Let's Talk Periods and Postpartum Bleeding

Let's talk about the period. I know everyone's favorite subject right?! ;) 

A lot of people think there is nothing really to talk about, you just buy your tampons or pads from Walmart go home take Tylenol for 5 days straight and then move on for the rest of the month right?

WRONG!

There is a better way!

Cloth Pads and Menstruation Cups! 

Until I got involved with cloth diapering I had never heard about eco-friendly menstruation items. So if you have been left out of the loop don't feel bad. 

If you use cloth diapers you will feel right at home because the concept is very similar. If you don't that's ok too because in many ways cloth pads are easier (you only need them once a month after all, not everyday!)

We will start first with a menstruation cup:

Picture from Domino Pad's website, link below

This is basically the eco and health friendly version of a tampon. The cup gently fits in the vagina and the blood from menstruation fills the cup up, once it is filled (usually takes the same amount of time as one tampon), you empty it in the sink (or toilet) then wash it in the sink. So let's talk about why it is health friendly first:

1. Many tampons come with applicators and you can't actually see what you are putting in your body. Read this story if you don't know why that can be a bad thing.
2. Tampons can cause cramping whereas many menstruation cup users say that the cup actually eliminates or at least helps ease cramping (I think we can all get behind that!)
3. Each time you insert a tampon you are inserting a non-sterile object into your body that was made by a person and could have God-know-what on it, but you only buy one (or maybe 2 or 3 if you are really passionate) cups so you always know where you have been keeping it, how clean it is and you can always sterilize it by boiling it (you can't do that with a tampon now can you?)
4. I have heard (no studies sorry, if you know of a study that proves this please link it below though) that it also is less likely to leak then traditional tampons (yay no leaks! Because that can be gross and embarrassing!) and I have heard that TSS can be avoided by using menstruation cups (correct me if that is just urban legend though).

Now lets talk about eco-friendly:

1. You only need to buy one menstruation cup compared to thousands upon thousands of tampons over your life. This means you are saving thousands of gallons of fossil fuels for transportation of the tampons, no more cardboard for the box they come in, no more tampons in our water ways (if they are flushable) or dumps (if they aren't), no more applicator and other individual packaging trash, no more gas to run to the store at 1 am to get more tampons, and no more resources going into actually making the tampon and all it's "accessories"!
2. I have never seen statistics on how much trash from menstruating women goes into land fills every year, but I would imagine it is quite a bit! Help break the cycle and make the world a cleaner planet for our kids! 

Now on to cloth pads:

These replace disposable pads. You simply store them in a "wet bag" once they are dirty, and then wash them in your washing machine much like you would a cloth diaper or clothes that had a blood stain on them. Here is a picture of them:

Cloth Pad's from Domino Pad's website, link below

These are eco-friendly too except you may need to buy more like 15-20 of them, and you will need to wash them once they get dirty.

They are eco and health friendly for pretty much the exact same reason!

But let's talk price! While I know pads and tampons don't seem that expensive I challenge you to really look at that! For example one menstruation cup would cost me $40 if we estimate that the average tampon sells for .20 each we can find out how many tampons it takes to "pay" for one menstruation cup. The answer is: 200. I know that seems like a lot, but lets break this down a little bit, if a woman has a normal cycle of 28 days that means she will menstruate 13 times a year, if her period is 5 days long (that's pretty average) and you absolutely cannot go longer than 8 hours before changing your pad then the average woman uses a little over 195 tampons a year! Guess what, one year financially pays for your menstruation cup and you have saved the planets exponentially on resources! Congratulations my friend you have done to world a service!

And just to be clear according to everyone I have talked to the average menstruation cup last years upon years so you will be saving yourself money for years to come and in this economy every cent matters! 

While cloth pads are not nearly as cheap (it takes more like 2.5 years to pay for themselves) they help decrease the use of fossil fuels (since many are made with plastic), and are still much healthier for you! And from my understanding will easily last several years, so you aren't out any extra money!

