The Birth Hub

thiss is a wonderful local initiative

This is our new fundraising initiative. Our own brand of clothing which we are selling online. We would really value your support.

I have long talked about the problems that can stem from our use of the word ‘risk’.

For many years, I have written about how we can effectively discuss risk with women and families.

I’ve continued that conversation in my latest book, “In Your Own Time: How western medicine controls the start of labour and why this needs to stop.”

As I write in the book:

“The word ‘risk’ simply means ‘chance.’
It doesn’t mean ‘you have a medical condition.’

Life itself is risky, and we all encounter risks every day.

Getting out of bed is risky, but thankfully not very risky, so we generally all do this every morning.

We need to put risks into context.

There are pros and cons to induction, as with everything in life.

What’s important is that you have good evidence and knowledge, so that you can weigh up the decision and decide what’s right for you.

Find out more at www.sarawickham.com/time

There are a number of different approaches to the birth of the placenta.

Some women birth their placenta naturally.

Some have their placental birth medically managed.

There are pros and cons to each option.

If you have certain other types of intervention, such as induction or augmentation of labour, your options may be more limited, but you still have choices.

To answer a question that we get asked by many women: your placenta belongs to you.

It is always a good idea to get informed
before you decide what's right for you.

If you'd like information about the birth of the placenta, we have an information hub on www.sarawickham.com/byp which links to some free blogs posts, articles and information pages as well as my book on this topic.

The evidence shows that holistic care around the birth of the placenta significantly reduced the rate of postpartum haemorrhage for low risk women… like from 11.2% to 1.7%, in a hospital setting.
The researchers in this study concluded that ‘Active management was associated with a seven to eight fold increase in postpartum haemorrhage rates for this group of women’.
This means that when you attend a hospital as a low risk woman, at low risk of postpartum haemorrhage, the standard method of placental birth management (use of oxytocin injection and controlled cord traction) will result in an 11.2% chance of experiencing a postpartum haemorrhage… this is compared to if you had holistic midwifery led care to support placental birth to come out without medication or intervention, which results in a postpartum haemorrhage only 1.7% of the time.
There you have it, you can read it for yourself, it’s called ‘Holistic physiological care compared with active management of the third stage of labour for women at low risk of postpartum haemorrhage: a cohort study’

The Belly Mapping® Method is a three-step process for identifying baby’s position in the final months of pregnancy. Parents can use Belly Mapping® for their own enjoyment and education, while medical caregivers can use it to enhance their skills via visual clues.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3qAWbSV
📸: IG

We have evidence from studies involving thousands of women and babies that using water for labour and birth is safe and leads to good outcomes.

Using water also brings advantages for some women, including less need for other kinds of pain relief and increased maternal satisfaction.

But, as with many things in obstetrics, practice doesn’t always follow evidence.

Some organisations, such as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, do not recommend waterbirth. They sometimes cite anecdotal stories and hypothetical risks, while ignoring large studies which evidence that waterbirth is safe for women and babies.

This means that researchers need to keep doing more studies in order to demonstrate that woman-centred options are safe and effective.

This week, US researchers have published another analysis of waterbirth outcomes.

This is a prospective observational study of 2077 low-risk pregnant women. Some stayed on land the whole time, some laboured in water and got out to give birth and some laboured and birthed in water.

And the results? No surprise. Again, this study showed that waterbirth is safe for babies.

“In this cohort of low-risk pregnant women, births in water and on land were associated with similar rates of admission to the NICU.” (Lanier et al 2021).

Will it change anything?

Well for that to happen, obstetric organisations would have to become as evidence-based as they like to claim they are.

You can read the research at https://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/Fulltext/2021/10000/Neonatal_Outcomes_After_Delivery_in_Water.15.aspx

Find out more about birth, research and how to make sense of it all at www.sarawickham.com

PREGNANT MAMAS! LAST FISH HOEK ANTENATAL COURSE OF THE YEAR! We are a team of 2 doulas and an independent midwife and would like to remind you about our fantastic ANTENATAL CLASSES IN FISH HOEK! If you are pregnant, you must join us for our 6 week birthing and beyond course, covering everything from the medical side of birth, an introduction to hypnobirthing and life with your newborn to breastfeeding. Run by Angela Wakeford , Sherelle Hamann and Doula Charlene Yared West , this course covers all bases and will give you the best preparation for your birth, no matter what turn it takes. Email us at [email protected] and visit us at www.thebirthhub.co.za for more info. Upcoming course dates: 19 October, 26 October, 2 November, 9 November, 16 November, 23 November… boom now!

