Ladder of Labor Doula Services

01/23/2026

Today we recognize Maternal Health & Wellness Day—and reflect on how we can better support mothers in our own community.

Maternal health isn’t just a local issue; it’s national. Pittsburgh has amazing resources, but what about north of the city? The truth is access to these resources is harder than some may think. Maternal Health isn’t just “happy wife, happy life.” It’s about whether mothers feel supported in their prenatal visits, during birth, and once they return home with a newborn. It’s about access, education, and ongoing care.

As a doula serving families locally, I believe strong maternal support strengthens our entire community. When mothers are cared for, families thrive instead of just survive.

Today, we honor mothers—and recommit to supporting them beyond the hospital walls.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas! 🎄

12/23/2025

With the rise in Chatgpt and how often I see people posting screenshots of their conversation, I think it’s important to remember that AI can answer questions, find the studies and give advice, but it cannot replace your care team

A doula shows up and is in the thick of it with you.

A birth doula:
✨ Supports you through contractions, movement, and rest
✨ Helps you process information and advocate in real time
✨ Offers calm, grounding presence when labor feels intense or overwhelming

A postpartum doula:
✨ Cares for you while you care for your baby
✨ Supports feeding, recovery, and rest
✨ Notices emotional shifts, exhaustion, and overwhelm
✨ Helps your home feel calmer during a big transition

ChatGPT can explain what might happen.
A doula supports you while it’s happening—and after.

Birth and postpartum aren’t just educational moments.
They’re physical, emotional, vulnerable seasons that deserve human care.

Technology can support learning.
But it can’t replace presence, intuition, or connection.

That’s why doulas still matter.
Before birth. During birth. And after baby.

12/14/2025

12/11/2025

After waiting for everyone and everything to get caught up, I finally received my official certificate. 🙌🏻

What i’ve learned while waiting is that good things truly do take time. So many doulas get into birth work and think it will instantly take off and that’s just not how it is. You put in work and effort day after day, probably on top of your full time job, and little by little it slowly unfolds. Being a doula and being able to uplift families in the most vulnerable times they will go through is truly honorable. Thank you to everyone who continues to support my journey, push me to do more, and keep cheering me on from the sidelines. I love you all and I wouldn’t be here doing this without all of you. ❤️

10/29/2025

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women and people with uteruses — yet it often takes 7–10 years to receive a diagnosis.
That’s years of being told the pain is “normal,” that “everyone’s periods hurt,” or that “it’s just stress.”

But here’s the truth:
💛 Period pain that keeps you from living your life is not normal.
💛 Endometriosis can cause deep pelvic pain, painful periods, pain with in*******se, digestive issues, fatigue, and sometimes fertility challenges.
💛 It’s a full-body condition — not “just a reproductive issue.”

As a doula, I believe in listening to your body and advocating for it. And, as a doula, I struggle in finding ways to make myself heard, too. It’s not that you’re doing anything wrong, it’s women’s health, and the system that is failing us.

If you suspect something isn’t right, you deserve to be heard, taken seriously, and supported through every step of your journey — from diagnosis to treatment to healing.

✨ Your pain is real.
✨ Your story matters.
✨ You are not alone.

10/07/2025

If you’re a new dad and you’ve been feeling disconnected, anxious, angry, or just off, please know:
🩶 You’re not weak.
🩶 You’re not failing.
🩶 You’re not alone.

Your mental health matters just as much as hers. Reaching out for support is one of the strongest things you can do — for yourself, your partner, and your baby.

Let’s start talking about it more. Keep these resources handy for your buddies at work, the friend who just had a baby, or your partner and spouse. Let’s check in on dads, too. 💙

10/01/2025

🤱 So… what does a postpartum doula actually do?

Most people think doulas only help with birth—but postpartum doulas walk alongside families after the baby arrives, too. Some things I do include:
• Supporting recovery (rest, meals, gentle guidance)
• Helping with newborn care (soothing, feeding, sleep basics)
• Making sure parents actually get to shower, eat, and breathe
• Offering emotional support (because baby blues are real)
• Creating space for confidence, not perfection

It’s not about doing things “for” parents, but walking with them. 💛

✨ Whether you hire a doula or lean on your community, please know: you were never meant to do postpartum alone.

