May 6, 2025 • 47 mins
In this episode, we step beyond the traditional hospital walls to explore the world of alternative birth experiences. Join us as we sit down with Amber Thomas BSN, RN, IBCLC, LCCE, CD(DONA) the owner and founder of Mother Eve's Childbearing Support Services in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex of North Texas. Amber is a Registered Nurse with a specialty in Holistic Women's Reproductive Health. Amber is also certified as a Lactation Consultant, Lamaze Childbirth Educator, and a Full Spectrum Doula with experience to support families during the Perinatal Period from conception to birth and beyond.to discuss the growing movement toward personalized, holistic birthing options.
We unpack the differences between midwives and doulas, talk about home births, birthing centers, and what it means to truly support someone through labor and delivery. Whether you're expecting, planning, or simply curious, this conversation offers insight into how birth can be a deeply informed and empowering journey.
The purpose is to support men and women while giving them the tools and space to heal emotionally, psychologically and physiologically.
Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast with Andrea Wise-Brown, is where we discuss practical strategies for managing mental health and wellbeing. Thank you for listening to this episode of Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast. We hope you found these practical tips helpful and encourage you to continue prioritizing your mental health and wellness.
If you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, please email us at mhialpodcast@gmail.com.
See you next time!
Find Andrea: awisebrown.com
Follow The Podcast At @mentalhealthisalifestylepod Mhialpodcast@gmail.com I want to know your opinions…….
In addition; if you have any questions that you want answered on the podcast send your request to mhialpodcast@gmail.com or inbox me @mentalhealthisalifestylepod
Remember, Mental health is a Lifestyle!®️😘
We unpack the differences between midwives and doulas, talk about home births, birthing centers, and what it means to truly support someone through labor and delivery. Whether you're expecting, planning, or simply curious, this conversation offers insight into how birth can be a deeply informed and empowering journey.
The purpose is to support men and women while giving them the tools and space to heal emotionally, psychologically and physiologically.
Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast with Andrea Wise-Brown, is where we discuss practical strategies for managing mental health and wellbeing. Thank you for listening to this episode of Mental Health is a Lifestyle Podcast. We hope you found these practical tips helpful and encourage you to continue prioritizing your mental health and wellness.
If you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, please email us at mhialpodcast@gmail.com.
See you next time!
Find Andrea: awisebrown.com
Follow The Podcast At @mentalhealthisalifestylepod Mhialpodcast@gmail.com I want to know your opinions…….
In addition; if you have any questions that you want answered on the podcast send your request to mhialpodcast@gmail.com or inbox me @mentalhealthisalifestylepod
Remember, Mental health is a Lifestyle!®️😘
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This podcast is not a substitute for our relationship with
your mental health professional. Hey hey, hey, family, welcome back
to another episode of The Mental Health Is a lifestyle
podcast with your girl Andrea wise Brown and today's family.
(00:26):
I have another amazing woman for you to meet, but
before I introduce her to you, we need to.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Take care of some business.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So if you haven't done so already, come on join
the family. If you aren't a part of us, and
you can do that by clicking that little button so
you can subscribe to the podcast, then I need you
to like the podcast. Then please come on share the
podcast and if you feel in froggy and jump and
(01:01):
put a comment down under the podcast to let me
know if you like it, if you don't like it,
If you have some questions about whatever it is that
we're talking about, or maybe some concerns, talk to me
and don't be afraid to do so. Become a part
(01:21):
of the family. All right, family, we are jumping right
into it. So I have this amazing woman that I
want you to meet today, So here I am going
to introduce her to you. So today, family, we have
with us Miss Amber Thomas. She's a registered nurse and
(01:47):
an International Board certified lactation consultant with over fifteen years
of experience supporting child bearing and breastfeeding families. Amber is
a holistic perinatal women's health professional and the owner of
(02:08):
Mother Eve's Childbearing Support Services LLC. In addition to her
lactation expertise, Amber is a certified doula, a lama's childbirth educator,
and experienced birth assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Science
(02:28):
in biology with a minor in Women's Studies from Texas
Women's University and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing
from Baylor University's Louis Harrington School of Nursing.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Amber, Hello, and thank you for being here.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Hello, Hello, thanks Andrea for inviting me. I'm so excited
to be here today. And thank you for that wonderful introduction.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Oh absolutely, you deserve it. Those were all your accomplishments. Amazing, amazing. Okay,
So let's just jump right into it because I'm really
what I'm assuming is is some family members are like.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Why are we talking about birth in the day and
lactation and.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Families, And let me say this. Let me start off
with this family. You know, mental health is a life style.
So it is all surrounding and supporting a healthy lifestyle.
When you have mental health, meaning a healthy mental, a
(03:46):
healthy mind, then everything else in your.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Life will fall in line and be healthy.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And even if you are on this the birthing journey
of trying to add to your family to have families,
you know, there's a lot of stress and anxiety that
you can endure with.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Trying to expand your family and have children.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
So and even after you know, after birth, because I
know for me, Amber, I did suffer from postpartum depression
after I had my daughter.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
So this is necessary. Family and listen, and if you
know someone who.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
May be on their birth and journey or they want
to expand their family, please share the podcast.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So don't be judgmental.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Just sit tight, put your seatbelt on because you may
learn something today. If you pay attention, then you will, okay, Amber,
So please share with us what started you on this
this birth and journey as a nurse.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yes, So to be honest, I really think it is
a god given passion. From my early time teenage years
up until now, I've just been infected with this passion.
I remember at the age of nine I filled out
a career form at school that says what do you
want to be when you grow up? And I put
(05:13):
a nurse. I didn't know anybody in my family at
the time it was a nurse, but that's what I
put on my form. I want to be a nurse
because I want to help people. I didn't know what
kind of nurse at that time. At the age of fifteen,
my brother and his wife were pregnant with her first child,
and I was just so intrigued with the pregnancy and
(05:35):
the labor and the birth. I was fifteen years old
at the time, and I began to Dulah, my sister
in law, before I even knew what adula was. It
was just a natural inclination. I was naturally drawn to her.
We all lived together at the time of her pregnancy,
and it was during summer when everybody was working, but
(05:57):
I was off from school, so I pretty much catered
to her during her pregnancy. She and I grew close,
and when it was time for her to deliver, I
just had this connection with her and the baby and
I wanted to be in the delivery room. But you
know how they have that limitation in the delivery room
with only two people which was supposed to be my brother,
(06:17):
her husband, and her mom. Well, I was really insistent.
There was something in me that was just like I
have got I've been working with this pregnancy and this
baby and taking care of them. I want to see
this birth. I want to see this baby born. And
so I insisted on being in the room, and she
insisted that I be in the room, and they allowed
(06:40):
me to stay and I was able to witness the
birth of my niece and it was just the most
beautiful thing to me. I guess because I'm a little
bit of a nerd, but for most fifteen year old
they'd probably be like E. I was like all up
in there, like, oh my god, this is amazing what's
(07:01):
going on? So I was literally like in shock and
just captivated by the birthing process. So I watched my
niece exit from the womb. She was coming out sunnayside
up is what we call it when they're born face up.
Normally they're worn face down. Oh, but she was born
face up, weighing nine pounds one ounce, and I just
(07:24):
took her in like she I really kind of stole
her from her mom, so I'm like her second mom.
We were just you know, attached at the hips. And
then she's actually twenty three years old now pregnant with
her first baby do this month. I'm the twenty furtherst
so it's just full circle. But to answer your question,
(07:44):
that is where the passion started, and things have just
come along in my pathway since then that have drawn
me in even more.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
That is an amazing, amazing, amazing story. And I'll just
say this, the only reason why is because I am
like on this path of helping people to see the
little miracles that happen in their lives so that they
(08:16):
can more clearly define what their passion and their purpose
is and how to get in alignment with what God
has for them. Like, you couldn't make that up, the
fact that this was something you wanted and now all
of a sudden this is happening in your household, and
then you get a front seat. And then you were
(08:37):
able to literally get a front seat. And you know
what I've been told from many of men who are
in the same position that you're in. When they're in
the birth and room and when they literally see the
baby enter into the world, a lot of them tell
me that they're surprised they're shocked and they either faint
(08:59):
or they feel like but you didn't.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Huh, not at all. I didn't feign at all. I
was all in. I was intrigued and I wanted more.
So after that, everybody in my family, any friends or
families that was pregnant, I was harassing them like, ooh,
can I help you? Can I be there for your birth?
