Together in Birth

P O S T P A R T U M When talking about postpartum to people. The first thing I often hear is oh I didn’t have postpartum. Postpartum isn’t something you get. It’s something we go through. A lot of people think that the term postpartum means PPD (postpartum depression) which can happen after giving birth. But everyone who gives birth, miscarriages, or abortions goes through a postpartum transition. Things our bodies go through after the above mentioned. This phase often h...its people really hard. One of the main reasons is because western society doesn’t value birthing & postpartum bodies. We are expected to bounce back, be normal, no downtime, or just be fine. The reality is that there’s a huge hormonal shift, that cause emotional and mental changes, there’s physical changes, cramping, bleeding, breastmilk leaking, pain, discomfort and many other things we are expected to just get through. Add sleep deprivation, exhaustion, & caring for a newborn to that and we have a lot going on. What is one thing you wish someone would have told you about the postpartum phase? Photo credit @carolina_adame #postpartum #cuarentena #postpartumbodies #lactation #newborn #birthingparent #labor #birth #engorgement #milk #leaking #birth #care #wellness #healing #time #rest #postpartumtrauma #fatigue #lactancia #parto #postparto #bellybinding #fajas #cuarentenacare #doula #mexican #togetherinbirth #photography

S E R V I N G M Y C O M M U N I T Y Being able to serve and provide for my community has and will always be more rewarding to me than anything else. This amazing woman and her family are so near and dear to my heart. If anyone has ever been lucky enough to be around any of our @LBBreastfeeds family you know they love and do for our community FIERCELY! So when Stephanie asked me to support her after giving birth to her latest baby, I didn’t think twice. Thank you @stef...fi_joy for allowing me to be a part of this journey with you. Being able to provide my services and traditions with little ones present is one of the highlights of my job. To know they get to experience the love & support, does more for them than anything else. This allows them to see how birthing people should be supported through their healing after birth. Little ones are never in the way and if they’re willing, I count on them to help be part of the process. And they are always willing to help! This was so special I’m so many ways. I will treasure this forever #communitysupport #postpartum #bellibinding #homebirth #familyaffair #cuarentena #daughters #healing #recovery #motherhood #birthing #support #newborn #sisterhood #doula #hermanas #mujeres #familia #family #herbs #yerbas #whynothome #lactancia See more

#Repost @theirthapp with @make_repost From the Irth blog: Latinx Mamas + Maternal Healthcare As we often say, people are not being treated the same way at the same institutions. The disparities in positive birth and maternal care outcomes among Latinx birthing people is not right. There’s a lot of bias that needs to be broken down, and a lot of politics that negatively impact Latinx communities including of course mothers. ... This piece on our blog addresses the root of some of these disparities. There’s a nearly %40 uninsured rate among the community, and we’ve discussed before how being Black or brown AND uninsured is a major risk to mamas in a racist and greedy healthcare system. This piece offers some solutions for Latinx mamas who want to take steps to feel safer when caring for their health. We’re here for you! Read the full article on irthapp.com (or the link in our bio) and download the irth app to tell your maternal care stories.

Here's the content of the post: IN HONOR OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH I’m offering 2 (TWO) black birthing people and their partners/support person 50% OFF my upcoming Bradley Series. I only have 2 spots left so please pass along or tag anyone you know who would be interested. ... The most convenient way to prepare yourself for labor. In the comfort of your own home, in your jammies with your breakfast or tea in hand. And snuggling your boo! ALL materials are sent digitally so you have them on hand on any of your devices. You’ll receive: Google folders with all class content, handouts, links and articles referenced in class. So you can look back on at any time or even after we finish the series & postpartum. E-Student workbook. It’s fillable online, you’re able to save, print, or takes notes on it. Access to my entire YouTube video library of childbirth education videos & resources. An extensive lending library so you can pick up any book locally at @lafuentelb! You’ll meet other couples due around the same time as you and create community and support during this time that we all need it most. Let’s lean on each other and learn how to make the best of birthing during a pandemic. CALL or TEXT 562-472-5437 EMAIL [email protected] WITH ANY QUESTIONS! PERFECT FOR THOSE BIRTHING IN LATE MAY-JUNE 2021 You will learn about: Pregnancy nutrition Strengthening your body in preparation for labor & birth Partners role Complications and common interventions Birth place options Common hospital protocols Inductions/csections & narcotics used in labor Natural pain management & techniques Stages of labor Creating birth plans Newborn procedures And the first few weeks after baby #childbirtheducationduringcovid19 #advocateforyourself #askquestions #findasupportiveprovider #whynothome #midwives #newborns #birth #virtualsupport #childbirth #doulasupportedbirth #blackmatetnalhealth #informedconsent #informedrefusal #pregnancy #labor #postpartum #virtualclasses #birthsupport #choices #birt

