Sexuality in Birth: Making the Connection

There's a movement you may or may not have heard of in the natural birth community. It is a movement to educate women about the possibility of having a pleasurable, even orgasmic, childbirth experience. Does that sound crazy to you? Or maybe just plain weird? If you're freaked out, don't worry! I am not going…

How Can Birth Partners Prepare for Labor?

When I first became pregnant at a very wise (ha!) 22 years old, I had a major pet peeve. I absolutely could not stand hearing a father or other non-pregnant partner say, "We're pregnant." Whenever someone said to me and my husband, "Oh, you guys are pregnant?" I would jump in with a very adamant,…

Do Babies Need Baths Right Away?

It's been over twenty years since studies first started showing that bathing a baby right away had no benefits. Back in 2013, the World Health Organization recommended that baths be delayed by a minimum of six hours, with a preference of waiting at least 24 hours after delivery. There are many studies showing the benefits…

One Doula’s Favorite Pregnancy Books

I love reading. Put me in a big bookstore with a good cup of coffee in my hand and I'll be happy forever. Even if you aren't a huge reader, pregnancy is an important time to learn all you can! Whether it be podcasts, conversations with your doula, audio books, or paper books, learn all…

5 Birth Affirmations for Your VBAC

If you've hung around my blog at all, you know I love birth affirmations. I love how changing your language can literally change your brain and shift your experiences. This is especially true for one of my favorite categories of people: moms pursuing a vaginal birth after a cesarean. After having my own experience with…

Choosing a Provider for Your Pregnancy

Often, when I ask women how they chose their care provider for their pregnancy, I am met with a bit of confusion. "I'm just seeing the OB that I've seen for years" is a pretty common response. If they didn't already have an OB, they maybe just called up the office that their insurance covered,…

Why Delay? Cord Clamping, That Is

It has been pretty well known for several years that delayed cord clamping has many benefits for a newborn baby. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, World Health Organization, and The American College of Nurse-Midwives all agree that delaying clamping by at least 1-2 minutes after birth raises neonatal iron levels, which can provide cognitive…

What Made Me a Doula: Part Two

This is a birth story. But it's more than that. Read Part 1 to find out how the birth of my son led me to birth work! In October of 2018, we moved to a new apartment. I was 38 weeks pregnant, and planning a home birth. My doula, also a good friend, lived a…

What Made Me a Doula: Part One

This is a birth story. But actually, it's more than that. It's the first chapter in the story of how I discovered my passion for birth work. It's an integral part of who I am, as most birth experiences are to the people who live them. In the summer of 2015 I was pregnant with…

Embrace Your Power in Birth: How to Believe in Your Body

When I talk to women about their feelings regarding birth, they initially fall into one of two camps. Either they will say something like, "It would be too hard for me to do without drugs," or if they have decided to pursue a drug-free labor, they may say things like, "I hope I am strong…