Can I help support you for your birth? This is
(09:22):
at the age of fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years old, just
naturally inclined. So I wanted more and couldn't get enough.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Okay, So let me ask you for all of our
family members who don't know what a doula is, because
I love the way you tied to it.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I was a doula even before I was a doula,
because for.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Me, I was a therapist, a counselor even before I
was a therapist and a counselor.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
So tell us what a doula is.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
So adula is considered. So the formal term for doula
means woman servant. That's the formal definition. But by trade
you can consider adula as a labor coach or a
birthing coach. You do not have to be a nurse
to be a doula. In fact, ADULA focuses more on
(10:14):
the family's physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well being and
support throughout the pregnancy, labor and birth process. Your medical doctor,
your obgi in or your midwife, they are more focused
on your medical care for you and the baby. The
(10:35):
dula's focus is on your experience of your pregnancy, labor
and birth and bridging the gaps and providing mental, emotional,
spiritual support throughout the process because it is a very mentally,
emotionally and spiritually inclined process which can be very exhausting,
(11:00):
especially without the proper support. So ADULA actually stays with
their client throughout pregnancy, throughout the entire labor process, and
also for postpartum care, and so they're providing that continuity
of care, filling in the gaps, helping the families with
(11:21):
their birth plan, their breastfeeding plan. How do you want
the room to look like? Do you want dim lights?
Do you want candles? Do you want aromatherapy? Do you
want a live green pillowcase at the hospital? Do you
want a water birth? How do you want this experience
to feel? How can I support you? I can show
you some breathing techniques, some different positions to get in,
(11:44):
some massage therapy, some ways to help you feel comfortable
throughout your pregnancy and labor birth process. So we know
that women have all these ailments that go on during pregnancy.
We have the morning sickness and the nausea. So you're
doing what's going to step in and say, hey, try
some ginger water, or try some papaya enzymes for that.
(12:05):
Or they may have breakouts on their skin. So we
provide natural holistic solutions and remedies to some of these
ailments as well as natural holistic remedies to the labor
and birth process. So, for example, if a woman is
in labor and her labor has slowed down medically at
the hospital, they would want to induce her or give
(12:28):
her a medication called potosin to speed labor up. As
a dula, we can suggest let's try using your breast
pump to stimulate your natural oxytocin. That may encourage labor
to go. So we're able to provide some additional options
that are more holistic, safe with less side effects to
(12:49):
help a woman get through her pregnancy, labor, birth, and breastfeeding.
Not only for the mom before the dad as well,
because it's a long process and our dads needs support
as well. So hey, can I get you a sandwich? Hey,
do you want to take a nap while I sit
with her? And she and I are going to go
(13:09):
for a walk and get labor going. You take a
nap and let's tag team. Or when a question comes
up in the labor room, Hey, we want to break
your water, Well, we kind of need to know what
are the benefits of that, what are the disadvantages of that,
what's going to happen if we don't do it. So
that's where the duel is filling in the education piece
(13:30):
as well for the family as a whole.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So let me ask this question.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
This is good, This is so good, okay, because I
could see where for me, right, I had one child,
and I can see where after because I said that
I did suffer from postpartum depression, so I could see
where you would have been amazing, like a duela would
have been amazing for me afterwards to kind of help
(13:58):
me to kind of calm down, to bring me back
and give me some suggestions so that I knew that
the world wasn't gonna be over and I was I
was gonna.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I was good just the way I was. So that was.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Before I started counseling or anything like that. So Duela
would have been amazing. But let me ask you this, okay,
but prior to having the baby, I want to know,
how are you educated? So do dulas have to take
courses classes? Because how is it? Will you fill in
(14:31):
the gaps? I will say this too. Before you answered that,
I could remember that. You would have been helpful. Honestly,
it just came to me before. Also because I remember
having this book that was called and I think this
was like everybody had these books, and it was called
what to Expect when You're Expected?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
How souls we We're not a bit fan of that book?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Oh really? Okay wait hold on name No Way Home?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, I was obsessed with that book.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
That book was so helpful.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
It was helpful to me because because it answered questions
that I did not know.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Right, this was my first child. I had never done
it before, and.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
So you know, and you get personal experience from your mama,
from your aunties, you know, but everybody's body is different
in their experience and you know what our parents did
back in the day. I was I was trying to
do something different.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
So yeah, so the book was there, So okay, so
tell us about the book.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Okay, so I won't I won't speak too much on
the book, but what I'll say, you've kind of already
said it. Everybody's different, right, So I think it can
be served as as a generic guide for someone you know,
first time expecting. But the benefit of having a doula
is that you're going to have a customized, personalized experience
(16:04):
where recommendations and educations are given to you based on
you based on your specific circumstances. Because what may work
for one person may not work for another. So the
duela is trained to really assess and evaluate your circumstances
to make recommendations specifically for you that are customized based
(16:28):
on what your experience is. So, to track back a
little bit more on your question about that, as far
as duela training, so I certified through an organization called
DONA International. They've been around for the longest amount of
time and have supported duelas for the longest amount of time.
And so with that, there are certain education requirements that
(16:53):
you have to have, one of them being a certain
amount of hours in labor so about a thousand and
hours of hands on support. So you have to have
shadow maybe another duela or another nurse in the labor
and delivery process to where you're able to have that
birth experience right. And so they're also training you with
(17:15):
modules and education and hands on training on what the
labor process looks like. With a childbirth process, it's like
just the whole ordeal and so it's kind of a
self paced process. It can take you six months to
do it, it can take you three years to do it.
But you have a set of requirements of how many
(17:35):
births you need to attend and the different kind of
births a natural birth, an a epidural birth, a C
section birth. You need to be able to attend a
birth in a hospital, at a home, and at a
birth center in the different environments for the birth. You
need to have a mentor someone that you can shadow.
And then there's a certain amount of education hours that
(17:57):
you have to complete as a DULA, so you are
pretty thoroughly trained to support women in labor as a doula.
Then additionally, the Childbirth Educator is a separate certification which
I completed through LAMAS, where I can you know when
you're pregnant, you can actually go to the hospital and
(18:17):
take childbirth classes. Well, these are outside childbirth classes where
you actually no one's just talking to you from a PowerPoint.
It is hands on. So when we're teaching breathing exercises,
the families are actually doing the breathing exercises with us.
When we're teaching massage techniques, we have the dads on
(18:37):
the floor. We got a little yoga mats, a little
birthing balls. Everybody's on the floor practicing what it's going
to feel like to be in labor and what type
of pressure they may like or don't like. And so
it's a very hands on, interactive process.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Wow. Ooh, that's so good to know.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I love that you say that duelas.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Need to be certified.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
So they're just not sisters or cousins or aunties that's
just out here and had their own experience, just telling
you from their experience. No, you've learned some things, and
you witnessed, You've witnessed you know, plenty of births, and
I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
I love it, I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Okay, so my next question, I'm just wondering. Okay, so
you have doctors and you are a nurse, so that
kind of adds to your credentials. Okay, yes, yes, as
a duela. So now you're in the hospital, I'm just wondering.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
How is it that you work.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
With doctors and the nurses who were there, because I
could see if they're feeling like, you know, they've.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Had all these years of schooling.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
And practice and they have those letters behind their name,
so they're feeling like this is their birth and room.
So now hey, you come in there and miss Doulah
and you you know. So I'm just wondering, how do
you integrate with you know, the doctors and the nurses,
and has that ever been a problem.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
That is an awesome, awesome question. That's something that's really
really good to know because it comes up a lot.
So Adula really has to know her place right and
know what her role is in the labor room, in
the hospital room, or wherever the family is giving birth,
(20:38):
because remember, we're here to provide an experience, and so
we don't want to create conflict or tension in the room.
So for me, I was actually a doula and a
birth assistant, an a lama's educator, and a electation consultant
before I ever became a nurse. Those things actually led
me into nurse. So as a doula, again it's a
(21:04):
non medical approach. So when you're in the hospital room,
it should be a collaborative effort. We are all on
the same team and we have the same goal, which
is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mama
and a dad that's not passed out on the floor, right,
So we're all on the same team, but we have
(21:26):
different roles, and so what we do is during the
prenatal care. Sometimes I like to attend a prenatal visit
with the client and her doctor and introduce myself as
the DULA as a support person, And I introduced myself
in the role of supporting the family and having the
(21:46):
family's best interest in mind, but also letting the doctor
or midwife knows that there are some benefits to my presence.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Right.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
So, normally when a woman goes into labor or she
has a DULA present, she can text her doula, hey girl,
I got this random blood clock. What is this? You
can't just really text your doctor like that, you know
all throughout you got to make an appointment right when
she starts to feel contractions. Let's say it's ten o'clock
at night. Who can she call. She can call her
(22:15):
doula to give her some guidance. Well, your contractions are
really far apart, they're like twenty minutes apart. How strong
are they? How long are they lasting? So they don't
you don't appear to really be in full blown labor,
but you're starting the process, so it's not necessary for
you to go to the hospital right now. Whereas the
first time mom with out adula, she's calling her doctor
(22:36):
heading to the emergency room for no reason, and then
she gets there and that gets sent right back home. Right,
So we don't want to wake the doctor up at
three o'clock in the morning for a fosse alarm, right
because they need their arrest so they can be ready
when it's really go time. So your doctor and midwife
are not with you throughout the entire labor process. So
(22:58):
once you check into the hospital, you check in with
your nurse to get you checked in, takes your vitals,
all those things. Now, Manji, your nurse probably has three
or four other patients, right, so she cannot stay with
you the entire time. Meanwhile, your doctor or midwife is
probably in clinic right Monday through Friday nine to five.
