upcoming classes and a new location!!

Upcoming Class Dates:
March 2, Sugar House, Wednesday Evenings**
April 1, Salt Lake City, Friday Evenings
April 2nd, Pleasant Grove, Saturday Mornings

For more dates/times, visit www.thedoulahouse.com

**Newest Location!!

The Dangers of Early Cord Clamping and Cutting

Immediate clamping of the umbilical cord at birth has been associated with short- and long-term problems in newborns. Early clamping (within one minute after birth) can reduce the amount of umbilical cord blood transferred to the baby by more than 50 percent. Research shows that delaying clamping produces higher hematocrit and hemoglobin levels (more red blood cells, less anemia), healthier blood pressure, and improved heart rate and breathing in newborns. Polycythemia and hyperbilirubinemia are risks associated with delaying cord clamping, but studies find these risks extremely low.
Detrimental effects of early cord clamping
Nurse midwife Judith Mercer has investigated cord clamping in several studies and authored a 2001 literature review that points to some long-term harmful effects associated with early cord clamping. These include infant anemia, childhood mental disorders, and hypoxic ischemic brain damage.
Benefits of delaying for preterm infants
A 1993 study measured the effects of umbilical cord clamping on preterm infants. The investigators found that holding the newborn at about eight inches below the vaginal opening for 30 seconds before clamping the cord (sometimes referred to as “milking” the cord) improved bilirubin levels, decreased red cell transfusion requirements, and lowered the infant’s dependence on supplemental oxygen.
Lasting benefits of delaying for full-term infants
A 2007 study examined the timing of umbilical cord clamping in full-term babies. The conclusion was that delaying clamping for at least two minutes after birth improved the babies’ hemacrit and iron status (stored iron), and that these benefits extended two to six months into infancy. Similar results were found in a large 2004 study on 476 newborns.
La Leche League’s The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding cites this 2004 literature review. The authors conclude that delayed cord-clamping increases hemoglobin concentration in babies at 2 to 3 months, reduces the risk of anemia (especially in babies with anemic mothers), and does not increase the risk of complications.
Benefits of delaying for breastfed babies
In a 2006 study published in The Lancet, delaying cord clamping by two minutes resulted in increased iron stores in the babies at six months by 27 to 47 milligrams. And this effect was significantly greater in breastfed babies not receiving iron-fortified milk or formula, in babies whose mothers had low ferritin (a protein that stores iron), and in babies who weighed between 5.5 pounds and 6.5 pounds at birth.
A natural stem cell transplant
In a 2010 review article titled “Mankind’s first natural stem cell transplant,” researchers point out that a few types of important stem cells are transferred through the cord blood and argue that this greatly increases the benefits of delaying cord clamping.
Most research on the timing of cord clamping emphasizes the benefits of delaying. Only a few studies focus on the dangers of immediate clamping. From the studies cited in this article, one could conclude that the detrimental effects of early cord clamping are the loss of the benefits associated with delayed clamping, and these effects are significant and lasting.
Discuss this procedure with your birth attendant (obstetrician, midwife, or doula) and include your preference in your birth plan. As Ina May Gaskin, CPM, writes in her Guide to Childbirth, if you prefer to delay cord clamping, “the evidence is on your side.”

Amy Mitchell is a freelance writer in Jacksonville, Florida.

Additional References:
American Academy of Pediatrics, Evidence-Based Review of Science for Cord Clamping, http://www.aap.org/nrp/pdf/030B.pdf
World Health Organization, Effect of timing of umbilical cord clamping of term infants on maternal and neonatal outcomes (Reproductive Health Library Commentary), http://apps.who.int/rhl/pregnancy_childbirth/childbirth/3rd_stage/cd004074_abalose_com/en/index.html

Another Hypnobabies story, from France!!

Kerry received this email from a mom in France who did the home-study course!

Hello,

I’d like to take a minute to thank the Hypnobabies team for helping me have the best birth experience of my three children.

