My official due date was January 6, 2004, but I had been feeling for awhile that he might come early.  I started losing some mucous plug at about 34 ½ weeks, and was also dilated to 1 cm at that time. Nelson kept telling me that it was just wishful thinking on my part, but I guess he turned out to be wrong!  We were also hoping for a 2004 baby, because then Nelson would get a full 2 weeks paid vacation from work, which he did not get because Philip was born in 2003.  So we were counting down the days until New Year’s.

On the evening of December 26th, we were having Bible time in the living room and I was holding Brianna in my lap while we were singing hymns.  I felt a contraction that went all the way around to my back and immediately said something to Nelson about it.  This was at about 8:00 PM.  I did not take it seriously, but I knew that feeling it in my back could mean that something was happening. We put the children to bed, and then spent some time alone together for a few minutes.  I kept having sporadic contractions, and I told Nelson that I didn’t think I would be able to sleep through them if they didn’t slow down.  I remember telling Nelson that I was feeling really guilty about possibly being in labor before January 1st, and he told me to go ahead and have the baby whenever I wanted to, he wouldn’t be upset about it.

I was really more annoyed by them than anything else, because I wanted to get to sleep. They weren’t painful at all yet, just distracting.  I lay in bed and watched TV from about 9:30-11:00, trying to relax.  After that Nelson came to bed and I decided to get up and take a shower, which I did. The contractions were getting a little MORE distracting, and I was beginning to wonder if this might be the night. I got out of the shower just before midnight, and then laid back down in bed for an hour while Nelson slept. I could not sleep or relax, so I decided to get up and go downstairs. I started timing the contractions and writing them down, and found that they were regular and coming about every 2 minutes, starting at 1 AM. 

I decided to call my midwife at about 1:15, and she said she and her assistant would be on their way shortly.  I called Mom at her house and my mother-in-law at her house at about 1:30, apologizing to all of them for calling so soon and waking them up.  I really thought that I was calling everyone way too early, and that it would be sometime the next day before he would be born.  By this time I knew that I was in labor, and at 1:06 AM I took my first dose of 4000 mg of Vitamin C, and set the timer for 1 hour.  I went back upstairs, woke up Nelson, and told him that this was it and he needed to get up and shower.  He did that, and then started getting things ready, including cleaning the sink and toilet, making the bed, moving furniture around, blowing up the swimming pool, etc.  He worked until about 2:30 when I finally asked him to stop.

I paced the floor downstairs for awhile, reading Psalms and singing to myself during contractions.  I started feeling some back pain, which I relieved by putting pressure on my back. At 2:06 I took 4000 more mg of Vit C, and at the same moment my mom walked in the door. I walked around downstairs for a few more minutes, and then decided to go upstairs and see how Nelson was doing.  I was beginning to feel the need for his support, and I wanted him to use the vibrating massager on my back.

I put on my swimsuit which had the crotch cut out of it, and my robe on over that.  It was hot upstairs, but I still had my sense of modesty at that time.  I tried several different positions during contractions, including kneeling down beside the bed, and then finally started leaning against the wall while Nelson used the vibrating massager on my back. My midwives came in during one of those contractions, and afterwards I remember thinking that I was probably about 3-4 cm dilated at that point, and we had a long ways to go.  The contractions were very manageable, with lots of time between them and I could easily carry on a conversation between times. 

They checked the heart rate of the baby and discovered his heart was going down to 80 bpm during contractions.  I could hear that it was way too slow even during the contractions, and that scared me.  They checked it again a couple more times, and then my midwife said that she was somewhat concerned and needed to check me. I laid down on the bed on my side with my body pillow between my legs.  She checked me and said that I was already 7 cm dilated!  I couldn’t believe it!  This was at about 3:00 AM. She also said that my water was bulging and would break any minute.  I requested that they go ahead and wake up the children at this point, so they would be wide awake when the time came.  The heart rate was still going down too low, so she tried to break my water, but was not successful. But by this time I had gotten into a better position, semi-reclining on the bed leaning up against Nelson, and during the next contraction the heart rate was fine! My midwife told me that the baby really liked this position, and asked if I could stay there for a little while. I thought this was a great idea, I didn’t want to hear that heart rate going down any more!

