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U-Shaped Parenting

8/28/2015

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"Let's talk about it."

It's not flashy, but it may be the most creative thing that I have ever shared with my daughter.  And I say this because, of something I just heard yesterday.

I was listening to an interview with Todd Henry, author of the The Accidental Creative and most recently Louder Than Words where he talked about the "U shape journey" of the creative process.  He described what was involved in the work of being a creative; the layers, experience, learning, time, challenges, and struggle that made success look easy...from the outside.  And he affirmed that you can't get there without all of that stuff.  That to make lasting, long term progress, sometimes we have to be inefficient in the short term to be effective in the long run. 

I can't think of a better description of parenthood that I've heard in the last half of year. 

Let me share a little bit more about this U shaped journey: he likens it to taking a hike down, through, and up a canyon.  When we start our journeys, be it a project or parenthood, we can see across the gap to the other side.  We can see the end result.  We can see our baby breastfeeding well, that our baby sleeps through the night.  We can see our toddler using a toilet and not using a diaper.  We can see them reading books, or riding a bike, or learning to swim, or ANY of the millions of things our children will learn in this life. 

In our minds we see the end.  So we start.  We get excited!

In essence we hike down the path. 

We decide that we will try a sleep sack.  Or a white noise machine.  We start the process of introducing a potty and teaching cues to go pee.  We spend time reading books to our children, we introduce letter sounds and names, and then sight words.  We use scooters, then training wheels.  We start at the beach on the sand, with toes and legs in the water. 

Then we get to the bottom of the "U" and something happens. 

We are surrounded by weeds. The path isn't as clear.  We look up and can't see the end.  It starts to get dark and we realize the trip is longer than we planned and we will have to camp out in the bottom of the canyon for a night. 

When we are in the bottom of those canyons,  when we have tried to keep our focus but the path gets blurry, it starts to feel like failure.  It starts to feel completely hopeless.  It starts to feel like a mistake. 

We question our direction.  We question our decisions.  We question what got us excited in the first place. 


But the next day, the sun comes up, and we have more light, we keep going on our path, and we we start to climb.  We climb up the other side of the canyon - each step hard, but showing incredible progress.  And before we realize, we are at the top, on the other side. 

We are there, with our baby who can breastfeed seamlessly.  We are there with our baby who is sleeping through the night.  With our toddler who is potty trained, or our young child who can read herself a story or ride a bike, or swim for hours. 

Through the canyons I have already hiked with  my daughter and the many that are come come, I know I will continue to use a phrase that invites cooperation - "Let's talk about it." 

I would talk with my girl friends when my baby was causing me worry.   I would talk with my husband when it felt like I was losing my mind.  And I would talk with my daughter.  Even when she had no clue what I was saying. 

Just recently, when she was not interested in picking up her room, she even said it back to me. "Let's talk about it, mom."  And I was so happy that she used those words instead of fussing, and that she engaged in (if I'm being honest) a negotiation of sorts. 

Everyone goes through these canyons.  But from the outside we rarely see each journey.  We rarely see them at the bottom of their "U." 

And what I'm learning, and what Todd Henry affirms, is that the process is important. 

For some families, deciding to have a baby is the starting point of their canyon.  Prenatal education, IVF, IUI, surrogacy, or adoption are all huge undertakings.

Some families are able and happy to be pregnant, but are lost when it comes to birth and labor. 

Some families are solid for labor, but have zero help or plan for postpartum. 

When we are in the weeds and need help getting back on track, to get caught up, or to start the process with some help, you need to be able to know who can help. 

Know that you don't have to to this alone.  Contact me for early support for pre-pregnancy or labor support or postpartum support and you can have all the help you need along any part of your U-shaped journey.   

Authored by Ariel Swift, A Swift Doula





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The migratory Pattern Of a Thought in Labor

6/23/2015

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I'm in a new phase of Repeat Everything

People joke that insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result, but I'm not sucker; it's not insanity - that's parenting. 

When I was chatting with my non-English speaking infant, she would gurgle, and I found myself saying over and over, "Tell me all about it!"

When my daughter was walking and still not talking,  there I was saying the words over and over, "Do you want more?  More?  More?"  until my word was linked to the few baby signs she was learning. 

And now, fast forward, my 3-year-old understands me.  She speaks to me.  We have conversations that make us both laugh, like this one from bedtime last night:

H: (whisper) Shhhhhhh.  Mommy, it's time to sleep.
Me: (whisper) Ok, Harper.
H: ....Fffffffffffffff..... (followed by both of us laughing)
Me:  Is your butt going to go to sleep too?

