Sometimes, labors are long, sometimes, labors are short. Sometimes, actually most of the time healthy women carry 8 days over their estimated due dates. Sometime, labors can be 2-4 weeks earlier than expected. Majority of spontaneous labors for healthy moms = water breaking naturally around 8cm dilated. Sometimes, the water breaks first and contractions do not follow. As was the situation for Lauren & Matthew. They had their final childbirth class in The Bradley Method (r) Monday evening and just a few short days later she woke to water leaking. She did all the things in her power to bring about labor naturally. Often times we can produce our own contractions utilizing a breast pump for stimulation & to help the body release natural oxytocin. She & Matthew walked & walked trying hard to avoid pitocin, if all possible, but sadly labor contractions did not commence. By evening they went in to get baby checked out bc movement had really slowed down. They made the decision once again to wait it out at home. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning the couple headed in to consider as we had discussed previously adding a low dose minimal dose oxytocin we commonly call pitocin. It was just what Lauren needed to tip her over the early labor edge. A short 2 hours later and she was rocking & rolling. Matthew text me to come on and just minutes later another text that say wait we want to see if the contractions would pick up. Oh did they. I took it upon myself to rise @ 6am, wake myself up, shower etc., and I hear a text come through. I grabbed my cell and immediately can’t believe my eyes. Matthew had sent me a video clip of Lauren taking labor contractions while clothed & sitting backward on the commode. His caption read, very serious we are in active first labor now. After viewing the video clip and hearing the push phase noises, I immediately said aloud to myself, “Or Late First & gonna have a baby without me!” I threw myself together and rushed out the door. Upon arriving to Athens Piedmont Hospital formerly known as Athens Regional Hospital, the baby had indeed made its entrance into the world behind clothes doors, well kind of a door, a bathroom door. Midwife Meredith expressed, wasn’t the first time I’ve had to help catch a baby over the toilet and won’t be the last I’m sure. I couldn’t believe it and neither could Lauren or Matthew but we all just laughed and I said, “Hey I would never have asked you to uncross your fingers and cross your legs so you could wait on me. #NoBirthStoolNoProblem #DaddyHelpedBornMe #MidwivesRock #SymbioticBirth #YourBirthHelper #womenshealthcareassociates #meredithturnercnm #TreeOfLife #shortlabor #PROM #naturalbirth #AthensBirthFamily #OneProudDoula #OneProudChildbirthEducator #HusbandCoached #HusbandCaught #naturalbirth #Daddyhelpedbirthme #Midwife #Restroombirth #Shortlabor #YourBirthHelper #SymbioticBirth

Pregnancy is a time of Joy and anticipation. The excitement even when unexpected, grows month after month. When the Barker family learned they were unexpectedly expecting they could not contain the news. They phoned me very late one evening close to midnight on Christmas day to share. Thus the #CharlotteDoulaDreamTeam was born also because Larry & Rachel insisted, there would NOT be another labor without Your Birth Helper despite my being in Georgia. I was honored, of course, not just because I was one of the first to know they were expecting, but also because they desired my team to assist with her upcoming "birth"day!! Rachel is one of my former successful VBAC clients, Larry her husband after being trained a super coach and it had not even been a year since our last birth together. No one expects to hear the words "NO HEARTBEAT". Not in the early weeks of pregnancy, nor in the latter weeks of pregnancy but yet, IT HAPPENS. Sadly, more often than many of us think. October has been named Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. Statistically, miscarriage, still born & infant loss affects approximately 1 in 4 families. This blog is written from the heart, to better educate and inform expectant couples. Pregnancy despite how healthy mom is before conception, how healthy mom is during her pregnancy or how good her prenatal care, there will always be risks. Here is a direct link to her personal trials after infant loss: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.g.barker/posts/10214447532570149:0 Many times, when a couple suffers a loss whether miscarriage, before or during labor there simply are no explanations. Nothing concrete that eases the parents minds, nothing definitive from autopsy or examining the placenta so parents are left wondering why. Maybe, the most comforting words to us all came from the Priest, who shared, "Baby Mable only knew LOVE." Only Love, in her entire life, how comforting! Here is what we do know: A healthy baby's heart just doesn't stop beating. Sometimes, the baby can cut off its own oxygen supply by squeezing or compressing the cord. Sometimes, baby gets tangled up in its own cord, sometimes cords are around the neck. Sometimes, birth defects, illness or disease goes undetected. Sometimes, placental malfunctions can occur. Sometimes, bacteria, virus & fevers, etc. can interfere with health of mom, baby & placenta. Sometimes, as this couple found, even with genetic testing to check for top ten factors that might negatively affect a viable fetus- nothing is found. Sometimes, even with elective, in depth ultrasound early or near term, no abnormalities are found. Here is what we can do: We can strive to meet our nutritional needs 80-100 grams of high quality protein daily. Consuming harmonious proportions of each element & proper servings of a well balanced diet. (The Tom Brewer MD nutritional recommendations have been studied and proven 100% successful in eradicating Toxemia / pre-eclampsia in late pregnancy with one week of correcting nutritional deficiencies). We also know it only takes one week of a bad diet to contribute to poor outcomes. We know that daily exercise for overall stamina/health of mom & her uterus is preferred. We know that pregnancy exercises can tone & condition the muscles used in birthing. We know that daily kegels (200 a day) are recommended to keep the pelvic floor toned & conditioned. We know that good chiropractic care can sometimes help baby's avoid improper positioning in mom's birth canal. We know that when mom has poor posture it often affects the baby's head presentation or can prolong labor length. We know a mom in last trimester should NOT be sleeping on her back, nor on her back for any length of time due to the positioning of our aorta & vena cava it can constrict baby's oxygen supply. We know that excess mercury, vitamin c, overgrowth of yeast, bacteria, virus & lack of overall nutrition can contribute to the bag of waters breaking prematurely. We know we should eat good blood building foods last trimester to prevent becoming hypovolemic... be proactive in making more blood prior to third stage labor blood loss. And, as Rachel & Larry would strongly suggest, keep track of your kick counts utilizing an app called: COUNT THE KICKS, a free app created by mothers who suffered late term losses. The app