Doula Tips and Tits with Kaely Harrod

Herbs have been incorporated into pregnancy, labor and postpartum for all of human history. Today we are joined by a beautiful human, Kay'aleya Hunnybee, who is an herbalist and integrative health educator that focuses on perinatal and postpartum timeframes. She joins us today to talk about herbal safety and use in the postpartum period. Herbs carry so many diverse benefits and can be incorpo...

Snacks are vital to all parts of life in my opinion. They are quick fuel for tired days, they stabilize blood sugar, they lift mood, they are just generally magic. In the postpartum period you need to eat sufficient amounts of food. It takes a great deal of work for your body to heal after giving birth and eating enough food helps your body do that. The 4th Trimester is not a time to try to limit...

As fun as it is to buy cute outfits for baby, it is vital for you to have some practical things on hand for YOURSELF in the postpartum time! Now this ranges from things that literally everyone needs - like a plan to handle bleeding - to things that might make your postpartum time more lovely. Today we’re tackling the practical side of things. What types of essentials do you need for the postpartum...

How long bleeding may last after birth is a common question. In part for logistical reasons, preparing pads, etc. we want to know that information. In part as a mental preparation to have realistic expectations of what the postpartum time might be like! Lochia is the name of the postpartum bleeding and this episode dives into how long to expect it, what’s normal and how to know if you should be co...

As you prepare for the postpartum time it may seem overwhelming thinking about where to start. The postpartum time looks a little different for everybody. So it’s not that there's just one list of things. So while there aren’t just 4 things to check off your list, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to help prepare in a way that feels right for you and your family. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Q...

There are many helpful professionals that can be a part of your postpartum time. This list is not exhaustive, but it is a good starting place to consider who you may want to have on your team. In coming episodes we will be hearing from a number of these professionals so stay tuned for that!  KEY TAKEAWAYS: Providers who are good to consider: Postpartum Doula Counselor or Therapist Chiropractor Pel...

At the end of pregnancy many people ask themselves if they are feeling the often-discussed Braxton Hicks contractions. It can be tricky to know if you’re feeling them when you haven’t felt them before! Especially if your baby is an active one! Braxton hicks are classified as tightening of the uterus so oftentimes feeling for soft parts of the uterus help to distinguish between the two. KEY TAKEAWA...

Fast labor is something that comes up frequently when pregnant families are preparing for birth. If you’ve seen videos of babies being born in cars that’s a natural line of questioning! The reality is that some labors are super fast. Some labors are slow. Both are within the range of normal, but understandably fast labors are more intimidating to families who are looking at the journey for the fir...

I am so excited to announce the launch of my Doula Mentoring Program starting in January 2023!!! This first group is the beta group, meaning that in exchange for your feedback you get a lower cost than it ever will be again and you get to help mold and shape the program into what it will be in the future. I already have 2 spots taken and the group will be intentionally small, so don't delay r...

So you know you want a doula…what now? Where do you find a doula? What type of doula should you look for? What if there aren’t doulas in your area? Finding a doula near you can be an overwhelming task, so this episode breaks down how to do that. Where to start searching (see a few helpful links for this below!), when to search and how to go about finding a doula who is a great fit for your family....

A Birth Doula plays a unique and important role on a birth team. Across all birthing locations a birth doula is providing a level of support and education that, when done well, allows the rest of the medical team to focus on their jobs well knowing that the patient is well cared for. That is the dream, when a team works together like magic helping a whole family be born in the process. KEY TAKEAWA...

If you’re on the search for a doula and feeling a bit late to the game it may give you hope to know that it’s rarely truly too late to hire a doula. If you’re still pregnant you can hire a birth doula (again, in most cases!) and if you’re within a few years postpartum you can hire a postpartum journey. You may have a shorter list of available doulas, so be sure to reach out as soon as possible so...

Hiring a birth or postpartum doula typically starts with a doula consultation. During that consultation there’s an interview of sorts between the doula (or doulas) and prospective client(s). It should include a back and forth including getting to know each other as well as asking a variety of questions that are relevant to what you’re looking for in a doula. This episode outlines some questions th...

