Milky Mama Birth Services

06/09/2022

We make the best decisions when we’re informed.

If you don’t know where to find the information l, reach out to your community, friends, mom groups or even me. There are so many mamas out their willing to help point you in the right direction.

31/07/2022

31/07/2022

Ask for 5 🤚🏼

Most hospital protocols consider delayed cord clamping to be 60 seconds.

Cutting the cord too soon deprives your baby of up to 1/3 of their blood volume and millions of critical stem cells.

Waiting for white allows baby to receive all of their blood followed by a long list of benefits:

More blood for baby means increased iron and hemoglobin levels and an overall better transition to extrauterine life. But what does that really mean?

🩸🩸🩸🩸

• increased infant iron stores in the first 6 months of life

• increased brain development

• decreased risk of anemia

• provides essential stem cells that can help repair damage caused by a traumatic birth

• increased birth weight

• increased oxygen, delivering red blood cells to baby during a critical time of development

• deceased chance of blood transfusion in premature infants

• lower risk of intra-ventricular hemorrhage and necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants

Proven benefit after benefit after benefit.

Please let us stop rushing this process ✋🏼

18/07/2022

My most frequently asked question.

As women we tend to have some understanding of what an OBGYN is and what they do.

B U T

What if you don’t want a traditional hospital birth?

What if you want a different birth experience than your first but aren’t sure where to start?

What if your partner feels like they have no idea what to do or how to be helpful?

What if you have fears about labor or previous birth trauma that you need to work through?

What if you fall somewhere in between and you just need some solid support?

If any of these scenarios speak to you, reach out to a midwife or doula in your area and ask some questions.

15/06/2022

Baby’s home, now what?

As a first time mom, I remember sitting down to make a postpartum care list and thinking, “I know I need some stuff, but what stuff?”.

Whether you bring new life by way of cesarean or vaginal birth, there’s a handful of items you’ll need as your body recovers. Check out this list to help you prepare.

*Hospitals and birth centers will typically send you home with some basic’s like underwear and a peri bottle to get you through the first couple days. It won’t last, so don’t wait and make it an ‘add to cart’ kind of day.

Lastly, If you’re like me and prefer to shop small, is the best of the best when it comes to postpartum care products!

18/04/2022

Being a first time Mom doesn’t make you high risk. We have been told over and over that we need the safety of the hospital to do what our bodies were designed for.

The hospital serves an extremely important purpose in the world of birth, but it isn’t necessary for every Mom, baby and family.

Explore your options!

06/04/2022

The power of patience ✨ a hard lesson to grasp but a worthy one to learn.

This baby boy made his mama wait, but what a quick entrance he gave when he was ready.
Even as a third time mama and experienced birther, there are fears to conquer, things to learn and new experiences to have. Oh how open her heart was for all things known and new. The effort and energy this woman gave to prepare her mind and body for this moment is awe-inspiring ♥️

*shared with permission

22/03/2022

Hug a doula ♥️

22/03/2022

MotherCare with Krista with all the best postpartum advice.

18/03/2022

"At my practice, I really try to educate and empower all of my moms about informed consent, bodily autonomy and putting together their birth preferences"

I highly recommend Dr. Shabnam Ashtiani . San Antonio is lucky to have such a strong, educated, beautiful Chiro empowering and serving mothers and their kiddos ✨

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shabnam Ashtiani. Hi Shabnam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory. After finishing my master’s degree at UTSA, I went I Houston to complete my doctorate in chiropractic care. I’ve always want...

11/02/2022

Education is the golden ticket to empower yourself.
Swipe to see my go-to pregnancy, birth and postpartum resources.

11/02/2022

This first time mama R O C K E D her birth ✨ Multiple times she was offered intervention and even in moments where she felt weak, she trusted her body to do the work and it did 👏🏼 I am in awe of her strength, endurance and perseverance.

📷 shared with permission

11/02/2022

Of all the ways birth outcomes could be improved, continuous labor support seems like one of the most important and basic needs for birthing people.

Providing labor support to birthing people is both risk-free and highly effective.

