It was mother’s day, May 11th, 2014 and I was pleasantly interrupted by a much anticipated phone call from your mom at about 6:43pm. I listened excitedly as she explained she’d been having mild and very far apart contractions, she guessed about every half hour they would come. I got myself ready because I was preparing for the good chance she would wait too long to have me call. I could tell she was going to be one of my exceptionally strong ones because of the story of how she gave birth to your brother. The way she waiting until he was ready to be born, in her circumstance, is very different from most women. She was patient and relaxed, but also brave and aware of what she deserved. My experience has taught me, this is the formula for a strong birthing woman. Your daddy was also someone I was excited to work with because of his inner strength! He taught me something I’ll never forget and I will use to help many more families; people who are responsible sometimes mistake their responsible-role for one of authority. He used this wisdom to stay confident about all the birthing decisions for you and your brother too. So, needless to say, when I got that call I was more than ready to come help with your special delivery. There was one thing I was nervous about as a result of knowing how strong your mom is. She and your dad had made multiple jokes about having the baby in the bathtub on “accident” at home. So knowing how strong she is, I was worried she would be unaware of how progressed she was and stay home too long. She really heightened my concerns when she emailed me the list of her supposedly mild and far apart contractions…they were only about 6 minutes apart! Shortly after that, your dad called me to tell me her water just broke! AGGGGGHH, I thought, and jumped in my car. I arrived at your house at 10:20pm. I was relieved at what I saw. Your mom looked relaxed enough that I knew we had time to stay home. I watched her take on a “wave” and saw how she went deep within herself and breathed slow to maintain a totally tranquil state. WOW I thought, beautiful. I was also happy to see she had taken my advice and been drinking lots of water. After some time there on the birthing ball, she jumped in the shower to clean off all of your amniotic fluid coming out. She then laid down with your brother Cole and ironically breathed slow through contractions to also help him relax and finally fall asleep. The next part was really fun. I got to meet your aunt Tabitha who came out to help cook some llapinganchos. Your dad, mom, aunt, and I all sat around, some of us also on balls. This was very special to your mom because she got to somewhat repeat the way her mom gave birth to her. There is a picture of people just hanging out and being really calm about the arrival of her when her mother was in labor. The intensity started to build here. We all breathed with her to help her remember to keep her breath slow. I put a heating pack on her back. When the contractions stopped, we laughed about how different it was in and out of them. As it got more uncomfortable, she decided she would feel more at peace in her bedroom, so we all followed her into there. We were playing a peaceful soundtrack over and over that she seemed to really like. She must have felt very safe there because her body started to make those contractions even stronger. Her senses were getting very sensitive, she had your dad change shirts twice because of the smell on them! It was pretty funny. She wasn’t interested in taking the drive and having to go through that transition to the hospital at any later stage, so she started to voice a desire to leave. It hadn’t been a very long time in labor yet, so I reminded her that her original plan to get there at a late stage might not be the case; however I was REALLY hoping I was wrong. There were some signs that I really could be wrong; she was throwing up and said she started feeling shaky. She started doing her most comforting position which was to hang from your dad’s neck and squat. Also, I had that original concern of waiting too long knowing how strong she was. So…off we went! I called the hospital on our way out at 12:36am. I was able to find parking quickly and walk in with your parents as they arrived at the hospital too. Thank Goodness your mom took my advice to keep the eye mask on, anyone that looked at her could tell she needed her space. Your dad was really brave to insist the security allow me up to the triage floor even though they normally don’t. However, once we got up there, the nurses had me wait outside the door until she was checked. I was hoping it would be fast and we’d be in and out of there anyways. I learned that her cervix was 4cm dilated, 80% effaced, and you were at a -1 station. Your mom had a little bit of bleeding there that I couldn’t be sure was okay, the nurse checked and also seemed on the fence about it. We finally made our way out of there a while later and up to the Labor and Delivery floor. When the elevator got to the 3rd floor, we had to hold the door open so she could have a contraction there. This moment was incredibly special to me personally, because your mom didn’t know it then, but she made a doctor wait for her in order for him to use the elevator. This particular doctor was the one that I worked with at my very first birth and he was the reason that first birth was an unsuccessful VBAC. That was so redemptive for me! He had to stand there and wait as he watched