Hannah Tansel - Birth Doula

03/16/2026

It's a wonderful day for a birthday! 🎂

03/12/2026

How do we determine your due date?

Generally, your due date is 40 weeks after your last period - which means yes, it includes about 2 weeks where you weren’t pregnant at all! This method was popularized by Franz Naegele, an obstetrician from the 1800’s.
If you’re doing the math in your head you would usually add a year to the date of your last period, subtract 3 months, then add 7 days. This method assumes a 28 day menstrual cycle, and we’ve since developed a few different ways to adjust if that’s not the case.

The gold standard for accurate due dates uses estimation of growth from a first trimester ultrasound. I often recommend these so that we don’t feel unnecessary pressure from inaccurate dating. Research tells us that people who have an early ultrasound to date their pregnancy are less likely to be induced for a post-term pregnancy.

Evidence Based Birth (if you haven’t visited this site go and check it out!!) has an excellent article summarizing the information we have on due date accuracy. It states that research shows 50% of all women having their first baby will birth by 40wks 5 days, while 75% birth by 41wks and 2 days.
Several factors influence the date of birth in a normal healthy pregnancy such as menstrual cycle length, ovulation date, how long it takes the embryo to implant after fertilization, unusual hormonal reactions to early pregnancy (such as a late rise in progesterone), etc. We also have to consider family history, as it’s a strong predictor of how long your pregnancy might last!

Want to know more? Check out the article in the comments!

03/08/2026

I had a very busy day today with multiple client meetings and LOTS of driving. What a treat it was to be gifted a dozen farm fresh eggs from one of my generous families! I truly get to meet and work with some of the BEST people in this job! 🤗🥚❤️

03/04/2026

Yesss! I've been waiting in anticipation for my Perinatal Patient Advocate certification materials to come in the mail, and they finally came! I am so excited to start training with Intentional Birth next week! 🧠💪

02/26/2026

I hope the patients at this practice see this for the red flag it is and seek better care...and I'm not just talking about the ones who want doulas.

When all evidence plainly shows that doulas improve outcomes, it's very clear this policy is for the convenience of providers and not the good of mother and baby.

So this is making the rounds. Saint Joseph/Candler OBGYN (Georgia) has adopted a policy that prohibits doula‑supported births.

ACOG, the very organization that guides obstetric practice, explicitly supports continuous labor support and recognizes doulas as highly beneficial for both maternal and fetal outcomes. Decades of research show that doula care lowers cesarean rates, shortens labor, and improves overall birth experiences. A policy banning doulas is not evidence‑based, and it is not about patient safety.

Anyone who wants a doula present at their birth should ask their provider directly and early. And it’s important to know: there are providers in this area who welcome your full birth team and support evidence‑based, physiologic care.

Anjali Sharma...thank you for sharing this info.

02/25/2026

Thanks everyone for all of the birthday wishes ❤️

Fortunately I celebrated early with the family, as I ended up spending most of the day at the hospital with a client in labor. I was hoping to end up with a birthday twin baby, but little man decided to hold out for 1 more day. Oh well, maybe next year! 💙😉

02/22/2026

I am so pleased to announce that I passed my Lamaze International exam and am officially a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator! 🥳

I have BIG plans once I finish the final touches on my curriculum, so please stay tuned for announcements on class dates!

Learn more at lamaze.org
Contact me at hannahtanselbirthdoula.com



Bonus if you've read this far, my three year old took this picture of me! 😂

02/21/2026

02/20/2026

02/14/2026

What fun to be included in this story!

Postpartum can look vastly different for everyone, but there are two things that always make it better:

1. A healthy birth memory
2. Abundant support

Read here the full article here: rb.gy/yte0on