will compare variation of normal patterns for specific days, weeks, etc. that often Mom may not recognize. Formerly, Rachel had been given a basic flier from the doctors office suggesting monitoring of kick counts and even though she regularly checked in with baby, still suffered the Loss of her third daughter at 37 weeks gestation. She also believes a mother should trust her intuition. She had not felt well the week before, just labeled it as something was off, she didn't feel everything was fine. Sadly, in the appointment before nothing overt or that could be detected specifically, however, she was told her white counts were slightly elevated and there was slight protein in her urine. They were within normal range but elevated for her. Since, her loss, in doing more thorough research, she has learned it is NOT normal for all babies to slow movement near end of pregnancy nor that significant movement is always good movement. Those are two common misconceptions near term. She would suggest you call your doctor, wake your partner and not consider yourself being dramatic, or over reacting (she felt as if she was even on the way to the hospital that evening) trust your gut. If nothing else, you will be reassured baby is fine by hearing its heartbeat and be on your way back home, no matter the time of day or night. Don't wait until the next morning and go to your doctor if you think something is off, because as in her situation, the next day may be too late. The couple believes, maybe, there may have been a slim chance she could've picked up a problem and sought help sooner had they had more knowledge on the subject. Sadly, they were not aware of this app prior to their own loss. We would all agree we are not overly educated on the subject and although its difficult to prevent such loss, Rachel believes if she had utilized this app, it may have alerted her to her the variances of concern & she could've sought help or checked on baby sooner in an effort to prevent baby Mable's loss. The American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists recommends beginning kick counts starting in your 28th week or at 26 weeks if considered high risk or carrying multiples. YourBirthHelper.com, along with Larry & Rachel Barker would suggest using this app. It doesn't require much of your time and besides tracking your baby's activity is a great way to get to know your baby. After a few days of using the app, a normal pattern appears. Call your provider if you notice a change in your baby's "normal" movement pattern. Each baby is different. More information can be found on http://www.countthekicks.org #Stillborn #InfantLoss #Birth #CMCPineville #KickCounts #StillbornDoulaSupport #Oct15th #CountTheKicks #CountTheKicksApp

There is a great misconception in labor. It is when women have a tendency to think that just because they have endured one labor & birth, any additional labor/ births should be easier, right? Sadly, this is not the norm. In fact, many women tend to find the opposite. Dr. Bradley was quick to educate women on such a myth. He was adamant couples should prepare for each baby as they did the first, because all babies are different and therefore all individual labors are different. It is also why The Bradley Method® does not offer review or refresher classes. Affiliated instructors are Not allowed to teach fewer than twelve classes, because Dr. Bradley proved twelve weeks of prep for each pregnancy meant 94% of his clients were successful in a drug free, low intervention birth when properly prepared. Each pregnancy presents its own challenges and where most struggle is in the area of splitting their time to properly prepare for and during subsequent pregnancies. You see, its very hard to ask your toddler to sit quietly while you do your exercises, plan & prepare a well balanced healthy meal daily, yet alone, practice relaxation for the second one. In fact, its quite the opposite, especially for moms working outside the home. The struggle is real... we are real busy people and unless we set aside time to make those things happen with each baby, unfortunately we do not go into the other labors & births feeling as prepared both mentally & physically. But, what about emotional relaxation? Many fail to realize it is a big factor of making or breaking your #SymbioticBirth experience. We already have this thing called not so happy HORMONES combined with our quickly fatigued bodies tired from just carrying a baby working against us. Now, for a basic concept taught years ago by Dr. Robert A. Bradley of The Bradley Method® of natural childbirth aka as Husband Coached Childbirth. The word "Husband" today some have taken to be derogatory- that should not be the case. Don't cheat yourself out if good quality education simply to be political correct by today's standards. Simply, acknowledge the labor coach (which formerly was most often the husband or father of the baby) today could be a friend for a single mom, wife to a same sex couple, life partner, etc. The coach is someone in which mom shall rely on to best support her wishes and be an advocate for her during hardest phases of labor when she is no longer thinking clearly. As Garrett was for Erica. And, girls if you think you will not experience "foggy brain-out of mind- lack of thinking clearly-self doubt during labor"... well, better think again, most do. This is most often the time when mom instead of surrendering to her labor, surrenders her birth plans to countless medical interventions. Did you know statistically only a third of women endure a very difficult transition? Be encouraged a third of women have a mild transition in which they never ask for medication nor desire it and a third of women do not have transition at all- THANK GOODNESS!! The use of a DOULA most often serves Mom and the couple as a whole, in addition to, her Coach during difficult phases of labor, helping keeping mom in a relaxed state, helping navigate through labor trials thus increasing your odds of low intervention drug free birth, should that be your goal. Doula's can also support the couple through necessary medical interventions such as epidural administration, prior or after surgery, etc. Each labor brings about a various role of assistance. Dr. Bradley also explained a very important aspect of successful productive labor: RELAXATION = PROGRESS ~ Don't be fooled into thinking your only the task is relaxing physically. Let's break this down: Physical Relaxation has to do with how successful MOM is in turning off ALL muscle groups NOT involved in holding us into position. This simple concept removes additional tension from the body and allows the uterus to work unhindered. By removing additional tension, we also only endure the pain associated with the contraction, not additional pain we create ourselves. Mental Relaxation has to do with what we are thinking about in labor. Make no mistake not being able to tame the mind and focus on your happy thoughts can clearly make or break someone's low intervention or drug free birth experience. We must be able to set the mind free to achieve proper levels of relaxation & even healthy blood pressures for that matter. Ever gotten upset by thinking about something that