Hello, Dear Readers, As the owner of Graceful Birth Doula Services Inc., I've had the privilege of supporting countless families through the transformative journey of childbirth. Today, I want to share the incredible postpartum support system in the Netherlands [...]
Foreplay, kissing, fondling, laughing, and flirting...it's what conceives a pregnancy, and it's what can help get labour going. In the days leading up to the birth of your baby, it can be an anxious time for many parents-to-be. [...]
Pregnancy is an exciting time for people, but the end of the journey can be daunting as the anticipation of childbirth builds. The lingering thoughts and possibility of medical induction for "past due date" or any other reason [...]
Birth trauma is a very real and often overlooked issue in our culture. It can be defined as physical or emotional harm experienced during labour and childbirth and can cause long-term effects on the birthing parent, their partner, [...]
I had a difficult weekend hospital birth. I am living my life in the belief of balance. In doing so as a Full Spectrum Doula, I do easy 2-hour home births as well as 36+ hour hospital births [...]
Seven years ago, I became a Certified Association of Placenta Preparation Arts (APPA) Specialist. Being a Certified APPA Professional means that I have had extensive training in safety and sanitization processes. I am certified to meet the OSHA [...]
I toss and turn in my bed as David gets up to soothe our baby back to sleep. It’s the middle of the night and I can hear them negotiating in the next room. Maybe it’s a nightmare, [...]
I have a confession to make...I’m a doula and I thought birth was always painful. After ten years of supporting over 250 families, I now know that this is not always the case. I’ve witnessed all kinds of births, from [...]
You may be pregnant and have spent countless hours preparing for the birth of your baby. Or perhaps you've just had a baby and are finding that it isn't what you expected. Life with a newborn can be very hard! [...]
Be Patient and Positive: The number one thing that any labouring person appreciates from their support person is patience. Childbirth can take a long time; whether it’s an induction, spontaneous labour or a caesarean section. Be prepared for lots of [...]
