Gentle Hand - Doula & Family Services, Red Deer, AB (2026)

02/05/2026

Yessss 🙌 The peanut ball is that love-hate bestie in labor 😂

Why I LOVE it (and moms… sometimes don’t 😅)

The peanut ball is one of the most powerful little tools in the birth room. It might look harmless, but wow — it gets things moving. “These contractions are SO intense on the peanut ball!”

YES. And that’s exactly why we use it.

When contractions feel stronger with the peanut ball, it usually means:
✔️ Baby is rotating
✔️ Pelvis is opening in a new way
✔️ Pressure is getting more even on the cervix
✔️ Labor is progressing

Intensity with purpose = progress. I apologize to all my former clients and my future ones for suggesting positions with the ball! You are amazing and I’ll help you breathe through them and I promise I’ll do everything I can to help you meet your baby faster! 💗
➡️ Did you use the peanut ball during labour? ⬅️

02/04/2026

Preparing Your Body for Birth with Rebozo 🤍

I’m NOW offering rebozo appointments in the final weeks of pregnancy.

During these appointments, we use traditional rebozo techniques to gently loosen tight ligaments, release tension in the hips and lower back, create more space in the pelvis for baby and encourage optimal positioning for birth.

When the body has more balance and freedom, baby has more room to find a great position and that can make a big difference when labor begins. But what I love most about these sessions is that they’re not just for mom… partners get to learn too 🤍

I teach dads (or birth partners) simple rebozo holds, movements, and supportive stretches they can use in the final weeks of pregnancy and later during early/active labor.

These techniques are gentle, safe, and incredibly comforting. Many couples tell me they continue using them at home leading up to birth, turning preparation into connection time.

If you’re in your third trimester and want to help your body (and your partner) get ready for labor, a rebozo session is a beautiful place to start.

Book your Appointment today!

01/27/2026

Some days you might feel anxious, insecure, and unsure if you’re doing this motherhood thing right. You second-guess your choices and wonder if you’re enough, all while loving your baby more than you ever knew possible.

But here’s the truth: you were chosen to be your baby’s mommy. God entrusted this child to you on purpose, and He placed a mother’s intuition in your heart — that gentle, Spirit-led nudge that helps you know and care for your baby in ways no one else can.

You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to keep loving, keep showing up, and trust the wisdom God put inside you. That’s what makes you exactly the mom your baby needs. 🤍

01/19/2026

The first night at home with your newborn is often the hardest.

You just walked through the door. You’re trying to settle in. Everything feels quiet… and suddenly overwhelming. For your baby, everything is new. New smells. New sounds. New light. A new bed. This is usually the night when desperation creeps in. There’s no nurse to press a button for. It’s just you, your baby, and the weight of wondering if you’re doing any of this right.

This is also the night your body shifts. Your milk is coming in — that transition from colostrum to mature, fattier milk. Your breasts feel full, heavy, sore. Hormones are crashing and surging all at once. You’re exhausted. You’re emotional. And suddenly you start asking the question almost every parent asks: Do I even have enough milk?

Your baby wants to be on the breast all night. They nurse, unlatch, cry, latch again. They don’t sleep. You don’t sleep. At some point, everyone is crying (mom, baby, and often dad too). Your partner stands there, helpless, unsure what to do, watching the two people they love most struggle and feeling like they’re failing both of you.

You remember you can text your doula.
Is this normal? What do I do? Can you remind me what you said about this night? That’s what support is for. Not because you’re failing but because this is new. Sometimes all you need is someone to say: yes, this is normal, and here’s how to get through the night. Your doula reassures you. And your heart settles…suddenly you are more patient and you are reminded that you are a good mom and that you are doing your best.

You are not alone! 💗💗

01/13/2026

What I don’t love to see when I visit you as a birth & postpartum doula…

In the first week postpartum…
• You doing dishes like you’re auditioning for MasterChef
• You hosting guests while bleeding in a diaper
• You standing longer than it takes to p*e
• You saying “sorry about the mess”

This week is for bed, baby, b***s, and healing not housekeeping.

In the second week…
• You running errands like nothing happened
• You driving around with stitches and leaking b***s
• Baby being passed around like a hot potato
• You skipping meals
• You saying “I think I should be feeling better by now”

You literally still have a big wound in your uterus. Be gentle.

In the third week…
• You being more tired than week one
• One parent doing everything.
• You crying and being told “that’s just hormones”
• No one asking how you are

By now, we want a slow return of strength not a full-time burnout package.

Postpartum is not the time to be impressive.
It’s the time to be supported, fed, and held preferably while someone else does the dishes.

01/12/2026

You prepared for your wedding… now prepare for your birth.
Think about your wedding day. You didn’t just “show up.” You spent months planning. You invested money. You built a team you trusted photographer, venue, coordinator, makeup, family, friends, all so you could actually enjoy one of the most important days of your life. Now ask yourself…

Why do we expect birth, one of the most powerful, vulnerable, life-changing days of our lives, to be something we just “wing”? Birth is not something to leave to chance. When parents aren’t educated, prepared, or supported, they walk into labour feeling overwhelmed, powerless, and confused. Decisions are made for them instead of with them. Fear replaces confidence. And the chance of a positive, empowering experience drops.

But when you prepare, when you learn your options, when you build a strong birth team, when you put money aside to invest in support everything changes. You feel confident. You know your voice matters. You understand your choices. You have people in the room who are there for you.

Just like your wedding, birth deserves: planning, financial investment, a dream team, and intention. You only get one first birth with this baby. Prepare for it with the same care you prepared for your “I do.” Your birth matters. Your experience matters. You matter.

Hiring a doula is part of that investment! Interview a few doulas and understand what we do so you can have a better chance of a good birth and postpartum experience. 🤍

01/08/2026

Hey Mamas, this is YOUR night out! I’m so excited to partner with and create this beautiful event for YOU! The Postpartum Back to Health is a gentle, empowering workshop led by sweet Chloe from Peak Life Coaching, designed to help new moms reconnect with their bodies, rebuild strength, and regain confidence. I was invited by Chloe to talk about the postpartum body, healing and the challenges we face. you’ll leave feeling informed, uplifted, and equipped with practical tools to thrive in motherhood.
Come CONNECT! 💕 Register on my website.

12/31/2025

Dear Families,

As the year comes to an end, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for trusting me with your journey this year.

I am deeply grateful and humbled when I reflect on how many families I had the honour of supporting. How many mothers trusted me enough to invite me into the most vulnerable, intense, and sacred moments of their lives.

There were countless tears of joy as I watched you become mothers, as I witnessed you fight with everything you had for your dream birth. And there were also tears of deep sorrow, as I stood beside some of you through loss and grief. Those moments will never be forgotten either.

Birth work is raw. It is intense. I watched mothers and fathers fight for VBACs until there was no fight left in them. Some births did not end with the outcome we hoped for and instead brought deep sorrow and grief. My hope is that even when the outcome was not what you dreamed of, you know this: I fought with you until the very end, and you were never at fault. There are so many things in labour that are beyond our control.

Your birth story does not define your worth. It does not make you better or worse than anyone else. But it will shape you. You will learn so much. Birth changes you at your core. Over and over again, I witnessed labour as one of the most intense growing-pain experiences a human can go through. The woman I met before birth is never the same woman afterward. Birth is a raw sacrifice of your body, your strength, and parts of who you are, in order to bring your baby into the world.

Each one of you holds a special place in my heart. I will never forget you. I carry both your joys and your disappointments with me. I want to thank God. All glory belongs to Him. He sustained me, gave me strength, kept me healthy, and gave me both a purpose and a calling. I could not do this work without Him.

To my wonderful husband and my children, thank you for your endless support and for being so understanding of my call. I am endlessly grateful for the love and grace you give me every day. Happy New Year! 🥳 Praying for another great year ahead supporting families in this beautiful place! Your Doula Sally 💕

Gentle Hand - Doula & Family Services

02/05/2026

02/04/2026

01/27/2026

01/19/2026

01/13/2026

01/12/2026

01/08/2026

12/31/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category