Happy Hatchings Doula Services

04/12/2026

These is some uproar in the childbirth communities online right now as a hospital system hired doulas to be 24/7 on staff. I offered this response to a major debate amongst providers online-and felt I should publish it here as well.

“As a prior L&D nurse and very experienced doula who also works in and near a hospital that offers in house doula services, I have concerns I would like to share.

1st) -I was a fierce patient advocate as a nurse- and wasn’t afraid to stand up to Doctors who weren’t putting their patients best interests first. However-it was HARD to work in the system and fight against it. Doulas who get paid by the hospital are not truly free to advocate without fear of harming their employment and work environment. In my current work-I may not see the same doctor twice in a year as I cover 9 hospitals and countless doctors, midwives, and nurses. I feel free to say something and truly help my client advocate for themselves because I don’t have to work day to day with and under them like I did as a nurse. Only the strongest, most confident nurses and now doulas will be able to truly stand up for families in reducing obstetrical violence and trauma.
2nd) When a doula meets a family already in the room, where a mom may already be tired, in pain, half dressed and vulnerable, -They are already past the point where true education, advocacy training, and physical/emotional/pain mediation preparation can occur! Half of what doulas bring to the care of pregnant women is chopped out!
Is there value to having some support vs none- Of Course! However- these women are getting a weaker, watered down benefit.
I’ve covered for other doulas in emergency situations-meeting them at the bedside. I give my best to these women in that moment- but I don’t know them-their real desires and hopes-so I can’t truly advocate for them in the same way. And I have not been able to help them prepare like I do my own clients. IT IS NOT THE SAME!
Reasons I left bedside nursing for doula work include:
A) avoiding the turnover at shift end that leaves a family in a vulnerable state mid process. You can’t build deep new bonds of trust at this stage- This physiologically hurts her oxytocin flow and progress. Hospital doula shift work help Doulas live easily scheduled lives, and help hospital PR- not birthing families.
B)Families benefit far more from preparation, education, and trusting relationships built over time and BEFORE labor. - Anyone can show up the day of a marathon and run- but if you have an experienced coach helping you gear up for months before the race-your outcomes will be better! This is especially true for my VBAC clients and first time moms. In the room introductions leave out the chance to make an informed plan, and prepare for your best birth.
C) Nurses are assigned patients- Doula care begins with interviews-and choice. Personalities matter, value sets, and philosophies make a difference in who you want in the most sacred space of your birth! If there’s a doula assigned to you when you show up- you miss out on that crucial piece! Now families show up to a birth and they won’t know which Nurse, OB, or doula who will be there when their baby arrives! Again- this helps the hospital PR, and the providers schedules-but not the families.
D)Labor and birth are not the end of need for reassurance and follow up. The weeks following birth are crucial for these overwhelmed, tired, anxious, emotional new parents as they figure things out. Having a trusted, knowledgeable guide you chose, and who walked through your birth with you coming into the home following up is so important. Even when I have met a mom in hospital as I covered for another doula, I still followed up in home the remaining weeks to help them process and recover. Will these shift working doulas be stepping into that space?
If there is no before labor, no after birth, no trust based relationship built over time, no preparation/educational benefit leading up to birth, no choice in who your doula is, and it’s shift based-so care might swap out mid labor- then these hospitals aren’t employing doulas- they may as well just change the nurse staffing levels to be one on one care-and have them do a weekend training on positioning and pain mediation techniques.
And by offering this at the hospital and calling it by the same name- many women won’t know the difference. Accidentally settling for this shadow version of what true doula work does offer.
The proven benefits will decrease because half the work is skipped.

Instead- more insurances should be-(and are) covering care of doulas OUTSIDE of institutions Medicaid coverage should be universal (though we are improving in number and coverage!-currently 26 states and Washington DC do cover doula services-outside of this institutionalized model)
I would say 90% of my clients are insurance pay-many young military families (as I’m also a military spouse and take their insurance because they need this support so much). My kind of wholistic care isn’t just for the elite private pay-it’s for everyone. This is where care needs to go-we don’t need to water it down and institutionalize it to make it more available.”

02/28/2026

Important research showing the protective power of breastfeeding. EVEN if it is not exclusive for at least the first few months!

