I saw this quote the other day while reading an article about leadership, and thought it could be perfectly modified to suit the work of supporting a family during birth. All too often, doulas and other birth attendants are tempted to prove their usefulness with a lot of “doing” at a birth and to take […]
Oh, no, I got caught! I’m known for my “hands-off” philosophy towards birth, meaning avoiding disturbances of the instinctual processes of mother and baby unless absolutely necessary. This includes even subtle things like touching the baby or talking unnecessarily immediately after the birth. The initial moments post-birth are precious and part of an instinctual process […]
To me, part of taking a stand for rights to choices in childbirth means taking a stand for reproductive rights as a whole. This includes rights to choices in miscarriage, pregnancy loss and abortion. This morning, news of a protest in Poland popped up in my newsfeed and the power of it made me tear up a […]
I am so excited about an emotional podcast I just listened to with two of my favourite reproductive health advocates and one of my mentors. When I saw that the two of them had come together to do an interview on miscarriage, loss and abortion, I dropped everything I was doing, cuddled up in bed with […]
I get so frustrated with all the stories from my doula colleagues about “stalled labours” leading to perceived “necessary” interventions that families often don’t feel happy with in hindsight. At most of the births I attend, my clients don’t ever have cervical checks, so it’s hard for me to give examples of all the clients […]
There is something so gentle about leaving the umbilical cord intake until the baby is born. It not only ensures that babies get absolutely all the blood benefits from delayed cord clamping, but also allows for a symbolically slow transition to the outside world. I always tell my doula students and clients that the birth isn’t […]
The lost art of Being With. The vast majority of the time, all the birthing person “needs” is the calm, confident presence of someone who believes in her. Fancy tips and tricks, directions, ideas and solutions more often than not serve to interfere and distract more than help. Sitting with, being with, breathing with. Being […]
To me, part of taking a stand for rights to choices in childbirth means taking a stand for reproductive rights as a whole. This includes rights to choices in miscarriage, pregnancy loss and abortion. This morning, news of a protest in Poland popped up in my newsfeed and the power of it made me tear up a […]
Healthy nutrition habits are one of the main keys to setting yourself up for a healthy birth. Getting ample protein, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and oils and good-quality salt in your diet are keys to good nutrition. Minimizing sugar intake is one of the most important things you can do in your pregnancy, and for […]
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 […]
General Breastfeeding Info: The following websites contain information on getting started with normal breastfeeding, as well as resources for breastfeeding challenges such as milk supply, blogged ducts & mastitis, and more. Exploring these resources, particularly the videos, can be hugely beneficial to watch in preparation for birth. Websites: Dr. Jack Newman’s Website Kelly Mom Dr. […]
There has been increasing awareness lately about childbirth-related PTSD. The National Post published an article on Sept 27th called “Childbirth can be as stressful as war“. This article refers to a study that indicated 1 in 13 women experience PTSD after childbirth. This number is way too high, and is a big part of the […]
One of the most romantic birth environments I’ve been in to date – a birth in an old family home in Vancouver, built in the early 1900’s, a home that had been in my client Alicia’s family for a few generations. Alicia had been there when her own sister was born in the claw-foot bathtub; […]
When I shared my sister’s family freebirth (birth outside the medical system) story and birth images last week, they created a ripple effect in the online world that inspired a lot of women to want to share their stories and images from their beautiful births. Over and over again I have women tell me that the […]
