Holly Clark Doula Services

10/24/2021

Hiring a postpartum doula is magic ✨

I feel like this is a resource that a lot of parents either 1. don’t know is a thing you can do or 2. feel pressured to “do it all themselves/“asking for help feels hard. And I totally get that. It’s uncomfortable and vulnerable.

With each child, I’ve become more comfortable with admitting I can’t be the mom I want to be without help, without community.

So what does a postpartum doula do? So many things but for me, it’s the reassurance twice a week that I won’t be alone - that I have someone who can either hold baby so I can get stuff done or rest, or who helps me get stuff done around the house. Someone who helps with the kids or makes it possible for me to take a deep breath. She helps me so when my husband comes home at the end of the day, I’m not completely burnt out. Ultimately, she gives me confidence that I can do this and be healthy for my family and to me, that’s completely worth it!

There’s so much more a postpartum can fo - some you can hire to help at night so you can get some sleep 🤯

Please reach out if you have questions or referrals. I want more moms to know that this is an option for them and that you don’t have to do this alone ❤️

09/18/2021

Wonderful opportunity for parents! Have you hear of circle of security! Check it out for more info!

🍂🍁 Get ready CAPA friends! Registration for our Fall Circle of Security Parenting classes opens on Monday, September 20th. Classes will be held on Zoom. See you there! 🍁🍂

08/22/2021

Nothing like a 39+ week belly and a morning of postpartum baking to get me in the birth mood. This pregnancy has been so different and hot and uncomfortable but I’m almost there. My birth supplies are almost complete, I’ve got my birth doula and a postpartum doula lined up and friends and family who have done nothing but love on me and offer their support and practical ways to help. I even had a friend offer to deep clean my house and I’m really humbled.

I’m finally ready for you baby boy, you can come whenever you are ready 😍😭

07/17/2021

Wow. Such a beautiful challenge. Thank you, Brené Brown and to my friend, Beating Trauma with Elisabeth Corey for posting ❤

06/29/2021

❤️

BOOM.

Thanks to for this message and to Greg Santucci, Occupational Therapist for posting 💞

06/23/2021

Now that my girls are older, bedtime became one of my least favorite times of the day. There was so much stalling! So I decided to come up with a fairy potion ✨. I made two rollers with sleep oils. Every night after bath, the girls know they get to have fairy potion to help them sleep. They rush to get their pjs on and I tell a little story about fairies and the forest and the importance of deep breaths before bed and put it on their feet and chest. It has made bedtime a dream!

I’ve learned that a little rhythm/ritual + a song or story has always always always helped my kids. And it reminds me to put a little magic & imagination into our day.

Cheers to smoother bedtimes and more time for ourselves after the kids fall asleep 💪🏽🤞🏼

06/22/2021

As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve been switching my focus on my social media from birth work to postpartum and motherhood. As I’m coming into a new season of life myself (3 kids!!) I’ll be taking a larger break from birth doula work. I’ll still be teaching CBE classes and I’m still pursing postpartum certification and once I know what life with my boy is like, I’ll be making a plan of when I will be offering those services.

I’m also going through a training right now that I’m really excited about and will be sharing more about how that will impact what I have to offer!

Also, solidarity to all you pregnant mamas this summer. This is my first time being in my third trimester ALL summer long and it’s exhausting 🔥. Please up your water intake this week. Thinking of you all ❤️.

05/24/2021

“Cesareans can be life saving but that’s the only time we should use them.”
I disagree.
💕
I think as doulas there’s this misconception that if our client has a surgical birth we have somehow failed.
Did we try enough position changes?
Did we miss a trick that could’ve potentially changed the course of their birth? Cesareans should just be used in emergencies. I think this oversimplifies the complexity of birth.
💕
I know that doulas have had these feelings because when I did a poll asking if doulas have feelings of failure when their is an unplanned cesarean 80% of you said yes.
💕
We know we don’t control outcomes, that the decisions that are made are up to our clients so why do those feelings creep in? “Was I enough?”
💕
I want to reframe how you think about cesareans. How you talk about cesareans. I talk about them the same way I talk about an epidural. Obviously one is major surgery but they both serve a purpose and have multiple uses. We go over the pros and cons and your client makes a decision that’s best for them. Not me, not the provider...your client.
💕
I sat with a client the other day. She had been pushing for two hours. Not that long. She could’ve gone a lot longer....but it was bringing up trauma for her, her baby was not descending despite pulling out everything I knew. She was so tired and we talked about her situation, her goals, and I told her she didn’t need to keep going if she didn’t want to. She was enough, she had done enough. There was a huge wave of relief that washed over her. “This isn’t my fault.” Was the last truth she said to herself before asking for a cesarean on her terms.
💕
So doulas, I want you to remind yourself what you tell your clients all day long. You are amazing. You did enough. You made a difference. Cesareans can be healing. They can be heartbreaking. But they live in a bigger box than “Just for emergencies”.

05/22/2021

❤️❤️❤️

The foundation of The Milk Lady Lactation Counseling is village, community, and sisterhood👩🏼‍🤝‍👩🏽

🤩I am THRILLED to announce my first breastfeeding group support class! This is a combination of a structured class on the fundamentals of breastfeeding, and also a place for peer support!

📚Tickets are $25, this covers snacks, my own childcare for the day, and all the take home local resources that will be provided. I’m giving away one free ticket to a mama in need who would like to attend. DM me to apply for yourself or a friend.

🗓This class is being held Sunday, May 30th 2-4pm in the brand new, state of the art infant room at

👩🏼‍🍼If you are looking for childcare after maternity leave, this is my top recommendation for public childcare in Spokane. Their goal, like The Milk Lady, is also to be affordable and accessible for local families. They work with state funding if you qualify for assistance! The women who own, manage and teach here are so incredibly passionate about Spokane’s children❤️

🤰🏻Pregnant mamas please come!
🤱🏽New mamas with lap babies please come!
👩‍👧‍👦Mamas with toddlers, if you can find childcare, please come mingle with local mamas! Tell others about your journey and experience! Also, a great opportunity to check out the learning center for your toddlers.

🧠I believe we can learn so much from each other. Humans need community, we need connection. This has been such an isolating year, my goal is to host 2 classes per month for you mamas. I hope to see you there! 😄

Link in bio to purchase your ticket➡️ “Book Online” tab

04/22/2021

and I just finished our crazy April after supporting many families. And I have a lot of feelings as these were my last births for a while.

My husband and I are expecting our third babe, our first son 💙 at the end of this summer and while I’m excited, it also comes with taking a break from a career I’ve built up for myself. Being a women and being a mother is hard. I’ve come to accept that I won’t start my full-time career until my forties and I’m okay with that sometimes... (I know it’s a privilege a lot of people don’t have to be at home).

Thank you for choosing us to support you! And I will still be teaching CBE classes and eventually getting postpartum support work set-up.

Now for some rest, time away from my phone, gardening and squeezing my family 💕🌱☀️.