There's a lot of information available on how breastfeeding can act as birth control in the early postpartum weeks and months. But, what about parents who are ready to get pregnant again, but still have a nursling? For these parents, the delay in return of fertility can be frustrating...but, they may also struggle with the idea of weaning their little one. But, it doesn't always have to be one or the other. There are strategies that can help bring on the return of ovulation without completely weaning. Lots of great info on this in the book below...

"Adventures in Tandem Nursing: Breastfeeding During Pregnancy and Beyond" by Hilary Flowers.

Other parents may feel that the time is right to say good-bye to nursing. For these parents, we offer support and information on how they can create a weaning process that is gentle on their bodies and their hearts. There are lots of different tips and tricks available! 

kellymom.com/ages/older-infant/ttc-while-bf/

Let us know if you have any questions! And, if you've successfully nursed through pregnancy, tandem nursed, or weaned your kiddo, we'd love to hear about your experience! 

We're often asked what it means to be a doula. It's such a wildly varying experience every day, it's hard to put into words. But, we've tried to express what life is like for us over here at AthensBorn.

We hold hands and rub shoulders.
We whisper in ears and cheer loudly for milestones.
We teach and we learn.
We give back to our community.
We’re activists, we listen, we support, we protest, we vote.
We’re small business owners. We work from home, from coffee shops, in waiting rooms, our cars, wherever we find the minutes.  
We miss special occasions.
We leave our homes in the quiet of night.
We witness birth in awe. Every time.
We marvel at the strength of people.
We celebrate with our clients.
We grieve with them, too.
We make mistakes. We hate that. But, we’re learning to forgive ourselves.
We’re nerds. We love science and research and learning new things.
We talk loudly about placentas in public places. Oops.
We laugh together. Really hard. Like shushed in the library kind of hard.
We still get excited every time we're hired.
We meet the very best people and feel so grateful for it.

We know how lucky we are to be living this doula life. Thank you to our AthensBorn Families for making it possible!

Ever wonder if your health insurance company will help pay for your doula services? The answer is...maybe. We recently came across this helpful article that details many of the “alternative” services families choose, including labor doula services, water birth, home birth, and in-home postpartum care. The authors also delve into what specifics affect the likelihood of your getting the stamp of approval (or more important, a check) for the doula you choose.

https://quotewizard.com/health-insurance/alternative-birth-option-coverage

Research studies have shown that women who give birth with consistent doula support undergo fewer interventions (including inductions, epidurals, forceps/vacuum-assisted deliveries, and Cesarean surgeries). Doula-assisted mothers often have shorter labors, shorter hospital stays, and overwhelmingly rate their labors and births with higher levels of satisfaction than women who do not have this support. Their infants often experience fewer interventions and spend less time in the nursery/NICU than those born without doula support. Clearly, doula support benefits women, babies, hospitals, and...insurance companies.

(Please see the links below to access the articles where we found this information.)

Most of our clients haven’t even considered that their insurance company may be willing to cover part of their doula services, but we always advocate asking. And, we recommend that they start the process as early in pregnancy as possible. After all, this is business to them. Your best bet for reimbursement will be to focus on how covering this smaller payment now will likely save them a LOT of money in the end. If you wait until after your birth to approach them, there’s less incentive for them to contribute because they already know the outcome.

We try to make this process as easy as possible for our clients. One of the benefits of choosing AthensBorn for labor doula services is access to our Insurance Reimbursement Packet, which includes the following…

• A checklist detailing the steps you’ll need to take
• A template for the letter you’ll write to your insurance company
• Copies of research articles to support your request
• Copies of our current doula certifications
• A superbill for services provided

Guarantees for reimbursement aren’t possible at this point in time. The truth is that some companies pay a good chunk toward services, some pay none, others are somewhere in the middle. But, we’ve helped condense the process down to a manageable list of tasks and who couldn’t use a few extra dollars in their wallet when there’s a new baby around? Our hope is that as more parents request reimbursement, more insurance companies will become familiar with doula services and how they improve outcomes for mothers and babies...and that they’ll be willing to help families pay for these valuable services.

Best wishes on your birth journey!
Kate

Continuous support for women during childbirth

Coverage for doula services: how state Medicaid programs can address concerns about maternity care costs and quality​

Modeling the Cost‐Effectiveness of Doula Care Associated with Reductions in Preterm Birth and Cesarean Delivery

NY State Maternal Mortality Review Report

We've heard it so many times when sitting down to chat with potential clients. 

"Umm...we're not really sure what to ask." 

Many people first hear about doulas from their midwives or from friends who've had a great experience with a doula during a previous birth. But, they don't always understand what a doula does or what they should ask during an interview to help them figure out which doula is the best fit. In fact, we've heard this same sentiment from so many people that we actually made a list to help them out.

Here are our most frequently asked questions and some suggestions of our own. Of course, these aren't the only questions you can ask and you should always ask anything you like. More personalized questions based on your individual needs, wishes, and personalities are great! Take a look at our list to get started and let us know if you have any additions!

