How to Teach Pushing Positions in Childbirth Classes
Many childbirth educators and birth or labor doulas have encountered challenges in conveying valuable information to their students and clients about the childbirth process. One of these challenges can be how to teach pushing positions in childbirth classes.
How to Teach Doula Clients Labor Positions
The typical job description for a doula is to offer physical, emotional and informational support to mothers before, during and just after childbirth. Although doulas know this is their responsibility, it’s often left to the individual doula to figure out the how of...
How do you choose the correct size peanut ball?
If you are fortunate to go through labor and childbirth in a hospital that makes peanut balls available to its patients, you may think that the nurses know what they’re doing. If they offer a peanut ball or you request one, they may just grab the first one available to bring to you, regardless of size. Contrary to popular opinion, size does matter! So, how do you choose the correct size of peanut ball for your patient or client?
Do you know how to use the peanut ball in labor and teach others?
Most childbirth educators, doulas, and other birth professionals get excited about every latest and greatest tool and technique on the market that promises to aid them in helping birthing women have better, safer and more satisfying birth experiences. But having tools isn’t the same thing as knowing how to use them. You may have the most powerful tool in your hands but if you don’t know what to do with it or how to use the peanut ball in labor, you have the power to do more harm than good, or provide no usefulness at all.
FREE Peanut Ball Information Packet!
Are you a Doula, Labor and Delivery Nurse, Midwife or Nursing Instructor looking for more information about using the Peanut Ball with your patients or clients? Well you’re in luck – we have a new, FREE information packet just for you! All you have to do is complete...
Do you have the balls to increase patient satisfaction?
Childbirth is big business, meaning that it is one of the reasons people visit hospitals in the United States. According to a 2009 study cited by Childbirth Connection, 23% of people discharged from the hospital in that year were childbearing women and infants. In...
Happy International Doula Month!
Written for Premier Birth Tools by Missy David, the Honeybee Mama Happy International Doula Month! It is May, and in the birth world that means the celebration of International Doula Month! Premier Birth Tools LOVES doulas and all the work they do to support the...
Keep track of client paperwork with Mobile Doula!
Part of being a professional doula is keeping track of client paperwork and scheduling. Your clients depend on you to show up to appointments and to know when their due dates are and when your “on-call” period is. Mobile Doula is comprehensive Doula business software that allows you to access all your client information while offline! Why risk losing, misplacing or destroying paperwork when you can use a digital option that can help you stay organized?
Become a Peanut Ball Trainer With Our Authorized Peanut Ball Trainer Program!
Educate childbirth professionals on the benefits and proper use of the peanut ball! At Premier Birth tools, we are passionate about providing the best tools for childbirth professionals to be successful in helping their clients and patients achieve satisfying...
Celebrating World Doula Week!
Join Premier Birth Tools in celebrating World Doula Week! What is World Doula Week? World Doula Week is a worldwide celebration of the doula profession, which is held March 22-28. World Doula Week actually began as Doula Day, and the first celebration was held...
What Do You Use to Carry Your Birth Ball to a Birth?
What do you use as birth ball covers? Do you use a Rebozo to carry it or a sheet? Does it ROLL down the street as you’re trying to put it in your car? Or do you bring it deflated in its box and pump it up once you arrive to your client’s home or to the hospital?
How do you use your Rebozo for labor and birth?
Using a Rebozo for Labor Written for Premier Birth Tools by Missy David While many may not be familiar with the term Rebozo, most know it by sight. The garment has become synonymous with Mexican culture, as we see the colorful shawls draped over women’s shoulders,...
How do you promote the Peanut Ball?
How do you promote the Peanut Ball? Do you want to tell the world how much you love Peanut Balls? We do, so we made a t-shirt with the Premier Birth Tools tagline, “Give Birth With Balls” on it. It’s a great conversation starter, and a great shirt you as a doula can wear to births. You can also wear your Give Birth With Balls T-shirt when you go and talk to nurses, midwives or other doulas about the benefits of the Peanut Ball.
Do you have labor support forms in your doula packet?
It’s important when doulas begin their businesses to have a plan for how they will stay organized, gain information about their clients, and provide informational support. As key components of a doula’s role, these will require labor support forms, as well as other tools she can include in her doula packet or office documents. Author Alan Lakein is quoted as saying, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” So, what is your plan? How do you as a doula anticipate organizing client information and providing your clients with important information regarding their labor, birth and newborn choices?
Labor Positions Chart for Your Doula Bag
Sometimes, laboring mothers and their partners may run out of ideas or not know what to do for a particular ache or pain, or to help move things along when labor slows unexpectedly. Doulas help by offering suggestions from their knowledge and experience, and with the help of a labor positions chart, they can be of great assistance to the laboring woman or couple.
What Size Are Your Balls For Birth?
Although many childbirth professionals have been using Peanut Balls with their clients and patients in labor for decades, these balls are really creating a buzz now! These peanut-shaped exercise balls can be used in a variety of ways to ease the discomfort of childbirth and progress labor. Laboring mothers can sit on them, lean forward over them in a hand-and-knees position or place the peanut ball between their legs while in a side-lying position to help with the birth process.
Does Your Hospital or Birth Center Carry Peanut Balls?
The Arizona Republic reported in 2011 that Banner Health had decided to ship Peanut Balls to each and every one of its Labor and Delivery wards. Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, Banner operates 25 different hospitals. When nurses desiring to lower the cesarean rate at their hospital began seeing positive results using this peanut-shaped exercise ball, Christina Tussey (a clinical-nurse specialist at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center) decided to focus more intently and conduct some tests. Her results were convincing, showing the first stage of labor shortened by 90 minutes, and the second stage shortened by 23 minutes in patients who used the peanut ball. Cesarean rates were impressive as well, with a percentage 13 points lower than the group that did not use the ball.
Give Birth With Balls! Peanut Balls for Labor & Birth
Peanut Balls For Labor If you hear the term “peanut ball,” you may be thinking of the delicious popcorn treat consisting of popped corn, dry roasted peanuts, melted marshmallows and creamy peanut butter. While these are a wonderful treat any time of the year, these...