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Breech babies!
Breech babies are a variation of normal. Up until the 1970’s, they were usually delivered vaginally. Obstetricians trained in delivering breech babies. This skill is no longer taught to obstetricians. Some homebirth midwives are skilled in breech birth, however. A couple of weeks ago, I was chatting with my chiropractor. He commented, “What’s up with all the breech babies I’m seeing?”. Yes, my chiropractor supports me so I can support my clients. He also provides therapy that helps breech babies turn! Why more breech babies? Labor and birth were really affected in 2020. A mother needs to feel safe in order to freely let her baby out. She is not…
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Optimal Cord Clamping
What in the world is optimal cord clamping? In medicalized birth, immediate cord cutting was the standard practice. Today, however, most women and care providers have heard of delaying cutting the cord. Benefits of optimal cord clamping: What is the big deal about waiting to cut the cord? Until the cord stops pulsing, baby’s blood is moving back and forth from mother to baby until the umbilical cord stops pulsing. Cutting the cord before it stops pulsing may leave the baby without as much as 30%-40% of it’s blood. This blood provides rich stem cells to your baby. Stem cells are protective against 80+ illnesses and cancer. Early cord clamping…
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Healing Adhesions after a C-section and VBAC
In 2016, we published a post about healing adhesions after a c-section and massage for helping them heal. This post went viral in terms of our little blog and has been the most read post in the years since. Here is a link to that original article: One thing about being a birth worker is there is no end to learning. Labor can be like a puzzle in which you need to find the right piece at a good place for the rest of the labor to come together. Baby has the inside track so we want to follow the baby. Adhesions can affect that track and/or how efficiently the…
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International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day: What it means to me. What does International Women’s Day mean to you? For me, it is women supporting women. I have the most amazingly supportive women friends and would never want to do life without them! My personal women of influence On this day of recognizing women, I am reminded of two foundational women in my life. Neither had easy lives nor did they “do big things” by many people’s standards. But, they both made big impacts on those who knew them. One was my maternal grandmother. Her name was Lily May. She was raised on the old family property in MS. She fell in love…
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Changes at Precious Arrows Doula Services
As doulas, we hope to provide the space and support for women’s growth during pregnancy, labor, birth, and their fourth trimester. With growth comes change. It is with this mixture of heart that we announce changes at Precious Arrows Doula Services. The Journey Katie Started At 12-14 years of age, she decided she wanted to raise Golden Retrievers and teach piano. Through supporting her dreams, we were introduced to the world of birth work. Not knowing what a doula was, she became a dog midwife, and I became a dog doula (and dog midwife assistant). I knew I wanted to provide this support to women! I, Marcie, am so grateful…
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A look back and a look forward
I don’t know how to label this post “A look back and a look forward” for SEO purposes, which seems fitting when looking back over a year like 2020. As I sit here thinking as I write, I find myself having to move through the feelings of shock in order for the thoughts to come through. Plus, I am writing this from my COVID sick room. A look back 2020 began with much gusto and big plans for me. I’d just sat for the Lamaze exam and was looking forward to aligning my childbirth curriculum with Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices. It was a great start to the year. Virtual Lamaze…
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Choosing Your VBAC Care Provider
A few months ago, I had the privilege to present at an ICAN meeting on the topic of Choosing Your VBAC Care Provider. Because there is trauma from birth sometimes and because having a sudden c-section can add to that trauma, moms are usually more anxious during the subsequent pregnancy about birth. I hope this post from my presentation will help you to pick your best team for your healthiest in every way birth. Although it was presented at an ICAN meeting, any mom or mom to be may find the information helpful AND empowering. So …here goes! When we mention care provider, most of us will think in terms…
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Becoming a Doula – My Story
Becoming a doula – My Story is a bit of a misleading title. I’m not sure that I became a doula. It was part of me already. I just didn’t know it until I trained as a doula. I had been mostly a home educating mother for my children’s growing up years. We had moved often, but had recently moved to AL. We were living on a little farm where my daughter raised Golden Retrievers. My children and I were involved in helping with that. We home schooled, did a bit of gardening, ran the kennel, and had horses. The Beginning Not so strangely (I’ve met several doulas who had…
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Thank a Doula
Thank a doula is one of the ways to celebrate International Doula Month. My first post celebrating this month was What is a Doula? This is part two in our International Doula Month series. The third and final post will share my doula story. Stay tuned! DONA, INT. suggested the topic ” Thank a Doula” for one week during this month. When I began contemplating thanking doulas, my mind flooded with gratitude as I reminiscenced about the doulas who helped me birth my own doula career. That is what happened for us 11 years ago – doulas doula’ing each other. Isn’t that so very appropriate? The first doula to encourage…
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What is a doula?
International Doula Month What is a doula? Years ago, birth was very different than it is today. Women were surrounded and supported by other women during their labor. They brought with them experience, wisdom, and skill. They witnessed birth and knew every laboring mother had her own journey that may be different from another mother’s and even different from her own previous labor journey. In the early 1900’s, medical care began to specialize and the field of Obstetrics was formed. Birth moved into the medical arena and eventually into the hospital. With this change, witnessing normal physiologic birth, the belief in birth as a normal process, and woman to woman…
