Bump Day Doula Services

10/10/2023

10/05/2023

05/13/2022

For those searching for formula, this article offers suggestions such as contacting food banks, and checking with small retailers.

Homemade formula recipes are not recommended as they can be hard for babies to digest.

For anyone who had been planning on supplementing their breastfeeding with formula, I am happy to chat with you about ways to increase supply if needed. These ideas include skin to skin, frequent emptying of breasts (by nursing or pumping), offering the breast frequently even if your baby just took a bottle, and using paced bottle feeding whenever your baby takes a bottle.

If you have formula that you won't use please share it with a mama friend in need!

https://www.facebook.com/49800458186/posts/10159927929803187/?sfnsn=mo

Many parents are hunting for infant formula after a combination of short- and long-term problems hit most of the biggest U.S. brands.

05/11/2022

Having a great morning at the St. Paul Mom's Fair!

Babies, b***s, bottles, brochures, and... lactation cookies!

04/07/2022

I had the greatest honor yesterday of attending my third twin birth! Congratulations to the wonderful family of FOUR!

Are you looking for a birth doula? Email me at [email protected] to set up a free, no-obligation meeting!

hospital. home. medicated. non-medicated. vaginal. cesarian. hypnotic. energetic. quiet. loud.

Whatever your plan or situation, I am always honored to be a part of your day!

04/05/2022

I'm so excited that the April class session starts this week! I love getting to know families throughout the series, and helping them prepare for childbirth, breast/chest feeding, and beyond! These classes are taught virtually, which means flexible scheduling and the comfortable atmosphere of your own home.

These three classes can be taken individually or as a 3-part series. Each class takes approximately 2.5 to 3 hours. Email me at [email protected] or visit https://aligndoula.com/ for more information!

03/02/2022

Thank you, Madison Doula Collective, for these great reminders!

This one goes out to our community. Not everyone wants visits after giving birth, but some people do. Seeing friends and family can make us feel supported and cared for during this period. These are some ideas of how to show up in a way that really helps ❤️💜💙🖤💛

Talk to your doula if you’re feeling any anxiety around seeing people, asking for help from your community or anything else. We LOVE talking about these things and we want you to have the best supported postpartum experience you can have!

02/20/2022

I have these thoughts frequently, but I've never said then out loud in such a beautiful, eloquent, meaningful way.

“people tell us not to feed for comfort while they sip their sleepy-time tea.
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people tell us to not cuddle our children to sleep while they spoon their partner.
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people tell us our child is too old to breastfeed while they sip their cow's milk.
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people tell us not to nurse or rock our babies to sleep while they sell us the latest gadget that’s supposed to do the exact same thing.
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people tell us to let them cry, while they go comfort a friend.
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people tell us responding to our child is creating bad habits, while they smoke and drink.
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man, do they tell us! but i’m not them and neither are you. because we hear our instincts loud and clear and they will not be silenced. because even though we are exhausted, we know our baby’s cry is not a protest, but a communication. because we know their need for us at 3am is not a manipulation. because even though our backs and hips ache from sleeping in that dang c position, we know that little indent on the right side of our bed will soon fade away - and we would welcome that pain in our body just to feel them latch on more time.
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people tell us, but we know. we know this is important, we know that this is right for us and our baby, and we know this is just how it’s supposed to be.
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we know mama, they may tell us, but let’s rest in our know.”

Credits:
words: 👸🏼
📷: .photography
📸: Tamika Sadler

02/11/2022

In honor of Black History Month, here is an article about research being done on Black and Brown women and how they are unfairly treated during pregnancy and birth. I'm so glad that researchers like Dr. Afulani are putting in the time to educate healthcare workers and the general public on disparities such as these. There is so much more to be done.

"...one of the main factors influencing women’s experiences of care is the issue of unconscious biases held by providers against women of color and particularly Brown and Black women. Most of the time these attitudes are based on societal perceptions of those women, and that plays out in the healthcare encounter. For example, assumptions that Black women have higher pain thresholds might lead providers to be less likely to provide pain medication to Black women in labor..."

UCSF’s innovative, collaborative approach to patient care, research and education spans disciplines across the life sciences, making it a world leader in scientific discovery and its translation to improving health.

02/11/2022

Seven years ago today, an incredibly kind, generous family let me into their delivery room and I officially became a doula. I will never forget the awe I had for that mama as she brought her boy into this world, overcoming the exhaustion, pain, and uncertainty of labor in exchange for the pure joy and empowerment that comes with birth.

Now, almost 50 births later, I still get teary-eyed at that moment when one becomes two (or three!), and new life enters the room. I'm so honored to be there and witness such a momentous day in each family's life.

Happy Birthday, ARL!!

02/08/2022

My recertification through DONA International just came through!! I'm proud to have worked so hard at bettering myself as a doula through continuing ed, including a Spinning Babies class and Breastfeeding course. I use the kowledge that I gained in those courses at literally every birth I attend. I'm looking forward to seeing where the next three years take me!