Not everybody is a pregnancy bookworm, but it’s a good idea to get informed however you can. Here are some of my favorite books for pregnant moms and partners! My clients are welcome to borrow any of the following… PREGNANCY For a great general pregnancy guide, Sheila Kitzinger’s The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth…

I’ve been skimming through a pregnancy/birth book published by ACOG (the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists). It’s a really generic book that reads like an insurance pamphlet, which is kind of what you’d expect, but I find it interesting since it is an official communication from America’s OBs to the full spectrum of pregnant…

Here’s some news for Charlottesville moms-to-be that might sound boring, but is actually really exciting: A big bunch of Charlottesville doulas sat down with some folks from the L&D nursing staff at Martha Jefferson Hospital last week. Exciting, because–for one thing–it shows that our local hospitals are really working to incorporate doulas into their care…

If you’re a pregnant mom, and you’re starting the journey of figuring out what kind of birth you want to have, this is a very good page to read. It’s a summary of evidence, from many sources, about pain relief in labor. There is a lot of information here, but for my money, it’s the…

Moms-to-be, I know this is nearly impossible, but still I must put forward the advice: In all the excitement about your upcoming birth, do not neglect to prepare for your postpartum time! So many first-time pregnant mothers–and I was certainly in this category when I was pregnant the first time–think constantly about giving birth. What…

I’ve been working on an Epidural Fact Sheet to hand out to my clients. As I’ve said before, I believe that every expectant mother should learn about epidurals, whether or not they plan to get one. One of the best sources of info about epidurals is Henci Goer’s book, A Thinking Woman’s Guide to a…

One of the questions that all birth doulas are asked by potential clients has to do with the partner’s role. “Won’t you take the place of my husband?” Or, “My husband is worried that he won’t get to participate if I have a doula.” I also sometimes hear, “My husband is afraid he won’t know…

Come one, come all–my next free class is January 12 at the Downtown Library in Charlottesville, 5:30-7pm. The last one was lots of fun and I encourage anyone to come who’s curious about ways to make labor go more smoothly! This is a one-time, 90-minute session. We’ll learn effective ways to make labor more comfortable,…

One of my favorite experiences as a doula was with a client who had come to me saying mean things about herself. At our initial consultation, she called herself a wimp. She said she had no tolerance for pain and was fearful about giving birth. But as we got to know each other better, I…

Someone recently asked me if I would be willing to support a laboring mom who intended to get an epidural. A great question! I’ve thought about it a lot since, trying to clarify the answer for myself. The short answer is yes, of course, my job is to support the mom is pursuing whatever kind…