Birth and Postpartum Doula services, childbirth and lactation education and placenta encapsulation,
I offer continuous physical, emotional, and informational birth support to laboring women. No matter what kind of birth you are planning, I offer you reliable, constant support. I am also a certified lactation educator and Placenta Encapsulator.
Operating as usual
03/22/2020
ICAN
From the World Health Organization (WHO):
All 👩🧕👩🏾 have the right to a safe childbirth, whether or not they have a confirmed . This includes:
✔️being treated with respect & dignity
✔️a companion of choice
✔️clear communication by maternity staff
✔️pain relief strategies
✔️mobility in labour where possible
03/17/2020
👏👏👏
Read AWHONN’s statement about doulas with patient during COVID-19. Read more on our website http://bit.ly/2GrzCvi.
Thanks to AWHONN member Shirley Picard, BSN, RN for bringing this important issue to our attention!
03/04/2020
This is SO important. Validating these concerns is SO important. Lactation support is SO important. I am passionate about helping families reach their breastfeeding goals comfortably and realistically, and this right here is why I include a year of breastfeeding support to all of my clients! ❤️
I wrote these words three years ago and they still hold true:
I think we as a medical community are doing a significant disservice to mother-infant dyads when we look at breastfeeding and bottle-feeding as having one singular purpose: weight gain. I’d like to argue that there’s more at stake here.
When feeding, particularly breastfeeding, doesn’t go well, many different symptoms can come about. This table shows the percentage of babies in our study who exhibited a particular symptom associated with tongue tie or lip tie. What the table demonstrates is that there are a LOT of issues that can come up when a tie gets in the way. Even in the presence of normal weight gain (or great weight gain), I am of the opinion that breastfeeding can still be pathologic.
What infuriates me is when I hear a dyad asking their doctor (or in some cases, pleading with the doctor) to listen to what mom is saying about how dysfunctional breastfeeding is going, only to hear a response about where the baby is on the growth charts. While it’s certainly important to maintain weight gain, I will once again emphasize that the presence of normal weight gain does not mean that feeding is normal! Normal weight gain is not a trump card for other symptoms that are present, especially when those symptoms may be ruining a family life (like reflux/colic can).
An example: let’s say I have plantar fasciitis. I go to my doctor complaining about it, but he responds with “Well, you walked in here, didn’t you?” If I continue to ask about pain, how my other hip is starting to hurt from overcompensating on my good foot, and how it’s slowing me down, and the response is “You’re still able to walk so you’re good,” I would probably find a new doctor.
When a mom complains that the baby is causing pain or sucking in air or getting frustrated on the breast or leaking out of the sides of the mouth or any of the other symptoms displayed and the doctor comes back with a comment about adequate weight gain, it’s an intentional diversion. And that’s disrespectful on top of practicing medicine poorly.
I maintain that like breathing and circulation and other basic functions, breastfeeding should be a normative behavior. Babies should be able to develop in a state of calm, where parasympathetic vagal nerve tone is high. Like if breathing or cardiac issues were present, the baby experiencing feeding problems is under a state of stress, and I don't think that is healthy, regardless of the baby's weight gain.
03/03/2020
YES!! 👏👏👏
It’s always discouraging to me when I see moms who don’t know that they are in charge in the delivery room.
Recently I saw an expecting mom ask in a Facebook group if she would be allowed to get on her hands and knees in the hospital bed.
Mama! Do what you want.
We spend so much time researching everything. The best car seat to buy, the best crib on the market, the best baby body wash.
Birth impacts you on not only a physical level, but an emotional and mental level too.
Spend the time to learn what your body and mind need during birth.
Research things like laboring positions, eating and drinking during labor, intermittent monitoring, VBAC’s, breech babies, pitocin, etc.
Find a provider you trust, one who practices informed consent and respects you.
Everyone’s birth experience is unique, I can’t tell you what your exact situation will be or what you will need in the delivery room. But you have an opportunity during the nine months of pregnancy to prepare.
