Category: emotional support
Postpartum Rage and Anger During Pregnancy: Why It Happens and What Can Help
When Pregnancy and Postpartum Rage and Anger Catch You by Surprise Most people expect new motherhood to be tender and joyful. Yet many women quietly find themselves face-to-face with postpartum rage, an intensity of anger that feels sudden, confusing, or even frightening. You might snap over something small and feel a wave of guilt afterward.You…
How to Stay Grounded When the Path Disappears
Earlier this month, Nicholas and I went hiking in the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Years ago, I lived near there, and those wild hills and sweeping ridge lines were one of my favorite places to walk and reflect. So naturally it meant a lot to share that part of my life with him. What I…
When Baby and Elder Care Collide:
Doula Support for the Unsung Baby and Elder Caregiver “My mom needs me. My baby needs me. I don’t know who I am right now—except tired.” Caring for a newborn while also supporting an aging parent or family member. The reality of managing baby and elder care simultaneously is becoming increasingly common. What’s more, it…
Healing From Birth Disappointment
Allowing Grief, Honoring Strength, and Welcoming Grace When birth doesn’t go the way you hoped, it can leave you holding a swirl of emotions—relief, gratitude, sadness, confusion, and sometimes deep grief. You may find yourself replaying the moment things changed, wondering if you made the right call, or asking whether you could have done something…
Partner Support During Labor: 5 Tips for a Loving Birth
Back in the day, fathers were usually banned from the labor room until there was a clean and bundled baby ready to show. “A History of Dads in Delivery Rooms” offers a glimpse into this history. Birth was considered “women’s business,” and men had no place. Not so today—fathers and partners are invited, even expected,…
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 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…
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…
Sharing the Grief
Younger men have a duty to their older brothers to stand ready when barriers grow thin and resolution weakens. To be near when tears grow easier and pain feels keener. On several occasions in my life I have sat with older men while they shared a loss that would be difficult for any of us.…
