Willow Tree Birth Services

What if we saw children sleeping on us as a positive? What if we viewed the babies who refuse to go down to nap as a sign that we need to slow down?

What if we changed our perceptions on contact naps, and instead viewed them as an opportunity to relax?

Baby has just fallen asleep on me. I spend a few minutes browsing Facebook and then, my mind wonders towards the dishes piling up in the sink. The pile of laundry stacked up in the bathroom. The dust that has settled on the tv. I start to feel guilty. I start thinking about work that could be done. Or food that needs to be cooked. I try to put baby down, but no way. Baby is having NONE of it.

But what if, just say, WHAT IF this is how it is SUPPOSED to be? Alright yes, we know that evolutionary babies are designed to want to be close to their mothers, but what if that is also meant to work out for the mother to rest too. It’s meant to be for OUR benefit.
To sit back for just a moment, and forget about everything else going on in life.
To take in the beauty of our children, and REST.

Rest our minds.
And rest our bodies.

Childbirth has put our bodies under some serious stress. And there are always a million things that need to be done before the day is over. Perhaps our babies and children needing us to be still with them is natures way of telling us to slow down for just a moment.

Rest mama.
Take the opportunity ❤️

Has eggplant parm “done the trick” for you?

🍆While it has been said to induce labor for decades, there are no studies or real evidence suggesting eggplant *composition* is to blame for labor onset.

🍆Many medical professionals believe it is more likely that your dish of eggplant parm is irritating your gastrointestinal system, causing strain on your body and starting contractions.

So while the EGGPLANT, itself, may not be to blame, you may still find ~success~ within the dish.

Tea Talk: Safe Herbal Teas During Pregnancy

Herbal tea vs. Your Typical Teas

Herbal teas are made from the dried leaves, flowers, roots, etc. of a variety of plants. Herbal teas are naturally decaffeinated, containing about or less than .5mg of caffeine per cup.

"Typical teas," such as green, black, matcha and oolong are made from the same plant, Camellia Sinesis, but through different methods of processing. This plant is naturally caffeinated, containing roughly 40-50mg of caffeine per cup.

Herbal Tea Benefits

🫖Hydration. Herbal teas can aide in hydration for women struggling with water alone, especially during the first bouts of morning sickness.

🫖Nausea. Herbal teas can help ease the body of nausea, while offering an array of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients (Iron, calcium, magnesium,) varying from tea to tea.

🫖Antioxidants. Due to the waste that is created within your body, by the placenta, antioxidants are a vital necessity in your diet. These antioxidants are needed, in rather large quantities, to remove the created waste and keep a neutral ground. While herbal teas are not the only place to source these antioxidants, it is a great alternative when your body may not be tolerating other foods.

🫖Labor Preparation. Certain teas offer properties that are known to tone and strengthen the uterine muscle, making contractions more efficient and ultimately raising your chances of shortening your labor.

🫖RELAXATION. While caffeine is said to cross the placenta, causing extra work for the liver of your baby, it is known to be considered safe in moderation. Herbal teas offer some birthing people the same relaxation of warm coffee or green tea, without drastically boosting their caffeine consumption.

Great Herbal Tea Options

⭐️Lemon Balm-Offers limited research, but is favorable due to its anxiety, insomnia and irritability relieving properties.

⭐️Ginger-One of the most studied herbal teas for pregnancy. Ginger is sourced in many ways and used in different forms for expecting mothers to reduce nausea and vomiting.

⭐️Peppermint-While the tea form is considered "likely safe" due to limited studies, peppermint is also used to treat heartburn, gas and nausea in many forms.

⭐️Raspberry Leaf-Raspberry leaf is typically consumed following the first trimester due to its reputation of preparing the uterus for birth. This tea is beneficial in toning of the uterine muscles, as stated above.

⭐️Nettle Leaf (NOT DERIVED FROM ROOT)-A close relative to raspberry leaf, in terms of the uterine effects. Nettle leaf is better consumed after your first trimester, however, it packs a punch of vitamins such as A, C and potassium.

