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Monday 8am - 8pm Tuesday 8am - 8pm Wednesday 8am - 8pm Thursday 8am - 8pm Friday 8am - 8pm Saturday 8am - 8pm Sunday 8am - 8pm

Iris Rising Doula, Calgary, AB (2025)

06/17/2025

The unmedicated birth

We live in a day when it's so easy to feel like getting an epidural or other pain management drug is the best option to get through birth. It's hard to know what to expect and how you will handle it. Especially if this is your first time. But when we are fearful, we unintentionally create pain. But when you are supported fully, when you're informed and prepared. You lose the fear of birth. You become empowered and strong.

When we introduce pain management drugs, we alter the course of our labour. Well, we may no longer feel those contractions as strong or at all, and that may seem comforting. There is more going on than meets the eye. These drugs can slow and delay our labour from progressing naturally. They take away from the internal journey of motherhood, where we not only birth our babies but also birth ourselves into motherhood. Im a strong believer in labour, and the discomfort associated with it has a purpose and a role to play in birth. When we remove that from the equation, it alters the nature of birth and how it is meant to be. As mothers, we need to look back at birth and how it's been done over the years. Step back from medicine and look back towards support. When a birthing woman is supported fully, trusts in their care and is in a place of comfort. It's easier to break free from fear and find a place of serenity. To surrender to birth is such a beautiful thing. It's where pain is replaced by growth and love. Where you leave behind who you once were and grow into who you will become; a mother.

I would love to talk more about unmedicated birth and how I can support and empower you to birth free from fear. Send me a DM or email if you would like to set up your free consultation.

04/16/2025

Last but not least on our journey of birth locations is Home.

Home is a great choice if you're looking for a very laidback, unmedicated birth experience with all the comforts of your own home.

Reasons to pick or not to pick a home birth:
*It makes you feel comfortable!! Always the most important!
*you have a low risk pregnancy
*natural birth focused (few to no interventions)
*less need to advocate for yourself as their are few people present and who is, is aware of your birth plan
*It's your home, bed, place of comfort
*intimate and quiet
*siblings can be present
*easy to create a relaxing environment
*can eat or drink
*labour and push however you want
*supported to trust your body and birth unmedicated without pressure
*no need to travel well in labour or after
*must be with midwives for care
*no medical pain management options
*can birth in water (if your tub is big enough or you have purchases or rented a pool)
*You're already home. There's no need to travel postpartum
*Cost (it's your responsibility to purchase your birth supplies)
*potential for relocation to hospital in the event of unforeseen complications

These are just a handful of the reasons of why you may or may not choose a home birth.

Were there any pros and cons for you that helped shape your decision when choosing where to birth? Let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!

04/15/2025

Next on our journey of birth locations is The Birth Center

The birth center is a great choice and lovely middle ground between the hospital and home. It provides you with a little more medical options but also provides the comforting feeling of being home.

Big reasons to pick or not pick a birth center:
*It makes you feel comfortable!! Always the most important!
*you have a low risk pregnancy
*natural birth focused (lower risk of interventions)
*more relaxed protocols
*home like environment with regular beds and decor
*large birthing tubs and other equipment
*private and quieter
*easy to create a relaxing environment
*typically in a location very close to a hospital
*reduced cesarean rates
*alternative for parents not comfortable with home but also not wanting hospital
*can eat or drink
*must be with midwives for care
*fewer medical pain management options then hospital but more than home (this is dependent on where you're located, but for anyone local to me, gas is a pain management option at the birth center here)
*limit on how long you can stay post-birth before returning home (typically 4 hrs)
*Cost and afforability (there is a fee associated with booking a spot in the birth center)
*potential for relocation to hospital in the event of unforeseen complications
*have to travel to birth center well in labour

These are just a handful of reasons why you may choose a birth center. If you're local to Calgary and would like more information. Our local birth center is Arbour Birth Center.

Were there any pros and cons that helped shape your decision when choosing where to birth? Let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!

