Elevated Birth
  • Home
  • Services
    • Birth Support
    • Postpartum Support
    • Postpartum Meals
    • Gift Certificates
  • About
    • More About Me
    • Client Testimonials
    • Promotions & Events
  • Contact
  • Parent Resources
  • Blog

Breastfeeding: Get Off to a Good Start

8/1/2019

Comments

 
boise breastfeeding
Photo Credit: Dave Clubb via Unsplash
The benefits of breastfeeding, or providing breastmilk to your baby, are well known. Most of my clients intend to breastfeed for some length of time.

What I try to impart in prenatal discussions with clients, however, is that intention is usually not enough to get off to a good start with breastfeeding. Maximizing the breastfeeding relationship also involves education, planning, and knowing where to turn if difficulties arise.

1. Take a prenatal breastfeeding class. There is so much more to breastfeeding than putting baby to the breast. While breastfeeding is a natural process, that doesn’t mean it is necessarily intuitive, easy, or without complications.

​
A good prenatal breastfeeding class should cover most of these topics:
  • The bodily mechanics of breastfeeding, including the hormones involved, breast anatomy, and how breastmilk is produced and transferred
  • The composition and benefits of breastmilk and breastfeeding
  • Your baby’s dietary needs, from birth through the first few weeks or months
  • Your baby’s hunger cues and feeding patterns
  • How to establish a good latch and why this is important
  • Different breastfeeding positions
  • Your dietary needs and postpartum support
  • How your partner can support and encourage breastfeeding
  • Hand expression and pumping and when to start, and breastmilk storage guidelines
  • Alternative ways to feed your baby
  • When and why to supplement with formula or donor breastmilk
  • Bottle feeding, including paced bottle feeding
  • Complications that can interfere with breastfeeding such as tongue tie, Cesarean birth, premature birth, nipple pain, clogged ducts and mastitis, thrush and supply issues
  • Local resources for breastfeeding support
breastfeeding class boise
While you may not retain or need all the information you learn in a prenatal breastfeeding class, you never know what important facts will be helpful as you learn to feed your baby. Misconceptions you may have had will be dispelled, enabling you to use the most accurate information to support your efforts.

Plus, it will be much easier to find the time and energy to learn about breastfeeding before your baby is born, rather than while you are recovering from birth and learning to feed your baby, all with limited sleep.


2. Get hands-on help with latch. A good, deep latch is one of the most important factors in establishing a good breastmilk supply. 

When your baby suckles at the breast, it signals to your body to produce the hormone prolactin, which stimulates the production of breastmilk. Oxytocin is also released, triggering the let-down reflex which expels the breastmilk from the milk ducts.

When the latch is shallow, or there is a problem with latching, this hormonal interplay is interfered with and over time, your milk supply and/or baby’s ability to transfer milk from the breast can be negatively affected.

​
Most hospitals offer lactation support, sometimes immediately after birth and in postpartum recovery. Birth center and home birth midwives also help with breastfeeding and latch; during postpartum home visits, midwives assess baby’s weight gain and can make recommendations for additional lactation support if needed.
breastfeeding help boise
As a birth doula, I can help my clients with that initial breastfeeding right after baby is born, showing them the hallmarks of a good latch. Or, I can help them to facilitate baby latching on his or her own, either via a breast crawl or with a laid-back breastfeeding position. If there is separation from baby for a period of time, I can help them hand-express colostrum into a cup or syringe that can be given to their baby instead of formula, if that is their preference. 

And when I visit my clients at home, either at the follow-up postpartum visit or as a postpartum doula, we can continue to work on latch after their milk has come in, trying out different positions. If there are signs of a complication beyond my scope as a doula, I can refer them to a local lactation specialist for professional support and problem solving.

Getting frequent, hands-on help with latch can ease anxiety and frustration in the birthing person, possibly avoid supply issues and injury to the nipples, ease pain or discomfort during nursing, and make the experience more enjoyable.


3. Turn to the experts for help. Breastfeeding problems and solutions can be complex and can involve several factors, including breast anatomy, baby’s anatomy, diet and nutrition, hormones, birth influences, emotional and cultural considerations, the need for supplementation, and more. 

Sometimes, people get advice or help from family members or friends, or even professionals, including lactation consultants, pediatricians, and family doctors, that aren’t based on the latest research. Or the advice doesn’t take into account all of the factors mentioned above that can make breastfeeding issues challenging. They may not be familiar with alternatives or breastfeeding best practices. And they might not have the availability or resources to provide the frequent, hands-on help that nursing people often need.

When my clients need breastfeeding help beyond what I can provide, I refer them to the infant feeding experts: International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC’s). The requirement to become an IBCLC includes extensive education, over 1,000 hours of clinical experience, and passing a rigorous exam. IBCLC’s know breastfeeding and can help you work through a myriad of problems, with solutions tailored to your individual needs and preferences.

See my Parent Resources page for some local IBCLC’s I know and trust.



4. Support for breastfeeding goes beyond actual breastfeeding. Knowing how to support breastfeeding and actually having the support you need to breastfeed are two different things.
boise postpartum doulas
When you are recovering from birth and learning to care for your new baby, it becomes much more difficult to learn to breastfeed when you also have to worry about preparing meals, keeping your house in order, caring for older kids, entertaining visitors, or “bouncing back” to a preconceived notion of how your life should look.

Anything that adds stress instead of reducing it can interfere with breastfeeding. Making a postpartum plan while you are pregnant, reframing in your mind for what the postpartum period should look like, and enlisting help wherever possible— whether that be from your partner, family and friends, outsourcing tasks, or a hiring a postpartum doula— are all ways to support breastfeeding.

boise lactation support
5. Be gentle with yourself in your journey. Breastfeeding doesn’t always go as you plan. Sometimes you find that supplementation, or exclusively pumping, or formula feeding, or sourcing donor milk, or weaning, or some combination of these, is the best choice for you at any point in time.

