In 2010 I attended the one day Hypno-Doulas training with Jenn Lasek. Jenn is a Hypnobabies teacher here in Vancouver. The one day workshop was very thorough covering all aspects of how a birth doula can support a couple who are using Hypnobabies for their birth experience. I learned quite a bit with regards to hypnosis for use during labor and birth. It was impressive. As well, I understood what comprises the Hypnobabies course and how complete it is as a preparation for childbirth.

Since that time I have supported a number of women who have attended Jenn's 6 week Hypnobabies course. It's been very rewarding to see the benefits of using hypnosis during labor and birth for these women. As the preparation involves daily practice in relaxation it certainly gives women tremendous support for the strong work of birthing. The language is very positive and the course includes everything one needs in order to make informed decisions as well as create a birth preferences list.

My role as a doula includes all that I would normally do for my clients, as well as then adding in the elements of Hypnobabies. This means learning what verbal cues and scripts are most effective along with gaining an awareness of the woman's specific details related to Hypnobabies techniques. My experiences with using Hypnobabies has been very favorable. I have seen it make a difference in terms of how women experience labor, how they move into their labor and how they are during the entire process. I've seen that the more women practice prior to their birthing time, the more it benefits them. As it becomes second nature, it's much easier to access deep levels of relaxation. This can be put into effect throughout the birthing time. I have seen labor be very short and women being beautifully with it.

I would encourage anyone who is considering this as a childbirth preparation course to go for it! The added bonus one will experience by using the methods taught by Hypnobabies will truly enhance your experience. If you would like more information about Hypnobabies and my role as your doula, please contact me directly at debra.doula@gmail.com Happy Hypnobabies Birthing!!!

November 19, 2015 update
Jenn gave birth to her son and here is her story to read all about it.
http://hypnomammas.com/hypnobabies-childbirth-education/my-hypnobabies-birth-story

In my role as a doula, I attend births with couples who have chosen one of three options for their care provider. This is either 1) a family doctor (or doctor specializing in maternity care), 2) an obstetrician or 3) a midwife.

In Vancouver and the surrounding area there are currently numerous midwifery practices providing maternal health care services for pregnant women. Midwifery care has been an option for many years since it became legalized and regulated in 1998. It is fully covered by the Medical Services Plan.

A midwife is your primary care provider providing care prenatally, during the labor and birth and with followup postpartum care for 6 weeks for both mother and newborn. This includes home visits in the initial week after birth. Midwives are also skilled in breastfeeding support and provide infant care education. To learn more about what a midwife is, click on this link: http://www.bcmidwives.com/

At the heart of midwifery care is the idea that birth is a normal, healthy part of a woman's life. While they will call on medical technology when it is clearly needed, midwives discourage the routine use of ultrasound, fetal monitoring, induced labor, episiotomies and Cesarean section.

The role of the midwife is to monitor the mother’s physical, psychological, and social well-being and provide education and assistance. If problems do arise, they explore alternatives for coping with the issue, generally attempting to minimize technical interventions.

Midwifery care, due to being non-interventionist, results in cost-effective care and significantly lower rates of Cesarean section & premature and low birth weight births. Midwives identify and refer women who need the specialist care of an obstetrician.

Within the Greater Vancouver area midwives have privileges at various hospitals including BC Women's, St. Paul's, Burnaby General, Richmond General, Royal Columbian Hospital and Lion's Gate Hospital. Each midwifery practice has specific hospitals that they work in. In early labor, midwives will often come to the home to assess progress which can make a difference in terms of when one arrives at the hospital. It avoids the uncertainty of when to make that move, especially for first time parents.

With midwives, the place of birth can be either hospital or home. Currently midwives are the only care providers who can attend birth at home. Research 'showed that planned home birth attended by a registered midwife was associated with very low and comparable rates of perinatal death and reduced rates of obstetric interventions and adverse maternal outcomes compared with planned hospital birth attended by a midwife or physician.' See: http://www.cmaj.ca/content/181/6-7/377.full
Update: The government will be allotting funds so that home birth supplies will be provided by midwives for your home birth. See:http://www.bcmidwives.com/contract-negotiations
Note: • Home Birth Supplies Program that will support Regional Health Authorities to provide these supplies and medications.

For links to our local Vancouver area midwifery practices, see below.
www.bloomcommunitymidwives.com
http://coastmidwifery.com/contact/
http://www.commercialdrivemidwives.com/
http://www.midwiferygroup.ca/

http://www.midwiferycare.ca/
http://www.newwestmidwives.com/
http://www.pacificmidwiferypractice.ca/content/pacific.html
http://www.pomegranate-midwives.com/?doing_wp_cron=1351906035.8952059745788574218750
http://strathconamidwiferycollective.wordpress.com/
http://www.westsidemidwives.com/

I hope this article encourages interest in midwifery, as it offers wonderful 'woman to woman' care.