You have appointments. So who is with the laboring woman
(23:22):
and family throughout that, you know, twelve hour, twenty four hour,
thirty six hour process. There's no one that's really there
the entire time. The nurse checks in and out on
the patient. How you're doing, how's your blood pressure? Do
you need an epidural? And this is me speaking as
a labor and delivery nurse. Do you need some medication?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
You know?
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Checking in, right, But I have four other patients too,
so I can't stay with you too long. Doctors in
clinic being updated and notified by the nurse on the
patient's progress, right, So essentially there's no other person literally
staying there with the family, So the duel is actually
there during that time that the nurse is checking on
(24:06):
other patients. The doctor is in clinic again, filling in
those gaps, bridging the gaps. So can I get you
some water? Can I get you some ice? Can hey,
let's change positions. We've been sitting like this for too long.
Let's get things going. Let's get on your birth ball.
You know, what can I do for you? What can
I do for dad, Let me put some more oils
in the diffuser. Let me just make this environment. Come,
(24:28):
let me read some affirmations or scriptures to you. Let
me we laugh, cry, pray, whatever you need. And so
someone is with you, supporting you throughout the entire process.
In case something comes up or we need to switch
switch plans, or we need additional options, we have our
eyes on you as things are changing, as progress is
(24:49):
being made. So we can also actually provide that rapport
to the nurse and to the doctor. Hey, I noticed,
you know, her blood pressure has been stayed well all
the time, all this twelve hours, but now it's gone
up a little bit. It's just something I noticed. If
you want to take notice that, or I noticed that
whenever she has a contraction, this happens. The eyes are
(25:13):
there all the time, and so it can be a
positive experience if the doula knows her role and plays
her cards right. I have learned how to do that,
and so now I actually have doctors and midwives who
refer their clients to me for DULA support because they
appreciate the bridging of the gaps and them not being
(25:35):
responsible for every little thing because they have multiple patients
so for us, we usually only take three clients a
month per doula, so that there's not a whole lot
of overlapping and that we can delegate our full time
and attention to their needs.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Oh that is so good.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I love that all. I was thinking down the entire
time when you talking. I was hearing you, but I
was thinking about, yes, like how much you being there
and being in support could really release a lot of
the mom's anxiety, right, Yes, so they could feel more calm,
(26:17):
more stable, like they're not alone and that they do
have another professional because you are trained in there with.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Them, right, you're their person. I love that. That is
so good.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
I'll say this, Sadula has no other agenda but to
serve you, right, So you're literally hiring someone to be
there for you with no other agenda, no other liability concerns,
no other no other concerns. My job is to support
you for the entire time. So your doctors and nurses
(26:53):
don't always have that luxury because they do have other
liabilities and things that they're responsible for as well as
other patients. But your doula is just there for you.
I love it, absolute best interest in mine.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
I love it so here let me ask you this.
So we're talking about being in a hospital, being in
a facility. So what I want to know is have
you been a doula to someone who's had a home birth,
and if so, what's the difference for you?
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Great question. So I have supported families in hospitals, birthing centers,
and at home, all across the board with doctors, midwives,
all varieties and all options. So the difference is if
a client is having a home birth or a birth
center birth, they are going to be supported by a midwife, right,
(27:55):
And a midwife is a provider that can provide care
for the entire pregnancy, labor, and birth. So the midwife
replaces the doctor the obgyn. Midwives are for healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies.
So if you have a high risk pregnancy, you may
not be a great candidate for a midwife, but a
(28:17):
relatively uncomplicated pregnancy you can deliver with a midwife. And
so midwives are set up for a more natural, low
intervention type of birth. So in that case epidurals are
not available. Pay medication is available, though they can provide
(28:39):
pay medication through your IV. However, they don't perform epidurals
or surgeries right, should that be needed, you would have
to be transferred to the hospital. So the difference is
that we're set up like that, and so there's naturally
not a lot of interventions, not a lot of the
(29:00):
things going on, and the midwives are more present with
you throughout the process in a home birth or birth
center setting. So dula's role does shift a little bit
and that she's still present, but it's actually a lot
smoother and a lot easier for the dula and a
(29:21):
home birth or birth center setting because it is an
extremely collaborative approach. You have two holistic providers working together
versus a medical provider and a holistic provider working together.
So we're literally on the same page.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Got you, And I love that so well since you
said that, we'll go a little bit deeper because you
did mention before that the doula has a holistic approach,
and so just to be clear, what is the difference
between the holistic approach and the medical model.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Yes, so for the holistic approach, it's just letting your
body do what is naturally designed to do without intervention
unless intervention is medically emergency necessary. The medical approach is
more of a sick sick model approach. You know, you
walk into the hospital, you put on a hospital gown,
(30:19):
you get your bread, plushure check, your temperature check, you
do a vaginal exam. There's all these touch points and
a per center. They may not do a vaginal exam
right away. It just we can kind of tell based
on how the person is progressing where they are in
their labor process. You can walk around, you can eat,
(30:41):
you can drink. At the hospital, you're not supposed to eat, right,
You're not supposed to drink anything because there's the risk
of potential anesesia or surgery. Right, it's not really an
option at the per center. So you can get up
and walk around. It's like a day in a life
where you have a baby. You go on about your
natural life and you walk around, you eat, you talk
(31:01):
to family members, you have a few contractions, you got
some support. Can you have a baby and go home?
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Wait, hold on, wait wait wait, because having a baby, well,
I can speak for me because that Yeah, I was
only with me in the birthing room.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
That was it. I ain't never been with somebody else.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
I've gone to the hospital, but I haven't been in
the room, and sometimes there can be some complications, because
there were with me at the last minute. I had
an emergency sea section at the last minute. So everything
was going well, you know, and then all of a sudden,
(31:42):
you know, something went left and I had an emergency
sea section. Now, I love the idea of what you're saying,
and I love it when I hear stories about women
who say, I have my baby in the bathroom.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I think Tianna Taylor said, like all of her children
and she said she just had them at home. You know,
when people have babies in the car, and I love honestly,
and but when you just said, like, oh, it's just
like having a baby and walking through and that's you know,
but sometimes right, life's not like that. So in the row,
(32:17):
I'm just talking about me, and I know there are
other women like me. Well, first of all, I was
in labor for eighteen hours and I took the epidural,
which I didn't get it until fourteen hours.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Later, but it was killing me.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
So I'm just saying all that just walking around and
have it that didn't That wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Happen for me.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
So what would you say to us who want to
do the holistic approach but had a hard time.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I love this I love this question because I have
an answer for you. Everything is connected, right, Everything is connected,
and there is a domino effect from the beginning to
the end. Right. So number one, what's the status of
your pregnancy and what is your medical history? Do you
(33:09):
have a history of diabetes or high blood pressure? Those
are medical issues that can affect pregnancy, labor, and birth,
and that case, you might be better off with hospital support,
and you may require intervention if you are medically healthy.
Eighty eight percent of women can deliver outside of the
hospital without medical intervention. If you are medically healthy, you
(33:31):
don't have any risk factors. We don't anticipate that you're
really going to need intervention, although it could happen. So
number one, what's the status of your health and your pregnancy? Okay?
Number two? Interventions sometimes have a domino effect. So if
you go in for an induction, and number one, you
(33:55):
didn't start off natural from the beginning. If you go
in to be induced, meaning forcing labor to happen before
your body is ready, you are automatically set up for
possible intervention and emergencies. Sixty percent of inductions and in
the C section, because we're given a medication to force
(34:16):
our body to do something that is not ready to
do for whatever reason. Sometimes there are medical reasons, sometimes
they're non medical reasons. So domino effect, I get an induction.
The contractions from the inductions are so painful and so
intense that I can't handle the pain because this is
not a natural pain. This is a medicated pain that
(34:37):
I'm experiencing. On top of that, my baby's heart rate
is dropping because my contraction is so strong. It's squeezing
my baby in an artificial way that my baby can't
handle this artificial contraction. So my baby's heart rate is dropping,
my pain level is increasing. I now need an epidural
(34:58):
to cope. So we have potocin, which induces us and
speeds things up. Then we put an epidural on board
we slow things down. So you got two medications fighting
each other, right, one is trying to progress your labor,
the other one's trying to slow things down. So sixty
percent of the time what happens is you fail to
progress and end up with a sea section because you
(35:21):
get stuck at four centimeters, six centimeters, eight centimeters so
then to combat that, let's try to break your water. Well,
we broke your water and took away the baby's cushion,
So now the baby's heart rate is dropping, and now
we need an emergency sea section. There's this domino effect
of interventions. When a woman goes into labor naturally, that
(35:41):
means her body has released a hormone that says, my
baby's lung and brain development are complete, and I'm now
ready to be born. And so naturally you start having contractions,
and there are natural things you can do to facilitate
facilitate those contractions. But if there's no medication on board
(36:03):
to influence that process, no potosa, no epidual, you're just
gonna naturally. Your body's gonna do what is naturally designed
to do. And then you have the support of your
dula and the midwife to help facilitate that process, but
not intervene on the process. So moms who labor naturally
(36:23):
and birth naturally need less intervention. There's less emergency situations.
So you shared your story, I want to share mine
real quick. I started having contractions at midnight and they
were coming back to back to back. I had taken
childbirth classes, I was with a midwife and I was
(36:46):
at a birthing center, and I knew I had two
duelas I had my dula and then my dula's best
friend was in training and she asked if she could
attend my birth for her hours. I said sure, the
more of the marrier. So I was able to contact
my duel let her know what's going on. She was like, Amber,
you're progressing really fast. Let's go ahead and call him midwife.
I called him midwife. She said, yeah, Amber, you're progressing
(37:06):
really fast. Just go ahead and meet me at the
birth center. So that was at midnight. I got to
the birth center, labored, walked around. I had a birth
photographer there, two doulas, my mom, my grandmother, everybody in
the room that wanted to be in the room that
I wanted in the room. I got in the baptub,
I drank water, I ate snacks. My husband was able
(37:30):
to get in the bathtub with me from behind it
hold me and support me. I had to get out
of the tub and have my baby. She was born
at three oh six am. I didn't I didn't ask
for pay medication. I was in pain, but I never
asked for it. Never needed it. She was big, so
(37:50):
she was a little snug, so they had to do
a maneuver to actually get her out. But there the
midwives are trained and equipped for some minor emergency. Only
thing they can't do is anesthesia and the surgery. In
that case they have the transfer. You but bleeding too
much or you know, other things like that. They can
handle oxygen things like that. So my baby had They
(38:12):
had to do on maneuver to get her out. She
was nine pounds one ounce, big girl, born fashionately. I
had a tear. I had to have two stitches. That's it.
They were able to do that at the birth center.
They helped me latch her on. We breastfed, I ate.
I was home at six twenty three am. I had
(38:32):
family members at the hospital looking for the room number.
What room number are you in? I'm at nineteen fourteen
Cyrus away at home, so from midnight to six twenty
three am. Midnight she was born at three h six.
I was home at six twenty three am. The midwives
came over the next day to check my bleeding, check
on her, make sure everything was okay. Everything was good.
(38:54):
I had a healthy pregnancy, a natural birth, no interventions,
but things that were needed were provided.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
I love that, listen, I love that, and I love
your story. I love that this is an option for women,
because that's what it's really about, is women having the
option to choose how they want to deliver their babies.
I will say this though, for me, healthy, no issues,
(39:29):
no diabe, no nothing and and no uh and I was.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Not induced or anything.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
I'm just telling you that's my truth, right, So you know,
I just know that what happened was my water broke,
just natural. And I love the way you say that
you go when when it's a natural, when you labor
naturally and your water breaks, that means that the baby's
fully developed.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
All those things.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I go to the hospital, but I was there too long,
and you know what, I never and this was me naturally,
I never. I didn't dilate. I didn't dilate, so I
was she was in me for too long and there
was no water in the sack and so I only
dilated one centimeter.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
So AnyWho, I'm just telling you.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Eighteen hours later, they had to take my baby, and
I thank god that they did.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
But this is the point, this is the point. I
love that there are options, you.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Know, because there are many women who can have and
you said eighty percent, eighty two percent, So it just
so happened that I was with.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
The what the sixteen the eighteen percent? You know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
I was just in the eighteen percent, a healthy woman,
you know, healthy process. But then it just happened. And
that's okay because she's here. But this is what I
this is. I wanted to add this before I ask
you about your services because you sound freaking amazing and
what you do sounds freaking amaze, and you know your
stuff and I love that. But let's just say if
(41:04):
there is an intervention that needed to happen, worst case scenario,
and you were there because your birth and story sounded amazing.
I mean, you in the tub, your husband behind you,
like I'm swear everybody's dead like that.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Was a story book, you know, story right, fairy tale however,
but it was real.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
So what would have happened?
Speaker 1 (41:27):
How is it that you guys can link people or
how are they linked to support if they need medical
and medical intervention?
Speaker 2 (41:35):
What does that look like?
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Yes, so birthing centers and home birth midwives, like I said,
they do have certain equipment and skills and tools to
help with some interventions. They can break your water if needed.
They can provide pay medication if needed. They can provide
oxygen if needed. They can help with blood loss if needed.
But if things just get out of control and for
(41:59):
some reason you've been in labor for too long and
you need an epidural or you need a seat section,
they will transfer you to the hospital. So home birth
midwives and birthing centers are backed by obgyn physicians and
partner and connected with local hospitals so they can transfer you.
Your midwife will transfer you, an ambulance will be called.
(42:21):
You will be transported to the hospital. Your midwife and
your dula will go with you to continue that support.
Your dula and midwife stay with you, but you are
now in the care of the hospital and an OBGYN
who can call an antithesiologist for an epidural or a
spinal if needed, and then also perform the surgery if needed.
(42:41):
And that's exactly how it should be. Obgyns are surgeons
by trade, and they are trained to fix problems, and
we need them because, like you said, there are problems
that can occur. So don't want to negate that. But
if you have a relatively healthy pregnancy, I would encourage
you to try for a natural or low intervention birth,
(43:05):
and if you need further assistance, further assistance is available.
And that is we want to intervene when it's necessary.
We don't want to have routine intervention check in, get
your potocain, get your water broken, get your epidural, get
your sea section. That's the trend of how most women
(43:25):
are delivering nowadays. And the reason why this is such
a passion for me is because, as you may know,
or some of you may be aware of, for women
of color, our moms and babies die at a rate
of three point five times more than any other race. Okay,
(43:47):
so just want to let that sink in a little bit.
There's a reason behind that this type of care and
support prevents and reduces those infant outcomes.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
I love it. I love what you're saying. I'm telling you.
I love women having options and the fact that which
sounds so good, like you can literally start off at
a birthing center or start off at home, having your
being prepared to you know, have to have your baby
(44:23):
there and if you're a little nervous and something goes left,
just if you know, if it does, then there is
a connection to medical intervention, which I love, and I'm
sure all of that is in the birth and plan. Yes, absolutely,
so please tell the family how they can get in
(44:47):
touch with you Amber and get your services.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yes, before ever that, I want to give one last
little some tips and just a little bit of information.
So when ADULA is present, just the presence of ADULA
decreases interventions by sixty percent. When ADULA is present, that
sends a message that this family is prepared, this family
(45:17):
is supported, this family is advocated for. So let me
be careful how I handle this family. Okay, that's number one.
Number two, dula's decrease the incidence of pre natal and
postpartum anxiety and depression. So I just want to tie
(45:37):
that back in the experience of having ADULA decreases anxiety
and depression. It enhances mental health because you are fully
supported emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And so most women feel empowered.
They feel like they were a part of the decision
(45:58):
making process, They played a role in their care and
not just Okay, I'm gonna do what my doctor says
to do, or I'm just kind of gonna go along
with whatever is being told to me. So there's a
sense of empowerment, there, a sense of wellbeing. The recovery
for women who have a doula is better. They're able
(46:19):
to return to work sooner, care for the baby sooner,
and things like that. So I just wanted to add
that in there and then I can be contacted. We
do have a website www dot mother Eve's CSS dot com,
which stands for Mothereves Childbearing Support Services. We have our
(46:40):
Instagram at mother EVESCSS, and then we also have a
Facebook page for Mothereves Childbearing Support Services.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
Thank you so much, Amber for sharing your expertise here
with us and for educating us on Dueler's Midwife an
alternative birthing process. You were amazing and soul informative.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
Yeah soul.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
Well, you know, really, you taught me a lot, so
I know that you taught the family a lot.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
So thank you for joining us family.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
I will see you on the next episode of the
Mental Health.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
Is a Lifestyle podcast.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
You already know with your girl Andrea wise Brown and
don't you ever forget I love you.
