Life Song Doula Care

01/04/2025

Maternal Assisted Cesarean. What a moment captured by .nl and overseen by gynecologist, . 🥹 MAC is HAPPENING around the world, everyone, and we are so excited about it. The Netherlands, Korea, Australia, and yes... even in the U.S.! Have you had a MAC or heard of one happening in your area? Drop a comment below and tell us all about it!

12/25/2024

My great doula Christmas haul!

12/25/2024

Wishing you and yours a gentle holiday.

12/05/2024

11/12/2024

11/11/2024

It’s no surprise that many of us expect labor to start in a certain, checklist-able way — it’s how it’s often shown and taught (and hey, we’re not judging that — we love a good list!). But the truth is, labor rarely follows a neat, linear path.

If you’re in that “waiting for labor” stage, know this: there’s a wide range of what a normal start to labor can look like. No need to throw the list out but focus more on taking care of and listening to your body — and lean on your care team to help you interpret what it’s telling you.

11/09/2024

As the future of reproductive health care continues to get scarier, I have been and continue to be committed to supporting and advocating for all on this journey. I will fight for the rights of all birthing people and walk with anyone who sees my support. Know that I can work with you on pricing for my services if you are not able to pay full price. I already have a discount in place for BIPOC and q***r folks and can reduce more if need be. And, of course, if you are able to pay full price or more, please do so that I can continue to offer this to those who are not able.
We will get through this time together. I still hold out hope that things will get better.

10/31/2024

10/23/2024

Clarity is key. 🔑 There’s no universal right or wrong when it comes to cervical exams — depending on how they’re handled they can be a helpful tool or they can be a hindrance — each situation is personal and depends on individual needs and preferences.

10/01/2024

Black lives matter in every delivery room, and we refuse to stay silent while systemic racism continues to steal parents’ lives. ✊🏾

Black women in the U.S. are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white birthing folks. This is not a coincidence…this is a crisis.

Implicit bias and institutional racism are at the root of this healthcare failure. Studies show that Black women’s pain is more likely to be dismissed or ignored by medical providers, and Black mothers are twice as likely to receive late or no prenatal care compared to white mothers.

Note: the research was done on women so we have kept the gendered language around these stats, and care has a whole other helping of s**t when birthing folks are gender expansive…

It’s time to confront the harsh reality that racism is killing Black mothers.

We demand better.

We demand accountability.

We demand change.

Our clients deserve to feel safe and heard in every space—including the labor and delivery room.

Let’s fight for justice.

Doulas, tag a doula who’s in this fight protecting birthers of color… also, feel free to tag yourself!

Want to be in these spaces keeping parents and babies safe?! Comment BIRTH and we will send over how to become a doula… we need more practitioners! ✌🏾

👉🏽 Follow for more! 👈🏽

09/10/2024

It's okay to not be okay!
This is why I offer postpartum support. I sit with you in the hard. Pregnant and want to be prepared? Let's schedule! Already had your baby(ies) and need help? Let's schedule!

09/08/2024

Yes!

You may have seen the news that the Surgeon General declared the level of stress parents in this country experience a public health crisis.

My heart aches for mamas! It’s so hard to keep it all going - and there are so many new stressors parents face - school safety, social media, economics. With lack of support, and lack of maternity leave on top.

Many of us parent intensively, but this was meant to happen in a village - and we do not live in village! No shared meals. No extra childcare. No older cousins looking over littles.

And zero govt support to subsidize how much it costs to raise a child alone.

While I loved attachment parenting - it was A LOT of work. I was overextended, overstimulated, and under supported.

But I convinced myself it was the perfect way, so I pushed thru.

Deep learning: There is no recipe for perfect parenting, perfectly happy children, or perfectly healthy adults. Parenting is more complex than that and our kids are more than what we do.

In the process of trying to create the impossible, we burn ourselves out and I see that burn out in so many of the mamas I take care of.

We aren’t meant to do it all, and when we try, it’s a recipe for feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and inadequate. You’re not doing anything wrong, it’s a failure, as a country, to isolate families and a reflection of our deprioritization of the bond between babies and mamas in our culture.

What do we do?

On a societal level:
🔺Paid family and medical leave for both parents - and for caregiver grandparents! Sweden does it!
🔺 Affordable childcare
🔺 Affordable healthcare
🔺 Other govt subsidies that provide families with a safety net!

On a personal level:
💕Release perfect and reset your expectations for yourself
💕Listen to what YOU and YOUR baby need, not what influencers or others preach
💕Practice healthy boundaries for your self care, so they’re non- negotiables
💕Parent adaptively - let go of practices that don’t serve you. No ‘shoulding’ on yourself.
💕Know it‘s exhausting. Be gentle with yourself.

Please share your biggest parenting pain points and say YES or 🙌 if you’d like to talk about mom burnout in an IG live together!

08/19/2024

"The lower levels of intervention and higher levels of positive outcomes associated with midwifery mean that study after study has pointed to the fact that midwives are the key to improving maternal and infant health outcomes. Midwives might be rare in the United States, but they're commonplace in almost every other affluent nation, with European countries leading the pack.
Not to mention that midwifery is more cost efficient - not just for patients, but for providers...
For these reasons, pregnant people may seek out midwifery care instead of going the hospital route. Ultimately, it's a matter of choice, but that choice is being chipped away. It's yet another way of denying people bodily autonomy.
'Your're seeing more and more people, especially women of color, say I want something different. I want someone to explain to me what's happening. I don't want to feel rushed. I don't want a factory birth,' says Skanes. 'It all ties into the fact that people don't believe women deserve choices. If it were about being pro-life or being [pro-birth], then you would be open to women having access to more places to give birth.'"

08/07/2024

We talk about all of this and more in our initial intake form.

07/30/2024

Braxton Hicks are normal in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Magnesium and eating some good protein can also help settle them down. 🌸

07/15/2024

Did you know??

07/07/2024

It's summer! Take care of yourself!

☀️ Being pregnant during the summer can be uncomfortable, plus pregnancy can make you feel warmer than you usually would, making the summer months a bit of a slog.

Stay cool and comfortable with these tips:

⛱️ Stay hydrated: Keep a water bottle with you and drink plenty of water. A good rule of thumb? Your p*e should be pale yellow. Anything darker could mean you need more fluids.

⛱️ Wear light clothing: Lightweight and light-colored clothing in natural breathable materials such as cotton, linen, silk and merino wool (yes, wool!!) can keep you cool.

⛱️ Don’t overdo it: Whether you’re exercising or just running errands, take regular breaks and ensure to not exercise to the stage of overheating or feeling lightheaded.

⛱️ Avoid the sun: If you’re going to be outside for a long period, leave the house prepared. Take a hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses(and remember the water!!).

⛱️ Put your feet up: Pregnancy and heat can make your feet swell. Try taking it easy for at least an hour a day with your feet resting higher than your heart (remembering to follow the sitting tips from our Daily Essentials or on our website).

https://www.spinningbabies.com/product/daily-essentials-video-digital-download/

What are some ways you beat the heat while pregnant?

06/30/2024

This. This is how I endeavor to serve you.

Your care — from providers to birth spaces to support people and beyond — should be prepared and able to see you, know you, and support and care for you in the fullness of who you are, with your unique experience in mind ❤️