We had the good fortune of connecting with Pamela Sauls, CCE, CD, CMT and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Pamela, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?

The choice to educate, prepare, and train for childbirth should not be a decision that is solely based on a preconceived notion to have an epidural or not. Women must understand there is a good portion of labor that has to be done before they are even a candidate for epidural. There are no re-do’s for labor and birth.  We get one shot to get this baby into the world.  If their choice of pain management does not work, they should have a backup plan which includes labor skills that are known to lessen pain, allowing them to still work through their contractions together in hopes they can avoid using words like “traumatizing” to describe their birth experience.

In regards to doula support, couples need to be aware not all doulas have adequate training to assist them through labor hurdles naturally. Our doula team is specifically trained to help couples meet their personal birthing goals, whenever remotely possible. We can’t prevent all necessity for medical interventions with good nutrition, daily exercise, relaxation/ labor practice, etc., but we can certainly reduce the incidence to those who truly need medical help. Our Your Birth Helper team helps them prepare their body long before Labor Day. Our doulas teach women how to utilize information and apply specific techniques, positioning, exercises, etc., to do things like raise their own Bishop scores (if facing induction), naturally prep their body for labor, navigate labor hurdles by using their training to acquire informed consent, weigh the risks and benefits and make the decisions best for them.  By being actively involved in decision making, they can often enjoy their birth experience (even in a hospital setting)!  When mom knows what her job is during a contraction and dad understands his coaching role, then both he, along with the doula, provides the laboring mom with invaluable support through personal attention and everyone’s job is made easier, even the medical staff! Our clients know that we exhaust every proven technique known to us before resulting to medical interventions.


Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

Your Birth Helper supports all people who desire to educate and actively prepare their bodies for labor.  We teach the labor coach (spouse or partner), their role and how they can help mom reduce discomfort by training the laboring mom “what to do and not to do” during contractions. Also, how to discern the difference between often suggested unnecessary routine interventions vs. medically necessary interventions, which can benefit mom and baby.  It is a more hands off approach to birthing and the key is to remain healthy and low risk. When mom and baby are good, you have more options whether birthing in a hospital or not. Also, recognizing the benefits of physical, mental and emotional relaxation and good positioning to naturally progress labor. Many of our trained low risk clients do the vast majority of their labor at home arriving closer to 6cm (active labor) or beyond to their birth place.

We describe our YBH goal this way… Your Birth – Your Way! We specialize in low intervention natural birth. The majority of our clients who educate and properly prepare for labor achieve their goals with or without doula help. But, with YBH Symbiotic Birth Doula support they are sure to have more fun!  We are available to our clients 24/7 as needed throughout the remainder of their pregnancy, not just when labor is upon them.  We empower and support as often as the client desires and function as a birth family.  We don’t go away just because labor ended and the baby has been born.  They contact us as needed.  They begin as students, but they end as our YBH Birth Family!  We want each mom to say, I couldn’t have done it without my husband/ partner/ coach, not I couldn’t have done it without my doula.

Symbiotic Birth: Understand why Childbirth Education and Informed Consent matters. Advocate for your birth wishes. Execute a teamwork approach. Avoid unnecessary routine interventions that don’t apply to you or your baby. Take ownership of your decision making. Enhance your relationship through the art of giving birth.

For medical staff reading this, our YBH Symbiotic Birth Doula Team members work alongside to compliment your care. We do not make decisions for our clients. We do not bark orders to nurses. We roll up our sleeves and pitch in to do the hard work to help our clients achieve their goals. We will gladly put on a set of gloves and help wherever there is an opportunity to make the job of doctors, midwives and staff easier, as well. We are team healthy mom – healthy baby!  When the two sides (pain management/ medical and drug-free/ natural) are both working together to support the couple, we can all help create happier “BIRTH” days! You may not always understand why clients prefer a natural experience, but your role will be made easier when couples are properly educated and they will take accountability for their decisions.  In doing so,  they will also praise you for not just supporting them, but encouraging them regardless of how the baby exits their body. We know we can’t prevent all c-sections or necessity for drugs, many are medically necessary for safety of mom or baby.  However, when working together, with childbirth education, mom preparing her body and being in the very best health possible before labor/ birth, we can reduce such medical interventions to those who truly need and benefit from them.

