Category: Breastfeeding

3 Things I Wish I Knew

Learning the hard way has always kinda been my thing. I have a kid who takes the same approach to life, and it is soo incredibly frustrating to witness. Looking back, there are several things I really wish I knew going into my first pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I really tried to inform myself as much as possible, and honestly I maybe read too much–partly reflected in the B I got in one of my grad school classes the semester I found out I was pregnant–though all the vomiting & napping surely didn’t help that either. Some of these hindsight observations might surprise you! 

Approach Matters

I wish I knew the difference between the obstetric & midwifery approaches to prenatal care. While my friends were getting 5-10 minutes with their OBs, I was getting 30 minute talks with my midwife about all of my worries so that they had a whole picture of my life and not just some measurements and numbers in a chart. My friends who had family practice doctors for their care had much more similar experiences to mine with the midwives too, and for low-risk pregnancies some family practice doctors are amazing. Finding a provider that you’re comfortable with and who you don’t dread seeing is probably the most important part though, regardless of what model of care they practice. 

Expectations?

I wish I knew that giving birth inside a hospital could be an amazing experience. I read and heard ALL the horror stories about getting run over by the system. I walked into my birth fully armed with all the information and ready for a fight to get the birth I wanted. I ended up having the most supportive team around me including my amazing nurse, my midwife, my doula, and even the supervising OB who stopped by for my whole pushing stage and whose words frankly got me through to the end. I will fully own my privilege and say that being a middle class presenting, white, fairly attractive & fit person (at the time anyway)–all of those things signaled different things to the people in the room on how to treat me. But I didn’t expect everyone to be so kind and supportive of my plan to give birth without medication or intervention in a hospital whose reputation is a “baby factory” known for high intervention rates in the area. The support afterwards with lactation was also so great. I wish more people would talk about their GREAT experiences too. 

Right Way?

I wish I knew that there was no one right way to do all of this. My first time around, I was searching for what the RIGHT way to do things was. The lesson I continually come back to with parenting and birth and all of it, is that there is no one right way. I would have spent so much more time thinking about what was right for me and my family and my baby and the situation we were in at the time regarding finances, location, information, ability, capacity, etc. I stressed myself out to the point of exhaustion trying to find the “right” way, when I truly wish I had spent more time focusing inward and figuring out where & who to ask the questions when they came up later. 

When you look back on your pregnancy, birth, & postpartum, what did you learn through hindsight? Are there things that you would do differently? If this is your first time, I urge you to take the 20 years perspective and think about how important some things that you might be fighting for right now, might actually be in the grand scheme of things too. As a doula, I can say that how you remember this will stay with you for the rest of your life. Your experience matters, so find what is important to you and surround yourself with people who share your values and approach to things. What would you add? 

If you are wondering where to get started in your journey through pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, we have a resource just for you! Grab our free EBook written to help take the worry out of the beginning. Ready to talk about adding a doula to your team? Book a FREE 30 minute call to talk about who on our team might be the right fit for you. We also offer a FREE Biweekly newsletter with ideas, news, & resources open to anyone. We truly do want our experience to help improve yours!

5 Induction Truths

An induction is discussed with every pregnant person at some point, & these are 5 truths you may not hear anywhere else.

1. Sometimes Induction is Necessary.

High blood pressure, blood sugar control issues, protein in your urine, health concerns for the baby, and more can make it healthier for your baby to be better on the outside than on the inside. These are very valid medical reasons to be induced. Some providers prefer inductions to take place because of suspected big babies, low fluid, getting close or passing your due date, and other reasons. As we know from the evidence, these are NOT medical indications for induction.

2. You CAN Say No.

If everything is fine with you and the baby, then it is perfectly ok to say no to an induction. Even if you are in the hospital for an induction, you are STILL allowed to say no to anything that they offer, and you should be having a true informed consent and refusal discussion for each and every procedure. This includes breaking your water, starting medications, cervical exams, internal monitoring, the type of cervical ripening medication, and ANY TIME someone wants to touch you! Signing up for an induction does not mean you leave your autonomy at the front door. You’re still the boss applesauce!

3. Induction Increases Your Risk of Needing Cesarean Surgery.

Yes, there was ONE study that found that inducing everyone at 39 weeks reduces the cesarean rate, which actually was really problematic. I have discussed this previously along with a BUNCH of other scholars, however there is far more research that says the opposite. I really appreciate Dr. Sara Wickham’s resources on induction for help making informed decisions. This is something that needs to be discussed before you agree to any induction, no matter why it is being advised.