While there are thousands of great brands out there I have used all the pictures from Domino Pad's so I will recommend them! I am also recommending them because right now they have a give-away going on that you can enter on their facebook page! Check it out! That would be a great way to get started in the freedom of cloth pads even if you aren't quite ready to invest yet! :)

What are your tips for Cloth Pads and Menstruation Cups? 

Share with us in the Comments Below! 

Do You Doula?

I read an article yesterday talking about why some women don't hire a doula. I decided personally to address the concerns in the article from the point of view of my personal practice. Now being a doula I am obviously pro-doula but I do think finding the right doula for you is just as important as having one in general. I recognize that not all women are going to want me at their birth. So without further ado here is some insight into me as a person, my birth philosophies and what to expect when you hire me!

What does a doula do?
-Quite simply I support you and your choices! I answer questions, I provide resources such as my birth library for you to use if you want. I talk to you about your previous births and meet with you after your birth to let you process it. I help your partner support you and most importantly I stand up for you when you want me to and I make sure you have time to make decisions. I attend difficult appointments with you. I celebrate with you on the good days of pregnancy and labor and on the bad days I cry with you and hold your hand. I will help you achieve your breastfeeding goals and if you change your mind 3000 times about getting an epidural that's ok I will stay right in step with you the whole way!

Do you replace my husband? Can he even be in the room with me if you are there?
-No No No! I do NOT replace your husband or significant other! And most hospitals will allow both me and your significant other in the room with you. If you aren't sure you can ask me or your doctor about the protocols at your specific hospital or birth center. I cannot possibly replace the love and comfort your significant other brings to the table any more than a cheerleader can replace a loving parent at a basketball game. We do separate jobs but help facilitate one another. I know the lingo of birth. I know birth protocols. I know how to help you bring your baby into the world. Your loved ones know you. They love you. They care more about you than anyone in  the world. They will support you in ways I never could. But they don't usually know birth as well as I do just like I don't know you as well as they do. Between us being a team we will give you the best labor and birth possible!

What if my doctor says they don't recommend doulas?
-Most doctors love doulas so you should ask them why they don't like them. They may not understand what a doula is or maybe they had a bad experience with one...but let me clear the air on something- it doesn't matter what they think for several reasons: 1) They most likely will not be at the delivery of your baby because the chance of them being on call when you go into labor is unlikely. 2) They deal with several births a day so you are literally one of thousands. However I only deal with one birth at a time (you will probably be my only birth that week) and each is as unique as the mothers involved. And most importantly you have to live with your labor- birth is transformative for better or worse. Do what is best for you, not your doctor. 3) They haven't met me yet. I will attend an appointment with you (if you want) so I can meet your care provider. And I am pretty good at winning people over to the idea of me being your doula. :)

What if I am using a midwife instead?
-Yay! I love working with midwives! I actually know several of them in the area (2 of them actually were at my baby's birth!) A midwife is great! But they are not doulas. They are there for your healthcare needs and your baby's needs. I am their for your emotional needs! If you need a back rub and for the baby's heart tones monitored you can bet the midwife will ditch your back rub to check on the baby (as they should!) but why have that when I can give you a back rub while they check fetal tones and your hubby tells you how amazing you are and rubs your feet?! :) See life is better with everyone working together!

What if I want to give birth in a hospital instead of at home?
-So far (besides my own labor) I have only been a doula for hospital births! I would love to attend a home birth but if you choose to give birth in a hospital I am just as much there for you as anyone! In fact in a lot of ways that is more the environment I have been trained to work in!

What if I already KNOW I am getting an epidural? This natural stuff isn't for me so why would I need you?
-Don't like pain? Me neither! Did you know that they did a study and having a doula present reduces labor time, reduces chance of an emergency c-section, reduces chance of needing instruments to deliver the baby (can you say ow!) and overall increase mother satisfaction of her birth. It also reduces the number of women who ask for an epidural- now that could be for several reasons but some (like me) think it is because we help to reduce the pain as well. Since it can take anesthesiologists a while to get there with the epidural that is probably a good thing!

