Momma V's Labour & Delivery

Understanding the risks and the benefits means informed decisions. Knowing your personal medical history and the options available to you are vital to making evidence based decisions 🤱🏼

Regarding doctors or nurses “declining” to attend VBAC… let’s think about this.

I argue that it is unethical to deny someone evidence based care because a provider is “uncomfortable” with it.

Would “discomfort” with performing cesareans be acceptable?

Why do we allow this “discomfort” to dictate care when it comes to VBAC?

Can we think of any area of men’s health where evidence based options would be denied to them because their provider “wasn’t comfortable” with it?

Fear is a normal human reaction, but do patients have to endure the rising risks that come with multiple prior cesareans, even decades after their surgery, because of a provider’s discomfort? Is that the right thing to do?

I would argue that denying women the right to evaluate the risks and benefits of VBAC vs repeat cesarean and freely choose what they want is bad medicine.

I would argue that exposing women to the known risks of repeat cesarean because a provider believes they are less likely to be sued is bad medicine.

VBAC is a mainstream, evidence based option. This whole conversation rests on the assumption that VBAC is “special” care somehow. It’s not. With over 1 million cesareans annually in the US, offering VBAC is basic health care.

Can we sit for a moment and consider this?

Join the conversation…. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8MLwyvx/

You'll find that I share or talk a lot about Spinning Babies. Their approach to pregnancy, labour and delivery stem from years of watching and learning, physiotherapists and midwives working together, seeking to truly understand the physical mechanics of carrying and delivering a baby. Their focus on body mechanics has been literally life changing for so many women and the babies they've birthed. Having a Doula or midwife who has been trained in these techniques helps to ensure a better outcome. Just having a Doula reduces your risk of a C-section by 30%! When you have the support of someone who has additional training in something like Spinning Babies, the birth satisfaction quotient continues to rise. These positions, when properly done and at the right time, can drastically change a birth outcome. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER so don't be shy about talking to your care providers about options for your labour and delivery and if you're looking to have someone in the room who is trained in these and many other labour options, consider hiring a qualified Doula. When you find someone who is the right fit for you, their support can, literally, be priceless.

Do you know about the Flying Cowgirl birthing position? 🤠

This position is an effective technique that moves the p***c bone away from the spine, opens the inlet, and helps baby enter the pelvis.

This dramatic position can be done in bed while lying on one side for three to six contractions before switching to the other side.

Arching the back and stretching the knees away from the abdomen shifts the pelvis forward, allowing baby to rotate and/or drop into the pelvis.

Have you or someone you know tried the Flying Cowgirl? Let us know in the comments!

There is so much wisdom to gain from exploring traditional postpartum practices, and so many still have place in a modern postpartum journey. One thing that you see repeatedly around the world is the emphasis on dedicated time for mom and baby to rest, heal and bond. This is definitely something we have lost. If I hear one more time "women used to drop a baby in the morning and be back in the fields by afternoon" I may scream 😂 Pregnancy, labour and delivery are hard work leading up to the hard work of recovering while learning to care for a tiny, new human being!
Take the time to rest and get to know your baby in this new way. My advice to new moms is always the same, get comfy and snuggle your little pumpkin skin to skin and breastfeed on demand and stay that way for at least the first 2 weeks postpartum, longer if it was a complicated delivery. Fill a basket with snacks, reading material, water/drinks, diapers, wipes and a 'just in case' change of clothes for pumpkin. That makes it easy to take with you when you transfer from bed to couch and back to bed again. Rest to heal the dinner plate sized wound in your uterus where the placenta that fed and nourished your baby once lived. If you start passing clots (if they're the size of a golf ball or bigger, get checked out. In Ontario that means going back to OB triage), it means you're doing too much. It takes a village, so call on your tribe if you start feeling overwhelmed. There are people who are waiting to be asked to help. Find them. If someone wants to come by to see the baby, let them know that there are things they could lend a hand with: dishes, sweeping, a load of laundry. When people say "Is there anything I can do/help with", say "HECK YES!" and point them to a list. It's OKAY to accept help.
So, my luvs, this concludes Momma V's thoughts for the day 😉 Let's take a cue from the generations of women who have come before us and treat the 4th trimester with the same level of care we did the first 3.