your strong momma chose to endure the intense and uncomfortable feeling of her contraction. I was thinking, YES you see? We birthing women are strong, we chose it, and you can’t stop us! I have to thank your mom for being the one to demonstrate that strength for me and for the mom who was kept from accomplishing her desires. THANK YOU SO MUCH TANGY! We walked into the Labor and Delivery room #316 and met our nurse, Marly. She was very kind and helpful, but she was having to be the bearer of bad news by informing your mom she would have to be on constant monitoring, not only because of her previous c-section but also because we couldn’t be sure if this bleeding would be a problem. I tried to get more information from the nurse asking her, if this was a uterine rupture (the biggest possible concern) what else would we see to be sure? Wouldn’t we see the baby’s heart rate look poor? (which is wasn’t, your heart rate looked perfect the whole time) Wouldn’t she have more pain and more bleeding then this? But the answers we got were so vague. Even though the eye mask was still on and really helping to keep your mom from all this commotion, she started to get very concerned, understandably. She spoke with the on-call doctor on the phone, but she was also very vague and told your parents they could chose to either keep laboring or have a repeat c-section. Everyone was very frustrated with this. Your mom’s fear of you and your brother missing one of their parents, as she did growing up, was manifesting. I reminded her that she hasn’t even seen a doctor to assess her situation, and to remember what a real emergency looks like. Finally she decided to get into the shower, totally against what the nurse said she was allowed to do. With the helpful support of your vocally confident dad again! There she was able to re-center herself and go back to her usual brave state. WOW, I was so proud of her! The next stage of labor was a long one! Your mom took it on like a real warrior! She had that deep inner strength that I knew she would. Her senses became extremely sensitive and she wouldn’t allow very much talking around her. Every little smell would bother her. And she also stopped wanting anyone to touch her. I was so proud of her, but I had to practice sitting on my hands so to speak. I really wanted to help her more. Your dad did too as he reminded her, “I really want to hug you right now, just so you know.” She even switched robes 3 times! She said, “get me the gray one, no the other gray one, NO THE OTHER GRAY ONE.” That was pretty funny too. I couldn’t ever come close to being offended by her snappy words because her ability to know what she needed and ask for it takes an immense amount of strength. Most laboring women don’t do that, they just throw in the towel and ask for an epidural. Not your mom! In fact, she never seemed to go through that highest level of pain called “transition.” Rather, she just kept doing what she knew worked for her. I learned later from her that she had a very elaborate vision she would focus on through each contraction, of which I’m sure she’ll describe to you one day. She is truly made to birth! She has the best instincts and she really listens to them! I could only compare her strength to one other women I’ve seen giving birth for the 4th time, but in a way, this was her first time! Your dad was such a trooper too. He continued to be there for her just how she needed, no judgment, and no throwing in the towel for him either. No matter how sore his neck and legs must have been! At 6:45am I noticed her body start to bare down a little bit in the middle of contractions. We talked about how getting checked might be a good idea to know whether she should or shouldn’t start pushing. And thank God we got a new nurse who happened to be the best at that hospital. Her name was Tommy Lynn. We learned she was 8cm, 100% effaced, and you were at a 0 station. I’m glad we knew because she had to hold off from pushing for three more hours until she was checked again and learned she was 10cm. We tried different types of positions for pushing. But after two hours something strange seemed to be happening. We eventually learned that her cervix was swollen. She must have been so exhausted! She didn’t show it at all, but I felt so bad for how hard she had to work. Finally her doctor, Dr. Timothy Riley came in and pushed that cervix up over your head. NOW pushing was finally more effective and we really started to see you make your way out. At 12:57pm on May 12th (the exact day your mom predicted) you were born! You went right to your mother’s arms. There were a few surprises that needed addressing, your mom needed to be repaired quickly and so your dad stayed with you. You also needed some help breathing so your dad followed you the NICU. We learned that you weighed 9lbs 1oz and were 20 in long. Your mom was excited to hold you but she was very grateful for her skilled doctor taking care of her and the nurses taking care of you. Thank goodness again for your dad’s ability to stand up for what’s right. He demanded to be with you even when they said no. In the recovery room, we got some info from your dad that you were stable. After everything she had been through, her love for you was what got her through all of that. What an amazingly loving and strong momma you have Kai! You are SO BLESSED to be a part of a family who puts their priorities in what is loving and what is best for you and your brother! I am forever grateful to witness parenting at its greatest. Thank you so much to your whole family for allowing me to be a part. You are a miracle Kai! Your mom was able to snuggle you and nurse you in the NICU. You were always surrounded by love. Lots of love your way continued! Your forever birth doula, Karen Sousa
