A publication of Birth Works, Inc. Editor: Debra Mendelson, MSW, CCE Volume II, Issue 2  May 15, 2001

Welcome to the Birth Works E News. This is a forum for you to get to know us better and read about new and exciting things going on at Birth Works.

Birth Works embodies the philosophy of developing a woman's self confidence, trust and faith in her ability to give birth. It is the goal of our Childbirth classes and Doula services as well as our Childbirth Educator and Doula certification programs to promote safe and loving birth experiences through education, introspection and confident action. 

In This Issue.......

for the mind...ANNOUNCING! The NEW Birth Works® Postpartum Doula Certification Program for the body... The Power of Touch for the spirit... Mother's Day Thoughts Schedule of remaining 2001 Educator and Doula Training Workshops! Announcements Support our Sponsors! Advertise online with Midwifery Today's Birth Market

Copyright Marilyn Nolt

Birth Works Feature Articles

...for the mind

Announcing the NEW Birth Works Postpartum Doula CertificationProgram! Birth Works is now offering certification programs in childbirth education, birth doula, and now postpartum doula certification, covering all aspects of birth from pregnancy, through birth and the transition back home.

The word doula comes from the ancient Greek, literally translated as slave, servant, or handmaiden. Dana Raphael, in her 1973 book, The Tender Gift, coined the term doula, to mean a woman or women who help create a supportive physical and emotional climate around a new mother, facilitating successful breastfeeding. In other words, the doula “mothers the mother.”

Adjusting to life with a new baby has many facets. There is stress as the new family adjusts to different sleep patterns and establishes a new routine. A postpartum doula may help organize the nursery, prepare light meals, throw in a load of wash and clean up the kitchen. A doula will run an errand or two, giving the family the chance to spend time at home together. She guides the mother in learning how to fit the baby into her life, day and night, asleep and awake. She helps the new mother with breastfeeding, teaching the mother positioning and breast care. She may teach infant massage or even give the mother a massage to help relax her. She fosters the bond between mother and baby, and guides the mother in following her own instincts regarding the care of her newborn. She also teaches baby care basics to the mother and father, such as bathing, umbilical care, and diapering. She gives praise and encouragement as the mother gains confidence in her role.

Older siblings may need extra attention during a time when the new baby needs its mother most. A postpartum doula can help minimize stress by encouraging the family to express all feelings, whether positive or negative. There is also tremendous joy and a feeling of bliss when there is a new baby in the house. A doula validates and honors all of these feelings as she serves the new family. Many mothers feel more comfortable being at home than in the hospital after the birth of their baby, but are unsure of themselves. Although the doula is a non-medical provider, she has the ability to recognize potential problems with a newborn, such as jaundice or breastfeeding problems. She may also recognize signs of postpartum depression in a new mother and can make appropriate referrals when necessary.

The postpartum doula fills a long-missing component of perinatal services. With increasing separation of the nuclear family in the United States, postpartum doulas provide support and care that has been lacking for many years in this country. Birth Works recognizes the need for postpartum doulas in every community. We believe in the necessity of a standard of care provided by these women serving women and their families.

The Birth Works^® Postpartum Doula Certification Program is available to anyone who is interested in working with new families during the postpartum period, to help them more fully enjoy the early days with their new baby. The role of the doula is not to assume primary responsibility for the newborn, but to assist the mother and her partner in their new role as parents so they can more easily bond with and take care of their baby. The postpartum doula provides non-medical support and helps to create a nurturing environment for the mother, father, and baby - she “mothers the mother” during these exciting and challenging times. Certification includes attending the Birth Works Postpartum Doula Training Workshop, reading several books and writing a report on them, learning about breastfeeding and CPR, compiling a Resource Guide and providing postpartum doula support to clients.

Susan Esserman MSW, LCSW, CD and Vicki Hedley CCE, CD, are the designers and facilitators of the Birth Works postpartum workshop training and partners with Birth Works in the development of this exciting national postpartum doula certification program. Susan and Vicki are the co-founders of Seventh Moon Perinatal Support Services™ of New Jersey; which offers birth and postpartum doula services, childbirth education, prenatal and postpartum counseling and support. They have been training birth and postpartum doulas for the last two years. Susan and Vicki will be facilitating the upcoming postpartum doula training workshop this Fall, Oct. 3-5 in Bergen County, NJ. For more information and to register contact Susan Esserman at SusanE@birthworks.org.

