Birth Doula – Page 4 – Doula Group of Evansville

Doula Investment

We know that choosing to add a doula to your birth or postpartum team is a pretty big investment for most families, but you won’t regret it! From the time you hire your birth doula all the way through your 4th trimester postpartum, a doula can be there to help you every step of the way. Here are three ways your doula investment pays off for you:

“Is this normal?”

Pregnancy brings a whole lot of aches, pains, and questions about your changing body as you grow another human inside of it. Once you decide to make that doula investment your services begin right then. You get your doula’s phone number and can call or text them with ANY worries or questions you might have. We promise ZERO judgement for any questions, because we’ve probably already heard most of them before too.

We also know that the internet can be an overwhelming place for pregnant people. Not only can you ask your doula all your personal pregnancy, birth, & postpartum questions, but we also have an online classroom for our clients. Our classroom is filled with links, handouts, & even coloring pages that are helpful. We filter the internet, so you don’t have to worry about getting advice from random groups of possibly uninformed fellow parents.

Birth options

Contrary to popular belief, doulas don’t think everyone should have the same kind of birth. Investing in doula services means having someone on your team that wants to know YOU and your specific requests. Doulas invest in your experience, because that is our job on your team! Research has shown that doulas actually spend more time with you than anyone else on your birth team by the way, and that’s a pretty big deal. So whether you want to go without pain medication or want your epidural ASAP, a doula can still help you know all of your options. Doulas start getting to know your preferences during pregnancy and help you move through all those decisions during the entire process of bringing your baby earth-side.

Postpartum resources

Once your baby arrives, your doula doesn’t just ditch you! We have a ton of resources for families once you’re holding that baby. Whether you are looking for lactation information, local professionals that can help you physically recover, or even someone to come help out around the house while you shower, we can doula that. Sure our online classroom has resources for you, but sometimes you just need someone to come over and check on just you. Your birth doula will do just that.

Postpartum doulas are a newer thing here in Evansville, Indiana, but we are here to tell you that this is one doula investment that is going to knock your socks off too. A postpartum doula gives physical, emotional, & information support to families in the 4th trimester. Want someone to come do the dishes, fold your laundry, & give you non-judgmental feeding advice while never asking to hold your baby? That’s what a postpartum doula does.

You’re worth it too!

We know that the price-tag for doula services can leave you with sticker shock. We get it. We hope that this blog post has helped explain a bit of what you are going to get for your doula investment. No two client experiences are going to ever look exactly the same, and that is honestly a great thing. We want to help you have the best experience possible from the time you hire your doula until well after you cuddle your baby for the first time. Your doula will be with you every step of the way as much as you want them to be. The experience of bringing your baby into this world is one that will be with you forever, and hiring a doula who is entirely focused on you means investing in your well-being. We know you’re worth it, and we’d be happy to talk to you about how we might be able to help your family.

Welcome Heather Spain: Birth & Postpartum Doula

One of the most sought after doulas in Southern Indiana has joined the Doula Group of Evansville team!

Heather is a modest and quiet person until you get to know her a little better. She is a highly intelligent and compassionate doula who knows her stuff because of her professional and personal experience. She is gentle and kind, but isn’t afraid to tell it like it is when that is what is needed in the moment. Heather has been a doula friend of mine for years, and I am honestly honored that she has chosen to join our team here at Doula Group of Evansville. I have had the chance to trust my clients to Heather before as a back-up doula, and now I get to help her find her own clients too!

Doula Heather Spain

Her Experience:

Heather has extensive doula experience both at hospital and home births. She is a highly skilled and trained doula who takes her role very seriously, but knows how to laugh at just the right times too. As a mom of 4, twins sandwiched between 2 singletons, Heather brings a TON of personal experience to the job as well. She’s had to juggle all the things, and she’s looking forward to helping all types of families learn to do the same from pregnancy announcement and into the 4th trimester. Heather is a former board member of our local Moms of Multiples group and fervent reader of all things lactation. She brings her knowledge and fantastic giggle to every interaction you have with her, and her organization skills are legendary. Heather is also an experienced placenta encapsulator, and will be tackling that role for us as well!

About herself:

“I have been a DONA trained birth doula since 2017 and have worked in many capacities within the birthing community. I was raised in Evansville, where I still live with my husband of 11 year and our four amazing children. Their unique births sparked my passion for working with birthing people and their families in all stages of their journey.”

