Precious Arrows Doula Services

02/21/2026

02/21/2026

02/21/2026

Just a reminder of a really important question.

In an editorial in The Lancet's EClinical Medicine, Professor Hannah Dahlen looked at the meta-analysis by Hutton et al (2019), which looked at 14 studies involving around 500,000 women.

It showed (again) that home and hospital birth are equally safe and that homebirths in well-integrated settings appear to lead to better perinatal outcomes.

She then raised an important question: 'Is it time to ask whether facility based birth is safe for low risk women and their babies?'

If you’d like to know more about the evidence on home birth, see https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/is_home_birth_safe/

We have an entire page of studies and links to load of evidence-based information about homebirth.

Dahlen HG (2019). Is it Time to Ask Whether Facility Based Birth is Safe for Low Risk Women and Their Babies? EClinicalMedicine doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2019.08.003

02/20/2026

02/20/2026

I'm so excited to have my website refreshed! I guess I just birthed it for the 4th time. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Doula serving greater Nashville, TN area. Experienced Birth, Postpartum, and Sibling doula, Lamaze Educator, and Lactation Counselor.

02/14/2026

A 2025 study published in AJOG adds powerful, up-to-date data showing associations between doula care and improved maternal and newborn outcomes.

Key Maternal Outcomes:

More vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC): For every 100 patients who received doula care, there were 15 to 34 additional VBACs compared with those without doula care.

Higher postpartum follow-up attendance: 5 to 6 more per 100 received postpartum office visits.

Key Neonatal / Infant Outcomes

Increased exclusive breastfeeding rates: Babies whose families had doula support were more likely to breastfeed exclusively.

Fewer preterm births (and early preterm births): Doula-supported births showed a reduction in preterm birth rates.

In short, the study links doula care with improvements in birth outcomes — across birth mode (more VBACs), infant health (less prematurity), and early infant care (breastfeeding, postpartum follow-up).

Read more: https://internationaldoulainstitute.com/2025/11/evidence-for-doulas-new-ajog-study-finds-doulas-improve-outcomes/

02/13/2026

Say it louder

Your pediatrician is not a lactation consultant.
And if the only breastfeeding advice you got was
“just supplement”
“just switch to formula”
“maybe your milk isn’t enough”
that wasn’t lactation support.
That was convenience.
Pediatricians are trained in pediatrics.
IBCLCs are trained in lactation.
Those are not interchangeable.
If your baby had a heart issue, they would refer you to a cardiologist.
If your baby had a skin condition, they would refer you to a dermatologist.
But somehow when it comes to breastfeeding
a biologically complex, hormone driven, supply and demand system
we act like a two minute office visit covers it.
No weighted feed.
No latch assessment.
No fl**ge sizing.
No discussion of cluster feeding.
No explanation of normal newborn weight loss.
Just “top off.”
Listen carefully.
There is nothing wrong with choosing formula.
But there IS something wrong with not being given the full picture.
Moms deserve real support.
Not shortcuts.
Did your pediatrician actually help you breastfeed?
Or did they dismiss you?
Be honest.
👇 Let’s talk.

02/13/2026

A conversation that needs to be had.