Essentials Birth Services Estevan

It's World Breastfeeding Week, and as someone who struggled in so many ways, I have to say this one excersize would have saved my sanity in those early days. To be honest, I can't remember where I learned it or if I thought of it myself as an excersize for my CPE classes, but I STILL use it today and my youngest is 2.5!

Step 1: Write down three simple things you have/had in your routine daily that help you feel good - or even just OK.

Step 2: Write down 3 realistic, practical ways you can get AT LEAST 2 of those things every day when you have a newborn (especially if you are breastfeeding/chestfeeding/pumping), but also if you're already a parent who needs to find simple ways to feel like yourself again.

Step 3: When it's time, put it into action. Post it as a reminder on your fridge if you have to. Make sure you get those things. This can serve as a great way to reconnect with yourself and make sure you get the "bare minimum" (which might sound really ridiculous, but a lot of us aren't even getting that, so this is a good jumping-off point).

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Sorry I've been a little MIA! I'm working on something special to add to my services and I cant wait to announce it!

Approximately 9% of women suffer from Postpartum Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after giving birth. It can be caused by:

-A long, difficult, painful labour
-Umbilical cord prolapse
-An unplanned or emergency C-section
-Use of vacuum extractor or forceps to deliver the baby
-Baby having to go to the NICU
-A lack of support or communication during delivery that causes feelings of hopelessness and despair
-A previous trauma, such as r**e or sexual abuse
-A severe physical complication or injury related to pregnancy or childbirth

Symptoms might include (but are not limited to):
-Intrusive re-experiencing of a past traumatic event (which in this case may have been the birth itself)
-Flashbacks or nightmares
-Avoidance of stimuli associated with the event, including thoughts, feelings, people, places and details of the event
-Persistent increased arousal (irritability, difficulty sleeping, hyper-vigilance, exaggerated startle response)
-Anxiety and panic attacks
-Feeling a sense of unreality and detachment

If you think you or someone you know may be experiencing PPTSD, do not hesitate to contact your local mental health office or call your care provider immediately or 911 in the event of an emergency. PPTSD is highly treatable!

Doula fact: We are backed by science! Excellent science, actually.

I LOVE telling people this because it solidifies that what we do matters. I mean, we know that the work we do is irreplaceable and important, but some hard, unbiased, scientific evidence of just HOW important is a great thing to have, too.

Follow the link below to read all about Doulas and how they change birth - with ZERO adverse effects reported. ZERO. Truly amazing.

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

Got my disinfectants today! 🙌🏻🖤 Many Doulas have infection prevention courses under their belt, myself included, that have to be renewed every year. The last thing we want is to bring something nasty home with us or into a clients home, so these are HUGELY important to my Doula & Perinatal Educator practice.

This also means that I only have ONE MORE THING to wait on before I can accept clients! Fingers crossed it comes soon!