Birthing in Atlanta During COVID-19To our expectant families-
Woah. These last few weeks have been a wild ride. We hope that you and your families are staying safe and adjusting to this weird time the best you can. We wanted to reach out with a few notes and some additional information from us regarding birthing and the birth climate as of right now. Keep in mind provider and hospital policies have been changing day to day and, in some cases, hour to hour. We will keep updated as best we can when new information becomes available. As of today, we have moved all consults, prenatal, and postpartum visits virtual. If you already have one of these scheduled, keep an eye out for an email with a Zoom link to our video meeting. We are also offering private birth classes virtually since many places have cancelled theirs. Many of our clients have either transferred, or expressed their interest in transferring, to a home birth setting. If this is something that you're interested in discussing, time is of the essence. There is currently a large quantity of families interested in transferring their care to home birth midwives, which has caused a large decrease in availability. If you'd like to chat about this, or need midwife referrals, please reach out. We'd love to discuss your options. Alternatively, there is always the option of switching to a practice in one of the facilities that currently allowing doulas. Although this information is changing daily, as of today, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar North Fulton, Northside Atlanta, Northside Cherokee, and Northside Forsyth are the only hospitals who are currently allowing a doula in addition to one other support person. All other hospitals have moved to a one support person only policy. All visitors must be screened upon entrance to L&D and restrictions have been placed on support people. What this means for you is that once your birth team has arrived to the hospital, they are required to stay put throughout the duration of labor. Partners, doulas, and other support persons are not allowed to leave the hospital or switch out. If you arrive to the hospital prior to your doula, please inform the intake personnel and/or nurse that your doula is on the way and give them our names. This minimizes back and forth between the screening/intake employee and the L&D unit. Additionally, we are encouraging our birthing clients to labor at home as long as possible, in order to minimize time spent in the hospital. Lastly, we want to address what support will look like in the event that we are not allowed into labor and delivery. We've been getting reports from across the country on many hospitals disallowing doulas (and some all partners/support people) and we're not sure if that may become our reality in the Atlanta metro. There's also the possibility that a shelter in place may be ordered which would make it impossible (and illegal) for us to get to our clients in labor. We want you to know that we're just as committed to our clients now as we have ever been and want you to know that our plans to support you will continue. Starting immediately, we are offering all clients who are planning to birth through May an additional 20 minute Zoom video call to go over comfort measures, coping techniques, and positions for birth more in-depth with mom and partner. We feel like this is more important now than ever, especially if circumstances prevent us from being physically present during labor. In the event that circumstances prevent us from attending births, we are planning on continuing early labor support via phone/text and then moving to a video chat platform such as FaceTime or Zoom during active labor through birth. We've spoken to many doulas throughout the country who have successfully implemented this in their area, with excellent feedback! As things progress, we'll continue to keep you updated with any changes as they occur. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any further questions or concerns. Warmly, Stefanie + Melissa @theatlantadoula
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The Atlanta Doulas | What to do in Early Labor?The day you've been waiting for is finally here. Contractions have started. and your baby is finally on their way! What now? In most cases, it's not quite time to hop in the car and start heading to your birthing location yet.
Here are some doula pro-tips on how to handle those early labor contractions: 1.) Give your birth team a heads up! Shoot a text to your doula, birth photographer, and anyone else that is planning to be with you during your birthing time. While it's likely not time for them to join you yet, giving them a heads up will allow them to get to you faster when you need. Checking in with your midwife or OB is also a good idea so that they know that things may be picking up soon. 2.) Take a nap! Especially if it's a time when you'd normally be asleep so that can conserve as much energy if possible. Sleeping on your side with a pillow or peanut ball between your legs will allow you some rest while still keeping your pelvis nice and open. 3.) Try taking a warm shower or bath. Hydro therapy is a very effective form of relaxation in labor. The warm water hitting your belly or back can give you a great deal of relief and help your body soften and relax. Pro tip: You can put a birth ball (with a towel over it) in the shower to sit on. 4.) Eat and stay hydrated. Alternating water with an electrolyte drink will help you stay as hydrated as possible. Assign your partner, doula, or other support person with the task of reminding you to take small sips of your beverage of choice. Try to eat a small meal or snack if possible as well. Smoothies, granola bars, and fruit are all great options and will help you have the energy you need during labor. 