The Doula Guild

06/29/2020

Today we learned the heartbreaking news of Arika Trim's passing. We had the opportunity to know her briefly & minimally but her mark was certainly made. Please read her story as well as consider donating to the care of her newborn son who is in the NICU and will need continued full-time care from his grandparents.

With a broken heart, I’m humbly asking for your support to send Arika Samantha Trim home … Kiara Pesante Haughton needs your support for Arika's Final Goodbye

05/31/2020

“You just brought your sweet baby home a few weeks ago, and your days are spent in a haze of snuggles, sleepiness, and spit-up. You’re trying to soak up this magical newborn time, but you find yourself crying at the drop of a hat, acting moodier than a teenage girl, and feeling so overwhelmed that you just want to run away and hide sometimes. You knew it would be hard to adjust to a new baby, but how hard is too hard? Are these feelings normal, or are they a sign of something more serious?”
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Read our new guest blog post entitled, “Baby Blues or Something Else?” written by Jessie Bohnenkamp, LPC, NCC from Plum Counseling & Wellness, LLC.

You just brought your sweet baby home a few weeks ago, and your days are spent in a haze of snuggles, sleepiness, and spit-up. You’re trying to soak up this magical newborn time, but you find yourself crying at the drop of a hat, acting moodier than a teenage girl, and feeling so overwhelmed that ...

05/30/2020

I want to recognize the turmoil, fear, and anger the black community is experiencing (and has been experiencing for hundreds of years) right now. I don’t have the right words so I want to point you to those who do.

https://thedoulaguild.com/2020/04/17/support-for-black-mothers-recognizing-black-maternal-health-week-2020/

The above link is one of our doula’s guest blog posts that we posted during black maternal health week, Mabel Bashorun, who speaks about the difficulties surrounding black women, birth, and racial injustice. There is so much change that still needs to happen in the world, in the birth world, and in our own hearts.

We also want to tag some accounts that we follow and think you should to:
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Dr. San
Black Mamas Matter Alliance
Black Women Birthing Justice
Flourish Heights
Black Women Do Breastfeed

🖤 Sarah Burzio

Beautiful image of this family by The Moody Momma

05/25/2020

Whether it’s in the home, hospital, or birth center, in-person, or over FaceTime we’re seeing that birth support is proving invaluable during this time.

Contact us here: www.thedoulaguild.com to find the right support for you. Our doulas want to talk with you!
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Photo by Little Plum Photography by Stephanie Entin

05/18/2020

A bad moment doesn’t mean it needs to be a bad day and it certainly doesn’t make you a bad mother. Take time to reset. Take deep breaths. Move on and forward.

www.thedoulaguild.com

Photo by Little Plum Photography by Stephanie Entin

05/14/2020

We will hold a special place in our hearts for our quarantine moms! 🖤

05/05/2020

International Day of the Midwife is a day we celebrate true heroins of birth. Tag a midwife you know and tell us why you love them! We’ll get it started with some of our favorite local midwives.👩🏻‍⚕️🤱🏽

Blue Ridge Birth
Loudoun Ob/Gyn & Midwives
Loudoun Physicians and Midwives for Women/Capital Women's Care
Loudoun Homebirth & Healthcare
Midwifery Services at The GW Medical Faculty Associates
Grace Midwifery
Centreville Ob-Gyn
Fairfax Home Birth
Premier Birth Center
BirthCare & Women's Health

Photos by Little Plum Photography by Stephanie Entin

05/04/2020

“Slow down and savor the moments of your life.”

“My first advice is to be present. This wasn’t always a part of our common cultural vernacular, and I am reminded of the advice my own mother gave me through the years. At every new milestone, she would say, “This is the absolute best time of your life—enjoy it!” I used to chuckle to myself after hearing this from her repeatedly. Now I see she was urging me to be present in the different stages of my life and to enjoy them.”

Words from The Good Trade article here: https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/our-editors-mothers-advice

Photo by Purple Fern Photography

05/01/2020

It’s been a lovely first year. We’ve been so honored to come alongside families in offering support, made long-lasting community connections, been embraced by the beautiful birth world of the DMV area, and have found all of it an absolute privilege & joy. Thanks for celebrating with us last month and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for The Doula Guild.