When can I come see the baby?”⁠
A question new moms might hear over and over.⁠
At least at first. ⁠
⁠
Sometimes before she has left the hospital.⁠
Before she has had a chance to sleep.⁠
Before she has even showered off the blood.⁠
“When can I come see the baby?”⁠
⁠
Her phone dings while she settles back in to her home with a brand new human - to her brand new normal.⁠
Her oestrogen and progesterone levels are plummeting from the highest they’ve ever been to the lowest. She is shaky and hot and cold and sweaty and weak.⁠
Whether she chooses to breastfeed or not, her milk is coming in and she is sore and engorged.⁠
Whether she delivered vaginally or by c-section, her uterus will be contracting for days and weeks. Sometimes it’s as painful as labor.⁠
She’s bleeding and will continue to bleed for up to six weeks post-delivery.⁠
Her crotch is swollen and puffy and sore, or her incision is painful, or both.⁠
⁠
She is struggling to go to the bathroom - and she p*es her pants (or pad) when she laughs, sneezes, and coughs.⁠
Her core muscles are weak, making lifting ANYthing hard.⁠
She’s starving. Endlessly starving.⁠
She has stretch marks and varicose veins, hair loss and acne, blurry vision and dry eyes. She sees a stranger in the mirror.⁠
⁠
She is totally and utterly exhausted. She hasn’t slept for more than an hour at a time in days or weeks.⁠
Any independence she had - to run errands, go to work, shower, eat, p*e, sleep - has been suspended for now.⁠
So when you walk into her house, look at HER first.⁠
Give her space to heal, to bond, and to rest if she needs it.⁠
Be there if she needs it.⁠
⁠
Offer to help her.⁠
And then help her.⁠
Admire the baby, sure.⁠
But don’t forget to nurture the mother."⁠
⁠
Words ⁠
Photo
from

[FREE Live Series] Postpartum Depression & Anxiety In These Times Join me for an exploration into the meaning behind postpartum depression, tools and practical ways to support Mothers and access to an ongoing support group of new mothers.

Squatting lengthens the pelvic floor and other pelvic muscles to let your pelvis open more freely during childbirth. A longer pelvic floor is a more versatile pelvic floor that can hold urine, birth a baby, and make s*x more enjoyable. It also improves digestion, and joint and perineal flexibility, reducing straining and hemorrhoids.⁣⁣⁣⁣
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We don’t recommend 50 a day or three sets of 15. Instead, make it a regular part of cooking (prepping veggies on a low table), childcare, and movement. Learn more about squatting smart with Daily Essentials: https://bit.ly/3mAmDwR

(📷: IG yogi.bianca)⁣⁣⁣

Have you heard about dates helping your cervix to ‘ripen’?

Dates are a sacred fruit, especially in Islamic traditions. The Qu’ran, the holy book of Islam, Allah instructs Maryam (experienced strong pains during her pregnancy with Isa) to eat dates to ease her discomfort. The verse says, “And shake toward you, the trunk of the Palm tree, it will drop upon you ripe fresh dates.”

Dates contain saturated and unsaturated fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids, which are involved in saving and supplying energy and construction of prostaglandins. In addition the serotonin, tannin, and calcium in dates contribute to the contraction of smooth muscles of the uterus therefore helping to ‘ripen’ that cervix. Dates also have a laxative effect, which is known to stimulate contractions.

The evidence suggests that when people start eating dates at around 36 weeks pregnant there are beneficial results such as higher bishop scores, increased chance fo spontaneous labour, shorter first stage and less likely to need IOL.

Although this evidence is not applicable to those with diabetes (gestational or pre-existing) and a discussion should be had with your doctor before you add these in to your diet. 

The ideal dosage is around 70-100g of dates per day. This is equivalent to 4 large medjool dates or 6-10 smaller dates. The studies don’t specify a type of date, so go with what you like and eat all in one go or over the day. Again that is up to you.

Dates are amazing fuel for labour and birth too. Great for snacking on for a little energy hit. So give them a go, they cause no harm and are tasty too, if they do what the research suggests then happy days!

Did you eat dates in your pregnancy?

go for it!!

The first edition of Preparing for Birth: Mothers was published in 1987 (over 34 years ago). A best seller with over 500,000 copies sold. It's a concise guide to pregnancy, birth and the first few weeks following birth. It is ideal for women wanting to give birth using their ability and resources rather than being a passive recipient of maternity care. Hospitals, midwives and childbirth educators worldwide use Preparing for Birth: Mothers as background notes for facilitating education with their clients.

It's taken me months of hard work to bring this new addition to life. Popular Australian midwife artist Holly Priddis beautiful paintings illustrate sections of the book. All previous line drawings are now full-colour images. This is the book we wish all pregnant women had access to.

We’re giving the eBook away for free through Amazon for three days, starting now and until the 26th of August at 2 pm (Sydney time).

Go to: https://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B09CV2G9QB/

Sherelle and Charlene

💜

Sitting on a birth ball with your hips higher than your knees helps you maintain good posture, keeps your spine and pelvis in dynamic movement, and your abdomen a hammock for the baby.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3lJsTCb
(📸: Lisa Phillips Photography)

Essential Breastfeeding Course – Register sister lilian centre's essential breastfeeding course Breastfeeding is one of the amazing life experiences a woman and her baby can share and benefit from! Here’s everything you need to know about nursing and how to love your breastfeeding days.

