DOULA HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK: Orlando Labor Doula Katherin | Rin Rin Doula

I recently met a fantastic human being and amazing labor doula in Orlando, FL — Katherin Rinaldi, owner of Rin Rin Doula.

Katherin Rinaldi

www.rinrindoula.com

Orlando, FL

What really struck me about her the very first time I came across her, was her energy. Yes you read that right, her energy was so powerful and positive, I immediately knew that this woman was born to do what she does.

Katherin is the third of four children, born in Colombia and raised in a Baha’i family (a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions, and the unity and equality of all people). She moved to the US when she was 13 years old with her parents and younger brother. She got married at 20 as a student at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, GA and her husband and she now live in Orlando, FL and have three daughters. She feels that being a mom to her three daughters has been tremendously fulfilling but also challenging. She enjoys an active lifestyle and is passionate about health and wellness, meeting new people, serving others, and traveling with her family. She loves dancing (especially salsa) with her husband, water sports and baking and gardening with her girls.

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WHY KATHERIN IS A DOULA

Katherin says she has always been mesmerized by childbirth.  One day many years ago, while her mom was talking to her two older sisters sitting at the kitchen counter, she asked her (out of the blue) if she was pregnant.  Surprised by this question from her three year old daughter, she said “Si!” (“Yes!”) with a gleaming smile.  Her sisters thought she was joking.

After she found out it was going to be a baby brother, she asked her Dad to make a countdown calendar for her; she couldn’t wait to become a big sister. She frequently asked her sisters and their teenage friends to read her an encyclopedia-type book on childbirth (with graphic pictures and descriptions) and it quickly became her favorite book around the house.  

She is now following her desire to serve women.  In fact, Doula means woman’s servant in Greek.  Katherin’s goal is to empower women and their families through pregnancy, childbirth and in the post partum period.  She feels that women need to feel cared for, supported and loved during this pivotal moment of womanhood.  Her goal is not to replace the role of the partner or father in the childbirth process but rather to be part of the birth team.. The doula-client relationship begins several months before baby is due. During this time, the mother is free to ask questions, express concerns and fears and her desires for her birth plan. As a doula, Katherin is an advocate for the mother, helping her fulfill specific desires she may have for her birth in order to have a positive and safe birthing experience regardless of birth location. Katherin provides her birth clients with continuous physical, emotional and informational support before, during and shortly after childbirth. She also is able to provide comfort measures and relaxation techniques, positive affirmations to help mothers during labor and she encourages participation from the partner in the process. After birth, Katherin stays and helps the mother with breastfeeding and encourage bonding.

If you are an expectant mother near Orlando, FL seeking the right labor doula for your pregnancy journey and upcoming birth, you can reach Katherin here: https://www.rinrindoula.com/

Only 5% of babies are born on their Estimated Due Date (Birth Center Birth) Hollywood, FL | Paulina Splechta Photography

Only 5% of babies are born on their EDD ( Estimated Due Date )

We knew that very well going into Madison’s pregnancy with baby. Her due date was 8 days into September, but her entire pregnancy, she felt that her baby boy would make an appearance earlier than expected. Sunday night I was up late printing birth preferences for Madison and Drew (just in case they needed to be transferred from their birthing facility - the Hollywood Birth Center, to the hospital, (Joe DiMaggio Hospital) for any reason, so that the medical staff would know that we are grateful that she can deliver at their facility and willing to work with them as a team). I knew it in my heart that Madison was going to labor and birth smoothly, my intuition was telling me that we wouldn’t need to pull the birth preferences list out, but I always like to be prepared just in case.

Madison and Drew became a very special couple for me through their pregnancy. They carried an energy with them as first time parents. They are the sweetest couple that lived next door to each other for 18 years, blissfully unaware of the radiant future that awaited them. But they are completely and utterly the ‘girl next door’ fairytale that we all day dream about.

From the first time I met her, I loved how she said to me how important pictures are to her.

