Hands of Love Doula Services

Hands of Love Doula Services I provide essential emotional, physical, and informational support to mothers and their families bef

10/25/2022
06/20/2022

Poor fetal position is one of the main reasons for a C-section. If having a vaginal birth is your preference, or you are trying for a VBAC, fetal positioning matters.

Doing the right exercises during pregnancy can help fetal positioning by creating balance in the pelvis. A balanced pelvis is important because it helps babies find the best way to navigate down and out.

Check out our blog to find more Optimal Fetal Positions (link in bio)

05/24/2022

One of my all time favourites especially during these long wakeful nights , thank you 💕
I see you mama.💜

04/08/2022
04/08/2022

‘I've been rocking and cuddling my baby to sleep since that day he was born. I mentioned this to a nurse at my clinic recently. She said that she did the same thing with her son, and everyone warned her that she would still have a teenager sleeping in her bed. And then she told me that, a few weeks ago, her teenage son came home from school very upset. He didn't want to talk, and just went to his room and listened to his music, typed on his phone and cried. The mother gave her son space, and night time came and she went to bed. Just as she was about to turn off her side light, the door opened, and her 15 year old padded into the room. He climbed into the bed with her, laid his head on her shoulder and cried. He told her all about the girl that broke his heart, all about the friends who laughed, all about the stresses of being him. She told him about her first broken heart, about friends who'd been cruel, and told him she understands. They talked in the dark for hours, until he feel asleep in her bed. Still sad but relieved after their talk.
'So you see' she said to me, when she finished the story. 'I was so scared that I wound wind up with a teenager who would 'need me' at night, that I never stopped to consider how beautiful that would really be.' 🌟
One of my favourite stories ever. Had to .
Words by the beautiful
Photo

04/04/2022

In 1929 Ge**er began an advertising campaign to convince dieticians and pediatricians that canned baby food was just as nutritious as homemade food, and even better because it was scientifically prepared.
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As part of the campaign, doctors received free Ge**er products for patients. Ge**er also funded research touting the health benefits of their food. That research—vaguely worded and devoid of peer review—was published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, positioning it as scientific fact.
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Alongside these efforts, Ge**er stated that women who prepared their own baby food were neglecting their husbands—and babies. One 1933 ad read, “For Baby’s Sake, Stay Out of the Kitchen!”
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Alongside these efforts, Ge**er advocated for starting solids at 3 months old. And by the 1950’s—after 20 years of advertising—the average age of introducing solids fell to just 6 weeks old.💔
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Since then the medical community realized that too-early introduction of solids displaced valuable nutrition from breast milk/formula. The consensus among medical institutions today (AAP, U.S. National Institutes for Health, and World Health Organization) is that it’s best to introduce solids at 6 months old. It is at this time that most babies are developmentally ready to eat and need more iron. Conveniently, 6 months is also when babies are capable of feeding themselves.
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Baby food was invented. Mom guilt was marketed.
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There is no perfect order of introducing solids. No no need for “stages” of thickness. These were all constructs in the name of profit.
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Convenience has its place. I love a good yogurt pouch and rely on Cheerios when traveling. But the idea that real food has to be hard isn’t good for anyone. Babies don’t need banana pudding or pricey pouches—a banana is fine!
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There is a reason feeding feels complicated. Corporations spent the last century telling your grandmothers and great-grandmothers that they would be bad moms and wives if they didn’t buy pre-prepared baby food. So the next time you feel a twinge of guilt for feeding your baby YOUR way, remember that it’s not you. It’s history.

03/22/2022

“We completely accept that a caesarean section is a life-saving intervention when medically indicated, but the growth in caesarean section rates is a cause for concern given the associated risks for women and babies", the assistant professor [Dr Siobhán Corrigan] in organisational psychology said.

'Risks include a threefold or higher increased risk in maternal mortality, an increased risk of postpartum infection and an increased risk of haemorrhage...

"Some midwives stated that in their experience, more than half of mothers had their labour induced daily.

"Midwives felt the high rate of inductions was influenced by an American research paper called Arrive, which supports induction of birth at 39 weeks."

As doulas, we have also seen the correlation between elective induction at 39 weeks and increases in Cesarean sections and other complications as a result of the ARRIVE Trial. If your doctor or midwife recommends an elective induction at 39 weeks, it is crucial to understand why they recommend this option. We encourage you to have an open discussion about your options, including the risks and benefits of each, and make a decision only when you are 100% comfortable.

It is ok to ask for more time. It is also ok to choose elective induction. The most important thing is that you are the one making the ultimate decision surrounding your care and that your decision is made with confidence and not coming from fear.

