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Teaching Breastfeeding, Talking about Breastfeeding and, well, Actually Breastfeeding…

Right now, I am teaching breastfeeding classes, seeing private lactation clients, training women to become lactation educators, and actually breastfeeding a newborn…so needless to say my life is boobs and milk! For me, the subject has two completely different sides. When I am teaching and working with clients, I am the educator that shares scientifically-proven,

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On Call and Ready to Roll!

You’ve done it! You’ve completed doula training, found your first clients, and life on call is about to begin. Have you thought about what you need to be ready to boogie out the door at any moment? The excitement of getting the “come now” call from a birthing person is even better when you know

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Let Your Superhero Out

I find every year after conference my mind is buzzing.* Maybe it’s a 2 am insight or a random thought. This year the superhero social made my mind buzz about strengths. Each one of us holds our superhero inside. What can you do to let your superhero strengths out? First of all, do you know

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Encouragement to Teach Preconception/Early Pregnancy Education

During the 2017 CAPPA Conference in Portland, Maine, I saw the excitement of the faculty and attendees on the organizing of a New Parent Educator Course at CAPPA. As a childbirth educator for over 45 years, I have seen how few parents nowadays, shows a natural skill for parenting. Many new parents have never babysat

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Guiding the Way Together – A Word from Lansinoh

Presented by: Lansinoh I was twenty-eight and pregnant with my first child. I knew about breastfeeding, having seen my stepmom and my sister-in-law nursing before. Yet, I was unsure of what lay ahead of me after I made the decision to breastfeed for myself. I was excited and scared, nervous and anxious. I was not

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Finding Your Niche

As a former biology instructor I always encouraged students to observe their environments, as they are ripe with individualized roles that are filled by a species with a unique skill. The world of childbirth education is similar. While the variety of options that exists could be endless, with the right research and evidence at your

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5 Simple Tools for the Self-Actualized Doula

“Self-actualization” is a term that comes from Abraham Maslow, a leading figure in the Positive Psychology movement. Self-actualization refers to the “realization or desire for self-fulfillment.” In other words, it’s the motivation to realize one’s full-potential. As doulas, we place a lot of emphasis on self-actualization, whether we know that term or not. We do

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Helping New Mothers

One of the most common phrases I hear the new mothers wonder about is, “Is my baby ok?” Since we are professionals in our clients’ homes, it is easy for new moms to ask us all kinds of questions relating to their baby’s overall health. Our role as doulas is non-medical and strictly informational support,

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A Special Place

“Imagine yourself in your special place.” As I write today, I am making plans for our annual family visit to a very special place—Campobello Island, New Brunswick. It is a very small island in the Bay of Fundy with a population of little more than 1000 people, limited cell phone service, and very sketchy internet

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The Art of Networking

Networking has changed quite a bit from when I started in this field many, many moons ago.  In a technological world, we are quickly becoming more connected and disconnected all at the same time.  Before the Internet and social media was a thing, we used to have to actually make appointments with others and have

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Safe Sleep Support and Practical Advice for New Parents

Presented By: Shari Criso MSN, RN, CNM, IBCLC Newborn babies will spend most of their early life, up to 16-17 hours per day sleeping. Beyond feeding and making sure that baby is getting everything they need to develop and grow optimally, we want to make sure that they are ALWAYS safe! As a Registered Nurse, a

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Meet Your Cognitive Bias

Earlier this summer, I was walking to my mailbox when I spotted a snake on my sidewalk. It was a tiny ribbon snake, completely harmless, yet I was barefoot and I immediately jumped back. My heart was racing, my breathing rate increased, my palms got sweaty. And then, I noticed the snake wasn’t moving. It

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Building Inclusive Bridges with our Language

Stereotypes hold their own birthing story. And, if we know anything as true advocates for birthing families, it’s that life is constantly evolving and taking on a new truth based on the context around it. Looking at life without the surrounding context is like taking a shortcut without considering the scenic route; you’ll never know

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A Site Worth Sharing – Information on Cerebral Palsy

A Cerebral Palsy Resource for Families Cerebral palsy is a neurological condition that a child may be born with, caused by brain damage or brain malformation during fetal development. It is one of the most common disabilities of childhood and it is one that has no cure, although it also does not get progressively worse.

