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 […]
What We Know About Cannabis Use in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Continue reading »
I am betting THAT got your attention! As labor doulas, as childbirth educators, we spend much of our time helping clients who have asked us to help them avoid routine medical intervention. Not every couple who attends childbirth classes or hires a doula wants an unmedicated birth, but it has been my experience that most
Helping Clients Embrace Medical Intervention Continue reading »
People ask me frequently how to get doula jobs and specifically how to seal the interview. These are capable people with skills; they just really want to know how to shine during a time of high anxiety in anticipation of getting a job (or not)! I also frequently hear the “You’re not the doula for
Winning Your Interviews! Continue reading »
The CAPPA Vision Imagine a world…Where women are encouraged to trust their bodies. Where myths about pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, and breastfeeding are dispelled. Imagine a world…Where women are given the tools they need to make informed decisions about their pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and breastfeeding experiences. Imagine a world…Where education does not use guilt
Moving from Imagination to Reality – Achieving the CAPPA Vision Continue reading »
The majority of families plan on breastfeeding. In the United States alone, 81.1% initiate breastfeeding in the hospital. Unfortunately, little is being done to help families reach their goals if breastfeeding issues arise or if mothers have to be separated from their infants. In fact, most medical professionals will recommend formula feeding in these situations.
Breastfeeding Support Equals Breastfeeding Success Continue reading »
The percentage of mothers returning to work after delivery within 3 months has increased in the last 50 years. [1] With 1 in 4 women returning to work within 10 days after birth, one-third returning after three months, and another third by six months. [2] Working mothers continue to be among the fastest growing segment
Breastfeeding Friendly Workplaces Influences Breastfeeding Duration Continue reading »
I came into doula work shortly after the birth of my first son who was a #borderbaby. I was one of the few Alabama woman who choose to birth across the state line to Tennessee to receive care from a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and have an out-of-hospital (OOH) birth. This choice was easy for
5 Tips for Supporting a Home Birth Labor Doula Client Continue reading »
The act of bringing your mind into the present moment—meditation, mindfulness, centering, or whatever term you use to describe it—is a tool we all have at our disposal to help manage stress and anxiety. But the term “meditation” can be intimidating to many, as it congers up an image of a robed Buddhist Monk or
Here and Now: Guiding Our Clients into the Present Moment Continue reading »
What is childbirth, really? Is it just about getting a baby out? Of course not! It’s also about becoming a family and working hard to discover what our bodies are brilliantly capable of. As doulas, it’s our job to see our clients through the process, to witness their transformation before our eyes, as they dig
Transforming Pain as Doulas Continue reading »
I had this interesting conversation with my client the other day which had to do with what people think they have the right to say when perhaps they should keep their comments to themselves. This has to do with breastfeeding, which is very close to my heart as I believe that is the best start
“Milk Jugs, Tits, Cow” Continue reading »