Sharing stories of happy births, this former marketer is now a baby coach.
Life as a parent isn't always sunshine and rainbows. That myth has already been dispelled in contemporary discussions about the nurturer role. The path to motherhood, though, remains a romanticized concept for us. How many times have we heard the claim that a woman's true beauty is revealed just before giving birth, that she blossoms during this time? The truth is more complex than this. On the flip side, your mind is adjusting to physical changes; you're probably nervous about the pain of giving birth and the hormonal shifts that will shape your life thereafter. Fears do exist, even though women don't always talk about them.
These concerns are known to Marie Diab. She has even gone through them with her customers. As a trained doula, she has witnessed numerous births, some of which were pleasant and others of which were more challenging. This is why Marie decided to start Empower Your Birth: a platform that helps expectant mothers achieve holistic wellness so they can have a positive attitude when they give birth.
Marie excels at what she does because of a special quality she possesses. One thing you should know is that she wasn't always a doula or birthing coach. After completing her studies in European business, the German-born woman relocated to Dubai in 2014 to take a marketing position with a high-end car company. But everything changed when Marie became pregnant at the age of 29. "Covid time had come. Plus, it became incredibly difficult at the last minute when I had to return to the office. Leaving my child at home to be raised by someone else was causing me psychological distress. Marie, who specializes in breastfeeding, says that is when she started training to be a doula and baby coach. "As part of my services, I also coach parents on how to create an environment where their baby is most likely to sleep soundly."
Marie had seen the anxieties that women experience during childbirth directly through her job as a doula. A lack of preparation also contributes to the majority of apprehensions. When the water breaks or contractions begin, we will have no idea what to do. How can we stand by women? That's what I've been considering recently. Many of these challenging inquiries will be a part of my mentoring at Empower Your Birth. For instance, what physical preparations are necessary for giving birth? One example of an improper birthing position is lying on one's back, which goes against the laws of gravity. Squatting, strength training, and breathing techniques to aid in childbirth are just a few of the topics Marie covers in her classes.
But the mind is still the most important part. Since "if you are scared, you will tighten your body," Marie insists this requires the greatest effort. For a woman, it is the pinnacle of life events. Although she goes into the delivery room as a woman, she leaves as a mother. Having a traumatic birth, however, is not a good beginning. During that time, the majority of women will experience postpartum depression. You have a hard time getting enough sleep, you have trouble breastfeeding, and you're worried about making it through the day. The mental state that a woman is likely to experience after giving birth is the target of Marie's coaching. On the other hand, she stresses the significance of going into it fearlessly.
A challenging delivery
The act of giving birth is very personal. Pregnant women are less likely to open up about their feelings when they are in a private, dark place where they are not watched, according to Marie. Babies do not cry during normal births, such as those that take place in water, according to my observations as a doula. Babies scream more than usual when the process has been painful. In my opinion, this trauma is deeply ingrained in our cells. "And this is precisely what I intend to avoid," she declares.
Traditionalists who do not consider cesarean sections to be the standard method of childbirth have frequently looked down on them. However, for Marie and other birth coaches, no topic is off-limits. We go over the steps of a C-section with them. What kind of delivery a woman chooses is ultimately up to her. A gentle C-section, she explains, can be a game-changer for women, and her focus is on making sure they have a positive birth experience. For those unfamiliar, a gentle C-section combines the best of both conventional and natural childbirth methods. Popularly referred to as "kangaroo care," mothers are welcome to observe the birth and immediately hold their newborns for skin-to-skin contact.
How significant is one's age?
Your biological clock starts to tick after you turn 35, according to conventional wisdom. However, nowadays, thanks to fertility treatments, you can become a mother at any age thanks to medical advancements. Doctors often consider women in their late 30s and 40s to be high-risk patients, but Marie has experience working with them as a doula. She says that women considering becoming mothers at that age should get a second or third opinion. For what rationale? You should get a second opinion if your doctor asks you to induce early because you are considered high-risk, she warns. In one of my birth experiences, the mother was 45 years old and the method of delivery was in vitro fertilization (IVF). She was informed that she would need to be induced because her baby weighed 4.5 kg. Now, in order to avoid placenta calcification, a woman should be ready to give birth between 41 and 42 weeks into her pregnancy, but some people will tell you to wait a little longer. In order to play it safe, doctors often prescribe sedatives to high-risk patients. The mother had to have a cesarean section because the baby was so heavy—3.5 kg. The importance of seeking a second or even third opinion cannot be overstated.
Marie, in her capacity as an advocate for Empower Your Birth, makes it a point to personally visit the hospital to see whether the new moms are able to breastfeed successfully. To help the women feel more at ease after giving birth, I perform belly binding, which entails wrapping a cloth around the belly. I show ladies how to knot their own hair. Constantly, you feel an embrace around your belly. If you're in this jam, it will help you get back on your feet.
Take care of yourself, particularly after giving birth and during the postpartum period. Marie is making every effort to share that message, which is based on her personal experience. I did not want my nanny to be caring for my child when I gave birth. Doing it on my own was my goal. That is why I failed miserably in attending to my own requirements. Her goal is to dissuade new moms from falling into that trap. "Thanks to your lack of experience, it's perfectly acceptable to ask for assistance."
Are pregnant women able to thrive? If they have the correct information and attitude, they can, according to Marie. For instance, it is physically impossible to be in an atmosphere free of stress. Still, I can provide expectant moms with a number of mindfulness exercises that they can use to relax. She recommends taking a stroll in nature to "paint a picture" when feeling overwhelmed. "Your body translates beauty for your baby."
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