5/31/2018 0 Comments

A Doula's Dream... the CUB

By Michelle Hardy, Milwaukee Doulas Wisconsin

A doula’s dream…..one piece of equipment that can serve multiple purposes. Imagine being able to bring one item in your bag and know that it can support the families that you work with in so many ways. One item that can help a laboring person stay upright and be comfortable, or be in a squat while still being supported? What about a tool to lean on that won’t put pressure on the contracting midsection? Well that one tool is a CUB!

Now you might be wondering “what is a CUB?” Let me tell you….the CUB stands for Comfortable Upright Birth, and it is a tool that is compact enough to carry in your doula bag, and easy enough to blow up and assemble in a few short minutes. It is soft and comfy for your clients to sit or lean on, or even for use by a partner (or a doula who can’t find a seat).

The CUB is U-shaped, and when blown up fully can be used for a laboring person to sit on. The nice thing is it keeps the laboring person upright, and can even be used for birth in place of a birthing stool. If you are anything like me….the hospitals you work in might not have laboring stools, so having a CUB available is amazing. The CUB keeps the birthing person upright, but also stills gives the medical providers access to see what is going on (which is often so important for them). In comparison to using a squat bar the laboring person’s entire body is supported by the CUB and the body doesn’t have to hold up all of it’s weight while trying to push.

The CUB can also be partially inflated to make is shorter so that a laboring person feels supported in a squat without feeling all of the pressure on the legs, and what a great way to keep the pelvis open.

The U-shaped design can also be helpful when a laboring person wants to lean forward onto something but doesn’t want the pressure on their midsection. It is soft and pliable enough to be comfortable in comparison to leaning over the back of the bed. While a birth ball can often be used for this as well the ball, unfortunately does put pressure on the midsection where the CUB provides the space the body needs.

It can also be inflated and leaned into creating a comfortable cradle for full relaxation during labor and birthing. It can also be a great space for a tired doula to rest if her client is resting or sleeping. For other doulas, I don’t know about you, but I have propped myself into a corner when the family is sleeping and tried to doze off…..definitely not comfortable!

But it doesn’t just end there…..the CUB can be used during pregnancy as a place to rest and sit. It helps to keep the expectant person in an upright position helping to foster correct positioning of the baby, and can be used during relaxation practice or for meditation.
The CUB is one amazing tool rolled up into one small and easy to carry package.

The best part is that it comes in a convenient cloth bag, making it small enough to fit into a birth bag, or even carried separately without much effort. If you haven’t heard of them or seen them I highly suggest you check out their website and consider adding it to your birth bag. Your clients will love you for it!!!

You can also read the original blog here

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5/1/2018 0 Comments

I Dream Of CUB, by Gemma Wilson, Birthability

When I first became a birth educator, I came across a wonderful product called CUB – Comfortable Upright Birth Support. As soon as I saw a CUB, I wanted one! I needed one I wanted one for my classes and for my doula clients to use truth is they NEED to have a CUB at their birth. I have been happily dreaming and pining over one for a while – yes that right, I’ve dreamt about a CUB 😊, these dreams have been glorious. I’ve had dreams of using a CUB with clients, of having them feel the comfort and ease of using one. I have dreams of showing my Birth education students how they can use a CUB to shorten labour, reduce interventions and help get baby into an optimal position whilst helping to open up their pelvis to help their baby descend.
Yep – this is one dreamy tool, I’ve wanted to have for birth classes and for doula clients.
As a Birth Educator I teach the value of labouring and birthing in an upright position. It is also one of the key Healthy Birth practices I teach in my Lamaze classes – Healthy Birth Practice #5: Avoid giving birth on your back and follow your body’s urges to push. Studies show that birthing in upright positions can shorten labour and decrease pain, as well as increase pelvic diameter and reduce the need for interventions. (Care Practice #5: Spontaneous Pushing)
As a doula I see the importance of birthing in an upright position and of using gravity neutral positions during birth, I see how positions can change and affect the length of labour and the comfort of birth as well as the position of the baby.
The fact that The CUB (Comfortable Upright Birth) support is a comfortable, versatile, inflatable birthing support designed to help mothers adopt and maintain positions that are physically the most helpful for them and their babies during labor and birth, is a must for use at births. The CUB is designed with the mother in mind and birthing needs, being able to use the CUB throughout labor as a comfortable support, either to sit on, rest on or lean over as well as to give birth to the baby on – the fact that the mother can birth on a CUB and not have to move again, shows how the design has be thoughtfully thought of with the mothers needs in minds (let’s face it, it’s never fair to move a mother who is in a comfortable position for birth)
For me I know it’s going to be an invaluable tool for me and doula clients to use. I want to help mothers to adopt and maintain positions that are not only the most comfortable but physically the most helpful for them and their baby during labour, helping them give birth easier, faster and most importantly, safer! I’m looking forward to sharing this with my future clients and having them see and feel the benefits of upright positioning and using a CUB that is designed for this purpose and comfort.

