New video -- CHOICES FOR BIRTH: Vit. K for Newborns

Still deciding whether to give your newborn baby prophylactic Vitamin K? There's a new movie up on my YouTube channel. In it I share five facts you need to know before deciding whether to give your baby the shot.

 

May your decisions be well-informed and may your birthing be happy!

All you ever wanted to know about me and my work in a 30-minute TV show

Well, perhaps not all you've ever wanted to know, but close.  What surprising things does a doula do at a birth? Doesn't a dad feel left out when a doula is present? How did an English doula and childbirth educator end up in Racine? What happens when someone who attends a natural birth class doesn't have a natural birth? What kind of crazy person shows up for a TV interview with a model pelvis and a grapefruit, anyway?

 

This is the conversation that happens when I sit down for half-an-hour with someone I've just met who's only just learned what a doula is. Thanks to Jessica Tighe for having me on the show. Look out too for my lovely clients Molly Ewing, Stephanie and David Raszkiewicz, making me blush with their fine compliments. My dear colleague Dana Moore of Beautiful Beginnings makes an appearance, and a few other clients and colleagues flash past too.

 

The show aired at 6.30am on a Saturday (27th July, 2013) -- so for you sleepyheads who missed it at the time, now's your chance! Grab a cup of tea, sit back and have all your questions answered!

 

PART 1: Intro

 

 

 

PART 2: What's new about the childbirth classes I'm offering in Racine?

 

 

 

PART 3: Does a doula make a difference?



 

 

PART 4: There's a doula for everyone!



 

I was so blessed to have this opportunity and so thankful to be accompanied to the TV station by such a lovely crew of supporters/fellow guests who "doula-ed" me through what could have been a nerve-wracking experience. With two big beautiful pregnant bellies, a breastfeeding mama, a new papa and a seven-week-old-baby by my side, I had enough oxytocin to get me through anything! (By the way, the seven-week-old doesn't appear on screen, but did you hear her getting her word in? So sweet.)

Stumped on a baby name?

Check out my first ever video blog post!

Watch, enjoy and be easy on me! Then get in touch and let me know what other topics you'd like to see me cover. I have some good 'uns up my sleeve, but I don't know if they're the ones you would choose unless you tell me! This is a great chance to pick my childbirth-educator-brains on the subject of your choice, for FREE.

Can't wait to hear from you at info [at] godsib [dot] net.

They always come out

If Sofia Pedro of Mozambique can give birth in a tree above rising floodwaters, you and I can give birth, too.

Read the full news story here.

Feathering your nest

All mammals seek a safe place when the time comes to give birth. This may be due to the role played by prolactin, the "nesting hormone". Your cat might choose a cozy closet. Where would you make your ideal nest?
 

A secluded treehouse?

Source



A sheltered courtyard?

Source



 A tiny forest cottage?

Source



A lush tropical garden?

Source

Thinking of the different settings that appeal to you, what elements do they have in common? How can you create the same inviting atmosphere in the real-life circumstances under which you will be giving birth?

The Pros and Cons of Everything

 Well, almost everything. That's what is offered at ProCon.org, a serious and interesting website which aims to promote "critical thinking, education, and informed citizenship by presenting controversial issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, primarily pro-con format."

The Health & Medicine section might be of greatest interest to my readers. Among other things, it contains a page on children's vaccinations with a huge array of information.

Beyond specific content, this is also a useful site for those thinking more about how we make decisions -- a skill transferable across the whole spectrum of life's questions. So the page "Golf: is it a sport?" might be just as useful.  :)

Is ignorance bliss?

Source

A surgeon's skilled hands may make the difference between life and death.

But a survey commissioned by the American College of Surgeons finds that, on average, a person expecting to undergo surgery spends less than an hour researching their surgeon or the procedure.

A new car requires eight times as much research, apparently. Huh. Source