Wholehearted Doula

04/29/2026

Did you have a water birth? We’d love to hear from you.

I’m supporting Transitions Midwifery in gathering real stories from women who’ve had a water birth.

These voices can help bring this option to Ridge Meadows Hospital.

Please read the message below—and if it resonates, consider sharing your experience in the comments or by private message. 🤍

💟⤵️ ⤵️💟

We’re looking to hear from women in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Langley, Mission, and Port Coquitlam who have experienced a water birth—either at home or in a hospital setting.

If you’ve had a water birth, would you be willing to share a brief testimonial about your experience? Whether it was empowering, calming, challenging, or transformative, your voice matters. These stories can help provide real insight into what water birth looks and feels like for families in our community.

We are working to support access to water birth as an option at Ridge Meadows Hospital. While this practice has been approved within Fraser Health, local implementation is currently facing resistance. Hearing directly from those who have experienced water birth can play an important role in informing care, addressing concerns, and advocating for patient-centered choices.

If you’re open to sharing, please comment below or send a private message. Feel free to include whether your birth was at home or in hospital, and anything you feel others—or care providers—should understand about your experience.

Thank you for helping elevate informed choice and respectful maternity care in our community.

04/26/2026

Can supplements help with GDM? Have a read below ⬇️

As I round out my GDM series, I know there are so many unanswered questions. This is a huge topic, which so many moving pieces...and tons of new research.

I want to end by covering what the studies say about certain supplements. This is NOT a push for supplements, and it is up to you, the provider, to determine if a specific supplement fits the patient you are seeing. What I want to do it give you some ideas for treatment, and areas to reserach for your clients.

Vitamin D
Meta‑analysis of 19 RCTs in GDM found that vitamin D reduced fasting plasma glucose (~10 mg/dL), fasting insulin, and insulin sensitivity. Dosages ranges from 400IU a day to 50,000 IU every 2 week, to 60,000IU/week. No effect if patients are not deficient

Zinc
A 2019 meta-analysis of 5 RCTs in women with GDM (n=263) found zinc supplementation significantly reduced fasting plasma glucose, fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, and increased insulin sensitivity index (QUICKI), with clear rises in serum zinc. Other studies also found lower hs-CRP and higher total antioxidant capacity with zinc supplementation (30mg zinc gluconate) but no change in pregnancy outcomes.

Magnesium
Across small RCTs, magnesium (≈250 mg/day Mg oxide or similar for ~6 weeks) improves fasting glucose, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress/inflammatory markers in GDM. Evidence is still limited on the effective dosage for supplementation.

Selenium
200 µg/day selenium for ~4–6 weeks in women with GDM consistently improves fasting and/or post‑prandial glucose, several insulin‑resistance indices, and inflammatory/oxidative‑stress markers, with signals for better neonatal outcomes. Lower doses (100µg/day ) are not effective.

Alpha Lipoic Acid
A 2025 meta-analysis found that ALA was none of four antioxidants found it improve fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, β‑cell function and QUICKI vs control, as adjunct to diet. (the other antioxidants were zinc, selenium, and EGCG)

EGCG
500mg/day from time of diagnosis to term improved fasting/post prandial glucose, insulin indices, and reduced neonatal complications.

Other nutrients/supplements without enough research: thiamin, NAC, Chromium, Curcumin, CoQ10, Superoxide Dismutase

Studies:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33386179/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33372392/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31438733/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26465829/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36249983/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34907820/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12513009/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38720217/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40085334/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266082/

04/25/2026

As a certified postpartum nutrition specialist, I’m passionate about helping mothers heal, rebuild, and truly thrive after birth. While postpartum nutrition is key to recovery, what you do during pregnancy also plays a powerful role in protecting your energy, supporting your baby’s development, and setting you up for a smoother, more nourished postpartum.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ANaEeNbhx/?mibextid=wwXIfr

04/09/2026

Hello lovely families💕

Little World Sleep Consulting and Wholehearted Doula are so excited to share our Eat Well, Sleep Well collaboration with you. 🎉

We’ve brought together postpartum nourishment support for mothers and baby sleep support for little ones to offer care that supports the whole family during the early months. The postpartum season can feel beautiful, tender and sometimes overwhelming and we truly believe families deserve support that nurtures both recovery and rest.

