Heartfelt reflections on parenting, embodiment, childbirth and more from Mary Esther Malloy, a longtime mindfulness-based doula, educator, and parent support leader. Interview with Jess Zambri of studio BE.
Join Kristy and Mary Esther for a conversation about “The Golden Hour.” The Golden Hour refers a time of extraordinary transition for the baby, and for you in the hours after birth. We talk about a slow meeting between mother and baby, ways to be sensitive to the baby’s experience, and how the partner can support and be present at this time.
What is Back Labor? What can you do to ease the sensations and encourage a baby to rotate? How can mindfulness help you work with back labor – if that’s what you’ve got – from an emotional and mental perspective? Kristy Zadrozny and Mary Esther Malloy explore these questions, and more.
Choosing a care provider and setting for birth is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as you prepare for birth. Midwife or OB? Birth Center, home, or hospital? How do you find a good match for you? What if your choices are limited based on insurance, finances, or availability? How can you make the best of a less-than-ideal situation? Kristy Zadrozny and Mary Esther Malloy share a framework that can support you to line up the care that is best for you.
How to time contractions? When to go to the birth center or hospital? When will your doula or home birth midwife join you in labor? Mary Esther breaks it down in this short video that looks at why you are timing contractions, how to time contractions, and when to get in motion!
It seems people have remembered my bendy-straw mini-lesson for years. And so, here is a version, recorded by my husband. I hope labor partners find it helpful. Hydration is a big part of your job!
I’ve attended over 600 births and here are essentials from my Doula Bag that you’ll be happy to know about. My top priority items would be: battery candles; easy foods for labor like miso and bone broth, essential oils, and bendy straw and hydration (see my other video for bendy straw and hydration tips). Remember, if your partner doesn’t pack the bag, none of this will get used!
Where and with whom should you give birth? With a midwife or an obstetrician? At home, or in a hospital or birth center? Invite a family member or doula to join your birth team? The choices can feel overwhelming!
A doula and expectant mother’s view of birth is forever changed when she sees a midwife simply place a newly born child below her mother at the moment of birth. The pause that the mother experiences in this moment as she studies, touches, and claims her child prompts the author to reflect in this guest editorial on ways we might be disturbing the natural sequence of birth as we deliver babies directly to their mothers’ chests.