What if I don't like hippies or granola ladies? Are you going to make me worship Buddha while I labor?
-Umm NO. I don't worship Buddha so I'm certainly not going to make you do it. I may be a little naturally minded -as in I think women are strong and can birth babies however they feel like- (natural, epidural, c-section, at home or in a hospital) but that means ALL women who take the path to motherhood are strong no matter how you get there! (can I get an amen?) I also wear cowboy boots and ride a horse and am a Texan through and through. I love hippies (my husband is one...gotta love Oregonians) but I am country. I support your right to birth the country way or the hippie way or anyway you feel is best for you. No braids or beads required. (But I will braid your hair if you ask me too)

What about the price?
Well as of right now my services are free but I do ask for a $25 traveling fee because gas has gotten SO expensive! However, I will waive that fee for lots of reasons some of the most popular reasons being:

• Women in a crisis pregnancy
• Women giving their baby up for adoption
• Women on Medicare/caid, SNAPs, TANF, or WIC
• School Teachers (my husband's one so I send a lot of love to you ladies)
• Peace Corp
• Women who's significant other is away for any reason- the most popular being because he is deployed
• If you are a foster parent

*if your specific situation is not listed above but you cannot afford the $25 please let me know and I am sure we can arrange something. :) Every woman should be able to have a doula! -I am also willing to barter if thats best for you and your family- seriously.

Now that you know a little about me, please let me know about you! What your goals are for your labor and delivery? How can I help you achieve them?

I work in the Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, and Amarillo area (basically any place within 2 hours of Lubbock). Feel free to call me at 432.638.6877 or email at sarahjohnsondoula@gmail.com
And please find me on facebook!

-Sarah Johnson
The Cowgirl Doula

The Nuchal Cord Scare

When you start talking about birth a lot of people bring up emergencies and fears. Some of these are legitimate concerns, others are perceived concerns (meaning they aren't actually an issue) and some are a mixture of both.

The issue I want to talk about today is a nuchal cord. Better known as the cord around the neck. This is one of those situation where sometimes it can be a problem but most of the time is just a perceived problem.

When it comes to a nuchal cord there are somethings we need to consider:
1) While the baby is in the uterus the only way it receives nutrition and oxygen (air) is through the umbilical cord. While for some of you this may seem like a given it is important to remember this when it comes to birth too.
2) As long as the umbilical cord has blood flow the baby is receiving all the oxygen they need for "breathing".
3) A cord can become compressed to the point that blood flow is restricted regardless of where the cord is or what is is wrapped around. When this happens the baby losses its continual oxygen flow and is in danger of suffocating.
4)Until the placenta has detached from the wall of the uterus there is blood flow to the baby. In normal births this doesn't happen until after the baby has been born.

Now keeping all this in mind when a baby is born and has a nuchal cord it is not immediately concerning because there is STILL blood flow to the baby- as long as there is blood flow there is limited risk of suffocation. This is an extremely important thing to remember because if your baby has a nuchal cord and they don't unwrap it before cutting the cord the baby may not be able to breathe because the cord then has no blood flow (ie no oxygen) and is wrapped around the neck.

While it may seem lifesaving to cut the cord and immediately unwrap it so "lifesaving procedures can begin" that is actually one of the most dangerous thing you can do. It is much better to unwrap the cord slowly and without pulling on it and then after it stops pulsing cut the cord as oppose to cutting it and then unwrapping it.

In most situations the cord around the neck is not dangerous and is actually safer because it is less likely to become compressed if it is around the neck.

While it is always good to ask your care provider if you have a question or concern also remember to do your own research and discover what are true risks and what are merely perceived risks. Also talk to your doctor/midwife about what they would do in a situation like this. If their answers do not match up with evidence based medicine never be afraid to transfer care or ask to have them do it the way you have researched.

This article has some cool pictures of nuchal cords.