You can also read the original blog here

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CUB Blogs

Meet Our Authors

Sarah Geo Walton

Sarah is the owner of Bright Heart Birth Services and co-owner of the family boutique and support center The Nurturing Nest in Reno, Nevada. She is both a Birth and Postpartum Doula (DONA), a Certified GentleBirth Childbirth Educator, a trained Placenta Encapsulation Specialist and a Certified Birth Assistant.
Sarah grew up in an empowered do-it-yourself environment. Supporting others has always been, and continues to be, a large part of who she is. She shines best in moments of vulnerability and connection and has been known to do knee slides on the dance floor.

Emily Jacobson, Green Bay Doulas Wisconsin

Raised in Green Bay, Emily has been a labor and postpartum doula since 2011. In 2012, she added placenta encapsulation services to her list of expertise, in 2016 certified Newborn Care Specialist and 2017 Certified childbirth educator. Emily’s strength lies in supporting families through the childbearing years, in whatever manner they envision it unfolding. Prior to doula work, Emily worked as a nanny, respite provider and ABA behavioral therapist for 8+ years. She has extensive experience with special needs and children with spectrum disorders.

Shalini Wiseman, Chartered Physiotherapist in Women's Health & Continence

Shalini is the Clinical Lead Physiotherapist at the Cork Womens Clinic and works as a Senior Physiotherapist in Women’s Health and Continence at the Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH).
She has vast experience in treating a broad range of Women’s Health related conditions such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, pelvic floor dysfunctions, dyspareunia, and ante-natal and post-natal pelvic girdle dysfunction.

Alayna Spratley, Certified Childbirth Educator and Doula

Alayna is a certified childbirth educator through Lamaze and Birth Boot Camp and is also an Indie Birth community instructor. She helps families, community stakeholders, and professionals engage in meaningful conversations regarding birth equity, healthy and safe birth practices, and the benefits of shared decision-making! Alayna supports using a collaborative grassroots education and action model to ensure all people have a voice in improving birth outcomes for individuals, babies, and families. She steadfastly believes that peace on Earth begins with birth.

MeriBeth Glenn, Midwife in Pennsylvania

MeriBeth is from Pennsylvania. She has been involved in birth for nearly 20 years. Her jouney began as a doula, CBE and breastfeeding peer counselor. For the past 15 years MeriBeth has been a traditional midwife offering out-of-hospital birth. She has also had the honor of being a midwife teacher and mentor to several doulas and aspiring midwives. On a personal level, MeriBeth is a homeschooling mom to many blessings. Her personal birthing experiences gives her an important and valuable insight into birth and helping to support the natural process. It is her desire to see upright labor and birth postures become a normal and highly encouraged option for women in all birthing environments.

Sarah Newton, Doula in Virginia

Sarah is a certified Birth Doula and twice trained Postpartum Doula through DONA. Her practicing as a licensed massage therapist adds a lot to her doula experience which is now counting for more than 7 years. Sarah is passionate about guiding women and their families through pregnancy, childbirth, and the post-partum while attending all types of births as a doula.

Camille Nyman, Doula and Childbirth Educator in Maryland

Camille is a Certified Doula, Chidbirth Educator and Doula Agency Owner from northern Baltimore County, Maryland. She sits on board of two non-profit organizations working to improve birth. With a holistic perspective and emphasis on natural comfort measures, Camille is a passionate educator.

Gemma Wilson, Lamaze Childbirth Educator

Gemma is a Lamaze Childbirth Educator and Doula in Australia, owner of Birthability Birth Education. After the birth of her two children she saw and felt how amazing and empowering birth truly was so Gemma became a Doula as she wanted to help women to find their power. She is very passionate about providing support for women and their partners right at the time it is needed the most.

Michelle Hardy, Doula and ICEA Trainer in Wisconsin

Michelle has been working in the birth world for more than 15 years. She is a Birth Doula, Postpartum Doula, Childbirth Educator and Breastfeeding Counselor. Michelle runs a non-profit organisation called Mothering The Mother as well as her private business Milwaukee Doulas. In addition to that she is a trainer with the ICEA.

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