Doula My Soul

09/14/2024

Such an excellent day with the at their conference! There were such excellent discussions and great conversations with colleagues, both new and experienced!

10/31/2023

Witch-ing you a fang-tastic day filled with howl-arious moments and boo-tiful memories!

Happy Halloween, have a spook-tacular day! 🎃

10/18/2023

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10/16/2023

What does an or**sm, social recognition, bonding, labor and lactation all have in common?

Oxytocin release!

Or***ms release feel-good hormones (yay, endorphins!) that wave through your body leaving behind a number of sensations: sleepiness, relaxation, and/or joy. A study by Nicoletta Cera and colleagues found higher levels of oxytocin during and or**sm. Hmmm… ideally there is some form of ejection during an or**sm. Well, oxytocin is commonly referred to as the “ejection” hormone. It helps with ejecting a baby out of the womb through contractions and it helps with ejecting milk from lactating breasts/chests.

So what about social recognition and bonding? When oxytocin levels are elevated during the newly postpartum period, it allows the birthing parent to feel well and calm which allows them to bond more effectively with their newborn. This also improves their “social intelligence” for this bonding. Throw in some skin to skin and one might notice tingling, warmth or a “bloom like” sensation in the lactating breasts/chest. They may even note milk dripping from the nipple(s) or experience wet clothing in the chest area. The postpartum period has a leaky phase and for most, it doesn’t go beyond a few weeks. This is not a cause for concern, it’s simply your body adjusting to your schedule and needs.

As always, if you have concerns about your hormonal levels, talk to your provider. If you'd like ideas on increasing oxytocin while caring for your newborn, come see us! We'd love to help and support you!

References:
Cera N, Vargas-Cáceres S, Oliveira C, et al. How Relevant is the Systemic Oxytocin Concentration for Human S*xual Behavior? A Systematic Review. S*x Med. 2021;9(4):100370. doi:10.1016/j.esxm.2021.100370

Moberg, K. U. (2015). Oxytocin: The biological guide to motherhood. Praeclarus Press, LLC.

10/03/2023

What are you looking forward to most this season?

09/24/2023

It’s High Holy Holidays for many Jewish families! In case you were wondering, fasting is typically waived for anyone who is lactating during this season. Talk with your Rabbi or religious leader if you’re unsure. While short fasts are generally safe, listening to your body is also important.

Wishing all who celebrate blessings and renewal in this new year ahead!

Here's what to know about fasting for religious observance while you're breastfeeding. Read more.

09/18/2023

Our intern, Keyra Peraza is sitting this week for the IBCLC board exam! She will do great! Please send well wishes ☺️

This picture is from the SW Washington Healthy Families 5th Annual Conference last Friday! Bryna presented wonderfully on oral restrictions and gender affirming care. 🧠❤️

(Keyra on the left, Bryna on the right)

09/15/2023

Here we go! 🥳🥳🥳 SW Washington Healthy Families

09/15/2023

Tomorrow, Bryna will be presenting at SW Washington Healthy Families’ 5th Annual Conference in partnership with

09/05/2023

Check out Latina/x Breastfeeding Week as they have events this week!

08/28/2023

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August 27, 2023 is International Bereaved Father's Day. Today we honor fathers and parents who have lost children and send our love and virtual hugs.

"Those we have held in our arms for a short while we hold in our hearts forever." - Unknown

Please know that we see you, dads, no matter what fatherhood looks like for you.

08/25/2023

This whole week is dedicated to addressing the obstacles that black families face when deciding how to feed their child. Unfortunately, black families are aggressively influenced by health care providers, government funded agencies, social media and their own family members (to name a few) to feed formula despite their wishes to nurse or provide their own human milk.

If you are a new parent, you've experienced the aggressive marketing of formula companies. Well...

"Mothers with lower rates of breastfeeding tend to be young, low-income, African American, unmarried, less educated, participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), overweight or obese before pregnancy, and more likely to report their pregnancy was unintended.4–7 These final two points are important to highlight because African American and Hispanic women have the highest rates of being overweight or obese and the largest number of unintended pregnancies."

