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This show was a treat to record, and I hope it'll be a treat to hear! In today's episode, my husband joins me on the podcast. Affectionally known as 'Mr. Mother Well' in my community, my husband has supported my business before it even began! We talk about his experience as being the partner of a doula, and his perspectives on the doula community. (Psst! You'll have to listen to the show for the real name reveal of Mr. Mother Well!)
Please note: My audio wasn't the best for Mr. Mother Well's vocals, so his voice will be at a noticeably quieter volume than mine. Earbuds or headphones may be the best listening experience for this one!
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We continue the view of birth in my backyard! This client's experience is wildly different from our last guest. Amanda Hamilton is the mother of two and an accomplished social worker. I was honored to be her doula for the birth of her second son: a planned-for VBAC that turned emergency C-section. Amanda generously shares her birth story and speaks very highly of how doula care positively impacted her high-risk pregnancy. Smash down the expectation that doulas are only helpful for 'natural' birth. Doulas make a difference for everyone!
Sign up for Doula Well Mentorship Community at a lifetime founders' rate of $59/month: https://motherwelldoula.com/doulawell
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Get a view of birth in my backyard! I thought it would be wonderful to speak to some of my real-life clients (with their permission, of course!) about their experience having a doula. Jessie Jones is drama and English teacher and I've been her doula twice! First, through the pregnancy and birth of her firstborn son. And, at the time of recording, through her second pregnancy with twins! Hear Jessie's unmedicated birth story, and how I am technically responsible for her failing the hospital drug test...you don't want to miss this one!
Sign up for Doula Well Mentorship Community at a lifetime founders' rate of $59/month: https://motherwelldoula.com/doulawell
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We continue our series of conversations with birth workers who have made a mark in our field. Today’s guest is Dr. Amy Gilliland! We have a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation about how doulas relate to each other, a doula’s scope, the medical system, and more! Dr. Gilliland is an independent PhD researcher and educator. She is the author of ‘The Heart of the Doula’ and a forthcoming book specifically about doulas and how we relate to one another.
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Doula Well Podcast Season 3 has dropped! I'm shaking a few things up and the theme of this season is simply 'Conversations'. The next 10 episodes or so of the podcast will simply focus on talking to movers and shakers I want to hear from! (While I'm at it, I'll have a more chill episode release schedule, too!) This allows me more freedom to pour myself into a very exciting upcoming project: Doula Well, the membership! Learn more at motherwelldoula.com/waitlist.
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What if our conventional ways of doula support actually hinders our clients in their parenting? That sounds harsh, but this conversion with Dr. Britta Bushnell is anything but. With her warm, inviting, and wise spirit, Dr. Bushnell gently points us towards a practice model that honors new parents in their role. I’m so excited for you to hear this interview! As the author of the widely accalimed book Transformed by Birth, Britta introduces ways to focus our client interactions on solutions. Plus, you’ll have to listen to the very end to find out which high-profile celebrity has endorsed her work! Learn more about Britta at brittabushnell.com.
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There are times when the doula needs support…and a lot of it! In this episode, I chat with Tracey Abney all about doula’ing through hard births and health issues. With refreshing vulnerability, Tracey shares candidly about certifying as a doula through her own repeated pregnancy losses, managing a bustling business through maternity leave, and pivoting her business through baffling health conditions. Tracey is the owner of Rocket City Doulas, an agency in the Huntsville, Alabama area for 14 years. She is certified through SBD, HBD, and ProDoula (PPIC Elite, and CDL Elite). In addition to running Rocket City Doulas, and serving in birth and postpartum work, Tracy also loves reading, traveling, hiking, and being outside with her family.
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When our clients face loss, it can be a shock. What should doulas consider when their clients miscarry? How does support look when a client’s baby receives a fatal diagnosis? How do you process the immediate trauma of a lost heartbeat in the labor room, while still showing up for the family? With grace, compassion, and skill Dr. Abby Jorgensen offers guidance to birthworkers supporting clients through loss. Dr. Abby Jorgensen is a professor of sociology and health care ethics at Saint Louis University in Missouri, USA. She is an expert in family sociology and methods with focuses in health, politics, and culture. Dr. Jorgensen’s credentials include: Ph.D.(Sociology), LCCE, CD(DONA), and CD(ProDoula). Dr. Jorgensen’s first book ‘A Catholic Guide to Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss: Compassionate answers to difficult questions’ is in out April 2024.
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Is there any legal liability a doula could have as a birth attendant? Could a doula ever be sued or deposed? Just when you thought you were feeling confident…there’s a whole host of dicey situations a doula may find themselves in! Birth Injury Lawyer Marlie Willer can help! Following Marlie’s work has honestly given me such hope and clarity concerning birth justice. Marlie focuses her practice on medical malpractice, with a particular emphasis on obstetric negligence. She has successfully litigated hundreds of brachial plexus cases across the country. You don’t want to miss today’s episode! It’s so relevant for our profession! Follow Marlie's practice, here: https://www.lirowillerlaw.com/
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As we continue discussing ‘on-call life’ as a primary source of burnout for doulas, I am so happy to share a conversation with a birthworker who’s found an innovative way to still serve families and avoid on-call burnout. Kyleigh Banks burst onto the scene with her Instagram account ‘Autonomy Mommy’ which currently boasts over 27K followers. Kyleigh runs a highly successful doula training and business coaching program, as well as Birthworker.com and is committed to providing doulas around the world with the resources and support they need to ditch their 9-5, stay home with their kids, and start living life on their own terms (even without being on call for births 24/7!) Tune into our conversation to hear how Kyleigh runs a sustainable and profitable doula business!! -
“Unless I’m at a birth.” Every doula feels - or has felt - the tension of being on-call in their careers. And ‘being on call’ is one of the most-cited reasons for doula burnout. That’s why I wanted to dedicate several episodes regarding the on-call life in this season tackling doula burnout. I could think of no better place to start than this vulnerable, honest, and enlightening conversation with Sara Pixton!
