Tag Archives: birth

Save the Babies-Newborn Screening

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I met Sarah Wilkerson when I was hired as a postpartum doula to help welcome her daughter home. Sarah was blessed with three children but I would only be helping with two. Sarah says she learned the importance of newborn screening the hard way. As a mother who chose a natural birth path, including Bradley method classes, she felt a lack of information on the screening done for newborns and even some sway against them. After her own researching Sarah and her husband decided that going forward with the testing was the right decision for their family. Sarah had her first baby Noah, safe and naturally on a Friday. After arriving home, Noah was lethargic and not the best eater. On his fourth day, Noah stopped breathing, and they were unable to revive him. Noah’s screening test showed that he was positive for MCADD, (Medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency) A rare metabolic genetic disorder, but because he was born on a Friday, and the lab was not open on the weekend. His results were not processed in time to save him.

After losing Noah, Sarah became an advocate for change in newborn screening, formerly known as PKU testing. Sarah has traveled several times to Washington DC to lobby for change. She speaks with the governing board quarterly and was featured in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Deadly Delays series. Her efforts, along with many others with stories like hers, have created great changes in the ways newborn screenings are handled. It is now mandatory that Labs are open six days a week, and hospitals are no longer allowed to “batch” screenings. Batching is the practice of holding tests until there are enough births to warrant the postal service. The tests now include at least thirty different diseases, with many hospitals and labs looking at over fifty different disorders.

With Policy changes well on their way, Sarah says the biggest hurdle now, is getting the education to parents and loved ones.

One in every Three-hundred families will be affected, and she hopes to see every labor method and childbirth education course, cover this incredibly important issue.

For more information on newborn screening you can visit Savebabies.org or BabyGenes.net, a local resource for parents wishing to have the fastest possible results.

I was so lucky to work for Sarah and her amazing family and I strive to share the education she gave me on newborn screening.

Lauren
Working with families has been Lauren’s passion for over ten years. Her tremendous work ethic and devotion to helping parents has made her a must have in the birth setting, postpartum, and beyond.
Lauren serves her community as an educator, via postpartum planning curriculum and as a Labor and Postpartum Doula. She has a certification in breastfeeding counseling and started her training with DONA; being mentored by established Doulas in Colorado Springs. Lauren is now a professional member of ProDoula and a pre-certified Labor and Postpartum Doula. Lauren will be taking additional training in placenta encapsulation and business by the end of the Summer.

Paving the way, Lauren is the Co‐owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC provides the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

Lauren is the mother of two young children, and has been married since 2008. She loves to cook and entertain for her friends and family in her home in Colorado Springs.

http://coloradomountaindoulas.com

Choosing Your Care Provider and Birth Location

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If you are pregnant or planning to be pregnant in the near future, you are probably wondering things like, “How do I find an OB” “Are there home birth midwives in Colorado Springs?” “Can I have a midwife in a hospital?”

All of these are valid things to be thinking about, but as a birth professional, I’d like to suggest that you first think about the type of birth you want and what you expect your birth experience to be like.

All care providers are not created equal. Some may prefer pregnant individuals birth their babies by their due date. Some may believe in allowing baby to choose their birthday.

Some may be completely fine with scheduling a cesarean birth for you right away, and some may refuse even a membrane strip until 41 weeks gestation.

Knowing what you want in a care provider before you interview them can go a very long way to creating the birth space you are looking for. If you are determined to have a VBAC except in the most serious of medical emergencies or you are considered high risk for underlying medical issues, finding the right provider from the very first appointment can be the difference between a stressful pregnancy and birth, and a peaceful, conflict free 10 months.

Wait. Did I say Interview?

As a doula I hear from clients every day that they got a few recommendations from friends, family members, or online groups and made an appointment right away. They go in, take off their clothes, get an exam, take a test to confirm, and schedule their next appointment with little thought to the rest of the pregnancy and the care they will receive.

Many months later, when we are sitting down for an interview or a prenatal, or meeting for the first time at a Parent Chat, the uncertainty comes out.

“My OB won’t let me…..”

“My midwife wants me to….”

“I don’t want to…”

“I don’t understand why….”

