Aura Doula

14/09/2021

TO HOLD A SPACE

Today I was having an emotional release session (sedona method) with a friend of mine. And a realisation stunned me. A realisation, of importance of someone holding space.

What does it mean? I think it simply means, creating a safe space for a person to open up, to experience. It means beeing physically, mentally, and emotionally present.

Even though I know how to guide myself in this emotional release technique, it is so much more powerful when other person guides you. It gives you strength, to face the deepest of stuff, because you know someone is holding your back. Even when you still do all the job by yourself.

Holding a space. It's one of the things that doulas do. It's difficult, to explain in words of what a difference it makes. But just remember yourself, when you felt held, in transformative situations in your life...

And remember, that some times the greatest gift you can give to someone is just to simply hold a space for them 💚.

09/09/2021

WHAT IS A DOULA? (part 2)

💗The guardian of oxytocin💗

As labour begins, the woman release an intense cocktail of hormones, which work to dilate the cervix through contractions(oxytocin), and endorphins (natural morphine- natural pain killers). So woman have all the tools she needs to give birth.

Oxytocin is what makes labour going. Oxytocin is a love hormone. We produce it while we are in love, we kiss, make love, touch, hug. It's a hormone of love and nurturing. So what gets baby in-gets baby out. And we need to guard it. So that woman feels safe, nurtured, heared, comfortable, loved.
Doulas helps to create the environment, where oxytocin can do it's power.

What do we guard it from? From adrenalin. Even though it's an amazing (fight or flight) hormone. It does not help in the biggest part of labour. Opposite, works against it. Its produced, when woman feels exposed, unsave, disturbed, scared.

Guarding oxytocin is one of our main tasks. It might sounds as a small thing, but love is as always in life-magic! 💓

02/09/2021

WHAT IS A DOULA?
Even though it is becoming more and more popular around the globe, some people have not heared about it yet. Or if they have heared, don't really always know what does she do. I will try and explain various aspects of Doula'ing in upcoming posts.

-Even though doula is quite new professsion, but with a very old tradition behind. Doula's firstly provide you with continious care. In your pregnancy time, birth and early postpartum.
You can imagine her as your great friend who is there to support you unconditionally, having great knowledge on the subject, and having a variety of tools and tricks to help you out in the way.

-Doulas came in the birth picture to fill the gap in the birth system. The midwifes could do it too, but due to the system they are working in, they have not enough time to support you all the time. Sometimes, woman don't know who will be attending their births. Have short -15-30min -prenatal appointments, where not all the answers can be answered, and emotions shared. Usually, midwifes in the early labour only comes to check once in a while, and only continuously participates in the very last stage of the labour. And in the times between you are alone or with your partner. And her comes the Doula. To fill this gap. We make a connection before. And have this continiuos relationship through all experience. Simmilar experience can be provided independant midwifes out there. 💛

Some of the research stats on continuity of care are amazing.
💛Woman have fewer cesarean (28% fewer) and are more likely to give birth vaginally without intervention.
💛Higher levels of satisfaction, are more positive about overall experience.
💛Feel less anxious and more in control.
💛15% less likely to have an epidural
💛16% less likely to have an episiotomy
💛31% decrease in using Pitocin

03/09/2020

The hormone oxytocin is being released in the body while making love, giving birth, breastfeeding, kissing, loving. It’s crucial component when giving birth. It is well known that easy flow of oxytocin is the winning formula for beautiful, powerful natural birth. But let’s look what happens when this flow is constantly being interrupted. It’s a funny video, illustrating what would happen if making love would be interupted. Showing us how many often unnecessary interventions sabotage natural delivery, takes away opportunity to hear and feel yourself, to get in tune with the process.

Can you relate to it? What was your experience? ❤️

02/09/2020

I am so happy to announce that from today on, I am back giving pregnancy yoga classes! It’s every Wednesday 18pm in Yoga Point Nijmegen. The classes are given in English. Hope to see you there! 🧚🏼‍♂️💚

20/06/2020

Today’s harvest. RASAKILA 🌿Alchemilla vulgaris. A very feminine medicinal plant. Positively effects hormons, balances menstrual cycle, reduces pms symptoms, harmonize fertility issues and much more. 🧚🏼‍♂️ NOW Is the best time to pick medicinal herbs. It is until Summer Solstice on the 21st of June 💚

21/04/2020

Great article! Reminder to myself too 🧚🏼‍♂️

While we might take care of our children in the traditional ways, making sure they are fed, clothed, and have a roof over their heads those are not the only things that matter. Sometimes we forget just how important it is to take care of our children on an emotional level and because of this many fa...

