We focus on our labour and birth but forget in our birth plans what the pushing part looks like and what we want to see for that part of our birth story.

Did you know the degree of tearing can often be position related. and that tearing is meant to happen in birth to some degree. Our bodies know how to heal from this tearing and is a part of birth. the worry that you will feel this when it is happening you won’t know until after babe is hearthside.

If you are working with your babe and body and using gravity to bring baby down and are in a position that is working well for what you know your baby needs for that corkscrew they do, getting out of the super good working position sometimes can be helpful to slow things a bit as your baby’s head starts to crown.

Have you added anything in your birth preferences that include this part of birthing?

Some things to consider: 

is it your desire to move into different positions during this stage?

have your care provide massage or stretch on your perineum?

people in the room counting to ten through each push?

would you like support and encouragement?

it is normal and usual for this stage in first time moms to last 2 hours-ish.

take a small break when you need. hydrate. have your support person offer water, electrolytes between those long contractions. and a cool cloth. maybe a fan. 

build this into your thoughts and planning. your body knows what to do but you want to feel that your desires are heard unless there is a reason for them not to be.

queens. you are strong and this part of your birth is when you can harness all that energy and push that baby down. you are working together.

x kathleen 

A doula is different than a midwife in various ways. Let’s break it down.

Midwives are experts in normal birth. They have a degree in midwifery and are healthcare providers for pregnancy, birth and postpartum

Doulas have childbirth knowledge and experience in birth. They offer ways to support you with this knowledge

Midwives perform exams and provide clinical care for women and their babes

Doulas offer early labour support and assist in the planning of your labour and birth plans. They can support non-medical and also holistic options with information and options and choices to consider

Midwives offer informed consent and support

Doulas offer emotional support both during your pregnancy, labour and birth and postpartum

Midwives work in various birth settings that usually include home and hospital

Doulas provide continuous support and provide physical support during labour. They support all birth place settings and provide support in your home

Midwives provide postpartum clinical care for you and your baby. They provide breastfeeding support

Doulas provide postpartum emotional support and resources. They provide breastfeeding support

In Canada, midwifery care is  covered with MSP, just like any other care provider

Some insurance plans will cover doula support

I recently read something that said the process of labour was a physical process, and saying it was also a mental process was false.

birth is not what we see in the movies, or in TV programs. It is not inherently scary where everything bad always happens.

women don’t lose themselves when they labour and birth. birthing people don’t experience birth from nothing to 100 percent instantly. rarely are things emergency. women aren’t often birthing in cars, though the few times it does happen it goes viral.

the thing about birth is that the mental piece IS actually a major part of birth. learning to breathe is the way through. visualizations work. affirmations work.

I love affirmations

here’s a free download of affirmations for printing or inspiration 

When a client asks me about the stretch and sweep or when a class asks, it seems like a longer answer.⁠ as I continue in this work that I have been doing forever, it seems to be that I am compelled to be really clear about things.⁠

In pregnancy, your closed cervix tucks up high and posterior (closer to your back). as you are closer to your birth, your hormones work to soften your cervix so that it begins to efface (shorten/thin) and to dilate, but it also makes an important position change. it moves down ready for opening over the vaginal canal.

a stretch and sweep is a choice. it is done commonly and will be offered to you in most cases lightly, but it is an intervention (just without medication). it involves . ⁠sometimes, depending on your body, your cervix is still tucked up high and hard to reach. when your cervix is reached, it is a massage of the cervix or an encouragement of the cervix to stretch open a bit. the sweep refers to sweeping your bag of waters (membranes) away from the uterine wall.

this sweep of the membranes can release a hormone called prostaglandins (if you have heard the common reference to having sex to help encourage labour, semen contains prostaglandins). ⁠the evidence(s) shows that either it does nothing, or that it won’t do anything unless your body is ready, that is takes two consecutive sweeps for it to have any effect, or that it can prolong the first stage of labour. each provider has a different belief about this and so doing your own research can be important.⁠

the stretch and sweep can be invasive. It involves a vaginal exam that can cause spotting and cramping. and it can be very uncomfortable. it comes with a very small risk of releasing the membranes. it can trigger the initiation of contractions when the body and baby are not ready just yet. ⁠any time we introduce an intervention, it can have potential side effects that we need to consider. ⁠

a stretch and sweep is a choice + if you decide to make that choice, that is perfect. a lot of women, when faced with a medical induction will choose the sweep to bring on all the things that might have the potential of triggering labour. some birthing people choose to do this because they are ready to have a stretch and sweep. birthing people can choose it because they want to.

informed consent is the goal. know your options, make your own choices because you are a fully informed person and this is your body and baby. and you get to decide. 

x Kathleen

Our birth experience will be the most powerful and impactful process we will ever know. It has the power to make us proud and strong. We don’t hear about how strong and capable women are when we birth. We don’t often share stories of the possibilities that come with physiological birth.

Here is a short list of things to consider (I will continue to inform, stay tuned..)

Read: Find your way to books and information that normalize the birth process. Ask your doula or midwife for suggestions.

Mama Natural :one of my favourites right now. It is not a cover-to-cover book, so you can easily flip through. It is holistic with options and information. And there is an index.
Your Baby, Your Birth :tips for breathing, meditating, connecting with baby, visualizations and affirmations
Nurture : written by a doula. Read it. You will like it.

Movement:
Walking is the best thing for your body. Consider yoga, chiropractic, massage.

Birth Values and Ideas
Start to consider what is important to you in your birth. What do you value? Is it autonomy? freedom of movement? your environment? who you choose to support you? do you need an advocate? how can you build a team that allows you to sink into the safety of the birthing process?
I have a sample birth plan. DM ME and I will send it your way.

you got this. I promise investing time in this biggest life event will be worth it.