Do you have availability for my due date?

Where do you work/what area do you cover?

What's your guiding philosophy for supporting women in labor and birth?

What training or experience do you have?

Why did you become a doula?

Can you provide references from past clients?

What is your birth fee and what does that cover?

How many clients do you take per month?

How do you feel about the use of pain medication during labor?

How do you work with and involve partners?

Do you offer other birth-related services? (breastfeeding support, postpartum care, placenta encapsulation, etc)

Remember, these are just a starting point. Always feel free to ask anything that's on your mind!

Take care,
​Kate & Becca

Dearest Readers,

This was written by a fantastic local mom who experienced two very different breastfeeding relationships when her little ones were born. We wanted to share it with you to show the difference a supportive community and a little encouragement can make when a parent struggles to breastfeed. If you are experiencing similar struggles, please seek help! There may be some minor changes that can make monumental differences as you begin nursing your little one.

As a new mom in 2015, I pictured the first few days of being a breastfeeding mom as a perfect little clip straight out of a fairy tale: my little girl and I, snuggled up under blankets, her gently taking my breast, like a dainty little fawn, as I smile gently down at her, drinking up her cuteness, while the husband makes us a cup of nice tea, and all would be right with the world. 

Needless to say, this is NOT how nature makes it. And all those movies and fairy tales? LIES. All LIES. 

Breastfeeding is NOT easy. And being thrown into it, with a fussy baby who treated my nipples like they were a block of cheese dropped in front of a mouse hole, I was lost. I felt I didn't have the support I needed, and within a few short weeks, I found myself with no milk supply left and having to feel defeated, moving directly to formula. 

Fast forward to this year, getting ready to birth my second daughter in March. This time, I was DETERMINED to pull through and get through the pain and agony. But the one weapon I had this time, going in, was knowledge and support! I knew what to expect the first hours, days, and weeks going in. I set up my calendar with all the breastfeeding support groups I could find. I had my mothers milk tea all ready to use. I had also let my friends and family know my choices and gathered the support from them. And best of all, I had a good friend get me in contact with a personal Doula, that would come into my home and help me transition into the life of two young girls. 

Even with all the knowledge and expectancy I had with my second that I didn't have with my first, I still had bumps in the road. I would find bad pain during nursing, or find my supply dropping at certain times. It wasn't as easy as I thought, even with a more knowledgeable mindset. But the big difference is, I found that I could always reach out to my doula for any advice, words of wisdom, or just an ear to listen to me vent about my sleepless nights. And without fail, every time I reached out for support, I would see a very noticeable difference in whatever issue I was having within 24 hours. (I think these guys are magicians.) 

The best advice I can give? Always know that you are already doing your best by reaching out for support. Don't try and fight the battle of breastfeeding alone in your little cave of pain and torture, we mamas have ALL been there, and you are never alone! Athens is an awesome town for breastfeeding moms, and it is super easy to find support if you look for it! The doulas here are even more awesome because they don't try and take on everything by themselves, they will also help you out by letting you know about other groups and classes that are full of mamas having the exact same issues as you! ​

​So, what do you think? If you've breastfed a baby, try to remember back to those early days... the schedule, the discomfort, the steep learning curve. What was helpful to you and helped you push through? What do you think would have been helpful? ​

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment and share.

Love,
​Becca

How many of you have come across a topic on a pregnancy or postpartum website and had absolutely no idea what in the world they were discussing? Maybe you didn’t know who their Breast Friend was, why someone’s bum would be described as either Fuzzi or Genius, and you always thought a Boppy was that game people played at parties that lights up when you whack it. Well, you’re not alone in wondering about the mysterious products and practices that present themselves to soon-to-be parents. Today we’re getting to the bottom of another topic that comes up frequently for our clients, who would like to know how it might be helpful to them during their pregnancy or after their baby has arrived. We’re talking about…
 
Rolfing!
 
We know and don’t worry, we’re going to get you the explanation from a local expert. Leah McKellop is a Certified Rolfer™ who works out of Thrive Integrative Medicine, right here in Athens. She was kind enough to answer some questions for us so that our clients could better understand whether her services might be a good match for them... 
 
Ok, let’s start with a basic introduction to what Rolfing is...
 
Rolfing® Structural Integration is a form of manual therapy that realigns and retrains your posture. This is primarily achieved by working with the connective tissue in your body, known as fascia.  Fascia runs throughout our bodies, like a flexible matrix,  giving our cells, muscles, and organs their shape.  When this fascia network becomes stuck or rotated, it pulls our bodies out of alignment.  Rolfing sessions usually consist of long slow strokes that free up adhesions  and balance tension in the fascia. Often Rolfing sessions will also involve movement training, in which the receiver learns to move in ways that continue to improve posture and comfort.  
 
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what led you to this kind of work?
 
I have always been fascinated with human potential and that has taken me in some different directions. I studied psychology and art, worked in the social work non-profit sector, and practiced and taught yoga for years.
 
