Category: Tips

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!

Childbirth Education Promotes Partnership

A quality childbirth education class can help you have a more symbiotic relationship with your chosen birthing location.

In Finding Nemo, Marlin explains to his son Nemo that rubbing his body on the sea anemone that is their home helps make sure that the anemone won’t sting them when they go in and out of its tentacles. The anemone usually stings its prey before devouring it, but has a symbiotic (friendly) relationship with the clown fish that uses the anemone as their home. The clown fish get protected from other predators and the anemone gets some essential nutrients from the clown fish, all because they come together to change each others’ skin microbiome (read more science-y stuff here). What does this all have to do with learning about giving birth to human babies in childbirth education courses? I’ll tell you three ways!

1. Expectations

Knowing what to expect, especially from something that could sting you, really helps you be more satisfied with the process. Going into birth without knowing what to expect can set you up to get shocked by all the things that can and do happen. No matter where you are planning to give birth, setting your own expectations for how things could go is going to help you be better at going with the flow of birth. Taking a quality childbirth education course helps you and your partner work together better on the big day, and helps you partner with your provider because you anticipate what is coming next. Being knowledgeable about the process eases anxiety for some people too, and that’s a great thing.

2. Needs

The clown fish and anemone each give something needed to each other in their partnership; it benefits them both. Understanding the needs that you will have in labor and how the people around you can help meet them is part of any great childbirth education class. How do you like to be touched during stressful times if at all? How do you communicate your needs to your partner when you can’t speak? What are the needs of your hospital/birth center/birth team when you arrive as far as paperwork, blood work, exams, etc? Knowing before you go or before your team arrives to your house for your delivery, helps everyone be on the same page. The better the understanding of needs for everyone in the room, the better the partnership. An excellent childbirth education course can help everyone get their needs met when it comes to the big day, and even afterwards

3. Learn from Others’ Experience

How do clown fish learn to rub themselves on the anemone to not get stung? They learn from other fishes experience. (Though clearly someone had to be the first fish to figure this out and also first human to give birth, but I think you get what I’m trying to say here.) Certified childbirth educators are experienced not only in teaching childbirth education, but also in adult learning principles and techniques. Having taught both children and adults, I can say that without a doubt, they are NOT the same! Learning from an experienced and independent childbirth educator means that their content is not only evidence-based but they can also teach you about ALL the options, even those that aren’t as common (or even offered) in different birthing locations or with different providers.

When you are expecting a baby, taking a quality childbirth education course is a real must. Taking a childbirth education class promotes a lovely symbiotic relationship & helps you know who to navigate the twists and turns of labor and delivery together. In 2024, the Doula Group of Evansville will be offering in-person childbirth education courses again!! I’ll be announcing dates soon, so be on the lookout!!

5 Things to Pack for Your Hospital Birth

Packing for the hospital when you are expecting a baby can feel a little daunting. Sure, you want to pack the essentials like an outfit for your baby to wear home and the car seat, what do you really need to pack for yourself? I’ve had some clients bring only their purse and others who look like they are moving abroad for year with giant suitcases full of stuff. Neither of those approaches are really my style, but there are a few essentials that you might not think about when it comes to packing your bags for your hospital birth. These are my top five:

Lip Balm

All that breathing in labor can make your lips dry. Kissing your baby’s head a million times can make your lips dry. All the talking you are going to be doing to all the people coming in and out of your room and on the phone telling everyone how amazing your baby is, that will make your lips dry too. Indoor air is dry, especially in a hospital. Trust me! Bring the lip balm.

Your Own Pillow & Blanket

While your first reaction to bringing your own pillow and blanket into a hospital might be ick, this one is essential. Pillows can sometimes be hard to find in a hospital, and their blankets are not exactly known for being fuzzy and soft. Bringing your own pillow and blanket also has the extra added bonus of helping your room feel more like your own, and smelling like home helps your body actually feel safer too. Thank you olfactory senses & pheromones! Comfort is important during your stay, and I promise that your washing machine has a disinfect cycle that you can use on the pillow and blanket when you get them back home.