4. Induction Affects More Than Just When the Baby is Born.

Induction is forcing your baby and body to do something before they are ready to do it on their own. Most due dates are an estimate, and none are expiration dates, as babies keep developing even after they are born. Induction interrupts the hormonal physiology of birth, as Dr. Sarah Buckley has published on extensively. Interventions also affect breastfeeding, which can make feeding your baby more challenging after an induction. This needs to be part of the discussion when you are weighing the risks and benefits of whether to choose an induction.

5. Induction Can Take a LONG Time.

Especially for first time parents, induction can take a really long time. Locally most inductions start overnight with a cervical ripening medication and then proceed the next day. Will you be allowed to eat and/or drink during that time? Will you be allowed to take a shower? Will you be on the monitors the entire time? When are you allowed to get an epidural if you want one? Will your provider be there the whole time? What kind of time limits will they put on your progress? Will there be breaks? Can you bring your Fire Stick to keep watching your current favorite binge-worthy show? Ask questions to help yourself make the most informed decisions regarding your care!

The bottom line is this: If your provider is recommending induction, have an open and honest conversation with them using the BRAIN acronym:

  • Benefits–what are the benefits to this?
  • Risks–are there any?
  • Alternatives–what else could we try?
  • Intuition–what does your gut say?
  • Nothing–what happens if we wait?

Only YOU get to decide what is the right choice, and we want to make sure everyone goes into birth and parenting with their eyes wide open from the beginning. Want to do some more digging before making a decision about an induction? Asking for TIME can be the most empowering way to step away from what can be a high pressure feeling power imbalanced situation when you are sitting there with your pants off talking to your provider. We talk to clients about this all the time, so feel free to give us a call for a consult if you want a little help!

Online Learning Options

Evidence-based online courses for learning about childbirth, feeding your baby, and postpartum planning.

Everything might feel upside down right now, but learning what you need to know when you are expecting doesn’t have to be a scramble! In the past few years, there has been a wealth of information for expecting families that has moved online. I know that online learning isn’t everyone’s preferred method, BUT it can be really great, not just for times when we are in the midst of a pandemic. Online learning can be a great way to work around busy schedules. It also allows you to learn about things privately that you might not want to discuss in front of a group of strangers. Learning about what to expect is a great way to mitigate fears.

I have searched the internet and found some great online courses for learning that I am honestly excited to recommend to you. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but it will definitely get you started in looking at online courses. (Full disclosure: some of the links below are affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission if you click through and buy things.) I am only posting links to evidence-based courses that I am happy to send my clients. I will try to keep updating this list when I find more great online classes too!

Childbirth Education

Lamaze has 6 different online courses for expecting parents:

  • FREE Labor Confidence with Lamaze Course here
  • Safe & Healthy Birth: Six Simple Steps here
  • Labor Pain Management: Techniques for Comfort and Coping here
  • Breastfeeding Basics: From Birth to Back to Work here
  • Bringing Home Baby here
  • Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC): Informed and Ready here

If you are looking for a great overview, you should check out Alice Turner’s FREE class Birth A to Z here. This is filled with videos about all kinds of topics that you might not find in every birth class.

The Birth Nurse has an entire Lamaze course already online, if that is something you have been searching for. She also co-teaches a live class called Fearless Birth, Delivered where you get a fun box of tools in the mail and live instruction. You can save money on both these courses by using the coupon code: BIRTHGEEKS. Mandy’s YouTube Channel is chock full of information too!!

If you are looking for a more comprehensive online learning class with a natural focus, you should check out the Giving Birth Naturally Courses here. I have also had clients rave about Mama Natural’s online childbirth education course that you can find here.

Thinking about trying out hypnosis for labor? Check out this course by the Positive Birth Company here. This class is inexpensive and includes printable content as well as downloadable tracks to listen to in labor.

Supporting Your Partner

Adriana Lozada, of the Birthful Podcast fame, has this great course that promises to take partners from clueless to “I got this!” Check out The Birth Partner’s Ultimate Labor Support Toolkit here.

If you loved Birth A to Z with Alice, you should definitely check out her course just for partners called Supporting Her here. She’s even added a new labor practice module recently due to the pandemic!

Feeding Baby

Bonnie Holt Logsdon is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant that I know in Louisville, & she has some great new online courses to check out here. These include a FREE 2 hour breastfeeding basics class, as well as low cost classes on back to work pumping & starting solids too.