I know that because I’m a photographer that its expected for me to say pictures are important to me too. But even before I ever became a professional photographer, pictures have always been such a vital part of my life. I have albums from before I was born from eastern Europe of my families on both sides. Albums from my childhood, from my first school dance, from Christmases for decades, of my own children. I look through photos constantly and love to think back on those memories. For me, my albums and my pictures are priceless.

So these powerful words from Madison “pictures are really important to me,” completely resonated with me.

And just like that, as part of this mama’s intuition, two full weeks before her estimated due date, labor went into strong contractions 5 to 6 minutes apart 2:30am.

(((As I sit here, thinking back on the night of August 27th, just two days after my second daughter turned 3 years old, and write this blog post, I find it completely makes sense that my notifications for my Instagram app pop up on my phone, that in this exact moment, Madison shared a photo from her birth story on Instagram and tagged me. Sharing a wave length! This mama is SO special to me!)))

I drove to meet them at the birth center and walked in at about just before 7:45am, about 15 minutes after they arrived. I see Madison experiencing the full, raw, pangs of labor, surrounded by waves of support coming from Drew and his sister Daye. Midwife DellaReece filling up the birthing tub with warm water. The sun aching to rise from the horizon.

Despite the intensity of the waves of labor, Madison breathed and swayed fluidly through each, almost as if she was a third time mama.

She was surrounded by the flawless support of her birth team.

Fully trusting in them and in her laboring body.

She knew she would be meeting her baby boy soon.

Only minutes later she asked if we could turn off the lights.

Nothing made me happier.

I cannot tell you how much I love working with the natural, available light in a birth. Photography is the art of working with light, and when I am looking for light sources to tell a story, it is when I am at my best and most magical.

What made this room so special is that Madison chose the room in the Hollywood Birth Center that faced the East, the ocean. I know how special that is to her, because she is a child of the ocean.

For me, it was the room that faced the birthing sun of August 27th, 2018.

Drew Krush

Born, August 27, 2018

9:45am

18 Questions to Help You Hire the Right Doula for You

How to Hire the Right Doula for You

Positive Birthing experiences start with facts and information to help mothers make informed decisions

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It's not enough just to hire a doula

It's not enough to check off your to-do list, yes I hired a doula.

Every doula is different...

In the skill, knowledge and experience she offers you, in the kind of support she offers (during pregnancy and birth), in her personality and character.

If you know you want to hire a doula and would like to have a positive, calming, and empowered prenatal and birth experience, it is important that you find the right doula for YOU.

Let's start with the basics every doula should offer.

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(from the DONA website)

Physical Support

Position ideas for comfort and labor progression cross over with hands-on comfort measures like comforting touch, counter pressure, breathing techniques.

Emotional Support

Doulas help families to feel supported, easing the emotional experience of birth and also helping to create a space where the hormones of labor can work at their best. Whether a birth is completely unmedicated or medically very complex, every family can benefit from nurturing and connection at this tender, incredible time in their lives.

Partner Support

The birth partner’s experience matters in birth. Support the birth partner in being as involved as they’d like with the birth. Physical and emotional support make a huge difference for everyone involved.

Evidence-Based Information and Advocacy

Trained to help families connect with evidence-based resources so they can ask great questions and make informed decisions about their births. Serve as a bridge of communication between women and their providers, lifting them up to help them find their voices and advocate for the very best care. 

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interviewing and finding the right doula

the best match for YOU personally

As experienced a doula may be and as recommended by friends and other moms a doula may be, she won't be the right doula for you unless she meets your personal needs and you connect with her.

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QUESTIONS TO ASK A DOULA

The first important question is to YOU as an expecting mom. 

How does this doula make you feel?

Below, I have included several questions from the baby center website as well as personalized questions I would ask if I were hiring a doula for myself. 

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QUESTION 1

Are you available around my due date (for how many weeks before my due date and if up to 2 weeks after) and if in the event of emergency you are unavailable for my birth, who is your back up and when can I meet her?