happened to you or the words someone spoke that planted seeds of doubt or hurt feelings... it affects our entire being. It matters whether those in the room support mom and encourage her to focus on happy healthy thoughts. Emotional Relaxation has to do with what we feel about what is happening to us, our body & our baby. These feelings can directly affect moms level of comfort, confidence & ultimately her progress. I have personally witnessed moms who were doing an amazing job through their contractions become instantly upset & ultimately defeated by a simple text message from a non-supportive family member, words spoken from a doctor or nurse such as "big baby", "induction", "c-section", a gesture such as "bringing the epidural kit into the room of a mom desiring natural birth" or my personal favorite, pointless effects of the internal exam... mom does NOT need to hear a number! Unless its a 9-10 with the go ahead to push, numbers are defeating. Often, a number we don't want to hear can lead us to believe, (as a laboring woman), WE CAN'T Do This. For Erica, a trained massage therapist, aka relaxation expert herself, breathing & relaxing through a contraction was not an issue. She rocked that aspect of labor (which most would consider the hardest part- the contraction right?) but with anything, Practice makes perfect! However, many things were rolling around in Erica's head preventing her from TOTAL RELAXATION... mentally her mind was thinking: What if I have to push for over 7 hrs again what happens to my Hernia? Will I do even more damage to my body? What is the baby is too big, I'll end up with a c-section anyway? She continued to roll all this around in her brain despite her relaxed legs, arms, gluts & kegel... everything looked relaxed from the outside, in fact, the opposite was transpiring in her mind. She began to question her ability to birth vaginally, let alone drug free even though the first time she accomplished drug free natural birth overcoming a long labor & difficult very lengthy push phase. But, this time, her mind refused to allow her the peace to just be present, to stop trying to work, to just be mom today not therapist trying to fix muscles, stretch a ligament, examine her own body & just allow the uterus to work and surrender to her labor. As a doula team, our role is to help the couple navigate through the hurdles, obstacles or what I like to call, the one tree in front of us. For example, if we spike a fever - we take a tylenol. If mom has signs of dehydration- we utilize an IV & fluid. If mom is no longer having a strong enough or close enough contraction to get a baby out - we must be proactive to face these trials head on. If we allow the mother to just keep burning up energy despite a functional contraction, we are simply just spinning our tires in the mud and allowing mom to deplete the energy we certainly need to birth. In the second labor of Erica & Garrett, sadly we were faced with this reality and despite her level of relaxation physically, she was exhausted, her energy rapidly being depleted. We needed a strong enough contraction to finish the job. Previously, we had tried natural means to increase contractions including: walking, pressure points, nipple stimulation & clary sage essential oil. Once again, we were facing the challenge again to bring about a strong enough contraction to expel a baby. We re-examined viable options, we could walk around to pick up the contractions, but she was too tired to do anymore physical activity - that was not an option at this point. We examined whether there could be a possible forebag of waters holding up baby & cervix from completing the job - we were told no bag was present so we moved on to the next option: pitocin (which Erica was not studying at all). She wanted to wait it out- then she began to ask for a c-section (which floored us all)... we thought hmmm maybe she could be in transition (the phase when most start asking for drugs or removal of baby)? The midwife Barbara was as concerned as all of us: we all exited the room to strategize... Barbara, Garrett, Nancy & myself.... what other options do we have, is it possible the baby truly is too large to pass as she was led to believe via ultrasound? Now, how can we together as a team work together toward helping Erica achieve a #SymbioticBirth? How can we bring the best of the natural process and compliment her hurdles with the best medical options to keep her OFF the Operating Table? Erica had convinced herself she needed a c-section that not only was the baby most likely too big to be born vaginally it would cause even further damage to her hernia. We were all shocked that Erica had jumped WAY ahead and decided not only would she prefer surgery over pushing that she also would NOT allow a needle in her back so she wanted general anesthesia (in which Garrett would not be allowed to be present). I said Erica now I know you do not want to cheat your husband out of seeing his own baby born... you are skipping way too far into the forrest. I need you to come back to the one tree in front of you. Nancy was able to talk her into an IV being administered and they began some fluid. I call it your meal in a bag... Meanwhile, we all stepped into the hall together. Barbara being an awesome encouraging midwife (@ Novant Presby Huntersville, NC) declares, "She does NOT need a c-section, I believe her body CAN birth this baby and I do not believe our body grows a baby we can't pass but I know she is so tired. Of course, we all agreed Erica's issue was probably right between her ears not necessarily her uterus itself. It was proposed possible use of Nubain to allow some sleep, but I like to keep it real. Couples should be aware this is not always the case. Not what we define as sleep. Most often, if we are lucky, we get 20-40 minutes of rest, not exactly what we would call sleep. She did not feel she could weather the pitocin and was scared to utilize the epidural for sleep in cooperation with the epidural which some choose. She & her husband understood the possible risks plus benefits to all the above but the thought of a needle in her back was not an option. As a massage therapist myself, many of our clients have endured injection site pain for years after epidural and even permanent back damage. Maybe, even worse enduring an epidural that does not work effectively or at all. But, lets keep this real, an EPIDURAL IS STILL WAY LESS INVASIVE THAN SURGERY. SHE JUST KEPT COMING BACK TO C-SECTION TALK. I told Garrett, we would go across the street to McDonald's grab coffee & biscuit and allow them to think over & weigh their options on how to move forward. They decided she would have the epidural for two fold purpose sleep & prep for surgery so Garrett could be in the room and present for birth. Before we could even get coffee across the street, Garrett text that she did NOT go through with the epidural after all. That the doctor had scared her with consent verbiage / tone of voice that in the end, did a huge favor in speaking like that to her. It immediately re-focused her! She didn't get much rest maybe 20 minutes of a break but she did overcome the necessity of pitocin, by trusting us to consider another internal