Birth with Bertha, llc. serving Warner Robins , Perry, Americus, Macon Georgia

Embracing Connection

Mon, 12 Feb 2024 19:17:45 -0800

In those sweet moments after giving birth, snuggling up with your little one skin-to-skin (also known as kangaroo care) isn't just a cute thing – it's perfection. Skin-to-skin is a practice that involves placing a newborn directly on the bare chest of a parent.. As someone who's all about supporting families in Middle Georgia through birth, I've seen how this simple act can be a game-changer. I love it so much! Let's chat about why snuggling up with your baby is a big deal, why it's awesome, and why it's basically the superhero of postpartum life for families in our community.

Skin To Skin originated in South America in the 1970s when two physicians in Bogotá, Colombia, used it to care for premature babies. They placed these tiny naked infants directly on their mothers' bodies, allowing the mom's warmth to keep the babies cozy. This technique, initially called the **kangaroo mother method**, has since been associated primarily with the skin-to-skin aspect. Here's why skin-to-skin contact is so beneficial for both babies and parents:

1. **Decreasing Stress**: Skin-to-skin time helps reduce stress in both the baby and parents. The physical closeness provides comfort and security.

2. **Bonding and Learning**: Through touch, sight, smell, and hearing, parents and infants learn about each other. This promotes bonding and strengthens the parent-infant relationship.

3. **Stabilizing Vital Signs**: Skin-to-skin contact helps regulate the baby's body temperature, heartbeat, breathing, and blood oxygen levels. It's like a warm, natural incubator. This blows my mind! God created our bodies so beautifully!

4. **Digestion and Immune System**: Babies who experience kangaroo care tend to have better digestion...Read More

Hospital bag checklist for childbirth

Sat, 06 Jan 2024 17:24:30 -0800

Your due date is fast approaching and you want to be ready to walk out that door when labor starts. As someone who LOVES lists and always over packs, I have reduced the amount of things that I recommend to only the essentials. As a Doula in Middle Georgia, I see so many bags being brought in and only a few things that are actually needed. Obviously, you do you and take all that makes you comfortable.

Here is a checklist of things you may want to take along to the hospital during labor.

Don’t forget the car seat! Have it installed and ready to use by week 36
Your birthplan. Have at least 3 copies along.
-Id, insurance card & Wallet
Toiletries
Extra hair ties
Chapstick
Fan or white noise machine
Robe or a pj shirt that opens in the front
Nursing bra or tank
Comfy clothes for postpartum ( plan to still wear pregnancy clothes for a bit)
Cell phone, chargers & extension cords
All the items you plan to use for comfort measures (play list, comb, tens unit,ect)
Nipple cream
Breast pads
Drinks & lots of snacks
Your comfy pillows and blankets
Depends are so amazing and comfortable
Going home outfit and blanket for baby
Pacifier
boppy (or just an extra pillow for breastfeeding support)

Hospitals provide….. Diapers, wipes, blankets, pads, mesh undies,peri bottle, birth ball & peanut ball..

What are your must have's for your labor bag?

Estimated Due Date

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 13:22:15 -0800

The big day!

The day you have been waiting for with great anticipation....

..your due date.

The day you get to meet your baby.

The day you become a Mama/Daddy.

The day you witness the miracle of birth.

The day you are at your strongest, yet most vulnerable.

The day you get to snuggle, kiss those sweet cheeks, count fingers & toes, and fall in love.

That day may come and go and you may still be pregnant.

THAT'S OK!!!

Did you know the only 1 in 30 babies are born on their due date?

I always tell my clients that a due date is a guess date. Don't be hyper focused on that one date.

Think about the fact that there are so many hormonal preparations that are happening to get ready for sweet babies arrival. Hormones like oxytocin, endorphins, adrenaline and prolactin all play a major role in regulating labor and birth.

Taking the focus off of the one date may take away some of your stress and anxiety .

Relax.

Breathe.

Rest.

Trust in your body’s ability to follow its natural process.

Baby will come when baby is ready.

In the still of the night

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 21:34:16 -0700

It’s the middle of the night and I’m at a hospital birth. I called my own family several hours ago and said good night. I love knowing they are all happy and tucked into bed. My mama mind can rest knowing they are all sleeping. (Even though they are all old enough to care for themselves, They are still my babies.)

Labor is going long.
As the new Mom-to-be is catching a nap, I grab a chair, pillow and blanket, curl up on the couch, prop my feet up on the chair and try to get into a comfy position. I never truly sleep.

I’m still watchful even when my eyes are closed. I listen for the slightest sound and know what’s needed before I even open my eyes...It may be to get her some ice, chapstick for her dry lips, silence an alarm, unhook monitors so she can use the restroom, massage her back if back labor settles in, offer comforting words letting her know all is normal & well, or just to make eye contact across the dimly lit room so she knows she is not in this alone.

There is nothing like the assurance and knowledge that someone will always be by your side, who knows your wishes and desires for this birth, gets you things you need, talks through your fears, laughs at silly shows on tv with you, and makes you feel as “at home” as possible.

And then..... Mom says, “I need to push!” ahhhhhh 🙌🤩 that rush of excitement fills the room! Energy starts to flow unlike anything I’ve ever experienced and once more I get to witness and support a women at her strongest, most vulnerable moment! Her strength, determination, and love for another human she has yet to meet is such a beautiful thing. Every push, every teardrop, every ounce of pain, every drop of sweat, all vanishes when she hears that sweet cry and meets the child she has been waiting for! That magical moment where time stands still, and heaven seems to come down to earth.
The miracle of birth.
This is what I love.

This is what I do.

VBAC Birth in Middle Ga

Thu, 12 Sep 2019 16:04:20 -0700

If you have experienced a Cesarean delivery you are not alone. In the USA nearly one in three women gives birth by cesarean section.

