Today marks the end of World Breastfeeding Awareness month and I am so excited to share this post with you! Last month I had the pleasure of exhibiting at the annual ILCA conference, which afforded me the opportunity to meet a fantastic array of people, from Lactation Professionals, to other business owners. I was very excited to meet David Stark, with whose work I was slightly familiar. I knew  he was debuting his second parenting film, “Nurturing Your Growing & Gorgeous Baby By Breastfeeding,” and I was very curious to get a peek at it!  It just so happened during set-up for the convention that I saw Mr. Stark, and I made sure to introduce myself.  Over the next few days, I am lucky to say that we were able to chat about his work, this particular video, and about what we’d like to see in the future regarding the culture of breastfeeding education.  Mr. Stark was kind enough to let me have a video to view, and I promised I would review it and blog about my feelings, impression and reaction to his work. I just hope I can do it justice!

This film is based on the baby-led breastfeeding technique, which is quite simply that the mother follows baby’s cues, and works to keep baby comfortable while nursing. It involves lots of skin to skin, and emphasizes a very calm approach to keep baby relaxed so as to facilitate easier feeds.  The film has a very clear, linear, approach to introducing and discussing breastfeeding. It begins with birth and shows beautiful footage of a breast crawl.  It then moves on to discuss the stages of milk production, various feeding positions, the important role of your partner, answers some frequently asked questions, talks about where to find support, and finally discusses pumping and going back to work.  Overall, it is very well-rounded in its scope for being just under thirty minutes in length.

“As a breastfeeding mom, you are automatically enrolled in the world’s oldest and largest support group.”

I currently use a breastfeeding video in my classes which teaches the same approach of baby-led breastfeeding.  I can honestly say that I will be switching and using Mr. Stark’s DVD from now on.  In addition to all of the reasons I listed above, quite simply put the film is gorgeous. It has a very clean, but not sterile, look to it, and every mother and her baby appears to have a natural glow. The women aren’t perfect, there are stretch marks, pudgy tummies, and all of the other remnants of motherhood (badges of honor I like to think of them), but that is one more reason why I love it.   The film has an organic, peaceful feel, and many families can relate, because there is obvious cultural diversity in the people featured.

In addition, the breastfeeding images captured on film are stunning.  I kept telling my husband as we were watching it, “Oh I just want to touch that sweet, soft baby,” every time there was a shot of a mother cuddling her nursling. There are so many wonderful images of well-latched babies, various positions, and perhaps most amazingly, as I mentioned before -  Mr. Stark captured a healthy newborn doing what it does best – the breast crawl!

I am fortunate enough to be able to view the video from two different perspectives – as a mom and as a lactation educator.  And as I said, I will use this film for teaching , as it is educational, gives basic breastfeeding information, etc., but what it does so beautifully that I have not seen in any other video, is that it brings the amazing emotions that breastfeeding mothers experience, to life.  As a mother I can relate to all of those emotions, and as an educator I want pregnant couples to see these amazing emotions expressed by moms who are successfully breastfeeding.  In the early days of breastfeeding when mothers face obstacles and are struggling from feed to feed, the wonderful emotions expressed are sure to act as inspiration.  To hear the mothers in their own words, describe why they love breastfeeding is nothing short of tear-jerking at times.  So before you sit down to view this film, grab a tissue, and prepare to watch an incredible film, one might even say, incomparable!

For more information about David Stark and to purchase this video please visit BabyBabyOhBaby.

 

dou·la [doo-luh] – noun
a woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth.

In addition to being a lactivist, I am an advocate of unmedicated, natural births. As with breastfeeding, I feel it is part of a greater natural design. Women’s bodies were designed to give birth, and we as a society have strayed very far from how nature intended the process of childbirth. Many women feel this birth, is not for them, but I knew that it was right for me. I planned on having two children, and after enduring morning sickness and feeling the magic of the baby move, to the uncomfortable sensations of labor, I did not want to miss what it felt like to push my babies into the world. So I prepared myself in every way possible for natural childbirth.

I was successful in having two unmedicated births, in hospitals with high epidural rates, and I know I was successful for two reasons. First is that I did my research. I read books, I took private childbirth classes, I asked questions, I wrote birth plans, I practiced breathing, I practiced contractions, etc. Second is that I hired doulas, both of whom, were absolutely crucial to offering me the support I needed in the hospital, as well as making me physically comfortable and helping me achieve success in labor through a variety of helpful techniques. I now recommend a doula to anyone who is considering an unmedicated birth. Having a baby is an experience most of us only do a couple of times in our lives, and there are no “do-overs”. What childbirth taught me about my body and its abilities I would not trade for the world, it was the most empowering experience I could have imagined. I am so thankful that I was able to bring my babies into the world in the most natural physical state possible (without medications). Both of my boys took to the breast very well, and I credit that to my incredible birth experiences.

I would like to introduce you to Janet McIlroy and Diana Kay. Janet was my doula in Jacksonville, FL and Diana helped me deliver my son here in San Diego, CA. I knew as soon as I met them that they were a perfect for me, as they both were maternal in nature (a requirement for the job) and I felt very comfortable around them. They have continued to offer me support even though it has been a long time since they helped me welcome my baby boys, and I am so glad they agreed to let me interview them, they will forever be two of my favorite people on the planet, because they helped me achieve my birth goals.