See, I told you she’s modest! I would thoroughly embarrass her if I wrote all the amazing things I think about her here. Please suffice it to say that Heather is a one of a kind dynamite doula who knows her stuff!

Availability

Heather is available to start taking clients as early as mid-September for both birth and postpartum. That continuity of care from 1st trimester through 4th trimester is one of the greatest parts of Heather being able to do both birth and postpartum work! Want to meet Heather to see if she’s the right one to help you welcome your new little(s) into the world? Contact us today: doulagroupofevansville@gmail.com or 812-250-9590.

Welcome Tamika Wilson!!!

Here we grow again!!

It is with great joy that we announce the arrival of a fabulous new doula to our team: Tamika Wilson!! I have talked for years with Tamika about becoming a doula, and 2021 was the year that she was finally able to attend a DONA birth doula training. Tamika has personal and professional knowledge that she is sure to wow her birth doula clients with at every turn, and we are honestly honored that she has chosen to be part of Doula Group of Evansville.

In Her Own Words:

“I was born and raised in Birmingham, Al. but currently reside in Newburgh, In. with my husband of 15 years and 4 beautiful kids. I am a military spouse and also have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s of Science in Management. I am a DONA trained birth doula currently working towards my certification but I come with tons of personal experience in the birthing world. Since moving to Southern Indiana I noticed a huge gap in representation for low income women and women of color, this drove my passion to pursue birth work. Being a birth doula has given me the opportunity to better serve my community, become an advocate for all women but particularly women of color, and help educate mothers on all of their birthing options. Few Things About Me: My favorite color is blue, I’ve always found blue to be a very calming color. My favorite food is basically any type of southern cuisine, Although we have made roots in the Midwest I will forever be a southern girl at heart. In my free time you can usually find me Uber-ing my 4 kids around town going from [insert sport of the season] to cheer competitions, or just hanging out with my family.”

Special Offer for New Clients

Tamika is fresh out of training & looking forward to serving clients! For her first 3 birth doula clients, she is offering a 50% discount off of her services. These clients will pay only $450 for 2 prenatal visits with Tamika, unlimited contact during their pregnancy, in-person support for labor & delivery, and one postpartum visit. Don’t delay, because honestly once the word gets out about how amazing Tamika is, she’s sure to be booked solid!

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!

Measuring Change: Local 2020 Hospital Statistics

That numbers are out for 2020, and they might surprise you.

Statistics tell us part of the story of how a hospital cares for their patients and about the culture of a place. They do not tell us the entire story in any way shape or form, but they are a way to measure change and track goals. Leapfrog is a group that tracks statistics about hospitals around the country using a survey that 75% of hospitals participate in each year. Today was the day that they published this data for 2020.

You can find the 2018 Statistics in this post we wrote. I did not write a post for 2019’s statistics, but I think we all remember April 2020 right? You can look these statistics up for yourself here, because you really don’t have to just take my word for it.

Definitions & notes for you:

This Cesarean Section data is for NSTV (research speak for 1^st time parents, 38+ weeks pregnant, with a single head-down baby) cesarean rates and does not include repeat cesarean deliveries or 1st time cesarean deliveries in people who have had previous vaginal deliveries. This is an important distinction. Leapfrog Group uses the Healthy People 2020 goal of 23.9% for primary cesarean deliveries in this category. I want to note here that the WHO stated target NSTV cesarean rate is 10-15%, so that is something to also think about when looking at this data.
Early Elective Deliveries are defined as elective induction or cesarean sections before 39 weeks. This does not include medically indicated early deliveries, therefore the goal is for these to be less than 5%.
Episiotomies are a cut made to the perineum during the birth process. While sometimes necessary, routine episiotomies are not evidence-based practice, and Leapfrog sets their goal as less than 5%.
The numbers in (parentheses) are the previous numbers reported in 2018. I did not include numbers for Good Samaritan Hospital previously, so apologies to our friends in Vincennes for the lack of change comparison possible in this table.
New numbers that reach or exceed the Leapfrog goals are in blue.

