March 2016

birth bag

What to pack in your birth bag

Clients often ask us what to pack in their birth bags during prenatal appointments.

Here are our top 12 items to pack:

  1. Your birth plan or birth preference sheet. Our Gold Coast doulas can answer questions for you as you begin to create your plan.
  2. Charger for your phones. You don’t want to lose your ability to communicate, take photos, videos, etc.
  3. Snacks for your partner or husband.
  4. IPOD or phone if you want music at your birth with a docking station. You can even make your own birthing soundtrack!
  5. Coconut water to keep you hydrated..plus it is delicious.
  6. Hair ties or a headband to get your hair off of your face.
  7. A Nursing bra or nursing tank for those first feedings.
  8. Chapstick or a natural lip balm. Your lips will feel very dry during labor.
  9. A birthing gown if you want to wear your own. We love Pretty Pushers.  Another great option is a long skirt and a nursing tank.
  10. Honey sticks in case you need an extra boost. I love to buy them locaally at the Fulton Street Farmers Market.
  11. A camera or better yet hire a birth photographer. We love The People Picture Company.
  12. Photos or mementos from home to serve as a focal point during labor.

 

Gold Coast Doulas is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

 

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Ashley Forton Doula

Meet Your Gold Coast Doulas – Ashley

1) What did you do before you became a doula?

I have a bachelor’s degree in health sciences from GVSU. I have been a nanny, worked at an adult foster care home and currently work in the insurance industry..

2) What inspired you to become a doula?

When I was pregnant I had an incredible support system. That unconditional support made me feel like Superwoman! I felt confident and empowered. I want to be that type of support for other women and their families. Every woman deserves to feel like Superwoman as they become a mother!

3) Tell us about your family?

My husband, Joe, and I have been together for 11 years. We have two adorable kids. My daughter, Elliot, is a chatterbox and loves to make people laugh. My son, Colby, is determined to keep up with his big sister and is always on the move. We have a retired racing greyhound, named Maeby, who takes her retirement very seriously and naps more than anything but she also loves to be outdoors and always prefers to be wherever the people are.

4) What is your favorite vacation spot and why?

Half Moon Beach in Green Island, Jamaica(just north of Negril).  It is pure paradise. My husband and I were married on their private beach. The view is breathtaking. And what’s not to love about waking up to waves crashing just below the front deck of your private cabin?? Not to mention the delicious food!

5) Name your top five bands/musicians and tell us what you love about them.

This is a tough question! I love a wide variety of music and if you ask me next week my answers might be different 😉

Anything bluegrass- give me a string bass, mandolin, a fiddle and a banjo any day!! The tempo and variety of instruments gets my toes tapping

Adele- her songs have so much emotion. Belting out one of her ballads at the top of my lungs is just plain cathartic. My daughter especially loves belting it out with me.

Dave Matthews Band- I love jam bands in general but seeing DMB solidified my love for them

Lake Street Dive- I love the jazzy bass lines and the smooth vocals.

Most classic rock- reminds me of my childhood. My dad used to put on Dark Side of the Moon at night to help me sleep.

6) What is the best advice you have given to new families?

Trust your instincts. Parenting is incredibly rewarding but it is also a pretty tough gig. You can feel pressure from family and friends to do things a specific way. Weigh the options and make the decision that you feel is best for your family.

7) What do you consider your doula superpower to be?

My sense of humor can ease tension and help women, and their birth partners, relax. I’m also upbeat and smiling is contagious 🙂

8) What is your favorite food?

Anything spicy, especially curries and Mexican dishes

9) What is your favorite place in West Michigan’s Gold Coast?

Grand Rapids will always hold a special place in my heart. I love all the festivals, the sports teams, the museums, endless breweries and phenomenal restaurants. It has a small town feel with some big city perks and it is a short drive from the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan.

10) What are you reading now?

The Birth Partner.

11) Who are is your role model?

My grandmother, Eugenia Gould Huntoon. She will be 104 on April 24th and she is affectionately know as the Queen of Huntoon Harmony Hall and “The Longest Running Show Off Broadway.”  She was in multiple theater and musical groups and even went on tour to local nursing homes to play piano and put on sing alongs. She leaves every room full of smiles and laughter. She has always encouraged me to do my best and follow my dreams. I like to think I get my optimism, sense of humor and love for bright colors from her but I certainly didn’t get her musical talent or singing voice.

