Five Birth Services You Might Not Know About

(Before I begin, as a former English teacher, I feel obligated to say that I know that I used a dangling preposition in my title.  But who says, “Five Birth Services About Which You Might Not Know?” I’m going to be conversational here. Grammar nerds, don’t bust my chops.)

As a doula, one of my biggest goals is helping people know what all of their options are.  It makes me sad when I hear someone say, “I didn’t know that was even a thing! I wish I could’ve done that!”  By now, most people know about childbirth classes, birth photographers, and birth doulas. But there are so many other really good services out there that can make your childbirth and postpartum experience even better!  Here are a few for you to consider.

Belly Wrapping

Many moms, after pregnancy, will buy some kind of postpartum support garment to help hold their wobbly insides together as their body heals. Having gentle compression on the midsection can feel SO GOOD and supportive after your belly has been stretched out by pregnancy!  But did you know that you can have someone come to your house and do a traditional postpartum wrap?

Belly wrapping is done with a long strip of cotton cloth.  There’s a specific technique that’s used, creating a line of “knots” that go up the center of the belly, providing support.  There are a few really nice things about belly wrapping that you can’t get with a structured garment. First, it’s completely adjustable. As your body shrinks, you won’t have to purchase a smaller wrap to accommodate your new shape. The wrap can be done more tightly or more loosely on any given day, depending on how you feel. It also has an interesting look, providing a unique belly cover for breastfeeding mothers.

Many of those trained in belly wrapping also make special herbal pastes or salves to apply to the postpartum belly to encourage healing.  Having a wrap done can feel like a real pampering treat for mom. And your belly wrapping pro can probably teach you how to wrap yourself, so you can continue this practice as long as you feel it’s useful to you.

There is one word of caution to include about all forms of postpartum belly binding, including the garments you can buy online.  Your abdominal cavity is a closed system. Creating too much pressure around your middle can force your organs upwards and downwards. For moms who are experiencing any kind of pelvic organ prolapse after birth, belly wrapping may create additional pressure that might make the problem worse.  So make sure you work with someone who is trained and can tell you if you’re a good candidate for belly wrapping or not.

Placenta Encapsulation

Placenta encapsulation is becoming more popular, especially in “crunchy” circles, so you may or may not have heard of this already.  Essentially, a trained placenta specialist dehydrates your placenta (using good food safety practices!), grinds it up, and puts it into capsules that you can then take on a schedule during your postpartum time.  Those who recommend this practice say that it can help you feel better and increase your milk production. There is not a lot of research on placenta encapsulation. We do know that dehydrated placenta does contain some iron and some hormones.

I’m gonna shoot straight with you here.  There are a lot of moms who swear by this.  Their experience with taking their placenta capsules is or was a positive one.  But I believe the jury is still out on this practice. It will take more time and research to determine if this practice is beneficial for everyone, no one, or some. Recently there have been articles put out by lactation consultants expressing concern over the practice, based on unexplained low milk supply in some of their clients who have been taking placenta pills.  Just like with the moms who rave about the benefits, these are just personal observations at this point and not established research.

My takeaway is this.  If you’re thinking about getting your placenta encapsulated, do some research and read about it, looking at resources that are both for and against before you decide. If you decide you do want to try placenta encapsulation and you’re planning to give birth in a hospital, you’ll need to have a conversation with your provider and the hospital ahead of time, to make sure there are no obstacles to taking your placenta home with you.

Postpartum Doula

Wait, you mean there’s more than one kind of doula? Yep, actually, there are quite a few.  A postpartum doula is definitely a birth professional you need to hear about if you haven’t already.  For real, she’s like a postpartum fairy godmother.

A postpartum doula usually offers a package.  They arrange to come your home a certain number of times for a certain number of hours each time.  They are there to help you stay sane when you’re sleep deprived and hormonal. Most of them do light housekeeping and meal prep.  They offer encouragement and help you get a little self-care time in–like holding your baby while you shower or nap. They can listen to any concerns you have about your postpartum body, and help you seek outside help if it’s needed.  They are usually skilled at helping with breastfeeding. And some of them will do “overnights,” when they stay all night at your house, taking care of your baby so you can get some sleep, only waking you if baby needs to breastfeed.

Doesn’t that sound dreamy?  Wait, it gets better. Just as with birth doulas, postpartum doulas are an eligible expense for your health care flexible spending account or health care savings account (at least all the ones I have seen. Double check your policy to make sure.)  If you’re going to be having a baby in the next year and don’t have an FSA or HSA, as part of your insurance plan, you might want to add one during open-enrollment!

Bereavement Doula

Ok, I’m gonna get a little heavy here for a minute. I told you there were different kinds of doulas, and this is another one I think everyone should know about. Although I hope that you never need her services, the reality is that one in four women experiences some kind of pregnancy loss in her lifetime.  

A bereavement doula walks alongside parents who are experiencing some kind of loss or difficult challenge around birth.  She is trained to support a woman (and her partner) experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, expected loss after baby’s birth, or a baby that is expected to need a lot of extra medical care after birth.  She’s there to help families, experiencing these things, slow down and take one step at a time and to know what all their options are.

One of the best things about bereavement doulas is that they usually do not charge grieving families for these services. Most are birth professionals who make their money in other ways, setting aside a portion of their income or taking donations to “cover” these families’ expenses. One of the largest training organizations of bereavement doulas is called Stillbirthday, and you can locate local bereavement doulas by going to their website, www.stillbirthday.com.

Placenta Prints

Yes, we’re back to placentas again!  This time we’re talking about a keepsake, not a dietary supplement.  The placenta is such an interesting thing. It’s the only temporary organ.  It’s the interface between mother and child for nine months providing baby with the nutrients and oxygen it needs to grow, so no wonder some families want to remember them!

A placenta print is usually made on watercolor paper.  They can be done several different ways, using ink, food dyes, or even the natural blood to make a print, according to the wishes of the parents and the techniques familiar to the one making the print.  

Sometimes the print is made by someone who will be dehydrating the placenta to make capsules for mom.  In this case the print would be done with blood print or with edible food dyes. But many parents want just the print, not the pills, and that allows for a wider range of paints and inks–substances that don’t have to be safe to consume.

A placenta print usually resembles a tree; some people call them a “tree of life.” Usually several prints are made at once, giving the parents a chance to pick the one(s) they like best.  For obvious reasons, they are usually done within a day or two of birth, so it’s a good idea to have this service lined up before you have your baby! (I know that they can also be done on placentas that have been preserved by freezing, so if you aren’t ready to decide, that’s another option. Yes, you can totally double bag your placenta with zip top bags and freeze it! Oh, the things you never knew!) As with placenta encapsulation, you’ll have to talk to your provider and the people at your chosen birthplace about keeping your placenta after your baby is born.

 

I hope I’ve given you some good ideas!  The childbearing year is a very special time that only occurs a few times for most women.  Make it the best it can be! If you live in the Auburn-Opelika area and would like help connecting with people who provide these services, get in touch with me.  I’d be happy to help connect you with someone who can help!