0 Comments
It just occurred to me that it's almost April and my next HypnoBirthing series begins within the second week of that month. And then it occurred to me that those series will end at the beginning of May. And then I realized that I cannot begin another series directly after that because it will conflict with my wedding! So what does that mean?! I need to make sure all of those who were waiting until May or June to take this awesome natural childbirth class, sign up now! How does time fly so fast? Thankfully there are three different options to meet everyone's demanding schedules. Monday evening, Friday evening, and Saturdays (time to be decided). Here's to the next-next series being taught by Karen Brann, instead of Karen Sousa! WHOA! Surprise, surprise! Audrey, knowledge of your birthday came a much different way than expected. Your mom was working so hard to be patient as she waited and waited for signs of labor to start. Your “guess date” had already passed almost a week before and she headed to a regular doctor’s appointment. Your Dad and I went with her for moral support because being extra-pregnant is not easy for anyone. I was also interested in going because I was curious about some leaking-issues she mentioned a few days prior. No one would have expected that those few, mild, come-and-go, leaking experiences would turn out to be your amniotic fluid exposed! Dr.Cobb delivered the news gently then left the room to let it settle in. His advice was to head to the hospital immediately to start Pitocin and make sure you get here quickly. No one wanted you to be in danger staying inside your Mommy because of the rising risk of infection as time went on. What a cluster of emotional moments in that small doctor’s office room. Your mom had spent more time being prepared and educated about what to expect then the vast majority of American women; however, this news still came as a shock. Thankfully, she had also prepared for unexpected moments in the process; so, she gathered her thoughts and chose to remain calm and faithful. She and your Dad both voiced how proud they were that she didn’t cry then. They were very careful to think before acting, but ultimately they knew they could trust their doctor, so off to the hospital they went. They took my advice to stop and get some food first. Then they arrived at Pomerado Hospital in Poway, California at about 5:00pm on March third 2014. I gave your parents a quick pep talk and then up to the fifth floor we went. They were checked into room 510 pretty quickly. Your mom’s immense preparation and organization started to prove its pay off. She already had her hospital bag, birth plan, pictures to put over the clocks, and hypnobirthing door sign with her! Plus, she had coincidently had a nice shower before leaving her house. It’s not as common to see a lot of action quickly in these special situations so once they settled in the room, I said goodbye. I was believing and hoping to get called back quickly once active labor began. The nurse at the time was Tanya. I gave her my number just in case. She seemed like good and caring hands to leave your mom and dad in. Unfortunately her shift ended just a few hours later L . At about 12am my concerned heart woke me up so I checked my phone. I realized I’d missed a text from your dad. He said that they had stopped Pitocin because the monitors showed a concern for your heart rate. They planned to take a break and go to sleep, so I reluctantly went back to sleep too. However, at 2am I woke myself up again. This time I was covered in sweat, as if I’d taken a bath in it. Emotionally, I was unexplainably full of fear. I decided to take a shower and pray. I asked God what to think about what was happening. A thought passed through my mind that you have your cord around your neck. I began to pray over your safety specifically concerning that and I felt filled with faith. This made me confident the Lord was telling me to pray over your cord. I had already been praying for your birth to go beautifully and safely because I know your mom and dad worked so hard to give you the best. But that experience taught me how to trust even more that God was looking out for you too. It was not easy, but I was able to sleep a little more before the sun started to rise. At 6am I texted your Dad to say I was going to leave to come check on them shortly. I stopped at Starbucks on the way and picked up some much needed caffeine for us. As I waited in line, I got more text messages from your Dad. They were about to stop Pitocin because of your heart rate for the second time and Dr.Cobb was going to check for cervical progress in your mom. It was hard to hear. Since your water was already broken, I knew our options were already so limited in ways to get you to come quickly. If Pitocin was taken away too, a cesarean would be necessary. So this time around, I was going to think of everything I could to make sure it worked both for your mom’s body and for you. As the doula, I’m thinking of physical, mental, and spiritual variables. So the first thing I did was tell Amber we should pray. She said she had been doing so and that she also did a