In today's world, couples are busier than ever. Expectant couples are pulled in various directions daily from binge watching late night tv shows, listening to podcasts, shopping online and keeping up with social media; thus robbing them of their precious time and needed sleep. When it comes to pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond, we must first... ~stop and prioritize the best use of time to prepare for baby's arrival and beyond The challenge is short and simple. Use your time wisely. Moms, YOU WILL have a baby out of your body. Dads/ Partners, hopefully YOU WILL learn how to be an excellent labor coach and someone who can incite your spouse/partner to both practice both physically and mentally for childbirth. Her body has been designed for this challenging athletic event, but it takes knowledge, preparedness and emotional support for her to properly relax during contractions and do what she can to lessen discomfort. We do not have any control over the uterus. We must simply be present, move the air in their bodies, and allow this giant muscle to help our baby down and out. We have only a short nine months to prepare. Well, maybe five to eight days over or even less than nine months for some who go early. In my professional opinion, the best time to educate and train your body to "give birth" is in the second trimester. During weeks one through twelve, get lots of rest and focus on meeting your nutritional needs each day. Morning sickness can be quite a challenge, but nutrition is very important for your growing baby. During pregnancy, there is so much we do not have ultimate control over. Focus daily on what you DO have control over like eating clean, exercising, staying centered and as calm as possible especially if you struggle with anxiety. There are so many unknowns during pregnancy -free your mind of this additional stress. Keep it simple. Add a full minute of meditating on your healthy baby and target birth experience by clearing your mind of all the "what if's" for a full sixty seconds each day for a week. Then, two full minutes the following week and so on for the remainder of your pregnancy, conscientiously releasing stress of the unknowns and keep focusing on the positives (thank your body for what it did well this week and visualize your baby within you perfectly protected, growing and becoming stronger. The same for you and your body). Each baby deserves what I like to call "selfish time." The ultimate goal by the last trimester is 20 minutes of relaxation practice daily. Coaches be sure to practice with Mom also. Mom will have to endure contractions independently, but she needs you to be a relaxing presence to assist her. Practice is key to both of you doing your individual jobs well. I asked Renato and Elizabeth a series of questions. Renato answered honestly as the husband (and now an accomplished) labor coach. I will share their tips throughout this Blog story. Here is Renato's response regarding being better prepared... The past several months were exhausting and a lot of work on top of the normal stresses of work and life. But in all honesty, every aspect of what we prepared for was used during labor and because of the prep work, help from you (Pam our doula), and God’s grace, we were able to have a 100% natural and unmedicated birth. I will say, that I count us both as blessed and lucky, because we did not do everything perfectly, nor always had things under control, but made baby preparations a priority. As a man, I find it absolutely crucial to have a shared role in pregnancy, labor, and postpartum preparation. It has truly made me a better man, son, husband, Child of God, and now father. Just like we were taught in The Bradley Method® that laboring for women can represent submission and surrender, I believe fatherhood helps activate every aspect of what is means to be a man - a provider, a support, and a leader. I promise if you come alongside your wife/partner in baby prep, you will not regret it. ~choose your childbirth education and practice The challenge for couples, (post Covid) is finding a quality childbirth class or course that actually meets in-person. A local group class that meets once weekly is always the best choice. This format allows couples to soak up the information and digest it. In addition, couples have some form of accountability in regards to practicing what they have learned. This allows for couples to interact and empower one another, make new friends and be active participants in class. Couples can try out techniques and resources like peanut and birth balls, rebozo, various massage tools, etc., while being surrounded by likeminded people with similar goals. Renato and Elizabeth chose to prepare for drug-free labor and birth, by training in-person with us at M2b Family Farm located on the east side of Athens, Ga. Both educators themselves, they understood the importance of learning and practicing "before the big day." They desired a deeper level of childbirth education and trained locally for twelve weeks in The Bradley Method® course. Each week they reviewed the course material, completed their workbook assignments and each learned their individual roles. You can find an outline of the twelve segments of study and more information about this course at www.bradleybirth.com/pamelasauls as well as, other childbirth options on our website (www.yourbirthhelper.com) and be sure to select "lessons" from the services page and check out our full list of in-person and virtual training options. Any training is way better than none. Education can make anything easier. A good childbirth workshop, class, or course will also teach the importance of practicing relaxation techniques, teach slow controlled breathing, proper positioning, and techniques to reduce discomfort (as described below). Together, the couple can calmly work together to keep labor progressing. Renato's tips for readers regarding childbirth education... The Bradley Method® classes were very informative and the homework was helpful. The homework was incorporated into our nightly routine and usually started with our physical exercises with practicing squats, butterfly resistance training, pelvic rocks, and forward leaning inversion. Then we would go to the bedroom and practice relaxation for 20 minutes. Sometimes, I would fully lead the relaxation by following the Bradley techniques of massaging, verbally telling Elizabeth to tighten a muscle and then relax it, leading her through visualizations of random scenes like floating on rivers or a peaceful meadow. Other times, I would try my own approaches like praying out loud for the full time or repeating affirmations I knew Elizabeth needed to hear (such as, your body was made for this, Oliver is in the perfect position, God is sovereign and your pregnancy and labor are not a surprise to him). Lastly, we would listen to pregnancy and labor affirmations (like the Christian Hypo Birthing and Bridget Teyler’s YouTube videos). These were really helpful because it would give me a break on nights where the routine was challenging and inspire ideas for other ways to lead relaxation (we used both of the YouTube channels during labor). Honestly, we were really good about doing our Bradley homework every night but there were obvious exceptions here and there. Like, if we went out of town, we would skip relaxation practice, but we would still try to do some of the exercises. On occasion, we would be too tired to do the full nightly routine so, we would pick and choose what we wanted to do on those nights. The most common compromise would be to do squats for a little bit, then pelvic rocks, and then if we chose to also practice relaxation, it would be for less time. Some of the other ways that we prepared included going on walks, chiropractic care (Anthony Chiropractic), working out (I did HIIT training and Elizabeth did her pregnancy workouts), reading books (Dr. Bradley's book, Husband Coached Childbirth for men and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way for women, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and The Vaccine Book, listened to podcasts and then prayed daily for baby Oliver. You both did an amazing job achieving an unmedicated birth experience. Looking back now, is there anything you would do differently? If I were to go back in time, I still would have done all that we did and honestly just a little bit more to better prepare for the intensity of labor. As much as Elizabeth did her leg exercises, she wishes she had done a bit more upper body strength building, because she used those muscles more than anticipated. Also, I wish I had better prepared my own body for coaching. I should have done ALL the squats with her. After labor was over, my quads, hamstrings, lower back, feet, and definitely my calves were all sore. Additionally, working out my core, arms and back would have greatly helped in taking care of Oliver postpartum. Lastly, during relaxation practice, I would have led Elizabeth to relax while there was a negative stimulation (like ice on her back) to better prepare her for contractions. Elizabeth was able to learn how to separate her body and mind during relaxation (which was crucial during labor), but when there were actual contraction pains, it was harder to see her relax. Some advice I have for coaches is to mentally prepare to see your wife/partner experience labor pains as I found this harder than expected. Once experience I had to face was staying positive and hopeful while knowing Elizabeth was progressing slower than we had hoped. In the photo, YBH Advanced Doula apprentice, Anniston Eberhart, also a Cappa Doula, applies counter-pressure for Elizabeth's low back pain as her husband positions himself where Mom can lean into her contraction to lessen discomfort naturally. Elizabeth and Renato had made a great decision to walk the North Oconee River Greenway to speed labor. As childbirth educators, we often say, "bags packed with one month to go" for a reason. For example, Renato and Elizabeth woke to an early morning water break two weeks prior to their due date. It happens. So, at the very least have your bags partially packed in advance, with a last minute list on the refrigerator or bathroom mirror of anything that cannot go in the bag yet. It is always less stressful to be overly prepared than get to your birth place and not have what you needed or wanted for one to three days. Be ready for this possibility, however unlikely, should it happen to you. Cover cloth seats in your car, consider purchasing a bag of Depends disposable undergarments. Remember, if you experience PROM or premature labor, there are a lot of things you can do without, but you must also have a carseat in your car. Renato and Elizabeth had completed most all their homework and they wrapped up last minute packing and began using all their learned techniques to help progress labor naturally. Any man who desires to really step up and rise to the occasion, not just witness, but actively assist their wife through such an ennobling work should take some lessons from Renato. He came prepared with written letters to read to Elizabeth when she was exhausted from laboring and contractions were consuming her. ~embrace your support system When you are tired and want to throw your birth plan out the window, it is important to surround yourself with those who not just try to support you, but will actually encourage you to achieve your birth your way. Many couples do not understand the psychology behind giving birth. Giving in and giving up is also part of labor and thus built into this process of bringing forth life. When couples better understand the labor phases, they can better support their mate. It works both ways. For husbands/ men/ partners, who truly desire to best support Mom to achieve her wishes for her birth, labor can also take a toll on them. Long hours, lack of sleep, severely fatigued state of minds can also bring labor coaches to a point they may want mom to consider medicine or alternative means of getting a baby out of mom's body. Simply put, for many and especially with a first baby, it can be a longer process full of unknowns and every single heart string of yours can be pulled. It is sometimes challenging not to abandon ship aka "mom's birth plan" midstream. Here are some doula tips: - Remember, ask for a natural birth supportive nurse (if mom's goal is natural childbirth) sometimes reassurance from the staff can make all the difference in a mom who meets her goals for her birth. - When coaching gets tough, don't forget she chose YOU to help her get through this. Believe in yourself and mentally, emotionally and physically step up to the plate. - Ask the right questions. We teach labor coaches the questions to obtain true informed consent. Be aware of the medical reasons for c-section. Be aware of the danger signs. Ask for time to discern and discuss the information. Labor does