Attacment Parenting

I recently started hearing the term “attachment parenting.”  I knew it had to do with women that wore their babies in slings and believed in a positive discipline approach.  These things sounded great to me, so I did a little research on attachment parenting and I was very impressed.

The long-range vision of Attachment Parenting is to raise children who will become adults with a highly developed capacity for empathy.  It eliminates violence as a means for raising children and will help to prevent violence in society as a whole.  By providing a nurturing environment for our children, we can communicate better and build a relationship based on trust.  This sounds like the kinds of morals I want to teach my 2 year old son.

According to Dr. Sears, Attachment Parenting is a style of caring for your infant that brings out the best in the baby and the best in the parents.  He believes this style uses 7 basic tools.  He calls them The 7 Baby B’s:

1.    Birth bonding

a.    The way baby and parents get started with one another helps the early attachment unfold. The days and weeks after birth are a sensitive period in which mothers and babies are uniquely primed to want to be close to one another. A close attachment after birth and beyond allows the natural, biological attachment-promoting behaviors of the infant and the intuitive, biological, caregiving qualities of the mother to come together.

2.    Breastfeeding

a.    Breastfeeding is an exercise in babyreading. Breastfeeding helps you read your baby's cues, her body language, which is the first step in getting to know your baby. Breastfeeding gives baby and mother a smart start in life. Breastmilk contains unique brain-building nutrients that cannot be manufactured or bought.

3.    Babywearing

a.    A baby learns a lot in the arms of a busy caregiver. Carried babies fuss less and spend more time in the state of quiet alertness, the behavior state in which babies learn most about their environment.

4.    Bedding close to baby

a.    Wherever all family members get the best night's sleep is the right arrangement for your individual family. Co-sleeping adds a nighttime touch that helps busy daytime parents reconnect with their infant at night. Since nighttime is scary time for little people, sleeping within close touching and nursing distance minimizes nighttime separation anxiety and helps baby learn that sleep is a pleasant state to enter and a fearless state to remain in.

5.    Belief in the language value of your baby's cry

a.    A baby's cry is a signal designed for the survival of the baby and the development of the parents. Responding sensitively to your baby's cries builds trust. Babies trust that their caregivers will be responsive to their needs.

6.    Beware of baby trainers

a.    Attachment parenting teaches you how to be discerning of advice, especially those rigid and extreme parenting styles that teach you to watch a clock or a schedule instead of your baby; you know, the cry-it-out crowd. This "convenience" parenting is a short-term gain, but a long-term loss.

7.    Balance

a.    In your zeal to give so much to your baby, it's easy to neglect the needs of yourself and your marriage. As you will learn the key to putting balance in your parenting is being appropriately responsive to your baby – knowing when to say "yes" and when to say "no." [1]

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[1] Sears MD.  What Attachment Parenting Is.  http://www.askdrsears.com/html/10/t130300.asp

Inducing Labor

Talking about birth all the time seems to bring up a lot of personal stories.  Women love to share their birthy world stories.  As a doula in training, people love to ask me about the birth of my son and they wonder if I had a natural birth.  Unfortunately, I developed preeclampsia.  I was on bedrest for 2 months and my labor was induced.  I was strapped to a bed with 7 different kinds of medical interventions and it took over 2 days before Logan was born.  My story is special and everything went well.  The induction was necessary because of my high blood pressure, but what about other women?  Are inductions overused today?

Under some circumstances induction is absolutely called for and will improve the outcome for the mother and baby.  Unfortunately, when it’s not necessary, induction can actually have the opposite effect.   This blog is about educating women and helping them understand the need to ask questions.  We want to stop the unnecessary inductions and let labor begin naturally.  According to research, the number of inductions being done in the United States is steadily rising. 

Let’s explain some of the risks involved with inducing labor.  Oxytocin or prostaglandins occasionally cause contractions that come too frequently or are abnormally long and strong. This in turn may stress your baby.  In rare cases, prostaglandins or oxytocin also cause placental abruption or even uterine rupture, although ruptures are extremely rare in women who've never had a c-section or other uterine surgery.[1]

With labor induction and the increased risk of c-section, you’re creating large problems and making all sorts of extra medical interventions necessary. A medical induction with oxytocin requires an intravenous fluid (IV) and continuous electronic fetal monitoring.  The woman is now considered high-risk, and over-stimulation of the uterus with oxytocin or even induction by cervical agents can cause more fetal problems than if she were in spontaneous labor. And she’s now stuck in bed, which leads to abnormal labor progress and makes her more likely to have a c-section. She’s also more likely to require an epidural, which gives effective pain relief, but causes a need for more oxytocin, so labor will be prolonged by three to four hours. The epidural also decreases her ability to push, so she’s more likely to need vacuum extraction and forceps, there’s more perineal trauma, and again, a c-section is more likely.  Induction changes everything.[2] 

To keep mother and baby healthy, it is best to let labor begin naturally.  You can continue your regular daily walking or light activity, but there are no home remedies that are proven 100% effective in starting labor.  Remember, when the baby and your body are ready, labor will begin.