What constitutes an emergency for you under which you would not be able to join me during labor/birth?

QUESTION 2

What is your training? Are you certified? If so, by what organization? And what was required in order to receive this certification? How many births have you attended prior to and after becoming certified?

**If you have any concerns about your health during your pregnancy or medical concerns about pregnancy/labor/birth, this is a good time to bring them up to inquire whether she has experience working with mothers in the past with medical needs. 

Does she have experience attending VBACs (vaginal birth after cesarean), births with breech babies, cesarean births, high anxiety mothers, etc. and how she approaches those sensitive situations.

QUESTION 3

Are you familiar with my doctor/midwife/hospital/birth center? Do you get along well with my caregiver? How comfortable are you attending a hospital birth?

QUESTION 4

When do you join me during labor? What if I need emotional support during early labor before things become intense, are you available then (by phone or in person if needed)? Is there a limit to how many hours of support you offer during labor/birth?

QUESTION 5

How comfortable and how available are you with communicating frequently with me during my pregnancy?

If you are expecting emotional support through out your pregnancy, to help dispel fears, to answer questions throughout your pregnancy, have expectations of being able to communicate fairly quickly (within a few hours of a text), this is a very important question to ask. 

QUESTION 6

Which labor-coping techniques do you think tend to be the most helpful?

**If you have a specific technique or method in mind that you plan to try, ask about her experience with it.

QUESTION 7

How would you work with and involve my partner?

QUESTION 8

How do you feel about the use of pain medication during labor?

QUESTION 9

What's your fee?  and how can I pay for it? How many birth clients do you take per month and why? 

What does your fee cover? How many visits or hours? Do you have anyone else due near the time I'm due?

QUESTION 10

Can I talk to a few of your recent clients?

Can I talk to medical professionals you've worked with in the past?

QUESTION 11

Will we meet again to address any concerns or questions I have and to review our birth plan or birth preferences list?

QUESTION 12

What does being on-call mean?

QUESTION 13

What happens if I have a c-section?

QUESTION 14

If I have difficulty latching my baby, can you help me?

QUESTION 16

What if I go early, before 38 weeks?

QUESTION 17

*If you are planning a Home Birth / Birth Center birth

If I am transferred to the hospital, or need a cesarean, will you go and stay with me the whole time even if just for emotional support?

QUESTION 18

How soon will I see you again after the baby is born?

Why I Needed a Birth Doula for my First Pregnancy AND Birth but Never Hired One

When I was pregnant with my first daughter Kate, I knew virtually nothing about child birth. 

I think that holds true for many women. In our modern day society, girls and young women are not raised around child birth. In fact, almost no one is. My reality was that I had never talked about nor seen child birth until I became pregnant,  so it is not so far fetched that I knew nothing.

 I definitely did not even know 20% of what I now know, 5 years later. 

Maybe I knew the Hollywood movie "birth basics". You get pregnant, you get nauseous, you get uncomfortable, your water breaks, birth is scary, messy, painful, you have the baby.

Yep, that's basically what I knew.

I cannot believe I just wrote that out.

But those misconceptions and limitations were my reality five years ago.

And it is not far fetched at all to say that many women are in the same boat.

I personally was quite scared of child birth.

As I said above, Hollywood Movies make birth seem "scary, messy, painful"

I was uneducated and very afraid to become educated, to the point where I did not want to attend a child birth class. The thought of sitting in a room with 10 other couples, rubber baby dolls, learning how to swaddle and how to wipe a baby butt and being judged by other couples and instructor, it seemed totally unappealing to me, and a little scary. I was projecting my own fears. Because fear-based birth is all I had been taught by Hollywood my entire life.

So instead of a child birth class, I dowloaded a child birth app to my tablet. I was so scared and refused to think I could ever have major abdominal surgery so I even skipped the entire chapter on c-sections.

