Business Is Blooming

I'm happy to announce that Choices In Childbirth is open for business once again. Two couples have recently allowed me to be a part of their birth days and three more have hired me as their doula for upcoming dates.

My experiences at East Jeff and Ochsner post-Katrina have been encouraging, especially considering that they are among the few places where women can give birth in New Orleans these days. In both instances, the nursing staff was very supportive of my clients' goal of natural childbirth and did everything they could to help. Thank you to those special women!

If you are pregnant and would like professional support for your upcoming birth, be sure to contact me at 504.453.2634 to schedule an interview and learn more about how my doula services can make your birth a more satisfying experience.

Home, for now...

I've made it back home (again) and it seems I'll be here more permanently now. Lots to do to catch up on a missed month (where did September go?) and figure out what "life as normal" will be. For starters, I want my mail! We went to the post office today and had the equivalent of 2 days' worth of mail, not six weeks.

Though I don't know when I'll be resuming doula work or childbirth education, I'm open to inquiries from expectant moms in New Orleans who are interested in either. Email me and we'll discuss what options are available.

For those who have wondered, we have food, water, electricity, etc. and a secure roof over our heads. Actually, work in our apartment complex has begun in earnest and it's looking much better around here, even as compared to before the storm (in some ways)! Security is good. There's nothing like having a humvee pull up to your front door - literally - to deliver water & MREs! Now *that's* curb service!

Hurricane Katrina & Me

So much has happened in the past three weeks. There is much to tell, but here are some of the highlights of my experience since Hurricane Katrina changed the landscape of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.





We left town the Saturday before Katrina hit and headed up to northeast Louisiana and stayed with some people we know there. As things progressed that first week, we realized that other living arrangements would have to be made. We weren't sure where we were going, but we called a bunch of hotels and found that most had only a single night available. We drove around and settled on one, figuring we might end up in the shelter the following night. The next morning at the free continental breakfast, we learned that space had opened up for us for a few more nights' stay, and within the same ten minutes we learned that FEMA was going to start paying for TWO WEEKS' hotel stay for evacuees!! We were the very first to sign up at our hotel. Some families who had been staying at the shelter were sent over to stay as part of this program. But get this... by that same evening, the hotel decided not to participate in the program any further and limited it to only those who had already signed up that day. Wow!





The hotel staff was wonderful. They were kind and helpful and the place just felt like home. Among the many perks was high-speed Internet access, which was our link to the outside world. I even spent some time at the pool and got a decent suntan. Hadn't done that in years. We became acquainted with other evacuees who are now like family to us. So that has been our home for the past couple of weeks. The Red Cross came daily bringing military MRE meals, snacks, and water. This made a huge difference, as the expense of eating out daily was not an option for us. Seeing that truck pull up with supplies was like Christmas every day! :) The local shelter was relocated from the civic center to a building one block from us, which gave us ready access to Red Cross registration and free hot meals there.





Once we got word that Algiers was being opened up for residents to return, we made plans to drive down. We left Monday morning and headed toward Lafayette, where my friend Michelle was prepared to host us for the night. We stopped in Alexandria to have lunch, a "last supper" of sorts, as we figured we might be living off of MRE's for a while. I saw an Outback Steakhouse sign and pulled up there, but it looked closed. So we went next door to a family Italian restaurant that looked like it would be a decent alternative. The place was mostly empty, but the staff was friendly and the chef even came out to check on things. When we were ready to leave, the waitress told us that our bill had been paid! The person did not want to be identified, but sent a message to us saying that "The Lord is taking care of you." I was pleasantly *not* surprised, as I already knew in my spirit that this was going to happen (although it never has happened to us before).





Our short stop in Lafayette was a treat. Michelle & Michael have two adorable girls, Havilah & Simka, who I think are the cutest kids around! The dinner conversation along with Havilah's animated contributions made for a fun night. Sorry that it was such a short visit, but we had to leave early the next morning.





So at 4 am we were up and packing the vehicles. We were out of Lafayette by 5 am and made it to Morgan City by sunrise. We didn't run into traffic until Luling and even that was limited. The signs of wind damage were as far west as Des Allemands, where trees were down all along Hwy. 90. When we started getting into the affected area, I turned off my music and just focused on what I was seeing. As we drove further into the westbank, I could just feel such a heaviness in my heart, just the grief of what has happened to our city. I didn't see as much damage as I expected to, but I think that's only because we were moving quickly. At the one checkpoint we encountered, at Terry Parkway and the expressway, there was a huge steel billboard with multiple support posts that was just twisted and bent in half. Trees are one thing, but steel?!!





As we drove down DeGaulle, I could see how the landscape has changed. Maybe it wouldn't be apparent to a visitor, but with so many trees down it looked desolate. When we got to Woodland, signs of life appeared in abundance -- the fire dept., police, military, etc. have taken over the nursing home, Catholic retirement community and Holy Cross college. There were trucks and tents everywhere! Electric crews were working at the intersection, which was a good sign, although we knew that earlier in the week our apartment had power.





Pulling in to Maple Leaf was shocking. No one was there. (It's normally bustling with activity.) Trees down all over the place, siding and shingles strewn in the street. A mess. Corners of buildings damaged, some roofs gone. It was hard to even recognize our apartment building. When I finally found it and pulled over, I broke down and cried. It was so overwhelming, the reality of it all. Believe me, watching it on TV is so different from being there. Video does not convey the heat, the eerie silence and the stillness.