So many women believe that after one C-section they are locked into C-sections for life, and that may not be the case! Understand that not everyone with a prior cesarean is a candidate for a VBAC, so having this discussion with your doctor is important to fully understand if you have a good chance of a successful VBAC.

According to the American Pregnancy Association "If you desire to try a vaginal delivery after having had a cesarean, you should be encouraged by knowing that 90% of women who have undergone cesarean deliveries are candidates for VBAC".

Make sure your doctor or midwife is not only supportive of a VBAC but are also well-practiced in delivering babies that way. Find your individual provider's VBAC rate. And while no provider can promise you an outcome, its important to have these key discussions early on.

At my latest birth that I attended as a Birth Doula in middle Georgia, it was such an honor to serve to a VBAC Mother who,

A. Was aware of the risks involved

B. Had a super supportive Midwife

A Midwife's Own Birth Story

Sat, 07 Sep 2019 08:05:06 -0700

My Birth Story

Today is my 40'th birthday!! (cue the balloons, cake, and candles) LOL!

So, confession, I had been dreading turing 40. No other birthday has bothered me, but this one did. It sounded so old. 40. But God woke me up a little earlier than normal this morning and I have nothing but thankfulness in my heart! I am so blessed! I have Jesus! I have THE most amazing husband, children that bless me daily, I have great health, the most amazing job ever, the best family a girl could ever ask for, wonderful friends and the list goes on and on! I stepped out on my porch and as I watched the sunrise I thanked God for all my blessings and for bringing me into my 40's! What a beautiful day it is to be celebrated! My Mom and Dad called me first thing this morning, and as they do with every birthday, I hear the story of my birth. I love it! So I asked Mom if I could share it with yall.

Here it is... The day I was born.

Moms labor started the eve of Sept 6'th and they arrived at the hospital around 10 PM. She labored for 12 hours. They were SO excited cause this would be the first birth that my Dad was able to be in the delivery room for. ( Hospital did not allow him in there for my older brother and sisters birth) He would finally be able to support mom and see his child be born. The time came for pushing and Dr said: "ok, get ready cause about 3 more pushes she will be here"! Well, mom kept pushing for a while and I wouldn't come out! So Dr did an...Read More

Placenta Encapsulation

Fri, 06 Sep 2019 20:36:04 -0700

Placenta encapsulation. If you’re expecting, I’m sure you’ve heard a few people talking about it. Some people love it and talk to everyone about it, while others think it’s just straight-up weird and gross. But some people don’t know what it is.

What is placenta encapsulation?

Placenta encapsulation is a process in which, immediately following the birth of your baby, your placenta is taken, cleaned, dehydrated and ground into a coarse powder, which is then placed into small capsules that look exactly like any other vitamin or supplement we might take. It is then given to the mother for her to take over the course of the next few weeks or months after giving birth.

Why would a mother want to consume her placenta???

It has been known to:

increase energy
aid in milk production
decrease postnatal bleeding
decreased incidence of iron deficiency
elevate mood by balancing hormone fluctuations.

What say you? Would you eat...Read More

Birthing in Middle Georgia

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 20:52:57 -0700

When looking for options on childbirth in Macon, Warner Robins & Americus, it’s helpful to look at what’s most important to you for your birth and find an option that suits you.

Are you an expecting mom in the middle Georgia area?

Do you have all the questions and no answers?

Looking for a Midwife in Macon or Warner Robins?

Looking for a Webster Certified Chiropractor?

Not sure which OB to choose?

What hospitals are available to birth at?

Need a birth/newborn photographer?

Need a pregnancy massage?

Wanna see your sweet baby on Ultrasound?

Need Breastfeeding support?

I wish I had known these things before I had my babies.

Tue, 06 Aug 2019 17:54:10 -0700

This Won't Last Forever!

I may be the odd one, but I really enjoyed being pregnant! I felt great and loved every part of my pregnancy. I had "the glow", and relished in feeling my babies move and grow. But, when it came to week 36 of my pregnancy, I felt like I needed to rush it and hurry to delivery day. There are many things I have learned while studying to become a doula and now with all the continuing education I am doing, that I wish I had known when I was having babies. Below is a shortlist of a few of those things.

What I wish someone would have told me is, "enjoy those last few weeks. Go on dates with your husband while it's just the 2 of you, rest, go to the movies, get your nails done, meet with friends and stop trying to rush time".

Do your research on the Midwifery Model of care vs Medical Model of care and see what speaks to you! You have options!!!

You don't have to birth laying down, flat on your back! Trust your body, do what it's telling you to do.

No one tells you ( or they may try but you won't understand till you have a baby) how bad your 'lady parts" will hurt after the baby is here. That soreness is a real thing! Get prepared. These peri-pads are awesome!

Peri pads

Mix 3 drops each of
Frankincense
Helichrysum
Lavender
with 1 TSP FCO.
Wet a pad with water until damp. Then squirt oil mixture onto the pad. Seal in bag and place in the freezer. Use immediately after birth and as needed

Clary Sage is a wonderful support for labor, especially when labor is stalled. Typically Clary Sage is avoided in pregnancy, but once you are full term and your body is ready for delivery, it is a great support. Apply to the inside of ankles or lower tummy.

Just inhaling its scent can help you feel more relaxed and calm during the birthing process.

Wild Orange is a great mood booster if you are feeling discouraged, may help a laboring mom stay focused and also help ease nausea. Plus, its like sunshine in a bottle!

Balance Blend is AMAZING in the delivery room. Its so great to diffuse along with Wild Orange for calm and focus. Also massaging moms feet and shoulders help keep her calm, balanced and focused.