The Full Circle Doula - Birth & Postpartum Doula Care in Abilene, TX

Hi all, I am looking to gauge interest in bringing a doula training to Abilene so we can create more doulas in the area! With the hospitals merging all births into one spot, plus our local doulas still being in their childbearing years themselves, I feel like our area could benefit from having more doulas around so more families can be supported. Maybe even starting a doula collective where we all work together in supporting each other as backups, sending clients to each other for times we’re unavailable, mentoring each other, etc.

Have you ever thought about becoming a doula? Would you be interested in taking a training? It would likely be an in person training of about 2 days. Most likely under $1000. Currently looking into ProDoula but open to other organizations! If we get enough interest, we could make it happen!

✨The freezer stash ✨

Ohhh how we’ve glorified a bunch of breastmilk in the freezer…. We envy other moms with an oversupply because for some reason the more plastic bags the better.

Let me tell you the ugly truth about a freezer stash.
As a mother of an exclusively breastfed baby and lactation counselor I went through it myself and keep seeing other moms going through the same.

The false sense of a secure future “in case” you need it, or for when you get back to work makes us believe that we MUST start pumping the moment we bring the new baby home. That’s NOT how it works and I’m about to tell you why.

1. You have to establish breastfeeding before you can even think about a freezer stash.
I’m talking about letting your body adapt to a new baby latching around 10-12 times in 24 hours, and establish a supply that fits the demand of that baby. If you start pumping on top of latching your baby, you are basically telling your body you have twins and you are going to be in trouble. Having an oversupply puts you at higher risk of clogged ducts, inflammation and mastitis. Pumping too early when breasts are going through those changes (from lactogensis 1 to lactogensis 2) can cause extra inflammation of the breast tissue and mastitis. Best practice will be to allow your body to adapt to the demand of your baby, that will take around 4-6 weeks, then, you can slowly start asking your body to produce a couple ounces more a day without causing an oversupply.
****IF baby is unable to latch, pumping every 2-3 hours will be necessary******

2. The idea that having a stash will make life easier because other family members can help you feed is not as perfect as it sounds. While other people are holding your baby giving baby a bottle you will have to be attached to the pump anyways. This includes your partner “helping feed” at night.
If your baby takes a bottle you have to pump, ESPECIALLY at night, because prolactin levels are higher then. Skipping night feedings, or pump sessions will decrease your milk supply FAST.
Best practice would be to feed on demand and let other people help you change diapers, burp, clean and feed you. 😊

3. Bottle preference. If we start bottles too early, baby will prefer the bottle after just a couple of times of taking it, one of the most common issues I see in clinic is bottle preference. PACE FEEDING would be best practice. If baby is having trouble latching, and bottle needs to be introduced, a consult with a lactation consultant is recommended to figure out a proper schedule, fl**ge size, and pump.

4. The taste of the milk will change in the freezer, as well as the properties. Some babies have no issue with the flavor change but other babies will NOT take frozen breastmilk.

So how the heck do we keep breastfeeding our babies if we need to get back to work or need help???

Here’s how ⬇️⬇️ (numbers are just an example, consult with your LC about your specific situation)

You only need 1 to 1.5 oz per hour that you’ll be away from your baby.

First day of work:
If you have an 8 hrs shift, you will need in your fridge/freezer around 8 to 12 oz of breastmilk while your baby is away.

At work, you will pump at least every 3 hours consistently for 15 minutes. And that output should replace the 8-12 oz of your fridge for the next day!

If you want to have a small emergency stash, you can collect your let down during the first 4-6 weeks or pump only one time after the first feed of the day.

To avoid bottle refusal, start introducing the bottle to the baby around week 3-4, only once a day consistently. Learn how to PACE FEED and teach the person who will be feeding your baby how to pace feed him. Choose a bottle with a gradual slope from base to ni**le like the Lansinoh or evenflo and stay away from como tomos and avent bottles.

Having to get back to work because maternity leave laws in the US are horrible represents a HUGE obstacle for breastfeeding mothers. Make sure to make an appointment with a lactation specialist to help you make the transition back to work a little easier!