We have a details blog about the ARRIVE trial, how it relates to , and what organizations such as and the have to say about it on our blog. Find it at https://www.thevbaclink.com/the-arrive-trial/

Source: https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/midwives-worried-over-health-risks-as-the-number-of-caesarean-section-deliveries-soars-41466820.html

Referenced stufy: https://www.womenandbirth.org/article/S1871-5192(22)00002-6/fulltext

03/15/2022

Successful VBA2C. Spontaneous labor at 41 + 3, born 41 + 4. I was starting to get so discouraged, but your stories of going past 41 weeks gave me so much hope. Our bodies know what to do!
8 lbs 7 oz.
Found a very supportive doctor in my third trimester + an amazing doula that made the biggest difference. I found BOTH through this group! I also saw a Webster-certified chiropractor just about every week starting early in my second trimester.
1st CS: breech twins
2nd CS: repeat because I was “overdue” (40 + 3)

Mama:

03/05/2022

Happy Friday!!!!

This weekend is going to be GORGEOUS☀️

Get outside 🌳, open the windows🪟, get some fresh air💨 or even go for a walk (it will likely end in this⬇️🤣)

03/04/2022

When I was first attending births in 1984, the obstetric model was to cut the umbilical cord immediately after birth and take the baby away for evaluation and a first bath. This was based on the belief that placental blood flow would increase birth complications for babies.

Even back then, we midwives knew to do it differently - we waited until the placenta stopped pulsating - 10 or more minutes -- before clamping and cutting the cord. Baby’s did great, placentas came out readily, and all was good - even if our methods were considered silly by doctors.

Times change, science has caught up. The midwives were right. We now know that immediate cord cutting, unless there’s a medical emergency that requires it, is not recommended. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists now recommends a delay in umbilical cord clamping for at least 30–60 seconds, and the WHO recommends 2-3 minutes.

The benefits of waiting include:
❣️ Transfer to baby immunoglobulins and stem cells, essential for tissue and organ repair
❣️ Extra iron, which has been shown to prevent iron deficiency in the first year of life
❣️ Possibly reduced risk of hemorrhage and easier placental delivery for mom

While jaundice can develop from delayed cord cutting due to this influx of blood, this type of jaundice is not usually a medical problem. Baby will naturally clear this excess iron with pooping. Your midwife or pediatrician will keep an eye on baby over the first few days to make sure it’s clearing. However, the benefits of delayed cord cutting are more beneficial for baby than the risk of this jaundice.

Unfortunately, immediate cord clamping/cutting are still common practice in hospitals. You have to let your midwife or doctor know that you want to wait, with baby tummy to tummy on you, while you do. I recommend bringing this up with your care provider in advance to ensure that they are on board to do ‘delayed cord clamping and cutting’. Get specific with exactly how long you want baby to be connected to the placenta. Unsure how to advocate for yourself? Want guidance on pregnancy, birth, and newborn care? Join the Mama Pathway for all the support you need to be in the know. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ideservebirthsupport/

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12/07/2021

  Father in Some Bonding Time to Increase Oxytocin A recent article expands on the need for oxytocin in paternal parent-child bonding.1 Oxytocin (OT) is an endogenous neuropeptide produced in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus and released into both the brain and peripher...

09/26/2021

What skills does a provider need to possess in order to offer breech birth care? Here's a helpful guide to breech birth for providers.

09/22/2021

We are wired at birth to seek contact and closeness with others. This is our potential but it can't be realized without adults who gather, collect, and engage a child's attachment instincts. Building strong, deep, caring connections with our kids is at the heart of what brings them rest, which allows them to play and to grow. We weren't meant to work for love and to take it for granted. Making our invitation for connection unconditional is at the core of what a child needs most from their adults.

09/21/2021

The Side-lying Release can help labor progress, reduce pain, and calm a tense birthing woman. Try it in the presence of a posterior, brow, or asynclitic fetal presentation. It is also helpful when labor is taking longer or feels sharper than expected.⁣
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Learn more: https://bit.ly/3vOd0M0
(📷: Cocoon Chiropractic)

09/21/2021

Did you know that eating dates toward the end of pregnancy may result in a shorter, easier, and uncomplicated birth? 🤔
Yes, dates! There have been several studies that show this humble fruit can improve birth outcomes 🙏🏽
Per the research, six dates per day is the magic number if you are eating the small dates.🤓
👉🏼 Deglet noor dates are about 1 inch long. 6 per day.
👉🏼 Medjool dates can be up to 2 inches long so only eating 3 daily are needed.
If you have gestational diabetes or are sensitive to natural sugar, you can eat one large date after a protein/fat rich meal and see how your body responds. Talk to your healthcare provider about your specific situation. 👍🏻
Search "mama natural dates during pregnancy” to read about the studies, get date recipes (with ways to hide the flavor!) & learn more.💜

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