The Doula Shop

Every day for the past week and a half, I have freaked out about the mess our house has become. When we get around to 'cleaning' (more like disguising the disa...ster, haha) it’s a mess again in what seems like only hours later. Brandon took this because I wanted a picture of my daughter napping on me, but when I saw it, I actually laughed at the clutter surrounding me. Time is a thief. One day, I will look back and not remember the chaos but instead moments like this...when my baby was little enough to cuddle up on my chest and make me feel like the luckiest person on planet earth. Today, I’m making a promise to myself to pause more and take in what a beautiful, messy, crazy, heavenly time that these first months are (and have been)." : @jennnacross #Repost @haakaanz

Have a friend who is expecting? Please share ! Prenatal yoga is a beautiful way to connect to baby and our own inner power. Focusing on breath, meditation and asanas that will help with common discomforts in pregnancy and asanas to help labour go more smoothly

https://fb.watch/2QpZjMoIY3/ With all the restrictions we are experiencing during the pandemic it may feel like options for prenatal education are limited... We want you to know that we are here, continuing to support our community! Join us for a hands on workshop where you and your partner can share your wishes/concerns and learn hands on techniques to assist in labour!

Yes, prenatal education is still accessible and valuable during a Pandemic. If you are looking for a comprehensive workshop that will help you feel more inspired about your pregnancy and birth then send me a note. Spaces are limited!

Love Connection Empowered parents, working as a TEAM to give a beautiful welcome to their most beloved gift And still some people please ask...... WHAT DOES... A DAD DO DURING LABOUR? he accompanies her he supports her he holds her he keeps her hydrated he feeds her he changes her he bathes her he dresses her he combs her hair he massages her he kisses her he hugs her he empowers her, making sure she knows that only is she doing well but that she’s doing REALLY WELL he whispers loving words in her ear he bounces her on the birth ball he guides her in activities and breath he puts on music for her he sings to her he asks her to dance with him he reminds her of her affirmations he talks to their beloved gift he gives her confidence he makes her feel secure he protects her privacy and intimacy he loves her he holds space for her he himself is born in unison with his baby as a father, and evolves himself as husband #Repost @mymidwives Posted @withregram @mthrlover repost @tesoromaspreciado ojo: i’ve translated their original post myself, but you can read the original caption in comments (PS I’M NOT CRYING, YOU’RE CRYING ) See more

The Golden Hour This time is just for you. For your baby. For your partner. ... Measurements can wait. Visitors can wait. The whole world can wait. This time is for you. To meet this soul that has and will change your whole life. For them to know you. To bond, and nourish, and love. This time is for you. #Repost @doulaheathertaylor @catbrownbirthstories They travelled the winding path of labour and birth completely in-tune and connected to each other every step of the way. A beautiful empowered birth story and a perfect baby girl all sealed with a kiss. www.sacredmoments.ca .

Joyanna and I documented a birth for a blind mother this weekend. She wanted images and a film that she will never be able to 'see' with her eyes. She trusted ...wholeheartedly that we would be able to provide her with imagery that was so full of emotion, memories, and love that she would be able to 'see' them with her heart. She wanted to 'see' her baby crowning and it just so happened that when the time came, she reached down to feel his head, he came out completely and into her arms. As he lay on her chest, his hands instantly went up to her face as he explored her. She wanted to 'see' her placenta and the nurses obliged, holding the bucket above her chest as she explored every slippery detail of this glorious organ that she grew. I will never understand what it is like to be blind. To not be able to see your children's face in the way that I understand vision. But I will say that I have never stood next to a woman that could see the world more clearly than this woman. Her version of color is felt with her finger tips, her ears, her nose and tongue, and mostly, with her heart. : @lindsey_eden_photography and Joyanna Goslovich #Repost @superpregnant_

Some very bold statements however very true indeed. Hiring an obstetrician as a low risk mama is like hiring a surgeon in hope that you get a non invasive proce...dure. Obstetricians are usually called in when there is some sort of complication and emergency and they are amazing when that is needed but most births especially ones that are low risk to begin with in pregnancy will go as planned if we just left things alone and enabled physiology to take over. Midwifery care in this instance is the gold standard of care for women wanting to achieve a physiological birth as they are trained in that and believe in the essence of physiology and women’s bodies and what they are capable of. Research the model of care you are choosing for your birth as that is an essential element that will dictate how your birth will be. #Repost @thefreebirthsisters Birth is a normal biological process. Period. This isn't to say emergencies don't happen. They do - just as emergencies happen in our day to day lives. But as a society, we hyper focus on the danger of birth instead of the normality of it. You cannot see the full picture without asking: how many birth 'emergencies' are caused by the very same people we trust to 'safe guard' the process for us? When those same people intervene to prevent potential scenarios, yet in their intervention cause other scenarios, what are we gaining? How much harm is caused by those who swear to 'do no harm'? When you peel back the layers of birth after birth story, you begin to see the shocking truth. Birth, distorted and captive, a caricature of what it can and should be. Birth, enslaved by a system designed to control and subdue it all in the name of 'safety'. The cost? The mental, physical and emotional wellness of women and babies - the very core, the fabric of our society. Speak this. Know this. Claim this. *Birth is a normal biological process.* Period. . . . #normalizebirth #freebirth #autonomousbirth #familybirth #unassistedbirth #birthinpower #thisisbirth #truthtellers #motherhoodrising #motherbaby #radicalbirthkeepers

Say hello to 10lbs 10oz of pure perfection. She was what we call LGA, aka extra fluffy Large for gestational age is a term used to describe babies who are bor...n weighing more than the usual amount for the number of weeks of pregnancy. LGA babies have birthweights greater than the 90th percentile for their gestational age, meaning that they weigh more than 90 percent of all babies of the same gestational age. Because of the increased risk of low blood sugar in LGA babies, your midwife/nurse will check sugar levels after the birth, so try and get baby latched or ask your doula to help you self express some colostrum asap. PS- This sweet girl was born naturally & vaginally and weighed the exact amount as her big brother #Repost by @northdallasdoulas

I’ve heard so many people talk about umbilical cords around the neck and how dangerous it is, and in reality it is rarely an issue! #Repost @reframingbirth with... @get_repost ...Nuchal Cord... This image is absolutely outstanding! I know what you are thinking though, that cord around the neck... A high percentage of babies are born with the cord wrapped around their neck, known as a nuchal cord, perhaps as much as 1 in 3. Many people assume that this has a detrimental effect to the baby, but this isn't generally thecase. You see, a baby doesn't breathe like we do, whilst in the womb. They don't rely on air entry through their mouth and into their lungs. All of their oxygen and blood supply comes via the cord. Therefore, if the cord is wrapped around the neck, it doesn't effect gas exchange. The baby cannot really be strangled by the cord. Yes, if the cord is tight around the neck, it can be squeezed during a contractions/surge and this can momentarily occlude oxygen and blood from passing to the baby, but in general this effect is no different than if the cord wasn't around the neck. A potential, rare issue it could create is if the cord is very short and also wrapped around your baby, this could prevent them from being able to move down the birth canal effectively. Sort of like dangling something on a rope, that you just can't reach! Babies are birthed through the cord or it can be slipped over the head once the head is born. Rarely, if the cord was very tight and the baby was unable to be born through it, it may need to be cut before the body is born. Our bodies were made for this and the cord is super clever in the way it provides for your baby. @laurenanddouglas.birth #nuchalcord #yourbodygrewyourbaby #birthpreparation #hypnobirthing #Repost @betterbirthuk