New Beginnings

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE!!!!
www.bbcroc.com


Welcome to Beautiful Birth Choices Blogspot! A place to learn from each other and grow in our knowledge and understanding of pregnancy, birth and post partum. We hope that this can be a place where doulas, educators and women and their partners can explore the fascinating world of birth, freely ask questions, reflect and share memories of birth experiences and glean insight and perspective from others. We will do our best to respond to all posts in a timely and sensitive manner. Thank you for joining us!

BBC Class Schedule

JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW...

BBC offers 4 options for Natural Childbirth Classes ~ join us!

#1 A 5-week series in which we get a chance to cover a lot of topics very thoroughly through hands-on actives, games, videos, lecture, and a lot of fun interaction.
When: Wednesdays, 6:30—9pm
Cost: $105.00

#2 A one –day crash course is perfect if your schedule doesn’t allow for the full 5 week session. It is just like it sounds. As much info and hands-on practice as we can immerse you in on a fun filled Saturday.
When: Saturdays, 9:00 am—3 pm
Cost: $85.00

#3 A 3 week refresher course will help prepare you for baby number 2 (or 3 or 4). It helps to process the previous birth experience and make this one it’s own.
When: Wednesdays, 6:30pm—9pm Cost: $75.00
* Note it is the middle 3 classes of 5 week series

#4 Lastly, we teach private one on one classes that usually cover specific topics over 3-4 hours . All the classes are geared to prepare and empower you to have the wonderful birth you want.
When: Scheduled as needed
Cost is $25.00 hr/min 3 hrs

All of our classes give you tangible tools to take with you into your labor, but even more importantly, our hope is you leave empowered and informed of your choices.


2011 Babies...Welcome to the World, Little Ones!

*April 2nd - Welcome baby Whitney! Mom and Dad were ready to be patient, but you decided to show up ahead of schedule... and what a gift. An amazing birth, with two fabulous parents.

*March 29th - What a busy month! James Thomas was welcomed by his inspiring parents and his big brother, Jackson... in a fabulous VBAC birth. Congrats to you all!

*March 6th - Maryn Elsa joined her big sisters, and Mom and Dad could not be more in love. She is precious, and her parents are two absolutely incredible people - strong, perceptive, and beautiful in spirit. What a memorable and unforgettable birth!

*March 1st - I know we say AMAZING and BEAUTIFUL and all those adjectives a lot - but this birth!!!! So powerful and strong! Mom had a natural normal delivery. Great - but it was after TWO C-SECTIONS!! VBA2C we call them and they are VERY rare!! Such support and power in the room. Welcome Dylan Patrick and thank you for trailblazing a way for other VBA2C's to come!!!

* February 24th - #7 in a long line of brothers and one sister... Judah joined his family. A precious new life, so welcome and loved! Mom was absolutely amazing - intuitive, calm, steady - and Dad was a support beyond measure. You are treasures!

* February 8th - How many of you were at 7 cm and wanting a deck of cards to play with while you "waited" for labor to "begin"???? Once it did - Robert was ushered quickly into the waiting arms of his mom & dad and met his big sister Mae! Amazing!

* February 7th - Baby Ruby changed the song... to Ruby Monday! Her birth was swift, powerful, and so welcome. Mom and Dad were absolutely wonderful together - so in tune and focused. You're stronger than you believed!

* January 29th - Isaiah Benjamin was danced into at 6:15 a.m. His mother swayed and moved that baby down having a quick and wonderful labor in the process. Congrats Mom & Dad!

* January 18th - After a labor without any doubt in the air, Miss Olive was born and welcomed by her beautiful parents and big brother Jonah!

* Right on target to wish everyone a Happy New Year's, Gray Ellis (isn't that a great name?) was born on January 1st, 2011. A great birthdate, too... 1/1/11! Congratulations to his amazing parents and grandparents!

2010 Babies...Welcome to the World, Little Ones!

*December 29th - just in time for tax deadline - Miss Ella decided she was done and ready to come out NOW. The most amazingly quiet and peaceful baby! To many years of peace and quiet for your parents! Congrats!

* Snowstorm almost caused Mr. Aiden Mark to be born without Daddy! Early and a labor "that only really hurt for about 45 minutes" left all support unaware that the time was now! Parklot - I mean Mt. Hope added to the delay but all was well and all are healthy and happy!!! Early Christmas Gift!

