Love the Bump
5980 Tecumseh Rd East N8T 1E3 Windsor, ON, Canada

I am in love with birthing balls! They are so versatile. I use them often with helping my clients find a comfy position. #doulashavebigballs

I love doula life, but being on-call gives me an extra appreciation for these rare family vacations! #offcall #missingit #longislandsallday

The more births I support, the more this statement checks out #everybirthisdifferent #everybirthisbeautiful

Did you know that, after your water breaks, fluid will continuously leak out while you're in labour? This is because your body has no sensors knowing that your amniotic sac has ruptured and will continue to replenish fluids until baby is born.

Birth partner tip: don't be distracted by the fancy mountain drawing machine! Yes, it's mesmerizing and can play the magical sound your baby's heart rate through the power of ultrasound! But your partner is even more magical and even more mesmerizing. They are birthing a tiny human, after-all. So let your nurse pay attention to the fetal heart monitor while you focus all your attention on your partner. Better yet, if possible, opt for intermittent monitoring so that no one is distracted by that fancy mountain drawing machine!

I have to apologize for being completely MIA this past month! I'm not going to lie, this second lockdown is kicking my butt! Juggling kids being home 24/7, helping with virtual school, attending a plethora of January births and running my business has been a major challenge. I haven't even managed to get tooth fairy money for this little guy yet!! But I promise, I will be back full force soon. How are you guys hanging in there?

The year 2020 was, well, weird to say the least. Hey, some of you even had babies during all this craziness! Mad props. I supported 25 families during the birth of their baby, the majority of which had girls. Seriously, I don’t even think the latter part of 2020 knows what a Y chromosome looks like. Here’s what else went on at Love the Bump this year:

Mental health check-in! How’s everyone coping with this new lockdown? I’ve heard from some clients who are relieved to have the solitude and privacy during pregnancy and postpartum, and from others who are really missing their families. What about you? What are you doing to keep connected and sane? All you introverts out there, feel free to share your pro tips!

Look at that cord! I think umbilical cords are so beautiful. But they can also be deceiving to the untrained, overwhelmed and weary eye. It's not completely uncommon for a new father to announce "it's a boy!" as their baby girl is born #thatsnotapenis

Here we go again, another COVID update! Man, these are so last season. But in any case, here is how the grey lockdown has affected things here at Love the Bump: DOULA SUPPORT: No changes there, you can still have your doula with you. {big sigh of relief} GROUP PRENATAL CLASSES: All prenatal classes will be conducted via Zoom while Windsor-Essex is in the grey lockdown zone of the province’s framework. Don’t worry, virtual classes are still as fun and engaging as in person cla...sses (I know, I was surprised, too!). Those registered in my January classes should prepare for Zoom to be the likely format, but I will update students individually in January when I know for sure. PRIVATE PRENATAL CLASSES: Yep, you guessed it. Zoom for the win!

What do contractions feel like? This question is probably one of the most asked question during my prenatal classes. I wish I could answer it with more accuracy and conviction but, truthfully, I have no idea what contractions will feel like for you Everyone is different! This is one of my catch phrases. Trust me, I get just as annoyed giving this answer as you do hearing it. But it’s honest. If these past 10 years of birth work have taught me anything, it’s that pre...dicting what someone might feel, how they might react, or how labour might unfold is pretty damn near impossible. But, I’ll give it a go!... So, what do contractions feel like? Well, everyone is different (see, told you I’d say that)! Many birthers feel their contractions in their lower abdomen and would describe them as menstrual cramp-like sensations, but more intense. They are often described as feeling like a wave, because their intensity slowly rises, peaks, and then slowly decreases. But others feel the sensation down their thighs, in their back, in their butt or in all of those places! Some magical birthing unicorns report feeling almost nothing at all and then suddenly they are pushing out a baby! Hey, chances aren’t high, but maybe you’ll be one of those magical birthing unicorns?