Pictured are just a few adorable Guild babies. Feel free to tag 🥰

04/28/2020

“but.
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what can you do?
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absolutely.
nothing>>>
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and that, is the worst part of it all.
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so you lay back.
as you hand, all of that control.
over, to everyone else.
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and it's hard.
it, is so. very hard.
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and painful.
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it takes a tough, kind of momma.
to lay there, and hand that kind of responsibility, over.
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but as promised.
once he's here.
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it's less about the process.
the procedures.
and the music choices.
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and it's back to how it should be.
how it should have been, all along.
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it's all about the baby.
and you.”
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Excerpt from a poem by Jordan Burch
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www.thedoulaguild.com

Photo by Little Plum Photography by Stephanie Entin

04/26/2020

To the moms who gave birth during a pandemic and brought their babies home to quarantine. And to the moms who are pregnant and fearful. And to the moms who just lost babies and are more isolated than ever. And to the moms whose fertility treatments and adoptions are put on hold, after so much waiting. Thinking of you with Mother's Day around the corner. You're amazing. 🖤

Words & art by Liana Lane Art

www.thedoulaguild.com

04/20/2020

Tonight, we want to introduce you to this beautiful person right here. This is Jessie Johnson, certified birth doula and certified postpartum doula through Newborn Mothers Collective. Jessie is an absolute joy and we are so happy to have her as a member of the Guild. Read all about her here:
https://thedoulaguild.com/about

04/18/2020

As comes to a close, we asked Guild member Mabel Bashorun to share with us why this week exists and how black mothers can play an active role in receiving the prenatal care they deserve.

The week of April 11-17 is dedicated to Black Maternal Health Week, as founded by the non-profit organization, ​Black Mamas Matter Alliance​. Founded in 2013, the organization took the call to action when the disparities in Black maternal health care became too dire to ignore. Their goals includ...

04/14/2020

Are you looking for a practical way to give to others in need? We have joined with Greater DC Diaper Bank to meet the immediate & practical needs of women & families in our communities. Give through our donation page & help us reach our goal to be .

Donate directly here:
https://secure.givelively.org//donate/dc-diaper-bank/here-for-all-families/the-doula-guild

As the effects of COVID-19 have been felt around the world, our area of the DMV and beyond has not been immune. Families have been left in great need as they are unable to stock up on personal hygiene items such as toilet paper, diapers, and feminine care products. Our mission is support in motherho...

04/10/2020

Two things: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
✨ April is Cesarean Awareness Month and is a time to talk about how cesarean birth is as hard and beautiful and complex as any other kind of birth.
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✨ We updated our site with some stunning images like this one from Little Plum Photography. Check them all out and tell us what you think. www.thedoulaguild.com

04/10/2020

Coming at you this evening with a quick hello 👋🏻 and an update on some happenings.
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I’m Sarah Burzio, Owner and Birth Doula around these parts. I’m more than happily married to an out-of-this world man, have two little kiddos, aaaaand one on the way. 🤰🏼
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Not only is my family adding another beautiful baby at the end of this summer, but we are also moving to Northern Virginia. 🚚
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👉🏼 I started The Doula Guild on a mission to provide support to mothers during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. I launched out on my own last April and have been so honored to come alongside women & families this year.
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As my family makes the transition from 4 members to 5 and over the mountain to Fairfax, I wanted share about my vision for The Doula Guild.
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✨The Doula Guild is not just little 'ol me anymore. Out of necessity, I needed to bring others in to help support my clients. If you've seen our latest posts, you know I have brought some amazing doulas into the guild over the last year who are continuing to support clients in our communities.
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✨I now am taking on the role as Client Connector, a bridge to the support clients need on their parenthood journey from local, experienced doulas. I love hearing from women looking for support and matching them up with a doula who I know would deliver the support they need.
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✨Doulas in this guild live all over from the Shenandoah Valley to Northern Virginia, we cover a large radius of communities that we are honored to serve. We are each unique in style, practice, and personality but all have the same goal: support in motherhood.
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I’m excited for this second year to come and hope you’ll continue to follow along as we celebrate our one year anniversary this month! 🥳
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-Sarah

www.thedoulaguild.com

Photo by Hilary Hyland Photography

04/07/2020

“Adjust your expectations of what you hoped to accomplish this week and in the coming months—resist the temptation to optimize your life or "come out ahead". Our present work is to serve, survive, rest, restore, grieve, live in gratitude, be generous towards others, and exceedingly tender towards ourselves.”

Words by Amy Caldwell from
The Good Trade
Artwork is “Thankful Woman” by Kayla Gale

04/06/2020

During COVID-19, Arrow Birth is offering 50% off their Discover Birth Education Course AND with code DOULAGUILD you can save even more!
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What you should know about Arrow:
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✨ Online & self-pace (complete it in your jammies while )
✨Taught by professionals such as midwives, OB’s, doulas, lactation consultants, anesthesiologists, and pediatricians.
✨Not a methodology course. It doesn’t teach a specific way to birth, rather a broader, more balanced way of approaching labor/delivery.
✨Founders are local, Nova-based women on a mission to support families and improve birth worldwide.

👉🏽 Experience the Arrow difference: www.arrowbirth.com

04/04/2020

Shop ✨ 20% ✨ off comfortable, quality motherhood loungewear. Use code BRAVE20 for returning users of our link. Shop our favorites: this laced racer back nursing bra and these maternity & postpartum high wasted leggings.

