Olive Branch Birth Services

10/22/2022

Incredible 🫠

Women are strong and powerful🌸

10/18/2022

10/04/2022

Yes! 🙂

Yes!

09/11/2022

Yesterday’s twins were born at home at 38 weeks to a 17 year old momma. One was head down and the other was breech. One was 6 pounds and the other was 7 pounds. Both babies were full term, healthy babies born to a teen mom who rocked her vaginal homebirth of twins! And yes, she’s now exclusively breastfeeding her babies. This is what being told that you were made to birth can do! This young woman is my niece. She’s grown up in a family culture of being told that birth is hard work but it’s not scary. She’s heard that women are strong and that they’re made to birth. So when it was her time to do this woman’s work, that’s exactly what she did. ❤️

09/09/2022

Queen Elizabeth after her fourth Homebirth

Her Majesty was the first royal woman to have her husband accompany her at childbirth when she welcomed her fourth child Prince Edward with Prince Philip present.
…
"The Queen, by then aged 37, had asked him to be there; she'd been keenly reading women's magazines that stressed the importance of involving fathers in childbirth and had become fascinated by the idea. Thus Philip became the first royal father in modern history to witness the birth of his child.”
….
Like her mother, the Queen gave birth to her first child, Prince Charles, at home via caesarean, after a 30 hour labor, but went on to have three VBACs although with scopolamine.
…
Eventually Charles was born by a Caesarean section in a music room in Buckingham Palace which had been converted into a theatre. She was attended by Obstetricians Sir William Gilliatt and Sir John Peel, and also midwife Helen Rowe, who was thought to be present for all the births. Caesarean sections were also less common in the general public at that time; in the 1950s only around 3% were caesarean section. It would have been of some concern that the Queen required one.
…

The midwife Helen Rowe was known to be present as letters written to her by the Queen were discovered after her death. There is an irony in this as, in 1970, Sir John Peel, the queen’s obstetrician, was lead author of the report “Domiciliary midwifery and maternity bed needs”, which recommended 100% of births should be in a hospital.
…

There have been considerable changes that have taken place in maternity services since the births of the Queen’s children. The accessibility of research and information is only one thing! The Queen, in all her experiences as a woman and mother in the role, has paved the way for royal births to be different and opened the door for many of her subjects to challenge the status quo at the time. The importance of looking back in history to see how we have got to where we are should not be overlooked and I challenge others to investigate history of our profession over the past 70 years.
…
From

02/16/2022

📜SENATE BILL 192📜
I want to thank Senator Scott Kawasaki (D) of Fairbanks for sponsoring this bill in the Senate and Representative Christopher Kurka(R) of Wasilla for sponsoring this bill in the House, that will be a blessing to Alaskan families, Alaskan midwives, and the State of Alaska’s balance sheet.
✨✨✨Here it is✨✨✨
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
Now is the time.
Send in your letters of support that will be attached to this bill as it moves through the legislature to Joe.hayes@akleg.gov
AND send your letters of support to your elected representatives and senators, we can do this! 💪🏼
For more information visit:
https://www.midwivesofalaska.com/2022-alaska-midwifery...

12/21/2021

Mary birthed her babe in a stable! It's likely not at all like the sterile nativities that we are exposed to at Christmas Time.

* Joseph likely cleared manure
* The animals were likely to have been noisy (and nosey)
* There were no birthing beds, squatting bars, soft cushions to sit on
* It's likely Mary felt alone, insecure, and scared - She may have observed other births, but this was her first - and it was NOT ideal
* This was NOT likely how she pictured her birth would go - she had to adjust her expectations
* No pain meds were available, and while it's possible the innkeeper's wife may have been of assistance, it's likely to have been just the two of them - Mary and Joseph both inexperienced in the ways of birth and way out of their element!

There is no halo in this image. There is no sanitary place to lay. This is likely much more realistic than many of the images we have been impressed with throughout the years. Mary likely made noise (grunting, grimacing, maybe even screaming!) as she pushed the vigorous newborn out between her legs. The water broke, the blood poured and pooled, the placenta released, and they were responsible for their own cleanup afterward.

And yet the birth still happened just as it was meant to be. Jesus came - born of a virgin, born under law to redeem those under the law. Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

This Christmas I celebrate a birth - but not any birth. The birth of the King in the stable - humble, lowly, primal, undisturbed.

Photo credit and source: https://www.birthundisturbed.com/the-creation-of-man

11/23/2021

Every. Word.

"Is he sleeping through the night?" "Is she a 'good' baby?" These are the loud lies of infant (& toddler) sleep. Read more to help the quiet truths rumble.

11/04/2021

A hospital transfer is not a failed homebirth. It is a smart use of resources.

10/22/2021

Tug of war is GREAT. It’s been lovingly nicknamed “the hannah” in my tiny corner of the birth world — for reasons that will not be disclosed on the internet 😜

Who’s baby was brought into the world by help of this technique?!

10/20/2021

Birth is beautiful.

Nothing about Birth is clean.
But oh how we try.
Fresh linens
Bright lights
Antiseptic
And it still comes out
A mess.

S**t, blood, mucus,
Hips writhing
Breasts swollen
Anyone who’s witnessed birth
Knows
It’s worse than s*x.

And we grasp
This thing
With sterile gloves
As if terrified
To touch
Something so honest.

