Katherine Clare Doula Care

I've got a bone to pick with the L&D staff who administer Pitocin.

They almost always tell people in labor that they'll be starting it low and slow, which is the typical protocol, but fail to mention that to the patient. The way they say it makes the patient believe that they are being done a favor or being treated with extra care because they aren't administering it high and fast. So, of course, the patient sees this as an act of kindness and agrees to get Pitocin, which the staff uses to create contractions 2-3 minutes apart.

From the jump, the patient is expected to keep up with a pattern that most women don't experience until 7 cm. Patients are never told that they can choose to ease into it by aiming for contractions that are a bit more spaced. They also aren't informed that they can choose to decrease or turn off Pitocin if the contractions become too intense or if they just need a break.

I always encourage my clients to be active participants in the administration of Pitocin. They inform the staff that they might choose to turn it down or off, and will require consent before the dosage goes up. They also know that once they hit 6 cm, they can back it off to see if their own body can create natural contractions.

Just because you are 10 cm does NOT mean it's time to push. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

. ”You are complete, 10 centimeters, let’s try some practice pushes.” I was told this exact thing 25+ years ago with my first born. It took me 2.5 hours to push his 9.8oz baby body across my finish line with a nurse pressing down on top of my belly! ☝🏼Y’all still being told this exact same thing now! 🤍I was ignorant back then! Not any more! I am sharing my knowledge with you so you can be in the KNOW about natural birth! 💥DO NOT start pushing unless your uterus is spontaneously pushing!! Your body is ready to birth your baby and your baby is ready to be born when spontaneous pushing begins. 💪🏻When your uterus is ready to evict the baby, you will experience the fetal ejection reflex (FER)! You feel pushy or grunty and then the overwhelming bear down urge to push kicks in and you can’t stop it. (May or may not experience this sensation with an epidural.) 💥If your body is NOT spontaneously pushing, it’s NOT time to start pushing just because you are a 🔟! This is what we are conditioned to think and how we are being coached into pushing in certain birthing environments. Let your body guide you through the birthing process! Randomly pushing at 🔟cm…can lead to pushing for HOURS with a baby that is still too high in the pelvis! You don’t want to push that long! It’s utterly EXHAUSTING! Not to mention baby may not like the extra squeezes and start communicating with their heart beat “I don’t like this!” 🤍PATIENCE is the key to childbirth! Learn more dos and don’ts at BIRTH PREP 101, November 5th 7PM CST. Register👉🏼KrishaCrosley.com

💯👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

You might think you're just being informative by sharing your baby's due date, but what you're really doing is:

👉Making it harder to be pregnant past your due date when people keep asking why you still haven't had the baby

👉Inviting people into your labor experience who will want to give you tips on how to "start labor"

👉Carrying other people's stress about your baby's birthday

👉Putting the focus on the baby rather than your well-being and needs

👉Making the wait seem even longer

👉Questioning your baby's ability to be born

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝?

✨"My baby is due sometime in November."
🌟"She'll be born between October and November."
⭐"She'll come when she's ready."
✨"We're hoping to have her late fall."
🌟"Due dates aren't accurate, so we're open to her coming weeks before or after her due date."

I get it. You're excited and want to share the joy with others, but only 4% of babies are actually born on their due date, and about 50% of first-time moms give birth closer to 41 weeks. So, do yourself a favor and get comfortable with the idea that you don't know when your baby will be born.

This. This. This! Mamas, your uterus can push out your baby! 🙌🏼 Just because you are "complete" doesn't mean it's time! Pushing before your body tells you it's time can lead to prolonged pushing and a higher risk of damaging your pelvic floor and perineum. A forceful approach to pushing can also lead to stress on your baby's heart rate, especially when there is not enough recovery time in-between contractions.

. ”You are complete, 10 centimeters, let’s try some practice pushes.” I was told this exact thing 25+ years ago with my first born. It took me 2.5 hours to push his 9.8oz baby body across my finish line with a nurse pressing down on top of my belly! ☝🏼Y’all still being told this exact same thing now! 🤍I was ignorant back then! Not any more! I am sharing my knowledge with you so you can be in the KNOW about natural birth! 💥DO NOT start pushing unless your uterus is spontaneously pushing!! Your body is ready to birth your baby and your baby is ready to be born when spontaneous pushing begins. 💪🏻When your uterus is ready to evict the baby, you will experience the fetal ejection reflex (FER)! You feel pushy or grunty and then the overwhelming bear down urge to push kicks in and you can’t stop it. (May or may not experience this sensation with an epidural.) 💥If your body is NOT spontaneously pushing, it’s NOT time to start pushing just because you are a 🔟! This is what we are conditioned to think and how we are being coached into pushing in certain birthing environments. Let your body guide you through the birthing process! Randomly pushing at 🔟cm…can lead to pushing for HOURS with a baby that is still too high in the pelvis! You don’t want to push that long! It’s utterly EXHAUSTING! Not to mention baby may not like the extra squeezes and start communicating with their heart beat “I don’t like this!” 🤍PATIENCE is the key to childbirth! Learn more dos and don’ts at BIRTH PREP 101, September 3rd 7PM CST. Register👉🏼KrishaCrosley.com