V I R T U A L G A L E N T I N E S Join @gigilplay and I, as I co-host a yummy self care event. We’ll be making some homemade self care products from ingredients you probably already have in your home RIGHT NOW!! FRIDAY 2/19/2021 ... 6:30-8pm Via Zoom Bring your favorite snacks and beverages ALL DONATIONS WILL GO TO @kindredspacela L.A’s FIRST BLACK OWNED BIRTH CENTER. In honor of Black History Month, donations will go to helping black birthing people have a safe space to birth in & supported by black midwives. And reduce the maternal mortality rates in our black communities. Black birthing people are FOUR TIMES more likely to die in childbirth or due to childbirth related complications. We must act now and help change these statistics. You will have the option to do one or both products if you’d like. Materials you will need are: HERB/OIL INFUSED EPSOM SALT SOAK HONEY SUGAR SCRUB ITEMS YOU WILL NEED ARE Small to Medium mason jar EPSOM SALT SOAK Epsom Salt of your choice (with or without scent) Dry herbs some suggestions are -Rose petals -Chamomile -Lavender -Rosemary -Calendula -Dry rinds (lemon, orange, grapefruit, etc..) Carrier oil (coconut, almond, olive oil) Essential oils of your choice -Lavender -lemon -Rosemary -frankincense -grapefruit -Orange -bergamot Whatever you have on hand! HONEY SUGAR SCRUB -Honey -Sugar of your liking (granulated sugar or brown sugar) Registration link visit @gigilplay https://www.care.com//1930692-mother-hustler-mixer-galenti #galentines #mothershelpingmothers #birthingpeople #blackmaternalhealth #givetothecause #changethestatistcs #blackmidwives #gigilplay #Valentinesday #homemadeselfcare #bodyscrub #epsomsaltsoak #honeysugarscrub #essentialoils #herbs #homemade #masonjars See more

The body grows more milk making tissue with every pregnancy, one reason breastfeeding can be different with each subsequent one.The body grows more milk making tissue with every pregnancy, one reason breastfeeding can be different with each subsequent one.

LOVE ME SOME BIRTH STORIES. Especially those that involve my amigas y familias! Follow along on @_mtbdoula_ page for full story in her comments. #Repost @_mtbdoula_ with @make_repost A Christmas Home Birth Story Part 1 ... Here we are in our home for my 36 week prenatal appointment. I wanted to start here so that those that aren’t familiar with homebirth can get a glimpse of what prenatal care with midwives looks like. This was the only appointment that was in my home, the rest of my pregnancy we went to South Bay Birth center in Redondo Beach. This prenatal is done in the home so the whole birth team can get together in the birth place and get familiar with it. My whole birth team consisted of my 2 midwives, my birth doula, my husband, and my birth photographer. Other than that, everything was same as usual except we got to chatting and our usual 1 hour visit turned into 2 hours. Here’s what you see pictured: Midwives checking in with me on how I’m feeling - Every visit the midwives would ask me questions about any symptoms I am or am not having. They go through this every time to make sure I’m not showing signs of any serious complications that would make me risk out of a home birth. Meaning, I have now gone from low risk pregnancy to high risk pregnancy and am no longer eligible to have a home birth. They also asked about my nutrition (specifically what I’ve eaten in the last 24 hrs), my mental state, my emotional state, and how I’m feeling about my upcoming birth. Midwives checking my vitals - Yes, midwives are MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. They aren’t just random hippy people that show up to your birth, burn sage and tell you your vagina is a blossoming flower lol(but they’ll do that for you if that’s what you want ). Every visit they check my blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Caption cont’d in comments.. #christmasbaby #homebirth #midwife #informedconsent #doula #birthphotographer #dreamteam

