Kristie Graybill

Birth Trends & COVID-19 Pandemic

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birthing during covid

Many expectant couples are facing a decision that is changing the way they envision their births unfolding. Deciding between continuing through with their original hospital birth or beginning to shift their mind to a planned homebirth is at the forefront of many couples’ minds these days. As hospital protocols are shifting and units are becoming coronavirus battle stations, couples need to decide if this is, in fact, the safest and best choice for their families. These changing policies and tightened restrictions leave many families unsettled and anxious. As a result, homebirths are appealing to a greater number of couples.

Homebirth midwives only care for and attend the births of low-risk parents. The following criteria explain who may fall into this category. 

Low-Risk Homebirths (These can vary among care providers.)

  • Pregnant people without pre-existing conditions, such as Type 1 diabetes or hypertension
  • Pregnant people with previous uncomplicated births
  • Pregnant people having a single birth
  • Pregnant people without pregnancy-related conditions, such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes 

Midwives also stress that birthing at home is not just a variation of a hospital birth but it is a completely different experience altogether. No pain medication or doctors are available, so preparating mentally and physically for an unmedicated birth is crucial.  Aleksandra Evanguelidi, a Los Angeles based midwife, said she has received 30 calls in the previous six days where women were rethinking their birth plans. Michelle Palmer, chair of the Home and Birth Center Committee of the American College of Nurse-Midwives, said that with COVID, it has brought an opportunity to bring home birth and midwifery care into the health care system where more people will have access. 

Considering all of this, if birthing at home isn’t the right choice for you, below are some tips to help you have a safer hospital birth in the time of COVID-19. 

Is homebirth the only option? How can you minimize the risk of exposure?

  • Birth education classes to learn relaxation and coping measures to avoid unnecessary interventions and a longer hospital stay. 
  • Laboring at home as long as possible with the presence of a doula (since additional support in most areas are not allowed into the hospital room during the pandemic). 
  • Video conference your doula or support person once you arrive at the hospital.

As couples wrestle with these thoughts, they must know that what they decide for their family is the best choice. Allow your parental instincts to light your path. This time is unprecedented and overwhelmingly challenging. Warrior on, parents. Bringing in a new life in the time of a global pandemic is an act of heroism. 

A Sample Birth Plan

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a sample birth plan

I vividly remember someone asking me if I had a birth plan when I was pregnant with my first baby and immediately googling what this was exactly. I had no idea this was a thing. I mean how would I know? You don’t know until someone tells you. This blog is me passing along information that I did not once know, but now believe helped me achieve my birth goals. Feel free to modify and make this sample plan your own. Wishing you a beautiful birth and a peaceful postpartum.

Sample Birth Plan

Name:
Care Provider:
Pediatrician:
Birthing Team:

  • Partner:
  • Doula:
  • Midwife/OB:
  • Other:

To all present at the birth of our baby, we are so grateful. Without you, we know these preferences would not be possible. We appreciate your advocacy and commitment in providing the most natural delivery possible for the mother and baby.

ENVIRONMENT

Requested room with birthing tub, if available. Please help us keep the room restful by:

  • Closing the door
  • Dimming the lights
  • Minimizing noise

LABOR

  • I wish to be able to move around (including walking) and change positions at will throughout labor. Please do not restrict positions unless absolutely necessary.
  • I would like to use a birthing ball, moist heat wrap, massage ball, essential oils and affirmations throughout labor.
  • I would like to eat and drink as needed, including ice chips.
  • I would prefer to keep the number of vaginal exams at a minimum. Please ask for consent.
  • I do not want a hep-loc.
  • I do not wish to have continuous fetal monitoring. Intermittent checks are preferred.
  • I do not wish to have my membranes ruptured.
  • I would prefer to be allowed to try changing positions and other natural methods if the labor seems to stall. (walking, nipple stimulation, etc.)
  • I have been educated on the available pain medications. I will ask for them if I need them. Please do not offer them to me.
  • I prefer to tear and do not want an episiotomy.
  • Please do not verbally guide pushing. I would like to push when I feel the urge.

