While doulas have been growing in popularity for their work related to childbirth and the early postpartum period, their value in all areas of reproductive health is just beginning to percolate in the public eye. Traditionally, the people who attended the births in their communities provided support during ALL areas of reproductive health. Preconception, fertility, […]
Nourishing your body with nutrition, supplements, and herbs can help keep your body strong while supporting a smooth completion of the miscarriage. Nourishing Your Miscarriage or Abortion With Food Iron, folate and B-vitamins can help your body cope with discomfort, blood loss and feeling emotionally well. Iron Sources: meat, lentils, eggs, seafood, poultry, green leafy vegetables, dried […]
As soon as I met Charito and Eric, I fell in love with them as a couple. Which is awesome, because one of my doula friends, Sam Talbot always describes the doula’s main job as being “to fall in love with the birthing woman.” They were a beautiful couple, excited about starting a family. During […]
Want to rally with us? Click here for event schedule. Throughout the summer, I’ve been participating in and helping organize regular events with the Vancouver Birth Rally group. We started it with just a few members, and every week we get more people joining in on our online discussions. There are new faces at each […]
“Thank you so much for being our doula. We are so grateful for your knowledge and support. We felt comfortable and confident having you by our side. We also really appreciate your working within our budget in order to have this great experience with you. Thank you!” – G & J.
Photo: humanizebirth.org I missed the birth rally last night at St. Paul’s Hospital (because I was doula-ing at a birth at a different hospital). With, I must say, an AMAZING nurse who was 100% supportive and amazing at explaining options in a mother-centered way. THANK YOU to the medical staff out there who truly honour […]
The important moments immediately after birth…. keep your baby skin-to-skin with you for as long as possible. Have your doula help initiate skin to skin after birth! Jessica Austin, Birth Doula: Childbirth Services in Vancouver, BC
Photo by Vuefinder Photography, San Diego, CA, www.vuefinderphotography.com I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately on stimulating change in the birth world. I’m extremely involved in the birth community, and actively promote the creation of a more gentle and informed birth culture. With induction rates of up to 25% and cesarean rates of up […]
”Birth isn’t just about making babies, birth is about making mothers, strong, competent, capable mothers who know their inner strength ” – Barbara Katz-Rothman Playing in the Garden I don’t visit my mom enough, or call her as often as she’d like. I get so busy supporting women as they become mothers that it’s difficult […]
If you’re preparing for your upcoming childbirth, you may have heard it’s a good idea to put together a birth plan, or you may be in the process of writing one already. I find many of my clients put together WONDERFUL birth plans. Most of my clients are extremely well informed about all of their birth […]
Birth story as written by a Birth Takes a Village Client, and Wise Woman Way of Birth Doula herself! I look over the records. That bottom section for Comments – ‘if not normal’. And under it, in Midwife’s script, “Unattended Home Birth.” Diary Entry: Thought I was in labour on Saturday – then again on […]
As an avid traveller myself, having spent many months backpacking in Asia, Australia, South and Central America, and at one point sailing from Colombia to Spain, maintaining a sense of adventure and exploration is something that I really value. When I think about the possibility of having my own children, one of my biggest concerns […]
Although circumcision may have been fairly common among men in your peer age-group, more and more parents are choosing to keep their sons intact. Every year, the percentage of infant boys being circumcised is decreasing. This is because, as we learn more about the impact of circumcision, more people are looking at it as a […]
It’s time to spill the beans on my Super Secret Birth Broth recipe! The joke among me and my friends who are medical birth professionals is that during a slow birth, they often think and epidural and oxytocin is the answer, while I often think, “Hmmm, maybe she just needs chicken broth and a nap!” […]
