http://www.thegoldenhoursdoula.com/

The Golden Hours Doula, Lawrence, KS (2025)

06/24/2025

It’s definitely been a hot minute since I’ve been active on this account. For many reasons, primarily because I am busy schooling, homemaking and nothing my two earth side kiddos.

I have been transparent about my story in the past, my miscarriages and grief. I never thought I would add more chapters to that story, yet here we are. All praise to God for his comfort and compassion in this difficult time.

09/14/2024

Where I have been
The transition from one to two was easy and hard. It was easy becasue it felt like my son just naturally fit into our family. He was always meant to be here. It was hard becasue my oldest struggled a lot with behavior largely due to us not having a solid plan for discipline before our son was born. We have learned quite a lot through the transition and felt that we were all in a good rhythm and groove by the time E was about 6 months old. Since he was born I have worked with one in-person client and it was the dreamiest 6-week contract where I mainly focused on feeding their family while mom recovered and transitioned into mothing 4 kiddos. This summer, I focused on the garden, caring for and preserving our harvest. It has felt very successful this year though we have still encountered issues which we always need to exect. I doubled down on canning and preserving our food and have wound up with a substantial “cantry.” I was also preparing for homeschooling my oldest who is 4. It’s a very simple pre-school curriculum and I have added a day of nature study for us.

What I am doing
I am preparing to facilitate a discussion in our community with about postpartum depletion and nourishment. As you may know, I have had a deep desire to continue my education on this topic and even have an ebook that I have written that I am basing some of my talking points off of. I recently received an inquiry for postpartum care for one of my previous clients and I am thrilled to be able to offer her care for the second time. Will I continue doula work? Probably, for a select few. I don’t have the capacity as a mom to pursue this full-time in this season of life and I have come to terms with that. I desire to be home with my kids fully and presently. I love watching them learn and grow.

Continued in comments 🧡

04/26/2024

I’m 8 months postpartum and I am not rushing this ✨era✨of my life

Some studies show that it can take 2 years to feel “back to normal” after giving birth! This was definitely my first postpartum experience.

Though life feels very much back to normal, it’s ok if you don’t either physically, emotionally or hormonally.

✨Are you postpartum? Either freshly (like just gave birth) or long term postpartum? How do you feel? Tell me about it in the comments👇🏻

01/16/2024

Without knowing my GBS status (I never swabbed in pregnancy) the doctor wanted to start IV antibiotics. I refused. He told me my baby could die and I still refused. I think at this point I said something like “I’m a doula, I’ve done my research!” Which looking back sounds so dumb to me but also so is fighting with a doctor on something I’ve already said no to. It was pretty soon after that that he started to realize that I wasn’t going to blindly follow along with his requests.

The doctor then left and I couldn’t bear to sit anymore. I tried standing but my entire body started shaking, I looked at my midwife and asked her if this was transition. She said yes, it likely was and then helped me get into hands and knees. It was at this point I started feeling the urge to push and without telling anyone started pushing with my contractions.

My water broke and literally splattered all over the floor. My nurse asked if I was pushing and after I told her yes, she requested I move positions. I told her I didn’t want to be on my back and she said let’s try your side. The doctor came back in and I kept pushing. When my baby’s head finally came out we found out he had a very tight nuchal cord, and even though I wanted delayed clamping the doctor couldn’t release the cord without clamping and cutting. My son was born at 3:48 pm, about 3 hours and 15 minutes after we arrived at the hospital. John was the one to tell me it was a boy by saying “Here’s Ezra, it’s a boy!”

At this point we also realized how short his cord was. The short chord that was also wrapped around his neck likely contributed to how long labor was. We immediately started skin to skin and initiated breastfeeding. Since I was still feeding Vivian for bedtime, Ezra was getting colostrum/milk almost immediately. We did struggle getting a deep latch those first weeks and I had a bit of pain but once his mouth grew a little bit he began nursing like a champ.