DELIVERY

  • I would like to be able to choose the position in which I give birth.
  • I would appreciate having the room lights turned low and having the room as quiet as possibly for the actual delivery.
  • I would like to have the baby placed on my stomach/ chest immediately after delivery.
  • Please delay the cutting of the umbilical cord until it has stopped pulsating.
  • I wish to keep the placenta. Cooler has been brought for transport to home.

 IMMEDIATELY AFTER DELIVERY

  • My partner wishes to cut the cord. In an event s/he is unavailable, the doula will cut it.
  • I plan to keep the baby near me following the birth and would appreciate if the evaluation of the baby can be done with the baby on my abdomen, with both of us covered by a warm blanket, unless there is an unusual situation.
  • I do not want eye ointment on my baby.
  • Please delay Hep B shot. We will discuss this with our pediatrician at our first visit.
  • Please administer Vitamin K.
  • If the baby must be taken from me for medical treatment, it is requested that my partner be with the baby at all times.
  • I would like to hold baby for one hour before he/she is examined.
  • In case of emergency, please do not cut the cord during resuscitation.
  • I do not wish to be separated from baby. Please speak with my partner or me first if required for health reasons.

BREASTFEEDING

  • I plan to breastfeed the baby and would like to begin nursing the baby right after birth.
  • I do not wish the baby to be given a pacifier.

 CESAREAN

  • If a cesarean delivery is needed, I would like my support team to be fully engaged in the decision making process.
  • I would like my partner to be present at all times.
  • If the baby is not in distress, I would like he/she to be placed on my chest immediately after delivery. If this is not possible, I would like baby to be given to my partner for skin to skin.
  • If baby is in distress, I would like my doula to be with baby at all times and my partner to remain with me.
  • I would like to attempt breastfeeding as soon as possible.

 

 

5 Baby Shower Games That Aren’t Lame

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baby shower games that aren't lame

I just attended a baby shower and I am not going to lie, I was dreading it. Not the gal being showered, particularly, but the boring and lame games that were bound to be there. You know the drill. We have all attended one too many of these. You walk in, someone takes your gift to the table, you mingle (sometimes awkwardly) thinking the entire time when you can make your break to the food line. When it’s finally appropriate to fill your plate (and your mouth), you rush over. As you’re eating, the host usually announces that it’s time to play a game. You quick bee line to the bathroom only to find that it’s locked. Someone else had the exact same idea as you. So you slowly mosey over to the couch and begin the inevitable game playing. As I was on my way home, after the shower, I was inspired to write this blog. I thought, “There just has to be shower games out there that don’t suck…” So, I hereby present to you this review of 5 AWESOME games to play in a group… particularly at a baby shower!

  1. Time Capsule

Ask the guests to bring in items that are relevant to what’s happening now in the world. For example, newspaper clippings, receipts for gas or food items, photos of the soon-to-be parents, etc. Look at the items and discuss together then place into a box to be opened when babe is a decade or two older.

  1. Play Dough Baby

This can help people avoid some of the awkward chit-chat if you provide the conversation piece for them. Give guests a ball of play dough and let them have at it. The task is to create the best (or worst) baby with their ball of dough. Compare the finished products.

  1. Baby Face Mashup

Enlarge and print out pictures of both parents. Cut the photos into strips and allow the guests to create one hybrid baby of the two partners. This is bound to get people laughing hysterically and lightening the mood a bit.

  1. Baby Photo Guess Who?!?

Ask the guests ahead of time to send you a baby picture of themselves. Create a play card with their faces and play guest guess who. For an added challenge, include some baby pictures of celebrities.

  1. The Baby Bucket List

Decorate a bucket before the shower. Have the guests write down things they hope will happen to/for the baby in their lifetime. Share aloud. You too may even be inspired to add these to your personal bucket list!

