Ridge Meadows Doula Services

Your experienced Doula Collective (Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and beyond!)

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the 411 one “rule”

November 10, 2015

The 411 rule is what most Childbirth Educators use when teaching a prenatal class. It’s in reference to going to the hospital. Ridge Meadows Doula Services believes there is more to this simple formula, we suggest parents don’t get hung up on the numbers and timing every contraction. We suggest you are mindful to the emotional precursors as well. With regard to waves (contractions), you will want to wait until your contractions are:

 

 

· 4 minutes apart or less.

· Lasting 1 minute long or longer

· Stay home with the contractions 1 minute long for 1 hour (or longer)

 

Emotional precursors that can also be signals are:

· Very serious

· Aren’t talking during contractions

· Are not walking during a contraction

· Are very focused only on their contractions and can’t be distracted

· They may be ritualistic behaviours

· They may start to make deep groaning sounds

While these are all guesstimates on when to go to the hospital, they aren’t perfect science. Each woman enters their birthing time and has a different experience. having a doula with you to help you relax and cope with waves (contractions) can be helpful. doulas have seen may births and can give you a good idea of when it is time to leave for the hospital.

 

Categories : Birthing Tagged : abbotsford doula., coquitlam doula, maple ridge, Maple Ridge Doula, mapleridge, Pitt meadows, placenta Encapsulation Pitt Meadows, ridge meadows, surrey doula, tri-cities doula, when to go to the hospital

What to get your doula wife, girlfriend, friend, sister….. For Christmas

August 26, 2015

I started writing this post on August 25th 2015, 4 months before Christmas day, on a day that was 26 degrees celsius.  I wanted to find the very best birthy items to add to this post so all of us birthy folks can get a new fun stocking stuffer.  Doulas, Midwives and Childbirth Educators are a breed of our own.  We are up all night, we dissect placentas for fun, we talk about vaginas and labias around the lunch table and are always reading/learning and talking birth. We deserve a little something special from our close friends and families.
stuffed placenta

1- Who in the world doesn’t want a stuffed placenta? Ok, I hear ya… it’s not for the common folk, but us birthy peeps think this is adorable

 

 

crowningbig

2- A beautiful way to proclaim your calling! is what this website boasts. Look closely, they are “crowning” earnings

 

mamazen

3- Full Moon mothering makes all types of baltic amber necklaces for children and adults. I’m in love with my mama zen necklace and I wear it all the time… Now I need the matching bracelet.

 

 

pocketpelvis

4-This tiny pelvis is a great educational tool, and I’m sure it wold be a great conversation starter at the dinner table!

 

 

 

scarf

 

5- What birth worker wouldn’t want this Oxytocin Molecule scarf?

 

 

ornament

 

6- Need an ornament to add to a stocking? This “Pregnant Mother Goddess” ornament is perfect.

 

 

meconium

7- This pin…. Really everyone needs it.

 

 

mug

 

8- Everyone loves mugs, for real… Everyone. And doulas love their vaginas. It’s a fact really.

 

 

deserve_a_doula_license_plate_frame

9- Car bling? A gift that keeps on giving… As advertisement.

 

 

shirt

10- And lastly they need some eye catching gear to wear to a birth. If this shirt doesn’t say doula, really… What does.

 

Have you seen any other fun items that would be great for gifts? Add it to the comments.

 

Happy Birthing- Nicole

 

 

Ridge meadows Doula Services is a collective of 6 doulas that work out of Maple Ridge BC. We provide birth doula and postpartum doula support, placenta encapsulation and childbirth education in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland.

 

Categories : Doula Tagged : abbotsford doula., babies, baby. pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, coquitlam doula, doula gifts, Maple Ridge Doula, mapleridge, midwife gifts, Nicole chambers, pitt meadows doula, placenta Encapsulation Pitt Meadows, ridge meadows

How doulas can support you in a cesarean birth

August 26, 2015

Clients can choose to have a doula with them for a planned cesarean birth just as they would for a vaginal birth.  Other times, cesarean is the way your baby needs to be birthed and your doula can assist you on making that transition as well.