Lactation Link has some great classes too that you can find here on brestfeeding basics, hurdles & how-tos, & pumping and storing breast milk too. You can get 15% off their courses when you use this coupon code: doulagroupofevansville15.

If you want to learn more about feeding your little humans, first of all you should go follow the Feeding Littles pages all over social media, because they are great for information! But if you want to learn more about feeding babies and toddlers the healthy way, check out their online courses here. You can use our coupon code for $10 off the courses too: DOULAGROUPOFEVANSVILLE

Postpartum

Oh yeah, there are courses for that too! Adriana Lozada has a postpartum planning worksheet that you can get just by giving her your email address here. She also has a great class called Thrive With Your Newborn: Postpartum Prep Course that you should check out here.

Online learning options have come so far recently. I hope you will consider checking these things out, especially if your planned class got cancelled recently due to COVID-19. Preparing for birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum helped ease my anxiety and take some of the worry out of it all. I hope that these classes will be able to do the same for you.

If these online learning opportunities still leave you wondering how they compare to our local options, I would love to talk to you! As a doula and childbirth educator in Evansville since 2014, I am a professional at helping people navigate the local birthing scene. Happy learning!

Childbirth Education Improves Outcomes

A recent study found that taking a childbirth education class improves birth outcomes. People who took a childbirth education class in this study were three times more likely to have a vaginal birth. Taking a childbirth education class helps improve confidence and skills for coping with labor and delivery. Childbirth education is still important, no matter what kind of birth you are planning.

Group & Private Classes Available

Coping with Labor Naturally is a 3 hour group class that covers the basics you need. The next one will be Saturday February 8th, 9am-noon, and you can sign up here. I will also teach this class in April, July, & October in 2020, so stay tuned if you are interested but not quite ready to sign up yet. This is a great class to bring your partner so they can learn ways to help you in labor. You will also learn which tools to bring with you and which to request when you get to the hospital.

If group classes aren’t your thing, maybe a full private childbirth education class would be right for you. Full private childbirth education classes have 6 hours of private instruction in your home or at my office space. I am a Lamaze certified childbirth educator who only uses evidence-based information. Yes, we will talk about the hee-hee-hoo-hoo breathing, but I cover everything from pregnancy nutrition to birthing positions to postpartum healing. I’m also an experienced birth doula, so I know the ins and outs of the local birthing scene too. This 6 hour class comes with a 96 page spiral-bound book of handouts and articles packed full of information for parents too!

I also have the option of a private 3 hour birth planning only session. This class is easy to customize for your needs and specific situation. I’m happy to cover whichever topics you might be interested in learning about, and help you come up with a plan. This is a great option for people who might be shy or have a very specific situation that needs specific information. This is also a great option for those birthing at home, who might want all the comfort techniques and help writing a transfer birth plan. Contact us directly to schedule a class and get more information!

Online Options

Maybe you’re really busy and would prefer an online option? Lamaze has some great online courses that are inexpensive and evidence-based.

  • FREE Labor Confidence with Lamaze Course here
  • Safe & Healthy Birth: Six Simple Steps here
  • Labor Pain Management: Techniques for Comfort and Coping here
  • Breastfeeding Basics: From Birth to Back to Work here
  • Bringing Home Baby here
  • Vaginal Birth After Cesarean (VBAC): Informed and Ready here

There are other online courses as well that I like, but I will say that most people benefit from some in-person, hands-on learning too. No matter how you choose to learn, taking the time to prepare for childbirth is a GOOD thing to do. Refreshing your knowledge and skills, even if this isn’t your first birth, are also good uses of your time and energy. I’m always happy to recommend books to read too! Childbirth education is important. Childbirth education is helpful. Childbirth education is worth your time.

Things Doulas Know

Unsolicited advice is not my style

I have stopped giving random advice to pregnant people that do not ask for it, essentially for two reasons. The first reason has to do with other people and the second because of me.

  1. Everyone seems to feel entitled to give pregnant people advice, and I do not want to add to the mostly annoying cacophony.

I do not know what it is about pregnancy that makes everyone feel like they need to give you advice and tell you what to do. I know that most everyone really means well, but holy moly it can be really exhausting to be constantly bombarded by people who think they know better than you about what you should do. I won’t even get started on the horror stories that people feel obligated to tell you like they can’t stop the flow of awfulness spewing from their mouths. I have a strict no spreading trauma policy when it comes to speaking to pregnant people, and I highly encourage all clients to tune out any and all negative messages surrounding birth and parenthood, especially while you are extra vulnerable and pumped up full of hormones!

