11 days ago my family, including our sweet dog Buzz was safely outside staring at our house burning down. We lost almost everyTHING in that fire, including our cars. Everyone is ok, and honestly as quickly as it happened, I’m so very grateful for that. That is a picture of my living room the next day. I’ve met with clients in that living room. There is an antique birth stool on the table in the center of the picture that was a gift to me from my mother in law. I do NOT recommend losing your home and everything in it, including your cars, in a house fire, but I want to share a few lessons with you about it here:
Our Community is Amazing!
There were 7 fire trucks at my house in less than 15 minutes. That was impressive. They were all so incredibly kind, and I even got to see a familiar face who took a selfie with me…yes, seriously. Our neighbors came out to put clothes and shoes and blankets on us immediately. We sat in one neighbors’ house when it started to rain. We have had an endless stream of kindness coming our way ever since, and honestly have never felt so surrounded in love.
My doula community both here and around the world has also come together to help us feel the love. My doula mentor Robin Elise Weiss, who many moons ago also had a house fire, has been indispensable! She seriously ran a board meeting for me y’all. I’ve gotten messages from Australia, Germany, California, Canada, Mexico, and sooo many other places, and my heart is so full right now because of them.
2 Small Things
We had a small fire-proof box with all our important documents inside it like our marriage certificate, passports, etc. Get one if you don’t already have one and go make sure all your important documents are actually in it if you do. Change the batteries in your smoke detectors. Seriously, go check them! They can save you. If you don’t have one in your garage already, do that too!
Choose Kindness
There have been incredibly kind people that we’ve interacted with, and then there have been the outlier jerks. When in doubt, choose kindness every single time. I have learned so much about trauma and recognized much of it in myself and my family these past 11 days. We will continue to focus on the goodness and laugh about the ridiculous people, but seriously, choose to be kind to everyone you meet. You never truly know what someone else is dealing with in their life.
Pieces are starting to fall into place for what our life is going to look like for now. We’ve rented a house already where we can stay for the next year if we need to. Life goes on, and we are so thankful for all the kindnesses and for each other more than ever before really. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to us. Doula life continues, and I’m so grateful for the awesome team here that has provided seamless services as I’ve worked to get back to my managerial role. They have continually amazed me as I asked them to step into some roles that I typically have filled. I seriously LOVE this community more now than I even probably could have before this fire. Thank you.
This training will change the way you think about helping pregnant people!
Mark your calendar, because we are soooo excited to announce that we are hosting a Spinning Babies training for birth professionals on Saturday March 12, 2022!!
Spinning Babies is a unique approach to birth developed by midwife Gail Tulley that uses movement and positioning to help humans birth babies more easily. You can read so much more about the approach on the website, but I am here to tell you that I have been a HUGE fan of SB ever since I first became a doula. I regularly use many of these techniques like side-lying release & shake the apple tree! The SB website is one of my go-to sources, and honestly I’m so excited to get to do some hands-on learning with the widely traveled and revered trainer Tammy Ryan.
I love the approach of figuring out how technology and nature can work together to make birth better. I’ve been dreaming of getting a training here in Evansville! I know we’re going to have great interest from nurses, midwives, doulas, chiropractors, doctors, and so many more who can benefit from learning these techniques and upping their skills to help even more. I would be absolutely happy to talk to you about why I think this is an important training for Evansville, IN especially!
Don’t wait!
Spots will be limited to 30 participants for this one day training! There is an early-bird discount of course. We would LOVE to see you there if you are a birth professional nearby. (Psst, if you’re coming in from out of town, let us know and we’d love to meet you too!) We’re excited to host this event for our birthing community here in Southern Indiana!!
Mandy Rodenberg now has her prenatal yoga classes online in a FREE YouTube channel.
So many in-person events have been cancelled during this pandemic, and prenatal yoga has unfortunately been one of them for safety concerns. Mandy Rodenberg turned that lemon into some great lemonade by recording her yoga classes for students to watch and move along with her for FREE on YouTube! The first time I met Mandy, I felt and instant connection with her, and I am certainly not alone. I have had so many clients tell me that her soothing calm voice helped them during their pregnancy, and her prenatal yoga classes are an amazing chance for them to connect with their bodies and their babies. Mandy is a gifted yoga instructor, and all around fantastic human. Mandy let me ask her a few questions, and I think you can see from her answers why so many people love her.
