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All Posts Tagged: Homebirth

Is Coronavirus ruining your birth plan? How changing your plan can help

You’ve got your OB, toured your hospital, lined up your doula, booked your photographer, and told your family & friends the plan. Everyone is excited to get that phone call and head to the hospital to welcome your new little one to the world.

And then BOOM! COVID-19 just wiped out all that excitement.

You’re feeling confused, worried, and stressed that your birth may not go the way you want, and I totally understand.

But not to worry! It’s never too late to adjust and pivot.

First – Let go of fear.

Know that your hospital and care provider are taking every precaution to keep you and your baby safe. The only change is the visitor policy and the number of support people allowed there – your family will have to wait till you get home to celebrate your little one’s arrival.  So keep calm and carry on. And wash your hands.

But if your family, doula, and photographer are super important to you…it’s not to late to change your plan.

Birth Photography Fort Worth

If you were considering a natural birth plan, midwives and birth centers across DFW are here to support you! Many of them are accepting late term transfers for low risk births helping you have the birth you want without hospital policy getting in the way.

Now, this isn’t to say we aren’t taking the corona virus seriously – we are!

But we also know how important your birth experience is to you.

“While we are closely monitoring COVID-19 and following the CDC’s precautions, we feel strongly in a woman’s right to choose. She will remember this day for the rest of her life and we want her to remember being supported and loved – not scared or fearful,” says Susan Taylor, a midwife with the DFW Midwife Collective.

Many of the Birth Centers and home birth midwives are also limiting visitors for the safety of you and your baby, but they aren’t clamping down so tightly on your support team.

Birth Photography Fort Worth

“While we will continue to encourage our clients to take safety measures themselves to protect their families, we will not limit them to choose only one support person at their birth. We will not ask them to leave their partner behind for prenatal appointments. We will not allow their birth to be engulfed with fear,” says Taylor.

It’s recommended to keep siblings and family at home for your meet & greet, but you’ll still be able to have your hubby, doula, and photographer there with you. (And with these precautions, it’s so important to have that birth photographer if you were planning on visitors!)

As an added advantage…

Many of these midwives are making house calls for prenatal appointments, so you don’t have to get out of the comfort of your quarantine and risk riding and elevator with someone whose cough may or may not be COVID-19.

Additionally. the cost of most birth centers and home births is normally far less than the most families incur giving birth at a hospital. Add in the bonus of the comfort of no IV constantly in your arm, the freedom to move, and a beautiful birth tub, and well, you can understand why some women never go back to the hospital for birth.

Birth Photography Fort Worth

If you’re considering making the jump, Midwife Cheryl Gaspard of Gentle Beginnings recommends gathering as much of your prenatal records as possible because a Records Request can take several weeks for your doctor’s office to respond.

As usual, I’ve done the work for you and prepped a list of those Birth Centers and Midwives I have either worked with or heard good things about that are accepting late transfers for your birth.  There may be others out there, but I try to recommend those who I know, like, or the folks in this birth industry I respect like.

DFW Birth Centers

Fort Worth Birth Center

Origins Birth Centers, both Fort Worth & Dallas

Gentle Beginnings

Grapevine Birth Center

The Nest Birth Center 

Allen Birth Center

Kueo Birth Center

Birth & Wellness Center of Arlington (Offering a discount for late transfers)

* Most of the birth center midwives also offer home birth as an option as well.

Midwives

DFW Midwife Collective, Susan Taylor & Amanda Prouty

Ordinary Miracles Childbirth Services, Jamie Hinton

Magnolia Midwifery

Danielle Hogan- Holistic Midwifery Care

Barefoot Midwifery, Cori Lively

Late Transfers & Birth Photography

I know this sudden planning can be stressful and a strain on the pocket book. If you feel a birth story is a must during the challenging and uncertain time, Birth & Life Photography is there for you.

Birth Center & Home Birth Sessions booked for late-transfer due dates* from April 18th to June 1st will receive a discount of $200 on their Birth Story. You do not need to pay in full by your due date; your payments can extend past your birth date with product ownership delivered after the final payment.

And as always, and most importantly during this time, Birth & Life Photography always continues the story with a family meet & greet session at no additional cost, so you can still have those precious moments where your children can meet their new sibling.

*Dates subject to availability

Click here to find out more information about our all-inclusive birth story package and everything that is included at the following link.

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A Midwife’s Guide to Nutrition During Pregnancy

A balanced diet is important to support good health throughout your life. However, when you become pregnant, a healthy diet is even more crucial. The foods that you consume are the baby’s primary source for nutrients. This is a Midwife’s Guide to Nutrition During Pregnancy. 


