Illawarra Birth Choices in Dapto, New South Wales, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Illawarra Birth Choices

Locality: Dapto, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 2 4251 7777

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation
• Womens health clinic

22.01.2022 A lovely message of reassurance for those women due any moment now

22.01.2022 https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-while-pregnant-or-g

22.01.2022 A dear friend asked (rhetorically): "....how to birth?" I answered her with words from those who dwell within my midwife cells.... ---------------------------...----------------------- How to birth? Make the soft O with lenient lips and moan and purr The Yes; child-mind and curious How to birth? Let sensations change the shape of you to bends and curves twists and turns the body yearns for re-creation and new formations How to birth? Let yourself fall fall fall through the flimsy floor of the mind to find your earth How to birth? Let the ancestors’ moon in your molecules rise and consecrate your night Let their primal pulse inundate your veins with tidal force and tribal might. [In any case Wipe off that pretty face. Be Mammal. Be Animal.] How to birth? Heed her call, to Feel. Feel. Feel. And Feel it All. GeorGina Kelly The Art of Mindful Birthing gif: Nina Paley

22.01.2022 Sometimes, in these uncertain times all you can do is lie amongst fallen leaves on the firm ground. Wearing an excellent scarf like Austinmer local @maryvanre...yk a while ago. There are things that we cant change during this pandemic. We've heard this from you, the beautiful women of the Illawarra. We hear you. We know many of you are worried, scared and uncertain about the future. We hear you. We also believe in your ability to birth like a goddess during this time. We will do all we can to advocate for access to evidenced based, women centred care from our Public Health Service Lying amongst fallen leaves made us think that the third trimester of pregnancy is a bit - actually a lot, like Autumn. A time for shedding + letting go of the things that aren't helping you right now. A time to slow down, go inwards, quieter, to prepare for Winter - that time with your bubba after birthing. A time where you can give yourself the chance to let go of any of your beliefs and fears that are getting in the way of you birthing and mothering like you want and know deep down, capable of. A time to ask yourself What are my fears? What are my beliefs about birth & motherhood? Whose beliefs are these? My mum's? My partner's? The doctors? Society's? Whose fears are these? Are they mine? And if they are, why do I believe them? If they are not yours or they are blocking you from feeling confident in your birth and mothering.... let them fall from your shoulders a bit like a leaf from a tree. And then perhaps roll around in those fallen belief leaves + fear leaves feeling how familiar they are but glad they aren't on your shoulders anymore.

19.01.2022 HOMEBIRTH AFTER CAESAREAN VBAC’s (vaginal birth after caesarean) are an especially beautiful beast. And with around a third of women having caesareans here... in Australia there are a LOT of VBAC’s and VBAC attempts happening. Obviously caesareans happen for a myriad of reasons... some are genuinely life saving, some are chosen well in advance, some are chosen when things unfold differently to what was hoped/expected, some are completely unnecessary and unwanted. For whatever reason a previous caesarean happened, from what I’ve witnessed, a VBAC generally requires a woman to search that little bit deeper into her belief system, to (re)discover the faith in her body. The faith that she can actually do this thing. Choosing your place of birth and a kick arse birth team who back you 100 percent are KEY to having a good shot at it. Statistics from research done by @hazelkeedle state that your chance of achieving your VBAC greatly varies with your place of birth/ choice of care provider. Obstetric led care- 46.9% Midwife led care- 61.2% Homebirth- 72-87.7% Significant huh? Do you feel your choices around care and place of birth influenced your VBAC? PS after having to dig very, very deep this beautiful woman absolutely smashed her HBAC... surrounded by a team of love and unwavering support from two midwives, her partner, her sister and myself. Mama @hayles_rabbitts Midwives @jacquiwood8114 @sherylsidery #birthphotographer #sydneybirthphotographer #homebirth #waterbirth #birthphotography #labour #vbac #hbac #midwife #doula See more

