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.
Empowering Choices: Using the B-R-A-I-N Method for Informed Decision-Making Throughout Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond
Informed and shared decision-making during pregnancy is essential for empowering expectant parents to navigate their journey with confidence and clarity. By embracing the principles of transparency, collaboration, and respect, healthcare providers and parents can work together to explore all available options, weigh the potential risks and benefits, and make decisions that align with individual preferences and values. This approach not only fosters a sense of ownership and autonomy but also ensures that expectant parents are equipped with the knowledge and support they need to make informed choices that best suit their unique circumstances.
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.
Push It Real Good
In childbirth, pushing positions are game-changers. Opting for gravity-friendly positions, like hands and knees or side lying, enhances comfort and pelvic alignment. Comprehensive childbirth education and doula support empower informed choices aligning with personal preferences. Water births provide unique benefits, offering pain relief and supporting movement. While epidurals offer pain relief, they limit movement, emphasizing the need for advocating position changes. Chiropractic care and pelvic floor therapy ensure optimal pelvic alignment. The key? Empowerment and advocacy, shaping a positive birthing experience through informed decisions and personalized choices.
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.
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.