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The Birth Ball for Comfort in Pregnancy and Postpartum

If you've never been pregnant before, you might think of this round thing above as an exercise ball. I first heard it called the 'Swiss Ball' (which is odd because it is an Italian creation) and began using them in my massage therapy practice in 1990.  That burst-resistant ball, created in 1963, was intended for use in gymnastics but was adopted by European physical therapists to help children who struggled with proprioception or balance issues. When it came to the US in the 80's it was quickly incorporated into the fitness industry.  Birth Pioneer, Penny Simkin, a former physical therapist herself, is credited with bringing the ball into the birth room in the early 90s, prompting birth professionals and labor and delivery staff to call a...

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Strength in Flexibility Mindful Movement Class

Rhythm & Slow Mindful Movement Classes are the somatic offerings from Baby Bump Services. If you like to learn more about what we do in these classes, click on the link below to experience a short lesson offered as a gift to help you through these challenging times. StrengthInFlexibilityAudio...

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Welcome Anders…you are loved and lovable.

Several years ago, in my Confident Birthing Classes, I started to hand out Brene Brown's Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto as a parting gift to the parents in my classes.  One of these couples, Lisa and Tyler, happened to also be my doula clients.  I was blessed to attend the birth of their daughter Lilli in 2015 and was doubly honored to attend them again when they asked me to be their doula for the birth of their son, Anders this June. It was during our prenatal appointments for the upcoming birth that Lisa reminded me she had been reading the Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto to Lilli every night since the day she was born.   I was so moved by this and asked her if she would be willing...

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It’s Always Personal – Practicing as a Doula and a Human Being

For several days I have been in a place of meditation about whether to share the original Buzzfeed article that triggered many reactive online posts, debates and ultimately led DONA International’s founder, Penny Simkin, to write an open letter responding to a doula who addressed her directly online. For weeks, I have also been in meditation, prayer and study as, I too, was recently told by a doula that I let her down.  Our conversation was private, however, and I am grateful to her for that.  She also shared that she checked with another person in her workshop and that doula did not have the same experience. I appreciated her sharing that with me.  It was kind, thoughtful. Since that time, I have looked deeply at myself as a doula trainer, and more important, as a...

Spinning Babies Instructor, Lorenza Holt

I started the “Who BEcomes A Doula?”  Series because I wanted know more about what compels a woman (or a man) to become a birth doula? ~Who is drawn to this work and what kind of work (or life) did they have before they became a birth doula? ~What makes them continue? ~Is there something about our personalities that leads us to find a way to connect with, care for and support women at that uniquely vulnerable and joyous time of birth? ~And for fun, some questions and photos that give us a glimpse into the moments and meanings in their lives. For this project, I have chosen to interview doulas all over the world.  Some are new to this work.  Some are seasoned and ‘reasoned’ – my way of saying...

Passion and Privilege in My Profession

I cannot separate myself from the reasons I do my work.  My passion became my profession 21 years ago when I took my DONA International Birth Doula Training.  And I cannot separate myself from the growth I am committed to as a human being while I am here. With honesty about what it is like to care about women and their families - including my own family, I feel torn among the vast majority of my colleagues who came to this work because we CARE. It is not simple. It is messy and confusing. So as I watched the CNN feature, This Is Birth with Lisa Ling, these are the things that stuck out to me: In the section on Cesarean Birth: "Convenience and preference is not the best way to...

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A Birthday Story of An External Version and Intuition

17 years ago, my second son, Aidan, like his brother Fox before him, was breech. But unlike Fox who turned head down with just some moxibustion, a light shining low and his dad talking to him, Aidan stayed put through every maneuver I could think of (this was well before Spinning Babies was around) and even through an external version. That version was painful and I remember it vividly - mostly I remember wanting to put my hands on top of the obstetrician's hands and get him to gently rock instead of force my baby to turn. I was a massage practitioner and practiced Trager Bodywork but mostly I just KNEW it would FEEL better both to the baby and to me. But I did not put my hands...

Doulas, India, DONA, International

Carol Roberts – a Doula’s Perspective of Birth in India

I started the “Who BEcomes A Doula?”  Series because I wanted know more about what compels a woman (or a man) to become a birth doula? ~Who is drawn to this work and what kind of work (or life) did they have before they became a birth doula? ~What makes them continue? ~Is there something about our personalities that leads us to find a way to connect with, care for and support women at that uniquely vulnerable and joyous time of birth? ~Does it matter what part of the country, or the world we live in or is it in our human DNA to do this work regardless of country and culture? ~And for fun, some questions and photos that give us a glimpse into the moments and meanings in their...

nitrous, oxide, Boise, St. Luke's, St. Alphonsus

Nitrous Oxide and Its Use In Childbirth for Pain Relief

Most of the folks who come to my Confident Birthing Childbirth Classes are preparing for a natural childbirth. They hope to avoid the use of pain medications in their births.  Those not intending a drug-free birth, are usually hoping to delay the use of pain medications and that means that they would be delaying/avoiding systemic narcotics (administered through an I.V.) and/or the most common pain management used in childbirth, the regional anesthetic: epidural. Avoiding those drugs is most often possible through non-pharmacological means like movement, touch, breathing, intention, and sounding, just to name a few. I have spent my 20+ year career helping women avoid or delay those medications through my classes and my doula services. And while it's still possible for women, whose goal is an unmedicated birth, to achieve that through good...