Special Situations & Support | Denton Birth Photography

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

This morning during lessons my seven year old asked if he could sit in my lap as he reads his new book to me. I smiled and said yes (as his weight slowly put my legs to sleep!) and this is why...

Here's my son seven years ago this week - he was two months old and was almost four pounds.

And this morning:

Cam

I can't stop smiling as he happily reads this chapter book to me, because I remember doing kangaroo care with him for hours and praying that his body would grow strong, that his mind would be strong, that his strong spirit would help him survive all he endured in the NICU. These littlest babies have such incredible spirits, and I'm blessed to be his mother.

When I talk with doula clients who have experienced high risk pregnancies and bedrest I want them to know that I understand! I empathize, I know what it feels like to desperately pray that your little one will survive as you lay there feeling helpless. It's why I volunteer now with Sidelines.org to support moms on bedrest, and why I wrote guest posts about warning signs of premature labor and coping in pregnancy after a traumatic birth. Moms can be high risk because of current challenges in pregnancy, or maybe they need some extra special care after challenges conceiving, prior losses, a traumatic birth experience, or a former preemie arrival. I know how scary it is, and I'm honored when parents ask me to share their journey through these special pregnancies.

Our son the first time his father was able to touch him:DCP_1250

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Family Photos | Denton Birth Photography

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

Yesterday I had the chance to try out my new camera body and lens at the birth center. This sweet couple worked so hard to bring their baby boy into the world - it was an honor to be part of their day!

Here are just a couple photos, I'll be posting more in the gallery.

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Breastfeeding Tips

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

I've been receiving a lot of questions lately about breastfeeding so I wanted to share some thoughts.

First, here are three excellent resources:

La Leche League

Breastfeeding Inc.

Kelly Mom

Second, breastfeeding books I own - these are available to borrow, the birth centers also have lending libraries as does La Leche League, and the local library:

The Nursing Mother's Companion

So That's What They're For!

The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth Through Weaning

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book)

Third, random tips from me!
Continue reading →

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Birth Scriptures

Posted on March 17, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

I work with clients from a variety of faiths, and I believe that for most people their faith comes strongly into play during their birth experience. During my training I loved the chance to learn about various religions and cultural influences on how people birth - it's fascinating to me! On one of my intake worksheets I list possible coping ideas so moms can circle what they're interested in and they can try those things out during the pregnancy to see how it helps - massage, essential oils, hot pack, the birth ball, focused visualization, scriptures, prayer, etc.

Many mothers instinctively turn to prayer when coping with labor, and some will gather inspirational quotes, music, and scriptures. One couple mentioned they wanted to really focus on those resources during their birth and I thought that was a brilliant idea - I spent a Sunday afternoon searching for scriptures that were applicable to birth, then printed them up and made cards for this couple. I didn't get a chance to laminate them (that would be good!) but I put them on cute pink papers and gave them to the parents. The mom said she would hang them around her girls' rooms, which made me happy to hear - what a great way to also remember their special birth.

I've since shared these scriptures with other couples and thought I would post them here, in case you would like to use them with your clients or for your own birth. These are from the King James version of the Bible. In this area of the country the majority of the population is Christian, but I would happily help compile a list of scriptures for other faiths. I think that could be a wonderful way to spend another Sunday afternoon. 🙂 But for now here are the biblical scriptures:

Birth Scriptures

Posted in Birth, Doulas, Inspiration | Tagged | 3 Comments

Action Shots – Me at Work!

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

I am so excited when I get to doula at a birth & the parents have hired a professional photographer. Recently I had the privilege of attending a birth alongside the very talented Jessica Rockwell. She was gracious enough to share these images with me, and I'm thankful to the sweet parents for letting me share them with you!

I loved them all so you get to see everything. 🙂

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New Cards & New Friends | Denton Birth Photography

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

I've ordered my new business & photo cards, and I love how they turned out!

This morning we spent a couple hours at the park visiting with a delightful gathering of birth professionals (doulas & midwife.) I thought it would be fun to have a casual get together during the day so we could let the kids play while we talked. Most doula meetings are in the evening, and all of us spend enough time away from our families for work. This arrangement worked out nicely - kids enjoy the playground, adults get to talk. It was great to put faces to the names of the women I know through online groups, and it's always fun to chat birth!

I'm enjoying a quiet spell between births, I'll go on call officially again on my birthday this week. Thursday I turn 35, though I don't mind sharing my birthday if a little one decides to arrive that day. 🙂

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Sibling Class!

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

I'm happy to announce that I am now offering a sibling preparation class! You can see the new header listing above, but here are the details:

Welcoming a new baby to your family is an exciting experience, but one that often leaves older siblings with many questions. This class provides a fun and informative way to help prepare your children for this big transition. Class is taught in your home to ensure your children are as comfortable as possible. Length is around one hour, but will be catered to the age and attention span of your child. Topics covered will be adapted to your wishes, but can include the following:

* Basic anatomy to an age appropriate level, covering topics such as how the baby is fed inside of mom.
* Newborn basics and ways they can help with caring for their new sibling.
* Practice diapering and learning how to swaddle a baby.
* Emotions they may experience as they deal with these family changes.

If you child will be attending the birth then we'll discuss the following topics:
* More in depth anatomy to address things they may see - helping them understand the function of the placenta & blood, the amniotic sac, etc.
* Sounds they may hear as mom births, something we compare to the efforts of athletes!
* Simplified explanations of the stages of labor and what mom may do during the birth.
* Tips that may help them feel more comfortable, such as having a special labor project or using headphones to listen to music if they are concerned about the loud noise.

