MamaFil Birth Services

08/07/2019

"Empty" breasts are never really empty 🤱🏻 The more milk you're removing, the more milk you're creating! How cool is that 🤱🏻

24/06/2019

Open that pelvis up and make room for baby 👶🏽 Working with your body and using gravity to your advantage not only means more comfort for you, but it can also mean a shorter labor. It's a win-win!

26/05/2019

The fierce love and need to protect your little babe that comes with motherhood is intense. I spent my first months of motherhood obsessing over every little thing and staring at this monitor every second that my baby wasn't intertwined with my body asking to be nursed or held or played with. I rarely let anyone touch or hold him and on the days that I could leave the room, the pins and needles in my stomach quickly chased me back inside the safety of the dark, quiet room where nothing could hurt him. Every night before the sun would set, my muscles would clench, my stomach would turn, and nervous energy would ooze out of me. I cried for months to anyone who would listen - my husband, my friends, my mom who was 7,000 miles away and helpless. Sadly, the one time I asked for help from a doctor I was gently but firmly scolded for being ungrateful and told that what I was feeling was normal. Which it was, but it also wasn't. What I was experiencing was Postpartum Depression and Anxiety, something that an estimated 10 to 15 percent of women face in the year following childbirth. I was lucky enough to have fought my way out of the hole that I was in, but I needed help. Sometimes that help comes in the form of therapy, or medicine, or exercise, or acupuncture; the help you get doesn't matter, the important thing is that you get help.

18/05/2019

Yes 👏🏼 It's never my job to second-guess your choices; as your doula, it's my job to support and encourage you to make informed decisions in order to reach YOUR birth goals 👏🏼 I'm not here to empower you, I'm here to remind you how empowered you already are 💪🏼

16/05/2019

Which Countries Are Best At Preventing Low Birth Weight? Which Need To Do More? https://n.pr/2WGQGmM

"The study mentions two major reasons for the relatively high rate in the U.S.: the prevalence of fertility treatments and high rates of unnecessary C-sections.

In southern Asian countries, the major issue is poor maternal nutrition, which can restrict fetal growth. In Africa, the major drivers are high rates of teenage pregnancies and infections during pregnancy."

For the first time, the World Health Organization has estimated how well the world is doing to prevent low-weight births. The progress is too slow, researchers say.

15/05/2019

So true 👏🏼 We all start somewhere, and having the intention to breastfeed is a great place to start, but keeping in mind that it will have challenges is also important. The good news is that most problems can be fixed by making small changes and with the proper support. Not sure where to start? La Leche League (LLL) is a great organization to reach out to and they have leaders/chapters all over the world 🌍 A local internationally board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) is another great resource. Both a LLL leader and IBCLC are trained (though to very different degrees) to help you make effective changes to make breastfeeding a positive experience, and to support you and cheer you on along the way 🤱🏻

14/05/2019

Eggs are a great, versatile first complementary food to introduce babies to, and they're safe in the first year. Full of protein, vitamin D, B vitamins, and choline, they're also a healthy choice 🍳 According to the most recent research and evidence, introducing babies to foods that are more likely to cause allergic reactions - such as eggs and peanuts - in the first year actually reduces the likelihood that those allergies will occur 🍳 Breastmilk is still the perfect first food for babies and should be continued exclusively for at least 6 months (NOT 4 months) 🤱🏻 @ MamaFil Birth Services

08/05/2019

Have you been put on a medication and your doctor told you to stop breastfeeding because the medicine can be transferred through the milk? While we'd like to believe most doctors would give us the most up-to-date, evidence-based information when it comes to breastfeeding our babes, this isn't always the case 🌱 If you're ever curious whether a medication is safe while breastfeeding, check out two online databases that are regularly updated with the most recent research - LactMed and Infant Risk 🌱 Even most antibiotics are safe to take while nursing, though a great probiotic for you and baby would be our recommendation during any course antibiotics 🌱 Happy nursing!

07/05/2019

the second of four illustrations i created for the challenge.

new parenthood can make you feel like you’re missing out on life outside your new normal. it’s not always easy but you created life and are nurturing it every day with your love, smiles, and milk.

be gracious with yourself! new babies and new roles take an incredible amount of adjustment and patience. you are an amazing parent, even during those really lonely, really tough days 💕✨

05/05/2019

Did you know - VBAC (vaginal birth after a cesarean) is a safe, reasonable option for most women! Thanks for sharing up-to-date, evidence-based information that empowers families to achieve their birth the way they want 💪🏼

05/05/2019

Making space for baby and balancing your body are 🔑 ||


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Forward Leaning Inversion ✨⠀⠀⠀
This is a go to position in pregnancy to help untwist the ligaments in the lower uterus which can help to change babies positioning but also with aligning the uterus to the pelvis hence helping baby get deeper into the pelvis to press down onto the cervix prior to birth. ⠀⠀⠀
Due to the shift of your centre of gravity during later pregnancy it is recommended to have someone help you into this position. Start by kneeling on the edge of a bed or lounge, and one at a time reach your hands down to the floor. As your hands walk forward drop down onto your forearms and interlace your fingers. Drop your head but don’t let it touch the ground to protect your neck. Take some long slow deep breaths, and you can even work on some pelvic/spinal movements here. Come up really slowly, take a few breaths in each position and when you get to the top spend a bit of time kneeling. ⠀⠀⠀
There are some contraindications particularly for high blood pressure but head to to website to get a little more info on all the different positions that you can do to help with birth, and babies positioning. ⠀⠀⠀

03/05/2019

Super cool!!

🌟💕 How brilliant is this image from it’s so informative when visualising the umbilical cord and the vessels inside. 💕🌟
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The umbilical cord contains Wharton's jelly, a gelatinous substance made largely from mucopolysaccharides which protects the blood vessels inside. It contains one vein, which carries oxygenated, nutrient-rich blood to the fetus, and two arteries that carry deoxygenated, nutrient-depleted blood away.
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