Before you have a cesarean, your doula can help explain procedures to you and help you get answers to any questions thatyou have.  This is much like she would during a vaginal labor setting. Some conversations are music, hands strapped, curtain height…. Your doula will use grounding skills and keep you focused  during administration of an IV, epidural or any other points where you may feel anxious.

Once inside the operating room, your doula will assist you in knowing what is going on by giving you details of whatever you wish to know.   She will be by your side, making eye contact and even wiping that single tear that may fall in anticipation of your newest family member.scarlett-cesarean

The OB is very busy getting ready for surgery, the nurses are preparing the room for the baby,your partner may be anxiously awaiting the baby and will soon go to the warmer to meet the new little one after s/he is born.  While everyone else is busy, your doula will be at your side reminding staff of your birth plan, talking you through the routine and encouraging a calm and peaceful birth.skin to skin

After your cesarean birth  your baby may go back to labour & delivery with your partner.  Your doula stays, she is by your side, talking you through the procedure, reminding you how cute your babys nose is and holding your hand. We can help you find you voice and ask for baby to come into recovery with YOU, and we can help with the first moments of breastfeeding.

 

babyborn- cesarean
RMDS has had the opportunity tobe in the OR with clients. It is a little tricky to navigate but makes the world a difference for the client. Read a cesarean families testimonial here.

allison-cesarean

Happy Birthing, Nicole

fin us on FACEBOOK

Categories : Birthing, Doula Tagged : abbotsford doula., baby. pregnancy, cesarean, Maple Ridge Doula, maple ridge VBAC, Nicole chambers, Pitt meadows, placenta encapsulation, ridge meadows, VBAC

Think your child is ready for a booster seat?

July 21, 2015

 

Many parents want to know when their child is ready to ride in a booster seat. In Canada, the law says children can ride in a booster once they reach 40 pounds. Some seats also specify the child must be at least 4 years old, but others don’t, so out in the world, we see many children in boosters as young as 3 or even 2. Why is this a problem, you ask?

The seat belt must fit a child properly to be safe and effective. When a very small child is placed in a booster, often times, the shoulder belt is cutting across the neck instead of being centered on the shoulder, and the lap belt is on the belly instead of over the hips. Poor belt placement puts stress on soft tissue and organs, instead of bone. Poor belt placement can also mean the seat belt is not holding the child as well as it should. This could cause serious injuries when force from the seat belt is exerted on soft tissues such as the belly, damaging internal organs that aren’t being protected by bones.

In addition to fit issues, many children do not possess the impulse control needed to properly sit in a booster seat for the duration of the car ride until they are around 5 ½ or 6 years old. Unlike in a 5-point harness where the child physically cannot move out of position once buckled, boostered children have a lot more freedom. If children are bending forward to pick up a dropped snack, wrenching their torso around to see a passing firetruck, leaning forward to find a book in the seat pocket in front of them, or reaching across the width of the car to poke a sibling, then the seat belt will not be positioned properly, and it will not provide proper protection if a crash occurs. The risk during a crash is the child’s head striking the interior of the vehicle: windows, seats, or other people’s heads.

Some children will fit in their 5-point harness seat until they are 7 or even 8, and leaving them in harnessed seats is a great idea especially if you don’t feel like they can sit properly for the whole ride. Some boostered children will fall asleep and end up leaning out of position either forward or to the side. If this is the case, a 5-point harness is your best bet. However, there are reasons why parents may put children into a booster before they outgrow their harnessed seat. A family may want to pass the harnessed seat down to a younger sibling and move the older child into a booster. Or, perhaps due to frequent carpooling, it may be better to use a booster because other parents may not know how to install your child’s 5-point harness seat. An improperly installed or improperly used harnessed seat is much more dangerous than a properly used booster, provided the child is over 40 pounds and sits properly all the time.