By this time clients are usually over halfway through their pregnancy. They’ve been going to their provider for several months, had several invasive exams, and feel stuck.

Bringing a tiny human into this world is a very important event. I would propose that each birth is, in that moment, the most important experience of your life. Your birth experience will stay with you forever, good or bad.

Not so sure about that? How many times has your mother told you your own birth story, or hers, or that of your siblings? The support system you choose now can have a huge impact on your reality and your birth outcome. This is more important than the location of your wedding, and think about how long it took you to plan that!

Decide WHAT you want your birth to be like. Decide WHERE you want your birth to take place. Decide HOW you want to be treated during the entire pregnancy and birthing experience. THEN decide WHO you will allow to be in attendance.

Remember that your care providers work for you, and you deserve respect and the best care possible. Keep your clothes on for these interviews. This is not an initial exam; it is you, hiring someone to work for you. Use this hand out to help you ask the right questions.

ChoosingYourProvider

Interview several providers before making a decision. THEN, contact us to help guide you through the rest of the process. We work with ALL providers in all settings and we can’t wait to be a part of your beautiful birth!

Jenn Leonard
A passion for helping families to make educated decisions about their families and their birth choices has lead Jenn to become a great source of information for many across the country. She has been educating families on their choices and guiding them to find their own voice in maternity care since 2002.

Jenn is a certified Labor Doula, beginning her studies with CAPPA, taking many additional trainings along the way and is recertifying with ProDoula in 2015. She is also a trained childbirth educator and Postpartum Doula teaching childbirth preparation classes, and also creating her own curriculum for a pre and early pregnancy workshop focused on families who are just beginning to plan for a family, into the 2nd trimester.

Today Jenn is the Co-owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC, providing the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

When she is not guiding families through their birthing year, Jenn is living in Black Forest, CO with her husband and two children on their hobby farm.

http://codoulas.com

Not My Baby on Board Part3

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Hello friends, and welcome back to another edition of “Not My Baby on Board”. When we last left off, I was going to go through the medical steps involved in becoming a surrogate. While it’s not quite as tough as brain surgery, there are still quite a few steps involved. So without further ado, here we go.

After having Skyped with the intended parents and agreed that we were right for each other, it was time to make sure that this oven was in tip-top shape. One of the steps involved in this was meeting with a shrink and answering some questions to make sure that I wasn’t crazy and really wanted to do this.

I’d been told that these were standard questions but they ranged from “How are your relationships at home?” to “Have you ever thought of killing your spouse?” (My response to that one was a very mumbled “All the time”, followed quickly by “Hmm? No I haven’t”). This meeting was supposed to be in fabulous Las Vegas where all of the actual medical testing and procedures were to take place, but the psychiatrist was on vacation. So rather than being in a nice doctor’s office, relaxing in a nice chair, I had to answer those lovely questions at home with two little ones running around. Apparently a little gallows humor when it comes to my spouse is a plus, because only a couple of days later I was in Vegas.

I traveled with my friend, Doula, and business partner Jenn. It was in Vegas that the medical procedures began, and took a lot less time than I thought they would. These were simple things like having blood drawn and also having saline pumped into my uterus to check for any defects via ultrasound. Like I said, these didn’t really take that long, and I got the results before I flew back out too. Everything was great and we were right on track.

The best part of the trip was getting to actually meet the intended parents. We got to have dinner together, and they were adorable! I can’t tell you much because they are international super spies (not really) but I assure you they are absolutely wonderful and I am eager to help them grow their family.

After arriving home, and being cleared medically, I was tasked with starting all of legal side of things. Much like a game of telephone I started with all my desires for birth and prenatal care and after it gets passed around to lawyers and the intended parents I eventually ended up with a contract. In my case it was nowhere near the standard surrogacy contract and instead, mainly because of my career path as a doula and two previous unmedicated births, I was able to have a lot of natural sway to our plans.

Did I mention how fantastic the couple I am working with is? Onward and upward, things start moving quickly after this step. I’m excited to tell you all about it next time.