sometimes bring hurdles the couple must work through together. By being an active part of the decision making, together Mom and Dad/ partner can make the very best decisions you feel best for mom and baby. - Don't be afraid to step up and literally coach her through difficult phases of labor. Remind her you are present to help in any way possible and you believe her body can do this. As long as mom and baby are both fine, we will just take one contraction at a time focusing our energy on what we can control (i.e. good positioning, deep breathing, sinking pelvic floor and releasing every muscle not being used to hold her into position). Relax her mind and body and allow her body to release fear and release the baby. There are many ways you can communicate and empower Mom. It doesn't necessarily have to be in written form, but few men have the ability to find enough words to talk mom through hours of labor contractions. You may be one of them who can simply recite something similar off the top of your head during labor, if so, good for you. Just keep in mind, you will also have a tired brain, and it is okay to have a previously written letter or list of things/ ways in which you can better help mom stay focused, especially when her goal is drug-free. Coaches have to get creative at times. Any goal can be made easier to achieve when the entire birth team is on board to empower a woman through the difficult stages of labor until time to push. This is what I call #SymbioticBirth, meaning two different mindsets of how to best manage contractions (the medical way and normality -natural minded), both working together to help MOM birth her way. Many trained women, like Elizabeth, never even ask or inquire about epidural or other pain management. They understand as long as she and baby are okay, it just may take more time or some longer stronger contractions to complete the process. Women who practice achieving a deeper level of relaxation and proper positioning, in advance, often do not have to purchase their relaxation in the form of a shot. There is more than one way to have a baby. Do your homework, it pays off no matter how your baby exits your body. ~Don't forget to exercise your Faith during labor By planning ahead, like Renato, you can pull out a written note of encouragement and read aloud to Mom in an effort to help re-focus her. Hard labor is called "hard" for a reason. The transition phase can be overwhelming, but what follows is pushing her baby out and finally being able to hold baby in her arms! Husband Coach Renato shared his letter to serve as an example for other labor coaches below. To my wife, my beijos, my compliment, my love, Words cannot express how much I am so proud of you, so thankful for you, so infatuated by you. I cannot believe I get to have the privilege of calling you mine. Praise God for that blessing! It’s a little crazy that we are here at this moment. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we were having conversations about what we wanted our relationship to be and look like. Now, we are almost five years in it and about to have our son. That fills my spirit endlessly because I know that God was with us every step of the way. He has taken care of us in the hardest of times and celebrated with us during the victories. And now, at what feels like a climactic moment in our story, you get to go through something God specifically designed your body to do for His glory. You get to labor through various experiences that all productively leads to us meeting Oliver—someone who was hand-knitted together by the one True Father and choose to use us to do it. As we go through this journey together, know that I will be there every step of the way providing you with everything I can; support, comfort, encouragement, and love. I have absolutely no doubt that you are going to do amazing in this journey and that it will end with so much celebration and unfathomable joy. Throughout our nightly routines during this past season, I would save any Psalm that seemed positively impactful for a variety of reasons. Included in the envelope with this letter is all the Psalms I saved that I will read throughout your labor experience to help you continually be aware that God has been here the whole time and will not abandon you. There is victory in His name because He is a good God always. Remember… James 1:2-4 says to Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Romans 5:3-5 continues with More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. And 2 Corinthians 12:9 says But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. You can do this Elizabeth! It's GAME TIME! Remember, surrendering is a huge part of the process. Invite and call upon a higher power to help you release fears and release your baby to enter the world. Anxiety and stress will not benefit laboring moms, it will slow the process. Here is a helpful Tip for reducing stress from Elizabeth... I struggle with anxiety and honestly, I was very anxious about labor and birth leading up to it since being relaxed does not come naturally to me, even when I am not in labor. In the moment, being relaxed was not instinctual, but because of the support of my husband, family, birth team (doula, nurses, midwife), and God, I was able to get to a point of surrendering to the pain and the God-given natural process of childbirth. During labor, I was told often that this is a temporary and productive feeling and that eventually, I would see all of the hard labor as well worth it. I can truly say it was definitely worth it now holding my sweet baby. And honestly, there is nothing wrong with praying, “IN THE NAME OF JESUS, GET THIS BABY OUT OF ME!!!” Lastly, to anyone who desires to have a natural birth, know that God is in control and whatever happens, even if it is not what was in the plan, there is a purpose for it. Renato mentioned the Christian hypnobirthing meditation, I found it extremely helpful. Here is a quick link for readers: Christian Hypno birth: https://youtu.be/MXDoUchRGYA Elizabeth would like to publicly thank her husband, Renato, for all his support before, during and after childbirth. She would also like to recognize her family, the St. Mary's staff (especially LDR nurse Abigail), her Your Birth Helper doula (Pamela Sauls, CCE, CD, CMT) and Bradley® birth class members for all of their encouragement along the way! And, lastly, a very BIG special thanks to midwife Jerri Walker, CNM, IBCLC of Women's Healthcare Associates in Athens, Ga for all the TLC and making her childbirth even more special by allowing Dad to help catch! Childbirth is truly such an amazing event and fully embodies a vast range of emotions. Here is some more good news for women who tend to be more high anxiety: immediately following the birth of the baby, (no matter how long or challenging the labor process), the birth climax occurs. The body expels baby and a rush of hormones flood her body. Particularly important is the hormone, prolactin, which is also known as the mothering or parenting hormone. It helps perk up mom and give her needed energy to interact with her newborn after such an exhausting athletic event. It also aids in milk production. Dad doesn't get happy hormones after you give birth, he will need a nap so, cut him a little slack if he has been up for days. Most women will have their milk drop in around the third day after birth. If you suffer from anxiety, know that breastfeeding will challenge you. It is a learned function made easier with education and support. Just because we have breasts, does not mean we automatically know what to do with them to successfully breastfeed. In addition, baby has never breastfed before and just like you, each will have their individual role. Proper latch, handling issues like engorgement or supply issues, such as too much milk or too little milk are common issues. Give yourself some GRACE. You can't possibly know how to breastfeed and be an expert when you, nor baby, has ever done this before. Don't allow frustration to consume you. Get into a comfy position, relax your shoulders, put baby in a good belly to belly position and be patient. It takes practice. Set a realistic goal of getting through the first two weeks of nursing. Your newborn is depending on you to help protect themselves from infection the first two weeks of life. Don't hesitate to reach out for help. Organizations like Le Leche League, have been around for years, supporting women across our nation and beyond. Online support is also available in many communities, in addition to, local breastfeeding groups and lactation consultants. In Athens, Ga., I personally recommended Lucia Massey. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and often even makes house calls making it easier for postpartum moms to get the support they need within these crucial early weeks. In addition to Lucia, Elizabeth also connected with Kate DeWolf, IBCLC for additional breastfeeding support and would recommend local moms to her also. For readers who are interested in exploring more ways to better prepare, here are some links mentioned above. Renato and Elizabeth found education in various forms like books, Bradley®classes, their chiropractor, podcasts, etc. all very empowering and helpful in reducing overall fear. Bridget Teyler’s podcasts: https://www.youtube.com/c/BridgetTeyler Nichole McCloy’s online course: https://www.nicholemccloy.com/ Anthony Chiropractic Care: https://www.anthonychiropractic.com/ Le Leche League: https://www.llli.org/ In closing, be aware that childbirth and postpartum may affect family pets in interesting ways. Some pets will act out when the new arrival enters the family home. Be encouraged. Just because your pet initially seems anxious or jealous around the new baby, does not mean they are technically unhappy with the baby. More needy pets are technically more jealous of the lack of time you are spending with them. Mumford, the adorable dog shown above (would literally out loud eye roll and move away from the baby when he would cry). However, as the above photo illustrates, dogs can eventually learn to share and find their happiness again too! Congratulations again Renato and Elizabeth on your achievement of natural childbirth! And, a very special thank you to the entire Ferreira family for taking time to share with our YBH Blog readers your personal tips of making the journey into parenthood a little easier and enjoyable!

Melody and her husband Wilson allowed us the privilege of helping with their first baby and the second was just as exciting! Their surprise gender baby was going to keep them guessing as her due date came and went. The YBH team planned a lunch and walk the greenway day and preparations were underway to get this baby down and out. Sure even saw Dr. Kelley Helmendach regularly to adjust her pelvis. We had a second girl‘s day to encourage labor in combination with a membrane sweep. Following her appointment, we took her to eat Thai red soup at New Zealand cafe and it wasn’t long after she felt contractions. I helped progress labor with a combination of acupressure points, a relaxation session including a relaxing foot rub after walking the hills for hours in the subdivision including some curb walking and some squats. Later, she returned home to square away their other son with Grandma and quietly labor at home until she felt time to get checked out. She was admitted around 4cm, unbeknownst to her. Which was good because she didn’t stay there long. I met Wilson and Melody at Atrium Pineville and because the hospital was busy and needing reinforcements, Nancy happened to be working on her off day. Wilson said in the car she lit up like a Christmas tree 🎄 when she found out!! Once admitted to her room the contractions were pretty strong. Over the next couple hours, she tried multiple positions (hands & knees, deep squat with Wilson supporting her on birthing ball, standing & walking, and labored in the tub). After an internal exam she was only 6cm, again unbeknownst to her. When one is seeking a natural childbirth sometimes it’s best MOM doesn’t know the results. she just keep on working until her body dictates otherwise. We changed positions every 40 mins or so. There was a tiny lip of cervix blocking baby from coming and Melody from active pushing. It was suggested to break her bag of waters after 7+ hours of laboring and Melody was all for it! Once her bag of waters was broken she got back in the tub to take control of those contractions while In the water. After 8 mins or so in the tub it was time push. Maybe 40 mins went by and surprise baby was born! Wilson announced the baby’s sex and cut baby boy’s umbilical cord. However, he didn’t help catch this one… he forgot his baseball mitt. But, it’s okay Melody gave him a pass on this one and the midwife caught instead...hahahaha! Congrats Broadway family on your second drug-free #SymbioticBirth! What a great display of teamwork by all.

When the average woman in the United States talks about labor and birth, sadly, words like empowering, amazing and relationship enhancing are typically far from their vocabulary. More commonly used phrases or words such as "Epidural" or "C-section" and even the catch phrase, "When they start that Pitocin, you're gonna want those drugs" are frequently shared by well meaning friends, complete strangers, and even our own family members. LABOR is the most athletic event a woman will ever do. So, why do so few train their body? What if you took time to prepare your body for such an event as your birth marathon? What if your husband/partner was trained to help you alleviate unnecessary pain and did their job when you had a weak moment at the peak of a contraction? What if you complimented your training with a doula? Not just any doula, but a doula willing to actually step up and do the work needed to help you through rough contractions drug-free, if that is your goal and one who empowers you to do everything RIGHT during your contractions and helps your husband/ partner best support you, as well. Do you still think PAIN MEDICINE would be warranted? Take a moment to examine your own thoughts on this controversial subject. Birth can look good either way. Women do not have to fear natural birth when they know how to respond to contractions and help progress labor naturally. Look closely at the two photos above... precious moments captured just seconds and minutes after giving birth epidural free. Jasmine accomplished what we call #SymbioticBirth (low intervention/ natural birth) by choice. It can be done with education, preparation, training and proper support even when giving birth in a hospital. Second trimester is the best time to begin training for labor, because it allows couples the time needed to put into practice what they have learned. In addition, women should learn ways to stay healthy and low risk to avoid poor outcomes and improve chances of meeting their own target birth experience. Consider this, what if you knew when you were experiencing that weak moment in hard labor that you were actually experiencing a normal part of the birth process? If you knew it was supposed to happen, would it alter your thoughts in regards to "needing or wanting meds?" If you were breathing and sinking and doing all the things you were supposed to be doing to progress labor, even though you were working HARD, would there be a difference in how you perceive pain with a purpose and the use of medicine? Would it still be a NEED or simply a WANT? Mom Jasmine would share during a weak moment, she asked for IV medication. She wants you to know she realized it wasn't a need, she was enduring the muscle squeeze, but in that weak moment she WANTED it. Her "want" also lowered her blood pressure and following her dose of Stadol, a common side effect it also affected her baby's heart rate, which then turned into a fetal monitoring concern. The nurse had to constantly chase baby with the electronic fetal monitor for about 40 minutes or so until the baby's heart rate began returning to normal. Women should understand IV meds, for a good portion of the population are very short lived. They might distract mom and make the laboring woman drowsy for approximately 20 minutes to maybe an hour and then mom is right back to hard labor and her former labor discomfort returns, not to add often narcotics can be problematic to baby's heart rate, as well. CHOOSE WISELY as to not create a new medical concern. Always weigh the risks and benefits of any drug or medical intervention and make the decision best for you and your baby. Yes, it's true, at some point in time, the laboring mother will experience discomfort and pain. The question then to ask is, "WHEN as a laboring woman will I choose to be uncomfortable... before, during or after I give birth?" Some choose to remain drug-free during labor and once the baby is born, the labor pains have ended. The bible shares, "When a woman is in labor, she is full of sorrow, but as soon as the baby is born her heart is filled with JOY and she can remember the pain no more. John 16:21 Others choose elective surgery or choose to end labor at some point, especially when tired and now will be in pain and discomfort for 6 plus weeks post surgery. Some want to medicate as soon as the first pain hits them and insist upon epidural as early as possible. Sadly, this situation only increases the odds of labor ending in what the medical world calls "failure to progress," which also increases your risk of labor ending in surgery. Epidurals are best utilized for women truly in active labor around 6cm or beyond who can not bring themselves into a relaxed state of being with emotional, mental and physical support. We know RELAXATION equals PROGRESS during labor. Therefore, did you know with training and practice, it is possible to bring yourself into a relaxed state, and avoid often unnecessary pain management drugs such as narcotics, nitrous oxide gas, epidural, and other commonly used respiratory depressant drugs during labor? If the first thing you want your baby to do is BREATHE, why wouldn't you give some thought to a different way to do business? In late pregnancy, Jasmine's husband David was greatly concerned about safety of their baby especially when she carried beyond her due date. A valid concern as doctors always share the 41 week higher incidence of still born baby speech, but very few couples bother to inquire, "What is the higher % of stillborn babies beyond 41 weeks pregnant?" And, most would be even more shocked to learn if they are healthy and low risk, the odds are in their favor that their baby has a 99.5% or more chance their baby is just fine. But, because doctors are required to share risks, it is typically phrased in a negative way. Of course, we should listen to the information being shared with an open mind, weigh the risks and benefits of induction vs. remaining pregnant. Consider alternative options such as possible membrane sweep, or ask about NST testing, once or twice a week for the weeks carrying overdue, if she is not comfortable with moving forward with induction. Mom should also listen to her intuition, does she have concerns? And, if remaining pregnant, keep close tabs on her baby monitoring kick counts, etc. However, an error of due date alone is not a medical complication, but it certainly could turn into one and more frequently can when what could have been spontaneous labor with natural progression, now turns into a medical induction with added risks. All chemical agents/ drugs like Cervadil, Cytotec, and Pitocin, all carry a separate increased risks and various side effects, even higher billing rates at most hospitals, and if that isn't enough, all require IV and constant fetal monitoring. In addition, they may still want to break the bag of water which equalizes pressure and further serves to protect baby during labor. Just be mindful, the use of induction medications could possibly be used to remedy an issue during the labor process such as a tired uterus from long labor, sometimes they may also increase pain levels making the goal of low intervention or natural childbirth further challenged. Weigh the risks of being "overdue" and the risks of medical induction, side effects of drugs, etc. and take all into consideration and make the decision best for you and your baby. Take ownership of your decision making! What is not fair to doctors, midwives and labor nurses is being blamed for negative birth outcomes, when you as a laboring mom/ coach have failed to properly prepare, and can not manage labor without such interventions. Jasmine and David's OBGYN practice even went as far as to try to schedule her for a medical induction she had already declined simply because she was beyond 40wks pregnant. It is called an estimated due date after all. She received a phone call from a practitioner at 10:30 p.m. advising her she had been added to the induction calendar. She was like wait... what, No thank you. Imagine to an over due mom how frustrating. Stress alone causes pregnant women to release adrenaline which further perpetuates the problem of spontaneous labor not happening. If I may speak plain, doctors must have serious conversations we get that, but how about an occasional positive reinforcement for those who have made GOOD DECISIONS and do NOT have a medical complication. HOW EMPOWERING would it have been at her last office visit the doctor had said... look I have to review this form with you, but know this in advance, YOU have done an amazing job taking care of yourself! Your blood pressure is GREAT! Your weight gain is GREAT! You have educated yourself, ate right and exercised and I am so impressed! It would have changed the whole context of the visit and in reading aloud all the potential risks of childbearing (re: the doctor's office consent form), they wouldn't have left the office fearing DEATH. They would have left knowing they should be proud of themselves and all they have done up to this point. Of course, there are always parts of pregnancy, labor and birth in which we can not control, but what if the focus was on what we can control? What if the conversation was educational, they actually received proper informed consent at the time the problem was occurring not in advance in the context of birth being a death sentence, they were informed of all their options and not just what the doctor wanted them to choose, and then were ENCOURAGED to make the decision they felt best for MOM & BABY. They may have still elected induction, but they would also take ownership and accountability not feeling pressured or bullied into a fear based decision which causes even more tension and increases pain... then we could have eliminated the unnecessary pain associated with the fear - pain cycle. Also, couples need to be aware of what is known as aggressive management of labor, and how it can further increase risks of labor ending in major surgery or other poor outcomes. With black moms statistically being 3 to 4 times more likely to die from such medical complications and various negative outcomes while in labor, giving birth or postpartum, why aren't more black women and couples seeking PREVENTATIVE EFFORTS? Why not try to avoid such negative outcomes all together, if all possible? We as individuals must do what we can to lower our own risks. WHAT IF YOUR STORY COULD LOOK LIKE THE ABOVE AND READ LIKE THIS... I MADE HEALTHY PREGNANCY A NEW PRIORITY I INTENTIONALLY AVOIDED HARMFUL THINGS, ATE CLEAN & EXERCISED DAILY I MADE CHILDBIRTH TRAINING A PRIORITY I PUT MY FAITH TO WORK, PRAYED OVER & FOR MY BABY & BIRTH OUTCOME I CONTINUED TO MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES AND PRACTICED WHAT I LEARNED I HAD A TRAINED COACH AND HIRED A DOULA TO BETTER ADVOCATE FOR ME I EDUCATED MYSELF IN REGARDS TO INFORMED CONSENT AND MY BIRTH RIGHTS WOULDN'T THAT BE GREAT? Instead of... a doctor saved me and my baby, thank God for that hospital. After all, even doctors would rather laboring women show up healthy and avoid medical complications altogether! Moms, what if you could say: I TOOK CARE OF MYSELF! I PUT IN THE WORK! I PRACTICED MY JOB FOR LABOR & BIRTH! MY LABOR COACH PRACTICED HIS/HER JOB FOR LABOR & BIRTH! MY DOULA CAME ALONGSIDE AND EMPOWERED ME! AS A HEALTHY MOM, MY LABOR NURSE ENCOURAGED ME TO AVOID ROUTINE INTERVENTIONS, because THE SAFEST ROUTE OF PASSAGE INTO THE WORLD FOR MY BABY IS A DRUG-FREE NATURAL BIRTH. MY DOCTOR & MIDWIFE CHEERED ME ON AND ONLY NEEDED TO CATCH MY BABY & EVEN LET MY HUSBAND HELP! We are all super thankful for our medical professionals in situations of which we have zero control over, but the good news is a vast majority of such outcomes are, in fact, avoidable by making good health and positive changes a priority. #SymbioticBirth is defined as both sides, Medical (as in medically necessary-not routine interventions) and Normality (the natural process) working together to help create happier "BIRTH" days! Together, WE CAN ACHIEVE THIS! Q & A Real Talk with Jasmine 1. What if more black women knew there were ways to lessen their own risks during childbirth by applying a proactive approach to birthing? Would more black women/ couples make childbirth education and preparation a priority? -I can only speak from my experience and perspective. I feel that this is a multifaceted issue. Education and access to resources are a great introduction to having this conversation. We, as black women, understand that healthy pregnancies require certain lifestyle changes. I believe the change has to start with both us AND our providers. We can choose to exercise and adopt a cleaner diet while pregnant—absolutely! However, our providers and partners can also give us tangible support and accountability for those changes. Education is necessary for all: women, providers, partners, etc. The expectation of doing whatever is easiest shouldn’t be the justification for all medical decisions. Meaning: epidurals, while easy, is not the only option for delivery although, it’s typically the only one mentioned to women for delivery. 2. How would you say your faith played a role? ⁃Faith played a significant role in my birthing experience. As a Christian, I knew that God had uniquely created our bodies to do the (birthing) work. With my trust in Him, I wanted to give my body the opportunity to do what God designed it to do first. Having faith provided me the strength to focus on His word and His promises to us as His children. My husband and I prayed continuously about this birthing experience, and God honored our prayers. 3. Also, what if anything would you have done differently? ⁃ (1) Found our doula and get the education much sooner. My husband and I were about 31 weeks when we began our classes with YBH. Getting the education sooner would have allowed us the time to practice more and retain more information better. ⁃ (2) Not shared the due date with anyone! The pressure and anxiety of “is she here yet?” became an unexpected weight and stressor while trying to remain “unbothered” and calm especially towards the end. ⁃ (3) Exercised more and sooner: me exercising was met with much concern and hesitation at first. But once I explained the benefits, I gained support. Exercising regularly gave my body the flexibility and endurance needed to sustain labor. (I was placed in all kinds of positions to maximize each contraction. They weren’t all comfortable, but they all worked.) 4. Advice to other moms? ⁃My advice to other moms is trust your body. You were wonderfully made and designed to do this the way God intended. Also know that you are stronger than you think! Natural birth was a desire of mine for years, and when the opportunity came, I began to doubt my ability to do it. Through prayer, meditation, and affirmations, I was able to build my confidence. ⁃Also, make sure you have a supportive partner. I’m thankful for the support of my husband and parents. Having the right voices in your ear make all the difference!!! In transition phase, I called for Pam to lean in and I did my best to convince her privately that I needed IV medicine. Pam told me I was about to start pushing and with my lower BP it wasn't good timing, because I needed to be alert during second stage. She spoke confidence into and over me telling me I could do this, it's just a contraction and it's pushing my baby down like it's supposed to. I am so glad I listened! Turns out, I only wanted medicine in that weak moment, I didn't actually need it at all. Real talk with Labor Coach David Initially, I felt a c-section was a guaranteed safety net.. as I saw it.. I just wanted to ensure my wife and baby's safety in case of any blood pressure or other medical issue arose and thought surgery was a safer route. Turns out a c-section is considered major surgery and comes with a lot of additional risks and when not medically necessary, it's best to avoid, if all possible. I am so grateful my wife did not need, nor desire a surgical birth, because there was no better feeling then catching my own daughter! I learned a lot doing the homework and classes with Pam. Prior, with my sons caesarean birth, I had limited knowledge of natural birth heck even my mom brought me into the world via c-section. Therefore, it just seemed a normal way to birth and safe especially if things went upside down. I would say to all the fathers...allow your wife to work with her body and listen to her body. It’s amazing what their body can do. As the song states, "I can see clearly now the rain is gone”. It took a lot of work mentally to support my wife and to be less head strong about what I thought our birth should look like. Would I do it again with her? YES! And, with the right preparation and practice. We were blessed this time around. I know Jasmine will do her part to take good care of herself again, I will do my best to support her and GOD WILL DO IT AGAIN! Congratulations again Jasmine & David! The pleasure to both train you at the farm (M2b Family Farm Colbert, Ga) and assist your birth in Rockdale was all mine! Author Tip: WE CAN NOT PREVENT ALL NECESSITY FOR DRUGS & C-SECTION WITH GOOD NUTRITION, DAILY EXERCISE & AVOIDANCE OF HARMFUL THINGS, BUT WITH EDUCATION, TRAINING & GOOD CHOICES, WE SURE CAN REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD YOUR STORY ENDS IN A MEDICAL COMPLICATION. And, that is a huge win - pain management or not? Don't allow your decision to take a quality childbirth class or hire a doula to be based solely on a decision to medicate or not. Some would suggest you may need even more education and training if you are planning to be induced, use pain management drugs or you are a high risk pregnant mom, not less training. There is a lot of information to be made aware of before contractions begin. I would agree. BABY EMERIE, Our Ga, Sc, Nc, Tn and virtual Your Birth Helper teams would like to shout out your parents Jasmine & David for putting in the time to educate, the daily energy to best prepare and enduring the hard work during labor to bring you into the world with as few medical interventions as possible! We call this a happier "BIRTH" day! Your parents agreed! Your life will be forever blessed! I am looking forward to seeing you grow, and what specific talents God bestows upon you and how you will use them to make the world a better place! P.S. Your mama has a great singing voice! xoxoxox Ms. Pam yourbirthhelper.com In closing, Alabama moms, Jasmine would suggest you check out www.desireedanielle.com for gorgeous maternity photos or check out her work on social @desireedanie11e

VBAC... vaginal birth after cesarean surgery. It takes education- knowing all your birthing options, healthy choices- clean eating, preparing physically- daily exercise, Symbiotic Birth childbirth training with a trained labor coach and putting everything into practice! This is your VBAC recipe for success. Don't forget the use of a Your Birth Helper® advanced skilled doula also greatly increases your chances of successful VBAC (medicated or natural- your choice). Avoiding major surgery to give birth is a win either way! Contact us today to get prepared for VBAC! Otherwise known as your REDEMPTION BIRTH! #SymbioticBirth

My name is Staci Freed, formerly a certified personal trainer, and now mom of four. If you are pregnant or plan to be, I hope you will take a few minutes to read this blog post and allow me to help you avoid some birthing pitfalls and unpleasant scenarios. You see, I thought I had this birth thing figured out, but truth is I had skipped over childbirth education and relied on medical staff to guide me through two hospital labors and births. Well basically, I went into my first birth pretty blindly, it didn't go well, nor I did not consider the epidural my new best friend. With the second, I figured out what a midwife was and why to use one (if healthy and birthing in a hospital). With number three, I'll briefly explain why I elected to have a home birth in Georgia and lastly, how I learned (even though I had several children already), the easiest way to give birth by far is to be knowledgeable of what to do and not to do during contractions, have a trained coach to help, be in the best physical shape possible, practice breathing and relaxation and be prepared to understand how to acquire informed consent and how to make the very best decisions for you and your baby, no matter where or with whom you decide to birth. Luckily for me, with baby number four, I nailed all the above, because I had quite a unique variation of normal during my last home birth. I hope by sharing highlights from my own four labors (each with a very different outcomes), you will take time to really ponder... what does a target birth experience look like for you? Now let's get to it! Fact: Not all women share the same birthing goals. Regardless of individual choices, for example to medicate or not, that you come to realize, like I did that education is key. That there truly is a level of both physical and mental preparedness needed to give birth and execute your happy "BIRTH"day free of words like scary, horrible, overwhelming, etc. One conventional hospital birth in 2008, complete with an epidural; One traumatizing midwife assisted natural hospital birth in 2020… "winged it" well, because I only thought I knew what natural birth was all about and I went into it with very little training and without doula support to help advocate for me bedside. Life changed for everyone that year and I was determined to learn a better way. In 2021, I had the most amazing home birth experience with my Your Birth Helper® doula Pamela Sauls, CCE, CD, CMT and my midwife Simone Marshall, CNM, WHNP. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! It was at this point, I realized my passion for natural health. I began pursuing certifications to transform my practice from physical to holistic. My goal is to help and bless clients along their own personal health & healing journey. 2022, brought me two Master Certifications (Iridologist & Herbalist) AND another bundle of chaos, I mean joy! LoL… Baby #4 was on the way! From my doula, who helped better prepare and train me to "give birth," not just endure it, to my local chiropractor, Dr. MacKenzie Puckett, (who also treats my children), to my growing Your Birth Helper® birth family, I began absorbing strength from the women who surrounded me. Those who had both accomplished their birth- their way, and those who had overcome various unforeseen birth challenges, yet still focused on the JOY of their baby's "BIRTH" day, despite experiencing medical complications. Little did I know, just around the bend, would be news of a potential birthing challenge that was headed my way. I continued to focus my energy on my target birth experience, clean eating, exercise and maintaining my namaste All Day. Planned, prepped, and ready to go; only the baby was comfy in his “frank breech” position. Hospitals will NOT deliver breech babies as doctors are trained in “medical intervention” and “extraction.” Under certain circumstances, c-sections are necessary, however, not all breech babies need to be c-sectioned and mine is the “Case & Point!” My very competent home-birth team helped put my mind at ease and my intuition was to NOT try to turn the baby. He was delivered breech and it was painful as hell, but it was so worth it. Oh and lingering symptoms of the flu made breathing through contractions challenging (as our family had the flu gifted to us the the week before and my labor began. Here are the photo highlights from my frank breech birth story in Hull, Georgia. I learned GRAVITY would be my friend on this day! Special thanks to my family, my midwife Simone and doula Pam (for assisting through two home births), plus our awesome collaborating OBGYN and YBH doula apprentice, Anniston for capturing my amazing birth on video! I felt so supported throughout my entire frank breech journey. We had a plan and a backup plan in case transport was needed, but with the assistance of my team and post birth, the fabulous local female paramedic, who so kindly came by to check on me post birth and do more fundal massage to reduce my bleeding and she rocked! The bleeding stopped. Check me out on YouTube @FitMomOnFire TV & @StaciFreed. If you would like to connect or need some assistance, please connect @https://StaciFreed.as.me/ I leave you with this empowering thought... I educated. I prepared. I stayed healthy and low risk. I exercised. I practiced labor techniques, had a supportive team and believed I could do it, so I did! You got this momma!

Taking a Your Birth Helper® Symbiotic Birth course can help you better prepare for birth, even when birthing in a hospital setting. If we are being honest, many women, at the peak of a difficult long enough, strong enough labor contraction, may at some point break down and ask for medicine. So, why don't more women actively train in preparation of giving birth? It is the most athletic event a woman will ever do. Statistically, African-American moms are 3-4 times more likely to have a poor outcome, but it doesn't have to be this way. Mom Sade wants to challenge other African-American moms to get busy becoming healthier versions of themselves long before labor and birth. She wanted to avoid unnecessary pain and discomfort and knew education is key to making better decisions and understanding the birth process. She chose to train with Your Birth Helper® for her first childbirth experience and put her focus on what she had control over. There's so much in pregnancy, labor and birth that we simply do not have ultimate control, but what she ate, daily exercise, attending class, practicing what she learned and focusing on her target birth experience instead of all the unknowns helped her tremendously in achieving her birth preferences for her birth. Consider this, what if the mom doesn't really want the medicine and especially the additional risks and all the additional interventions that go along with the pain medicine? What if mom just needed to vocalize, "this is hard and whatever we are doing right now isn't helping?" Mom is indirectly informing you that it is time for a position change, a different relaxation method, she needs to lean into the contraction, turn off other muscles, breathe and sink down into it, but it's challenging and she needs instruction and coaching during certain phases of harder labor. It is a very normal part of childbirth to get to that feeling that you are so tired and you don't want to do this anymore. This is when you rely on your intimate partner and doula to help direct you with positioning, different relaxation techniques, etc. You are tired yes, but it is just a contraction and you can tolerate another even when exhausted. Labor doesn't last forever. It doesn't mean you are less pain tolerant or if drug-free, more pain tolerant. It means you are human, sleepy, over it, exhausted, spent and want a baby in your arms. When challenges of labor come remember, a teamwork approach to childbirth is so much more enjoyable too. Think about it, you did not get pregnant by yourself and during hard labor it often takes all hands on deck to soothe and make mom more comfortable. Women are supposed to go through the "self doubt phase of labor" to allow the baby to exit her body. It is, after all, in the book. This is when it is imperative her labor coach rises up and coaches her through. The definition of a coach requires verbs, action words like to incite and to impel the player to play to the best of their ability. Labor requires such action... we don't need empty words like, "I'm sorry!" We need our doula and coach to motivate us to finish the job strong. The bible says it this way in John 16:21 For when the woman is in labor she is unjoyful, but as soon as the baby is born her heart is filled with JOY and she can remember the pain no more. What we need is help to "get our mind right" and allow our body, our thoughts and our feelings to all dissolve into total relaxation so we stay out of our uterus' way and focus our thoughts on baby. We also need reminders that this pain and discomfort has purpose... the baby is coming! As coach, you should not be relying on mom to tell you how to help her during the middle of a contraction. That is why childbirth training is so important. During labor is NOT the time to be learning what you should be doing during contractions. With practice everything is made easier and we can ride the waves of labor easier knowing what we can do to lessen pain and discomfort and having practiced doing everything right during contractions. Consider this: If there is no medical reason presenting for use of medicine, what if the partner stepped up to coach mom through that difficult phase of labor? What if they helped her breathe, sick and move baby down and out? What if they reminded her why she is doing this for the safest right of passage of baby into the world, that she is strong, brave and capable? Note: If a medical complication occurred and mom needed medicine of some kind to remedy a problem, in a hospital setting there are plenty of options. What if the nurse respected mom's birth plan and both the doctor/ midwife, nurse, doula and coach all encouraged mom during her weak moment to push through, that she will meet her baby soon, that everything happening to her is a normal part of giving birth, that she is safe and she was empowered to meet her birthing goals in that difficult phase of labor? What would birth look like then? Could you see yourself having been successful in giving birth drug-free? Sade did! Mike did! And, in those weak moments, when moms have sufficient support and are surrounded by those special people to cheer them on, women can hold steadfast to their goal just like Sade did. Statistically, most women will break down and ask for medication in late first stage, or transition (the hardest, but shortest phase of labor), but few understand or put emphasis on why avoiding it can be very beneficial to the laboring mom and baby. For example, it normally gets her a baby sooner! When you prepare for symbiotic birth even when birthing in a hospital setting, you can still receive the best of both sides: normality (healthy & low risk) and medicine (if medically necessary). If mom's goal is low intervention and / or natural birth, understanding this psychological part of the birth process can be the difference in whether the laboring mom accomplishes her goals or simply becomes a statistic. What if a team of YBH doulas come along side to help educate you and your partner and show you how to best prepare for labor and birth? How about we empower you to navigate and manage labor together to the best of your ability, regardless of your choice to medicate or not! Now, that's a conversation worthy of discussion. Sade experienced this and knows the benefits of surrounding yourself with likeminded people. Since the beginning of time, and even now still to this day birthing in 2023, there is NO SUCH THING AS A PAINLESS CHILDBIRTH, regardless of how your baby exit your body. Ponder this: If fear was removed from the birth process, do you think you would still need IV narcotics, fentanyl, epidural or surgery to give birth? If you weren't entering the labor and birth process cluelessly and instinctively doing things wrong during contractions, would you still need medicine? It's often a matter of the mind. Again, if medicine is needed to remedy a problem or complication that is one thing, but no one talks about how pain management often slows labor down, then more drugs like Pitocin are used to speed labor back up. Or what about narcotics causing decelerations of baby's heart rate which can increase likelihood of labor ending in c-section or emergency surgery? Sade found the joy in being pregnant and in being properly supported during pregnancy, labor, birth and beyond. She was totally pleased in her selection of Piedmont OBGYN midwives and her birth place, Atrium Pineville. They properly supported her and celebrated the work she put in. Sade shared she felt well cared for her during labor and appreciated the help received to meet her birthing goals. She couldn't have asked for a better team! We have only a short 9 months to grow and nourish a full-term baby. Some less time than that. We do say as doulas, "Bags packed ~ one month to go!" That means, we have less than nine months to learn what we should be eating, what exercises we should be doing to prepare our body, what we should avoid, how to lower risks, increase and better our own health, learn to avoid or lessen stress, teach ourselves to relax, teach our coach how they can help us, what we should do during labor and what we should NOT be doing to lessen our own pain levels. Yeah, that's a lot so... TRAIN IN THE SECOND TRIMESTER and keep practicing until labor day! Proper training of the mind and body is not as quick and easy as popping a pill, or being administered IV medicine. Nope, it is not as easy as demanding an epidural or more drugs, but it can greatly increase your odds of a low intervention birth or simply lower the odds of ALL the increased risks to you and baby that follow use of pain management options. Proper training and preparation increases your odds tremendously of avoiding poor outcomes, sick mama, sick baby, increased risks like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, toxemia pregnancy, side effects from drugs, increased risks of surgery, hemorrhage, clotting issues, NICU babies, traumatic childbirth, breastfeeding issues, etc., and many moms like Sade are happy to have avoided such negative outcomes by doing what they had control over. Simple changes daily really pay off! Remember, if Sade can teach you anything through her story, it's that Labor is NOT the time to be learning what do do during a contraction or how to manage it. You had nine months to train. YOU alone will give CONSENT to whatever intervention or labor plan is made. Therefore, Mom / Couples need to take ownership of their decision making and assume the risks associated with their decisions. As a healthy woman, Sade wanted a Certified Nurse Midwife to catch her baby and help protect her bottom! Her midwife did just that!! Here is Sade's simple regiment to help other mamas avoid additional risks to both mom and baby from today's typical medicated hospital birth experience: TAKE A QUALITY CHILDBIRTH CLASS (not a generic virtual hospital class if your goal is low intervention and avoiding medicine or surgery, you should consider Your Birth Helper's four week training in Symbiotic Birth (a blend of normality (proven techniques and practical instruction) and more specific education of how interventions can benefit you or baby (when they are truly medically necessary) KNOW YOUR OPTIONS (create a birth preference plan) PREPARE YOUR BODY IN ADVANCE (exercise, eat clean, train your birthing muscles, learn relaxation techniques) TRAIN SPECIFICALLY FOR LABOR (practice, practice, and practice some more- be a relaxation expert) HAVE A TRAINED COACH TO ASSIST YOU (even Your Birth Helper's 2 hr Labor Role Play workshop teaches the do's and don'ts of labor and how the coach can help. They even offer virtual private workshops and in-person group training) HIRE A YBH DOULA (for in-person or virtual support) they are highly skilled in PROVIDING WOMEN (and their coach) WITH EMOTIONAL, MENTAL and PHYSICAL SUPPORT and charge less than even one epidural and thousands less than a c-section and help reduce c-sections. Maybe, a better question for all expectant couples is... HOW WILL YOU AFFORD TO BIRTH WITHOUT A YOUR BIRTH HELPER® DOULA? Will you take Sade's advise and make plans for a happier "BIRTH" day with a YourBirthHelper.com Doula Team? Don't have a doula in your area, don't worry! We serve clients nationwide virtually (by phone, zoom, FaceTime, etc.) including both birth training and virtual doula support. Your baby is so worth all the time and effort spent to educate, train and prepare!

We made training for natural childbirth a priority after a gymnastic accident injured L4-L5 vertebrae. The arrival of Princess Aurora of Dahlonega...The forest long awaited for its maiden. At 7:58pm on November 22, 2022 after 26 hrs of active labor, she came into this world weighing 7lbs 2ounces and measuring 20.5 inches tall. Momma, Daddy and all at Loxley Forest are so proud, blessed, and excited to announce the birth of Aurora Emily Gamberta. Choosing the path of a natural birth was one of challenge, but yet great reward. Preparation and knowledge were key and we couldn’t have been so confident walking in without the incredible lessons, love and support from our birth helper Mrs Pam. She was an absolute gem and blessing us with all the tools we needed, keeping them sharp and ready for the day we needed them. I helped my wife achieve the birth of her dreams. I had the pleasure to not just assist her through contractions without medication as her labor coach, but I also helped birth my own baby. She entered the world into MY HANDS! I never imagined how rewarding it would be to catch my own child. I am beyond overjoyed. Fatherhood is such a blessing and now we are super excited to share the birth of our Luxury Treehouse Village Adventure therapy in the North Georgia mountains -opening January 2023. Everyone loves a treehouse! And, now I can attest, everyone "MEN TOO!" can LOVE childbirth class! Mic Gamberta Some may say, "Why would I take a childbirth class or train to give birth?" The nurse or doctor will just tell me what to do anyway? Well, first, the time to learn what to do in response to contractions is NOT when you are already in labor and technically, NO. It is NOT the doctor/ midwife or nurses job to teach you what to do during labor. Their scope of practice involves monitoring your body for signs of progress and helping create it, as well as, treating any medical issues which may present. Otherwise, in regards to labor, you are on your own. The doctor or midwife simply makes occasional rounds and catches your baby. Many do not see a doctor or midwife prior to pushing. So, to better answer, sure, they will tell you what they want you to do, but that doesn't mean the process of giving birth is made easier with countless routine interventions such as IV drugs, pain management /epidurals, inductions/ Pitocin and especially not cesarean surgery, which further increases your risk of complications and lengthens recovery to six weeks or longer. Mic and Olivia traveled 1.5 hours into Athens, Ga to have their last class/ their labor role play in person at the farm. Don't make excuses- find a way. You have only nine months (some less time) to learn how to make labor easier and less painful. Remember, there are no re-do's. We get only one chance to get this baby into the world. One chance to prepare. Once chance to execute a happier "BIRTH" day! Some are not even aware there are circumstances in which some mothers should NOT be given an epidural, because other medical complications could occur, such as significantly LOW blood pressure. The side effect of commonly used labor and delivery meds (especially some used in epidurals) can lower and even bottom out the blood pressure. Note: if you had extremely high blood pressure, this could be an intervention that could possibly spare you from surgery by lowering your BP to allow for push phase. However, most trained athletes or those who regularly exercise typically have lower blood pressures. Therefore, they should be aware of the side effects and weigh the benefits and risks. Also, did you know having low platelets near term can be a valid reason to deny Mom use of an epidural? Along with various other situations, such admin being delayed upon request (if LDR is busy) as emergent situations take precedence over moms and babies who are good. Be prepared to manage your labor in the event of such scenarios, regardless of your preference to medicate or not. In Olivia's case, she knew as a trained athlete anything can be made easier with knowledge and training and the safest right of passage for both she and her baby was drug-free natural birth. Informed consent means you understand the problem, understand what they want to do to fix it and what your other options are. Then as an educated consumer, you make the decision best for you and your baby. Mic and Olivia learned this in their childbirth course. They knew what was best for her was to rely on her childbirth training and Mic assisting her in completely avoiding an epidural, because it is administered between L4 and L5 vertebras which are in the area of a former back injury. To them it was a no brainer. When couples are birthing in a hospital setting, I call this "Symbiotic Birth." I use the term "Symbiotic" because it is symbolic of two different mindsets working together to create happier "Birth" days! Meaning, the blend of both the best of the natural process, complimented with only medically necessary interventions, not routine often unnecessary interventions. Utilizing medical interventions to benefit YOU, (the laboring mom and your baby) not the simplest solution or other routine procedures medical staff prefers to do on everyone in labor. Simply put, does it apply to you or not? This is where informed consent comes into play. And, if you do not know what this is or how it works, you definitely need a quality childbirth course. These two not only educated themselves in my four week childbirth course, but actually DID their homework! Some think they do not have time in their busy schedules to add proper training for "giving birth," however, smart couples understand it is in their best interest to prepare their mind and body for labor and birth. Olivia understood this basic concept, "Practice makes Perfect!" She also came to realize that even though the female body is designed for this amazing work, preparation is key, because what is instinctive is often wrong and contributes to more painful contractions. And, who wants that? She ate right and exercised while her body grew and this wasn't a first baby, this was her rainbow baby. Sadly, like many others, her first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Couples who experience loss often battle various emotional challenges, as well. This is where your mental and emotional relaxation practice comes into play. For nine months, she wasn't just pregnant, but simultaneously they were building a treehouse resort and fighting the elements daily. Not only were they slammed with various new construction challenges, she was also overseeing her gym business she formerly started in Ohio. The average person has lots of excuses as to why they don't make time to train for childbirth, but instead this couple made it a priority! I refer to them as a power couple because they both worked day and night fighting north Georgia weather and mountainous terrain, to properly prepare and execute not only a natural birth, but this amazing new tree house resort in Dahlonega. They are a perfect addition to our growing Your Birth Helper, LLC birth family! Personally, I can't wait for the grand opening of Loxley Forest! It's such a neat project and so close to being one with nature. Olivia shared this on her social in hopes it may help others who experienced loss and wondering if they should try again... After being pregnant twelve weeks with our first baby, I experienced a miscarriage. I was completely broken. This is the first time in my life I didn't think I could make it through something. I did not think I would ever be able to recover or feel ok again. Even though I had an incredible support system and my husband was doing everything he could to hold me up, even in his own grief, I felt so alone. It took me a long time to even say it out loud, but I wanted to write about it and let anyone know that has ever struggled with this or needs to talk about it or just not feel so alone, that I am here if you ever need to talk. It's something I wish I had and I just want to be there for anyone who needs it. I say all this while holding my rainbow baby... she is living proof that even when you feel you can not go on one more second to just continue to trust in the promises you know God has for you. Believe me this is easier said than done...I can tell you I did not always feel like praising Him, but Mic and I leaned on each other and our faith, never stopped believing and praised him through the pain, and little by little we crawled out of the pit of depression, helplessness and grief. One of the last things we did in the final week of pregnancy was cut down and decorate our Christmas tree last year. I was so attached to it that it was February before it was taken down. While he was doing that, he texted me that he found a small birds nest inside our tree. He said he felt God was telling us to get our nest ready, because it was going to expand soon. Sure enough, just a few weeks later I found out we were pregnant with our "Rory!"... I am living proof that He turns graves into gardens and mourning into dancing. We hope you were encouraged some how, some way through our story and will consider a visit next year to Loxley Forest in Dahlonega, Georgia. (Full story on instagram @ Livy_PGA) Author tip: People should train for birth to learn how to execute what they can control to help make their own labor and birth easier to manage and how to naturally progress (whether they plan to utilize an epidural or not). Also, YBH Symbiotic Birth course teaches Dad/ the selected coach/ partner their role during contractions. The labor coach has their own specific job (doula support or not) which is to assist Mom in a variety of ways to help ease labor discomfort and help advocate her wishes to the medical staff. You both will benefit from having knowledge of what birthing options are available at your birth place (as a healthy person or specific to your medical history/ limitations) and in general, quality childbirth education helps empower couples to overcome stumbling blocks and avoid poor outcomes. The fact of the matter is the nurses, doctors and midwives can't do the contraction for you. This is YOUR job! So, a little time invested (especially second and third trimesters) into your own birth outcome, can go a long way and benefit you and baby immensely. Some say their relationship is greatly enhanced. Olivia would agree she could not have achieved a drug-free labor and birth without the training, support and encouragement of her hard working husband coach! Special thanks to Modern OBGYN and specifically Katie Vaughn, CNM for supporting Olivia and Mic throughout their drug-free Symbiotic Birth and the LDR staff / awesome nurses who took such great care of us at Northside Forsyth in Cumming, GA.

L & J contacted me at 36 weeks gestation inquiring about Your Birth Helper's availability to provide labor support services. They knew they were late to the game but luckily the doula team had space remaining on the calendar for the rapidly approaching estimated due date. The next step was a free consult: where questions were answered, two page contract was signed and deposit payment received. Once this was completed, support services began (including our special perk of 24/7 text and call support). I assisted the expecting parents in creating both a vaginal birth preference sheet as well as a separate cesarean birth preference sheet. The couple took hard copies to discuss with the birth team at the next appointment. Based on their preferences, it was determined Northside Forsyth might be the better fit for their desires birth experience. We scheduled a virtual two hour labor workshop via zoom for a Monday evening (which turned out to take place only five days before the surprise gender's arrival). It is never too late to train, educate and empower. And I think L&J would agree that the information learned at the workshop was still pretty fresh on their minds. Three days later, the 39 week appointment came and went. L&J followed some recommendations from the midwife- including curb walking, red raspberry leaf tea, and dates. By Friday morning, L was having short early labor waves that were 20 seconds. The surges stayed mild and easy to work through. They got more and more frequent throughout the day, but remained around the 30 second mark. I encouraged her to not give these much notice until closer to 60 seconds each consistently. L texted me that the surges were intensifying around 6pm and were 50 seconds each. By 8pm, they left their home to head to Northside Forsyth. They arrived and were admitted on the labor and delivery unit in Cumming, Georgia. Internal exam revealed the cervix was 5 cm at that time. Two hours later, L&J requested me to join them for assistance. I arrived by 11pm. J&L were coping well with the use of music and relaxation sounds. I reminded L to empty her bladder if she had not done so recently. Next, we used a variety of laboring positions. L was able to cope well when swaying side to side. She experienced some back pain that was relieved with double hip squeezes as well as a hands and knees position. The next internal exam revealed 9.5 cm dilated cervix. We continued with position changes every 20 minutes which included the squat bar, forward leaning, and standing. L was becoming quite worn out so we opted for a side lying position with peanut ball between the knees. She also was given some juice to give her more energy. By second stage, midwife Keeanna and nurse Gina remained bedside. Pushing took longer than we had hoped but L never complained. She was quite the trooper and never asked for pain management. Many push positions and strategies were utilized but babies posterior position made progress difficult. After pushing for several hours and an informed consent discussion was had; Pitocin was ordered and planned to be administered (but baby was born before it was ever officially added to her IV). Baby's head was crowning for a bit. L asked for any and all tips and suggestions to "just get it out". I gave a few gentle reminders like chin to chest and elbows out (similar to a row machine position). Charge nurse Nicole joined the room and was the perfect cheerleader and motivation. Surprise gender was born Saturday morning on December 17th 2022. As planned, J announced the gender upon arrival. It was a sweet baby boy, name to be decided on day 8 in accordance with Jewish tradition.

The labor journey to Veda Estelle began on a Sunday with mild contractions. Being 8 days over due, and losing my mucous plug (in its entirety combined with bloody show), I decided I would not be attending church... something tells me seeing what a sweet angel I helped into this world, God would forgive me. What can I say about my husband coach? Let me go back to when we were just eight years old. We not only had the luxury of growing up together, but also being childhood sweethearts. We were also each other's first kiss. Dallas has shared he always knew he would end up with me, but I was not sure about that all those years ago. We hung out as teenagers, but did not date during those years and found ourselves dating after high school. We married June 24, 2018 and wanted to enjoy being young married for a while prior to starting a family. Several years later, we found out we were expecting, but sadly miscarried in the first trimester. Looking back, I wish someone would have encouraged me to share my news and grieve. Because, I was only 8 weeks along we hadn't yet shared our news. Since most loss occurs within the first 12 weeks, and because we had not yet announced our pregnancy, I just felt it best to consider other pregnant friends feelings, instead of bringing a negative vibe to the room. Frankly, I did not know how to talk about what I was feeling, so I found it easier not to share my loss at that time. Clearly, being our first pregnancy, Dallas was also disappointed and sad, but as a man, his concern was first and foremost for me and what I was going though at the time. Some knew I seemed to not be my normal self, they just didn't specifically know why. Each woman and couple has to decide how to best handle such devastating news. If I could go back in time, I would not have tried to hide it. Whenever loss occurs, we rely on our family and friends to surround us. God can also bless us through the comfort of others or empowering stories of personal loss that so many experience, but if we hide it we bear the burden of loss alone. Like a lot of women, time for my period came and went and well, let's say there was a personal emphasis on the "went and never came back for a total of 18 months!" My Meemaw was ill at the time, and I hadn't missed my cycle at all. Then one day Dallas said, "Don't you think you should take a test or something?" But, deep down, I already knew I was pregnant with our rainbow baby! Fast forward to the photo above. We were around 36 weeks along and growing closer every day to our baby's "BIRTH" day. I was blessed with a very uneventful, healthy pregnancy and simply felt great. Well, until the very end when we are out of space, more challenged to get adequate sleep and your due date comes and goes. The dreaded hormones have a way of robbing us of JOY when we are tired of being pregnant and ready for a baby in our arms. Despite the growing anticipation of labor beginning, we welcomed the last few days and weeks of pregnancy knowing as a healthy person we were likely to go beyond my due date. Deep down, we were ready, but apparently our baby was not. Soon there was talk of being over due and offers to consider induction. We graciously declined and continue to focus on what we had control over, eating well, exercising, relaxing and prepping my body naturally for labor. We were confident in our decision making to wait for spontaneous labor to begin, because we had educated ourselves. We took the Your Birth Helper® Symbiotic Birth course with Pam virtually. I wish I had spent more time relaxing my mind and not only focused on learning about labor, but actually applying it before contractions commenced. Next time, I will be way more intentional and religious about my practice time. Now back to that Sunday morning... the reason we skipped church, finally our baby was coming! I was the putsy- putsy laborer. Although, it can be a more manageable labor, the challenge is it seems to take FOREVER! So, we started this story with the bloody show and came to finally cross the finish line of my labor marathon TWO DAYS LATER. I didn't just have to wait 8 days over my due date for labor, but now I get the SLOW TO PROGRESS labor cards.... what next? Pitocin began around 9:30 p.m. due to contractions slowing down. Dallas wanted other dads and labor coaches to know, he wished he had taken more snacks or arranged for different food options to sustain him through his two days of labor coaching. He found it a necessity to wear comfy clothes, as well. He couldn't rest, because adrenaline was flowing, and obviously not to take away from my challenging work, his hands and arms were super tired from assisting with counter pressure to ease the back labor and at one point before pushing, I wanted constant double hip squeeze with each contraction. Needless to say, even taking turns with our doula, he found the physical aspects of assisting me tiresome, especially since neither of us had gotten any sleep for quite some time. Lastly, Dallas wanted the men to know it is not just physically challenging to coach a woman through natural childbirth, but it is also quite the mental mind game requiring a level of preparedness. Meaning, you should expect labor to have its challenges. I had two sisters and multiple sister-in-laws, who all experienced something different, and because I was aware of the challenges they faced I was better prepared for ours. My suggestion for women who endure back labor, KNOW the various POSITIONS that can bring about some form of relief. Sadly, with the use of Pitocin to bring about stronger contractions, I was not able to utilize the tub to relieve my back discomfort. When I was finally completely dilated, with the baby still in a form of posterior rotation and the contractions mostly being felt in my back, it was a no brainer to push on my hands and knees using the top of bed to help hold my position. I found the staff at Atrium Pineville LDR to be both absolutely wonderful and very supportive of our natural birth wishes. Our nurse was such a breath of fresh air. Special thanks to Piedmont OBGYN Midwife Susan Corbett for catching our baby! With great anticipation we awaited our surprise gender baby... drum roll please! Dallas had the honor of announcing the sex... "It's a GIRL!" Dallas proclaimed! He shared for a moment time kind of stood still, and that hearing our daughter cry for the first time was the most exciting moment for him. I was in a form of non belief myself for a few minutes, but she was here. She was really in my arms. We had a sweet baby girl! Our rainbow baby had arrived! The staff helped me turn over and sit back and relax for a moment as there was still work to be done. See, we think as soon as our baby is born, it is over. But, in fact literally third stage labor is just beginning. Considering how long I had been laboring, I was not surprised that my uterus was not properly clamping down after the birth of my placenta. I was immediately given both a shot of Pitocin and oral Cytotec to slow the postpartum hemorrhaging. Fortunately, the medicine did its job and I did not need blood. We named our baby girl Veda after Dallas, as his middle name is Vaid. Similarly pronounced, "Vaid" is a family name passed down several generations within the Helms family. We just gave it a girly touch. Dallas was opposed at first, until he heard the name trending as a new popular girls name. Special thanks to MTH Photography for capturing such beautiful pictures of our baby. We leave you with this verse, Psalm 127: 3, 4 3) Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. 4) Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are children born in one's youth. We hope that our story of both sorrow and joy has both glorified God, as well as, encouraged and empowered you! Many Blessings! Jade & Dallas

Meet Jennie! A very strong and determined second mom who wasn't going to allow back labor to rob her of her target birth experience twice! Her number one goal for both of her labors was drug-free / natural birth. With baby number one, although they lived in South Carolina, they trained twelve weeks in The Bradley Method®, otherwise known as, Husband Coached Childbirth with me in Athens, Ga. Her husband, Blake was very much a team player and she also complimented her experience with our YBH Doula team. Her baby was completely camped out in her back right behind her sacrum and was determined to not be moved. At the end of labor number one, the couple had to resort to a last ditch effort of transporting from the out of hospital birth center to Greenville Memorial to try an epidural, along with Pitocin to create stronger contractions to try to free and push the baby down. In doing so, the medical interventions allowed her to still give birth vaginally and avoid a c-section. She was bound and determined to accomplish HER BIRTH- HER WAY with baby #2. Instagram seems to have a way of making "giving birth" look so easy in their edited video clips and also depict water birth as common-place. Actually, water birth is still a fairly rare event. And, Mermaid birth (baby born en' caul under water) even more rare. One reason why is a lot of U.S. labor and delivery rooms do not even have a tub for you to labor in, let alone push and birth, or, they have only a set number of birthing suites with a tub and/or shower. Therefore, if it is a busy night, odds are there won't be one available for use for each mom who requests one. There are even fewer hospital facilities who actually allow water birth and practitioners who are comfortable catching over the side of the tub. I mean lets face it, it is an awkward position they have to get into. As for Jennie and Blake, the decision was easy. Birthing in a tub was the next best thing since the birth center was no longer open. Couples are fortunate to have a Prisma location in Greensville, SC, who despite closing the free standing birth center, still allows the midwives to support women who want to utilize the comfort of giving birth in water. Upon purchasing the hospital, they immediately shut down the free standing birth center. The obvious reason, natural childbirth, as in "low intervention drug-free" birth, does not generate a profit. The free standing Greenville Birth center was, by far my favorite, in three different states. I was quite disappointed for my north Ga and Sc birth family to lose such a fabulous option for healthy moms seeking an out of hospital birth place. It seems when birthing in a United States hospital, often healthy moms and babies are subject to the same interventions as unhealthy moms or those with pre-existing conditions. Out of pocket expenses are also another reason why some couples continue to be forced into growing hospital systems, despite