Someone I know was recently talking about the birth of their first baby and how she didn't realize that the experience she had then was so extreme (in a bad way).  She had limited resources and providers available to her at that time...  My gut feeling is that, while you wouldn't wish a horrible birth on any living soul,  it probably was a good thing that she didn't know what she was missing to know that her birth wasn't typical.

Labor support of any kind could have made a huge difference in the flow of her labor from the get-go.  Those of you with experiences with a doula or other labor support person--what specifically did you feel your doula did to make your birth better?

Alice at www.YourBirthBag.com is taking some of the guesswork out of packing your bags for the hospital by letting you select from some great (and stylish) items that many laboring mothers find essential.  Birth professionals, also check out the sister site, www.YourDoulaBag.com.

If you make a purchase at www.YourBirthBag.com, please enter my referral ID -- YBB020 --  in the shopping cart field "How did you hear about YourBirthBag.com?"  

PLEASE NOTE:  All customers that are referred will receive a free gift!

Check out YourBirthBag on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlanta-GA/YourBirthBag/137741952913197.  Discounts will often be posted on FB only!  

I am sitting here writing this blog because I don't really want to do what I need to do....  clean the house.  I have a bunch of friends coming over for a girl's night tomorrow night, and there are a few things I MUST do.  Mop the floors and wash the windows.  Those who know me know my mantra is, "I will wash the windows once my children grow up".  However, it's getting a more than a little disturbing.  It's just a frustrating process to wash all of the windows and have a child follow you around the house putting their handprints (or worse.  Once it was an apple core) on the glass you just expended your energy on.  So, yeah... I don't wanna.

Saturday morning I am going to go visit one of my very best friends for a few days.  She is due to have a baby within a couple of weeks, and I am excited to see her with a little one in her belly, since the last time she was pregnant I only saw her at the beginning of her pregnancy when she wasn't showing, just puking.  It's probably wrong of me, but part of me would love for her to go into labor while I'm there.  Even if that doesn't happen, I'm so excited to go see her.  It has been over a year since I've seen her, and we have a lot to catch up on.

Alright, time to get moving!  Have a wonderful weekend if I don't post anything else before I take off!

Thinking of adding a section to my site to sell some little things, like homemade fleece baby blankets.  $35 for blankets made from "licensed" (Disney, etc.) prints and $25 for non-licensed prints.  Do any of you think there is a market for that?

Just got back and cleaned up from a lovely (but long) birth with the midwife.  I hadn't met the mother before walking into her bathroom this morning, but when I left tonight she was blowing me kisses with her baby snuggled up to her chest.  That's nice, to be able to make connections with people who are relative strangers.  I wasn't even there in a doula capacity, just clean-up crew, so it's even nicer.

But then I walked into my house, tired and in need of a serious shower, and the clutter in the house brought me to tears.  I know it is a reminder that my husband must feel that way sometimes when he comes home from work and the house is upside-down.  I think.

Someone please tell me that it's not the same....  Because I don't think it's the same.....

Good-night, friends. 

If you're reading this blog right now, it's either because you already know me (and love me, AH!  ;) ) OR because you are curious to know what makes me tick and whether you think you could see me as a helper at your birth.  If it is the former, then, thank you....  I love you, too.  Ha.


If it's the latter, then I want you to think about the precipitating event that made you decide you were not going to give birth the same way you did last time.  Or perhaps you're a first-time mom and someone has strongly encouraged you to hire a doula for your birth.  In that case, give that friend a big hug and just read along.  But for those of us who have given birth a time or two and figured out that something rubbed us the wrong way, will you consider sharing with the class what that ONE MOMENT was where you knew you needed another set of hands with you beyond your partner and/or parent?


I remember my moment.  I had battled severe postpartum depression for nine months following the birth of my second son.  Those were dark days, and I will never, ever forget the way I felt then.  I was just finally breaking out of it when I found out I was pregnant with my third.  Yeah.  It would be an understatement to say that I was not excited, because I was imagining all kinds of badness during my next postpartum period.  


As a result, it took me a couple of months just to get to the point where I was ready to go to the OB-GYN.... And when I called, the receptionist greeted me with a snide, "You waited HOW LONG to call us?"  In truth, I was about three months along and I'd never had complications during pregnancy.  She just felt it was appropriate to be rude to me then, and she made emotional me instantly drop into a  jumbled mixture of shame and anger.  I never called that office again.  Not for any of the other transgressions I felt like I had suffered, but because the girl in the front office judged me.  I vow to try to never be that person to anyone else.


However, in a way, the unprofessional attitude of that receptionist started a snowball rolling that pointed me in the direction of birthing with a CNM (certified nurse midwife) in a local Birthing Center, which was preparing me for my eventual homebirth, which led me to working with a local midwife, who strongly encouraged me to do what I needed to do to become a doula.  There's a reason for everything.


Will you share your MOMENT?  Maybe we will recognize ourselves in each other.

Some of you know that when I am not hanging out at the house with my kids or doula-ing, I work along with a local homebirth midwife in a somewhat doula-ish position, but a generally a little more hands-off.  We joking call the job I do the "clean-up crew" because, let's face it, it's a homebirth.... and our goal is to make it look like your baby miraculously floated down in a little parachute from the stork.... not that the baby actually came out as nature intended but you'll never be using those sheets again..... etc.  

Got a call last night that surely meant I'd be going into work in the wee hours of the a.m., so I sent a message to my babysitter (as to not wake the rest of her family) and got her set up to come over at 7 a.m. when my husband had to leave for work.

At 7 a.m., I was still here, and my sitter rolled up.  I opted to have her stay for a little bit while I slept some more and figured out what was going on with the midwife's laboring mama.  When it seemed I had a little time to kill, I took advantage of having a babysitter and went to ride my horse.  I also took my son for a therapeutic ride on my horse, too (the horses are very calming to many kids with special needs.  Seeeeee!  There IS a reason I have had horses all these years!).  The midwife let me know that I wouldn't be needed for the birth, after all was said and done, but that she had another person in early labor.  So, there I sat, eye to eye with my babysitter.... not quite sure whether to keep her or to let her stay and keep the dollar signs cha-chinging in her eyeballs.  I finally made the decision to send her home, knowing fully well I'd probably have to call her back as soon as she got back to her house.  

It's been six hours, and no one has called me yet, but my luck could change at any moment......

My first blog!  Not much to say at the moment because we are having a lazy morning at the Henderson household....  Well, as lazy as we can have with a grumpy 1- and 4-year-old.... 

I am excited to see where this road will take me, and I hope that you will travel with me!  More later.... when I can come up with something profound to say. (Please don't hold your breath!  ;) )

Blessings,

Jen