(Both of us crack up laughing)

Me: (whisper) Oh sorry....shhhhhhh.....
Harper: Mommy stop.  I'm the leader of the shushes.  
Me:  Okay Harper

(We don't repeat that over and over.  I promise.  But sometimes a fart joke needs to be made...)

Putting toys away, getting dressed, the plan for the day...over and over and over.  And it's not that she doesn't hear or understand, it's that there are so many distractions in the world for a 3-year-old. 

Pro Tip:  Distractions aren't all in the physical world, so watch out for fun conversations coming out of left field. EX:

Me: Harp, c'mon, in your seat.  Let's get buckled and go. 
H: Mom, where are we going?
Me: Home.
H: But Mexico is much more exciting.  Why don't we there first?
(Yes, why don't we!   ...sigh...  )
Me: Do you know where Mexico is? 
Harp: On the map.  My fingers can go there fast.  Look at my nail polish!  My auntie did it for me!

Inevitably, carrying a pile of laundry to her room ends up being an obstacle course.  "Hey mommy!  Come look at this new trick I can do!"

Picking up books turns in to drawing pictures, playing with Lego, and jumping on her trampoline.  "Hey mommy!  Look at this new jump I just learned!"

Doing the dishes together is not really doing the dishes.  "Hey mommy!  Look at this splash I can make!"

And she's off again!  My little swiftlet indeed has the attention span of a bird.  And all of it is fine and part of life, and honestly, part of the joy in being three.  Plus she is stinking adorable, so yeah...

Repeating myself is part of her learning process, and me being patient (even when it's really really really hard) is to her benefit.

Bringing this Back Around...
I don't just repeat myself to my daughter. 

There are a few times in life when people need calm, patient understanding.  For women going through labor, being in the moment is a way to both help contractions do the best work they can, and for a woman to connect with her experience. It does no good to imagine all the contractions that need to come before the baby arrives.

So we take it one contraction at a time. 

One breath at a time. 

And often, taking a deep, low, long breath is very difficult to remember.  So I say, over and over and over,

"Breathe.  Good.  Just like that." 

It's not that a laboring mother has the attention span of a 3-year-old.  It's that labor is hard.  Pain has the incredible ability to make us lose focus. 

So I say again, "Here one comes.  Big breath in, and slowly let it out.  Good.  Breath in, and out."  Until that mom is able to get into her rhythm and starts to respond to silent cues from how we touch, how the room shifts, how her partner hubs her back, how we all start to breath together.

It's a cycle, you see.  It keeps going. 

After her baby is born, she tries again and again to help her little baby understand the world.  Her baby is stimulated from the entire world!  And mom is there to bring it back down, help that little baby focus, and teach some very incredible things. 

Thoughts wander.  The brain is exercising.  It is a great incredible thing to witness in my toddler. 

But in labor, wandering thoughts, unexpected distractions, and fear can make the experience feel harder than it already is. 

So let's bring it back down...
Pull that focus back...
Your thoughts want to fly up with a gust of excitement, but you have a tight hold at the bottom, slowly winding up that string, around and around and around...and you bring it back to your center...back to your baby...
Breathe all the way down...

Good...just like that...

Authored by A Swift Doula
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Into the Great Wide Open

6/17/2015

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Ever wonder why women have their first check up after delivery at 6 weeks? 

There is so much change at birth.  A new baby, a seemingly deflated body, emotions, sleeping patterns, responsibilities...

What happens at a 6 week appointment?

Typically, it takes 6 weeks for a woman's cervix to return to fully closed.  What may take hours, days, or weeks to open, does not return like a springy rubber band.  Care providers are concerned about bacteria, infection, and healing.  At 6 weeks postpartum, they perform an exam and see if it is safe to use things like tampons, and have penetrative sex. 

That question comes up a lot...when can I have sex after I have a baby?  But that is another blog post for another day...

During the transition phase of labor, a woman is reaching the point where she is as open as her body can be.  Her cervix is dilated to 10 cms.  She may be vocalizing and her voice is open and round.  Her pupils may be dilated, and her blood is pumping through her veins and arteries in response to contractions that are getting longer, stronger, and closer together.

Her body literally makes space for passage.  Her cervix slides to the sides and graciously ushers a baby down to meet his or her new world. 