 

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Doula

Sick Day Doulas

I could have used sick day doulas when I had the stomach bug.

I helped a friend out a couple of weeks ago and watched her babies while she was in the hospital. Her house had been hit with the stomach bug. I ended up getting it soon after I got home and my husband and son had just left to visit family out of state. I was alone with my five-year-old daughter and was sick to my stomach.
I could have used a birth doula to get me a cold washcloth as I was stuck laying on the cold bathroom floor.

I could have used a postpartum doula to run and get me saltines and Vernors.

I could have used a birth doula to remind me that this was one less vomiting session to deal with…that I could do this and that I was strong.

I could have used a postpartum doula to set up art projects for my daughter to keep her entertained.

I could have used a birth doula to bring me a warm rice sock when I got the chills.

I could have used a postpartum doula to wash my laundry and fold it afterwards.

I could have used a birth doula to hold my hair as I got sick yet again.

I could have used a postpartum doula to tuck me into my bed.

I could have used a birth doula to rub my back.

I could have used a postpartum doula to make me broth when I finally got my appetite back.

I could have used them both. I got through it and my daughter managed to stay healthy. We can get through anything, having support makes it so much better though.

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dads and doulas

Dads and Doulas

Let’s talk dads and doulas!

I often see a look of relief on the face of the husband or partner when I explain that we never replace their role in birth! There is often a concern that they will be left out of the birth or that the experience will be less intimate. At Gold Coast,  we pride ourselves on stepping in when needed and also stepping back so that the partner can be the primary support.  We make suggestions on position changes, we will hand the partner a glass of water to give his wife. We can remind him to tell her what a great job she is doing. We take over hip squeezes after he gets tired. We make sure the partner is well fed and is able to use the restroom. We care for the partner as much as we care for the birthing woman. We consider both of them our clients. We want our clients to have memories of the support she received from her partner rather than the support we provided.

My husband and I hired doulas at our second birth. I decided to ask Patrick about our experience the second time around with doula support versus the first birth without it.

 

What did you like about hiring a doula for our second birth? I felt like I didn’t have to know all the answers. There was a lot of pressure to remember everything from Lamaze class the first time around. I knew that I could ask questions and that the doulas would know the answers as things came up during the birth.

What were your concerns about hiring a doula? My concern wasn’t about hiring a doula. I wanted to make sure that we hired the right doula or doulas in our case. I wanted to be heavily involved in the birth. I wanted to know how a doula might detract from my role. They answered my questions well and I felt like we were all part of a team early on.

What did you think of attending prenatals with me during my pregnancy?  I enjoyed building the birth plan with our doulas and being able to go through different scenarios with them.

What did you like about having doulas at our second birth? I liked that it was another layer of support that was looking out entirely our own interest. I thought that the follow-up support postpartum was also important and not something that you typically get within your own network. We didn’t call our doulas in until later in labor, so we had a lot of intimate time at our home before going to the hospital where our doulas supported us.

Do you have anything to add? I think it is important for dads to be able to do what they are comfortable with and to feel as engaged as they want to be. I wasn’t comfortable catching our baby for example.

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birth affirmations

Birth and Pregnancy Affirmations

I love affirmations! I utilized them daily during my second pregnancy as I had signs of getting pre-eclampsia again. I needed my thoughts to remain positive. In the end, I avoided getting pre-e and had a perfect pregnancy and beautiful birth.
The Sacred Pregnancy book taught me about mantras and affirmations. I would hold my belly daily and repeat that I was healthy and my baby was safe and strong. I told my son that we were a team and would work together during his birth. I said those affirmations aloud several times a day on the recommendation of my doulas and Naturopath.I used affirmations and visualization during my labor. I imagined the women across the world who were giving birth at the same time as me. I pictured my surges as waves that I would ride out one by one. I repeated in my head that each surge would bring me closer to my baby. I also repeated relax, release and open to myself when I was laboring at home before my doulas arrived. Another tool was to tell myself that I loved labor. This was a method that Anni Daulter wrote about in the Sacred Pregnancy book. It worked to view labor as a positive thing by embracing each contraction rather than to fear them. I believe that is why that birth was so quick and easy.