The key to understanding breastfeeding is knowing whether the baby is getting milk from the breast or not. This may sound "simplistic", but it is the key! Many ...people feel more confident about giving bottles because they feel that watching the baby empty the bottle and seeing the number of ounces or mls consumed tells them what they need to know about the baby's milk intake. They worry about not being able to tell whether the baby got breastmilk from the breast directly. But it is easy to tell when watching a baby breastfeeding at the breast. When the baby drinks from the breast, you can see that the baby is receiving milk from the breast. How? By observing the PAUSE in the baby's chin as the baby opens his/her mouth to the widest. Though the baby's jaw may move even without drinking, the baby's chin will only drop down and hold, with a PAUSE, as the baby receives milk. The longer the pause, the more milk the baby received. In these two photos you can see, first how the baby' s chin is at the uppermost position and in the second, how it has dropped down completely. Seeing this with a pause, before the baby closes again, tells you with certainty that the baby has just swallowed a mouthful of milk. And that gives you confidence to breastfeed or seek help with breastfeeding if necessary. You can find more breastfeeding tips and advice in my eBook: https://www.amazon.com/Breastfeeding-Empowering-Jack-New// See more

#cord This cord pulsed and was blue for a good 5 minutes after baby had birthed.

Did you experience breast engorgement? What are your tips for engorged breasts? I love how warm moist heat (like with Rachel's Remedy Breast Relief Packs) and s...ome gentle massage can help soften breasts to help baby latch better. Engorged breasts can be painful! Not everyone experiences engorgement but those who do know it can be a challenge. They can also cause the nipple to flatten and the more firm tissue can be difficult for baby to latch which can cause even more issues. Possible causes of engorgement: Milk transitioning from colostrum to full mature milk A missed feed Cluster feeding that increased supply but then baby returned to more normal feeding Poor latch resulting in difficulty in fully removing milk Weaning It is important to relieve the discomfort while protecting the supply. If milk stays in the breast the body gets the message to produce less milk. While that may be desired, if wishing to continue breastfeeding, this could lead to low supply. Additionally, mastitis becomes more of a risk. (For more on mastitis including how to prevent it, see our workshop here: https://bit.ly/3mnEfrW) Has The Leaky Boob helped you? Help us continue helping others so we can keep going in the new year- we can not do it without you and we're dangerously close to having to shut down TLB. Participate monthly here https://bit.ly/300FPrL or one-time support here: https://bit.ly/39ygo6k

Y E R B A S Ancestral medicine. Plants grown from the earth to help us heal in more ways than one. Sometimes we use them as a way to promote good health, healing, nurturing, recovery, cleansing & protection. Today I used them to create a sacred space for one of my clients. This helped protect her birthing space. We set intentions for her labor and birth. We discussed fears & concerns. We also solidified our birth team roles. How we can best work together and wh...at the next few weeks before the birth will look like. I’m thankful for the knowledge I have learned and continue to learn on how to incorporate my ancestors traditions into my own birth practice and share this with my clients. It’s such a intimate experience and holds so much love. #yerbas #herbs #ancestralmedicine #nuestrosancestros #birthintentions #medicinaancestral #doulasupport #homebirth #midwives #ruda #epazote #albahaca #sabia #romero #basket #canasta #whynothome #birth #partera #earth #tierra #plantitas #crystals #birthduringcovid19 #chooseyourbirthteam #partnersupportedbirth #doulababies #parto #palosanto #copal See more