Q & A:
Doula Group of Evansville: Why are you passionate about the restorative and healing properties of yoga practice, especially for the perinatal period?
Mandy: During my 200 hour yoga teacher training in 2009, we were asked to write a paper on ways yoga benefits and heals the body from injury. My teacher at the time allowed me to instead write about how yoga movements ease a mother throughout pregnancy and childbirth. My research solidified my passion for helping bring yoga together with the most life changing and amazing experience a woman will go through. Prenatal yoga will help moms start to understand the connection of mind and body and how and what movements make her body feel safe and nurtured and comfortable. She can use these tools to breath through a tough labor or even preparation for caesarian. She will learn to mother herself.
Doula Group of Evansville: What special training have you taken for prenatal yoga instruction & why is that important?
Mandy: I completed my 200 hour teaching certification in 2010 here in Evansville with Chris Crews as my teacher. Before I was even pregnant, I participated in a prenatal yoga class with another local teacher, Leslie Ward. I began teaching prenatal yoga in 2011, 6 months after giving birth to my daughter. In 2015, when I traveled to visit friends in Denver, Colorado I completed my Prenatal Yoga Certification at Belly Bliss Yoga. The training empowered me to focus on what pregnant mothers CAN do, instead of focusing on what they can’t. The teachers covered more that just the basics of yoga. One taught us about birth trauma and how to listen without taking on the emotions, but witnessing them for her. One afternoon class was all about the benefits of doulas and they put us through a simulation to help us to better understand the empowerment a doula gives the mom. The training was so much more than I expected. Truly though, my best teachers are my pregnant moms. By them reaching out to me, letting me know their own struggles and discomforts, I am able to be a better teacher. I usually teach live classes in 6 week sessions, and no two have been the same in all 5 years. I did also have the pleasure of teaching while I was pregnant with my second child, that was the best.
Mandy Rodenberg, prenatal yoga expert
Doula Group of Evansville: What sparked your interest in creating a YouTube channel to house such awesome resources?
Mandy: My husband, Andrew, and I both teach yoga at several locations here in Evansville. We were both home during the shut down in March and were wondering how we could continue to stay connected to our clients. We decided to try making videos that we could make available to everyone. We have resumed some in-person classes this past summer, but we have some clients that don’t feel safe returning to class. With our videos we hope to stay connected to our clients in hopes they do return to class when they feel safe. My prenatal yoga classes at Deaconess Women’s Hospital have not yet resumed since the shut down. The need to limit the number of people coming into the hospital is paramount to the safety of moms and babies, so all classes have been canceled for the time being. This year has been so stressful for everyone, I knew pregnant moms would need yoga and relaxation now more than ever.
Doula Group of Evansville: How did your own pregnancies, births, and postpartum experience influence your yoga practice?
Mandy: I am an anxious person, and had no idea until my first yoga class. I sat on my mat with my legs crossed and the instructor said to quiet your mind and focus on my breath. I had no idea that I was thinking all of the time. I still struggle with it. That was my biggest challenge with the birth of my first child, just trying to fully relax, to give in. I was fortunate to have great birth experiences with the support of my husband though. My pregnancies were both pretty blissful. I walked 3 miles nearly everyday and practiced my yoga, more so with my first pregnancy for obvious reasons. My second pregnancy I had the wonderful opportunity to teach prenatal yoga to a lovely group of mommas. I loved how we all mothered and supported each other. They would call me afterward to talk about their birth and give me support for my big day, which by the way I was still nervous about even though it was my second birth. My experiences guided me to form a style of yoga that simply focused on learning how to make your own body feel better through movement and relaxation. Sure my practice builds strength and flexibility too, but listening to your own body’s cues is what will help you through your toughest moments in labor, birth, and even motherhood. Yoga has helped me in every aspect of my life, but especially for motherhood. The postpartum period, or fourth trimester was really challenging for me. I realized that I just couldn’t do everything I could before. I think of my yoga practice the same way. I do what I can and when I can’t always roll out my mat, I try to be kind to myself about it. It’s hard. We moms have so much on our plate. I try to live my yoga, by breathing at traffic lights, watching my children play, enjoying nature, and trying to be in this moment.
Doula Group of Evansville: What is your favorite way to connect with clients in a virtual space?
