SPOTLIGHT on cocobean !!! « Back to Group Discussions

[travelmumma]

Hi Cocobean your up!!
Have fun!!

[cocobean]

A little about me, I'm going to be turning 29 on December 14. I have a 4 year old little guy who loves super heroes! I am mostly a stay at home mom but I'm also a birth and postpartum doula. I don't take on to many clients so that I can still be the kind of mom I want to be while still following my path as a doula. My family and I eat a mostly paleo diet and when I'm not having issues with my pelvis I am a crossfitter as well. Feel free to ask any questions! :)

[Mamabeakley]

Where did you grow up?  Who is in your family of origin?  What kind of clients have you most enjoyed working with as a doula?

[kateadelle]

What do you bring with you to a birth?

[cocobean]

I grew up in Fort Wayne Indiana and now reside in Indianapolis Indiana.  It family was made up of my mom and dad and my sister who is 12 years older than I am.  I have loved working with all my clients and believe that homebirth is the safest option for many people but understand that is not always the case.  As much as I love homebirth I actually prefer to work with hospital clients.  Hospital clients need an advocate so much more than homebirth clients do.  I was very undecided on if I wanted to do postpartum care or not and have actually really enjoyed it!  I especially love to work with mammas who are having issues with breastfeeding and for women who are dealing with past sexual abuse in their births and breastfeeding journey. 

[cocobean]

My birth bad is so full it's ridonculous!  I have a gardening kneeling mat which gets used all the time.  I have speakers for listening to calming music, massage oil, essential oils, a blow up bath pillow, honey sticks, snacks for me, a copy of The Birth Partner, a book I'm reading in case I have down time, bendy straws, led candles, and I'm sure there is more but that's all I'm remembering off the top of my head! :)

[cocobean]

Oops!  Birth bag not bad! :)

[sweetmilk]

why the diet??

[travelmumma]

what are you picturing your birth to be like with this little bean?
What was your birth like with your little man?

[cocobean]

We choose to eat a paleo diet because my husband and I have had lots of health issues including weight problems and GI issues to only name a few. Since having my first I have done tons of research on health and nutrition and it has become a second passion (after birth) of mine. I struggled with fertility problems and after starting to eat paleo I got my cycle to return in less than a month. Plus I felt better than I ever have in my entire life! I picture this birth to be very peaceful and healing. Like I said I struggled with infertility and also had a misscarriage the month before getting pregnant with this little one. I don't know if I really believe I'm gettting a baby at the end of this journey. We're practicing hypnobabies and I see us using that a lot. Attending our birth is a midwife, her assistant, my husband, my son, and either my mom or sister in law to take care of him. As well as my doula. We're getting a spa in a box for our tub. My DS who is 4 wants to help catcht the baby and cut the cord. Other than that I don't really have to much of a vision about how this will go. I know my birthing time will start and in the end I will have a baby. The rest will just happen. My last birth was good. Pretty typical, hospital with a midwife. After several hours at 7cm I got an epidural which slowed down my labor. So I took a long nap. And a few hours later my beautiful boy was born! :) Not what I had wanted and we have taken steps to have the birth experience we want this time but I was well supported throughout and am happy with that.

[esp831]

How many children would you like to have all together?  Did you go to college in Indiana?  My sister went to IU and we LOVE Bloomington!

[cocobean]

I used to say I wanted 4 kids. Now I feel very blessed to have the 1 1/2 I have. We'll see how this goes and take it from there. If there is one thing our struggle with fertility has taught me is to be thankful for what I have and not for what I want. I and my husband went to a satallite branch of IU in Fort Wayne. We have not spent tons of time in Bloomington but many of our friends went to college there as well.

[mamaharrison]

I am doing hypnobabies, too! I am feeling a bit behind since I am just now in week 2, but my friend who did it before assures me it is enough time. Do you like it? What week are you on or have you finished and are on practicing? It seems like many of us had MCs in the months before we conceived these babes--interesting--i had one in dEcember. 
my hubs is from Richmond, IN. Do you like living there? Like the weather or hate it? If you could move anywhere in the Wrold where would you go? How do you balance being a mother and a doula--how do you work out the on call ness of the job?!