04/14/2025

Let's start with the most common and known about.
The Hospital

The hospital is a great choice and the most chosen location of all births. Why? Well, that's different for everyone, but the most common reason is the perception of safety and access to medical interventions and professionals.

Big reasons to pick or not pick a hospital birth:
*It makes you feel comfortable. This is, in my eyes, the most important one. If you do not feel comfortable in your birth space. It can negatively affect your birth!
*Your pregnancy is considered high risk
*You're wanting medical pain management (gas, narcotics, epidural)
*You're wanting a csearean
*Long-term health disorders
*Previous birth complications
*Can be attended by both an OBGYN or midwife
*staff changes during your labour
*may limit the positions you can choose to birth in
*less privacy
*can feel stressful
*hard to create a relaxing environment
*noises
*not all hospitals have private postpartum rooms (shared room with another new mom and baby)
*harder to get sleep and rest following birth
*increased risk of interventions

These are just a handful of reasons why you may choose a hospital birth.

Were there any pros and cons that helped shape your decision when choosing where to birth? Let me know in the comments. I love hearing from you!

04/13/2025

There are 3 locations when picking where to birth. All locations are great options. But what location is the best location for you? There are lots of factors that can play into where you choose to birth. So let's unpack each one. Over the next 3 days, I will talk about each location and why you may want to choose that option for your birth. Remember, one location is not better than another. The only right answer is the one that works for your birth situation and what you are comfortable with.

04/09/2025

It's a big choice to choose to invite someone into a very intimate and vulnerable time in your life. With that, it's a decision that shouldn't be taken lightly. As a doula, the support we will provide you looks very similar from one doula to the next. We are all going to be there to support you emotionally and physically, to advocate, educate, and the list goes on. So, how do you find the right doula, and what should you focus on? Well, looking for one. I know the one question everyone loves to ask is, how many births have you attended, or how long have you been doing this. But these are my 5 top important things to focus on when choosing who to hire.
1. Are you religious? Are there any ceremonies, rituals, or practices you want to incorporate into your birth or postpartum period? Are they able to support these?
2. Background, personal identity.
Having someone you feel, you can be your entire self around is key! You may want someone who shares the same views, race, sexual identity, or at least understands the hardships or stigmas that you may face and can properly support you.
3. Approach to life.
Maybe you would consider yourself holistic or "crunchy " or maybe you're like, nope, I'm nothing like that. Having someone who shares the same ideas and approaches to life can be very comforting, knowing they are coming from someone who shares the same outlook.
4. What services do they offer?
Are you looking for birth, postpartum, or both. When do they show up during labour? What shifts and availability are they able to provide for postpartum?
Not all doulas have the same training or availability, so making sure you find someone that can support you how you want is very important.
5. Trust your gut and how they make you feel.
It may be number five on my list, but I saved the most important for last. How do they make you feel? Can you imagine this person next to you, well you're in labour? Can you see this person helping care for your baby?

I hope this helps you find the right doula for you, and if you're interested in setting up a consult with myself. Feel free to DM me or email me. I look forward to speaking with you!

02/24/2025

There are so many amazing reasons why you should hire a birth doula, but I tried to sum it up into 5 big ones.

1.Evidence Based information - Sure, you could google search your questions, but Google isn't always your friend when it comes to good answers, and there is also a ton of conflicting advice out there. Why not have evidence based answers from a trusted source whenever you need it. Everything, pregnancy birth, postpartum, and baby. So you can feel confident in all areas of your journey.

2. Support for you and your partner - I am here for you and your partner. So you can both feel confident and prepared for what to expect, how to cope through labour, and how your partner can help you. I'm here to walk alongside you and your partner. To give both of you the tools to have an amazing experience. To support you alongside your partner and never replace their very important role.

3. Advocating - I advocate with you, not for you. I can help make your voice heard so you feel listened to, answered in a way you understand and confident in the decisions being made.

4. Reduction of Interventions - With all the emotional and physical support and advocating, it makes sense that the likelihood of requiring interventions is greatly reduced!

5. Tailored Support - Birth isn't one size fits all, and what you dream your perfect birth to look like will look different from someone else's. I am here to walk alongside and support you in whatever you want your birth story to look like. To support you in the ways that speak to you, not what the outside world thinks you should do or need for the 'perfect' birth.

