Local Spotlight - San Diego HypnoBirthing

Care Messer has lived in San Diego for the past 14 years. She has 2 human daughters and a Pomeranian that, although canine, she considers her to be another daughter. Care found HypnoBirthing by accident when she found out she was allergic to all the drugs traditionally given during birth. The natural birth of her daughter changed her life.

Care became a doula in 2009, certified in HypnoBirthing and began teaching. She founded San Diego HypnoBirthing and most recently the Birth Education Center of San Diego. She believes that education and knowing you have choices, are the key to a successful birth experience, whether natural or medicated. Birth is all about the baby and it's about time we put them first!

Why did you choose to use HypnoBirthing when you delivered your daughter?

 HypnoBirthing was not even on my radar for my birth. I wanted an epidural or a planned C-Section because I was scared of pain and terrified of the whole birthing process. However, I was allergic to most of the drugs that were in the epidural and my doctor said a natural birth was my only choice. After crying for two weeks, my niece turned me on to the HypnoBirthing method. After reading the first 100 pages, I saw for the first time the power in the female body. My body was made for birth. Women do it all over the world, every day, and why should women in America be any different? I began to read and educate myself and speak to moms who had experienced natural birth and it made me even more of a believer in what I could do. And then I DID! It changed my life.

What methods are used for pain management during HypnoBirthing?

First and foremost, we address the fears that most women and their partners have about labor and birth. Addressing these fears by finding ways to deal with them, then dismissing the ones we can and having a plan as to handle the rest can hugely affect the pain we experience in childbirth. When we are fearful, we tense up and can slow or even stop the labor process. After the fears are addressed, we learn how the muscles in our bodies work. We see that if we keep our birthing muscles (uterus and cervix) relaxed and well oxygenated, they move fluidly and work as they are supposed to in moving that baby down and out. We use massage, cuddling, humor and relaxation to bring out endorphins within our bodies that are 200 times more powerful than morphine. We use breathing and visualization, coupled with deep relaxation to shut down the "worry" our minds tend to gravitate towards. We learn how to move our bodies and vocalize so that we can open up our hips and use gravity in getting that baby down. We also learn methods for back labor and what to do when faced with unexpected outcomes in our birth preferences.

Who would be an appropriate candidate to use HypnoBirthing?

Everyone is a good candidate for HypnoBirthing, whether they desire a non-medicated birth or not. Just like finishing a marathon doesn't just happen – it takes education, planning and hard work - the same is true for birth. We can choose to let society, friends or care providers dictate how our births should be or we can get educated and choose the right plan for us and our baby. Our classes educate parents on the normalcy of birth. Moms begin to really believe in their bodies and want a good birth for their babies. We want our parents to read and get educated, find the right care provider for the birth they desire and work towards what they want. HypnoBirthing tools are magical when it comes to Cesarean deliveries, too. You can have a calm and gentle surgical birth, but it takes education, planning and preparation. We are here to educate, support and accompany parents on their journey through their pregnancy and birth. It's a magical time that should be honored.

Where and when do you offer your HypnoBirthing classes?

We currently teach classes at Best Start Birth Center, Center for Natural Birth, Whole Family Wellness, Gerken Chiropractic, and at our new our new teaching center in Scripps Ranch, the Birth Education Center of San Diego. We also teach at satellite locations in north and east county (San Diego) as well. We offer private classes in your home, but most parents choose the group setting for the support and community aspect. Evening classes are 6-9 pm and Saturday morning classes are 8:30-11:30. We love what we do and invite you to come play!

Care M. Messer

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SanDiegoHypnoBirthing.com Education is the Key to a Positive Birth Experience...

Common Concerns While Breastfeeding - Help! I’m Engorged!

Welcome to our blog series…. Common Concerns While Breastfeeding.  These aren’t the complicated, ‘come-to-my-house-immediately’ phone calls I receive.  Rather, these are the questions that come from clients and friends in the middle of the night, by text or by email, that don’t necessarily warrant a lactation consultation.  They can often be easily resolved with a few simple tricks.  So, I would like to share those tricks with you!

Check Out My Cleavage!

I remember the first time I knew my milk had ‘come in.’ It was 4am.  My son was 4 days old.  And I woke up to my breasts looking like I had visited the local plastic surgeon a few hours prior.  I immediately woke up my husband and announced with pride, “Take a look at this cleavage!”  Even without a bra I had cleavage!  It was amazing!

Several hours later, those taut, perky breasts had become quite sore and I was searching for any remedy to help soften their powerful fullness.  I knew that they weren’t engorged, but I also didn’t want to get to that point of challenging return.

What is engorgement?

Flickr - All rights reserved by BreesmanWhile breast fullness between days 2-5 postpartum is normal, your breasts should still be somewhat pliable.  Think of a full balloon.  While a balloon is taut, you can also squeeze it and shape it.  This is how your breasts should feel as your body transitions from making colostrum to your ‘fuller milk.’ 

Engorgement is much more severe.  When your breasts are engorged, they can feel heavy, tender, and/or painful.  Sometimes engorged breasts will look tight and shiny, as if the skin is being stretched beyond its elasticity.  Engorged breasts can become so congested that it is difficult to even remove the milk. Engorgement is most common those first few days postpartum or as your baby gets older and begins to sleep for more consecutive hours at night.

What causes engorgement?

Engorgement is caused by milk stasis (milk not moving out of the breast.) There are many reasons that a mom might become engorged.

• Several birth interventions, which may result in lots of IV fluids in the hospital
• Poor latch where the baby is not removing milk efficiently – definitely see a lactation consultant for this issue
• Subsequent children - I was a lot more 'full' with baby #2, than with baby #1.  Your body has a memory and your milk often comes in more quickly and forecefully with each subsequent baby
• Your little one slept longer at night than usual
• Skipped feedings
• Inflammation
• Low immunity (caused by lack of sleep, stress as a new mom, stress of going back to work, etc. – Can you imagine that????)

How can I reduce my breast fullness or engorgement?

• Breastfeed frequently and effectively from both breasts.  In those first few weeks, your baby should be breastfeeding 8 or more times in 24 hours, actively sucking for about 30-40 minutes per feeding session
• If your baby cannot latch because your breasts are so engorged:
  • Use ‘Reverse Pressure Softening’, which pushes the excess fluid away from your nipple, helping your baby latch more easily. 
  • Hand express or pump on a low setting before latching your baby, to help your breasts to become more pliable and easier to latch onto.
• To reduce inflammation, treat your breasts as you would a swollen ankle – ice packs/frozen peas in between feeding sessions to help reduce the swelling.
• Use warm compresses right before breastfeeding.  The warmth will help to open your blood vessels and hopefully help your milk to begin dripping, thereby making it easier for your baby to latch on. 
• Take a warm shower and lean forward.  The gravity and warmth should help reduce inflammation.  Use very gentle massage only, as deep massage can cause more inflammation.
• Take care of yourself and your immune system – rest, drink lots of water, eat immunity-supporting foods
• Ask your doctor/holistic practitioner for recommendations for inflammation-reducing medication, herbs, and homeopathy.

As always, here are a few resource that I love and trust.  Check them out for more detailed information.

Breastfeeding Basics – Engorgement 

Kelly mom – Engorgement

If you missed our previous Common Concerns articles, please visit:

Common Concerns While Breastfeeding – What is That Knot in My Breast?

Common Concerns While Breastfeeding – Sore Nipple Therapy for the Breastfeeding Mom

Celebrating Older Siblings Before a New Baby Arrives

This is Kim, Robin’s sister-in-law. I have three amazing daughters. In my 4.5 years of being a mom, I’ve read a fair amount about parenting and have gotten some really great (and some really terrible, uninvited, and/or borderline-criminal) advice along the way. I thought I’d share some of the highlights with you from time to time.

When I got pregnant for a second and third time, like most parents, I was concerned about how my older children would react. I didn’t want them to feel replaced and I didn’t want them to resent the new arrival. 

When I got pregnant with my second child, my first was only a year old. She barely understood what was happening. So, I had her talk to the baby through my belly, try out the bouncy chair and the crib, separate the baby’s clothes, and small jobs like that to help her feel a part of the process.

When I got pregnant with my third, my girls were four and two. They were much more aware of what was going on. So, I tried to come up with more involved activities to get the girls excited about being big sisters to a new baby and to help them feel as though they were involved in the preparation for her arrival. Here’s what we did:

ART WALL
After we decided on the bedding set for the new baby’s nursery a few months before the baby was due, I went to the art supply store and got a bunch of different sized canvases and paints that matched the bedding. The girls and I then measured the space above the baby’s crib and decided on how we would arrange the canvases. [This is a great math/spatial reasoning project for older children.] Once we planned for the arrangement, I hung the blank canvases on the wall. Over the course of the rest of my pregnancy, we would occasionally take canvases off the wall and paint them. As we finished the paintings, we hung them back up so that we could see the “art wall” take shape. It was great to have a go-to project when the girls were bored, plus it gave us the chance to experiment with different painting techniques. The girls loved seeing their work displayed on the wall, and it was fun for them to make a handmade gift for their sister. The girls actually finished the last canvas with their grandma while mom and dad were in the hospital with the new baby. Perfect timing! And it looks gorgeous!

ONESIE TIE DYE or PAINTING
The girls got a tie dye kit as a gift and they had so much fun making their own shirts, so I thought they would really enjoy another project making clothes for their baby sister. I remembered that when my older girls were babies, I rarely chose to put them in plain white onesies when there were so many cuter outfits to choose from, so we took the plain white onesies and tie dyed them, along with some shirts and a receiving blanket. This activity is definitely better for older kids, since the actual dyeing should really be done by an adult and younger ones lose interest quickly. Alternatively, use fabric paint or markers so that the big sibs can be more involved and you don’t have to do it all in one go (tie dye must all be used in one sitting).

BIG SISTER PARTY
Because I was having a third girl and in need of pretty much nothing, I saw no reason to have a baby shower. Instead, I decided to have a “Big Sister Tea Party” to celebrate the girls. I based the activities on a blessingway party, and tailored it for their age. A month or so before I planned on having the party, I started mentioning it to the girls and asked them to come up with a guest list, which I made sure remained small and intimate. Then we went to the store to get them special dresses that were specifically for the party (this helped build up the anticipation, since they were so excited to wear the dresses!). I also made them some garlands for their hair so they would feel extra special. On the invitation, I asked that there be no gifts, but instead guests could bring their favorite quotes about sisters and/or pretty beads.

At the party, we had a few stations. On the main table, guests could make pages for the girls’ “Big Sister Book.” Before the party, I had cut pages to size and printed out cute pictures of the girl as well as quotes about sisters. Guests could glue those to the pages and decorate them with markers, crayons, and colored pencils. After the party, I laminated the pages and turned them into a book for the girls.

At a side table, I had various colors of sculpy clay for guests to make beads for the girls “big sister necklaces.” After the party, I baked the beads and we strung them into necklaces that the girls could wear when they met their sister for the first time. If I were to do this again, I would give guests a little more guidance to make smaller beads. The beads ended up being huge and heavy, and the girls found the necklaces uncomfortable to wear. They still had fun though!

Towards the end of the party, we did belly and face painting. It is “traditional” to use henna to paint mama’s belly at a blessingway, but the henna can stain and takes a while to dry. So instead I went with face painting crayons. First, the kids all came and painted my belly, and then the adults helped paint the kids’ faces. What a huge hit!

And what’s a party without a little something sweet? Since it was a tea party, I made little finger sandwiches and tea, and then after that I made cupcakes. I brought each girl a cupcake with a candle, and the guests made wishes for the girls as big sisters before they blew them out.

Obviously, the party took a ton of planning and effort, but I’m sure there are simpler ways to do it. As long as the big sibs feel special and have a good time, mission accomplished!



These are just some ideas for making the transition to being a big sib exciting and fun. There are infinite possibilities! Work with your soon-to-be big sibs to figure out what you would like to do and go for it!

I’m Sick! Should I Still Breastfeed My Baby?

It’s that time of year again!  FLU SEASON!!!  In San Diego, we have been hit especially hard with the 3-5 day stomach flu these past few weeks.  I am getting phone calls, texts, and emails from worried mothers wondering if they should breastfeed their infants while they are sick.  The overwhelming answer is YES, and this is why.

All Rights Reserved Jamie StreetWhen we are bombarded with germs in our environment, our bodies create immunity towards these germs so that we can stay healthy.  Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.  A breastfeeding mother not only creates immunity for her own body, but her breastmilk contains immunological properties (antibodies) as well, which are passed on to her nursing child.  It’s as if your baby is getting an extra dose of immunity with each breastfeeding session.  Also, by the time a mother and/or baby begin to show symptoms of a cold, flu, etc., they have already been contagious for a few days, so no need to stop now.  This is why it is absolutely imperative for a breastfeeding mother to continue to nurse her child while she sick….it will hopefully keep your baby from getting sick, or at least to a lesser degree.

What Can A Mother Do to Continue to Breastfeed While Sick?

When you have a cold or the flu, all you want to do is climb in bed and sleep the day away.  This is nearly impossible if you have a child in the home, whether she is nursing or not.  Here are some ways to manage those horrible days when you are completely under the weather:

Healing Chicken Ginger SoupStay as hydrated as possible, especially if you have the stomach flu.  When your fluids are low, it may cause a temporary decrease in your milk supply, which can be concerning for a breastfeeding mother.  Drink lots of water and/or coconut water (which has electrolytes!).  Have a loved one make you soup.  My favorite soup to make while sick is this Healing Chicken Ginger Soup.  Add some hot sauce to it and it will clean your nose right up.  If you are dealing with some stomach discomfort, you may want to leave out anything spicy.

Neti PotStay away from medications that dry up your sinuses (like antihistamines).  They can temporarily decrease your milk supply.  Instead, use a cool mist humidifier with eucalyptus to help open up your sinuses.  I also love the neti pot, which really clears out your nose.  Just make sure that you REALLY clean it after using it, as there were some concerns raised in the last few months. Check out this article about Safely Using Your Neti Pot. Here is an article about How to Use a Neti Pot. Ask an herbalist about which herbs are safe to take while breastfeeding to relieve your discomfort.

If you decide to take medication to help with your symptoms, check out LactMed to see if it is safe to take while breastfeeding.  You could also call your local Lactation Consultant and ask her to check the medication in Thomas Hale’s book, Medications and Mother’s Milk.

Support your own immunity.  Get as much rest as possible.  Eat a nutrient-rich diet full of Vitamin D, Vitamin B, and Omega 3s or at least take a multivitamin every day.

For more detailed information about medications you can take while breastfeeding, check out this wonderful article on Breastfeeding Basics: When a Nursing Mother Gets Sick.

Please note: there are a very few rare instances when a mother would need to stop breastfeeding due to a serious illness.  Per Dr. Ruth Lawrence, “HIV and HTLV-1 are the only infectious diseases that are considered absolute contraindications to breastfeeding in developed countries’ (Lawrence & Lawrence, 2001.)

Our Nursery Art Project

Hey everyone!  We are hanging out over at Natural Kidz today, sharing our Nursery Art Project that we created for our two boys when they were first born.  Come check out our article, Creating Original Wall Art for Your Baby's Nursery!  Thanks for sharing our story, Kathryn!