The unofficial start of summer is this weekend! With the summer season (and it’s heat) comes more activities and extra sweat. If you are pregnant in the summer months you’ll want to be especially mindful of your hydration and electrolyte balance.
Electrolytes are essential minerals in a healthy pregnancy. Added electrolytes in pregnancy can help to keep your energy levels up, support a healthy fluid balance, and help you avoid certain discomforts like headaches and cramps. Adding these vital minerals to your intake can also help you avoid more serious complications of pregnancy such as fetal grow issues, blood pressure issues such as preeclampsia, and conditions like polyhydramnios. To dive a bit deeper, check out Lily Nichols post on Electrolytes & Pregnancy.
My absolute favorite electrolyte option is LMNT! I started drinking LMNT 6 years ago to support my body and baby during my third pregnancy (one of three pregnancies in which I was doing the third trimester at the peak of summertime, phew). I noticed benefits to my energy levels, maintained my healthy blood pressure, and experienced very minimal swelling. Check LMNT out here. You can also use my affiliate link for a free sample pack with any purchase. Might I suggest the Lemonade or Grapefruit flavors for this summer?! They’re both so delicious and refreshing!
8 years a birth educator and doula and I’m leveling up, y’all! I bought myself a sweet carryon-size, rolling doula bag. I can think it some sort of graduation or just acknowledge that I’m getting older and cranky. I was tired of digging through the black hole that was my original backpack style doula bag. I was also sick of schlepping it around and having absolutely zero extra space. So, this morning I retired the bag I’ve been carrying for years and had a great time reorganizing my gear and packing it all into my new rose gold roller.
It was fun to see everything out in the open, all together. Believe it or not, I only use a very small bit of what I carry at each birth that I go to. I see just a handful of my gear at a time. A few things that always make an appearance though- my Rebozo (or one that my clients already have), the small stroller fan, and the battery powered LED candles. The rainbow Rebozo that I keep in my bag is a special one, it’s the Rebozo I used to wrap my own belly during my pregnancies and that saw me through my last labor. I’ve also used it to gently sift the bellies of countless laboring mommas and birth class participants. Needless to say, there’s a lot of love and birthy vibes weaved into that garment. The flameless candles have also long been a favorite of mine. They can soften the light in the harshest of hospital bathrooms and make the space a bit more inviting.
Aromatherapy and acupressure both have been clinically proven to aid in labor comfort and overall satisfaction with your birth experience. I carry a few pre-diluted essential oils with me; frankincense for tension relief, lavender for relaxation, a citrus oil for nausea, as well as peppermint to energize and uplift. I most often find myself applying a few drops to a paper towel and diffusing the scent around the birth space that way. Occasionally clients like to use essential oils topically and it is such a wonderful addition to any hands-on/massage support myself or partner might be offering. Knowing how often I have clients using the shower during labor I also keep a few aromatherapy shower tabs in my bag. Throw one on the bottom of the shower and enjoy the relaxing lavender or invigorating eucalyptus scent.
I carry a few tools for acupressure during labor as well- my most favorite spikey balls as well as the nausea relief Sea Bands. The spikey acupressure balls can work wonders for a momma that’s especially handsy during labor, activating pain relieving acupressure points in the hands while also offering a bit of rhythmic distraction from those waves of contractions. I love the set that I purchased here.
A warm compress can also be really helpful in easing some labor discomforts. I absolutely love the large rice pack that I carry with me in my doula bag (I love it so much that I have two others at home that my family and I use regularly). A couple minutes in the microwave keeps this pack warm for up to an hour. It’s got a bit of weight to it as well which I have really come to appreciate- it helps it stay in place and makes the gentle heat from the rice pack especially comforting when used on the abdomen for those post birth contractions. Who doesn’t love a nice warm hug?! Actually, in labor you might feel warm enough so if that’s the case I have a fantastic cooling towel that we can use instead!
One of the newest additions to my doula bag is the TENS unit. After watching a handful of clients use and love their TENS machine during labor in the last year I decided to get one for the bag. I purchased the Elle TENS which is specifically designed for use during labor and birth, making it super intuitive and easy to use. Another risk-free way to lessen discomfort for many and make for a more satisfying labor experience.
Most of what’s left in my doula bag are personal items. I always have a few snack options- quick and easy, something protein packed, a little something sweet is always nice to have. The essential toiletries, of course, and a fresh change of clothes often comes in handy during those marathon labors. I also pack a cozy pair of socks to wear at homebirths. I have a small journal to jot down labor milestones and notes as well as a few “thank you” cards for some of the exceptional care providers I get to work alongside.
All this, a little more, and there’s still space to add a bit! Were there tools that you used during your labor experiences that you felt especially essential? Let me know what you might add to my doula bag.
WDW provides an opportunity to celebrate the profession, empower doulas to continue to improve the health and well being of birthing women, infants, and families, and shine light on the immense benefits of having doula support throughout your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences (read more about those benefits on the WDW website here). We celebrate each year from March 22nd to March 28th.
After two doula babies in the last 8 days, I think this year’s WDW will be a pretty quiet one for me. An opportunity to reflect on the work that I am so fortunate to do. To be invited into families’ pregnancy, birth, and early postpartum experiences is such an honor. I get to be present for some of the most joyous, most challenging, and most intimate of times for new families. A privilege I will never take for granted.