The mind is a powerful thing! As a birth doula, I encourage my client to get out of their heads and surrender to birth. I like to give out the awesome magnets that Tracey Rose of www.hypnobirthingrocks.com makes to my Sacred Pregnancy students as a reminder to reflect whenever they open their refrigerator.

Karlye’s HypnoBirthing students use affirmations in class as well as visualization.

Some of my favorite affirmations for birth are:
• I trust my body to birth my baby.
• Relax, breathe, open!
• I am powerful.
• I am strong.
• Everything is going perfectly.
• There will be no complications.
• My baby is safe.
• My baby will be born at the perfect time.
• My body will open like a rose!

We will be featuring Affirmation Tuesday on our Gold Coast Doulas Facebook page with a new Affirmation Meme each week. We hope you enjoy them!

 

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Gold Coast Doulas

We are Your Doulas!

We are your doulas!

At Gold Coast we pride ourselves on our superior service and professionalism. We aim to be your one stop shop for all things pertaining to pregnancy, birth and the postpartum time.

Looking for childbirth classes? We’ve got you covered with HypnoBirthing classes and will soon be releasing another option for Childbirth Classes.

Looking for a doula to support you during bedrest or other medical situations? Our Bedrest Doulas have got you covered in the home or hospital.

Interested in a birth doula? We have Certified and Pre-Certified partnered doulas who would love to work with you. Gold Coast Doulas support births in the home, birth center or hospitals. Our fully insured doulas attend births in the following hospitals: Gerber, Zeeland Hospital, Hackley Hospital, Metro Health Hospital, Mercy Health Saint Mary’s Campus, Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, Holland Hospital and North Ottawa Community Hospital.

Do you need daytime postpartum care for you new baby and yourself? Our trained and certified postpartum doulas will care for your baby while you take a shower, run errands for you, do light housekeeping, light meal preparation, will listen to your birth story and to you to support you emotionally, they will play with your toddler and support you with breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Are you sleep deprived? Our overnight postpartum doulas will give you the rest you need. Gold Coast Doulas love to bring breastfed babies to you when it is time to nurse and then take care of burping, changing and getting your baby back to sleep. If you bottle feed or pump our doulas will take care of everything so you can sleep through the night. Even one good night of sleep can make a difference.

Do you need support with twins or multiples? Our postpartum doulas are eager to help!

How can we best support you? Call us today!
We serve all of Greater Grand Rapids and West Michigan’s Gold Coast including: Saugatuck/Douglas, Holland/Zeeland, Grand Haven/Spring Lake, Muskegon, Fremont, Cedar Springs and surrounding areas

 

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overdue

12 Things To Do When You Are Overdue

It can be a struggle to get through the in-between time. Here are some things that West Michigan women can do in the final days of pregnancy. Please note–I did not contact businesses listed below in advance of this post.  Here are 12 Things To Do When You Are Overdue:
1) Grab a smoothie or a fresh juice from SIP Organic Juice Bar  and catch up with a friend. There will never be enough time for adult talk after the baby comes.
2) Go for a swim in East Grand Rapids at the Wealthy Elementary. The water is warm and you can float and get a bit of exercise. There is even a lift to lower you in the pool if you need it.
3) Go for a walk at the Frederik Meijer Gardens. Take some time to relax and literally smell the roses.

belly

4) Pick up a journal at Schuler Books and Music in Grand Rapids. You can grab lunch in the cafe and reflect on your pregnancy

5) Get an adjustment at Thrive  or Back To Health Chiropractic.
6) Enjoy a pedicure at Vasaio Life Spa so your feet look great during the birth. They use Zoya natural nail polish so you can avoid chemicals.
7) Attend a free La Leche League meeting to be around other mothers and hear about their breastfeeding journeys.
8) Get a massage somewhere that allows you to lay on your belly. Salus has massage tables with cutouts for the belly
9)  Pop in for a prenatal yoga session at On The Path Yoga or Armentality.
10)  Enjoy date night even if it is just watching a movie at home and eating takeout from Righteous Cuisine.
11) Head out to Lake Michigan to watch the waves and visualize them as surges during your labor.12) Get some treats at Ryke’s in Muskegon!What did you do during your final days of pregnancy?

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