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Author: rachelbaileydoula
Fear of Birth – What If I’m Afraid of Birth?
Fear of Birth Is Normal Many people experience fear around birth. Birth is a primal, transformative experience where our deepest hopes and fears come to the forefront. Whether it is fear of pain, medical interventions, loss of control, or the unknown, you are not alone. Studies suggest that as many as half of women in…
What is a meaningful birth?
An interesting encounter This morning, Nicholas and I had an interesting Zoom meeting. A filmmaker working on a project entitled “Meaning” had approached us a few weeks previously. Evidently, this filmmaker was fascinated by the birth and end-of-life doula work of Eleison Doula Services. The conversation for me raised an important question: what does it…
What Do You Really Need to Prepare for a Baby? (Part 2)
Previously, I posted about the top three things that a family with a newborn needs: strong support, food for the baby, and food for the grown-ups. Today, I want to complete my list of baby essentials, and you will see it is a lot simpler than many people imagine. I want to help you resist…
Want a doula but think you can’t afford it? Tips to make doula support work with any budget
We know that having high-quality doula support can make all the difference to your birth, postpartum, or end-of-life experience, but people sometimes may experience some sticker shock when quoted a price for this care. When you engage a doula, you get a commitment to round-the clock on-call availability, and access to the doula’s investment in…
How do I help my loved one in labor? 5 tips for partners
Back in the day, fathers were usually banned from the labor room until there was a clean and bundled baby ready to show. Birth was women’s business, and men had no place. Not so today – fathers are invited, maybe even expected, to be present for the birth of their children. This can lead to…
Navigating the unexpected in your labor and birth
I love a good birth plan, and more especially the conversations that go into making a birth plan. For me, birth planning is not about planning every little detail and decision ahead of time, but rather talking about what matters most to you and why. Learning about the choices and scenarios that might occur so…
Finally, some political news we can all be happy about
With so much political division these days, it makes me very happy to be able to report on some good news that we should all be able to get behind. Yesterday, a bipartisan-supported bill, H.R. 4581, the “Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024,” was signed into law, which modifies the scope of…
Introducing Matushka Olga Michael
Yesterday, after my husband had finished sharing information about end-of-life doulas at a senior center wellness fair, we were enjoying a rare lunch together and my phone pinged with a text message from an old college friend: “OCA synod of bishops just announced approval for the glorification of Blessed Olga of Alaska!!!” While this message…
The Knowledge You Pray You’ll Never Need
I just completed my Basic Life Support (BLS) refresher course to keep my certification up-to-date. According to the American Heart Association, more than 7,ooo children suffer from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year, and they are even more likely to need rescue breathing or treatment for choking. Time is critical, so having a parent or…
What Do You Really Need to Prepare for a Baby?
This weekend I got to participate in Birmingham’s Babypalooza Expo, including taking part in a doula panel with a wonderful team of doulas and providing some information about why and how a person might go about hiring a doula. Making the rounds at the exhibition was exhausting, with over 800 pregnant and new parents and…