If I could go back in time, I could see myself sitting there wishing: If only there had been someone who would have been by my side, sitting with me, guiding me, supporting me, encouraging me, helping empower me to dispel my own fears.

Before I had my daughter Kate, I had never heard the word 'DOULA' spoken by anyone, nor written anywhere.

I had how many prenatal visits with the OBGYN practice I was with? Not once did anyone there mention to me, "are you interested in hiring a doula for your birth?"

If someone had asked me that question during my pregnancy, I would have answered with:

"what is a doula?" 

And that's all it would have taken to inform me, to educate me. My intrigue into this unheard of role of a person who's sole job is to support, honor, and encourage YOU, would have jump-started my own journey into researching why I need a doula and how to find the right one.

And oh, how I could have used a doula with my first pregnancy for so many extremely important reasons:

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1. ENCOURAGEMENT & VALIDITY

During my pregnancy, I really needed someone who would validate my concerns about my pregnancy and birth and encourage me to explore them. Any time I mentioned to my OB, family or friends that I was worried about something to do with my pregnancy or upcoming birth, they'd immediately brush it off like "you can't worry about everything" or "it'll be fine"

I became so self conscious about asking my OB questions. (He was the wrong fit for me and I had no idea at the time). He was less than enthusiastic about answering any of my questions,  so I kept to myself and started to dread my prenatal visits, because with each visit I felt less supported, less important and increasingly more of a burden to him.

I could have used someone who would have recognized that grief I had during prenatal visits and help me explore what I wanted to do about it.

I had no idea that you could change medical providers.

(And I am of the school of thought that if you do not feel supported by your medical provider, if you feel like they rush you, belittle you when you ask valid questions, aren't on the same page as you regarding what you want for your pregnancy and birth, then you should at the very least interview other providers who CAN honor you. You owe that to yourself).

And even if I had known you can change medical providers, after starting out such a fear-based prenatal journey with my first baby, I know myself (the same way like I know my birth clients) and the moment your mind comes across the idea of changing medical providers, you become riddled with guilt over how much time they've invested in your prenatal care, what will they think of you, will they sabotage your medical files, countless thoughts race through your head. In that situation I would have really needed the support & encouragement that I was indeed making the right decision to leave my medical provider.

2. INFORMATION

During my pregnancy with Kate, my best friend became google.

I had so many questions and I had way too much guilt over burdening anyone to ask them all to one person.

During my pregnancy, I felt like I could relate best and trust mothers to young children since they just went through pregnancy and childbirth.

But there were only 2 or 3 mothers to young children in my life, the wives of my husband's friends.

And I felt extremely guilty bombarding them with questions. I was again, projecting my own fears, I started worrying that I have way too may questions and did not want to be judged for being neurotic and controlling that I wouldn't surrender to my OBGYN's guidance.

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3. DISPELLING FEARS

One thing that I needed most during my pregnancy with Kate was I needed someone who would help me dispel my fears.

I had so many fears during my first pregnancy and they completely conquered me.

Instead of focusing on the joy of growing this little person in my belly and exploring what my goals were for my birth, I was imprisoned in my fear based emotions. 

The right doula for me could have guided me in recognizing my fears, drawing them out from behind closed doors, and defeating them with powerful affirmations. 

I did not even have the word AFFIRMATIONS in my vocabulary until well after two children. 

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4. PLANNING A PEACEFUL BIRTH

I never got the opportunity to even get as far as planning for a peaceful birth.

I didn't educate myself about child birth, I didn't know I should have a birth plan, I didn't know I had options to change medical providers.

I just didn't know.

There was no outlet of vast information available to me.

I sure wasn't becoming informed by my OB.

I only googled questions that popped into my head such as "is it normal to have light bleeding when you first get pregnancy" or "is it normal to have menstrual like cramps during your third trimester" 

It did not occur to me to google:

"questions to ask your OBGYN" 

It did not occur to me to google: 

"birth plan ideas"

I did not know what to research.