 Let Labor Begin On Its Own

For more information on elective induction of labor, click here
http://intermountainhealthcare.org/

[1] http://www.babycenter.com/0_inducing-labor_173.bc?page=1

[2] Klein, Michael MD.  Natural Labor’s Best.  http://www.thebump.com/stages/topic.aspx?topic=labor_induction&MsdVisit=1

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~Krista Wampler

Pregnancy and Nutrition

The single most important thing that you can do for your baby is to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.  Research has shown that good nutrition during pregnancy decreases the risk of pregnancy related illnesses, low birth weight, pre-term babies, and other risk factors. 

I am not saying that all of these things are completely preventable, but if we guide mothers to the proper authorities and help educate them… maybe there will be fewer problems for them and their babies.  After all, we want to eat healthy and give these babies the best start possible.  Right?

Now how many of you have ever been given this information by your OBGYN?  I wasn't told a anything about eating 80 grams of protein a day.  All I was told in the way of nutrition was not to gain weight.  I was already considered overweight, so I was on a pretty strict diet.  I was told to decrease my salt and watch my calorie intake.  There were never specific numbers given to me, pamphlets, or information.  Pregnant women need salt to help maintain the 40-50% increase in blood volume.  When a mom is taken off salt, her blood volume shrinks and ultimately it is the placenta and baby that suffer.  I developed pre-eclampsia and I was on bedrest for the last 8 weeks of my pregnancy.  Was this preventable?  I will never know, but I want to provide this information to you and hope to prevent someone else from making my mistakes!!

Dr. Thomas Brewer is a leading expert on pregnancy nutrition.  His article If You Are Pregnant references his years of research and offers several tips for delivering a full-term baby with a healthy birth weight.  He offers a daily nutrition checklist and a sample of a nutritious diet.  He states, “If you are an expectant mother, you must eat a good, nutritious, balanced diet every day during your pregnancy. A good diet is the best insurance that your baby will be healthy and strong with a normal weight at birth!”[1]

The World Health Organization recommends that a pregnant woman eat a minimum of 75 grams of protein per day.  Pregnant women need more protein and calories in general. While this may seem like a lot of food, it will supply the 2000 to 3000 calories needed per day to make a healthy baby.  This means including:

• 2 to 3 servings of meat, fish, nuts or legumes, and tofu
• 2 to 3 servings of dairy (milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese)
• 2 servings of green vegetables; 1 serving of a yellow vegetable
• 3 servings of fruit
• 3 servings of whole grain breads, cereals, or other high-complex carbohydrates
• salt to taste
• 6 to 8 glasses of clean, filtered water each day. [2]

Premature rupture of membranes, also known as PROM, refers to when a pregnant women’s amniotic membrane, which surrounds the fetus, either bursts or suffers a hole to it.  Research shows that women who get little vitamin C both before and during their pregnancies have an increased risk of suffering a ruptured membrane and subsequently delivering prematurely.  The incidence of PROM was 14 per 57 pregnancies (24.5%) in the placebo group and 4 per 52 pregnancies (7.69%) in the supplemented group. Therefore, daily supplementation with 100 mg vitamin C after 20 wk of gestation effectively lessens the incidence of PROM.[3]

 One more suggestion.  There is a great book out there on pregnancy nutrition, What Every Pregnant Woman Should Know.  The link is What-Every-Pregnant-Woman-Should/

[1] Brewer, Thomas M.D.  http://www.blueribbonbaby.org/ifyouarepregnant/

[2] Haas, Amy.  http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/nutritionpreg.asp

[3] Casanueva, E.  http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/prom.html#Prevention

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~Krista Wampler
Labor Doula and Child Birth Educator in Training

What Does A Doula Do?

dou·la definition:
A woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth.

What does a doula do?

Most doula and client relationships begin a few months before the baby is due. During this time, they establish a relationship that gives the mother complete freedom to ask questions, express fears and concerns, and take an active role in creating a birth plan. Most doulas make themselves available to the mother by phone to answer questions. Doulas do not provide any type of medical care. However, they are knowledgeable in the medical aspect of labor and delivery so they can help their clients get a better understanding of procedures that may arise during delivery.
During delivery, doulas are in constant, close proximity to the mother at all times. They can provide comfort with pain relief techniques, such as breathing, relaxing, massage, and laboring positions. Doulas also encourage participation from the partner and offer reassurance. A doula acts as an advocate for the mother, encouraging her in her desires for her birth. The goal of a doula is to help the mother have a positive and safe birth experience.
After the birth, many labor doulas will spend a short time helping mothers begin the breastfeeding process and encouraging bonding between the new baby and family members. [1]

Are doulas only useful if planning an un-medicated birth?

