Breastfeeding with Denton County Birth Network

I want to invite each of you to Denton County Birth Network's December meeting! It is a free event open to all women in and around Denton County. The next meeting is on Monday, December 5 at 7 pm at the North Branch Library in Denton, Texas. The meeting topic is Breastfeeding: A "boob"camp! 

We have some great local professionals lined up to share information and resources! I will be sharing information on pumping and returning to work! 

You can get more information about the meeting on the DCBN website or on our facebook page!

I hope to see you there! 

Rebekah Lewis provides birth doula services in the North Texas area including Denton, Decatur, Gainesville, Krum, Aubrey, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Village, North Fort Worth, Keller, McKinney, and surrounding areas.

Placenta Encapsulation with Angie's Birth With Love

I am so happy to share one of the great local resources that Denton County has available for expecting families! Angie Stewart is a placenta encapsulation specialist working with families in Denton, Decatur, Gainesville and the surrounding areas. Without further adieu, everyone, meet Angie!

Hi Angie, thank you so much for taking the time to share with us today! Can you tell us a little about yourself and what you do?

Hi!  I am Angie Stewart.  I am mother to four amazing kids.  I have been in the birth world for 20 years.  I am a local certified birth and postpartum doula.  In the last two years I have added placenta encapsulation to the services I offer.

What first got you interested in placenta encapsulation?

I learned about placenta encapsulation during my retraining for my doula certification.  I found the information and benefits very fascinating.  I did some research on my own to back up and confirm the things I learned about it during my retraining.  

Do you have any particular passions within the birth field?

I enjoy working with all types of families.  I always learn so much from each of them.  I enjoy working with young moms and first time moms.  It is such a gift to see their reactions to all of the new things they're experiencing.  VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) moms amaze me whether they have a successful VBAC or RCS (Repeat Cesarean Section).  Their determination, the moms finding their voice if they felt they lost it in the birth resulting in a c-section is so uplifting and powerful!  It has been very eye opening to work with families who have a different faith then me.  I love getting to hear about what they practice, what their beliefs are, getting to be a part of their religious practices and rituals.

Tell me about one of your favorite experiences working in placenta encapsulation.

I like to listen to music.  So I usually will play music while I am working on preparing the placenta for dehydration.  One day I was playing music while working on a placenta listening to Marvin Gaye.  I wondered if it added a little more happiness to the capsules.  I am always amazed working with the placenta's, what they represent and the role they play in helping to develop the baby.  

You have been in the birth industry for two decades. What has it been like to work with two generations?

The coolest placenta I worked on was for a friend's daughter.  I was there when she was born 20 years ago and now she was a child of her own, that I would welcome into the world as well.  It was neat to see life begin and that life to birth a new life.  I am sentimental.  I had a mom who I worked with as a birth doula and there was some concern she could experience postpartum depression.  We had discussed getting her placenta encapsulated but they didn't have the extra money, so we let it go.  She ended up having a c-section and I felt with things not going as expected she may have a few more difficulties.  So I encapsulated her placenta.  She was grateful for what I did.  It was a blessing!

How do you feel you are having a positive impact with your clients?

I always try and follow up with moms I have encapsulated for and they all seem to report back that it is going well.  They feel like they have more energy, milk supply and overall feel great.  I have had some who hold on to them to use later as needed.

To close, how do you believe placenta encapsulation can make a positive difference in the birth and postpartum experience for women?

I have read articles that have spoken to the fact that all mammals, except humans, consume their placentas. I feel there is some truth to the benefits the mammals receive in doing so.  I feel it is the same for humans as well.  When I had my children a woman choosing to encapsulate her placenta was not something that was discussed or was still considered taboo.  If I wasn't passed the years of having children I would encapsulated my placenta, especially because of the benefits.  I wish there could be more studies done on the benefit of consuming a placenta but would hate for the FDA to be that involved because it could change the true effect it has on women.  For the skeptics I would say try it.  What's the harm in seeing if you feel the benefits?  As new moms we all could use the energy those early days when we feel tired.   

Thank you so much for chatting! Let us know how can we find you?

My website is:  

http://www.angiesbirthwithlove.com/extra-services

Angie Stewart, CD(DONA)

Angie's Birth With Love Doula Services

940-594-8297

"Trust your instincts; Follow your heart and birth with love."

Top 3 Birth Doula in Denton County!

I am so excited to announce that Rebekah Lewis Birth Doula has been voted in the Top 3 Birth Doulas in Denton County by Best of Denton County magazine! The winners of Best Birth Doula haven’t been announced yet (coming soon!) but regardless of the outcome I’m very honored by this distinction! I truly have the best job ever and it’s such a joy and honor to serve families in the Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton areas!

I want to give a big “thank you!” to each my clients that took time to vote and help me gain this recognition of Top 3 Birth Doula in Denton!

Rebekah Lewis provides birth doula services in the North Texas area including Denton, Decatur, Gainesville, Krum, Aubrey, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Village, North Fort Worth, Keller, McKinney, and surrounding areas. She was voted top 3 Birth Doula for Denton County by Best of Denton County in 2016.