5.) Find a labor project. Try distracting yourself or doing a "labor project" during the early parts of labor. Something like baking treats or watching a movie with loved ones can be a great way to pass the time. How did you handle early labor? The Atlanta Doula | Top 5 Hospital Bag Must-HavesDo you have any suggestions for what to pack in my hospital bag? This is one of the most common questions I get as a doula. And for good reason. Not only do you have to plan for yourself during a 1-3 night hospital stay, but you'll also need to plan for the new human you'll be bringing home as well! Here are my Top 5 hospital bag must haves: 1. Your own pillow, in a brightly colored pillow case- If there is nothing else you bring to the hospital, please bring your own pillow. Picture this: you're sitting on your birth ball, leaning over the hospital bed, rocking your way through a contraction. What would you rather have your face buried in? A small, flat, crunchy hospital pillow OR your own comforting pillow that's soft, fluffy, and smells like your home? I think we both know the answer to this question. I always also recommend to my clients that they bring the pillow in a brightly colored pillow case to avoid the pillow being mistaken for a hospital pillow. 2. SNACKS! For mom and her partner- Your food options may be limited depending on the time of day that you're in labor. If it's the middle of the night there may be no take-out options and the hospital cafeteria may be closed, leaving you with very limited choices for meals and snacks. Here are some of my favorite snack options for laboring moms (and postpartum moms!) that partners may also enjoy: single serving almond (or other nut/non-nut) butter packets, freeze dried fruit, granola bars, easy to eat fruits such as bananas and clementines, applesauce cups, and trail mix. I also recommend bringing your own drinks such as apple and cranberry juice and homemade "laborade." 3. Lip balm and face moisturizer- Hospitals are often very dry and chapped lips and a dry face are the worst! Bring along your favorite moisturizing products for a quick refresher anytime during your hospital stay. My personal favorite face moisturizer right now is Skin Drink from Lush and my favorite lip balm is Jersey Shore Sun Mongongo Lip Conditioner. 4. A nursing bra and nursing tops- These are SO important and often overlooked. I highly recommend packing a nursing bra and a few nursing tanks or tops. These tops are often flowy and super comfy, but are easier to move around in than hospital gowns. It also makes it easier on your if you have visitors postpartum. Latched Mama makes gorgeous nursing tops, dresses, and pajamas. 5. Postpartum care products- While your hospital may provide with some postpartum products like a peri bottle, sitz bath, and possibly Dermoplast spray, you may certainly want to bring your own products! I highly recommend the items from Earth Mama Angel Baby like the New Mama Bottom Balm and New Mama Bottom Spray along with their bath herbs. So there you have it- My Top 5 hospital bag must haves! What did you have packed in your hospital bag? Any items that you couldn't have lived without?
The Atlanta Doula | Creating a Postpartum Meal PlanOne thing that I often spend time talking about with my clients in our final prenatal appointments is the benefits of having a postpartum plan. The days following birth should be filled with snuggles, bonding, and joy, not worry about feeding your family. For this reason I often encourage new clients to come up with a postpartum meal plan- while they are still pregnant! One tried and true tip to help facilitate this is to create freezer meals. Often times friends and family are happy to come over and spend a day cooking to help fill your freezer. Another idea is to double meals that you are already cooking- just freeze the extra! I've surveyed clients and scoured the internet and put together a list of some of the best, and healthiest, freezer meals I could find. Turkey Chili with Sweet Potato and Black BeansRecipe courtesy of Thriving Home Blog This recipe is a double whammy! Not only is it a freezer meal but it's also made in the slow cooker. When I was pregnant with my now 17(!) month old, I was the queen of crock pot meals. Seriously. What's easier than throwing ingredients into a crock pot and coming home to a delicious, and healthy, meal. My advice is to double the recipe, eat half for dinner tonight, and throw the rest in the freezer for later. Any honestly, what's better than chili? My favorite part is the toppings. I love throwing some shredded cheddar cheese and diced avocado on top, but sour cream (or greek yogurt) and some cilantro would be delicious as well! Ingredients
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Notes Freezer Meal Instructions: To freeze: Cook according to directions. Let fully cool. Freeze in air tight, freezable container or zip top bag. To Prepare: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm gently on the stove top, in slow cooker on LOW, or in the microwave until warmed through. Mediterranean Quinoa BurgersRecipe courtesy of Well Plated I've been a vegetarian for almost 2 years now and one of the hardest things to give up was hamburgers. Or so I thought. Enter the quinoa burger. Easy, healthy, delicious and so much better than frozen veggie franken-burgers. This particular one hits all of those notes, and even better, is made almost entirely in a food processor (or blender.) No chickpea mashing required. I oftentimes eat this burger on its own, without a bun, with a big side salad and some roasted veggies. Best. Freezer Meal. Ever. Ingredients: FOR THE BURGERS