This podcast is not a substitute for our relationship with
your mental health professional. Hey hey, hey, family, welcome back
to another episode of The Mental Health Is a lifestyle
podcast with your girl Andrea wise Brown and today's family.
(00:26):
I have another amazing woman for you to meet, but
before I introduce her to you, we need to.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Take care of some business.
Speaker 1 (00:37):
So if you haven't done so already, come on join
the family. If you aren't a part of us, and
you can do that by clicking that little button so
you can subscribe to the podcast, then I need you
to like the podcast. Then please come on share the
podcast and if you feel in froggy and jump and
(01:01):
put a comment down under the podcast to let me
know if you like it, if you don't like it,
If you have some questions about whatever it is that
we're talking about, or maybe some concerns, talk to me
and don't be afraid to do so. Become a part
(01:21):
of the family. All right, family, we are jumping right
into it. So I have this amazing woman that I
want you to meet today, So here I am going
to introduce her to you. So today, family, we have
with us Miss Amber Thomas. She's a registered nurse and
(01:47):
an International Board certified lactation consultant with over fifteen years
of experience supporting child bearing and breastfeeding families. Amber is
a holistic perinatal women's health professional and the owner of
(02:08):
Mother Eve's Childbearing Support Services LLC. In addition to her
lactation expertise, Amber is a certified doula, a lama's childbirth educator,
and experienced birth assistant. She holds a Bachelor of Science
(02:28):
in biology with a minor in Women's Studies from Texas
Women's University and a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing
from Baylor University's Louis Harrington School of Nursing.
Speaker 3 (02:46):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Amber, Hello, and thank you for being here.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Hello, Hello, thanks Andrea for inviting me. I'm so excited
to be here today. And thank you for that wonderful introduction.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
Oh absolutely, you deserve it. Those were all your accomplishments. Amazing, amazing. Okay,
So let's just jump right into it because I'm really
what I'm assuming is is some family members are like.
Speaker 2 (03:18):
Why are we talking about birth in the day and
lactation and.
Speaker 1 (03:23):
Families, And let me say this. Let me start off
with this family. You know, mental health is a life style.
So it is all surrounding and supporting a healthy lifestyle.
When you have mental health, meaning a healthy mental, a
(03:46):
healthy mind, then everything else in your.
Speaker 2 (03:49):
Life will fall in line and be healthy.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
And even if you are on this the birthing journey
of trying to add to your family to have families,
you know, there's a lot of stress and anxiety that
you can endure with.
Speaker 2 (04:07):
Trying to expand your family and have children.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
So and even after you know, after birth, because I
know for me, Amber, I did suffer from postpartum depression
after I had my daughter.
Speaker 2 (04:22):
So this is necessary. Family and listen, and if you
know someone who.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
May be on their birth and journey or they want
to expand their family, please share the podcast.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
So don't be judgmental.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Just sit tight, put your seatbelt on because you may
learn something today. If you pay attention, then you will, okay, Amber,
So please share with us what started you on this
this birth and journey as a nurse.
Speaker 3 (04:52):
Yes, So to be honest, I really think it is
a god given passion. From my early time teenage years
up until now, I've just been infected with this passion.
I remember at the age of nine I filled out
a career form at school that says what do you
want to be when you grow up? And I put
(05:13):
a nurse. I didn't know anybody in my family at
the time it was a nurse, but that's what I
put on my form. I want to be a nurse
because I want to help people. I didn't know what
kind of nurse at that time. At the age of fifteen,
my brother and his wife were pregnant with her first child,
and I was just so intrigued with the pregnancy and
(05:35):
the labor and the birth. I was fifteen years old
at the time, and I began to Dulah, my sister
in law, before I even knew what adula was. It
was just a natural inclination. I was naturally drawn to her.
We all lived together at the time of her pregnancy,
and it was during summer when everybody was working, but
(05:57):
I was off from school, so I pretty much catered
to her during her pregnancy. She and I grew close,
and when it was time for her to deliver, I
just had this connection with her and the baby and
I wanted to be in the delivery room. But you
know how they have that limitation in the delivery room
with only two people which was supposed to be my brother,
(06:17):
her husband, and her mom. Well, I was really insistent.
There was something in me that was just like I
have got I've been working with this pregnancy and this
baby and taking care of them. I want to see
this birth. I want to see this baby born. And
so I insisted on being in the room, and she
insisted that I be in the room, and they allowed
(06:40):
me to stay and I was able to witness the
birth of my niece and it was just the most
beautiful thing to me. I guess because I'm a little
bit of a nerd, but for most fifteen year old
they'd probably be like E. I was like all up
in there, like, oh my god, this is amazing what's
(07:01):
going on? So I was literally like in shock and
just captivated by the birthing process. So I watched my
niece exit from the womb. She was coming out sunnayside
up is what we call it when they're born face up.
Normally they're worn face down. Oh, but she was born
face up, weighing nine pounds one ounce, and I just
(07:24):
took her in like she I really kind of stole
her from her mom, so I'm like her second mom.
We were just you know, attached at the hips. And
then she's actually twenty three years old now pregnant with
her first baby do this month. I'm the twenty furtherst
so it's just full circle. But to answer your question,
(07:44):
that is where the passion started, and things have just
come along in my pathway since then that have drawn
me in even more.
Speaker 2 (07:54):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
That is an amazing, amazing, amazing story. And I'll just
say this, the only reason why is because I am
like on this path of helping people to see the
little miracles that happen in their lives so that they
(08:16):
can more clearly define what their passion and their purpose
is and how to get in alignment with what God
has for them. Like, you couldn't make that up, the
fact that this was something you wanted and now all
of a sudden this is happening in your household, and
then you get a front seat. And then you were
(08:37):
able to literally get a front seat. And you know
what I've been told from many of men who are
in the same position that you're in. When they're in
the birth and room and when they literally see the
baby enter into the world, a lot of them tell
me that they're surprised they're shocked and they either faint
(08:59):
or they feel like but you didn't.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
Huh, not at all. I didn't feign at all. I
was all in. I was intrigued and I wanted more.
So after that, everybody in my family, any friends or
families that was pregnant, I was harassing them like, ooh,
can I help you? Can I be there for your birth?
Can I help support you for your birth? This is
(09:22):
at the age of fifteen, sixteen, seventeen years old, just
naturally inclined. So I wanted more and couldn't get enough.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
Okay, So let me ask you for all of our
family members who don't know what a doula is, because
I love the way you tied to it.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I was a doula even before I was a doula,
because for.
Speaker 1 (09:42):
Me, I was a therapist, a counselor even before I
was a therapist and a counselor.
Speaker 2 (09:47):
So tell us what a doula is.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
So adula is considered. So the formal term for doula
means woman servant. That's the formal definition. But by trade
you can consider adula as a labor coach or a
birthing coach. You do not have to be a nurse
to be a doula. In fact, ADULA focuses more on
(10:14):
the family's physical, emotional, spiritual and mental well being and
support throughout the pregnancy, labor and birth process. Your medical doctor,
your obgi in or your midwife, they are more focused
on your medical care for you and the baby. The
(10:35):
dula's focus is on your experience of your pregnancy, labor
and birth and bridging the gaps and providing mental, emotional,
spiritual support throughout the process because it is a very mentally,
emotionally and spiritually inclined process which can be very exhausting,
(11:00):
especially without the proper support. So ADULA actually stays with
their client throughout pregnancy, throughout the entire labor process, and
also for postpartum care, and so they're providing that continuity
of care, filling in the gaps, helping the families with
(11:21):
their birth plan, their breastfeeding plan. How do you want
the room to look like? Do you want dim lights?
Do you want candles? Do you want aromatherapy? Do you
want a live green pillowcase at the hospital? Do you
want a water birth? How do you want this experience
to feel? How can I support you? I can show
you some breathing techniques, some different positions to get in,
(11:44):
some massage therapy, some ways to help you feel comfortable
throughout your pregnancy and labor birth process. So we know
that women have all these ailments that go on during pregnancy.
We have the morning sickness and the nausea. So you're
doing what's going to step in and say, hey, try
some ginger water, or try some papaya enzymes for that.
(12:05):
Or they may have breakouts on their skin. So we
provide natural holistic solutions and remedies to some of these
ailments as well as natural holistic remedies to the labor
and birth process. So, for example, if a woman is
in labor and her labor has slowed down medically at
the hospital, they would want to induce her or give
(12:28):
her a medication called potosin to speed labor up. As
a dula, we can suggest let's try using your breast
pump to stimulate your natural oxytocin. That may encourage labor
to go. So we're able to provide some additional options
that are more holistic, safe with less side effects to
(12:49):
help a woman get through her pregnancy, labor, birth, and breastfeeding.
