There is a good chance your Great-Grandmother gave birth surrounded by women
knowledgeable in the birthing experience. Over time it became more common for
women to labour alone in a hospital tended to by staff. Fortunately these days it is
likely you will have your partner with you throughout labour and birth, and now the
element of a knowledgeable woman being present has reemerged.

A Birth Doula is a woman who provides continuous emotional and physical support
for you
during your labour. She visits with you and your partner during pregnancy to build a
rapport, answer questions, and help prepare you for the birth. Once you are in
labour, you can count on your Doula coming to you when you need her and staying
until after the birth of your baby. She will stay at home with you in early labour,
keeping you comfortable and offering reassurance. Once labour is well established,
she accompanies you to the hospital and continues her support. This continuity has
been proven through research to shorten labours and reduce the likelihood of
interventions including medication and cesarean sections. Because each labour is
unique, your Doula will adapt to your birth and your needs. She can offer a
combination of massage techniques, position changes, and verbal reassurance that
can help you throughout your experience. After the birth your Doula can help you
establish breastfeeding and encourage bonding with your infant.

A Doula also
permits your partner to participate in the experience without feeling entirely
responsible for your emotional and physical needs. Birth can be a transformational
experience for a couple, and a Doula helps to eliminate the fear of the unknown and
unforeseeable. Her commitment is to you and your partner and helping you obtain
the birth experience you want. She supports all decisions you make and offers
suggestions and information based on your needs.

In the days or weeks
following birth, many women are now using the services of a Postpartum Doula.
These women are trained in the care of new moms and babies and offer services
including infant care, light housekeeping, and breastfeeding support. Mothers with
additional children, twins, or partners who have returned to work, benefit
particularly. Some Birth Doulas offer both services.

When choosing a Birth
Doula it is important to select someone with whom you are very comfortable. She
should be familiar with the birthing process, but not necessarily need to have given
birth herself. The number of births she has attended may be less important to you
then the confidence you feel in her presence. You should ask about her education
and most importantly her philosophy on birth. Postpartum Doulas are trained in
infant-mother care and may have other skills and certifications that you would
value. Fees for Doulas vary according to experience, skills, and services offered. In
any case, interviewing 2-3 women will help you determine the type of Doula you are
looking for.

Stacelynn Caughlan is a Clinical Nutritionist and Certified Herbalist who
specializes in pregnancy, birth and childhood. She is currently the editor of
http://www.motherandchildhealth.com an online source of advice on nutrition,
herbs, and natural healing for pregnancy, birth, and childhood. It includes
parenting advice, articles, experts, and a variety of resources that help
support natural lifestyle choices.

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Breastfeeding is the ultimate gift of love that we can give our children. The act of breastfeeding is, of course, to provide nutrition to our children. Having said that, I am not going to teach you about how healthy breastfeeding is for your baby. We all know that breast milk is best. No formula or artificial substance can match the benefits of breast milk. I want you to know the spiritual aspects of breastfeeding. For those of you who haven’t yet had a child, you just have to trust me on this one. Sometimes in the beginning it can be tough, your breasts are getting used to the change, and your baby also has to learn to nurse. If you can make it through the beginning, then you have given not only your baby a gift, but you have given yourself an awesome gift also. And, some women have a really easy time, unfortunately I had a rough time in the beginning, and I can see out many women want to give up.

The gift I am talking about is the butterflies you get in your tummy as your child is nursing. I am talking about those quiet moments when you look over at your child, maybe when your partner is holding her, or watching her sleep. These are the moments when you feel most proud, you were responsible for growing this little angel in your womb, and now you are responsible for providing that sweet nectar that has made that little one grow and develop. Yes, it is a proud feeling, and one feeling that you totally deserve. That proud moment also happens when you change her diaper and see those edible little fat rolls on her thighs. YOU are the reason for those kissable little rolls.

As new mom’s, we are all very sleep deprived for sure. Getting up every few hours to nurse isn’t always at the top of your list when you’ve already been up for the past 17 hrs and barely brushed your teeth. And then, you lay down with your child and nurse, it’s very early in the morning, and the moon is shining down on you from the window and the house is silent.As you nurse you begin rubbing her head…. contemplating life….wondering how in the world you can ever let this one go off to college. You love your partner more than life I am sure, but, you will always have this. Even when those first words out of her mouth aren’t ma ma….you have this memory that no one could ever take away from you

Heather Hill is the author of several natural childbirth articles. Read more at http://www.hip-chick-pregnancy-guide.com

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For me, it was “welcome to motherhood”. Ready or not, I was in for a wonderful experience. But my first challenge was to overcome the first few months of literally no sleep. It was my first baby, and I felt the pressure of doing everything “just right”. I wanted to be a perfect mom. But I quickly learned that parenting was going to be a lifelong journey and that I would make plenty of mistakes along the way.

