The Minimalistic Doula

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The Minimalistic Doula

Hi!

I'm Allison, a birth doula serving the Dayton, OH & surrounding areas 🖤

Surrender + Rise: Your Guide to Achieving a Successful VBAC ⬇️
https://allison-champ-s-school1.teachable.com/p/surrender-rise-your-guide-to-achieving-a-redemptive-vbac

01/17/2026

sometimes it feels like the trenches last longer than just the newborn phase & I have to remind myself “this is normal, this won’t last forever. my baby needs me, & I need him”.

it’s been 9 months without a full night’s sleep.

9 months of many nightly nursing sessions, comforting as needed, & wiggling around each other as we get comfy.

9 months of early mornings, foggy thoughts, & running on a lot more coffee & love, than rest.

& somehow, as mom’s, we keep going.

I know there are many more sleepless nights ahead, & I already know they’ll continue to be hard - some harder than others. the kind of hard that settles into your bones. but they’re also fleeting. one day these nursing sessions, the quiet hours, the tiny hands reaching for comfort will be gone - & I know I’ll miss these days more than I can imagine.

mom’s are truly incredible. showing up tired, doing it all anyway, loving deeper than exhaustion. this season isn’t easy, but it’s sacred. grateful for the messy, beautiful, sleepless life we’re living 🤍

& for all the mom’s walking this same season - I see you, I’m here for you. your baby is lucky to have you 🫶🏼

01/15/2026

unpopular opinion: my body liked pushing, but I did not ❤️‍🩹

most women really enjoy the pushing stage. at this point, you just transitioned through the hardest part of labor & now you are finished working THROUGH your contractions - now you get to work WITH them. what a relief 😮‍💨

but for me, my fetal ejection reflex was SO strong that I almost felt out of control - where when I was working through my contractions, I honestly felt that I could cope easier & better control my vocalizations & movements.

with my strong fetal ejection reflex (where your body naturally & instinctively pushes), I felt my body was heaving without my permission (lol). as our bodies are beautifully designed to do this, I felt very unprepared for the intensity. not the intensity of the stretching & crowning, I was okay with that, but of the actual heaving sensation. I compared it almost to vomiting - where you can’t control it coming up, it just does & you just have to go with it. you’ll feel better after 😅

I’m grateful for the wisdom & strength of my body, but I wanted to share a perspective on pushing that isn’t much of a hot topic 🤍

did you enjoy pushing? how would you describe this stage of labor?

01/11/2026

catching my niece 2 years ago 🥹

i just happened to be going through videos & watched this one over & over again, remembering my sister’s cries of happiness as i helped placed her daughter on her chest.

i’ll never forget this moment 🖤

who knows, maybe they’ll be more baby catching for me in the future 😉

01/10/2026

🖤

camryn, I am in awe over your strength! you were so composed, so in control, & persevered through some incredibly tough moments. but you did it & I am SO proud! thank you for trusting me to support you 🖤

01/07/2026

my VBAC course is LIVE ‼️

click the link in my bio “Surrender + Rise: Your guide to Achieving a Successful VBAC” or copy the link below:

https://allison-champ-s-school1.teachable.com/p/surrender-rise-your-guide-to-achieving-a-redemptive-vbac

I am so excited for this course, as I poured so much of my heart into it. hours & hours of preparation, education, knowledge, voice memos, & videos - all to make this as comprehensive as possible 🖤

I would be honored for you to share this post or send to a mama planning or curious on planning a VBAC ✨

01/06/2026

EDUCATION is POWER!

so many women are told they aren’t allowed to VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) or have to follow certain protocols/restrictions/management.

“once a c-section, always a c-section” they may say. but absolutely not - that’s old news 🙅🏽‍♀️

it’s common for women to also hear:
- “big baby”
- “small pelvis”
- advanced maternal age
- going “overdue”
- placenta “failing” or calcifying
- gestational diabetes

these categories do NOT place you into the immediate cesarean route. VBAC is not desired by everyone, & that is okay! but no matter your decision, make sure you are making it out of YOUR OWN willingness & educational standpoints, not because your OB says you must do “XYZ”.

get educated, get informed, stand up for what you believe in. don’t be fear mongered into a birth you don’t desire.

my online VBAC course “Surrender + Rise: Your Guide to Achieving a Redemptive VBAC” will give you all the education & tools necessary for you to make those decisions & feel empowered doing so. keep an eye out for it’s release coming soon!

01/03/2026

have you ever heard of the meditation exercise “kriya”?

this is an ancient technique used to practice mindfulness & is a great labor prep tool ☁️

🟢 sit in a comfortable position somewhere quiet, & set a timer for 90 seconds (ideally the longest a contraction will last). when you begin the timer, lift your arms over your head (if this is too easy, you can always add extra weight).

🟢 during those 90 seconds, focus on slow, deep breaths & keeping your body relaxed. you can think of affirmations in your head or have them playing in the background.

🟢 after those 90 seconds, set a timer for 2 minutes (ideally the shortest amount of break in between contractions). during this down time, focus on stretching out what feels right, relaxing your shoulders, & still controlled breathing.

❌ do not stare at the timer during the 90 seconds in anticipation for it to speed up & stop as your arms begin to feel heavy. this will make things feel worse. focus on what you can control.

of course, if you’ve never experienced labor before, nothing can give you the exact sensation & intensity of what you will feel. but mental preparation goes a LONG way in preparing for birth.

birth is 80% mental, 20% physical. so do the mindfulness work & let it help carry you through 🕊️

have you tried this technique? did it help?

12/30/2025

if you are looking forward to doula support, the best time to reach out is when you get that positive test! ✨

I am booking up quickly for 2026 (THANK YOU!), so to guarantee a spot, please inquire sooner than later.

I look forward to hearing from you 🖤

12/27/2025

thank you, thank you, thank you x’s a million 🖤

to every family who allowed me in their space
who trusted me
who relied on me
who showed me the most vulnerable sides of themselves

to every family who supported my own pregnancy this year
who made sure I stayed nourished during births
who selflessly made sure I was comfortable & rested

to every family who allowed my baby to join us
to tag along to prenatals
to nurse him comfortably
to keep him close

to every family who is currently looking forward to 2026 birth support
I can not wait to continue to watch you learn, grow, & evolve in all the ways that birth unravels you to do so
I can not wait to see the strongest version of you
I can not wait to see you look at your baby & touch their cheeks for the first time, as I stand with tears in my eyes - proud as can be 🖤

thank you, 2025 🥹

12/26/2025

a christmas eve baby born with a true knot. how magical ✨☁️🕊️

true knots only occur in about 1% of pregnancies 🤍

12/20/2025

🖤🖤

incredibly proud of you, shasta. from start to finish, you handled labor & birth with such trust in your body. you knew god was by your side through it all. it was an honor to support you and I have so much love for your family! 🖤

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Dayton, OH
Dayton, OH

Website

https://theminimalisticdoula.com/

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