Laura Jeffords, doula-Sweet Magnolia Birth Services

01/15/2025

A baby is on the way💜 I love where this sweet mama draws her strength from.

12/31/2024

💜A Year in Review💜
What an AMAZING year I had as a birth worker. 2024 brought so many precious memories made with clients ,who trusted me to walk with them in their pregnancy and birth journey. As a doula I was able to serve alongside 15 families. From First time moms, medicated, unmedicated, csections, Vbacs and homebirths. We have seen and done them all this year.

6️⃣🩷 little ladies
9️⃣💙 little gentlemen

All of these sweet families hold a special place in my heart. It is not lost on me the sheer privilege it is to stand beside these strong women. What a gift and a blessing to hold such a space and play a small part. To all my past, present and new clients, thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me, and letting me share in your joy as you welcomed your babies.

MIDWIFERY JOURNEY UPDATE 🎉

This year brought even more of a in depth love of the midwifery model of care. I finished my assistant phase and now have moved on to my primary phase. I now have the great responsibility of more prenatal care, handling the birth, catching baby and completing all postpartum care under the supervision of my licensed preceptor.

Speaking of my preceptor…Kimberly Alston is an answered prayer. God granted me an amazing opportunity to be able to learn and work under this incredible midwife. I count myself blessed every day that God saw fit for us to work together.

This year I was able to assist at 3️⃣0️⃣ births! And of those 30 I caught 6 of those babies.

A very special part of this year was being able to take care of and deliver my best friends baby girl! It was so special to me and I’m so grateful to her for trusting me 🩷

I’m completely booked from January to August with new and repeat clients! I’m thrilled to be doing this work and bring on 2025!!

*all pics shared with permission

09/11/2024

You can add manicurist to my list of doula services 😉

No scratched baby faces around here!
While mittens can help, it’s healthy for babies to have their hands exposed for longer periods as it aids in sensory touch particularly holding onto the breast while they eat.

This sweet baby girl sat so still for her first mani!

Pic posted with permission 💜

08/06/2024

Dave has spoken 😉😜

02/14/2024

❤️ ❤️❤️
On this Valentine’s Day I want to recognize the mister that helps keep Sweet Magnolia Birth going!
Without this sweet man’s support every day I could not do this job that I love so much. While I’m at consults, prenatal appointments, births, postpartum visits or on my phone answering calls and texts, he is patient, uplifting and my best cheerleader. He takes care of our 3 babies and manages the house and I’m so thankful for his love, and continued support. Happy Valentine’s Day my love!
And Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you! ❤️❤️❤️

01/30/2024

I was honored to be the doula for a repeat client as she welcomed her third baby boy into the world. What a privilege it is to serve families multiple times and witness their joy as their family grows. I also had the sweetest opportunity to preform the newborn exam.

I received the best text message from this mama a few days after her birth, saying how it was a great birth experience and how supported she felt.

My number one reason for doing this job, is to support women through one ,if not the most vulnerable, and beautiful times of their life. Even if their birth doesn’t go as planned, my hope and prayer is that they can look back with fondness that someone was on their team supporting and loving them through whatever they faced. 💜

P.s look at them sweet little baby feet hanging out 😘🥰

01/16/2024

Great News! Birth workers, nurses and anyone else who works with new families!

Thanks to the kindness of Ashley McCarty with Guiding Star we will be meeting in their space (inside Harmony Women’s ) so we will have plenty of room if you wanted to sign up for the Lactation Workshop and didn’t make the deadline.

Wanna learn some ways to help your clients with lactation education,first latch,the first week home and ways to help with some of the most common breastfeeding challenges?

I am offering a breastfeeding workshop for birth workers. My hope is that you will leave feeling more prepared to support breastfeeding as well as some printable resources and hands on tools!

Sunday January 21st 1:30-4:30
Cost is $35 (deposit of $15 due at registration that will be applied to full amount)
** full reimbursement if called to a birth**

Please leave your email in comment section or message me and I will send you information about registering. 😀

08/27/2023

In one of the most physically,emotionally,spiritually demanding times of a woman’s life (childbirth) I am thankful that God put me in the position to hold space but also to hold a hand. As I sit here with this sweet mama holding her hand watching her labor beautifully, I’m reminded of all the mamas hands I’ve had the honor of holding as they welcome their precious babies. Happy Birthday little one, we are ready to meet you 💙

08/27/2023

2024 is shaping up to be pretty Sweet! Please reach out if you are needing a doula for your 2024 due date.
I would be honored to help you in your pregnancy/birth journey!
💜

08/12/2023

Important to keep in mind. 💜

She’s bleeding, wrecked, torn open.

A body flipped inside out.

Breasts warming, filling, stretching beyond their boundaries.
�There’s ice and heat, cramps and swelling, a long-awaited glass of red wine.

She’s desperate for rest, for precious sleep, cobbling together broken hours, minutes, answering the cry.

9 months sustaining another, (hopefully) months more of continued sustenance.

We look at her, sleeping there,
and we know this, don’t we?

Her body, rearranged, recalibrated - not bad, just different.

Her days, no longer following a familiar path.

Her heart, vulnerable and exposed in a brand new way.

Her entire life, spinning on a new axis, pointed in new directions.

This is the 24-hour-old mama.

And she was made for this.

Shared with permission from The Labor Mama

05/13/2023

💜

𝘉𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘥.

Home birth, midwives, and doulas offer an alternative to the medicalized approach, allowing women to reclaim control over their birthing experiences and have a more personalized approach to care. 🤲🏼

Let's remember the beauty and importance of this life event and cherish the valuable role that home birth, midwives, and doulas can play in supporting it.❤️

Tag a midwife & doula you know!

02/26/2023

💜

You are not a milk factory. As you feed, your child's heart rate slows, their attachment hormones spike, their microbiome is nourished and their brain falls into a deep, restorative calm, much like adult brains do during meditation.⁠
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Suckling causes oxytocin release in both mother and child, promoting a felt sense of wellbeing, safety, love and contentment. ⁠
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Oxytocin lowers blood pressure and stress reactivity in mothers. In infants, oxytocin increases resilience to stress and drives the formation of more oxytocin receptors in the amygdala (for healthy social behaviour and a lowered risk for anxiety). ⁠
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Simultaneous oxytocin release, repeated over time, changes both mother and infant brains, in ways that underpin long term attachment and synchronicity. It literally rewires brains in favour of love and wellbeing.⁠
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You are not a milk factory.⁠ You are a retreat, a safe space, a perfect tonic.⁠
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You are laying the foundations of long term wellbeing with every feed. ⁠
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You are a hero.⁠

⁠incredible words by

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