PART ONE: This one’s for you dads and partners!
When we talk about birth preparation, a lot of the focus goes to the birthing person: how will they cope? how will they get through? what do they need to know?
Which makes perfect sense. Labour is an intense and transformative experience that takes a person to their edges and then asks for a little bit more.
So while 2020 has been The Worst, that doesn't mean your birth has to be too - you deserve calm, peaceful energy around you as you prepare to bring your baby into the world.
And as long as your baby is still inside your uterus, you can still hire a doula. (Once, I was hired by someone ALREADY IN LABOUR so if you aren't in labour yet, you're literally ahead of the curve!)
Of course, your doula will show up and take care of you and feed you ice chips and wipe your brow and help you through contractions. That's actually just a small part of what we do.
Our culture has a passionate love affair with the estimated due date. I mean – we don’t just love it. We wine and dine it and send it roses on Valentine’s Day.
The first thing you do when you find out you're pregnant? Find a due date calculator to figure out when your baby will be here.
The first question you're asked when others find out you're expecting? “What's your due date?”
Once you have that date, you put it in your calendar, look forward to it, wait for it, count down to it, and (heaven forbid!) if you go past that date you'll often feel anxious (at best) or full blown panic (at worst).
Here's what might be going on.
Have you ever found yourself leaving a care provider's appointment thinking "What just happened?" and wishing you had a few more minutes with them to figure out what they were recommending AND how you feel about it?
If so, here are five questions to consider:
The doulas are the guides.
When the way feels uncertain and unknown the doulas pause, hold the space, and ask the questions until your way forward declares itself. Doulas know how to hold the unknown. We know that the world is rarely black and white. When we hold our fear in the light we observe the uncertainty. Naming the fear and allowing it to be held in safety offers up the opportunity to see solutions.
Doulas know their fellow doulas are our net and the safe place to land when the fear gets too big. Doula work is community. We are community and we are love. To my doula colleagues out there doing their work, this one is for you.
It’s been a week, eh? I don’t know about you but I am feeling saturated with information and a little overwhelmed with changes, so today I’m keeping things super simple here.
Here is a recipe for eggless cookie dough (perfect for pregnant folks). Not to be baked - just for eating! 😃
Enjoy!
My 17 year old self would never have guessed that my life would end up here….a husband (who works out of town), three kids (each with a different mom), a roommate, dogs – and all of us living together in one home.
I would have guessed the kids part, and the marriage part, but that’s where the similarities would have stopped – I never would have guessed I would be living the blended family life.
My vision of life was simple – instead, I have had to learn to co-parent, manage other people’s family dynamics on top of my own and, in the process, have discovered an existence that is vibrant, complicated, and 100% worth it.
I am a mother of three children: an adopted daughter, a stepson, and a biological daughter.
Stephanie and I recently took the four-day DONA International Postpartum Doula Training here in Calgary taught by AJ Hadfield, PDT/PCD(DONA), CD(DONA), CLE. With so much valuable knowledge shared with Stephanie and myself, we wanted to share some of the wisdom with you directly. I sat down with AJ to share her experience on what families REALLY need to know about bringing their new baby home. Here’s what AJ generously offered us.
We were honored to support more than 90 families in 2019! Thank you so much to each person who invited us to care for you this year. It was our honor and privilege to support you and to bear witness to your transformation into parenthood.
Placenta encapsulation is undergoing a new revival in western culture and is a rapidly growing service being sought out by birthing parents who desire a more natural approach to postpartum recovery as well as the multiple benefits that have been reported. So, it’s not unexpected that questions would arise as they spend time researching.
As birthing parents seeking professional services, knowing you’re making an informed choice is important in receiving the postpartum care you desire and deserve. Always look for a trained and qualified Placenta Specialist who is happy and eager to answer any questions you may pose them. Placenta encapsulation is still a largely anecdotal practice but more and more scientific research is being conducted, which is both exciting and positive. This research helps in answering those questions and concerns that you may have, so let’s get started with some of the common questions and objections I receive.
As a lactation educator, I hear commonly asked questions when I support new families. This list of the top three questions and my responses to my clients offers some practical information on breastfeeding your newborn. Whether you are an experienced breastfeeder or entering breastfeeding as a first-time mother or parent, this information will help you establish breastfeeding with your newborn.
Pregnancy after previous loss (miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal loss) is a complex time. For the pregnant person it is a time of joy but it can also be filled with intense fear, anxiety, worry, and isolation. It is a time where the external world meets your pregnancy in celebration but doesn’t always make space to hold the other emotions that come along with it. Society’s lack of acknowledgement can make you feel like you are alone, that maybe something is wrong with you for not being 100% excited, joyful, or connected to your pregnancy.
