Lunar Spirit Doula Services

02/12/2022

"Don't push!"

This incredible, badass mother fought against the urge to push with every ounce of her being after being made aware of a cervical lip.

Moments later, the decision was taken out of her hands as her body decided that baby was coming.

PS. Peep those custom bottoms, hand-drawn by yours truly. 😜

01/22/2022

••Appreciation goes a long way, show your love for those mama’s!••

My husband said to me today ‘I don’t know how you do it all day.’ Those words made me feel like I was capable, even though today in moments I didn’t feel like that. It’s amazing what words can do for a mum. A friend of mine told me the other day their husband said to her ‘Thankyou for all you do, this house would fall apart without you.’
When you get a chance, tell a mum she is doing a good job. You don’t know how much it might mean to her.

Gem oleander

04/21/2021

Mama, shower those babes with all the kisses! 😘 💋

“Kissing your baby changes your breast milk. Did you know that the undeniable urge to cover your baby in kisses serves a biological purpose? When a mother kisses her baby, she samples the pathogens on baby’s face, which then travel to mom’s lymphatic system. Mom’s body then creates antibodies to fight those pathogens, which baby receives through breast milk. What?! Amazing, right?”

http://www.mothering.com/articles/10-things-might-not-know-breastfeeding/ 📸: Dusktildawnphotography

01/15/2021

•• Sibling love 💕

01/02/2021

08/31/2020

✊🏼❤️

THIS is postpartum!
Thank you for keeping it real! 🙌🏼

07/15/2020

Take a moment to meet CPMHC National Committee member Sondra Marcon of Doula Canada 👉 Sondra’s background in family therapy and mental health work drives her passion for supporting families and individuals navigating perinatal mental health. Diagnosed with perinatal depression and anxiety after her second child Sondra understands the perils and challenges of navigating the system and the long wait lists and difficulties connected with getting support. As the Program Coordinator and Lead instructor for Doula Canada, Sondra has her finger on the pulse of perinatal health across Canada through the eyes of her students. She understands the need for a national strategy both personally and professionally. Sondra is a mama to two curious and bright little girls and 2 fur babies. She loves hiking and camping and tv with equal fervour! Read more: https://cpmhc.ca/national-committee/

07/05/2020

2020 has been a year 😅
I am usually pretty open about what’s going on in my life. When I’m struggling with body image or work etc. Well to keep things real & not just the highlight reel...
I was diagnosed with postpartum anxiety.
🖤
I felt I needed to be honest about this for anyone else who might be going through a similar struggle. To know you are NOT alone.
None of my friends or family have dealt with this so I felt very alone at the start.
🖤
A new baby — especially your first — can easily trigger worry. And when every new product you buy carries with it an all-caps warning label about sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), well it doesn’t help matters. 😅 Now top that with a world wide pandemic & my job literally grinding to a halt.... yup… there I was dealing with PPA.

Otherwise known as the Hidden Disorder as few moms recognize it & it goes undiagnosed...postpartum anxiety symptoms manifest themselves mainly in the form of worry. Its loss of the normal sense of balance & calm.
There are a variety of triggers- mine just happened to be Covid.
🖤
There is a lot of stigma around postpartum anxiety. Lots of stigma around taking medication to help with it.
And honestly when I first reached out to my doctor I was so scared I was going to be judged. That she would think less of me. Or my husband would be embarrassed of me- my family would think I failed as a mom. That my friends (especially my friends with kids) would think I was a bad mom. Then I got mad at myself that I couldn’t handle all the stress of being a new mom & a world wide pandemic. I seriously felt all the emotions. 🙈

Reaching out & asking for help was so hard but so worth it. I can now function without being in a constant state of fear. Without worrying myself sick.
So to any new mom who is struggling- Regardless of whether your anxiety falls on the moderate or more severe end of the spectrum, it's better to seek help sooner than later. This is how I look at it, “Taking care of yourself is taking care of your baby."
🖤

But also I hope this is a reminder to everyone to BE KIND during these new & changing times. Social media only shows so much so always lead with love & kindness.🖤

06/28/2020

Don’t forget about you too - you got this. ❤️

06/20/2020

Oxytocin is:
the spark
the generator
the impetus
the power
the stimulus
the protector
of the birth process.

It creates:
bonding
connection
growth
love.

When you begin to understand how intricately involved oxytocin is, not just in the progression of birth but also in safeguarding the process, it seems insane to birth in any other environment than one where the conditions for oxytocin flow are optimal.

Do you feel safe?
Do you feel unobserved?
More bluntly:
Could you have an or**sm in this environment?