Cheap Nightgown & Slippers

One of my doula secrets is that the cheap nightgowns that button or snap up in the front are seriously awesome for the hospital. Pants aren’t great because of needing to pull them down all the time for your nurse to check your bleeding, and if you have a surgical birth you will constantly worry about the waistband. Easy access to your chest is essential, so definitely something to look for when you are shopping for a nightgown. I also recommend not purchasing anything you actually really love, because you want to not feel bad for getting bodily fluids on it and maybe just throwing it away. Slippers are just nice for your feet to not have to touch the hospital floor. I don’t know about you, but I definitely feel like I have to relax when I’m wearing slippers too.

Snacks

Yes, the hospital will have food for you, but packing your own snacks can help bring you comfort too. Have a favorite road trip snack? Pack it! Have a snack you’ve been craving your whole pregnancy? Pack it! Planning an unmedicated birth and having a healthy pregnancy? Pack some snacks to eat & drink during labor too! Yes, seriously!

Nursing Bra & Pads

No matter how you are planning to feed your baby, you will want to bring a nursing bra and some pads. If you are planning to breastfeed, then having access to the breast is essential, and the nightgown is only part of the deal. The nursing bra is not entirely essential, but I personally always liked to have one for when I slept. I really like this one from Kindred Bravely, but there are tons of really great options. I also always appreciated having the absorbent pads to put in my bra, because when my milk came in it was full force. If you are planning to formula feed, a tight bra and some pads will help keep your milk at bay. You can also talk to the lactation consultants about other ways to dry up your milk with medications. (Yes, they do that too.) Having a bra on also helped me feel more comfortable with all the people who were constantly coming in and out to check on me in the hospital. That’s just a personal preference thing.

Figuring out what to pack for your hospital birth doesn’t have to be overwhelming. There are tons of packing lists that you can find online if you like a good list. These are the 5 essentials that not everyone thinks about bringing. The nice thing is that even if you forget something, either the hospital will have it for you, or you can send someone to the store to grab it. Heck, you could even have it delivered. Packing a little something nice for yourself, like delicious smelling shampoo for the best shower you’ve ever had in your life, the one after you give birth, is also a great idea. Pack the things you think you’ll need, and I promise, you’ll probably bring less with you the next time.

Babies Gotta Eat

Informed is best!

Rule #1: Feed the baby! You get to choose how you do that, and informed decisions are always best. As with all things human, there really is no one right way that is going to work for everyone. The two recent train derailments upstream from Evansville have parents worried about environmental toxins in our water, and I’ve gotten a few very worried parents asking about the safety of preparing formula with our tap water. I know my answer surprised them, so maybe it will surprise you too.

You shouldn’t be making formula with water straight from your tap. Yes, I’m serious, and no I didn’t know that when I was making formula for my children many moons ago. It wasn’t until I read the WHO’s Safe Preparation, Storage, & Handling of Powdered Infant Formula, that I really understood how wrong I had been. Sometimes formula can get contaminated during the manufacturing process. We saw this happen in one large facility and shutting that down to clean it up is part of what caused the recent formula shortage here in the United States. You can still look up your formula to see if it has been recalled here. To control for water-born pathogens that could come through in your tap water, yes, even here in Evansville, it is best practice to make your infant formula with water that has been boiled and then cooled. If you are concerned about contaminants in the water, then you could consider purchasing water to make formula for your baby.

Babies have to eat & making sure they can do so safely is really important. As one of my favorite lactation scholars has said multiple places: informed is best! Formula feeding has risks, and knowing how to mitigate them can help you be more at ease with doing what is best for you and your family. Inform yourself so that you can feed your baby confidently whether that’s with your body or from a bottle!

One Size Fits None?

Hospital Gowns are terrible. First there is the fact that they leave your bum hanging out for the whole world to see, but they are also one-size-fits-none! Putting on a hospital gown is symbolic. It strips away your normal role of the clothes that you put on that morning and magically transforms you into a “patient” without any form of individuality or expression. Putting on that gown also visually communicates to anyone in the room what your “role” is there, and honestly strips away more than just your dignity. Studies have shown that when you put on that gown, you also strip away some of your perceived control and feel more vulnerable. What you wear affects how you feel, and it turns out that hospital gowns aren’t likely to make anyone feel powerful or better. 