There are basically two choices for what type of diaper to use for your child - single-use (disposables) or cloth. So how does one choose?
Over the years it has come to light that there are toxins in disposables that come into contact with a baby's skin. One of these, dioxin, causes cancer, birth defects, skin diseases, enzyme induction, changes in endocrine regulation and decreases vitamin storage. Exposure to dioxin is so great that everyone has absorbed at least trace amounts of it. No safe dose of dioxin has been identified in laboratory tests. 
Perhaps the greatest environmental exposure to dioxin comes from the paper industry, which produces the chemical as an unwanted by-product in the chlorine bleaching of wood-pulp. Wood pulp forms the basis of hundreds of paper products, including many widely used by mothers and children, such as tampons and single-use diapers.
Considering the poisonous consequences of dioxin exposure, one may wonder why products like single-use diapers and tampons are allowed to be sold to the public. A second question also arises: what does exposure to these products mean for women & children?
These articles address the concerns regarding single-use diapers for babies and the environment.
See: http://www.greenamerica.org/livinggreen/diapers.cfm
http://www.ecolife.com/parenting/organic-diapers/cloth-versus-disposable-diapers.html
http://www.drmomma.org/2011/04/chemicals-in-disposable-diapers.html

Cloth diapering is an alternative for those who wish to avoid the possible health risks with disposables or are interested in going 'green'. Cloth diapers in every way cost less - on the environment, to our pocket, financially, to babies' health & on water & sewage.
In the Vancouver area there is a cloth diaper service available. As well, some stores sell cloth diapers and covers for those who want to use their own.
https://www.bumbini.ca/
http://www.happybabycheeks.ca/
http://saucybottoms.ca/

'New and Green' offer diapering workshops in Vancouver. See here: http://www.newandgreen.com/

A third choice that is also gaining popularity is the Elimination Communication (EC) approach. Diapers are used (either cloth or single-use) with the attention paid to reading a baby's cues to then respond to their need to eliminate. In this way, less diapers are used.
See this link for further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elimination_communication

When we realize how over the course of a single child's use of diapers about 5,000 will be discarded, it's worth considering an alternative to disposables.

Why is it that women are choosing water as a medium to labor and give birth in?
Well, here are just a few of the benefits:

• facilitates mobility and enables mom to assume any position which is comfortable for labor and birth
  
  
• speeds up labor
  
  
• reduces blood pressure
  
  
• provides significant pain relief
  
  
• reduces the need for drugs and interventions
  
  
• reduces perineal trauma & eliminates episiotomy
  
  
• encourages an easier birth for mom & a gentler welcome for baby
  
  

Two questions I am asked when discussions arise about water birth are: Is it safe for babies? What happens if they take a breath underwater?

FACT: Babies don't take a breath until their cheeks make contact with cool air. Trigeminal nerves in this area of the face sense when the face is immersed in water & sends messages to the brain. The brain responds by inhibiting breathing, decreasing heart rate and redirecting blood to the brain and heart. This reflex prevents babies from gasping for air underwater. Once those nerves feel cool dry air then baby takes a breath.
Additionally, the newborn isn't under water for very long as mom wants to hold baby so usually she/he is brought up into her waiting arms only seconds after birth.
As well as babies not taking a breath until their face feels cool dry air,  a number of other factors inhibit babies from breathing underwater at birth:

• prostaglandin levels are high at the moment of birth which causes the baby's muscles for breathing to not work
  
  
• newborns are sensitive to temperature so they are stimulated to breathe by the cooler temperature of air compared to the warm womb
• Check this link with the latest information regarding water birth: http://evidencebasedbirth.com/waterbirth
  
  In Vancouver, water births can be done at home with a registered midwife. There are a few basic supplies you need on hand. The optimal pain relief requires that the woman be submerged in the water deep enough to cover her whole belly. So, usually a birthing pool needs to be rented or bought, as bath tubs aren't quite deep enough, (but in a pinch, will do).

Along with the pool, there are some attachments required, a pump to inflate it and lots of towels! 
I offer the birth pool and some basic accessories for home water births. There is no extra fee to use these. (Valued at $400.+) The pool, lid, cover, air and sump pump are included. Purchased items are a drinking hose, tap adapter, pool liner, thermometer, debris net and a few other necessities.

To learn more about my home birth doula care visit my website: www.vancouverhomebirthdoula.com

BC Women's Hospital has lovely rooms with deep tubs for laboring in and depending on your care provider, birth may be possible in one.  St. Paul's Hospital has bath tubs which women may labor in, but not give birth in. The same is true for other Vancouver area hospitals.
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To keep you & your baby safe while having a water birth you need to:

• have established good labor pattern with regular contractions
  
  
• have reassuring heart tones
  
  
• absence of bleeding great than bloody show
  
  
• have no strong meds such as morphine
  
  
• no meconium in the amniotic fluid
  
  

As well, you would leave the water if your midwife had any concerns with your or your baby's well being. There are some conditions that would prohibit a water birth which you would discuss with your care provider.

In my years as a doula, I have seen that water is such a wonderful element for laboring women to be in.  Immersion in water during labor is dubbed 'the midwives epidural'.
Babies come so gently from water into water! A beautiful, easy transition from womb to the world.
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Visit http://medicalxpress.com/news/2016-01-evidence-birth-poses-newborns.html for recent research on safety and benefits of water birth.