Urban Doula

09/01/2018

I am SO excited to be offering this workshop right before Valentine's Day! I'll be doing one in Port Coquitlam and one in Vancouver! Pay attention to my Event's section and sign up to save yourself a seat!

24/11/2017

Seeing as I live rurally and am planning a home birth, I am really happy a friend shared this article with me today! I bet most people will find this info surprising:

https://news.ubc.ca/2017/11/20/study-finds-no-added-risk-for-home-births-in-rural-areas/

Hospital closures and other changes to health care in rural communities mean that families no longer have access to the same maternity care as they once did.

31/10/2017

I love so many things about this video! How the mama is talking to herself “I need to accept this and let her out”, how she listens to her body, and moves instinctively (baby’s body came out as soon as she inverted/head down low), and how she was connected and communicating to her baby. Babies aren’t delivered, mamas birth babies!

25/10/2017

This is so important! Share your birth stories in the comments if you feel so inclined :)

After you give birth, you tell your own birth story. What you say and how you say it matters more than you know. Why doesn't anyone tell the inspiring ones?

28/09/2017

Instead of offering a new mom lip service "if there's anything I can do to help, let me know" just show up with some food. Or call ahead and book a time to do some house cleaning and laundry. These are things that are really needed and hard to ask for. Keep mama in bed where she belongs :)

right? Moms don't need another baby blanket or onesie or someone to come over and be entertained. They need to be in bed, with baby, and nourishing food. Not worrying about the laundry, making dinner, work, entertaining guests, etc.

Many people call the trip they take during pregnancy their "baby moon." Actually, the baby moon refers to the early postpartum time of lying in. How can you plan for your postpartum baby moon?

Taking time in bed to recover after giving birth (no matter what type of birth you had and no matter how easy or difficult it was) can have a profound positive effect on long-term healing and recovery.



Thank you to Eden Grinshpan for giving us permission to share this amazing photo!!

Join our FB group for all things prenatal/postpartum One Strong Mama

24/09/2017

Anyone here been told they were having a 'big baby'? Always remember that scans are notoriously inaccurate at predicting baby's weight! Trust your body.

"The new study, called Listening to Mothers III, was based on Childbirth Connection’s nationally representative survey of some 1,960 new mothers. It found that four out of five of the mothers who were warned they might have large babies gave birth to infants who were not large, and weighed less than 8 pounds 13 ounces.

Yet these mothers were almost twice as likely to have medical interventions such as having doctors medically induce their labor or attempting to self-induce labor, presumably out of concern the baby would continue growing otherwise. They were also nearly twice as likely as other mothers to have a planned cesarean, though the increase fell just short of being statistically meaningful."

Research showed that mothers who believed they were having large babies were nearly five times more likely to ask for a scheduled C-section.

14/08/2017

A beautiful home birth- makes me excited to do this again!

04/08/2017

"An estimated 30% of women who give birth are likely to end up on the spectrum of birth trauma, whether they recognise and report it or not. And it isn’t just after extreme cases where the mother or baby was at risk of dying. It is also happens for those who have experienced intervention which felt violating, and those who were not treated with appropriate levels of care, dignity and respect by the medical staff. Sadly, because women are shamed into silence over experiencing anything less than a perfect birth, or don’t know enough about birth trauma, they often feel the impact of a traumatic birth silently."

I had an awful birth experience. But I didn’t die. My baby didn’t die. In fact, she is thriving – the brightest, happiest little ray of sunshine you ever did meet. And, almost two…

29/07/2017

"Western society categorically resists accepting the fact that babies don’t fit into adult timetables, that they need to be held, that they crave sleeping next to us and that it’s normal for babies wake often, nurse and seek the reassurance of their protectors in the wee small hours of the morning."

The new INSIGHT study suggests that solitary sleeping babies sleep longer than those who room share. But is the study accurate?

05/07/2017

I'm preparing to welcome our second baby in December. Love the sweetness of this article.

Your heart is about to grow so much more full with love.

03/07/2017

OoOooo I love this! I agree that it's so important for kids to see nudity- normal, every day people and their imperfect bodies.

I live with a houseful of boys: four, to be exact. But they're still relatively young -- so there are no nudie mags stashed between mattresses, no stealt...

05/06/2017

Simple and profound.

Remember that whatever state of being that your baby is in at any particular moment, it is not a permanent condition.

20/05/2017

people often confuse midwives and doulas- what are the differences? read and find out.

You are so excited! You are pregnant and you know you want an experience different from all the stories you've heard growing up. You want a midwife. That is awesome. Knowing what kind of care provider you feel most comfortable with is undeniably the best thing going into birth for the first

17/05/2017

For those of you living in the lower mainland, check this out! I wish I could attend.

Early bird pricing ends this week for our documentary screening of Why not Home? - which looks at the surprising birth choices of doctors and midwives.

http://www.birthtalks.com/why-not-home-movie-night.html

Join us and our expert panel - maternity doctor Dr. Rachel Craggs, NICU nurse Katy Teasdale, midwife Cora Beitel from Strathcona Midwifery Collective and doula Samantha Garcia Gagnon from The Maya's Nest Birth Services - on The evening of May 24th at Douglas college Coquitlam - across from the sky train and easily accessed from HW1.

08/05/2017

"In many countries it is believed that the safest option for all women is to give birth in hospital. However, observational studies of increasingly better quality and in different settings suggest that planned home birth in many places can be as safe as planned hospital birth and with less intervention and fewer complications"

A new Cochrane Review concludes that all countries should consider establishing proper home birth services. They should also provide low-risk pregnant women with information enabling them to make an informed choice.

