Giving Birth Naturally - Making Informed Choices and Enjoying Parenthood
Helping moms and dads make informed choices though pregnancy, birth, babyhood and beyond.
Find Making Informed Choices and Enjoying Parenthood at http://www.giving-birth-naturally.net/ Also see our shop at http:/www.Bumbeline.co.za for Baltic Amber Teething Necklaces, Adult Amber Jewellery, Hawelwood Jewellery, Bamboo Cloth Nappies, Menstrual Cups and more!
04/06/2018
04/06/2018
21/05/2018
From our sister page Diary of a Durban Doula, the follow up to my post on my experience of prodromal labour: The birth of my second child played a huge role in my decision to become a doula... so nearly 7 years later, here it is! The story of our almost unassisted home water birth after nearly a week of prodromal labour...
10/05/2018
A new page on our sister site Diary of a Durban Doula - My experience of prodromal labour :-)
My experience of Prodromal Labour My experience of prodromal labour or prelabor symptoms, sometimes referred to as 'fake labour' although it doesn't feel fake at all!
24/04/2018
Birth Story with a Back Story :-)
Judah's Birth Story - An Unmedicated Hospital Birth Advocating for evidence based maternity care and empowered birth experiences for all.
20/04/2018
Birth Story featured on our sister site Diary of a Durban Doula
Ciane's Birth Story - Unexpected, Unassisted Home Birth Our planned midwife assisted home water birth turned into an unplanned, unassisted, dry home birth.
17/04/2018
Featured on our sister page today :-)
Sarah Grace's Birth Story - A Hospital Birth with Epidural and Vacuum Assistance Linda's First Baby - a Hospital Birth with Epidural and Vacuum Assistance
10/04/2018
I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading birth stories! Continuing with our series on our sister page Diary of a Durban Doula, this story from Carina, a beautiful midwife assisted, birth centre water birth. Share if you were encouraged!
Cara-Mia's Birth Story - A Midwife-Assisted Birth Centre Birth A midwife-assisted birth centre natural water birth.
05/04/2018
Another featured birth story :-) Please like our sister page Diary of a Durban Doula if you'd like to see links for future posts!
Arwen's Birth Story - A Midwife-Assisted Hospital Water Birth Belinda tells the story of her first baby's midwife-assisted hospital water birth.
05/04/2018
Featured birth story on our sister site!
Abigail's Birth Story - A First Baby Born at Home Advocating for evidence based maternity care and empowered birth experiences for all.
26/03/2018
From my doula blog... the birth story of my littlest sproglet who was born two years ago today...
Isaac's Birth Story - Our quick, intense, didn't-make-it-into-the-water home birth... Advocating for evidence based maternity care and empowered birth experiences for all.
19/03/2018
From our sister page!
Top Doula Tip: Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera! Advocating for evidence based maternity care and empowered birth experiences for all.
07/04/2016
Isaac's Birth Story - Our quick, intense, didn't-make-it-into-the-water, dad-the-babycatcher home birth... the uncut version!
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2016/04/isaacs-birth-story-our-quick-intense_7.html
Isaac's Birth Story - Our quick, intense, didn't-make-it-into-the-water home birth... As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
26/03/2016
So excited to share! The newest addition to our family was born at our home last night :-) The birth was quick and intense, 4 hours beginning to end, but so peaceful and empowering! More pics in the post :-)
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.ke/2016/03/welcome-to-our-newest-little-jansen.html
Welcome to our newest little Jansen! As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
21/03/2016
In which I fetch the birth pool, finish some projects, have a great massage, and process some of the emotional turmoil of the past few weeks....
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2016/03/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-38.html
Durban Doula's Pregnancy Diary - Week 38 As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
11/03/2016
My latest pregnancy diary after a rough two weeks!
'I really felt that someone should just lock me away - preferably in a room with padded everything and Netflix and Magnum Chocolate Ice Cream'
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.com/2016/03/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-36.html
04/03/2016
Week 34 - Postpartum planning and FOOD!
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2016/03/durban-doula-pregnancy-diary-week-34_4.html
15/02/2016
About aching for beauty and seeking pleasure in my Week 32 Pregnancy Diary...