Mandy: I have so far had most of my connections with clients through facebook messenger and posts. It warms my heart to have someone describe to me how they benefited from one of my classes. Comments help me to understand my audience’s needs. You can always click on the like button at the bottom of the screen and subscribe to my channel. Likes show me the most popular videos, and I can make more like them. You can leave me more personalized feedback in the comment section below on each video. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for this opportunity, Hillary to connect with moms. Ladies, you are in good hands with The Doula Group!
Prenatal Yoga Benefits
According to the Mayo Clinic, Prenatal Yoga has the following benefits to practitioners:
improved sleep
reduced stresss and anxiety
increased strength, flexibility, & endurance of muscles needed for childbirth
decreased lower back pain, nausea, headaches, and shortness of breath
Online learning is so quickly becoming the norm, even for childbirth classes. We are looking forward to a time when we can meet in person, but for now, online learning is where it is. We know that you will find Mandy’s YouTube channel a great stand-in until she can resume teaching in-person prenatal yoga classes. Have you tried prenatal yoga?
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:
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!
Home birth is an option here in Evansville, and I love attending home births as a doula. This post will help you think through some of the considerations.
As a doula, I often get asked about home birth here in Evansville, IN. There are plenty of myths and misconceptions about home birth, midwives, and doulas, and plenty has been written on these. My purpose with this post is to give you Evansville area specific resources and a little bit of advice too. As always, I am happy to chat with anyone who has questions about home birth here, and about my experiences as a doula at home births as well.
Choosing Home Birth
There are plenty of reasons that people choose to birth at home. Currently, I am fielding concerned messages about the safety of the hospital and visitor policies. We haven’t seen a restriction of zero visitors here yet, but it could come in the future. One important fact: only low risk parents are able to choose home birth. That means if you have any risk factors such as insulin controlled diabetes or placenta previa, then you are not a candidate for home birth. The good news is that 85% of pregnant people are considered low risk!
Finding a Provider
There are currently 2 home birth midwives that serve the Evansville area: Michelle Sanders, CPM & Jennifer Williams, CPM. They are both Certified Professional Midwives who carry emergency supplies such as oxygen & medicine to stop bleeding. Both are newborn CPR trained, very experienced, and have local assistants in Evansville. They both hold prenatal meetings at their office spaces around 2 hours away. I believe they are both doing virtual visits currently because of the concerns about COVID-19.
Both midwives also require you to have a parallel care provider. That means if you hire a home birth midwife, you will still need to have another provider with hospital privileges such as an OB or family doctor. There are not many providers locally who are able to openly support home birth. That may be changing, but I am also happy to talk to you about which providers we have found to be supportive. It is important that you have an open and honest conversation with all of your healthcare providers about your wishes and plans for your birth.
Cost
Home birth is not cheap. It is also not covered by most insurance companies. You can ask your insurance about a “gap exception” for covering the cost of your midwife. The midwives are not able to bill your insurance, and you should expect to pay your midwife out of pocket and then to perhaps be reimbursed from your insurance company. Some people may be able to use their HSA or FSA for these costs, but again you should consult your individual company.
In addition to the cost of the midwife, you also need to factor in the cost of either renting or purchasing a birth tub and supplies for it if you want one. You will also need to purchase other supplies; your midwife will give you a list. I always recommend getting more towels than you think you would ever need and that you don’t mind throwing away if necessary.
Other Considerations
If you are thinking about a home birth, call early! Both of the midwives who travel here get busy very quickly, so don’t wait to contact them.
Study up on childbirth and coping techniques! You will want to know what to expect even more at a home birth. I will have a blog post up soon about online childbirth education options.
Unassisted Birth or Free Birth is not an option you should choose lightly. If this is something you are thinking about, please reach out to us so we can talk to you about some of the things you might want to consider. Home birth with a midwife and free/unassisted birth are NOT the same thing.
Home Birth Doula
I love being a doula at home births. I have worked with both of the above mentioned midwives. My job as a doula is very different than their job as a midwife. I have balanced on the end of a bed while holding my client in a supported squat position as she pushed her baby out. One client gave birth sitting on my lap. I’ve poured warm water over one clients back as a she labored in a birth pool for hours. As a doula at a home birth, my job remains to help my client ask good questions, move around, be more comfortable, & be emotionally supported. We doulas always try to fill in where we are needed, no matter the location. I often arrive before the midwife and their assistant. I am there to help you.
