Weaving It All Together

The Most Scientific Birth is Often the Least Technological Birth

03/21/2012 23:01:00

A great food for thought article published in the Atlantic looking at the risks associated with many of the medical interventions that are standard in pregnancy and birth management.

This Article was written by Alice Dreger, a professor of clinical medical humanities and bioethics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. She has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.

www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/03/the-most-scientific-birth-is-often-the-least-technological-birth/254420/1/

Happy Hunting!

Warmly,

A Salon Series in Honor of Women's History Month

03/07/2012 18:57:00

Check-out these upcoming events that are being held by two Bay Area doulas to help raise money for the 'Bay Area Doula Project,' which provides abortion doula services at no cost to the women of the Bay Area.

Join them for a month of thought-provoking, playful discussions on sex and the reproductive experience in honor of Women's History Month.

Every Wednesday night in March at 7pm,

Million Fishes Art Gallery,

2501 Bryan Street San Francisco

March 7th :: This Hormonal Life
March 14th :: Orgasm Outside the Box
March 21st :: What is a Full Spectrum Doula Anyway?
March 28th :: All about the Placenta: The Science, Art, and Eating of the Placenta.

$10-20 suggested donation. No one turned away for lack of funds. All proceeds go to the Bay Area Doula Project
To make a donation to the Bay Area Doula Project please visit: www.bayareadoulaproject.org/donate/

Warmly,

Prenatal Vitamins

02/25/2012 22:51:00

I've recently had many moms ask about advice on Prenatal Vitamins. While I'm not sure of the "best" brand, here are a few tips on why Prenatal Vitamins support health and nutrition during pregnancy. The three most important components of any Prenatal Vitamin are folic acid, calcium and iron.

Why are these ingredients so important?

Folic Acid (a B Vitamin) helps with brain and spinal cord development and protects against birth defects. Folic acid is found in dark leafy greens as well as beans and some fruits. (Recommended 600-800mg)

Calcium is important to a woman at any stage of her life, but especially during pregnancy as it helps to build your baby's bones, teeth, heart, nerves, muscles and blood clotting abilities. If a pregnant mom does not intake enough calcium, her baby will draw it from her own bones which could cause future health problems for the mother. Calcium is found in dairy products, nuts, some veggies and fish. (Recommended 1200 mg)

Iron plays an important role in supporting the increase production of blood volume during pregnancy. During the third trimester blood volume increases dramatically in order to support blood flow to the placenta and aid in proper fetal nutrition and in order to compensate for normal blood loss during childbirth. Iron can be found in oatmeal, beans, nuts, meats and some vegetables. (Recommended 25-30mg)

It is difficult to get the recommended amount of each of these important vitamins through diet alone. Supplemental vitamins should be used to support a healthy diet not used instead of a healthy diet. Nutrition plays an extremely important role in healthy fetal and mother development before, during and after childbirth.

Do you have experience with a Prenatal Vitamin that did or did not work for you? I'd love to hear more about some of the pros and cons of different products that are on the market.

Warmly,

Mother Rising

02/10/2012 16:30:00

I wanted to share the website and blog of one of my Birthing from Within sisters named Lindsay Morrow. She has a doula practice called "Mother Rising," is part of a doula CO-OP and is a mover and shaker in Tallahassee, Florida.

I really love reading her posts and hearing what the Tallahassee community is up to. Visit her blog to find beautiful photos, great sharings, delicious recipes, household projects and more.

www.motherrisingbirth.com

I really love thinking of all of our micro-communities making a difference in the world.

Warmly,

"Find Your Yoga"

02/06/2012 20:55:00

This month I am featured in a "Spotlight Interview" on a new website called "Yoga Start." (www.yogastart.com) I spoke with them last month about being a yoga teacher and how I use yoga in combination with my work as a Doula.

For those of you not familiar with Yoga Start, it is a new on-line resource for yoga and wellness services focused in San Francisco but expanding to studios and teachers across the country. If you are looking for wellness services or in the industry yourself, check out their great website. You can see my interview on the Homepage or under "Articles" in the top right hand corner. Also, visit my profile to learn more about what I'm up to.

Yoga Start is just launching their website and have had two articles published on The Huffington Post.

Has Yoga Lost It's Soul?

Has Yoga Lost Its Soul? Part II: Capitalism & Opportunity

Let me know what you think!

Warmly,

Doulas & Insurance Companies

02/01/2012 20:32:00

I just received an email from a doula friend notifying me that the Federal Government is compiling a list of "Essential Health Benefits" under the Affordable Health Care Act. These benefits are services that insurance companies would be responsible to cover by 2014. One of the categories listed is maternal and newborn care. Though doula care is not yet listed as an "Essential Health Benefit," we are working towards getting it there. Evidence based studies have proven that Doula care is preventative, cost-saving and habilitative, saving insurance companies thousands of dollars.