having no medical indicators or pre-existing conditions, because insurance plans do not typically cover health professionals who attend and assist clients through home birth. There have been some lingering growing trends, especially since the pandemic originated, which have changed so much in regards to having a family oriented natural birth supported by a doula in a hospital setting. Most hospitals are still restricting the overall number of visitors in labor and delivery. Many no longer allow the option to have a birth photographer capture important priceless photos of their baby entering the world, and most no longer allow them to video their own birth experience. Therefore, there has been an increase of healthy couples now considering home birth than ever before and sadly not all states elect to license practitioners or midwives to practice home birth. South Carolina happens to be one of the states that does. Luckily, residents who are in and around Greenville, still have water birth as an option within the hospital. This can be a great option especially if their goal is to experience a low intervention / natural birth and /or a water birth and feel supported within the hospital LDR. Mom Jennie shared the following for our blog readers... Having taken the Bradley Method Natural Birthing Course, I felt completely prepared for labor with my first son. I wanted an all natural, unmedicated birth. I was able to manage the initial contractions with what I had learned. What I did not anticipate, nor felt the ability to manage once I was in actual labor was the excruciating back labor that went on for 16 hours. I caved to the epidural after my body was exhausted and would not progress. My son was born 8 hours after. My second birth, I swore up and down this time, if I had back labor again, I would get that epidural first thing, even though my true desire and goal was for an unmedicated water birth! I decided like Pam teaches to "simply focus on what aspects of labor I actually had control over." So, I practiced my relaxation techniques much more intensely, ate clean and exercised daily. I even added Christian hypno birthing affirmations to keep my mind and emotions focused on the ability to give birth as God had created my body, and acknowledge my strength comes from Him! At 37 weeks, my water broke at 3:30am September 18th. I laid back down, and tried to rest as much as possible. As contractions started, I just focused on relaxing, sitting on my birth ball, and did my breathing as practiced. My contractions started kicking in maybe around 9am. I was set on staying in the most relaxed state possible to go with the contractions, and not fight them. My sister was at our house for a visit that weekend. During my labor she had a seizure, in which my husband ran to tell me there was blood all over the bathroom floor. She fell and hit her face on the sink. He told me I needed to get my 3 year old, and take him to another room so he wouldn't see anything while he went to help my sister. What a way to get me out of relaxed mode! I kept breathing through contractions while trying not to panic as I clearly was worrying about my sister, all while tending to my 3 year old asking what was wrong. Unlike how adrenaline effects most during early labor, my contractions started getting more intense during all the stress. Some friends came to help with my sister, who ended up being okay, and they stayed with our son so we could leave to head to the hospital around 1pm. I tried to get back to my relaxation state on the car ride there after all the chaos that transpired by breathing slowly through each contraction while listening to the Christian Hypno birthing tracks. I had desired a birth center water birth over a hospital birth with a more relaxed and less medical energy so I chose Greenville Midwifery Care (the birth center closed after I had my first), where they have a midwife led unit at the Greenville Memorial Hospital with, nice, larger rooms with birthing tubs, showers, etc. We got to the the hospital around 2:30pm and my midwife came to check me. I requested not to know my number because I didn't want to get discouraged as had happened with my first birth. My midwife told me she would check me again in an hour since I must not have been dilated enough to be checked into the birthing room. The contractions became more and more intense as they were on top of each other. She checked me again in an hour and I had already dilated 3 more centimeters. As soon as I got into the room, I begged to get in the tub, but the water was running, and it wasn't filled enough yet. So I kept breathing through the contractions listening to the hypno birthing app, and trying my best to relax. Once I got in the tub things really picked up. Pam was there to help me get in various positions with the peanut ball and helped me manage, coached, and encouraged me. I knew I was in transition because all I could say was "I can't do this!" Repeatedly as I proceeded to do it regardless haha. The contractions were so rough all I wanted to do was push because for me pushing was relief, much easier than the contractions themselves. I kept feeling the need to bear down so I asked if I could push, and after receiving the green light from my midwife, I pushed and pushed repeatedly. I knew I wasn't pushing with the best form. I couldn't get a good hold of the handles in the tub so I was sliding all over trying to push and more energy was going into hanging on than to my lower half. My midwife checked me and I was not quite a full 10 centimeters. So she did a scrape to open the last part. I still couldn't push well enough in the tub after that. I could feel his head in the birth canal, but he wasn't coming out. Finally Pam said, "Come try to push on the toilet." Since the toilet is a place our lower halves tend to relax more easily anyway, it made total sense. They helped me to the toilet. After a few pushes on the toilet his head emerged, and I stood to push him the rest of his body out. The successful push was the biggest relief ever! My midwife caught him and handed him to me. My baby was born looking to the right side. I let out the biggest cry of relief! Pam confirmed what I had suspected, that I had been in another back labor scenario, but luckily not full on posterior. Regardless, I did it all drug-free without fully knowing that's what I was dealing with. And, I did it naturally! Immediately, I was overcome with love meeting my Arlo Patrick Harrison at 7lb 7 oz, 20 inches long born partially on the toilet, and part standing... no doubt he is destined to do great things! 😜 With assistance, I carried my son back to the hospital bed dropping blood like a murder scene the whole way. No epidural this time and no tearing! I couldn't believe it! I was so proud and thankful it was all over, so I thought... well after second stage pushing comes third stage. In my case, it was just the beginning. Once the placenta releases from the uterine wall, the uterus is supposed to begin clamping down to slow the bleeding from the placental site. These are what they call after birth contractions. We asked Pam if she wanted to do the honors and cut the cord. Our little Arlo decided he wanted to help Pam and also grabbed the scissors as our midwife clamped the cord. Going natural, I did not require an I.V., but because my bleeding was picking up, they immediately administered an injection of Pitocin directly into my thigh to help the bleeding slow. My uterus simply was not having it. Sadly, my blood loss continued to increase. After I birthed the placenta, my midwife expressed her concern, because I was losing more blood than I should have been. My third stage of labor definitely had some challenges. I utilized my sleep mask to help calm myself and recenter as I fed my baby for the first time. Nursing can also naturally slow bleeding, but a second medicine Cytotec was also used. I could tell I was making the staff nervous. I had lost enough blood from the hemorrhage that my hemoglobin dropped really low. They continued to encourage me to get a t least one unit of blood. I was so freaked out, because electing to receive donated blood created huge anxiety for me. However, just a few hours of postpartum with my newborn, I could tell I felt off. I was extremely weak and even looked pale. I finally agreed and was administered a unit of blood. Getting the blood was the right decision for me. I literally started feeling better in a couple of hours! The doctor said even with my prescribed iron pills, it would take months to get my hemoglobin levels up to normal again, especially while breastfeeding. I was determined to do my part. So, after birth we had our doula pick us up Cava's. I had everything on my green leaf salad. From lentils, veggies, to lamb. When I went home, I focused on what I could control in regards to building blood, by consuming tons of collards, leafy greens, salads, beets, and all high iron foods. When I went for my checkup just TWO weeks later, my levels were NORMAL! That speaks volumes of what a good diet can do for women during pregnancy and after. Here is a quick summary... - checked in the hospital and entered the birth room around 3pm. - second stage labor (laboring down and actively pushing) really only lasted 2-3 hours. - baby was born at 5:58 pm. - total labor 12* hours versus my first (24 hours). *I also ate my 6 dates a day in the last 4 wks, which has been proven to significantly shorten labor. -Survived two back labors! One with an epidural, and one all natural unmedicated! A few tips for readers: I would say the best parts of my second labor were it was by far easier to manage than my first, despite the back labor again. I do believe The Bradley Method training®, practicing relaxation, being more mentally prepared to overcome hurdles, believing and having faith I could do this, listening to my Christian hypno birthing tracks which focused on scripture and positive affirmations, and laboring in the tub, ALL helped me to achieve my birthing goals! Not to mention, the strong support of my amazing Your Birth Helper® Doula, a very encouraging nurse and a competent, attentive midwife! The worst part of my second labor was the postpartum hemorrhage which directly following pushing out my placenta / afterbirth, which set my healing at a slightly slower pace. But, by the time my 6 week OBGYN checkup came around, I definitely felt completely back to normal. Being healthy and low risk before labor and birth, combined with good nutrition (extra blood building foods) and adequate rest in the first two weeks after, I really felt healed. The preparation of my body from second trimester on, was definitely the key to bouncing back much sooner than I had imagined. And, I am very thankful for that, because toddler boys rarely ever sit still....lol. The video below captured the excitement of our first son Opie meeting his brother. Such precious memories. I hope you have found some part of our second birth journey helpful. Best wishes for a beautiful birth, Jennie, Blake, Opie & Arlo

Sometimes, due dates come and go. In fact, most healthy women will carry beyond their estimated due date. Few pregnant moms want to hear this. There are lots of well meaning people, but the problem remains when your estimated due date comes and goes, these same well meaning people often make very disparaging remarks. Statements such as you haven't scheduled your induction yet? Are they talking c-section? Oh my shouldn't you have had the baby already? If you carry much longer your baby may get so big that you can get him out...people just have a tendency to go there even when they could choose something positive to say. Consider how much more motivating if you said, Wow any day now you will have a baby in your arms! Your labor could happen anytime! Every baby and mom are unique, your body knows what to do. Good for you for doing what you can to encourage labor and prepare your body for giving birth! Those would all be extremely welcomed comments to a near term mom. Sometimes, you may need to reconsider going back home if your labor is slow to progress, especially if your medical team encourages you to do so. As you can see here, triage rooms are quite lacking in comfort measures. Specifically, the bed is sadly far from relaxing. You would be way more comfy in your own living room, own bed or bath tub. Genevieve decided she preferred to stay in the hospital vs. get back in the car with her back labor pains. She used hands and knees to try to relieve her back discomfort, but sadly they remained in the triage room for almost 8 hours. When our body relies upon relaxation to progress during labor, you can see how this uncomfortable situation in triage may contribute to more tension which works antagonistically against progressing labor. When the couple finally were assigned a room, Genevieve opted for use of epidural to try to relieve the back pain and progress labor. They were both awfully sleep deprived, but even with a little rest much hard work was ahead of her with second stage approaching. After almost three hours of pushing, entirely exhausted from her long journey into motherhood. Mom and Dad opt for help with vacuum extractor to get her posterior baby under the pubic bone. Although, it was not their ideal birth experience, Genevieve just kept visualizing her baby exiting her body. And, with the help of a supportive team did not have to result to caesarean section to give birth. The good news is they did not give up and with two more good pushes, along with the help of their OBGYN, their beautiful handsome son emerged. Something tells me everyone in the room was relieved and couldn't get enough of that head full of hair! Welcome to the warrior woman club Genevieve ~ girl, you did it and K.P. worked right alongside you all the way! WELCOME TO THE WORLD CHARLES HARRISON!!!! Your parents worked extremely hard to bring you into the world safely, but something tells me they have already decided it was worth all their efforts... even days worth! On behalf of the #CharlotteDoulaDreamTeam we salute your efforts! Special thanks to the midwives of Carmel OBGYN and the supportive nurses of Novant Matthews. It was our pleasure to serve you in preparing for your labor marathon. You began as students, but you end as family, #CharlotteBirthFamily! Thank you for choosing yourbirthhelper.com & teams!