Lauren
Working with families has been Lauren’s passion for over ten years. Her tremendous work ethic and devotion to helping parents has made her a must have in the birth setting, postpartum, and beyond.
Lauren serves her community as an educator, via postpartum planning curriculum and as a Labor and Postpartum Doula. She has a certification in breastfeeding counseling and started her training with DONA; being mentored by established Doulas in Colorado Springs. Lauren is now a professional member of ProDoula and a pre-certified Labor and Postpartum Doula. Lauren will be taking additional training in placenta encapsulation and business by the end of the Summer.

Paving the way, Lauren is the Co‐owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC provides the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

Lauren is the mother of two young children, and has been married since 2008. She loves to cook and entertain for her friends and family in her home in Colorado Springs.

http://coloradomountaindoulas.com

Meeting Greyson-Overcoming Birth Trauma Part 1

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So many women silently suffer from birth related trauma and don’t know where to turn for help. Each experience is unique but that doesn’t mean we are alone. I’m starting a new series on my website to raise awareness and hopefully help a few women in their journey to overcome their trauma and not let it define them.

Go HERE to read Part 1!

Shellee Semrad
Shellee is a full-time wife and mommy. She has two sweet little boys, Grey (3 years) and Linc (1 year). In her limited free-time, Shellee loves to sing, dance, write, read, crochet and watch Netflix with her hubby. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and also LOVES to serve others. She loves her job and calling as a doula and can’t imagine not supporting laboring women and their loved ones.

Shellee strives to continually grow her knowledge and understanding so that she can serve her clients in the best way possible.

http://whitelotusbirthservices.com

Reproductive Justice in Colorado Springs

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Colorado Mountain Doulas commitment to supporting GROWING FAMILIES in Colorado Springs goes far beyond the “typical” mainstream, nuclear family. We hold a special place in our hearts for those whose families don’t come about in the traditional way. Supporting families through FERTILITY, ADOPTION, SURROGACY, and LOSS is of primary importance to our business model and the local LGBT community is a large part of that. Colorado Mountain Doulas and the Colorado Springs Queer Collective have begun building strong relationships in the local community. This October, we’re turning our attention to Reproductive Justice in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs Queer Collective fosters community leadership, education, and empowerment. Our mission is to address inequality, re-invest in the local economy, and celebrate the creative contributions of queer and trans people. We are a group of artists, entrepreneurs and everyday changemakers who are committed to transforming our communities. We lead with a visible commitment to intersectional and intergenerational work.

Colorado Mountain Doulas believe that ALL families should be nurtured and treated with respect. Our support teams help families make empowered decisions about the care they receive continuously, through early preparations, pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum period. Colorado Mountain Doulas is also dedicated to elevating professional Doulas by empowering them to make sustainable contributions within the community.

What Does Reproductive Justice Mean?

Colorado Springs Queer Collective believes that “Reproductive Justice exists when all people have the social, political and economic power and resources to make healthy decisions about their gender, bodies, sexuality and families”. We’re also deeply interested in and invested in the history of this movement since the term reproductive justice was first coined by women of color organizing to improve their communities in 1994. That’s around the same time the first International Bill of Gender Rights was drafted in 1993, so there are a lot of important intersections between the reproductive justice movement and queer/trans families locally.

How Does the Reproductive Justice Movement Affect Local Families?

The ability to make healthy decisions for ourselves and our families is a universal issue.

In the broadest sense, the economics are clear. Today, 13% of all Coloradans and 17% of Colorado’s children are living in poverty while 1 in 7 Coloradans are facing insecurity. These figures are even more staggering if we consider that the Federal Poverty Guideline is only around $24,000 gross annually for a family of 4. The issues are even more pressing for LGBTQ families. Trans people, for example, are 4 times as likely to live below the federal poverty guideline and 2.5 times as likely to be unemployed making it more difficult for them to provide for themselves or their families as a result of discrimination and inequality within our communities.

LGBTQ people also face barriers to reproductive justice in the medical and mental health fields. For example, they may have difficulty finding a queer/ trans friendly provider in their area or be unsure where to access information about safer sex and healthy relationships. LGBTQ people who wish to start families may also face particular challenges as they navigate their adoption, birthing, surrogacy, and other parenting options locally.

We want to ensure that all families are treated fairly and have the opportunity to thrive in Colorado Springs.

How Did Colorado Mountain Doulas Get Involved?

