This Week in Birth Blogs #5

May 182013
 

Signpost "Blogosphere"

This Week In Birth Blogs is a weekly blog round-up of birth related blog posts.
(I give up – Friday is clearly not a good day, so I’m permanently switching to Saturday.)

Birth Stories:

Breastfeeding:

Postpartum/Parenting:

Maternal Health and Childbirth Advocacy:

Infertility and Loss:

Doulas:

Midwifery:

To submit your blog post for inclusion in This Week in Birth Blogs, please send your URL and a brief description in an email to Kate: katedonahue@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is Friday (each week) at 8pm (in Portland, Oregon).

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This Week in Birth Blogs #4

May 132013
 

Signpost "Blogosphere"

This Week In Birth Blogs is a weekly blog round-up of birth related blog posts. (Sorry it’s a little late this week!)

Birth Stories:

Breastfeeding:

Postpartum/Parenting:

Maternal Health and Childbirth Advocacy:

Infertility and Loss:

Doulas:

Midwifery:

In Case You Missed It:

To submit your blog post for inclusion in This Week in Birth Blogs, please send your URL and a brief description in an email to Kate: katedonahue@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is Thursday (each week) at 8pm (in Portland, Oregon).

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This Week in Birth Blogs #3

May 032013
 

Signpost "Blogosphere"

This Week In Birth Blogs is a weekly blog round-up of birth related blog posts. To submit your blog post for inclusion in This Week in Birth Blogs, please send your link and a brief description in an email to Kate: katedonahue@gmail.com. The deadline for submissions is Thursday (each week) at 8pm (in Portland, Oregon).

Birth Stories:

Breastfeeding:

Postpartum Depression:

Infertility/Loss:

Childbirth Advocacy & Activism:

Books/Videos:

Doulas:

Midwifery:

I wonder, which of these are your favorites?

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This Week In Birth Blogs #2

Apr 252013
 

Signpost "Blogosphere"

This Week In Birth Blogs is a weekly blog round-up of my favorite birth related blog posts.

Birth Stories:

Breastfeeding:

Childbirth Advocacy & Activism:

Books/Videos:

Doula-Related:

Midwifery:

Do you enjoy This Week in Birth Blogs? Would you like me to continue doing it? Would you like to submit your blog for inclusion? Please leave a comment and let me know what you think (and include your link!)

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2012 Doula/Monitrice Birth Stats

Dec 282012
 

2012 Portland Doula Monitrice Stats Photo

  • 0% Unnecessary Inductions*
  • 0% Cesarean
  • 100% Breastfeeding

*(before 42 weeks/medically necessary for Baby or Mother)

Someone asked me why I think none of my clients choose to have their labors induced when it’s so prevalent in our society. After some reflection, I think there are 3 key factors for this rate:

1) I’m so openly anti-unnecessary-induction for women/babies that women who are inclined to them don’t seek me out. Seriously. Given that Mom is objectively healthy and psychologically intact, and baby is objectively healthy and thriving, there is no reason other than selfish motivation to force a baby out before they are done gestating. I offer Moms some evidence-based research, they educate themselves, and they prepare mentally for the potential obstacles to a natural, physiological, birth. They have self-selected into my practice knowing how I feel. They are strong in their resolve to have a natural vaginal birth without unnecessary interventions.

2) Their partners were active participants – they also studied and learned about interventions that are commonly used in hospital birth, the potential effects, and the “package of interventions” that go together and what that means for labor and birth. They actively supported their partners in pursuing a natural, physiological birth. They weren’t apathetic – it wasn’t that they didn’t care and just put it all in the woman’s hands to decide – they also wanted the same things for the birth that the mother wanted.

3) Their providers were supportive of their choices. In every case, either the physician or the midwife at the birth “sat on their hands”. They were present and monitoring labor, providing support, but they were happy to sit back and let things unfold naturally. They offered various options, and even offered inductions at times, but they didn’t ever try to scare my clients. My clients reported feeling supported by their physicians and midwives. This is probably the single biggest factor. We put a lot of trust and faith into our providers.

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Herbs for the Childbearing Year at Portland Mama Baby Center

May 302012
 

herbs for the childbearing year

Herbs for Women in Their Childbearing Years
With Jessica Elliott

  • Herbs every women should have in her life.
  • Fertility & conception.
  • Nourishing herbs during pregnancy.
  • Herbal solutions for common pregnancy complaints.
  • Postpartum herbs for the perineum.
  • Milk supply herbs.
  • Preventing & treating postpartum blues.

CLASS: Herbs for Women in their Childbearing Years
WHEN: August 18 from 10am to 4pm.
WHERE: Portland MamaBaby Center (map)
RECOMMENDED PREREQUISITE: Herbs for Everyone
COST: $75.00. 

To register, simply download our registration form and attach your payment.

Return your completed registration form and payment to Portland MamaBaby Center at 5528 SE Woodstock Blvd. Portland, OR 97206. We also accept Paypal and major credit card. If you wish to use PayPal or a credit card, please fill out the registration form and send it in and then contact Kate directly (kate@PortlandMamaBabyCenter.com) to make your payment.