19.01.2022 If you are being told uterine rupture is a probable risk if you (rightly) want a vaginal birth after multiple caesarian sections then you definitely need to kno...w this... Be in control of your birth choice! #Repost @melaniethemidwife ‘A history of multiple cesarean births is not associated with an increased rate of uterine rupture in women attempting vaginal birth compared with those with a single prior caesarean’, from the 2006 research article by Landon et al called ‘risk of uterine rupture with a trial of Labor in women with multiple and single prior caesarean delivery’. Landon found that uterine rupture occurred for 9 out of 975 (0.9%) women who had multiple previous cesareans and 115 out of 16 915 (0.7%) women who had one prior cesarean birth. So whether you’ve experienced one or more prior births by cesarean, your chances of uterine rupture while attempting a VBAC is less than 1%. Landon et al concluded that ‘maternal morbidity is increased with trial of labour after multiple cesareans, compared with elective repeat cesareans, but the absolute risk for complications is small’. Landon et al were also able to report the success rates of VBAC in a hospital setting and found that women with a single prior cesarean had a success rate of 74%, 67% success rate if they had two prior cesareans, 63% for three prior and 55% for four prior cesarean births. Risk factors for uterine rupture identified in this study were oxytocin augmentation, induction of labour, epidural and less than a 2 year interval from previous cesarean. Both prior vaginal birth and prior successful VBAC were associated with lower risk for this complication... Landon et al conclude by stating, ‘vaginal birth after multiple cesarean deliveries (births) should remain an option for eligible women’. #vbac #vbacsuccess #vbacwithoutfear #vba2c #vba3c #hbac #nextbirthafterceasarean #transformativebirthwork See more

18.01.2022 There is lots of news media about COVID-19 and many people are concerned. If either a mother or baby is unwell it is important to keep breastfeeding. Breastmilk... contains protective antibodies to most viruses that the mother is exposed to. To reduce risk of transmission, those who spend time with your baby should wash their hands frequently and cover their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. If you need help with breastfeeding or would like to restart breastfeeding, call the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 686 268. ABA has recently released some updated information regarding the care of babies when you are unwell with a respiratory virus: https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/covid-19 www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bfinfo/breastfeeding-and-influenza For specific information about the respiratory virus COVID-19 visit: UNICEF www.unicef.org//novel-coronavirus-outbreak-what-parents-sh www.cdc.gov//specifi/pregnancy-guidance-breastfeeding.html #COVID19 #virus #breastfeeding #protection #illness #information #support

18.01.2022 Illawarra Birth Classes is excited to announce our collaboration with @rescueblue_littleaid Rescueblue is Australia’s leading paediatric first aid provider, ope...rating in all Australian states and territories. The Little Aid workshop complies with the Australian and New Zealand Committee On Resuscitation (ANZCOR) guidelines. All Rescueblue trainers are registered operational paramedics, the experts in prehospital care. They respond to life threatening emergencies on a daily basis. They bring their experience from the field to the classroom, to provide you with the necessary training, and teach you what you need to know when moments count. We will be hosting Rescue Blue on Sunday March 7, 9:30-12:30 for a Little Aid Workshop. If you are a parent, caregiver, work with littlies, are an expectant parent, this is for you! To find out more details and book your spot, click here https://www.rescueblue.com.au//shoalhaven-public-little-a/

15.01.2022 Free access to ‘The Business of Being Born’ documentary

12.01.2022 For those considering switching to a homebirth: This is American, but much of the info still relevant here. Please get in touch if you need more info about the options in Australia

11.01.2022 Are you familiar with why we wait for the white when clamping or cutting your baby’s umbilical cord? It’s known as delayed cord clamping. If you take a look a...t the first couple photos you’ll see what your baby’s cord may look like at birth. At that time there’s still about a 1/3 of your baby’s blood pumping through the cord and placenta. The latter photos show what the cord looks like after waiting a while. Physiologic cord camping allows for optimal transfusion of this blood which is necessary for your baby’s health. DCC results in a boost of your baby’s blood supply & higher iron levels, which is vital for healthy brain development and increased oxygenation for your baby. Midwives have always practiced delayed clamping and cutting while many providers clamp as soon as the baby is placed on moms chest. Policy’s are being updated as hospitals become more mom & baby friendly & providers are catching up on the evidence. Don’t hesitate to state your desires to delay clamping the cord if you birth in a space where this isn’t the norm. The time delayed varies by many providers, but a rule of thumb would be to wait until the cord is no longer pulsating. If you view many out of hospital birth photos & see the baby still attached to the placenta, this is why. Did you delay clamping and cutting your baby’s cord? Why or why not? #delayedcordclamping #waitforthewhite #homebirth #mymidwifetia #naturalbirth #midwife #childbirtheducation #birthprep #pregnancy : tagged in original post on Instagram.

09.01.2022 The wait is almost over! Wollongong Hospital is set to unveil its new birth suite, renovated to the tune of $2.2 million. The beautiful new birthing space will ...have custom-designed birth baths, rebozos suspended from the ceiling, doubled-headed showers for front and back pain relief and more, all designed to better facilitate physiological birth. Final opening date is TBC, but it’s looking like the first babies will be born in the new birth suite by mid-July. Read the full story at www.betterbirthsillawarra.org.au//wollongong-hospital-set- #wollongonghospital #betterbirthsillawarra #betterbirths #evidencebasedbirth

09.01.2022 I have something to say about experts today. I’m going to preface this by saying that I believe parents are the experts on their children. I know I say this a l...ot, but I happen to believe it with all my heart. Expertise is not something that can always be distilled into a downloadable. You can’t teach expertise. You can only acquire it through study, experience, practice and time. I’ve been hearing from a lot of parents lately who have spoken to an ‘expert’ & been led up the garden path. It’s not ok to mislead people with fake science & false information. Be careful whom you trust with your little one. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. If they can’t explain what they mean in a way that a 6 year old can understand it, they probably don’t know enough about it. If they can’t tell you who trained them, they may not have enough training. If it doesn’t sit right, or sound sensible. It probably isn’t. I don’t care how many followers they have on IG, Facebook, or TikTok, how many books they’ve sold, or which celebrity they name drop. If someone makes a suggestion that they can’t back up, or give you a balanced argument for, then look for someone else. Here’s what to look for: - Does their ethos align with yours? - Can they tell you what they mean by ‘gentle’? - Does what they’re saying sound and feel gentle? - Have they listened to you? Provided options? Talked about alternatives, including doing nothing? - Can they tell you who trained them? How long they’ve been practising? - Are they qualified to provide the service that they provide? Medical problems need to be dealt with by medically trained professionals. Lactation problems need to be dealt with by appropriately qualified lactation providers. - A word of warning that even some people promoting gentle sleep & parenting also spread misinformation sometimes - What does your gut tell you? A lion does not have to tell you that it is a lion. If the person you speak to is roaring about how much of a lion they are, they are probably wearing a disguise. #skilledsupport #credentialscount #ibclc #holisticsleepcoaching #gutinstinct #familysupport #community #bewareofimposters #wolvesinsheepsclothing

08.01.2022 This is the best use of my shareable pics that I saw all weekend. I love it when women shout and dance their truth. Happy guess date, @lorraine_morris10 S...hared with permission. Posted @withregram @lorraine_morris10 Happy due date to us #40weekspregnant #midwife #midwifery #nopumpkins #duedate #guessdate #waitforlabour #babyknowsbest #pregnancy See more

06.01.2022 A peek into the refurbished birth unit at Wollongong Hospital. Women will have access to the new facilities from Tuesday next week 14/7/20

05.01.2022 A query from Samantha Rudd- Hello! Is there anyone on here that has had twins at the hospital, or been a part of birthing twins, that would be willing to talk to a lady who is a bit scared about her options right now? She has 11 weeks to go.

05.01.2022 I have heard wonderful things about these antenatal classes. Being offered for free by fabulous midwife Bernadette Lack. Also check out her page ‘Core and Floor’ for online pregnancy exercise classes

01.01.2022 "A woman lying on her back is like a stranded beetle. She can’t kick, fight, claw and run so easily. When she’s on her back, the star of the show becomes the d...eliverer. Get a woman up off her back, and she’ll snarl at the deliverer to leave her alone, she’ll go to places away from where the deliverer is, she’ll become the star in her own birth-giving. If one is trying to prove that "the deliverer" is important, keeping that birthing woman on her back is the way to get control. Can we set aside our need to attempt to control everything in order for powerful mothers to emerge? Gloria Lemay" See more

01.01.2022 In routine hospital based care, women are ‘offered’ vaginal examinations to assess cervical dilation progress at least every 4 hours. I’m a homebirth midwife an...d NEVER routinely suggest vaginal examinations. Vaginal examinations are an assessment OPTION that might be used in certain clinical circumstances or at the request of the woman. The is NO evidence that routine vaginal examinations for assessing progress of labour improve outcomes for women or babies at term. If you don’t want a vaginal exam or don’t think it’s necessary for you at that time in labour, you can decline (you can decline EVERYTHING if you want)... there is no evidence that this routine intervention has a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of women or their babies. Article: ‘routine vaginal examinations for assessing progress of labour to improve outcomes for women and babies at term’ Cochrane Database of systematic reviews #birth #medicalisationofbirth #medicalizationofbirth #midwife #midwifery #midwiferycare #doula See more