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.com/2016/02/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-32.html
Durban Doula's Pregnancy Diary Week 32 - Aching for Beauty As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
10/02/2016
Birth Monopoly shared this post of mine from last year :-)
Diary of a Durban Doula: The day Kate called the Midwives... I love your take on this - what bugs me most about this whole thing is poor girl. She must be tired and sore and there she has to strut out, ook stunning and wave to the world. I do hope they had her gown and slippers waiting at home.
02/02/2016
Latest Pregnancy Diary... some general updates after last week's weighty offering!
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2016/02/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-30.html
19/01/2016
A week late on our week 28 pregnancy diary... We enter the third trimester with quite a serious topic: To snip or not to snip... Which snip am I talking about? Read and find out...
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2016/01/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-third.html
Durban Doula's Pregnancy Diary - Third Trimester! Week 28 As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
18/01/2016
Any South Africans? Only 2 days left!!
HUGE GIVEAWAY! Placenta Encapsulation for a 2016 motherbaby! The competition will run for the next 2 weeks and the winner will be randomly drawn on the 21st of January 2016. To enter you will need to comment by tagging your friends AND sharing this post. This giveaway is worth R2 000.
*T&Cs apply. For births in Gauteng, KwaZulu Natal and Eastern Cape regions only or if you can get your placenta to a Placenta Specialist in this region after the birth. Can be gifted if you are the winner. Photo credit "Mama's Medicine"
The amazing benefits of placenta encapsulation include:
• Preventing and lessening the risk of postpartum depression or “baby blues”
• Replenishing iron from blood loss during birth and prevention of post birth anaemia in the mother
• Lending a consistent flow of Oxytocin (the love hormone) long after the birth euphoria ends
• Provides the HPL hormone to help establish early and healthy milk supply for breastfeeding
• Stabilizes constantly fluctuating hormones post birth
• Replenishes B vitamins and energy that were used during the labour and birth process
• Protection from infection and bleeding due to retained placenta tissue or membranes
• Offers natural pain relief from the labour and birth process via the hormone POEF (Placenta Opioid Enhancing Factor)
14/12/2015
A moment of mourning in the midst of an otherwise joyous pregnancy...
'I do love my children fiercely and I find parenting immensely fulfilling, but I don't think it's fair on any child to expect them to be the primary source of a woman's sense of value and affirmation. That responsibility is too great for any person, never mind a child.'
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.com/2015/12/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-24.html
04/12/2015
22 weeks! Latest Pregnancy Diary! Clinic visits, camping adventures, clothing solutions and feminist frustrations. (Yay for aliteration!)
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.com/2015/12/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-22.html
20/11/2015
Week 20 - Halfway there and we find out whether we're having a boy or a girl :-)
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.com/2015/11/durban-doula-pregnancy-diary-week-20.html
Durban Doula Pregnancy Diary Week 20 As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
05/11/2015
Week 18's Pregnancy Diary - complete with insane unintentionally unassisted second VBAC! And I won a prize!
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2015/11/durban-doula-pregnancy-diary-week-18.html
Durban Doula Pregnancy Diary Week 18 As a Doula, I serve and support moms though the childbearing process in whatever way I can - creating space for informed decision making and advocating for empowered birth experiences for moms here in Durban. That and advocating for evidence based care for mothers the world over!
28/10/2015
'Women sharing conflicting slices of information are not warring.'
'It’s also important to remember that a lot of the time, what’s perceived as judgment isn’t actually judgment. Sharing contradictory information isn’t judgment, although it’s often labelled so. Even people being tactless aren’t always being judgmental. Particularly in conversations surrounding women’s reproduction, there tends to be a swiftness to call “judgment” as a kind of silencing tactic.'
'But to insist that women’s nuanced, emotional or contrary peer-to-peer discourse is “war” is infantilising, and insulting.'
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/28/the-mummy-wars-are-the-patriarchys-latest-attempt-to-control-women
The 'mummy wars' are the patriarchy's latest attempt to control women | Kim Lock The ‘end mommy wars’ advertisement shames mothers by insisting their beliefs are ‘judgments’ of other women. It is also infantalising and insulting
22/10/2015
I see this every day. Thanks Birth Monopoly
22/10/2015
Week 16 already! Wardrobe issues, goggles, belly pics and cloth nappies etc!
http://diaryofadurbandoula.blogspot.co.za/2015/10/durban-doulas-pregnancy-diary-week-16.html