Denver Loving Heart Doula

10/12/2023

Postpartum can be difficult so it is important to have a sense of humor during such a challenging time. As a postpartum doula, I love holding space for my clients if they become frustrated. Sometimes this means we have real conversations about how they are feeling emotionally and physically. Other times, I try to remind them that laughter is sometimes the best medicine. 🤣💖💙

10/12/2023

The Left Occiput Anterior position has the reputation of being the best fetal position. But is it? LOA is just one of the best positions to help the baby be in the smallest diameter to fit the pelvis. The LOA baby’s back is on the birth giver’s left side, and faces towards their back.

A good fetal position aims the baby’s crown onto the cervix to help it open more easily and to allow for labor to progress more smoothly. When babies start labor with the back of the head towards the anterior (front), less rotation is required to happen. Rotation plays a very important role in birth.

The ideal, or optimal, fetal position is a flexed baby. A flexed baby can use their spine, back and shoulder muscles to help themselves be born. Flexed baby’s bodies are lined up to make their kicks at the top of the womb (fundus) be more effective in moving them down through the pelvis.

Spinning Babies® helps baby get into position for birth. For every fetal position, there are techniques and methods that we encourage in order to facilitate movement and rotation.

There is much more regarding baby positions. You can read about each one at the link: https://www.spinningbabies.com/pregnancy-birth/baby-position/

10/03/2023

The only thing better than one baby is two. It was my absolute pleasure supporting these twins and their strong mama. Welcome to the world babies J and M. I know you two girls will bring so much light to the world. 💖💖🎀

*posted with parent’s permission

09/30/2023

09/22/2023

A little humor from Dr Seuss!

09/14/2023

What to expect from your newborns sleep and eating patterns: 🥱🍼

❤️Your baby needs a lot of sleep, but they also need to eat frequently.
💖They will sleep in bursts ranging from about 20 minutes to 4 hours before they're ready to eat again.
💙Their awake windows (time spent awake between sleeps) will be quiet short. Less than an hour in a lot of cases. Most of this time will be spent feeding and changing their nappy/ diaper, so don't worry about keeping them up for "play" time.
💜This will naturally start to occur as they get older and can tolerate being awake for longer.
💚Babies are born with immature sleep/ wake cycles. This means they don't know day from night, so it might feel like your little one is nocturnal sleeping most of the day and up more at night.
🧡Your baby is adjusting to life outside the womb, so you might also find that they are happier and sleep longer when on you.

🫶🩷So don't get frustrated I'm here to help you!

07/29/2023

07/25/2023

𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.⁣
⁣
It just means older.⁣
⁣
Because our children will always be our babies.⁣
⁣
They just will.⁣
⁣
We’ll always look at them and see the little squishy baby who would just want to be cradled in our arms for hours sleeping,⁣
or that vulnerable little toddler gazing up at us with wide eyes and chubby cheeks.⁣
⁣
Grown doesn’t mean anything to a mother.⁣
⁣
It doesn’t mean she won’t do everything possible to make their lives easier or to make them smile,⁣
whether it’s making her college-aged child’s favorite chocolate cookies,⁣
or going to the store and buying groceries for her child with small children so she doesn’t have to take everyone out.⁣
⁣
𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥,⁣
⁣
𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘦,⁣
If they are 5, 12, 32, or 60,⁣
⁣
𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵⁣
how much taller they are than us,⁣
⁣
𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦,⁣
if they live in our house, neighborhood, or across the world,⁣
⁣
𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦⁣
0 to 6,⁣
⁣
𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺’𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯.⁣
⁣
And we’ll always want to know every detail of their day,⁣
and to hear they’re home safe from dinner, a trip, or back from the store.⁣
⁣
And we’ll only continue to love them more with each passing year,⁣
𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘥𝘰.

✍️:
📸: Unknown Artist

07/25/2023

I’m tired of pregnant and postpartum moms being gagged by expectations.⁣
⁣
Because you can be around so many people while pregnant or with a newborn in your arms and still feel more alone than ever.⁣
⁣
And no one talks about this kind of emotional isolation.⁣
⁣
Because if you feel like you can’t talk freely without being met with “but you’re so lucky” or “oh I had it so much worse,” or “I never felt that way about my body. I had a milkshake every day” than you start internalizing your feelings.⁣
⁣
And those kinds of comments are prevalent, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 in these phases of motherhood.⁣
⁣
Because these are "supposed to" be the seasons of immense joy and fulfillment because you're a mother or about to become one.⁣
⁣
And how can a woman be depressed or anxious when she’s achieved her calling in life?⁣
⁣
Cue the eye roll.⁣
⁣
Because the truth is new moms aren’t always happy and strong.⁣
They can be exhausted, anxious, overwhelmed, not connecting with their newborns, and stuck thinking they must be perfect.⁣
⁣
And pregnant moms aren’t always happy with glowing skin and excitement about their changing bodies.⁣
They can be stressed, afraid, uncomfortable, where standing for too long hurts and feel insecure about their bodies.⁣
⁣
And if she’s having a hard time, she needs to be able to tell someone,⁣
or she’ll never realize that she’s not alone,⁣
or get the help she needs.⁣
⁣
But way too often, she's silenced.⁣
⁣
So, I’m tired of pregnant and postpartum moms being gagged by expectations.⁣
And you should be, too.

✍️:
📸: unknown photographer (DM me for credit)

07/06/2023

Nothing like a full belly. 🥰

07/01/2023

Oh how true this quote is. Although my kids are grown, their hugs are my favorite thing in the world. 💖💖💖💖

💖 Shelby Spear is the author of this beautiful quote.