Prepare for a Positive Birth with THE BIRTH CLASS
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Positions for labour and birth
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A doula is not a health professional – they don’t offer medical advice, nor do they catch babies (unless this is noted in your birth plan and supported by your care provider). Their primary role is to support birthing women and their birth partners by offering information, advocating for your intentions and needs, and providing physical and emotional support.
Doulas have been around for as long as midwives. A decade ago, doulas started gaining popularity as more women actively prepared for their birth and better understood the need for trusted support in pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum.
A doula doesn’t have a birth preference and will not judge your birth choices; they are trained to support you to have an informed birth, regardless of where and how you birth. Studies show that the presence of a doula definitely increases your chances of having an unmedicated birth, but doulas don’t pick and choose; they can help you on your birth journey, including homebirth, medicated vaginal birth or planned caesarean.
The benefit of having a doula is that they can offer you continuity of care and advocacy, which is especially important if you are enrolled in a fragmented model of care where you’re seeing a different midwife or obstetrician at every appointment.
We know that continual support through continuity of care has been shown to improve birth experiences and outcomes, and yet many women don’t have access to this model of care in the hospital system. A doula is ideal if your care options are limited. Evidence shows that when doulas attend a birth, labours are shorter, with fewer complications, and babies breastfeed more easily.
You can expect to pay $1000 to $3000 for doula care in Australia. This usually depends on how many times they see you throughout your pregnancy. You can also employ a doula solely for postpartum care where they can help you rest, heal and navigate the fourth trimester.
There are a number of doula training organisations in Australia, such as the Australian Doula College and Doula Network Australia.
If you’re considering having a doula at your birth, it’s recommended that you work with a trained professional who respects and supports your birth intentions and is open to meeting regularly throughout your pregnancy so you can form a trusted relationship. An initial meeting is often the first step and an opportunity for you to ask some crucial questions and essentially work out if you have a connection with them. Not sure what to ask? Use these questions as a guide:
Episode 226
pregnancy · 45min
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Pre-eclampsia is considered a serious pregnancy complication that requires prompt medical attention. It occurs after 20 weeks gestation and in rarer cases, can develop after birth (this is called ‘postpartum pre-eclampsia’). Between five and ten percent of preterm births in Australia are due to pre-eclampsia and its associated symptoms.
Noninvasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) is a blood screening test that determines the risk of your baby being born with certain chromosomal abnormalities, such as trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13. It’s commonly called the Harmony Test and is done at 10 weeks gestation. It’s also an opportunity to find out the sex of your baby earlier than an ultrasound. In these stories, women share the reasons why they opted to have a NIPT.
Following your 12 week combined screening test, results may show low PAPP-A. This isn’t uncommon but it’s also not something that’s commonly discussed between friends or in pregnancy forums, hence it can be overwhelming at first.
If you are preparing for your glucose tolerance test between 24 to 28 weeks (or earlier if you have a history of insulin resistance), you may be wondering what gestational diabetes is and how it affects your pregnancy.
Chances are you’ve never heard of cytomegalovirus, even though you’ve likely had it. It’s a very common virus in the herpes virus family with 50 per cent of Australians having been infected by young adulthood and up to 85 per cent by 40 years of age.
Pregnancy is a common experience but we can’t forget how miraculous it is. The fact that you’re growing new life within you - and a whole new, temporary organ to sustain that life - is mind blowing when you stop to *actually* think about it. And for these reasons, it’s so important that you prioritise rest in pregnancy because it’s true - your body is working so hard to grow and sustain your baby and keep you healthy and energised, too.
If you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy, you’re likely taking note of every little twinge. It can quickly become allconsuming, especially if you’re past your estimated due date and well and truly over being pregnant.