If you are not able to answer with 100% certainty, “yes” then you are not birthing in optimal conditions.
More than likely, your birth will be disturbed.
These disturbances lead to so many of the rampant “problems” of obstetrical birth: failure to progress, augmentation and induction of labour, epidurals, ‘stuck’ babies, tears, episiotomies, vacuum, forceps, cesarean surgery, stunned babies needing assistance, breastfeeding struggles, etc. So many of these situations (and specifically, their high rates of occurrence) are necessitated and caused by inference and disturbance of birth.

They are the result of a basic lack of understanding: you cannot understand birth until you understand oxytocin.

Learn about oxytocin. Respect oxytocin. Plan your birth accordingly ✨
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06/13/2020

❤️😍🤰🏼

Effective immediately, expectant mothers and families across Saskatchewan will now be permitted to have two designated family members/support persons present during their birthing experience. Designated family members/support persons are chosen by the mother and family and may include but are not li...

04/26/2020

Giving birth while there's a COVID-19 outbreak is stressful. And many new parents feel incredibly alone.

04/22/2020

04/18/2020

03/14/2020

If loss has ever effected you or someone you love take the time to read this and donate if you can.

💔 URGENT ANNOUNCEMENT 💔

We are certain that, by now, all of you are aware of the current health pandemic. Health Canada has issued guidelines for preventing the spread of the COVID 19 virus, including limiting social interactions and gatherings.

As such, it is with an extremely heavy heart that we announce that Empty Arms will NO LONGER be holding our annual gala as scheduled this May.

If you have already purchased your tickets, or are otherwise involved in the gala as a sponsor or donor, an email will be sent to you in short order.

Although we are confident that this is the right decision given the circumstances, we are devastated by this news. Not only do we all benefit emotionally from coming together to lift up and commune with our loss families, Empty Arms relies very heavily on the funds raised at this event to continue providing our *free* services to families throughout the year.

Simply put, Empty Arms cannot survive without the income generated from our gala.

With this in mind, we are coming to YOU for support.

Without mincing words, we are asking for your financial support. Whatever you can spare, whether it's $20 or $200.

✨ If you had planned on attending this incredible event, please consider donating the cost of your tickets.

✨ If you had planned on buying drinks that evening, please consider donating that money instead.

✨ If you had planned on buying raffle tickets at the gala, please consider donating that amount.

✨ If you were excited to bid on a dessert item, please consider gifting us that money.

Every eligible donation will receive a tax receipt for the entire amount, and EVERY donation will have a monumental impact on local families forced to say goodbye to their precious babies. Because virus or not, families are losing their babies as we speak, and we will continue to support them.

If every one of our followers donated just $10, we would meet our fundraising goal for this year's gala. Help us blow that goal out of the water. Let's show loss families that we won't let catastrophe stand in the way of loving them through their darkest hours.

Sincerely,
Empty Arms

https://www.emptyarmspls.com/donate

03/01/2020

Take the picture. It will help her remember a moment she might not even know was significant, and it will help her to realize that you understood how beautiful motherhood is.

01/31/2020

Although we still think you should try to sleep when the baby sleeps... maybe there’s some wisdom to this one: “put them in water or take them outside” ✨

.ly with
・・・
“Put them in water or take them outside.” It was the first useful parenting advice I ever got. “Sleep when the baby sleeps”? I think the polite word for that gem is poppycock. But this particular axiom has saved me many times over.

I don’t remember how old Nathan was when I called my mom in tears because I couldn’t stop his, but his age was probably measured in weeks. Maybe days. “Nothing is working; I don’t know what else to try,” I sobbed. “He’s not hungry or sleepy or wet.” “Try giving him a bath,” she suggested. “Or bundle him up and take him outside for some fresh air. I always say to take them outside or put them in water, and usually, the grumpiness goes away.” It worked that day, and it’s worked many times since. We’ve done baths at 10 a.m. I’ve paced our driveway with a baby in my arms at 2 a.m. And today, at 5:15 p.m. when my children were fighting for the 17th time since they got home from school and I was about to lose it, instead I put one in the bath and I sent the other outside and now maybe all three of us will survive until Dad gets home.
Almost nine years later, it still works.
I can’t give you advice about sleep schedules or feedings or Montessori-approved toys. I don’t know what we’re gonna do about Tik Tok and Snapchat in a few years. But when they’re falling apart at the seams for no apparent reason, take them outside or put them in water.
Oh, and it works on grown-ups, too."
📷+📝:

01/17/2020

‎Show The Pulse on AMI-audio, Ep Providing support for new moms - Jan 16, 2020