Boise Doula Care

04/22/2022

Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders can creep up on one or even both partners during their postpartum journey. Many things can contribute to these symptoms:
💜Lack of sleep
💜History of prior mental health struggles or trauma
💜Lack of social support/change in family and friend dynamics
💜History of painful periods

And sometimes for some… it can feel like there was no warning. That things are this hard because it’s “supposed to be hard”, when in reality, there is so much more going on that needs attention and healing brought to it.

Feeling nervous as a parent is normal.
Feeling tired from adjusting to lack of sleep is normal.
A sense of figuring out your new identity, and working through that with your partner or support system, is normal.

It’s when symptoms like these start to interfere and are persistent that it’s important to pay attention. And sometimes, something just doesn’t “feel right”, but you can’t quite check all the boxes so it’s tempting to think “well I don’t have THIS, so it might just be in my head”… Trust your initial intuition, and get support.

Go for a walk. Listen to your favorite music. Have someone you trust hold the baby so you can take a nap. Talk to a friend. Find a support group. Contact your provider… there’s many MANY things, and each family will have unique things that lift their spirits. Medication is also valid if needed, and a mental health provider specializing in perinatal health can help you work through this option.

Whatever it is that you are needing, you are worth it. ❤️

04/20/2022

Do you remember learning about the 5 senses in school when you were younger?
❤️Taste
❤️Touch
❤️Smell
❤️Hearing
❤️Seeing

When working with birth clients, I like to talk about these senses prenatally to get an idea of what brings their senses joy, and helps them to feel calm and grounded.

I find this important, both for the present moment in labor… but these senses can also help us tie things together after the experience.

This song was what was playing when my daughter was born. It made me feel powerful and brought me to that peaceful place where I knew I was okay and the I was doing this. Before she was born, I remember looking up classical music, thinking in my head classical music must be the right kind of music… but when I had let my mind wander and tried different things, I unexpectedly landed onto Bon Iver, and it had brought me peace. This was almost 6 years ago, and I’m still brought back to that place!

When putting together things in your birth bag to help you during labor - think about practical things,yes, but also consider things that will engage your 5 senses and ground you and keep you present. You will be surprised by what you remember and by the things that will actually help you!

04/14/2022

As doulas, we often use the words “emotional support” to describe part of what we offer as professional birth and postpartum professionals. But…
💜What does that even mean?
💜Why does this matter?
💜How is this different from people that are already in my life telling me that I’m doing a good job?

I was reminded of how important this is just yesterday. I went to visit my best friend and her sweet toddler, and they’ve been working on sharing. Her toddler waited patiently for the toy, and I pointed to her and said “wow mom look! Did you see how she waited patiently for her turn? She did such a great job!” She noticed this too, and said “great job!” Later on, my friend tells me about the bath time routine she does for her sweet girl, and I take a moment to point out “do you notice those little extra steps you do to nourish her skin and show her love? That shows how much you care for her skin, and that intentional routine shows you care about her. You are such a great mom!”

And sure, sometimes parents need to know that they are doing a good job. But this specific feedback points us to the things that are working, and helps us see the big impact that these little things have on our sweet babies that maybe we wouldn’t have otherwise noticed because we were tired, overwhelmed, or it’s just a normal part of the routine.

In birth, this type of emotional support can look like:
💜I noticed you unclenched your jaw during that last contraction, this helps with letting go of tension, keep that up!
💜 The way you focused on your partner through that contraction was so good! That focus helps, keep going!

Examples in postpartum work:
💜”Wow! Did you notice how quickly baby latched correctly this time and see how he’s swallowing that milk? You’ve been working hard at this and it looks like you two are starting to get the hang of this!
💜 I remember how difficult this was in the beginning, now look how much you and baby have grown (list examples), you’re doing it!
💜You reached out for help today! I know it is not always easy to ask, but you did it!

These moments promote bonding and confidence and look different for every family, but is very intentional.

03/23/2022

It’s and I want to talk about why I, Shaina of Boise Doula Care, decided to follow the call of doula work.

My whole life, I have been motivated to help others. I’ve always been the type of person that desires to give, speak truth, and lift others up through encouragement and by standing with them through joy, sorrow, and everything in between.

A while after the birth of my first baby, a dear friend and lovely doula Brandy , told me about her role as a doula. As someone going to school to become a social work at the time to discover my role in helping others, this peaked my interest. I signed up for a DONA workshop with Kendyl May, and from that moment on, I knew that I was needed in helping families begin the work in growing a healthy foundation for their lives from the very beginning. Since then I have gone on to become a certified labor doula, certified postpartum doula, and coming soon a certified bereavement doula through Stillbirthday University.

To add a little more personal detail to my motivation, I greatly struggled with my first baby postpartum and recognized this overarching great need for both compassionate and objective care that new parents need to feel confident in their journeys. My birth stories were great in that I was surrounded by an amazing birth team, but I also acknowledged the need that my husband and I had for a professional to have been with us the whole time to navigate those times where the pain became too much, and we both became too exhausted and out of options for natural pain relief and positioning. I was just weeks out of my training when I gave birth to my second, and it was still hard! I didn’t have a doula, but truly wish I had.