💓

Love,
Ana

You know what I think is wild? That (some) of our grocery stores have reserved parking for pregnant mothers, but our hospitals don’t. Have you ever had to (or accompanied someone in this situation) find a parking spot at the hospital while IN labor, then have to walk all the way across the parking lot to the entrance (because inevitably, the close parking spots were full) all while having contractions every couple minutes, maybe leaking amniotic fluid? I’ve seen it, and I’ve heard stories from my clients of how difficult this can be. It’s easier to get into United in a timely manner than it is to get into the hospital to deliver a baby 😦 it would be so nice to have preferred parking for pregnant mamas/people in labor that are right up front!

It’s my son’s 4th birthday, and in honor of my birthing day, I’m sharing his birth story!

I wrote this at about 3 weeks postpartum in 2020. This was my second baby and second homebirth. I spent so much time preparing for my dream birth, and boy did I get a fairytale birth of my dreams!

As a doula I feel inclined to mention that my story mentions the midwives brew. I don’t advise drinking this or castor oil without consent/advisory from your care provider, and I’d only recommend it to try and start labor, NOT if you’re already in labor to “speed things up” ✨

Here goes:

The day before I went into labor, I broke down. I was 10 days past my guess date and just felt so annoyed, defeated, and sad. I was so tired of being pregnant, and I thought I'd go into labor way earlier this time, after going to 42 weeks with my first. I just felt like laying in bed and crying. I texted my doula and she didn't try to fill me up with false positivity, she encouraged me to feel my sadness and defeat fully. And so I laid in bed and cried for like 2 hours. It's like I was in transition, but for pregnancy. When all my tears were gone, I went to my moms house to hang out and snack and talk and chill. We went through all of her notes from Davien's home birth (she was a midwife in training at the time). It's funny how much I don't remember. All I remember is that it was so long and so hard and I felt so incredibly exhausted afterwards, and that feeling didnt go away for like, over a year it seems. We talked about my hopes for this new experience, then I left and went to the store to get ingredients for the midwives brew (a smoothie said to induce labor, basically.) I was willing to try it because I was so ready to give birth. I went to bed early that night and drank it in the morning.

I drank the smoothie at around 8:30am and then hopped in the shower. I hadn't had any cervical dilation checks all pregnancy, but I had been feeling my own cervix. A couple years of doing the fertility awareness method got me quite acquainted with her, so I knew what I was looking and feeling for. My guess was that I was 2cm dilated at that time, the same as it had been for over a week now. I got out of the shower and started having light contractions 2 minutes apart. They felt like braxton hicks/very mild period cramps, so I went on with my day. We went to target to get some household stuff we needed, and walked around for probably about an hour. My contractions got slightly more noticeable. Then we went to aldi, but I waited in the car with Davy. We talked about his new hot wheels and how he was gonna go hang out with his grandma for a little bit. I didn't know that'd be the last time I'd see him as my only child. Jon's parents picked Davy up, because we didn't know if I was in labor or not, but wanted him to be with them just in case I was. We went home and I still felt unsure if I was in labor. I called my mom (who’s a licensed midwife) and was updating her on how I felt, but we both thought birth would be hours and hours and hours from then. My doula called to check on me around noon and decided to start driving since she had a 4 hour drive. I almost wanted to tell her not to come yet, because I didn't want her to get here and then me not be in labor. And then I lost my mucus plug.

The timeline of things is already a little fuzzy in my brain, but I hopped in the shower again because I wanted some hot water on my back. The contractions were still getting more powerful, but I still thought they were mild at that point. I felt my cervix again, and it had dilated so much that I couldn't feel the whole thing anymore. I told my mom that and she headed right over. When she got here, she and Jon prepared the birth pool, and prepared my bed to be birth proof. I was listening to music and on my knees leaning over my birth ball, which seems to be my favorite labor position. I labored like that for a while, and contractions had been 2 minutes apart since the very first one, so I didn't get much time in between them, but I felt totally okay with that because I knew I was finally gonna meet my baby. I remember feeling calm and grounded. Jon and my mom took turns giving me hip squeezes. And then my doula, Tori, got here. I was already in labor land, my own little universe, in my own time zone, in between realms. The details from here until pushing are hazy to me.