Standard Operating Policies & Procedures 

Similar to those gowns, many other policies and procedures in the hospital make people feel bad unnecessarily. Standards are put in place for a reason, but many people have argued that hospital birthing policies and procedures are more often than not written primarily to protect the hospital from liability. That subject is a whole can of worms that I’m not opening right now, but my point to you is this: just because something is standard, doesn’t mean that it is required, evidence based, or that it fits with your plans/desires/wishes. Standard is the mold and you don’t have to try to force yourself into it. You can decline things and say, “no thank you.” Maybe you aren’t planning a “standard” birth or approach to your birth. Maybe your  postpartum and parenting plans and priorities are different from your pediatrician’s approach. That’s ok! One size honestly fits NONE and even as a parent with older kids, I still have to be a different parent to each kid. 

This is not to say that all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the exact same at every hospital or birthing location. In fact, we KNOW they aren’t and have seen that in action. A great example is the SOP for eating and drinking during labor. One local hospital doesn’t allow anything other than ice chips during labor, a practice not at all supported by evidence by the way. At another hospital where we attend a births, the labor and delivery nurses there taught me how they make “slushies” for laboring parents out of popsicles. At a 3rd hospital, they have a standard laboring mom tray of snacks and drinks that they bring. What are the policies and procedures where you are delivering? Are they followed all the time?  

What size fits you? 

There are so many lies that are told to us about pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, and one of those is that the standards are in place to protect everyone, evidence based, and enforced equally. I can tell you that is definitely not the case from what I have observed as a doula. In a medical system that is forced to treat patients as consumers though, you do have some power if you decide to hold onto it. If it helps, bring your own gown to wear during labor or go buck naked to remind yourself (and signal to the staff too) that you are not sick and are indeed powerful. It also sends a visual signal that you want something other than the SOP, whether you choose to say anything about it or not. Spend some time finding out what the policy is where you are planning to deliver and what aligns with your approach. Humans are not all the same, and figuring out what size fits your needs and wants is helpful to do before the big day. That is one of the things that doulas do too, help you find what works for you and your family. Keep asking questions and demanding the individualized care that you deserve just for being an awesome human being with a new one in your care.

“The Secret Menu”

Have you ever wanted to order something that wasn’t on the menu at a restaurant like they do in Ratatouille the movie? What about finding that ever elusive Unicorn Frappucino? Well, we firmly believe that when it comes to your pregnancy, birth, & postpartum, there should NOT be a secret menu. That’s why we’re here to both demystify some of the evidence based things you could be using/requesting AND to make recommendations for you too. Secret menu items might be all fine and good for fast food restaurants, but we’re not keeping these secrets from you any more!

**Note, some of these links are affiliate links and we may get a small compensation if you use them. We promise this is not how we are getting rich, and we only recommend products we really love!**

Secret Menu for Pregnancy Top 5

Pregnancy can be rough, but we’re here to tell you some of our favorite “secret menu” things that can make it a little bit better. Here are our top 5:

1. Compression Socks–yes they can be tough to get on, but they seriously help with swelling so much. Kindred Bravely has some that don’t even look like your grandma would wear them, & bonus this mom owned company has comfy cozy clothing for every step of your pregnancy to postpartum journey.

2. Slide on shoes–bending over to tie your shoes is overrated, & we’ve been hearing rave reviews of Hey Dude Shoes from lots of our clients.

3. Magnesium lotion is great for helping with restless legs, and our favorite is the lavender sleepy lotion from 8 Sheep Organics.

4. A good support belt will save your lower back as your belly grows & we think the awesome belts that Belly Bandit sells are soooo worth your investment.

5. Finally, our secret menu favorite thing to recommend is to take an independent childbirth education class that fits with your goals. We know of a ton of great online classes to fit every budget (including free), & if you want to try an in-person class, hit us up, because we totally do that!