Evidence shows that continuous support can decrease the risk of Cesarean, the use of medications for pain relief, and the risk of a low five minute Apgar score. Labor support also increases satisfaction and the chance of a spontaneous vaginal birth. Continuous support may also shorten labor and decrease the use of Pitocin. Although continuous support can also be offered by birth partners, midwives, nurses, or even some physicians, research has shown that with some outcomes, doulas have a stronger effect than other types of support persons. As such, doulas should be viewed by both parents and providers as a valuable, evidence-based member of the birth care team.

Source:

11/02/2022

As promised in my first post; here’s the story that lead me to birth work.

Since my early 20’s I’ve been in the medical field. I’ve spent my time educating and learning from doctors of all different specialties, but have spent the majority of my time focusing on gut health and infant nutrition. While what I do is meaningful, I’ve always craved more purposeful work.
May 4, 2020, purpose found me and life changed forever. After the incredible birth of my first and only son, I realized that my experience had so much to do with who was on my team.
The people holding space for me to find the fullness in my power to give birth and to rely on my body’s purpose; to create life. To feel seen, to be heard and to have my choices honored felt so foreign but unbelievably empowering. Through them I learned to truly trust myself and I knew that I wanted to hold that space for others ✨

Thankful for those that lead me here 🙏🏼

📷:

11/02/2022

Whether you choose an Obstetrician or a Midwife, choosing your provider is one of the most important decisions you make during pregnancy.

There are some questions you can ask to assess their birth philosophy and practicing style to make sure you’re both on the same page.

Obstetrician:
- What is your cesarean rate?
- What is your episiotomy rate?
- What are your views on pain management during birth?
- Will I be able to eat, drink or move around during labor?
- What is your philosophy on inductions?
- What are the chances you will attend my birth?
- How do you feel about birth plans?
- How long will you let me go past my due date?
- Do you allow delayed cord clamping?

Midwife:
- What is your transfer rate?
- What is your philosophy regarding pregnancy, birth and postpartum?
- Do you have hospital privileges? If so, what hospitals?
- What are some scenarios that would cause me to risk out prior to labor?
- What screenings do you offer during pregnancy?
- How many moms do you serve at one time?
- Do you have an assisting midwife or a backup in case you are unable to attend my birth?
- What care is provided for me and baby postpartum?

Every person’s ideal birth experience looks different, so these may not all align with your intentions for birth, but hopefully it gives you a place to start.

11/02/2022

It’s sometimes hard to know how to support a friend after they’ve brought new life into the world. Here are some helpful tips to be the supportive friend she needs.

✨ Food: This is by far one of the biggest burdens for a postpartum mom. Whether you drop off a home cooked meal, set up a meal train with close friends and family, or email an UberEats gift card, it’s one of the most appreciated gifts you can give.
✨ A Guilt Free Space: What does that mean? Being mom to a new baby can bring a wave of guilt when it comes to keeping up with relationships outside your house. You can relieve a load of mental weight by just letting her know she doesn’t need to feel rushed to respond when you check in, keep up with thank you’s or return the love; give her permission to be all consumed in her world.
✨Just for her, a few ideas: handmade soap, epsom salt, postpartum tea, a plant, a journal, chapstick, warmies (one of my all time favorite gifts). Keep it simple and practical; she probably isn’t going to be doing face masks and painting her nails those first couple months, let’s be honest.
✨ Offer to hold baby: This one is listed last intentionally. The chores pile up because Mom needs to be but also w a n t s to be with her new baby. This is why there is so much support to be given around the house, but sometimes she just wants a hot shower and 15 minutes to herself. Don’t be afraid to offer to hold baby, just don’t make it your first priority unless it’s requested.

If you’re not sure what to do or how to help, It’s never a bad idea to just ask “How can I help?”.

11/02/2022

Doula care isn’t a “one size fits all” approach. Doula’s adjust the way they support based on the needs of each mom. While doula care is personal and individualized the goal remains the same: support, inform and empower 💪🏼

11/02/2022

Hi, my name is Shelby. I go by a few titles, but my favorite are mama, wife, apprentice doula and owner of Milky Mama Birth Services. I am thrilled to be creating another space for Mothers to feel supported, loved and honored. I will be sharing more of my story and how I decided to take the leap into birth work, but for now, welcome to Milky Mama, I’m happy you’re here 💛