Know that what works for you now may not be what works for you down the road. Know that if you struggle now, that doesn’t mean you will be struggling later. Know that if you hit a snag, there are people in the community who can help.

​And know that your mental and physical health matters. There is no “right” time to wean, except when you and/or your child are ready. Be gentle with yourself and allow yourself the grace to find your own way.
I am a certified birth doula, postpartum doula, and childbirth educator serving clients in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley.
What kind of breastfeeding help will you need when you have your new baby?
About Postpartum Doula Support
elevated birth

​Copyright 2019
Comments

When Others Share Birth Horror Stories

4/18/2019

Comments

 
treasure valley doula
What is it about pregnancy that invites other to share their birth horror stories?
You announce your pregnancy to your family and friends, and it begins: you are subjected to birth horror stories. Sometimes others recount stories that aren’t even theirs--- they may share with you a scary news article they just read, or a third-hand account of someone else's traumatic birth experience.

What is it about pregnancy that makes others want to share negative news? When you announce an engagement, people don’t start telling you about their marriage problems. When you share the news about a work promotion, they don’t dump on you about their own workplace drama. But pregnancy seems to open an invitation to others to give you unsolicited advice and warnings.

Negative comments from others can interfere with your ability to keep your own worries and anxiety at bay, or to simply enjoy your pregnancy. And when the negative stories are related to your personal birth choices or preferences, or used as a way to discourage you or shame you for those choices, the emotional impact can be great. 

Here’s how to deal with those birth horror stories:

1. Understand the motivations behind sharing them.
There are several reasons why people overshare the negative aspects of birth. Often they just want to connect with you, and they feel that sharing the hard parts of pregnancy and birth is a way to do it. What they don’t realize (or remember) is that you’re still in it! You’re pregnant and haven’t given birth to this baby yet. Even if this isn’t your first birth, each pregnancy and labor are unique and you really don’t know how it will go until you actually give birth.

Sometimes people haven’t yet processed their own birth trauma, and instead of speaking to someone who can help them work through it, they are dumping their negative feelings onto you. Perhaps their concern for your well being creates a need in them to tell you about what can go wrong, as if speaking it aloud is all that’s needed to keep you safe.

Some people are talkers with no filter. They see that you’re pregnant, and they blurt out all of the pregnancy-related things they know, even if they are negative. They don’t think about the impact on you.

And sometimes, people just think they know more than you, and know what’s best for you. But they aren’t you. This is your pregnancy, and your baby. ​
natural birth boise
2. The story is incomplete.
Someone can tell you something negative about their birth experience with all the gory details, but here's what you may not know:
  • How were they feeling physically? How did labor feel to them and how did they cope?
  • What kind of emotional support did they have? Were they scared, or did they feel disrespected or abandoned? 
  • How did their partner feel? How did their partner respond in labor?
  • What kind of preparation did they have for labor? Were they informed ahead of time about interventions, alternatives, and their benefits and risks?
  • Was their care provider or the on-call care provider a good fit for the type of birth they wanted? Were they supportive of their choices?
  • How did their labor match their expectations for their labor?
  • Were there complications or extenuating circumstances that affected their birth experience?
  • Did they plan for the postpartum period? Did they have the physical and emotional support they needed? Did they have enough help?

You don’t have all the facts about someone’s birth story. What’s missing may explain what contributed to a negative outcome, or their negative feelings about their birth.

I'll say it again: Every pregnancy and labor are unique. Even if you have the same care provider as someone else, birth at the same location, at the same time of year under the same full moon, your experience is uniquely your own.


3. Consider the source.
There are aspects of birth that can be painful, uncomfortable, and difficult. Knowing what to expect during labor and during your postpartum recovery, learning about the warning signs so you know when to seek medical care or when to see a specialist-- these things are valuable and important to share. But there is a difference between education and fear-based story telling. 

Consider who is giving you the information-- what is their knowledge of birth, of perinatal research, the policies and practices of your care provider, or of your unique medical history? 

Very rarely does an event or experience have only negative aspects. Is the person sharing information with you not aware of or are they withholding the positive aspects of a situation?  

Your care provider, childbirth educator, doula, lactation consultant, or informed friend may be a more reliable source for information than someone recounting a horror story.

boise c-section
4. Challenging births can still be positive births.
You can’t predict or control how your birth will play out. Birth, by nature, is unpredictable. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily dangerous, or to be feared, or that things will go wrong. And it doesn’t mean that what happened to someone else will happen to you. The way someone else feels about their birth experience, will not have to be the way you feel about yours.

Even if you face challenges that you didn’t anticipate or want, or if things veer off course from your birth plan, you can still feel positively about your birth. When you feel informed and supported throughout, when you feel like your birth team cares about you and respects your wishes, when you feel safe and loved, then you are likely to feel more positively about your birth experience.

Inductions, Cesareans, very short or very long births, unintentionally unmedicated births, high intervention births, or any birth that didn’t go as desired— these can all still be positive births. Birth is in the eye of the beholder.

*************************

Preparing yourself by taking a childbirth education class, knowing your options in labor, choosing a care provider who supports your goals, and surrounding yourself with a strong birth team-- these steps themselves can help to buffer you against others' birth horror stories.

You can also just stop them before they start. Change the subject, find an excuse to hang up the phone, or tell your family and friends what you do and don't want to hear when you are pregnant. Surround yourself with what will help you approach your labor with confidence, calm, and joy-- start your positive birth experience now.
I am a certified birth doula, postpartum doula, and childbirth educator serving clients in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley. 
Learning about the birth process and having caring, knowledgeable support throughout pregnancy and labor can make or break your birth experience.