Lamaze Classes for VBAC, Bringing Home Baby, Breastfeeding Basics, Labor Pain Management, Safe & Healthy Birth in 6 steps, or Labor Confidence (free).

Alice Turner has awesome classes including Supporting Her (specifically for partners), Birth A to Z (free), & FREE live Lamaze classes via her YouTube channel too.

If you’re looking for an awesome class for partners to learn how to help, The Birth Partner’s Ultimate Labor Support Toolkit is an excellent one!

Mandy Irby (The Birth Nurse) has a really great pre-recorded full Lamaze class that I like to recommend as well: Ultimate Guide to Taking Control of Your Childbirth. (Use coupon: BIRTHGEEKS for 15% off)

Secret Menu for Birth Top 5

Not all of these options are available at all facilities, but it never hurts to ask and even asking for these things helps plant a seed that people would like them.

1. Intermittent &/or Telemetry Monitoring can be soo helpful for movement while you are in labor! Intermittent monitoring is typically available if you don’t have any drugs in your system & everything is looking great with you & baby. Times for intermittent monitoring can vary, but typically 15-20 minutes out of every hour used as a metric. Telemetry monitoring is WIRELESS & AMAZING for sooo many reasons including moving, getting up to use the restroom, walking the halls, etc. ASK for these things!

2. Squat Bar–YES, they have them, & no you don’t have to use them to squat if you don’t want to. I like to wrap the center of a sheet around the bar & put the ends in your hands so you can put your feet on the bar and pull the sheet while you’re pushing. It works really well for some people!

3. A Roller Ball Massager is something that you’ll need to bring, but you can grab a cheap one at 5 Below to help with massage and counter pressure on your partner’s sacrum. It is one of my most used tools in my doula bag.

4. Eye Masks are great for both helping you focus internally on how you are feeling & coping with labor AND signaling to the people around you that you want to be left alone to concentrate. Psst, I really like to wear one when I’m trying to sleep during the day and my kids keep coming upstairs to ask me questions too.

5. Alternate Pushing Positions are NOT used enough, & I’m here to say that they need to be, even for people who have epidurals!! As a #birthdoula, I’m a HUGE fan of whatever works for you and your baby, but I hear soo much misinformation about pushing positions, & the constant assumption that flat on your back with your legs in stirrups is just how it is going to be, is frankly annoying and not at all supported by evidence or physiology for the most part. I’m here to say that you CAN push in other positions and you probably SHOULD at least try a few before you figure out what will work for you.

Secret Menu for Postpartum Top 5

Everyone wants to buy stuff for your baby, but all of our “secret menu” things are specifically for YOU!

1. Milk Collectors are awesome for catching that extra liquid gold that might otherwise end up in your bra, but be aware that there are passive collectors like Milkies Milk Saver on-the-go & active ones like the Haakaa silicone pump. If you have a tendency to overproduce, be aware of if you are demanding more or just collecting.

2. The fancy peri-bottle made by Frida Mom is Ah-mazing if you’ve had a vaginal birth. Seriously!

3. #Cesarean or not, a belly binder can be your friend in those first days when your abs & organs are all still rearranging.

4. Clothes that are especially made for nursing your baby and being comfortable are important, & Kindred Bravely has some of our favorite pieces (& you can 10% off by using our link.

5. Our favorite pillows for nursing are from My Brest Friend, and not just because of the awesome pockets, though those are great too.

We truly hope…

We truly hope to keep breaking down the secret menu for our clients and community. If you don’t know to ask for these things, you might not get them. Keep learning and pushing for change, you know we will too.

Restless Legs in Pregnancy

***This post contains affiliate links, and we will get a small fee if you click through & make a purchase. This is not our plan for getting rich, rather a small reward for referring you to awesome products that we love and highly recommend.***

Restless legs syndrome might sound like some annoying made-up thing for selling drugs, but it is actually a common problem in pregnancy. So what is it exactly? How many pregnant people does it actually effect? Is there anything you can do about it? I’m here to tell you that there’s hope for help, even if this is just a transient pregnancy annoyance.