exam, to check for a forebag of water holding up baby's head & indeed the fluid had pooled up in front hindering the head from decending. Once Erica agreed to amniotomy, the head came down, the contractions picked back up, we pushed a very short time in hands & knees over the bed to reduce pressure to her hernia and she achieved her #SymbioticBirth free of needles. I just had to help her keep her elbows up & out because everything in her wanted to bear down and lower and well, there was a baby coming out :) As shared by Erica: Epidural experience was part of labor that challenged me to take how I was feeling physically and put that aside for what I had set in my mind & heart mentally for labor. This part of labor was one of my weakest moments where I was faced with the reality of what was about to happen so I began to pray for an answer. I have had a fear of needles as long as I can remember.. so the idea of me even considering to get an epidural proved I’d hit my weakest moment. When the doctor came in to prep me for it, I started to become more aware of the reality of what was about to happen. Knowing me. my body. My fear of needles. I became very inquisitive with the doctor. I at one point remember asking her what happens if I jump when you stick me with the needle? She said, “ if you move, I will hurt you” I appreciated the honestly and honestly thankful she had been so direct, because just then I knew I did not want to follow through with the procedure. My prayers had been answered. When the doctor asked me the final time.. “do you allow me to give you this epidural?” (by law they have to ask before following through) I looked into my husbands eyes and said,”I can’t do this.. it goes against everything my body- mind-heart is telling me.” The other challenge was the idea stuck in my head that Luke was too big, I could physically feel that he wasn’t able to engage his head. After the plateau of contractions getting further apart, I started to become more physically/mentally defeated. When I considered having the c section, I felt like I’d hit rock bottom, maxed out, didn’t want to keep going through labor. I was so tired and felt weak and even if I got to transition I wouldn’t have enough energy to push. Two things I remember that helped the mind set, was my husband pulling aside the new midwife coming on and telling her that when they checked me next to reassure me that baby felt normal size and wasn’t too big. He also pulled out a picture of my first son, Cole and said do it for Luke it was then with the help of course of my amazing dream Team encouraging an additional internal exam, that we found out there was in fact a bag of waters in-front of his head and once they broke that.. Game On! Baby boy Luke Jacob was born the way we hoped and prayed for! Trained in The Bradley Method® as husband Coach, Garrett Marek, shares his most Challenging Part/tips for Coaches: Prior to the idea of an epidural being used……seeing my wife begin to give up emotionally due to physical exhaustion was hard. We didn’t come into this pregnancy as rested as the first due to already having a 2 year old….At one point she told me she couldn’t push anymore, she was done physically and mentally. I have never seen my wife give up before, look defeated etc…. this was difficult to see. We had a conversation and as much I didn’t want it, mentally she said she needed to go the route of c-section. Luckily, when it came time to have a needle inserted into her spine she couldn’t do it. As the doctor was asking for her permission, I wanted to cry, puke and punch a wall b/c this is not what we wanted for us or our child, but this is what was required. Thank God my wife decided to give it another shot (no pun intended). Tips for dads 1) Study all of the materials and know the stages like the back of your hand, be very familiar with the app that times contractions, have your travel list ready so you can pack in a hurry/under stress, have your own ice chips made from apple juice, have some relaxing music and candles ready so you can make the hospital a relaxing setting. 2) Force yourself and your wife to rest as much as possible beginning 2 weeks prior to the “Due Date” so you can rest up. 3) Do a trial run of getting the car ready to see how things go and do a trial run how long it takes to get the hospital. 4) Realize many emotions will come up, your job is to be the calm one, focus/center her and be a rock. 5) One thing that helped me get her to really focus when she didn’t want to push anymore was to show her a picture of our 2 year old son Cole and said “bring Luke home”. Someone must have known in advance the FORCE would be super strong for this one... from the likes of these "birth"day celebration shirts, "LUKE, I AM YOUR FATHER & LUKE, I AM YOUR GRANDFATHER"... I am most positive from the challenges Erica & Garrett overcame during this labor/birth, they would certainly agree! The #YourBirthHelper #CharlotteDoulaDreamTeam could not be more proud! Congratulations and welcome to the world this 8lbs. 1 oz Storm Pooper, otherwise known as, Luke Jacob Marek! Special thanks to Barbara CNM & the amazing nurses of #NovantHuntersville #Birth #MidwivesRock #HusbandCoachedChildbirth #WarriorWoman #OneProudDoula #OneProud ChildbirthEducator #YourBirthHelper #CharlotteDoulaDreamTeam #birth #CharlotteBirthFamily #Doula #LongLabor #EpiduralFreeBirth #MidwifeAssistedHospitalBirth #HusbandCoachedChildbirth #naturalbirth #LaborCoaching #BirthWithoutFear

Know your options... not just the ones your doctor shares but all of them. Schedule a consult with a YourBirthHelper team member. Find out the how, where & with whom birthing choices that exist in your area. Then choose the birth right for you. If you are Searching for birthing options allow YourBirthHelper.com to assist you in Charlotte, NC, Athens, GA & Greenville, SC and surrounding areas. Email yourbirthhelper@gmail.com for consults, workshops/ training options & even traditional 12 week Bradley Method® classes. I bet Chris & Jenelle would say that initial twelve week training has saved them THOUSANDS of dollars and three times the unnecessary interventions. And, all because all those years ago they registered for Bradley Method® class, hired a doula and exercised their rights as educated consumers to birth where & with whom they desired. #CharlotteBirthFamily You might need a referral to a supportive hospital, birth center, or for an in-home midwife, placenta encapsulation or birth photographer- if so, YourBirthHelper.com has you covered. Schedule your consult today. #BradleyMethod #YourBirthHelpercom #DoulaAssistance #BirthFamily #AnimalsAtBirth