About Birth Doula Support
elevated birth

​Copyright 2019
Comments

Your Baby Needs This, Too

2/14/2019

Comments

 
doula in Boise Id
Photo Credit: Katie Emslie via Unsplash
It goes without saying that having a baby changes your life. And it’s hard. From the nausea that sets in in early pregnancy, to the aches and pains and insomnia in the last trimester, the toll on your body is great.

Add in waking up every few hours to feed your newborn, healing from birth, learning to breastfeed, and a number of postpartum challenges, and you may wonder why we choose to go through any of it.

Until you hold you baby close and sniff their soft, sweet head. Or catch those fleeting dream smiles. Or get that first taste of back-and-forth interaction with your baby.

The hard stuff is the price we pay for experiencing the overwhelming love and joy of being a parent.

In recent years, society has acknowledged the challenges of motherhood. We see photos of celebrities in those ugly-wonderful mesh panties they give you postpartum. We support breastfeeding in public and also understand that breastfeeding isn’t always easy, or preferred, or for everyone. We accept that it’s okay to feel “touched-out.” We are learning to embrace our postpartum bodies. We talk more openly about postpartum depression and anxiety.
postpartum depression boise
Photo Credit: Janko Ferlic via Unsplash
This is all good, and necessary. We acknowledge that parenthood, and especially motherhood, involves some sacrifice, physical discomfort, and lack of sleep. This camaraderie gives us permission to release the unrealistic ideal that parenthood should be easy, or pretty, or that we’re the only ones who find it hard.

It’s hard but we do it because that’s what the baby needs. The baby needs to grow, stretching out the uterus, and compressing our other organs up into the ribcage. The baby needs us to respond to his cries for hunger several times at night so he can eat and thrive. The baby needs to be born so we labor, and push our bodies to their limits, or undergo major surgery to bring the baby into the terrestrial world.

There are things we want to give our kids, like toys, and activities, and quality childcare, and education— so we purchase less of what we might want to give the baby what he or she needs.


All of this giving is normal, and instinctual, and a part of being a parent. But there is a piece missing. 
​

There are other things the baby needs—and they are actually the things we need.
boise postpartum doula
Photo Credit: Alexandre Croussette via Unsplash
As mothers, we overwhelmingly put the needs of our family before our own. And while it comes from a place of love, and from us accepting the “hard stuff,” it isn’t necessarily necessary. Ignoring our own needs can backfire on us.

Denying what you need isn’t necessarily what your baby needs.

Your baby also needs:
  • A mother who isn’t physically suffering, whether that be during pregnancy or after the baby is born
  • A mother whose choices in birth are respected, even if others don’t understand or agree with them
  • A mother who is not afraid to voice her fears, sadness, or anxiety
  • A mother who gets time to heal
  • A mother who gets some time to herself
  • A mother who gets medical care when she needs it
  • A mother who gets mental health care when she needs it
  • A mother who gets social time
  • A mother whose needs are recognized and met

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “Put on your own oxygen mask first.” This is derived from airline safety instructions; parents flying with kids are instructed in an emergency to put on their own oxygen masks before they put on their kids’ masks. Otherwise they might pass out before they can put on anyone’s mask, and then nobody wins. 

It’s easy to understand the importance of taking care of yourself first, but it can be hard to do. Or easy to point to something simple like getting your hair done occasionally and say that that’s enough. 

Daily self care is much more difficult. Asking for help can feel impossible to do. Budgeting to see a chiropractor in pregnancy, or a pelvic floor therapist after birth, or hiring a postpartum doula, or a babysitter so you can get some alone time, is completely off the radar for many.
boise obgyn
Photo Credit: Luis Quintero via Unsplash
But if there is a shift in thought, in both you and your partner, that what you need as a person, is what your baby also needs in a mother— then maybe self care will turn into a family need.

Your self care will be just as necessary as diapers, or a carseat, or daycare, or anything else the baby may need. And so it will be planned for and budgeted for.

Self care isn’t just okay, it’s necessary. Your care is necessary.

​Pregnancy and parenthood will always be hard, and exhausting, and challenging at times. But by prioritizing your own needs, you are preventing it from being even harder.

I am a certified labor (birth) doula and postpartum doula serving clients in Boise, Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley.
Self-care can come in the form of a doula, whether that be
during your birth or after your baby is born.
About Birth Support
About Postpartum Support
elevated birth

Copyright 2019
Comments

Why You Might Want to Hire a Doula in Early Pregnancy

1/29/2019

Comments

 
doula in Boise Idaho
Congratulations! Time for a doula?
You pee on a stick and see two lines. Congratulations, you're pregnant!

After telling your partner, and maybe some close family and friends (or maybe you want to tell everyone you know), there are a number of things you begin to do.

You Google “pregnancy due date calculator” and figure out your estimated due date.

You call your doctor or midwife’s office to schedule your first appointment.

You start to look for a doula. What? In the first trimester?!

It’s not as crazy an idea as you may think.
boise pregnant
Here's why you may want to hire a doula in your first trimester:

1. The doula you want may not be available later in your pregnancy.
There is no “right” time to book your doula; it’s a very personal decision. Sometimes you don’t even learn what a doula is or how one can help you in birth until later in your pregnancy.

But if you know you are interested in doula support, you may want to start your search earlier rather than later. If you find a doula you really connect with and want to support you, communicating with her before she is booked for your birth month or before she makes vacation plans can ensure that she is available for your estimated due date.

Note that birth work has its ebbs and flows; some months I find myself fully booked with births and other months I have no births booked at all. So even if you are approaching your estimated due date and still want to hire a doula, you will likely find one available for your birth. It just may not be the one you thought you would hire.