Don’t waste it!
Here are a few simple examples of your rights during pregnancy and birth.
02/16/2020
👏👏👏 YES!!! So much unsolicited misinformation and fear mongering from people who don’t “get” out of hospital birth!
💯💯💯
(Also, should be “person” not just woman, but the quote is what it is)
02/03/2020
It’s true! 😂😭
Y'all know what I mean, somewhere in that first week after birth, IT happens...
01/29/2020
Kristen Rossi Lactation Support
I had a procedure done today and was told to “pump and dump 24 hours after coming out of anesthesia”. How many of you have been told the same!?
Believe it or not, this is SUCH an outdated practice, even more outdated than telling a mom in labor she shouldn’t eat or drink! 🤦🏻♀️
I digress...
If you’re faced with having to have surgery, whether you’re going under general anesthesia or even a light sedation, here’s what you need to know…
😴 When going under anesthesia, current recommendations are to resume breastfeeding (if you feel comfortable doing so) as soon as you are awake, alert, can safely hold your baby, and no longer feel groggy.
😴 Once you’re awake, enough of the drug has left your blood to no longer have an effect. This means the levels in milk have also metabolized, so whatever may remain would be clinically insignificant!
😴 It’s recommended to nurse just before your procedure, in case you happen to be out awhile or are really groggy for a bit after coming out of anesthesia.
❗️ *DISCLAIMER* Although the medications used to put you to sleep are compatible with breastfeeding once you’re awake, it’s best to be sure you’re aware of what they may need to give you after for whatever condition it is they’re treating. Will you be given additional pain medicine post-procedure? Or any additional meds at all?
📄 The absolute best thing to do would be to sit down with your physician prior to the procedure, inform them that you’re breastfeeding (and yes, it means a lot to you!), and figure out the plan of action ahead of time, including alternative meds, in the event anything you have to take after the procedure isn’t compatible.
📄 Your IBCLC, who has the best most current information on medications and mother’s milk (yes, sometimes even more current than whatever the doc may have at hand), would love to help with this plan! I personally am always happy to provide literature on the safety of meds to my patients for them to bring to their physicians to sign off on.
🤝 Remember: The BEST approach is a collaborative one!
01/16/2020
👏👏👏
“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
http://www.indybirthservices.com/blog/nova-birth-services#comments
01/13/2020
Attending a childbirth class was associated with an threefold higher likelihood of a va**nal birth. Check out the free access article in International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.
01/11/2020
Lawren Rose Photography
All hands on deck at a local home birth!
I often see people hesitate having their babies at home, even when they are perfect candidates for it. Especially those who labor fast! They spend most of their pregnancy worrying about how they will get to the hospital in time and which doctor will be on call. It can be an unnecessary stress, which then can alter the outcome of your birth.
If you are one of those people reading this, keep in mind... birthing at home doesn't mean you hire less qualified people. It can means you instead hire a team of professionals who are experts in birth and not experts in surgery. It can mean your birthing team follows your lead instead of you following theirs.
If your that person who longs for a natural birth where you can have a voice in labor, or one who labors too fast for travel... consider this. Home birth can be an option.
In the photo BundleBorn Midwifery & Pediatrics Becky Ahlen Hines Emily Jenkins Sloan Nikki Carter Knowles
01/11/2020
Here’s a great resource!
Such an incredible visual and great information!
As a mother who had two boys who likely needed frenectomies (before I was ever an IBCLC), the first thing I did when I had my daughter last year was check her for tethered oral tissue. In Rowan’s case, it would’ve been tough to spot for anyone who didn’t know how to TRULY assess for tongue-tie, because it was what was considered a “posterior tie” (the sneakiest of ties because you can’t tell it’s there unless you’re getting your fingers in there and assessing thoroughly).
