Welcome!

Welcome to my Doula Blog! I hope you find it interesting and informative.

My name is Natalie. I am a wife, a mother of almost five boys, a doula, and a Hypnobabies Instructor! I'm passionate about childbirth and hope to help women realize the power that is in them to birth more normally and naturally. It's my goal to help women feel confident and comfortable during pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Yes, it is possible! It's also amazing, incredible, wonderful, empowering, and life changing.

As a doula, I am a trained professional who understands and trusts the process of birth. I provide continuous care for the laboring mother and her partner. Studies have shown that when doulas attend births, labors are shorter with fewer complications. I attend to women in labor to help ensure a safe and satisfying birth experience in both home and hospital settings. I draw on my knowledge and experience to provide emotional support, physical comfort and, as needed, communication with the other members of your birth team to make sure that you have the information that you need to make informed decisions in labor. I can provide reassurance and perspective to the laboring mother and her partner, make suggestions for labor progress, and help with relaxation, massage, positioning and other techniques for comfort.

Feel free to contact me at doulanataliesue@gmail.com.
Thanks for stopping by!

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Friday, March 29, 2013

My Birth Plan/Preferences


Ladd and Natalie’s Birth Preferences

Thank you for participating and assisting in this exciting event. We are thrilled to have a third child join our family and have greatly anticipated and prepared for this day. 
I wanted to make a list of my labor and birth preferences, so that you can get to know me and the style that I desire to labor and birth my baby today.
I will be using a program called “Hypnobabies” which uses self hypnosis to relax me and keep me focused. My room will have music, relaxation tracks, and the aroma of essential oils. I have also brought along my family to support me through this major event.  Here are a few things that are important to me.

Monitoring: I would like to have intermittent monitoring, with the possibility of being in different positions while I’m monitored. As long as external monitoring is sufficient, this is all I prefer.

Hydration: I do not want to be on a continuous IV. I will keep hydrated with clear fluids. A saline-lock is negotiable

Pain Relief: My goal is to have a low-intervention birth. I do not wish to have an epidural or other pain relievers. My birth team will help me by providing other comfort measures. Please do not offer me any medication. I know it is there and will request it if I need to. I’d prefer to not use drugs/pitocin to stimulate my labor.

Pushing: Since I will be going epidural-free, I would like to push when I feel the urge. If I need help, I will ask for coaching, but otherwise, I’d like to push on my own at my own time. Obviously my midwife can help and make suggestions as needed. I may also change positions while pushing to find ways that are most comfortable. I do not want an episiotomy. I appreciate hands helping to hold my baby and guide him, but my previous babies have slid out quite quickly, so I feel that my baby will not need to be assisted out.

Emergency: If any emergency arises, I want my husband to be with me at all times. I will also choose to have an epidural/spinal block, and not general anesthesia. I would like my husband to be able to take photos and videos of the birth. I want my baby on my chest as soon as possible, even if I’ve had a cesarean. My baby is to remain with me as long as there are no complications. Baby can stay on my skin as we recover, or in the room with me and my husband.

Baby Care:
·         -Please allow the cord to stop pulsating before it is clamped.
·         -When the time comes, my husband will be willing to cut the cord.
·        - Please allow me to birth my placenta on my own and on my own time. Please do not pull the cord.
·       - I’d like my baby to be put immediately on my chest after birth.
·        - Please take vitals and check APGAR while baby is on my chest
·        - No shots. No vitamin K nor Hep b shots. Vitamin K can be re-evaluated if baby had a traumatic birth.
·         -No eye ointment, please
·         -Baby is to stay in my arms if there are no complications.
·         -I have brought my own towels and blankets for my baby, and would like to dry him off myself.
·         -I want to start breastfeeding as soon as possible. Weighing and footprints can be taken later.
·         -Baby will be rooming in with me.
·         -No pacifiers or bottles of any kind.
·        - If my baby needs assistance in other ways, such as precautions taken for the occurrence of meconium, as soon as baby is suctioned and stable, I want him naked, on my chest. No other procedures, before I get to hold him.

If there are any questions or anything that needs to be discussed with me, please let me know. Again, thank you for the great job that you do and for being here with us at this special time.
Ladd and Natalie 

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