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Doula Myths Part 2
Doula… that’s like a midwife, right?
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Doula Myths Part 1
What is a doula? I won’t need a doula. My partner will be there and we’ll want our privacy. We also want to focus on what the doctors say.
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What is hypnobirthing?
Sure you’ve probably heard of hypnobirthing at one time or another. You may have pictured Duchess Kate in the royal suite, breathing calmly, and in three pushes or less, out comes the royal baby. You may have watched a YouTube video of a woman birthing her baby in a big round inflatable tub. You may…
Part 2: Is it labor if…? Is it labor if I lose my mucous plug?
When it comes to labor and birth, mucous is sort of a funny thing. In pregnancy, your body produces quite a bit of it. Mucous works to form a barrier at the base of the uterus to help protect the baby’s environment from infection. You probably won’t be surprised that the barrier will expel itself…
Part 1: Is it labor if…? Is it labor if my belly squeezes? What is a Braxton Hicks contraction?
Just a reminder: if you ever feel concerned at all about your health or your baby’s health, contact your medical care provider. With that out of the way, we also want to remind you to hire a doula! One role doulas help to fulfill is helping you interpret the sensations you may be feeling towards…
Tips for preparing for your newborn baby
When we attend the baby shower and the birthing class and begin to think about preparing our homes to bring home our new baby, we often picture an adorable child sitting on the floor playing with toys and looking at board books, or sitting in their high chair, excited to try food from “the airplane…
Can I breastfeed and bottle feed?
This is such a great question to tackle. We’ve had quite a few “ups and downs” you could say in our industry as reproductive health workers around this topic, so let’s break it down with some truth bombs: There are some great reasons to emphasize the amazing qualities of human milk from a global perspective,…
Can I have a home birth?
Just as in the case of last week’s question about natural birth in the hospital, there isn’t one simple answer to the question of whether you can have a home birth. Generally speaking, home birth with a qualified medical attendant is a safe option for low-risk birthing individuals. The definitions of qualified attendant and low-risk…
How to use a birth ball for labor
If there are any tools or techniques you are interested in using during your labor and birth process, it’s always a good idea to practice with it, either weekly or daily during your pregnancy. If you want to learn how to use a birth ball for labor for example, you’ll want to work with it…
Natural birth in the hospital — is it possible?
If you’ve asked the question can I have a natural birth in the hospital, the short answer is: of course! But there are some very careful considerations you’ll want to make before banking on this. As you may or may not know, many hospitals have a 30% or greater Cesarean rate. This is not entirely…
What to ask about covid restrictions in labor and delivery
Here’s a quick guide to preparing for a hospital birth during the covid-19 pandemic. Join our Doula Support for the DC Metro Area | Prenatal, Birth & Postpartum Support on Facebook for a video. By and large in the DC metro area, there aren’t too many restrictions currently in labor and delivery. But it’s still…
Epidural questions: what to expect
3 Common Questions About the Epidural 1. Why would someone want to give birth without an epidural? There are a lot of different answers to this question! When people have epidural questions and want to know what to expect, they may already know they’re sensitive to medication and feel some trepidation over side effects. (See…