doula
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Choosing Your VBAC Care Provider
A few months ago, I had the privilege to present at an ICAN meeting on the topic of Choosing Your VBAC Care Provider. Because there is trauma from birth sometimes and because having a sudden c-section can add to that trauma, moms are usually more anxious during the subsequent pregnancy about birth. I hope this post from my presentation will help you to pick your best team for your healthiest in every way birth. Although it was presented at an ICAN meeting, any mom or mom to be may find the information helpful AND empowering. So …here goes! When we mention care provider, most of us will think in terms…
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What is a doula?
International Doula Month What is a doula? Years ago, birth was very different than it is today. Women were surrounded and supported by other women during their labor. They brought with them experience, wisdom, and skill. They witnessed birth and knew every laboring mother had her own journey that may be different from another mother’s and even different from her own previous labor journey. In the early 1900’s, medical care began to specialize and the field of Obstetrics was formed. Birth moved into the medical arena and eventually into the hospital. With this change, witnessing normal physiologic birth, the belief in birth as a normal process, and woman to woman…
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Breastfeeding a newborn! Help!
Help! I just pushed a baby out of my body and breastfeeding my newborn is making that look easy! This is common. Breastfeeding is well…it involves a learning curve and is possibly the hardest, most rewarding learning curve ever. We want to encourage you on this learning curve. We will be posting a series on breastfeeding helps. Keep going. It will be so worth it!* We offer postpartum doula support for mothers during this very special season. Please visit postpartum doula to learn more. For our first post in this series about breastfeeding a newborn, how about a couple of recipes? By the way if you know someone expecting…
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When the Bough Breaks -Documentary on Postpartum Depression
Review of When The Bough Breaks I recently had the opportunity to view a documentary on postpartum depression and psychosis. As a doula who provides support to women during the perinatal period, the information in this film provided a great starting place for the recognition of the characteristics of postpartum depression, an important and lesser recognized condition found in approximately 20 percent of women who have given birth in the United States. What is Postpartum Depression? This documentary addresses the difficult subject of recognizing and managing postpartum depression and the less common but more severe symptoms of postpartum psychosis. Throughout this film, different women struggle with postpartum depression…
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The Power of the Continuous Presence
The loss of continuous presence It goes without saying a huge part of the role of a doula is her ability to patiently abide in the presence of a laboring mom. The doula’s sympathetic presence alone unlocks a treasure chest of comfort and strength for a mother experiencing childbirth. But why is this so? What is the psychology behind the phenomenon of a continuous presence? Let’s look at history. From the beginning of time we see from art depictions and historical texts women attended by other women during birth – often a midwife along with female attendants – most likely the birthing woman’s friends. When birth moved into the hospitals…
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Relationship with an Expectant Mom- The Doula’s Role
WHO Recommendations: A Doula’s Role Birth is so much more than a change of address for baby. It affects mothers holistically and mothers deserve holistic care. The World Health Organization recently recognized this need through their Safe Childbirth Checklist. A doula’s role for every woman giving birth is part of their healthy practice recommendations. The research for doulas has concluded that continuous support provided during labor significantly improves birth outcomes for both mother and baby. The benefits of having a doula present include: an increased apgar score for baby a decreased chance of the mother undergoing a c-section a decrease in the mother’s request for pain-relieving medication an increase…
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Precious Arrows Doula Services is moving!
Precious Arrows Doula Services has relocated to the Great Nashville area providing birth and postpartum doula services, and childbirth education classes.
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Website Tour: Welcome!
Introductory tour of our website, what doulas do, who we are, our favorite links, and resources, and favorite books are included.