2. I know way more than most people about pregnancy, birth, babies, etc than most people, and I have a tendency to go on and on about it.

I know a ton of really specific and sometimes seemingly random things that can really help people who are navigating pregnancy, planning for their upcoming birth, and getting prepared to take care of a new tiny human too. I am happy to talk about all these things all day long, and I do quite a bit, BUT not everyone wants to hear that. I respect people’s wishes and only expose my super birth geek side when requested.

As a doula and childbirth educator, I have extensively studied pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I know where to find great evidence-based and unbiased information. I know different comfort techniques to get through labor and delivery. I make sure to keep up on all the local resources for new families in our area including great breastfeeding support services, chiropractors who specialize in the Webster technique, prenatal yoga classes, which physicians will provide parallel care for home birth, support for victims of abuse, stores that sell green baby products, and more. I am seriously committed to life-long learning and I want to help everyone be better connected with the resources and information that they need.

I never want people to feel afraid to ask me questions. I would rather my clients ask me anything rather than sit around worrying or wondering. I make an effort to not overshare or overwhelm people. I am always happy to answer questions, especially for my clients. BUT, I can’t send you answers that you don’t ask for, and I won’t, not because I’m protecting the information, rather because I know it is really hard to sip from a fire hose and it has taken me YEARS to gather all this information that you are trying to digest in 40-ish weeks.

What was the worst unsolicited advice you ever received about birth?

Meeting You Where You Are: Beacon Breastfeeding Support, LLC

Individualized feeding support now available in your tri-state home.

Today is the last day of World Breastfeeding Week 2019, and I could not let this week finish without highlighting one of the most amazing new resources we have here in the tri-state area. Holly Phillips has worked as a birth professional for the past 8 years, as a DONA certified birth doula, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, and La Leche League leader. Holly has a true passion for helping growing families, and is now branching out in a new business as this area’s only independent international board certified lactation consultant! I have known Holly for close to 6 years, and can tell you that she is fantastically warm and bubbly with an enormous heart for service, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how very INTELLIGENT and savvy she is too. Are you as curious about her new business as I was? Then read on to find out her answers to my top 5 questions:

1. Why are you passionate about helping new families
with breastfeeding? 

My passion for helping families with breastfeeding began with my own
difficulties nursing my first baby. We worked with numerous feeding
specialists in the hospital and once we were discharged. However, my
daughter was never able to breastfeed. I became an exclusive pumper and decided to educate myself so that my next attempts at breastfeeding
might be more successful. As a doula, and later as a La Leche League
leader I had the honor of assisting families with breastfeeding education, but I still wanted to do more. In January 2019, I became an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant because it allowed me to address
more complex breastfeeding situations, be more hands-on in assessing
and assisting dyads and offer comprehensive support. 

2. How are your services different than a hospital-based IBCLC? 

First of all, I want to clarify that I am extremely grateful for hospital-
based IBCLCs, they are often the first line of support in getting babies to
breastfeed successfully at the start. They work to improve hospital
protocols that impact feeding at their facilities. However, it can be
difficult for them to offer services that extend beyond the newborn
period. Because I have the ability to come to families where they are and where they breastfeed most often, I am able to create a truly
individualized plan of care utilizing the support network they have in
place. I try to look at all pieces of the puzzle when there are breastfeeding difficulties and because I set my own schedule, I can spend as much time as needed to help families work through the often multi-layered issues
that lead to problems with feeding. 

3. Are your services covered by insurance? 

I currently do not accept any insurance. I can provide a superbill for visits which families may utilize to seek reimbursement from their insurance
companies. I cannot guarantee reimbursement. 

4. What is your favorite part about being an independent IBCLC?

Working with families in their own home environment allows me to form a solid professional relationship that accounts for all the variables that
impact the breastfeeding relationship. I create plans based on these
variables and have more flexibility because I get to craft my own protocols for addressing concerns using evidence-based information. 
I get to know families on a more personal level, and there is frequent
follow up so that continuity of care is maintained. 

5. What is the biggest misconception about IBCLCs? 

I think the biggest misconception about IBCLCs is that we do not support mothers who bottlefeed or use formula to supplement babies. While my
goal is to help families provide breastmilk to their babies, I value any
amount of breastmilk babies receive and often work with families on
introducing a bottle safely. Every family deserves respect and compassion around their feeding goals. 

