Ebb & Flow Doula Care

06/30/2024

It’s not only a privilege to watch our doula babies grow, but to witness their Mamas too.
In love. In capacity. In friendship.

✌🏼Xo
Your doula, Emily.
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•karmen 🫶🏼

03/06/2024

35 hours later, I couldn’t have been more happy to witness you meeting your parents for the first time.
Welcome earth side, baby. You’re Mama is amazing.

(Happily) *Yawns* 🥱 in birth doula.
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12/14/2023

Interesting!

❗️BREAKING NEWS❗️

A new study published in Nature reveals abnormally high levels of the hormone, GDF15, and increased sensitivity to it, are the major factors contributing to HG.

Dr. Marlena Fejzo, Hyperemesis Education and Research (HER) Foundation Research Advisor and Board Member, and her team previously identified three independent genetic variants in GDF15, all of which strongly increase the risk of developing HG. GDF15 is known to cause nausea, vomiting, and appetite and taste changes.
The new study, first-authored by HER Foundation’s Dr. Fejzo and co-authored by HER’s Executive Director Kimber MacGibbon, was led by Dr. Stephen O’Rahilly at the University of Cambridge and includes an international team of researchers.

The work suggests that, in the future, HG may be prevented by raising GDF15 levels prior to pregnancy using a priming strategy. The study also provides the first suggestive evidence that an interaction between maternal and fetal genes plays a role in recurrence risk. However, larger studies are needed to confirm this.

Dr. Marlena Fejzo lost her baby due to the pregnancy complication, hyperemesis gravidarum, in 1999 and has been researching the cause ever since. “While I have worked, people have continued to contact the HER Foundation with heartbreaking stories like my own, begging for answers. I think we finally have the solution.”

Read more: hyperemesis.org/news/nature2023

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06921-9

Support our HG Research: hyperemesis.org/donate

12/10/2023

✨Yay! It’s live! ✨

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12/09/2023

With you through Pregnancy, Birth & Postpartum.

I got ya. 😉

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04/27/2023

ALL are welcome at our free drop-in community clinic days. Come see amazing midwife Christi Gruchy at your own convenience this Friday for that missed prenatal appointment, baby weigh in, breastfeeding support, lab work collection, or Pap smear!

Non-clients are welcome. Located at the Edmonton Midwifery Cooperative Clinic this Friday from 9-5!

04/26/2023

I’ve yet to add some educational tools and models to my arsenal but I’m not upset with helping me give visuals tonight.
•Snoop on a stoop ✔️
•Umbilical cord with placenta ✔️
•Half knit toque turned Uterus, w/cervical opening ✔️
*Not shown, Ziplock to rep a bag of water/ROM.

What good is learning if it isn’t fun or entertaining .
Improvise. Adapt. Doula. ✌🏻 😂

02/22/2023

https://fb.watch/iSar_5vgQC/

02/11/2023

Skin-to-Skin? Yes please! 💁🏼‍♀️

Skin-to-skin contact can be implemented for all healthy term newborns, regardless of feeding method, immediately after birth.

Improves breastfeeding outcomes.

Increases infant cardio-respiratory stability and blood glucose levels.

Improve mother-infant bonding and infant thermoregulation

Decrease infant crying and pain response.

Are you adding skin-to-skin to your birth preferences? Let me know in the comments below!

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Source: Supporting Evidence for Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC)https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/mpinc/supporting-evidence-for-mPINC-508.pdf

02/02/2023

🥳

11/04/2022

Out of hospital birth & midwifery care !

09/01/2022

😬

05/09/2022

🥰

03/11/2022

・・・
⪡ ROLE OF A DOULA ⪢

If you’re thinking of hiring a doula, or don’t know what a doula is then this post is for you! A doula’s primary role is to provide continuous support to the birthing person/couple throughout labor and birth. Doulas are well versed in the physiology of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the emotional needs of a birthing person. A birth doula's role is to educate, support (physically, mentally + emotionally) & advocate for the birthing person and their partner throughout pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum stage. Doulas help you gather evidence-based information for you to make informed decisions around your pregnancy and birth, create a birth plan, facilitate communication with medical staff, and help advocate for you and your birthing desires. Doulas can be a helpful and comforting resource for new parents during the early postpartum stage as well, offering support, knowledge, and advice.
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Need more convincing? Evidence shows that having a doula during labor can:
⌓ decrease the relative risk of having a Cesarian by 39%
⌓ decrease the need for pain medication during labor by 10%
⌓ decrease the use of Pitocin
⌓ decrease baby’s risk of a low 5 min APGAR score by 38%
⌓ decrease risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience by 31%
(*source: Evidence Based Birth)
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Doulas are absolutely amazing, and speaking from personal experience I don’t know how I would have done it without mine, ! If you’re interested in hiring a doula and need help finding one in your area, check out our free practitioner directory (link in bio) or check out
📸 via of

………….

💙🤍VISIT OUR WEBSITE! 🤍💙

https://www.edmontondoula.org/

TO FIND LISTINGS OF YEG & AREA DOULAS FOR YOUR UPCOMING BIRTH!

02/18/2022

I look forward to sitting at your feet again soon, 💜

02/17/2022

There’s no promise but here’s some options to consider trying to lessen the risk of tissues tearing:
-Perineal massage
-Laboring in water
-Warm compress on perineum during pushing
-Hands and knees position
-Pausing when you feel “the ring of fire”. Baby is crowning 😮‍💨 don’t rush through , breatheee.

Whatever happens, You’re tough and so are your bits . Xo💜

Posted • I apologize for making you aware of this if you were living in ignorant bliss.⠀
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While all perineal tears (that’s the area between your va**na and your a**s) are no joke, they exist in degrees from “seriously?” to “are you fu***ng kidding me?”⠀
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1st degree:⠀
Superficial tears/first degree tears are pretty small, heal quickly and require few or no stitches.⠀
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2nd degree:⠀
Second degree tears go into the muscles underneath the perineum and have to be stitched, taking a few weeks to heal.⠀
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3rd degree:⠀
About 4% of lucky ladies will get to experience a third-degree tear which involves the skin, muscle and tissue of the va**na and perineum and extends to the a**l sphincter.⠀
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4th degree:⠀
Finally, a fourth-degree tear checks all of the previous boxes and gets right up into the tissue under the a**l sphincter as well.