Colorado Mountain Doulas initiated a partnership with Colorado Springs Queer Collective after a LGBTQ Strategic Planning workshop in March of 2015. Our organizations recently re-connected at a Springs Equality Chamber of Commerce meeting where we discussed strengthening local LGBTQ health networks. Together, our vision is to establish a bold new precedent for inclusive care and professional leadership.

Colorado Mountain Doulas is excited to help improve the birthing experience for all families. For LGBTQ families in particular, the goal is to create a safe and welcoming environment for queer and trans people to learn more about their options and resources. For fellow birthing professionals, the goals is to serve as mutual resources in an expanding network of inclusive providers and practices including physicians, mental health workers, etc. CSQC verified businesses will receive an electronic badge for their websites and Colorado Mountain Doulas is one of the first in the Springs to be awarded this distinction.

How Else Are You Connecting with People in Colorado Springs?

Colorado Mountain Doulas is excited to co-facilitate a session on Reproductive Justice at the Colorado Springs Queer Collective Leadership Summit for 75-100 participants on October 24th.

We’ve reached out to more than 25 organizations to join the discussion so far including Rocky Mountain Planned Parenthood, The Elephant Circle, Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, local faith leaders, and more. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate!

We’ll be sure to make related resources available on our websites after summit day. Beyond the summit, we look forward to partnering on some continuing education credits and professional development opportunities to cover these topics in greater depth for those who’d like to help take the lead with us in 2016.

Sounds Great! How Can I Get Involved?

To learn more about Colorado Mountain Doulas, visit www.coloradomountaindoulas.com. To learn more about Colorado Springs Queer Collective or register for the leadership summit, visit www.csqueercollective.org or contact Adison Q. Petti: Leadership Development Coordinator: 720-862-6126 or [email protected]

Thanks for taking an interest in Reproductive Justice in Colorado Springs!

Written By: Colorado Springs Queer Collective: August 2015

Jenn Leonard
A passion for helping families to make educated decisions about their families and their birth choices has lead Jenn to become a great source of information for many across the country. She has been educating families on their choices and guiding them to find their own voice in maternity care since 2002.

Jenn is a certified Labor Doula, beginning her studies with CAPPA, taking many additional trainings along the way and is recertifying with ProDoula in 2015. She is also a trained childbirth educator and Postpartum Doula teaching childbirth preparation classes, and also creating her own curriculum for a pre and early pregnancy workshop focused on families who are just beginning to plan for a family, into the 2nd trimester.

Today Jenn is the Co-owner of Colorado Mountain Doulas LLC, providing the community with much needed education, local resources, sibling, postpartum, and labor Doula services.

When she is not guiding families through their birthing year, Jenn is living in Black Forest, CO with her husband and two children on their hobby farm.

http://codoulas.com

What’s the BIG deal about Placenta Encapsulation location ANYWAY?

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There’s been quite an uproar in the birth world the last few months about the importance (or lack thereof?) of where your placenta encapsulation specialist (PE) encapsulates your placenta. Should your PE work in her own space, in your kitchen, or is it best to give you the choice?

There are SO many blog posts all over the internet arguing in every possible direction.

A few days ago, though, this topic was kicked into high gear by a photo posted online by a doula that was tasked with delivering a placenta to the PE after the birth. Unfortunately, this particular doula let her day job and her birth work collide when she took said placenta to work with her and kept it in the company refrigerator.

Never mind the client’s personal information was on a sticker on the top of the container for anyone to see. Never mind the possible blood-borne pathogens that could be introduced to people’s food if there was an accident and the container was spilled open. Never mind that if someone decided to open the container “just to take a peek” they could be introducing any number of germs and bacteria to the placenta and potentially endangering both the new mother and baby…….the doula and PE would never even know.

 

Now, you could say I am being inflammatory. You could say I am fear-mongering. Or you could say I am being a REALIST. All of the things I mentioned above are very REAL concerns that need to be taken into consideration.

I don’t want you to be afraid to get your placenta encapsulated and miss out on the AMAZING benefits of it. I don’t want you to think that anyone that encapsulates in their own space, rather than yours, is doing anything unsanitary or worrisome (there are MANY PE’s that encapsulate in their homes that uphold the highest standards of care and cleanliness.)