Did you know there are so many things that can affect how your cervix dilates in labour? ⁣
⁣
Dilation is the opening of your cervix. It starts from being closed or 0cm to opening to fully dilated or 10cm.

There are many things that can affect the way your cervix dilates:⁣
⁣
𝟏. 𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠: If you are on baby number 1 then your cervix usually takes longer to dilate than in subsequent pregnancies.
⁣
𝟐. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡/𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: You uterus contracting is what encourages dilation. It pushes your baby’s head down on the cervix applying pressure. If regular and strong contractions do not build then dilation will not happen. ⁣
⁣
𝟑. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: The presentation means the way your baby is lying and which part is lowest in the pelvis (the presenting part, so their head, bum, shoulder etc). Different parts may apply uneven pressure affecting dilation. ⁣
⁣
𝟒. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲’𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Again this is all about application of pressure. If your baby is OP/back to back, deflexed or asynclitic then uneven pressure is applied to the cervix. ⁣
⁣
𝟓. 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Any medication, prostaglandins or oxytocin drugs used in induction of labour is used to force dilation. ⁣
⁣
𝟔. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: Yep your birth environment can either make you feel safe and comfortable to labour and dilate or it can create fear and insecurity which can stall it. This is one of the most underrated aspects of “progress”.⁣
⁣
Despite guidelines there is no ‘one size’ fits all. There will be phrases like ‘slow/failure to progress’ thrown out there but this is usually because there is an obsession with constant vaginal examinations (so ridiculously unnecessary) and having you on a time line, starting the clock and expecting your body to perform as per a textbook. We know it just doesn’t work like that. ⁣
⁣

A Midwife – Everything you need to know about Pregnancy & Birth — Elana Afrika's Baby Brunch What exactly does a midwife do? Registered nurse and midwife Angela Wakeford talks to us from her depth of experience as we define the role of a midwife, both independently and in relation to gynaecologists and doulas, as well as when and why we might need the expertise of a midwife during our journ

Today I honour our very own amazing midwife Angela Wakeford! Thank you for the care and love you provide to new parents and the confidence you instill in woman to birth on their own terms. Thank you 💞

I’m so excited for the conversation with Jacky Bloemraad-de Boer. I felt inspired to connect with Jacky after reading her latest Postpartum Manual - a practical manual for mothers, midwives, doulas and other care providers. I found it a beautifully curated bouquet of knowledge answering many questions I hear new mothers ask in my practice. I would love to get it into many new mothers’ hands.

Jacky is a certified professional midwife (CPM), traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, doula, nutritionist, herbalist and breastfeeding counsellor. She has worked in the Netherlands & Africa as a midwife, doula, women’s health practitioner and as an educator, she has trained midwives, doulas and postpartum care professionals.
Jacky has published two books, A-Z for a Healthy Pregnancy and Natural Childbirth and a Postpartum Manual.
The red thread linking all aspects of Jacky’ work is her heart’s longing that woman receive respectful, culturally appropriate care, which will allow them to experience pregnancy, birth and motherhood as positive and powerful.

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but attachment parenting in a detached society is exhausting.
No. It’s not your baby.
There is nothing wrong with them if they want to be held all the time.
No. It’s not you.
You’re not doing it wrong.
Your feelings of exhaustion and depletion and being touched out are normal- considering the weight you’re carrying. Those feelings, and the deep ache underneath them - are a reminder that you were never meant to do this alone.
Babies want to be held. And we want to hold them close. Exclusive/extended breastfeeding, cosleeping, babywearing- all of these are intuitive, ancestral practices that have kept our species alive throughout history. Attachment parenting is just parenting!!
But never before have we parented in such isolation. There were always other hands stirring the soup pot, other aunties, and sisters, and uncles and grandmas, and cousins, and neighbors helping with the daily tasks and child rearing. Other arms carrying the weight of raising humanity. Together.
And now, it’s just you. Alone in the kitchen, trying to stir the soup and bounce the baby and play with the toddler and keep an eye on the big kid and answer the phone and sweep up the mess and tackle the laundry and .....
No matter how magical your baby wrap is — it can’t take the place of a whole village.
So no, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just trying to stay connected in a world set on tearing you apart.
But don’t give up mama. I know you’re tired and touched out, but you’re giving your baby exactly what she needs. And maybe one day, when she’s raising her own babies,there will be a village around her, helping her hold it all together.

Beautiful words and Pic by on Instagram

Is My Baby Too Big? - Spinning Babies Is my baby too big? Is it CPD or not? When it comes to fitting through the pelvis head size is less important than is the angle of the baby’s head.