There are truly so many amazing reasons why you should hire a birth doula. But I hope these 5 give you an idea of what I can do for you!

If you're interested in learning more on how I can support you during your birth journey. Please feel free to message me or email me. I look forward to chatting with you!

02/11/2025

Looking for the perfect Baby Shower gift. Look no farther! Mom and Baby will get plenty of cute outfits and necessities from their baby shower. But what is the one thing every mother wishes they had more of...support. So why not gift a new mom with that extra care and know that everyone's needs are being met.
Message or email me for more information or to purchase a gift voucher for someone you love!

02/10/2025

I have open space for either 1 or 2 births for all months this year besides August. If you or someone you know is interested in a doula and would like to meet for a free consultation, please reach out to me via messages or email. I look forward to hearing from you and discussing how I can support you during your motherhood journey 😊

01/31/2025

Birth.

It's not just an event. It's not just a moment in time. Well, it is both of these things. It's also so much more than that. It's life changing, for nothing will ever be the same.
It's fast but also slow. It's the past, present, and future all held together at the exact same time. It's something we want full control of, but also have no control over.
Birth is beautiful and challenging and glorious.
When we are supported and heard during this transformation, it can change how we process the events and how we feel about our births in the end, when all the oxytocin and adrenaline have worn off.
Support is something all birthing women need. To know that not only baby is cared for but also yourself. Because not only is a baby born on this day but also a mother, and both deserve to be held and cared for.

(Thank you to my lovely client for giving me permission to use photos from her birth I attended)

01/16/2025

I am over the moon with emotions. I feel honored and just pure joy. Over the weekend, I was blessed to support my first birth. To get to walk alongside a family and be there through such a life changing event has truly been a blessing. I can say without a doubt that I have found my calling. I'm so grateful they trusted me to be there and support them. I look forward to all the future babies I get to be there to welcome into this world. This is a very sacred place to be invited into, and I promise to be there and provide each of my client with the support they need so they can have a positive birth regardless of the outcomes.
I want to say thank you to this lovely family for trusting me. I loved being there for you and I don't think I could have found a better family to be my first. I will never forget your birth.

01/09/2025

I had to share this image cause every time I see it, It makes me go YES!!!!! 🙌🙌🙌
When you begin breastfeeding, you are typically told you should be feeding baby every 2-3 hrs. To wake baby every 2-3 hrs, and it sets new moms up to fail. We expect this picture perfect scheduled feeding. That is easy to schedule, and all look the same. But that's not the case. The case is it looks more like the blueberries and nothing like the cereal. Babies will have feedings that are longer or shorter. Farther apart or really close together. We don't put these same sized evenly spaced apart expectations on anyone else, so why would we expect that of baby. So what happens. Well, it usually results in failed breastfeeding because the baby is coming to the breast more frequently than 2-3 hours, or the baby isn't eating as much as their last meal. As a new mom that goes against what you were told , and now you think your baby isn't getting enough but that isn't always the case. It's so much more important to learn hungry and full cues so that you can feel confident that the baby is getting exactly what they need. I absolutely love to, that in this image the blueberries not only show that the feedings are evenly spaced apart but that some are bigger or smaller than others. When breastfeeding babies are going to not only have full meals but also snacks, they may be coming to the breast more frequently so that they can demand more supply. They may also come to the breast just to suckle as it's comforting. Breastfeeding looks different for everyone, and every baby, there is no one size fits all approach like the 2-3 hrs schedule makes it seem.

Iris Rising Doula

06/17/2025

04/16/2025

04/15/2025

04/14/2025

04/13/2025

04/09/2025

02/24/2025

02/11/2025

02/10/2025

01/31/2025

01/16/2025

01/09/2025

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Monday	8am - 8pm
Tuesday	8am - 8pm
Wednesday	8am - 8pm
Thursday	8am - 8pm
Friday	8am - 8pm
Saturday	8am - 8pm
Sunday	8am - 8pm