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Family Doula- Hannah J Barker, Emporia, KS (2025)

01/03/2023

🌺Hey, everyone! As promised, I’m starting off 2023 with a life update that I’m super excited to share!

Mainly, I completed a DONA approved Birth Doula Certification Workshop earlier this month! I’m thrilled to have finally taken this huge step toward my passion supporting families as they welcome new members. I made connections with several other certifying doulas from all over the state and even a few out of state. I also had the pleasure of being instructed by Sally Riley, co-founder of The Academy of Certified Birth Educators and Labor Support Professionals, ACBE, co-founder of Doulas of Greater Kansas City, and president of the Pregnancy and Postpartum Resource Center in Kansa City. She’s been a childbirth educator for over 35 years and the information she provided was truly exceptional. I’m grateful to her for helping to pave the way for Doulas and other childbirth professionals in this area. She is one of the most knowledgeable women I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and learning from. Thank you, Sally!

The last step for me on the road to certification is providing hands-on birth doula support to 3 families. I’m currently offering free consultations and reduced rates of service in order to meet this requirement before my deadline.

»»»Please like and share this post so more families who may be interested can find me! Thank you Emporia for all your support!«««

12/17/2022

👋I'm Back!

I took a little hiatus from posting for few months. Autumn this year has been full of plans and events as well as a few hiccups to tend to. However, I'm happy to say I'll be making a return to posting on and growing this page starting in 2023! I'm excited to share the new developments that have contributed to such a busy season.

I hope everyone has had and continues to have a wonderful holiday season and a positive start to the New Year! See you in 2023!✨

09/16/2022

Hey Emporia!🖐

I'm a new Birth and Postpartum Doula providing services in the Lyon County area. I'm currently looking for opportunities to gain hours of birth support experience toward my certification. My services are free while I work toward my certification requirements.

»»» If anyone is interested or knows someone who might be interested in free doula services and giving me an opportunity to practice and learn, please reach out via messenger or email and make sure to share this post! «««

Thank you for your support!😊

09/07/2022

»»»This is my availability this month!«««

It's recommended that families, who intend to use doula support, secure a doula by week 30 of pregnancy in order to gain the most benefit from this support. This is also to insure the doula's availability as well as prepare the family in the event of a less than full-term labor.

✨I'm currently providing free services to families in the Lyon County area in order to gain the experience necessary to complete the doula certification process. Email or message me if you have any questions or would like to set up a consultation!

👍Like and share so more families in the area can access these resources!

09/02/2022

Doulas use a myriad of tools in order to help the laboring person manage pain, relax into labor, and replenish strength. The tools used will vary from Doula to Doula, but they usually fall into three categories: physical support, massage support, and revitalization. Listed below are some of the most popular tools a Doula might use to support a laboring person:

A. Birth Ball- a large exercise ball (55-75cm) used during labor to help physically support the laboring person during several laboring positions, especially ones where leaning over is involved. This birth ball can help with dilation in early labor as well as aid in pain relief and relaxation in active labor.

B. Peanut Ball- a peanut ball is much smaller than a birth ball and it’s shaped like a peanut. It can be used to help maintain an open hip position while in a reclined or lying laboring position.

C. Massage tools- (tennis balls, rollers, combs, etc.) These are used to massage either tension areas or specific pressure points to reduce pain.

D. Handheld fan- these are used for the obvious, but often overlooked, purpose of providing the laboring person with some direct, cooling relief during any stage of labor.

E. Essential Oils- These can be diffused into the air or used topically during labor depending on facility guidelines. Certain oils have calming effects, others have energizing effects, and some even help with nausea.

F. Honey Packets or Honey Sticks- these provide a boost of energy to the laboring person during lengthy labors or when the laboring person is experiencing nausea.

G. Microwave Heat Compress- this can be as simple as a sock filled with dry rice, dry beans, or dry corn, but there are also plenty of store bought options for heating pads. The heat helps relax muscles and provides an extra level of comfort to the laboring person.

H. Hand Mirror- this is important if the laboring person wants to see the baby during birth; although, lots of hospitals will have one as well. A mirror can be helpful to motivate and energize the laboring person in the last moments leading up to birth. Seeing the progress first hand can be extremely effective for pushing through.

This is just a quick rundown of some of the most popular tools a Doula may implement during labor, whether it be for pain management, comfort measures, or replenishing energy.

Please reach out with any questions, further knowledge, or if you’re interested in setting up a consultation for Doula services.

👉I’m currently offering free Doula services in Lyon County and surrounding areas in order to gain hands-on experience required to gain a Doula certification through DONA International. Please like and share, so I can connect with more people and families who may be looking for birth and postpartum support! Thank you for your support!

08/17/2022

✨Doula’s are an important addition to a family's birth experience. Based on information I’ve gained reading and researching, I would advocate that Doulas are essential to the birth experience. Just as the doctor/midwife/nurses are important for the medical aspects of birth, a doula is important for the mental and emotional aspects as well as helping the family access informational resources. Many birthing people would assume that with a doctor, a couple nurses, and a birth partner or two, they would receive around the clock, 24/7 support. This expectation, while completely reasonable, is unfortunately not typically the case.

I’m sure most of us have heard stories of mama’s going into labor and their doctors being unavailable for one reason or another, or doctors having a few patients laboring at the same time and the doctor inconsistently coming in and out of the room to check progress. Similar can be said for nurses. Most often nurses are responsible for even more patients at once, meaning you can expect nurses to come and go often as well as new nurses coming in during shift changes. These professionals ideally do the best they can for their patients; however, the workload precludes them from providing continuous care and support throughout labor.

This is where Doula’s come in! Doula’s have the ability to support the family continuously as well as help the family advocate for themselves about specifics of their birth plan. The support that Doula’s provide has been gaining far more recognition in the last couple decades as more and more studies have been done to assess the value that Doula support can provide to a birthing person. However, there has been a huge increase in the amount of people seeking out this continuous support since the World Health Organization officially recommended that all birthing people have a birth companion in 2016. While some birthing people are perfectly content to just have a romantic partner or close relative by their side, others might be interested in more support for a multitude of reasons, or may not have a reliable or supportive birthing companion. In addition to companionship, there are plenty of other reasons to consider having a Doula in attendance at a birth.

The following information is a quick rundown, all taken from academic sources and studies (links below), on the benefits of Doulas:

Doula support contributes to reduced chances of inductions, cesarean sections, stalled labors, lengthy labors, preterm birth, episiotomies, perineal tearing, use of forceps or vacuum, low birth weight, and decreased likelihood of laboring anxiety and depression as well as postpartum anxiety and depression. Doula support contributes to increased chances of spontaneous onset of labor, spontaneous birth, unmedicated birth, medicated non-epidural birth, breastfeeding, higher APGAR scores (greater than 7) at both the 1 minute and 5 minute mark, and earlier onset of lactogenesis (within the first 72 hours). Doula’s also have a significant impact on the birthing person's self-efficacy and increased confidence in ability to birth their child, which contributes to a more positive birth experience overall.

👉I’m currently offering free Doula services in Lyon County and surrounding areas in order to gain hands-on experience required to gain a Doula certification through DONA International. Please like and share, so I can connect with more people and families who may be looking for birth and postpartum support! Thank you for your support!

Informational Recourses:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/
https://www.dona.org/what-is-a-doula/benefits-of-a-doula/
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/01/15/463223250/doula-support-for-pregnant-women-could-improve-care-reduce-costs
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595283/

PDF:https://pretermbirthca.ucsf.edu/sites/g/files/tkssra2851/f/wysiwyg/Kozhimannil%20-%202018%20-%20Potential%20benefits%20of%20increased%20access%20to%20doula%20support%20during%20childbirth.pdf

07/29/2022

👋Hey everyone! This is the calendar for August depicting my consultation availability in the upcoming month. I have mostly open availability this month excepting the week school starts for USD253.

If you are interested in setting up a free consultation for Doula services, message me here!

👉I'm currently offering free Doula services in order to gain experience toward my DONA International Doula Certification!

07/23/2022

If there’s one thing anyone who’s birthed a child knows, it’s that labor is unpredictable. From the onset of labor to the duration of labor to hospital protocol, navigating it all is stressful to say the least. Having a working knowledge of what to expect, can help relieve some of the stress associated with uncertainty. Understanding the stages of labor and what to expect in each phase is a great place to start, not only to help ease fear, but to create a plan of action for pain management and preferred procedures (also known as a birth plan).

There are 3 stages of labor: dilation, birth, and placental delivery.

Dilation is the first and longest stage of labor. There are actually 3 phases within the dilation stage. The first phase is early labor, where the cervix will dilate from 0cm to 3cm. Early labor can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days and is typically done at home. The second phase is active labor, where the cervix will dilate from 3cm to around 6cm. This is when contractions start to come every few minutes and increase in intensity. This is about the time that most people will go to a hospital or birthing center if they don’t intend to deliver at home. The third phase is transition, where the cervix dilates from 7cm to 10cm. This is when the body transitions from opening the cervix to preparing for baby's descent into the birth canal. Transition typically happens quickly and often brings on the most intense contractions.

The birth stage will begin once the cervix is dilated to 10cm. This is when the pushing portion of labor will start, although it’s common that the urge to push might precede the physical readiness to push. During the birth stage, baby’s head will descend into the birth canal as the head and body twist slightly to maneuver through the p***c bone. When baby’s head begins to crown, there are typically only a few more pushes before baby finally arrives.

The placental delivery stage is an often overlooked, but very important stage of birth. Once baby has arrived, the placenta will continue to pump blood and nutrients to baby until the umbilical cord is cut. The placenta is usually delivered anywhere from 5 minutes to 60 minutes after baby arrives and a nurse or other medical staff will provide a fundal massage, which helps to stimulate uterine shrinking and prevent hemorrhaging.

Understanding how labor and delivery typically happen is a crucial first step in discerning what the birthing person might need as far as physical and mental support go. This basic knowledge also opens the door to make informed decisions about preferences the birthing person may have such as labor induction, frequency of EFM (electronic fetal monitoring), delayed cord clamping and more. In future posts, I intend to go into detail about each stage of labor separately as there are nearly infinite amounts of information about labor and delivery.

Please like and share so others who might benefit from my page have an easier time finding it! My DM’s are always open for questions, conversation, or to schedule a consultation for free services. Thank you for supporting my business!

07/15/2022

There are a multitude of ways to manage pain during labor and delivery. Switching up your laboring positions during the laboring process can help with pain management as well as shortening the time a birthing person spends laboring in some cases. Just as with other pain management methods, different laboring positions work better during different stages of labor.

Supine, the classic laboring position showcased in movies, is essentially labor laying down on one's back, typically modified with knees bent, called Lithotomy. This position is common, as it provides the most visibility for the medical staff; however, this position can directly counter the efforts of uterine contractions and, in some cases, actually lengthen labor times. This position orients the va**na in a “J” shape, which means that the contractions are not only working against the cervix, but gravity as well. This makes the supine position one of the least effective positions for progressing labor, but there are plenty of alternative positions for a birthing person to utilize!

•The Standing/Walking position can be tricky to do depending on fetal monitoring protocols, which differ from hospital to hospital. However, this position can be very effective during early labor for progressing to active labor.
•The Rocking position can be effective during early and active labor. The gravity combined with the pelvic movement helps to position the baby's head and provide light pressure against the cervix, which can help with dilation.
•The Squatting position can be effective during any stage of labor, but is especially effective during transition and birth as it opens the hips and positions the va**na toward the floor, allowing the birthing person to push with the complete aid of gravity.
•The Sitting position, similar to the Rocking position, works with gravity and can be modified to light bouncing when done using a birthing ball.
•The Leaning Over or Kneeling position is another variation of the Sitting position that can be especially helpful for alleviating painful back labor as it helps shift the pressure of the baby's head off of the spine.
•The Hands and Knees position involves getting on all fours which allows the birthing person freedom to position the hips however is comfortable and also opens up access to the birthing person's back, so the partner or Doula can provide massage techniques to manage pain as well.
•The Side Lying position is a good position for birthing people who cannot leave the bed, whether due to pain, fetal monitoring, epidural, or hospital protocol. This position can ease pressure on nerves and major veins in the back and also allows access to the back for massages.

These are some of the most effective labor and birth positions, but there are several more lesser known positions that can be effective as well. Knowledge is power and an empowered birthing experience leads to an empowered parenthood journey! As a Doula, I want to help empower as many families as I can, which is why I’m continuing to grow my knowledge surrounding any and all aspects of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.

Please reach out with any questions, further knowledge, or if you’re interested in setting up a consultation for Doula services. I’m currently offering free services in the Lyon county area as I work toward gaining experience for my DONA certification. Like and Share so others can empower their birth experience! Thank you for your support!

07/01/2022

Hey everyone!

I thought it might be a good idea to put up a calendar depicting my availability for the next month for anyone interested in setting up a free consultation for future doula services. I prefer visuals to refer to, so I made one for anyone who might benefit from having this information.

Red days- Unavailable
Green days- Fully available
Yellow days- Available after 5pm

Please like and share so more people see this! Thank you!

06/25/2022

We’ve all seen doctors in TV shows and movies guide the laboring person with those “hee hee hoo” breaths. This style of breathing is commonly known as Lamaze breathing, which is one of the most well known and widely practiced breathing techniques since the popularization of the Lamaze Method in the late 60’ and 70’s. There are several breathing techniques that can be used to cope with the pain of labor. The use of these techniques are crucial if the goal is an unmedicated labor, but are also exceedingly helpful when used in tandem with the aid of medication.

In future posts, each technique mentioned here will be discussed in fuller detail. However, today will only be an introduction to a few effective breathing techniques for each stage of labor as well as sources for gaining more information.

•Organized Breathing (also known as Belly Breathing) can be easily described as slowly inhaling through the nose while focusing on the rise of the belly, then exhaling through pursed lips while focusing on the fall of the belly. These are intended to be done between contractions.
•Variable Breathing is that classic “hee hee hoo” depicted in movies also known as pant-pant-blow breathing. This technique is used during the contraction itself and works well during the transition phase (right before pushing) but can also work for early labor, active labor.
•Light Accelerated Breathing starts with an organized breath at the beginning of a contraction, to release as much tension as possible, followed by focused breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. The goal is to breathe with the contraction, so as the contraction becomes more intense, the breath rate should increase until reaching the peak of the contraction, then steadily slow down.
•Slow Breathing starts with an organized breath to release tension, followed by slowly inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth with a sign or moan. The verbal release of tension on the exhale is a crucial part of this technique.
•Expulsion Breathing is only used after the cervix is fully 10cm dilated as this technique is for the pushing stage. Start with an organized breath to release tension, then use variable breathing or light accelerated breathing during the contraction until you’re unable to resist the urge to push. Once you reach this point, take a deep breath, and lean forward tucking your chin to your chest. Then, bear down, focusing on relaxing the pelvic floor, while slowly releasing that breath in moans and/or grunts.

These are just a few of the breathing techniques used to manage pain during labor and delivery. Most Midwives, Doulas, Childbirth Educators are knowledgeable in these and many more breathing techniques. As a new Doula, I know I’ve only scratched the surface of knowledge available on medicated and non-medicated pain management methods. My goal is to increase my understanding of these methods through research and hands-on experience in order to provide the best support possible.

✨I’m currently providing free services in Lyon county and surrounding areas while I work toward my certification! Please like and share so I can reach more people in the area. Thank you for your support!✨

06/17/2022

I first learned what a Doula was in 2019. I immediately became passionate about wanting a Doula for my own birth experience, which quickly grew into a deep passion to provide that support to families. I purchased a Doula membership with DONA International and received a thick certification packet, which included a required and recommended reading list. I purchased two books from the list of 15 or more and started reading.

About 4 months into this new and exciting journey, the Covid-19 pandemic began. As many of us experienced, I was let go from my full time job due to a lack of revenue. All of the sudden I had all of this time to work toward the Doula certification, but the economy started looking worse and worse, and hospitals were cracking down on the number of people allowed in rooms during labor. It seemed like the career I had been chasing after was becoming increasingly more difficult to do as well as becoming inaccessible to even more families due to the financial hardship caused by the pandemics effects on the economy.