"Breastfeeding is beneficial to almost all mothers and infants, but the benefits may be significantly greater for minority women. Minority women are disproportionately affected by adverse health outcomes, which may improve with breastfeeding. Relative to white women in the United States, African American and Hispanic women have increased rates of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Women who breastfeed exclusively are more likely to lose weight postpartum than women who breastfeed nonexclusively and formula-feed. Some studies also suggest that breastfeeding may decrease the risk for obesity in the infant during childhood. Longer breastfeeding duration has also been associated with reduced incidence of type 2 diabetes in the mother.16 Research suggests that breastfeeding may reduce a mother's risk of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease. Lastly, minority women have greater rates of unintended pregnancy. Exclusive breastfeeding on a strict, routine schedule can reduce fertility by inducing amenorrhea, thus delaying ovulation and increasing the interval between offspring."

"Research also suggests that Black and African American birthing people are much more likely to be introduced to formula in-hospital after birth, which can negatively influence exclusive breastfeeding practices. The intersection of racism and socioeconomic status further impact breastfeeding rates in the Black and African American community. Black and African American mothers are more likely to be uninsured prior to pregnancy and after birth, resulting in gaps in access to care and support important for successful breastfeeding.

C'mon now??
I encourage you to read this post below to get a better understanding as to WHY this week is dedicated to bringing awareness and change for our black families.
https://medium.com/national-center-for-institutional-diversity/black-womens-right-to-breastfeed-797061d61d48

"Black and African American birthing people are less likely to have a strong family history of breastfeeding compared to Hispanic and white birthing people, which has been shown to positively impact breastfeeding intentions and initiation. Research also suggests that Black and African American birthing people are much more likely to be introduced to formula in-hospital after birth, which can negatively influence exclusive breastfeeding practices."

Let's be real, BLACK families are bombarded with formula even when expressing their desires to nurse. How rude? Right?



Breastfeed Med. 2015 May 1; 10(4): 186–196.
doi: 10.1089/bfm.2014.0152

Thank you Perinatal Health Equity Initiative for this

08/15/2023

This week, we celebrate Asian American Hawaiian Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week!

AANHPI will be having a Lactation Community Forum this Friday, August 18, 2023
1:00-3:00 PM PDT

“Join our open panel discussion to hear from AANHPI community members and their journeys to becoming lactation support professionals!

The presentation will be followed by a discussion on how we can further build community capacity to support our AANHPI families.” -Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week

Register at https://tinyurl.com/AANHPI-Lactation-Forum

08/08/2023

🌟 Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective 🌟August 8 🗓️

The art by Jackie Fawn is so beautiful 🤩

Check them out:
https://www.indigenousmilkmedicinecollective.org/milkmedicineweek

08/06/2023

This is the first medication specifically designed to be administered for postpartum depression.

Currently we don’t have enough information to offer lactation guidance, but hopefully that will change soon.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the medication zuranolone for the treatment of major depressive disorder and severe postpartum depression – making it the first FDA-approved oral pill in the United States specifically for postpartum depression, a serious mental illness that can dev...

08/05/2023

Chest and Breastfeeding is a human right. It is not only beneficial for the survival, health and wellbeing of the child but also for the lactating parent. Nursing parents need adequate support from health systems, workplaces and their communities to provide human milk. As parents form a large part of the workforce, sufficient paid maternity/parental leave to care for and chest/breastfeed their children will also benefit the society as a whole. -inspired by WABA

👍🏽Human milk is a complete and balanced source of nutrition, containing vital antibodies that protect infants against infections and diseases.

👍🏽Human milk fed children have a lower risk of respiratory infections, ear infections, allergies, and obesity.

👍🏽By supporting chest/breastfeeding in the workplace, employers indirectly contribute to:
1. the well-being of their employees’ children (feeling respected)
2. fostering a healthier future generation (feeling supported)
3. potentially reduce the time off working-parents need to care for sick children. (Feeling cared for)

Resulting in parents having a more successful work-life balance in the critical period of early childhood and improve their mental health. 👏🏻👏🏽👏🏿

Isn’t this what we all want?! It’s a No brainer!