Is it a coincidence that Mother's Day falls during Nurses Week this year? Of course it is but it did made me stop and think about the connection. A few things nurses have in common with mothers: charged with nurturing others extreme responsibility as they care for their patients and children hold emotional well-being in … Continue reading Nurse’s Week contains Mother’s Day. Coincidence?
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Mother's Day is one of those holidays that is filled with a myriad of emotions. It is a universal holiday in that we all came from mothers, but, like most holidays, does not come with universal feelings. I am eternally grateful for my mother. I know that everything she has ever done has been with my … Continue reading Mother’s Day Emotions
A wedding is to a marriage, as a birth is to postpartum. Think about how many hours go into planning a wedding. The venue is booked a year in advance, the dress is ordered and made, and the flowers and cake are ordered. Often though, not much time is spent on talking about how you … Continue reading Planning for Postpartum
Ok, so this isn't going to be a great story, just a short one about how I got started. It was a summer day, and I was meeting a friend at a local coffee shop. She happened to be pregnant with her first child, and I happen to be at the “end” of my parenting … Continue reading How I Became a Doula
This is such good information for a new mom. As babies are unable to tell us when they are hungry we need to rely on cues. But what are some of those cues? Check this out: Baby Hunger Cues
Mothers are some of the strongest people I have ever met. And they can be incredibly fierce when it comes to their children. The term “mama bear” brings to mind an animal who is willing to do anything to protect her cubs. But just as we need to handle a newborn with care, we need … Continue reading Handle With Care
I believe childbirth to be one of the most amazing things that a couple can experience. That's one of the main reasons I became a doula. But even if you are totally excited and can't wait for it all to happen, you can still feel really scared. Even if it's not your first time, you may … Continue reading Anxious About Childbirth
I recently read an interesting article about how children are simply different from each other. This is of course not new information. Children born at exactly the same time, in the same home, with the same parents will need to be parented differently. This can be frustrating for the parents, but I hope also freeing. … Continue reading Every Child is Unique
Doulas often talk about their "doula bag." This usually refers to the tools she brings with her to a birth -- hot/cold packs, a birth ball pump, a Rebozo, pony tail holders, personal toiletries, phone charger, etc. This blog post takes a different look at what should be "in the bag."
As a doula, experience is important. But is it what defines a good doula? Every client is unique and every pregnancy and birth is unique -- even if you've "done this before." With that in mind, experience is important, but not always "useful" as it will need to be adapted to the current situation -- … Continue reading Training v. Experience
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