Doulas provide numerous benefits to clients and their partners during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum. Here are some of the benefits of having a doula:
Emotional support: Doulas provide continuous emotional support during labor and childbirth, which can help to reduce anxiety, fear, and stress. They can offer encouragement, comfort measures, and a reassuring presence throughout the process.
1. Physical support: Doulas are trained to provide physical comfort measures such as massage, breathing techniques, and position changes to help manage pain and discomfort during labor and childbirth.
2. Informational support: Doulas can provide evidence-based information about pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care, as well as help clients to make informed decisions about their care.
3. Advocacy: Doulas can advocate for clients' wishes and preferences with their healthcare providers and help ensure their voices are heard.
4. Reduced need for interventions: Studies have shown that women who have doula support during childbirth are less likely to have interventions such as epidurals, cesarean sections, and vacuum or forceps-assisted births.
5. Improved birth outcomes: Research has also shown that women with doula support during childbirth are more likely to have shorter labor, a higher likelihood of vaginal birth, and better outcomes.
6. Postpartum support: Doulas can also provide support during the postpartum period, including assistance with breastfeeding, emotional support, and practical help with household tasks.
Overall, the benefits of having a doula are numerous and can help to improve the childbirth experience for clients and their partners.
Become a Doula Today! www.birtharts.com

Hold the mother, not the baby.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
Because the baby’s being taken care of—⁣⁣
fed, snuggled, and given all the love in the world—⁣⁣
by not only the mother,⁣⁣
but her partner, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and friends.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
But the mother,⁣⁣
may have gaps in her mind from lack of sleep,⁣⁣
may be mechanical in her motions as she’s healing,⁣⁣
may feel more like a mess than a mother,⁣⁣
may be sitting in bed, crying, feeling overwhelmed in her body and life,⁣⁣
may be full of mom guilt because in her mind, "she's not good enough,"⁣⁣
and she’s bleeding, wincing in pain, swollen and emotional.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And the mother’s that baby's whole world and needs to be seen, so she doesn't disappear into that postpartum fog.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So, hold the mother, not the baby.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
A mother agrees that her baby matters more.⁣⁣
But she’s hurting, while she’s the person behind the baby,⁣⁣
in the background, making it all happen:⁣⁣
feeding her baby at all hours,⁣⁣
snuggling her baby close to comfort newborn cries,⁣⁣
and being that baby’s everything.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So, it’s the mother who needs your love.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
And a mother will remember who held her up.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
So instead of “I’m coming to see the baby,”⁣⁣
try saying, “I’m coming to see you 𝘢𝘯𝘥 meet the baby, too.”⁣⁣
⁣
Because the mother needs to be held more.⁣⁣

✍️:

Parenting can be tiring and difficult, and feeling criticised or unsupported by people around you can make it harder. This article from our website has some useful suggestions when you are feeling criticised.

https://www.laleche.org.uk/dealing-with-criticism/

[Image: A mother and baby holding hands and smiling at the camera. Text: You know your baby best - take what suggestions work for you and leave the rest.]

I am both.

I'm both "I NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE RIGHT THIS SECOND" and "I hope you don't expect me to put that bra back on and go anywhere."

I am at once "why do my friends never invite me places anymore?" and "oh great, how am I going to get out of this one?"

I am "for the love of all that is holy if one more person touches me I will fall to the ground in a pile of cold ash" and I'm "someone get over here and snuggle me to sleep, already."
I am "I'm so embarrassed my house is a disaster," and I'm "judge me, fedex guy, I freaking dare you."

I'm together sucking it all in until the day I die and proud of the beautiful belly I've earned.
I'm both getting up early to do all the things and making love to the snooze button for two hours.

I'm in four inch heels and big earrings and then too I'm in bleach-stained sweatpants and fuzzy socks.

I'm quinoa and bone broth and whole 30 and I'm chips and dip and caramel lattes and a too-big glass of chilled wine with ice on the front porch.

I'm the kind of depression that hangs from your neck and settles like a weight on your back, dragging you down towards the dark, and I'm also the kind of morning sunlight that bursts arrogant through the trees and makes shadows that look like art and dance when the breeze blows just right.

I'm the woman who doesn't want vacation to ever end and I'm the one who CANNOT WAIT to get back home.

I've never been so tired and I've never felt more alive.

I'm the oldest I've ever been and yet I will never again be this young.

I'm a mom, and I'm still me.

I'm afraid, and I'm still doing it.

I'm lonely, and I'm .

I'm both.

And that's enough right now.

Shared with permission from Liz Petrone