From Dr. Michel Odent

Those who decide to breastfeed are faced with a disturbing lack of good advice and "hands on" help. Their initial determination to breastfeed is too often lost in conflicting solutions being offered and not working. Something they at first imagined should be simple and natural turns out to be a distressing and frustrating experience which frequently ends in their rejecting breastfeeding entirely. This book is filled with new approaches to preventing problems and treating pr...oblems if they have already occurred. These approaches work because they have been tested for over 45 years of combined experience and with over 30,000 mothers and their babies. They are aimed at making breastfeeding work. This book covers questions which have stumped lactation consultants and doctors alike and which result in mothers frequently saying We tried everything, but I just couldn’t breastfeed. This usually means there was no one who could offer a real solution to a baby who was fussy, crying, rejecting the breast, not thriving and failing to gain weight or to sore nipples or the mother needing treatment. Frequently, the inability to provide real help is hidden in statements like It is important that the mother and baby are happy, don’t worry about breastfeeding. Even after years of helping mothers, some helpers still cannot tell by watching a baby breastfeed whether the baby is getting breastmilk. By reading this book, you will know how to know. Here are some of the questions you will find answered in this book: Why are there so many women having problems with breastfeeding? How does one start breastfeeding? Do mothers have milk in the first few days after birth or does milk come in later? What can be done to make breastfeeding work? Can premature babies be breastfed (at the breast)? Why is my baby rejecting the breast? Are modern formulas really similar to breastmilk? Is bottle feeding breastmilk really the same as breastfeeding? What is the real deal about tongue ties? Can mothers take medications and breastfeed? Can I restart breastfeeding if I stopped completely? When do I start my breastfed baby on food and how? Can I get pregnant when breastfeeding? When will my breastfed baby sleep through the night? Dr Jack Newman shares his expertise and experience of working at his Breastfeeding Clinic called The International Breastfeeding Centre in Toronto as well as Africa and Northern Canada, of listening to mothers and their stories and answering over a hundred emails from mothers every day. https://www.amazon.com/Breastfeeding-Empowering-Jack-New// See more

https://www.thelancet.com//PIIS2214-109X(20)30397/fulltext

Imagine you had a Cesarean with your first child. Pregnant with your second, you want a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). You are 33 years old and in the no...rmal range for BMI. According to the VBAC Calculator endorsed by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, this means you are a favorable candidate for a VBAC. BUT did you know that the VBAC calculators used by most U.S. physicians are racist? As the slideshow demonstrates, the white woman in scenario 1 is told they have a 72.5% VBAC success rate. But if you are Black, your rate is decreased to 57.4%. In Scenario 2, the OB discourages you from having a VBAC. They cite racist beliefs in differences in pelvic architecture (Darshali et al) or pelvic connective tissue (Cahill et al). If you decide to attempt a VBAC anyways, the OB may treat you differently based on your lower score. That’s because being labeled with a high or low probability of VBAC can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if it leads to changes in how the care provider manages labor (to be more or less supportive of VBAC). A scenario like this is not uncommon for Black parents desiring a VBAC, a practice proven to provide maternal health benefits. It’s time for clinicians to understand that VBAC calculators are racist. First, the algorithm implicitly accepts racial categories as natural rather than as historically and socially constructed (Darshali et al). Second, it’s racism, not race, that makes it harder for Black parents to have a VBAC (Darshali et al)not anatomical differences. We must reduce inequities in maternal health by addressing the racism in health care and education, rather than relying on a calculator. Note: The MFMU Network (sponsored by the National Institute of Child. Health and Human Development) posted a note stating that A new calculator without race and ethnicity is under development. Although it’s encouraging that they plan to replace the calculator, we will never know how many Black families were harmed by this calculator. Caption and research by Tyler Jean Dukes (@birthandbooks), supported by her doctoral fellowship. #healthdisparities #blackmaternalhealth #blackwomen #blacklivesmatter #blackperinatalhealth #blackparents #blackbirthingbodies

TRIGGER WARNING: Maternal mortality. . . . .... . . We are still having to talk about this. And it’s heartbreaking and angering all at once! See more

#Repost @birthwavesmidwifery @naoli.vinaver.oficial, a Brazilian midwife using water to help encourage a 37 week baby to flip from breech (butt or feet first) to head down. I love seeing how midwives around the world provide care and support. Western medicine takes so much of the beauty and art away from prenatal care and birth. : @naoli.vinaver.oficial... #birthwavesmidwifery #birthwaves #midwiferycare #artofmidwifery #breechbaby #breechbodybalancing #bodybalancing #spinningbabies #breechbirth #birthwithoutfear #birthisnotanemergency #waterbaby #waterbirth #sandiegohomebirth #sandiegowaterbirth #sandiegomidwife #seemidwives See more