2. A doula can help you find the right care provider.
Many people automatically contact the doctor or midwife they see for their yearly pap smear and begin prenatal care with that provider.  Sometimes it becomes clear that your current care provider’s philosophy about birth doesn’t quite align with your own. Or you may decide that the hospital or facility where they catch babies doesn’t offer the amenities or experience you want for your birth.


Your doula is familiar with a wide variety of care providers in your area. Want to switch from an OB/GYN to a home birth midwife? Your doula can give you a list of options to investigate. Know you want a hospital birth but aren’t sure which doctor to choose? Or you find out later in pregnancy that you need to transfer care from a midwife to a physician?

​Your doula can offer care provider suggestions who may be a good fit for your birth preferences and your personality. She can also outline the features and limitations of the different hospitals in your area, to help you narrow down your decision.
boise obgyn
3. Your doula works for you the moment you hire her.
Early pregnancy is fraught with its own unique challenges: morning sickness (that really should be called all-day or any-time-of-day sickness), constipation, feeling bloated, exhaustion, and food aversions to name a few. Your doula can suggest helpful things to try, alternative practitioners who may be of help, or she might suggest that you speak to your care provider if the issue is medical in nature.

Your doula can sympathize with you, listen to your concerns with compassion and understanding, and reassure you that what you are experiencing is normal. Sometimes you just need to vent a little, or get some outside perspective; your doula is there to provide that emotional support.


4. The more established your relationship, the better your doula may be able to help you.
When my clients hire me closer to their estimated due dates, we may have time for only one prenatal visit before their birth. When clients hire me earlier in pregnancy, we have time to have two spaced-out, comprehensive visits.

Not only am I learning about their birth preferences and helping them sort through their options for labor, but I’m also getting to know my clients. I learn how they interact with each other, and identify their chief concerns and wishes. I get to know their sense of humor, what makes them unique, what motivates them, and how they show concern for their partner.

All of this experience and interaction informs how I serve them in labor. And because I get to know them better, I may suggest certain things in labor over others. My support in labor is more tailored to their individual needs.

​Getting to know my clients helps me help them, and having more time to do this is a great advantage.



********************
Trigger warning: Miscarriage







Sometimes in early pregnancy, there is a loss. According to ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists), early pregnancy loss occurs in about 10% of known pregnancies. Approximately 80% of miscarriages occur in the first trimester.

Some clients would prefer to wait until the second trimester, when the chance of miscarriage decreases significantly, or even later, until they begin to think about hiring a doula. This is a valid, understandable choice. The choice to hire a doula in early pregnancy or wait until later on is highly personal and totally up to the expecting couple.
miscarriage help boise
If you do hire your doula in early pregnancy and experience a loss, you can turn to your doula for resources on what to expect and how to cope. The vast majority of doulas will refund to you your deposit, even if your deposit is non-refundable (you can ask your doula before hiring her what is her policy on refunds due to loss).  She can offer you support and information on any medical procedures you can expect.  She can direct you to resources in your area or refer you to a specially trained bereavement doula who can better support you through this difficult time.

***************
Your doula can give you much more than labor support. She is there for you throughout your pregnancy, helping you navigate your way through a time of great change, uncertainty, and ultimately, of great joy.
I am a certified labor (birth) doula and postpartum doula serving clients in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley.
Are you newly pregnant and interested in doula support now?

Let's Connect!
elevated birth

​Copyright 2019
Comments

What You Need to Know About Nitrous Oxide in Labor

12/12/2018

Comments

 
nitrous oxide for labor
Curious about nitrous oxide as pain relief in labor?
If you are pregnant, sooner or later you will think about how to manage the pain of labor. Some clients know they want to get an epidural, and others would prefer to either forego pain medication entirely, or see how they feel in labor and make a decision in the moment.

Pain management and comfort measures are topics I discuss at length with my clients in our prenatal meetings. When clients want to avoid or delay pain medication, we talk about natural pain relief methods like counter pressure, hydrotherapy, heat therapy, and position changes. 

When clients are open to pain medications, but want to avoid or delay an epidural or narcotic medication, nitrous oxide can be a great option.

Nitrous oxide has been used by laboring people in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada for decades. The ACNM (American College of Nurse-Midwives) supported its use in a 2011 position statement, affirming nitrous oxide as a pain relief option that fits into the midwifery model of care. 

​While nitrous oxide was once frequently used in United States, in the 1970’s its use declined as epidural analgesia surged in popularity.  As of 2017, one report stated that nitrous oxide was available in only around 150  hospitals and 50 birth centers nationwide. 

Fortunately for those in the Treasure Valley, both major hospital systems, St. Lukes and St. Alphonsus, offer nitrous oxide, also known simply as “nitrous,” in their labor and delivery rooms.

With all interventions, there are benefits and risks. Here’s what you need to know if you are considering using nitrous oxide in your upcoming birth:
​