* Baby Grace, who's name tops the year, joined her Mommy and three big brothers on November 24th, making it a very busy week! Congratulations to this wonderful family!

* Kyler made a fabulous entrance into the world to be a part of a very special family on November 23rd. His big sister is proud and his parents were strong and such a beautiful support to each other!

* Jonah gave his parent a lot to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving week! Support and strength in all the right places! Congrats Family!!

* Twins! Edward and Emerson (Eddie & Emmy) joined their Mom and Dad on November 8th... as different and precious as twins can possibly be. Beautiful, ready to nurse, and a joy to their family. Congrats!!

* Arriving at the hospital pushing! Love it! November 5th, Lucy Blue gently was born. The attending Doc (who has been practicing a while) said "One of the most beautiful births I've seen". Just lovely!

* Before they knew what hit them, on September 16th...Miss Grace just couldn't wait to met her loving and wonderful parents! Their beautiful love for each other could only be completed by her arrival.

* On September 15th, Robert Aidyn flew into the world to join his two big brothers! Literally, it was a quick, peaceful, and celebrated birth - with two amazing parents. I am so thrilled for you all!

* September 2nd, after 8 1/2 hours of pushing...yes almost 9 hours, Mr. Eli made his way under only the power of his amazing AMAZING mother. She had tremendous support by the SMG and a super loving husband!

* September already! Perfect timing for this growing family of five - Ivan Rudy became the new little brother. Strong, calm parents, and a wonderful and loving home to grow up in. Congratulations!!

* August 29th, Regan decided it takes only 80 hours to make an appearance! No way to explain the strength of character, spirit and body that his mother has. Keeping her on track, her husband, John was with her every second!

* The 11th of August welcomed Mary Grace - a precious baby girl to fill her Mama's arms. It was a long birth, but Mom was so strong, brave, and patient. What a team!

* August showed up, and so did Ahma! A birth that was peaceful, serene, and uncomplicated. Her amazing mother, and incredibly supportive dad, welcomed her with open arms.

* On July 22nd, the busy summer greeted a happy, healthy baby John - who's delighted parents were so thrilled to finally meet him. You have a terrific family!

* July 21st, Danti James was greeted by a very surprised mother (who was told it was a girl). After getting over the shock, she fell in love and the rest is history!

* July 3rd brought a surprise birth for BBC. While backing up another doula, Ms. Madeline was ushered into the world by two very amazing parents that went above and beyond their imagination of strength. All natural, baby!

* July 2nd came and brought with it lovely Isabella. She was fast, determined, and beautiful. Congrats to Genevieve, Asumani, and big brother, John!

* June 15th the now famous (on Facebook at least...has his own fan page) Elliot Thomas Babcock-Steiner came to join the family he was totally meant to have. You couldn't be more loved, little one!

* June 15th was quite a day! Welcome to Nina Kathryn - a healthy little one who is quite happy to be in her parent's arms. The way she listened to her Daddy's voice! It was a beautiful VBAC birth, full of strength and quiet determination. Congrats!

* June 4th Mr. Jonathan was brought into the world! His mama and her back worked very long and very hard. His papa was the best support ever! And his kitty siblings love all of his stuff. Congrats Guys!

* On May 14th , John "Jack" Rolland was born to a very strong mama. At one point the comment was made by a doctor visiting the room "I think she is the only one here not hooked up to anything!" LOVE IT!

* On May 12th, Evelyn Joyce was born in a most peaceful and serene birth - to a set of parents who were strong and confident about the nature of labor. Congratulations to you all - you are a blessing!

* April was a busy month! On the 26th, two weeks after her due date - in typical 'family fashion,' Gracie joined big brother, Jonah. They already have something in common. Except for the part where Gracie's birth was 3 1/2 hours! Mom and Dad - you were patient and strong, and my heroes!

* Aiden Michael was welcomed into his beautiful happy family on April 11th. His parents can't stop smiling! Handsome Boy!

* April 3rd - and we've added another beautiful little girl to the world! Jordan Elizabeth came - as fast as she possibly could - to greet us. Just two days after Daddy's birthday... the perfect gift. It's a good thing he remembered to finally tie his shoes after she was born! Congrats to a fabulous couple and a loving family.

* March came in like a lion, and brought sweet baby Callie with it on the eighth of the month... What a precious gift! Mom was determined, beautiful, and strong - and had 100% loving support from Dad. Congratulations to big brother, Jack, too! I'm so proud of you all!