At some point I told Tori that I like heat and pressure on my lower back during contractions, so every 2 minutes when I'd have one she'd put a heating pack on me and squeeze. It really felt so relieving. I think I stopped being aware of the outside world at this point. I wasn't aware of my music playing, I was barely aware of my midwives prepping or my photographer snapping photos or if anyone was talking. I had no concept of time. I was just in my own world, like my consciousness was retrieving my baby from another realm. I know about 2 hours went by like this before I got in the pool and birthed, but looking back it feels like a mere 20 minutes. I just remember it feeling like it was taking FOREVER for the pool to fill up. And then when it was full, it was too hot so everyone was dumping ice in it to cool it down and I was just like OMG HOW MUCH LONGER TILL I CAN GET IN. Then when I got in, it was instant relief. I think my contractions stopped for a few minutes and gave me some rest, either that or time stood still. I think this was "the quieting," or a time right before birth where things slow down and you get some rest. I was like "I guess I should take my underwear off now huh" and then leaned over the edge of the pool on my knees for some more contractions. They were definitely powerful at this point, but I dont remember ever feeling like I couldn't do it or I wasn't ready. My body started wanting to push and my mom calmly reminded me to breathe baby out during contractions, which was super helpful because it's so easy to get lost in the sensations. I did not want to tear again so I really concentrated on breathing and letting my body stretch and open. I do remember feeling a little out of control or like this was something happening TO me for a very short time during pushing. In between contractions, I think my doula got a download of exactly what I needed to hear, because amidst the silence and anticipation, I just heard her calm voice soothingly say "take a moment to connect with baby." Oh yeah, there is a baby coming out of me, that's what all this is for. I'm about to meet my baby.

It was only a matter of minutes after that that he was born. I had my fingers on his head the whole time he was crowning. Doing that really helped me connect with him and the birth process and what my body was doing. Feeling him emerge into my hand was beautiful. I remember saying "I can feel an ear!" when his head was out. Then half of his torso came out on the next contraction, and I looked behind me and saw him underwater. In between 2 worlds. I was a portal. I intentionally pushed the rest of his body out and turned over while my mom handed him to me. He had his first cry after a little stimulation and a position change and I was scared for a moment until then. But he cried a little and then looked at me and his dad in the face and we all just stared at each other in love and relief. I brought him to my breast and he latched right away like he knew exactly what to do. My team helped me out of the pool and into my bed where I cuddled with Ira and released my placenta. We all looked at my placenta in awe of her beauty and power. And we found a true knot in the cord! You could glide the knot up and down the cord and it didnt get any more loose or tight. Amazing. My placenta is now in my freezer until I feel ready to bury her in ceremony.

My doula: Victoria Anderson
My photographer: Lane+Ko

Check this out!

Have extra breastmilk? This Sweetwater Midwife would love to take it off your hands for her milk bank! 💓

So thankful I have been able to keep a small Milk bank in my deep freeze for Mommas. It has been a blessing to many. However, I am getting low and just had a request for help with an adopted infant. Anyone producing extra that they would like to donate?

**UPDATE** We are all booked, but you can book an hour prenatal with our students for only $44

🎉 Exciting News for Expecting Mothers! 🤰

🤗 Texas Massage Academy's talented massage students are thrilled to offer FREE Prenatal Massages! This special event is happening on December 19th at 6:30 PM.

🌟 Perfect for moms in their 2nd or 3rd trimester who deserve some pampering and relaxation. Remember, it's not just a treat; it's beneficial for both you and your baby!

📅 Mark your calendars:
📌 Date: December 19th
🕡 Time: 6:30 PM

👉 Spaces are LIMITED! To reserve your spot:
📲 Text "Free Prenatal" to 325-312-3300

Don't miss this wonderful opportunity for a soothing prenatal massage experience. 💆‍♀️ Let our students pamper you while gaining valuable hands-on experience. Book now and enjoy a moment of tranquility!

🌸👐

My podcast episode with Midon Wingo of Healing Trauma Mamas Podcast is out! Click this link to listen 💕

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/healingtraumamamas?fbclid=PAAaa5C_kO24piCnXsu_kM4RPU4I4w79KnEq6Ranu45iLr9ugYNC8p9aidM5A_aem_AUV3dsr0LIh2dvzxufblP-qbR4JCre1JT3hmFPIv2OMn_1WujBylHp8HRh7x8HUKKB0

Rachel Howell (The Full Circle Doula), shares her personal story of postpartum depression, loss, and finding her own village. http://Facebook.com/thefullcircledoula thefullcircledoula.square.site — Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/healingtraumamamas/support. #midwifelife #christianpodcast #christianmidwife #healingmamas #healingtraumamommas #healingmoms #maternityoutreach #naturalbirth #homebirth #waterbirth #postpartumdepression #siblingloss #findyourvillage #abilenedoula #fullcircledoula #momlife