I know both from professional training and experiencing all of the wonderful benefits having a doula can provide, and the privilege that it is to be in that space and to be trusted to keep you grounded and supported in these moments. I am so proud to be a doula. ❤️

If you have any more questions about what having a doula could be like and what we offer, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. ❤️

02/06/2022

In addition to offering birth doula support, we offer overnight postpartum care! We often get asked the question "what is the difference between a doula and a night nanny?". It's a good question and I hope this sheds some light!

Both roles are important for parents that need sleep! Postpartum Doulas provide emotional and physical support to parents during recovery, help navigate changes and the new normals, as well as helping parents and babies with newborn sleep and care at night 💤 🌝❤️

02/01/2022

Today I wanted to share a little bit about what you could expect from hiring a birth doula to your team!
It is an honor to share and be in that space, and we work hard to make sure you feel supported, prepared, and confident. 💖

Do you have any other questions about what birth Doulas do?

Comment below or reach out! We are always ready to help you find the information and support that you need!

01/13/2022

Hello old and new followers!
We did it! We made it to 2022.

Over the last 6 months, I (the owner of Boise Doula Care), have been on an extended hiatus. I have been taking extended time to doula and nurture my home. And since it has been a while since I have introduced myself, here is a new introduction for a new year and new followers ❤️

My name is Shaina, and I am a certified Birth and Postpartum Doula. My family and I moved back to Boise, Idaho from Austin, Texas last summer and have adjusted to settling into our new home.

I started my doula journey 3 years ago in Austin. I volunteered birth support and time for an organization called Giving Austin Labor Support (GALS) for over a year, and have worked with several clients offering overnight postpartum care through my mentor Allison, owner of Austin Baby Guru . I have also worked through StillBirthday training, and it is my goal to gain that certification and to have the knowledge and skills to offer bereavement support for anyone who should need it. 💜

Last summer, I received my certification as a postpartum doula from Austin Baby Guru, as well as my birth doula certificate from ProDoula.

I am passionate about helping clients feel listened to, supported, well informed and confident in their decisions as birthing individuals and parents. Being able to provide the resources and knowledge that a parent needs objectively, and watching them grow and believe in themselves while feeling secure and supported is what drives me in this profession. Being a parent of 2 myself, I've been there, and know how important being surrounded by support and resources, while also being comfortable in your own knowledge and intuition is - and I'm there to help you every step of the way!

Over the next several weeks I will be continuing my networking and working on releasing my updated website for you all.

I love Boise, and the Treasure Valley, and I look forward to getting serve expectant parents and families here and getting to know you 💖

09/19/2020

Thank you so much Milk and Motherhood for creating such a valuable infographic to help parents along their breastfeeding journey!

At times when access to scales and weigh-ins is limited, it's vital that we know our babies are getting enough to eat. I tried to put together something that makes this knowledge a little more easily accessible! Of course there are nuances, and of course things such as looking at baby's behaviour can be problematic, but these are clues that help to create the whole picture.

In addition to this, here are some other signs that your baby needs more milk:
🧩 They p*e less than 6 times in 24 hours.
🧩The p*e is dark yellow and strong-smelling.
🧩 They poos less than twice a day
🧩 Poos are thick, hard, or not yellow.
🧩 They are consistently very unsettled after feeding (not only in the evenings). This may be caused by other things, but can be seen as one piece of the puzzle.
🧩 Your ni**le looks flattened or pinched after feeds, perhaps with blisters or cracks, or maybe discoloured to white or purple.
🧩 Some babies, when trying to get more milk, will pull at the ni**le and whimper while latched, and will use their fists to bang your breasts.

If you have worries about your milk supply, get in contact with your lactation consultant. Lactation consultants will ALWAYS ensure your baby gets enough to eat, while maintaining and protecting breastfeeding.

09/19/2020

Doula share is virtual this year, meaning you can attend from the comfort of your own home!

Come join us, learn about pregnancy, labor and baby care - and meet the doulas!

And yes, the event is FREE. 😃

♥️

09/13/2020

Doula share is online this year, which means you can come from ANYWHERE ❤️

Come join us and learn from some amazing doulas! 😊

It’s October 5th-11th. Mark your calendars!

In just about three weeks, CTDA will be hosting our
Fall Doula Share in our FB page!! (HERE!)
We will have a full week of great tips, classes, videos, etc. Everything you need to get you started in learning what you need for pregnancy, birth, and beyond! You will also get to know SO many of our fabulous doulas!
Please follow our page to make sure that you don't miss it!

09/13/2020

Doulas support ALL types of labors & births! Having a doula improves birth outcomes. A doula supports the birthing person as well as supporting their partners so that families come out of the experience feeling supported all around.
CTDA maintains a list of local birth doulas to support you
Go to http://centxdoulas.org/ to find yours!