Well, there ya have it. A list of non-traditional and creative baby shower games that are bound to get people laughing and mingling. And maybe even leaving and saying… “That was a heck of a good time!”

 

Baby Led Weaning: The Beginners Guide for Starting Solids

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baby feeding himself in high chair baby led weaning

Your precious baby is 6 months old! That’s the magic age, right? It’s commonly
accepted that this is the time when your baby needs other foods to compliment his/her
breastmilk or formula intake. Other new moms are chattering about it and you’re yet again
scouring the interwebs trying to figure out the best way to begin feeding your babe. Maybe you
have seen other moms feed their babies all organic store-bought purees or seen posts on your
Facebook mom group about making their own?! Once again, you’re stumped. Wishing
someone would shout from the rooftops the right answer for feeding your baby.
Today on the blog, we are discussing Baby Led Weaning. But before we do, we need to
first clarify that your baby is ready for this next step. Here are a few musts your babe needs to
be doing before beginning this method.

  • Baby can sit up well without support.
  • Babe has lost the tongue-thrust reflex and does not automatically push solids
    out of his/her mouth with tongue
  • Baby is ready and willing to chew.
  • “Pincer” grasp is being developed. This is when babe is able to pick up food and
    other small objects between thumb and forefinger.
  • Baby is eager and showing interest to participate in eating at mealtimes.

Baby Led Weaning (often referred to as BLW) is a method of beginning solids in your
baby’s diet that is complimentary to the first year of breastmilk/formula. This method upholds
the nature of eating as a positive, interactive experience and encourages the development of
age appropriate oral motor control. Babies “self-feed” through the exploration of different
textures and also are able to control their solid food consumption. The term “weaning” does
not imply that baby is replacing breastmilk or formula but mainly just complimenting it with
other solids.

Benefits of Baby Led Weaning

Though very little longitudinal research has been done on this subject, experts see potential for
BLW to have a lasting effect on a child’s food preferences, eating habits and palates. It also
teaches babies the fundamental life step of self-regulation. Babies cannot be made to eat more
than they need since they are not being fed by another person. They are doing the feeding and
the ones in charge of their intake. Also, another benefit of the BLW method is you can forgo the
buying, making, blending, freezing, and defrosting process of making or purchasing the little jars
of food.

Tips to get started on the Baby Led Weaning journey

  • Wait until your babe is showing signs of readiness (see above for developmental
    markers).
  • Continue to give breastmilk and formula. This is still considered your baby’s biggest
    source of nutrients until approximately 10-12 months. Remember, food before 1 is just for fun.
  • Model eating for and with your babe. Mealtimes are social events. Model proper
    chewing and eating behaviors while your baby joins in in his/her own chair.
  • Prep foods for easy grasping. Food should be cut long and skinny for baby to manage
    independently.
  • Prepare for the mess. The goal of this method is exploration. Smearing, dropping,
    throwing (oh my!) is part of the learning process. Again, modeling appropriate table
    manners is key here.
  • Consider nutrient intake. High calorie foods and also vitamins such as zinc, protein, and
    healthy fats are all good options for your babe to ingest.

Remember to do what feels best and right for your baby/family. Maybe you want a hybrid
model where baby has softer foods to start and smoothies that are nutrient dense with some
finger sized pieces to gnaw on. You are the wonderful caretaker and your babe is following your
perfect lead. Enjoy the journey!

3 Ways to Encourage Labor

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encourage labor

Hi! Kristie here. 39.3 weeks pregnant and searching all the ways to naturally encourage labor and give this babe a boost to exit utero. The days are long and uncomfortable and bending to pick up after my toddlers seems like the most impossible task. So on the blog today, I have some insight about encouraging your babe to make their grand entrance. Remember to speak to your care provider before trying these methods at home.