Reach Out
If you are thinking about home birth in the Evansville area and want to talk about your options, please reach out to us! I love talking about my home birth experiences. Birthing at home might not be the right choice for everyone, but it is an option here. I have spent the last 6 years gathering resources, making professional connections, and learning all I can to help support families in all kinds of birthing situations. I would be happy to talk to you about all of your options.
As an experienced birth doula learning is important to me, and I grow with each birth I attend!
Every single birth I attend is an opportunity to serve a family. I am always honored to be invited into that space. With more than 5 years under my belt as a birth doula, I still feel like I learn things each time. Even as I inch closer to 150 births attended, I am always in awe of the process and my amazing clients. I will never feel like I have seen it all, and this year definitely brought some surprises. Instead of posting statistics about how many births I have attended, I prefer to post about doula lessons that I have learned this past year. Some of these have reinforced things I learned previously, and others have challenged me in new ways. This year has been interesting in so many ways, and I love that I keep growing and learning along the way.
Here is my list of 15 doula lessons in no particular order:
1. In childbirth, faster is not always easier.
2. I don’t have to agree with all of your decisions to support you.
3. A little determination goes a very long way for labor and delivery.
4. Communication and trauma informed care are not taught to all medical providers.
5. Rice socks smell like burnt popcorn if you microwave them for too long.
6. Home birth can be beautiful beautiful beautiful! Make sure to remind people to PRACTICE with their birthing tub at home!
7. Things I may view as traumatic, may not be viewed the same as my client. Don’t project my views onto other people’s memories. Recovering from a challenging birth is really important for me, physically AND emotionally.
8. Sometimes I burst into tears at the magnificence of it all, and that is ok.
9. Repeat clients are seriously, just the best! VBACs are pretty amazing too.
10. Watch the partner’s face; those glimpses of true joy and love are amazing!
11. LISTEN to the birthing person; their opinion matters.
12. Sometimes clients still surprise me with their ferocity, and I LOVE that!
13. Amazing providers who give individualized care and continue to consider experience and preference over standard operating procedure give me hope! All the preparation in the world cannot make up for an unsupportive provider.
14. Trusting my doula gut when it says GO is still the right thing to do.
15. Patience is undervalued and wholly necessary.
2019’s doula lessons were not easy, and this is certainly not going to be a year that I will soon forget. As I grow in my doula knowledge and skills I am also constantly reminded of how much I really don’t know. These doula lessons all help to increase my confidence and capacity to deal with new situations, hopefully with grace and humility.
A year for transition has been excellent for growing and connecting with so many new people.
Every year I pick a focus word, and for 2019 I chose: connection. It has felt like a year for transition for my business for many reasons, and I am looking forward to some exciting new connections and growth in the new year. Before we get there though, I think it is important to look back and recognize what was accomplished in 2019.
I started the connections of 2019 by orchestrating an entire blog series connecting with other great local businesses! This even included 2 giveaways to local businesses, and I am looking forward to hopefully coordinating more in 2020. I taught a new class this year on natural coping techniques for labor and delivery, and it seemed to go over really well with the students. I did not teach any group childbirth classes, but I did teach some private childbirth education courses. I had a few speaking engagements as well at Common Grounds connecting and growing with fellow entrepreneurs and at Central High School with students too!
Making connections and growing with fellow doulas and childbirth professionals was also an important priority for me in 2019. I hosted a certified lactation educator training, a birth doula training, and a TENS training for doulas in 2019. I helped plan a meet the doulas evening where we hosted potential clients who came to ask us all kinds of questions. Some of my favorite conversations happened around my kitchen table at our doula gatherings too, and those connections are always extra special. Additionally, I became a member of the Southwest Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition, and that has been really great way to learn, connect, and grow with all kinds of local lactation professionals too.
I made connections and grew through learning and the wider profession a priority in 2019. I continued serving on the data collection subcommittee of the advocacy committee of DONA International, my certifying organization. I attended and received continuing education at 5online conferences through GOLD Learning. I presented and attended the Evidence Based Birth Conference in Lexington, KY. I reviewed three books for the Lamaze International blog this year too. I also cultivated connections with the whole wide world through the launch of The Birth Geeks Podcast with my friend and doula mentor Robin Elise Weiss.
All of these connections and growth, local to international, doula to client, brain to information, face to face, they have all been so very special to me. I am proud of the work I have done this year, and I haven’t even started talking about my connections with my amazing clients. (That’s for my next blog post.) 2019 has been a special year as I have stepped whole-heartedly forward and grown with each new connection that I have made. These connections have sometimes been hard won, but I would not trade them for the world. Thank you to every single person whose connections have been invaluable to my amazing year.