There are other reasons why you may want to delay moving your child into a booster. If you have three car seats installed in a row, it may have been difficult to install those seats, but imagine trying to stick your hand in between to buckle a seat belt every day? In most cases, it’s easier for children to buckle themselves into their 5-point harness rather than wedge their hands between seats to buckle the seat belt. Also, if your child is not quite ready for the booster, and still sometimes moves out of position, it can be quite distracting for you as the driver to keep glancing back in the rear view mirror to check.

If children outgrow their 5-point harness seat, and aren’t ready for a booster, either because of weight or maturity, there are 5-point harness seats with very high top harness slots available, such as the Britax Frontier and the Evenflo Sureride.

So how do you know whether your children are booster-ready? Once your child is consistently over 40 pounds, and at least around 5 ½, you may want to consider booster-training. You know your child best and are the best judge of whether your child is developmentally ready. Take your child booster shopping. Try the booster in your vehicle to insure it fits well, and the seat belt fits well over your child: lapbelt should fit low over the hips or upper thighs, and never over the belly, and the shoulder belt should sit flat in the center of the shoulder, not falling off the shoulder edge, or cutting into the neck. Make sure the shoulder belt retracts back easily if your child moves slightly then moves back. You can start by telling your child that the new seat is for kids who can sit still really nicely in the car, and go over examples of what’s allowed and what’s not allowed while riding in the car. For example, you might tell your child “You can move your arms and legs, but keep your body still so the seat belt always fits properly. If you drop something, you must wait until we stop, and I will get it for you.” You may want to start booster training during short trips where another adult can watch the new booster rider carefully to give feedback or warnings, then gradually try longer rides before putting the child into a booster full-time.

We recommend first putting your child into a high back booster. This establishes some physical boundaries, and high backs have head support for a tired or sleeping child. Once children do well in a high back booster for some time, and no longer fall asleep in the car, you can try a no back booster. Remember that if your vehicle doesn’t have headrests at least up to the tips of the child’s ears, you would need a high back booster in that seating position. In this case, check that you purchase a high back that does not require head support behind it.

So, the key points to remember are:

  • By law in BC, children must be over 40 pounds, and usually also at least 4 years old, to ride in a booster.
  • However, many 4 and even 5 year olds aren’t ready for the freedom, so it’s better to keep them in a 5-point harness until they are ready. Don’t be in a hurry to move them into a booster just because all their friends are riding in one. Most are ready by age 5 ½ or 6.
  • Remember that boosters can *only* be used with lap/shoulder belts, never with lap-only seat belts.
  • Take your child shopping to get a well-fitting and comfortable booster seat.
  • Establish some rules with your child to respect the new found freedom that comes with boostering.

Here are some useful links:

A list of technician-recommended booster seats: http://vicarseattechs.com/our-favourite-seats/dedicated-booster-seats/

Information on the booster stage including a list of which high back boosters don’t require head support behind them, and a graphic of good belt fit vs poor belt fit for a boostered rider: http://vicarseattechs.com/2012/to-booster-or-not-to-booster/

To ask car seat questions, or to connect with a local technician, join this Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FraserValleyCarSeatSafety/

 

-Elaine Wardley, CRST

Categories : Life Tagged : abbotsford doula., car seat tech, car seat tech maple ridge, coquitlam doula, Maple Ridge Doula, pitt meadows doula, port coquitlam doula, port moody doula, tri-cities doula

Research Shows The Effectiveness of Doulas

July 15, 2015

A 2011 study from the Cochrane Collaboration Pregnancy and Childbirth Group showed clear evidence for the effectiveness of doulas in creating positive birth outcomes.

Hiring a doula is part of creating a birth you are happy with, asking questions, trusting your care provider and informed consent are all pieces to the pie. Research does indicate…

 

 

 

 

fewer medical interventions
less vacuum/forcep delivery
less analgesic use
less Cesarean Births
report more positive birth experience

Categories : Doula Tagged : abbotsford doula., babies, birth, coquitlam doula, DONA, maple ridge, Maple Ridge Doula, mapleridge, Nicole chambers, parenting, pitt meadows doula, pittmeadows, PLACENTA, placenta encapsulation, placenta Encapsulation Pitt Meadows, ridge meadows, surrey doula, tri-cities doula, vancouver doula

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