Roxanne Marion- Maid Marion Doula Services
550 George st V2l 1r7 Prince George, BC, Canada

Cervical dilation gives us a snapshot of what is happening right now. It cannot predict the future. It does not tell you when labor will start or how long it wi...ll be. I’ve been at a birth where dilation was 4cm and baby was born about 15 minutes later. It’s a tool we use that can be helpful in some situations but more often than not, being left alone is what’s best! -Cari #repost MamasteFit & The Doulas of Mamaste Here’s your daily PSA! Dilation does not predict when you will go into labor! Your cervix is not a crystal ball; you could be 1cm and go into labor that day or 5cm and go into labor in a few weeks. Effacement *may* be more of a predictor of labor onset, but not necessarily either! So, if you are getting cervical checks during pregnancy and your provider states you haven’t made change between your appointments, and states that you should get an induction bc you’re never going to go into labor. Nod your head and say cool, I’m not in labor, so I don’t expect to make any cervical change. Also, dilation does not predict labor onset. Moral of this story? Your dilation during pregnancy does not predict when you’ll go into labor.

http:// Finger feeding right after birth // this mom collected some breastmilk during pregnancy and stashed it in the freezer. After birth it turned out it was the b...est thing she could have done because her little girl needed some extra food. Her birthweight was low even as her temperature. Finger feeding was a good option to feed her, so she could use all her energie to raise her temperature. Did you know this is an option? . . #Repost @jessica_vi_photography _______________________________________ #motherknowsbest #fingerfeeding #breastmilk #firstmilk #colostrum #liquidgold #borstvoeding #vingervoeden #birthphotography #birthphotographer #geboortefotografie #geboortefotograaf #geboortefotografencom #jessica_vi_photography #jessicaviphotography See more

sometimes birth stories can look like this

What in the world is that weird thing they’re doing?! Who’s heard of a forward leaning inversion? doing inversions every day can help you lengthen and ...soften your uterine ligaments, as well as help resolve any twist in the lower uterine segment. The weight of baby and uterus streeeeetches out those ligaments to reduce torque and helps baby get into a great position for birth. For more in depth info about this position and others, head to Spinning Babies ! This and other positions will be featured in our Labor Positions class releasing shortly! Sign up for updates on the launch! https://www.motherboardbirth.com/childbirth-ed More info on inversions here: https://spinningbabies.com//the/forward-leaning-inversion/

Colic is not a thing in of itself. Colic is a symptom. It can be because of a food intolerance or allergy, loss of suction and seal when latching or other possibilities. It’s important to treat the underlying issues! Not just the symptom with medication.

https://www.momjunction.com//overfeeding-a-baby-and-steps/

I read medical and obstetric journals for a living. And it continually amazes me to see how much focus there is on introducing population-wide interventions whi...ch often make little difference, or make a difference but only to a few woman and babies, but which bring side effects and knock-on effects, such as increasing the chance of needing more intervention down the line. Some probably make more difference to the profits of the companies that make them than to those who they are purporting to help. And yet there is one thing that is known to make a HUGE difference. Caseload midwifery "outperforms standard care for all women, even those perceived to have a higher chance of problems (Allen et al 2019). And, as the Cochrane review of this area shows, caseload midwifery offers so many benefits that its authors (Sandall et al 2016) concluded that, "Most women should be offered ‘midwifeled continuity of care’. It provides benefits for women and babies and we have identified no adverse effects." But in order for this to become a reality for more families, as the World Health organization points out, socio-cultural, economic and professional barriers must be overcome so that midwives can practice to their full potential. For lots more information, pop "caseload midwifery" into the search box at www.sarawickham.com #midwives #midwife #midwifery #health #doula #childbirth #childbirtheducator #childbirtheducation #happybirthday #informedchoice #patientcare #patientsrights #parentsrights #writersofinstagram #pregnancy #pregnant #getinformed #drsarawickham #caseloadmidwife #caseloadingmidwife #midwiferycare #midwiferyledcare #midwiferyledcontinuityofcare See more

Here are a few set up tips to help make pushing more effective! We break down all these and more in our online childbirth education courses! Head to our storie...s or link in bio to check them out. 1 Make space for the sacrum to move! Choose positions that are slightly off your back or upright so there is space for the sacrum to move as you push, which will create more space. 2 Neutral spine set up helps to generate more pressure and force while pushing! When the diaphragm is stacked over the pelvic floor, it is best able to increase pressure which would make pushes more effective! 3 Knees in, ankles out opens the bottom of the pelvis more than wide knees! Learn more in our online childbirth education courses!