Not only for the mom before the dad as well,
because it's a long process and our dads needs support
as well. So hey, can I get you a sandwich? Hey,
do you want to take a nap while I sit
with her? And she and I are going to go
(13:09):
for a walk and get labor going. You take a
nap and let's tag team. Or when a question comes
up in the labor room, Hey, we want to break
your water, Well, we kind of need to know what
are the benefits of that, what are the disadvantages of that,
what's going to happen if we don't do it. So
that's where the duel is filling in the education piece
(13:30):
as well for the family as a whole.
Speaker 2 (13:34):
So let me ask this question.
Speaker 1 (13:35):
This is good, This is so good, okay, because I
could see where for me, right, I had one child,
and I can see where after because I said that
I did suffer from postpartum depression, so I could see
where you would have been amazing, like a duela would
have been amazing for me afterwards to kind of help
(13:58):
me to kind of calm down, to bring me back
and give me some suggestions so that I knew that
the world wasn't gonna be over and I was I
was gonna.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
I was good just the way I was. So that was.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Before I started counseling or anything like that. So Duela
would have been amazing. But let me ask you this, okay,
but prior to having the baby, I want to know,
how are you educated? So do dulas have to take
courses classes? Because how is it? Will you fill in
(14:31):
the gaps? I will say this too. Before you answered that,
I could remember that. You would have been helpful. Honestly,
it just came to me before. Also because I remember
having this book that was called and I think this
was like everybody had these books, and it was called
what to Expect when You're Expected?
Speaker 3 (14:54):
How souls we We're not a bit fan of that book?
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Oh really? Okay wait hold on name No Way Home?
Speaker 1 (15:07):
Yeah, I was obsessed with that book.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
That book was so helpful.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
It was helpful to me because because it answered questions
that I did not know.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Right, this was my first child. I had never done
it before, and.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
So you know, and you get personal experience from your mama,
from your aunties, you know, but everybody's body is different
in their experience and you know what our parents did
back in the day. I was I was trying to
do something different.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
So yeah, so the book was there, So okay, so
tell us about the book.
Speaker 3 (15:43):
Okay, so I won't I won't speak too much on
the book, but what I'll say, you've kind of already
said it. Everybody's different, right, So I think it can
be served as as a generic guide for someone you know,
first time expecting. But the benefit of having a doula
is that you're going to have a customized, personalized experience
(16:04):
where recommendations and educations are given to you based on
you based on your specific circumstances. Because what may work
for one person may not work for another. So the
duela is trained to really assess and evaluate your circumstances
to make recommendations specifically for you that are customized based
(16:28):
on what your experience is. So, to track back a
little bit more on your question about that, as far
as duela training, so I certified through an organization called
DONA International. They've been around for the longest amount of
time and have supported duelas for the longest amount of time.
And so with that, there are certain education requirements that
(16:53):
you have to have, one of them being a certain
amount of hours in labor so about a thousand and
hours of hands on support. So you have to have
shadow maybe another duela or another nurse in the labor
and delivery process to where you're able to have that
birth experience right. And so they're also training you with
(17:15):
modules and education and hands on training on what the
labor process looks like. With a childbirth process, it's like
just the whole ordeal and so it's kind of a
self paced process. It can take you six months to
do it, it can take you three years to do it.
But you have a set of requirements of how many
(17:35):
births you need to attend and the different kind of
births a natural birth, an a epidural birth, a C
section birth. You need to be able to attend a
birth in a hospital, at a home, and at a
birth center in the different environments for the birth. You
need to have a mentor someone that you can shadow.
And then there's a certain amount of education hours that
(17:57):
you have to complete as a DULA, so you are
pretty thoroughly trained to support women in labor as a doula.
Then additionally, the Childbirth Educator is a separate certification which
I completed through LAMAS, where I can you know when
you're pregnant, you can actually go to the hospital and
(18:17):
take childbirth classes. Well, these are outside childbirth classes where
you actually no one's just talking to you from a PowerPoint.
It is hands on. So when we're teaching breathing exercises,
the families are actually doing the breathing exercises with us.
When we're teaching massage techniques, we have the dads on
(18:37):
the floor. We got a little yoga mats, a little
birthing balls. Everybody's on the floor practicing what it's going
to feel like to be in labor and what type
of pressure they may like or don't like. And so
it's a very hands on, interactive process.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Wow. Ooh, that's so good to know.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I love that you say that duelas.
Speaker 2 (19:03):
Need to be certified.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
So they're just not sisters or cousins or aunties that's
just out here and had their own experience, just telling
you from their experience. No, you've learned some things, and
you witnessed, You've witnessed you know, plenty of births, and
I love it.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
I love it, I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
Okay, so my next question, I'm just wondering. Okay, so
you have doctors and you are a nurse, so that
kind of adds to your credentials. Okay, yes, yes, as
a duela. So now you're in the hospital, I'm just wondering.
Speaker 2 (19:43):
How is it that you work.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
With doctors and the nurses who were there, because I
could see if they're feeling like, you know, they've.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Had all these years of schooling.
Speaker 1 (19:56):
And practice and they have those letters behind their name,
so they're feeling like this is their birth and room.
So now hey, you come in there and miss Doulah
and you you know. So I'm just wondering, how do
you integrate with you know, the doctors and the nurses,
and has that ever been a problem.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
That is an awesome, awesome question. That's something that's really
really good to know because it comes up a lot.
So Adula really has to know her place right and
know what her role is in the labor room, in
the hospital room, or wherever the family is giving birth,
(20:38):
because remember, we're here to provide an experience, and so
we don't want to create conflict or tension in the room.
So for me, I was actually a doula and a
birth assistant, an a lama's educator, and a electation consultant
before I ever became a nurse. Those things actually led
me into nurse. So as a doula, again it's a
(21:04):
non medical approach. So when you're in the hospital room,
it should be a collaborative effort. We are all on
the same team and we have the same goal, which
is to have a healthy baby and a healthy mama
and a dad that's not passed out on the floor, right,
So we're all on the same team, but we have
(21:26):
different roles, and so what we do is during the
prenatal care. Sometimes I like to attend a prenatal visit
with the client and her doctor and introduce myself as
the DULA as a support person, And I introduced myself
in the role of supporting the family and having the
(21:46):
family's best interest in mind, but also letting the doctor
or midwife knows that there are some benefits to my presence.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Right.
Speaker 3 (21:54):
So, normally when a woman goes into labor or she
has a DULA present, she can text her doula, hey girl,
I got this random blood clock. What is this? You
can't just really text your doctor like that, you know
all throughout you got to make an appointment right when
she starts to feel contractions. Let's say it's ten o'clock
at night. Who can she call. She can call her
(22:15):
doula to give her some guidance. Well, your contractions are
really far apart, they're like twenty minutes apart. How strong
are they? How long are they lasting? So they don't
you don't appear to really be in full blown labor,
but you're starting the process, so it's not necessary for
you to go to the hospital right now. Whereas the
first time mom with out adula, she's calling her doctor
(22:36):
heading to the emergency room for no reason, and then
she gets there and that gets sent right back home. Right,
So we don't want to wake the doctor up at
three o'clock in the morning for a fosse alarm, right
because they need their arrest so they can be ready
when it's really go time. So your doctor and midwife
are not with you throughout the entire labor process. So
(22:58):
once you check into the hospital, you check in with
your nurse to get you checked in, takes your vitals,
all those things. Now, Manji, your nurse probably has three
or four other patients, right, so she cannot stay with
you the entire time. Meanwhile, your doctor or midwife is
probably in clinic right Monday through Friday nine to five.
You have appointments. So who is with the laboring woman
(23:22):
and family throughout that, you know, twelve hour, twenty four hour,
thirty six hour process. There's no one that's really there
the entire time. The nurse checks in and out on
the patient. How you're doing, how's your blood pressure? Do
you need an epidural? And this is me speaking as
a labor and delivery nurse. Do you need some medication?
Speaker 2 (23:43):
You know?
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Checking in, right, But I have four other patients too,
so I can't stay with you too long. Doctors in
clinic being updated and notified by the nurse on the
patient's progress, right, So essentially there's no other person literally
staying there with the family, So the duel is actually
there during that time that the nurse is checking on
(24:06):
other patients. The doctor is in clinic again, filling in
those gaps, bridging the gaps. So can I get you
some water? Can I get you some ice? Can hey,
let's change positions. We've been sitting like this for too long.
