LGBTQ Childbirth Classes and Provider Trainings

For twenty years, MAIA Midwifery & Fertility Services has been at the forefront of serving the LGBTQ community and cultivating expertise in the unique needs of the families they serve.  Books addressing childbirth for alternative families have occasionally appeared over the years, and as I mentioned in my own book, my favorite is the outstanding publication by MAIA co-founder Stephanie Brill, The New Essential Guide to Lesbian Conception, Pregnancy & Birth.  Now at the helm of MAIA is Kristin Kali, nationally-known midwife, trainer and instructor of classes for LGBTQ families and their providers.  Her one-of-a-kind childbirth classes are offered in a weekend format for the convenience of parents local to San Francisco and Los Angeles as well as families who wish to attend from out-of-state.  See below for a listing of MAIA's upcoming events.

Injections, Eggs, and Attorneys: How One Lesbian Couple Conceived

For parents who are GLBT (gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender), as well as their doulas, health care providers and allies -- which hopefully includes most everyone -- some great resources have been emerging, thanks in part to the Internet.  Dana Rudolph created the award-winning Mombian blog in 2005, and in 2006 she created Blogging for LGBT Families Day.  (Yes, there are many variations on the acronym.)  Hundreds of writers have participated, and this year writers may submit blog entries on or before June 3, which will then be collected and published on the Mombian Web site.  In particular, I would encourage you to submit your birth story for the event!  To participate, click here.  Also, for more information about the experience of GLBT parents during childbirth and how doulas can help, see pages 29-31 of my book.  Below Dana Rudolph describes the process known as "reciprocal IVF," which she and her partner of 20 years used to create their family.

Cervical Scar Tissue – A Cause of Preventable Cesareans

Dawn Thompson is a doula and the founder of ImprovingBirth.org.  She has spent the past eight years on a mission to understand how scar tissue on the cervix affects women in labor, and to let the public know about it.  In her article below, she identifies a variety of gynecological procedures that can potentially cause Cervical Scar Tissue, such as treatments for abnormal Pap smears.  (I also discuss the topic on pages 132-133 of my book, which includes a list of additional medical procedures that may be the cause of CST.)  Other resources on CST include: 

• an excellent article by O'Nell Starkey, doula and founder of The Beautiful Cervix Project
• photographs of the cervix from The Singapore Family Physician (images are graphic but informative -- see Figures 24a and 24b for scarring of the cervix); and
• an article by Dr. Fred Licciardi of New York University, with drawings that demonstrate how gynecological procedures may cause scarring 

Below, Dawn Thompson describes her investigation of the topic of CST, and the ways she has helped mothers with this condition avoid complications in labor.

How Dilated Am I? Estimating Dilation in Labor WITHOUT a Vaginal Exam

In 2008 I visited Israel and lectured to a wonderful group of doulas on the topic of alternatives to using vaginal exams (VEs) in labor, and that is when I met Sarah Vine.  Sarah later wrote a post about this topic on her blog, which I've reprinted below.  When I published my book, my favorite chapter was titled "Labor is Not About Dilation," where I explain that although vaginal exams in labor are widely and heavily used, scientific studies have not proven routine VEs in childbirth to be beneficial or medically necessary.  VEs have their downsides, including an increased risk of serious infection such as Group B Strep, as well as potentially disturbing a mother's comfort and concentration in labor (imagine how other mammals would respond to this intervention?).  Click here to visit Sarah Vine's blog, and continue reading below to see what she has written about estimating dilation without a VE.

Your "Postpartum Plan" Is As Important As Your Birth Plan

Many people have heard of writing a birth plan--and a postpartum plan can be just as important.  Mara Acel-Green, a psychotherapist specializing in postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders, has created the form below for families to use when choosing who will help them through the enormous changes of the postpartum time.  Some other resources I love are the sample postpartum plan at Dona.org, a post from That Wife which touches on the importance of planning who will help you with breastfeeding, and Molly Remer's account of pushing herself too hard during her postpartum.  Also see pages 220-221 of The Doula Guide to Birth for more information on postpartum plans.  I encourage all expectant parents to be able to answer the questions below provided by Mara Acel-Green, and be clear in advance who you will ask for help postpartum.

Advice for Twin Births

I am happy to present this information written by Kimberly Amato, a doula with expertise in twin births, as well as the mother of twins and a singleton.  Kim has been a fantastic resource for me when I’ve been a doula for twins, as well as when I wrote about twin births on pages 211-214 of my book.  Depending on the care provider or hospital, mothers of twins may be expected to:  use an epidural even if they prefer natural childbirth, because of a small increase in the chance of a stat cesarean; have an induction as a routine protocol, or because complications develop that are more likely with twin pregnancies; and/or move into an Operating Room during the pushing phase of a vaginal birth, as a precaution in case of emergency.  Kim has written an excellent guide that mothers and doulas can use to help them have a dialogue with care providers about birth options with twins.  To correspond with Kim for more information, email her at kjpdoula@gmail.com.

Everyone can support African American doulas and mothers

I want to let everyone know about the International Center for Traditional Childbearing, an organization that trains doulas and midwives throughout the USA, with a special emphasis on preventing infant mortality and promoting breastfeeding in the African American community, where infant mortality rates are the highest in the nation.  Any person is welcome to attend an ICTC doula training or conference, locate a doula trained by ICTC, apply for membership in the organization, and make donations to support their work.  (For more information about the role of doulas in reducing prematurity and infant mortality, see pages 9-11 of my book, The Doula Guide to Birth.)

Welcome!

Welcome to THE DOULA GUIDE blog.

My name is Ananda Lowe and I am co-author of The Doula Guide to Birth:  Secrets Every Pregnant Woman Should Know, published by Bantam Books.  Since 1995, I have worked with childbirth professionals and new parents throughout North America and beyond.  My roles have included Assistant Director of a national doula training organization, pregnancy massage expert, Lamaze-trained childbirth instructor, college major in Maternal Child Health, mother, and of course, doula.