Birth, Baby & Beyond Blog
Advice from a Doula During the Coronavirus Pandemic
“Don’t quit on a bad day.” I heard a lactation consultant give this advice to a mutual client of ours once. I can remember sitting next to this woman on her sofa, with a huge cup of water for her in my left hand, and rubbing her back in circles with my...
Establishing Your Birth Plan
You’re pregnant, and your due date is approaching. The closer you get, the more advice you hear about how to get through labor and birth. Repeatedly, people ask you, “So have you written a birth plan, yet?” But everybody skips a step by asking you that. How do you...
What if I’m Afraid of Giving Birth?
I think that fear of childbirth is a huge motivator in hiring a doula. It seems like I’m not supposed to say that to you if you’re pregnant. I suspect that a lot of doulas want birth to be seen as a glorious rite of passage, that we’re all excited about. I’m...
How to Find a New Parent Group in DC, MD and VA
With a new baby, comes a new phase of life, and new concerns. And for some of our clients, this new phase comes with the need for new friends- mom friends and a parent group. This happens a lot if you’re the first among your friends to have kids. On...
Dear Doula, I’m Worried About Postpartum Depression & Anxiety
Dear Doula, I’m going to have a baby. And everyone is telling me how excited they are for us, and how happy I must be. And I am! So happy! But also… There’s this lurking fear at the back of my mind about bringing my new baby home. What about...
New Year, New Me?
It’s the first week of 2020. It’s the start of a new year, and a whole new decade. So during the times that I’m sitting at my desk procrastinating a bit, everything I see on my newsfeed is either a recap, or a declaration of hope for the future. It's time for New...
What Happens to My Newborn Baby After Birth?
Our birth clients typically come to us with some idea of how they want labor to go, and writing that part of the birth plan is pretty intuitive. But when we first ask them how they feel about the typical newborn procedures at their hospital, we sometimes get a deer in...
Self Care Tip: Have a Dance Party
“Dance it out!” is a saying for a reason- dancing brings us joy. And during pregnancy and the postpartum period, dancing can do SO much for us. As a self-care tip, and a tool for healthy pregnancy and recovery after birth, it’s definitely underrated. Now, I’m...
How to Use the 5 Ss to Soothe a Newborn
As a new parent, keeping a baby calm and happy is a really big deal. A crying, overstimulated baby is like nails on a chalkboard to a new parent, and can trigger all kinds of feelings. Is my baby hurting? Is something wrong? Am I the "something" that’s wrong?...
Making Your Own Holiday Traditions with a New Baby
The holiday season is a lot y’all. I don’t even have kids, and I occasionally find myself anxious about whether I’m doing it right. When you add in a new baby, and postpartum recovery (which continues for a whole year, in my opinion), then decking the...
In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within oursleves.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn