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25/6/2021 0 Comments

Meditation and Mindful Breathing

Let’s breathe together! I recorded a 5 minute guided meditation on Amy Silva's podcast, "Where Healing Happens", to ease your mind, and honour the mind-body connection (see below).

Mindful breathing, also known as breathwork, is an incredibly versatile tool...

Breathing deeply, slowly, and rhythmically helps to calm the mind and tones down your fight-flight-freeze response (this may look like shallow breathing, a racing heartbeat, or just generally feeling agitated).

During labour, breathing mindfully helps you relax, and reduces tension in the body...and guess what? The less tension present, the lower your perception of pain and intensity!

This simple technique makes it easier for our body to trigger comforting hormones, including oxytocin, and endorphins which are critical to labor progression and pain relief. Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly even helps oxygenated blood get to the muscles that need it most, namely the uterus.

Breath work is beneficial beyond the scope of childbirth. It’s a tool that costs only a bit of time, and offers you so much. Our world is full of stimuli and triggers, I hope this meditation helps you feel more grounded.

Blessings,
Josh

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17/4/2021 0 Comments

Black Maternal Health Week 2021

My doula work is rooted in science, spirituality and storytelling. So here's a story from @stylefitfatty Fatima, who is now a mother of four children (see below).

"But what did you say when your OB told you “you’re black, your pain tolerance is higher so you’ll be fine”.

I said nothing, I was truly speechless...I wish I would’ve spoken up, I wish I would’ve asked more questions and switched OB because I didn’t feel comfortable with her...

If you don’t feel safe, comfortable, or heard by your provider, LEAVE AND GET A NEW ONE

Black women are 3️⃣x more likely to die from pregnancy/childbirth related causes because of NEGLECT and medical MYTHS rooted in racism...I could’ve easily been another statistic, so I’ll share my experience, in hopes to educate and advocate for those that have been in similar situations."

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28/9/2020 3 Comments

Is doula support for me? ?

Maybe this is your first baby and you want an experienced, non-biased helper that's familiar with current hospital practices
Maybe you've had a baby before but want things to go differently this time
Maybe you've had a baby before and you want someone to help replicate special aspects of that experience.
Maybe you want a water birth and need someone to keep the water warm, turn on the music, light the candles and turn off the lights
Maybe you need reassurance so you have the freedom to be completely focused on what your body is doing
Maybe your partner is ready to be a parent but not yet equipped to support you through labour and delivery
Maybe your choices don't align with your mom/family/friends', and you need encouragement and an advocate
Maybe your birth plan is "We just want the baby to come out"
Maybe your birth plan is "We want to labour at home as long as possible because I want to avoid induction, epidural, IV, etc."
Maybe you don't have a plan.

No matter the case, if you want to be informed, supported and encouraged to birth YOUR way, then hiring a birth doula is an investment in your well-being.

Have more questions about how it cans suit your unique situation? Send me an email :) I can reassure you that my care is nurturing, evidence based, personal, nuanced, and fun.

If you like numbers and science, keep reading...

3 Comments

4/8/2020 1 Comment

10 things you can do in pregnancy to support your breastfeeding journey

🔑 Learn how often babies nurse, and find a way to track it. I give my clients a 12 day guide, beyond that you can download an app to help you keep track.⁣
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🔑 Explore your breastfeeding preferences (pacifiers, supplementing, donor milk).⁣
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🔑 Learn hand compressions - this technique can be helpful throughout your entire nursing journey. ⁣
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🔑 Source a silicone breast pump like the haakaa - I recommend that everyone get one of these! They are affordable (only ~$20) and useful whether you plan on exclusively breastfeeding (EBF), pumping occasionally, pumping for the short term, or even pumping exclusively. ⁣
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🔑 Learn about establishing your milk supply - it takes about 2-3 weeks and there are lots of things you can do to boost it. ⁣
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🔑 Learn breastfeeding positions - even practice with a doll.⁣
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🔑 Find resources (a doula, IBCLC, La Leche League leader etc.) that offer enthusiastic and non-judgmental support. ⁣
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🔑 Get more familiar with your chest. Are your nipples protruding, flat or inverted?⁣
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🔑 Learn from others who have been successful (family/friends, podcasts, etc.)⁣
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🔑 Source a nursing pillow or some throw cushions, and put together a couple ‘nursing stations’ in your home⁣
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Breastfeeding is natural, but that doesn’t mean it will ‘just come naturally’. ⁣
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Surely there are more than ten things you can do...feel free to add tips in the comments section 👇🏾⁣

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15/7/2020 1 Comment

Pregnancy does not make your body public property.

Well duh! Seriously - you may have an extra heartbeat, but your body is still your own. ⁣
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From conception to cradle, you'll be touched a lot...Belly rubs, ultrasounds, blood tests, massages, cervical checks, breastfeeding assistance...the list goes on. Some are good touches, others feel invasive. ⁣
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I want you to know that you can (and should) set boundaries. ⁣
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I want you to know that consent is a double edged sword. You can refuse consent. ⁣
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Being touched without permission is at the root of assault, and all too often people enter into motherhood with birth trauma. ⁣
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It sucks, and we shouldn't have to feel like we’re defending ourselves, but sometimes we do. There are questions you can ask your care provider ahead of time. Red flags to look out for. Phrases that can give you time to make informed decisions. ⁣
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If you need help finding your voice, I can help. I can be your doula - 💌

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9/3/2020 2 Comments

Culturally sensitive prenatal and birth support...

I pride myself on offering culturally sensitive doula care.

I come from a diverse family 🗺 We are: west-Indian, Caribbean, Christian, west-African, Latino, Muslim, White, Indigenous, and Southeast Asian.

Protecting the wellness of mothers and newborns is my goal for all clients. I focus on cultivating trust so I can understand what makes you unique and see how your background (might) influence how you navigate motherhood.

Maternal and infant mortality are never topics that I want to highlight, but American studies show that birth outcomes are disproportionately worse for Black mothers.

Risk factors (like poverty and socioeconomic status) cannot fully explain the higher mortality rates. Unfortunately, racial discrimination from healthcare providers in hospitals (institutional racism) is at the root of this issue.

Thankfully, prenatal support and continuous birth support can help women become better advocates of their health, and help avoid the cascade of interventions.

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