What I do want is for you to know, WITHOUT A DOUBT, that you have your very own placenta and not someone else’s. I want you to know, WITHOUT A DOUBT, that your placenta was handled and prepared with the utmost care. I want you to know, WITHOUT A DOUBT, that the only people going ANYWHERE NEAR your placenta are you, your birth team, and someone who has been trained to work with a human organ and to sanitize properly both before and after the preparation process. I want you to know, WITHOUT A DOUBT, that Colorado Mountain Doulas are taking the BEST possible care of you, your placenta, and your family.

When you choose to have your placenta encapsulated with Colorado Mountain Doulas, YOU (or a designated family member) will be the one transporting it to your home. You will not ever have to wonder who has had access to the placenta or your information. I will come to YOUR home and the entire process will take place there so you can know for a surety that your organ was handled with the respect it deserves.

Join us for the 2nd Annual Birth and Beyond Wellness Fair on August 15th to learn more about the benefits of placenta encapsulation and why Colorado Mountain Doulas only encapsulates within the client’s home. Click the pic to learn more.

Shellee Semrad
Shellee is a full-time wife and mommy. She has two sweet little boys, Grey (3 years) and Linc (1 year). In her limited free-time, Shellee loves to sing, dance, write, read, crochet and watch Netflix with her hubby. She has an entrepreneurial spirit and also LOVES to serve others. She loves her job and calling as a doula and can’t imagine not supporting laboring women and their loved ones.

Shellee strives to continually grow her knowledge and understanding so that she can serve her clients in the best way possible.

http://whitelotusbirthservices.com

The Last the Thing You Want to Think About During Pregnancy

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The last thing you want to think about during pregnancy…no, not that.

Exercise. Yep, exercise. You’re spending all of your energy on growing a human inside of you, the last thing you want to think about is peeling yourself off the sofa at night or rolling out of the bed extra early. But exercising during a normal low-risk pregnancy can benefit you more than you think.

The key is exercising safely and responsibly. On askdrsears.com, they state “the key to safe exercise while pregnant is to work your body without stressing it or your baby’s. A general guide is—if it’s too strenuous for you, it’s too strenuous for baby.” Dr. Sears’ website also offers some other basic guidelines on exercising while pregnant. As always, consult your doctor or midwife before doing any physical activity during your pregnancy (or before your 6 week postpartum check-up).

Usually, whatever activities you have been participating in before pregnancy are usually safe to continue through most of your pregnancy. For example, runners can usually continue to run while pregnant (within limits and with care provider permission, of course).

For those that have been mostly inactive before pregnancy, starting off slow can really help to ease the transition. Moderate walking or a prenatal yoga or dance class could be beneficial and could help ease some of the discomforts of pregnancy. It can also be helpful in conditioning core and leg muscles and increasing stamina for labor.

As with anything in pregnancy or the postpartum period, when starting an exercise regimen, always consult with your provider and listen to your body. Being healthy during pregnancy can not only help your body through that long nine months but it can also aid in your labor and recovery. It’s also proven that exercise helps to boost your mood and energy levels as well.

So, get out there and find your groove and do what feels best to you and your body!

Jessica
With over 4 years of experience serving families during the most exciting, overwhelming, and rewarding time in their lives, Jessica Strickland is considered an asset and irreplaceable support person for new parents and expanding families.

Jessica, a DONA trained Labor Doula and trained Postpartum Doula with ProDoula, began her journey as a doula and small business owner in 2010 after leaving a career in non-profit marketing. Her passion is in birth work and supporting families through one of the biggest transitions in their lives. Her Doula career began as the mentee of an experienced Labor Doula and since then, Jessica has expanded the services she provides to the community as well as committed herself to furthering her skills to better serve her clients including Rebozo techniques and breastfeeding education.

When she is not pursuing her passion of supporting families, Jessica is living in Colorado Springs, CO with her husband, young daughter and two dogs. She loves to travel with her family and considers herself an amateur photographer and social media enthusiast. She is also a State Co-Coordinator with Postpartum Support International, Inc. Jessica is the owner of The Birth In You Doula Services LLC.