Let's get things going. Let's get on your birth ball.
You know, what can I do for you? What can
I do for dad, Let me put some more oils
in the diffuser. Let me just make this environment. Come,
(24:28):
let me read some affirmations or scriptures to you. Let
me we laugh, cry, pray, whatever you need. And so
someone is with you, supporting you throughout the entire process.
In case something comes up or we need to switch
switch plans, or we need additional options, we have our
eyes on you as things are changing, as progress is
(24:49):
being made. So we can also actually provide that rapport
to the nurse and to the doctor. Hey, I noticed,
you know, her blood pressure has been stayed well all
the time, all this twelve hours, but now it's gone
up a little bit. It's just something I noticed. If
you want to take notice that, or I noticed that
whenever she has a contraction, this happens. The eyes are
(25:13):
there all the time, and so it can be a
positive experience if the doula knows her role and plays
her cards right. I have learned how to do that,
and so now I actually have doctors and midwives who
refer their clients to me for DULA support because they
appreciate the bridging of the gaps and them not being
(25:35):
responsible for every little thing because they have multiple patients
so for us, we usually only take three clients a
month per doula, so that there's not a whole lot
of overlapping and that we can delegate our full time
and attention to their needs.
Speaker 2 (25:53):
Oh that is so good.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
I love that all. I was thinking down the entire
time when you talking. I was hearing you, but I
was thinking about, yes, like how much you being there
and being in support could really release a lot of
the mom's anxiety, right, Yes, so they could feel more calm,
(26:17):
more stable, like they're not alone and that they do
have another professional because you are trained in there with.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Them, right, you're their person. I love that. That is
so good.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
I'll say this, Sadula has no other agenda but to
serve you, right, So you're literally hiring someone to be
there for you with no other agenda, no other liability concerns,
no other no other concerns. My job is to support
you for the entire time. So your doctors and nurses
(26:53):
don't always have that luxury because they do have other
liabilities and things that they're responsible for as well as
other patients. But your doula is just there for you.
I love it, absolute best interest in mine.
Speaker 1 (27:09):
I love it so here let me ask you this.
So we're talking about being in a hospital, being in
a facility. So what I want to know is have
you been a doula to someone who's had a home birth,
and if so, what's the difference for you?
Speaker 3 (27:29):
Great question. So I have supported families in hospitals, birthing centers,
and at home, all across the board with doctors, midwives,
all varieties and all options. So the difference is if
a client is having a home birth or a birth
center birth, they are going to be supported by a midwife, right,
(27:55):
And a midwife is a provider that can provide care
for the entire pregnancy, labor, and birth. So the midwife
replaces the doctor the obgyn. Midwives are for healthy, uncomplicated pregnancies.
So if you have a high risk pregnancy, you may
not be a great candidate for a midwife, but a
(28:17):
relatively uncomplicated pregnancy you can deliver with a midwife. And
so midwives are set up for a more natural, low
intervention type of birth. So in that case epidurals are
not available. Pay medication is available, though they can provide
(28:39):
pay medication through your IV. However, they don't perform epidurals
or surgeries right, should that be needed, you would have
to be transferred to the hospital. So the difference is
that we're set up like that, and so there's naturally
not a lot of interventions, not a lot of the
(29:00):
things going on, and the midwives are more present with
you throughout the process in a home birth or birth
center setting. So dula's role does shift a little bit
and that she's still present, but it's actually a lot
smoother and a lot easier for the dula and a
(29:21):
home birth or birth center setting because it is an
extremely collaborative approach. You have two holistic providers working together
versus a medical provider and a holistic provider working together.
So we're literally on the same page.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Got you, And I love that so well since you
said that, we'll go a little bit deeper because you
did mention before that the doula has a holistic approach,
and so just to be clear, what is the difference
between the holistic approach and the medical model.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
Yes, so for the holistic approach, it's just letting your
body do what is naturally designed to do without intervention
unless intervention is medically emergency necessary. The medical approach is
more of a sick sick model approach. You know, you
walk into the hospital, you put on a hospital gown,
(30:19):
you get your bread, plushure check, your temperature check, you
do a vaginal exam. There's all these touch points and
a per center. They may not do a vaginal exam
right away. It just we can kind of tell based
on how the person is progressing where they are in
their labor process. You can walk around, you can eat,
(30:41):
you can drink. At the hospital, you're not supposed to eat, right,
You're not supposed to drink anything because there's the risk
of potential anesesia or surgery. Right, it's not really an
option at the per center. So you can get up
and walk around. It's like a day in a life
where you have a baby. You go on about your
natural life and you walk around, you eat, you talk
(31:01):
to family members, you have a few contractions, you got
some support. Can you have a baby and go home?
Speaker 2 (31:07):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (31:08):
Wait, hold on, wait wait wait, because having a baby, well,
I can speak for me because that Yeah, I was
only with me in the birthing room.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
That was it. I ain't never been with somebody else.
Speaker 1 (31:22):
I've gone to the hospital, but I haven't been in
the room, and sometimes there can be some complications, because
there were with me at the last minute. I had
an emergency sea section at the last minute. So everything
was going well, you know, and then all of a sudden,
(31:42):
you know, something went left and I had an emergency
sea section. Now, I love the idea of what you're saying,
and I love it when I hear stories about women
who say, I have my baby in the bathroom.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
You know.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
I think Tianna Taylor said, like all of her children
and she said she just had them at home. You know,
when people have babies in the car, and I love honestly,
and but when you just said, like, oh, it's just
like having a baby and walking through and that's you know,
but sometimes right, life's not like that. So in the row,
(32:17):
I'm just talking about me, and I know there are
other women like me. Well, first of all, I was
in labor for eighteen hours and I took the epidural,
which I didn't get it until fourteen hours.
Speaker 2 (32:31):
Later, but it was killing me.
Speaker 1 (32:33):
So I'm just saying all that just walking around and
have it that didn't That wouldn't.
Speaker 2 (32:39):
Happen for me.
Speaker 1 (32:39):
So what would you say to us who want to
do the holistic approach but had a hard time.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
I love this I love this question because I have
an answer for you. Everything is connected, right, Everything is connected,
and there is a domino effect from the beginning to
the end. Right. So number one, what's the status of
your pregnancy and what is your medical history? Do you
(33:09):
have a history of diabetes or high blood pressure? Those
are medical issues that can affect pregnancy, labor, and birth,
and that case, you might be better off with hospital support,
and you may require intervention if you are medically healthy.
Eighty eight percent of women can deliver outside of the
hospital without medical intervention. If you are medically healthy, you
(33:31):
don't have any risk factors. We don't anticipate that you're
really going to need intervention, although it could happen. So
number one, what's the status of your health and your pregnancy? Okay?
Number two? Interventions sometimes have a domino effect. So if
you go in for an induction, and number one, you
(33:55):
didn't start off natural from the beginning. If you go
in to be induced, meaning forcing labor to happen before
your body is ready, you are automatically set up for
possible intervention and emergencies. Sixty percent of inductions and in
the C section, because we're given a medication to force
(34:16):
our body to do something that is not ready to
do for whatever reason. Sometimes there are medical reasons, sometimes
they're non medical reasons. So domino effect, I get an induction.
The contractions from the inductions are so painful and so
intense that I can't handle the pain because this is
not a natural pain. This is a medicated pain that
(34:37):
I'm experiencing. On top of that, my baby's heart rate
is dropping because my contraction is so strong. It's squeezing
my baby in an artificial way that my baby can't
handle this artificial contraction. So my baby's heart rate is dropping,
my pain level is increasing. I now need an epidural
(34:58):
to cope. So we have potocin, which induces us and
speeds things up. Then we put an epidural on board
we slow things down. So you got two medications fighting
each other, right, one is trying to progress your labor,
the other one's trying to slow things down. So sixty
percent of the time what happens is you fail to
progress and end up with a sea section because you
(35:21):
get stuck at four centimeters, six centimeters, eight centimeters so
then to combat that, let's try to break your water. Well,
we broke your water and took away the baby's cushion,
So now the baby's heart rate is dropping, and now
we need an emergency sea section. There's this domino effect
of interventions. When a woman goes into labor naturally, that
(35:41):
means her body has released a hormone that says, my
baby's lung and brain development are complete, and I'm now
ready to be born. And so naturally you start having contractions,
and there are natural things you can do to facilitate
facilitate those contractions. But if there's no medication on board
(36:03):
to influence that process, no potosa, no epidual, you're just
gonna naturally. Your body's gonna do what is naturally designed
to do. And then you have the support of your
dula and the midwife to help facilitate that process, but
not intervene on the process. So moms who labor naturally
(36:23):
and birth naturally need less intervention. There's less emergency situations.