I always stand amazed at the level of dedication to the natural process most all of my clients have. They rise above hiccups one at a time. They listen to my suggestions and assume positions that they would rather not because they trust in their body's ability to complete the job even if labor takes longer or goes much faster than first expected. Alice was 4cm upon arrival to Baby & Co. Charlotte but we knew better. Her body was in full on "baby is coming mode." Sometimes, even the midwife is taken by surprise. You see this was our second time around. I was also their doula with their first out of hospital birth in Fort Mill, SC. We had pushed for 6 hours to get her first baby out. In every position under the shining sun. It was the birthing stool that worked best. This time, I said we are NOT doing that. You shall labor down and when we see a head then we'll push. She agreed. We walked for about 10 minutes when I began hearing vibrations. I advised the midwife to call her backup. Approx 30-45 minutes after being told she was only 4cm, her body commenced Operation push a baby out. I shared with the midwife, ok I've got a head... did you call your backup? Needless to say, the backup did not make it and I thought I was catching a baby for a minute when the midwife quickly stepped in to assist. Dad also reached down and helped his wife bring the baby up to her chest. And, just like that in Birth room #3 their family added another baby girl and the three became four. Congrats to a very special power couple! If you haven't visited Grand Asian Market in Stallings, NC I suggest you do - not only is the store amazing, the Avocado Smoothies w/boba & the owners are too 😉 No matter where you choose to birth or with whom remember, the key phrase of doing business: Is mom okay - is baby okay? If both answers are yes then "What is the problem?" But we don't stop their, then they ask "what are our OTHER OPTIONS, bc many times in hospital settings what is being proposed is what they want to do not necessarily what is medically necessary for mom or baby. Don't be fooled into believing you have to do everything you are told just bc that's a hospital policy or this doctor likes to do it this way. Many people have no idea what the Patients Bill of Rights is nor how to be an educated consumer when it comes to medical services. There are always choices - choose wisely where & with whom you decide to Birth because it just may determine whether it's a happy "birth"day or not. And, FYI you still get the bill so, if you are healthy & low risk expect your wishes for your birth to be supported. #Birthwithoutanepidural #DoulaAssistedBirth #YourBirthHelper #Doula #BirthCenterBirth #naturalbirth #BradleyMethod #Daddyhelpedbirthme #HusbandCoachedChildbirth

God selected me, Pamela Sauls for the job of educating & empowering Elizabeth Bearinger Davis and her husband Jay. How did I determine I was called ? Well, you see when Elizabeth first called me she was at her wits end. She had two previous pregnancies & labors that were not only riddled with intervention, she felt as if the epidural had in no way contributed to what she would define a happy "birth"day. She wanted a different experience and wanted to be educated as to know what is truly medically necessary. Simply put, she wanted to be an educated consumer to pay her money to a doctor or midwife that would best support her choices for her birth. I like to call it "Your Birth Your Way. Sometimes, people allow medical interventions to take place that truly are not necessary to birthing a baby because they just go through the motions of doing what they're told. She had felt that way powerless at times and wanted to be better prepared to avoid such a path. She began with a phone call to me where she poured out her heart and concerns/ disappointments from her other experiences. I explained the benefits of The Bradley Method twelve week training & how it would be invaluable in her efforts to avoid unnecessary interventions, regardless of her choice to medicate or not. I shared how Dr. Bradley called the men, Husband Coaches & that dad also deserves a basic knowledge of how to best support mom in her efforts. A totally different labor experience when dads are an active part of assisting mom, not just a spectator at the event. Dads deserve tools and tricks that can help mom avoid unnecessary pain and ways to help mom keep progressing. Otherwise, imagine how helpless these men feel just being asked to watch mom in pain without an understanding of how to help her- that's just cruel. Elizabeth said, OH THANK GOD I FOUND YOU! She shared her faith & I shared what I like to call the John 16:21 birth marathon and how training is essential to success. And, boy was she successful! In addition to many good choices like: where to birth, differences between OBGYN / most midwives etc. she played an active role and made the choices best for them & their baby. Throughout her pregnancy she chose to take progesterone shots to avoid her past history of preterm labor. Every time she faced a crossroad she used her education to acquire informed consent and make the best choices for this baby. She weighed the risks & benefits when confronted with what I like to call the "hiccups or stumbling blocks" and a few days after New Year's Day she began to feel contractions, when the contractions were around 3 minutes apart, lasting 60 sec for over an hour they decided best to go to hospital to be checked. Yup valid contractions at 36 weeks and she made the decision to have labor stopped & went home on bedrest. One week later some action began yet again. She thought surely this is just from the exam she had earlier. Sometime Thursday, she felt as if she passed something. It was her show and when they arrived later back at the hospital, she was 5cm dilated. She was so concerned about bleeding that she forgot to even share she was having 3 min apart contractions 🤣 Now, that's the first good rule of labor, not paying attention too soon! She was blessed to have her mom/ sister stop in to check on her and they had a fun time in the labor room (as the photo depicts). Jay was a source of strength and comfort to her throughout her labor journey and coached her through her birth marathon. She wore her own gown this time bc she was a healthy woman, not sick and this time she would birth her baby in a hospital with her birth plan supported by amazing nurses & midwives, not a patient whose baby would be delivered from her by a medical professional. She played an active role changing positions often and sweet talked her sister into massaging her back during long transition strength contractions. Baby had decided to present "sunny side up" or what we call posterior which increases back pain due to weight of baby on mom's spine/ back instead of belly. Back labor is very challenging bc the back pain doesn't go away and only intensifies with each contraction as the baby descends. About 15m before push phase Elizabeth says she had no recollection but family shared, she slapped the bed and demanded an epidural. The midwife came in and checked her said she was almost 10cm but had a small lip of cervix but a very intense urge to push. She was literally sitting at the edge of the bed (bed was not even broken down) and with Elizabeth's next contraction the baby literally emerged! To further celebrate her low intervention, drug free birth, she was elated to know all those good positions paid off: Zero tears/Zero stitches! In the words of Elizabeth, my recovery has been so much better than my epidural experiences. In fact too good bc I feel so good I am doing too much 😉 Dear World, Please help me welcome the newest additions to our GA #BirthFamily... couple #2 nailed it!!!! I enjoyed teaching their private classes in beautiful Dahlonega, Georgia. Big Brother & Sister are also in love ❤️ and daddy in heaven too! YourBirthHelper.com commends you both on your efforts to play an active role long before labor ever began! To put together your birth plans, to practice what you learned and stick to your guns bc the thought & hassle of training, changing doctors or hospitals, etc. should not steal YourBirth- YourWay #OneProudChildbirthEducator #ThirdLabor #PreparingforBirthing #AthensBirthFamily #naturalbirth #BirthWithoutFear #Birth #MidwifeAssistedHospitalBirth #HusbandCoachedChildbirth #avoidinginduction

