Echoes of Eden Doula Services

06/01/2018

This, my sweet mama’s, is what it is all about! The purpose of my passion and the drive for a better way of viewing birth! There is so much more than just a healthy baby when it comes to birthing.
Jillian Noelle Photography

Welcome Earthside
Ryan Bodhi

05/31/2018

So this happened today!
Have you ever felt that everything in your life prepared you for this one moment?
As a Doula I have the most beautiful privilege of helping mothers believe in their own internal God-given strength and deliver our most prized possessions and that is our children. I had the fortunate Opportunity to work with a beautiful woman and an amazing family Missy Beth and Husband Scott. To me I find it imperative to grow a close relationship with a couple so they have me there is a constant steady source of strength in the midst of pregnancy and labor. Sometimes women are so stinking fast with labor that they catch us unaware—This is what has happened with Missy’s labor as it was a whopping 2 1/2 hours long. I had the most awesome privilege of helping Missy deliver Ryan earth side— yes I caught the baby! Scott and I Surrounded missy and believed in her every step of the way!! The midwife came soon after the delivery, getting caught in Memorial day traffic and helped with postpartum care!
You see, birth should be your greatest accomplishment, Not your biggest fear!
💜💜💜

Isaiah 61

1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,a
2to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.

03/22/2018

As a doula, I have the priveledge of doing two of my favorite things- Serving Women in labor and Birth photography...this is a video I recently put together for one of my clients. You grow to love these women as family-It is such an honor to be apart of their journey of becoming a mother. With every birth experience... I see a glimpse of the power of a mother's heart and body! And I'm so honored and blessed that God chose me for this work.

03/22/2018

“Without darkness, nothing comes to birth, as without light, nothing flowers.” - May Sarton

After a tragic loss,I had the priveledge of being Angela Detterline Blanchard and Carlton Blanchards Birth Doula and Birth Photographer. Angela is one amazing and strong mother, wife and friend. I have seen this family pull together in the midst of tremendous sorrow and rejoice with tears as God granted them their Rainbow Baby.
Merci (Thank You) Faith Blanchard.
Welcome Home Sweet One!

02/14/2018

Purely amazing! We have the greatest honor to carry such precious life n then to sustain that life once born!! Mama's look at the wonder n miracle of life and know God choose us to carry it! Soooo cool!

01/05/2018

“When we as a society begin to value mothers as the givers and supporters of life, then we will see social change in ways that matter.”
Ina May Gaskin

This is you, and I know what you see. You see a soft middle, a round belly. You see too wide hips and your favourite jeans that don't do up. You see messy hair and tired eyes.
This is you, and here's what I see. A woman who held the universe in her womb, told by society she should be ashamed of it. I see strength and power to hold that growing and changing body and I see a new woman has recently emerged, a Mother. I see a woman who will not bounce back or go back to what she once was. She is so different now in so many much more beautiful ways.
This is you, and I know what your baby sees. Your baby sees perfection, ecstasy, joy, life, peace, love. Your baby sees home. Your baby sees you.
Artwork by thoughts by me x

Find Chloe's artwork and page here!

https://www.facebook.com/artbychloetrayhurn/

Website here:

https://www.chloetrayhurn.com/

12/29/2017

Thank you! thank you! thank you! I have seen many babies born with a nucal chord/hand and was perfectly fine! This post silences that fear...

🚫STOP! NUCHAL CORDS ARE NECKLACES, NOT NOOSES🚫

Ever been told your baby was in danger because of a nuchal cord(also referred to as umbilical cord around the neck)? Nuchal cords have become the perfect excuse. We fear nuchal cords now more than ever. We are told they are dangerous and problematic because its easier to lay blame with the mother and baby rather than the care provider and/or hospital. This has resulted in fear about nuchal cords. Common excuses we are given:

➖you need a cesarean because baby was found to have a nuchal cord during a routine ultrasound
➖you couldn’t push your baby out vaginally because the nuchal cord was “hanging the baby up”
➖your baby is in immediate danger from a nuchal cord
➖you’re lucky your baby survived a nuchal cord

What’s the evidence for nuchal cords?🤔 Are nuchal cords common?🤔 Should you worry?🤔

