Can you guess what the most common complication is when having a child? Hemorrhoids? Nope. Elevated Blood Pressure? Not it, either. Blood loss? Could be likely, but no. When having a baby, the most common complication is a PMAD. If that’s a new acronym for you, it stands for Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder. Google … More The #1 Pregnancy and Birth Complication
Quite often, when I meet with new families to see if we might be a good fit for each other, they come with a list of great questions. (Like this one) I love that; the best conversations get started with those questions, and between the two of us, there is a lot of information being … More More Good News!
Years ago, I realized that I was spending nearly one-quarter to one-third of my time in prenatals discussing postpartum plans. I had families–in plural–tell me of the pressure they felt after their firstborn to “bounce back” and “have it all together” within a week of giving birth. I would say things like “if the body … More I’m ready!
I may be dating myself a wee bit here, but one of the movies I got a huge kick out of when I was a teen was “Clueless.” There’s this one scene where Cher (the main character who really has no idea what she’s doing) is trying to “improve” her new friend Tai, and sets … More A New Word For The Day (Or Year)
My husband and I recently had the chance to escape to Whidbey Island for a day, and while we enjoyed the beauty of the beaches just for their own sake, in my head everything relates right back to birth. I wanted to share a few of my musings and pictures with you. … More Things I learned on Whidbey…
While I love my dog, my most faithful companion is, honestly, my birth bag, and I want to show it off a little bit. This gorgeous thing was actually crafted for me by my mother. She is an incredible seamstress who has taken up bag creation in the past few years, and she knew that … More A Doula’s Faithful Companion
I burnt my hands today. It was totally stupid–I had nuked up a cup of tea a bit overmuch, and as I was carrying it into the living room, I banged my shin on the woodbin. Somebody had left it sticking out into the doorway a little bit, and the handle really got me. But … More Pain, pain, go away….
As a doula, I kind of get to exist with my feet in all the birthing worlds….I see how things work in home births, at birth centers, and in hospitals. I’ve had times where I was beyond glad that medical intervention was available, and times when I was grateful for calm midwives who let a … More “Why Not Home?”
“I realized that I never even opened my eyes to look at him, but I hope that I conveyed my very real gratitude enough.” … More The Angel in the Waiting Room
In celebration of having now attended forty births, I am developing a series of blog posts on just a few of the myriad reasons that make hiring a doula an awesome choice. The first ten reasons focused on studies and statistics, while the next ten elaborated on the kinds of practical help a doula brings … More Forty Reasons to Hire a Doula, Part Four: Emotional and Relational Support
Snohomish County Doula 