It is not every day I get to brag on the Lord & his healing powers, in addition to, a picture perfect John 16:21 birth story!! Congrats to my amazing mom, Tory (who was put on blood thinners & bed rest weeks earlier facing a high risk delivery after learning she had three blood clots. Two in her leg and a larger one in her groin. With less than two months to go she reached out for doula assistance. The last thing her team of doctors wanted was for her to end up in the operating room. This worse case scenario could surely cost her life bc blood thinners + surgery does not = good outcome. Luckily, they had taken several childbirth classes about 4 out of 12 but some is way better than NO Plan to weather labor. With Greg, her husband, working as a pilot, scheduling was very difficult to attend weekly training. They applied what they learned and practiced weeks in advance during her bed rest, as often as possible. Some of the later weeks, were severely painful for her with the weight of being near full term, coupled by the large clot in her groin. I suggested soak in tub to relieve pressure and she found that comforting short term but hey any break from being miserable is good! The water is amazing during labor for pain relief, as well. But, unfortunately in most hospital inductions, the tub is no longer an option. Turns out several of my church friends from Elevation Matthews had asked me if I had any prayer needs. I immediately thought of Tory & Greg! Mr. Jim Whaley asked me two weeks before her scheduled induction how my work was going. This was not a normal question for him. I shared I had a couple who could use prayer and I was concerned about the severity of her complication. He instantly replied, "well let's pray for her right now!" He prayed very specifically for God to dissolve those clots and that they completely disappear so she could have an amazing & safe birth. I said amen multiple times to that prayer 😉 Meanwhile, I had no idea Tory & Greg had attended #ElevationChurch Concord location before her bedrest. At her weekly doctors appointment she was to have one last ultrasound to measure clots, etc. but we received the best news ever! Although, she had been taking meds for many weeks with no change to size of clots, on this day coupled with the prayers of so many, she would learn the clots had all miraculously disappeared! She could have considered induction earlier but when in doubt- CLOT IT OUT! With great relief she could now anticipate the happy "birth"day she was sure to enjoy. She still had to endure induction, she still had to endure the hard work & discomfort of man made contractions but she no longer had to worry about a clot moving and risking her or her baby's life during the act of birth. Praise be to Jesus! We all were in shock that of all the weeks she had been on medicine, bed rest, etc. the clots had not dissolved. And, just a few days before her baby would enter the world, God blessed her in a mighty way with this awesome news! And, he didn't stop there. God was faithful in aligning the perfect team for her birth at CMC Main. Turns out the nurse with us even attended #ElevationChurch University campus. Still believe it was all a coincidence? Make no mistake God hears the cries of his children and tells us in his word to Ask, Knock & Seek! Also, although my client was bumped from the use of midwives, being considered high risk, her attending OBGYN, Dr. Termin, could not have encouraged, supported or respected her wishes any better. Greg, her husband worked tirelessly along side helping her not only stay relaxed but also with counter pressure to her back and encouraging deep breathing. When transition phase began and everything in her wanted to fight the pressure, Tory listened and chose to labor down (a time when you want to push badly but refrain allowing your uterus to move baby down on its own without our help). We called the nurse, who then called the doctor when Baby's head was beginning to crown. He allowed us to stay in hands & knees (even though not typically preferred), in addition, he allowed us time to push freely as her body dictated. Dr. Termin supported her perineum and guided her with gentle pushing instructions as baby peacefully emerged the doctor smiled and my client, Tory began thanking him. He replied, "You didn't make me do much and grinned!" It was refreshing to have a doctor acknowledge low intervention, drug free, natural birth clients' really do make their job easier in almost every scenario. He later told the nurse, It was the best birth he had attended in a very long time! The atmosphere was on point! Kudos to the entire Johnson family!! #OneProudDoula #OneProudChildbirthEducator With YourBirthHelper.com you begin as students but you end as family. WE now offer both onsite & virtual education/ doula assistance! We have successfully coached two couples through natural birth via text, calls & FaceTime from a state away! YourBirthHelper.com has learned, "Never say it can't be done!" With knowledge there is power! #bloodclotsduringpregnancy #naturalbirth #OvercomingInductionnaturally #ElevationChurch #DrTermin #CMCMain #Charlotte #BirthFamily #YourBirthHelpercom

Sometimes, life throws us a traffic jam. Sometimes, hospitals are FULL and there are supposedly no beds available. And, drug free labors can be extremely unpredictable & frankly babies care less if mom is even at a hospital. Sometimes, a detour is warranted. That is exactly what Paramedic Lindsay Robertson realized but this time she wasn't in her uniform, nor @ work. It is not every day, I have the pleasure to assist a couple who has overcome so many challenges together to bring life into the world. Lindsay & Brooke chose artificial insemination with the help of an anonymous sperm donor as their choice for beginning their Family. Brooke even was able to assist the nurse and push the syringe that contained the donor sperm during the IUI procedure. They chose to train for twelve plus weeks in The Bradley Method of natural birth. Why? Lindsay is a Paramedic & Brooke a Social Worker, both understand the importance of a great start into Life. Especially, when low intervention natural birth is still considered the safest route of passage into the world. Brooke helped coach her wife through eating right & exercising, in addition, daily practicing their relaxation to be ready to rock difficult labor contractions & that is exactly what they did! Lindsay had allowed her membranes to be stripped that morning to avoid an induction since she was both overdue & the amniotic fluid was low. She had experienced some early labor contractions Tuesday evening but she had experienced those