When we left before the storm, there was very little time to prepare. Many things were left undone. So my prayer throughout the storm was that God would put a supernatural protection over our apartment and my car. It was all I could think to pray. There are old evergreen bushes/trees in our courtyard. They were twisted and snapped in half. Huge trees had been broken in many places. And these were the healthy ones, not the termite-rotten ones with hollow trunks. We walked around the back and checked on my car. Not a scratch. Not even water inside. The back fence was intact. The windows were not broken. We walked to the front and opened the door. Dry and hot and smelling of two rotten refrigerators, but otherwise ok. Amazing. Upstairs... not even a sign of a leak from the roof. On the back patio, there were wicker baskets on top of a small storage cabinet. They had not even moved!! All I could say is "Thank you, Jesus!"





But no electricity. :( So we began the grueling work of unloading the van and gearing up for cleaning the refrigerators, not knowing if we would have to leave again in a few hours. We shortly learned that we had *just* made it in to the city before they closed the re-entry and turned people away!! Again, "Thank you, Lord." Had we left any later, we most likely would not have been allowed in. A couple of hours into the work, we noticed that our maintenance supervisor was home. The power came back on in our grid, and he was able to switch the breaker to get our apartment back on! Yay! Air conditioning! And he later helped us get the refrigerators out of the house. YUCK!!! But again, so glad it is done and we had help.





The Red Cross came through for the first time in our complex and delivered sandwiches, MRE's, water, and ice! YAY! I'm beginning to love the Red Cross. So now we have electricity, safe running water, cleaned/removed refrigerators and air conditioning. And I am writing you this email from my home computer. But we might have to evacuate again tomorrow due to Hurricane Rita. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but I am so glad that I know Who holds tomorrow. It is clear that staying here is not a realistic option for now. We don't have jobs, we don't have income, we don't even have mail. We've been using credit cards to pay for everything, so as not to deplete what we still have in the bank since we don't know how long that will have to last us. (Which for me isn't much in the first place.) The existence is at a bare minimum standard. We are still under dusk to dawn curfew and there is a LOT of work to be done before normal life can be resumed. For now we are asking God for direction on what to do next, where to go next. There are many things yet unknown.





Inside our apartment, it is as though everything is the same as one month ago, before Katrina. But stepping outside it looks like the end of the world has come. It is a very strange and somewhat unsettling contrast. While all this devastation has been happening, I know that God has been taking care of me. Yet while I know that God has been taking care of me, the reality is that New Orleans for the most part has been destroyed. And I suppose that's my point in sharing all of this with you, to try to paint a true picture...





If you have read this far, thank you. I'll try to keep this updated as it is relevant and as I have access to the Internet. In the meantime, thank you to those who have prayed and to all who have been so kind - friends and strangers alike - and wanted to be sure that I am doing ok. I am living day by day, hour by hour really, curious to see what the future holds.

Hurricane Katrina

I've evacuated the city because of Hurricane Katrina, and as of today (Aug. 30) it looks like it may be a while before I'll be going home. Please keep me in your prayers!

CNN talks about Doulas

We're in the news!! Even CNN has picked up on the benefits of doulas.

Read an article from August 23, 2005 about how doulas are Mothering the mother during birth.

Heidi L. Rau, Doula Extraordinaire!

Don't miss out!

Have you registered yet for my October class: Labor, Birth & Beyond?

In addition to a pregnancy overview and newborn care tips, you'll learn what normal labor and birth look like; what movements and positions to use to keep labor going; and how to use comfort measures to relieve discomfort and stay relaxed through the whole event.

You will also learn what you might encounter when giving birth in a hospital setting, such as common interventions and what your options are. There is so much more, but I can't cover it all here. You'll have to come to the class!!

Here are the details:
October 8 and 15, 10 am - 5 pm
5708 Airline Drive, Metairie
ONLY $100 per couple

Space is limited, so sign-up today! Registration closes September 17, 2005.

Is your house a wreck?

We all struggle with keeping our lives organized. How much more when a new baby is on the way (or has already arrived)? There are new additions of clothing, furniture, care products, and more. Not to mention the fatigue that often comes with late pregnancy and always comes with caring for a newborn.

There is hope! A doula friend of mine told me about the FlyLady. No, this isn't a comic book character. The FlyLady teaches quick and easy ways to get your home and your life clean and organized. Check it out at www.flylady.net and start seeing changes even today.

Move it, baby!

As a doula, one of the most frustrating things is when a woman's labor moves agonizingly slow, despite movement and good upright positions. It's been a mystery to me until now. I think I've found the answer.

In my reading lately, I have been learning about "optimal fetal positioning" or basically, getting baby into the best starting position for labor. There is a great site where you can learn about this online at www.SpinningBabies.com/BellyMapping.html. Gail Tully goes into great detail on how to determine where your baby is positioned, then how to position yourself so that baby will move (or stay) in the best spot.

Ladies, this is so important! If you can start labor with baby in the right position, his/her head will help the cervix to dilate at a good pace, and you won't have to wait while baby turns itself around during labor. (Or worse, face what can happen if it stays in the wrong spot - backache throughout labor, LONG labor, exhaustion, and sometimes a C-section!)

Spend the time reading and acting now (while you're comfy) and you'll spend less time in labor!!

Birth In New Orleans

Giving birth soon? Get prepared. Get support. Get what you deserve.

Every woman deserves a doula. "What's a doula?" you ask. Doula is the Greek word for slave. Specifically, a woman who serves another woman. And in contemporary terms, a woman who is trained to support a woman during labor and birth. Doulas provide emotional, physical and information support to laboring women and their families that will help to make labor and birth a more satisfying, empowering experience.

I'm a doula. You deserve me! Hire me today!

If you don't know your choices, then you have none. Learn what your choices are for labor and birth. Childbirth preparation classes that present "freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives" are sure to cover your options and prepare you to make intelligent decisions. My classes are conveniently condensed to fit in two Saturday sessions and are centrally located in Metairie.

My classes are accessible and invaluable! You need them! Register today!