Christa Burns Birth Doula Services

10/15/2025

Tonight, I join families around the world in the Wave of Light. 🕯

There isn’t a family I’ve supported who hasn’t been touched in some way by my sweet Oliver’s life.
He’s with me in every birth space, reminding me how sacred both life and loss truly are.

At 7 PM, I’ll light a candle for him, for the babies whose families I’ve held through grief, and for all the little ones gone too soon.

May the Wave of Light remind us we’re never alone in our love or our loss. 🕯️💗💙

10/03/2025

10/03/2025

Induction is a choice, not a MUST DO⁠
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First, hit FOLLOW .nurse.mama⁠
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Just because it’s *offered* doesn’t mean it’s required. And sometimes, even when it is presented as YOU HAVE to-it's not always needed.⁠
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Here’s what you need to know before saying yes to an induction:⁠
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🔎 Ask “Why now? ⁠
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Is it medically necessary, or is it a matter of convenience or policy? ⁠
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You have every right to ask about the **medical reason** behind the recommendation.⁠
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📅 Know Your Bishop Score⁠
Your cervix matters. If your body isn't ready, induction could increase your risk of a cesarean. ⁠
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➡️ Ask: “What’s my Bishop Score, and how does that affect my success rates?⁠
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⏱ Understand the cascade ⁠
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Induction often leads to more interventions—like Pitocin, epidural, and continuous monitoring. ⁠
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That doesn’t make it *bad*—it makes it important to know what interventions we use and when it is ok or when you should say no!⁠
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🧠 It’s *your* birth. Your body. Your baby.⁠
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You can pause, you can ask questions, and you can say no. ⁠
You’re not being “difficult.” You’re being *empowered.*⁠
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Comment INDUCTION for our Balanced Birth Induction class (helps you prep naturally for self or medical induction)

10/03/2025

What if I declined that intervention?⁣⁣
What if I went to the hospital sooner?⁣⁣
What if I was listened to?⁣⁣
What if I had changed providers?
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⁣The questions are endless. And the truth is we won’t ever know. We won’t know for certain if these choices could have spurred a different outcome and we won’t know if that outcome would have been better or worse. These questions are common after birth trauma. This isn’t to say that we can’t pinpoint a cause and how to mitigate it in some birth traumas, but it remains true that we will never know what that outcome would have been. And that uncertainty can feel so incredibly heavy. ⁣⁣

There is also our perception of choice as we look back on our experience. Was it truly a choice or was it a decision made in the midst of distress? A decision made to survive? A decision made without full informed consent?
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Our brain hates uncertainty, it does everything in its power to avoid it. It tells us that if there would have been a simple change, if you could have altered it in some way, you wouldn’t be sitting here on birth trauma instagram. If you could have changed it, it means you have control over it. And having control over it is much more comfortable to our brain than the alternative. ⁣⁣
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Our brain’s discomfort with uncertainty, it’s deep desire to know exactly why something happened in an effort to avoid it, drives us to question and scour every detail of our birth, looking for answers. Our brain convinces us that if it finally finds the perfect nugget of clarity or realization it will somehow make this all go away. But, it won’t. No matter how well we put the pieces of our story together, the puzzle will always be birth trauma.⁣⁣

⁣⁣The truth is we can never fully control birth and therefore birth trauma, but we can educate ourselves and create supports we feel safest with. We can work to better understand what happened in our birth and also work toward accepting the overall uncertainty and lack of clarity. ⁣

What we do know, is that we all did the best we could with what we had at the time 🩷

10/01/2025

.
🔄𝐓𝐇𝐄 “𝐓𝐎𝐏-𝐎𝐅𝐅” 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏🔄
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Lactating parents often wonder if their baby is getting enough milk while nursing.
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Especially when their baby is nursing around the clock and it seems like they are never satisfied.
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This may alarm the parents and they begin to “top-off” their baby.
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This can begin a cycle that may ultimately lead your body to actually making less milk.
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Why?
Topping of leaves baby extra full
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Baby sleeps longer
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Baby nurses less
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Body is signaled to decrease milk
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Also, the amount of milk you can pump is not an indication of how much milk your baby is getting.......it’s an indication of how much you can pump. The pump should not be used as a measuring tool. It can lead to the parent being in distress if they are not able to pump lots of milk.
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Things to look for instead:
💕Baby gaining weight
💕Lots of p*e diapers
💕Poop diapers *babies who are nursed may p**p less often, refer back to looking for weight gain”
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Babies fuss for many reasons and it can feel like they are not satisfied while nursing but keep in mind that babies cluster feed for so many reasons and it is normal.
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Seek the help of your local lactation consultant if you need confirmation that your baby is doing well or indeed needs help.
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Your pediatrician is NOT your best bet for help in this area.
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-Love,
Flor Cruz
/ .like.a.badass

𝐇𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞, & 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭!

09/29/2025

There’s something so sweet about helping a mama bring new life into the world, and then making a beautiful keepsake from her milk. 🥹💖

Ready for a custom piece of your own? Message me or comment below 🫶

09/29/2025

09/29/2025

09/29/2025

FACT

09/24/2025

💜 Feeding Your Baby to Sleep is Not a Bad Habit 💜

Babies are born with a need for comfort, closeness, and nourishment. Breastfeeding to sleep meets all three while providing bioactive compounds like melatonin and tryptophan, which naturally help regulate sleep and circadian rhythms.

Responsive feeding supports secure attachment, emotional regulation, and healthy brain development. Studies show that meeting your baby’s needs at night does not cause long-term sleep problems.

Feeding your baby to sleep is a form of nurturing care, not a problem to fix. 🤱

09/23/2025

You need both. Not one or they other. AND they are not they same. They have specifically different jobs. Now get out there and hire a midwife AND a doula!