multiple times before. No doubt the moon phases & primrose oil didn't hurt either. When we are "overdue" we try many things to progress on our own, free of chemical induction, if all possible. The plan was she & Brooke would labor at home as long as possible & then head over to their uptown hospital closer to late labor/ transition. However, things seemed to be progressing very quickly. I had speculated this might be to case since she had experienced multiple bouts of pre-labor in weeks / months before. Before, leaving for her birthplace, Lindsay seemed to have the look of serious late labor. She was experiencing a lot of unusual pressure for an earlier stage of labor & on top of that her contractions were growing in intensity at a faster than normal rate with some lasting in excess of 120 seconds & as close as 2-3 minutes apart. Such intense contractions that Lindsay wanted me to stay on phone her while I was packing my car for my Ga trip, in which I was supposed to leave around noon, to head down for my own daughter's family covered dinner / baby shower. Earlier through the nite & day, I had been @ Novant Matthews with their classmates, holding a leg literally as Lindsay & Brooke were calling. As soon as that precious baby was out & into moms arms, I left one hospital & had just enough to time to grab lunch/ pack the car again before heading out to CMC MAIN. The funny part was, although, I have assisted many births over the years, this was my first time assisting a client through hard labor contractions via facetime. It's amazing technology! While I was coaching Lindsay up & over her contractions, Brooke was quickly packing their car for departure. It was evident from both Lindsay's breathing & facial expressions things were moving along quicker than average. Upon heading uptown, Lindsay was growing concerned her dr office had asked her to come there first that there were no beds at the hospital. Obviously, this did not set well literally as the pressure was growing & so was the intensity of the contractions. The couple made a quick decision to detour to the closest hospital. I sent a fb message to Tina Hayes & the midwife team at Piedmont OBGYN & to alert the crew @ CMC Pineville. I arrived to find 4 smiling nurses and a wheel chair right inside the front door! l helped Brooke maneuver around to the maternity center behind the main hospital by phone since she had not been there and talk about curb service... They arrived at CMC around 4:20p and the nurses quickly got Lindsay situated from the car to triage while I parked their car. Lindsay learned she was only 4cm dilated but because of late labor signs & intense contractions she could stay or make her way over to Main. Of course, another car ride was not either of their idea of fun. On another note, I often remind my students, I don't care what your dilation is bc in an unmedicated scenario things can change very quickly! While in triage with no way to find a good position in that horribly uncomfortable bed, Lindsay looked at me and asked, "Pamela Sauls is this going to get even worse be honest?" To which I replied, "Yes, but do I think you can get through it unmedicated YES! You are brave, strong & you have an amazing supportive team to help you!" With both mom & baby doing great, we opted to get Lindsay comfy in the tub (after her 30 minute strip of EFM was complete) and things began to rock & roll again. Wasn't long before the water broke in tub shortly after 6p and we continued to work while she labored in the darkness & quiet of the bathroom. When it was time to monitor baby again, we placed mom on the toilet to relax her bum while we dried her off. Once out of the water, gravity was back and so was the growing pressure. I had a feeling push phase was right around the corner and had previously called Kalle Thompson Sousana to join us. She has been teaching a provisional series of Bradley Method ® classes under my mentoring and is a doula in training, as well. She will no doubt be an asset to our #CharlotteBirthFamily. It was inevitable push phase was right around the corner. The two we're in sync as Brooke coached her through her labor marathon. I slipped out to head to Ga shortly after 8pm and not shortly behind me arriving at his own destination aka momma & mommy' s arms was Baby Holden Barrick @ 8:56pm on June 15th weighing in 7lbs 5oz 20 in long!! Special thanks to the fabulous nurses who are so dedicated to the natural process @ CMC Pineville & Nancy, CNM of Piedmont OBGYN for welcoming a very special couple who decided to take a detour @ 4 and boy did it pay off, 4 hrs later two amazing women became Parents! Congrats Lindsay & Brooke your lives are forever changed get ready for a lifetime of new signs including the ever popular, "Baby on Board"... Until he grows up, of course 😉 YourBirthHelper's favorite line... "Do You Trust Me!" Ah good times!! YourBirthHelper.com & The Bradley Method ® serves all expectant clients: married/ single, husband coached, sister/ friend coached (even if you come alone ~remember, you will endure labor regardless) and as in this amazing birth story... mommie & mommie couples!! Dr. Robert A. Bradley was a very smart man! His method WORKS!!!!!! Birth hasn't changed, the definition of Coach has. Don't let the words "Husband Coached" keep you from acquiring the skills necessary to birth naturally. ALL MOMS should have quality education regardless of marital status or sexual preference. #NaturalBirth #BradleyMethod #YourBirthHelpercom #TwomomsBirth #TwoMomsBetterThanOne #MommieMommie

It's not every day I have the pleasure of empowering a woman to VBAC but when I do, it looks like this: Everyone who knows me knows I believe in "a picture says a thousand words"... Here is my journal of their second labor marathon. Together, believing in the natural process and having to heal from the trauma of their first labor of which they felt so terribly bullied, as if they did not have a say in what happened to them. Then being led into every medical procedure often routinely performed, including a failed epidural, ended in her first birth via Caesarean section. Now, fast forward to my first meeting with them @ Nothing but Noodles several weeks back. Dialogue went something like this, "you mean I can say No to routine procedures?" .... Me, "yes if you do not consent it doesn't happen"... Rachel, "but they made us feel as if we didn't have a choice we had to do what they said"... Me, "you write the check & pay the bill, they work for you. If mom & baby ok YOU have the FINAL say." In the weeks that followed, I had the pleasure to witness a woman renewed by both her strength in the Lord, her faith leading her to believe in John 16:21 that God designed her body for this amazing work. Something changed in her, she found her voice again no longer a victim or her past now a woman fueled by knowledge and power coupled by the strength and full support of her amazing husband coach! Day by day Rachel Griffin Barker grew stronger careful to acquire solid nutrition, train her body physically & mentally prepare to continue to overcome fears, one by one until her amazing body would do this work for her as she stood simply present as the willing vessel. She increased her odds