13/02/2017

🙌

12/02/2017

Wow! What an amazing visual! I love what this article says about benefits of breastfeeding beyond infancy.

A photo showing droplets of breast breastmilk fending off armies of harmful bacteria in Petri dishes is going viral on Facebook. The photo, posted by a biology student in England, features nine Petri dishes completely colonized with the bacteria M. Luteus, except in the center, where tiny puddles of...

14/01/2017

Such an important read!
Pelvic exams (aka va**nal exams, internal exams) are your CHOICE. Care providers should offer an explanation of the benefits, risks, alternatives and THEN ask for permission before performing them.

Vaginal exams during labor and the question of consent

22/12/2016

A sweet little video showing what placenta encapsulation is some insight on how the process is done 🎈

02/12/2016

This time of year can be especially challenging and triggering for loss families. Please pass on the word to your clients and friends that our December In Our Hearts meeting is happening this coming Monday (Dec 5 @ 7:30).

If you have a moment, please click the link and share on your personal page (those of you are in vancouver)

Thank you lovelies!

💜🙏🏻💜

Vancouver is hosting the gathering of the year this Monday. We are so grateful to have served the community in 2016 and want to honour all of our babies, especially over the holiday season. We would love to have you and/or your partner join us to share about your loved one, what you are going through, and find inspiration in all of our stories. Please register with Minette info@birthofhope.com

28/11/2016

"doulas work from the outside [the medical system] to encourage positive change within. This unique vantage point is what allows us to carve out pathways for diverse populations, including those currently marginalized or underserved. Yes, our mythology is diverse. This is our strength and the hope of our field."

How Doula Regulation Misses the Point As awareness of the benefits of doula care grows, many birth workers are exploring ways to make doula care more affordable and accessible to...

18/11/2016

So funny!

30/10/2016

A very important read on the risks associated with keeping babies confined too much. Carrying your baby in your arms or in a carrier is really good for both parents and babes.

"Container baby syndrome (CBS) is a collection of movement, behavior, and other problems caused by a baby or infant spending too much time in a "container," any commonly-used piece of baby equipment that resembles a container, including:

Car seats
Strollers
Bumbo seats
Bouncy swings
Rockers
Bouncer seats
Nursing cushions
Vibrating chairs

These forms of baby support and transportation are used to keep the baby safe from accidents, allow parents to more easily transport the baby, and give the baby play time. However, this equipment also acts as a container, immobilizing the baby in 1 position on the baby’s back. Spending a lot of time lying on the back in the container allows little to no movement of the baby's neck, spine, or body.

While some parents believe that leaving the baby in the container or equipment is safer, more convenient, and enjoyable for the baby, this kind of immobilization can actually cause delayed development of common skills, like rolling, crawling, and walking. Staying in the container for a prolonged time and over days and weeks can even cause severe, possibly lifelong problems, such as:

Head and face deformities, including “flat head syndrome”
Decreased muscle strength and coordination
Speech, sight, hearing, and thinking problems
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Obesity"

Container baby syndrome is the name applied to a range of conditions caused by a baby or infant spending too much time in a container, such as a stroller or car seat.

21/10/2016

"the knowledge about birth shouldn't be held by somebody with a certificate or a profession, that it should be something that all women talk about and have access to, without a cost. It's what makes us who we are, you know? The fact that we carry life and we carry the gateway into the world within our bodies"

02/10/2016

Tomorrow is our Vancouver In Our Hearts gathering- and October is Miscarriage Awareness Month. We will be having Dr Spence Pentland sharing information for the first 30 minutes about how alternative therapies can help with healing after any kind of loss and also increase fertility for those hoping to conceive and maintain pregnancy.

The remaining time will be our usual open sharing circle for anyone who has experienced loss. Tea and snack provided :)

Please join us! Email info@birthofhope.com to register. (The meeting is FREE with a $10 deposit to hold your spot)

VANCOUVER
This Monday October 3rd we are hosting our regular meeting along with guest speaker Spence Pentland. We are grateful for all that join us in sharing listening and healing. Partners are always encouraged to come.

28/09/2016

October is Miscarriage awareness month-

Anyone who has had miscarriage(s) and would like a safe place to share, please join us October 3rd with guest speaker Spence Pentland. I will be one of the facilitators for the open discussion afterward.

IT'S FREE.

VANCOUVER
This Monday October 3rd we are hosting our regular meeting along with guest speaker Spence Pentland. We are grateful for all that join us in sharing listening and healing. Partners are always encouraged to come.

23/09/2016

15/09/2016

Teachers check it out! 🍎

Free Stress reduction treatments for Teachers at Yinstill! Spread the word, and get those teachers booked in!

13/09/2016

October is month. will be sharing stories, honouring, and remembering our lovely little babies. If you'd like to share (anonymously if you choose) your story please message us and we will publish it in October. The more we talk, the more we learn, The more we break the silence. And come 'like' our page www.facebook.com/inourheartsloss for more stories, groups and healing

05/09/2016

Please join us if you have suffered a loss... pass on the word to your (Vancouver) friends

Please note that our Vancouver Meeting is happening this TUESDAY because of the holiday Monday. We look forward to having your join us for conversation, tears, and some company to empathize with what you may be going through. You are not alone, and what ever you may be faced with, the feelings you are experiencing are familiar to us too.