In the meantime, the swimming pool was being filled.  We had not started filling it until the midwives arrived, because Nelson didn’t know it would take so long, and I wanted to stay out of the water as long as possible. So by the time we started it was pretty much too late.  I was 9 cm dilated a few minutes after the first check, and so when they finally told me that I could get in the pool, I didn’t want to anymore, I just wanted to stay on the bed where I was.  One of my reasons was not wanting to chance the baby’s heart rate going down again, although I don’t know if that was a reasonable thought or not at the time.

My mother-in-law arrived at about 3:15 or 3:20, and I remember asking if my sister-in-law had come along with her.  She hadn’t.  They and the children were right outside the bedroom door waiting for us to call them in to witness the birth, they were talking to them and praying for me at the same time. I started vocalizing through the contractions, they had gotten really intense at about this point. My midwife was talking me through them by reminding me that it was almost over, I would get to see my baby soon, and I was saying over and over again – “I don’t want to.” Nelson will never let me forget those words!  I was really fearing the urge to push, and didn’t want to have to go through that again.  Finally the urge came, and I screamed at the top of my lungs as I pushed little Philip out into the world in one contraction.  The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck tightly two times, they told me later, and that was what was causing his heart rate to go down.  After he came out they unwound him immediately and put him up on my belly, I watched him take his first breath and start crying.  My children did not get to see him being born this time, but they heard everything, including his first cry, and came into the room at this point.  My only thought besides how beautiful he was, was that I still have to push out the placenta!  While we were waiting, my father-in-law came upstairs and peeked into the room, and we shooed him out the door and said we weren’t ready yet.  Poor Papa. My mother-in-law commented on how loud he cried, and asked if our other children had done that at birth. 

Philip was born at 3:31 AM (approximately) and weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 20 ½ inches long.  He was much smaller than we all thought he would be, which made for an easier birth, and I didn’t even tear for the first time!  This was my easiest labor yet, and I attribute it to having a smaller baby along with the Vitamin C that I took only twice. 

After he was born, we bonded with him for awhile, and then they got the two of us into the swimming pool for an herbal bath. That was really nice.  The midwives left at about 6:00 AM, and my in-laws decided to stay and sleep in the guest room for awhile.  We put the children back to bed and tried to rest.  At about 7:30 we were in our room trying to sleep when the doorbell rang.  It was my sister-in-law, expecting to get there and see me still in labor!  She was very surprised and said that she had not been able to sleep all night after we had called.  Instead she worked on finishing up the baby blanket that she made for Philip, her very first one ever!  It was wonderful to see her, and I am so glad she decided to come over, even though everything was done at that point.

Philip was born on a Sabbath morning at home, right onto our very own bed!  What a wonderful experience to have a 2nd home birth.  We were very happy with our midwives, and very happy with the whole experience!  I would have enjoyed giving birth in the water again, but given the circumstances, it may have been better this way anyhow.  We are so blessed to have been given another son!

My due date was November 26th, 2001, and we knew that this baby was a girl. We were so excited to have a baby sister for Courtney!

On Nov. 25th I woke up feeling quite a few contractions, and hoped that this was the day!  I called our midwife, and then decided to mow our front lawn to help things along.  After that I took a nap, and when I woke up the contractions had stopped.  This was about the 3rd time this had happened – and I was starting to feel discouraged with the false alarms.  I decided to try my hardest to forget about the whole thing, and not even think about any contractions that I might have. 

On Monday, Nov. 26th Nelson stayed home from work because his back was out – he could hardly walk!  He told me I’d better not have the baby that day because he wouldn’t be able to be a good coach!  In the morning on Monday my mom took the kids and I to town – mostly to give us something to do since I had no plans for the entire week.  We got home and I took a nap – but woke up early because I was very hot.  It was probably about 3:00 in the afternoon, and I came out and laid down on the couch for awhile, trying to cool off.  I noticed that I was having some pretty hard contractions, but I was still trying to ignore them so I didn’t keep track of the time at all for awhile. 