Our ultimate goal is to Preserve the lost ART of Natural Birth by growing YBH nationwide.  This will require self motivated special individuals with a passion to take our quality training and education into new cities and states.  Anyone interested in joining our growing teams or starting a new service area is welcome to inquire by emailing:  yourbirthhelper@gmail.  I would be happy to share info.


Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

I named our barn / farm project, M2b Family Farm.  We are located just 15 minutes from downtown Athens in a nearby city called Colbert, Ga. Of course, I’m partial and highly suggest you stop by Ms. Pam’s place for fresh baked buttermilk biscuits and farm fresh eggs. Enjoy Red the rooster crowing and ducks quacking. Maybe, sip some Jittery Joe’s coffee while you sit a spell on the balcony porch enjoying our resident hummingbirds, cardinals and wood peckers. And, don’t forget to enjoy a walk on our farm. Take your shoes off and feel the sand move under your feet as you wade the crystal clear water of Long Branch creek which borders our property. Now, the farm is a now five year work in progress.  I have big goals, like my latest project, the guest suite bathroom which contains an amazing 9 ft stainless steel soaker tub.  Relax under the rainfall as you float your cares away. My bathroom inspiration comes from the Georgia Aquarium. The donated tub was previously used for physical therapy in Milledgeville’s Central State hospital. We have no complaints when it comes to relaxation in the form of hydrotherapy at M2b. My YBH couples are welcomed to enjoy the downstairs suite during early labor.

While in the area take an hour or so to enjoy Watson Mill Bridge state park just 6+ miles from us. The falls are just gorgeous and if you enjoy hiking, kayaking, sliding down the flat rocks or just doing yoga in the park, this state park is a hidden north Georgia gem.

If you are more of a city slicker, I highly suggest a quick tour of downtown Athens start at the arch, then onto Sanford Stadium where our BULLDOGS reign as national champs.  Maybe, mix it up a bit… I am known for being a bit of a foodie and have written quite a few reviews that went viral. Here is Your Birth Helper’s idea of city fun, get creative and hit several of the following hot spots for some of my favorite local splurges. First, Mama’s Boy to catch up on what’s going on with your girlfriend over a warm cup of their house blend coffee and don’t forget to share a slice of fresh baked banana bread. Then head over to Milledge Avenue and enjoy wandering through the state Botanical Garden. I even suggest if you are trying to get a baby out, follow the signs to the chapel and continue along the trails all the way down through the woods until you dead end at the Oconee River (just remember there are no bathrooms down there). You will have to hit the visitor center or children’s garden for that. Then make a quick stop at Bear Hollow to enjoy the local otters or bears.  Then make your way to Farm Cart, off Baxter Street for one of their fabulous local farm favorites, like my go to breakfast the (#3) The Backside with Thompson Brothers country ham and that amazing blueberry jam, oh and my favorite cold drink is the lavender honey latte.  Whatever you choose you must compliment your biscuit with Ms. Alice’s world renowned red mule grits! She is a local new friend of mine and we were shocked to share some common denominators, like we both drive the same car, the same color car, both our late husband’s were named Tim and we both love GRITS! And, yes the farm horse grinds the corn now since the old red mule Luke’s passing. A day with a friend isn’t complete until you do a little shopping right? In the town of Bogart, now don’t blink you will miss it, but facing the railroad tracks is a local floral shop called, Pannell Designs and Events. May I just say, you best not go in there very often unless you like spending money.  There are just too many cute things to spoil yourself or someone you care about. Ask to meet the owner a good friend of mine Dean Pannell. He is one of the most hard working men I know and so talented. If you need a wedding officiate, director or mastery florist, he has you covered. He often says, I can marry and help bury them. Lol.  Simply put, he is hysterical and all the ladies who help run the shop daily are too! When you are ready for some lunch treats, head over to the Oconee connector and try the avocado spring rolls at Taqueria Tsunami. Then on the opposite side of the shopping complex is Groove Burger. Skip the burger and order the Portabella fries! Now, it should be around about 4pm and you must visit Chuck’s Fish for some fresh catch!  If you are pregnant, don’t forget to take a photo on the side of the building! I could keep going, but you are probably full and ready for a nap by now!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?

