On The Blog
When you don't want to ask for help (but really need it)
Do you struggle with asking for help? Almost all the new parents I talk to say this. It is as if our culture has a desperate need for support, yet our desire to do everything perfectly for our baby makes us immune to the ability to ask for or receive help. It seems to really put us in a pickle when we have a new baby (or another need).
#100waystodoitright
I was inspired this morning by a quote I learned from my very first trainer and mentor in postpartum doula work (Vicky York). She used to say to mothers, "There are 100 ways to do this right." She has passed now, but I thought her memory could live on, not just in the words echoed from the doulas we have both trained, but in a meme and a hashtag for the world to see.
Doulas in the Hospital
Doulas are increasingly being asked to work overnight in the hospital due to hospitals implementing the Baby Friendly Initiative and becoming certified Baby Friendly.
How do I prepare my body for birth?
We need to know our options and the potential outcomes so we can make informed choices that fit our needs. Once I realized there were other choices that emphasized helping your BODY be prepared, and not just your mind, I thought I better share it for the sake of my people...
Why is my 6 week old baby so hard?
Remember those days when your baby stopped just going to sleep after feedings and woke up only to fuss much of the time he was awake UNTIL the next feed? And all the while you were trying to figure out how to eat more than a Cliff bar and grab a shower after 3 feeds seemingly back to back? Because your partner went back to work and you were left alone with a baby who seemed way easier when Daddy (or grandma, auntie, etc) was home?
Hair falling out after baby?
...take heart, mamas who are feeling saggy bellied, sparse-haired and generally worn out. This is not your show season, but it will return! And what a fantastic brag piece you have with that adorable baby you made in that body of yours.
Making life better with babies
When people here ask me what I do, I tell them I make life better with babies. Not better FOR babies, as parents usually do that really well even without support. Better WITH babies, as what doulas do is make the job easier on parents, and help them to be great with their own babies. And that makes parenthood feel a lot smoother.
The day my doula warmed up my coffee.
Doulas are different. Our job is not to come and “check on the babies” but rather to come check on the mother. We know that if mothers are well cared for, babies will be too.