Upper Cumberland Midwife Alyssa

10/02/2025

Just like us, it’s best to contact the doulas early to get one! We love all of the ones in this collective!

If you want a Doula and you are due in 2026, now is the time to hire one! Availability is extremely limited for next year, and we are already booking up.
Steps to hire one of our Doulas:
*Send an email or DM with the following information: Due Date, Provider, place of Delivery, if you are looking for a birth or postpartum doula (or both), phone number (if reaching out via DM)
*Let us do the rest. Available Doulas will reach out to you, to schedule a consultation, and explain the process.

birthconnections.uc@gmail.com

09/02/2025

Motherhood…
The times you dreamed of…
The unexpected obstacles…
Finding joy in the sweet moments…
Finding the courage to be strong when it’s hard…
The long nights that turn to long days…
And yet the days fly into years gone by…

You celebrate as they reach milestones…
You cry those tears when the struggle is real…
You hold space for the heart that stole yours…
You prayed those prayers for the present and the future of your baby…

From the moment of your child’s conception to the day you take your last breath, you pour thoughts, actions, and your heart into your child. Motherhood is truly a labor of love.

Today is Labor Day. A recognition of labor movement and the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements in the US. To be recognized and equally celebrated is the mother (and father) that poured so much into that person who went on or will go on to make those contributions or achieve those developments. It’s not always easy, but you love on and pour into them anyway. So this is a thank you to all of you parents who labored in love to raise your children!

Tag a mother and pass along the appreciation and recognition!

08/15/2025

Reminiscing old days today and helping my sister sell the family’s infamous sourdough bread at the Sparta Green Market. Come stop by and meet the baker and the midwife!

Before pursuing midwifery, life consisted of tending animals and mixing bread for the family business. We would take the products to various farmers markets in middle Tennessee. We now mix and bake the breads out of the bakery less than a mile up the street from the midwifery clinic. After a year into practicing midwifery, I stepped back from the family business and devoted myself to serving expectant families. When the occasional opportunity arises, I will still do little things to help or support the bakery and family.

08/14/2025

07/31/2025

Full day today, one last spot open tomorrow! Text (615) 450-6502 to claim!

Or, if you are an existing client, did you know you can book online? Follow the link below to look at my calendar and claim your next appointment!

https://www.massagebook.com/biz/dura-mother



LMT # 14533

06/05/2025

Here’s the difference between a midwife and doula. We highly recommend hiring both so your care is complete!

You’ve got your midwives, you trust them, and you’re probably thinking, “Why would I need anyone else at my birth?” But let me explain why your midwives are actually looking out for you when they keep suggesting a doula—because they know what’s coming.

Here’s the thing:
💡 Your midwives are amazing—but they’re not your labor buddy.

Midwives are medical providers. They’re focused on your health and your baby’s safety. And while they care deeply about you, they also have to balance charting, assessments, checking vitals, monitoring progress, and being rested enough to make sound decisions when it really matters.

They often don’t come to your house right at the start of labor, especially if it’s early labor, which can last hours (or longer). They wait until you’re further along, and they may step out to rest or let your body do its thing if everything is safe and steady.

That’s where a doula steps in.

So what does a doula do at a home birth?

👣 From the very first contraction

A doula can come early. Like, “I think something might be happening” early. She stays with you, helps you figure out what’s going on, and keeps you from second-guessing yourself.

💆🏽‍♀️ Comfort in every form

Doulas can be hands-on. Hip squeezes, counter-pressure, massage, helping you into different positions, running the tub, dimming the lights, reminding you to eat, drink, and breathe. Your partner may help too, but doulas have the tricks and training that make all the difference when things get intense.

🧠 Emotional anchor

Labor can feel overwhelming and sometimes scary, especially the first time. A doula normalizes everything, talks you through what’s happening, and reminds you how strong you are. She’s the calm in the middle of it all.

🤝 Support for your partner

Your partner might want to help, but not know how to give it. A doula helps them support you better, without making them feel pressured to do it all alone. She gives them bathroom breaks, emotional relief, and guidance—so you both feel held.

Here’s the truth:

Your Midwives want you to have the emotional care and physical support that makes birth better, and that’s what a doula brings.

Hiring a Doula doesn't mean replacing your midwife. You’re completing your support team.

And honestly? You deserve both.

Ready to hire a Doula or learn more? Click the 🔗👇 to request a consultation.
https://forms.gle/V1mwjvLYcwGkqvjx9

05/15/2025

Love it when we get to serve families for more than one baby! The photographer did a beautiful job capturing the miraculous and precious moments of this birth!

05/09/2025

05/08/2025

Moms and moms-to-be! Take a minute to enter to win this awesome gift basket from one of our local postpartum doulas, Grammie Doula!

i want to bless a new mama with a beautiful basket filled with self-care items just for her. like a big hug from someone who cares.
in my gift basket, for local friends in tennessee, i have included a gift certificate for a 3o minute massage with Dura Mother - Massage & Doula a small jar of all natural hand salve, and a hand made onsie donated by Wild Blessings Doula. i am including an herbal sitz bath, mesh underwear from fridamom donated by Golden Hour Doula Services and samples from Motherlove Herbal Company, and a Nalgene water bottle.
To Enter:
1. like this post.
2. tag two friends: pregnant or newly postpartum.
3. share this post.
the drawing will be on may 20, 2025 for the self care gift basket.

05/06/2025

Happy International Midwife Day!!!

Every day I practice, I’m so grateful for all the midwives and soon-to-be midwives who were part of my training as a student. You set the examples of the midwife I would become.

I’m so thankful for the midwives I practice with now, Lauren and Pamela. I appreciate their philosophy of care and dedication to providing quality care to clients. All the while serving clients, the members of the team are not overlooked in these midwives are looking out for each other.

I’m thankful for the nurse midwives of Diana Health in Cookeville. When a client becomes outside of our scope of practice, these midwives compassionately receive them at the hospital and continue to provide the quality care that is needed.

I’m often reminded that this job is not just a source of income. It’s first a calling and a commitment to serve. I was warned as a student that this profession is challenging. Sometimes plans are spontaneously changed and day/nights can’t be predicted. A midwife walks with so many women, each with a different experience that could be very rewarding (and most of the time is) or heartbreaking. Midwifery isn’t something that anyone can do, but so many benefit from it. It truly is a work from the heart. I am so thankful for the midwives who practiced before me and grew midwifery into a profession. I’m thankful for the midwives who also poured their hearts into teaching the next generation of midwives, which included me. I’m thankful for the midwives practicing today and for the midwives to be. Each one of you make a difference by touching so many lives and changing the world!