It was about 4:30 PM when I went to the bathroom and lost quite a bit of mucous plug, along with the tiniest amount of blood.  I decided that it was time to start timing some of my contractions, just in case.  I also had Nelson check me, and he said he thought I was dilated between 2-3 cm. I called our midwife, and she told me to time contractions for 1 hour, and then call her back. Mom and I decided to take a short walk, and both of the kids wanted to go with us.  We walked only over to Mom’s house and back, she wanted to get her cordless phone. By this time, I was fairly certain that the baby would be born that night – the contractions were between 7-8 minutes apart, but they were getting stronger and starting to hurt more during contractions. Nelson checked me again and thought I was dilated to about 4 cm already! I called our midwife back, and she said she would get ready to come, but she didn’t think it was time for her to come yet.

I continued walking through the house – also calling quite a few more people to let them know and to ask them to pray for us.  In the meantime, Nelson was busy preparing our bathroom and bedroom for the birth.  I guess it was about 7:00 or so when I decided that Nelson should start filling up the tub, because I was getting very uncomfortable during contractions.  I was feeling a little bit anxious about our midwife getting here on time, and Nelson and Mom strongly encouraged me to call and and have her come, so that I would be able to relax better. I started timing contractions again, and they were 2-3 minutes apart, so I called and she said she would be here shortly.

I got in the tub a little bit after 7:30 PM.  The water was very relaxing to me immediately, it was amazing how much better the contractions felt!  My belly wasn’t completely covered by the water because our tub isn’t very deep, so I started having Nelson pour warm water over me during the contractions.  This was very comforting to me, and we continued this throughout labor. 

The midwife and her assistants got here at about 8:00 PM.  They sat down by the tub and talked to me for a few minutes, and then started getting their things ready and set up around the room.  I asked our midwife to check me, and she said I was 5 cm dilated and 100% effaced. We talked between contractions for awhile, and then decided to have Nelson get in the tub with me to see if I would be more comfortable.  I told him not to get mad at me if I changed my mind immediately and wanted him to get out!  But it was very comfortable having him right there behind me – I was much more comfortable and I enjoyed having him be able to touch me and be so close.

Matthew and Courtney came in to see me a couple of times, their eyes were wide and I could tell they were very excited about what was happening.  Courtney wanted to get in the tub and “take a bath” with me! We decided not to put them to bed unless they got very fussy, we wanted them to be able to witness the birth.

The time went by very quickly, and I could tell that the contractions were getting closer together and lasting longer.  I enjoyed listening to a tape with scripture verses that Nelson had made for me a few weeks earlier.  At about 9:30 my midwife checked me again, and I was 8 cm dilated! She said that we would have a baby soon and asked everyone to turn off the fans, a/c, etc. so that there wouldn’t be a draft when the baby was born.  I was very relieved that I thought it would be over very soon.  They kept having me drink lemonade and water, which tasted very good because I was getting hot from sitting in the water for so long.

After a few more minutes with nothing happening, we turned the fans back on again – we were hot and things were progressing more slowly than we thought.  I was still handling the contractions well – they were very manageable, but I was getting discouraged that nothing was happening.  I had my midwife check me again at 10:15, and I was still at 8 cm.  She said that sometimes when the water hasn’t broken yet, the baby gets stuck in a certain spot, and there might be a certain period of time when I don’t seem to be progressing.  She said that we could sit and wait to see what would happen, or she could have me push a little bit against her fingers and see if that helped. I decided to try that – I was ready to get this show on the road!  As soon as I pushed during the next contraction, I felt a big pop and the baby’s head moved down – my water had broken. 

