exploring BRAIN to make a decision I was comfortable and happy with.
STAY TUNED for that!
⭐Do you use this tool? If so, drop a comment on how it helped you!⭐👇👇

05/17/2021

My friends just get me. Check out these awesome earrings I was just gifted! 😍
(@)(@)
Thanks, for thinking of me. I think these will go great with my uterus mask. 😂

Earrings by Meredith McNulty of for those wanting to get their own pair. 😉