I was lost and quite alone.

My husband never did this before.

Neither did I.

So we were left under the guidance of a singular OBGYN who I did not even feel good about. 

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5. THE ELEVENTH HOUR

Birth came and went... and became a traumatic, negative, and distant memory that I do not look back on fondly. I still carry the weight of it with me today. 

It has taken me five years to take the pain of what I went through with not one but both of my pregnancies and births, and stand up and say to myself that I want to turn my pain around into something good.

In the last few months of my life I have felt a profound calling to take my pain and use it as education to inform mothers.

That is why I have this blog and have chosen to start writing to women about birth. 

Being a birth photographer is my outlet to connect to mothers who need guidance and support. 

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But it's not enough to hire a doula.

Every doula is different in the experience she has, in the support she offers, in her approach during pregnancy and labor, in her personality and character. You need to find the right doula for YOU.

Follow this link to read 20 Questions to Ask a Doula

36 Questions to Ask a Home Birth Midwife

I take a very limited number of birth clients per month so that I can focus my entire attention and love and support on them, my two daughters, my marriage and my home. 

Once you are my birth client, you are also much more to me. I become a silent and supportive member of a mother's birth team. 

I aim for you to feel safe and supported by me.  I want you to have a happy, safe and supported pregnancy and birthing experience. Besides being your birth photographer or birth film maker, I aim to be a source of support and information so that you can feel this very positive way. 

Every single birth client is incredibly special and unique to me, and it is especially moving to me when my birth client reaches out to me in search of guidance through their pregnancy and birth. I want to support the women under my wing as best I can with information so that they can make the best informed decisions possible for their pregnancies, their births and their post partum. 

In the hopes of helping inform women about all their options, I have put together a list of questions I think are important to ask a Home Birth Midwife when you meet her for the first time. Many of these questions can easily be restructured to ask a hospital midwife and OBGYN, for moms who go that route. 

There is also a secondary reason for me writing this blog post and it stems from my own experiences. I had a less than supportive experience during my pregnancy with my first daughter with my OBGYN. I did not feel honored and most visits I felt belittled, almost as if I should have been apologizing for arriving to prenatal visits with questions. My birthing journey with that provider was a negative one that impacted both my physical and mental health.

In an effort to avoid another negative experience, I chose a different type of birth team for my second pregnancy. I chose to hire a midwife and a doula. However, what I did not realize at the time is that not all midwives and doulas are the same. Not just with various level of skill, but also their personalities are different, their character, how they handle various situations, their personal preferences for prenatal care and labor / birthing decisions, and equally importantly, how they make you feel. In retrospect, two and a half years ago, I chose my birth team for my second pregnancy for three reasons: because I knew them from work and we shared some of the same friends, because they were available, and lastly, because they carried the titles "midwife" and "doula".

Years later, with my daughter's birth in hindsight, I realize now, those were not good enough reasons for me for choosing my birth team. What I had been wanting during that pregnancy was to find a team that would allow me to feel safe, supported, heard, special, honored, and not judged. All things I did not have during my first pregnancy and birth. But at the time, I wasn't aware that those were the criteria I was seeking of my birth team. At the time, I could not put words to what I felt lacking.

And because I was not aware at the time that all midwives and doulas are not the same and do not offer the same level of support and skill, and because I was not aware that not every midwife will be the right midwife for you personally, I chose my team only out of convenience and availability.

As a result of the decisions I have made that took me down a path of a negative experience with both of my births, besides informing women of what important questions they should be asking their home birth midwives, my secondary goal with this post is to bring light to what expecting moms should be expecting of themselves:

What is your own personal criteria for choosing a midwife?

I would like to precede this list of questions to ask a Home Birth midwife with question #1, which is really a question to yourself:

Question #1

The most important questions, are going to be the Questions to Yourself. Because ultimately, as skilled, recommended and pleasant a midwife might be, they won't be the right midwife for you unless they meet your personal criteria.