Hospital	NSTV Cesarean Sections	Early Elective Deliveries	Episiotomies
The Women’s Hospital Newburgh, IN	26.2% (22.9%)	6.8% (1.7%)	11.5% (14.8%)
Ascension St. Vincent Evansville*	25.3% (27.2%)	0.0% (.8%)	5.9% (6.8%)
Owensboro Health	29.5% (29.7%)	.7% (1.4%)	5.7% (12.7% )
Deaconess Henderson Hospital**	25.5% (26.1%)	0.0% (2.4%)	2.8% (2.4%)
Memorial Hospital & Healthcare Center Jasper, IN	11.1% (12.8%)	5.9% (0.0%)	7.9% (9.8%)
Daviess Community Hospital Washington, IN	17.9% (15.2%)	0.0% 1.9%)	8.2% (13.1%)
Good Samaritan Hospital Vincennes, IN	20.7%	4.0%	14.2%

*Previously St. Vincent’s Medical Center of Evansville
**Previously Methodist Hospital of Henderson

What the Numbers Don’t Say

What these numbers don’t say is what an incredible strain 2o20 was on all hospitals, including in maternity care. While there were clearly jumps in early elective deliveries at Memorial in Jasper and The Women’s Hospital in Newburgh, we don’t know when those happened. Were those elective deliveries in March and April last year when everything was locking down due to the growing pandemic and people were truly scared for their lives? Conversely, maybe the pandemic was an easy excuse to push for early elective induction too. We can’t know that from the numbers. These statistics represent thousands of birth stories that we can’t know just by reading them.

These statistics are also not the only ones worth looking at when making decisions regarding your care. Other important factors such as VBAC success rates, availability of lactation help, availability of anesthesia, proximity to your home, provider access, insurance coverage etc. Sometimes that last one ends up being the deciding factor no matter what your preferences are on location.

How to Use These Numbers

First use them to think about where you want to deliver. You do have options and choices on where to go, and we would be happy to talk to you about our experiences at these places as well. Know that these are overall statistics that paint a generalized picture, and start there. Even if you don’t have a choice on where to go to birth, because we know that happens, these statistics can help you look at the norm where you will be delivering. They can help you know what to expect and watch for during your delivery.

Next use the numbers to start a conversation with your provider. Where do they deliver? What are their personal statistics compared to the facility? How do they feel about episiotomies?

We ALWAYS encourage everyone to have open, honest, and frank conversations with their providers. Don’t be intimidated by the white coats, they are people too. Keep it positive and be inquisitive, and go with your gut when it comes to making decisions regarding your provider and location for delivery.

We look forward to comparing 2020 with 2021 when those numbers come out!

What is the first question that comes to mind looking at this table?
Do any of these numbers surprise you?
Which of these statistics most line up with what you previously thought about these facilities?

Jennifer Remaklus: Birth Doula

We’re excited to grow our team to serve more birthing families in Evansville & the surrounding areas.

We are so very excited to announce a new birth doula on our team!! I knew I wanted Jennifer on my team of Evansville doulas as soon as we met. We spoke about her experiences and philosophy regarding birth, and I felt the fantastic positive energy that she has about her. Jennifer’s positivity and gentle nature will leave you feeling refreshed from every encounter, and she will be an amazing asset to any birth team. She’s already approved to attend births at all local hospitals.

Here she is in her own words:

“For me, personal experience has often turned into opportunities for service. The minute I learned what a doula was, my heart lit up. I was lovingly supported by a doula and midwife through two birth experiences and through one pregnancy loss. I ignored the calling for years until after the birth of my second child.
After my daughter was born I was immersed in a dark postpartum time and my path to healing was to learn more about supporting mothers and families through their own pregnancy and birth journeys. I took a DONA-certified course, advanced my yoga teacher training studies to include prenatal yoga, and continued to explore energetic healing modalities that had become part of my own healing journey. After I experienced a miscarriage of my own, I dove into courses with the Institute for Birth, Breath, and Death to learn ways to hold space for mothers through pregnancy and infant loss.
My intention as a birth doula is to guide intuitive and empowering journeys through pregnancy and into early motherhood. Reconnecting with our intuition builds a beautiful foundation to guiding and nurturing ourselves, and our children. As a reiki practitioner, I support each experience in a loving and gentle way, helping to hold space for the various energy shifts that occur as labor progresses.
I recently relocated to Southern Indiana from Reno, Nevada to be near my family and to watch my kids and husband run free on 4 acres. I am passionate about finding joy, following my intuition, and maintaining a healthy balance between laughter and tears. I also recently started wearing socks with my Birkenstocks, which makes me question everything I thought I knew about myself.”

