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Holding Hearts Doula Care, Korumburra South (2025)

19/06/2025

👋 Hi there, I've been gone a while!

I haven't completely given up supporting families, but I have slightly changed my direction to specifically helping neurodivergent families through all stages of life.

Even when I began my virtual doula business, I was BIG on supporting beyond the postpartum period, and this definitely feels much more up my avenue (considering my previous job was literally disability support, and myself and both sons are ND).

There is absolutely a cross over between the 2 supports, and I feel that having the qualifications and experience in both fields really helps me with giving holistic support that is flexible for each stage of life, and more understanding of individual differences.

So I wanted to share my page, just in case any of my following parents are either raising ND kiddos, or are ND themselves and want access to information and support specifically for navigating the complexities of raising young ones with additional needs. 🥰

27/02/2025

"Failure to progress".... The disgusting term given to women whose bodies aren't dilating at 1cm per hour (based on Friedman's curve - worth looking into the research behind that one 🙄)

This term usually then continues along the lines of "We're going to break your waters and/or add a Pitocin drip to speed things up.".. And the very real possibility of "You're just not progressing, time for a c-sec".

But the reality is, labour can take anywhere from minutes, to days... There's a bunch of reasons this may be the case, baby needs to reposition, body tension, emotional tension, and fear...

So, does it make sense to leave a woman laying down, now feeling like a failure, then adding drips and monitors to her, medications that often cause more pain...

Or does it make sense, to support her to feel comfortable, move around a bit, feel supported and protected, feel empowered, and given helpful methods to assist the body and baby to work in harmony?

03/02/2025

Affirmations don't just have to be sweet, calm, lovely, humble mantras....

If you want to feel confident, in charge, and like the boss of the room, then a mindset shift might be just what the doctor ordered!! 🤭

Ramp up your attitude with some sweary birth affirmations so you can birth like a bad ass boss b***h!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗

03/01/2025

Hey all 👋
Happy New Year!

After a long break, some self-reflection, and time with my family, I'm going to be gently easing myself back in to the world of support.

I need YOU (the clients) to help me decide what's going to be the most helpful!!

I want to focus on putting out quality content, not quantity content.

Drop your ❤🧡💛💚💙💜 colour/s below! What's going to benefit you the most??
(Drop as many as you need!)
🤗🤗

17/11/2024

Briefly jumping on here to share something extremely important (and close to my heart).

I struggled with perinatal depression & anxiety with my 3rd pregnancy (rainbow baby 🌈) and made the call to PANDA 🐼.

Their support was honestly amazing, and once I became a doula, I started doing their provider workshops to upskill in providing mental health support for families going through perinatal/postnatal depression & anxiety.

If you're pregnant, an expectant father, or have a baby under 1yo in Australia, PANDA is an amazing support for any related mental health challenges!

Perinatal Mental Health Week is here to remind us that you are not alone, there is support out there, open the door for conversations around mental health, and to share information on strategies that can help.

🥰 so what worked for me when I was in that dark tunnel?

1. Getting outside any chance I could. Enjoy the sunshine, dance in the rain, watch the trees blow in the wind, feel the dirt on my feet.

2. Talking - to a friend, my husband, my mum & sister, & PANDA.

3. Naming emotions out loud. "I am feeling angry." Acknowledge the feeling. Feel it in the body. Notice it. And then allow it to move through.

4. Doing activities I enjoyed. Forcing myself to get up and do things that used to make me happy. Even if they felt like they weren't going to make me happy at the time, I did them anyway.

5. Acupuncture, reiki & supportive herbs (like passionflower). Giving my body the attention it needed, and physical support to reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.

6. Knowing I wasn't broken. What I was feeling was extremely rational, with lack of sleep, hormones, genuine fears etc. There was nothing 'wrong' with me. I just needed some more help and TLC during these testing times.

7. Practicing gratitude & affirmations. These were my lifesavers!! I used an app called "Finch", but there a few different ones to try. It prompts gratitude, self care, future goals etc, and honestly made such a positive difference. I also started writing my own affirmations.

Feel free to share your tips below too 💞

23/10/2024

⚠ BIG NEWS FOR MY PAGE/SUPPORT ⚠

I have been trying to work out this crazy wild maze of supporting women and their partners virtually, providing free education to all, giving a shoulder and a listening ear - all whilst raising two neurodivergent children (one being a very fierce toddler)... And I'm honestly burnt out!!