I found her old before/after procedure videos of tongue mobility (and the “after” was within SECONDS of her procedure) and felt the need to post it, quite frankly because of the frustration I am feeling by all of the misconception that’s out right now about tongue-tie!
So while we’re at it, let’s debunk, shall we?
👅 MYTH: If the tongue extends past the gumline, there must not be a tie.
✔️TRUTH: Not only does the tongue need to extend outward, but it also needs to be able to go UP towards the roof of the mouth to elevate sufficiently in order to create the appropriate motion at the breast. When it can’t do that, the baby may overcompensate by doing things like chomping (using jaw muscles to help express the milk), making the latch shallower than it should be, even sometimes making it hard to maintain the vacuum suction at the breast needed for efficient milk transfer. All things that can also cause PAIN.
👅MYTH: All Pediatricians/ENTs/IBCLCs know how to spot a tongue tie. If they say there isn’t one or it’s “not severe”, they must be correct.
✔️TRUTH: Assessing for tongue tie takes a true assessment, not just a quick look under the tongue during a cry. An assessment can’t even be considered an assessment without the provider’s fingers sweeping under the tongue, lifting the tongue, and manipulating the tongue to check for tethered tissue, and then more importantly, knowing what they’re looking for. Just because a person is qualified to “assess“ for tongue-tie, does not mean they necessarily know how to do so.
👅MYTH: Anyone should be able to release tethered tissue if it’s within their scope to do so.
✔️TRUTH: Technique is so important! Going in and blindly cutting a frenulum certainly does not guarantee success, and worse, can cause the tissue to reattach. A true release of a frenulum done the right way releases all of the tethered tissue present and has a very specific looking wound, one that is diamond shaped! There are mixed reviews on what is preferred, laser versus scissors, but my own personal preference is a laser simply due to the precision a laser provides, lack of bleeding, and comfort of the infant... not to mention what owning equipment like this means for the provider’s interest in this condition, as well as what it says for his/her frequency in dealing with it as part of his/her caseload.
So. What’s a parent to do!? Check in the comments below for an incredibly informative article about the difference between both, as well as questions you should ask and qualities you should look for when choosing a provider.
*Huge props to the phenomenal Dr. Paul Bahn for the amazing job, who graciously let me video Rowan’s before and after, and who is humoring this crazy IBCLC by letting me shadow him come September!
07/15/2019
Holding space for these incredible (very) soon to be parents while (quickly) nourishing my own squish. While pregnant with Juniper, I said YES! to supporting this special client at her birth. She has talked about hiring me since the day I met her, years ago! I had reservations about taking on a client so soon after my own birth, but it worked out beautifully and I’m so blessed to have been a part of this couples transition into parenthood. ❤️
Spinning Babies is one of my FAVORITE and most frequented resources. All of my clients know about the importance of optimal fetal positioning because SB is part of the prenatal information we discuss at our visits! I LOVE that there is now a FREE pregnancy subscription! Check it out!
We are so excited to announce Your Pregnancy with Spinning Babies® - A free resource packed with helpful information for expecting parents. Subscribe to our weekly pregnancy emails so you don't miss a week! bit.ly/SpBWbW
This is such a great visual about the perfectly designed dynamic of breastfeeding on demand!
This is why we can all trust our babies! They know what they are doing! Heatwave? You don't need to give your breastfed baby extra water (or tea?!) -- trust them! Here, you'll see how their feeds and your milk adjusts to what they need, as they need it.
You can offer water when you begin to offer solids -- I neglected to mention that! Also know that the transition between the milk with higher water content and the milk with higher fat content is gradual -- I could have used eight glasses to demonstrate that. There's not a switch that goes off in your breasts to change to higher fat milk now ;)
04/04/2019
On March 7th 2019, after a long but gentle labor, my second daughter Juniper Jean, was born!❤️ She was caught by her daddy in our bathtub at home with her big sister, Sage, watching and cheering us on! Our birth team was the incredible: BundleBorn Midwifery & Pediatrics and Lawren Rose Photography
I am currently on “maternity leave” but accepting clients with due dates from July on!
