Winnipeg Doula Services (Since 2012)

June 14, 2018 Ilissa Mistry

Have you ever heard of a doula? Or maybe you have but aren’t quite sure what one is.

A Birth Doula is a Professional Labour Support Person who provides non-medical emotional, physical in informational support during pregnancy, during birth and immediate postpartum, and for the first 6-weeks following birth. Support is offered to individuals and couples and can be helpful to both parents, single parents, as well as for families with more than one child.

Do you have questions about birth or postpartum? Do you feel like you could use extra support? Book a free consultation today and let me show you how a doula can improve your pregnancy, birth and postpartum experience. Also, learn more about how a doula can benefit your family here. https://www.beanfamilywellness.com/winnipeg-manitoba-doula-services/

❤️ Ilissa, owner of Bean Family Wellness has been a Birth Doula and Serving Families in Winnipeg and Rural Manitoba since 2012. Availability is based on your estimated due date. Limited dates are still available for 2018. Now accepting estimated due dates into 2019.

Visit the link above, call 204-990-3519, or email info@beanfamilywellness.com

Waterbirth Options: Deciding on Your Place of Birth (and Type of Pool)

April 16, 2018 Ilissa Mistry

Depending on where you live, the options for water births may vary. However, many people around the world choose to labour and give birth in water at home, in birth centres, or in hospitals. As you will read below, most of the time water births occur in a pool or tub.

Although very uncommon these days, especially in this area of the world, if you read through history, you will hear stories about women have even given birth in the ocean, sea, or a lake. This is obviously much much less common than a waterbirth at home, in a birth centre, or in a hospital. Despite being uncommon and perhaps many would say unrealistic, it is interesting to hear the history and many stories of waterbirth. If you haven't already, check out Part one of the Waterbirth Series by Bean Family Wellness: What is a Waterbirth? And, the History Behind it.

Giving Birth at Home
When choosing a waterbirth, there are many different types of portable pools on the market to choose from that are specific to water births, for example the Birth Pool in a Box. The Birth Pool in a Box is one of the portable options that is inflatable. Other birth pools on the market have a hard side and bottom. Some even include a water heater or a special lid to hold in heat while the pool is not in use.

If you are planning a waterbirth, many places both rent or sell birth pools, or you can purchase online. Companies like Bean Family Wellness, located in Manitoba, offer birth pools for rent. If you have a local birth centre, doula, or childbirth education agency, ask if they rent out birth pools. Some midwives have birth pools available for use for their clients.

Other than renting a birth pool or purchasing one, some people choose to use children's play pools for their water births. One pool known as the 'fishy' pool is quite popular. When choosing to use a children's play pool for your birth, a brand new pool would be recommended since play pools can grow and harbour bacteria overtime.

Some women who give birth at home and do not have a birth pool, may choose to give birth in their own bathtubs. It is important to note that if you are planning to use a pool that is not created specifically for giving birth in (including the children's play pool option mentioned above), your midwife may suggest a minimum water depth for optimal safety for your baby. So, if you are planning a water birth, you should discuss the type of pool you plan on using with the health care provider who will be attending your birth.

Giving Birth in a Birth Centre or Hospital
Today, more and more birth centres are popping up around the world. This is another popular option for women who want to experience a water birth. Some birth centres use portable style pools, whereas others have special birth pools built in to each room. Depending on where you live, giving birth in water in the hospital may be a possibility depending on the policies of your facility.

Ask your local birth centre or hospital, or your care provider, if you can take a tour of the facility. Ask questions about what their options are for giving birth in water or using water for comfort during labour. If your hospital or birth centre doesn't allow women to actually give birth directly into the water, they may have a tub that you can use during labour instead. For hospitals that do not have tubs for labour or birth, many women find that using a shower during labour can be particularly helpful at coping with the pain and creating a calm environment.

Having a Waterbirth in Manitoba
If you live in Manitoba, there are a few different options if you have your heart set on a waterbirth. Many people who have a waterbirth give birth at home. However, with the emergence of Winnipeg's Birth Centre, more and more people are choosing to have their waterbirths at the Birth Centre. The Birth Centre has beautiful built-in tubs designed for birth that are available in each room.

Outside of Winnipeg, women who want waterbirth usually do so at home with the help of midwives. But, if you are in the South Central region of Manitoba, Boundary Trails Health Centre (located in between Winkler and Morden Manitoba at the intersection of hwy #3 & #14) has been home to many waterbirths under the care of midwives.

In other hospitals in Manitoba, policies are not in place to allow water births to occur. If you are planning to give birth in a Winnipeg hospital, there are options to use water as a comfort measure during labour - either in a birth pool or in their showers. Even if you cannot give birth in the water, water can be a great tool during labour to make it more comfortable, help you relax, and encourage progress.

This article is part of Waterbirth Series on the Bean Family Wellness Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow Bean Family Wellness on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for updates!

