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Postpartum and the Holidays
Whether you are 1 week post-birth or 10 weeks post-birth, the postpartum time (the timeframe after a person gives birth to their baby) leaves many of us with a lot of feelings, challenges, highs and lows, and choices and changes. Add in the year that I have called #crazy2020, darkness falling earlier, and the holiday season now upon us, and it can leave many of us feeling mountains MORE on top of what we were already feeling.
I’ve compiled a small list of things to keep in mind to help families while recovering from birth.
The Joys of the TENS
“OK… here we go”, she manages to squeak out.
She inhales a large forceful breath as she pushes the small, purple, oval BOOST button. Her partner begins to rub her shoulders and her birth doula quietly counts through the peak of her contraction, reminding her to breathe deeply. As the wave of tightness in her abdomen begins to release, she pushes the small, purple button again to rest and recharge as she knows the next wave will soon be coming once again. Knowing when it does, she be encouraged by her birth team and will push the BOOST button on her TENS unit to allow the gentle nerve impulses to help her focus and encourage her own body’s endorphins as she looks forward to meeting her sweet baby soon.
Why I became a Doula
Birth and babies have always been a special interest of mine. As I was growing up and trying to figure out “life” I had always thought I would become a labor and delivery nurse. Life didn’t quite evolve in the ways that I had planned and before I knew it I was married with my first baby on the way. I had become a medical assistant after I had graduated high school, and it worked well for the time being, but wasn’t what I truly wanted out of life. When I became a mom for the first time, it was truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I’ve since had 2 other children, and while I did not have a doula for my births, I had an amazing team of supporters within my husband and other family members and friends.