01/16/2024

Saturday 8/12
In the morning, I could hardly eat breakfast. I was in so much pain John and I started talking about going to the hospital for an epidural so I could rest before the baby came. My midwife came around noon to talk about it and check me again. I was 8 cm dilated with 100% effacement. We decided to eat lunch and then transfer to the hospital knowing they likely wouldn’t allow me to eat. The car ride was excruciating - contractions were about every 3 minutes - all I could think about was finally getting some relief & and sleep (lol).

We arrived at the hospital at about 12:30 pm. My midwife transferred with us and called ahead to let them know we were coming. She provided all of my medical documentation from pregnancy but the hospital still required some labs and tests before we could start the epidural. They also had to start a bag of glucose water in an IV to get my fluids up.

Managing contractions was getting so difficult that I couldn’t relax and breathe through them like I had been. I needed to push out the energy somewhere else so I started pushing my feet and arms against my husband and midwife. The check-in process was long and John and my midwife answered most of the questions for me.

When the doctor came to evaluate me, he wanted to do a cervical exam again which I refused because the nurse had just done one. I was almost a 10. The doctor also told me his plan for my birth. He wanted to do the epidural, then break my water and start pitocin. I refused and just requested the epidural. At this point I was pretty sure I was close to pushing, but after the past 2 days I wasn’t holding out hope. I knew I was going to give birth and I would no longer be in pain, but I was fearful it was still going to take a few more hours.

01/16/2024

Friday 8/11

Again, around midnight my contractions picked up. Thinking, this has to be it I called my midwife and Ashley. I was afraid to “do anything” because I didn’t want to stall out again. Counterpressure was what was working for some relief. I was having very intense back labor with every contraction. I worked through a lot of contractions on my hands and knees using the ball for extra support.

My midwife and her assistant arrived but stayed in the living room, Ashley stayed with me to provide a sense of peace; she was also able to switch places with John when he needed breaks from providing counter pressure. Morning came and contractions stalled again. Ashley again needed to leave to go be with her kiddos. My midwife kept telling me that she didn’t think this was real labor, that she thought it was prodromal. I *knew* that it was not prodromal. After a long conversation about disappointment, John and I decided to leave the house and go get breakfast for a change of scenery.

We stayed active and my contractions never really stopped but they had slowed down quite a bit. They were increasing in length and intensity but coming farther and farther apart. John drained the pool that morning becasue my midwife (and I) were concerned that water was hindering, not helping me progress. I worked through the Miles Circuit ending with a curb walk and this was the day John decided it was finally time to clean under the couch (what a time for a deep clean lol). I finished preparing my postpartum basket and tried to relax. Around 4 pm, while John was cleaning under the couch, my contractions began picking up again. They were coming closer and closer together. I began working through them on my hands and knees.

01/16/2024

Wednesday 8/9
I had been having contractions all afternoon, they were mild and easy to ignore. In the evening they began to pick up in consistency and intensity but I continued to ignore them. I sent a quick text to my midwife just letting her know but also telling her we were heading to bed for the night.

Thursday 8/10
Around midnight I woke up to very intense contractions. They were coming about every 5 minutes and lasting for a minute to a minute and a half. This was exactly how Vivi’s labor started. I waited about an hour working through contractions in my bed with my husband asleep next to me before I woke him up and started calling our support team. I had my dad come to stay with Viv and my best friend/doula came to help get the house ready. Ashley and I set up the pool and prepared our room while John and Vivian slept in our bed. When Vivian started to stir at about 5 am I got in bed to see if I could nurse her back to sleep (it was our last nursing session just me and her). She didn’t settle and my pain was increasing so I decided to get in the pool for some relief. Vivian, never giving up the opportunity to get wet, wanted to come in with me so she did.

Pretty much as soon as I got in the water my contractions slowed way down. I changed positions and moved around to see if that would bring them back. I ate breakfast in the pool and on the bed but by 8 am labor had stopped completely. Ashley needed to go be with her own kids so we said goodbye knowing we’d be keeping in touch. We tried to keep a normal schedule while taking breaks to rest from a sleepless night. My dad stayed with us through the morning and lunch, but around 1 pm we sent Vivian off with my dad. Saying goodbye to her was awful. I already felt like my birth wasn’t going how I had been hoping. I dreamed of her staying and witnessing my birth, but she just wasn’t vibing and I needed some peace, quiet and rest.

