WHM Birth Services

01/12/2025

Had a birth yesterday in Alexandria and the family recommended Bread and Water Company for breakfast. The breakfast burritos were incredible and I brought these beauties home to enjoy with the family 😋🥰 Can’t wait to tuck in!

11/04/2024

Spam me with your favorite birth-y shirts. I want to add some new ones to my rotation. I will link my favorite!

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1489398099/obgyn-t-shirt-midwife-gift-for-labor-and?ref=yr_purchases

Got to babywear in it at a birth with College Park Homebirth, LLC!

10/05/2024

Playing around with watercolors and placentas!

07/21/2024

Essential Oils for Labor, Birth, and Postpartum

Peppermint: energy, headache or nausea relief, help peeing (helpful if that first postpartum void is not happening)
Lavender: calm/rest, pain or anxiety relief (some hospitals have this available!)
Clary Sage: strengthen contractions
Ylang Ylang: back labor

Some tips:
Start by placing the oil on a cotton ball or tissue--that way you can remove it if you don't tolerate the smell.
If you want to topically apply the oil, you'll want a carrier oil. This doesn't have to be anything fancy--coconut oil works great!

03/25/2024

So excited to attend this workshop! Community of Hope DC is where I began my journey as a doula more than a decade ago ❤️

Come learn/refresh your skills with us in May! We are fortunate to be able to bring breech and twin training to the DMV. It is such a blessing that Community of Hope is able to provide the space ☺️. See you there!

02/15/2024

I wanted to share this powerful book that I am currently reading. Highly recommend it for anyone who works with birthing people.

https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/

02/06/2024

Love these illustrated moons by Lizzie Spikes 🌕

https://driftwooddesigns.co.uk/shop/products/full-moons-2024-large-greetings-card-us-version/

01/27/2024

01/25/2024

When should you go to the hospital in labor?

A good rule to remember is the 511 rule: head to the hospital when your contractions are getting stronger/more intense and coming 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, and the pattern continues for 1 hour.

Some other reasons to head to the hospital would be heavy vaginal bleeding (like a period), decreased fetal movement (less than 10 movements in 2 hours during baby's active periods), persistent headache that is unrelieved with Tylenol/hydration/rest, vision changes, or right upper abdominal pain.

Leaking of fluid can also be a reason to go to the hospital, but if it is the first thing that happens there's some things we can do to help figure out if it really was your water breaking and it may be better to call your on call provider to make a plan for when to head in.

How did your labor start? When did you head to the hospital?

01/22/2024

What did you do in early labor?

Here are my recommendations for what to do in early labor:

Relax. Rest. Redirect. Hydrate. Eat. Spinning Babies. And my favorite: The Miles Circuit.

Spinning Babies: https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/labor/tips-for-labor-progress/

The Miles Circuit: https://www.milescircuit.com/the-circuit.html