Today we will be having a presentation and discussion with Dr. Dionne Bensonsmith on the Black Birthing Bill of Rights with conversations with new moms Jillian ...and Victoria .... please join us as we advocate for Black pregnant women and birthing persons to ensure equality in maternal and infant health. #BlackBirthingBillofRights #pregnancyandinfantlossawareness #pregnancyandinfantlossawarenessmonth #pregnancyloss #SLASBAAIMMCAT #BLACKMAMASMATTER #BLACKINFANTSMATTER #BLACKINFANTHEALTH #BREASTCANCERAWARENESS #BLACKLIVESMATTER #saveBlackMomsandBabies #pregnancylosssupport #pregnancy #

#Repost @motherboardbirth Alternative Feedings How did you feed your baby? ... There are many ways to successfully feed your new baby, let’s normalize alternative feedings @motherboardbirth #birthmatters #blackbirthmatters #inclusivebirth #lgbtq #blackwomen #indigenouslivesmatter #representationmatters #birthjustice #transbirth #equalaccess #reproductivejustice #empoweredbirth #birthequality #birthisdiverse #lgbtqbirth #birthisbeautiful #blackmamasmatter #motherboardbirth #baby #birth #lactation

Alternative Feedings How did you feed your baby? There are many ways to successfully feed your new baby, let’s normalize alternative feedings ... @motherboardbirth #birthmatters #blackbirthmatters #inclusivebirth #lgbtq #blackwomen #indigenouslivesmatter #representationmatters #birthjustice #transbirth #equalaccess #reproductivejustice #empoweredbirth #birthequality #birthisdiverse #lgbtqbirth #birthisbeautiful #blackmamasmatter #motherboardbirth #baby #birth #lactation

How the formula companies sabotage breastfeeding: - Formula companies are rich, they are an industry with sales worth US$70 billion a year in 2020 and they use their abundant funds and collaborators in the medical system to convince parents and health professionals to use formula unnecessarily. - They know that mothers are a vulnerable group of consumers who worry about whether their babies are getting enough nutrition. - They play on mothers' fears and prey on their insecuri...ties, fears and insecurities made worse by health professionals ignorant of how breastfeeding works. - They exploit the fact that mothers are not getting practical help with breastfeeding and offer formula as a solution instead. - They present themselves as saviours - they make claims about supporting breastfeeding while saving those babies who cannot be breastfed. - They are unscrupulous in taking advantage of any current issue and pretending they are helping with a current problem - most recently COVID-19 as shown in this article published in the Lancet. Please read it, it's less than a page long. - Worst of all, the advertising and marketing strategies of formula companies are not intended to be helpful or support as they purport to be, they are solely aimed at selling formula to those parents who do not need it. - Take note: No parents need advertising to be able to buy formula. See more

Great news from Australia

Separating mothers and babies after birth instead of keeping them skin to skin after birth is still a prevalent practice in much of the world. It is common that... mothers are told all sorts of false and even bizarre reasons for not being allowed to be skin to skin with the baby, whereas the breast crawl is the first step in making sure the baby latches on well. The standard of care for all mothers and babies, healthy or sick, full term or premature, stable or unstable, born vaginally or via c-section, born in warm weather or cold weather, should be uninterrupted, continuous skin to skin contact. It is then that the 9 stages of baby behaviour will become manifest, as described in a study by A-M Widström and others. Here are Widström's 9 Stages during skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth. 1. The birth cry is a distinct and specific cry as the baby's lungs expand for the first time. 2. Relaxation is a time immediately after the birth cry ends, when the baby becomes still and has no visible movements. 3. Awakening begins as the baby opens the eyes for the first time, blinks, has perceptible mouth movements and limited hand and shoulder movements. 4. Activity involves larger body movements, including whole arm motions, specific finger movements, shoulder movements, head lifting, and stable open eyes. 5. Rest could happen at any point during the first hour, interspersed between stages or as a transition between stages. 6. Crawling involves the baby moving purposely towards the nipple and breast. It could be accomplished through sliding, leaping, bobbing, or pushing. 7. Familiarization is a stage at the mother's nipple where the baby licks, tastes, touches and moves around the nipple and areola area. 8. Suckling involves the baby self attaching to the nipple and initiating breastfeeding. 9. Sleeping is an involuntary activity of the baby around 1.5 to 2 h after birth. www.ibconline.ca See more