Sharon Muza, BS, CD(DONA), BDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, CLE
Ever since Kensington Palace announced earlier this week that Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are expecting their third child sometime in 2018, I have been secretly pining for a much anticipated, but unlikely text to drop into my lap. It might look something like this…
This could be very exciting. Spring in London is gorgeous, and a multip having their third baby! How could I turn this opportunity down? That little one might just slide right out! Or maybe not? We always say that the first baby takes the longest, the second is faster and the third is the wild card? This could certainly end up being a marathon birth.
I know Kate is having a tough time with hyperemesis gravidarum (extreme morning sickness), but I am happy to offer all the support I can through her pregnancy, labor and birth and the postpartum period.
Can you all help me to help Kate and share your best birth and postpartum tips and tricks for any princess expecting their third baby? What will help her and Will to have the best experience possible for this pregnancy, the labor/birth and those first days postpartum? Let’s give Kate and Will the best in DONA doula support by dropping your suggestions here in the comments section below. I can compile all the tips fit for a princess and share the document in the near future for us all to have!
Kate is fortunate enough to have a wealth of resources at her disposal to ensure the best pregnancy possible (even faced with the awfulness of HG).
It would be wonderful to see DONA highlight how our sisters with little to no resources can be protected from birth trauma…like the need for migrant workers in California, USA supplying markets with produce to have culturally congruent labor support and advocates in the face of cultural, lingual, and institutional barriers during their births.
These women often feel they have to restrict their water intake during pregnancy so they can limit the walk/run to the portable toilet in the fields in order to pick more (get paid more) or not be fired. They are restricted in prenatal care because they taking time off risks being fired. Their cultural postpartum protections like the 40 day lie in are unavailable as they often return to the fields days after birth to keep their job. Labor is often unsupported as they wait as long as possible to go in to the hospital because of the history of mistreatment. They lack informed consent as there is often no translation services if they speak only mixtecto, and even Spanish speaking women are not given appropriate information in their language. Breastfeeding support can be non-existent and education about the effects of Las Dos or colostrum is not provided. Their need is so much greater and their bodies/babies at significantly more risk than a British Royal.
I’m sorry but this post feels so trivial in these times.
Thank you so much for bringing up these points! Would love to see an article on how to support people with low or no access to resources
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Barbie. I appreciate them and you are very right, Kate is extremely privileged. Though we both know that birth trauma, mood and anxiety disorders and other concerns cross all barriers. My hope was to be light-hearted and engaging. The topics you raised are important to me and to DONA International and if you look through our blog, our magazine and social media, you will see that we try and cover those items as well. I would love to do more and welcome contributions from guest writers who have knowledge to share on these topics. Would you consider joining me and writing a blog post on the conditions for many in the areas you are referring to? Again, thanks for reaching out.
Practice body balancing tips from Spinning Babies to help baby find optimal fetal positioning! And an easier trip through the pelvis!!
Speaking of the third little royal springing out in a easy squeeze, I really would be a dONA trained doula to suggest the Rebozo cloth for ease between her tummy from stage 1-2 and a birth ball after stage 2 starts to ease her heavenly like pleasant birthing quarters.
Altho’ wealth is in some ways on their side, this royal couple have to deal with the hoards of people who want to know what’s happening minute to minute.
My advice is to take the first three months somewhere unknown to others; do not take a royal train of helpers – maybe a few Doula’s who can also cook and help with cleaning and maybe even have good nursing skills ( St Mary’s nurses) – a place that’s quiet, and spend all the time with each other enabling all to bond in this new family configuration, the littlest royal to get used to the outside womb of mamas arms, breast, papas arms, new smells, sounds, tastes, sights all of which in themselves are an “assault” for any newborn.
The human infant brain needs the time, and the knowledge that it’s new surroundings are part of its providing resources. So, Will, take a camera and weekly shoot a picture of family life which you send out to a resource that will keep your location anonymous
Even when you’re a media icon having an HG pregnancy can be lonely and isolating. I would suggest seeking out a support group of others that have been through it as well, myself included. There is an amazing support group on facebook. Even at over 10,000 members strong it feels like a safe and intimate group of friends that truly understand what it’s like to suffer through HG.
Thanks @melanie! Would you mind linking to that Facebook group for HG sufferers. Thanks!
I’ve heard that drinking Kombucha or Kefir might help with extreme morning sickness.
Watermelon juice was one of the only foods my friend could keep down when she suffered from HG.