21/04/2020

I am a total believer that in order to increase your chances for great childbearing experience you need three things. Prepare yourself, manifest your dream pregnancy and then totally let go of it all. So you need to know what you want and do real actions to get there. And then totally surrender to what is. If you would like to know how to do it step by step, I would be more than happy to help you out. Empowering you is my favorite thing to do! 💚💚💚

03/04/2020

Some thoughts about more subtle part of the pregnancy ❤️. I believe that being pregnant is like being on a very special mission. Increasingly profound creative mission. It’s been long proven that water has memory. And since baby is growing in mothers fluids, all his/her’s cells base is made of it. That means that baby is greatly influenced by mothers emotions, feelings and experiences. In many cultures around the world pregnant woman was treated more respectful and with great attention. She was encouraged to listed harmonizing music, spend time in nature, enjoy uplifting art, pray, meditate, communicate with people about beautiful and uplifting topics. In modern world this knowledge is often lost. But it’s up to us to bring it back and practice it. So just remember on what a remarkable mission you are at the moment. And as a pregnant woman you have a right to stop conversation which is negative, and say I am sorry (I don’t want to participate in it), you can choose what social media channels you use ( world will not brake if you will stop following news and other draining information during that time (especially now! )go more often to nature, breath deeper, surround yourself with beauty and relaxation (meditation, walking, harmonizing music, positive literature, praying, creating something). I know it’s almost impossible to stay only in this positive bubble the whole pregnancy, but where your attention goes, the energy flows. So focus on beauty, harmony, love! ❤️

01/04/2020

Spring is so rich of nature gifts for us! 🌿If you are lucky at this time to escape to nature areas, don’t forget to pick some Stining nettle. We use it in smoothies, soups, salads, pesto. It’s packed with vitamins, minerals and has many times more iron than spinach! Early spring it’s best time to pick it, since it’s has most vitamins at this time. You can also dry some and keep it for tea for autumn and winter. Amazing for pregnant or feeding mothers! 🌿

26/03/2020

I would like to send a message to you, amazing expecting mother’s 🌿💚
In this challenging time, in most places you will need to go into labor alone. Without possibility to have your partner or doula at your side. And we can either pity this situation. Or look for a positive. Which is! Your are being asked to claim all your power back to yourself! Your body. And fully trust it, trust your baby, and align yourself with the supporting power of the universe. You have your own back! It’s this unique chance to take your full responsibility of your experience back to yourself, while at the same time trusting the process and completely surrendering 💚🌿
Charge yourself with quite walk in remote nature, meditate, dance, call a doula or a best friend share your feelings, read right literature and educate yourself, create a connection with the universe 🌈You got this!!!

20/01/2020

Doula, birth, babies are tightly connected to motherhood.🌏🌿🍀 And we all know that rising a child in modern way can be quite trashing for our environment. In this transitioning period (I believe to more conscious, nature loving and green) I have decided to share with you some ways, that we as a family are trying to be less wasteful while rising our child. Every week I will post one of our trics/ attemts to be less wastefull and produce as little trash as possible after us. I know it can always be better, and sometimes there is difficulties when we can not apply these tips. So they are just to inspire. Couse every little step matters when many people are doing it! And best ofcours to start with yourself! And when we show good example for kids is win win win! Maybe some of it you will like, and adapt to your family routine. 🌱

Number 1.✨🥰✨
Cloth diapers! Yeees I love this one. Even before getting pregnant, I knew I would like to cloth diaper my kids. Because disposable diapers produce so much trash!! And there are more great benefits to cloth diapers: like healthy baby skin, healthier for the reproductive organs, and faster moving to the potty, saving money and one more time- INCREADIBLY reducing waste. And it is so easy! Just trust me on this one- it is so much more easy than you think!
So from the first days we started using cloth diapers for our little Jacob. We used the most simple cotton technique up until he was 8 months. It is like old fashion cloth diapers, and I sewed inserts myself from organic bamboo, cotton and h**p. Until that time we used disposable diapers when we went out and at night. We chose the most organic and degradable for this matter, but if I would do it again I would not use disposable at all. Then our boy started to p*e more and so, we moved to another sort of diapers: like pocket, aio and so. These are so so comfortable, just same as disposable. You change it every couple hours or when needed more often, and if you go somewhere you have a "wet bag" with you and later all goes to laundry. They dry super fast (depending on the brand). Some just within 3-4 hours are dry again and ready to use! And then we started using cloth diapers at night and during trips or going out. Always. It is so easy and gives you so much pleasure not having that pile of trash! I totally love it and can not say enough how easy it is! If you have any questions about it, please let me know! I would also love to hear your experiences with cloth diapers. 💚💚💚

With love from mother to mother,
Your doula Aura