Doula Learning
Reach way back to your high school biology class and remember how the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems work. The sympathetic nervous system is our “fight or flight” system. It raises heart rate and increases blood flow to the muscles and brain. We tense up and become more alert and perceptive […]
Hacking Your Nervous System for Labor Coping
Nesting is the act of creating a safe and comfortable space to give birth, where your body can make oxytocin; the love hormone. Just like a cat will escape to a secluded dark spot to deliver her kittens, humans too do best delivering in a private, safe, dark location. In […]
Building your nest for a hospital birth.
It’s pretty common for doulas to present their clients with a lovingly written account of their birth as a gift for them to cherish. Often doulas will try to capture the emotion, the atmosphere, and the feelings in the room during this amazing experience. This can be a huge mistake; […]
It’s Not Your Birth…Story
New doulas always seem so curious about what to put in their doula bag. As a new doula I too looked for advice on what to bring along to help me support families in labor. As my skills have developed and my experience has grown, the contents of my bag […]