...for the body

The Power of Touch Doulas have long known how their very touch can help a woman let go in labor. Touch carries energy. We can feel this energy if we rub our palms together, very rapidly for a time and then hold them an inch or so apart from each other. You might feel warmth, tingling, a magnetism that is unmistakable. Touch is so integral to human existence that we will not thrive without it. For a woman in labor, the familiar touch of her partner or the doula's calming stoke can help her to relax and let go physically. But more than that, touch will help her feel reassured and loved. Here are a few common sense tips from the Birth Works Doulas of Love Guidebook that are helpful to remember when we offer massage during labor.

Approach the skin slowly with your warm hands and leave slowly Massage slowly Keep your hands in constant contact with the skin Practice the art of talking less Follow your instinct as you massage and send love through your hands

Copyright Marilyn Nolt

Visit http://www.birthworks.org/store.phtml to read more about the Doulas of Love Guidebook: A Guidebook for Doulas and Expectant Parents written by Cathy Daub, President and Founder of Birth Works.

...for the spirit

Let's look at a relatively recent phenomenon in childbearing, that is the absence of our mother's presence during our labors. There was a time, not so long ago where it was commonplace to have our mothers, sisters, aunts with us while we labored and gave birth. They were after all among the wise women who had taken this journey before us. Today, when we ask expectant women if they have considered having their mother attend the birth of their child many will exclaim emphatically, "Why no! My mother is the last person I think I'd want at my birth". And in the next breath say, but I wish that she was different so that I could feel comfortable having her with me. Indeed, the generation of mothers who birthed before us did so in the age of general anesthesia and a time when babies were routinely separated and bottlefed during a long and isolating hospital stay. Could our mothers trust birth enough to sit calmly and simply be there for us when we cry out to them? Can we trust our mothers enough to let them try?

May is the month of mothers. We honor our mothers with phone calls and cards, flowers and hugs. For those of us who have lost our mothers, we remember their special qualities and miss them and for those of us who are angry at our mothers, we wish things were different. While some mothers and daughters are simply unable to have healthy adult relationships, most relationships have the potential to become stronger. Strengthening our relationship with our mother is rarely simple, particularly today when so many mothers and daughters live miles away from each other and there is little face to face time to sort through past hurts, forgive and develop mutual respect and gratitude for the gift of each other. A pregnant daughter contemplates the quality of the relationship she has with her mother. She, herself will be a mother soon. Can you imagine what she may be feeling if she is very angry at her mother? Perhaps she is secretly wondering...if I could feel this way about my mother, could my child feel this way about me someday?

Pregnancy presents an opportunity in the mother-daughter life cycle, to try to heal our relationship with our mother. It is important to have the courage to talk with our mother honestly to resolve difficult issues and to learn new and healthy ways to communicate. As our pregnant body grows and changes, our mother may be hurting inside because she too is experiencing great change. She may fear aging and becoming a grandparent or simply feel hurt that she is no longer needed in the same way by her own children. Perhaps at this time, because of our own impending motherhood, we can recognize that our mother did the best she could raising us, just like we will do our best when we embark on raising our children. And, for that, we can love and accept our mother and move on in our relationship with her. Relationships with parents have a tremendous potential to grow and change if we open our hearts, make peace with past hurts and practice forgiveness.

The unique and dynamic relationship we have with our mothers is explored in Birth Works certification training workshops and in education classes. For more detailed information on our certification programs and to find a Birth Works Childbirth Education Class in your community go to http://www.birthworks.org.

Upcoming 2001 Birth Works Training Workshops

Entry into our educator, doula, or postpartum doula certification programs is a prerequisite for attendance at the training workshop. Go to http://www.birthworks.org/cecert.html for Educator Certification and http://www.birthworks.org/doulacert.html for Doula Certification.

Announcements Birth Works Plans National Conference! Human Values in Birth: A New Perspective. You won't want to miss this national Birth Works conference. Come learn how to bring a new perspective to your birth work and your life. Save September 27-29, 2002 on your calendar and join us in Atlantic City! More details on speakers and the conference coming soon.

Sponsors-Midwifery Today is proud to introduce the Birth Market, our online Mother/Baby/Environment-Friendly Product and Services Directory. Check us out! Shop for wonderful birth-related products at the Birth Market or find a birth practitioner. Do you have a product or service to sell?  Are you a midwife, doula, or other birth practitioner? Become a part of the Birth Market today! http://www.birthmarket.com/

Birth Works E News has been written to provide information on Birth Works, Inc. programs and general information about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding. The information provided is not intended as a substitute for professional consultation with a childbirth educator, lactation consultant, doula, midwife, or physician. Hope you enjoyed this edition of Birth Works E News. Pass Birth Works E News on to your friends and colleagues--it's free! To subscribe to the next FREE Birth Works E-News, send your name and email address to enews@birthworks.org To stop receiving this newsletter: Send the email address you received it under to: unsub@birthworks.org and write unsubscribe in the subject box.