For more information about finding a doula please visit www.dona.org. There are many books available to answer birthing questions and provide you with great information. Here are some recommendations: The Birth Book by Dr. William and Martha Sears R.N. , The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin, and The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Birth. by Henci Goer, and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin. If you have any further questions, please contact me and I will try to help you find the answers!

MPD: What led you to doula work? How long have you been a doula? How many births have you attended?

JM: My first experience with helping a woman through labor came when I was a student nurse (in the late 60′s). About a year after graduating, I moved into a commune and became somewhat of the resident “midwife”, helping the women there during labor. This continued beyond the commune days and I carried on with helping friends. In 1981I became a childbirth educator (with ICEA) and then my students began asking me to accompany them during their labors. In the early 90s DONA was formed, I went through the training and became certified. That led to my first ever PAYING client and it has grown from there. I have been a doula for over 40 years, and I have attended hundreds of births (I stopped counting at 300)!

DK: After attending Lamaze classes and having my son, I became very intrigued with all things birth. This lay dormant until several years later, when as a massage therapist, I was asked by a client to be their “coach”. I agreed, and was hooked! Although at that point I did not know about “doulas”; just a few years later, I found out it was a profession. Abou8t that time I had to give up my massage practice and dovetailed right into doula work and childbirth education. It has been 5 years since I was certified, and have attended over 180 births to dat

MPD: In your experience, do you help women more in hospitals, home births, free-standing birthing centers?

JM: I do all three, if I had to break down the numbers, I’d probably say it’s 50% hospitals – 30% birth centers – 20% homebirths

DK: I love to support women wherever they choose to give birth. But due to the fact that I live in an area where there is an abundance of hospitals, that is where the bulk of my practice goes.

MPD: The high c-section rate in this country gets a lot of attention, have you seen births change since you started working as a doula?

JM: Absolutely! The C/S rate was around 5% when I started. It’s now over 30%. There are definitely more interventions being done now as the technology has advanced and epidurals have become commonplace. The main reason for this is that the medical field has become much more legally directed due to the plethora of lawsuits.

DK: The regular use of pitocin post-delivery has become standard. And, the time from when the water breaks until the medical staff wants the baby delivered has gone from 24hrs to 18hrs. Epidurals have become so standard, that if a Mom chooses to attempt unmedicated, often medical staff will not only doubt her ability to go through with it, they will almost mock her wishes… albeit not openly.

MPD: What about the new ACOG VBAC recommendations? How will they change things for women who want a VBAC in your opinion?

JM: I have worked with quite a few women who have wanted a VBAC – most were successful, some were not. I definitely believe that women need to be given the choice. The most recent ACOG recommendations have relaxed the restrictions, so hopefully, more women will be given the option of a VBAC.

DK: Ideally,it should open doors for women to make the choice for VBAC, but I’m unsure if the physicians are much in support of it. Unfortunately, due to the fact their job is wrought with potential litigation, they must cover themselves very carefully in to avoid malpractice lawsuits. I believe this makes it difficult for many Obstetricians to really support their patients in certain instances, because patients have to sign waivers and disclaimers which state all the possible things that could go wrong. This naturally makes women feel less than comfortable with their decisions, and can possibly even change their minds about it.

My concern regarding medical recommendations in general, is that often decisions are made from the viewpoint of the glass is half empty. In other words, if 97% of cases are OK, it’s the 3% possibility of difficulty that gets the attention, and decisions are made in that light For example, that is why the use of pitocin post delivery has increased; to avoid possible hemmorage, which rarely happens in normal cases. Most women who nurse their babies right after delivery produce oxytocin naturally to keep from hemmoraging. So, this begs the question, what does the long term use of this synthetic oxytocin do to a women’s natural production of the hormone?

MPD: What is your favorite part about being a doula?

JM: Getting to know such wonderful women (like Lara), working with them and their families to make the birth of their children as special as possible. I enjoy the “hands-on” work, which is why I became a nurse – that eventually became more paperwork and less one-on-one with patient care, so becoming a doula was truer to my origin intent.

DK: Being an honored guest witnessing the miracle of birth; and knowing I had a small part in helping the couple realize their birth goals, which in turn makes their experience more fulfilling.

MPD: How does a positive birth experience relate to breastfeeding? Do most of your clients choose to breastfeed?

JM: Yes, most (if not all) of my clients chose to breastfeed. I actually don’t remember any that chose to artificially feed, but I’ve been doing it for so long, I may have forgotten. I believe a positive birth experience empowers a woman to trust her body to do what it was designed to do, which of course, leads directly to nourishing her infant.

DK: It allows the Mom to feel more confident in herself; feeling more relaxed and in tune with her baby. Almost all my clients choose to breastfeed. If there is a reason for them not to, I help them feel comfortable with that as well.

MPD: Any last words?

JM: I consider it a great honor to be given the opportunity to be by a woman’s side while she’s giving birth. Each birth is a miracle and each baby is a joy. What an awesome reward!

DK: Evidence based research has shown that the use of a doula reduces the incidence of cesarean section as well as lowering the need for pain medications. It also increases a Mom’s overall satisfaction with her birth experience.