09/30/2025

✨ Panelist Spotlight ✨
�We’re honored to welcome Kenise Batts to the Her Dreams Documentary Panel! 💕

A devoted mother, advocate, and writer, Kenise’s journey has been shaped by both loss and resilience.
As the mother of two sons—one born still and one who inspires her daily—she channels her story into empathy, advocacy, and community impact.
Kenise has served on the First Steps & Beyond Community Advisory Board and shared her powerful voice on the Single Moms Defined blog, speaking openly about single motherhood, grief, and perseverance. Through her advocacy and storytelling, she reminds mothers everywhere that even in hardship, strength and hope can thrive. 🌸
Every ticket you purchase helps support a local mom need—your donation makes a difference. 💕 Click the link:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/her-dreams-shortform-documentary-viewing-tickets-1450276609379
to register today and come out to show your support!

09/19/2025

💛The first weeks home with a baby can feel like a blur of feeding, crying, and wondering if life will ever feel “normal” again. Here’s the truth: it won’t. It will feel new. Different. Sometimes heavier, sometimes sweeter.

And little by little, you’ll find your rhythm. And in that rhythm, you’ll find you again, too.

09/18/2025

✨The Lovely Postpartum✨
Bringing a new baby home is overwhelming—physically, emotionally, and mentally. It’s normal for new parents to experience a rollercoaster of emotions in those early days. But sometimes, what looks like “baby blues” may actually be something deeper.

✨ Baby Blues
• Affects about 70–80% of new moms
• Usually starts within a few days of birth
• Common feelings: mood swings, weepiness, anxiety, irritability, trouble sleeping
• Typically eases within 2 weeks

💛 Postpartum Depression (PPD)
• Can start anytime in the first year (not just right after birth)
• Symptoms may include:
• Persistent sadness or hopelessness
• Loss of interest in things once enjoyed
• Feeling disconnected from baby
• Intense anxiety, panic attacks, or intrusive thoughts
• Trouble bonding or feeling like “a bad mom”
• Thoughts of harming self or baby (⚠️ always a red flag)
• Does not go away without support and treatment

🌸 What Friends & Partners Can Do:
• Notice changes that don’t improve after 2 weeks
• Gently check in: “How are you really feeling?”
• Offer practical help (meals, rest, chores) without judgment
• Encourage professional support when needed—PPD is not weakness, it’s an illness, and it’s treatable

💬 If you’re reading this and it sounds like your partner, sister, or friend—please reach out with love. If you’re a mom going through this, you are not alone and you are not failing. If you need resources, reach out to me! You are worthy of help, healing, and hope.

09/18/2025

🫶 your mental health is most important!

I used to want a lot of kids. I remember vividly saying I wanted at least 4 kids to anyone who would listen. Because from the outside looking in being a mom looked easy. Or maybe my mom and the moms around me just did a really good job at making it look that way.

But the point is I didn’t have a concept of mentally and financially raising four kids. We didn’t grow up with money so I knew that it was hard on my parents raising all of us but when I thought of having my own kids I never thought about how I’d support them, just that I’d love them.

Then I had a child.

There aren’t words to describe the love I felt. Finally becoming the mother I dreamed of being. And then postpartum began working, bending and breaking the foundation of my very soul. I couldn’t feel this way. I shouldn’t feel this way. But I do.

I got medicated and it saved my life.

But I knew early on I didn’t think I could do this again. The mental and ohysixal toll it had on my body.
Nobody wants to hear that though. They are sure you need more kids. They are sure your child needs a sibling. They are sure you can love more kids.

But why does nobody ever think about the mental and financial aspects of raising kids? Sure, my heart would grow as big as it needed to love another child, but just because you want another child and just because you can love another child, doesn’t mean you need more kids.

My son needs a mother more than he needs a brother or a sister. I wont jeopardize my health and his life just because I don’t feel done having kids.