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Melatonin – Not Just Beneficial For “Jet Lag”

As a childbirth educator and labor doula trainer, one of my favorite topics is that of birthing hormones. Oxytocin, melatonin, endorphins, adrenaline and prolactin all work in synchronicity to help the birth process move forward. More specifically, melatonin acts as a catalyst to enhance the amount of natural oxytocin released. This in turn, causes the

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Make the Connections

For the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve on the planning committee for a community event: The Birth and Family Wellness Fair.  This fair promotes holistic family health and birthing options. I have seen the positive effects this event has in our community and urge others to sponsor or support events like these in their areas. I worked with

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Nitrous Oxide in Labor and the Precautionary Principle

An increasing number of hospitals in the United States are offering nitrous oxide to women in labor since the FDA approved new equipment for use in labor in 2011. Among other things, a hospital is a business competing with neighboring hospitals for customers. If they get you to come there to birth, you could become

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Connect More

Over the years, I have graciously and humbly watched my practice and experience grow and change.  A decade ago I was flourishing as a private practice Labor doula and childbirth educator for clients fortunate enough to pay for such birth services. Today, I work with young women who have multiple struggles every day, from poverty

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A Preventative Approach to Early Breastfeeding

We have all learned and become very educated about the importance of the first hour after birth, skin-to-skin contact, infant regulation, breastfeeding, etc. We know that infants who are allowed skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth for at least an hour are better breastfeeders. But does every baby become a better breastfeeder because of this practice?

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Who is Our Target Audience? Breastfeeding as a Universal Topic

Recently, I was invited to present the Certified Lactation Educator Training at a state-of-the-art educational facility that was equipped with all the “bells and whistles.” The equipment was intimidating and resembled something I had seen recently while watching a futuristic, sci-fi movie.  The retracting screen was the only equipment I was vaguely familiar with. Fortunately,

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It’s Not Everyone’s Dream Birth: Understanding the Emotions of a Fast Labor

I will never forget the off-hand comment that changed the course of my life forever.  I was sitting in the living room of our first home, holding my fresh, newborn daughter, Willow Grace, just 5 days old.  Our labor doula had come to our home for a postpartum visit. We happily discussed how breastfeeding was

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Breastmilk is Breastmilk!

How often have you heard the words “foremilk” and “hind milk”? What thoughts or phrases come to mind almost immediately when these words are discussed? Fat milk or high calorie milk Watery milk Lactose intolerance Green stools Milk imbalance Keep baby on one breast until he comes off on his own Feed baby only on

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The Season of Motherhood

Having lived a bit more than a half a century now, I find that one of my favorite words is “seasons.” Maybe because I’m a die-hard Pete Seeger fan and love the way he took words from Ecclesiastes and turned them into a catchy song, most notably made famous by The Byrd’s Turn, Turn, Turn. “There is a

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Lactation Education: Vital for New Moms

Lactation education is vital for new moms and their support persons. Statistically, those who form a decision to breastfeed prenatally are more likely to be successful. Breastfeeding should not be considered a controversial topic. If we shared breastfeeding information the same way we educate on car seat safety and back-to-sleep practices, perhaps we would see

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Maternal Mental Health: Our Role as Birth Professionals

In September of this year, the local birth and mental health communities in my area teamed up to hold a showing of the movie “Dark Side of the Full Moon.” If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly suggest that you find or sponsor a screening.  It follows two women on their two-year journey to understand

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Preeclampsia: The Cure is Birth, or Is It?

As an educator, doula, nurse, or lactation professional, how many times have you heard that birth cures preeclampsia? Is this true? A cure is “a complete or permanent solution or remedy; a recovery or relief from disease” (Merriam-Webster, 2013, para 1). As the following quote details, preeclampsia does not always just disappear with the birth

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The Use of Essential Oils and the CAPPA Professional’s Scope of Practice

Essential oils: the original medicine. They’ve been around for thousands of years, and recently, they have gained in popularity. It seems like everyone is using them – or at the very least hearing about them. In my own family, we’ve started using essential oils on a daily basis for a wide variety of ailments and have

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CAPPA Summary of “Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery” developed by the ACOG

 CAPPA Summary of “Safe Prevention of the Primary Cesarean Delivery” developed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologist (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine (SMFM) Read the full document here. An integral part of the CAPPA mission is to support the right of families to make informed decisions about pregnancy, childbirth, the

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The Slippery Slope of Supplementation

    There are a few pieces of education that can prevent unnecessary supplementation of formula or unintentional weaning. One problem is that many people misinterpret baby behavior. A baby communicates various ways. He uses body language, head movements, hand gestures, and crying as forms of expression. The crying stage is usually what brings on

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