* Starting the New Year off right, Ryan Benjamin made his appearance on January 23rd, 2010. Congratulations to this wonderful family! His parents were strong, beautiful, and patient - and this little star is blessed to call them "Mom and Dad..."







Wednesday, February 13, 2008

First Steps...

Green is a wonderful color ~ a symbol of growth. The growing that we all do as women, as mothers, as parents on our journey. I would like to share these words from my own first steps in the world of birth…

My experience with birth has been one of both wonderment and fear, sprinkled with a twist of sheer joy like a smile working its way across the center of my soul. Since my first birth experience in September of 1996, I have grown to appreciate and respect the birth process in a way that I never quite expected, making me proud to carry this mantel of womanhood.

In September of 1996 I was prepared, or so I thought, to give birth to my first born child. This was a very exciting time in our lives. My husband and I had been married since 1993, had seen many friends and family members experience the joys of parenthood, and were ready to embark on the journey ourselves. We had taken the prescribed childbirth education course at the hospital, read "What to Expect When You're Expecting," knew that I wanted as natural of a process as possible, and had decided that I was going to breastfeed our baby. An ultrasound early on had informed us that we were having a healthy baby girl and we already had a name picked out… Kaela Ann Sittig. Her arrival was anticipated with excitement and joy.

By the time I approached the week of my due date, I was more than ready to have this baby 'on time!' A friend recommended that I drink a small amount of prune juice daily in order to induce a natural labor (I was to chicken to try some of the other methods). By Thursday morning, I was having small, but regular, contractions every 20 minutes. These contractions continued throughout my day at home and through the evening. By nightfall I was experiencing more difficult contractions at seven to ten minutes apart. Too excited to sleep, and too afraid to eat anything, I spent the night awake, marking every contraction down on paper while I played card games on the computer. By Friday morning, the contractions were wearing on me and I had not slept or eaten since Thursday morning. I was exhausted and beginning to feel defeated in my spirit. We phoned the doctor mid-morning and she sent us in to the hospital at about
11:00 am. By 12:00 pm, the attending physician at the hospital had sent us home stating that I was only 1 cm dilated.

We spent Friday afternoon at a college soccer game. My husband cheering in the stands, and me walking around the track timing contractions and swearing that as long as I lived I would never do this again. We were to be a one-child family. With contractions at four to six minutes apart and at least 60 seconds long we headed back to the hospital at about
5:00 pm. The hospital was crowded at this point, so I was put in a 'delivery room' instead of a birthing suite - I had missed my opportunity earlier that morning! Examination revealed that I was only 2-3 cm dilated and they were preparing to send me home once again. My one bowl of raisin bran and no sleep since Thursday morning had taken its toll… I was fragile and breaking into pieces by the moment. Relief came to me when I heard my doctor's report, "Keep her, I coming in and we're going to make this thing happen!"

My labor was all in my back at this point. My husband was with me and supportively rubbing the small of my back, holding my hand, and helping me to the bathroom. My parents came to witness the birth and the room was filling up. Lights were on, commotion in the hallway, the TV at times, nurses and attendings in and out. For some reason, I could not relax. When the pain began to worsen in my back, I began to loose control quickly. It seemed as if it would never end. My confinement to the bed at this point was due to the monitor and IV hookups, and I was being checked frequently as I slowly began to dilate. At some point during the evening, my doctor offered to break my water in order to speed the process up. I agreed.

After my water was broken, the pressure was so intense that I began to panic. When the nurse offered me Nubane, a drug to give me some relief, I accepted. Anything but a needle in my spine was ok with me. As the drug began to take affect, I was not only able to relax between contractions, but I began to fade out. The medication made me dizzy and disoriented when the pain was absent. I remember the room just spinning in circles. When the time to push came around
11:30 pm, I really did not know how! I was using all of the wrong muscles and I was so disoriented that I could not understand my doctor's instructions. Shortly after midnight someone said they spotted a head - this alone reminded that I was having a baby, a new life - and it spurred me on to finish the job. Kaela was born soon after and she was a wonderful, bloody, gooey mess with chubby legs and a lower lip that stuck out in a beautiful little baby pout. I was a mom. Through all of the pain, all of the confusion, all of the disorientation I knew one thing. I was a mom. Somehow, everything else had a way of evaporating in the moment.


