From the Heart Doula Services

03/07/2023

My friend and fellow doula with some wise words 💛

Birth Days 🎂

When I went into labour with my son my mom pulled up the motorhome with the whole gang and we spent the day visiting, going out for coffee and of course, moving through labour!

Having the whole family there for the birth of my children will be something I love forever. Its one of those things that’s etched into my memories. I’m so grateful to them for dropping everything to join my birth adventure.

My births have always been a family affair. My siblings and mom always were in the background, running to get essential beverages JUST before the store closed, entertaining the littles, making sure my first postpartum meal was a 10/10, and distracting me with their humor and company. While doing all the things for me they were also excitedly waiting to meet the new addition, like Christmas morning but with a human!

When your dreaming up your birth make sure to include how you want to feel and who to invite into your birth bubble. It matters and it will be something you remember forever.

02/24/2023

WELCOME

🌸Wynn Ellis🌸
February 6, 2023
6lbs 7oz
21 inches

My beautiful client and first time mom armed herself with knowledge about birth and laboured beautifully for just under 24 hours and pushed for less than 30 minutes to bring her and her husband's first child into the world.

My wish for parents everywhere is to have a respected, safe, and empowering birth experience. You deserve it!

We need to remember that power and wisdom come to women during labour, they don't ask for it, it simply invades them and carries them through. Your body knows what to do! Lean into that power and embrace the changes that are coming ✨️ 💪 ❤️

Also, this was my first time supporting a birth at Wainwright Hospital. It was such a vibe and the facilities and staff were amazing!

02/13/2023

I was able to attend a birth in Wainwright recently and it was so great!

01/17/2023

🧘🏽‍♂️🌟 Upright Birth🌟🧘🏾‍♀️
by Student Midwife Studygram]

Researchers believe that giving birth in an upright position can benefit the mother and baby for several physiologic reasons. Physiologic refers to a healthy body’s normal function. In an upright position, gravity can help bring the baby down and out.
Upright positioning also helps the uterus contract more strongly and efficiently and helps the baby get in a better position to pass through the pelvis.

📝 Words by ~
🎨 Illustration by Student Midwife Studygram]

12/31/2022

TW Loss/Stillbirth .....................................

On December 26, 2022, Beaumont Levi Norman was born sleeping, and his soul resting in the arms of Jesus.

I supported his parents, Jaedyn and Levi, as they showed incredible strength and bravery as they labored together for more than 24 hours.

Beaumont, we say your name proudly, you are loved, you are part of a family here on heaven and on earth.
.............................

"There really is not enough words to describe how incredible you were, and how beautiful that labour was.

I just can't thank you enough for still showing up and being such an incredible support, and I'm sad that it wasn't a victorious ending of life at the end, but I am so beyond blessed that the Lord placed you in that room with me. My family was so blown away with how wonderful and respectful you were. And I cannot recommend you enough. I'm so thankful for the labour that I got to have and experience.

Claire helped us labour through the most vulnerable and heartbreaking time of our lives. She taught us how to advocate for ourselves, gave us so much information and support to prepare us for labour. And although we had already lost our sweet boy in the womb, she still came and helped us labour in a way that I will never forget and will forever be thankful for. Her gentle spirit and physical support will forever be remembered and cherished by us.

I think that it's so important for people to know just how incredible of an addition you make to the birthing team and even in the midst of such sadness and despair how encouraging and helpful you were. I really truly feel that the Lord brought you into our lives because He knew how much of a blessing you would be to us.

We felt so loved and cared for by you. And it was an honour to have you be apart of one the hardest times of our lives

Thank you so much Claire."

📸: KAS Images

12/03/2022

❤❤❤

11/28/2022

Yesterday I had the honour of supporting Romee's parents in their journey as they worked hard to bring their second daughter into the world.

After a fast and furious 6.5 hour unmedicated and intervention free labour, Romee was born healthy into her parent's arms.

There was plenty of dim lighting, candles flickering, hot water flowing, massage, music, and some pro hip squeezes from dad.

You trusted your body and the power and wisdom it holds, and you rocked it! I am so proud, and you should be too.

What a privilege to once again witness a labour and delivery, and the innate power of a birthing woman!

As usual, I am in awe.

Thank for for trusting me to walk alongside you in your journey.

I wish your family all of God's blessings,

-Birth Doula Claire

🗣 shoutout to the staff at the Lloydminster Hospital for their great care!

📚

11/09/2022

The recipe for protecting birth physiology is not complex in my opinion… I was speaking with yesterday about the ‘ingredients’ needed to protect optimal birth physiology and she said:

1. Private
2. Safe
3. Unobserved

… and I’ve added my 3 ‘rules’ for conducting myself (or yourself) within a woman’s birth space (and only if you’ve been invited in… if you haven’t been invited, then you have violated the first 3 rules so, back out of the birth space in a low slow and quite manner)

4. Low: when in a woman’s birth space make every attempt to not hover over the top or above her, get down to her eye level or below. It helps to remind you and hopefully her that she has the power in the space and allows for eye contact and respectful engagement.
5. Slow: avoid rushing around the birth space. Keep movement of your body slow and purposeful. Unnecessary shuffling and racing about the birth space is distracting to the woman.
6. Quiet: keep your voice to low tones, quite and unobtrusive so as not to break the birth space with noise. Avoid adding any noise to the space that is not absolutely needed. Before speaking ask yourself, ‘would my words right now benefit the woman’ and if not, you don’t need to say them.

The hormones of labour are shy and need privacy to work well. So if you want to give your body the best chance of a physiological birth, protect your privacy, only invite people and things into your space that make you feel safer and ensure that your chosen care providers know how to respect the birth space by being unobtrusive, low, slow and quite

This should continue through to placental birth and the early HOURS after the baby is born.

10/22/2022

Sometimes birth is about focus.
Sometimes birth is about letting go.

You can’t fight against contractions so embrace them with arms wide open.

Welcome labor and your baby in.

📸

10/21/2022

I see you, pumpers!

No matter how much you pump, you should be very proud! Making milk for our babies and then pumping it out is worthy of all the love and praise.

10/21/2022

❤❤

The moment before birth.… Welcome baby boy. ❤️