✨ Shop here: http://kindredbravely.com/thedoulaguild

04/01/2020

We’re on a mission this month to bring ✨light✨ into your feed and to celebrate gifts of life, family, and our one year anniversary! We’re doing this through several giveaways we’ve put together with both local & beyond businesses. To launch them, we have an exciting one for you. 🌿

We recently connected with Sprigs Life, a company on a mission to bring holistic living to mothers and families. They’re giving away over $100 worth of products for an expecting/soon-to-be expecting or postpartum mom!

🌿 What you what you could win: Belly Balm, Mama Bear Prenatal, Morning Joy, Postnatal Relief, Postnatal Bath Mix

Head to our Instagram to enter! https://www.instagram.com/p/B-b9NUPgoIp/?igshid=3v0mslbv5qcu

03/31/2020

We greatly appreciate this blog by Arrow Birth. If you're giving birth in a hospital in the next few months and are dealing with some uncertainty, this one's for you! Great advice and information.

03/30/2020

Many expecting families are making the switch from hospital to homebirth in the current climate. We asked local midwife Kelly Jenkins of Blue Ridge Birth to answer some FAQs surrounding homebirth and hope it can be a good starting point for those who are homebirth curious.

✨ Join Kelly tomorrow for a live chat with Rebecca from A Daily Something at 8pm EST on Instagram as they talk all things birth and babies. Find the chat here: https://instagram.com/blueridgebirth?igshid=iey2g3sqoxr5 ✨

I am sure along with the feelings of excitement, you are also feeling apprehensive and maybe just plain old scared. Even in a “stable” world, these are totally natural feelings but at a time such this, the feelings are amplified and you have many questions. Sit with me as we examine some questio...

03/29/2020

We love the mission and creativity of Nook, a local play space founded on imagination and minimalism. They’ve compiled some inspiring toys, books, and activities for your little ones. 👇🏽👇🏾👇🏼

Who could use some more square feet right about now?

We posted a bunch of new suggestions for at-home activities and toys on our Nook at Home page. Click the link below to see what we’ve rounded up.

https://playatnook.com/play-at-home

03/28/2020

We want to bring some enjoyment into your feed. It’s getting warmer, staying light for longer, and life is feeling like a fragile gift these days. We are connecting with businesses both local and beyond to bring some motherhood giveaways your way. Turn on post notifications, check back in with us, and help us celebrate the gifts of life, spring, and our one year anniversary 🌿
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*If you’re a business owner and want to collaborate, please reach out! We want to do giveaways all throughout April🌷

03/27/2020

We appreciate this write up that Joli Adore Photography, LLC put together about considering home birth in light of the current situation surrounding hospital birth. If you’re curious about home birth, there’s much to think about and this resource may be a good start. Also listed are some of our favorite area midwives serving the DMV. Please message us for recommendations!

Find a local midwife in the Maryland, DC, and Virginia areas offering home birth clients an out-of-hospital experience. More families are considering home birth in light of the Coronavirus pandemic.

03/23/2020

That moment when your baby meets your baby.

www.thedoulaguild.com
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Photo by Little Plum Photography

03/20/2020

Do you have a partner who wants to know how best they can support you during labor? Most often, the best support can come from an engaged, confident, and calm partner. And in our experience, preparation for this kind of partner response in labor is key and doesn’t always happen naturally.

✨We offer a Birth Partner Prep Course that teaches the ins and outs of labor support including what to expect, specific comfort measures (and when to use them), and the art of attuning in a birth space. The course and resources given are catered to your birth plan and interests. Check out the details here www.thedoulaguild.com/services and reach out with any questions!

Photos by Shawna & Co.

03/18/2020

✨ Meet Clarké Lunara, certified birth and postpartum doula, member of the guild, and new mom as of a few days ago! She is excited to provide trauma-informed, evidence-based, family-centered, and uplifting care to the families she has the privilege of serving.

Clarké brings a wealth of experience, passion, and education to the guild and is accepting clients expecting in August 2020 and beyond! Read more about her here: www.thedoulaguild.com/about ✨

03/16/2020

We are striving to stay up-to-date with the current COVID-19 situation and are highly committed to our clients during this time. Please read our updated client care procedures as well as utilize links to local hospital visitor policies surrounding labor & delivery.

Our mission at The Doula Guild is support in motherhood during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. It is our privilege to come alongside women and families during this life-changing and intimate time. Because of the nature of our work, we know the importance of staying current with the COVID-19 situat...

03/15/2020

✨ Home for the indefinite future? Let’s start a list of activities to do and advice to share as we navigate this territory together, but separately. ✨

www.thedoulaguild.com

Photo by Purple Fern Photography