It is recommended to avoid teas containing fennel, fenugreek, cohosh, sage, etc. due to varying properties within these teas that may have a negative effect on your pregnancy.

It is also important to note that, despite the potential benefits, herbal teas are not always closely monitored by the FDA and should be discussed with your healthcare provider. As with most consumable products, during pregnancy, it is better to avoid overindulgence and consume in moderation.

Photo by Drew Jemmett-Unsplash

Due to COVID restrictions, I am looking to continue my passion for teen and first time birth work. My pinned post gives my story and reasoning for becoming a certified birth doula, but I would like to take it a step further and offer my birth services to 2-3 teen, young mothers or first time mothers over the next few months.

Due to COVID restrictions, this will not include physical support at the time of birth. However, I would love to consult and discuss birthing plans as well as offer a few techniques that may be beneficial when the time does come.

Please refer anyone that you think may benefit from the additional support, in an effort to bring the birthing community even closer together.

We’re excited to announce that we are making changes!

Due to the evolving COVID-19 situation and the time we have had for adjustment, we can’t wait any longer to get back into the swing of things.

While we have not been scheduling, outside of our virtual young or first time mothers, we are planning to make changes. These changes revolve around adjusting to this new “normal” and finding out what works best for our birthing clients, while keeping everyone safe and healthy.

We will be posting through the next few weeks with updated plans on how we believe we can effectively support, during this time. Please note that these changes are going to rely and vary heavily on current COVID standings and restrictions within the birthing places.

We will continue offering our young and first time mothers our virtual support, low and no cost, as we have over the past few months.

I am still getting these questions.

COVID cases are on the rise again and most hospitals are still on a strict visitation policy, for the time being.

We have heard of some changes in office visit policy, but that is few and far between as well.

I know there are petitions and such going around to change these policies, but as of right now, there isn’t an end in sight.

Please continue to monitor your birth place and prepare for these updated visitations.

COVID-19 and Birth Work

A very frequent question that I have received is "What should I expect when delivering during these uncertain times and what support options do I still have?"

While COVID-19 has caused an array of changes through 2020, birth is inevitable and we have to adapt and overcome.

The affects of COVID will vary by location, practice and provider, however, most are following similar procedures. Practices are generally requiring masks in office, reducing or postponing non-urgent visits, and requiring screenings upon entrance. One of the biggest effects, at this time, is a limit being placed on guests at appointments. Certain practices and providers are limiting each appointment to the patient only, unless this poses a medical risk. This policy has been implemented to limit the risk of transmission and overcrowding of the office, allowing for proper social distancing.

Hospitals and birthing centers are also operating differently by location, however, it is typical for an updated visitation policy to have been put into place. Most hospitals and centers in the North/Metro Georgia area are allowing only one support person or partner. This person shall be the only guest for the duration of your stay. While this is now common practice, more and more hospitals and centers are beginning to allow doulas back into the birthing space.

We recommend checking into your chosen birthing facility, if you plan to hire a doula for your birth. However, virtual doula services have given us the opportunity to continue supporting our clients from afar, during this trying time.

Are you familiar with the rebozo?

A rebozo is technically defined as a long, woven scarf-like garment, but has been widely used through Mexican culture, during and after birth.

Rebozos are used to manage pain, achieve desired fetal position, and shorten the length of labor.

A large amount doulas and care providers are trained in using this tool to help shift baby into a better position for birth. Fetal malpositioning can cause the birthing person an excessive amount of pain while also making for a complicated birth on mom and baby.

A rebozo is typically used while the birthing person is on their hands and knees, lying on their back or lying on their side. Rocking, jiggling, swaying, sifting and pelvic massage are all movements that can be created by the rebozo. The rebozo works to relieve pressure from the birthing person, open the hips, and relax the muscles around the pelvis.

Fun fact: Due to the spreading use of the traditional Mexican rebozo, it has become exceedingly popular in many different areas. Researchers in Demark found that before 2014, only 2% of births included a rebozo. However, this figure had risen to 9% in the year 2018.