Now we had to wait and see what would happen next.  I started having much more painful contractions right away, these were hard to deal with! I had a lot of feelings of doubt and fear right about then, because the contractions got so much stronger so suddenly.  There weren’t very many of them, however, and I started feeling an urge to push.  My midwife checked, and I was 9 ½ cm dilated, almost there!  At 10:31 the urge to push became very strong, and I started screaming/grunting like I do every time.  My midwife called for the kids to come in, and I could hear one of them crying, I couldn’t tell which one.  Someone put my hand down in the water, and I could feel the baby’s head starting to crown.  My midwife kept saying “Breathe” and “Brenda, listen to my voice – breathe!” She was trying to get me to stop pushing so the baby wouldn’t come out too fast.  I tried to do what she said, but my body wouldn’t listen, and I pushed her head out very quickly. I heard her saying something about the cord being around the baby’s neck, but I only had time for one or two breaths before my body started pushing again, and before I knew it the baby was in the water. The assistant brought her up out of the water, and told me “Hold your baby Brenda.”  At that point I finally opened my eyes (they had been tightly closed during all of this) and saw Brianna resting on my leg.  She was very white with vernix, and I remember the feeling of it on my fingers. I was so out of breath from pushing that I didn’t try to hold her much for a few seconds.  But then I realized that the midwife was saying something – and she sounded urgent.  She said “I need the cord clamp, NOW!”  I didn’t know what was happening, but I knew something was wrong, and I immediately looked down at Brianna to see if she was breathing.  She hadn’t taken her first breath yet, and as I watched her, I got to see her breathe in and then out for the first time.  She started crying immediately, a wonderful sound!  My instincts told me that she was okay, but my midwife was still talking loudly and urgently – I couldn’t understand what was wrong.  Then she said “Brenda, I need you to get out of the tub now.” I didn’t want to move, but I looked down and saw that the water was red with blood, and I knew she was right. For all I knew, that could have been my own blood, and I started feeling weak from the thought of it. I gave the baby to the assistant, and they all helped me get out of the tub and onto the bed.  They examined me, and soon put my fears to rest by saying that I was not bleeding. Then my midwife pushed down on my belly a couple of times and asked me to push, and the placenta came out without any difficulty.

In a couple more minutes, the assistant handed Brianna back to me wrapped in towels.  I tried to nurse her 2 different times, but she wasn’t ready yet.  I hadn’t yet noticed that she was definitely a girl, and I asked everyone to confirm that for me. After awhile, she started nursing.  My midwife told me that I had a small tear, about 1 inch long but not deep.  We discussed it, and then decided not to do stitches.  I also found out by listening to everyone talking that the umbilical cord had torn during the delivery, therefore causing the panic that had happened earlier.  She decided that they were taking the cord from around the baby’s neck, but it wasn’t completely free yet when her body came out with such force that the cord tore completely apart!  They didn’t have the cord clamp ready yet, so she was holding onto both ends of the cord with her hands, and didn’t have any hands free – so that’s why she sounded so urgent in telling the other midwives what to do.  They knew the blood in the water was coming from the cord, but they also needed to examine me and make sure I was okay, so that’s why they made me get out right away.

Once everything settled down, Mom and the kids came back into the room, and they got to hold the baby for the first time.  The expressions on their faces were priceless, they loved their baby sister so much! They held her for a few minutes, and then said goodnight and went to bed almost 4 hours later than normal.

It first needs to be established that stretch marks are really scars. They are the damage left behind when the the skin has been stretched past its limit. This understanding is necessary so that we can continue with a discussion about how to prevent and treat them.

No one is immune to getting stretch marks. Anytime weight is gained or lost very fast there is possibility stretch marks will result. They are usually formed on women during pregnancy, but that is certainly not the only time you can get them.

Bodybuilders are another frequent recipient of stretch marks because of how quickly their muscles can grow. They are usually found on both their arms and chest. Youths who go through rapid growth spurts can also be left with stretch marks afterward.

Stretch mark creams, like Trilastin-SR have become a popular treatment choice over the past few years. These can be purchased in stores and on the Internet. Many women report very effective results.

You can talk to your doctor about the possibility of undergoing surgery to remove your stretch marks. This is not the best solution for everyone, but it is an option that can be explored. Remember that it can be costly and painful.

Prevention is the best stretch mark treatment of all. This is not always the easiest to implement. Try to exercise and eat sensibly during pregnancy. Also keep your skin well moisturized. This will allow it to endure the pulling and stretching the your growing belly will be going through.

What is really unfortunate is how embarrassed and depressed some women can get over their stretch marks. These are battle scars of which you should be proud. They are souvenirs of that beautiful baby that you carried inside and are nothing you should ever feel ashamed of. Do not feel like you need to take drastic measures to get rid of them, because you truly do not.

Brenda’s Birth Story – Baby #1

My first baby was born on November 10, 1997. His due date was November 6th. I have birthed five more children since then, in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, and 2008. We interviewed a midwife at the beginning of my pregnancy, thinking about the possibility of a home birth. But in the end we decided on a hospital birth with our OB/GYN, and we wrote a birth plan, hoping for a natural birth.

