by Sarah Paksima | Tuesday, June 29, 2021 | Uncategorized
Understanding what a cesarean birth is key. Whether planned or unplanned, there are situations during pregnancy or labor necessitating medical assistance, including cesarean birth. When birth looks different than you originally imagined, you may be wondering, how...
by Sarah Paksima | Monday, May 3, 2021 | Second Stage Labor, Uncategorized
Rena Geibel, Senior DCBD Doula Our doula client birthed her baby kneeling and leaning over the back of the hospital bed, instinctually bearing down, breathing and vocalizing as she needed to, with limited and gentle guidance from her medical team. The attending doctor...
by DCBirthDoulas | Monday, May 3, 2021 | Placenta, Skin to Skin, Third Stage Labor, Uncategorized
The third stage of labor is often an aside or an afterthought; however, this stage of labor is significant for many reasons. Its important to understand the physiology of this phase, as well as to understand common interventions when things aren’t going exactly as...
by Sarah Paksima | Tuesday, March 16, 2021 | Group Doula v Solo Doula Practice, Health Justice
In researching and interviewing doulas to join your care team, you will encounter two specific practices of doulas: solo doulas and group practices. A solo doula is an individual who provides all the perinatal and birth support for their clients. Solo doulas can work...
by DCBirthDoulas | Tuesday, February 16, 2021 | Birth Stories, Black Birth Stories, Early Labor, Labor Support
Early labor – the sometimes nebulous time between pregnancy and active labor. Early labor is clinically defined as any labor activity before the cervix is dilated to at least 6 centimeters. Your body may move through early labor in a matter of hours or over the...
by DCBirthDoulas | Tuesday, January 19, 2021 | Birth Support, Birthing Support, DC Birth Doulas, Labor Support, Uncategorized, Year End Review
In 1936, in the depths of the Great Depression, an obscure rowing team from the mining and lumber towns of Washington traveled to Berlin, Germany for the Olympic Games. With every aspect of the game stacked against this unlikely team, something happened that is hard...
by DCBirthDoulas | Wednesday, November 18, 2020 | Pregnancy and Work, Work and Pregnancy
By Averjill Rookwood Doula & Employee Benefits Strategist Balancing work and parenthood have never been an easy job. In recent years, the 24/7 accessibility expectations of the digital age present new challenges to parenthood. The global pandemic that we are in...
by DCBirthDoulas | Wednesday, October 28, 2020 | Postpartum
Blog written by Ayesha Chatterjee, Metropolitan Doulas If you are pregnant or hoping to be, it is likely you have a plan for your birth setting and space, the people you would like present, and the process you would like to see unfold. These are your choices – and you...
by DCBirthDoulas | Friday, October 2, 2020 | Anxiety, Pregnancy, Mindfulness, Perinatal Mental Health
During pregnancy there is a tendency to focus on a person’s physical health rather than mental health. But in reality there is no separating the connection between the well-being of our bodies and our minds. During pregnancy, the physiological changes in a pregnant...
by DCBirthDoulas | Tuesday, September 1, 2020 | Birth Support, Birthing Support, DC Birth Doulas, DCBD East, Labor Support, Maryland Doulas, Midwifery
1. Look at the data Did you know that where you give birth and who you give birth with may be two of the most important determinants of birthing vaginally or by cesarean? “While being overweight, diabetic, or older can make it more likely for a woman to have a...