After you!  Oh please...go right ahead.  They are expecting you!

It makes so much sense, when you think of openness, that rules, boundaries, and plans, don't really fit there.  Think of some often used phrases:

Welcome with open arms.
I am open to anything.
Keeping options open.
Walking in with eyes wide open. 


In transition, when a woman is physically open, do not be surprised if plans get thrown aside.  If words she's never said come out of her mouth.  If emotions are all over her face and she seems unlike the woman who walked into the hospital, you're right.  She is changing right before your eyes.

But what is fascinating to me and I never tire of hearing about it, is the openness that continues once a family returns home. 

A woman is learning about her new body.  She is adapting to the needs of her child.  Her family is learning about the new person that is now a Mother. 

Feelings are bigger for a while. 

New skills are being learned.

New needs are being anticipated and most of all, a New Normal is in its infancy. 

6 weeks will be both an eternity of moments and then vanish in an instant. 

There may be questions that can't wait until that 6 week appointment.  There may be needs that can't be met by the arranged support you had before delivering. 

There may be times when the openness can feel too open and a woman needs help to close again.  To be surrounded again by support and kindness.  To be cared for with love and assurance.  To be given help for things she isn't yet ready to take on again.

All this to say, there are people who are trained to help in this period, and indeed longer, if a family needs it.  As your postpartum doula, I am available to support the closing just as I am able to support the opening.

Authored by A Swift Doula





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Habitual Apology

6/8/2015

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Ever get smacked in the face with a lesson?  One of those awakenings that is both blunt and truthful.  One which, after you notice it, you can't help but be smacked over and over with the day-to-day situations where you never noticed before?

For me it's apologizing.  Or was.

I was at a party last fall where I was called out by a friend (in a nice way) who made me realize I am/was a habitual apologizer.  I would say "I'm sorry" in situations that were just plain unnecessary.

We have a language where hundreds and hundreds of other words could be used, and I was editing down to an apology.  I know I'm not the only one here that can identify with this.

Mostly I know because I work with people who do it all the time.  New moms.  (I would say parents, but I don't really have moments with male parents where this comes up.)

And moms are saying it about things that require no apology.  At all.  Like feeling pain while in labor.  Or needing to feed their baby...again. 

Things like:
  • Having contractions Oh, wait just a minute, I'm sorry, I can't answer your question I'm having a contraction....
  • Being thirsty in labor I'm so sorry, can you get me my drink?
  • Changing positions No, no, no...I need to move, I'm sorry this position just doesn't feel good!
  • HAVING A BABY I'm sorry I made such a mess!

And it isn't reserved for the delivery room.  When moms get home, the I'm sorrys just keep coming:

  • Being sore I'm sorry I'm moving so slow.
  • A messy house (even if it isn't messy) I just haven't had time to pick up.  I'm sorry you have to see it like this.
  • A crying baby  I'm sorry!  I'm sorry! 
  • Being in Bed  I'm so sorry you have to be in here and see me like this. 

All of the things mentioned above are real situations that have happened, and I would bet all are common for many other doulas as well.  Some women prefer to be extremely private, so for them it IS completely odd and horrible that a visitor would be in her home and see this part of life. 

But guess what.  I'm a doula. 

It's not a statement I make often, but in reality I've seen a lot of vaginas and touched a lot of breasts.  The world of birth is not a scary or grotesque world for me, and the state of your living room, your baby's temperament, or your manner of dress are not judged.

You don't get points deducted for having unopened mail or a sink full of dishes.  In fact, how about I do those dishes real quick for you...No...it's fine...just relax!  Tell me how you're feeling.  How was last night? 

One of the things I talk about with my clients is how to prepare with realistic expectations of the postpartum period.  Not just with their own bodies, but with guests and family too. 

If it is important to you to have a clean home and a spread ready to go whenever guests may arrive, let's talk about ways I can help you prepare for that so you personally won't have to take over the brunt of that work AND the work of being a new mom. 

Sorry Not Sorry

Hashtags can be cheeky, silly, expressive, annoying, or whatever....

But I have fully embraced the #sorrynotsorry hashtag.   It was a step in my recovery, if you want to call it that.  

Just because I was made aware of my habit of apologizing didn't make it easy to unlearn it.  It took practice.  Quite a lot actually.  Months of it. 

But it has been a wonderful change.  Freeing. And I can see this as a positive change both for me and my daughter.  I want her to see me using an apology at times where it holds meaning and value.  I don't want to cheapen the phrase through overuse and inappropriate timing. 

