Birth, Baby & Beyond Blog
Do I Really Need an Induction?
“I’d really like to have a natural birth, if possible.” “I just want to labor at home as long as I can.” “I heard pitocin make contractions so painful! I want to avoid that.” “I want my baby to finish cooking, and my body to do this on its own.” As doulas,...
What You’ll Learn in Our Childbirth Education Class
Knowledge is power, right? So why would our labor and delivery experience be any different? Enter childbirth education class! Even if your sex education class was 25 years ago, or left our birth completely, we’ve got you. Giving birth doesn’t have to...
Three Things to Do to Prepare for a New Baby (That You May Forget)
Hey you! I see you growing a baby. And I see the checklist that you’re making with all the things you still need after the baby shower. You have enough clothes, but can you ever have enough diapers? Did you get the changing table you wanted, and when is...
A Recovering Perfectionist Bakes a Cake
I forgot to put oil in the chocolate cake. I’d greased pans, sifted flour, and covered myself in cocoa powder in an effort to perfect this recipe. And now there was absolutely no fat in the cake. Well, shit. I thought this- I...
Is This Really Labor? When to Go to the Hospital
You’ve spent months of pregnancy growing your baby. You can feel her sitting on your bladder, taking up the space where your lungs used to be. You’re ready to meet her, and you want to be sure that you don’t have a baby in the car. So how will you know...
Dear Doula, Am I Too Old to Have a Baby?
Dear Doula, My OB/GYN just called me old. Well okay, that’s not exactly what she said. But she referred to me as having a “geriatric pregnancy” and said that I may become high risk because I’m of “advanced maternal age”. I'm only 36! I'm not old. It has me...
Baby Friendly Date Night
As a postpartum doula, I’ve observed a lot of families with newborns, and let me tell you, it can be a tough time for couples. Whether you’re in an apartment in Brookland and feel like you, your partner and the baby are all on top of each other, or have a 4 bedroom in...
Productivity Tip from a Postpartum Doula: Pockets!
Newborn babies and infants through the first year come with a lot of stuff. I’m always amazed that such tiny people can take up so much space, and create so much clutter. Some parents I know- including a good number of our postpartum doula clients- are...
How Can I Get My Newborn Twins on the Same Routine?
Finding out that you’re pregnant with twins brings a lot of emotions. Joy at the new lives your creating. Surprise. And possibly a tinge of anxiety and overwhelm. Two newborns are a lot of babies. Certainly a lot more than one baby. How are you going to manage twins? ...
Please, Don’t Make My Baby Sick
Everyone loves to cuddle babies. It’s one of the first things that people want to ask parents- “He’s so cute! Can I hold him?” It’s awkward to say no to such a loving question. But as a postpartum doula I can say for sure that some parents want to. All the...
In giving birth to our babies, we may find that we give birth to new possibilities within oursleves.
– Jon Kabat-Zinn