Sometimes, despite all of our planning and preparation, things can unexpectedly change in the early weeks of pregnancy and miscarriage can follow. However, many aren't aware, there are just as many, if not more unexpected outcomes in the last few weeks of pregnancy. Many of which, are also out of our control. I often share with women who have suffered loss, infertility or other obstacles, the next time around, FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL. There are so many unknowns and women particularly who spend their time mulling over all the "what if's" will create elevated levels of anxiety in which she doesn't have to endure. The best analogy I often share with clients, "Stop viewing the entire forest and all that could happen and simply face the tree that is in front of you right now." It is a much easier way to live and a much more relaxed state of being, if so. As most laboring women would share at the time of contractions, RELAXATION does NOT come easy. It must be practiced and mastered. There is more to relaxation than just turning off muscles. We call it physical relaxation. But, to master the unknowns in the mind... well, the battle is real for soooo many pregnant moms and even a lot of fathers too. We call that one mental relaxation. And, it doesn't stop there! Then there is this thing called, Emotional relaxation. This one is one of the most important forms of relaxation, because mom has to be okay with what she feel about what is happening to her. Previously, Amber and Brian unfortunately had lost a baby at 10 weeks. She had a history of uterine fibroids, but no one could determine why specially she had experienced loss of her first baby. At her very first appointment, she was not measuring accurately based on how far along was speculated. In the weeks following, Amber had began cramping and spotting. Her bleeding continued to increase and the OB/GYN appointment confirmed their loss. It was a big blow to the couple as it is for anyone who loses a baby at any point of pregnancy. The doctor failed to administer a RoGAM shot at the time despite her being RH-. She bled for 6 weeks following to the point of saturating adult diapers. Upon following up with her medical team, she was advised to go straight to the hospital and tell them she needed a RoGAM shot. I had the privilege to train the couple 12 weeks in The Bradley Method® at the farm. Their goal remained low intervention, natural birth, or at the very least only experience what is truly medically necessary to safely give birth to their rainbow baby. When the couple learned they were pregnant again, they knew they needed to educate themselves and become advocates for their own healthcare and the well-being of their unborn baby. About 7 weeks into their training and after creating their birth plan, they realized they needed to choose a different practice to increase their odds of meeting their personal birthing goals. The couple selected Women's Healthcare Associates and birthing at Piedmont Athens instead of Eastside Snellville. They were very pleased with the change (especially during the pandemic) not just the individualized personal care she received with WHCA Athens midwives, but also the time with Dr. Allen in reviewing informed consent for her treatment plan. And, especially for giving personal attention and consideration to Amber's pain management preferences. How do you feel the pandemic affected your overall pregnancy and birth experience? - I tested positive for the virus and then Doctor Allen ordered the COVID-19 blood test and it showed I had the antibodies. They didn't have to use the COVID surgery room nor the surgical COVID protocol. My baby was also tested for COVID-19 after birth, as well. The pandemic restrictions made my hospital stay shorter which was great, and also limited visitors which was also a blessing since I was recovering from surgery. However, it also robbed me of my planned doula experience and the hospital denied me doula services before and after planned surgery, which was sad. Piedmont Athens was allowing doulas for labor only at the time, but since my baby was breech and I had to have a belly birth, they did not allow her to attend. Pam was also very sad, but she planned a relaxation day for us at the farm and we enjoyed a lunch out before my scheduled surgery. as well. She also offered us some extra TLC at a later time in the form of a postpartum relaxation day in months following. The pandemic created many obstacles and not just for couples, but also for doula's and medical staff, as well. I, personally, do not like to miss a baby born as in ever! It hurts me. I love my job and I have spent months helping the couple prepare for their big day only to be denied access to assisting when the big day arrives. We Your Birth Helper Doula's live for labor day! However, Piedmont Athens was far from the only hospital restricting doula's from attending during the pandemic. In fact, I personally had clients in my tri-state area who sadly endured such restrictions in every direction from Gwinnett county and beyond, to Greenville, SC and even Charlotte, NC. It seemed overnight the birth of COVID-19 became the death of doula support as we knew it during 2020. It was extremely challenging for couples during pregnancy in 2020, because their spouses/ partners could not even attend monthly prenatal visits together, in person. Then you had us doulas having to switch to virtual support by text, call and facetime in most hospital birth locations during the pandemic and some till to date, not allowing us bedside. Many nurses and other hospital personnel have had to remain in masks, shields, scrub suits and even respirators for a 12+ hour shifts, etc. had to limit the number of hospital locations they practice in to cut exposure. Also, attempting to convince every single patient who enters into labor and delivery even if ready to give birth to take a COVID-19 test. Couples, who feared being cheated out of Doula bedside support by their individual hospital restrictions, even reverted to switching birth places and even considering home birth, who ordinarily would not have. They liked the fact the out of hospital midwife could do their prenatal care during the pandemic madness and that Dad/Partner could be present during appointments. As for labor, they liked the fact that in an out of hospital birth experience, other family members and siblings could still be present for the birth. However, readers should consider carefully this decision as every mom is not a prime candidate to give birth at home or in an out of hospital birth center. If mom or baby is high risk or a higher that average risk applies, the couple should re-evaluate are they in the right place for them and baby, pandemic or not? This was the case in Amber's situation with several increased risk factors including: maternal age, a history of former bleeding scare, now breech baby, these variations alone could potentially result in increased medical complications at time of labor and birth. Simply put, the pandemic alone is not a valid single reason for a woman to give birth at home. One should carefully evaluate all the pros and cons of birth place locations: home, out of hospital centers and in hospital facilities and make the decisions best for them and their baby of where and with whom (midwife or doctor) to safely give birth. Remember, regardless of near term unexpected changes you can still find the JOY in your baby's birth no matter how the baby exits your body. My YBH trained couples just find it way easier to find JOY and be way less stressful after being educated and knowing how to acquire informed consent. Much anxiety is removed when you know how to determine if the offered test, procedure, intervention, drug, surgery, etc. is medically necessary or not. And, even in the worst possible outcomes, you will sleep better at night knowing you did your part to do everything in your power to avoid such an outcome that wasn't part of your "birth plan." When you reached out to Your Birth Helper regarding navigating belly birth after learning baby was breech, what fears or concerns did you have initially and what helped you overcome those fears? - My main fear was the surgery and the drugs. I chose The Bradley Method®, because I wanted a drug-free birth. After speaking with my doula, Pam and learning there are a variety of medication choices, I was able to speak with my doctor and request options regarding pain management. In having the knowledge of what drugs I could choose from allowed me to both advocate for and help execute the safest birth for Sawyer and the best recovery for me. All of which helped overcome the fears surrounding cesarean. Amber had learned baby was breech when they sent her to a specialist appointment around 30 weeks gestation. I had her begin spinning babies exercises. She also tried external version at her doctors office. Dr. Allen tried her best, but attempts to turn baby failed. It was so very painful for mom as baby boy was buried deep in her pelvis. That was when the couple made their decision for gentle c-section. If you look closely below you can see one obvious issue... baby seemed to get a little tangled up with the cord wrapped over the top of his right shoulder and seems to come out looking at mom like, "whew thanks for the help, it was a tight squeeze in there!" What aspects of your natural birth training in The Bradley Method® do you two feel contributed to a more enjoyable belly birth? - I would say knowing what we learned about medication and what is medically necessary and what isn't, helped us make medical decisions more easily and knowledgeably which helped me relax. I wanted as drug free a birth as I could get even with surgery. What would you want to relay to an expectant mom or dad who may feel childbirth education is irrelevant if they think they want epidural or surgery to give birth? - I would say they still need to know what to expect when it comes to baby care choices in the hospital (skin to skin, to bathe or not to bathe, etc.) and postpartum (how long you will bleed, what you should and shouldn't do). That doesn't change just because of an epidural. Also, that there are still medication choices to make even with an epidural, which most don't even realize there are options. Congratulations Fleming Family! It was my utmost pleasure to assist you with your childbirth training and preparing your body for the best possible outcome. Even when surgery is required, women will still heal better and faster having been physically, mentally and emotionally prepared for labor and to "give birth!" (Even when the OBGYN is handling the "giving you a baby part"). Welcome Sawyer John born just in time for a 2020 tax deduction on December 28th! Special thanks again to Dr. Stephanie Allen, OBGYN also named Doctor of Year in Athens, Ga for her support, as well as, all the staff of Women's Healthcare Associates and the supportive nurses of Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center.