devotional. I was so proud of her! As we walked around the hospital preparing for the next Pitocin round, I also brought up the idea of praying and believing for miracles. I wanted her to be filled with as much faith as possible, and remove fear. When we got to the room, your mom took a shower and came out looking in high spirits. I put clary sage oil on her belly (an oil known to help start labor). I put some lavender oil in a cup of ice water to calm the room and to use on a wash cloth for later if she felt hot. At an earlier time, your mom and dad left me to talk to Dr.Cobb alone, at which point I told him that God told me that the cord was around your neck. (He probably thought I was crazy!) But he said that was an unlikely case based on the way the decelerations looked on the monitor. Knowing Dr.Cobb is very skilled and highly trusted in the community, I assumed he must be right and let those thoughts go. I also learned from your parents that the nurse they had last night was not someone they felt so connected with and they prayed for Tanya to come back….and she did! Not more than 15 minutes later, she was their nurse again! Tanya was such an angel! She was conservative on how fast she turned up Pitocin, only up-ing it at half the typical rate. She always spoke in whispers, respecting the hypnobirthing approach. And she even broke some rules to make your mom more comfortable! What a blessing! As we prepared to start Pitocin again, I considered why didn’t surges start on their own with the water broken for so long? I thought possibly you were not low enough to put pressure on her cervix. That would explain why Dr.Cobb had to reach far to get to your mom’s cervix. So I had your mom do a position called the “Walchers” to get you engaged in her pelvis. This was the first of the very uncomfortable things I asked her to do, but she willingly did it without one complaint! Also, to lower you into her pelvis I tried an acupressure technique on her shoulders. Then I tried one for dialation on her ankles. Deeply pressing on those pressure points are not so comfortable either. Then I let your mom’s body and you do the rest of the work. Before things got very intense, we spent time making lots of jokes. She ate some apples and almond butter, and also we watched your parent’s adorable wedding video. Their love is truly a RARE one! That is surely a lot of what gave your mom the strength she needed. Your mom was so brave as she let the intensity build. She trusted the process and listened to her body! She accepted each new level of discomfort and took it on with acceptance. She was still smiling and making lots of jokes for much of time! But she also was really good at letting us know what she needed to help her be as comfortable as possible. Your Dad didn’t miss a single beat. He was calm and ready to help her over and over again, (even though he only slept two hours the night before!). He spent a lot of time pushing on her hips with all his might. Your grandma was there too, and her peaceful demeanor reminded us all to be at peace. As time went on I found myself 100% confident that Pitocin was working for you and her, and she would be pushing you out that day. You were ready, her body was ready, she was ready mentally, and your dad and I of course couldn’t wait to get the show on the road. Because she complained of lower back pain prior to labor as well as during, I had her do some lunges on each side to see if that would help turn you into the perfect position. Pitocin was only up to 6ml/min. when I noticed she was progressing quickly. I prayed that this was truly progression, not just an overload of pain from the Pitocin (as that is it’s reputation). We had no idea where her cervix was at because we all knew not to check for safety’s sake. So we just had to continue to trust God. Your mom did this whole trusting the unseen thing better than any of us! And just think, she’s the one that had to do that WHILE feeling the discomfort of labor! But she just read her uplifting quotes, had your Dad read an encouraging message written by Joel Olstien, and hummed to worship songs (almost the entire time!). The next level of intensity arose and I witnessed your mom do something that brought me to tears. I suggested she imagine holding you, but she took it up a level. She held a pillow with your clothes lying over it imagining it was you. Holding you, kissing you, smelling you…it all got her through it. She loves you SO MUCH! I’m tearing up again as I write this. What a mother she was in that moment even before you were born! Many other comfort measures were a result of your mom just listening to what her body told her to do. She would spend a lot of time on her knees leaning onto either a chair or the bed. That did help the back pain for most of the time, until she was nearing the end of the process. Then the back pain seemed to become a consistent and ever increasing problem. She wanted a lot of counter pressure on her bottom, outer hips, lower back, and inner hips. And she also constantly wanted heat on those areas too. I couldn’t be sure that your position wasn’t ideal, but I also dreaded the thought of her working this hard only to get to an even more difficult pushing experience with a posterior baby. I offered some positions to try to insure an efficient decent, but at this point asking your mom to move at all was understandably aggravating. She had long passed the talking and joking phase. Your aunt Heather had arrived