As an innately wise woman, you carrying with you the gift of motherly instinct and intuition to guard yourself and your little growing life. I urge you to consider the following:

When you interview a home birth midwife, once the interview is complete, and you return home, allow yourself quiet, down time to reflect on the experience. Allow yourself to process how the meeting went.

How did you feel as the midwife spoke?

How did the things she said make you feel? 

Did she let you feel heard and not rushed?

Did her personality help you to feel connected and instantly safe and supported?

Take note of what feelings may rise from your instincts.

Those feelings will always be 100% right. 

They will become LOUD during your pregnancy and birth.

There is a difference, of course, between leaving the meeting with a midwife and realizing you have more questions for her, and feel unsettled until you follow up and clear up uncertainties. Not every first meeting will be perfectly complete.

However, if you feel hesitant or unsure regarding your very first meeting, and if any negative feelings are present, as your pregnancy proceeds, take into consideration that those instinctual feelings you had the first time will become louder and more pronounced and ultimately, unavoidable. It is impossible to hush the roar of your maternal instincts without compromising your peace. I speak so profoundly to this matter because I have lived this reality with my own experiences. 

Alternately, if during the very first meeting with a midwife you felt connected, safe, supported, and you smiled, perhaps a tear welled up in your eye because you felt like you found 'home' with this person, those feelings will amplify as you get closer to your meeting day with your baby and aid in creating a positive mindset for your labor and birth and boost your self confidence. And in order to have the peaceful, calm birth you desire, you must believe in yourself and feel supported in your decisions.

Here are some additional questions from the Birth Without Fear blog that I felt are very helpful in aiding you to process how you feel after your first meeting with a new midwife:

1. Would you be friends with this person? Why/Why not? 

2. Does either remind you of your mother? How do you feel about this? 

3. Were you able to ask all the questions you wanted to? Why/Why not? 

4. How did you feel about the birth when talking with them, compared to how you feel about it normally? More or less excited, more or less anxious? 

5. Was the visit enjoyable?

6. If there were other family members present, what was their experience of the interaction? 

The following questions depend on your preference of birth plan. Some questions may interest you and apply to you, so then write them down and ask the midwife you are interviewing, if you are curious to know the answer. Other questions you may naturally skip if you realize they are of no interest or do not apply.

Question #2

Vaginal Checks

How many vaginal checks do you do, during pregnancy, during labor; should I get them, how necessary are they, what are the benefits/downsides and when do I need to have them done? 

Question #3

Do you deliver breech? Do you deliver all kinds of breech? Do you have training and experience in this kind of delivery? If not, do you have a midwife you would refer me to if the baby had not turned?  Do you have experience with turning babies, not hospital version-style?

Question #4

Medical Situations

What kind of medical situations during pregnancy would require me to be transferred into the care of an OBGYN?

Question #5

Transfers

Under what circumstances would you transfer to the hospital? In the event of a transfer, (whether or not you have any privileges at the medical facility or know the doctor who I was transferred to, ) will you stay with me and support me through my entire birth and for the first couple of hours once the baby is born?

What constitutes a non-emergent transfer vs. emergent transfer? Where do I go in the event of a non-emergent transfer vs. emergent transfer? Who is your back up OBGYN, Who is your back up midwife in the event you have an emergency when I am giving birth? How many weeks ‘overdue’ could I go before you transferred my care to a doctor? How many minimum weeks pregnant must I be to be able to have a home birth (36 weeks? 37 weeks? 38 weeks?)

When can I meet your back up midwife and back up OBGYN? 

What is your hospital transfer rate?

Question #6

Under what less than ideal circumstances would you stay at home?

Questions #7

Delivery & Cord Clamping

What are your feelings on the dad catching the baby, or me catching my own baby? Will you deliver the baby, or will you assist me in birthing him/her/them?

What are your feelings about delayed cord clamping?

