Guest Post: How Can a Doula Support You? | Amanda Reyna

How can a doula can support you (and a partner)? As you prepare for birth, you’re likely reading a book or a few, attending provider appointments, washing some small sized clothing, attending a childbirth preparation class (or two), and somewhere along the way someone mentions that a doula may be a helpful option for your…

Read More

Triggers, Joy, and Grief Contractions. And That Was Just Wednesday.

covid-19

In a recent conversation with social justice trainer Aimee Brill, she talked about how intense conversations lead us to move from a triggered space to an open space, back and forth, an expansion and contraction. Another mentor and birth pro, Lanell Coultas introduced me to the term “grief contractions.” These words so beautifully capture the…

Read More

Creating a Village – The Challenge for Modern Parents

In the colonial United States, women in a community would attend to a mother during birth, and take turns caring for and feeding her family during the first 40 days postpartum. At the end of the initial postpartum period, a “groaning party” would be held to celebrate and thank those who came together on behalf…

Read More

Rebozo – Tools of the Doula Trade

Oh, the magical rebozo. A doula’s aid; an extension of a birth partner’s arms; support, balance, and relief for a birthing parent; and a beautiful symbol of Mexican culture. Entire trainings and certifications have been dedicated to this simple piece of cloth that make a difference in so many ways during pregnancy, labor, postpartum, and…

Read More