family
-
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…
-
When the Bough Breaks -Documentary on Postpartum Depression
Review of When The Bough Breaks I recently had the opportunity to view a documentary on postpartum depression and psychosis. As a doula who provides support to women during the perinatal period, the information in this film provided a great starting place for the recognition of the characteristics of postpartum depression, an important and lesser recognized condition found in approximately 20 percent of women who have given birth in the United States. What is Postpartum Depression? This documentary addresses the difficult subject of recognizing and managing postpartum depression and the less common but more severe symptoms of postpartum psychosis. Throughout this film, different women struggle with postpartum depression…
-
Sad State of Postpartum Care in the U.S.
Why am I writing about the uniquely U.S. state of postpartum care and recuperation? When a woman carries a baby and gives birth, her body undergoes great changes. There are visible signs of those changes, but that only shows a very small part of what her body has done. Her blood vessels have changed in order to accommodate twice the blood volume. Her lung capacity has changed, and it will take most of a year for it to return pre-pregnancy way of operation. Her muscles separated for the expansion of her womb, joints and connective tissue all became looser in preparation for delivery. All of her abdominal organs were…
-
Relationship with an Expectant Mom- The Doula’s Role
WHO Recommendations: A Doula’s Role Birth is so much more than a change of address for baby. It affects mothers holistically and mothers deserve holistic care. The World Health Organization recently recognized this need through their Safe Childbirth Checklist. A doula’s role for every woman giving birth is part of their healthy practice recommendations. The research for doulas has concluded that continuous support provided during labor significantly improves birth outcomes for both mother and baby. The benefits of having a doula present include: an increased apgar score for baby a decreased chance of the mother undergoing a c-section a decrease in the mother’s request for pain-relieving medication an increase…
-
October is Domestic Abuse Month
The danger of domestic abuse usually increases during pregnancy. Here is some information about different kinds of abuse and resources for the abused.
You May Also Like
What is a doula?