Restless Leg Syndrome

Up to 34% of pregnant people get it! People describe it as feeling like their legs are itchy, creepy-crawly, or even burning and the only way to make it go away is to move them. It often happens in the middle of the night, waking you from sleep, which is why it really stinks in pregnancy. The reason it happens is not entirely clear, with theories ranging from deficiencies in iron or folic acid to imbalances of dopamine or estrogen. Whatever reason it happens, it is honestly just not fun.

Personal Perspective

My husband gets restless legs, especially after he has a soccer game! His legs jerk so hard that it shakes the bed, and I honestly have contemplated getting twin beds like 50s sitcoms sometimes or making him sleep somewhere else on nights that he has had soccer games. After doing a little research about things that can help RLS, I FINALLY convinced him to start using this unscented lotion on his legs before bed. It has made such a difference! I am a much nicer person when I get my sleep, and my husband is happy because we still get to keep our Queen sized bed (for now).

8 Sheep Organics

Beyond just lotion, 8 Sheep products like their sleepy lotion, “unwind” pillow mist, & organic bedtime tea all can help your bedtime routine for settling down at the end of a long day. There truly is something about a routine that trains our minds that it is time for calm and rest, and your olfactory senses are the most effective triggers of memories. These smells can trigger your brain to relax and know that it is time to chill.

If you aren’t pregnant, but are looking for a sweet gift for that pregnant person in your life, they also have this Sweet Slumber Gift Set that includes all of the above 3 products at a discounted price. This is a sweet reminder for the pregnant people in your life that they are also important!

So if you or someone you know is having symptoms of restless leg syndrome, trying out some of this lotion might be a great help. I have 3 samples of this lavender scented lotion to giveaway if you want to try it out, so please message me if you are interested! Send us a message and we’ll get you a sample! It smells great and might just help you get a little more rest.

DoulasEVV Evansville Doula Newburgh

Postpartum Support

We want to support you without judgement. We want to help you find solutions that work for your family.

4th trimester support: literal and virtual

**This post contains affiliate links, and we may get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Virtual Support

Do you know who to call when you are having trouble getting baby to calm down? Would you love to have a person who knows lots of different tricks and methods and who will listen to you without judgement? What if you had someone calling to check on you as often as you need to answer your questions and reassure you that you’re doing a great job? Postpartum support is something we love to do to help families, especially right now in this isolating pandemic.

Our Virtual Postpartum Package is set up to provide extra postpartum support to families during the time of COVID-19. Postpartum is already a time of introspection and withdrawal while families integrate their new baby into their lives. Currently, parents are faced with increased isolation or fewer social contacts. This package allows families to have access to a supportive, trained doula to process birth stories, explore “what’s normal” with infant care and postpartum recovery. We are happy to provide breastfeeding/bottle feeding/pumping support too! We also have lots of ideas for partners on how to best help and support their birthing partner and baby. We want to help answer your questions regarding sleep, infant development, bonding, baby wearing, soothing, sibling transitions, and navigating relationships. It’s like having a postpartum BFF in your pocket!

This virtual postpartum support package includes

  • 2 one-hour long planning sessions before the baby arrives
  • 6 postpartum support calls (30-60 minutes each)
  • 6 weeks of unlimited email/text postpartum support
  • Additional time can be purchased for $20/hour if needed

We would love to talk to you about how we can help support your postpartum transition!

DoulasEVV Doula Evansville Newburgh
DoulasEVV Evansville Doula Newburgh

Literal Support

Belly Bandit** is all about making products to support your growing family, and I especially love what they have for during the 4th trimester. When you are pregnant your growing baby pushes all of your organs out of the way to make room for your baby. Once that baby isn’t inside there anymore, all of your organs move back into their regular places, though of course not exactly the way they were before you got pregnant. That’s why sometimes even if you weigh the same as before, your clothes might not fit the same way. Your body has still been rearranged. A little extra literal postpartum support can be helpful in your 4th trimester to support your midsection as it retracts. We promise you won’t need it forever, but a little extra literal postpartum support can make a huge difference in the 4th trimester.