I won't pretend that I understand your personal relationship with the phrase, "I'm sorry."  But I know in birth and recovery for the 6 weeks after (or more), there is a new normal where the feelings and tasks that used to be easy are no longer easy. 

There are no apologies necessary for that change.  It is not your fault.  It just is.

I'd love to hear from you reader!  Do you have a #sorrynotsorry moment you want to share? 
What was early recovery and postpartum like for you in your home? 
Did you feel guilt and if so, what for?


Authored by A Swift Doula









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Make It Happen - International Women's Day 2015

3/8/2015

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Today is International Women's Day.  The theme this year is Make It Happen. 

Make it Happen:
  • For greater awareness of women's equality
  • For more women in senior leadership roles
  • For equal recognition of women in the arts
  • For growth of women owned businesses
  • For increased financial independence of women
  • For more women in science, engineering, and technology
  • For fairer recognition in women in sport

When I found out I was pregnant with a daughter, simultaneously I thought publicly "Awesome!" and privately with Dan "Oh shit." 

Because, having the knowledge that I was going to be responsible for caring and PROTECTING my girl child seemed liked the biggest undertaking ever.  And it is.  Being the protector of another human is serious work. 

I worry about scraped knees and broken hearts.  But really those aren't my big fears - because those teach and can be learned from.  What keeps me up is the senseless violence and unmistakable cruelty that exists.  

As I dove deeper and deeper down this rabbit hole today, trying and trying to rescue myself from the imagined ways in which my child can be hurt and maimed - both visibly and invisibly - I found myself visiting the blog I started when I found out I was pregnant.  It's called Alaska Jane, Pint Sized. 

I reread the entire blog. 

My thoughts as a woman learning about pregnancy and motherhood right in front of me.  Not knowing that I would become a woman who would help other women walk those same steps. 

It was surreal. 

Watching the video of my daughter starting to understand language as she helped me load the dryer and then when she twirled.  And missing our friends terribly as I relived our great Halloween adventures dressing up as Frida, and her friend as Mork. 

I'm have learned and am re-learning that my actions will leave their mark.  Every step, however small, in the direction I wish to go is still progress.  My silly little blog tracking my pregnancy and life as a new mom is proof - I cherish those posts.  And I made that priceless record, one post at a time. 

And as a mom, I parent one day at a time. 

And as a business owner, I grow one client at a time. 

And as someone impacting the world, well...I will do that too, one bit at a time. 

International Woman's day is almost over. But this day is another in a long history of the event.  And since it's inception many incredible things have changed that benefit women, and therefore all of human kind. 

I have no idea how to make all the goals listed above come to reality other than how we, as women and supporters of women, have been doing it all along - one step at a time. 

I wasn't going to finish this post today.  I had written it off (ha!) as a small idea that didn't work out.  My husband and I tucked in to finish the latest season of House of Cards, (which has it's own interesting ties to the goals of the day, but no spoilers here...), then I scrolled through my blog roll, and just before turning this damned computer off I found this:


Let the bucket of memory down into the well,
bright it up.  Cool, cool minutes.  No one
stirring, no plans.  Just being there.

This is what the whole thing is about.

– William Stafford, from Just Thinking


And looking back on today, with my side steps and rabbit trails down through my memories, photos, and videos, this is what happened.  I dipped my bucket into my memory well.  The cool minutes washed over me.  Hours went by.  I was right there again, watching my daughter take some of her first steps. 

And I realized again the words of Brene Brown, that the courage comes from being there.  Doing the scary thing.  Showing up.  Being vulnerable.  And I don't know anything that has made me feel more vulnerable, more alive, or more woman, that being a mother. 

Nothing.

And because I am a mother, (step, step, step,) I am now a business owner.  And wouldn't you know it, that is one of the goals of this year's International Woman's Day. 

Each small step in the direction of your goal is not a misstep. 

Authored by A Swift Doula.




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The Other Room - Using All your Hospital Has To offer

2/16/2015

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When most people think about having a baby in a hospital, laboring in a traditional bed is what comes to mind.  There may be images of wandering the halls in your imagination too.  It almost never comes up that there is another wonderful place where women can find relief, quiet, and calm. 

The bathroom.

It's not picturesque.  Some may find it a little gross to think about, but let's dive into this space. 

