1. Visualization This is my personal favorite as I know firsthand the power of visualization for coping with labor sensations. In my second birth story, I wrote about how practicing visualizations in pregnancy helped prepare me for the energetic shifts of labor, during which we experience an altered state of consciousness and move between brainwave … Continue reading My 3 Favorite Comfort Measures For Labor
Yes, I have biases. Do I consider myself a non-judgmental birth worker? Also yes, but judgments are not the same as biases. All human beings operate with inherent biases. So, how much do biases actually matter in the birth space? The answer is, I think, as much as you want them to. My agenda is … Continue reading What You Should Know About My Birth Biases
First, I would like to preface by saying I firmly believe in a birthing person's ability to bring a baby into the world without a whole lot of (or any) "stuff." I never use all the contents of my bag, I often rely on one or two things, and I sometimes even forgo all of … Continue reading What’s In My Doula Bag?
Here are my suggestions for things a freshly postpartum person may find quite handy, in no particular order… Organic EVOO Apply organic extra-virgin olive oil to your newborn’s bottom; this keeps meconium from sticking to skin and makes for much easier cleanup. Peri Bottle If you birthed at a hospital, they will let you take … Continue reading Top 10 Things You Need Postpartum
What does your care provider's bedside manner in prenatal appointments say about their disposition in the birth room? Well, it can give hints, or it can say nothing at all... When you meet in pregnancy, you're clothed, you usually meet one-on-one, you have your head on relatively straight, you're not in pain (hopefully!), and you're … Continue reading Care Provider’s Disposition in Pregnancy vs. Approach to Birth
