Childbirth

How Doulas Nurture The Family Historically, people were able to lean on the experience of their family to navigate pregnancy and childbirth, but in our modern society, many find that relying on or receiving support from family is not always an option and hiring a doula becomes a critical support for people transitioning to parenthood. Maybe you live far away...

7 Ways To Prepare For Childbirth With your mind and imagination racing about all things newborn-related, when you are pregnant, it’s important to prepare for childbirth with the same intention and dedication. Support yourself through your childbirth journey by assembling your birth team, watching birth videos, taking a childbirth education class, visiting your birth location, writing your birth preferences, packing...

The Signs of Labor Waiting for the signs of labor to begin can be an arduous process, requiring lots of patience. You can’t help but look for the signs that your baby will be with you soon. As you near the end of your pregnancy, keep in mind that the range of healthy delivery dates can be anywhere from a...

How Much Does a Doula Cost   A doula is a birth professional who supports pregnant people and expecting families prenatally, during labor, and after delivery during the tender first days and weeks of the fourth trimester.  While a doula is non-clinical and offers no medical support, doulas provide emotional, educational and physical support. A doula’s support and services are...

Doula support is increasing in popularity among new families and for good reason. There is evidence that suggests doula support can increase satisfaction in birth and laboring parents report experiencing less pain. While using doula support cannot guarantee a birthing outcome (e.g. vaginal birth or no epidural), you’ll be happy you have an experienced birth professional by your side no matter what kind of birth you end up having, and especially if you end up needing a C-section, also known as cesarean birth. ...

In most cases, a pregnant body will begin the process of spontaneous labor on it’s own and there will be no need for any interventions to get things going. But for some people, there may be circumstances where the health of either the birthing parent or baby is in jeopardy and induction techniques are necessary to start labor and to ensure that every one remains healthy. ...

If you have had a cesarean birth, consider yourself one of many families who have done the same. In the United States in 2019, cesareans made up for nearly 32% of all births. It was once commonly accepted that if a person birthed their baby via cesarean, each subsequent baby must then also be a c-section, but it is now becoming more widely known that repeat cesareans are not always medically indicated and can sometimes present more risks than benefits. ...

Birth Preferences, more commonly known as Birth Plans, are a wonderful way to communicate your wishes with your support team and a great way to dive in, learn more about what your birthing options are, and to clarify what is most important to you during birth. Any uncertainties you have will make great talking points with your medical providers and with your doula. Birth Preference Sheets can be brought to one of your prenatal appointments to make sure that you and your midwife/OBGYN are on the same page about setting expectations for your birth. If, after a discussion with your provider about your Birth Plan or Birth Preferences, you feel like your provider or place of birth does not fit with your wishes, you may want to consider hiring a new midwife or OBGYN....

The third trimester is an exciting time as you think about welcoming your new baby and all that you have to do to become prepared. Maybe the days are whizzing by or maybe they are inching slowly, either way it can feel as though there is never enough time to finish doing it all! If you haven’t a clue of where to begin, or if you’re wondering if you’ve covered it all, use this third trimester “to do” guide to help organize and prepare. ...

What kind of touch do birthing people want in labor? If this is a question you’ve ever asked yourself as a loving partner or spouse, here are a few tips from an experienced doula and massage therapist who’s helped many couples like you find their way during labor. In some ways, the kind of touch birthing people want during birth is different and in many ways it’s similar to the kind of touch they appreciate when not in labor. Here’s what you should know. ...