Kim Martino-Sexton
Welcome to my blogsite!
My name is Kim Martino-Sexton. Since 1998 I have had the honor of standing in the presence of thousands of newborn family miracles. My intention is to deliver up the very best education about life’s most important moments. I hope you find value in what is written here.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
7:00pm – 8:00pm
Having a baby? Curious about birth classes? Stop in for a quick preview of Kim Martino-Sexton’s Joy & Informed Childbirth class. Preview attendees will receive 10% off of a 7 week Joyful & Informed Childbirth class series.
The Preview will give attendees a glimpse of these class topics:
Contact Kim at newborn.family.coach@gmail.com or text at 314-265-7407 for more information.
The time has come for me to refocus my energy from birth doula work to writing and publishing the books I have been working on for over 10 years. Yes! I am still teaching childbirth classes and coaching newborn families. I am referring all of my students who are interested in a doula to my Spectrum Birth Partners ~ Julia (Izquierdo) Cooper and Jen Jester. I plan to step back into birth doula work in 2015. Until then I will be documenting my 16 years of birth experiences.
Here is one the most in depth and informative articles I’ve read on Group Beta Strep! Please read the Alternative options for preventing and avoiding GBS towards the end of the article. It turns out garlic destroys GBS when applied directly to the vagina! Taking probiotics strongly inhibits the growth of GBS by increasing the acidity of the environment when applied directly to the vagina. They have even tested panty liners soaked with probiotics and had success! See the entire article here.
Labor Research finally catches up with 20th Century!
6cm is the new 4cm! Important NEW research for any pregnant woman hoping for a vaginal delivery in a hospital. The OLD (1950’s) way of judging the progress of labor once the cervix dilates to 4 cm may be a major contributing factor to the our ridiculously high C-Section rate. Knowing that the body doesn’t enter the active phase of labor until 6cm significantly changes many OLD recommendations. For instance, when to head to the hospital, when to start an epidural or if pitocin is necessary to “speed” a labor. 40% of women who end up in a C-section are only 4cm dilated and have been told their labor has “Arrested”. According to this new study, 4cm is still the latent phase or slow phase of labor. Which means the labor is expected to be slow at 4 cm as baby is still getting in proper alignment! Check the research for yourself here.
Preparing for the new mom’s wellbeing and postpartum recovery may seem inconsequential during pregnancy, especially since everyone is so focused on the expectant mom. Between OB appointments, childbirth classes, baby showers, and breastfeeding classes, the expectant mother is fawned over, or so it seems. Once baby is here, all eyes turn toward baby. Mom is now in the peripheral. She may be the sole source of nutrition for baby but essentially her time in the spotlight is over. Or that may be how it feels to many women. Pregnancy may have been a delightful and empowering experience for mom. Postpartum is often a vulnerable and isolating time for new moms.
Connecting with other new moms is helpful and uplifting. There are many opportunities for small group support from local breastfeeding support meetings like Kangaroo Kids or Le Leche League. All of these meetings are led by trained and experienced facilitators. There are also postpartum support organizations like Mother to Mother which offers free peer counseling for expectant and new moms experiencing any kind of adjustment issue. Support is only a phone call or email away.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced labor support professional. She has a passion for empowering women and their families during pregnancy, labor and birth. Most birth doulas have attended both hospital and home births. Doulas support women and couples through all types of births. Studies have shown that a doulas presence produces more positive birth outcomes, reduces medical interventions and c-sections.
Birth doulas provides so much more than labor and birth support. Starting with your first consultative meeting you will find out that doulas possess a wealth of information about pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, newborn care and much more. Whether you are choosing to birth at home, hospital or birth center there is a doula uniquely qualified to support your needs. A doula’s scope of practice is broad, here are a few of the typical services most doulas provide.
Birth doula service fees range from $150 for a student doula to $1200 for an experienced doula. Most doulas work in supportive networks which offer a guarantee that you will be supported through your labor by your doula or her back up doula.
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There isn’t an exact answer to this frequently asked question. However, most pregnant women can expect to gain at least between 25 – 35 pounds. In a recent, albeit very informal “poll” on my Facebook page the average weight gain was 45 pounds with a range from 20 to 70. Among my childbirth education students over the last 15 years, weight gain also ranged between 20 to 70 pounds. The body does what it needs to do when well fed, well hydrated and creating a life. I encourage pregnant women to free themselves from the scale and focus on eating healthy, colorful food at each meal.
The late renowned obstetrician, Dr. Brewer once said “It’s not about the amount of pounds you gain but the adequacy of your nutrition during pregnancy”. Dr. Brewer had a very no-nonsense approach to pregnancy nutrition, eat foods closest to their most natural source. He encouraged pregnant women to feel empowered as they chose which foods to eat since food choice is one thing a soon to be momma has control over. For more information on the The Pregnancy Diet by Dr. Brewer ~ http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id96.html
“America’s Pediatrician” , Dr. Bill Sears encourages pregnant women to “Eat Right for Two”. Dr. Sears has a great explanation of where the weight goes during pregnancy. For more information Weight Gain – Where do the pounds go? ~ http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/pregnancy-childbirth/pregnancy-concerns/gaining-weight/9-common-questions-about-weight-gain
Dieting, restrictions and deprivation have no place during pregnancy. Moderation is the key with the exception of street drugs and alcohol. Eat to be well and feel well as soon as morning sickness ebbs.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and welcome to the exciting world of Expectant Parenthood! Choosing a Childbirth Class, a Birth Doula, a Midwife, an OB, a Hospital, Birth Center, a Pediatrician and/or a Postpartum Coach are just a few of the many decisions you get to make throughout your early parenting journey. There are many choices in childbirth education. Hospital classes offer a tour and a glimpse into birth. Private, Comprehensive childbirth classes provide an in depth educational experience.
Take A Comprehensive Childbirth Class taught by the Newborn Family Coach! I hope you will invite me to walk with you on your parenting journey! As the Newborn Family coach, I have 15+ years of experience as a childbirth educator, birth doula, and postpartum coach. I have supported & empowered couples expecting their first baby, fifth baby and multiples. If you are looking for a joyful and informed birth experience, take my Comprehensive class series called Joyful and Informed Natural Childbirth. Classes are small and intimate with a harmonious mixture of lecture, experiential activities, demonstrations, and videos that create a lively & instructional class setting. My hands on coaching experience as a birth doula provides coaches with essential tools for supporting a laboring woman. I specialize in delivering calm & confident parents to newborn babies.
Why Take A Childbirth Class?
Newborn Family Coach 