📌the umbilical cord is the life line that attaches the fetus to the placenta. it’s made up of three blood vessels: two smaller arteries which carry blood to the placenta and a larger vein which returns blood to the fetus. It can grow to be 60 cm long, allowing the baby enough cord to safely move around without causing damage to the cord or the placenta.
📌nuchal cords are very common. a third of all babies are born with their umbilical cord around their neck
📌the umbilical cord is coiled and covered in Whartons jelly(Whartons jelly is a gelatinous substance that is also found on your eyeballs). the jelly and coil protects the umbilical cord from stretch and compression. it is wonderfully built to be worn around the neck without problems.
📌research has found that a nuchal cord is not associated with morbidity or mortality for the baby during pregnancy. because a 3rd of all babies are with nuchal cords, babies who die are often found with a nuchal cord. care providers and hospitals are quick to blame fetal deaths on nuchal cords. families deserve to know the truth about their baby, even if it means admitting to care provider negligence and/or saying “we don’t know why your baby died”. only in very rare cases does a nuchal cord ever pose a risk to baby
📌there is absolutely no reason to undergo a cesarean if a nuchal cord is found during an ultrasound
📌your baby is not ‘held up’ by the cord at any time. during labor and pushing phase, your baby, placenta and cord are all moving down together. The uterus shrinks down during contractions, moving the baby downwards, along with their attached placenta and cord.
📌during a c section for “fetal distress” or “failure to progress during labor” more than likely your baby will have a cord around their neck(because again,nuchal cords happen a 3rd of the time), and your care provider will have you believe that the nuchal cord is all the blame. FALSE! Your care provider and hospital are covering their buns by blaming you and baby for their lack of patience.
📌the only time a cord can become very stretched and tight around the neck is at the end of labor when baby’s head is being born. being “choked” by the cord is not a real thing. your baby is NOT breathing oxygen through their neck/airway. baby receives oxygen through the cord. when a nuchal cord is wrapped tightly, the cord decreases the amount of oxygen and blood flow it sends to baby, but not completely stops working. these babies tend to have their cords cut before they are fully born and have a harder time transitioning and wind up needing more care and/or resuscitation due to the care provider cutting the cord very prematurely. but again, this will be blamed on the tight nuchal cord. these babies would recover quickly if the cord was left intact.
📌the worst thing you can do to a baby that has a tight nuchal cord is clamp and cut immediately
📌removing and/or loosening a nuchal cord right as baby’s head emerges increases the chances of snapping the cord on accident and causing excessive bleeding and harm to the baby. wait till baby is born to unwrap the cord.

‼️I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND AM NOT ADVISING YOU TO DO ANYTHING. PLEASE TALK TO YOUR CARE PROVIDER‼️

PhotoCred: Maternal Instincts by Amberley

12/24/2017

A well written article on "The Aging Placenta" many of times women are told so often by western obstetrics- Our Placenta Expires therefore causing risk to the BABY....Lets take a read!

It is widely believed that during the relatively short duration of a normal pregnancy the placenta progressively ages and is, at term, on the verge of a decline into morphological and physiological senescence.1-3 This belief is based on the apparent convergence of clinical, structural, and functiona...

12/21/2017

Just a wonderful example of what a "Birth Doula" does! BTW this mom totally rocked this birth!

12/19/2017

In the wonder and awe of the season, there are two things I am most passionate about. And of course I wanted to share them with you. This is the most realistic birth photo of the nativity scene I have ever seen. Every year I watch The Nativity Story, and every year I cry.... just like birth there is just something so pure that it just seems to Simply overwhelm you...combine the two...and Im caught up in the rapture of the power of that moment! The power if the woman...and the power of whom she is giving birth too. The moment is unparalleled and I wanted to share it with you!

“The human species is no more unsuited to give birth than any other of the 5000 species of mammals on the planet. The birth-giving woman is the central agent…

12/13/2017

You know....the movements that get the baby in...are the same movements that get the baby out! How did you cope with labor? Did your body need to move or hunker down n stay still?!

11/10/2017

Can I get an Amen mamas?!!!! 😄😂👇👇👇👇😴😴😴😃🤗😊😉😉👇👇👇✋✋

11/09/2017

Awesome visual on contraction during labor and how it works to open the cervix! Seriously best visual I've seen!

Let's face it: Childbirth education classes have a tendency to be incredibly boring. Not to mention awkward. However, it's now a known fact there's at least one childbirth educator — Liz Chalmers, owner of the Puget Sound Birth Center in Seattle, Was…

11/02/2017

Alright mamas! Let's see these GIFS! If you haven't done extended Breast feeding...then post the Gif of what it's like to breast feed a Baby! This should be fun!! Lets have fun with this!

