Blog – CAPPA

Investing Your Doula Time and Money Wisely

October 28, 2019 November 21, 2019 / 7 minutes of reading / Business

One of the greatest opportunities, and downsides, of doula work is the overwhelming number of ways you can invest in your business through expos/events, membership in organizations, and by attending educational workshops, seminars, retreats, and trainings. These choices can benefit your business greatly by exposing you to new potential clients, increasing your professionalism, and expanding …

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Newborn and Infant Sleep Tips

October 21, 2019 November 20, 2019 / 6 minutes of reading / Postpartum, Safe Sleep

As a busy Postpartum Doula, the thing I get the most questions about is SLEEP! So, I want to share the tips I give my families to help make their transition to a life with a newborn a little easier. The first thing I share is that expectations about sleep with an infant will “kill …

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The Mother-voice

October 14, 2019 October 29, 2019 / 3 minutes of reading / Motherhood

“There are very few times in life when women are as vulnerable as they are during the birth process. It is important to not let vulnerability keep us from owning the process and being the decision makers about our bodies and our babies.” [1] Oftentimes childbirth is misunderstood as a predictable and orderly occurrence, rather …

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Working with LGBTQ Parents

October 7, 2019 December 3, 2019 / 4 minutes of reading / Educating

Many LGBTQ people become parents through adoption, insemination, pregnancy, stepchildren and/or fostering children. Be aware that your language around parents; “Mom” or “Dad” may not always apply. Be sensitive when referring to partners/ support people and ask for clarification if you want to know the terminology they’re comfortable with. Transgender Terminology to be Aware Of …

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Childbirth educator holding a baby model in front of a class.

Postpartum: How Can We Do More as Educators?

September 30, 2019 November 7, 2019 / 5 minutes of reading / Educating, Postpartum

We have all heard the saying, “We spend months or years preparing for the wedding and no time is spent preparing for the actual marriage”. The same can be said for how we approach educating expectant parents for the postpartum period. Parents will spend weeks preparing for the labor and birth but seek out little …

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Inside Black Breastfeeding Week with Co-Creator Kiddada Green

August 26, 2019 October 29, 2019 / 6 minutes of reading / Black Breastfeeding Week, Breastfeeding / 2 Comments

The month of August is National Breastfeeding Month. This month-long celebration culminates with Black Breastfeeding Week (BBW). This year’s theme is “The World is Yours: Imagine. Innovate. Liberate!” As an African American woman, I breastfed my babies the best I could, without having the resources or help that my counterparts received when they breastfed their …

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Cord Clamping: Patience Pays Off

August 26, 2019 October 29, 2019 / 3 minutes of reading / Educating, Labor Doula / 1 Comment

Did you know that when your baby is born, 30% of his or her blood will still be in the placenta? Waiting to clamp and cut the cord will allow your baby to receive this vital blood. Babies who get delayed cord clamping, or as it is now being called, appropriately timed cord clamping, have …

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Blackboard with the words "How, What, Why, Where, When Who" written on it.

How To Find Evidence-Based Information

August 26, 2019 October 29, 2019 / 9 minutes of reading / Educating / 2 Comments

We are evidence-based doulas and educators! We base our training and our practice on the most recent scientific research. So, when a client asks you for the latest research on something she is concerned about…where do you go? Books? A textbook? Journal articles? Popular blogs? Special interest sites? Social media? There is no type of …

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Find a Mentor or Be a Mentor

August 26, 2019 October 29, 2019 / 3 minutes of reading / Educating / 1 Comment

I’ve been in a few situations lately where the role of mentor was defined, celebrated and encouraged. My son participates in a mentorship program at his high school. The students get high school credit for spending 2-4 hours a week working with a mentor in a field of interest to them. My son works with …

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What We Know About Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

April 22, 2019 October 29, 2019 / 10 minutes of reading / Breastfeeding, Educating, Labor Doula, Postpartum / 1 Comment

I have spent the last two decades as a birth worker, doula trainer, and labor & delivery and maternal child health nurse. I have been able to support families from prenatal education and yoga, labor and delivery, to watching children and families grow in so many directions. I have been hearing the same question tossed …

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