After stumbling out of bed frequently for middle of the night feedings I’d wake up around 6 a.m. to my newborn crying a joyful solo for yet another feeding. After about three weeks of this, and then another month I was completely worn out! Following a cesarean section, I immediately thought I could be Supermom, Grand Interior Decorator, and the House Cleaning Company all at once, and of course I thought I could simultaneously juggle the responsibilities of a baby that I was so certain would sleep through most of the day and night.

After a few restless nights, and having noticed that my sweet infant was rarely sleeping at all, be it night or day, I began to really wonder about her. Was this going to be the norm? Did infants really stay awake for hours at a time demanding a feeding every hour and half? Was I doing something wrong? I couldn’t help but wonder if this pattern would ever end. I’d read all the many parenting articles that tell you when your infant should stop waking up so frequently and begin sleeping peacefully through the night. Well, I dare say that my little one kept waking up again and again for nights on end. After a few months I began to think I was the only mother out there suffering from severe sleep deprivation! Of course, I knew that I wasn’t REALLY the only one, but it sure hits home when it happens to you.

My young one is now an active toddler, and things have definitely improved as far as her sleeping habits go, but I learned quite a few things during those seemingly never ending nights of sleeplessness and days of extreme fatigue. If I had to do it all over again, I definitely wouldn’t have tried to be the Grand Interior Designer and the House Cleaning Company (and following a c-section at that)! Here are some handy tips that I should have used and will keep in mind when I have my next baby:

Rest, rest, rest! Okay, it sounds trite, and while pregnant you’ve probably heard everyone in the world tell you to rest, but once you’ve given birth it’s even more important that you still adhere to the resting phase the first few days you are home from the hospital. I can’t even begin to explain how much rest is needed after a cesarean sectionbut in either type of delivery, your body needs time to recuperate, so take it easy. What does resting mean? It could mean using paper plates so there are fewer dishes to wash. It could mean having a friend or relative come sit with you a few hours a day and help you around the house (which is especially helpful if you have other younger children). And if you have older children, it could mean having them help out with more chores around the house. Most of all, it means to just let some things go. The dusting doesn’t have to be done right awayperhaps it can wait a few more days, or weeks even.

People say to sleep while the baby is sleeping. Well, that didn’t work for me, mostly because I was attempting to get things done around the house that I couldn’t do efficiently when my daughter was awake. So here’s what I say: REST while the baby is sleeping. Sit down, take a break. Schedule that time, and give yourself at least 30 minutes to do absolutely nothing.

Thicken baby’s milk. I breastfed my daughter for several months. In the beginning nurses were telling me that breastfed babies need to get fed more often because breast milk apparently “goes right through” their systems. After my daughter was a few weeks old they gave me the go-ahead on thickening her breast milk with rice cereal (about a teaspoon full). It did wonders for her nightly waking ritual. Instead of waking up every hour and half she slept about two hours longer than usual. I say that’s good for mom and baby! Of course, check with your pediatrician first, and again, there are differing views on thickening baby’s milk, so do (or don’t do) what you feel is best.

Breastfeeding mothers take a break. For mothers who nurse, I highly recommend pumping so the baby can be given a bottle by other members of the family while you rest up. Breastfeeding is a demanding job and takes quite a bit of energy reserves. Did you know you burn approximately 500 calories during one nursing session? That’s equivalent to the amount of calories I burned on the treadmill a few days ago. So there’s another reason for you to take a breather.

Take your prenatal vitamins. Keep taking these. You’ll need them, especially during this time of recovery. Your body needs all the minerals and vitamins necessary to boost your immune system and promote overall health. You’ll be glad you took them daily.

Continue to eat for two. If you are nursing, this is an especially important concept, since you’ll need to eat enough to keep your milk reserves flowing. It’s very easy for postpartum women to want to begin dieting right after giving birth. However, the healthiest choice is to simply continue the intake of nutritious foods, and to eat enough to keep your energy levels up, because you will definitely need energy in the wee hours of the morning! In addition, doctors recommend that postpartum, nursing women intake anywhere from 2000-2400 calories per day. So eat, and eat healthy.

Keep others in your life. Don’t ever feel alone or isolated. If you don’t have relatives nearby who can help, seek for help within your community: churches, civic groups and non profit organizations, as well as friends. In addition, there are a host of online communities and discussion groups specifically geared toward pregnancy and parenting issues that are helpful for new moms.

Most of all, do the things you like to do most: read, meditate, write, and work on crafts. Do something you truly enjoy every day for as much as you can. With time, your baby will start sleeping through the night, and one day you will realize that you can finally catch your “z’s”.

Demetria Zinga is the founder and owner of http://www.faith-media.com, a technology and consulting firm which specializes in web design and hosting, graphics and print designs, internet marketing, and e-training. She is also the founder of http://www.christianladies.net, an interactive ezine, blog, and podcast for Christian women.

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