12/20/2018
Plano Birthplace
Did you know that the evidence shows laboring mommas actually feel less pain when a doula is present? (Evidence Based Birth)
(https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/.).
This doula, Samantha Schmidt was truly such an asset to our birthing team.
This is now on Netflix! We watched it last night, and somehow I made it through without crying. We NEED to be talking more about this, y’all. KNOW BETTER, DO BETTER. I’d encourage EVERYONE to watch it, and if you find yourself uncomfortable, really truly sit in that uncomfortable space and ask yourself why? Some parts were extreme, but no more extreme than removing a healthy, functioning part of the human body! This needs to change. Our DAUGHTERS have been protected by LAW from FEMALE CIRCUMCISION since 1996 only, WHAT ABOUT OUR SONS? Ge***al autonomy for ALL.
See the film now. circumcisionmovie.com
04/23/2018
Awesome! I encourage EVERYONE to have their seats checked by a CPST, even if you THINK you have it right!
YAY!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
WE HAVE SOME SUPER EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE!!!
10/20/2017
If anyone has photos of their babies being paced bottle-fed (doesn’t matter if it’s breast milk or formula!) that they would like to share and allow me to use, I’m creating a handout/eventual blog post about it and would love to include them! ❤️
10/15/2017
"What we have once enjoyed and deeply loved we can never lose, for all that we love deeply becomes a part of us. " -Helen Keller
10/10/2017
Jessica from The Leaky B**b is live streaming her labor/homebirth right now! Sage and I are watching if anyone wants to join!
http://theleakyboob.com/2017/10/lucks-birth-live-with-my-babys-heartbeat-bear/
theleakyboob.com This special occasion made possible by the generous support of My Baby’s Heartbeat Bear. Ever since we live streamed Sugarbaby’s birth 5 years ago, we have received message after…
Talk about Ingenuity 😉😂
£60 for a walker....no thanks.
Credit to LadBaby.
***For very pregnant ladies who can't safely get to a hospital in labor*** The Houston area midwives have put together a listing on the radio app Zello called Houston Midwives for Pregnant Mammas. It's a resource for moms in labor who are unable to make it to the hospital. Midwives willing and able to help and support can be contacted through that forum.
Zello Walkie Talkie by Zello
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zello-walkie-talkie/id508231856?mt=8
08/25/2017
Every year I celebrate my breastfeeding relationship with my daughter by having a breastmilk pearl made. We celebrated 3 years in June (and are still nursing once a day). My third milk pearl came in! I LOVE that I can see how my milk composition has changed over the last 3 years with the gradual lightening of each pearl! So so SO cool. Thanks for another stunning keepsake! 😍
08/19/2017
Enjoy this beautiful birth story from one of my past clients Midwife's perspective. 7 centimeters and not in labor, y'all! 😍
My sweet friend, we've gone through two deliveries together! I am forever blessed by your friendship!
On my own birthday this year, we came to D's house anticipating her third baby's arrival, she labored most of the day but he ended up staying inside and we didn't feel the need to rush anything. At the end of the day, she was 5+ centimeters and we left her to rest and with instructions to call if anything picked up.
Nearly three weeks go by with D at 5+ centimeters still, when she comes in for a routine prenatal appointment and asks about a check. We find out that she's 7+ centimeters! It was nothing but exciting! She was not even having contractions! We anticipated a very quick delivery and made plans to do a natural induction together, to make sure that I wouldn't miss her delivery. We planned this for a few days from this visit, when her husband would have more flexibility with his work schedule.
The day of the planned induction, D called reporting that she was having regular contractions again, without the need for induction. So, on my student's birthday (!!), we head to D's house, anticipating a quick delivery.