Trying to navigate this space places so much time on social media, and it has been brutal on my mental health, testing me time after time, being targeted by a well-known OB where I received death threats and insults etc, reading misinformation shared every single day and knowing my voice of reason will not be heard, and then giving my absolute last breath to help parents who aren't willing to help themselves.. Has been exhausting.

For the moment, I'm temporarily ceasing support for my own well-being and my childrens.

My page will remain open, as my desire to help educate families about their rights, options, and challenges still stands. I just don't have the capacity right now to be continuing ongoing care or posts.

If/when I am in a better place, and able to give myself without it being the last piece to give, I will absolutely be back.

In the meantime, please flick through old posts and story highlights to get started. 💕

Hopefully see you all again soon x

22/10/2024

🟣 HAVE YOU HEARD OF PURPLE PUSHING? 🟣

🟣Over the years, during the "pushing" stage of labour, purple pushing has been commonly encouraged by doctors, OBs and some midwives.

🟣It involves the process of holding your breath, tensing, and 'bearing down' to try to force baby out.
Generally, the birth team would count alongside this, getting you to push really hard for 10 seconds, and then relax and breathe.

🟣Sometimes this would be done during a contractions, but most of the time it was just when they decided you should push.

🟣Not only is this ineffective, and can make the birth take longer, there are also a great deal of increased risks associated.

- Low maternal blood pressure &/ oxygen levels
- Fetal distress
- Vaginal tearing
- Vacuum/forcep/c-sec delivery
- Maternal exhaustion
- Prolapse
- Incontinence (both urinal & f***l)
- Haemorrhoids
- Facial/eye blood vessel bursting
- Hemorrhaging
- Shoulder Dystocia
- Birth trauma

🟣So what should we be doing instead?
Well, the good news is, for majority of births, you don't need to push!!! Your uterus contracting will actually help push baby out!!

🟣If an epidural has not been placed, your baby, your, brain and your body are connecting and working together during labour to help guide baby down and out.

🟣A more effective method of helping the process along, is to listen to your body, wait for a contraction, breathe a big slow breath in, and slowly blow it out through your mouth while you imagine the pressure from above your baby pressing downwards. This visualization can be practiced during pregnancy to help you connect the visual with the physical movement.

🟣Remember that your pelvic floor and your face/mouth are directly connected. So a soft face, soft jaw & soft lips, will = a soft and moveable pelvic floor. Which is what we want!! 👌

🟣If labour has been physiological, unrushed, and undisturbed, there's a high likelihood that FER (fetal ejection reflex) will kick in, and literally ejecto baby out!!

🟣You can also demand in your birth plan "NO COACHED PUSHING" to keep staff from interfering with this physiological birth process!

21/10/2024

Considering induction??

There are quite a few major differences between spontaneous labour and induced labour.

Remember that if you are being offered an induction, to use your B.R.A.I.N. and decide if it's the right choice for you.

If you are choosing induction of labour, it's important to know the risks associated, so you can prepare yourself for the challenges that may arise, and how to address these - for instance, if CTG isn't picking up babies heart rate and they request internal monitoring from babies skull, do you know what that looks like, and what your other options are? Or if the Pitocin is causing hyper-tonic contractions, what would you want the Midwives to do?

Are the risks of induction better or worse than the risks of the medical complication? And what is your gut telling you?

❤ The more you know xx

18/10/2024

From speaking to a lot of men (and women who told me their partners said the very same thing), it's clearly SUPER common that expectant dads worry about not knowing how to help in labour, feeling as though they will be useless, and not able to help take her pain away.

This is also commonly experienced during the labour, then discussed afterwards that they felt unable to help, wishing they could do more.

And it's kinda true.

You cannot save a woman from the experience of childbirth. This is a journey that has to happen.

However!!!!!

By simply being there, present, and trying, IS HELPFUL!

Holding her hands can make her feel loved, supported & safe.

All of these emotions help increase oxytocin, and reduce adrenaline. This helps labour progress, and increases the natural pain relief hormone (endorphins).

You know your partner better than anyone. You know her subtle cues. You know if she's feeling off. You know if she doesn't like the staff. You know if she is saying yes out of courtesy, but actually wants to say no.
So you're able to advocate for her better than anyone else. Because you understand her.