Trusting Your Care Provider

Trust in your care provider, whether it’s an OB or a midwife, trusting them and their judgement is so important in your pregnancy and delivery. I absolutely believe that you always have the final say in your care. Just because your care provider suggests a procedure or test does not mean that it has to happen. You always have the right to informed consent! All of this being said, you might come across a situation in which the best decision for the health of yourself and your baby is based on trusting your care provider to do what is in your best interest. A good care provider will balance your desires and plans for birth alongside whatever intervention may be required.

Often times doulas hear moms in due date groups, or even clients, who have reached the end of their pregnancy having a trust issue with providers. They maybe had some red flags pop up earlier in pregnancy that their care provider isn’t on the same page as them but they didn’t want to go to the trouble to change doctors or midwives. Or perhaps they didn’t want to hurt the doctors feelings, we hear “they’re so nice” quite often. Maybe they’re just going to “fight them” on this one issue and stay under their care. Let’s say it’s the home stretch in their pregnancy and something has come up medically and now there’s talk about whether or not getting all the way to 40 weeks is still a wise decision or if induction at 37 weeks is necessary. Maybe the doctor is suggesting a cesarean birth rather than your planned natural birth. Now these moms are asking “should I really go through with this induction?” they’re considering playing games with the hospital to keep their doctor happy - scheduling the induction but then not showing up or rescheduling last minute. Maybe they believe the doctor is going to say that a cesarean is necessary but she really doesn’t want one and is trying to decide whether or not to go to the doctor to hear a potentially uncomfortable suggestion. These are the times that it is so important to trust your care provider.

Understand, It should never be blind trust, You should absolutely advocate for yourself and your unborn child. I recommend to my clients that they use the B.R.A.I.N acronym: what are the Benefits? Risks? Alternative options? What does your Intuition say? What if we do Nothing?

Ask questions of your care provider, understand why this intervention, test or procedure is recommended. Sometimes it all boils down to it being a decision, do we wait and see? Do we intervene and potentially prevent (but of course all the risks of intervention and induction etc still apply). It’s all a choice. So do you trust your care provider? Do they have a good reputation for the type of birth you’re planning? Do they usually end up pushing inductions or interventions to get things “moving” at the end? Do they use scare tactics to get you to induce? Do you question whether or not an induction is for their convenience or if it’s actually necessary?

Do your homework. Ask the tough questions. Change care providers if necessary.

If you’ve picked a good care provider that practices in line with what you believe, what you want, your birth plan. You trust them, their expertise and judgement. Then you know when they say it’s time for XYZ that isn’t a part of your birth plan you can trust that it’s the actual truth, it’s a legitimate need for health concerns. As I said before, still - do your due diligence, research the proposed test, intervention or procedure. The bottom line is, the relationship between you and your care provider must be based on trust. Without trust, the foundation of your relationship is flawed and can lead to questions and doubt when time counts.

If you aren’t sure whether or not your care provider is a good fit for you, a great childbirth education course can help you ask the right questions! I’m happy to help you find a great in-person class in Denton or other towns in the Dallas, Fort Worth area. There are also wonderful online options to fit your busy schedule! Hiring a doula with local resources and connections can help you with your search for a great care provider to help you have an amazing birth!

Rebekah Lewis provides birth doula services in the North Texas area including Denton, Decatur, Gainesville, Krum, Aubrey, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Village, North Fort Worth, Keller, McKinney, and surrounding areas.

Denton is getting Nitrous Oxide

Update: Nitrous is now an option! A client used it in Spring 2019 and the nurses were great about getting the nitrous set up in her room quickly once she requested it!

Update (2/2/18): I wanted to let you know that Texas Health Presbyterian Denton does not currently offer Nitrous Oxide. As with many things in the hospital system, change does not happen quickly. We will be excited when this option does become available but it has not come as quickly as it was expected. - Rebekah

This past Monday night was our most recent meeting of the Denton County Birth Network. Dr. Heather Bartos of BE Womens Health and Wellness (in Crossroads just outside of Denton on Highway 380) joined us as our guest and was speaking about Inductions. 

Dr. Bartos had a great way of making a sometimes not so fun topic really enjoyable and relatable regardless of your knowledge about the medical induction procedures. She used the comparison of your cervix to an avocado. She said that sometimes we really want guacamole -it's what we're craving and all we can think about. So we go to the store and get avocados except none of them are ripe. You want guacamole so badly that you're willing to buy that unripe avocado that you know isn't any good for your guacamole. You take it home and put it in a paper bag, you put the paper bag in the window. You try everything you can to try to ripen the avocado so you can hopefully make your guacamole. Sometimes it's just ripe enough after all your tricks to make some okay guacamole but not always. Sometimes all those tricks and methods you used to ripen those avocados before they were ready isn't enough and try as you might, that avocado is too tough and just won't make  guacamole. 