Sara Pixton, a birth doula, Applied Linguistics master’s student at UMass-Boston, and mom of three believes there is a synergistic energy when her two passions—birth and language—come together. Sara harnesses the power of positive words to benefit the birth experience in her podcast, Birth Words. She currently serves the greater Salt Lake City, UT area as a doula at Summit Birth Utah. And she has recently embarked on her journey as a Student Mental Health Therapist. You can follow Sarah’s work at summitbirthutah.com and birthwords.com. -
You would be hard pressed to find a birthworker who does not have an experience with a hostile provider. And there’s perhaps no better professional in the birth world to understand how to work with hostile providers than L&D nurses! Sarah Lavonne is the pioneering founder & CEO of Bundle Birth, A Nursing Corporation. This episode was one of my favorites to record because I’ve been a fan girl of Sarah Lavonne for several years. Listen to hear a unique and nuanced perspective on the topic of difficult interactions with healthcare providers!
With a passion for uniting patients, support persons, and medical personnel through education and support, Sarah fearlessly developed a community of learning and inspiration across labor and delivery. As a former floor nurse, peer mentor, and childbirth educator, and assistant nurse manager, Sarah Lavonne, RNC-OB, ICCE, CLEC,has dedicated herself to empowering nurses to provide unconventional care that changes the world. Through a 12-month mentorship program, various classes and workshops, and a thriving social media presence, Sarah has built a community of passionate, patient-centered nurses who become leaders in the field. Sarah believes her curiosity, resourcefulness and passion are some of her greatest strengths. When not at work, Sarah enjoys music events, new adventures and learning, and frequent visits to her family in Ecuador. Follow Sarah’s work at https://www.bundlebirth.com/. -
Despite awareness and accountability of obstetric violence having grown over the last decades, mistreatment remains pervasive in maternity care. And being witnesses to obstetrical violence can certainly burn doulas out! Dr. Hillary Melchiors is paying attention, and has insights and solutions that will help doulas navigate OB violence and sustain themselves through their careers.
Hillary is a DONA certified birth doula and a Lamaze certified childbirth educator who has lived in the tri-state area since 2012. She also has a PhD in Medical Anthropology and a Master’s degree in Public Health. She loves working with all types of families to help them have their best birth experience, no matter what their preferences are, and teaching families all of their options. Since founding the Doula Group of Evansville in 2014, Hillary has had a wide variety of professional experiences both as a doula and anthropologist, including being invited to speak about doulas and cultural barriers to breastfeeding at The Women’s Hospital in Evansville. In her free time, she enjoys being with her partner Andrew and her two daughters Annika and Mayzie. Find Hillary on her personal website https://hillarymelchiors.com/.
You can follow her doula agency on Instagram @doulagroupofevansville.
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I think this is what you call a 'teaser'. Even though I'm not totally finished editing Season 2, I can't gatekeep any longer! Season 2 of the Doula Well Podcast is themed: "Things That Burn Doulas Out". This teaser episode will share a bit about the heart behind this theme and a sneak peek of some of our guests! New episodes will be hitting your feeds very soon! Subscribe and listen on iTunes or Spotify!
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If you’ve been pregnant or worked in birth for any length of time, you are likely familiar with the concept of a birth ball. (Or at the very least admired aesthetic birth photography featuring birth balls!) The use of birth balls is widespread these days, but have you truly unlocked their potential? Emily Wannenburg, creator of the 4th Trimester Fitness Method, is a pioneer in the field of movement in the perinatal period. In addition to introducing the birth ball as an essential tool of birth doula practice, our vibrant conversation explores the nuances of birth preparation, postpartum healing, and professional development.
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As a birth doula, the postpartum period has always felt daunting to me. That’s where the magic of postpartum doulas comes in. This episode is dear to my heart because it features another doula who has been influential in my journey, Darcy Sauers is my business coach! Experienced postpartum doula, lactation counselor, and doula shares the basics of giving support to families in the postpartum period. The secret to great support really isn’t a secret at all, it’s wonderfully and beautifully simple! Listen for more!
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Let’s talk with the woman who made me a doula, my doula trainer Dr. Robin Elise Weiss! In this episode, we discuss unique considerations for Cesarean Birth support. We discuss ways to support clients in the Operating Room or by holding space in recovery. I especially wanted to talk to Robin about c-section support because of her breath of birth experience and doula skills. No matter what kind of birth journey your clients have, they deserve top-notch doula care!
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Though we wish every family could enjoy a straightforward and smooth arrival of their little one, that is not always the case. Oftentimes, doulas find themselves supporting clients requiring high interventions. In this episode, fellow doula Lexi Zuo and I share our best tips for supporting inductions and other high-intervention birth scenarios.
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Experiencing a high-risk pregnancy is not something any parent would plan for. It can be lifesaving for families experiencing high-risk pregnancies to receive quality support. Author, Speaker, and Health and Media Consultant Parijat Deshpande provides that kind of quality support! Parijat’s trauma-informed work provides strategies, insights, and neurobiological techniques to help pregnant people stack the odds in their favor during a high-risk pregnancy after prematurity or second or third-trimester loss. In this episode, we discuss how doulas, in particular, can best support clients facing high-risk pregnancies.
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Have you found yourself standing by during the pushing phase of labor, watching the doula magic you wove throughout the hours prior slowly unravel? If we’re being honest, every doula has felt this way during their career! Adriana Lozada offers a paradigm shift in the way we approach pushing, a shift that just might make you and your clients look forward to pushing, instead of dreading it!
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