‘Dream On’ prepares parents for the sleep changes that take place when a new baby arrives. You will not be learning how to shape new babies to fit into lives and schedules. Instead, you will be learning the science behind infant and maternal sleep. Equipped with this information, you will develop the tools needed to create […]
Latch On: Breastfeeding Education and Baby Care Class (2 hours) This class discusses postpartum topics including the benefits of breastfeeding, how to breastfeed, proper latch, breastfeeding positions, tips for breastfeeding successfully, and local community programs and support. Newborn care will also be discussed, offering instruction and ideas on diapering, clothing, bathing, sleeping, and baby wearing. Cost: […]
Birth Takes a Village has partnered with New Spirit Arrivals to offer convenient placenta encapsulation for those interested in it. Available in either Raw or Traditional Chinese Medicine methods of preparation, your placenta will be prepared by a professional encapsulation specialist committed to efficiency and safe handling of your placenta. We have chosen New Spirit […]
Maximize your comfort in birth with a professional-grade birthing pool. Water is one of the most effective tools for comfort and relaxation during childbirth, and a high-quality birth pool will give your body the immersion, bouyancy and space you need to maximize its benefits. Birth Takes a Village birth doula clients have access to one […]
I received this note from a past doula student who had a baby recently, and we both decided we should post it publicly. What I heard in the note was “I was informed and confident, and my birth was long and amazing!” I love this because so often the rhetoric around birth in our culture […]
Home is historically THE normal place to give birth. While in the recent past it became more common to birth in hospitals, more and more families in Vancouver and across Canada are once again choosing to birth at home where outcomes and satisfaction with the experience tend to be better (sources). While I support families […]
A quick coles-notes post on Twin Home Birth / Vaginal Birth Info. Post in-progress! Twins are a variation of pregnancy that can occur in a variety of ways. Here is a good resource on The Biology Of Multiples. It is often assumed that twins will come early and often by cesarean, but vaginal twin birth is absolutely […]
There are a few ways to consider working in partnership: Being “Business Partners” in a legal sense, with co-ownership of a company Partnering with practitioners in your community who offer related services and developing a referral-fee system, or a system for listing each other on mutual websites, etc Partnering with other birth doulas to share […]
New doulas always want to know how to comfort folks during the birth process. How do you know when and what to do, or what to say? The truth is, the biggest thing you can do for your clients is realize YOU ARE NOT THE ONE WHO BIRTHS THE BABY. Your clients are capable, and […]
Come across as organized, prepared and professional in your prenatal and postpartum visits with clients. Learn how to structure and schedule your visits and get samples of outlines that you can modify for your practice. One of the most common complaints of new or evolving doulas is feeling lost as to how to structure prenatal […]
Create awareness and build better birth experiences for the West Coast First Nations women and families on whose territory we practice as birth attendants Broaden your perspective and learn how to respect important traditions, ceremony and perspectives in traditional childbirth practices in this important workshop facilitated by members of the Indigenous Doula Collective. Smaw ti slq’ilh […]
An excerpt from Miscarriage: What No One Talks About, by Olga Barrows Read Full Story Here I had my miscarriage the day before Christmas – and continued to bleed quietly throughout the Christmas dinner. I ate two pieces of turkey, participated in a conversation and gift exchanges by the tree. I watched our two-year-old daughter laugh and […]
Despite miscarriage being a common part of reproductive health, what to expect during a miscarriage is shrouded in mystery due to our culture’s discomfort and secrecy around the subject. Miscarriage is defined as a pregnancy that ends before 20 weeks, though the vast majority will happen before 12 weeks. Depending on which statistic you read, it’s […]
LISTEN ON SOUNDCLOUD I had SO MUCH fun in this chat with Free Birth Society founder Emilee Saldaya recently. We shared what we believe should be common knowledge about the fertile cycle and signs of the various stages of fertility and infertility during the menstrual cycle. We also dug a bit into our exasperation with […]
