Doula Jane

04/01/2022

"We don’t want you to be confused about your baby when they come" - Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum Ph.D. The most popular expectations parents learn set them up to be confused when they meet their baby.

Some of the confusing expectations are:

▶️ Babies should be calm when they are put down
▶️ You don’t need to hold your baby all of the time
▶️ You don’t need to sleep close to your baby
▶️ You should not hold your baby when they sleep
▶️ Your baby needs to learn independence
▶️ Don’t respond to all of your baby’s cries
▶️ You can wait before responding to a cry
▶️ Babies should sleep long stretches and need to learn to do this
▶️ Babies don’t need to eat frequently
▶️ Babies should sleep on a schedule

All of the expectations are in strong contradiction to a baby’s neurobiology, so babies don’t do these things and parents get confused.

We want to end the confusion and support parents to parent the baby in front of them. We want to help parents work with their baby’s biology and not be constantly fighting it to fit these ill fitting expectations. Research in the last 30+ years teaches us realistic expectations for babies and shows us that meeting these expectations grows the infant brain towards lifelong health.

Some realistic expectations are:

▶️ Babies benefit from being held nearly all of the time
▶️ Babies and parents have better sleep when babies sleep in the same room as parents
▶️ Holding babies while they sleep is beneficial (as long as parent is alert)
▶️ Babies learn independence through dependence in infancy
▶️ Babies benefit when we respond to all of their cries
▶️ Babies have night wakings all the way up to 3 years and beyond
▶️ Babies bodies tell them when they are hungry
▶️ Babies bodies tell them when they are tired.

So if you are a parent or work supporting parents in their infant's development, we invite you to share these real expectations and raise awareness of the biology of babies.

02/21/2022

09/14/2021

You have choices, mama!

Just because something is “routine” or “protocol” does not mean it’s mandatory. You alone hold the power over your choices when it comes to your pregnancy and birth, and you are allowed to say no to things you don’t want.

Do your research.
Find a care provider you trust and talk to them.
Trust your instinct.

Note: this is not me saying you SHOULD opt out of these things, this is me saying you CAN. My hope is that whatever decisions you make you do it out of fully informed consent and what feels right to YOU - no matter what kind of birth you choose!”

Post
Via

07/07/2021

Have you ever wondered what midwives and doulas do?

🚨🚨SOUND THE ALARMS AND SHOUT THIS FROM THE ROOFTOPS🚨🚨

🎉🎉MIDWIVES AND DOULAS ARE YOUR DREAM TEAM🎉🎉

Seriously! I truley believe when midwives and doulas work together, we are your dream team!! This is when you will have the best support! Doulas for taking care of you emotionally and midwives giving you the best care medically! Doulas and midwife are the answer to our birth system!! Hire the doula!! And then get yourself a good midwife! Don't know how to find a good midwife?? Ask your doula! Believe me, we know the good ones!

05/14/2021

Informed consent is SO important, especially in maternity care. Use this handy acronym, B.R.A.I.N., to help make informed decisions. When have you felt informed and empowered in decision-making?

05/05/2021

I love my midwives!! Did you receive care from a midwife?

05/01/2021

Happy International Doula Month!

03/16/2021

Birth is power!

“They told you about the contractions, but did they tell you about the expansion? Did they tell you how your body would open to make way for the whole universe to pass through? Did they tell you how your heart would explode with a love bigger than anything you’ve ever known as you pulled your baby to your chest?

They told you about the ring of fire but did they tell you about the crown of stars?

Did they mention that there’s a moment when your baby enters the world and you leave your body and touch the heavens and become the light of a million galaxies? Did they tell you how the pain of stretching to receive your child would be more exquisite than any sensation you’ve felt?

They told you would scream but did they tell you about how you would roar? Did they tell you about the power that would rise up from your belly as you called your baby forth with your mighty voice? Did they tell you how you would embody the wild woman within you and breathe fire with your song?

They told you would bleed, but did they tell you how that sacred blood wouldn’t scare you? How you would feel grateful for that magical liquid of life as it trickled down your leg- how you would honor its flow and how it would help you heal a lifetime of hating your body’s bleeding cycles.
They told these stories and taught you to fear birth, to fear your power, to fear yourself. But you’re stronger and wiser than that mama. You know that birth is your divine dance, your soul’s song, your moment with God, and you walk fearlessly into her open arms”.

~ Catie Atkinson of Spirit Y Sol
www.spiritysol.com

Art by Amanda Greavette Fine Art
www.amandagreavette.com

02/08/2021

Doulas are backed by evidence! 👩‍🔬

📈 People with doulas are more likely to have:
- Spontaneous vaginal birth
- Shorter labors
- Babies with higher Apgar scores

📉 People with doulas are less likely to:
- Request pain medication/epidurals
- Have negative feelings about birth
- Have forceps/vacuum assisted birth
- Have a C-section

For more information, see https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/

01/20/2021

Birthing people are powerful! 💪

01/19/2021

🧐What is the difference between a doula and a midwife? Did you have one or both at your birth?

🖐Schedule a free consultation with Doula Jane today for more information about what a doula can do for you!

01/14/2021

🧐Are doulas only for home births?🧐
No! Doulas can support you in ALL settings, including hospitals, birth centers, home births, and virtually. From epidural births to unmedicated, C-sections to birth pool, doulas do it all.

01/11/2021

Hi friends! I’m MJ, or Doula Jane. After I had an empowering birth experience in 2019, it’s been my goal to enable others to feel the same way through pregnancy and birth.

Some fun facts about me:
- My husband and I rode our tandem bike down the entire Oregon coast
- My toddler son is absolutely obsessed with pizza
- I have a degree in education from Boise State University

When have you felt empowered?

01/10/2021

What exactly is a doula (besides a fun word to say)? The most basic definition is a trained professional who provides non-medical support to pregnant people. I call it empowerment.