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Cooked leftover chickpea burgers will keep well wrapped in the refrigerator for up to three days. Uncooked patties can be tightly wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for two days or frozen for two months. Let thaw in the refrigerator prior to cooking. Unstuffed Pepper SoupRecipe courtesy of Stockpiling Moms Another slow cooker freezer meal! You're welcome. But seriously, it doesn't get easier (or more delicious) than this. The bonus is that this meal is also Whole30 friendly. Getting my toddler to eat much of anything other than cheese sticks these days is kind of a struggle. Except for soup. She loves soup, especially this soup. I'm not sure if it's the spices, or all of the wonderful veggies, but she devours it! So go forth and make, eat, and freeze this soup. It's toddler approved, after all. INGREDIENTS
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Sunday Night StewRecipe courtesy of The Pioneer Woman The recipe is from The Pioneer Woman aka my girl Ree. We're friends, she just doesn't know it yet. One of my favorite things about her (aside from everything) is her ability to continually provide wonderful home-cooked meals to her friends and family. I need to get on her level. But in all seriousness, who doesn't love a stew. You can serve this over mashed potatoes, brown rice, or just by itself. It's honestly delicious any way you serve it. INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS Salt and pepper stew meat. Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add butter, and as soon as it melts, brown half the stew meat until the outside gets nice and brown, about 2 minutes. (Turn it as it browns.) Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it on a plate. Add the rest of the meat to the pot and brown it, too. Remove it to the same plate. Set the meat aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pot, stirring it to coat it in all the brown bits in the bottom of the pot. Cook for two minutes, then add the tomato paste to the pot. Stir it into the onions and let it cook for two more minutes. Pour in the beef stock, stirring constantly. Add the Worcestershire and sugar. Add the beef back to the pot, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. After 1 1/2 to 2 hours, add the diced turnips and carrots to the pot. Stir to combine, put the lid back on the pot, and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. The sauce should be very thick, but if it seems overly so, splash in some beef broth until it thins it up enough. Feel free to add beef broth as needed! When the carrots and turnips are tender, stir in minced parsley. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve piping hot in a bowl with mashed potatoes, letting the juice run all over everything. Sprinkle with extra minced parsley at the end. Notes Freezer Meal Instructions: To freeze: Cook according to directions. Let fully cool. Freeze in air tight, freezable container or zip top bag. To Prepare: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm gently on the stove top, in slow cooker on LOW, or in the microwave until warmed through. Hawaiian ChickenRecipe courtesy of New Leaf Wellness You guys. Hawaiian. Chicken. And it's gluten free. Need I say more? This one is honestly so simple and so very tasty. It's perfect for snuggling up on the couch with your family and watching a fun movie. Comfort food at its best. Ingredients
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So there you have it. 5 simple, healthy, and yummy meals to prepare you for a blissful postpartum. I would love to hear your thoughts if you've made any of these dishes. What was your favorite meal postpartum? I'd love to hear from you!
The Atlanta Doula | Placenta Pills FAQsAs a doula and childbirth educator, I am frequently asked about placenta encapsulation. Many clients want to know what the benefits are, and whether or not there are any risks involved. Oftentimes they've heard things from friends or through a google search and need help sorting out the truth from the myths. Today I'm going answer 5 of the most commonly asked questions as well as 5 of the most common concerns surrounding placenta encapsulation. Will encapsulating my placenta help me avoid a postpartum mood disorder? One of the most common reasons why women are interested in placenta encapsulation is because they have heard that it will help them transition into the postpartum period easier. Many women feel that encapsulating their placenta was a major factor in avoiding or helping ease the symptoms of PPD. According to a 2012 article in the British Journal of Midwifery, the placenta is found to contain Iron, Vitamin B6, and corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH.) Having adequate iron levels is crucial in avoiding fatigue, especially since research has shown many new moms to be iron deficient. Vitamin B6 supplementation is currently used to help treat the symptoms of PPD while CRH is a hormone produced by the hypothalamus that is crucial to reducing stress. Will encapsulating my placenta help with fatigue? Many women are considered iron deficient or anemic during pregnancy; and even those who are not may develop anemia following childbirth because of the amount of blood lost during this process. The placenta contains large amounts of iron and many women report an energy boost associated with taking their placenta capsules. Will encapsulating my placenta help to increase my milk supply? Historically, placenta consumption has been reported to help increase milk supply. Many women report that following the encapsulation of their placenta the quantity of their milk increases. According to a 1954 study from Charles University in Prague, 86% of women who were supplementing with placenta capsules reported a