The Doula Group

An impressive and local panel of wisdom... coming up this week! https://www.georgiancollege.ca//the-black-experience-past/

International Women's Day is coming up! This would be an inspiring way to celebrate... with Experience Collingwood and a panel of wisdom. March 8th. See post for details.

It's Pancake Tuesday! A fabulous plan to stay home, be well, cuddle up, and pour on the maple syrup. Thank you Mayor Jeff Lehman for heeding the caution. #stayhome #pancakeTuesday #thedoulagroup... https://www.barrietoday.com//ontario-reopening-must-be-cau

This here is Love. Wishing you a Happy Love Day with your mates, babes, and people. Frolick at home, online, or outside... make sure it's a day to reach out for love and to love. Image from Doula and Wisdom @bstereo ... follow her pages and work on Instagram for more of this lovely joy.... Image Description: Brandi Sellerz (black woman, mom, Doula) of @bstereo, breastfeeds her baby, laughing while looking at her older child whose torso and animated hands can be seen beside her. There is a yellow flower on the nursing baby's forehead. #ValentinesDay2021 #valentines #lovelife #LoveisLife #willyoubemyvalentine #familymatters #valentinesdaywithkids #valentinesbaby #thedoulagroup #OntarioDoulas #letstakeadeepbreathtogether #birthmatters

Thanks for the fun ideas Barrie 360 Great ideas for Family Day Weekend with just the two of you , or with littles, and even from afar through online fun. Enjoy! #FamilyDay #TheDoulaGroup

Holy Holly Balls y'all!! How can we support small business AND the amazing Christmas Cheer Barrie during this Holiday Pandemic Season?!?! Listen hear and find out!! This Holiday Season is looking very different this year; giving during the Pandemic is more difficult both for the giver (with potentially limited funds), and for the receiver (higher risk of touch points etc.). Here's a win-win option! If you haven't experienced yummy goodie kits from Cakes by Design this is the ...year to start! Their Cupcake Kits are fun (and divine!!) and perfect for the Holidays! AND for each Kit sold, Cakes by Design will donate directly to the Christmas Cheer Barrie campaign! Christmas Cheer's goal is 1800 families this year! EIGHTEEEN HUNDRED FAMILIES! And all of that is dependent on MONITARY donations this Pandemic year. That's a huge goal but totally doable because we know how amazing our communities are. And hello? DONUT, Gingerbread House and Gingerbread People kits too?! Who's ordering their Cupcake Kits today!?

Wisdom, care, compassion, support... The best gift to give a pregnant loved one... it's a gift that will keep on giving for her lifetime. Ask us how we can help you gift Doula services to a loved one, friend or family, a family in need, or a bereavement family. #giftideas #doulacare #thedoulagroup #pregnancyandinfantloss #maternalsupportfund #familyconnectionsfund

Here's a shout out to the care providers who catch babies every day! Throughout this Pandemic, baby catching hasn't stopped. Midwives, Obstetricians, Nurses, Pediatricians, Respiratory Therapists... they all share an end goal... helping your comfort and keeping you and your babies safe. We have been supporting clients throughout Simcoe County and York Region towards the later stages of the Pandemic, mainly at home births and always with proper PPE. Some lifting of the 2-per...son labour support restrictions in hospitals is happening. (Insert double fist pump here!) Our Team is ready to care for our clients in hospitals whenever restrictions are lifted by the individual hospitals. Our Doulas share the same end goal for you. We are a Team, we are your Team. In the meantime, a huge Woot Woot to baby catchers, mama supporters, and family advocates in our Labour and Delivery units and at home as they continue to juggle the dynamics of policies and maternal care through this wild ride of a Pandemic. Pictured is a quiet and gentle moment with Nurse and Baby during the Baby Wellness Check (taken in hospital, PRE-pandemic, by Doula Debra). #thedoulagroup #birthteam

"Be Kind to Yourself," said to every client at some point during the Doula/Client journey together. At some points in life, don't we all tend to want to be more, or less of who we are? This can be amplified during pregnancy as you're waiting for your little one to arrive, during labour when your mind is wanting one thing but your body is doing another, or during those first days postpartum when questioning thoughts of not doing the best for your baby take over. Day three p...ostpartum can be a tricky day... potentially a day when milk comes in, hormones are dumping, AND Baby is having a growth spurt and therefore is more fussy. BAM! Welcome to parenthood! It can be a hard 24 hours, and easy to blame ourselves for not being enough. A perfect time to be kind to yourself. Understanding that everything that's happening has a physiological explanation can help you to be softer on herself. Get cozy. Bring in your Bubble who will support you. Eat comfort food. Watch a comedy. Do nothing but doze, cry, snuggle, look at your baby, be served, and let people love you. And... love who you are. Whatever today brings, recognize that you are enough... be kind to yourself. Are you being kind to yourself? In whatever you are doing, we wish this for you today. #thedoulagroup #daythree #bekindtoyourself #selflove