11/01/2023

Daylight Savings Time (DST) can be stressful as a first time mom -- how do you even navigate this if you have a strong routine or schedule in place?

Generally, there are three approaches to DST with a baby:

1️⃣ gradual shift: this takes some preplanning and commitment but it works well for many folks, especially those with older babies (4+ months) on more of a scheduled day. Starting tonight (Wednesday) shift your baby's schedule back 15 minutes a night. If you typically start your bedtime routine at 7, start it at 6:45 instead. Tomorrow, you will start at 6:30.

2️⃣ rapid shift: this is a similar approach to the gradual shift but it is more condensed. It would work well for families that have a more flexible routine in place for their older baby (4+ months). Starting Friday, move your routine back 30 minutes, then do it again on Saturday. For example, if you start your bedtime routine at 7, start it at 6:30 instead.

3️⃣ do nothing: this approach works especially well if you don't have a strict routine in place, but it can also work if you do. Don't change a single thing about your nightly routine. It's that simple.

Will you lose sleep? Probably. but that's to be expected with a baby. Don't over-complicate it and you'll be fine. DM me if you have questions.

PS: we are a "do nothing" family, always have been, always will be!

10/27/2023

This is maternity care in America lack of support and all. Do you want your experience to be different? Start with enrolling in my mini course “Preparing for Postpartum” where you’ll learn to:
✨set up support systems for when you’re on maternity leave and when for when you go back to work
✨cook and prepare food to nourish yourself and your family while you rest and bond with your new baby
✨identify signs of postpartum mood disorders and learn how to get help
✨set up your space to best support you and baby so you can rest after birth
✨and more!!!

This mini course is unlike any other, you’ll get access to 6 lessons with videos and PDF downloads including:
✨recipes for freezer meals
✨your very own postpartum plan template
✨weekly meal plan template
✨postpartum healing basket checklist
✨and more!!!

Interested? DM me “PREPARE” and I’ll send you a direct link to sign up for only $34, yes, that’s right $34!!!!

10/23/2023

DM me NOURISH for a link to my new ebook “nourished mama”!

“Healthy foods” in our society = raw fruits and veggies, salads, smoothies, boneless skinless chicken breasts etc. etc.

What if I told you, none of that was healthy or beneficial for your postpartum body?

Your body needs warm, cooked, easily digested foods that are high in protein and fat. And the last thing it needs is a restrictive diet for weight loss.

My new ebook dives into the importance of postpartum nourishment and how you can best support your body after birth. DM me NOURISH for a direct link to your copy.

09/27/2023

At the end of every pregnancy book there is a short chapter on postpartum. Whether it’s a labor prep book or pregnancy nutrition book each one touches briefly on postpartum.

But postpartum deserves more than a mention at the end of a book. Arguably, you need to prepare for postpartum just as much, if not more than you prepare for birth.

How are you preparing for postpartum? Take your first step to preparing for postpartum by downloading my Third Trimester Checklist (it’s free!), just DM me the number 3!

09/19/2023

Have you heard of the fourth trimester? The first 12 weeks after birth where your baby doesn’t even recognize they aren’t a part of you anymore. Some people extend this far past 12 weeks, I do.

We have an obsession as a society that moms need to separate from their babies as quickly as possible. Maybe it stems from the lack of maternity leave or poor support from our “villages.”

As a new mom, your instincts will kick in to protect yourself and your baby. Your body is telling you that you need to be close your baby. And your baby is crying out for you. It’s biological. It’s how humans have survived for millions of years.

Embrace this season of being close to your little one, learn how to baby wear, co-sleep, breastfeed on the go etc. if you don’t want to separate.

Join me in this season of barnacle babies and divided attention spans as I learn to parent two kiddos and run a business.

The Golden Hours Doula

06/24/2025

09/14/2024

04/26/2024

01/16/2024

01/16/2024

01/16/2024

01/16/2024

11/01/2023

10/27/2023

10/23/2023

09/27/2023

09/19/2023

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