Expecting moms are sometimes flooded with negative messages about how pregnancy is “supposed” to be miserable. This author gives some tips on how to combat that negativity when it starts to get your down: Living a Positive Pregnancy
Sometimes it is more than just cultural pressure to be miserable. Sometimes moms really *are* miserable. And in those cases, moms and their partners can be assertive about getting the help they need. Being an informed, assertive patient has many benefits. Don’t let your care provider brush off serious problems with “Yeah, that’s normal.” If it is impacting your ability to function and enjoy your pregnancy, push for better care. Push for referrals to other professionals, like physical therapists, nutritionists, counselors, or any number of other kinds of providers who can provide answers and help. It’s important to Push for Your Baby, but sometimes you need to push for YOU, too!
And if it’s depression, this lovely post has a nice balance of things to try and ways to get help. Sometimes postpartum depression gets all the attention while depression in pregnancy is ignored.
Subtle, but important. Everyone else in the room takes their cue from the doula, so watching my behavior and tone of voice is so, so important. Doulas as Tone Setters.
Today’s video is a nice demonstration of various techniques for labor. I love how they are using an actual hospital bed. I find that sometimes it is hard for people to envision how something might work in a hospital setting, so for those planning a hospital birth it can be helpful to see.
Now here’s a twist: What NOT to consider when hiring your OB or Midwife