1. Sex– Yep. I said it. This is something any full-term pregnant person may cringe at the sound of, but I firmly believe it worked with my other two pregnancies. But why? Human semen is a biological source that has the
highest concentration of prostaglandins that can occur naturally. Prostaglandins are known to ripen the cervix and get it ready for labor. Also, an orgasm has been to shown to increase uterine activity in healthy pregnant people.

2. Acupuncture– This ancient Chinese practice has many benefits. One of the many is induction. Certain points are avoided during pregnancy when receiving acupuncture treatment because of this very reason. Pushing the
body into induction mode too early is an unwanted outcome. However, when a pregnancy has reached between 39-41 weeks, these particular points are treated. This treatment has been used to help soften and dilate the cervix
with the onset of labor contractions. It may provide a way of reducing labor pain and avoiding a medical induction.

3. Massage– Studies show that a massage can raise your body’s level of oxytocin, that hormone that can bring on labor contractions. Some massage therapists swear by their ability to help jump-start labor when a parent-to-be
is overdue. Many may even focus on certain pressure points to move labor along. Not a fan of massages? Meditation and even just cuddling with your partner can help relax you, which might get your oxytocin levels pumping.
So if you’re anxious about that baby who doesn’t want to leave their cozy bed, try a stress-relieving activity like one of these discussed above. What’s the harm anyway in being in a fully relaxed state of mind for when labor
does decide to begin?

**While 40ish weeks may seem close to an infinite amount of time, it truly is just a blip in your and your babe’s life. Try your best (speaking to the choir here) to enjoy and bask in the miracle of pregnancy. Easier said than done, I know, in those final weeks. Baby will be in your arms soon enough. Trek on, you got this!

Postpartum Nutrition: Soups that Heal

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postpartum soup recipes

With so much emphasis placed on prenatal planning and nutrition, so little attention is focused on the mother’s postpartum period. A healthy postpartum is just as important as a healthy pregnancy for mother’s optimum rejuvenation and healing as she begins to care for her new baby. Just how can give your body the extra support it needs as you begin to discover the new you post baby?

Iron, vitamin B-12, and folate can promote replacement of blood cells that were inevitably lost during a large event like childbirth, says Rachel High, an obstetrician and gynecologist in Central Texas. Broths are an excellent way to provide your body with the above nutrients.

Around the world, in many cultures, postpartum women use broths as a nutrient dense way to heal their bodies.
Lizzy Swick, a dietician in New Jersey, claims that women need nutrients that are easily digested and assimilated to help and balance hormones and build blood to fully promote recovery.

Below you will find 4 soups that have been proven to promote the healing process after welcoming your new baby.

Seaweed Soup: Korean descent. Known as “miyeok guk.” Tradition has it that seaweed is hydrating and this aids in breastfeeding support. This soup is high in calcium and contain iodine. Iodine is known to aid in baby’s brain development. Fibrous which helps prevent constipation. Packed with iron to prevent anemia and promote overall well-being.
(Since high iodine levels can be dangerous for baby, be sure to check the nutritional label before purchasing that certain brand. Different brands vary.)

Pork Vinegar Soup: Chinese descent. Commonly made to support breastmilk supply. Made from ginger, pork feet, and sweetened rice vinegar. Also, typically served with an egg for added protein.

Tomato Soup: American classic. Adding fresh herbs not only aids in flavor but also helps your body’s ability to handle oxidative stress and inflammation. Basil, turmeric, garlic, and parsley are all recommended by Swick for their detoxification and antibacterial properties.

Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Soup): Mexican descent. In that culture, it is believed to take 40 days to heal mother’s reproductive organs and regain original shape after birth. This period is known as the “cuarentena.” This basic soup is recommended because it is typically not too spicy or heavy for this special period. Also, it contains carrots, tomatoes, garlic, lime and safflower which all contribute to overall well-being.
May you have a peaceful postpartum period. Be well, mamas!

Postpartum is a quest back to yourself. Alone in your body again. You will never be the same, you are stronger than you once were. -Amethyst Joy

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