rAs a Team we have been learning more about the role of the microbiome on us as human beings. It turns out that we would be dead if it were not for our "bugs"! Anyone would be forgiven for thinking that any bacteria on our skin, in our mouths, lungs, nose etc are likely to lead to our demise.... but, that is actually the opposite of what is reality. Our whole team attended a very interesting presentation by Prof.André Van Neikerk (The Human Microbiome - What are we learning and why is it important?) and Prof . Claudia Gray (Brewing the best bugs... Optimizing the Microbiome of the child) in Durban last night, it was a very informative talk, pulling together the information that we need to help educate our clients. The take home important points are that we must have a diverse microbiome for health. The range and type of bugs in our microbiome are influenced quite dramatically by route of birth, c section born babies tend to have bacteria picked up from the hospital environment, not the best start! Whereas vaginally born babies have the mothers microbiota predominantly. The best environment for a baby to be born from the point of view of correct microbiome and minimising contact with harmful types of bacteria, would be at home! All the more reason to call the most experienced natural birth team in Durban! Why are our microbiome bugs so important? Prof Van Neikerk described the functions of the bugs that make up our human microbiome and why they are so important.... it turns out that there are hormones and chemicals that the human body needs to function and is just not able to make, that is why we host our friendly bugs, they are not an optional extra, they are actually essential! We live with them in symbiosis. Just to give you an idea, human milk contains something called oligosaccharides. We used to wonder why the human body put so much energy into making this component of the milk, because it is completely indigestible by baby! Of course, you guessed it.... It's not for the baby, it's to feed the microbiome of the gut, in turn the post biotics, the waste product if you like of the microbiome bugs, are essential building blocks of life for our baby!! Amazing?!! Prof Grey talked about how can improve our gut microbiome (get outside, play in the soil, garden, don't over sanitize) and how that the diversity of the gut microbiome is not just related to the health of the gut, but is linked to every other system in the body even the brain. More and more we are not able to divide off a system in the human body, because they are all linked, nothing works in isolation. The Microbiome is considered so important that it can now be classified as a body system all on its own. A good, diverse gut microbiome seems to have an association with good skin integrity, a lack of skin issues such as eczema, this is Prof. Grey's area of particular interest. She also spoke about the effect of antibiotic use on our essential gut bacteria, one 4 day course of antibiotics will knock out your gut bacteria almost completely, the problem with this is that all those functions that are normally carried out by the gut bugs, are not, so this can affect the immune system profoundly, the gut microbiome is the basis of our immune system. Recolonisation of the gut can take as long as 6 months! By knocking out the good bacteria we also create an environment where the gut can be recolonised by the wrong types of bacteria, which will cause disease ("dis ease" a lack of balance). Antibiotics have their place, but overuse is very damaging. Take home message: "Bacterial wealth equals systemic health" "Good bugs are better than drugs"
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In this time of fear of disease, what can we do to protect our new borns? What is the best way to promote a strong immune system? The answer is surprisingly simple... do as nature intended.
Take a look at this well written piece about birth and your baby's microbiome. We are human because of the microbes who live in us and on us. Without them we would not survive! We depend on them to help us to extract nutrients from our food, manufacture the hormones we need and deal with waste in the body amongst many other jobs. If you were to count the cells in the body, they are actually outnumbered by the microbe cells! Crazy but true. It may feel a bit weird to think that we have so many microbes living alongside us, we have been taught to believe that bacteria are bad, but actually they are an essential part of being human. "A normal physiologic labour and birth is one that is powered by the innate human capacity of the woman and fetus. This birth is more likely to be safe and healthy because there is no unnecessary intervention that disrupts normal physiologic processes." 17 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647729/ As a Midwife, this is what I see my job as, support of physiologic birth, and as we can see from the statement above, this is likely to result in a safe and healthy birth because of the lack of unnecessary intervention. I have a belief that labour will begin on its own, and progress as it should, if it is supported and allowed to do so. This is, I believe, why we at Cheryl's Gentle Births, have a high success rate for normal, natural delivery. (2020 - 93% delivered successfully) Less is definitely more! Labour should be as far as possible, undisturbed. Labour should always begin at home, and to be able to remain there, safe in the knowledge that your team is only a phone call away, and ready to attend as soon as the going gets tough, is just that added bonus. If the environment is safe, the journey will progress and unfold exactly as it should. Home is most people's "safe place". Not everyone choses to birth at home, but those who do find that labour is very "do-able", it is a term that often comes up in the practice. Once you realise that labour is a normal process that happens with the release of neurochemicals and hormones, birthing in your "safe space" at home, makes so much more sense. No need to change location part way through, and just at the point where the going gets tough! Safe in the knowledge that there will be no unnecessary interventions, including internal examinations, induction, drips, vacuum or forceps delivery, or any drugs that interfere with the release of the natural hormone cascade that happens in labour. Of course safety always comes first, so apart from the facilitator of physiologic birth, my job as a midwife is to recognise anything that falls outside of this. We have an amazing team of highly skilled Dr's who are available should we need them. Labouring under the restrictions of a hospital can put unnecessary hurdles in the way, making a physiologic birth less likely. Labour in a place that is not familiar, or is too hot or cold, doesn't smell right, isn't private enough, is full of strangers, is less likely to result in spontaneous commencement, progress of labour, and ultimately natural delivery of your baby. This is why we prefer home birth, especially in the current times, home gives you and your baby the correct exposure to the beneficial microbes that you and baby need and not the hospital bacteria, but we will go into more detail about this in my next blog. It is always so good to hear in hindsight what the birth was like from the mothers' perspective, we received the first review on this list today, and it is wonderful to hear that a birth we have facilitated has such a positive feel after the event. It is important for others to hear of these empowering stories, let us live life without unnecessary fear. There are plenty of things to be fearful of, childbirth should not be one of them. Let us respect the process and chose care providers that give you confidence as a mother to birth as we were meant to. Below are some of our more recent reviews, thank you so much to those who have put fingers to keyboard to get these messages out there! [Those who's names are mentioned are from our Google reviews.] "To Cheryl and her team, I thank you dearly for the love and kind caring support on the best day of my life!
A home birth is the most magical, intimate experience I will treasure for life. The emotional and overwhelming feelings that I still have 3 weeks later just says it all. I feel like super woman! I'm blessed to had a beautiful baby girl, with my husband by my side and the best midwives that took me through that incredible journey. Thank you very much" Camiera Nourse July 2021 "It's taken me a while to think about what to say about the incredible experience I had. Cheryl is just the best. I wanted a more personal and more memorable experience for the birth of my first child but I definitely got more than I expected. During covid things have been very uncertain but having these ladies as a support blew me away and it still does. From the first messages where I contacted Cheryl she was supportive and helpful she never turned me away even when I sent her panicked messages about the little pains and strange happenings that were completely normal. Cheryl and her team made my birth experience one of the best memories I could have ever had. My little boy was born in a room surrounded by love and care. Cheryl's Gentle births definitely is a must for any new mom. Love you ladies keep up the incredible work. You gals rock...." Claudia Boardman April 2021 "Delivered my third baby with Cheryl and her amazing team. Incredible support before ,during and after birth. These ladies assist in every way to make giving birth a truly beautiful experience. Their expertise and experience goes a long way in dispelling any fears around giving birth.They are attentive and caring and truly passionate about what they do." Leevashnee Maharaj April 2021 "We had an exceptional experience with Cheryl and the team. The team encouraged me through labour, birth and post birth, after the entire experience i felt empowered. I felt that the ladies went above and beyond when it came to supporting us and brought forth their years of combined experience and knowledge. I always felt the team was available for our questions and any concerns and we felt very accommodated. I highly recommend Cheryl's gentle births. Thank you ladies ♡" Shivani Mudali March 2021 "I have had 3 home births with Cheryl and her team. These ladies are amazing; they are supportive and caring, and have a wealth of knowledge to ensure both mom and baby are always in the best hands. I wouldn't want to birth in any other way - I got exactly the birth experience I wanted, while feeling empowered and strong. I would highly recommend Cheryl to any expectant moms." Nicole Mouton March 2021 "What an amazing team of ladies! Cheryl, Christine and Jo has delivered both my kids and I love how supportive and informative they are during pregnancy and birth. They keep pregnancy and birth as nature intended but rest assured, your health is of top priority. Truly lovely ladies...." Nonhlanhla Gasa April 2021 "My husband and I decided to switch from a gynae led birth to using Cheryl and her team. I am a first time mum and they prevented me from having an unnecessary c-section by enabling me to have a beautiful home birth. Their support during labour and birth is amazing and they really ensure your baby has a gentle transition into the world. I will always be grateful for my wonderful birthing experience with them" Caitlin Sunpath July 2020 "Cheryl, Christine and Suzanne. We thank you so much for making our birthing experience the most loving, warm and comfortable time. You ladies were so amazingly calm and efficient.. love Brad ,Kendyl and out little Mabel Kendyl Benjamin June 2020 "I decided to use a midwife for my first pregnancy and was recommended to Cheryl Rowe by many people and it was the best decision ever. I felt a personal connection with Cheryl and the other midwives, Christine and Suzanne. Natural is definitely the best way and I was encouraged and supported thru out my pregnancy and labour. I will definitely go thru Cheryl in the future without doubt and recommend her to anyone i know whose opting for natural. Very professional and insightful, available at any time as well which is reassuring especially to first time mums." Khateeja Rahim Aug 2019 "Cheryl and her team are amazing!" Sept 2018 "I would like to give a Huge thank you to Cheryl and her wonderful team that made my Birth a absolute memory that I would never forget!! It was my third baby and third water birth but by far it was my best birth ever!!" Aug 2018 "I didn’t know a birth could be a healing experience but that’s exactly what my VBAC with Cheryl, Christine and Suzanne was! To be supported by this team of professionals, women and friends at a time when I was vulnerable was such a gift. I birthed my baby girl without fear and for that, I will always be grateful. I walked away with my gorgeous baby but also with confidence in the strength of my body. Life changing! "A week ago we welcomed our little human into the world, couldn't have chosen a better team to push me through the most difficult thing I have ever done. Forever grateful to Cheryl, Suzanne and Christine!" June 2018 While the Pandemic and the restrictions on movement and contact have affected us all, the business of having babies has to carry on. Many nights on empty roads, Cheryl's team has been out and about, working hard to support the moms of Durban and surrounds. The beauty and simplicity of a home birth, while always recognised by those of us who are already converts, has had its profile raised as a real alternative. Seen for all its amazing advantages:
It has been some time in the planning, but finally I can announce that the bathroom at our birthing suite has had a complete refit!
The bathroom now includes a large corner bath to facilitate our water births at the unit. Thank you to husband Grant for his invaluable help with completing this project. So my team and I have been busy throughout the Lockdown, armed with our essential workers documents, we have continued as normal through these strange times. Obviously taking the steps required regarding protection for my clients and myself, following the guidelines issued, but continuing to serve the Moms of Durban and beyond.
If anything it has made our home births even more special than before, if that were possible!! We have taken in clients who were desperate for a normal supported birth, and we have provided that in the comfort of their homes. Those couples who would not normally have chosen the home birth route have come around to believing in this as a good option. In hindsight, they have been overwhelmed by how positive it was, completely circumnavigating the COVID testing and the possibility of their main support person, the father of their child, not being allowed access into the hospital to support them. We have even had a home birth father who is a Dr, who is now spreading the word amongst colleagues and friends. As always we are so proud of our couples who trust the process, Moms who trust their bodies and their babies to birth as women have been doing for millennia. We are simply here to facilitate that process. It was a normal day at the hospital, sitting at the nurses desk writing my endless notes while my client laboured with my two doula support team. She was working hard and I could hear that things were progressing nicely.
The other delivery room was occupied by a labouring mom who was delivering with the Dr. Her labour was progressing well and it was clear to me that she was also close to delivery. The husband of the Dr's client was finding the going a bit tough, and rushed out to get himself something to drink and possibly go smoke a cigarette, not the greatest timing, but he didn't know that! The ward Midwife was doing her best to support the client while getting everything ready for the Dr to come and deliver the baby, but the client was actually labouring alone, it was intense and she was clearly struggling. I knew my client was completely supported by her two doulas in my team, the contrast between my client and what was happening in the other delivery room was stark, and felt so wrong. I really could bear it no longer, and left the nurses station to go and help her, holding her hand and telling her, "we are going to breathe this through together". She was able to find her rhythm and to focus her efforts on birthing her baby. She held my hand tight as I assumed the unfamiliar role of the Doula. She was not letting me go for anything! Dr arrived and did a beautiful hands off natural birth, the baby almost arrived with membranes intact, or "in the cowl" as they say. Waters broke as the babies head birthed. It was a beautiful birth, and I was, to my surprise, quite a good Doula! After a very long wait for their baby to put in an appearance, it became very clear to me that this was always going to be a very special Heritage Day baby. 42 weeks and one day and perfectly on time.
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AuthorCheryl Rowe - Midwife Archives
May 2023
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