Birth, Baby & Beyond Blog
Why Doulas Being in Essence Magazine is a Big Deal
When I began doula work in 2013, it was a thing that seemed pretty obscure. My parents hadn’t heard of it, and I found myself trying to explain what providing “physical, mental and emotional support” during pregnancy even meant to most Black women I spoke with. In...
Why Maternal Mental Health Feels Personal
Maternal mental health is important to me. I feel passionate about it, and if anyone ever asked me why, I could give a dozen reasons. I could talk about the importance of mental health for Black women- the birthing people I've focused on. Too often, the...
A Quick Resource for the Baby Formula Shortage
As I write this, lots of people are feeling panicky about feeding their babies, due to a baby formula shortage. I'm seeing arguments about whether it's insensitive or helpful to share breastfeeding resources, and advice to just return to homemade formulas... At DC...
What to Expect During a Cesarean Birth
When I first speak with a client considering hiring us for labor support, usually at some point in the conversation I ask if she has any idea about her birth plan, yet. Often, she’ll say, “I’d like to avoid a c-section.” And I get that. A lot of the fear around birth...
How to Have a Healthy Plus-Size Pregnancy
The average woman in the US is a size 16-18, according to a study released in 2016. That means that if you’re consider yourself plus-sized or fat and giving birth, you’re perfectly normal. Plus-size pregnancy is common. It’s likely though that at some point in your...
I Used to Be an Abortion Doula
My very first trained doula work was as an abortion doula. I don’t talk about this much. But in times such as these, where we have Supreme Court draft opinions that may change the options for pregnant folks, I want to be clear- I am not ashamed of...
Black History Month 2022 for (these) Black Doulas
It’s February! And while Black History is worth celebrating 365 days out of the year, we’re definitely happy to take a month to celebrate. So here’s how this team of Black doulas is observing our illustrious history (past, present and of course Black futures): First...
Can you have a birth plan in a pandemic?
I was reminiscing the other day with someone about a birth doula client who I met in the Spring of 2020. She was due that summer, and as we sat in her living room (masked, probably not quite 6 feet apart), and frankly feeling a little nervous about all the things that...
2021 in Doula Review
Happy Belated New Year! Yes, although being a labor and postpartum doula doesn’t lend itself to me being super aware of the day of the week, I do know that it’s firmly 2022. I had plans to share reflections sooner, but here we are. I’m hoping you’ll give me grace, as...
A Guide to Interviewing Your Doula
It's time you find the right doula. So you’ll probably go to google, ask friends, or get a recommendation from your provider, to find out your options. And then, you’ll likely spend some time doing at least one doula interview. Clients usually aren’t completely sure...
In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within oursleves.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn