Doulas On The Today Show

Please see this site and the writer for a great analytic look into the media hatchet piece the Today Show did on Doulas.

Here's a snippet. For the full article click on the link below.

While the mother in the story was clearly thrilled with her doula’s support, enough to hire her a second time for the birth of her youngest child, the medical response within the segment was misleading and the commentary by the Today Show medical consultant was contentious and chilly.

The doctor interviewed for the segment was an Obstetrician at a hospital that claims it has “banned” doulas for interfering with patient care, implying that doulas have caused fetal harm by fomenting dissent against medical staff and confusing mothers. The Today Show medical consultant implied that doulas without midwifery or nursing backgrounds are woefully underqualified to provide care, that doctors and even labour nurses should be consulted about hiring doulas and that the cost of doula care is a frivolous luxury.

Each of these assertions were misleading. Let’s looks at them individually.

Ask A Doula Birth Questions

I'm starting a new weekly segment called: Ask A Labor Doula Birth Questions.

Each week please leave your questions in the comments of this post. At the end of the week I'll choose one question to answer. If your question is picked I'll link back to your blog as well in that post.

Just to whet your appetitite or nudge you for some kinds of things you can ask me...you can ask about book recommendations, doula certification requirements, pricing across the country, stress techniques to get through labor, birth plans, breast feeding questions etc...

Too Hot Tot Bling

I just found the coolest site for kid gifts. You must check this woman out. Go buy the most awesome fun items for your kids, nieces, nephews, cousins etc...

Here's just one product of her's but there's so much more that will just bring a big smile to your face. These are going to make the most incredible holiday gifts for your babies this year.

I found that incredible blog and store through the following blogger:
From Dates To Diapers

AMAZING BIRTH STORY

If you are about to give birth PLEASE read this mom's personal birth story on her blog. This is a true account of how birth should be, can be and is normal and can completely happen safely if TIME is given to the mom to let her body work at it's own speed!

Phoebe's Birth Story
My due date was June 8 (or 9, depending on who you ask) and my last appointment with the midwife was Thursday June 12, at which I was told that if I didn't have the baby before my next appointment they were going to schedule an induction for the following week.

Pregnant In America

Baby, You’re Home

SQUATTING in an inflatable pool in the open kitchen of her apartment in Astoria, Queens, a very pregnant Alecia White Scharback, nude except for a bathing suit top, groaned in pain. It was 7:30 a.m. on Nov. 1, and Mrs. Scharback, 29, an actress, had been in labor for more than 36 hours. The contractions had been only mildly painful at first, but had grown increasingly fierce as a second night gave way to morning.

Favorite Quote From Birth Experience

One of my clients exclaimed to her husband right after birth, as the baby started to breast feed, "Look honey he sucks!"


You can't get much funnier than that!

Mom Boards Are Biased - Beware

Beware of the mom boards on the Internet as many are used to freely to speak ill about doulas and other birth professionals.

Those boards are full of bias as the moms are the powerhouse behind them and financially support them and get away with murdering the reputations of good professionals without those professionals allowed any recourse.

Remember that when you are only allowed to read one-side of a story you are NOT getting the full information you need to make an educated decision about a birth professional you might be hiring.

Birth is a delicate time in a woman's life. The current medical situation that the doctors and hospitals create often muck up the process and often leave the parents feeling overwhelmed, angry and disappointed. Sadly and too often these bad feelings become misguidedly projected onto the doula and other birth professionals. Then these boards become the attack ground.

When I complained recently about a reply to a post from a mother seeking revenge on a doula she was not happy with, my post was removed and I was accused of flaming the mother, simply by asking that she consider that there are many issues in the birth situation and to give all parties time to heal.

If you are searching for a doula to hire I ask that instead of reading posts from mothers seeking revenge and writing how angry they are, that you instead seek out the posts and stories from those with good birth experiences instead.