Birth Matters Holistic Doula Services

01/18/2024

Ahhhh! This is so, so important especially with our current economy. I’m a certified Birth and Postpartum Doula with Doula Canada and I’m thrilled for all the families that will be able to utilize these benefits. Of course I’d love to get to a place where all insurance companies cover birth & postpartum doula support without requiring them to be certified with a specific organization, but this is one more step in the right direction.

12/01/2023

Most prenatals are formulated without choline despite it being a critical micronutrient for preventing neural tube defects - just like folate! This is especially important BEFORE you even get pregnant, as the neural tube closes around 4 weeks post conception - so about 2 weeks or less from when most women discover they’re pregnant. Be sure to swipe to the end to see my tips for getting in more choline.

11/27/2023

Make sure you scroll to that last slide to see what getting 930mg of choline in a day without supplementation looks like. It’s kind of a lot, right? Especially if you’re in your first trimester and dealing with loss of appetite, nausea, aversions, etc. But the first trimester is when this nutrient is particularly critical, because the neural tube closes around 4 weeks post conception (which is also why preconception nutrition is SO vital!).

Consider supplementing with either a prenatal that contains a meaningful amount of choline (200mg at minimum) or adding a specific choline supplement to your routine.

Because I know I’ll get questions on this - beef liver supplements, while great, don’t contain a whole lot of choline. You’d need to take approximately 6 capsules of beef liver to get 120mg of choline (as long as it’s a non-defatted liver supplement!). If you already take beef liver supplements, that’s great! But I wouldn’t solely rely on them for your choline needs, especially with how much you’d need to be taking to reach 200mg, that can become quite costly! I’d suggest looking into supplementing with at least 100mg more of choline elsewhere and focusing on choline-rich foods in your diet.

11/25/2023

If you haven’t heard of choline, you’re not alone. Although it’s recommended by the American Medical Association to be included in all prenatal vitamins, most prenatals don’t include a meaningful amount of choline - if they contain any at all.

I personally looked at 15+ brands of prenatal vitamins and most didn’t contain any choline despite it being just as important as folate in preventing neural tube defects! One brand contained a whopping 5mcg of choline. Yes, you read that right - 5mcg or 0.005mg 🙃 They might as well have just listed it as 0. A single leaf of spinach contains more choline than their vitamins (1.9mg if you were wondering). While choline is naturally present in many foods, 95% of pregnant women do not consume enough prenatal choline to meet their dietary needs.

My list above is not exhaustive - in fact, there are hundreds of foods that contain small amounts of choline (10mg or less) so you don’t need to worry about hitting your recommended intake with just these foods alone. But prioritizing eating some of these every day, and ideally at most meals, will go a long way in helping you reach optimal levels!

06/28/2023

My oldest was born in July, so I understand the struggle of being extremely pregnant in the summer heat 🥵

Here’s a few tips to help you stay cool and hydrated this summer! That last one is my personal favourite 🍹

06/25/2023

There’s a lot of myths and misconceptions around birth. This is the first part in a new series where I’m breaking down some of these commonly shared sentiments and offering truth and nuance.

Did any of these surprise you? What are some other myths you’ve heard about birth?

06/21/2023

06/21/2023

Breastfeeding protects babies from SIDS.

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is the unexpected and unexplained death of a baby. SIDS can occur any time in the first year. The time of highest risk is between one to six months. Suffocation/smothering occurs when a baby cannot breathe. This is not the same as SIDS. SIDS deaths are unexplained.

Read more:
www.lllc.ca/sids-prevention-and-breastfeeding

06/18/2023

Fatherhood begins in the womb. Dads, you are absolutely irreplaceable. Your presence and love have a profound impact on the lives of those around you.

Happy Father’s Day and thank you, Dads, for all that you do 🫶🏻

06/16/2023

I get it - times are tough. But that doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice having adequate support during labour and postpartum. Here’s a few tips that can help to offset the cost of a doula.

📋 Some insurance plans offer an FSA/HCSA - it’s worth making a quick phone call to find out if this is available to you, or if doulas are covered.

💵 Many doulas will accept payment plans, as long as you can be all paid up by the time they need to go on call for you (usually around 37 weeks). I offer super flexible payment plans that can be adjusted to suit your budget - even small, biweekly payments if that makes it easier for you to afford the support you need.

🍼 Add a doula fund to your baby shower registry! Many doulas will even provide gift certificates if your friends/family would prefer to have something physical to gift you.

👩🏼‍🎓 Find a doula working to complete their certification. While I’ve completed my program and my exams, I need to attend 1 birth or postpartum visit in order to “officially” become a certified doula. Send me a message to find out more about my qualifying client discount!

05/28/2023

Have you ever wondered what a postpartum doula actually does? Here are just a few examples - I had to narrow it down because I couldn’t fit all the ways we can help to support a new family! Don’t get me wrong, we can definitely hold the baby, babysit older siblings, and/or sit and fold laundry - but we can also do so much more!

From being a non-judgmental listening ear to offering evidence-based information on infant care to light housekeeping and meal prep. Think of your doula as your postpartum fairy godmother! Some even offer overnight care so both parents can get some much needed rest 💤

I’m currently available for daytime postpartum doula care. I can’t wait to support your family during this tender yet exciting time. Contact me for rates and availability!

05/25/2023

I’m now offering a postpartum herbal sitz bath blend! Packed with wonderful herbs to soothe and promote healing for your perineum in the first week postpartum. All my clients will receive one bag complementary 🤍

There are two ways this blend can be used - fill the included reusable cotton tea bag with 1/2 cup of herbs and hang over the faucet as your tub fills to “brew”. Or empty the whole bag into a pot and cover with 4L boiling water, let cool, strain, and add 1-2 cups of your concentrated “bath tea” to a shallow bath. Repeat as needed for relief. Add 1/2 cup each of Epsom salt and baking soda to bath water for additional relief. Store concentrate in the fridge for up to 1 week.

$18 per bag