This is sometimes what it's like to be pregnant, all you can think about is getting the baby here and not being pregnant anymore! Or maybe we have high blood pressure, diabetes, pre eclampsia or many other medical issues that would be an indication we need to medically induce and not be pregnant anymore. Regardless of the reason you're looking at inducing. We can try all kinds of non-medical induction options like evening primrose oil, sex, increased physical activities and combine them with medical options for cervical ripeners, augmentation like pitocin and many others. Sometimes these things work and labor is kick started and we get guacamole... er, a baby! Other times no matter what we try your body isn't ready, your cervix isn't ripe and labor won't keep going on it's own. Depending on the individual situation, sometimes there is time to wait until labor can start or if it was a medically necessary induction for health reasons it might end in birth by cesarean. 

At the end of the meeting Dr. Bartos announced that she is excited to share that Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital of Denton will be offering Nitrous Oxide for patients as a new pain relief option very soon! 

Nitrous Oxide is a pain relief option that fell out of favor in the US in the 60's when the epidural came on the scene and gained popularity. According to the Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health Nitrous Oxide is a safe pain relief option for both baby and mother. Since it doesn't disrupt the release of the hormone Oxytocin it doesn't change the normal progress of labor or affect baby's alertness at birth. The Nitrous Oxide or "laughing gas" doesn't take away the pain of labor, women still perceive pain but it helps them relax through it and it seems like the pain is less. Nitrous Oxide is a great pain relief tool if you would like to have some medicinal relief from contractions but aren't comfortable with epidurals or narcotic pain relief. 

Dr. Bartos also made mention of the potential of a very new and exciting option for pregnant families in and around Denton birthing at Presbyterian Hospital of Denton... but it's still a secret - I hope it's something I can share soon! It's an exciting time to have a baby in Denton and the DFW area! We have more options than ever for expecting families to have the birth they desire! 

If you're in the Denton County area feel free to join us for a Denton County Birth Network meeting! They are free and open to the public! We meet every other month on a Monday night at 7:00 at the North Branch Library. Meetings are always announced on our Facebook page you can check out here! The Denton County Birth Network is your local resource for mother-friendly care, connection and community! 

Rebekah Lewis is a Birth Doula serving families in Denton Texas and the surrounding areas. Contact her today to schedule a consultation. 

Rebekah Lewis provides birth doula services in the North Texas area including Denton, Decatur, Gainesville, Krum, Aubrey, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Village, North Fort Worth, Keller, McKinney, and surrounding areas.

Pinterest for the Modern Doula

As a doula I provide information to clients about various topics related to pregnancy and childbirth. When a client contacts me with a question, I answer and after our conversation I send her resources with articles and research so that she can make an informed decision on what is best for her (because it's her birth and what she wants is what I want!). In an email or a text I'll send a link to my Pinterest board on that specific topic. 

There are so many great articles on Pinterest but we all know that can be a deep dark abyss of endless pins. Some of those pins don't hold information that's all that great and certainly not evidence based. On my Doula page I have specifically picked good resources and saved them for my clients in easy to find organized boards. 

I've found that expecting families seem to be inundated with paperwork and articles. By using Pinterest to send articles, that's less paper for you to keep up with and  the response can be immediate instead of waiting for me to bring print outs to our next prenatal. As your doula I try to only give my clients one print item, the beautiful Supporting Arms Booklet (see a sample here). It provides such great information, it's worth having it in print and easily referenced! 

I'm constantly adding more pins and information - you can check out my Pinterest page here! 

Contact me today to schedule a Free Consultation! 

Rebekah Lewis provides birth doula services in the North Texas and South Western Oklahoma area including Denton, Gainesville, Krum, Aubrey, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Village, North Fort Worth, Keller, McKinney, Ardmore, Marietta, Thackerville and surrounding areas.

Childbirth Education and Doulas!

Childbirth education and doulas go hand-in-hand

Childbirth education is such an important part of preparing for birth! As a doula, I provide physical, emotional, and informational support during pregnancy and birth. But there isn't any way I can possibly get you everything you need to know about your choices and options in two prenatal meetings before the birth (and still get to know you)! For many things, it's also simply too late by the time we're meeting! Red flags popping up that your care provider isn't Natural Childbirth or VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) friendly isn't as easy to resolve in the last weeks of pregnancy (or during labor!). Exercises to promote optimal fetal positioning or nutrition for a strong amniotic sac to prevent Premature Rupture of Membranes... both are examples of things that it's too late for me to help with. During labor it would be inappropriate for me to explain the risks of cascading interventions. The labor and delivery room it isn't the time or place for these lessons.

This is where Childbirth Education comes in. After a client has taken a comprehensive course like Birth Boot Camp, they are informed and confident in their decisions and ready to move forward building a relationship with me so I can best support them at their birth.

I would love to help you find a local childbirth education course to meet your needs! There are several great local Birth Boot Camp instructors I work closely with! Let me know if you're interested in a class and we will look at the options together! If one of their class schedules doesn't meet your needs, there is also an online option!

Rebekah Lewis provides birth doula services in the North Texas and South Western Oklahoma area including Denton, Gainesville, Krum, Aubrey, Flower Mound, Grapevine, Coppell, Highland Village, North Fort Worth, Keller, McKinney, Ardmore, Marietta, Thackerville and surrounding areas.