I worked as a Kindergarten teacher throughout my pregnancy. My last day was November 7th, when I finally decided to stop working. That was a Friday, and on Sunday night I had trouble sleeping. I was having mild contractions about every 10 minutes for an hour or so, and then at about 1 AM my water broke. My mom, husband and I drove to the hospital, arriving at about 3 AM. I got into bed to be hooked up to the fetal monitor, and the nurses left us alone for several hours. I stayed in bed the whole time, the contractions were fairly strong and I was tired from not having any sleep. I had very much wanted to have a totally natural birth, but at some point I started thinking that I wanted an epidural. I couldn’t decide; my mind was fighting with what my body was feeling. I was just about at the point to ask for it, when my doctor came in, around 6:30 AM. She examined me and said that I had made a lot of progress. She gave me a hug, looked me in the eye, and said “I know you can do this, you’re almost there!”  Her encouragement was just what I needed at that moment. She suggested I get up and take a shower, which I did for quite awhile. The hot water was very soothing and relaxing to me.

After I got out of the shower and back into the bed, things started moving faster, and I went into transition. At that point I knew that my baby would be coming soon because my cervix was dilating quickly, and the nurses started making preparations for the birth. I started feeling the urge to push, and the doctor came back and said that I was completely dilated. I felt the urge to push very strongly, and I grunted loudly as I pushed. I only pushed for about 10 minutes when his head came out at 9:15 AM, followed right away by the rest of his body. They put him on my chest and said “It’s a boy!” I didn’t know it at the time, but later I found out that the doctor had done a local anesthetic right at the last. I also needed just a few stitches for a small tear. Matthew was wide awake and nursed beautifully almost right away! This was also very important to me as I wanted to breastfeed exclusively; I was very much against using formula or any kind of supplementation. We stayed in the hospital for just over 24 hours, with my husband staying with us.

 After Matthew’s birth, I felt so empowered, and stronger than I had ever felt in my life – I felt like I could do anything! I loved being a mama, and stayed home with him for 3 months. I then went back to work for 3 months and have been at home with my children ever since.

When a couple first learns about the possibility of having a doula present at their birth, questions often arise about the role of a doula, and the reasons why having a doula would be beneficial to them.

A doula is a trained professional with experience in many types of birth situations. Her role is varied depending on the needs of each mother, and can include prenatal education and preparation for various comfort measures during the labor. She also serves as an information source as the mother is making decisions about what type of birth she wants to have and what interventions she will accept. A doula is with the mother continuously throughout her labor, as opposed to the doctors and nurses who come and go and may be total strangers to her. She will give the mother emotional and physical support as needed, and has many suggestions to help in dealing with labor contractions. A doula’s role is not to replace the father, but to assist him and enable him to be the best supporter of his partner. A doula will also stay with the mother for a few hours after the birth, helping with initiating breastfeeding if needed, and making sure that the mother is comfortable. Postpartum visits are also included, which can include helping out with a few things at home, more informational support, and discussing and working through the details of the birth.

Studies have been done to determine the benefits of having a doula present with a mother throughout her labor. Listed below are some of the statistics from the studies:

• 50% reduction in the cesarean rate
• 25% shorter labor
• 60% reduction in epidural requests
• 40% reduction in oxytocin use
• 30% reduction in analgesia use
• 40% reduction in forceps delivery

These figures are taken from the book “Mothering the Mother, How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth” by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, Phyllis H. Klaus.

Having a doula at your birth can be a wonderful experience for the whole family. Mothers report a higher satisfaction level with their births after having a doula, and the statistics show that risks of intervention are lower with a doula’s presence.

About the Author: Brenda Minica, CD (CBI) is a certified birth doula in San Antonio, TX.

As any soon-to-be-mother knows, pregnancy can be a mixed bag of highs and lows. While you are excited about meeting your new bundle of joy, observing a hundred and one dos and donts can present something of a challenge, especially if you are a creature of habit.

Take for example, the use of essential oils.

Found in many spas, candles and aromatherapy products, they can present a problem to a mothers unborn child. The problem is many women use these items for holistic skin care regimens or a relaxation tools. Being told that they can no longer use these products may cause a sense of despair as impending motherhood can cause skin reactions and stress.

However, it is best for a pregnant woman to stay away from these oils. Understanding why could go a long way in aiding women to firm their resolve in avoiding these substances.