Ontario numbers. We're seeing them rise daily. But what we aren't seeing daily anymore are the praises for the essential workers. Why aren't some people listening to those on the ground floor of this Pandemic? Labour isn't biased... it will come in and out of a Pandemic, there's no waiting. Thank you Midwife Melissa of Midwives of Headwater Hills for giving us permission to share your honest words. Melissa is a former Doula, client, and now a busy and dedicated Ontario Midwif...e. "Emotionally exhausted" and yet continuing to do the work that she loves. This Pandemic isn't over. And babies are still being caught, safely with compassion and dedication by our essential Ontario Midwives ... "Wow. This image struck me. Working in hospitals and home, close to large numbers of people is starting to feel harder again. I feel safer around my clients and controlled settings because they are masked, and less safe at Birth because my clients aren't quarantined anymore like they were in the Spring, and of course labouring women in my community are breathy, vocal, shouting, powerful, and unmasked. I can count potential risks of encounters from almost every day, which leaves me in a state of feeling on edge and questioning every time I clear my throat if this is it. How do you teach someone to breastfeed without getting close? How do you deliver a baby without a team gathering around, how do you keep going when every day might be the last 'normal' day? I'm feeling fresh off a couple of weeks off and I do so truly love my work, so I won't claim burn out, but I'm emotionally exhausted." Image: source unknown. Please comment if you know original image source so we can properly given them credit. #MidwifeMelissa #MidwivesAreEssential #OntarioMidwives #TheDoulaGroup #WearAMask

SOUND ON: here's 2:49 mins of pure relaxation and a hot 2 mins to destress and swoon. Who's feeling the need to feeling zen? Also, let's take a moment to chat infant bath time... it doesn't have to be a routine to add stress. Who likes a breezy sponge bath?! Submerging your wee one safely in warm water can add a relaxing activity during the week (doesn't have to be daily). We suggest for infants to make bath time a day-time routine as it can add stimulation not needed for ni...ght-time sleep, and then moving it to a night-time routine as they get older. (Hot tip: have everything ready for drying off; warm towels with a heating pad can the transition.) Did you know your birth and/or postpartum Doula can help if you are feeling unsure about bath time? The kitchen sink is a lovely place for a hands-on tutorial with your Doula. Just ask! Now back to the delicious twins and swooning and spa music. Zen out. #thedoulagroup #babybathtime https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=198249340359201

Thought we'd take this day to make sure y'all know Doula Shannon Graham since it's her birthday and we can't do all that we do as a team without her! Shannon is the person who keeps us organized and on track, and if you've contacted us to inquire and ask questions about Doula care or otherwise, you've been the lucky one to have had Shannon on the other end of the line or email. With care and compassion, Shannon honours each of you as you journey through finding answers and she continues until you have them. She's a mentor to our Doulas and a light for each of her clients... all with grace and wisdom. Thank you Shannon for being with us and being an example of "Doula" for us to live by. Have a fantastic sunny birthday! Xox

It's a beautiful day for a walk. Why not make it a "Bridget's Run"? IT'S NOT TOO LATE to register to make your time outside TODAY deeply count. There are "Bunnies" who've already finished today and others planning for this afternoon. Bridget's dad, Mathew, has already shared his run experience early this morning... he's missing his baby girl more and more each year. We will be outside today honouring Bridget and her family, the babies we have personally lost, and in support... of our community's families. Your funds go directly to build Loss Kits for our area hospitals for families of stillborn births. Items of direct support to help them navigate, learn, feel comfort before they leave the hospital and after they go home, with empty arms. Super easy registration here... you can make a difference for so many families: https://raceroster.com/events/2020/33187/bridgets-run-2020 Bridget's Bunnies event Bridget's Run 2020

October 15th is recognized internationally as a day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death. It's an opportunity for those who haven't experienced such a loss to recognize and learn. This loss is not rare, it's not to be hidden, it's not shameful, and it is to be talked about. Never underestimate the importance of your eyes to see, ears to hear, and voice to be silent while others voices are truly heard. No timelines, no expectations, no box to fit their grief ...in. Our words and expectations are powerful and can be hurtful. Let's be gracious, heart full, and willing to simply listen. We pause on October 15th to say we see you, we hear you, and our hearts are with you... not only today or this month, but always. If you'd like to support locally to help families who have, or will, experience loss of their babies please touch base with Bridget's Bunnies Aubrey's Act PILO NSM - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Outreach of North Simcoe Muskoka and Hospice Simcoe #PAIL #pregancyandinfantloss #breakthesilence #thedoulagroup Inclusive text: image of the back of a women in a cream coat walking in an open field. See more

Book review by Doula Laura. "This is a beautiful board book for children. It is filled with photos taken by a collective of Indigenous women photographers called Tea and Bannock. It is also filled with beautiful messages about life, love and gratitude. I highly recommend adding it to your collection" What a lovely baby-shower or Blessing Way gift! Contact your local independant book store for "May We Have Enough to Share" by Richard Van Camp #bookreview #thedoulagroup #DoulaLaura