It was a lovely day of talking, watching movies, a picturesque homebirthday celebration. As the day went on, D still had no baby in her arms so she asked for some help, we decided TOGETHER to break her water. 40 minutes later, she was holding her chunkiest 9lb baby in her arms after a beautiful delivery in her living room, her first waterbirth. It was love
08/09/2017
Updated AAP Carseat guidelines! I'll post a screenshot of the handy chart in the comments below! https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx
healthychildren.org One of the most important jobs you have as a parent is keeping your child safe when riding in a vehicle. The following information from the AAP offers guidance on choosing the most appropriate car seat for your child.
08/04/2017
Duvet Days
Our breasts tend to not be celebrated very often for what they were actually created to do. Women are shamed for breast feeding their child in public and is considered unacceptable, but if woman's breasts are some how sexualized it is acceptable though. What our bodies are capable of providing for another living being is incredible and nothing short of perfection and should never be shamed, but celebrated.⠀
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Our milk ducts are intricate and life giving network of channels nestled among fat cells and glandular tissue. These milk ducts branch off near our chest wall and are called ductules which have small cluster of sacs called alveoli. A cluster of alveoli are called lobule and a cluster of lobules are called lobe.⠀
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AXILLARY LIMPH NODES⠀
The axillary lymph nodes help fight infection in our bodies by filtering lymph fluid from your breasts.⠀
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FATTY TISSUE⠀
Fat tissue surrounds the ducts and lobules.⠀
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LOBULES⠀
Produces milk during pregnancy and breastfeeding.⠀
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FIBROUS TISSUE⠀
This tissue helps support your breasts and is what makes them feel firm.⠀
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MILK DUCTS⠀
The milk ducts carry milk from the lobules to your ni**le during breastfeeding.⠀
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AREOLA⠀
Is the dark area around your ni**le.⠀
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Please contact us via email in our profile for digital purchase options.⠀⠀⠀
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Design: ©2017 Duvet Days / All Rights Reserved⠀
07/20/2017
This is something I frequently talk with my clients about. Great info!
You've got enough to worry about, don't let other people's giant milk stashes add to your list. How big of a milk stash do you really need? https://rachelobrienibclc.com/blog/how-to-start-pumping-and-build-a-milk-stash/
07/11/2017
Gorgeous!
Beautiful art by 💖
I drew this after a conversation with my mom about breastfeeding. The conversation was too good so I asked her to write a quote. She said that "Breastfeeding is so much more than a means of providing natural sustenance to one's child. Breastfeeding is an intimate, ethereal experience. There is no doubt, then, that it's an indescribable bonding encounter created especially for mother and child by God, Himself."
07/02/2017
Such a thorough article. Thanks APPA!
http://placentaassociation.com/group-b-strep-placenta-encapsulation-safety/
05/17/2017
This is awesome!!!
Be a part of our Recycle & Donate Trade-In Event and we will put your old or unwanted baby carriers to good use ♻️
Too many perfectly good carriers are sitting unused while there are families struggling to attain one. Send us your old carriers of ANY brand for us to donate to a family in need.
We will RECYCLE any unusable carriers sent to us as well! By assisting in recycling damaged carriers, we hope to contribute to safer babywearing while doing something positive for the planet and our communities 💚
In return for your good deed, we'll give you a 40% OFF coupon to use on any carrier or product on our website!
Let the spring cleaning begin 😊
Learn more at https://www.lillebaby.com/trade-in-event
05/14/2017
Timeline Photos
04/13/2017
Want your beautiful baby belly adorned with henna? My talented friend Kelly can hook you up! Such a stunning piece! 😍
Got to henna a very active belly today. Baby even had the hiccups for a while.
Birthways Birth Service Your birth should be your way, and you deserve the pregnancy and birth you envision. Birthways offers services for all stages of your journey. Labor and postpartum doula, childbirth education classes, lactation/feeding support and more.
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Doula DFW As your doula, I will provide compassionate, non-judgemental, emotional and physical support for YOUR birth.