Sheila the Doula

03/27/2022

Beth Berry of asking the right questions, always.

What parts of yourself have you forgotten about, ignored, given up on?

How would your mothering change if you fueled that part of you, lit her up, invited her to supper, made her feel important and worthy?

I can forget to bring my lightheartedness and humor into my mothering. I can see the joy and fun it could bring out in my relationships with my children.

03/27/2022

So rare!! We had one in February. ♥️

✨Lifting the Veil ✨

Gorgeous photo by
Samantha Noel Photography

They (whoever they are) say that babies born en caul or in with their amniotic sac intact are extremely rare; 1 in 80,000

🧐
Ask any midwife who attends undisturbed births and you’ll hear 1 in 100 or less.

Robust amniotic sacs are quite common but you know what is even more common? People being told the lie that “their bags won’t break on their own and they NEED to have their water broken by their OB”

Poppycock. Hogwash.

See how this baby was born anyway? It is not shocking to see how physiology works. It *is* shocking how birth practitioners can be so misinformed about physiology.

Combat the ignorance! Take our childbirth class during your pregnancy and learn what years of observing undisturbed births has shown us to be true.

01/21/2022

When you are adding a baby, you expect your love to expand...and it does. In many ways!

However having a baby can try a couple's relationship and stress even the most loving couple to their max.

If you have a chance to take a baby care class to help you prepare, do it!

It will not only build your newborn skills, but you will discuss infant sleep (a huge conversation for new parents), infant feeding (which affects everything) and your role as future parents (which is giant in terms of your relating to each other).

These are worthy conversations to have.

If you can find one in your area, try to find a Becoming Us class. In Portland Barb Buckner Suarez offers these, and you can also get a copy of the book BECOMING US by Elly Taylor which is RICH with relational wisdom for all the transitions of parenting.

Whatever you can do to stay on the same team while you adjust to life with a new little person is a worthy investment in your love.

03/06/2021

Placenta Encapsulation... Check out our website to see the benefits of encapsulating your placenta! 🌿

02/21/2021

🤞🏼Thankfully, 2 of the 3 local hospitals have been welcoming professional doulas! Kaiser Permanente of Modesto + Sutter Health Memorial Medical Center

Thank you, Assembly Majority Leader Eloise Gómez Reyes, for sponsoring our letter in support of California families!
Excerpt of letter reads: "In response to COVID-19, hospitals have imposed limitations on the number of visitors to a hospital room.
Unfortunately, these restrictions also prohibit doulas who provide vital support to birthing families."

02/17/2021

Want your baby to sleep better? Feed them in a dark space and use a red bulb when you need light! Yes, the light really matters. It is hard to stay awake and be attentive in a fully dark space, but a red light doesn't interfere with melatonin and rest for the brain, making it easier for both you and baby to get back to sleep more easily.
Limiting the exposure of blue light is really important as your baby winds down for the night as well. Consider dimming all the lights around baby as you baby prepares for nighttime sleep, and limiting the use the screens around baby (easier said than done, I know). If you are using screens, use the blue light filter to increase baby's quality of sleep--and your own too.
And if you've already tried EVERYTHING and just need a little help, consider getting a postpartum doula for a night to catch up on sleep. They are masters at soothing babies and calming parents, and are wizards of infant sleep.

01/09/2021

12/21/2020

One of my favorite births! ♥️

"Doulas are a form of pain relief in themselves (Hofmeyr, 1991). With continuous support, laboring people are less likely to request epidurals or pain medication. It is thought that there is fewer use of medications because birthing people feel less pain when a doula is present. An additional benefit to the avoidance of epidural anesthesia is that women may avoid many medical interventions that often go along with an epidural, including Pitocin augmentation and continuous electronic fetal monitoring (Caton, Corry et al. 2002)."
Read more about the evidence for doula support at Evidence Based Birth [link in Instagram bio]. Our petition needs your signature!
📷 by & shared with permission ( )

12/06/2020

Isn’t this the truth!! #2020

https://www.facebook.com/113186383567671/posts/216069223279386/?d=n

Most definitely this, especially as more sad news came our way today. Hug your loved ones ❤️





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Did anyone want you about fundal massages? No one warned me and when my nurse did the first one, I was like, "what is this fresh hell??" 😂😱⁠
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So what is a fundal massage anyways? ⁠
⁠
It is when your OB, midwife or nurse vigorously rubs down on your fundus (the top of your uterus) after your baby is born to cause your uterus to contract and clamp down on where your placenta was attached so you don't bleed out. They do this every 15 minutes or so for the first couple of hours until your bleeding is slowed down.⁠
⁠
Now you know.

11/30/2020