If only birth came
In a sweet smelling onesie
Fresh diaper
And oiled skin.
A tidy package
From the stork.

At least it’s
Conceived in a hidden place
Where muffled screams
And furtive glances
Acknowledge
Our shame.

But in birth,
You must,
Spread your legs
Before the world.
Scream
And ruin the sheets.

There is no other way.
Needles,
Knives,
The best we can offer
Is to not
Feel.

It takes a bold woman—
Breasts swollen,
Hips writhing,
S**t, blood, mucus—
To stand exposed.
To birth
Herself
Before the world
Without shame.

- J.M. Wild

Painting by Amanda Greavette

10/19/2021

Running drills, getting comfortable and practicing practicing practicing. Always prepared for the worst, always expecting the best. The midwifery care model is just different. Every woman needs a midwife. 💛
So grateful to be taught by these two.

10/19/2021

✝️ For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’
Isaiah 41:13

💞 God WILL help you as you labor and birth your baby. 💞

➡️ Birth declarations to save ⬇️

✅ I trust in the Lord, who has perfectly designed my body to give birth

✅ I give birth in safety, held by the Lord.

✅ I will not fear for You are with me.

✅ God is my ever present help.

Can you hear Father saying to you, “Fear Not, I will help you”?

Repost: Pain Free Birth

10/10/2021

Working as a Doula often means being with my clients during one of their most vulnerable times. Whether in times pregnancy, giving birth or in the postpartum stage, I know that families need all the compassion and empathy they can get. I believe I have something unique to offer them in this season, and would be honored to be a member of their support team. 🌿❤️

Consults are always free! Feel free to reach out so we can get to know each other better.

10/02/2021

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. If you have not endured the loss of a child, you know someone who has..or a few.

A mother's plea: Just don't forget them okay.

Praying and thinking of those who are mothering a child in heaven. It is the hardest thing I have ever done and grief can still overwhelm me, but I have seen the work of God like I have never before in my life. His goodness is running after me. Remembering with you this month. ✨

09/30/2021

If we’ve talked about motherhood IRL for more than 5 minutes you’ve probably heard my sob story on our 6 month battle with thrush in Andy’s first year. I remember feeling hopeless, alone and in a lot of pain. The conversation usually goes two ways ... Either wide eyes of compassion from a mom who’s been there herself or confused eyes having never experienced it. So, what is Thrush?

Thrush is a fungal infection caused by the candida fungus, which is yeast. It’s a pest and likes to stay around. It most often seen in the mouth but can also appear in other parts of the body like the skin or diaper area.

Anyone can get thrush, but unfortunately it occurs most often in babies and toddlers, older adults, & those with a weakened immune system.

Thrush is pretty easy to recognize - it appears as patches of white, cottage cheese like lesions. For breastfeeding moms, you may see these white lesions in your babies mouth, tongue, & cheeks, and you may be experiencing red and sore ni***es as a result. It's important to address it and get it taken care of. There are anti fungal prescriptions like nystatin, but if you'd like to try and treat it naturally first, here are some options!

1. This is the worst... but it’s nearly impossible to rid thrush without this — Eliminate sugar & dairy from your diet. Yeast feeds on sugar, so this one is important!
2. If breastfeeding, leave your breasts open to air as much as possible and if you can, get outside and sun your nips! Keep them dry and make sure you change nursing pads often. A warm, moist and dark environment are breeding grounds for infection.

3. Get your hands on some Silverette cups! The natural silver Is an antibacterial, anti fungal and anti inflammatory which = happy/healthy nips. I’m not one to recommend the expensive and trendy pregnancy + postpartum things... but, this was the best $60 I spent after I had my baby. They got rid of our persistent thrush after 72hrs and healed my skin from lots of pain.
4. Add things like kefir, sauerkraut, or yogurt into your diet as a quality probiotic. Diet is the most effective way to get gut loving probiotics but, if you need to supplement we have been loving recently.

5. Coconut oil - a natural antifungal. Apply topically, swish in mouth, or use a swab to apply.

6. If none of the above seem to be working, you can try colloidal silver. There are dropper and spray versions.

7. Link arms with other mama’s/your IBCLC and talk! This can be such a challenging season and there’s no reason to do it alone. 💛💛💛

Note: After some education from my dear IBCLC, I personally would not recommend usage gentian violet. A few studies have shown it to be carcinogenic. Grapefruit seed extract is also popular for thrush, but the purity can be questionable in the actual process of extraction, so it’s a pass for me.

Disclaimer: this is not medical advice. Always consult your own provider.

09/27/2021

Your birth team is an invaluable resource in achieving a positive birth experience. As a doula, it is my honor to support women and their spouse during some of their most intimate, vulnerable, empowering times of their lives! I understand it can be intimidating bringing someone into your birth (or postpartum) space, which is why I offer a free consultation for us to meet, chat and make sure we are a good fit for each other. I am confident that a doula, hand picked by you, will complete your birth team to help you feel empowered, peaceful and ultimately love your birth!

Please contact me at obdoulahannah@gmail.com 💛

09/20/2021

“there is a phase in labor, appropriately called transition, where a woman will meet her breaking point.

she’ll feel as though she can’t go on, and she is right. the maiden in her is not strong enough for the task at hand.

it’s during this time that the maiden in her dies so that the woman can be reborn as a mother, with her child.

a new, more capable version of herself with far more strength than she has ever known.

from maiden to mother.”🌸

— unknown