Now Booking Birth Doula Clients

Jennifer is planning to offer all birth doula clients one reiki session as part of her birth doula package. She is now booking birth doula clients with due dates of May 2021 or later, and would love to talk to you about how she can help you on your birth journey. Having her experience and knowledge in your corner will enhance your birth experience, no matter where you choose to give birth.

We are so proud to have Jennifer as part of our team of amazing doulas here at Doula Group of Evansville!

Postpartum Transition

All Birth Doula Packages with Doula Group of Evansville now include one postpartum planning session, because we think your postpartum transition is that important!

No matter what type of postpartum transition you are facing, we want you to feel prepared and supported. We talk to all kinds of parents about their worries and excitement and plans for postpartum, and while each situation is unique, so is our support. Beginning in 2021, all of our birth doula packages will now include one virtual visit with Kristyn, our postpartum doula.

Kristyn Tromley, postpartum doula at Doula Group of Evansville

We believe that postpartum transitions can be such an amazing time in a family’s life, and honestly think that an ounce of planning can head off many issues. We also know that having a postpartum doula can help ease that transition, even just to have someone to call and check on you and give you unbiased information based on evidence and experience, as Kristyn does for her virtual clients. Postpartum transitions are beautiful liminal periods full of growth, learning, appointments, hormones, diapers, spit-up, and so much more. We are passionate about helping all our clients’ postpartum transitions be less fraught with stress and more full of confidence and support.

First time parents facing their first postpartum transition, often have many questions, and not just about which structured carrier is our favorite. (Though of course we’re happy to tell you what we used and liked!) Sometimes first time parents don’t even know what questions to ask a postpartum doula, or why one might be really helpful. I think that a visit with our postpartum doula Kristyn is so important for first time parents facing that first postpartum transition. She can really help new parents think about some thing obstacles that might be thrown in their path and how to plan ahead.

Once you have one kid, you know it all right? WRONG! Sometimes that second or third postpartum transition can be challenging in ways that you didn’t encounter the first time. Sibling interactions are usually the biggest worry after the first baby, but there are plenty of other things that a postpartum doula can help discuss too. Meal planning and logistics also loom large in subsequent postpartum transitions, with more mouths to feed and car seats to wrangle comes some shifting of responsibilities. Kristyn recently learned about this second postpartum transition herself, when she had her 2nd baby in October 2020, so she definitely has a fresh perspective.

So whether this is your first or eighth baby, we would love to talk to you about how we can help your postpartum transition be a little easier. We know just how important the 4th trimester is!

Pregnancy Loss Support

Just because pregnancy loss is common, does not make it easy.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and a time for remembering the smallest footprints on our hearts. Pregnancy loss isn’t something that we regularly talk about in our culture, so the regularity of it is often hidden. Everyone should know that one in four pregnancies ends in a loss.

Grief is a nebulous complex journey, and you don’t have to go it alone. Locally we have Emalyn’s Angels which is an outstanding organization dedicated to making sure parents don’t have to travel the path of grief alone. Speaking the names of their names and remembering them can be especially helpful for parents too.

I have also been so thankful for Chrissy Teigen & John Legend speaking out about their pregnancy loss. What a blessing they are to share their raw and real emotions. They are surely helping end the stigma of talking about pregnancy loss. We have been following their story and sending our love there way. They are so great at using their platform and images to push for change and acceptance. Speaking of photography: Did you know that there is a company that will send a free specially trained photographer for your baby born sleeping?

The complicated feelings that follow loss can be so challenging to navigate. That’s why one of the complimentary services we offer is Miscarriage & Stillbirth Support for both prenatal and postpartum. If you are facing a delivery knowing that you won’t take your baby home with you, we would be happy to meet with you to talk about your expectations and walk you through your options. Want to know what it could be like and what you can ask for? We will walk through it. We also offer postpartum support to help you find resources, talk about your experiences, and explore comfort techniques that might help during your grief especially. Please reach out to us if this is something you are interested in for your family.

I will never forget the brief lives of Ruby Grace and Desmond Truman. They were gone too soon, but most definitely left impressions on my doula heart. For all the beautiful births of babies that I get to attend, there are always those phone calls that break my heart too. When I know that a client is experiencing a pregnancy loss, I know that there is truly nothing that will bring them comfort in that moment. But doulas hold the space for pregnancy loss too, because that is what we do.

Birth Planning During COVID-19

Knowing what to expect can really help, especially right now.

