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Doula Farzanah, Johannesburg (2025)

04/07/2025

Stop expecting every mom to open her doors right after giving birth like she didn’t just go through a life-altering event.

Yes, shockingly giving birth is more than you think. Sometimes a mother just wants to rest with no interruption after birth.

I’m healing.
I’m bleeding, leaking, crying, feeding, and adjusting to a brand new life.

No it’s not crazy for a mother to not want visitors. Taking a couple days to recover isn’t wild.

I’m processing what just happened. My body just went through something huge, probably the biggest thing it will ever go through. My mind is still catching up. Birth isn’t peaceful and all rainbows and sunshine for everyone.

A newborn baby doesn’t want anyone but its mother. So no, you don’t need to rush over instantly after that baby is born.

You don’t need to meet the baby when it’s a few minutes or hours born. What’s the difference in waiting till they are a few days old?

Nothing, when it comes to the baby. But waiting 3 days before coming over can be absolutely everything for the mother.

If she doesn’t want visitors right away, respect that.

She’s not being rude. She’s protecting her peace, her baby, and her space. She’s bringing her mind back into her body after dissociating after giving birth.

Postpartum isn’t a meet-and-greet … it’s survival.

Normalize rest.
Normalize boundaries.
Normalize letting moms just be.
Normalize healing over socialization.
Normalize being a human.

Normalize it being okay if all a mother wants after giving birth is to be alone in her bedroom with her baby and husband while they come back to reality.

📝 Chantel Schnider

04/05/2025

Baby Nortjie: Girl: Weight 2.40: Date 03May 2025: Time 21h12

Congratulations Nusherah and Raees on the birth of your beautiful little girl. Nushera, what a beautiful moment I got to share with you, as younglings we would place house house and yesterday, I got to hold your hand and comfort you pushed through a long day as we all waited to meet your princess, you were so strong and never gave up, I loved your energy making jokes and keeping a smile on your face even through alll the pain. You did an amazing job mama💞

04/05/2025

newborns don’t owe anyone at the table a snuggle.

they don’t owe you eye contact.
or a quiet, peaceful moment in your arms.

if they cry for their mom, they should be handed back to her-no questions, no guilt, no “but i just got them.”
because she is safety. she is comfort.
she is all they’ve known up until now.

a newborn doesn’t exist to make anyone else feel included or special.
they don’t exist to entertain visitors or play pass-the-baby.

they just need to feel safe.
and sometimes, that means being right back where they started-
on their mama’s chest.

respect the bond.
respect the baby.
respect the mother.

03/05/2025

Your milk isn’t supposed to come in directly after birth.

And that’s okay.
It’s normal.

Your baby doesn’t need full milk right away.
They need colostrum. That thick, golden liquid made perfectly for them.
It’s packed with antibodies, nutrients, and everything their tiny body needs in those first few days.

Their stomach is the size of a cherry.
They don’t need ounces and ounces.
They need connection.
They need warmth.
They need the small, powerful drops your body is giving them.

Your baby is latching constantly because they are cluster feeding, not because they are starving.
They are trying to tell your body it is time to start making more milk.
Cluster feeding is your baby’s way of naturally boosting your milk supply.
It is how it is supposed to happen.

Your body knows what it is doing.
Your baby knows what they are doing.
Trust the process.
You are enough.
©️SashaGautreaux

02/05/2025

If your newborn suddenly wants to nurse every 30 minutes and you’re panicking thinking,
“I must not have enough milk,”
breathe! this is called cluster feeding, and it’s normal!

Cluster feeding usually happens during growth spurts (around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, etc.).
Your baby isn’t starving.
Your body isn’t failing.

They’re telling your body to make more milk to meet their growing needs.
It’s nature’s way of boosting your supply without supplements or schedules.

Yes, it’s exhausting.
Yes, you’ll feel like a human pacifier.
Yes, you’ll wonder if you’re doing something wrong, but you’re not.

You’re doing exactly what your baby needs.
And your body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to.

Cluster feeding is temporary.
Trust your body. Trust your baby. Trust the process.

You’ve got this.

Credit Ambas Life

28/04/2025

Imagine how awkward a diaper must be after 9 months of hanging naked in hot liquid.

Imagine how cold a crib must be after 3 quarters of heat.

Imagine how nasty it must be to be hungry when your belly was always full in the womb.

Imagine all of this, and then you'll stop wondering why newborns want to be held and fed so much. For 9 months, all they knew was you and the sound of your heartbeat. You are her safe place, her warmth, her whole world.

So no, you're not "spoiling" your baby by holding him. You are being her comfort, her warmth, her safety.

His safe haven. ❤️

24/04/2025

The first trimester is more than just morning sickness

They talk about the baby bump, the glow, the sweet kicks.
But not many talk about the first 12 weeks, the time when your body is working the hardest in silence.

You feel sick all day but still get up and go.
You are so tired but still push through your daily tasks.
You are pregnant but maybe still scared to tell anyone.

Here is what the first trimester can really feel like:
✔️ Feeling like throwing up all day
✔️ Being tired all the time
✔️ Crying today and laughing tomorrow
✔️ Not wanting to eat the things you once loved
✔️ Worrying if your baby is okay
✔️ Winning small battles every day that no one sees

Dear mama, this season is both special and hard.
Be kind to yourself.

Rest when your body asks, cry when it gets heavy, and clap for yourself after every little step.

Even if your belly is not showing yet, you are carrying something powerful.

21/04/2025

Credit to Milky Goodness

Achieving the Perfect Latch:
1. Positioning the Baby:
• Tummy-to-Tummy Contact: Ensure your baby's body is snugly pressed against yours, promoting close contact in the "tummy-to-tummy" position, where your baby faces you and is nestled against your body.
• Support: Support your baby's neck and shoulders rather than solely focusing on their head, aiding them in tilting their head back for a wide-mouth latch and ensuring proper attachment while breastfeeding.
• Nose-to-Nipple Alignment: Align your baby's nose with your ni**le for an optimal latch, allowing them to take in more ar**la and ni**le, facilitating a deeper latch and a wider mouth for a better grasp of the breast.

2. Wait for a Wide Open Mouth:
• Wait for a wide-open mouth, similar to a yawn, before attempting to latch.

3. Latching Technique:
• When your baby’s mouth is wide open, bring them onto your breast, aiming their lower jaw first to get a deep latch.

4. Signs of a Good Latch:
• Fish Lips: Your baby's lips should be flanged outward, resembling fish lips.
• Audible Swallowing: Listen for rhythmic swallowing sounds while your baby feeds, indicating efficient milk intake.
• Comfortable Feeding Sensation: Your ni**les should feel comfortable, not pinched, or sore. After baby detaches the ni**le should remain round; pinched or misshapen ni**les indicate a shallow latch.
What to Look Out For:
• Pain or Discomfort: If you feel pain or discomfort, gently break the latch by inserting a clean finger between your baby's mouth and your breast and try relatching.
• Shallow Latch: If you notice your baby has a shallow latch (only sucking on the ni**le), gently break the latch and try again, ensuring they take in more of the ar**la.
• Engorgement or Low Milk Supply: Express milk to soften engorged ar**las for easier latching.

Seek guidance from a lactation specialist for enhancing milk production and addressing concerns.

Additional Tips:
• Stay Hydrated
• Breast Care
• Feed on Demand
• Switching Breasts
• Nourish Yourself
• Patience and Persistence
• Skin-to-Skin Time
• Stay Relaxed
• Seek Support

19/04/2025

Lovely morning spent at Hillbrow MOU with Dr. Babara

19/04/2025

DOULA Training in Johannesburg starting June.
If you are interested please e mail me drb@hanrahan.co.za

Founder of doula training network in South Africa 2000 in response to strong research evidence on the medical benefits of a continuous companion on labour and birth.

Specialist midwife (43 years experience), educator and doula trainer.

This course provides student doulas with 30 hours of supervised hands on labour support in a public maternity unit.

The first time you love and encourage a woman through labour and birth you will feel the satisfaction of truly making a difference in this world.

Doulas work under a strict Scope of Practice and do not do any medical or nursing activities.

23/03/2025

Tips for a healthy pregnancy

- eat a healthy diet
- get some exercise everyday
- pay attention to personal hygiene
- take routine supplements correctly
- stay away from medication not prescribed by your Dr.
- don't smoke and drink
- do not take recreational (illegal) drugs

17/03/2025

*If The Doula Disappeared, No One Would...*

Shut the door
Cover every toe with the blanket
Make sure the curtains overlap
Persevere until we find just the right spot
Remind you to ask questions
Repeat what was said to you during a contraction
Move the yukky towels from your sight and smell right away
Shut the door again
Restart the playlist
Work with your nurse, helping him or her to get to know you
Repeat your visualization with each contraction
Be calm
Be the extra pair of hands
Fetch anything you wanted
Anticipate what you need
Keep a catalogue in their head of what makes you feel better
Have your comfort and wellbeing as the #1 priority
Make sure your loved ones are informed
Know how to interpret your medical provider’s concerns in language a tired
labouring brain can understand
Shut the door again
Give your partner a break and remind him or her it’s okay to eat
Keep the focus on you
Remind you that you are having a baby
Help the nurse
Tape your photos in the room
Understand medical procedures and explain what you might feel in advance
Believe in you and your ability to birth your baby
Remind you that you can say “no” or “not now”
Help you find your voice
Be there with you the whole time
Make sure your partner got to do what he or she wanted to
Shut the door again
Remember to fetch the baby book
Change the room temperature
Recall your deepest birth dreams and help to make them happen
Console you when they don’t
Reflect your rhythms
Take detailed notes of what people say and write down what happened
Empower you to advocate for what you want
Try other things first
Disappear when you need privacy
Understand how each pain medication may affect you and your baby
Know your birth memories and satisfaction will affect you the rest of your life
Protect the space
Keep irrelevant activities from distracting you
Offer unconditional support free from future obligations
Be your doula
I’ve often said that no one notices what the doula does; they only notice if she’s
not there. The professional doula often works in the background to make
things run more smoothly and help people to get along. Of course, doulas do
more than what is on this list but those activities (i.e. comfort measures,
encouragement) can also be done by nurses and loved ones. This list is about
what we uniquely bring to the labour room. It is based on my interviews with
sixty doulas and parents about their experiences.
Amy Gilliland – The Heart of the Doula

Doula Farzanah

04/07/2025

04/05/2025

04/05/2025

03/05/2025

02/05/2025

28/04/2025

24/04/2025

21/04/2025

19/04/2025

19/04/2025

23/03/2025

17/03/2025

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