World Doula Week Is A Thing! But Why?

“Birth is not only about making babies.  Birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.”       ~ Barbara Katz Rothmans

The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "a woman who serves" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily. Read more from Dona and CAPPA, the two agencies where I completed my birth and postpartum doula trainings, respectively. 

World Doula Week is celebrated, every year from March 22-28. The purpose of World Doula Week ("WDW") is to empower doulas all over the world to improve the physiological, social, emotional, and psychological health of women, newborns and families in birth and in the postpartum period. The World Doula Week events take place all over the world during the same week, stating the benefits of the presence of doulas in birth and in the postpartum period:

* Reduces the incidence of c-sections      

* May shorten the length of labor      

* Reduces epidural and analgesic requests      

* Increases breastfeeding initiation and continuation     

* Increases mother’s satisfaction of birth experience      

* Can reduce the incidence of postpartum mood disorders     

* Increases new parents’ confidence in the care of their newborn

Celebrate with me! I Love What I Doula!

Breathtaking Birth Photos That Celebrate Doulas

Why I Hired A Doula

Day 1: Doula Selfie

The Price And Value Of Doulas

Day 2: Favorite Quote
Pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, child rearing... this applies to all.

What Is A Postpartum Doula? 

Day 3: Favorite Tool
My Heart and My Hands
Since I am also a nutritionist and massage therapist, I find that I do my best work with my hands, using my heart as a guide.

The First 72 Hours Postpartum

Day 4: Client Testimonial
Humbled

Mothering The Mother

Day 5: Your Doula Bag
I try to keep the amount of items that I take into the home to a minimum. I do use teas, coconut and essential oils for mom. In an effort to Go Green, I use my iPad quite a bit to show videos, share resources, and entertain older children.

What Is The Difference Between A Doula And A Midwife

Day 6: Doula Mentor
I work within a small community of birth and postpartum doulas, but I am influenced by birth workers from all over the world. 

Postpartum Support... In Japan

Day 7: Where You Work
I live and work in Memphis, the city where my husband and my child were born.
We are at the top of every bad list and at the bottom of every good list...
so there is lots of room for improvement and lots of work for doulas to do!

Video: Alarming Health Disparities In The Midsouth

The Conception and Birth of Maternal Wellness

"Connecting with those you know love, like, and appreciate you, restores the spirit and gives you energy to keep moving forward in this life." ~Deborah Day

According to the Facebook Memories feature and my beloved TimeHop app, I posted the following exactly one year ago today, as a preface to the article below. It seems that this is when and where the seeds of Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness were planted: 

10/28/14

I can't say enough about this topic. As a prenatal massage therapist, I thought that I offered a nice service. As an occupational therapist treating countless repetitive use injuries- but never any related to pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, or motherhood- I overlooked a great many potential patients.  As a yogi & runner, I cheered on new mommies to just bounce back quickly, but there is SO much more to consider besides dropping 30+ pounds. Specialized intervention is sometimes necessary, as is self-care. There is a market for this kind of treatment, if docs, moms, and dads buy into it.

My Child Is Here, But My Body Is Not My Own

10/28/15

I don't think that even I imagined that less than 6 months later, these ideas, experiences, opportunities, and skills would align themselves to birth Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness, which offers perinatal fitness, massage, nutrition, education, breastfeeding support, and rehabilitation all in one place. 

Now for the buy in: moms, there are ways to help usher in normalcy, even if it is a slightly new normal. There are mechanisms and modalities to help alleviate pain, strengthen weakened areas, regain confidence. Your body will be different, your sleep habits will be different, your priorities will be different, and your emotional state will be different, but you should not be unrecognizable. You do not have to succumb to the abyss of post-baby everything. You are not weak for asking for help. Typically, when we think about postpartum ailments, we're only thinking about depression, which is good. Postpartum depression is real, affects many, and needs to be better understood and treated. However, there are also physical and physiological remnants of childbearing that do not have to remain indefinitely.

Daddies, despite what you may see on television, there is no metaphor, similie, mental image, or weighted vest that can adequately convey all that a woman's body and mind go through during and after the 40 weeks of pregnancy. Trust, anticipate, and listen. Your partner is amazing! She is a warrior! She has gone through battle and has birthed a miracle. She needs a massage. She needs an opportunity to exercise. She may even need therapy or chiropractic care. She is not a wimp. She is not looking for attention. She needs for you to understand and advocate for her. The easier and more complete her recovery, the better she will be able to take care of your family... and the less resentful she will be toward you, for the rest of her life. There's nothing worse than grandma oversharing at Thanksgiving about how her body was completely destroyed 55 years earlier by childbirth and how it is all grandpa's fault. Women remember those BC (before children) bodies and capabilities like they do the days of the week. Find ways to help her get back to that.

Physicians can help too. By listening to new moms, asking thoughtful questions, re-sensitizing themselves to the wonder of each and every birth experience, and being aware of pregnancy and postpartum community resources, they can assist moms in adjusting to life on the other side, with minimal pain and without involuntary peeing. 

We often hear about how the care for postpartum mothers in this country is amongst the least desirable and least helpful in all of the world. Our bodies were not meant to create a life, birth it forth, stick an artificial nipple in its mouth and return to data entry 6 weeks later (or whatever amazing career we have). We simply were not designed that way.

We were designed to be nurtured by our tribe and to be nurturing to our children. After giving birth, we need rest and restoration. Facilitating this recovery is the reason that Blossom Health and Maternal Wellness is here today.