Roline arrived in Australia only seven months before she was due to give birth. This was going to be her third daughter but her first birth in Australia. Roline chose to give birth at home because she was not familiar with hospitals in Brisbane. Not having any family in Australia would make it harder to find care for her and her daughters. Giving birth and having care in-home would make it easier for the whole family.
Previous postnatal experience
I interviewed Roline when she was eight months pregnant. She told me that her first birth did not go as smoothly as she expected and breastfeeding was a painful struggle. Her body did not produce enough milk during her breastfeeding journey with both her daughters. Roline had to formula feed both daughters to make sure her daughters gained weight. With this knowledge before her third daughter was born Cradle Care could prepare to make sure we have the weighing scale on site daily and we knew to write down all wet nappies to keep track of the fact that her newborn was getting enough milk.
After birth
Roline’s home birth went incredibly well. With the support of two midwives from My Midwives it was a smooth birthing process. The next day I started working with the family and I was very impressed with the support given by the midwife from the midwifery group My Midwives every day in the first few days. They really took their time and made sure mother and baby were well taken care of. In my opinion the one on one time given by the midwives was more supportive than the midwives in the hospitals have time for. Together with Cradle Care made it very comfortable for Roline and her newborn were very comfortable staying at home.
Breastfeeding and oxytocin
Because Roline’s birth went so well and the support she received from the people she had created around her, Rolines breastfeeding went really well. Much better than previous times. What is known about the production of milk is when a mother feels rested, well cared for her oxytocin levels are higher. When a mothers oxytocin levels are higher she will produce more milk. Since Roline was well cared for and she was able to rest as much as she could between feeds and sleep, Roline did not have to top up any of her feeds with formula. Even though formula is an excellent source for any newborn, being able to solely breastfeed made it easier for Roline and her family.
Creating your village
Even though Roline and her family arrived in Australia without her village of support, she has done an amazing job creating “a village” as quickly as she could. This to make sure she and her family were well taken care of. We all know you can’t plan how your birth will go, but you can plan what happens after you give birth. Make sure it will be all about you as a new parent and no one else.
If you would like to read a bit more about breastfeeding an oxytocin;
- https://milkology.org/content/oxytocin-and-breastfeeding
If you have any questions about having support like Cradle Care in you home, please don't hesitate to contact us
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