Doula Blog
Guidance, resources, and wisdom from a team of doulas and childbirth educators to help prepare you for a safe, healthy, and empowering pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond.
Understanding Labor Progression: 6 Important Things Every Expectant Parent Should Know
Understanding labor progression is essential for expectant parents as they prepare for childbirth. Labor progression involves several key stages: Cervical Changes, Effacement and Softening, Dilation, Baby's Position, and Baby's Rotation. By recognizing these stages, parents can better understand the process of childbirth and prepare themselves for the journey ahead.
BeHerVillage: Transformative Support for Your Pregnancy Journey
BeHerVillage fosters community collaboration, turning gifting into a shared celebration of your journey. Ready to explore? Our comprehensive guide walks you through registration, service selection, and enjoying the benefits. Motherhood changes everything, and BeHerVillage ensures the support you receive evolves with you.
Packing for the Big Day: Essentials for Labor and Postpartum Stay
Prepare for your special day by packing these hospital bag must-haves: comfortable clothing for labor and postpartum, essential toiletries, energy-boosting snacks, entertainment, important documentation, and personal comfort items. Don't overlook a change of clothes for your partner. Tailor this list to your preferences for a relaxed and enjoyable birthing experience!
Nurturing Your Body and Easing Pregnancy Discomfort
During the remarkable journey of pregnancy, your body undergoes remarkable shifts and transformations to accommodate the growth of your little one. While some of these changes may bring about discomfort, making everyday activities like sleeping more challenging, it's important to understand that stress can often play a significant role in intensifying these discomforts. Indeed, stress has a tangible impact on our physical well-being.
Labor Pain: The Important Role it Serves During Childbirth
Childbirth is an extraordinary journey filled with awe-inspiring moments and a wide range of emotions. Along with these beautiful moments, however, comes labor pain - an integral part of the birthing process. While the idea of enduring pain may seem intimidating, it is crucial to recognize the important role it serves during childbirth. In this article, we will delve into the significance of labor pain, shedding light on how it benefits both the mother and the baby.
How to write an effective and meaningful birth plan
Exploring the Assumed Norm and Gaining a Fresh Perspective for Optimal Safety and Health. Writing a birth plan is important but the process of creating your birth plan is where the true value and growth exists. You may have heard someone say "Birth plans are pointless!” or “You can't plan your birth, so why have a birth plan?”. We are here to tell you that I agree with part of that statement. You can't 100% predict or plan your birth but you can reduce your fear and uncertainty and increase your confidence as you prepare for your upcoming birth.
What are the benefits of a birth doula?
What are the benefits of hiring a doula? There are many benefits to having a doula as part of your birth support team. Learn all the ways a doula can support you in an evidence-based, individualized, and compassionate way. Having a doula as part of your birth support team can help you have a safer, healthier, and more satisfying birth experience!
My Mission for Childbirth Education
As a childbirth educator, my goal is to promote normal birth, build women’s confidence in their ability to give birth, and ultimately provide the knowledge and skills birthing people need to give birth normally in the current maternity care system. In order to meet these goals, we need to help birthing people learn more about the normal birth process and identify their options.
Balanced Nutrition: Healthy Pregnancy & Birth
If you desire a birth free of (or minimal) medical intervention, one step you can take is to ensure you are getting the proper nutrition for you and your baby. To keep it simple, start with ensuring each meal includes Protein, Fat, Fiber, and Greens...with a small side of healthy carbs. Below is a list of healthy options to consider as well as some of the evidence supporting the connection between balanced nutrition during pregnancy and positive birth outcomes.
Easy No-Bake Protein Balls
Great for pregnancy & postpartum snack as well as a healthy snack for the whole family. These can be a staple in your house and they are great to share with friends, family, and new parents after they have a baby. They are delicious and nutritionally dense and they happen to also support your milk supply!
Positive Affirmations for Pregnancy and Birth
Birth affirmations are not only for birthing people desiring an unmedicated birth. Birth affirmations can help keep you focused and centered throughout pregnancy and your birth no matter what type of birth you desire. The goal of affirmations is to help keep you grounded through every aspect of the birthing process including times when events arise that are stressful and diverge from your original birth preferences.
7 Reasons to Hire a Doula
A doula is a person, typically without formal obstetric training, who is employed by the birthing person to provide guidance and support during pregnancy, labor, and birth. A doula is a person trained to provide advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a birthing person before, during, and just after childbirth. Doula’s help to support birthing families through the life changing experience of having a baby.