Harmful affects of essential oils

Botanical products are normally very beneficial to adult humans, but these same oils could cause birth defects or premature delivery, especially when used in certain doses.

This is because some of these oils produce hormone like affects that can trick the uterus into contracting. Others, while normally okay, can be highly toxic to an unborn child. Since oils can quickly absorb into the skin and into the blood stream, this is not a good thing.

A few oils to avoid

While it may seem like a bit of an over kill, you would be wells advised to consider what oils may not be safe to use.

There are literally hundreds of oils that are off limits during your pregnancy. To be certain which ones may cross the placenta and pose a threat to your unborn, ask your doctor or do an online search.

There are even a few pregnancy forums where mothers gather to swap anecdotes, ideas and advice. You may be able to get the info you need from such boards.

While the list can be fairly comprehensive, there are few common oils that most people use that would be best to avoid, and they are:

Basil, black pepper, citronella, clove , jasmine , lemon , nutmeg , peppermint, rose wintergreen, rosemary and chamomile in certain doses.

Many of these are uterine stimulants and can cause contractions. Causing early contractions, as you may know, may result in premature labor.

To avoid this, stay away from these particular oils altogether. Again, when in doubt about an essential oil, consult your OB/GYN for guidance.

Safe alternatives for Mom and baby

Women who find that their skin is now breaking out or are seeking new ways to relax and unwind may feel at a loss of what to do.

The answer is relatively simple.

There are many products especially made for the pregnant woman that contain organic ingredients like Shea butter oil, which is safe for use during pregnancy. While these may be a tad bit on the expensive side, you can console yourself by the thought that a) you will only be using them for a few months and b) you are doing it so your baby can remain healthy.

Besides, dont forget that daddy can be an indispensible help during this time. Ask him for occasional gentle messages to relieve stress and promote relaxation. You may be surprised, but the request will make him feel useful in a time where he may feel left out.

A happy, healthy pregnancy

Being pregnant can be an amazing time in a womans life. It can be hard and extremely stressful, yet alternatively rewarding. Yes, there may be things, like essential oils, that you have to worry about in conjunction with a million and one other things, but when you finally hold your child in your arms, giving up a few habits here and there wont seem quite so bad.

It is estimated that a shocking 35% of all pregnant women are affected in some way by hemorrhoids. Hormonal changes and changes to the female body and weight place additional pressure on the veins in and around the anus which leads to this high incident rate.

Hemorrhoids are caused when veins in the rectal area become enlarged and inflamed. This causes the common symptoms of hemorrhoids which include itching, bleeding, burning, and painful swellings. The first sign of a hemorrhoid is often through seeing blood or experiencing a lot of pain when passing a stool. Anal bleeding is not only caused by hemorrhoids however, if you are in doubt you should see a doctor. Hemorrhoids can be easily treated in the early stages, but if given the chance to develop they can become quite complicated, resulting in severe hemorrhoids such as prolapsed and thrombosed hemorrhoids.

Treatment of Hemorrhoids during Pregnancy

Hemorrhoid cures can be divided into 3 different types. The first and most extreme of the 3 is surgery. Hemorrhoid surgery is a last resort treatment, and as such I wont go into details about hemorrhoid surgery here. Creams, lotions, gels, and ointments (topical cures) are the second common hemorrhoid cure. They work by treating the main symptoms of hemorrhoids most notably pain, irritation, and swelling. While in some cases they can work well to treat hemorrhoid symptoms, they generally only provide temporary hemorrhoid relief at best. Natural hemorrhoid cures are the third type of hemorrhoid cure. Natural hemorrhoid cures come with a range of benefits which I will discuss now.

Choosing to cure hemorrhoids the natural way has many benefits. For one, you wont need to worry about any horrible side effects that come with other chemical based products (such as creams). Secondly, natural hemorrhoid cures such as H Miracle focus on treating the root causes of hemorrhoids, not just the symptoms as is the case with topical treatments. Natural hemorrhoid cures like H Miracle can provide very quick pain relief and also fast and efficient hemorrhoid treatment.

Along with using a natural hemorrhoid cure, if you add more fiber to your diet you will cure yourself even more quickly. Fiber is extremely useful in the treatment process as it softens stools allowing them to pass through the bowels much more naturally (without pain and irritation).

