If you’re a regular on our blogs, then let's review what collaborative care means from Linda Kimball in the Journal for Healthcare Quality:
“Collaborative care is a system of patient care delivery that focuses on the achievement of outcomes within effective and appropriate time frames and resources. It addresses the entire episode of illness, bridging all clinical settings in which the patient receives care. Through the collaborative efforts of multiple caregivers, a plan of medical care is mapped out that results in a clinical path. The clinical path can improve satisfaction levels for patients, nurses, rehabilitation staff, and physicians by establishing a method of reinforcement for everyone involved in efficient delivery of care.’’
We always tell our patients during the consultations about who we are as a chiropractic office and one of our core ideologies is providing patient-centered care. That means that we will get you what or where you need to be to make sure your care is the best possible. We preach collaborative care and this is our way of giving you information on just a few people we can and do work with!
I met Bethany what already feels like a long time ago, but was only about a month back. She put a call out onto Facebook for local birth workers which I will be forever thankful that she did! It has given us all a little tribe of amazing women who care about pregnancy. Bethany owns Boulder County Birth Services! She started off as a RN in Cardiac and Med/Surg medicine, but once she had her first kid, she decided to become a doula and it meshed with her medical life perfectly. She has taken many classes and became a Birth Boot Camp childbirth educator that specializes in decision making and advocacy. She has experience with all types of births, from high-risk, to unmedicated and everything in between (VBAC, twins, Caesarean). She firmly believes in an informed birth and you know what? We love some good informed consent in this office too.
Now that we know the definition of collaborative care and who we are talking to this week, let’s dig in:
WC= Zach and Brynn BM= Bethany Melton
WC: What do you do, when should women start coming to see you, and what can they expect?
BM: I am a birth doula and child educator. Moms hire me anywhere from 5 weeks pregnant to 39 weeks. Ideally 20 weeks is a great time to start thinking about taking a birth class and hiring a doula!
WC: What situations do you refer to a chiropractor?
BM: I encourage all of my clients to see a chiropractor regularly- the pelvis is not a stationary bone- and in birth that is a great thing - however, the more “lined up” the pelvis is before birth - the easier time the passenger and the driver will have with the process. Also chiropractic is great for helping babies line up in the best position and overall aches and pains of pregnancy.
WC: Can someone see a chiropractor and doula at the same time? Are there situations you DON’T recommend both?
BM: Of course any one should and can see a doula and chiropractor at the same time. I alway think the more people you have on your team and in your corner when it comes to pregnancy, birth, and parenting - the better. There is never a bad time to have either!
Well, there you have it!! Bethany is fantastic and you will be in supportive hands should you decide you would love to work with a doula!
Are you pregnant and want to jump in on a Birth Boot Camp class with her? Give her a call! She has limited spots left! Bethany’s contact info:BoulderCountyBirth.com303-885-0938
Did you know Dr. Brynn wrote a blog about doulas? Scroll down to "Let's Talk About It: Doula's" blog! You won't be sorry!
See you next week!