So you shared your story, I want to share mine
real quick. I started having contractions at midnight and they
were coming back to back to back. I had taken
childbirth classes, I was with a midwife and I was
(36:46):
at a birthing center, and I knew I had two
duelas I had my dula and then my dula's best
friend was in training and she asked if she could
attend my birth for her hours. I said sure, the
more of the marrier. So I was able to contact
my duel let her know what's going on. She was like, Amber,
you're progressing really fast. Let's go ahead and call him midwife.
I called him midwife. She said, yeah, Amber, you're progressing
(37:06):
really fast. Just go ahead and meet me at the
birth center. So that was at midnight. I got to
the birth center, labored, walked around. I had a birth
photographer there, two doulas, my mom, my grandmother, everybody in
the room that wanted to be in the room that
I wanted in the room. I got in the baptub,
I drank water, I ate snacks. My husband was able
(37:30):
to get in the bathtub with me from behind it
hold me and support me. I had to get out
of the tub and have my baby. She was born
at three oh six am. I didn't I didn't ask
for pay medication. I was in pain, but I never
asked for it. Never needed it. She was big, so
(37:50):
she was a little snug, so they had to do
a maneuver to actually get her out. But there the
midwives are trained and equipped for some minor emergency. Only
thing they can't do is anesthesia and the surgery. In
that case they have the transfer. You but bleeding too
much or you know, other things like that. They can
handle oxygen things like that. So my baby had They
(38:12):
had to do on maneuver to get her out. She
was nine pounds one ounce, big girl, born fashionately. I
had a tear. I had to have two stitches. That's it.
They were able to do that at the birth center.
They helped me latch her on. We breastfed, I ate.
I was home at six twenty three am. I had
(38:32):
family members at the hospital looking for the room number.
What room number are you in? I'm at nineteen fourteen
Cyrus away at home, so from midnight to six twenty
three am. Midnight she was born at three h six.
I was home at six twenty three am. The midwives
came over the next day to check my bleeding, check
on her, make sure everything was okay. Everything was good.
(38:54):
I had a healthy pregnancy, a natural birth, no interventions,
but things that were needed were provided.
Speaker 1 (39:03):
I love that, listen, I love that, and I love
your story. I love that this is an option for women,
because that's what it's really about, is women having the
option to choose how they want to deliver their babies.
I will say this though, for me, healthy, no issues,
(39:29):
no diabe, no nothing and and no uh and I was.
Speaker 2 (39:36):
Not induced or anything.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
I'm just telling you that's my truth, right, So you know,
I just know that what happened was my water broke,
just natural. And I love the way you say that
you go when when it's a natural, when you labor
naturally and your water breaks, that means that the baby's
fully developed.
Speaker 2 (39:55):
All those things.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I go to the hospital, but I was there too long,
and you know what, I never and this was me naturally,
I never. I didn't dilate. I didn't dilate, so I
was she was in me for too long and there
was no water in the sack and so I only
dilated one centimeter.
Speaker 2 (40:17):
So AnyWho, I'm just telling you.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Eighteen hours later, they had to take my baby, and
I thank god that they did.
Speaker 2 (40:23):
But this is the point, this is the point. I
love that there are options, you.
Speaker 1 (40:29):
Know, because there are many women who can have and
you said eighty percent, eighty two percent, So it just
so happened that I was with.
Speaker 2 (40:38):
The what the sixteen the eighteen percent? You know what
I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
I was just in the eighteen percent, a healthy woman,
you know, healthy process. But then it just happened. And
that's okay because she's here. But this is what I
this is. I wanted to add this before I ask
you about your services because you sound freaking amazing and
what you do sounds freaking amaze, and you know your
stuff and I love that. But let's just say if
(41:04):
there is an intervention that needed to happen, worst case scenario,
and you were there because your birth and story sounded amazing.
I mean, you in the tub, your husband behind you,
like I'm swear everybody's dead like that.
Speaker 2 (41:18):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
Was a story book, you know, story right, fairy tale however,
but it was real.
Speaker 2 (41:26):
So what would have happened?
Speaker 1 (41:27):
How is it that you guys can link people or
how are they linked to support if they need medical
and medical intervention?
Speaker 2 (41:35):
What does that look like?
Speaker 3 (41:37):
Yes, so birthing centers and home birth midwives, like I said,
they do have certain equipment and skills and tools to
help with some interventions. They can break your water if needed.
They can provide pay medication if needed. They can provide
oxygen if needed. They can help with blood loss if needed.
But if things just get out of control and for
(41:59):
some reason you've been in labor for too long and
you need an epidural or you need a seat section,
they will transfer you to the hospital. So home birth
midwives and birthing centers are backed by obgyn physicians and
partner and connected with local hospitals so they can transfer you.
Your midwife will transfer you, an ambulance will be called.
(42:21):
You will be transported to the hospital. Your midwife and
your dula will go with you to continue that support.
Your dula and midwife stay with you, but you are
now in the care of the hospital and an OBGYN
who can call an antithesiologist for an epidural or a
spinal if needed, and then also perform the surgery if needed.
(42:41):
And that's exactly how it should be. Obgyns are surgeons
by trade, and they are trained to fix problems, and
we need them because, like you said, there are problems
that can occur. So don't want to negate that. But
if you have a relatively healthy pregnancy, I would encourage
you to try for a natural or low intervention birth,
(43:05):
and if you need further assistance, further assistance is available.
And that is we want to intervene when it's necessary.
We don't want to have routine intervention check in, get
your potocain, get your water broken, get your epidural, get
your sea section. That's the trend of how most women
(43:25):
are delivering nowadays. And the reason why this is such
a passion for me is because, as you may know,
or some of you may be aware of, for women
of color, our moms and babies die at a rate
of three point five times more than any other race. Okay,
(43:47):
so just want to let that sink in a little bit.
There's a reason behind that this type of care and
support prevents and reduces those infant outcomes.
Speaker 1 (44:02):
I love it. I love what you're saying. I'm telling you.
I love women having options and the fact that which
sounds so good, like you can literally start off at
a birthing center or start off at home, having your
being prepared to you know, have to have your baby
(44:23):
there and if you're a little nervous and something goes left,
just if you know, if it does, then there is
a connection to medical intervention, which I love, and I'm
sure all of that is in the birth and plan. Yes, absolutely,
so please tell the family how they can get in
(44:47):
touch with you Amber and get your services.
Speaker 3 (44:52):
Yes, before ever that, I want to give one last
little some tips and just a little bit of information.
So when ADULA is present, just the presence of ADULA
decreases interventions by sixty percent. When ADULA is present, that
sends a message that this family is prepared, this family
(45:17):
is supported, this family is advocated for. So let me
be careful how I handle this family. Okay, that's number one.
Number two, dula's decrease the incidence of pre natal and
postpartum anxiety and depression. So I just want to tie
(45:37):
that back in the experience of having ADULA decreases anxiety
and depression. It enhances mental health because you are fully
supported emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. And so most women feel empowered.
They feel like they were a part of the decision
(45:58):
making process, They played a role in their care and
not just Okay, I'm gonna do what my doctor says
to do, or I'm just kind of gonna go along
with whatever is being told to me. So there's a
sense of empowerment, there, a sense of wellbeing. The recovery
for women who have a doula is better. They're able
(46:19):
to return to work sooner, care for the baby sooner,
and things like that. So I just wanted to add
that in there and then I can be contacted. We
do have a website www dot mother Eve's CSS dot com,
which stands for Mothereves Childbearing Support Services. We have our
(46:40):
Instagram at mother EVESCSS, and then we also have a
Facebook page for Mothereves Childbearing Support Services.
Speaker 1 (46:51):
Thank you so much, Amber for sharing your expertise here
with us and for educating us on Dueler's Midwife an
alternative birthing process. You were amazing and soul informative.
Speaker 2 (47:13):
Yeah soul.
Speaker 1 (47:15):
Well, you know, really, you taught me a lot, so
I know that you taught the family a lot.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
So thank you for joining us family.
Speaker 1 (47:25):
I will see you on the next episode of the
Mental Health.
Speaker 2 (47:31):
Is a Lifestyle podcast.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
You already know with your girl Andrea wise Brown and
don't you ever forget I love you.
Popular Podcasts
Fudd Around And Find Out
UConn basketball star Azzi Fudd brings her championship swag to iHeart Women’s Sports with Fudd Around and Find Out, a weekly podcast that takes fans along for the ride as Azzi spends her final year of college trying to reclaim the National Championship and prepare to be a first round WNBA draft pick. Ever wonder what it’s like to be a world-class athlete in the public spotlight while still managing schoolwork, friendships and family time? It’s time to Fudd Around and Find Out!
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.