earlier in this stage and she whispered her love and encouragement to your mom. There was one particular bathroom break I went with her to and noticed she had lost her bloody show. Now I was REALLY excited because that was a good sign she was enduring so much for good reason (progress). Shortly after that, at about 3:30pm on March 4th, your mom started to describe the beginning of “second stage” or the pushing –phase. I went out to tell the nurse and she came in ready to check your mom. Surprisingly, your mom only felt lots of pressure in her bottom but not the urge to push. Because I couldn’t be sure of how dialated she was, I was still considering baby-to-pelvis positional issues. My concerns grew as I noticed her surges started to space out and more time went on. It was more time that my experience would tell me appropriate for a mom to feel the urge to push if she was fully dialated and feeling all that bottom-pressure. Thankfully, your mom asked to get checked and that gave us the answer we needed. Tanya only told me what the vaginal exam revealed. I learned that your mom only had a portion of cervix left on the right side but it was thick. No wonder! I thought, that’s why she’s complaining about her bottom but not pushing! It all made sense now because she had complained of more pain on her left side. So my assumption is that your head was very transverse, meaning you were facing straight to your mom’s right side. All the heaviness of the back of your head on the left side made her left side hurt more and made her cervix unpressured on the right side. I asked if she could push through that last portion of cervix, and Tanya said no, not unless it was on the top area. So I made an executive decision (which us doulas really try not to do because we want all that power to stay within the parents!). But in this special case I decided to tell your mom what was going on and what to do next. I told her my suggestion was to get out of the bed and do some right-sided lunges and get rid of that last bit of cervix. Your dad was a good convincer when he added, “you can do this Amber, you can do a few lunges for your baby girl!” We helped her up and she gave it everything she had! After that she was in the bathroom again complaining of needing to do a #2 but not being able to. I went in the bathroom with her again and watched her push and push and push to try and relieve that feeling of needing to poop so bad. But obviously with the knowledge that her cervix could very well be completely gone now, I wondered if I’d end up catching you there in the toilet! That time felt like it went on forever, just me and your mom sitting there with her pushing. I finally said, “Amber, hunny, you’re not supposed to be pushing so much yet.” She was pooping too however, so it was a very confusing situation. I looked back at the nurse to get her attention. She came in and checked your mom, and she felt your head right there! She asked your mom to get back in the bed quickly. This was at about 5pm. On your mom went; so composed and so serious. She knew this was go time and she was taking it on like a champion. And she was really doing it at this point all on her own! We all got so excited it was so hard to stay quiet, but your mom really needed it quiet because she needed every bit of mental focus to do what she was doing so well. The nurse had your dad look and see you there on your way out. My goodness, was he overjoyed! It took a long time for Dr.Cobb to make it to the room, but that was okay. Pushing was going so well, quickly but not too quickly. I whispered some encouragement to your mom. Tried to help her breathe and push when it was time, and how to breathe and not push when they said not to. At about 5:32pm your head was on its way out and time stood still. Dr.Cobb asked your Dad to hold off catching you so he could…..get this….remove your cord from around your neck TWO TIMES! WOW! But out you came safely anyways at 5:34pm. Your Dad held you as your mom flipped over. Before she could see you, you let out your first cry. Your mom reacted with love, “ohhh!” You were in her arms only a second later. And love filled the room to the ceiling! Oh how we all cried out of pure happiness that you were here and safe. At one point, I saw your dad on the floor next to your mom in her bed. He had is head down and he was weeping. I’m sure he was full of gratitude and so proud. That journey was so miraculous for so many reasons! Your safety was potentially at risk for multiple reasons, but a vaginal birth was still attainable. Your Mom and Dad’s ability to remain faithful even with a quick and drastic change in plans. The fact that God answered prayers and really showed up in protection over you and your mom. The love your parents share for each other empowering them to press on. And especially, your mother’s inner WARRIOR she found as she kicked Pitocin’s butt! A first time mom having an un-medicated birth while on Pitocin for nearly ten hours (the 3rd time) is almost unheard of. OH, I could not be more proud of her! Thank you so much little Audrey for teaching us how to trust. We need love, we need preparation, and we need God’s presence to take on miracles like that. And you, little Audrey will continue to teach your family how much of a miracle you truly are. I am blessed to have met you so soon in your anointed life. Thank you to your whole family for allowing me to be a part. Sincerely, Karen Sousa, your forever doula Philippians 4:4-8 