Options Old and New Abound for Expectant Parents Here
By Karla Wotruba
For new moms searching for alternatives in pregnancy and childbirth support, there are more options than ever in the Madison area.
Madison Birth Center, which opened in February of 2003, provides certified nurse-midwives for prenatal and childbirth assistance for low-risk pregnancies in a comfortable environment. The center's birthing rooms have queen-size beds and large tubs for water births.
"We look at birthing as a normal process in life," says owner and director Aszani Kunkler.
The center also offers classes on childbirth, breastfeeding, and prenatal yoga. The center hosts groups such as a weekly new mom's group, and groups are open to the community, not just those that have had their children there.
Kunkler notes that low-risk pregnancies require less intervention with continuous support. "The ability of the birthing woman to make decisions for herself is a completely different paradigm," says Kunkler. "When women are empowered and feel safe, births go a lot better."
Another option for labor assistance is a doula. "Doulas are women who are trained in ways to ease labor, and offer support, encouragement, and advocacy," says Rose Marie Bertrand, a Madison doula. A doula can work alongside a doctor or a midwife, and uses methods such as acupressure, massage, heat and cold packs, and position changes to ease pain and speed labor without medical intervention.
The doula works with the family to offer the level of support they want, and doesn't diminish the father's role at birth.
"Dad is there to witness the birth of his child," she says. "This takes the responsibility off of his shoulders of making sure the birth goes right."
After the birth, while others tend to the baby, the doula focuses on the mom. "My sacred duty is that mom is looked after when the baby
is born," she says. Some doulas are postpartum doulas, and help mothers during the first critical days and weeks of the newborn's life.
Kathy Goerman had a doula and a midwife for the home birth of her daughter. Goerman had originally planned to have a hospital birth, but she felt the typical path toward birth was strangely lacking in guidance.
"No one is encouraging you to become educated," she says. "I realized (home birth) was an option, that it was safe. It was a great option for us."
Goerman emphasized her daughter's safety, including preparing for a hospital transfer if necessary, but felt a safe labor was more attainable if she was relaxed and comfortable. "I wanted to be in my own space to do what my body needed to do. I didn't want to have a lot of intervention if it wasn't necessary. I wanted to do it in a kind, gentle way."
To assist expecting moms and new families, an area store offers more than products. Happy Bambino, 2045 Atwood Ave., is also a resource center for parents. The space includes a community meeting room, where birthing classes such as Empowering Childbirth and Birthing >From Within are held.
The combination of products and resources sets the store apart. "Parents already have 800 things to do," says co-founder Lea Wolf. "Here they can find resources from the community as well as the items they need."
Parents can also find gently used children's and maternity clothing without prominent logos or characters, and the popular Robeez shoes. "They're so fun, and a great gift," says Wolf. "They're nice for tiny babies because they keep their socks on." Happy Bambino has quality nursing bras, including prints and other styles, and customers can meet with a lactation consultant in a private space. The store also sells thoughtfully chosen children's books and toys without commercial figures.
Another local store offering environmentally sound baby products is online. Michele Isaacson began Eco-Mama at www.eco-mama.com when she had difficulty finding quality cloth diapers for her children. She now offers a line of natural products for mom and baby, made by local mothers whenever possible. She also carries Polar Babies diaper covers, made of polar fleece to keep baby warm in winter and cool in summer.
Isaacson will demonstrate products or drop them off in the area. "I've met with people who want to try out the diaper covers, or show them how to use a sling," she says. "When women are really pregnant, they have enough going on."
One area woman found cloth diapers perfect for her daughter, and opted to use Mother Nature's diaper service. The service picks up and delivers cotton diapers, and offers many pricing levels. "I felt like I wanted to put her in cloth, because of the chemicals that are in paper diapers and the trash they create," says Melanie La Barre. She found cloth came with other benefits. Her daughter was potty trained just after she turned 2 (proponents of cloth diapers point out that cloth-diapered children tend to potty train faster as they can feel when they are wet), and "she never got a rash with cloth."
While midwives, cloth diapers, and breastfeeding support aren't new concepts, these "non-traditional" area resources are meeting the needs of families in the Madison area. Madison Birth Center's Kunkler sums up, "We're trying to preserve the tradition."