The Benefits of Nitrous Oxide in Labor

  • It doesn’t affect the normal progress of labor. Often with an epidural, pitocin (artificial oxytocin) is used to compensate for reduced uterine contractions. Nitrous doesn't interfere with the normal course of labor.  It can also be used at any stage, from early labor to the pushing stage.
  • Your movement is not restricted. Although you may have to remain close to the nitrous tanks to utilize the gas, you can labor in any position: standing, squatting, bouncing on a birth ball, on all fours, etc. While you can lie in bed while using nitrous, you aren't limited to the bed as you would be if you were administered an epidural.​
Picture
  • You are in control. You administer the nitrous oxide yourself by holding your own mask; when you don’t want it anymore, you remove the mask. With other pain medications, like narcotics and with the epidural, if you have a negative reaction you may have to wait until the medication runs its course through your system, or you may not have the option to discontinue its use until after your baby is born.
  • Its effects are immediate. As soon as you breathe in the gas (which is actually a 50/50 mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen), you begin to feel its analgesic (pain relieving) effects. As soon as you remove the mask, the gas dissipates quickly and its analgesic effects stop almost immediately.
  • It may help you breathe more efficiently. Often people tense up during contractions, and they forget to take the deep breaths which help them more effectively manage their pain. Because you have to take deep breaths into the nitrous mask to get its full effects, you may be better able to regulate your breathing, ensuring you get enough oxygen and helping you to remain calm.
  • It does not affect infant alertness at birth or interfere with breastfeeding. Pain medications like narcotics and the epidural can cause your baby to be “sleepy” at birth, which can delay the initiation of breastfeeding, or result in lower Apgar scores. These effects are not seen with the use of nitrous oxide.​
boise doulas
  • No drop in blood pressure, so no need for an IV. Epidurals cause a decrease in blood pressure. An IV is required when you get an epidural to help keep blood pressure stable.
  • No catheterization is required. When you get an epidural, a catheter is inserted into your urethra to catch urine. There is no such need when using nitrous.
  • No risk of maternal fever. When you get an epidural you are more likely to experience hyperthermia, or a rise in body temperature. Sometimes this manifests as a clinical fever, which can pose risks to the baby.
  • Continuous fetal monitoring is not required. When you get an epidural or narcotic medication, you will be continuously monitored for signs of fetal distress. (With narcotic medication you can usually revert to intermittent monitoring after a time). While this monitoring is usually external, sometimes internal fetal monitoring becomes necessary. No additional monitoring is required when using nitrous.​

The Risks, or Downsides of Nitrous Oxide in Labor

  • Nausea or vomiting. Some people don’t tolerate the gas well, and find that it makes them feel nauseous. If this occurs, you can discontinue its use and move on to another method of pain management. Know that nausea and vomiting are common symptoms in active labor, whether or not you utilize any pain medication.
  • Dizziness. Some people experience an uncomfortable dizziness or lightheadedness. You may choose to stop using the nitrous, and this feeling should go away.​
labor support boise
  • Nitrous oxide doesn’t completely eliminate pain. My clients who have used nitrous explain that they can still feel their contractions, but they feel more relaxed when managing them.
  • You must hold the mask yourself. The laboring person is required to hold the nitrous mask to their own face as a safety measure. If you become too dizzy or faint, the hand holding the mask will naturally fall away from your face, and the nitrous will dissipate. Some people find holding the mask cumbersome or tiring.
  • Long term effects on fetuses and newborns are unknown. While the use of nitrous oxide has been shown to have no effect on newborn alertness, the long term effects of exposure are unstudied. One study showed neurological dysfunction in rodents when given at high doses, and there have been some concerns about harmful reproductive effects from prolonged exposure in heath care workers.
  • Certain populations may have negative side effects. Those with Vitamin B12 deficiency, the MTHFR gene mutation, acute asthma or lung disease, or bowel obstruction are at risk for harmful side effects from using nitrous oxide. Consult your care provider if you fall into one of these at-risk groups.
I am a certified labor doula (birth doula) and postpartum doula serving clients in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley. 
Are you considering using nitrous oxide in labor? Would you like more information about it?

Let's Talk!
elevated birth
​Copyright 2018
Comments

5 Tips to Handle the Holidays While Pregnant

11/19/2018

Comments

 
Boise doulas
Modify your plans, minimize your stress
It’s the holiday season, and that means interaction with family members you may see just a few times a year. Even if you have wonderful relationships with your extended family, if you are pregnant around the holidays, conversations can get difficult when talk turns to your plans for birth. Everyone seems to have an opinion to share about what you should or shouldn't do, or they offer a prediction of how your birth will go. 

Here are five tips to navigate the holidays while pregnant:

1. Modify your holiday plans. Modify your plans, and minimize your stress. If you usually host a family gathering, ask someone else to host this year. Plan on bringing in prepared foods instead of cooking, or make the dinner a potluck event. 

Can you limit family time this year? Use your pregnancy to your advantage. Perhaps you stay for just a few hours at your sister’s house instead of the whole day. Or take a nap while everyone else is watching football. 

If you are nearing your estimated due date, your care provider may actually warn against you traveling more than a couple of hours from your home. That means you can avoid a prolonged visit with family altogether, if that is your preference.


2. Prepare for difficult conversations. Chances are, your family members are excited about the new addition to their own extended family. But instead of only sharing in your excitement, they may also feel the need to share their opinions.

Conversation will inevitably turn to your pregnancy, and will likely consist of three topics:
  • Questions about where and how you plan on giving birth 
  • Their opinion on your answers, and
  • Negative stories about their own births or those of people they know

If you are making choices for your birth that are different from those your family members have made for themselves, be prepared for push back. You might hear things like, “Just you wait! You have no idea!” or “You’ll change your mind!”

If your choices are vastly different, you may even hear things like “You are putting your baby’s life in danger!” or “You are being selfish.”


With pregnancy hormones at play, and if you yourself are still navigating your birth options, these conversations can get heated, emotional, and very difficult.

If you anticipate these conversations in advance, you can avoid feeling blindsided. You might tell your family before the event (or have your partner tell their family) that you don’t want to have these conversations at all. Or, you may choose to be more selective or vague in your answers to probing family members.
home birth boise
Expect difficult conversations about your pregnancy
3. Practice disengaging. Sometimes these difficult conversations can’t be avoided. Maybe your relatives already know your plans for birth and they are using this holiday gathering as one more instance to voice their disapproval.

In these situations, don’t try to defend your choices, or try to convince your family members to accept them. Instead, answer their questions or comments with a neutral phrase, like, “Hmmmmm” or “Huh!”

​
Or you can make them feel heard and say, “You know, that gives me something to think about.” 