Together, we’re here to support your healing, nourishment and wellbeing, while also helping you feel more confident in understanding your baby’s sleep.

If this feels like the kind of support your family needs, we’d love for you to learn more.

Visit the links in our IG bios to explore our services. and

03/23/2026

On a 313 km bike tour around Salento, Italy 🇮🇹 when things don’t go as planned.

During one leg of our journey, my e-bike had other plans… no power, just me and the road plus hills. It took everything—strength, determination, and a whole lot of grit—to reach the next town. I did it!! And 7.5 months post total hip replacement surgery to boot!!!

A reminder for every birthing mama: when you don’t think you can, you can. Trust your body, trust your resilience—you are more powerful than you know. 💛

11/30/2025

Some mothers feel robbed of their motherhood experiences because while they should’ve been soaking up every moment, they were busy fighting to survive

No one talks about the mothers who loved their children deeply but were too emotionally drained to fully enjoy the journey

The ones who were holding everything together the home, the marriage, the image while silently falling apart inside

Motherhood was never supposed to feel like survival

It was supposed to feel like connection, laughter, peace, and presence

But for too many women, it became a battlefield of exhaustion, emotional neglect, and loneliness

There are mothers who nursed their babies with tears running down their faces because their hearts were breaking in silence

Who showed up with a smile while carrying the weight of an unhappy marriage, financial struggles, or emotional abuse

Who sacrificed their own needs again and again just to give their children the love they never received themselves

These women didn’t fail

They adapted

They did what they had to do to protect their children, even if it meant losing parts of themselves in the process

And now, as they heal, they carry the grief of what they missed — the calm moments that never came, the joy that got lost under survival, the memories that were clouded by pain

But there’s beauty in that healing too

Because one day, she realizes it’s not too late to reclaim her peace

It’s not too late to rebuild the version of motherhood she always wanted

It’s not too late to show her children what healing looks like in real time

To every mother who feels like she missed out — you didn’t fail your kids

You protected them

You loved them through the chaos

You gave them everything you had, even when you had almost nothing left

And now, you get to give them something even more powerful

A healed, peaceful, present version of you

That’s motherhood too

The kind that grows from strength, not struggle

The kind that chooses peace after pain

The kind that finally breathes again

09/05/2025

The truth is… our medical system isn’t built to fully support postpartum healing. Providers are doing their best, but most simply aren’t given the education or tools for deep, root-level postpartum recovery. That’s why so many mothers feel unseen, unsupported and left to figure it out on their own.

But, there IS a way forward •~ I have tools to help you rebuild your foundation and find the healing you deserve.

Where do you feel postpartum care is missing or misunderstood?
Comment below 👇🏼

04/08/2025

March was a beautiful blur of strength, love, and new life.
One peaceful home birth, one empowering hospital birth—both natural, intentional, and so deeply beautiful.
Between daytime and overnight postpartum support, I’m only now coming up for air. Welcome earthside, little ones!

03/04/2025

What a wonderful Valentine’s week in welcoming these 3 precious wee ones into the world. ♥️♥️♥️

02/01/2025

The first snuggles of the year! Welcome to the world little ones 🤍🦋

01/23/2025

Today was a beautiful day ~ in more ways than one!

12/31/2024

Looking for a supportive community for new parents? Check out Bump’s Thrive Parenting Group starting soon—it’s just what you need for this journey. Don’t wait—join today!

We so often hear from our parent-clients how lonely the days can feel—especially in the early years. That’s why we’re so excited to introduce Bump’s Thrive Circle, a new parent group designed to create space for connection and support. 💛

Led by a Bump Registered Clinical Counsellor specializing in perinatal mental health (and a mom of three herself!), this group is a warm, welcoming environment to share experiences and start building your village.

🗓 First Circle: January 11, 10:00–11:30
📍 Locations: Langley & Port Moody (New West coming soon!)
✨ Open to ALL parents (you don’t have to be a client!) and free to join
🤱👨‍🍼Babies-in-arms welcome

Space is limited, so please email the clinic by noon the Friday before to save your spot. We can’t wait to see you there! 🫶

~the Bump team🍉