We may have memories of being comforted from scrapes and bruises.  We may have memories of resting on the cool floor with a stomach bug.  And of course a warm shower or bath to wash the stress of the day away. 

It is this place where we have been taught from a very young age to relax and let go.
(Potty training, anyone?!)  And the reflex that has been engrained for years and years in us can now also help you when it's time to labor your baby down. 

If you are pregnant, it's no surprise you have to use the restroom often.  When you are in labor, it is important to empty your bladder not just for comfort, but it also allows more space for baby to move down.  

The physical motions of walking, sitting, and getting back to your bed help to open your pelvis and make more space, and the reflex to relax your bottom when you are sitting on the toilet helps progress labor, encourages your cervix to continue to dilate, and can give you a calm head space that can restore your resolve.   

The other benefit of being in the bathroom is simple:  you can shut the door on the medical world that you are surrounded by. 

You can make it dark.  You can make it quiet.  You can be there, with your partner or doula, and go about the business of birth with fewer distractions. 

The bathroom in your hospital room can turn into a very effective place for your body to work through contractions, and all this even before using water therapy through a bath or shower. 

So why should you go to the bathroom?

  • movement from bed to bathroom can ease pain and help baby move into favorable postions
  • physical act of emptying your bladder opens your pelvis, relives pressure, and increases space in your womb
  • bathroom can easily become a dark, comfortable space where you can close the door and be supported by those you feel most comfortable with
  • If able, hop in the shower or tub to relax your body further, encouraging your body to dilate and progress, and possible ease the pain of contractions
So remember, you have two rooms when you go to the hospital.  And the staff won't let you deliver your baby in the toilet, I promise. 

Authored by A Swift Doula



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I have a Husband, He will Be my Doula...right?

1/26/2015

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I'm sorry to say, but No. (This is the short answer.)  Your husband will not be your doula.

Going into your delivery, your role is very clear - you get to give birth to your baby.  The role of your husband and the role of your doula are also very important, but different.  Let me explain...

*Your Husband/Partner In Labor
Your husband/partner is the person that is emotionally invested in you and your child.  This person will know your fears and history throughout your journey to this point, and they will have all of your feelings, cares, and expectations at the forefront of their minds. 

This person will be someone you will be comfortable being around, and will provide calm and resolve the way only an intimate partner can.  This is the person you have decided to do this with, this parenting thing - this is your together-in-this-beautiful-crazy-adventure person. 

Your husband/partner will be able to connect with you on an emotional level that no other person can, as you created this baby together, and (for many) are entering into parenthood side-by-side, heart-to-heart, with great joy and great excitement.


*The Doula in Labor
The doula is present in your pregnancy to educate, and then support, the decisions you decide are best for you and your baby.  Resources are provided, and referrals can be made with the healthy relationships she has cultivated in the community. 

Once at the birth, the doula is there to provide assurance and support.  The education that was provided prenatally will be ever ready should you or your partner have questions.  The doula will be trained to push on exactly the right spot when you need it, and will be able to suggest ways to help ease pain. 

But what is hard to convey until in the moment is when you are feeling contractions, and your doula is right there, eye to eye, showing you that YOU are normal, and what you are feeling is normal.  In those moments, a doula's worth is more than information, but in connection to where you are. 

There is great power in birth: physically, emotionally, and mentally.  As your doula, it is a heady time when your needs and my intuition sync in such a way that I can't help but feel connected to you as each contraction moves through the room, just like the contractions moved through countless women before you.   Your partner is there giving you comfort, I am there giving you a calm presence and a mirror to see your own strength with.     

When you have that lovely combination of medical care from a provider you trust, emotional support from your partner, and physical support from your doula, you will be supported by an incredible birth team!
 

Did you have a doula at your birth?  What were your partner's reflections on having a doula after the fact?  I'd love to know!


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Name Shame

11/8/2014

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One of the changes to birth I, and many other birth workers, have witnessed in recent years is parents not wanting to share their expected child's name.

"We're waiting so it is a surprise," They say. 

What's really going on here?  

If I throw out the phrase Mommy Wars, are you familiar? 
Here...let me give you a small sampling of what is on the internet.  (Time article from a stay at home dad's perspective, More magazine links it to
assumptions about femininity, motherhood, marriage and finance, A Washington Post article mommy wars and the ensuing social demotion.)

I believe the Mommy Wars can be boiled down to one thing: fear.  Fear that choice equals judgement. 

