Ashley Tisdale welcomed her daughter, Jupiter Iris, last week. So far, she’s been pretty generous on social media with updates. For her one-week update, Ashley posted some birth day shots of herself in her birthing room and thanked everyone involved in Jupiter’s delivery. Ashley thanked, “the nurses at Cedars that took such great care of us” and her “badass” doctor as well as her “amazing husband,” Christopher French. But she gave a big shoutout to her doula, Lori Bregman, who, according to Ashley’s caption, “was the game changer.”
We were just asking my niece, who is studying to be a midwife, about the differences between doulas and midwives. You can read the differences on Heathline as I know whatever I transcribe by way of definition will leave something out to someone. I did not have either a doula or midwife at my birth. A doula sounds pretty great, though. The prep books I read mentioned creating a relaxing atmosphere with soothing music. I knew music would eventually annoy me if I was in pain so I brought a bunch of stand-up comics on CD, because laughter is the one thing that truly relaxes me. My nurse ended up loving it because my cervix refused to dilate after several hours and contractions. Once I got my epidural, I laughed so hard listening to the CDs, I went from 3 to 10 cms in 40 minutes. So I guess Eddie Izzard was my doula.
But it would be nice to look back on childbirth as such a pleasant experience. Ashley admits there was pain, but her recollection is “Calm, peaceful, letting go of fear and being super present.” I mean, that sounds like my last facial. Who cares if that’s mother’s brain whitewashing it, if that’s her memory of it, beautiful. Once again, I’m happy all are healthy and delighted to know it was such an incredible experience for everyone.
I wondered about Jupiter getting a nickname and it looks like she has one – Juju. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that. Juju’s nursery has a full pictorial on the frenshe website. It’s beautiful. Since they’d already picked out the name, they decorated the room in the colors of Jupiter. It’s beautiful. The crib – OMG. But as Ashley wrote, it is pricey. It’s a lovely nursery and I’m sure it’s worthy of little Jupiter. So far we just have a back-of-the head shot of her, but look at all that hair!
Photo credit: Instagram
God, I can’t imagine walking away from a hospital with positive things to say. My childbirth experience was deeply traumatic. Everyone sucked. I guess it’s nice to know that such a thing is possible, though.
My experiences weren’t too bad, but I was at the hospital yesterday for a routine mammo and the just the smell of the place always makes the memories rush back. And then I practically run from the place. The trauma of being confined to a cold, sterile room and leaving with new anxieties is enough to send me into panic. You never forget the smell of the hospital.
You really don’t. Back when I would leave the house, the smell of hand soaps sometimes smelled just like that ghastly NICU soap you use when you scrub in to see your baby. It’s absolutely nauseating and for a glinting second, I want to rip the soap dispenser out of the wall and throw it in the garbage.
I’m so sorry. I know births can end up just horrific, especially when the staff sucks.
I never had any real desire to have kids, but I am very gung-ho for this new wave yoga studio vibe of childbirth. Growing up it really felt like youre getting admitted to a hospital with all the fear and chaos which comes with that. I think for the mother’s mental health and the baby’s physical health, a calm serene environment is better than florescent lights and high-energy nursing staff
I had a doula for my first birth. Even though I ended up with an emergency C-section, I still felt really good about how it all went. She was amazing. I tried to be similar when I was my sister’s labour support person (her husband was there too). There is something awesome about having the support of someone who has been through it before you, whether it’s a doula or your mom/sister.
I’m glad her doula worked out. Mine was the HUGEST waste of one thousand dollars ever. She did pretty much nothing at all and let me try to get through pitocin contractions over broken waters by myself. I guess she did ask the clarifying question at one point if I could choose VBAC with an epidural or a repeat C-section, which one would I choose and I got the VBAC, so… ? But I just remember seeing her sitting her ass down in the chair and me in agony thinking, I’m paying you to work so why are you sitting?
I was fortunate enough to have both of my kids in Austin with certified midwives at a birthing center, which was a wonderful and peaceful way to start my family. I didn’t have a doula because didn’t feel like I needed one in that situation but if I’d been in a hospital I would have loved to have one. And I think I’m too old to start a career as a midwife but I have dreamt of being a doula once I no longer need to support my kids.