My husband cut the cord and the nurses began to work on Kaela, measuring, weighing, and putting meds in her eyes that gave her a very blurry first view of her new parents. Meanwhile, my doctor began to work on my rather large episiotomy. When I was given my new baby to hold and she began to cry, the nurses encouraged me to put her to my breast. I believe that the drugs from delivery were not without their effects, because our first few tries at nursing were rough at best. In addition, I had not had adequate training in proper positioning. My new baby girl and I would struggle at this for six weeks, through pain, blood, scabs, and tears, until we finally made our way to a La Leche League meeting. We never gave up and she nursed successfully then until she was 18 months old.

My first childbirth experience was nothing short of a miracle, as births are, and I will forever love to recall those first few moments of my child's life - the rise and fall of her chest, the sound of her cry, the feel of her skin. As I recall the sequence of events now, I am able to look back and see what made certain parts of the experience frightening, exhausting, and difficult to handle. There is so much more that I wish I had known and been prepared for in order to make the experience more positive on all fronts, for both my baby and myself. I would learn from this experience… growing in the wisdom of motherhood.

Doula Support...

Connection through birth is an amazing reality. In this most incredible passage of life, we as doulas have an opportunity to connect with the journey itself. The journey of life into being. The journey of a woman into motherhood. The journey of a couple into a family. What an awesome responsibility! This connection is made when we reach out one woman to another and attempt to weave supportive threads into the fabric of the journey. The threads themselves are the very tools we rely on – education, physical comfort, emotional support, encouragement. Using these tools ever so gently and efficiently, we have the privilege of helping those with whom we work to connect with not only the product, if you will, but the joy and discovery of the process.

As a doula looks in her tool bag, one of the first tools she must draw upon is the role of education. In most situations, the initial contact between a woman, her chosen birth partner, and a doula is in the final months before her birth. It is at this crucial time that doulas actively educate and help to facilitate the process of knowledgeable decision making by the parents. Perhaps a birth plan has been developed… the doula may review this with her clients and use it as a point of reference for discussions about what decisions have been or may be made and how those may impact the outcome of the birthing and immediate post partum process. It is also important that during this time, the doula uses this opportunity to listen – hearing what is most important to her clients and what the primary aspects of the birth plan are is a key to a positive experience for a woman/couple. This is an invaluable learning process for both sides of the team.

After a doula has been called to a birth and a woman is in early or active labor, other tools such as physical comfort, emotional support, and encouragement will take a front row as the doula provides continuous labor support for her client. Whether in a home or hospital setting, a doula’s role is the same – we are present to support. Physical comfort measures may take on the role of addressing positioning for contractions, suggesting showers or baths for pain moderation, administering massage to mom or to dad during times of exhaustion, or breathing through contractions together to show patterning as well as empathy. Emotional support and encouragement are key during these minutes and hours as we support through our presence, never denying the impact of the woman to woman bond that is present in the room, but also never overstepping the role of the birth partner or the medical staff in this process. Laboring is a difficult job, and as the body wears thin so often does the spirit. It is our role to emotionally bear the task together, stepping through one contraction, one decision, one step at a time. Doulas can emotionally support and encourage through our body language, through our voices, through our hands.

When an infant is born, the birth doula has the privilege of carrying her duties into the first few hours and days of post partum. It is key to help establish breastfeeding, if desired, immediately after the baby is born, as well as to set up a post partum visit. Post partum, our job also stretches to encompass helping to capture the birth memory – ensuring that mom and family have a positive view of their birth and an innate trust in the journey.

The value of having a doula present at births has been grounded in research as well as in personal experience. It has been proven that obstetrical outcomes have been improved with the presence of a doula, including a reduction in the need for cesarean section, shortened length of labors, a decrease in pain medication required, and an enhancement in bonding and breastfeeding (The Doula Book, 2002). Beyond research, personal experience as a doula will tell you that most clients have a much greater rate of satisfaction with the birth process when a doula is present. When a doula’s job is complete, the woman and family with which she has worked has been more peaceful throughout the process, more informed in decision making, more empowered to advocate for themselves, more relaxed in the environment, hopefully more comfortable in labor, and expectantly more satisfied with the experience overall.

It is a doula’s job, and joy, to use the tools that we have been given in order to help ensure a more positive and healthy birth experience as the woman defines it. We have the unique privilege of connecting with others at this most intimate and tender of moments – the moment when a family is born and the world is graced by another beautiful presence.