The Cuddle Curl is term coined by researchers who observed mother and baby sleeping habits as part of SIDs research. The cuddle curl is a position that breast...feeding mothers adopt subconsciously to protect their baby when breastfeeding in bed or cosleeping. Do you know about it? Please check @basis_babysleepinfosource for information on safe cosleeping. #birth #babysleep #nighttime #breastsleeping #beinformed #sleepyhead #cocoonababy #snuzpod

A newborns stomach is the size of a cherry .Your colostrum that you have at birth IS milk (waiting for milk to come in is a myth. You’re waiting for mature mil...k to come in) and it IS the perfect amount baby needs until mature milk comes in. Growth spurts happen at 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3mo and & 6mo etc.. you may feel like you can’t keep up but your body and baby are doing just what they were designed to, demand more milk. Topping off because you think your baby isn’t getting enough, can ruin a breastfeeding relationship quickly. Anytime a baby has a feeding from anywhere but the breast and the mom doesn’t pump, it affects their supply and will diminish it over time. Don’t fall for the top up trap! It happens so easy. Best advice isn’t cookies, supplements or drinks... or formula. It is skin to skin and get baby at the breast as much as possible. Your body makes milk based off the demand. Supply and demand! So the more baby is there and demands, the more milk is made. Supplements can help when you’re doing the other practices. Pump output does not equal the amount of milk your body is producing. A baby is much more efficient and some birthing people simply do not respond to a pump well or at all. The more milk that is taken out of the breast, the more milk will be produced by the breast. Immediately after birth the brickwork is laid down when your hormones shift and start milk production into high gear, but to continue that process your body needs baby to feed early, frequently, and on demand. Whether that be every hour or every 4 hours. Your baby doesn’t know what time it is, s/he is only listening to what her body tells her. Truly low supply or not being able to produce milk is pretty uncommon but can happen when there has been prior damage to breast tissue or issues with hormone production or balance. Depending on how birth and postpartum went. But most often, correcting latch and emptying the breast more frequently can optimize supply! Cues baby is getting enough Baby is nursing frequently, 8-12 times per 24 hour period. Baby seems content and happy after a feed, releasing the breast on their own. Their hands may be in fists before feeding, they will then often relax and open. Weight gain is as expected, about 155-240 grams or 5.5-8.5 ounces per week until four months of age. Baby has periods of obvious gulping of milk during sessions. This is where baby is getting larger mouthfuls of milk because mom is having a letdown. Baby’s rapid sucking encouraging the letdown slows during these periods to one suck per second as larger volumes of milk fill their mouths before they swallow, and watching their throats will show the rise and fall that occurs with swallowing. Baby’s stools transition to yellow with a loose and seedy texture by day five. Baby should have 3-4 stools every day by four days of age. Baby may not pass much urine at first but this increases each day. By day two look for two wet diapers (nappies) over 24 hours, days three and four look for three or more wet diapers each 24 hours. By the time your baby is five days old, wet diapers should be more frequent, usually six or more over 24 hours. It can be tricky to tell if disposable diapers are wet after five full days, when copious milk comes in, they should be heavy. Many disposable diapers have a faint line down the middle which changes color when wet. Baby is alert and active when awake, and meeting their developmental milestones (info from LaLeche League) This post applies to women who do not have health reasons that restrict their body’s ability to produce adequate volume for their baby. This isn’t to say some cases do not truly call for supplementation. But that should be determined by a trained lactation consultant who has specific infant nutrition education- where the infants ability to suck, latch and move their tongue (oral ties) can be evaluated (because medical doctors do not have specific training on breastfeeding nutrition or lactation). What you supplement with and how is also very important. Best practice is supplementing with breastmilk (donor or what you have pumped) and using tools like a SNS (supplemental nursing system), cup feeding and or finger/syringe feeding rather than an artificial nipple. And when a feeding happens with those, the birthing person needs to pump. This post does not apply to women who choose not to breastfeed or those who physically cannot. This post in no way shames any mother for their feeding choice, rather is being shared in hopes that those who do have an adequate breastmilk volume (the vast majority of women will if they feed on demand and keep their baby close) do not second guess themselves or fall victim to this. Breastfeeding is vitally important to some and it is our job to help them become successful with it, if it is what they want. Sacred Sage Birth Services supports all feeding practices a family may choose. Many factors play a role when knowing if a baby is getting enough when breastfeeding or if supplementation is truly needed; weight loss/gain, diaper output, feel/look of fontanel, if the lips, mouth and eyes are dry, temper and age (their gestational age at birth) along with factors like IV fluids during labor. On day 1 their stomach only holds 1-1.5tsp, see how these drops of colostrum are perfect? By day 3, usually around .75-1oz By 1 week, 1.5-2oz And by 2 weeks 2.5-5oz (These are estimates) Hard Facts Sometimes breastfeeding is hard. It is so important to reach out to someone trained in the area if you’re struggling or unsure if your baby is getting enough. Sometimes you have to reach out to multiple resources to get the help you need! Post words, information and credit Cari Samuelson, Sacred Sage Births Creator of image Andrea Steele Crafton Andrea Crafton, Holistic Pregnancy & Postpartum Coach