This is especially true if you had cesarean surgery to bring your child earth-side. Often after surgery your abdomen can feel very unstable postpartum, and even like you are scared to cough in case your guts are going to spill out. Sorry to be graphic, but if you have had cesarean surgery, then you know! One thing we like to recommend after surgery is a belly band that supports your abdomen, and Belly Bandit** has some very affordable and helpful ones. These can make you feel like your body is going to hold together better and can make a huge difference in recovery.

Support

“I want to be around people that do things. I don’t want to be around people anymore that judge or talk about what people do. I want to be around people that dream and support and do things.”― Amy Poehler

We want to support you without judgement. We want to help you find solutions that work for your family. Contact us today to talk about how we can help support your growing family.

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!

Helpful Tools for Birth**

Learning about helpful tools for birth before you get there can mean you know what to ask for and how to use the things available to you! This can improve your confidence and birth experience.

Not all labors and deliveries are the same, but using tools can be a great thing for almost every birth. The same tools don’t work for every situation but learning what is available, when, and how to use them is really helpful! **Don’t worry, none of the tools in the picture are used for labor or delivery.** No matter where you are planning to give birth, there are tools that you can use. These are my top 3 most helpful tools for birth!

The Birth Ball

The birth ball is really just an exercise ball that gets a fancier name in labor and delivery. There are a ton of ways to use the birth ball during pregnancy, labor, & postpartum. These are very versatile and helpful tools for birth. You can use it by sitting and bouncing with less upward pressure while you still have a baby inside. You can lean on it. Kicking it works too. You can do all kinds of things with this ball. (I advise against sit-ups on it while in labor.) The birth ball opens up your pelvis and keeps you out of bed while laboring. Moving your hips in a circular motion keeps you moving too. I’ve had several clients just want to bounce on it in labor. I spent months postpartum bouncing on a ball to keep my firstborn happy. Ask for the ball when you arrive at the hospital! If you are planning a home birth, you should plan to purchase one in the right size for you.

Peanut Ball

Every time I see a yellow peanut ball, I cannot help but think of minions while simultaneously wanting to draw a monocle on them. Peanut balls might look funny, but there is science behind these amazingly helpful tools for birth. Contrary to what some might believe, you can absolutely use a peanut ball if you do not have an epidural! They are great for parents with epidurals too though. Peanut balls help keep your pelvis open while you are resting. There are all kinds of positions for using this ball. Learning about how to use it to shorten your labor before you go is a great thing to do. Seriously, ask for the peanut ball! I will warn you that if you don’t have an epidural, using a peanut ball can be uncomfortable, but it can also be very effective.

Bed + Squat Bar

Staying out of bed is a great thing for while you are laboring, but hospital beds can also be helpful. I love to request the squat bar attachment to the bed for laboring and pushing. I also like to call them Go-Go-Gadget Beds because of how many different positions and options they have. This is why the whole bed plus the squat bar is really a helpful tool for birth. Squatting has all kinds of benefits for birth, but it can be exhausting if you try to do it without breaks or without preparing yourself. You can even use a squatting position for pushing or wrap a sheet around the bar to pull on while you lean back. There are lots of possibilities when you know your options and how to use them.

FYI: If you are planning a home birth, finding places to squat and learning to do a supported squat with your partner or doula are great alternatives to the bed. Looking around your house and finding places to do all the best birth positions is something I always like to do at prenatal visits with home birth clients. Bonus: your midwife might bring along some of the things from my wish list below!

Tool Wishlist:

The bottom line is this: There is no one set of helpful tools for birth that will work for everyone. Having more tools in your tool box and knowing how to use those can give you more options. Practice using these tools if you can, or even just watch some helpful videos. You can bring more tools with you too if you’d like. Heck, even dancing can be a helpful for birth!

If you’d like to come learn more coping techniques, including getting to practice with these balls before labor, we have a class for that! Spend 3 hours on a Saturday morning learning more tools and non-medical coping techniques for labor and delivery. Here are the dates and links to sign up if you are interested: