4th trip to Indonesia

This Tuesday June 7th my family and I will be going back to Indonesia for 7 weeks. This will be my 4th and last trip as a student! The focus will be filling in the holes of missing things, like a few initial prenatals, a couple newborn exams, and the most important continuity of care births (3 postpartums, birth, postpartum, newborn exam). We will go back again in Dec, but I won't be considered a student. At that visit, my preceptor and I will sit down and do loads of final paperwork. I am so so excited going back because I was just there and I can pick up where I left off.

In March I attended 3 births. Due dates never match up of course. I had one mom due Mar 12, and two moms due on Apr. 3. Well one of the Apr 3 moms birthed on Mar. 10, the Mar 12 birthed on the 14th, and then the Apr 3 birthed on Mar. 29.

Also in March, I was able to have all of my secondary skills checked off by a visiting CPM midwife from Idaho. She was here for her sister's birth and was capable and more than willing for me to test with her. So I flew up to ChiangMai once to do the prenatal things, sterile technique, injections, etc., and then I flew up again after the birth to do the postpartum and newborn exams. The mama was so sweet and didn't mind at all that I was using her or her adorable baby as test subjects!

After we get back from Indonesia, we have 1 and half weeks until school starts, and ... I can CELEBRATE! All four children will be in school! I'll be sad that I'll have no children at home but at the same time I can do 10x the studying, and serve other women as well.

Busy busy busy

Somehow I will find the time to plan and pack for leaving in less than a month to go to Bali. Things are slowly coming together and everyone is getting so excited about our summer adventures.

I've attended 3 births so far this year which may not seem like much except that one birth also means 2 prenatal and one postpartum meeting. Those have to be worked around our family schedule. So far it seems that until the kids get older, one birth a month will have to be my quota. If I have no birth booked for that month then I can be backup for another doula. I'm doing no more births until I get to Bali, and I have a repeat midwifery client due in August when I get back. Anyone need me in September? :)

I've also been really busy with my school work. I've been putting in 20 hour weeks to finish 2nd quarter work, which I finished yesterday and will put in the mail this week. It's ready 2 months early! I just really needed that big project out of the way so my mind will have room to process everything else that needs to get done. So far, I've met my goals for each quarter, which are to submit projects and requirements every quarter, with no exception. I even plan on taking a small project with me while I'm gone to work on during down times.

I attended/missed a great birth in Korat in March. It's a 3+ hr drive and I left as soon as I was told to come but didn't make it in time. But I still learned a lot from helping with the placenta and inspecting it and all of its "issues". I drove 600km in less than 24 hours, through mountains and rice paddies! Thankfully that birth came right on time as I had one scheduled 10 days later which also came right around the due date. A fabulous first-time mom who got her waterbirth. I really enjoyed watching a man become a father at that birth... it was beautiful!

Unless I get a chance to update between now and when we leave, the next post will probably come from Bali!

My new website!

After much contemplation on business names, I've changed it. I needed something that encompasses all that I do. And then thanks to another doula friend, I was introduced to a company/program that makes doing websites on your own not too hard of a thing to accomplish.

So I am now the proud owner of:
Bangkok Birth & Beyond

I've gotten some great comments on my logo. Yes I made it myself! It all started with drawing squiggled bellies while doodling during a sermon at church. When I got home there was one doodle I really liked so saved it in a pile of papers next to the computer. 2 months later, I decided on a new business name. Then while working on the website and thinking I needed a logo, I remembered my doodles. I found it and scanned it into a photo editting program. Then I just started playing around with it. Didn't like just one squiggle so thought I'd try more than one. Hey it looked like 3 B's. But B's need backs and so do pregnant bellies. And then Tada! 3 Squiggles that look like 3 B's and 3 Bellies all in one. Editted to a better color and thickness and done. So easy and I didn't have to hire anyone to do it for me.

So yippee for a new site that will bring in more women and families who need assistance.

Being a Bangkok Doula

Ah the joys of being a doula in Bangkok. You never know what kind of birth you'll get to see next.

Take this morning for example (without sharing too much online of course).

A) Hiring a doula is a good thing, especially if it turns out that your husband is still on a plane trying to get to you when the baby pops out.

B) Traffic police can be wonderful in rush hour in a city of 12+ million people. Two cops on a motorcycle (yes TWO) heard the mother hollering in the apartment building lobby and followed our taxi. They got the cop at the intersection to hold the light and let all of the cars through until our taxi got through.

C) Maybe it's a good thing I used to swear like a sailor because I think I heard every combination in the 8 pushes it took to get the little guy out :)

And that was my day.

Oh and it was not fun going 9 hours plus without pumping. The girls usually nurse every 2 - 3 hours during the day, but I think they did better than I did!

When it rains, it pours

Hot season here... wish we'd get some rain... it's been 100+F for days now. Anyway....

When it rains, it pours. I can go for weeks and weeks with no one interesting in needing a doula or even wanting to talk about birth. I often pray and ask myself, is this really what I should be doing? I live in a country where C-sections are the norm for birth and there is rare evidence-based care. What can I do? And then there was this week:

Monday - I pray and ask, how can I know?

Tuesday - I go shopping and find some really nice skirts to fit my post-twin body. While poking around, I happen upon a store selling all the stuff for hot season. Including kiddie pools. I have looked high and low for a kiddie pool that would actually work for water births. I have found THE pool. Even Dayton helps me inspect it to see if we think it could work. I don't buy it, but now I knew where in this huge city that I can get one.

Wednesday - I get a call from "C". She is referred to me by another doula here. She wants a homebirth with a midwife or unassisted and wants me either as a doula or an untrained midwife. She's not sure yet, and neither am I. We have time and about until the Aug. 15th due date to figure it out. Someone wants to hire me.

Thursday morning - I go to our regular playgroup where I'm the oddball of the bunch. Should have seen the moms go bug-eyed when I nursed my 2.5yr old! A mom there "C" is pregnant with #4. The first 3 were waterbirths (2 here). With her last, she barely got to the hospital in time, and her husband caught the baby in the birth tub because her OB didn't make it in time. She said that she very well might not make it out of the house this time though she prefers the hospital. (Because she likes the postpartum vacation ?!?!? Okay, whatever.) But just in case it ends up being a precipitious birth, could I be prepared to come and help her with a homebirth?

Thursday evening- I get an official email from "S" and "W". They attended my crash course and had a birth plan for me to critique. And they want to hire me to attend their birth. Not sure if that will work. She's due June 7th and we leave for the USA June 11th. Also, with breastfeeding twins full time, I'm not sure how I can make that work just yet. They live about a 5 minute walk away so what I can do is help her stay at home for as long as possible and get her to the hospital with little time left for unnecessary interventions.

I'm just a doula. Not a trained midwife. I'm already being asked to do midwifery things. I can't wait until I'm fully trained and can do all of this skillfully. Even though I don't have the training (other than self-study and little hands-on) it's hard to say "no" to anyone because I think all women should have what they want for their birth. Women deserve a trained midwife at their birth. I'm on my way to provide that.

I'm certified!!! (and other info)

As of this week, I am officially:

Erin Kannon, Doula (CD CBI) and Childbirth Educator (CBE CBI)

I finished all of the births and requirements needed! The two required births were fulfilled in a non-conventional way. The first was a friend who wanted me to doula at her unassisted birth (Hi "M"!) which ended up at my house... maybe she'll OK it for me to post about it here??? The second birth ended up being for a mom that I did all of the prenatal meetings with. Did not attend her C-section, but still gave many hours in a Postpartum Doula role helping with breastfeeding, etc..


Midwifery studies: Though I'm not supposed to start officially with AAMI until Aug. 1st, I'm going ahead and doing the pre-orientation paperwork. I'm also ordering tons (probably 100lb worth!) of books to bring back from our summer visit.


Recently I have been asked how I as a midwife would support a woman in unassisted birth. Many midwives do not support women wanting this option. I am obviously a big fan of unassisted birth: I did a UC with my twins! Let me paste in one of my assignments on the topic.

Unassisted Birth

Unassisted birth is a great option for most women, if they choose to go that route. Women choose to go unassisted for many reasons, such as the need for privacy, previous sexual abuse, lack of money, lack of insurance, no caregiver with the same birth philosophy, previous birth history, or no desire for assistance. I believe that planned unassisted birth is one of the safest options for childbirth. Yes, most women choose a midwife for homebirth, but that isn’t necessarily always safe depending on the midwife’s ways of practice. It is unfortunate that little to no research has been done on this aspect of childbirth.
Living in a country with no options for childbirth other than high-intervention hospitals, I do know of some women who have chosen unassisted birth. I did labor support for one woman on one of the remote islands … over the phone! I am currently pregnant with twins and am planning an unassisted birth for my babies. I refuse the risky testing, “high risk” label, or the “necessary planned” C-section.
As a future midwife, I would be willing to offer support to pregnant women wanting unassisted births. That could be in any prenatal facet, for phone support during labor, coming over to assist when asked, to do postpartum checks, or to help with a birth certificate. The legal situation for a midwife doing this maybe be questionable, but I believe that women have the right to choose what they want for their own medical care and birth.

New Life Childbirth!

I have been just too busy to blog! We are leaving for a visit to the States in less than 4 weeks. Things to order online, packing lists, to buy lists, collecting things to keep Grace busy on the plane, finding places to stay. If our families only knew just how much is involved for a 7 week trip!

New Life Childbirth. That's the offical chosen name for the business. It'll work for what I'm doing now and will still work for midwifery as well. It is not overtly Christian, but obviously has the double meaning. I'm still working on coming up with a logo. Not a good artist. I'll have to try to get Dayton to make something for me... though he tends to be better at drawing armor, tanks, airplanes, and guns...