And a big cheers to my fellow doulas this week! I am so happy to work along side so many other awesome birth professionals.
I am super excited and very proud to announce that, as of September 2020, I am officially certified as a Hypnobabies® Hypno-Doula!
The web-based Hypno-Doula training was thorough! I worked through the materials in about a weeks time, taking notes, drawing pictures, and listening to my own Hypnobabies® tracks along the way. Another week of working through the exam and I was ready to submit my 21 page (oh my gosh!) final. I was thrilled to receive my results a few weeks later, I passed with a 99% and had my Hypnobabies® Hypno-Doula certification in my inbox.
Even with 6 years of birth ed classroom and direct support experience, the Hypno-Doula training provided a wonderful opportunity for me to dive deeper into my understanding of the Hypnobabies® approach to birth. Hypnobabies® works to shift the common birth paradigm, teaching it’s students (and support professionals) that birth is not something to fear or step back from but, a miraculous and powerful experience for birthing individuals and families to exult in.
I am so happy to have trained as a Hypno-Doula. I’ve experienced the peace and beauty of Hypnobabies births both personally during my second and third births and professionally as a doula. I look forward to working with more Hypnobabies families and sharing in the joy and effectiveness of the Hypnobabies program.
Feel free to check out my official Hypnobabies®Hypno-Doula website listing. And reach out if you are curious about the Hypnobabies® approach to childbirth.
So, you want to have an unmedicated, natural birth. Here are a few things that I think you should take into consideration in order to help make this important goal a reality.
Who am I, by the way- if you’ve come across this page I’m assuming you know a little bit about me; I’m Alyssa! I am a childbirth educator, a doula, and a fierce advocate for informed, respected, and supported birth. Natural birth, however, is my jam! I was trained originally in The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth and am a mother that has birthed all four of her babies naturally (and with a tremendous amount of joy!). I appreciate all that physiological childbirth can offer women & babies and the immense benefits that more respect for this process could offer a maternity care system that is failing birthing folks quite miserably right now.
Anyways, back to the list. How to have a natural birth:
Commit to a natural birth. A natural birth isn’t typically something that a woman just happens into. The desire to birth without intervention and with as little interference in the process as possible is one that takes determination and commitment to see to fruition. Take time early on to explore the reasons why it’s important to you to birth naturally; these reasons will serve as motivation, seeing you through the natural birth process, even amidst challenges that might arise prenatally or throughout labor and birth.
Attend a natural birth class. A good natural birth class will be comprehensive in nature, preparing your mind and body for this birth. Birth classes will help you build a foundation of knowledge that elucidates the birth process, offer you (and your partner) practical skills to handle the progression of labor, and arm you with the information necessary to make informed decisions throughout your birth experience. Birth classes will allow you to relax into your natural birth plans, helping you to feel more confident in your knowledge and abilities. I’m partial to Bradley Method natural birthing classes as you get all of this and even more, in a community-building group setting. You are together with your classmates and instructor for a series of weeks, allowing you to get to know each other, learn from one another, and really dig into the birth process and the relaxation techniques. For decades, well over 80% of the birthing folks/families that have taken Bradley classes go on to have unmedicated, low-intervention, vaginal births.
Choose your provider and birth place wisely. Make sure that you are seeking care with a provider or practice that not only supports your desire to birth naturally but, has a practice philosophy and record of care that encourages low-intervention, physiological birth.
consider midwifery care as the evidence shows that midwives are the safest providers for low-risk women. They typically, as standard practice, provide the type of care that supports the natural birthing process.
if you are healthy and low risk, consider birthing outside of the hospital; are there freestanding birth centers near you or licensed home birth providers? Much like individual providers or practices, birth places can vary in how well they facilitate and support natural birth.
Consider hiring a doula. Did you know that hiring a doula as part of your support team will increase the likelihood of you having a spontaneous, vaginal birth and lessen the chances that you will utilize pain medications, request an epidural, or undergo a cesarean?!
Practice, practice, practice! I’m sure you’ve heard birth compared to a marathon, it certainly requires dedicated preparation, practice, and endurance (of both the mental and physical type). What might this look like? Get out for a daily walk; in the last month or so of pregnancy really hone in on what helps to relax you mentally and emotionally. As you approach birth day it will be beneficial to set aside time each day, even just 10 minutes, to ground yourself and breathe slowly and mindfully. Laying out a yoga mat, practicing some birth prep exercises, and ending with a few moments to rest, breathe, and perhaps sit with some birth affirmations, a guided meditation, or just focus on your rhythmic abdominal breath is a great way to calm your mind and prepare yourself for birth.
Faith over fear! It can be easy to get carried away with “what if…” type of thoughts and, most often, these what ifs are negative and fearful in nature. Prepare as best as you can and then choose faith over fear, surrendering to the beautiful unknowns of birth. Following the tips above and honoring your intuition throughout this process is the best way to ensure that your preferences for this birth experience will be honored. From there you must have faith! Faith in your body to birth this baby without intervention, faith in your baby, who is also an active participant in this experience, and faith in the team that you brought together to support you through this remarkable journey.
Faith and fear both demand that you believe in something that you cannot see. You choose!
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