DoLove Doula

Hi all,

I wanted to share with you that my daughter made her arrival on Christmas Eve (8 weeks early)! We are both doing great and I feel blessed to have her home with us!

I also wanted to announce that I am officially not taking any more birth or postpartum clients as I am focusing on spending time with my little ones.

I will, however, still be processing placentas for encapsulation, stamps, and umbilical cord keepsakes. If you have a need, please message me. If I can help with any other resources for you, please reach out!

Much love,
Bobbie

As 2023 comes to a close, I want to thank every family I've had the pleasure of supporting this year. You all have a special place in my heart, always.

We had three baby boys join the family in October!

Help me introduce our sweet September baby girl!

Early in the morning on 09/20/23, I got a text that mama woke up to her water broken. She said things were immediately kicking in gear. Being a second time mom, and knowing her first labor was around 12 hours, I recommended she go to the hospital once her contractions got a little closer together. She got there at 4am and was 4cm. Once a delivery room opened up for her, she was already 6cm and baby was making her way down quickly. I made my way to the hospital to support her (but of course got stuck in rush hour traffic). Within 1.5 hours of that 6cm check, mama was complete and ready to push. I walked into her hospital room just as she was pushing. All I heard was “head out!” - a small pause - and “shoulder. baby out!” 9lb 4oz of pure perfection and one tiny mama, sweet baby Payton ended up having shoulder dystocia but it was taken care of swiftly and she came out crying and ready to love on her mama. Thankfully she had no injuries. Mama was soooo strong, denying any pain medications and was just the sweetest, most polite warrior there is.

Sometimes birth happens too quick for anyone to make it (or with time to spare) but it always happens how it’s meant to. Mama and daddy were over the moon with their new beautiful baby girl and big sister is so in love as well!

Have you ever wondered why people tell you not to slump back in pregnancy (like you’re relaxing into the couch)?

I’ll tell ya why!

Remember those pesky and painful round ligament pains you got in the beginning of the second trimester - where if you moved too quickly, you had to stop what you were doing and just try to breathe the pain away? That’s because your uterus stretches 500-1,000x its normal size in pregnancy. When your uterus is growing, it’s pushing on those round ligaments that are otherwise tight and relaxed. By doing slow stretches, such as the following, you are training those ligaments to stretch and lengthen to better support that heavier-than-normal uterus.

- Cat/cow
- Yoga
- Leaning forward into a chair/yoga ball/etc.
- Wearing a belly band to help support the weight
- Even taking a warm Epsom salt bath can help your body relax

Another reason we say not to lean back is because when you do that, you’re giving your baby more of a chance to be in OP (Occiput Posterior) position. This means your baby is head down but their spine is along your back instead of your belly. This position creates longer labors, intense and painful back labor, and usually leads to cesarean if baby doesn’t rotate in labor. By leaning forward and/or doing hands & knees, you’re encouraging your baby to work with gravity to turn into a better position (OA - Occiput Anterior) - where baby is head down and facing your back - to help with an easier/quicker labor.

So please, when we recommend you specific things, know that we are doing it for a good reason! We want the most successful and validating birth for you, however you envision that!

Welcome sweet baby girl Ella!

There is a lot to do to prepare for birth, no matter which way you birth. What was pivotal for you while preparing for your birth?

⚠️⚠️ Possible trigger warning, but good information nonetheless:

Let’s talk about something that a lot of people have never heard of: Subchorionic hematomas (SCH)

SCH’s are terrifying. Anyone who has gone through having one in their pregnancy has probably lost years of their life from stress, worry, and the unknown due to this.

SCH is when your embryo implants and basically bruises your uterus, causing a blood pocket between the uterus and the chorionic membrane.

SCH can cause bleeding in pregnancy, ranging from old brown blood (like spotting) to bright red blood pouring from you and may even be accompanied with large clots.

SCH is very common in IVF pregnancies, yet not many providers will warn you ahead of time. Or they will warn you but not tell you how much it can really be. You’re left scrambling, emotionally exhausted, afraid, worried - and most likely, you’ll rush to the hospital with the thought that your baby hasn’t made it.

I’m here to tell you that is not always the case. You can still carry a successful pregnancy with an SCH. Sometimes SCH heals without even revealing itself or needing down time - but most of the time, requires pelvic rest, no heavy lifting/pushing/pulling, and a generally calm life until it heals. Typically, SCH clears by the second trimester.

I don’t mean to share this info to scare you, but to prepare you. It can happen in any pregnancy and it happened in my current pregnancy, so I feel compelled to share.

As always, if bleeding in pregnancy, ask your doctor for their recommendations and get checked as much as you feel comfortable. The blood pocket can be found and measured on an ultrasound.

Help welcome our July babies!

Little man is still working on helping mom & dad learn his perfect name 🥰

I mean 👀 so much truth. I see all of these. Constantly.

The last one is my favorite. 😅 1. There is no need to check your cervix until labor actually begins. Unless YOU have the desire or curiosity to know what your cervix is doing, there is no benefit of “just to see where you’re at”. 2. Normal, healthy pregnancies with healthy moms and babies have no reason to be afraid of their due date. 3. Early labor can be long. It’s best to go home and let it ride out in its own timing. There is nothing “wrong” with contractions that are 10 minutes apart (or any duration apart for that matter) if you and baby are doing well. 4. Just because you CAN break your water, doesn’t mean you should. Your water bag is your (and your baby’s) best friend in labor. 5. Having the urge to push is a sign that not only is your cervix dilated but your baby is nice and low in the pelvis, ready to come out. Having that urge can HELP you get your baby out faster and smoother. 6. The golden hour isn’t just for fun. It’s beneficial to baby’s transition into the world, your immediate postpartum recovery, and the bond between you. It’s important that if possible they stay on mom’s chest immediately after birth. 7. Although breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your baby, it doesn’t always come “naturally” to every mom and baby pair. The best thing you can do is find help with latch, positioning, manual expression and education about what’s actually normal when you begin breastfeeding. 8. In the US, the postpartum visit is a complete JOKE. And can often feel really dismissive. Of course some women DO feel ready to be intimate at this point (and even earlier) postpartum. But that is not what this appointment should be about. It should be about pelvic floor, mental health, getting resources that you need, continued recovery, and so much more than “looks good!”. If you want to learn more about all of this, I’m hosting a free class next weekend! https://alifeinlabor.com/pregnancy-to-postpartum/ *there were no children harmed in the making of this video. My children are just feral…as evidence by the video itself.*