Sometimes, you may feel the need to stop the conversation entirely. You can say, “Thank you for your concern. I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Or redirect the conversation to another topic: “Okay. Hey, congrats on your promotion. How do you like your new job?”
pregnancy massage boise
Do whatever you can to relax during the holidays
4. Make time for self care. Taking care of yourself is always important, but especially so during the busy holiday season. Book a prenatal massage, take a long bath, make time to exercise, or plan a night out with your partner. Enjoy the time you have now that is all yours.

Whatever brings you relaxation and calm increases your oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is  the "love hormone" that plays a role in labor, attachment, bonding, and breastfeeding.  Taking deep breaths, centering your mind, and finding ways to relax amidst the tension around you is also excellent practice for managing labor. 


​
5. Create your own holiday traditions.
With a baby on the way, your life will be changing in just a few short weeks or months. Whether this is your first baby, or you are adding a sibling, take the time to reassess what you and your partner want for your growing family. What traditions will you adopt? What will you let go? What is important? What’s not?

These answers look different for everyone. They may not fit into what your extended family has chosen. But when you take the time to pause and think about what you want for your own family, the stress and furor that accompanies this time of year lessens-- which makes for a better holiday season, and a better pregnancy.
I am a certified labor doula and professional postpartum doula serving clients in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa and the greater Treasure Valley.
​This holiday season, ask for doula support! Elevated Birth gift certificates are available in any denomination and can easily be added to your baby registry.

Learn More
elevated birth

Copyright 2018
Comments

Embrace the Parenting Season You're In

11/1/2018

Comments

 
boise doulas
These gorgeous photos are courtesy of Natalie Koziuk Photography. Clients of Elevated Birth get discounts on sessions with Natalie! 
Find Out More

New Baby? Pregnant? Trying?
​What's Your Season?

back to work new baby boise
Fall is in full swing here in the Treasure Valley. The hardwood trees are showing off their splendent colors like a proud peacock, while the evergreens are happy to provide an understated contrast to their brilliance. The air is crisp in the morning, but often mild enough in the afternoon to encourage bathing in the warm light of the sun. 

This is the season for pumpkins, and jewel tones, and scarves and boots. It’s also the season of extending the time between shaving my legs a little (okay, a lot!), and sleeping in as long as possible in the mornings because it’s dark outside, and then without fail, rushing on our way to school.

The seasons are a time of transition, of moving from one state of being to another. The same is true of the seasons of our lives, especially when we have children. When we transition from not pregnant to pregnant, from pregnant to raising a newborn, through toddlerhood, teething, returning to work, deciding to stay home, our relationship without kids and then with kids—these seasons look different because they are different.

We make different choices; we approach life differently than we did last season. We are, in many ways, different people.

And despite what social media presents, or what your friends are doing, or what your critical inner voice is telling you, it’s okay to just embrace the season you are in. Here’s how:

1. Identify your season.
After I had my first child, I gave away all of my high heels. I decided I was going to quit my corporate job to stay home with him, and since my Friday nights now looked exactly the same as my Tuesday mornings— in yoga pants and flats— they were just taking up space in my closet. Purging a small section of my closet felt like a big step toward embracing my new life.

What season are you in? Are you getting out as much as possible before your baby arrives? Are you hunkered down at home with eternally sick toddlers? Are you freezing breastmilk for an upcoming return to work? Are you trying to get pregnant?

When you recognize where you are, you can then:

2. Accept both the joys and the limitations.
I miss breastfeeding. It surprises me to say it now, because my daughter never took a bottle and wanted to nurse all the time, until she was almost two years old. Dinnertime was the hardest, because she always wanted to be on my lap nursing and I could never seem to finish a hot meal.

In that season, eating my dinner without a child attached to me wasn’t possible. But being able to comfort her in a way only I could, was. In that season, my dream to pursue doula work wasn’t possible for our family. But now that my kids are older and don’t need me in that way, I’m able to help other families as they begin their early parenting journeys.


Each season has its joys and limitations, even if you aren’t always able to see them until you’re out of it. So,

It’s okay to let the dog hair accumulate on the floor because nursing a newborn takes forever, and a shower was more important than spotless floors.

It’s okay that all you did today was hold your baby. That was all you needed to do. Everything else really could wait.

It’s okay that your body looks different than it did before. It’s a different body, an amazing one, that grew and birthed a human! And in three months, one year, or three years, it will be a different body again because you will be in a different season.

boise doulas
Photo credit: Natalie Koziuk Photography
3. Say no to what doesn’t fit into this season.
When you say no to one thing, you are often saying yes to something else. And vice versa. Only you and your partner can determine what does and doesn’t fit into this season.
  • If you say no to hosting visitors, maybe you are saying yes to getting enough rest and sleep.
  • If you say yes to a messy house, maybe you are saying no to added stress and physical strain.
  • If you say no to allowing a particular person into your birth space, maybe you are saying yes to establishing healthy boundaries.
  • If you say yes to giving your baby a bottle, maybe you are saying no to neglecting your own mental or physical health.
  • If you say no to returning to work right away, maybe you are saying yes to establishing breastfeeding.
  • If you say yes to the expense of outside help, maybe you are saying yes to more time to take care of yourself.

And so on. Embracing your season means making choices that align with what you want and need from this time.


And when the next season begins to unfold, take a deep breath and open your eyes to the beauty to be found at any time. Even in the biting cold of winter there is warmth in the nuzzle of a baby's soft cheek. At any time, this amazing, exhausting, incredible world of parenting has so much to embrace.
I am a certified labor doula (birth doula) and professional postpartum doula serving Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley. What season are you in?
Do you need support for an upcoming birth, or help with your new baby?
Let's Talk!

​elevated birth
Copyright 2018
Comments

The Boring Baby Shower Gift That is the Best Gift

8/30/2018

Comments

 
Baby shower Boise
Photo by Picsea via Unsplash
Boise postpartum doula
At some point in just about every baby shower, the mother-to-be opens her gifts as the attendees ooh and aah over adorable outfits, the latest innovations in baby gear, and preciously impractical baby shoes.