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. I would like to address two cultural norms in this area that could use some adjustment. I hope that my observations and criticisms are received with the right heart. I understand that we make decisions as parents often thinking it's from our gut, when in reality, we are doing things a certain way because it's all we know. We have a lot of growth to do when it comes to evidence based maternity care in this area. I can only hope to be a small part of the growth I hope to see. The first thing I hope to address is breastfeeding related; it's early pacifier use. Since moving to Temecula, I have made a lot of connections on social media with the mothers in the area. Almost every time I see a picture of a newborn posted, there is a binky in their mouth. Are you wondering why I would take the time to address something so seemingly minimal? I get it. It's just a binky, what harm could it do? From a Lactation Professional's stand point here's why seeing that erks me. Newborn babies have to learn to eat. They have many different natural instincts to help them along, but one of the biggest learning curves for them is often proper latch. They need a wide mouth and lots of jaw-movement to achieve milk transfer. This is work compared to the motion of sucking they use with anything else you put in their mouth. "But they'll use me as a pacifier otherwise!" - another common misconception. No, babies don't know how to use someone as a pacifier because they don't know what a pacifier is. They have a biological reason to suck that is not connected to hunger! It is because that motion actually helps them pass that tough meconium stool! In addition to that, YOU need them to be at the breast as often as possible anyways. The amount of ample mature milk that you will supply will be defined by how often the baby is breastfeeding on you during that first few days. If you want to be sure that you're making a sufficient supply, you should be having baby using you as a pacifier, so to speak. The more often they are sucking on something in a more shallow latch than what's required of them on the breast, the more likely they are to struggle latching properly. So in reality, I'm not just coming down on early pacifier use, I'm even cautioning mothers to watch how often they put their finger in the baby's mouth! So when then? The ideal time to introduce a bottle or anything similar is after the baby is three weeks old. Experience teaches us that if they've spent at least the first three weeks exclusively on the breast, they're less likely to develop preferences to a lazier, shallow latch. And if you're worried about the other side of the coin; will baby ever take a bottle instead of just me? The answer is, introduce that bottle before they're six weeks old. So the perfect window is after three weeks and before six weeks. The second thing that I'd like to address is the lack of awareness for alternative prenatal and maternal care. There are at least five midwives in this area who are ready and willing to help women. Home birth and birth centers are the more evidence-based option for low risk women. Maternal care by a midwife is proven to lower intervention rates. Intervention rates that will increase the likelihood for additional interventions. Ironically, if we lived here less than 100 years ago, the hospital would be the alternative to the norm. I'm always hearing about how people choose a particular hospital in the area because of the NICU. Unfortunately, I am sure most women have no idea that the need for a NICU is increased by hospital interventions, like inductions, Pitocin, cytotec, cesareans, etc... I think moms and Dad's need a refocus. Having a baby in the NICU is not actually a good thing! Hello. So lets do what we can do to prevent that in the first place. But what if something goes wrong? Here's the thing about midwives that most people do not know.... They come with all the same skills and tools as an OB apart from the Operating Room, PLUS more. They actually know how to support women on a psychological level, the place that determines the progression and success of our birth more than anything else. They know how to resolve issues by addressing the root causing, instead of relying on the convenience of a C-section. They bring oxygen with them, and various medications for safety. They have years and years more training and experience with birth than an EMT, who is also some how qualified to deliver a baby. In fact, did you know that an EMT does not carry the drugs you would need to properly stop postpartum hemorrhage, but a midwife does?! So, how about we take back our births instead of handing them over to someone else. How about we research the kind of care that is going to allow us to do that. It's not about natural birth, I'ts about physiologically respected birth. It's about informed consent. It's about expectant management. It's about YOU and your partner and your baby. It's hard to know what you want when you haven't figured out how to take control of what belongs to you. So, Riverside County, Inland Empire, Temecula Valley and surrounding communities, let's learn how to do that. It's time to get educated, learn about your options, create your supportive birth team, and take back your births! -Karen Sousa, CD(DONA), CLEC, CHBE owner of Temecula HypnoBirthing |
Karen Brann
Birth Doula, Childbirth Educator, Lactation Educator/Counselor Archives
July 2019
Categories |