Holly is magnificent, and I sincerely hope that she is a HUGE success, as I know that more support for breastfeeding is a GREAT thing! You can find Holly at:

Breastfeeding in the Tristate

Photo by Dave Clubb on Unsplash


Let’s start with some information about Breastfeeding Rates among Infants Born in 2015/ Percentage of Live Births Occurring at Baby Friendly Facilities, 2018 in a lovely little table:

INILKYUS Average
Ever Breastfed78.8%80.3%73.9%83.2%
Breastfeeding @ 6 months53.5%53%48.6%57.6%
Breastfeeding @ 12 months33%33.8%28.2%35.9%
Exclusive through 3 months47.5%39.6%39.8%46.9%
Exclusive through 6 months31.7%19.5%21.1%24.9%
Received formula before 2 days old11.8%20.7%19.8%17.2%
Baby Friendly Hospital Births31%22.3%24.5%26.1%

US Averages above do not include Puerto Rico or Guam. You can find all of this information here if you would like.

These are our Indiana 2020 breastfeeding goals we are trying to reach:
-Exclusive breastfeeding through 3 months: 46.2%
-Exclusive through 6 months: 25.5%
-Breastfeeding at 6 months: 60.6%
-Special emphasis on increasing breastfeeding rates among infants of African-American descent, infants of mothers under 20 years of age, infants of low-income mothers, & infants of mothers who get little or no prenatal care.

-You can find all of these Indiana public health goals here if you want to read more.

  • Here in Indiana, we have some room for improvement on these goals:
  • Initiation of breastfeeding
  • Breastfeeding at 6 months
  • Breastfeeding at 12 months
  • Exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months
  • Exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months
  • % of breastfed infants receiving supplementation before 2 days of age
  • Number of Certified Lactation Consultants per 1,000 live births

If you want to read the numbers for these, they can be found on page 5 at: https://www.in.gov/isdh/files/Indiana_State_Breastfeeding_Plan_Final_2016.pdf

I couldn’t find hospital specific rates, but that’s ok. Both local hospitals in Evansville are Baby Friendly, and we know that has been demonstrated to be a great thing when it comes to breastfeeding rates!

Breastfeeding can be complicated, and every breastfeeding journey can be different. I know mine were with each of my two babies. There are all kinds of barriers to breastfeeding that are personal, structural, and cultural. Usually the three biggest barriers to breastfeeding that I see are

1. Lack of education about breastfeeding,

2. Lack of support for breastfeeding at multiple levels,

3. Lack of time to establish excellent breastfeeding practices.

These are certainly not the only issues, but they are definitely big ones from my perspective.

For breastfeeding parents, there are resources to help you!

A lot of people like to start their research online. Kelly Mom and La Leche League are always my go-to sites for good evidence-based information about breastfeeding.

If you prefer in person support, both Evansville hospitals have excellent lactation departments (one even does remote help via video calls), all tri-state area WIC offices have peer lactation counselors, the Pre to 3 Program s available for qualified families (https://www.preto3program.com/) through the Health Department, and we have an excellent local La Leche League group that has regular meetings and a support hotline. My friend Holly Phillips is also a new independent International Board Certified Lactation Consultant based out of Owensboro and is planning to make some visits to homes in Evansville too with her new business Beacon Breastfeeding Support!

If you are passionate about teaching other people about lactation, being a peer support person, or even expanding your professional knowledge and skills to better support breastfeeding families no matter what your job is, you should think about coming to the upcoming Certified Lactation Educator training here in Evansville with the brilliant Bonnie Logsdon from The Baby’s Voice (https://www.thebabysvoice.com/)! I will be writing more about Bonnie & the class in a later blog post, but you can find more information here if you are interested.

You should also think about joining us at the Southwest Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition if you are able! You can find us on Facebook and join us for our upcoming meeting on Tuesday 3/19 at the Vanderburgh Health Department from 11:30am-1pm. It is one of my favorite meetings to attend, and certainly filled with people who all support breastfeeding in this area.

The bottom line is this: people who want to breastfeed should be supported in every way possible. There are resources to help families succeed in their breastfeeding goals no matter what they are, and I want everyone to know about them. Breastfeeding is a skill for parents and babies to learn, and everyone deserves the education, support, and time to make their breastfeeding goals a reality.