Peridot Births by Leslie the Doula

08/27/2025

This tee is getting sicka me but I am still obsessed!! Ain’t no way I wasn’t wearing it to the FOURTH cohort of Creating Dynamic Classes presented to WIC in 7 Midwest states by Postpartum Healing Lodge, hosted by the maven of group facilitation, Raeanne Madison, little ol’ me, and the literal indigenous princess Zunneh-bah A. Jim

Happy Black Breastfeeding Week!!!

The news is ugly, but you’re not crazy, this land was built on indigenous land and blood. Black backs and BLACK MILK. This land is ours and we belong here ✊🏾

08/19/2025

Getting excited for this training coming up this very weekend! If you’ve been hearing the call and feeling the itch to serve, it’s not too late to come with. I am so privileged to be able to initiate this new group of labor companions, space holders, compassionate caregivers to the impactful work of the doula.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1Vz1TsWJCF/?mibextid=wwXIfr

08/13/2025

And that’s a wrap on our 3rd of 5 trainings for WIC Midwest (7 states y’all!!!) repping Postpartum Healing Lodge, the first and only indigenous owned organization hired to train WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors, Dietitians, and IBCLCs! Thank you always, Madison for the invitation to collaborate and -bah A. Jim for flawlessly killing the support, and our amazing guest speakers, Angelene Adams and Elaine Mollindo!

Every time we present this workshop, I log off and feel like I’ve learned as much as I taught lol so I again have plenty of homework to do 🙃

Every day, showing up, do the work, distrupting the systems, uplifting our communities, and doing the work our ancestors called us to! Creating Dynamic Classes to disrupt patriarchy and heal our people. Peace to the revolution and of course, don’t forget I have a doula training coming up if you wanna be the change. I’m off to find some birthday cake ase

Amazing art by for

08/10/2025

Didn’t expect to be here for a few more weeks lol but the midwife asked if I spoke at a conference a couple years ago about postpartum planning and yes! It was me! Small not so small world hahahaha Get you a Black birth team 🙋🏾‍♀️👩🏿‍⚕️😮‍💨

Wanna learn to support births? I’m hosting a doula training this month! Lesliethedoula.com/doulatraining come let me show you the ways and guide you on this rewarding journey!

08/06/2025

“when can I quit breastfeeding and still be a good mom?”

That’s what I googled, 3.5 weeks in. I was excited to nurse my baby, and I knew it would be hard, so I prepped and took classes and hired a peer counselor to come to my house and help me, and it was still hard. My IBCLCs recommended we have oral ties released on our baby, and through cracked and bleeding ni***es, and his sore newly revised mouth, I was hopeful our breastfeeding journey would change for the better.

I had a cesarean unplanned, and I had already been back to work almost 2 weeks, and it was so so so hard, and I was exhausted. The baby preferred the bottle, and we were pouring formula down his throat constantly, trying to regain the weight he’d lost, while I was trying to get my milk supply up. So I googled, “when can I quit breastfeeding and still be a good mom?”

I found an infographic from Australia that listed the benefits a baby gets from every drop of human milk he takes in, and the benefits to the lactating person. This very non-judgmental approach made me feel like an amazing mom, and I was proud of our short lactation journey, and shamelessly buttoned up my shirt and quit breastfeeding.

For the first time ever, I proudly present this picture of my pumped milk, from July 1, 2016, 2 weeks and 5 days into my breastfeeding journey, 8 days before I quit. This was the most I ever pumped in one session, after a week of “triple feeding” (nurse, feed baby with bottle, then pump, around the clock). Here’s to all the folks feeding babies with their bodies, through all the blood, sweat, tears, ni**le cream, donor milk, baby formula, and that weird maple syrup smell (IYKYK). How ever your journey goes, you’re killing it and you’re doing a fantastic job!! Every journey is different and beautiful and I celebrate every moment and every drop with you!

HAPPY BREASTFEEDING WEEK!!!!!! 🥳🥳🥳

07/07/2025

We’re growing the Sage team which means we’ve expanded our availability! Contact us for a free consultation to learn all about community midwifery care and homebirth with Sage Midwifery 🥰

06/27/2025

04/04/2025

I’m speaking at the Virginia Women and Family Support Center’s Maternal Health Workshop on April 19, 2025, and I’d love to see you there!

This empowering event brings together healthcare professionals, mothers, policymakers, advocates, and community leaders to tackle the maternal health crisis, share life-changing knowledge, and offer real tools to support women before, during, and after childbirth.

Topics include mental health, prenatal care, creating birth plans, postpartum support, and so much more. And best of all, 100% of proceeds support housing for women and children experiencing homelessness.

🎟️ Get your tickets at vawfsc.org/maternalhealthworkshop and use my code “MHW” for $5 off.

🎟️ I’m giving away 10 FREE tickets to the Maternal Health Workshop! Use code “LESLIE” at checkout—the first 10 people to register with this code will attend completely free!

08/15/2024

We have been loving co-facilitating this group! Come join and me at .dc Fridays at 11am, all parents are welcome!

08/12/2024

Where are my Virginia Medicaid enrolled providers? I see only 4 of us doulas in Northern Virginia, 7 if I count Fredericksburg/Stafford.

I CAN SERVE VA MEDICAID CLIENTS FOR FREE!

Right now, I can do up to 4 postpartum visits with anyone in Virginia on Medicaid that’s given birth in the last 6 months, possibly up to 12 months. I can do prenatals as well. Tell them to book a consult with me! I can help RIGHT NOW.

Lesliethedoula.com

07/31/2024

Ok Illinois!!!

Proven cost savings and better outcomes for Illinois families! 🥰