I live overseas in France and had to go through my first pregnancy without the help of my mom, sister or good friends. I was learning lots of pregnancy related vocabulary in French, trying to navigate through the medical system here, and in retrospect, I was like a little girl who did what everyone said without really thinking about what kind of birth I wanted to have. I had an epidural (after having been stuck 4 times with the needle) and my son was born early in the morning.

I never thought that the birth of my next child would be much different, but my water broke first and we arrived at the hospital to wait while the anesthesiologist was busy with an emergency c-section. I hadn’t taken any birthing classes since my first pregnancy and wasn’t mentally prepared to handle a natural birth. I panicked and didn’t know how to breath or focus. By they came for the epidural, I felt like my body was going to be ripped in half. They tried 16 times to put the needle in my spine before I told them to stop and examine me – my daughter basically came flying out as soon as I lied down on the table. I had less pain the next day than with my first birth, but the 16 holes in my back made me promise myself that for the next children, I would do things my own way.

When I found out I was pregnant last November, I decided that I wanted a natural, home birth. I called all the midwives in my area, but unfortunately in France, there are few midwives who agree to this because they are not insured for home births. I next looked into birthing clinics but they only exist in the larger metropolitan areas. The midwife that agreed to do my birthing classes gave me the alternative – have the baby at the hospital and leave the next day if both the baby and I were healthy. The midwives then do the check-ups at your home for the next 4 days. In order to really prepare for the birth, I started looking into more methods for a pain free birth that I could do at home. That’s when I stumbled on to the Hypnobabies website. I really enjoyed the testimonies from other moms and when I started listening to the CD’s, I really felt at peace with my choice.

So on August 18th I woke around 7:30 with a contraction that was slightly painful…since I was just 4 days from term I had a feeling that this was going to be the day. Throughout the morning, I prepared breakfast for my two older children, husband and parents-in-law and did some cleaning around the house. At lunch I told my husband that the contractions were getting stronger and that if they continued then the baby would certainly come that night. He was very glad that the birth happened while he was on vacation! After lunch, I dropped my kids off at a friend’s house and she said that she could bring them home if I had to leave for the hospital. All this time, the contractions were coming about every 20 minutes and I kept using the Hypnobabies technique that minimizes the pain but lets you move about and talk to others.

I returned home and decided to take a bath around 4:30 and listen to my favorite Hypnobabies CD track. My husband had left to help a neighbor get a load of firewood, so I told him to keep his phone on and to hurry! At 5:00, I called my husband and told him he had better hurry home…then I called the hospital and told them I would be arriving in the next 30 minutes. My contractions started speeding up and I was using the Hypnobabies techniques, walking, and a gym ball during each contraction. Then my husband took a quick shower, but our friend called and couldn’t bring the kids home so my husband went to get them and I started panicking because I felt something like the head. I checked myself and wasn’t sure what it was, but later the midwife told me it was the water bag. She said I was very lucky that it didn’t break or I would have had the home birth I so wanted! So I was finally able to leave for the hospital at 6:00 and the whole time I kept praying there would be no traffic jams and I held on the handle in the car to keep from sitting completely down.

We arrived at the hospital 20 minutes later, directly at the emergency room when I felt my water start to break. The nurse wheeled me to the maternity level and directly into the delivery room, where I barely had time to get undressed before my water starting trickling even more. The midwife examined me and said that I was fully dilated, so she had me lie down and said not to do anything so she could get ready. Well, my baby didn’t agree with that…he was ready! The water bag had completely descended and burst and three pushes later, my second son was born. My husband arrived on the second push…he had to park the car. I asked the midwife to let the cord continue to beat until she cut it, which she did.

My son barely made a sound when he came out – a small cry and then he snuggled up to me. I do like this hospital because they leave you, the baby, and the father to bond for about 30 minutes until they come back to deliver the placenta and clean up. Our little Owen was so calm that I had to ask if he was even breathing! I believe that my birthing choice and the fact that I was able to stay calm, focused and in a hypnotic state had an enormously positive influence on my son. I honestly feel like I was in charge of this birth. I was able to keep it natural with no epidural, no perfusions, no exams every 30 minutes. The choices were mine and I was able to leave the next day. Owen is a wonderful addition to our family and we can’t wait to complete it with a fourth baby in the next year or two.

My midwife asked if there were any plans to translate the CD’s – she enjoys learning about new techniques to include in her birthing classes. If you ever are interested in that, I do translation work here in France and would be happy to discuss that option.



Cordially,

Merry Gilliot

Chênehutte-Trèves-Cunault, France

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=11688&post=75355&uid=216516692353#post75355

Discounted Hypnobabies Classes

Because the holidays are right around the corner, and The Doula House is about to start their Holiday series of classes; we are offering a $25 discount on our classes. That bring the cost to $275, which is a great deal for an 18 hour childbirth course

What is Hypnobabies?

Hypnobabies is a complete childbirth education course. Hypnobabies uses real medical hypno-anesthesia, the kind they use to put people under for surgery. Hypnobabies uses “Eyes-Open” hypnosis which allows the mother to move about during birth, while staying in a deep state of relaxed hypnosis. Using Hypnobabies will teach you how to stay in a deep state of hypnosis, and how to tell your body how to work best during your birthing time.

Hypnobabies is a complete childbirth Education class, covering everything from nutrition, and optimal fetal positioning.You will learn about informed consent and how to make the best choices for you and your baby. We help our fathers or birth partners know how to best help our hypno-moms.

Hypnobabies can be used in a hospital delivery setting, a birthing center, or a home birth.

The Course includes 6 3 hours classes held once a week. This is the optimum to allow the subconscious mind to reprogram belief systems about birth. Hypnosis can be used not only for the birthing, but for morning sickness, turning babies, and getting the birth process started when you are past-due.

Please call or visit our website for the dates of the next scheduled class.
www.TheDoulaHouse.com
Marinda Lloyd 801-548-2917

Another FANTASTIC Hypnobabies Birth

My “guess date” was October 6th, and I planned to be a week late, just like I was with Ryker. I planned to work through the end of September.



On Monday (9/28) I had some mild birthing waves during the work day. They just felt like strong b/h so I didn’t think much about it. Around 7 pm we started timing them, not because they were strong, only because we wanted to test my husband’s cool new iPhone contraction timing application. They were 15-30 min apart at that point.



At 8:30 I decided to do a fear clearing hypnosis session. The birthing waves were getting stronger, and I was starting to have flashbacks from my sons 32 hour labor. I needed to get my fear under control. It helped a lot and I calmed down.



At 9:30 I started to wonder if this might really be it. birthing waves were still 15-30 min apart, but some were up to 2 min long and very intense. I can honestly say my initial thought was “oh crap…I still have so much to do at work before I go on maternity leave!” So I decided to work for a while (I work from home). I worked until 11:00 trying to close things out.



I got in the tub at 11:00 thinking it would slow things down so I could go to bed, but things only picked up. Birthing waves started to be 3-5 min apart and intense enough that I had to really focus on the hypnosis to get through them. I was still in denial that this was the real thing, and then I felt a big gush and knew my waters had broken.



Josh started getting our things together (I hadn’t packed, the car seat lining was in the washer, we were so caught off guard). He also called his mom to come watch Ryker, and my mom and the midwife to meet us at the birth center.



We left for the birth center around 12:30 a.m.. The drive was about 15 minutes and we listened to the Hypnobabies Birth Day Affirmations on the way there.



When we arrived I immediately got in the tub. We listened to her heartbeat and my midwife checked her position. She also tested the fluid on my pad and confirmed my water had broken. Josh used the queues we had learned which helped me relax.



After about 30 minutes in the tub I started feeling the urge to push. My midwife said to go ahead and give it a try. I was lying on my left side and moaning deeply with every wave. I could feel her moving down. Pushing felt so good!



I put my hand down and could feel her head covered in hair. The waves were very intense, but I was able to recover and smile and talk in between them. I never felt out of control. I never felt like I couldn’t handle it any more.

My midwife had me put my hand down to help stretch the perineum. She had me hoot like an owl to slow down on pushing so I wouldn’t tear. Then suddenly her head was out. I had a small break before the next wave and I felt her head. Then, one more big push and she was out! She swam up to me and I pulled her up onto my chest. She was beautiful and perfect. It was 2:13 a.m. and only a little over an hour after we got to the birth center.



It took her a minute to start breathing, but that was fine since the cord was still attached and pulsating. We sat and cuddled and massaged her for a minute and then she let out a little shriek. Once she was breathing well and the cord stopped pulsating my mom cut the cord. My midwife had me move to the bed to monitor my bleeding while I nursed Ruby and birthed the placenta. She latched right on and nursed for 45 minutes or so.



Ten minutes later I felt amazing and told everyone I would do it all again right then if I could! I had a very very small superficial tear that didn’t require stitching.



We measured and weighed her (8 lbs, 5 oz an 20 ¾ “ long). She got her vitamin K shot, and then we tucked her into the co-sleeper. Josh and I got in bed and went to sleep, my mom wet home, and my midwfe went to the next room to sleep.



At 10:00 a.m. Ruby and I had checkups and passed with flying colors, so we left and went home to begin life as a new family.

www.thedoulahouse.com

Summer Hypnobabies Class Dates

February/March:

Thursdays from 6-9pm 2 spots left

February 11, 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. March 25th

*see info below*

March/April:

Tuesdays from 6-9pm 3 spots left

March 23, 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. May 4th

*see info below*

May/June:

Tuesdays from 6-9pm

May 11, 18, 25, June 1, 8, 15

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. June 22nd

*see info below*

July/August:

Tuesdays from 6-9pm

June 29, July 6, 13, 27, August 3, 10

**Skipping July 20th**

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. August 17th

*see info below*

August/September:

Thursdays from 6-9pm

August 5, 12, 19, 26, September 2, 9

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. September 16th

*see info below*

New Parent Education Course (week Seven)

We have extended each class to included a New Parent Education Course. (optional) This class will cover The Happiest Baby; which will teach you the techniques to calm and comfort any baby, every time!! The Happiest Baby class is based off the teaching of Dr. Harvey Karp, and is an essential to any new mom (see other services for full description) We will also cover Breastfeeding, child safety, and much more. This class will be taught on the same day of the week as your Hypnobabies class at the same time. We have just extended class one more week. For more information, or to register for a class (even if you aren't a Hypnobabies mom) please call 801-548-2917

2010 Hypnobabies classes, utah

January/February:

Tuesdays from 6-9pm

January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. Feb. 16th

*see info below*

February/March:

Thursdays from 6-9pm

February 11, 18, 25, March 4, 11, 18

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. March 25th

*see info below*

March/April:

Tuesdays from 6-9pm

March 23, 30, April 6, 13, 20, 27

Week 7 (optional) New Parent Education. May 4th

*see info below*

New Parent Education Course (week Seven)

We have extended each class to included a New Parent Education Course. (optional) This class will cover The Happiest Baby; which will teach you the techniques to calm and comfort any baby, every time!! The Happiest Baby class is based off the teaching of Dr. Harvey Karp, and is an essential to any new mom (see other services for full description) We will also cover Breastfeeding, child safety, and much more. This class will be taught on the same day of the week as your Hypnobabies class at the same time. We have just extended class one more week. For more information, or to register for a class (even if you aren't a Hypnobabies mom) please call 801-548-2917

NOTE: If you do not see a class on a day that works with you, we are more than willing to start a new class if we have enough interest.