by Piedmont Doulas | Sep 20, 2017 | Uncategorized
How do I become a doula? This is a question we hear often! So often, I decided it was worthy of a blog post. There is a huge commitment involved when becoming a doula, and lots of research to be done when deciding what organization to certify through, and how to practice. Here are 5 tips that help answer the question, “Where do I start”? Are you ready for the commitment? Birth doula work involves a serious commitment of time and energy. You must understand what it’s like to be on call, all the time. If you only take a few births here and there, your on call time may be less, but you must understand–you WILL miss birthdays, holidays, first days of schools, parties, special events, anniversaries. You MUST be ready to drop what you are doing, where ever you are, and head to your client’s side. This often means taking a separate car out to dinner or the movies, having your doula bag prepped and ready at all times, and be prepared to have your cell phone glued to your hip! When you leave your home to attend a birth, you might be back in 8 hours or you might be back in two days. It’s imperative that your family be able to keep running on their own without you during this time. Support at home is a must! If you have children, you will need to have strong child care in place. And a back up for that childcare. And another back up for that childcare. And one more back up for that childcare. (And...
by Piedmont Doulas | Aug 6, 2017 | Uncategorized
A frequent question I hear from clients or prospective clients is, “What do you bring in your doula bag? What tricks do you keep in there”? It seems the “doula bag” has been elevated in the birth doula world to some revered status, as if some mystical substance and amazing products reside in there, objects that surely will be important during labor. Truth be told–and this may be disappointing to some, there isn’t anything mythical or incredible in my doula bag. Not anymore. When I first started this work 10 years ago, I carried a duffle bag that was so stuffed with things, it probably weighed 30 lbs and rivaled what some folks would take with them for a week long trip to the North Carolina coast. The more experienced I became at doula support, the more I realized, I rarely used anything in it. I didn’t need to. I’ll explain more on that in a minute. So what is in my rolling Ikea doula backpag/bag? Here’s the scoop on what’s inside: A change of clothes-You only have to be thoroughly splashed by amniotic fluid once, to learn you need to keep a complete change of clothes (including socks and shoes) on standby in your doula bag. Breath mints or chewing gum–Because we are so often very close to your face, breathing in rhythm with you, reassuring you, we want our breath to be minty fresh! I keep a large supply of Trader Joe’s brand breath mints or Trident peppermint chewing gum in the outer pocket of my doula bag. Something special for the nurses-We have some...
by Piedmont Doulas | May 16, 2017 | Uncategorized
If you remember Schoolhouse Rock as fondly as I do, you’ll hopefully understand the title of this blog! Are you facing an induction? Inductions don’t have to be as scary as they seem, if you know the questions to ask and are prepared. Here are five tips to help prepare you for your upcoming induction of labor. 1. Ask Questions There are a variety of ways inductions of labor can start–foley bulb, cytotec, cervidil, pitocin, breaking the bag of waters…ask your care provider how they plan to start the induction. Often more than one method is used to induce your labor. Having an understanding of the plan can help you feel more at ease about your induction. 2. Bring Something To Do Many people don’t realize that an induction can take hours, or even days! Several days. We always let our clients know that might want to bring along reading material, download a favorite move or TV series to watch, or even write out all those thank you notes from the baby shower while waiting for labor to kick in. Being stuck inside the hospital can be a bit more fun if you are snuggled up with your partner watching your favorite movie, or devouring a mystery novel. 3. Tell Friends and Family To Wait Aunt Mabel and Grandma to be Kathy just can’t wait to meet your new little one! So they camp out in the waiting room at the very start of the induction. Where they could be waiting, for a day or two or four. Let friends and family know that an induction...
by Piedmont Doulas | May 15, 2017 | Uncategorized
It’s 10 pm, and your postpartum doula knocks quietly on the door. You let us in with a smile as we greet your family. We talk about the last time your baby (or babies) ate, were changed, and about any chores you’d like us to do that evening. Then, you head off to your bedroom and… You wake up the next morning feeling awesome, having had a full night’s sleep with no interruptions! Pretty great right? There’s not a whole lot more to add to our blog post about overnight care, because we hope you’ll sleep through the entire time we are there. We will take care of wakings throughout the night, diaper changes, calming, swaddling, bottle feeding, and even do some laundry, wash the bottles or your breast pump and set the coffee for you. What if you are breastfeeding? Stay in bed! We will bring baby in to your room for you to feed. When you are finished, we will get your baby from your arms, and settle him or her back down to sleep. You never have to leave the bed! Overnight newborn/postpartum support is one of our most popular services. We’d love to tell you more! We offer a free consultation, and are also happy to answer any questions by phone. Overnight services also make the perfect gift, so you can tell your friends and family to buy you a night of sleep and bliss. Check out our postpartum package options here. Piedmont Doulas serves the Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point areas of North Carolina. We can be your postpartum doulas and overnight doulas through...
by Piedmont Doulas | Apr 18, 2017 | Uncategorized
It’s that time of year! Pregnant In The Piedmont 2017 is Saturday, April 29th from 10 am to 2 pm at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Conference Center in Winston-Salem NC! Piedmont Doulas is proud to bring this pregnancy, baby and parenting expo annually to Winston-Salem. Pregnant In The Piedmont showcases the best of what the Piedmont Triad has to offer growing families. For the third year in a row, we’ve put together a jam packed expo, with over 50 vendors, mini workshops and demonstrations, shopping, activities for children, free swag bags with goodies for the first 100 families through the door, giveaways and lots of prizes. This year, we will also have a belly paint artist, to paint and decorate your beautiful baby bump! As always, admission is free. Check out our “Tiny Talks” schedule below for demonstration and classes times. A huge resounding thank you to our presenting sponsors; they are the ones who help make Pregnant In The Piedmont possible. Thank you to Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center, The Winston-Salem Journal/JournalNow, and Triad Moms On Main Click here to see a full list of this year’s sponsors, vendors and entertainers. If you have questions about the event, feel free to email us at piedmontdoulas@gmail.com, or call us at 336-448-4114. The address for Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Conference Center is 3333 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC 27103. There will be signs to help point you to the Conference Center parking area. We hope to see you...
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