Some insurance companies do reimburse doula services, if you know how to submit a proper claim. If you are using me as your doula, I can help you fill out the appropriate paperwork. If you are not using me as your doula, I have included step by step instructions on how to get your insurance company to reimburse you.

(Found on the website www.theonlybabystop.com)

1. Pay your Doula First

Your insurance company does not cover doula services; they may reimburse you for the doula fee. This means you have to pay your doula first before you can get reimbursement. Let her know you’re asking your insurance company for reimbursement—she may have tips to help you get it.

2. Get your Doula's Service Provider Code

Taxonomy Code: #374J00000X.

3. Send in the Right Paperwork

If your insurance company accepts your doula’s Taxonomy Code, you will want to send it in along with a 1500 Universal Claims form. You will need your doula’s invoice to do this. If you’re having problems with your insurance company, DONA International suggests sending in your doula’s invoice with a letter explaining what a doula is and how they reduce costs. You may also need to include the proper diagnosis codes. This article from Gentle Birth.org includes the most common codes for doula services. This article also includes a sample invoice with the codes to help you out.

4. Expect Rejection

Many couples are finding their insurance company initially rejects the claim. You will have to resubmit it repeatedly, probably with additional information. The good news is that more and more people are getting insurance reimbursement—the more people who get it the less time this process to likely to take. DONA has a sample letter (click here to see) to send in to the insurance company if the initial claim is rejected.

Hopefully this will soon be a thing of the past and all doula services will automatically be covered under maternity care. Until then, good luck and please let me know if you have any questions!

Warmly,

Hypnobirthing Workshop

01/27/2012 21:24:00

I will be attending a workshop on Hypnobirthing next weekend taught by a local teacher/doula and I am really looking forward to learning more about this method of childbirth preparation. I currently teach a "Birthing from Within" childbirth preparation course that I love but I'm curious about how to better support the women who choose Hypnobirthing as their labor preparation. It will also be a great opportunity to see where these two methods meet and how I may be able to draw on elements of both during different circumstances. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

If you are interested in attending a class series, there are two women I know about in the Bay Area who specialize in Hypnobirthing preparation.

Kathy Woo offers classes in San Francisco and the East Bay www.kathywoo.com

Rachel Yellin offer classes in San Francisco and Mill Valley www.one-moon.com

Please share your experiences with Hypnobirthing if you or anyone you know has used this method to prepare for labor.

Warmly,

Motherlove

01/23/2012 13:31:00

This is one of my favorite product-lines to recommend for use during pregnancy and postpartum. All of the Motherlove products are certified organic and certified cruelty free, without the use of preservatives, artificial fragrances or petroleum-based additives. They have wonderful salves and oils for the growing belly, hemroid treatment and nipple care as well as effective herbs and tinctures for soothing postpartum bodies and supporting breastmilk production.

In San Francisco you can find many of the Motherlove products at your local Pharmaca, but I've never seen the entire line in-stock.

For more information on ingredients and using herbs while breastfeeding, visit the Motherlove website and check out their blog for a plethora of great information.

www.motherlove.com

Warmly,

The Normalizing Homebirth Project

01/22/2012 21:44:00

I've been wanting to get this blog up and running for some time now and keep procrastinating on a start date. A doula colleague of mine just posted a link to "The Normalizing Home Birth Project" located in Boulder, Colorado so I decided to get the blog ball rolling, because this is cool.

Over the years, working as a doula, it has been really exciting to witness subtle shifts taking place in our culture towards how we move through the experience of birth. More and more families who choose to birth in a hospital are calling on the support of a doula and more and more hospital personnel are welcoming the role of the doula and validating the many benefits we provide. There continues to be effort by birth professionals towards normalizing the process of birth, making it more about the mother, father and baby and less about a medical event.

Along with the increase of using doula support during hospital birth, there has also been an increase in those who wish to birth at home. One of the difficulties with homebirth is that if insurance doesn't cover it, many families do not have the out-of-pocket money it takes to partake in this service even if they desire to do so. The Normalizing Homebirth Project in Boulder is an awesome example of a community creating further opportunity for families to have more choices where birth is concerned. Take a moment to check out what Boulder is up to.

www.thenormalizinghomebirthproject.org

I'm looking forward to this blogging thing...a place to share ideas, thoughts and resources within the Bay Area and also a place to offer a glimpse of what other communities around the country are up to. Does anyone know if something similar to this exists in San Francisco? If so, I'd love to hear about it!

Warmly,