Postpartum

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Black History Month – Birth Artist Cheyenne Varner

With the theme “African Americans and the Arts”, Black History Month 2024 gives us the opportunity to meet black artists and their art that brings attention to the black maternal health crisis we are currently experiencing . Cheyenne Varner is a certified birth and postpartum doula and founder of The Educated Birth, and Everyday Birth

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Book Review of “You Are Not Alone” – An anthology of perinatal mental health stories

Book Review of You Are Not Alone – An anthology of perinatal mental health stories from conception to postpartum You Are Not Alone By the Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative 2022, Wintertickle Press , Barrie, Ontario Revised by Suyin Jordan CPD, CCCE, CNPE I heard about this book from the 2 parents who started a

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Changing the Way We View and Treat Mastitis

As doulas and educators, it is vital that we know about updates in research so we can pass along evidence-based and accurate information to our clients and students.  One of the newest updates in the area of lactation addresses mastitis and “blocked” milk ducts.  This new information is really challenging the way we view the

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Prenatal Psychological Support Can Positively Impact Baby’s Emotional Well-being

Prenatal mental health can significantly affect the unborn child and its future development. According to research, women experiencing depression or anxiety before or during pregnancy may be at greater risk of having a baby with cognitive, social, and behavioural problems later in life. It highlights the importance of perinatal mental health support for both parents

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What to teach your clients to help their pelvic floors heal postpartum

Let me tell you a little secret about the pelvic floor in the postpartum period…it’s an unsung hero! Issues with the pelvic floor are often dismissed as a “normal” part of having a baby, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Mommas are already dealing with so many changes during pregnancy and postpartum that

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Trauma-informed Approach

What is trauma-informed? Be trauma-informed is to recognize that trauma is very common in people’s lives. Simply put, “There’s a story behind every person. There’s a reason why they are the way they are. They aren’t just like that because they want to be. Something in the past created them, and sometimes it is impossible

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How To Become A Postpartum Doula And Why It Might Be Right For You

If you become a postpartum doula, you will have the opportunity to provide emotional, informational and physical support to a new family during one of the most important, memorable periods of change. Have you ever wondered if becoming a Postpartum Doula might be right for you? If so, then you’ve also wondered how to become

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Updates to Our Postpartum Doula Scope of Practice

Laura Nance – CPD, CLD, CLE®, CCCE, CPFE, Faculty, Senior Program Advisor CAPPA recently made changes to the Postpartum Doula Scope of Practice.  These changes reflect the needs of postpartum doulas and the work they do with families. First, let’s talk about why a Scope of Practice is even necessary.  It comes down to two

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5 Ways Postpartum Doulas Can Achieve Marketing Success Without Instagram

We all know we have to have a social media presence these days to market ourselves. It is a great way tell the world about us and the services and support we offer. There are many experts that will attest to this and please listen to them to get your presence felt. If you are

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Teaching and Activities for Baby’s Development 0-12 Months

Although our roles as educators and doulas don’t typically extend for the first 12 months, I’ve found that parents LOVE learning about what’s coming, what to expect, and how to support their baby’s development.  Here is some information about physical, emotional, and cognitive development in the first year.  In 12 short months, there are leaps

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Protecting Yourself and Your Clients as a Postpartum Doula During the COVID-19 Pandemic

These are unprecedented times as there has not been a serious health situation such as coronavirus/COVID-19 in recent history. This has left many postpartum doulas wondering how to handle in home support for clients. As evidence-based professionals, we want to follow the guidance of the most recent and relevant information; this could include the CDC,

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Adjusting in the 4th Trimester—All Hands On Deck!

As a doula agency owner, I have the privilege of speaking with 30 or more new and expecting parents each week.  I hear their stories, their struggles, their excitement, their worries and a slew of myths and lies that they have been told and believed.  The lie that gets me every time is: EVERYONE DOES THIS ALONE! 

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Sitting the Month – The Chinese Confinement Period

As a Malaysian postpartum doula of Chinese origin, a large proportion of my clientele are Asian (Chinese).  I have supported quite a few Asian clients who observed the traditional practice of sitting the month or Zuo Yue Zi or Zhor Yuit. I am sure a lot of postpartum doulas are aware of this tradition, but

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

Postpartum: How Can We Do More as Educators?

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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What We Know About Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

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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Supporting a New Mother’s Ability to Parent

Providing care to a new mother and her newborn is a privilege that should not be taken lightly as a healthcare provider.  Everyone that plays a role in either educating or participating in physical and psychological support must ensure the new mother feels safe and cared for in her ability to take care of her

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How to Create a Safe Zone for Communication: 3 Tips To Help When Talking To Families

Working as a Postpartum Doula is one of the greatest passions of my life! I have been so fortunate to support many moms around the country with education on how to care for their precious, new bundle of joy! Even as a seasoned doula, I am constantly still learning from my families. Creating a safe

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Working with Your Beliefs and Biases

I’ve seen many internet posts recently on doula support platforms, discussing how doulas should deal with clients who make choices contrary to individual beliefs or strong biases. Topics such as circumcision, religious rituals, marijuana, and alcohol use are often the source of conflict in these posts. As I read through the MANY responses I was

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A Book Review – Round the Circle: Doulas Share Their Experiences

They say that experience is the best teacher. However, another person’s experience can be an even better teacher. That is the idea behind the collection of doula experiences by CAPPA Faculty Member Julie Brill, CCCE, CLD in her book, Round the Circle: Doulas Share Their Experiences. The title gives a great glimpse into what the

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Am I A Good Mom?

When women become Mothers, there is great expectation about our ability to care for, nurture, protect and respond to our babies and children.  There may even be an assumption that we all know how to do this.  It’s in our DNA, right?  When I work with Moms on day 2 or 3 postpartum; parenting toddlers, school-aged

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Evaluating Credibility in Everyday Sources of Information

As critical consumers of information, it is necessary to evaluate the credibility and legitimacy of resources, especially on the Internet. In a world of free information, which is without guidelines, monitoring, and representation, truth and lies can be as difficult to determine as the supermarket tabloids in the checkout stands. Anyone can post anything in

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Three Techniques to Try if you Want to be a Better Listener

Being a good listener is one of the most crucial skills a postpartum doula will utilize. Although many of our clients won’t hire us just because they are looking for a good listener, time and again my clients have noted feeling validated, heard, and understood in testimonials. Thankfully, it’s a skill that can actually be

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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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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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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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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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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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