Guiding Gates Doula

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Guiding Gates Doula

Every single birth matters, and you deserve an experience where you're respected, safe, and informed. Serving Hampton Roads

Above all, you deserve to be trusted to know how to give birth.

11/18/2025

There is magic in labor. It's mysterious and unpredictable. It will always leave you wondering, "How'd she do that?"

But that doesn't mean you can't learn a thing or two from a book or a class. Yes, even if you've already given birth, because you don't know what you don't know. While it's 100% a natural bodily function, giving birth in our current culture isn't always quite natural. So, learn what's normal (and not), get spun up on interventions, learn your rights as a patient, and equip yourself with the knowledge that makes magic happen!

11/15/2025

"It's wireless, so what's the big deal?"

I've heard so many people say this, and I think it's time I let you all know that it IS a big deal! While high-risk pregnancies and medicated moms can benefit from continuous monitoring in labor, the same is not true for low-risk, unmedicated labor. Why?

It can cause false alarms when everything is, in fact, ok. These concerns can increase your chances of having an unnecessary C-section or interventions. Even if the wireless monitoring allows you to move, you still run these same risks.

So, what do you do if you're low-risk?

❎Avoid induction
❎Avoid IV medications
✅Request a Doppler instead of the traditional (EFM) straps for intermittent monitoring

P.S. Electronic fetal monitoring isn't even evidence-based, so the jury is still out on whether this tool is beneficial, but that's a post for another day.🙃

https://evidencebasedbirth.com/fetal-monitoring/

11/12/2025

I've got a bone to pick with the L&D staff who administer Pitocin.

They almost always tell people in labor that they'll be starting it low and slow, which is the typical protocol, but fail to mention that to the patient. The way they say it makes the patient believe that they are being done a favor or being treated with extra care because they aren't administering it high and fast. So, of course, the patient sees this as an act of kindness and agrees to get Pitocin, which the staff uses to create contractions 2-3 minutes apart.

From the jump, the patient is expected to keep up with a pattern that most women don't experience until 7 cm. Patients are never told that they can choose to ease into it by aiming for contractions that are a bit more spaced. They also aren't informed that they can choose to decrease or turn off Pitocin if the contractions become too intense or if they just need a break.

I always encourage my clients to be active participants in the administration of Pitocin. They inform the staff that they might choose to turn it down or off, and will require consent before the dosage goes up. They also know that once they hit 6 cm, they can back it off to see if their own body can create natural contractions.

11/07/2025

A while back, Old Dominion University invited some local doulas to a writing workshop in which we recounted labor experiences and posed for some lovely portraits. The wonderful Department of Women's and Gender Studies is now inviting the public to view the portraits and read the stories of doulas.

I hope you get the chance to check me out in the exhibit!

11/03/2025

Seventeen years ago, this little girl came into my life and made me a mother. To this day, when I go into a birth, I still think of my own births, but hers in particular stays on my mind. It was hard, and I felt helpless. I wish I could go back and redo it, but helping other moms do their best will have to do.

I'm still amazed by what my clients can do. Then I remember, I freaking did that too! The surrender and sacrifice paid off. Marissa is now a full-blown rock princess who plays in a band. She is an amazing artist and has her mama's cooking skills. She'd hate that I'm posting this, but I'm proud of the young lady she's become.

Hold your babies tight! Soon enough, they'll be 6 feet tall and closing their bedroom door.

10/28/2025

Hey, that's me!

Let's face it. Sometimes an induction is needed or preferred, so why not learn how to make it the best experience?

10/27/2025

Did you know that home birth rates increased by 19% in 2020 due to the pandemic? During this time, hospitals were banning support people in the labor room, leaving many moms to labor alone. Faced with this experience, many people turned to home birth. And they brought along doulas with them. In turn, doula usage rates have been increasing since then.

In 2012, about 6% of people gave birth with a doula. A 2025 poll reports that 21% of people have used a doula, while another survey reported it to be 11%. Still, we're on the rise! It's also helpful that Medicaid and many other insurances are covering doulas.

Let's bring back what we've always needed...sisterhood in labor!

10/24/2025

Is an unmedicated birth empowering? YES!
Is a medicated birth empowering? YES!

When you can choose, you take control of your experience. Giving birth isn't about doing it one way. It's about doing it 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 way!

10/21/2025

Nothing gets a doula as giddy as this phrase!

It means baby is probably applying pressure to your re**um and perineum...AKA he's on his way out.

Speaking of, p**p happens and no one in the room actually cares. In fact, we encourage you to lean into that feeling and let it out so you can release any tension that could be holding you back from fully opening.

10/18/2025

You've likely heard about someone's labor experience ending in an unexpected C-section that probably left them feeling a bit traumatized or disappointed. Although unplanned complications account for the majority of C-sections, there are a few women who choose to have a C-section before labor has even begun.

My client had a persistent breech baby, and her hospital provider wasn't skilled in supporting breech birth. She knew this and also knew that a C-section would be recommended. She chose this provider because she aligned with her values and she trusted her expertise. Her water broke at 37 weeks, and she and her husband calmly walked into the hospital to prep for surgery. Before she did, she gave me a call to go over her options, risks, and benefits. I met her at the hospital, where I dimmed the lights, made small talk, helped communicate her birth plan, and assisted with breastfeeding.

There was no fear or regret because she:
✅Knew her provider's skills ahead of time
✅Explored her options
✅Was cared for and treated with respect
✅Was given time to process HER decision

All of this can still happen even in an unexpected C-section, too. The smallest amount of kindness can sometimes push trauma aside.

10/14/2025

My favorite kind of birth? The one where I do nothing. Not because it's easy, but because it flows.

In a "do nothing" birth, I am not needed to guide and solve because the laboring person is listening to their body in a way I cannot. My fancy tools and little-known maneuvers aren't needed. They simply labor intuitively and surrender to the process, leaving me with little to do. This labor happens when they are educated, unbound during labor, fearless, and well supported. It's such a beautiful and powerful thing to witness. A doula helps make those things happen.💗

I've heard clients tell me that my presence alone shifted the energy in the room and helped them feel confident.

Lil' Note: Sometimes all the beautiful elements are there, and a difficult labor still occurs. We all just get dealt different cards. And of course, I'm always happy to put my skills to work!

Photo:www.popp-photography.com

10/11/2025

I want to live in a world in which you Google "labor" and the results aren't saturated with women on their backs on hospital beds attached to everything imaginable. Ugh!

My issue is that this image is assumed to be normal. It's not. Birth rarely needs to look like this. If we started seeing untethered hospital births, women in birth pools, and pushing being done in squatting positions on search engines, maybe then we would see birth as it truly can be and should be.

Address

Hampton, VA
23665

Telephone

+17194286929

Website

http://guidinggatesdoula.com/

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