It may take a little bit of effort to eat healthy foods during your pregnancy, but the benefits to both you and the baby are well worth the trouble. If you are pregnant and you have not been maintaining a healthy diet, it is time to change your bad habits and do what is best for you and the developing baby.


Before you ever become pregnant is the best time to start eating all the right foods. When you practice a healthy diet before your pregnancy, you are laying the proper foundation to ensure that you and the baby will both have all of the important nutrients that you need to stay healthy. If you have plans to become pregnant, you should discuss nutrition with your health care provider.

 

Basic Nutrition

Even if you are not currently pregnant, your diet needs to include an adequate amount of carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, proteins, and fat. When you become pregnant, the amount of these nutrients that you need will increase.


A few of the most important nutrients include:
• Calcium to help baby build strong teeth and bones
• Iron to help red blood cells carry oxygen to baby
• Vitamin A to help baby form healthy eyesight and skin, in addition to aiding in bone growth
• Vitamin C to ensure baby’s teeth, gums, and bones are healthy; as well as helping your body with the absorption of iron
• Vitamin D to help baby build strong teeth and bones
• Vitamin B6 for the formation of red blood cells, which help the body use carbohydrates, fat, and protein
• Vitamin B12 is necessary for the formation of red blood cells and helps maintain the nervous system
• Folate is important in the production of protein and blood, in addition to helping with some enzyme function


Try eating a variety of different foods in the recommended amounts from basic food groups. This is the best way to make sure that you and baby are getting all of the important nutrients that you need in order to remain healthy throughout your surrogacy journey. 

 

Additional Nutrients

Once you become pregnant, it is important to increase the amount of folate and iron that you consume in your regular diet. In order to get the additional nutrients that you need during this crucial time, prenatal vitamins are recommended for most pregnant women.
Prenatal vitamins are supplements that contain the recommended daily amount of the vitamins and minerals that are necessary for a healthy pregnancy. This includes copper, zinc, minerals, folate, as well as vitamins A, C, and D. Your health care provider should be able to provide you with information specific to your needs, as taking some minerals and vitamins in excess may be harmful during pregnancy. In our Midwife’s Guide to Nutrition During a Surrogacy Pregnancy, we recommend a whole food based prenatal vitamin. Another key factor in maintaining good health during your pregnancy is water intake. We recommend drinking at least one gallon of water per day; and more during those hot summer months. Staying hydrated decreases swelling, constipation, urinary tract infections, and preterm labor. As well, it increases energy, aids in digestion, and softens the skin. If you are not currently drinking enough water, we suggest increasing your intake each week until you reach your goal amount.

 

Hydration

Another key factor in maintaining good health during your pregnancy is water intake. We recommend drinking at least one gallon of water per day; and more during those hot summer months. Staying hydrated decreases swelling, constipation, urinary tract infections, and preterm labor. As well, it increases energy, aids in digestion, and softens the skin. If you are not currently drinking enough water, we suggest increasing your intake each week until you reach your goal amount. We find carrying an insulated water bottle with you is the best way to ensure you reach those water intake goals. 

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Doulas Rock!

I hired a midwife, do I really need a doula too?
Yes! Yes! Yes! Midwives and doulas play two different roles during birth. Having both makes for a well rounded birth team.
Here’s the thing, midwives are there to ensure you and baby are safe. Absolutely, they’ll hold your hand and say words of encouragement, but at the end of the day (or birth) their biggest priority is making sure baby and mom are healthy.
A doula, on the other hand is there for you. She’s trained in comfort measures. She knows all the things to do to make a mom feel comfortable and relaxed. She knows positions and “tricks” to help with pain management. She may use essential oils, massage, take a few photos, grab you food and water, engage dad in the birth….she may even fix your hair (if, like me, you have wild birth curls). Her only job is to be there for you. She’ll be like having your best friend, sister, or mother there. But, unlike most well meaning relatives, she’s extremely knowledgeable about birth.
Here’s another difference. In most cases your midwife will want to head to your house or have you come in to the birth center when you’re well in to active labor. And that’s when you’ll really want her there; when the action is happening! Problem is, many moms have long early labors. Early labors that feel a whole lot like active labor and you need more support. (I’m one of those moms!) That is when having a doula is so wonderful. She will bring a calming presence and “bag of tricks” that can actually help you get that sleep your midwife keeps telling you you need, but you can’t seem to get…. And, you do need that sleep. I promise. 🙂
As a doula, I’ve been asked, “if I have a doula does that mean my hubby won’t be involved?” The answer is no. Unless he wants to take a back seat and you and he have planned for that. A doula will either encourage and guide hubby in helping his wife through child birth or she will fill in for him, if wanted.
We’re blessed in DFW to not only have so many talented midwives, but to also have so many amazing doulas. You pair the two and you’ll have an awesome birth experience!!
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