Question #8

 How many births have you attended? (From the mamabirth.com website, "Some mothers prefer a very experienced midwife, some don't. Some want a midwife who can handle anything that goes wrong and recognize it well before it even happens.  If one of the midwives is newer, maybe her back up OBGYN is more experienced and she may prefer to transfer you than handle a situation on her own.  You may want to know how many births they attended prior to being licensed AND after.") 

 How long have you been practicing midwifery? Why did you become a midwife? What is your training/education/certification?

Question #9

Do you do the Gestational Diabetes screening? Do you continue to see clients with Gestational Diabetes, or do you refer them to an obstetrics practice?

Question #10

How does it work with my insurance covering your midwifery services, how much do you charge, and by what date would the full amount be due? Do you accept payment plans? What is your refund policy if we decide to switch care providers?

Question #11

What equipment do you bring with you to a birth? Are you legally allowed to carry Pitocin (for rare post-birth hemorrhaging)? Do you? Are you trained in neonatal resuscitation?

Question #12

Are you planning any vacations, trips, major surgeries, or other events 3-4 weeks before my due date, or up to 2 weeks after my due date that would interfere with your attendance at the birth?

Question #13

What kind of postpartum care do you offer? Do you work with post partum doulas?

Do you do placenta encapsulation? Is there an extra charge? Do you facilitate water birth? What methods of pain management do you recommend?

Question #14

My partner has x, y, z fears about home birth. How have you dealt with this in the past?

Question #15

Communication

What is your preferred method of communication, prenatally (phone, email, text)?

Question #16

Have you had any loss (baby or mother)? Why and what happened?

Question #17

If I change my mind about home birth and ASK to be taken to the hospital, how will you respond?  

Question #18

Who comes with you to the birth?  If that person is another midwife, how experienced is she?  If that person is NOT another midwife, what qualifies her as a birth attendant?  

Question #19

 Can you resuscitate an infant?  Are you NRP certified? 

Question #20

How bad would a perineum tear need to be for you to feel it required a hospital transfer? 

Question #21

What things would make me "high risk" and necessitate transfer of care either during pregnancy or labor?  (Again a question from mamabirth.com - "Some midwives are only comfortable with very low risk and very healthy women. Limit how often they see things go wrong and may impact if they will or won't recognize it."  "You deserve to know what your midwife is or isn't comfortable with before the eleventh hour.")

Question #22

At what point during my labor will you come to my home? When should I call you?

*** Mention any concerns at this point about a history of labors women in your family have had that may be of importance to you for your birth 

Question #23

How does it work if I am GBS positive - how often do you administer antibiotics during labor and do you do specific procedures with the baby after birth

Question #24

What are the pros and cons of vitamin K shot and eye ointment

Question #25

Do I need to order a home birth kit on my own or do you bring it and include it in your fees?

Do you bring an inflatable water birthing tub with you or do I need to privately rent one and purchase a tub liner for it? How easy is it to connect a hose to your sink to fill a tub and are there certain plumbing situations that could prevent that?

Question #26

Do you prefer working with a doula? 

Question #27

What is your experience with herbs, homeopathy, and alternative medicine as pregnancy and labor support?

Question #28

Do you offer or suggest taking childbirth preparation courses?

Question #29

Do you routinely check glucose and protein levels via urine samples at visits?

Question #30

If my water breaks before labor (contractions) even begins, how long can I labor at home for before you are required to transfer me to the hospital?

** I personally include this question on this list, because it was one of my biggest concerns that this would happen due to my history of a medical condition I had with both of my pregnancies, and because this question was answered incorrectly by my midwife during my pregnancy and during my labor, because she did not confirm the answer during my pregnancy with her back up OBGYN, and it ultimately affected how and where my child was born and how I perceive my labor experience to this day. 

Question #31

What happens in the event of pre-term labor or a medically necessary induction?