of VBAC by choosing a supportive practice the midwives of Piedmont OBGYN & a birthplace supportive of natural birth CMC Pineville. She refused internal exams before she was in labor & was comfortable knowing the information obtained in an internal exam matters not if we are not having signs of labor. They made a great decision to trust her body to not only carry full term but 10 days over her due date all while trying all the natural methods to bring about labor & boy was Larry a team player!! In addition, she listened to suggestions such as good Chiro care loosening that pelvis & hip muscles with Dr. Kelley Helmendach. She used acupuncture, she even played along and allowed me to walk her in the park by flashlight at night while we were wrapped up like snow bunnies. We were able to get Rachel into labor several times but unfortunately there were outside stressors which created adrenaline and sadly labor went away. We do have to be careful to surround ourselves with support and those who will not add to mental or emotional stress bc it matters too. We can be physically relaxed but the psychology of birthing requires moms to feel protected & safe for labor to progress. Days later, we had a relaxation session with pressure point work & Rachel allowed me to walk her up the hills again, fed her Lebanese foods @ Kabob-J , olive oil shots & it was game on time again. I surrounded her with birth family support and Allison TerMeer met us at the greenway & we walked baby down that pelvis & up Allison's steep driveway Then labor began once again and dad kept mom protected utilizing warm bath, music, etc. when I met them @ the hospital she was wearing her game face. She came prepared to work. I fed her homemade chicken salad bc she was starving. She fueled her body and continued working harder & harder as the contractions grew stronger. She assumed every position I ever suggested and then some. She was surrounded by supportive nurses Alexis & Nancy and her midwife, Jennifer Crumpler also cheered her on even when labor was really tough and she was ready to give up. Her husband lifted her even literally not just her spirits but her body when needed. Her daddy sat in waiting room patiently praying for her. I finally convinced him to go home & sleep as the cervix can take a long time to finish the job. Her mom tirelessly had been watching their 4 yr old daughter through it all. Rachel & Larry together overcame many challenges to have their Amazing VBAC and something tells me that just maybe she would do it all over again, even days of it.... Kudos to Larry & Rachel and I'm guessing but I think their photographer, Jamie Lu, who stood quietly through it all experienced some healing of her own. Even though it wasn't her own vaginal birth, God allows us to experience what I like to call "divine appointments" and Jamie was called that day, as well. It was my utmost pleasure to serve as their doula. I welcome the Barker Family into the best darn ‪#‎BirthFamily‬ in Charlotte. YourBirthHelper.com salutes your dedication to the natural process! To view The Barker family VBAC journey as captured by Jamie Lu copy & paste the link below: https://jamielucidophotographydotcom.wordpress.com/ #VBAC

We call it #BirthFamily and one can not understand how amazing it is until they have experienced the love & support found within this group. My couples are by far the most adorable new parents ever! I call it the best darn #BirthFamily in Charlotte. #NaturalBirth

Stamina, Marathon Endurance, Super Natural Inner Strength, The PEACE of an awesome Creator, The work of an amazing Birth Team & The Prayers of a fabulous birth family heart emoticon Thats what words come to mind ~ well, that & Semper Fi... Always Faithful. This little cutie, Lillie Annalehs Keller entered the world with a super short cord (less than 12 inches) on Oct.17, weighing 7 lbs. 12 oz. and Mom overcame a very challenging push phase for the best way to put it- kind of like trying to push a baby out connected to a bungie cord thats where the amazing Birth Team & Prayers Lifted came in very handy. I stand amazed at the dedication of two very special individuals who trained with me for over 12 weeks & applied what they learned. Mom rocked her labor with relaxation techniques, great positioning & dad was an amazing coach. Congrat's to Lori & Heath Keller for a job well done. She believed she was designed to give birth naturally, she trained to endure her labor marathon & she ran it exceedingly well with the help of her dedicated coach! ‪ #‎CrossFit‬ would be proud. Baby Lillie is perfect in every way. Still think natural birth without medication throughout labor or birth is not possible, better think again! Kudos to Melissa Kempter Nau for all her support as LDR Nurse and the amazing Jennifer Crumpler, Midwife with CMC Pineville for all their hard work. Props to Dr. Fox for her spinning baby skills, as well. No Posterior babies on Dr. Fox's watch! The Bradley Method® thanks you all for your support of natural birth and, of course, so does yourbirthhelper@gmail.com. ‪ #‎OneProudDoula‬ ‪#‎OneProudChildbirthTeacher‬ #NaturalBirth

Here is a sampling of my wonderful Charlotte Birth Family. Curiosity might have you asking, what are the odds a person can actually get through labor & birth without the use of pain management? Well, you might be surprised to know with a traditional 12 week training prep of how to best handle labor & birth utilizing proven relaxation techniques, that success rate would be around 87% are successful in accomplishing a low intervention, narcotic / epidural free labor & birth. If you are a poker player, you will be happy to know you can increase your odds even higher with the use of a midwife and switching to a natural birth friendly hospital or out of hospital birth center. Want to increase your odds even more, hire an experienced doula such as myself to hands on assist you with relaxation techniques, proper positioning, ways to speed labor, maintain a relaxing environment at your birth place, etc. Don't cheat yourself out of at least trying if you are truly willing to learn the best ways to handle labor you may just find its not as difficult as you might think to achieve. Dr. Bradley used to say, "A trained husband coach can do way more for his laboring wife than any amount of medication." I have the pleasure of witnessing this all the time. They do not call it a birth marathon for nothing, it takes proper education, training, application and believing in your body. Women were designed for such amazing work and when empowered and properly supported low intervention/ natural birth is very much a doable thing. Take this photo for example: there are 11 drug free natural births represented, 1 medically necessary c-section due to entanglement in cord after 40+hrs of drug free labor, 1 epidural for pain relief due to previous back injury. I'd say the odds are pretty good if you know what you are doing. For more information on upcoming training classes or doula assistance email: yourbirthhelper@yahoo.com or view www.bradleybirth.com/pamelasauls for more class details. Photo compliments of Maggie of My Little Dragonfly (of whom I had the pleasure to teach). #NaturalBirth #DoulaAssistance