Blog

Doula work in the time of COVID-19

Doula work in the time of COVID-19

I was recently invited to write a guest blog post for Pathways to Family Wellness. I focused on a question I have been hearing a lot lately from clients, friends, and family: what is doula work like now with social distancing? Check out the blog post here. I am so grateful to clients who allowed me to share this photo of what it’s like introducing your new baby to family these days. <3 This was the only birth I have…

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Virtual Doula Support in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Virtual Doula Support in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Pregnant and wondering how viral risks, new hospital and provider policies, state regulations, and more will affect your birth? Feeling nervous about facing your birth without your doula by your side? Hearing that some birth places are pushing people to have more interventions and wondering how this may affect your birth plan? A virtual doula might be a great help for you. Normally, you, your birth partner, and your doula meet one to several times during your pregnancy to guide…

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SIDS prevention and breastfeeding

SIDS prevention and breastfeeding

New parents and expectant parents often ask me about the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). SIDS is still the leading cause of death for infants between the ages of 1 month and 1 year, but education and control of environmental factors have helped reduce SIDS deaths in the US steadily for decades (the risk is now approximately 1 in 2000 according to the National Institutes of Health). But we still want to do all we can to protect…

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Family-centered or gentle cesarean birth

Family-centered or gentle cesarean birth

Lately there’s been buzz about options for family-centered cesarean or gentle cesarean births. But what does that mean for families pursuing this option? How do you know what your options will be? How is this different from a traditional cesarean birth? In many hospitals, a cesarean birth means that parents will not get to hold their baby right away. In some cases, they may not even get to see the baby immediately; instead, baby may be routinely whisked away for…

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Great holiday gift for mom-to-be

Great holiday gift for mom-to-be

With just one week until Hannukah and less than 3 until Christmas, are you looking for a great gift idea for a special pregnant mom in your life? Give the gift of doula support! Help her have a more satisfying birth or provide her with that essential helping hand she’ll need once the baby arrives. Gift certificates for doula support are available in any denomination. Order now!

5 Ways to Increase Your Odds of VBAC Success

5 Ways to Increase Your Odds of VBAC Success

You had your last baby via cesarean birth. You’re pregnant again and wondering whether you can have a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) this time. Maybe you’ve heard stories of people getting pushed into cesareans they didn’t want or being told their hospital won’t support VBACs at all. So what can you do if you really want that VBAC? Here are five tips to increase your odds of VBAC success: Connect with your local ICAN Chapter. ICAN is the International…

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A doula for every type of birth

A doula for every type of birth

I often hear from people who as questions like: Do doulas support births for people planning to use epidurals? Do doulas support cesarean births? Do doulas support people who are not planning on “natural” childbirth? Do doulas support people whether or not they are planning to breastfeed? Do doulas support people birthing at hospitals? Birth centers? Home births? The answer to all these questions is YES. Doulas do that! It’s a misconception that doulas only support people planning on unmedicated births (could…

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New moms: It gets better

New moms: It gets better

Sometimes when we’re in the thick of it with a tiny newborn who refuses to sleep, won’t let us sleep, or just won’t be consoled, it can feel like things will never change. Like the It Gets Better campaign for harassed LGBT youth to hear from those on the other side that there really is a light at the end of that tunnel, it can help new moms to connect with other women who have been there and see a vision…

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Is it getting easier to continue breastfeeding?

Is it getting easier to continue breastfeeding?

Recent data from the US Centers for Disease Control shows that Pennsylvania is behind the national average in terms of breastfeeding, but the numbers are increasing. According to the data, 71% of infants born in PA in 2012 were ever breastfed; 48.9% are still breastfed (whether exclusively or not) at 6 months (national averages were 81% and 52%, respectively). What’s interesting is that while there was a 4% increase in Pennsylvania infants who’d ever breastfed since 2000, there was a 12%…

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