Question #32

What do you do in the case of a nuchal cord? Or if the baby changes into a breech position during labor and it is too later to be transferred to the hospital

Question #33

Under what circumstances, if any, do you perform episiotomies?

Question #34

How long will you and/or your support team stay with mom and baby after the birth?

Question #35

How many postpartum visits are offered under your care and on what days do these visits occur?

 Question #36

Is breastfeeding support offered?

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Of course there are many more personalized questions that can and should be asked of each woman's midwife during her care. But I feel these are a good start that will give you an idea of whether this home birth midwife is the right fit for you and your unique birth plan and concerns. I feel that the right midwife for you will take the time to honor these questions, and as she answers them, you will know very early on during your first meeting based on how she is speaking, and what her answers are, if she is the right fit for you. Sometimes it won't even take you getting to the end of your list of questions to know either "this is definitely not the right fit for me" or "this is definitely the midwife I want attending my birth!"

Lastly, as the grand take away from this blog post, I want every woman to recognize that the instinct you have is the one you should be listening to. If it is telling you something is not right, honor that and explore that. If your instincts are telling you things are perfect, happy, calm, peaceful, embrace that and also yourself to feel empowered!

Birth is Beautiful | Home Water Birth of Second Baby Girl

This is one of the most beautiful birthing images I have ever captured, that I have ever witnessed! It is profound in so many ways. 35 minutes from this point, her second baby was born in her home. It was the quietest birth I've ever witnessed. She was a complete mama goddess. I was in awe. And I was inspired. We don't all birth this way, but it is a testament to how incredible and powerful the woman warrior, the mama warrior is. We all have different birthing experiences, and we can make them our own.

Take note that as of Monday, June 12th 2017, this post on my Facebook page has 40 likes, which is low for 3,000 followers, and no comments, no shares.

I saw a post in my FB timeline yesterday, from "On the Day" from 2009.

I had debated whether to share it. In comparison, my first child was born in 2012, 3 years later.

It said something to the effect of how I had to view photos or video of women giving birth and cesareans in some class in college and how I was pretty horrified because they looked scary and painful.

My life would have been really different had I witnessed and attended most of the births I have been to over these last 4 years before I had my first child.

I don't know how many people are aware of my own personal journey through birth, but I had traumatic birth experiences with both of my girls. I was in birth trauma therapy for 8 weeks after my second daughter. I am still getting over them to this day on multiple levels. The trauma, the disappointment, feeling like my voice and my own wisdom and intuition as a birthing mom were taken away from me, having my birth plans removed without reason, it is something I will probably carry with me in some capacity for decades to come, because YES, birth means that much to me. For me, the two days that I gave birth to my daughters were the days I changed forever in my thinking, in my feeling, in my compassion in my love, in my purpose on this earth, in the way I live.

Many of my birth clients may not know my births were traumatic, I try to bring only overflowing positive energy with me into the sacred space I co-occupy with my birth families, free of judgement, free of agenda. But I also feel my families are drawn to hiring me to capture their birth story because they can feel the passion and all the feelings in my work of what my heart and soul speak about birth.

I believe my path was meant to be. Some artists do suffer in ways to create beautiful art that is fueled by incredible passion and commitment. I do believe that is the story behind why I have laid down my life for my birthing clients and made these women, these sisters, as important to me as my own two daughters are important to me.

This image speaks too all of that. I pour my heart and soul into giving my birth moms everything I could never have, everything taken from me, and giving them this gift that I am able to create, gives my soul calm, knowing that this birthing story will impact their life, and generations of their families and friends to come in a way no one could have ever foreseen.

So lets rise up together my dear friends, sisters, and bring this image to the edges of this world, to young women in schools in every country, to know that birth does not have to be what I thought it was back in 2009 (scary and horrifying).... birth can be what you make it. Find your voice, find your empowering team that you trust blindly without hesitation, find your support system, educate yourself to the ends of the world, and find your path towards a birth you find beautiful, empowering and sacred.