02/08/2026

As with ANY herbal remedy, or alternative therapy options, the FDA will not weigh in on safety. Because their training rarely covers these adjuvant therapies, many Doctors will blanket tell you to not use, delay use till term, or infer risk because they aren’t familiar with it enough to fully inform you. Doulas, being non medical, must be careful not to make recommendations so as to stay within our standards of practice. We can educate you on available options, but it is vital you do your own research from reputable sources and make your own best path forward towards birth.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1413351353579918/?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

02/07/2026

Research continues to show the benefits to moms and infants when Doula care is provided during pregnancy and birth!
This recent 2025 retrospective study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) of over 17,000 births showed (among other positive outcomes) that for every 100 women receiving doula care there were an additional 15-34 Successful Vaginal births after cesarean (VBACS)!
Having knowedgeable coaching and care can decrease initial cesections and repeat cesections by up to/and exceeding 30%! I have definitely seen this in my practice this past year. Of 9 VBAC families assisted. Every VBAC mom I worked with who started their own spontaneous labor, or was induced was successful in achieving their redemptive vaginal birth! The only repeat C-sections within my practice were those who opted for a scheduled csection.
While birth is unpredictable, and no guarantees about anyone’s outcome can ever be given, the numbers are definitely in your favor with competent doula care by your side!

The United States suffers from an increasing rate of severe maternal morbidity, paired with a wide disparity in maternal health by race. Doulas are posited to be a useful resource to increase positive outcomes and to decrease this disparity.

02/01/2026

Have you had a preterm labor scare?
Let’s talk about a test you may not have heard about, but that helps determine your risk for delivering before your baby is fully developed.
The test is called Fetal Fibronectin.
Fetal fibronectin is a protein that helps hold the amniotic sac (or bag of waters) to the inside lining of the uterus. As your body prepares for labor-normally after 36 weeks- we find fetal fibronecting naturally shedding/showing up in the vaginal discharge. However-if it is present prior to 35 weeks, it may be a sign you are in preterm labor.
The test is usually done with a speculum (though some are not-and research shows good correlation of results!). They take a swab of your vaginal wall to gather the secretions, and the test can be run in about an hour.
If the test is negative,(no fibronectin present) it’s almost guaranteed you won’t deliver in the next 7-14 days! Whew! What a relief!
If the result is positive, it DOES NOT mean you absolutely will deliver preterm. -it just means you may be in preterm labor-and your care team can be more assertive in addressing your preterm labor symptoms. This means they may admit you for monitoring. They may give you medicines to stop contractions, and they may give you steroid injections that help your baby’s lungs mature faster in case they are born soon.

There are things that can impact the results. Vaginal bleeding, in*******se within the past 24 hours, and manual cervical exams can cause false positives.
So - if you are having contractions-and go in for a preterm labor check -It’s important to know to ask for this test before they do a cervical exam for dilation.

01/13/2026

Share your stories!!!!!
I’m FINALLY creating my business website!
Although word of mouth, has kept me plenty busy, a professional webpage has been on my “to do” list for a while.
If you are one of the beautiful families I have had the privaledge to work with, I would love your help. I’ll needs some personal testimonials.
Could you drop a note here, or in a private message/text about how my care made a difference in your birth? The more specific -the better!
Thank you!

01/10/2026

A bit delayed, but 2025 Doula Summary:

Miles driven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,971
In home visits. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .162
Births attended . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
(In 10 different hospitals, and in-homes)
Baby Boys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Baby Girls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

It was a beautiful year full of miracles, and an honor to walk with these families through their most sacred moments.

01/07/2026

So many woman are told VBACS (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean) and TOLAC(Trial of Labor After Cesarean) are risky.
It is true that there are risks to be considered, and it isn’t the right path for everyone. However, the risks associated with the alternative repeat csection are not always fairly addressed in the conversation. In order to make a truly informed decision, all options, and all associated risks-with their incidence rates should be covered with a family. Leveraging fear-or ANY emotion to gain patient’s compliance with a care plan is emotional blackmail.

12/12/2025

Thalidamide and DES (diethylstilbestrol) are two of history’s most glaring examples that just because a doctor prescribes a medication-does NOT mean we know it is safe for use in pregnancy. Thalidamide’s drastic effects caused its usage to be quickly discovered and discontinued -though far too late for thousands of families who faced terrible loss or a lifetime of suffering. Fortunately US families were spared this tragedy by one brave woman!
But DES was given for a decade before they realised it wasn’t helping as they hoped-and it was an additional 20 years before all the negative outcomes for the next two generations would be fully known.
Historically drug companies have excluded pregnant women from medical tests/clinical drug trials-(over ethical and liability concerns like thalidamide) so for most new treatment options-moms and doctors are left to guess if benefits outweigh risks. So mostly there are two catagories of drugs. Those we KNOW cause harm to a developing fetus (because some other families have had those harms happen to them) and drugs we haven’t found problems with yet.
Do your due diligence in researching ANY medication you may be offered during pregnancy.-especially in the first trimester when body systems are forming. How long has it been in use? What are the known risks and side effects? Are there non pharmacologic alternatives you can use to treat your problem? Make sure the benefits and medical need really outweigh any risks.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=737212999400441&id=100093352437550&mibextid=wwXIfr