Maybe it is all the feasting we do around this time of year or the wonderful possibilities of a fresh start in the coming new year, but I always start to rethink my fitness routines and nutrition strategies. For my final local connection blog post of the year, I want to introduce you to my friend Casey Thomas-Hardesty of Two Peas Wellness. Casey possesses a wealth of information about health, nutrition, and fitness. Growing a human is hard work, and Casey helps you feel better both during and after pregnancy, no matter how long it has been.
Casey Thomas-Hardesty is a mom of 3, certified Nutritional Therapy Consultant, Pregnancy and Postpartum Athleticism Coach, and the owner of Two Peas Wellness, LLC. Her mission is to help you take the stress out of nutrition and fitness, heal your relationship with your body, and gain knowledge to make confident and informed decisions for your health and happiness. She specializes in gut health, core and pelvic floor health, and pregnancy and postpartum nutrition and fitness.
I asked Casey a few questions to help us get to know her and Two Peas Wellness a little better:
1. What is your favorite thing about your job? I absolutely love when I see women learning to trust their bodies again. When they aren’t scared to move, can do activities they love but were previously told were out of reach, or when they gain freedom in their food choices. It’s so rewarding to me to watch them grow.
2. What do you wish people knew about your business? I wish women knew the importance of having a properly trained coach for their prenatal fitness and postpartum recovery, no matter if they are a high level athlete, weekend warrior, or a mom that just wants to be able to chase after her kids. Research clearly shows that fitness and movement is important during this chapter, but we are learning that HOW you move is much more important than WHAT movement you are doing. The how isn’t taught in any traditional fitness certifications. Having a coach that truly understands the spectrum of considerations that impact pregnant and postpartum women, including core and pelvic floor health, mental health, and delivery method, and can help you translate that to real life can be invaluable to your postpartum recovery and long term health. That is what I do at Two Peas Wellness!
3. What is the most stressful thing about your job? Being a full time entrepreneur at Two Peas Wellness is definitely hard. I left a job that was the majority income for our family to pursue my passion. It’s so worth it though to be able to do what I love and help women in the process.
4. What is your favorite thing about living in the tri-state area? I love the small town feel, especially for raising my family. We also have a lot to offer with holistic and traditional health services, activities, and entertainment.
5. Where can people find you if they want to learn more about your services? On Facebook or Instagram at @twopeaswellness or visit my website at www.TwoPeasWellness.com
Casey not only knows her stuff, but manages to be both very professional and personable at the same time. She knows the stresses and worries of motherhood because she has been there x3. She has specialized training and expertise that so many fitness and nutrition experts are sadly lacking. She is approachable and never makes you feel bad about whatever choices you have made for your nutrition and fitness. You may have a new person in your life, and you may feel all rearranged, but Casey can help you navigate the physical newness too! Contact Casey at Two Peas Wellness to book a consult and learn more, and tell her we sent you.
The continuous support of a doula is supported by science!
The continuous support of a doula is an evidence-based approach to improve outcomes, decrease intervention, & increase satisfaction. Multiple scientific studies and committee opinions have concluded that doulas make a difference! This is an easy to read summary of the evidence if reading academic text isn’t your thing. As a birth doula, I believe that all birthing families deserve support, and not just on the big day.
These are the kinds of support that I have been able to provide for my clients in the past:
Prenatal
Knowing what all the local options are for prenatal care and planning for birth. Calming fears is another thing I do to support my clients in the prenatal period, and this comes in many forms, but most often through education. I also find myself supporting clients prenatally by connecting them with trusted professionals. This can be for all kinds of things including prenatal massage, chiropractic, and more. I also am happy to share my shopping tips when clients are looking for specific things!
Birth
As a doula, during birth I am giving physical support by helping my clients move around. I give hand massages and help keep their gown closed as we walk the halls. I also like to say that I help clients ask more questions about their care. This is part of helping them know what all their options are as well. I like to say that sometimes I help them order off the secret menu of options that aren’t necessarily the norm, but are perfectly fine to request.
One area that I wish I could support birthing families better here is during cesarean surgeries. All families deserve support, and it can be so hard for families when their plans go sideways. In many other places in the United States, they allow doulas in the operating room as a second support person. Doulas are even trained in how to behave inside an operating room, and how to support clients having a cesarean. Doulas are not currently allowed in operating room of all our local hospitals, but maybe we can change that in the future.