Class will include story time, activity pages, and a special craft project they will make for their new baby. Parents will also receive handouts with further reading suggestions, ways to involve siblings with the new baby's arrival, fun activity ideas for the entire family, and tips for the postpartum adjustment.

To schedule a class or learn more please contact me at heidi@thadenpierce.org.

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Getting Ready for Baby!

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

untitled (120 of 244)For first time parents, or for fifth time parents, here are some posts that may be helpful!

PREP:
Pre-baby (or pre-conception) checklist.

Writing up your birth plan/wishes.

Pre-Baby To Do List for Dads/Partners

Here is the post on comfort measures to practice during pregnancy (the ice cube trick!)

Packing list for the hospital or
Birth center.
Home

My very biased list of baby essentials (and stuff to not bother getting.)

Scriptures that may inspire you through your pregnancy and birth. (If you have more to suggest please let me know!)

Tips for new partners/dads from a father of six! (Includes Kit's swaddling demo video.)

More of Kit's notes from the class for the new dad/support partner.

BIRTH:
Helping a slow to start labor also known as prodromal labor.

How you can know when it's time to go!

Tips for your partner to help alleviate your stress in birth.

Here's a great video and photos on comfort measures.

And here to print out is the comfort measures in labor packet, good to review before birth.

POSTPARTUM:
Sleep tips for you and your newborn.

To discuss during pregnancy and keep handy for review after the birth - this is the Edinburgh Scale to assess postpartum depression. Please discuss this with your partner, care provider, and doula - Edinburgh Scale

This is the Postpartum Promise, another way that moms can let their care team know in advance that she's aware of PPD and would like their help in assessing her after birth - PPD Promise

Breastfeeding resources post.

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Doulas from the Dad’s Perspective

Posted on March 3, 2012 by kit

Thanks to my husband, Kit, for sharing his thoughts about doulas from a father's perspective.

She's gone quiet. She was excited, and now she's serious. Which signpost was this? Does this mean she's close? Now she's quiet. She's never quiet. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? How do I help her? I remember that Sears book. Barely. It mentioned something about helping with the pain. What was it? I don't remember!

Sound familiar, Dad? This was me once upon a time. Scattered, a little bit panicked, and unsure of what to do or where to go or what Heidi was going to need next.

To be clear, the idea of being a superdad really appeals to me. I want to be my wife's hero, supporting her exactly as she needs during her labor. But let's face it, there's a ton of stuff going on, and pretty much none of it is even remotely within your control. So the question remains, what can you do to best support your wife?

It turns out it was pretty simple for me. Just focus on her. Keep near. Hold her when she needs it. Let her hang on me. Look in her eyes when transition comes. Let her know she can do it and that she's not alone. But what about the other stuff?

That's where our doula came in. What the heck does a doula do, anyway? Turns out, doulas are versatile and handy to have around. With a little bit of planning, they come prepared to help you with pretty much whatever you need during your labor.

We discussed Heidi's hopes and dreams with our doula well before Heidi's due date came. Labor positions, coping techniques, all those sorts of things were noted, catalogued, and planned for.

While we were in the zone, running straight into transition, focusing on getting the baby here, our doula was able to remember everything that fell away. "Try walking." "Get off your side." You're looking shaky, here's some juice." And Heidi and I were able to focus on the moment.

Our doula was our spare brain. Our brains were otherwise singularly occupied with getting Heidi through labor. We were forgetting things, but that's okay. We had our doula. She freed us from the minutae of labor and let us just be in the moment.

I can't stress how much having a doula helped me, as a husband, support my wife better. The weird part for me was to realize that superdad could be a superhusband by asking for a little help. Our doula was worth every penny of her fee.

Heidi is now a doula herself, helping moms and dads have their perfect births. Friends ask how that's working for us, me having to drop everything to stay home with the kids so Heidi can go and help out with a birth. It's no sacrifice. Our doula was so effective during our birth, I kind of feel it's my duty to now help Heidi be that for some other couple. I love that Heidi is able to be a doula. I believe in the power of doulas. For birthing parents, Doulas can make all the difference in the world.

The photo is Kit and our doula just after our sixth baby arrived. The day we found out we were expecting my husband asked me to call our doula to get on her schedule! To learn more about doula services click here.

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Doula Benefits

Posted on March 2, 2012 by Heidi Thaden-Pierce

Sometimes people will ask me why they should hire a doula - what are the benefits? I can share with them testimonials from other parents and my own experience, but it's also nice to be able to provide evidence from studies. The Cochrane Collaboration has some interesting numbers about the benefit of continuous support for women in labor:

Women who received continuous labour support were more likely to give birth ’spontaneously’, i.e. give birth with neither caesarean nor vacuum nor forceps. In addition, women were less likely to use pain medications, were more likely to be satisfied, and had slightly shorter labours. Their babies were less likely to have low 5-minute Apgar Scores. No adverse effects were identified. We conclude that all women should have continuous support during labour. Continuous support from a person who is present solely to provide support, is not a member of the woman’s social network, is experienced in providing labour support, and has at least a modest amount of training, appears to be most beneficial.

While having anyone there specifically for support is beneficial, it did note that it was more helpful when the support person was there only in that role (not a hospital staff member or other care team provider), when the person was trained in the role of a doula, and when they were NOT a member of the mom's social network (a friend or family member.) Of course there are times that a friend or family member is the best doula for you, and only you can determine who will best fill that role for you. 🙂

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