Preparing for birth is important. Preparing to give birth during a pandemic can be even more important. Birth planning is something that I do with all my doula clients. Writing a birth plan is less about mapping out exactly how you want things to go, because birth isn’t about control. Birth planning is more about exploring all your options so that you can communicate them clearly to the people trying to help you.

Know Your Options

Learning what your options are is really important usually, but some of those options are more limited because of COVID-19. My friend Alice is a doula in Seattle, and she made this great video full of tips for giving birth during a pandemic and talking to your provider. One of my other favorite resources for information Evidence Based Birth made a FREE online birth class for this specific situation. I am writing a separate post about more general childbirth classes, but these are both really great situation specific resources for right now. It is really important that you talk to your provider about all your wishes and make sure you know what policies are in place wherever you are planning to give birth.

Supporting Your Partner

Birth planning during COVID-19 is important, and now more than ever it is important to learn how to help your partner cope with labor. Maybe you planned to have a doula present and now that isn’t an option. My friend Alice has a very inexpensive online class** designed just for partners, and I highly recommend it. She has even added a module on practicing labor! If you are looking for a book to learn more, I highly recommend The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin. She was one of the founders of my doula training organization and this book is an excellent resource. My doula friends in Quebec have also produced a FREE download on labor support that you might find helpful.

Helpful Experience

In the last 6 years I have attended over 140 births as a doula. Keeping abreast of all the local hospital policies is important to me, and am a certified childbirth educator. I have lots of experience, and I would love to sit down and talk to you about your birth plans. I am offering virtual birth planning sessions for $150 that include a 2 hour meeting to talk about your birth plans, a PDF copy of my 96 page childbirth education booklet full of information for you to learn about childbirth, example birth plans, email support to review your birth plan to get it just right, and bonus handouts including a birth themed coloring book. This doula would love to help you walk through your options and decide what is right for your family right now.

I have been able to attend one birth recently at a hospital, and it honestly was wonderful. The staff was honestly impressive and the entire experience wasn’t nearly as scary as I had imagined it would be. It was great to be able to support my client in person, but I don’t know how much longer that is going to last during this pandemic.

Birth planning during COVID-19 can help you feel more secure and ready. Knowing what to expect can take so much of the anxiety out of the process. I’ve been there, and I would love to help you.

P.S. If you haven’t heard, you can now stream all parts of the movie The Business of Being Born here if you are interested!

**This is an affiliate link and I will receive money if you click through and purchase the course. This is not a way I am planning to get rich, but a nice bonus for recommending products that I really do believe in to my clients. I’m happy to talk to you about it if you have any concerns.

COVID-19 & Pregnancy

Keep Calm! Wash Your Hands! Make a Plan. I am too.

You might be worried. Wash your hands. Maybe you are freaking out and wondering what is coming. Wash your hands. Who knew you touched your face so much? Wash your hands! We don’t need panic, we need to have plans for what to do. I have some advice for you, and want to tell you what I’m thinking about as a doula. Also, if you see me, give me an elbow bump!

Keep Calm

What we know is that it seems that pregnancy and birth doesn’t seem to be a big risk factor with regards to transmission of this virus. Special precautions may need to be taken to avoid contracting the virus, so take this time to stay home if you can and be very health conscious. It’s not a bad idea to socially isolate & generally stay away from huge groups of people.

Wash Your Hands

This may seem like a no-brainer, but seriously, do it, and do it well. Test out some new songs to sing for 20 seconds or more. Be thorough & keep your hands away from your face as much as you can. Wash your hands!

Doula Concerns

There are currently no restrictions in place at local hospitals with regards to a doula’s presence at births that I know of, but there are elsewhere. I have contacted all clients close to their due window about this. I have contacted my local professional contacts at the hospital to let them know about my concerns with COVID-19. Doulas should NOT be considered a visitor, but I can’t control if they let me in or not. Pregnant people need to contact their providers and birthing locations. My certifying organization has put out a toolkit for dealing with this COVID-19 issue for doulas. It includes a letter for hospitals & links to other important statements, like this one from the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses on 3/11/2020.

I will be doing my normal precautions for staying healthy. I am certainly open to being extra cautious when I go to a birth. Some doulas have had to wear masks, hair nets, gowns, shoe covers, and gloves. I would be fine with that. I will support clients virtually via Zoom or something else if necessary, but I sincerely hope it doesn’t come to that.

Bottom Lines:

Keep calm. Keep growing that baby. Make some contingency plans, and hope you never have to use them. Wash your hands!