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Category: parenting
Discover the Best Childbirth Class in Birmingham:
If you’re pregnant and feeling stressed by all the advice and pressure to “do it right,” you’re not alone. Many expecting parents in Birmingham are searching for a childbirth class but aren’t sure which one is best for them. The Ready to Welcome childbirth and newborn class offers unbiased evidence-based, locally relevant information with a…
Doula Support for Single Moms: A Birth Story of Strength, Surrender, and Support
Client stories mini-series, Part 1 When you’re about to welcome your third baby—with toddler twins at home—and you’re doing it solo? That’s not just birth. That’s Olympic-level motherhood. 🥇💪 And it’s exactly the kind of moment where doula support for single moms can make all the difference. A Tender Season of Life I met Annamarie…
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…
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…
Breastfeeding and Returning to Work
Here is a tremendous hats-off to everyone taking care of a new baby, and especially those who are also navigating additional responsibilities such as returning to work while breastfeeding! I am so proud of what you are doing, and I hope that you are able to take some time out for yourself also, maybe drinking…
Co-Sleeping with Baby: A Compassionate, Evidence-Based Guide for New Parents
Co-sleeping with baby is one of the most talked-about—and often misunderstood—choices new parents face. As a doula in Birmingham, I’ve seen firsthand how sleep decisions weigh heavily on families in those tender early weeks. When I asked moms in several Facebook groups about postpartum sleep challenges, I was overwhelmed by the response. It’s clear this…
Book Review: Tongue Tied
I’ve seen in a number of clients and friends that early breastfeeding problems can be related to the condition known as “tongue tie,” and that a simple procedure to correct the condition can make a huge difference. Diagnosing a tongue tie is outside of a doula’s scope of practice, but like so many things, we…