Dink a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day, this is very important if you are increasing your fiber intake. Water helps to keep your body hydrated and stools moist. Exercise can make a difference to your metabolism which controls your bowel movements. Try to get 20 minutes of mild exercise into your diet 5 times a week or more.

If you are able to take quick action to cure hemorrhoids the moment you realize you have them, you can save yourself a lot of time, frustration and suffering. Hemorrhoids require some human intervention in order to be cured, the soon you decide to do something about your hemorrhoids the faster you will be able to cure them

Where Does Fear About Birth Come From?

1. Negative birth stories from our mother and others when we were in utero and very young
2. Watching birth shows on TV
3. Others approaching you when you are pregnant and telling you their horror stories
4. A previous birth
5. Comments from an authority figure such as a doctor

Fight or Flight Response

When you are in a fearful situation, your body can revert to what is called the Fight or Flight Response, which greatly inhibits your labor from progressing smoothly. When this happens, the blood rushes to your defense organs, and your uterus is not one of these organs. As a result of this, your uterus is no longer functioning properly due to your fear, the adrenaline pumping through your body, and the stress hormones you are releasing. Your body can no longer release the positive hormones that help your uterus do its work, but instead your body is tightened up and resisting the work of labor. This is why so many women’s labors tend to slow down or even stop temporarily when they first arrive at the hospital.

Counteracting the Fight or Flight Response is possible by practicing relaxation techniques prior to labor and being comfortable in using those techniques when labor starts. Learning meditation or hypnosis is an excellent way to condition your body to be able to instantly trigger your Relaxation Response when anything stressful or fearful happens.

How to prevent the Fight/Flight Response from happening in the 1st place:

1. Stop watching TV birth shows, and even the news if possible.
2. Be discerning of what you are reading about childbirth.
3. Learn how to stop people from telling you their negative birth stories. Stop them in mid-sentence and tell them that your baby is listening and you don’t want to hear any stories that would scare either of you.
4. Watch positive birth videos.
5. Surround yourselves with other moms who love birth and trust the birth process.
6. Take a good series of independent childbirth education classes, such as Birthing From Within, Bradley, or Hypnobirthing. Be wary of classes that are hospital sponsored and may focus on teaching you to be a good patient.
7. Read Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and other books with positive, empowering birth stories.
8. Listen to a relaxation CD of some type such as the Hypnobirthing CD of relaxation exercises. Listen to this CD regularly during your pregnancy, and then have it ready to use when labor starts.
9. Educate yourself on the most common procedures and interventions that your caregiver and/or hospital may expect you to submit to. Knowing the risks and benefits ahead of time will go a long way toward helping you to feel empowered in making informed decisions during your birth. Remember, you will virtually always have time to consider whether to allow an intervention – there will almost never be a situation when you won’t have time to discuss it and ask questions before making a decision. An acronym to help you remember the questions to ask is
B – What are the benefits of this procedure?
R – What are the risks of this procedure?
A – What alternatives do we have? (there are ALWAYS alternatives)
N – What would happen if we didn’t do anything for awhile, but just wait to see what happens?
D – How long do we have to make this decision?
10. Face your fears. Make a list of the things you fear most that might happen during your birth. Go over each one specifically with your partner and/or doula and talk about how you can handle each one to prevent it from happening or make the best of the situation. For moms who have had previous births, go over each birth in detail and talk about what you would have done differently if you knew then what you know now. Also talk about the fact that each birth is different and your upcoming birth will not be just like any of your previous births.

Brenda Minica, CD (CBI) is a San Antonio doula. She is also a homeschooling mom of 6 children who loves breastfeeding, home birth, milking goats, reading, quilting, and spending time with her family.

Who needs a doula? Every pregnant woman can have a more positive birth experience by having a doula attend her birth!

First time moms greatly benefit from the presence of a doula. The experience of labor and birth is brand new and a doula can help reassure Mom and help her to work with the new sensations her body is feeling.

Moms giving birth in a hospital are especially helped by having a doula with them. A doula will act as an advocate between Mom and the caregivers to communicate her wishes and assist her in having the best birth possible. This is particularly important if Mom desires a natural birth without medical interventions, or if she wants to minimize their use. If medical interventions are necessary, a doula will educate the parents on their options and encourage them through the entire process.