When I found Rolfing, I was really intrigued by the way it acknowledged people's adaptability and potential to change. I had injuries in my body that I thought would always be there, that I felt like I had no control over.  Then like *that* they were gone and I understood what was happening in my body and why they were there. It was like a whole new line of communication opened up. I knew how to better listen and that has helped me live in my body with so much more ease and trust.
 
My underlying hope with Rolfing, especially through pregnancy, is to build that internal line of communication. Pregnancy is a time of such rapid transition and adjustment, so it can be that much more challenging to listen to your body and trust it.  There is an ease that seems to come with being able to listen to your own rhythms and even your own pain.  When things aren't just happening to you, but rather you have a sense that you know what is going on, things are a lot less scary.  
 
What kinds of issues bring pregnant people to seek your services?  
 
Common complaints during pregnancy that might bring you in:

• Low Back/Hip discomfort
• Sacro Iliac Joint Discomfort /sciatica
• Upper back/ Neck discomfort
• Forearm/wrist/thumb discomfort
• Leg cramping
• Rib pressure

 
During pregnancy, the work is very gentle. Our main focus is on allowing the body to open up and trying to direct that opening into a balanced direction. Looking at the ribs for example, we want to get lots of flexibility between the individual ribs so the organs (for breath, food...) have somewhere to expand into. However, if just the front of the ribs are open, your belly might fall forward, putting a lot of pressure on the low back (SI joint, uterine ligaments, recti abdominis, etc). So, we would have to look at ways to open the back rib muscles, train the center of gravity back towards your pelvic bowl and so on.
 
Are there issues that might arise during the postpartum weeks and months that could be helped by Rolfing?

Common complaints during postpartum that might bring you in:

• Low Back/Hip discomfort
• Sacro Iliac Joint Discomfort /sciatica
• Upper back/ Neck discomfort
• Forearm/wrist/thumb discomfort
• Diastasis Recti/Umbilical Hernia
• Scar tissue remediation (wait 6 weeks)
• Retraining core stability/lift (usually looking at the abdomen and pelvic floor)
• Pelvic Floor function

 
A lot of the postpartum period is about recentering and reawakening your system of support.  It's a really rich time for work, because there is a big potential for change (with the hormone Relaxin flowing) and because on some level you are being reintroduced to your body.  The work is still gentle, but we are able to work on more internal stabilizing structures.
 
Are there any potentially adverse affects from having a Rolfing session while pregnant or soon after giving birth?
 
Always check with your doctor as a rule of thumb, but especially if you are having (or have had) any complications with your pregnancy. Though the work is gentle, it still takes energy for your body to process changes.  
 
After birth is a really wonderful window to receive work.  Your body is pliable and open to change.  It's a time when you are giving so much, that receiving is essential for balance.  However, a certain amount of healing does need to take place. The main reason for waiting is if you have scars that are healing up. Rolfing does work on scar tissue and help with healing, but you will want to wait about six weeks for the scar to heal.
 
Are there any common myths or misconceptions about Rolfing that you'd like to address?  
 
One  reputation that seems to go along with Rolfing is that it's painful.  While I will agree that there are times that it is uncomfortable, pain is not what we are looking for. Sessions are a constant dance of communication between the giver and receiver about the sensations being felt. We will definitely go to the source of troubles, and we won't ignore what needs to be looked at, but the work helps much more when the receiver is relaxed and receptive.
 
Is there anything else you'd like the Athens community to know about Rolfing or your services?
 
I'm just really grateful for the community I have found in Athens and for all the support I have received!  
 
Thanks!
Leah McKellop
www.leahmckelloprolfing.com
​

I remember the first time I heard about women eating their placentas. I was watching Pregnant in Heels on Bravo and the host made a placenta smoothie for one of her clients. I thought it was totally gross. Why on earth would anyone want to do that?? Well, now I feel like I need to apologize to that mom for judging her, because there are some pretty compelling reasons to consume your placenta.

I have two kids who are equally amazing, but their entrances into this world could not have been more different. My son's birth was traumatic and I had a very difficult time coping afterwards. I wasn't eating. I was barely able to take care of myself and my son. Everything was overwhelming. Fortunately with the love and support of my family I got through that time. When I became pregnant a second time, I knew I wanted things to be different. Honestly, I was terrified that I would go through postpartum depression again.

Bottom line is,  IBCLC is one credential where you have a baseline understanding of the depth and breadth of the professional’s education and training, no matter where in the world they practice. This is the person you can seek out for any breastfeeding issue, but certainly the one you should seek out for issues that persist, involve complications or concerns about weight gain, or anything that requires close monitoring of your baby. 

Local hospitals are often a great place to find skilled IBCLCs and our community is no exception. Of course, we have an IBCLC right here at AthensBorn Birth Services, but we’re also proud to work alongside and learn from other amazing professionals in our community. 

See that? A breastfeeding support person to fit every need! Aren’t we lucky to be living here in Athens, GA? 

Take care,
Kate