Giving the Gift of Food

I firmly believe that one of the kindest things you can do for someone going through a season of life transition is to provide a meal.  Whether it's moving into a new home, walking through illness, grieving the loss of a loved one or welcoming a new baby, nourishing people physically is such a tangible way to say "I'm here, I care, you matter."  I've been on the receiving end and the giving end of providing meals and both ends are equally as wonderful.  After the births of my children, it was such a gift to not have to think about what we were going to have for dinner in those first few weeks adjusting to the new normal of life with a newborn.  On the flip side, it's quite fulfilling to help organize and prepare meals for friends who are in transitional times.


I responded to a post from a friend on Facebook who was asking for ideas of what to make for a family who'd just welcomed a new baby.  I had a lot of fun reading through the responses and decided to do a little poll myself and asked fans on my Doula Jenna Facebook page for their suggestions of favorite meals brought to them or what they like to make for others.  I thought it would be fun to share some of them here... WARNING- if you are hungry right now, do yourself a favor and grab a snack.  This list is bound to make you salivate.

Four Precious Babies, Three Incredible Women, One Unforgettable Week

Never before have I experienced something quite like I experienced this past week... and I have a feeling that it will be a long time before I do again.  Between Tuesday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 15, I had the privilege (and I mean PRIVILEGE) of supporting three beautiful, strong, inspiring women as they labored hard and birthed their babies.  With their permission, I want to share some of their stories and give you a look at what this week was like for me.

Mama Knows Best... Thoughts on Switching Care Providers

This post has been brewing in me for some time now.  Let me start with a disclaimer... as a doula, I have enormous respect for the men and women who are medically trained to provide care for pregnant women and their unborn babies.  I believe that most have the best intentions in mind when it comes to caring for their patients.  I know that they pay one of the highest malpractice premiums out there.  I think that many are doing the very best they can do.

That being said, I've had a number of women in my life, friends and clients alike, who've shared that as they got further along in their pregnancy, they felt uneasy about their relationship with their respective OB.  For some of these women, as they brought up their hopes for labor and birth during a prenatal appointment, they found their OB not all that supportive or willing to really listen.  When asking to discuss their birth preferences plan, their OB snidely responding with "It's the patients who come in with a birth plan who end up with an unplanned c-section."  For others, they felt like their OB had a typical way of going about things (suggesting induction at 39 weeks and/ or urging induction at 40 weeks, performing cervical checks starting at 37 weeks, etc.) and when the patient questioned if this was medically necessary or just routine, the OB growing visibly frustrated and curt with the patient.

These women who've shared with me aren't demanding or inflexible in nature.  They aren't trying to be difficult or suggest that their OBs don't know what they're doing.  They've simply wanted to have a two-way relationship with their doctor- one where they can ask questions and share their wishes for their prenatal care and impending birth, without feeling belittled or like what they've researched is all bunk because they're not the one who went to medical school.  They are hoping that the one they've entrusted with the care of themselves and their unborn baby would be open to conversing and making the best decisions for their care based on their individual situation.  Some of these women have chosen to stick it out and remain with their OB despite not seeing eye to eye and others have chosen to look elsewhere for a care provider who is more in line with what they're looking for.

Hope-Filled Thoughts on Breech Babies

I'm in an interesting place today and feel the need to process and write and share.  I've been planning to post some thoughts on the incredibly varying road to pregnancy, pregnancies, labors and births that I've witnessed and will do so soon.  This post is part of it, but is happening in real time, as I write.  I received word late yesterday afternoon from a client that her baby is frank breech and her medical team thought it best to schedule her for a cesarean this afternoon.  She has handled the "change of plans" so beautifully and with an open hand.  I'm so proud of her and am thrilled that she will hold her baby in a few short hours.

Music for Labor and Birth

As a doula, I try to be careful of suggesting things that seemed to work for me, personally, in my own labors and deliveries... mostly because it's not my place to share with clients what I did, etc. It's about that woman, that baby, that family and what works for her, for them... and as a doula, I want to respect that and to have a trust there.
I do want to share though, something that I found helpful and very integral in the labors and births of my two daughters. Music. 

Interviews with Me on Being a Birth Doula

I've had a few different opportunities to be interviewed on what it means to be a birth doula.  You can find the interviews on these blogs:

Interview w/ Your Baby Booty
Interview w/ Ladies Lotto

Pack Your Bag(s)...

If you're planning to give birth outside your home, you'll most likely want to pack some items to help make your labor and postpartum hours spent in the hospital or birth center more comfortable and as homey as possible. Take some time to think through what kinds of things you'd like to have around you and on you. Below are some suggestions... feel free to comment if you have other suggestions- I'm willing to add to this list :)