positive effect on their milk supply, as opposed to just 33% in the control group, who were receiving beef capsules. What if my baby is pre-term or past his/her due date? Can I still encapsulate? Yes! The timing of your baby's arrival has little to do with the suitability of your placenta for consumption. Even if your care provider has commented that your placenta has some calcifications it is still perfectly fine to encapsulate. What else can my placenta do for me? There is a molecule present in amniotic fluid and in the placenta called placental opioid-enhancing factor, or POEF. Studies have shown than POEF actually help to enhance the effects of both external opioids (ie morphine) as well as the endorphins being released by the body. Don't animals consume their placentas to hide their birth from predators? This is a common myth that has been proven false many a time. Aside from marine mammals, almost all of mammals in the wild consume their placentas regardless of whether they have a single delivery or litter. Even mammals at the top of the food chain consume their placentas immediately following birth. In fact, if the animal was truly trying to hide the birth site from predators, it would be easier and faster just to move away from the birthing location than to take hours consuming the placenta. But I'm a vegetarian/vegan That's great, I'm a vegetarian too! This is your own placenta that you grew and birthed. It is intrinsically different from eating meat. You will be consuming your placenta in pill form, with nothing else added to it. It is important to note that I only use vegetarian capsules, never capsules with animal gelatin. I've heard that placentas contain bacteria and toxins This isn't exactly true. This quote from Nikole Keller, in an article written for The Association of Placenta Preparation Arts (APPA) sums the topic up nicely: "The placenta is often referred to as a filter; this isn’t an ideal term for the placenta considering its function in the body. As consumers we use filters in daily life to remove unwanted particles and toxins then throwing them into the trash once they have reached capacity. The placenta does not function as a filter in this sense, a more suitable way of viewing it would be as a gatekeeper between the mother and fetus. The placenta’s job is to keep the maternal and fetal blood separate, at the same time allowing nutrients to pass to the fetus, gas exchange to occur, and allowing waste from the fetus to pass through to the mother. The placenta does prevent some toxins from passing through to the fetus but they are not stored in the placenta. Toxins in the body and waste from the fetus are processed by the mother’s liver and kidneys for elimination." You can read the rest of the article here Will the same nutrients remain in my placenta once it is processed? Yes! Your placenta will be steamed, ground, and filled into capsules. The process of steaming removes water, not nutrients from your placenta. But what if my baby passed meconium before birth? No worries! Your placenta will be thoroughly cleaned and dehydrated prior to encapsulation. Meconium absolutely does not affect the ability to encapsulate. Are you looking to have your placenta encapsulated in the metro Atlanta area? Do you have more questions about placenta encapsulation? Feel free to contact me for more information or to book my services!
The Atlanta Doula | What is a Doula?Have you hired a doula yet? asks your mom, best friend, or a random lady in the produce section of Kroger.
But what does that mean? What is a doula, anyways? According to DONA(Doulas of North America) International, the term doula is used to describe 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, there are fewer complications, babies are healthier, and they breastfeed more easily. Here are the outcomes associated with doula attended births:
But what does that mean for you?
So what do you think about doulas? Have you used one before? Are you planning one for your next birth? Let me know in the comments! And remember, here at SKDoula, I am here for all your pregnancy and childbirth needs! The Atlanta Doula | Cloth Diaper ClassesMention cloth diapers to any experienced mama, and their reaction will probably involve the phrase "but what about the poop?"
It's an understandable reaction. I think that people, in general, try to limit the amount of body fluids that we come into contact with. Having said this I can assure you, as a cloth diapering mama, that I have never once walked away from a diaper change covered in baby poop. Now that we have the poo situation out of the way, let's talk about the reality of cloth diapers. Think about this... On average, a baby gets changed 6,100 times before they're potty trained, and approximately 4,000,000 babies are born every year. That's 27.4 billion disposable diapers every year, which equates to 11.9 million tons. Those are some powerful numbers. Now what if I told you that instead of spending up to $3,000 on 6,100 disposable diapers, you could spend $450-$700 on 24 reusable cloth diapers. Those same 24 cloth diapers are also free from sodium polyarylate, tributyl tin, and dioxin, which are some pretty nasty chemicals found in most mainstream cloth diapers. Have I convinced you yet? I would suggest checking out a local or online cloth diaper retailer. Many of them have information regarding the different styles and brands available! Do you cloth diaper? Are you planning to? Let me know! And remember, I offer free cloth diaper consultations to all of my doula and childbirth education clients! |
StefanieAtlanta birth and postpartum doula, childbirth educator, cloth diaper expect, yoga enthusiast, and baby snuggler. Archives
March 2020
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