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Recently, I posted a picture on our Facebook page. It was a bit of a whim, I wasn’t sure if I should post it. Part of me thought that it was common knowledge. Part of me thought that since the topic is sometimes controversial, it might not be well received.   In the end, I…

Pregnancy and birth are a thrilling time for many women. From the moment the second line appears, you are responsible for another human being. Many find that ultrasounds and, later, movement, bring them closer to their babies. Birth is an even more intense time. The rush of hormones women experience are designed to help babies…

  Why Colouring in a Colouring Book is my New Favourite Thing   When I’m stressed, I knit. The click of my needles, the repetitiveness of the stitches, and the feel of the yarn in my hands is like a form of meditation. Insert needle, yarn over, pull loop through, slide the other needle out.…

Those last few days (or weeks) while you wait for your baby to decide it’s their birthday can be particularly frustrating. So once you’ve rewatched your favourite TV show on Netflix, cleaned your entire house, unpacked and re packed your hospital bag three times and worn a path in your floor from pacing, it’s time…

How are doulas and lawyers alike? Well, to be frank, they aren’t. And yet, doulas are compared to lawyers all the time. Specifically, they are compared to lawyers doing pro-bono work as a reason why doulas can and should do free or low cost birth. This seems to be the favourite comparison that proponents of free…

By Julia Schetky CD(DONA) from Do It All Doulas- Vancouver, Washington And Meaghan Grant from Toronto Family Doulas – Toronto, Ontario On a weekly, sometimes daily basis, I pop onto the doula forums and see this question: “My client is having a planned section*, do you discount your fee for these moms?” (*So first off,…

One of the most common questions we as doulas get asked is “What should I pack in my hospital bag?” The answer is going to be different for everyone, but there are some things we definitely recommend everyone have. If possible, having 2 bags (a labour bag and a postpartum bag) will help to keep…

There is a lot of attention paid, in society and the media, to women who experience postpartum mood disorders. Research is done, peer support groups are formed, and health initiatives are launched. But very little attention has, historically, been paid to partners. Did you know that is was possible for partners to experience a postpartum…

I remember having to put my child down in his crib, crying, and walk away. I would never ever hurt my baby, but in that moment I was so angry. I needed to yell and scream and I knew if I did any of that near my son, I would scare him.  So I put…