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.
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.
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.
8 Practices for a Safe and Healthy Birth and Postpartum
Steps to take to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy and birth. Drink half your body weight in ounces everyday, eat 5 servings of fruits and 5 servings of veggies everyday, walk 30 min/day, get sunshine, eat ground flax seeds, do prenatal yoga, eat naturally occurring folate, eat a variety of healthy fats.
Breathing for Releasing Tension During Labor
Breathing and how to use it to cope with pain during labor and birth. Learn why we need to think about this helpful technique and how pain and discomfort experienced during labor and childbirth has a spectrum that ranges significantly. You may hear some stories of a fast and easy birth or a long and arduous birth or one that was very emergent or scary or extremely painful. Part of getting to a place of not being fearful is understanding what purpose the pain serves during labor and birth.
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!
Top Questions During Pregnancy
This is a time of change and growth and uncertainty in many ways. Each day we are faced with new questions and sometimes the answers are unknown. Here is a list of just a few of the questions I receive from my clients as well as my answers to them and additional links and resources.
Recommended Books, Videos, and Websites for Pregnancy, Childbirth, Infant Feeding, and Postpartum.
Gaining knowledge and then applying it to help make the best decisions for you and your family is key to being an active participant in the care you receive during pregnancy, labor, birth, and beyond. Check out these helpful resources to help you along your journey to giving birth.