Sometimes I run across some confusion about what doulas can and can't do for a client. Doulas possess knowledge and skills that are very different from that of a midwife, nurse, or OB. Although some of the skills might overlap between these roles, there are very clear boundaries that doulas follow in order to keep …
When I was pregnant with my second baby, my midwife told me that preparing to give birth was like training for a marathon. I pretty much blew her off because I'd already given birth (which wasn't terrible), and it seemed NOTHING like what I imagined running a marathon would be (pretty much like the worst …
Continue reading "How preparing for birth is like training for a (half) marathon"
I recently completed a 10K, and I wanted to share a few thoughts that I had about the experience. It was too much for me to write, and I just couldn't figure out quite how to write about it. I decided that a video would do a much better job at capturing my thoughts. Summary: …
Continue reading "How running helps me celebrate other women"
Most of my doula clients and Birth Boot Camp students are seeking a natural childbirth. Even if they do not want an unmedicated birth, they still want to avoid a Cesarean birth as much as possible. While there is no way to predict birth or guarantee outcomes (isn't this pretty much true for all of …
WIC-friendly Rating: 9/10 Ingredients: 1 Zucchini 1 Sweet Potato 1-2 Eggs Butter Seasoning Cooking spray Cooking time: 20 minutes Directions: Preheat oven to 400° F. Peel, rinse, and slice sweet potato. Cutting it into fry-shaped pieces is optional and for funsies. Just make sure it is cut into small pieces. Place on a baking sheet …
Continue reading "Easy, Cheap, and Healthy: Fried Eggs and Sweet Potato Fries over Zoodles"
The following post is a collective account of friends and clients who have shared their postpartum experiences with me over the years. It is our hope that our stories will help those who read them. The personal stories at the end were gathered more recently, and I would like to give a special thanks to …
Continue reading "Life with a new baby: the first two weeks"
When you hire a care provider to support you during your birth, they will want to monitor you and your baby during labor to ensure everyone is tolerating the process well. Most care providers use some sort of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) to monitor your baby's heart rate during labor. There are two types of …
Continue reading "How electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) impacts your birth"
There is a movement that has been taking over the doula community, and that is the idea that doulas provide unbiased support. Maybe some do. Maybe some doulas have completely purged themselves of every ounce of bias they've ever possessed. However, I am not there yet, nor will I claim to be 100% bias-free. I …
More and more I am seeing my Birth Boot Camp students and doula clients being diagnosed with low amniotic fluid levels as they near the end of pregnancy. It has gotten to the point that if they are in my class during the summer months or if they have a due date near any major …
Continue reading "What to do if you have low amniotic fluid"
Sometimes my two worlds collide. I have a background in music, so I often use what I have learned from that world with my doula clients. Most people understand the power of music; from the mood-enhancing benefits to the intelligence-boosting. Music calms, energizes, inspires, and beautifies our world. It helps people accomplish things they didn't …