The presence of a doula can be beneficial no matter what type of birth you are planning. Many women do report needing fewer interventions when they have a doula, but the role of the doula is to help you have a safe and pleasant birth, not to choose your type of birth. For women who know they want a medicated birth, the doula still provides emotional support, informational support and comfort. Doulas can work alongside medication by helping mom deal with possible side effects and filling in the gaps; rarely does medication take all discomfort away.

For a mother who faces a cesarean, a doula can be helpful by providing constant support and encouragement. Often a cesarean is an unexpected situation and moms are left feeling unprepared, disappointed and lonely. A doula can be with the mother at all times throughout a cesarean, explaining what is going on throughout the procedure while the partner is able to attend to the baby and accompany the newborn to the nursery if problems arise. [2]

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[1] www.americanpregnancy.org

[2] www.americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/havingadoula.html

Ever wondered what to ask a doula?

•  Choosing a doula isn't a decision to be made lightly, but once you've decided that having labor support is what you want, now you need to choose a doula that is a perfect fit for you and your partner. Here are a few questions that may be beneficial to ask. This is by no means an inclusive list, just a jumpstart to dialogue.
• What is your training? Are you certified? If so, by what organization? And what was required in order to receive this certification?
• How many births have you attended?
• Are you familiar with my doctor/midwife/hospital/birth center? Do you get along well with my caregiver?
• When would you join me during labor?
• Which labor-coping techniques do you think tend to be the most helpful? (If you have a specific technique or method in mind that you plan to try, ask about her experience with it.)
• How would you work with and involve my partner?
• How do you feel about the use of pain medication during labor?
• Why did you become a doula?
• Tell us about some of your birthing experiences.
• What's your fee?
• What does your fee cover? How many visits or hours?
• What's your refund policy?
• Do you have anyone else due near the time I'm due? (Most doulas limit the number of clients they accept to two to four per month.)
  
• Do you have a backup arrangement with another doula or group of doulas in case you're not free when I go into labor? Can I meet them?
• Can I talk to a few of your recent clients?
  
• Will we meet again to address any concerns or questions I have and to review our birth plan?
  
  
• How do we get in touch with you when labor begins? 
• After the interview, try to imagine the doula at the birth with you and see if you feel good about it. Ask yourself:
• Do I feel comfortable around this person?
• Is she warm, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable?
• Does she communicate and listen well?
• Will she support my choices or does she have her own agenda?

Cesarean Awareness

St. Louis, MO was so lucky to host an awesome conference over the weekend from the International Cesarean Awareness Network (ICAN).  I was not able to attend the whole thing, but I met a ton of great ladies and was able to pick up some wonderful resources and a few personal touching stories.  The ICAN motto of prevetion, recovery, advocacy, and the stories that I heard to go along with it were very inspiring.  In 2009, the number of cesareans reached an all time high nationwide.

32.9% of Births Resulting In Major Abdominal Surgery
Record-high

Many of these cesarean sections could be prevented with proper education, preparation, having a support system, and trust your instincts. 

I learned more in the past few days than I did while I was pregnant with my son.  Why?  I wanted to believe that "it wouldn't happen to me."  I was lucky and able to deliver my son vaginally, but I should have educated myself more... Just incase.  Now I can take this new knowledge and passion and pass it along to my new birthy family!  I am so excited.  If you want to look for yourself, check out ICAN's website.

http://www.ican-online.org/

I hope to have videos from the conference posted soon!  Thank you!

~Krista Wampler
Labor Doula and Childbirth Educator in Training

Research Supports Doulas

Most women already know that doulas can be beneficial during labor.  They provide emotional support, empower mothers, and help ensure that a woman's birth plan is carried out.  Doulas make sure that women are given the tools they need to make informed decisions about their pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, and postpartum experiences.

An article in the The Cochrane Library provides some evidence based research supporting the use of doulas during birth.  They found that, compared with women who had no continuous support, women with companions [doulas or labor assistants] who were neither on the hospital staff nor in the woman's social network were:

• 28% less likely to have a cesarean section
• 31% less likely to use synthetic oxytocin to speed labor
• 9% less likely to use any pain medication
• 34% less likely to rate their childbirth experience negatively.

Read the entire article here.  Continuous-Labor-Support-Reduces-Risk-Cesarean-Section-Other-Adverse-Outcomes-Women-1397061.htm

Do You Doula?

Do you wonder what role a doula has during labor?  This video is a collection of personal stories about women and how they have used doulas to support their birth choices.