Lakeside Doula

This pregnancy so far has come with a ridiculous amount of aches, pains and insomnia. With my first, I just suffered through it all. This time, I decided to try and find a solution to help. I've been seeing lots of mamas rave about magnesium oil spray. It's been said it helps with muscle cramps, pains, improves sleep, depression, anxiety, heart palpitations, hormones/PMS symptoms, constipation and headaches. I decided to make my own instead of purchasing it and it was so easy! I'm excited to try it! I also made my own lavender oil/tincture that I will add for an extra sleep aid! Lots of DIY happening in my home on this gloomy day!

Business cards came today!

The first birth I attended happened to be that of one of my best friends. Her strength during her marathon 39 hour unmedicated birth was incredible. Her partner was such a great support and was there every step of the way. I was able to guide them in pain management techniques and be there for reassurance but they sure made it look like they had done this a million times before. It was an amazing experience watching them bring their little man into the world. I truly love what I do! *photo/story shared with permission*

Hello everyone! Welcome to my page! First off, thank you for taking the time to check me out. I figured I'd start out by sharing a picture that kickstarted my love of birth! This photo was taken after delivering my son in a whirlwind unplanned homebirth. He is now 2.5 and ever since I've been fascinated with everything birth related and knew being a doula was the career for me. I love what I do and I love constantly learning new things to help better my skills.-Vanessa

Electronic Fetal Monitoring (EFM) . EFM was introduced in the 1960’s with no evidence for its benefit but with the belief that more information was better. It... was largely introduced to decrease the rate of Cerebral Palsy (CP). . What does the research say about CP? . CP is a chronic motor disorder of cerebral origin The incidence of CP at term is 2-3/1000 live births There is no evidence to indicate that EFM will reduce CP . When compared to intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart (listening every 15 min in active labour via Doppler or fetoscope) what are the outcomes of EFM? . EFM does not improve long term fetal or neonatal outcomes EFM increases interventions such as cesarean section and operative vaginal delivery (forceps/vacuum) EFM increases the rate of anaesthesia Are there times when EFM is recommended? . The Society is Obstetricians & Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) recommends the use of EFM in the presence of maternal or fetal risk factors that may increase the incidence of adverse outcomes for the baby. . So will I need it in labour? . Just like any intervention in your labour: EFM, when indicated, should be offered to you and explained. You are the final decision maker. In most of our labour’s we use Intermittent Auscultation. As midwives we have a low risk population and therefore low risk labours! We attempt to keep you off the monitor as long as it is appropriate to do so. Even if EFM is used in your labour, GET UP AND MOVE! Just because you have continuous monitoring does not mean you need to be on the bed. Moving facilitates progress and helps with pain relief. At both Abbotsford and Chilliwack Hospitals wireless monitors are available! *All data taken from SOGC fetal health surveillance manual . #informedchoice #EFM #electronicfetalmonitoring #autonomy #healthcareautonomy #bcmidwives #midwives #registeredmidwives #labour #birth #birthchoices #chilliwackmidwifery

Did you know that modern C sections were invented by African women centuries before they were standard elsewhere? Midwives and surgeons living around Lake Tang...anyika and Lake Victoria perfected the procedure hundreds of years ago. When a baby couldn’t be delivered vaginally, these healers sedated the laboring mother using large amounts of banana wine. They tied the mother to the bed for safety, sterilized a knife using heat, and made the incision, acting quickly as a team to prevent excessive blood loss or the accidental cutting of other organs. The combination of sterile, sharp equipment and sedation made the procedure surprisingly calm and comfortable for the mother. After the baby was delivered, antiseptic tinctures and salves were used to clean the area and stitches were applied. Women rarely developed infections, shock, or excessive blood loss after a cesarean section and the most common problem reported was that it took longer for the mother’s milk to come in (an issue that was solved with friends and relatives who would nurse the baby instead). In Uganda, C sections were normally performed by a team of male healers, but in Tanzania and DRC, they were typically done by female midwives. The majority of women and babies survived this, and when questioned about it by European colonists in the mid-1800s, many people in Uganda and Tanzania indicated that the procedure had been performed routinely since time immemorial. This was at a time when Europeans had only barely started to figure out that they should wash their hands before performing surgery, when nearly half of European and US women died in childbirth, and when nearly 100% of European women died if a C section was performed. Detailed explanations of Ugandan C-sections were published globally in scholarly journals by the 1880s and helped the rest of the world learn how to save mothers and babies with minimal complications. So if you’re one of the people who wouldn’t be alive today without a C-section, you have Ugandan surgeons and Tanzanian and Congolese midwives to thank for their contributions to medical science. #BlackHistoryMonth

I am so excited to share my new blog post all about the birth of our second son, Maverick. Here is the link: http://www.lakesidedoula.ca/blog it will also be in my bio! Photo by Janine Marie Photography

This is horrible and completely unacceptable.

When people say that openly nursing in public without a cover is a new thing. Uh no, no it is not, I promise. It wasn't until the 20th century that breastfeed...ing started to be seen in a negative light. "Nursing in public seemed to be a non-issue in colonial America. Our foremothers were expected to maintain a busy household, which included feeding the baby, and breastfeeding in the market or other public areas was not a cause for uproar. At that time, breastfeeding was the only way to feed a baby, either by the natural mother or a wet-nurse. The Puritans believed breasts were created for the nourishment of children and strongly encouraged women to nurse their own babies. 1 Breastfeeding in public was commonplace for colonial women because they lived in a society that supported breastfeeding." There are plenty of reasons a mom may not cover while breastfeeding. The baby could not allow it, and repeatedly remove the cover, or cry. It could be too hot, and a mother doesn't want her child to get too hot and sweaty. It is also really hard to cover while learning to nurse a new baby, and babies benifit from eye contact while breastfeeding. Believe it or not, covers actually draw more attention. Sometimes the mother simply doesn't wish to cover, and they legally don't have to. "At the federal government level, Public Law 106-58, Section 647 states: Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a woman may breastfeed her child at any location in a Federal building or on Federal property, if the woman and her child are otherwise authorized to be present at the location.6 Laws vary by state and most states have have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location." ETA : If you're having trouble sharing, go to my profile and share it from there, it should work.