I became discouraged and took a break from pursuing a career as a Doula, with the idea that I’d pick it up again as soon as the economy stabilized and the pandemic was over. After about a year of waiting, I began brainstorming ways to start this career even with all of the uncertainties still looming. I thought more about my personal goals as a Doula and found that among my top priorities was making this kind of support far more accessible to families. Especially in the Emporia community, where options are limited and high paying jobs are nearly impossible to find.

I believe that all families should have access to the resources they need. While more insurance companies are starting to cover partial or full costs of hiring a Doula, that doesn’t account for the over 30 million people in the U.S. who are underinsured or uninsured. This is why I have committed to always offering income based rates, and currently providing services free of charge until I complete the Doula certifications. If you or someone you know is interested in Doula support, feel free to message me here and we can set up a preliminary consultation.

Please, like and share so that more families are aware of the services provided in their area! Thank you for your support!

06/10/2022

Prior to pursuing a career as a Birth and Postpartum Doula, my aim was to be a highly skilled Nanny. I’ve loved working with children since I was a child myself. I’ve always been a patient person, so when I was in college, working at a daycare and noticed how much some people struggled to be patient with children, I recognized that I had a skill set that was well suited to teaching and guiding children.

I continued working at daycare facilities for a few years while taking classes and doing lots of outside research on how to provide the best environment for children to learn and explore in. I got to a point where I realized that the methods I was learning and attempting to implement were clashing with some of the disciplinary procedures and guidelines set for state licensed daycare facilities. It made sense for that to be the case when I considered the large class sizes and how difficult it is to give the level of attention necessary to each child.

This is when I decided to try becoming a Nanny in an attempt to have a little less rigidity and more opportunities for focused guidance when working with children. I began working with a family who had 18 month old twins. Since then, I’ve worked independently with several families and have most often found myself caring for infants. I’ve learned so much about infant physical and cognitive development in that time, and had the opportunity to work with some very young babies. This experience has undoubtedly influenced my transition into becoming a Birth and Postpartum Doula.

I’m still currently working as a Nanny while finishing up the requirements for the Birth and Postpartum Doula certifications. One of the requirements is several hours of hands-on experience. I’m currently offering free Birth and Postpartum Doula services in order to meet these requirements. Please reach out if you or someone you know would like to schedule a consultation for services! Thank you for your support!

06/03/2022

Throughout most of my life, I had heard people reference midwives several times and had a rough idea of what a midwife dies. However, the first I heard the term ‘Doula’ was only about 3 years ago. I was doing research on alternatives to hospital birth as one of my first steps in considering how soon to start my own family. I read the terms ‘Midwife’ and ‘Doula’ coupled together and immediately googled all of my pressing questions.

“What’s the difference between a midwife and a Doula?” As I understood it at the time, a Midwife is medically trained to support the birthing person in a similar way that a doctor would be, and a Doula seemed to be more involved with physically and emotionally supporting the birthing person and required minimal training by comparison. Since then, I’ve learned so much more about both Midwives and Doula’s.

Doula’s, while not medically trained, are typically quite knowledgeable on all standard birth practices and procedures, as well as a multitude of alternative or unconventional practices. A Doula does not give medical advice, but rather informs families on the myriad of options they have available to them throughout their birth and postpartum experience. Birthing people are not the only people that Doula’s support. Their support typically extends to the birthing partner(s) as well. This can look like refreshing the partner(s) on pain management methods, supporting the partner(s) in advocating for the birthing person, or even just helping the partner(s) meet basic needs like sustenance and rest, so the partner(s) can focus on supporting the birthing person as much as possible.

Learning about Doula’s and what they do was so inspiring to me that I quickly became very passionate about providing that support to others. I believe that the foundation for parenthood starts before one holds their child for the first time. There are tons of pivotal moments leading up to birth and even more after. Having extra support can make a huge difference in the stability of that foundation!

I recently started practicing as a Doula serving Emporia, Lyon County, and surrounding areas. I’m currently offering free birth and postpartum Doula services in order to gain hours of experience toward my certification. As always, feel free to reach out with questions or to schedule a consultation!

Family Doula- Hannah J Barker

01/03/2023

12/17/2022

09/16/2022

09/07/2022

09/02/2022

08/17/2022

07/29/2022

07/23/2022

07/15/2022

07/01/2022

06/25/2022

06/17/2022

06/10/2022

06/03/2022

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