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What’s in the midwife’s bag?

10 August 2020 by Elinor Abramson Leave a Comment

Take a tour of a midwife’s kitbag

So home birth can be a new, strange concept for many internationals living in the Netherlands, where midwifery is designed around the concept that birth in a natural process and medical intervention is needed only when it is needed! Coming from a more medicalised country, this approach can seem old-fashioned, maybe even unsafe? Having a baby AT HOME?!! Are you crazy?!

Hopefully if you’ve listened to anything we’ve said, you will be able to wax lyrical about why your home has a major part to play in the process of birth, and why home is a very real and safe option for a woman with an uncomplicated pregnancy to birth in. However, there may remain some uncertainty about what we can do if something goes wrong? So in order to reassure you (and your families!), I have filmed a tour of my kitbag to share with you.

Just remember, birth wherever you feel most comfortable, and know that a home birth is every bit as safe as a hospital birth in low risk pregnancies – especially in the Netherlands where our whole system is built on the physiology of birth and midwives are specialised and supported to work this way.

The wonderful midwife researcher Sara Wickham has gathered a number of resources for expectant parents to help with decision making, you can find her resource page for home birth here.

Elinor

 

Filed Under: Birth, Home birth, Midwifery Tagged With: home birth, kitbag, Midwife, on call

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Birth in Holland team - Elinor Abramson
Elinor Abramson

In 2003 I relocated from England to the Netherlands with my husband and four children and have been living, studying and working in Delft since that time.

My professional background in nursing and management in the UK led to my desire to further my medical career in the Netherlands. After learning to speak Dutch fluently, I re-trained at the Erasmus University in Rotterdam where I gained a Bachelor of Midwifery.

I currently work as a midwife within the Dutch Healthcare system in a midwifery centre with three colleagues, delivering personal, professional maternity care to Dutch families and international parents-to-be experiencing pregnancy, birth and new parenthood while living away from home.

birthinholland

We are a teaching team of midwives, doulas & mums to many.
Childbirth & parenting courses & doula services in Delft, Rotterdam & surrounding areas.

birthinholland
Mind set is so important during labour. Staying po Mind set is so important during labour. Staying positive is crucial and can literally change the way you experience the birth. Knowing what helps you feel safe and relaxed can help you stay in the right mind set and give a more positive outcome.⁠
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When your anxiety increases you tense your body, which makes the pain worse, that makes the anxiety worse and you get into a vicious cycle of pain and negativity. ⁠
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Make sure you discuss with your birth partner some strategies to help you stay in a positive mind set.⁠
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#affirmations #laboranddelivery #birth #labortips #doulatips #breakthepaincycle #birthsupport #birthpartner #childbirtheducation #expat #englishbirthclass #antenataldelft #antenatalthehague⁠
Instagram post 17857150475524113 Instagram post 17857150475524113
Yes, you read it right... hydrate, hydrate, hydrat Yes, you read it right... hydrate, hydrate, hydrate, nourish and pace yourself!⁠
Giving birth is a journey you go on. You don't know before hand how long it will take or the obstacles or twists and turns that may happen along the way.⁠
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Pace yourself so you will be able to go the long haul. Keep hydrated, stay nourished and keep your bladder empty. EAT, DRINK & PEE and remember to BREATHE is what we always say at the Confident Birth course. These are the most basic tips for your labour journey and will help you stay on track with the most energy possible. ⁠
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#hydrate #eatdrinkpee #birthtips #labortips #tipsandtricks #doulatips #childbirtheducation #birthpreparation #expatbirthcourse ⁠
Its not WHAT we have in life but WHO we have in ou Its not WHAT we have in life but WHO we have in our life that matters.⁠
Being a parent is tough and wonderful at the same time. The hardest and most beautiful thing you will ever do. ⁠
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#motherhood #parenthood #expatparent #internationalfamily #parentingcourses #englishparentingworkshop #multilingualparents
How are you preparing for birth of your baby? - - How are you preparing for birth of your baby? 
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#englishbirthcourse #expatinholland #expatfamily #newparents #delftexpat #rotterdamexpat #expatthehague #antenatalclassdelft #antenatalclassesthehague #Englishbirthclass #birthonline #birthinhollandcourse #birthonline #confidentbirth #englishlanguagebirthprep #birthprep #doula #dutchparents #dutchbaby #prepareforbirth
Be creative and search for the position that feels Be creative and search for the position that feels the most comfortable. Let your body do the talking. Just as any other time you have pain or an aching body your body will tell you what position the most comfortable is if you let it. So it is with labour.⁠⠀
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#birthpositions #positionsforlabour #moveyourbody #moveforpain #movementinlabor #painrelief #labourtips #laboranddelivery #keepmoving #tipsandtricksforbirth
Doulas are an integral part of what we do at Birth Doulas are an integral part of what we do at Birth in Holland and we believe should be a more integral part of our birth system here in The Netherlands. 

Doulas support birth @home @hospital @birth centers @home and then to the hospital. Natural birth, cesarean birth, medical birth, inductions, birth with an epidural, water birth!! All birth!! 

All our courses are run by doula’s and we are particularly proud of our courses run by doula@midwives together. Together we are better! 
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#togetherisbetter #strongteams #bettertogether #doulasupportedbirth #doulasupport #doulalove #doulamidwifeteam #englishbirthcourse #expatinholland #expatfamily #newparents #delftexpat #rotterdamexpat #expatthehague #antenatalclassdelft #antenatalclassesthehague #Englishbirthclass #birthonline #birthinhollandcourse #birthonline #confidentbirth #englishlanguagebirthprep #birthprep #doula #dutchparents #dutchbaby #prepareforbirth
Competing interactions in your body can dull pain. Competing interactions in your body can dull pain.

Top tips for breaking that cycle and fatiguing neurons: 

Create a distracting touch stimulation. Massage, counter pressure, stimulation of a shower, TENS machine. 
Notice the TENS on this mama? 
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#painmanagement #laboranddelivery #painreliefoptions #painmanagementsolutions #waterforpain #birth #labortips #doulatips #breakthepaincycle #doulasupport
Being a new parent is hard enough without having t Being a new parent is hard enough without having to wade through the well intended advice of others. 
Trust you own instincts, take time to weigh you own thoughts and talk with someone you trust who is a little further along than you in the parenting process. 
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#parentingtips #newparents #expatparents #newbaby
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