Birth Doulas are NOT just for unmedicated labors! One more time for the people in the back…birth doulas are not just for people planning an unmedicated birth! Doulas get put into a bit of a woowoo category where people who are using herbs and eating their placenta are the only folks who use them. But that could not be farther from the truth.  There is plenty of herbal-loving, placenta-eating, wond...

If you have a partner supporting you in this pregnancy and postpartum time then you may be worried that a doula will take away that special support by adding a third support person. The reality is that the doula is there for the pregnant person and for partners. The doula should free the partner up to be the partner! Not an expert on pregnancy, labor or postpartum! Your emotional and life support...

Health Insurance is a love-hate situation for me. I know that as a consumer of healthcare, I need it to cover many things, but as a doula there are many hurdles on the provider side that make health insurance very hard to accept.   Because cost is often a prohibiting factor for families who are needing or wanting a doula we need to work on getting more access to doula care! One aspect of that is h...

What Are Doula Services? A basic starting place…that maybe we should have started from! :) Doulas are a non-medical support to add to your already existing medical team during birth or postpartum. There are doulas in all sorts of fields, and I’m of the opinion that we all need doulas in a bunch of areas of our life.  KEY TAKEAWAYS: Doulas add education, support, and comfort to their clients Doulas...

Each Birth Doula works slightly differently, that’s part of the beauty of our work! Some doulas have a variety of options in terms of what is included in a doula package and others have a set standard of what they do with clients. While I can’t guarantee that this episode covers all the variety of how individual doulas work, however it does cover the types that I most often see! Many birth doula p...

The right time to hire a birth doula is not a straight-forward answer. If only we could say everyone should hire a birth doula by 25 weeks, but it’s not that simple. It depends on what you’re hoping for, and who you want to hire and how many doulas there are in your area to choose from! One thing we doulas say is that if you’re still pregnant it’s not too late to hire a birth doula. However, your...

This is the first episode in our new series on Doulas. We are starting off with a very basic question: What is the difference between a Birth Doula and a Postpartum Doula? Now, there are many types of doulas, but for the purpose of this series we’ll be focused on those two types specifically.  Birth Doulas are for during pregnancy, labor and the immediate postpartum (like the few hours after birth...

Do you HAVE to have Childbirth Education in order to give birth? Will your hospital turn you away if you haven’t had a Birth Class? Obviously No, they will not. It is not an absolutely imperative part of the basic process of birth. If you’ve been around for any length of time you know that I think Childbirth Class is good for everyone, however I do realize that there are many reasons people choose...

If you’re pregnant and have a partner or spouse supporting you then it’s important for them to have the education and resources to support you well in the pregnancy, labor and postpartum. When a new baby is coming to a family it is a family adjustment.  But being a partner comes with its fair share of pressure! When to say/do things, what to say/do! A good childbirth class should include informati...

If you’ve been around here for a while you’ve heard me talk about Evidence Based Birth™ as a reputable resource for research and data around birth. But you may not know that they also have amazing classes for pregnant families. There is comprehensive Childbirth Ed as well as smaller workshops to fit the needs of families.  Today we are joined by the powerhouse, Leslie Greene who literally has skil...

I’m joined this week by one of my mentors in this world of birth and I am so honored to share her knowledge with you all!  Today’s Episode dives into Hypnobirthing. What is it, why is it helpful during birth and in other ways? HelloBirth is the new program that Lindsey is the cofounder of and this program not only emphasizes birth, but also preparation for all the variety of things that can come u...

I’m joined this week by my dear friend and colleague, Irene Kim who is a doula and Bradley Method Instructor. She dives into the ins and outs of the Bradley Method. What is it, how it got started, etc. This is a common type of childbirth education so I wanted to be sure to cover it so people have a good understanding of what the philosophy is behind it.  KEY TAKEAWAYS The Bradley Method is origina...