You'll also be able to help with offering pain relief options such as movement, counter pressure, massage, essential oils, music, water, affirmations etc.

You will be able to keep her body fueled for birth by offering snacks and drinks throughout the labour.

You'll be able to support her emotionally and give her positive reinforcement when she thinks she can't do it anymore. Affirmations are 🎯

Don't ever underestimate how helpful you truly are!!!

You're a very important part of the birth team 💙

Don't forget that labour can be lengthy, and you'll need to take care of yourself too!
This can be where a doula comes in helpful, to look after you both.
But if you don't have a birth doula booked, then it's important to eat and drink yourself, and find ways to preserve your energy with short breaks when you're able to, so that you can invest everything as labour progresses.

💙 And remember, your presence makes a difference!!

16/10/2024

⏬⏬DROP YOUR FAVOURITES BELOW⏬⏬

This isn't just for sh*ts & giggs... It's also to call out the misinformation that is WIDE SPREAD from woman to woman through social media, which often leads to women making decisions that don't support evidence, and actually do more harm than good.

If you're TTC, pregnant, or postpartum, I can almost guarantee you've heard easily at least 5 pieces of WRONG DUMB S**T from 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡s!!! Which is really sad!

Soooo let's call it out together!

What's the dumbest thing about birth that you've read online?

Let me know in the comments!!!!!!!!!

16/10/2024

Releasing a tie is not a "quick snip", and although some providers do quickly cut and send you on your way, they shouldn't!
Cutting a tie without pre and post work AND support has been shown to give little to no improvement, and even worsen symptoms in some cases.

So what's the tried and tested way

1. Get SUPPORT & an assessment by a tie-trained IBCLC (a tie-trained chiro or SLP can also assess, however almost every mumma will benefit from IBCLC support during this process).

2. Get multiple body-work sessions in! Again, this should be done by a tie-trained chiro/osteo. A minimum of at least 2 should be done prior to a release, but if you can squeeze more in, then great! 👏

3. Get the release done by a reputable, recommended, skilled, qualified paediatric airway dentist!!!!!
(Check out my 'oral restrictions' highlights to learn about red flags in providers! And reach out if you need help finding someone suitable near you!)

4. Follow up with some more body-work. And you will need to do stretches every few hours for the first 21 days. The release provider will show you how to do these. If they don't, that's a 🚩. It's worth discussing the stretches with them before you agree to get the release done, to ensure they are a quality provider!

5. IBCLC support should continue until you and your baby have established a solid feeding relationship, and you are FEELING CONFIDENT. Either the IBCLC, release provider, or chiro should be re-assessing the tie/s to ensure there is no re-joining and that it was a complete release. 🤗

🚨Remember that this is for infants! As children get older, there are many more steps to add in, including orofacial myofunctional therapy, and possible expansion, which can take many months, if not years to ammend. This is why a "wait and see" approach is generally quite harmful.

15/10/2024

Hot take - but there's no one right way to give birth.

There are benefits to certain aspects. Sure.

But every single persons dream birth is going to look different, in one way or another.

We are all individuals, with different preferences.

Some of us might want a room full of family and friends, midwives, doulas, and their kids, where others might want to birth with just their partner, alone and quiet.

Some of us might want to be at a hospital, where as others want to birth laying on a blanket in the rolling hills of the south, by a riverside, surrounded by woodland creatures.

Some of us might want to stand upright, and dance to loud, upbeat music, where others may want to lay in a peaceful bath, with all the calming aromas, meditation music, and candlelight flickering across the room.

Some might want a medical team to check them regularly, others might want a medical team 'just incase', and others may not want anything medical as they trust that all is well and they will know in their own body if something feels off.

ALL of these options are ok!!!!!!

Birth options are about YOU getting the birth that you want.

Not what another person wants.

Not what Betty-Joe down the street did.

Not what The Queen did.

Not what your midwife did.

Your birth should not be dictated or influenced by people who have zero investment in your life, and the consequences of how the birth goes.

Your birth. Your body. Your baby. YOUR CHOICE.

Holding Hearts Doula Care

19/06/2025

27/02/2025

03/02/2025

03/01/2025

17/11/2024

23/10/2024

22/10/2024

21/10/2024

18/10/2024

16/10/2024

16/10/2024

15/10/2024

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