There are diaper cakes, and Costco-size boxes of diapers and wipes; those who have already had babies remark that even all of those diapers will last just a few weeks.

There are generously-loaded gift cards, and practical items like nipple cream and wash cloths. Occasionally there is a present for the pregnant person as well, like a gift certificate for a pedicure or a prenatal massage.

What isn’t gifted very often, however, is what very well may be needed the most: support. Not hugs and encouragement, although these things are wonderful to give. The support I’m referring to is the in-the-trenches, middle-of-the-night, time-intensive, utilitarian, hands-on support that anyone needs when going through a major life transition.
  • Who will prepare nutritious, diet-sensitive, warm meals on a regular basis? Or who will coordinate a team of friends and family to do so?
  • Who will take a crying baby to the mother at 2:00am to be fed, then change the baby and rock him to sleep so she can sleep just 30 minutes longer? And then do it again at 4:00am?
  • Who will tidy up the house and fold the laundry, then stop to help her latch the baby onto her breast?
  • Who will show the parents how to bathe their baby? Who will answer their many questions throughout the day, about sleep, and pumping, and pacifiers? Who will listen to their worries and assure them that they are doing a great job?
  • Who will walk the dogs and scoop the cat litter?
  • Who will sit with her as she pours out her heart because the birth didn’t happen like she hoped, or because she didn’t think it would be this exhausting?
  • Who will help organize the diaper bag and who will go with her and the baby to doctor visits?
  • Who will do all of these things more than once, for more than a couple of days, for several times a week?

Often a family member or friend can do a couple of these things once or twice. Sometimes these needs can be met consistently by one person. But all too often, new parents are left on their own to figure it all out. What if they didn’t have to?

What if in addition to the dozens of outfits the baby may wear just once, each person attending the baby shower committed to bring a home-cooked meal to cover the first month after the birth? Or to go grocery shopping once a week? Or what if they each contributed toward a postpartum doula fund?

What if someone who was able to contribute a larger amount purchased a couple night’s worth of sleep in addition to the fancy new stroller?

Or what if a few friends pitched in to cover a portion of birth doula costs, so the expecting couple are able to labor and birth their baby feeling supported, emotionally safe, and confident? Perhaps then the sleepless nights and disorganized house wouldn’t feel so overwhelming?

That in-the-trenches support that is so needed, and that a doula is trained to provide, cannot be wrapped in beautiful paper. It can’t be seen, or always understood, even by the expecting couple themselves. But it can be felt, and it is always needed.

Whether it’s given by a professional like a birth or postpartum doula, or a family member or friend with the heart of a doula, the support that keeps new parents fed, rested, and feeling secure is always needed, as long as it’s given in a way that respects their autonomy and preferences. 

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Many of us did not have this kind of support when we had our babies. And we survived, right? Well, some of us barely did. Some of us had a really, really, hard time.

And is surviving the standard for new parents who are nurturing and growing a tiny human being? Shouldn’t those we love who are in that position thrive in their new role instead of just survive? 

Expecting parents: Ask for the boring gift of support. Be specific in what you need. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Gift givers: Go ahead and buy the newborn tutu. But also be boring. Get in the trenches, and if you cannot, give the gift of someone who can, like a doula.

Boise baby shower
​I am a certified labor (birth) doula and professional postpartum doula serving Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and the greater Treasure Valley.
Did you know that you can add Elevated Birth doula services to your baby registry?
​We now offer gift certificates in any denomination ($50 
minimum order).
Find Out More
elevated birth
​Copyright 2018
Comments

Visualize Your Positive Birth

8/20/2018

Comments

 
Boise doulas
What will you choose to "see" in labor?
Visualize labor Boise
Visualization is a proven tool commonly used by professional athletes, corporate leaders, speakers, and marathon runners that is free, effective, and powerful. It can also be used by anyone birthing a baby, in any setting, in any position, for any type of birth. It's one form of childbirth preparation you can do just about anywhere.

Visualizing a specific action has been shown to activate nervous system responses that are similar to actually performing that action, impacting your heart rate, blood pressure, and hormones. Visualization can help you stay calm and focused in a challenging situation; it can reduce physical symptoms of stress and anxiety and promote feelings of relaxation.

Consider this tool a “mental rehearsal” for your birth. You can visualize the entire process, from imagining yourself feeling the earliest labor signs, to arriving at your birth place, to pushing out your baby and bringing her to your chest. Or, you can focus on just one thing, like your cervix opening up or your baby descending.

Whatever you choose to visualize, keep the following tips in mind:


Practice throughout your pregnancy. You won’t get the benefits of visualization from trying it out once or twice. Make the time to practice your visualization often throughout your pregnancy, so when you are actually in labor, it is familiar to you and easy to go back to when you need it.

Get creative. Some people find it helpful to imagine their actual uterus pushing baby down with each contraction, or to imagine their baby’s head pressing against their actual cervix, thin and ripe.
​
​Others prefer to imagine something more abstract or metaphorical, like a flower opening, or waves crashing. Some may find an image of themselves passing through a barrier representative of “moving through” contractions, and in turn they become an active participant in their labor rather than a passive onlooker. And some choose to visualize something completely unrelated, like their favorite vacation spot, or some other peaceful location.

Personalize your visualization so that it works for you.


Break it down into steps. Whatever you choose to visualize, break it down into small steps. For instance, if imagining a flower opening, you might visualize each petal of the flower slowly unfolding until you can see the center. If imagining ocean waves, visualize the wave building far from shore, gathering momentum until it crests and then falls against the rocks; see the ocean spray, the bubbling foam, maybe even sand crabs scurrying around as the water is pulled back into the sea.

