My first doula client in Colorado is due any moment to have her first baby--a son. I am so stinkin' excited, it's always in the back of my mind no matter what else is going on in my life.
I love being a Doula!
What makes this birth even more exciting is that it's going to be a Home Birth, and the Attending Midwife was My midwife at Joseph's birth, Dottie K. I've always wanted to work with her at a birth, and now I get to! If you've had a child at home, you will understand me when I say Dottie became my bestest friend on the planet when she became my midwife. She has seen me at my most vulnerable and shared with me and my family a sacred event--the birth of a child.
When we lived in Idaho, I had the wonderful opportunity to assist couples at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center, and I loved it--I love my families there--But, to be at a Home Birth is going to totally Rock! There will be no clock-watching, drugs, needles, changing of nurses, and all of the medical protocals to get out of the way of! It will be just the Couple, Dottie, a birth assistant, and Me...and this new little baby, all working together harmoniously, naturally.
We met last night together at Dottie's office. Mommy M. is just beautiful. She is at that stage of pregnancy where sleeping at night is not as easy at cat naps during the day. Did you know that it is common for pregnant women to sleep better during the day than at night? It is. A theory is that women feel less vulnerable when the rest of the world is awake while they sleep. Makes sense to me.
So, if you or someone you know is pregnant, there are some ways to "prepare" your body for bedtime:
Take a warm--not hot--bath before bedtime. Add some Lavendar to the water or use lavendar lotion when you're finished.
Get a foot massage from your sweetie before bedtime. Long, slow strokes with lotion help relax the body & mind.
Have some carbs before bedtime too. Nothing heavy like pizza though. Crackers are good.
Play a cd with Ocean Waves on your nightstand. Or white noise. (you may find your baby likes white noise to sleep with too--it drowns out household noises once he goes to bed).
Read for a little while before bedtime. Not on the PC tho. That's too stimulating.
Make sure you have enough pillows to support your hips, neck and back when you lay down. Those body-pillows have a reputation for being great for pregnant women.
And finally, Self-talk can be calming--just make sure the words are positive, true, and relaxing. I will post a "script" later today with more on that.
The book pictured is a fantastic resource (and required-reading for doulas) for anyone who wants to know how to support a woman in labor.
Birth is a wonderful natural part of our human existance. I am grateful to have a small part in other women's sacred experience.
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