Postpartum: direction to proper resources & support!!
The most important thing that I can do for birth doula clients is to direct them to the people who are actual experts in the things that they are dealing with in the moment. If they have questions about breastfeeding, I make sure I send them to an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. That is just one example, but knowing WHO to ask questions is really important. Breastfeeding is a great example because so many people don’t really understand how little training most physicians have in breastfeeding science, and they end up getting non-evidence-based advice despite best intentions by everyone involved. Part of my job as a doula is helping clients connect to the right people for whatever questions they might have. I don’t always have the answers, but I do make it my business to know who to send you to.
I have not had the capacity to serve postpartum clients this year, but VERY soon, I am going to have an announcement coming, so be on the lookout for that in early 2020!
All families deserve the support of a doula. Part of my job is helping insure you get the right support at the right time from the right people. I’m constantly learning, so I can continue to know the best local and online resources for my clients.
What was the most helpful resource you found to help you after you brought your new baby home?
Evansville needs midwives to support healthy birthing families!
Southwest Indiana needs midwives, and the lack of them here is surprising. It is frustrating for me as a doula for several reasons. Our area deserves to have midwifery options, especially as midwifery care has proven benefits for patient satisfaction, cost, and birth outcomes.
What does the landscape look like for people searching for midwifery care here? We currently have two Certified Professional Midwives that travel here for home births, one from Bedford and the other from Bloomington. However, home birth is not an option for everyone. In 2019, we only have one Certified Nurse Midwife catching babies at one Evansville area hospital.
So what is the big deal? Midwives are experts in normal pregnancy and birth. According to the Midwives Alliance of North America “all midwives are trained to provide comprehensive prenatal care and education, guide labor and birth, address complications, and care for newborns.” Midwives are not surgeons, and all obstetricians are, which fundamentally changes the way that they approach your care. The Midwifery Model of Care “whether practiced in clinics, private homes, hospitals or birth centers, has at its core the characteristics of being with women, listening to women, and sharing knowledge and decision-making with women” (MANA). Midwives expect pregnancy and birth to be normal and watch out for signs that pregnancy, labor, and delivery might need intervention. That is not the same approach as an Obstetrician, and if you want to read more about the comparison or some social science research about this I highly recommend this book and especially this article and this one too from Robbie Davis-Floyd. She is the most renowned anthropological expert when it comes to this stuff!
Midwives have also been proven time and time again to be linked to better outcomes for their patients. People who use midwives for their care are THREE TIMES more likely to be satisfied with their care when compared with obstetrician-led care. Midwifery care has also been shown to be the most cost effective care in the hospital setting.
Who cares? Well, I do, and I’m not alone. I chose midwifery care for myself when I delivered my babies in Cleveland. As a doula, I regularly get asked for recommendations about providers, and I can’t even count the number of disappointed people I have talked to when I tell them that there is only one midwife here in town available to catch babies in one hospital. There are plenty of factors that go into choosing a provider, including insurance, location, practice style, personality, and so much more. While one midwife is certainly better than none, people choosing to birth here surely deserve more options. We need more midwives in Southwest Indiana.
For a little comparison, just down the road in Owensboro, KY there are 4 Certified Nurse Midwives catching babies at the hospital. Owensboro has a population of around 60,000. Evansville has a population of >115,000! If we include the populations of the surrounding 5 counties (Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, & Warrick) We have a local population of over 320,000 people, and we know that there are people traveling here from Northern Kentucky, Eastern Illinois, and even further counties in Indiana to give birth, and they aren’t even included in that population count! Not every pregnancy and birth here needs to be attended by a surgeon. Yes, family practice physicians are also an excellent option, and there are some great ones here, but midwifery care is more specialized and has a different approach than the medical model of birth.
Southwest Indiana needs midwives, and we have some currently working to complete their training. As I sit writing this I know three midwives who are currently in school and planning to practice here when they graduate. Two will be Certified Nurse Midwives who catch babies in the hospital and one will be a Certified Professional Midwife who attends home births. Growing families deserve options for their care, and these midwives will be an amazing addition to our community when they are finished with their training. I can’t wait for the day when birthing families in Southwest Indiana have more midwives to support them as they grow.
Have you ever considered hiring a midwife instead of a physician for your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum care?