In 1960, a miracle drug was sweeping the world. Thalidomide—safe, modern, perfect for morning sickness. Approved in over twenty countries. Millions of pills sold. The American pharmaceutical company Richardson-Merrell had already stocked warehouses with ten million tablets, ready to flood U.S. markets.
The FDA approval was supposed to be a formality.
Then it landed on the desk of Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey. She'd been at the FDA exactly one month. She was one of only seven doctors reviewing drugs for the entire agency. This was her first assignment. Her supervisors expected her to sign off quickly.
She didn't.
The testing data had gaps. The safety claims for pregnant women didn't match the evidence. Animal studies were weak. Human trials incomplete. The "scientific studies" were actually marketing materials. She had questions.
The company expected approval before Christmas. They pushed back. Hard.
Sales reps crowded her office. Phone calls day and night. Over eighteen months, company officials contacted her and her supervisors fifty separate times. They went over her head. They called her names she later said "you wouldn't print."
Every sixty days, the law required her to either approve the drug or request more information. Every sixty days, she found the new data inadequate. Every sixty days, she refused to sign.
Why was this junior medical officer holding up a wonder drug over technicalities?
Because years earlier, as a researcher at the University of Chicago, she'd studied how drugs cross the placental barrier to affect developing embryos. When she saw claims about thalidomide's safety in pregnancy, she wondered: had anyone tested what happens when it reaches a developing fetus?
Nobody had.
Then Europe started noticing something horrifying.
Babies born with arms and legs grotesquely shortened or missing entirely. Hands sprouting directly from shoulders like flippers. Eyes, ears, hearts malformed. At first, scattered cases. Then impossible to ignore.
All the mothers had taken thalidomide during days 20-36 of pregnancy—the exact window when limbs form.
More than 10,000 children affected across forty-six countries. About half died shortly after birth. Survivors faced lifetimes of profound disability. Germany pulled the drug in November 1961. Britain in December. But the damage was done.
In America? Seventeen confirmed cases.
Not seventeen thousand. Seventeen.
Because one woman refused to accept insufficient evidence.
When the news broke in mid-1962, Americans realized what had been avoided. The Washington Post ran a front-page story calling Kelsey a heroine who prevented "the birth of hundreds or indeed thousands of armless and legless children."
On August 7, 1962, President Kennedy gave her the highest civilian honor the U.S. can bestow. She was only the second woman ever to receive it.
But the story didn't end with an award.
Congress unanimously passed sweeping drug reform in October 1962. For the first time, companies had to prove drugs not only were safe but actually worked. They had to report adverse reactions. Obtain informed consent for trials. Testing standards became rigorous. Oversight became strong.
Frances Kelsey helped write those regulations. She headed the division implementing them. Her team earned the nickname "Kelsey's cops" for their rigorous oversight. She worked forty-five years at the FDA, retiring in 2005 at age ninety.
She died peacefully in 2015 at 101 years old—exactly fifty-three years after receiving Kennedy's medal.
She never made a groundbreaking discovery. Never invented a lifesaving device. Never developed a cure.
She just refused to accept inadequate evidence. She asked questions when everyone wanted quick approval. She demanded proof when proof didn't exist. She withstood pressure from powerful corporations and held firm.
Her decision saved thousands of American families from devastating heartbreak. Her example shaped modern medicine. Her legacy protects every person who takes prescription drugs today.
All because one doctor understood that courage isn't always about saying yes.
Sometimes the most important word in medicine is no.

12/08/2025

The CDC has just voted to change its recommendation on the newborn dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine. For decades, it has been routinely given to all infants within hours of birth.
The new recommendation suggests only giving it to newborns whose moms are positive for Hepatitis B, or whose status is unknown.
Hepatitis is a sexually and blood borne pathogen. Mother to infant transmission occures during birth, and if contracted,it can lead to chronic liver disease and even death.
They have not stopped recommending the Hepatitis series completely for those infants of Hepatitis negative moms- but adjusted the first dose delay to 2 months or later. They are further suggesting after a dose, titers (levels of immunity)may be assessed to see if further doses are needed-rathar than automatically giving the 3 dose series.
This is leaving the choice up to families and their doctors to review and handle risk assessment and personalize care to meet individual needs.
While this vote is not finalized, and there is some controversy, I applaud the more focused, autonomy granting decision. Medicine is not a one size-fits all field! Anyone who needs or wants it, may absolutely receive this vaccine for their infant! Those for whom risk is low to absent will face less paperwork and pushback in declining an extra intervention.

11/12/2025

Formula recall for Botulism contamination!
Moms looking for organic formula options who have purchased ByHeart formula should stop using it immediately. Over 15 babies across the nation have been hospitalized with botulism toxin poisoning after consuming this formula.
An initial recall only pulled 2 lot numbers but the recall has been expanded to all cans and the anywhere pack single serve pouches.
Do not continue to feed this to your baby- return to the store you purchased it from for a refund.