Parenthood comes with a certain amount of stress and pressure.  But I don't believe women are prepared to feel the onslaught of emotions that come from other people's ideas about how to best nurture and raise their child. 

"Oh you're pregnant!  How wonderful.  Where are you delivering? ...oh!  A homebirth!  How...creative of you." 
"You are having a planned cesarean?  Haven't you seen the research that supports vaginal birth?"
"Are you planning to co-sleep?  You know crying it out just causes long term brain damage.  I forget where I read that but..."

And when it comes time to deliver her baby
, that mom is primed and on edge to be judged for every decision she will make regarding her child.  She may question her intuition.  She may feel she isn't going to be what her baby needs.  She may get overwhelmed researching what the latest research says, and feel paralyzed. 

This is why having labor support and/or a postpartum doula, can help.  Not only will there be incredible physical and educational resources at her fingertips, but she will be able to provide an emotional support that many women don't experience in pregnancy; a completely supportive partner. 

I am hired by women and their partners for many reasons, but sometimes, I have a prenatal conversation that goes something like this:

Me: Do you have any family members that will be present at your birth? 
Mother: My sister (mother, friend, in-laws, etc) really wants to be at the delivery, but...Would it be bad if we didn't call her when labor starts?

-or-

Me: Have you decided on a name?
Parents look at each other:  Well, we have but we aren't sharing it until he's born.
Me:  Ok.  I look forward to meeting him and being introduced!
Parents look at each other again:  Well, we are happy to tell you but we don't want our parents to know.  We just don't want to deal with them trying to change our minds. 

Ok.  I'm going to share something now that blows some client's minds... I offer non-judgemental support for women and their partners in labor and after. 

Non-judgemental support isn't just about how a woman may choose to deliver.  Non-judgemental support means I don't have an opinion on your baby's name.  I don't have an opinion, as your doula, on how you want to feed your child.  I don't have an opinion, as your doula, about who should be at your birth. 

I know some pretty awesome "tricks" for labor and with newborn care, but there is no trick here.  There is incredible value in being supported.  Incredible strength comes from being empowered.  So a tip if you are reading this as a support person to a pregnant woman, or new mom - be a support person she can come to when everyone else is supportive-with-strings-attached. 

Authored by A Swift Doula

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Birth is like Driving a Bus

10/10/2014

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Lots of tours to buy in Juneau.
Finding a way to describe what I do sometimes leaves me feeling unfulfilled.  I provide physical, emotional, and educational support to women and their partners in labor… Yeah…but what does THAT mean.

Talk to a woman who hired a doula for her birth, and she most likely will tell you it was essential that her doula was present.  Talk to that mom before hand and she won’t sound as enthusiastic.  But how can she know what amazing adventure she is about to go through and how she will get through it, and how it will change her?

That’s what I do.  I am able to take women down a winding path, take them by the hand in a way, and guide them through labor.  Like a shady forest, with hills and knotty roots, and bends, I help that woman find her way and accompany her journey.  Encourage her to keep going.  Show her better ways to sit, or lean.


The exchange is mutual.  For as I help her through moments, she gains her voice, telling me to push harder or softer, telling me she needs to move.  She shows me her way through this journey, and I store that to use with the next mom, the next birth. 

There are hundreds of books about birth and there are hundreds of opinions about how to best have a baby.  I reassure a mom that her path is her own.  The goal is the same, the baby comes out, but the way that happens is all her own.  Labor can be fast. Labor can be slow.  There is no wrong way. 
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Mendenhall river and glacier (in the back) A common destination for Juneau tourists.


I used to drive tour buses.  Cruise ship passengers would load on to my motorcoach while in port at Juneau, and I would have them from 3-7 hours.  Many people have similar questions about what we were seeing and the history of one of the most beautiful places on earth, but every tour was different.  Every tour was unique.  It was the same landscape, the same destinations, but in three summers of driving bus I never had the same tour. 

I got to help thousands of people fall in love with Juneau, and now I’m a tour guide of a different sort – where the destination is motherhood and love, and the ride can be bumpy or smooth.  But as a doula I will be there regardless.  I will read the road signs of your labor and direct you, help you see where you can go, and help you avoid the obstacles. 

I don’t have a 53-foot motor coach and a microphone, but I have reassuring hands and have brought the road maps.   So yes, I provide emotional, physical, and education support, but like a driver is really only pushing pedals and moving a wheel, there is so much more to being the guide on this adventure with you. 

Authored by A Swift Doula

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