Fortunately, as part of our doula certification, rebozo training is required. The rebozo can be used in so many ways, that it is practically a necessity for your doula.

Photos provided by Best Doula Training

Let’s talk birth advocating.

While your doula is not hired to be your advocate, we are hired to give you the information and tools you need to ensure you are aware of what is happening around you and in a position to give informed consent.

Your birthing partner is the best person to advocate for you, aside from yourself. This is why it is imperative to make them aware of your birthing plans ahead of time. Your birth partner may act as a protecter during labor, giving you more freedom to focus on your body and not the world around you. For these reasons, It is very helpful to be on the same page beforehand.

We have added affiliate links to our website. You can now access the Prepared Feeding, Pregnancy and Birth Meditations and the Preparing for Birth courses by following the link below.

Each of these courses are offered by BEST Doula Training and can be beneficial resources to help you through labor, birth, infant feeding and postpartum.

www.willowtreebirth.com/affiliate-courses

We have a new blog post up on our website that addresses the benefits of the placenta as well as the tasks it is faced with.

Follow the link below to check it out!

https://www.willowtreebirth.com/the-placenta

The Placenta A doula supports a birthing person mentally, physically and emotionally through the birthing process. Doulas are with you to honor your birthing plan that you set in place prior to labor and making the process as smooth as possible.

Massage During Labor

As in most situations, massage is beneficial in reducing pain and relaxing the body, however, these benefits can be magnified during labor.

Massage during labor:

👐🏼reduces muscle tension
👐🏾relieves anxiety and stress
👐🏼reduces swelling
👐🏾reduces pain (primarily in the back during
labor)
👐🏼improves your circulation, in turn, improving the oxygen delivered to your baby
👐🏾causes your body to produce oxytocin, which aids in the thinning and dilation of the cervix
👐🏼improves APGAR scores for baby directly after birth

In conclusion, the points above ultimately lead to a decrease in the active time a woman labors before giving birth.

However, don’t assume that massage is only good for labor. Massage can be beneficial prenatally and postpartum as well. 😉

I’m in complete awe of everyone! 2 likes shy of 150 in two days!

The website is practically completed so I’m going to go ahead and share it.

www.willowtreebirth.com

Now.. what do we do?

Did you know that continuous support through the birthing process leads to an increase in oxytocin, which in turn stimulates powerful contractions to thin and dilate your cervix, decreasing your overall time in labor? In addition, mobility and self esteem are increased. An increase in mobility ultimately decreases your pain levels, decreasing the probability of an epidural. Each of the factors lead to a decrease in cesarean rates and better infant outcomes, at the hands of your doula.

A doula supports a birthing person mentally, physically and emotionally through the birthing process. Doulas are with you to honor your birthing plan that you set in place prior to labor and work to make the process as smooth as possible. Doulas can provide mental and emotional support through late pregnancy, labor, birth and during the first few weeks post partum, when the "baby blues" most often arrive. Doulas have a lot to offer that can be physically appeasing to the birthing person as well. Through techniques that are part of the doula certification, massage, an array of birthing positions and more, doulas can be very beneficial to your birthing team.

Willow Tree Birth Services Doulas can provide mental and emotional support through late pregnancy, labor, birth and during the first few weeks post partum, when the "baby blues" most often arrive. Doulas have a lot to offer that can be physically appeasing to the birthing person as well. Through techniques that are part of th...

How did we get here?

My name is Whitney McDowell and I started Willow Tree Birth Services with the intention of offering birth support to women in all "walks of life." My passion for birth work started prior to my first pregnancy, but really took off after my birth experience. I feel as if my pregnancy and birth care were highly influenced by my age. As a young birthing person, I do not feel as if I was adequately informed of my rights in birth or the decisions I was making. My goal is to provide mental and physical support during the birthing process and labor, while also providing the birthing person with the information needed to give informed consent during her prenatal, laboring and postpartum care.