Give credit where credit is due. Your Journey. Your Strength. Your Power and Wisdom. As Doulas we talk a lot about fears; they are brought in from childhood, from relationships, from watching others parent, from friends and family sharing experiences, from media, and social media. Working them through is good, before labour (even maybe before pregnancy). Fears need to be validated. Myths need to be busted. Truths need to be brought to light. And it is beautiful on th...e other side of fear, and sweat, and pain, and growth. On the truth side. We’d love to help you work things through, and journey with you over the threshold. #MentalHealthMatters #MaternalHealthMatters #BirthMatters #TheDoulaGroup Inclusive text: graphic of white marble background with the quote by Debra Bowser (Doula), "When you step through the threshold of Fear, be ready for the beauty that lies on the other side. Don't give Fear the credit though. That credit goes to your own strength and power." See more

Beautiful letter from Sophie Grégoire Trudeau for all of our young girls on #InternationalDayOfTheGirl

Wooohoooo! We're over here being thankful for Pregnancy life and Parent life. (Maybe not so much Pandemic life.) Wishing y'all a weekend full of thankfulness, clean health, and the warmth of pumpkin and spice. May your hearts be full. ... #ThanksGiving #TheDoulaGroup Inclusive text: white marble graphic with text, "The only thing getting lit this weekend is my Pumpkin Scented Candles." #PregnancyLife #ParentLife #PandemicLife See more

Moments old... the latchy lips, the soft newborn body hair (lanugo), the squished ear, the matted hair, the skin-to-skin, the comfort, the relief, the oxytocin flow. Taking in all the squish and oxytocin on this last day of National Breast/Chest Feeding Week And a reminder that there's so much more to feeding our babies than filling their bellies. As we are also in #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek the mental health of mothers and parents always needs to remain top priority.... #NationalBreastfeedingWeek #TheDoulaGroup #MoreThanJustMilk #YourChoice #MaternalHealthMatters Photo by Doula Debra of The Doula Group, taken pre-pandemic. Please tag if reposting to honour this beautiful dyad. Inclusive text: close image of the profile of a baby latched on and breastfeeding. See more

It's s been 7 months....and winter is looming. Mental health issues related to our lock down and the Pandemic are especially hard for people with depression and other mental health disorders. CMHA National / ACSM National The Canadian Mental Health Association has a 24-hour helpline: 1-833 456-4566. The relapse and overdose rate has increased by 30% since March 2020. Team Care is providing free addiction counselling as well as a 5 week OTR outpatient addiction program: 519-...250-5524 We all have our own struggles, so be kind always. #MentalIllnessAwarenessWeek #BeAware #mentalhealthmatters CMHA- Simcoe County

And mmmmm, mmmm, mmmm.... that oxytocin flow of "ecstasy" is real for mamas to! We are in the midst of National Breastfeeding Week (Oct 1-7). Remember that your milk is much more than simply feeding your baby. If you aren't sure about how you want to feed you baby and/or the full benefits of breast/chest feeding for both you and your baby, talk to your Doula about supports/referrals available, tips and tricks... there is no space for judgement or bias in Doula care. Each of o...ur Doulas at The Doula Group will support your feeding decisions. What does that look like? Prenatal support, initial feeding support in your birth space, further visits to help if you are struggling and/or for encouragement (whether you are breast/chest feeding or bottle feeding), resources for formula alternatives including dietician referrals, bottles and safe formula preparations, prepare bottles of milk/formula for you so you can snuggle with your baby... The choices are yours and we will support your choices. #TheDoulaGroup #NationalBreastfeedingWeek #InformedChoice #FlorenceWilliams Inclusive text: white marble background graphic with the text, "Human Milk is like Ice Cream, Penecillin, and the drug Ecstasy all wrapped up in two pretty packages," by Florence Williams. The Doula Group's logo included.

This is the "Why." Filling a huge need with loads of love from Bridget's Bunnies and Team RVH. Please consider supporting by participating with your family, friends, or co-workers in Bridget's Run 2020 on Oct 17th. This annual fundraiser will look a little (pandemic) different this year, but the awesome gift of support remains the same. By following both their pages you'll get all the fun run/walk details and see all the fun swag too! Please join us! #pregnancyandinfantlossawareness #PAIL #BridgetsBunnies #TheDoulaGroup #PregnancyAndInfantLoss

Do you know the facts about Choriocarcinoma? Choriocarcinoma is a malignant and very aggressive tumour which originates from the placenta, it is aggressive and therefore can rapidly spread. It can occur in the womb shortly after pregnancy, molar pregnancy, a miscarriage or a termination of pregnancy (abortion). It can be mistaken as a pregnancy (showing a "positive" on a pregnancy test, fatigue due to anemia, spotting, abdominal swelling) and therefore may be detected too ...late for successful treatment since pregnancy is assumed. Know the facts, talk to your care provider, ask about a simple blood test postpartum before your final 6-week visit, be informed so you can protect yourself. On this October 3rd day, in honour and love of our friend and Doula Sarah Turpin and family #TheDoulaGroup #Choriocarcinoma #ForSarahsKids #BloodForTurpin Inclusive text: Image of a story board set in a hydrangea bush with pink and white blooms. Story board reads, "Choriocarcinoma. A simple blood test can save your life!" See more