ToRAISE Questions Doula Podcast

Thérèse speaks with guest, Stephanie Spencer the Director of Urban Baby Beginngs, a non-profit organization that provides doula and childbirth services to low-income women. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and post...

Thérèse and Melanie speak with Sarah Howell a NICU nurse at a large city hopstal and gives insights on how a doula can help negoitate that time with and for their clients. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postp...

Thérèse speaks with guest, Alice Wheeler who is a doula in a federally qualified community health center in Lancaster, PA The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed and...

Thérèse continues her conversation with Anne about a labor and it's unexpected turn of events. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed and supported. Get 10% of...

Thérèse talks with Anne about her life as a doula while balancing other jobs at the same time. Anne shares an experience she had in a labor and it's unexpected turn. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpa...

Thérèse continues her conversation with Dr Jodi Brown an obstetrician in Vermont who began her birth work as a birth doula. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed a...

Thérèse has a conversation with Dr Jodi Brown an obstetrician in Vermont who began her birth work as a birth doula. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed and suppo...

This week we bring you a repeat of Episode #10 Being a doula is rewarding but can be incredibly draining. Too many of us fail to take care of ourselves as we work so hard to take care of others. Thérèse and Sarah discuss setting appropriate boundaries and standards of self-care for doulas to protect both the birth experience and their own work-life harmony. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a t...

Thérèse has a conversation with Stacie Scott, a labor and delivery nurse in Richmond VA. Stacie speaks to what it is like to be a nurse, insghts about the system and how doulas and nurses can best work together The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education cove...

Thérèse and Melanie discuss the importance of every doula having a contract beginnng with the first birth they attend and some important clauses that they want to make sure are included and communicated wth their clients. Contractions are for everyone's protection and a necessary aspect of professionalism. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and...

On the eve of Thanksgiving, Thérèse offers listeners a moment of reflection through a loving-kindness meditation, we all need compassion. The ToRAISE Questions Doula podcast offers thoughtful, unfiltered conversations for doulas and birth workers who want to deepen their knowledge, elevate their practice, and uphold the integrity of birth work. Each episode features insights from experienced profe...

Thérèse continues her conversation with Carol Wade from Earth Island Herbs. Carol is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and a nutritional counselor with over 20 years of experience. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering p...

Thérèse has a conversation with Carol Wade from Earth Island Herbs. Carol is a registered herbalist with the American Herbalists Guild and a nutritional counselor with over 20 years of experience. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy...

Thérèse and Melanie have an update from a listener's question and they answer a few more questions. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed and supported. Get 1...

Thérèse and Melanie speak with guest, Lisa Chin about the fourth trimester, why she is so passionate about it, what she learned through her own expeirences and what she has created to help others who have options and choices for their time after birth. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ page...

This week we bring you a repeat of Episode 52. Thérèse and Melanie discuss the important topic of how a doula negotiates the conversation with their client about their care provider's reputation both statistically and anecdotally as well as the facility that they plan to birth in. Is it your role? What is your responsibility? The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas,...

Thérèse and Melanie discuss the topic of birth shame. Many who give birth differently then what they have envisioned, feel a sense of shame after their expereince. What causes this feeling? What as a doula, can you do to support clients better to avoid this feeling if possible? What as a culture can we do to reduce this risk of shaming continuance? The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted re...

Thérèse and Melanie answer a listener's question about the use of the foley bulb as a method of induction. They also address when is the "right" time to enter a client's labor that has begun with an induction and how long do you stay after a cesarean birth. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varn...

Thérèse and Melanie talk with Elizabeth Theriault, a woman who envisioned a beautiful breastfeeding experience with her new baby that became an emotional and physical roller coaster ride due to low milk supply. Elizabeth talks openly about her journey to understanding that sometimes a woman is not able to solely breastfeed and the whys may not be entirely known. A very important listen. The Educat...

Thérèse and Melanie to talk with Karla Helbert, LPC about perinatal loss and how best to support clients who have a pregnancy year loss. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients fe...

Thérèse and Melanie to talk with Sue Ellen about a home birth to hospital birth transfer she recently attended. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed and supported...

Thérèse and Melanie to talk with Rachel who shares her birth story and her experience having a doula for support. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to help clients feel informed and support...

Thérèse and Melanie to talk with Nicole Link-Troen a Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist about the history of the ingestion of placentas, the whys, the hows and how to approach this topic with your clients. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education...

Thérèse and Melanie to talk with Emma O'Brien, a toLabor trained doula and herbalist about how doulas can best serve and support the LGBTQ client. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to...

Joy Outland Brock, LCSW, a toLabor trained doula join Thérèse and Melanie once again to talk about how to support clients with perinatal mood disorders. The Educated Birth toolkit binder is a trusted resource for doulas, birth workers, and educators. Created by Cheyenne Varner, it includes 155+ pages of inclusive, illustrated education covering pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum — designed to...