09/28/2016

Well hello there Social Media...I apologize for the 3 month wait since my last blog post, but it has been a little hectic here in the Smith House!

Well hello there Social Media…I apologize for the 3 month wait since my last blog post, but it has been a little hectic here in the Smith House!

07/05/2016

You see, never would I have expected to see my sister give birth, let alone, labour with her in the hours of travail of becoming a mother…the sounds, the noises, the movements, the tears all embody and express the end of life as we know it as women, a life not only sacrificed but a life now selfless…a life we were created for…a life as a Mother!

As I drove home last night…there was so much that I was processing, deep emotion, hormone surges and an over all euphoria God intended for women who experience and witness times and moments l…

06/06/2016

10 childbirth procedures that are overused when you're expecting!! A very good read for all expecting or soon to be expecting mamas!! A healthy Baby n Healthy Mama is so important...but you deserve so much more then that!! You deserve the birth that you want!

Consumer Reports describes 10 childbirth procedures often overused when you're expecting. Find out what you should reject.

05/14/2016

We are here as women and doula's...to empower...inform and encourage!! You can not separate the song from the canary nor the water from a fish...you can not take a doula out of a woman :D Lets love...sweet love our pregnant mama's--give them powerful information and insight and allow them to choose their journey....

This.

04/27/2016

It is a wonderful solid question...this blog explains it so well..just in case you wonder why people and mothers decide to home birth feel free to give it a read!

Home birthers. Some people may view us as crazy, some may consider us brave, but the truth is we're moms just like you wanting the best for our child and seeking a positive experience on one of the most important days of our lives. Personally, after having two hospital births where I was induced ...

04/25/2016

Do you see those beautiful weedlings sprouting all over your yard? You can use those sweet detoxifying flowers in tea!! TO Celebrate Earth Day...take a look at the beauty all around you, being grateful that our Earth still gives us gifts of health after all these years!! Enjoy!!

It is spring, and these detoxifying little yellow flowers are likely to be sprouting all over your yard. Pick them and utilize their many benefits in a mug of warm tea. See this simple recipe on our blog, here: http://recipes.pathwaystofamilywellness.org/archives/2114

12/02/2015

Good Good read!! Did you know that the United States has a higher infant/maternal death rates then impoverished countries who don't have running water?! Sounds crazy with our wonderful technology and life saving equipment right?! The key factor is western obstetrics vs. midwifery the majority of all other countries deliver with a midwife!! Such a good good read!

Midwife-attended births have better outcomes than standard hospital births, treat childbirth like natural process it is. Why aren't they common in U.S.?

10/30/2015

Mama's...Your BREASTS ARE AMAZING!!! Breastfeeding has many more benefits other then just emotional and babies over all immunity to illnesses!! Check this link out!! New studies are showing it can help with those who are dealing with cancer!
WOW!

Breastfeeding. The benefits are enormous to both mother and child and we're learning more about those benefits with each passing year. One claim that really interested me was how human milk interac...

10/24/2015

So rich--so true Mama's!!!

"No parent would knowingly sign a waiver giving away any amount of their baby’s blood, let alone one-third of it. Yet, thousands of times, every day and night, parents are deluded into giving away part of their baby’s precious blood supply!" -Robin Lim, CPM

Ibu Robin Lim's article "New Blood" can be found here: http://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/The-Outer-Womb/new-blood.html

10/23/2015

To any exhausted breastfeeding mothers out there, never doubt what a miracle your body is.

" A mother's lactating breasts are actually bouncy undercover doctor/pharmacists, diagnosing infections and dashing off silent prescriptions. That is just cuckoo-awesome."

Why your b***s are like two little pharmacies

10/21/2015

So so good mama's! You Do have a Voice...And You Do have a right!

Pathways to Family Wellness magazine promotes holistic parenting and informed lifestyle choices from leading experts.

10/20/2015

If you ever wondered what this was all about!! This is a Great read Mama's!!! And so so beneficial to baby's health as they come earth side!

Cut The Cord Before it was a catch phrase used to describe ditching cable companies and cutting off allowances, it was a moment. A touch point in every single one of our lives. After baby is born we usually think of the umbilical cord as a relic – part a life support system that is no [&hellip

02/08/2015

Had the priveledge of being at Baby Silas' Birth!! Mama was so calm and relaxed--we were able to joke in between contractions!!! She pushed him out in two massive contractions!!! Mama's==Your bodies are amazing!!