For specific questions about the class, please email Jessica at Jessica@PortlandMamaBabyCenter.com

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DIY Breast Milk Soap Recipe and Step-by-Step Directions

Jun 032011
 

breastmilk soapIf you have extra milk and you’re the crafty type, here is a recipe for making your own breast milk soap. I would also personally encourage you to consider donating extra milk to another Mama’s baby.

Breast milk Soap Recipe and Directions:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/4 cup lye (NaOH)
  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup cocoa butter
  • 1 cup breastmilk

Don’t use metal utensils or bowls, since it may react with lye.

  1. In a small bowl, add to lye to water. Do not add the water to the lye, add the lye to the water!
  2. Mix well to dissolve lye.
  3. Let sit until it reach 115°F (like a warm bath).
  4. Mix oil and cocoa butter.
  5. Heat until 115°F. You can microwave 60 seconds on HIGH.
  6. Add lye to the oil mix. Do not pour oil in the lye, pour the lye into the oil!
  7. Mix until it takes a silky look–about 10 minutes.
  8. Add breastmilk, stirring slowly. The color will change according the amount of fat in your milk, so each batch may have a different colour.
  9. Stir until the mix looks like instant pudding – between 45 minutes and 1 1/2 hours.
  10. Pour into moulds – You can use almost anything you want; muffin tin is good start. You may want to oil moulds, or cover them with saran wrap or wax paper to make unmoulding easier.
  11. Let sit for 3 days then unmould – some people freeze the soap to unmould it, but it should really be avoided. Let cure in a dry place for at least 4 weeks. The more your soap will cure, the more neutral it will be. You can taste it (I don’t mean eat it!) to see if it is neutral.
  12. This recipe will give you 24 oz (if you used a muffin tin then you’ll get 12 soaps.)

Lye can be purchased in some supermarkets or grocery stores but it is harder to find it today. You have to use pure lye to make soap. If you can’t find it in your area, you should be able to buy it online.

**Note: I have not personally made this soap – the recipe and instructions were shared with me by a DIY Mama. I have heard feedback from soapmakers who disagree with this process. Without personal knowledge of the soap making process, I encourage you to do your homework and research other methods and directions before you begin.**

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PDX: Why Portland, Oregon Is The Best City To Have A Baby

Apr 062011
 

Portland, Oregon, is the #1 city to have a baby*:

word cloud map of the state of oregon portland

I love Portland. It is truly the single best place in the United States to work as an advocate for Mamas and Babies. We’re not without fault, our cesarean rate is still high and consistent with the national average. We could be doing better, but I think the fact that so many women and men in Portland are actively working to improve our maternal health system and protect our right to birth where we want and with the provider we choose is ultimately our greatest strength. Portland women, especially, seem to agree that women have the right to birth in a way that even they themselves may not themselves choose. The right of other women to VBAC or birth at home with or without a midwife if they choose to seems to be something that most women who I come into contact with agree should be the individual woman’s right, not the government’s decision to impose upon them.

  • According to data from the CDC, infant and maternal mortality in Oregon is especially low.
  • Portland babies are 24% less likely than average to be born with low birth weight.
  • Babies here are 21% less likely than average to be born prematurely.
  • 88% of Portland mothers attempt breastfeeding. That’s the 3rd highest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 75%.
  • By six months of age, 56% of Portland babies are still being breastfed. That’s the 6th highest percentage of any city in our report. The average for cities in our survey is 43%.
  • 19.% of Portland mothers breastfeed their babies exclusively (meaning no solids, formula or other liquids) for 6 months or longer as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, making it the 2nd highest scoring city in this category. The average for cities in our survey is 12%.
  • Once Portland mothers begin breastfeeding, they are 14% more likely than average to continue through 6 months. That’s the 8th highest level of follow-through of any city in our report.
  • Oregon has particularly progressive laws guaranteeing a nursing mother the right to breastfeed in public.
  • 14.3% of births statewide are attended by midwives, compared to a national average of 7.3%.
  • Portland has one doula for every 146 live births, the 4th highest ratio in our survey. The national average is one doula per 649 live births.
  • Portland has 116 midwives for every 1,000 births, the highest in our survey. The national average is 37 midwives for every 1,000 births.
  • Portland has 61 lactation consultants for every 10,000 live births, the 2nd highest ratio in our survey. The average city in our survey has 23 lactation consultants per 10,000 live births.
  • Portland has plenty of high-risk pediatricians, 69% more than average per capita and the 9th highest in our survey.
  • Portland has more OB-GYNs than average, the 5th highest in our survey.

*According to a 2008 study conducted by FitPregnancy.com

As a birth worker, I appreciate my sister doulas, the birth support network, and the network of midwives that I have available to guide me. As a Mama, I appreciate knowing that even if my family is ‘weird’ that there are other families just as ‘weird’ as ours is and I can find a playmate for Little. As a women I am grateful for the activists who work to preserve my daughters’ birthing options. After our 7 year adventure around the United States, I can say that there is no better place to have a baby and raise a family than in Portland, Oregon.

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