Disclaimer:
This article has been written this article for general interest only. I am not an expert in waterbirths nor am I a medical professional. If you are considering a waterbirth, please research this option thoroughly and discuss your plan to birth in water with your partner and your health care provider. This article is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice. You should always forward medical questions on to a qualified health care professional. I have tried to ensure (to the best of my ability) that the information in this article is accurate. If any incorrect information does exist, it is purely accidental. I am not liable for any unintentional mistakes, use, or misuse of the information contained in this article.

What is a Waterbirth? And, the History Behind it.

April 16, 2018 Ilissa Mistry

Bean Family Wellness offers support to families planning a waterbirth in Winnipeg, Manitoba by offering professional grade birth pool rentals in Winnipeg and Rural Manitoba (including Steinbach and other local communities), as well as Canada-wide sales for the Birth Pool in a Box and other waterbirth accessories - everything you need to having a wonderful waterbirth experience!

What is a Waterbirth?

A waterbirth is a birth in which a mother typically spends the second stage of labour, the pushing phase, while immersed in water. During this phase the mother pushes with each wave and eventually births her baby directly into the water.

However, water does not have to be used ONLY during the second stage of labour. Women can enjoy water to help cope with the sensations of labour once labour becomes active. Women often enjoy using water for this purpose and then exit the water while pushing. A woman's comfort with using water during second stage, her partner's feelings, as well as her care providers comfort level and experience can play a role in the decision of how to use water during labour and birth.

Although not typically termed as a waterbirth, using a shower during labour is another popular way to use water for a natural birth experience.

The History Behind Waterbirth

Women from many different parts of the world have been giving birth in the water for centuries, but it has been only recently (as late at the 1980s across the United States) that this option has become popular for North American women (Harper, 2005).

According to Barbara Harper (author of Gentle Birth Choices) (2005), the first water birth to be documented happened in 1803 in France to help a mother cope after a long forty-eight hour labour. Documents state that the warm water of the birth helped the mother's labour to progress, so fast in fact that she was unable to leave the water before her baby immersed (Embry as cited in Harper, 2005).

In the 1960s and thereafter, Igor Charcovsky, a self-taught scientist and male midwife in the Soviet Union (Russia), took particular interest in waterbirth and began studying it (originally by looking at how animals laboured and birthed in water and the reaction of infants in water) (Harper, 2005; Midwifery Today, 2011). Charcovsky also studied waterbirthing with dolphins present and is known to be father to the Russian Method of birthing in water (Midwifery Today, 2011).

French Physician, Michel Odent, became on of the first to publicly discuss and allow birthing or labouring in the water. He believed that it was important for women to birth in the way their body's instincts told them too (a belief that I share), whether or not those instincts told them to labour or birth in water, or elsewhere. He left waterbirth open as an option. Instead of having women plan for a waterbirth, he encouraged them to follow their bodies cues (Harper, 2005). This is an important point that I think is still very valid today. Many women want a waterbirth and plan for one; in the case of a home birth, planning is a necessary step to ensure the proper supplies and set up. But, it is important to realize that the body wants what it wants in labour and you may not feel like labouring or birthing in water, even though it may have been your initial plan. It is important to go into labour with an open mind and follow your body's cues instead of forcing yourself to try and live out your dreams of a waterbirth.

Water can be beneficial to newborns - Leboyer (author of Birth Without Violence - published in 1975) believed in the benefits of water for newborns. He believed that the typical births as they were in the 1970s was terribly traumatizing to a newborn baby. Part of this belief was that a baby being born from a warm fluid environment of a mother's uterus, to the cold bright hospital room was problematic (Antipuesto, 2010).

Although Leboyer did not focus on birthing in the water, he did believe that immersing a newborn in a warm bath following birth was helpful. When combined with his rational and concerned for the typical hospital birth, the option of water birth makes sense as a more peaceful and calming approach to childbirth. I think that Leboyer's work can easily be incorporated into waterbirth when looking at how a baby reacts when being birthed into the water vs. on land (Harper, 2005).

In 1988, Waterbirth International was created by Barbara Harper when she saw a need to provide women with accurate information on using water during labour and birth. Over 20 years later, Waterbirth International continues to be a great resource for women around the world who are interested in learning about waterbirth (Harper, 2005).

References:
1. Antipuesto, D. J. (2010) Leboyer childbirth method. Retrieved August 7, 2015, from http://nursingcrib.com/nursing-notes-reviewer/maternal-child-health/leboyer-childbirth-method/
2. Harper, B. (2005). Gentle birth choices. Healing Arts Press: Rochester, Vermont.
3. Midwifery Today. (2011). Biographies. Retrieved August 6, 2015, from http://midwiferytoday.com/bio/.

This article is part of Waterbirth Series on the Bean Family Wellness Blog. Subscribe to our newsletter, or follow Bean Family Wellness on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for updates!

Check out Part Two - Waterbirth Options: Deciding on Your Place of Birth