And, it's official! I've been asked to teach a childbirth education class in September. Now I'm trying to finish up the requirements I need so I can count it towards my certification with CBI. I need to find a place to teach it that has the facilities I need. I'd teach it at my house, but it feels too crowded with just 4 adults in it! I'm now hunting for the supplies and videos I need. I wasn't planning on bringing the laptop with us for our trip, but I'm going to have to if I plan on getting all of my handouts, lessonplans, and visuals done in time.

Have I mentioned I have my first official doula client as well? She is so excited and has plenty of questions. Her mom is happy that someone who's had a baby before will be there to support her. There are 2 other expecting couples at my church so I'm hoping they'll be interested in either doula support or a childbirth class.

My neighbor is about ready to have her baby. I told her that if the baby comes to fast, send someone to get me and I can help. I just say that I'm studying to be a midwife, not fully trained, but I can try to help. Now I'm just hoping for a precipitious labor LOL I can only dream, but it would be fun!

Had a nice mother's day. Or "Monster's Day" as Grace called it. Here's a pic from Sunday.

Back to work

After a week of various sicknesses, I am back on track doing my CBI work.

I guess I got a little "realist" over what I'm deciding to do. I keep telling myself, that it's pointless to pursue midwifery when I just can NOT see a way to do it legally here. Why pursue it at all? Sigh. I just have this mental battle going on all day with it. It's so consuming that I don't study much else and shirk my chores at home.

So. I'm back to doing my doula and childbirth educator studies as a foundation. Taking my time doing it. Back to cleaning my house. Back to Bible reading. Remembering that every thing will fall into place how God wants it in HIS timing.

2 more friends are pregnant, due in mid-November. One may want me to teach their childbirth class. If so, I have lots of work to do. Lesson plans to write, handouts to make and collect. Supplies to buy. It's a lot of work, too, but I think if I pace myself instead of working in spurts it's doable.

Chat with my midwife

My midwife returned from her 2 month visit home in Australia. She bought a house... waaaaaah, she's moving away in July!! But she did say that if I want to have more babies at home, she'd come back and catch them. Her husband has a business here that he'll have to visit 2x a year, so they can arrange their visit schedule around a due date if they have to. I guess the bad news was kindof good news.

We also discussed the local childbirth educators. They are awful. She was a fabulous one and I would love to follow in her footsteps. She was so encouraging and positive about me wanting to be a CBE and is even willing to mentor me while she's here. Dayton had even said to me a few weeks ago that when she leaves, who is going to fill her shoes... maybe I could. BAMBI (look at my links) will need CBE's and more doulas as guest speakers and to offer services, so that's a place I can start.

We also discussed me becoming a midwife. Her opinion is that if I want to that's fine but don't ever even think about practicing here legally. The only midwives here are Thai nurse-midwives who are not allowed to catch babies. In fact, if a baby is born before the doctor arrives, they get in trouble. She has spoken with midwives who have NEVER caught a baby with years of working in hospitals. So basically, just because I'd have the education, and if I were gifted enough to learn the language to pass the exams here to be licensed, what Thai doctor would ever approve of me, let alone be a backup. Just because I was licensed does not mean that I could work in a hospital in a real midwife capacity. She was not legally licensed here but worked as a doula/CBE/labor assistant.

Her opinion is good in her experience, but I do know of nurse-midwives here who have caught plenty of babies. Outside of Bangkok, homebirths are no big deal. My Thai teacher's aunt just had a homebirth with a local midwife, so I know there are paths that I can explore. And maybe in 10 years, it will be possible. I've read so many papers published by Thai nursing associations about how they need to be more open to foreign educated practitioners. They need to follow through and start the work to make it happen. But it's a big cultural issue as much as it is a legal one.

Overall, a VERY exciting conversation. A few months ago when I first spoke with her about my plans, she was like, yeah whatever, you just had a baby, this will pass. But now she can see the passion, the education I've begun, and the need for someone like-minded to follow behind her.

Today's the Big Day

I've done all the cramming and studying I can do to prep for my first client/doula interview. Hopefully what I've learned will help and not hinder the conversations.

The house is almost clean - though just noticed Grace drew on the sofa cover with a pen... and after picking up the playmat on the rug noticed it was in great need of a vaccuum. Dinner will be easy. Reheat the spaghetti sauce, boil noodles, make salad and garlic bread. Dessert will be vanilla icecream with a choice of rootbeer (Dayton's request) or strawberries. Dinners usually aren't done at interviews, but it's Valentine's Day!

I was trying to figure out the best set up for the talking time and realized it'll be nighttime, and the main overhead light is not working! Dayton's going to have to run home during his planning period to fix it because if he waits until after school, they'll be here already, and that would be... just embarrassing!

On another note, our maid (Puk) called and said her mother is dying (this has been going on for some time) and had to leave immediately. She'll be gone for at least 2 weeks. I usually save company cleanup for her on Wednesday, but I'll just have to do all the cleanup, and the laundry, ironing, mopping, and bathrooms she usually does. Puk does not seem sad, just stressed. She's the main caretaker for her parents and I think is just ready for this to be over. She has 3 daughters.