​If your visualization can be broken down so it lasts roughly 60-90 seconds— the approximate length of a labor contraction— you will find yourself with a tool you can use to manage each surge.

Write it down. Write down the steps of your visualization to help break it down, and to get a clearer picture in your mind’s eye of what you will “see.” Pay attention to detail; incorporate your other senses, imagining what you might smell or hear if you were actually at the ocean, or in a field, or even in your place of birth.
Doulas in Boise
Incorporate affirmations. Think about how you want to feel as you visualize, and tie this into any birth affirmations you may utilize in labor. You might think of your affirmation, or even speak it aloud, as you work through your visualizations.

As author and speaker Dr. Wayne Dyer says about the power of affirmations,“I use the inner mantra I am, seeing myself as already having arrived at what I’ve placed in my mind.”

During your labor, you might think or say aloud, “I am strong,” “I am open,” “I am calm,” or any number of phrases, while you are actively using your visualization.

Birth affirmations boise
You can use visualizations to distract yourself from any pain or discomfort you may experience, even outside of labor. Afraid of needles and about to have blood drawn? Consenting to a cervical check or having your membranes swept? In the OR having your baby by Cesearean? Having an IUD placed?

​Go to your visualization to distract your mind from your physical discomfort, and bring you back to a more peaceful  state.
I am a certified labor doula and professional postpartum doula serving Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and the greater Treasure Valley.
​As a doula, I can remind my clients of their visualizations and affirmations and help them have a supportive, positive birth experience.

Find Out More
elevated birth
​Copyright 2018
Comments

How to Survive a Summer Pregnancy

8/10/2018

Comments

 
Boise doula, pregnant in summer
Baby, it's HOT outside!
Baby, it’s HOT outside! It’s about that time of year that people are over summer, and are looking forward to sweaters and pumpkins and changing leaves. With today’s high of 108 degrees, I know I am!

This heat might feel worse to you if you are pregnant. You are carrying more weight than you normally do, your feet might be swollen, and you just can’t get comfortable at night. If you are early in your pregnancy, the heat can exacerbate the drowsiness that dominates your first trimester. 

So here are some tips to surviving this heat, my pregnant friends!

1. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! With baby pressing on your bladder, you may feel like you are always in the restroom, but that is no reason to hold off on drinking water. Staying well hydrated is important to prevent complications like low amniotic fluid, birth defects, and premature labor. Constipation, a common pregnancy woe, can worsen if you don’t stay hydrated. Eating foods with high water content, like watermelon, cucumber, lettuce, celery, radishes, bell peppers, and grapefruit can be helpful as temperatures rise. You can also avoid foods with caffeine, which acts as a diuretic and removes water from the body.

2. Enjoy the A/C. When temperatures soar, avoid strenuous exercise, which increases your body temperature and makes you sweat out water. Instead, put your feet up and enjoy the air conditioning. Before long you’ll be on your baby’s schedule, so when it's this hot outside, exercise your ability to relax!

3. Embrace the positives. If you’ve read my blog posts, you know that I’m a fan of “flipping the script.” What is a positive way of viewing a difficult or seemingly negative situation?

​Try to get on board with this positive thinking about having a baby in the summertime:
  • When you go into labor, you don’t have to worry about inclement weather. When heading to the hospital or birth center, you don’t have to wonder  about whether or not the streets have been plowed or if there is ice on the road. If you are birthing at home, you don't have to wonder if your midwife or doula will be able to get to your house.
  • By the time cold and flu season arrive, your baby will be several months old and will have some natural immunity built up. If you are breastfeeding, your baby gets the added bonus of immunity from your breastmilk.
  • By the time ski season is in full swing, you might feel ready to leave your baby for a few hours to hit the slopes.
  • When celebrating the holidays, you can have some wine at dinner, or some champagne on New Year’s Eve! 
  • When you plan your baby’s first birthday, you won't be limited to indoor venues. Although if next year is as hot as this year, it might be too hot for a party at the park . . . 

Stay cool, everyone!
Pregnant in summer Boise
Today's high in Boise
I am a certified labor (birth) doula and professional postpartum doula serving clients in Boise, Eagle, Meridian, Nampa, and the Greater Treasure Valley.
Whether you are due this summer or winter, it's not too late to hire your doula! 
Learn More
elevated birth
​Copyright 2018
Comments
<<Previous

    Doula Raquel

    I've worked in the forest, in the lab, and in an office cubicle. My favorite and most passionate work has been alongside clients as they reach inside to find their innermost strength, and give birth to their babies. Each birth is an honor to witness.

    Picture

    Archives

    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017

    Categories

    All
    About Raquel
    Birth
    Birth Options
    Breastfeeding
    Cesarean Birth
    Childbirth Education
    Doula Support
    Healthy Living
    Labor
    Lifestyle
    Loss
    Newborn Education
    Out Of Hospital Birth
    Pain Management
    Parenting
    Planning For Baby
    Postpartum
    Postpartum Health
    Pregnancy
    Second Baby
    Treasure Valley

    RSS Feed

Location

What Our Clients Are Saying

"Five stars aren't enough - Raquel is incredible! She made sure that I was informed and comfortable with all of the decisions made both before and during labor. She's an excellent resource for information, and she respected every decision that I made along the way . . . I am so grateful that she was there for me through labor and delivery (and my husband is too!). If we have another baby, she'll be my number one choice of doula." - Alex H.

connect with me

    Subscribe TO my EMAIL LIST FOR UPDATES & PROMOTIONS

Subscribe
  • Home
  • Services
    • Birth Support
    • Postpartum Support
    • Postpartum Meals
    • Gift Certificates
  • About
    • More About Me
    • Client Testimonials
    • Promotions & Events
  • Contact
  • Parent Resources
  • Blog