Moms with a previous disappointing birth experience are much more likely to have a future positive birth with a doula present. This includes situations such as previously being medicated, labor induction, having to stay in bed during labor, unnecessary episiotomies, forceps or vacuum usage, long labor, c-section, breastfeeding success, and postpartum depression. All of these scenarios are shown by research to be dramatically improved by the presence of a doula.

In a recent study, (source) women cared for during labor by a birth doula, compared to those receiving usual care were

26% less likely to give birth by cesarean section
41% less likely to give birth with a vacuum extractor or forceps
28% less likely to use any analgesia or anesthesia
33% less likely to be dissatisfied or negatively rate their birth experience

As your doula I will provide:

• Assistance with birth planning, prenatal care, and birth partner preparation
• 2-3 prenatal visits and at least 2 postpartum visits, depending on the need
• Availability for phone consultations anytime during pregnancy and afterwards
• Continuous labor support from early labor (as needed) throughout the immediate postpartum period
• Suggestions and support for pain coping techniques, positions during labor, calm birthing atmosphere, awareness of Mom’s changing needs
• Assistance with parent-infant bonding, breastfeeding help as needed
• Newborn and Mom care advice and assistance throughout the postpartum weeks

My experience:

• Certified Doula with Childbirth International since 2006
• I have experience as a doula with home birth, hospital birth, epidurals, cesarean section, high-risk pregnancy, VBAC, teen moms, breastfeeding problems, and more
• Certified Baby’s First Massage Instructor
• Mother of 6 children : 2 hospital births and 4 home births (including 3 water births)
• Extensive breastfeeding experience – total of 12 years between 6 children so far
• Herbal/natural remedy knowledge for both pregnant moms and babies/children
• Personal experience dealing with miscarriages – I can help with miscarriage care and emotional support if needed

Please Contact Me if you need a doula in San Antonio and are interested in my services.

Beautiful Home Birth baby boy

Pregnancy is a wonderful, yucky thing isn’t it? There is so much going on with our bodies that we have absolutely no idea about. Especially if this is your first pregnancy it is completely normal to worry; A LOT! I have found that there are three types of discharge during pregnancy that worries us the most.

* Blood

Bleeding during early pregnancy can be very scary, in fact, bleeding is scary in general, pregnant or not. Any bleeding during the first trimester is a reason to call your doctor as it can definitely mean trouble. However the most common type of bloody discharge during pregnancy comes after sex. I hear this question all the time and the answer is always the same, “Yes it’s normal!” Your cervix is very temperamental during pregnancy and sexual activity can cause some light bleeding or pink discharge.

Call or go into your doctor’s office IF:

*You have bleeding in the first trimester

*If you have bleeding that is accompanied by heavy cramps or contractions.

*You need to wear more than a panty liner to contain the bleeding

*If you have moderate to heavy bleeding that lasts more than 24 hours.

*Yeast

If you see a thick, white lumpy discharge during pregnancy you may have a yeast infection which is very common when you are pregnant. Some women have these more than others. One sign that the discharge is actually yeast and not something more serious include itching or burning along with the discharge. A lot of women wonder whether it is okay to take an over the counter medication such as Monistat for thier yeast infections when they are pregnant. The answer to this is YES! Monistat is okay during pregnancy.

It is important to note however, that there is a chance that you may have a more serious condition in which the symptoms mimic those of a yeast infection. Therefore, it is important that you talk to your doctor no matter how confident you are that you have a yeast infection.

Pink, Clear Fluid

This could be the most concerning type of discharge during pregnancy since it could possibly be amniotic fluid. No matter what point you have reached in your pregnancy, this clear discharge can mean trouble but this is especially true during the third trimester. It is possible that you could have a tear in the amniotic sack which could cause leaking of the amniotic fluid.

Typically however, this is not the case. Most usually this clear discharge is nothing more than urine! That’s right girls, urine. Many times during pregnancy you will find that you urinate on yourself without even knowing it. Thankfully, there is a simple test that can be done at your doctor’s office which can tell the difference between urine and amniotic fluid.

There are times when you need to go to the emergency room:

*A bloody discharge along with this clear fluid

*Regular contractions or pain with the discharge

Normally we will experience an increase in overall discharge during pregnancy. It is important to know what to look for. Most of the time our discharge will be milky and about the consistency of yogurt. If you are concerned, always call your doctor!