Doula DFW

When you have two clients in labor at the same time, you better have a good back-up doula! 😉

This mama handled every curve ball this birth threw at her with calm and grace. Approaching 42 weeks, doing all the things to help get labor started, transferring to the hospital from the birth center, and finally an unplanned cesarean. Birth doesn't always go as planned, but this sweet couple allowed the journey to bring them closer together and have their sweet baby girl to show for it 💗

Traveling to the birth center in the ice because your water broke is no the ideal start to birth. However, having your entire birth team circled around you in the bathroom to support you while you harmonize worship songs with your midwife? That's a blissful birth.

Induction 3 weeks early due to high blood pressure is not what any mama wants to hear, but she stayed flexible & fearless. Her sweet husband & I traded off squeezing her hips through every. single. contraction. until baby made a rather sudden entrance! Mama was SO proud of herself & so were we! 💙

I am excited to share that my family and I are being a little adventurous these days and doing lots of last minute traveling in 2022. Unfortunately that means I am not as flexible to be on call for expecting families. I will likely be posting last minute available doula bookings at a discounted rate throughout the year. For now, I am saying I am booked through July 2022 but if something opens up I will post it. I am not accepting any clients with due dates past July 2022 at this time.

I absolutely LOVE this work, but family always comes first. With the flexibility of homeschooling my two kiddos and a husband that works 100% remote we wanted to take advantage of this rare opportunity! I don't know what the year will bring for birthwork but I promise if I am able to take any clients I absolutely will and I will keep you posted on openings!

Sometimes the last minute epidural at 8cm doesn't work and you get an unmedicated birth whether you like it or not. 😬

Mama did awesome and ended up being really thrilled about her unexpected unmedicated birth! ❤️❤️

A sweet repeat! This mama did amazing! When induction was medically necessary for the health and safety of mom and baby, it didn't take long for little mister to come earthside.

Congratulations! Can't wait for big brother to meet his newest BFF.

🎉 First birth of the new year! 🎉

This mama went 12 long hours with no progress after her water broke. Once I arrived, we did some position work and in just a couple hours went from 2cm & -3 station to 8cm & 0 station 😲 that's what a doula can do! 💪

She stayed strong and calm throughout every difficult contraction and has the most perfect baby boy to show for all her hard work 💙

🎉 Happy New Year 🎉

Doula DFW is proud to have served 40 families in 2021! This year has been full of ups & downs, and moments where we were just along for the ride. We couldn't be happier to have been a part of the birth stories of so many families & we can't wait to see what next year brings!

💕 Thank you to all our wonderful clients who allowed us to serve you this year, it was our pleasure 💕

🎄 Merry Christmas from Doula DFW 🎄

❤️💚 Drop a festive picture of your little one below! We love to see the families we've served ❤️💚

It's a surprise BOY! 💙 This couple waited to find out baby's gender and what a reveal it was.

During 34 long hours of labor, this mama kept her cool and brought such joy & calmness to the room even after 4 hours of pushing! 💪 This sweet baby boy made her work HARD to meet him, but it was worth it! This little boy couldn't have any more love surrounding him.

This mama impressed us all, even herself! She made it into the birth center @4:30am thinking she wasn't coping well, only to find out she arrived at 10cm and had transitioned in the car on the 45 minute drive in!! 😲

She had her sweet baby girl in her arms very shortly after surrounded by her family and husband who was the ultimate support. You could feel the love in the room 💕 It was an absolute pleasure to be a part of this birth.

💕 Fetal monitoring 💕 describes when a provider uses one of several devices to listen to baby’s heartbeat during labor. This information can then be used to determine if interventions are necessary. Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) is used primarily at hospitals & intermittent auscultation is mainly used at birth centers & home births.

⏱ EFM is most common where heart rate is monitored via ultrasound with a sensor on mom’s belly, accompanied by a pressure sensor to measure contractions. This information is shown on a computer screen over time or is charted on a continuous strip of paper. This will show increases & decrease in heart rate in relation to contractions from a baseline.

There are different types of EFM
⚡️ Continuous: mom is in bed on the monitors at all times.
⚡️ Mobile: a wireless waterproof monitor is placed so mom can be up & moving.
⚡️ Intermittent: mom alternates being monitored in bed & freedom of movement.

🩺 Intermittent auscultation/hands-on is another form of fetal monitoring. This involves the provider listening to baby at regular intervals for short time periods using a Doppler. The provider records baby’s heart rate, rhythm, and timing, plus feeling mom’s contractions with a hand on the abdomen.

👊 Studies show no difference in Apgar scores, low-oxygen brain damage rates, NICU admissions, or stillbirth rates between mothers monitored using EFM or through hands-on, regardless of low or high-risk pregnancies. However, studies show that moms in the continuous EFM groups were more likely to have a cesarean & more likely to have vacuum or forceps used during delivery when compared to moms in the hands-on listening group.

☝️ EFM requires moms to have devices placed on the abdomen & sometimes requires bed rest. Some mothers also report feeling like EFM took focus off them & how they chose to labor because signals can be poor during movement, where hands-on listening provides more freedom. Having a constant output of information with EFM can also distract laboring moms and might cause more stress. Ultimately, like with any intervention, you decide what’s best for you & your baby!

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/fetal-monitoring/

No, these aren't twins. 💕 They are back-to-back births!

One mama labored all weekend and finally brought baby earth-side early in the morning with the sun. Another mama labored hard and fast with less than 5 hours from first contraction to birth.

I'm so proud of both these first-time mamas, and I'm so glad that I was able to make it to both births even though it took me RUNNING through the hospital to get there! 🏃‍♀️

🌸 Let's talk about cervical checks 🌸

Cervical checks or pelvic exams are common during the last few weeks of pregnancy.🤰 Usually starting around 36 weeks, your provider will offer to check your cervix at each of your weekly appointments up until labor begins. This is not the same as a membrane sweep which we will talk about in another post.

Mostly, these exams are done out of habit and not because there is a medical need. Cervical checks can tell us the position of baby and any dilation or effacement. There are minimal risks associated with having a cervical check during pregnancy but there isn’t a lot that can be done with the information either, other than satisfy some curiosity. 🤷‍♀️

Anytime you get a cervical check, even with a sterile glove, there is a chance of introducing some foreign bacteria into the vaginal canal and slightly increasing the risk of infection. 🦠 When considering a cervical check during pregnancy, you should weigh the risks against the benefits to determine what is best for you.

However, if you are planning an induction, going in for a cervical check could be a good idea. A cervical exam before an induction can help determine your Bishop Score which gives you and your provider a better idea of how ready your body is for labor. Knowing your Bishop Score could affect what time of day you go in for an induction and what medications 💉 (if any) are used.

Your provider may offer cervical checks as a routine part of your prenatal visits. If you decide you would like to decline a cervical check, you can just say so. You don’t have to give a reason and you definitely shouldn’t feel pressured to have one. The best way to avoid a cervical check during pregnancy is simply to keep your clothes 👗 on!

Overall, cervical checks during pregnancy are YOUR decision. Do what feels right to YOU. 👊

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/evidence-prenatal-checks/