My dream of Your Birth Helper started way back in the 90’s after experiencing my first low intervention natural birth.  Marsha Glickfield, who resided in Snellville, Ga at the time said, “Pam, I am moving to Florida to become a midwife and YOU are going to be the next Bradley teacher.” I was like wait what? I have a corporate job. She replied, “Pam, expectant parents here in north Georgia need this valuable information.” So, I trained and became a certified childbirth educator in September of 1991.

Really, I need to go all the way back to Loganville high school and thank Dr. Karen Rutter. She instilled within me my initial desire to understand child development. Coming from a divorced home at the young age of 11, I had a strong desire to one day become an exceptional mother. One that didn’t or wouldn’t check out on my kids, but rise above all life’s big blows and always be there for my children. I took every class that Dr. Rutter taught. She was the epitome of what kind of mother I wanted to become. Heck, she even taught me extremely well how to create life (from understanding ovulation to having to learn the pathway of sperm) and boy did she teach me well, as I have a May 18th and May 19th baby (the second one was a few hours late). Dr. Rutter planted that initial seed of the importance of natural birth and how all drugs used in labor and delivery are respiratory depressants. I thought this would be worth attempting. I am healthy and strong. I can do this just like the many women for countless generations have given birth naturally.

Then there was Dr. Joseph Tate, OBGYN (who is still practicing at Emory Midwtown in Atlanta). Dr. Tate accepted me as a client when I was fired by another local doctor in Gwinnett county because I refused to induce. I knew my due date was incorrect. Dr. Tate assured me, as long as mother and baby are fine, we would not discuss induction and he would support my birthing goals. I was also fortunate enough to have completed the twelve week training in The Bradley Method, in which my late husband, Sgt. T.B. Thacker attended after only a few hours sleep each Sunday (as he worked nights). He and Dr. Tate, helped me successfully give birth drug-free after a very long and challenging back labor experience. If my personal birth experiences had played out differently, I doubt I would be supporting doula clients or teaching classes today.

I also need to thank Robbie Sauls. He has believed in my dream to erect this awesome barn house for couples near and far who desire to train for childbirth. He and I, literally drew plans on a napkin and have somehow managed to DIY build a barn house. I wanted to create a “Mother’s Nest.” Sounds silly I know, but you know how amazing some bird nest are with so much time, toil and effort put into making them.  I wanted to build a safe space for women and men to take a class, be empowered to prepare their bodies and mind to meet their birthing goals either by attending a weekly class, doing a two hour or eight hour labor workshop, to staying at the farm and being our guest in the downstairs suite and having their training in a two or three-day retreat format. We call it being our VIP!  We make the beds and the biscuits! We have a lot of couples who come in from out of state or out of town, who otherwise would not be able to receive such valuable information (you know that information that my childbirth teacher Marsha Glickfield, dumped into my lap).

   In addition, I could not travel from state to state supporting clients without teamwork either. My amazing NC team members: Nancy Cook, BSN, CD, CCE and Lena May, CD, CCE have continued to be the best of the best in our field assisting me in serving the queen city and surrounding areas.  In GA, teammate Nikki Reeves, ICCE, ICBD, PMH-C, serves our Gwinnett, Atlanta and surrounding areas and also leads local postpartum support groups, as well.  Each and every one of these women share my vision and are an invaluable part of my Your Birth Helper story.  I love paying it forward helping women meet their goals and empowering the next generation of childbirth educators and doulas!  Currently, I have two YBH Doula’s in training: Anniston Eberhart, Athens, GA and in Fort Mill, SC, Larissa Mudry, both CAPPA trained, but completing our advanced doula training/ mentoring program.

Oh, and I can’t forget to acknowledge Mr. Greg Daniels.  He joined me in brainstorming the title of my upcoming book, Symbiotic Birth. I needed a word that summarized two different mindsets coming together. He threw out a half dozen and then he said, “Oh what about Symbiotic?” YES! I knew as soon as he spoke the word, it was meant to be!  I can’t wait to share my amazing 30+ year journey of helping create Happier “BIRTH” days.

 

Website: YourBirthHelper.com

Instagram: PamelaSauls_yourbirthhelper

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/YourBirthHelperLLC

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YourBirthHelper

Yelp: https://yelp.to/3a4DRd14Rpb

Other: BradleyBirth.com/PamelaSauls

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.