Juniper Birth

13/10/2021

I didn't realize until my third trimester how afraid I was of a hospital birth environment as a first time mom. I am glad that I reached out to Jen when I did at almost 38 weeks along to have her help me through my questions and concerns about how a hospital birth might go. Things happened to work out that she was able to be with me the night of my daughter's birth, and I'm so grateful for that. I know that the support she offered from start to finish improved my birth experience. She helped me with different labor positions, supported my husband, and advocated for me when speaking to my doctor. I was able to have the unmedicated labor and delivery I wanted. There were complications while I was pushing that were traumatic for me. When Jen came to my house the following week to check on me, she made a point to bring it up and talk about it. She has a gentle, quiet presence, knows when to step in and when to stand back, and has intimate knowledge of the hospital system due to her time as a labor and delivery nurse. She offers a valuable service that I would recommend. -Emily

14/09/2021

I am trained as a Registered Nurse AND as a birth doula. These modalities don't normally overlap, but the stars aligned one night recently and serendipitously, I was able to wear both hats at the same time. For those who don't know, doulas - by definition - don't do clinical work. They are experts in physical, emotional, and educational support... so things like administering meds, doing cervical checks, and assessing blood pressure are not in their job description. On this recent night, though, the L&D unit was quiet enough that I could do both my RN work as well as offer doula support to a birthing person and their partner based on their birth preferences. It's sadly not often that nurses have the time to do both well, but when it happens, it's rewarding and satisfying for the whole team and gives a taste of what the nursing profession could be under (way) different circumstances. It is, sadly, unlikely to happen again soon, but for that one night and the residual energy that I'm still feeling today, I was proud, delighted, and hopeful for meaningful change in the world of birth. To all the midwives and RNs who have shown me what beautiful, patient-centered birth can look like, thank you. I channeled all of that energy and felt you there with me! xoxo

06/08/2021

I spent the majority of my 20s and 30s in NYC single. I dated a lot, but only had one long-ish term relationship during that time. And for those who know and the rest who can imagine, it is VERY expensive to live in NYC - especially as a single person who would like to live on their own. It often felt like there was a penalty for being uncoupled - there was no discounted rent just because you hadn't found "the one" yet. And longtime New Yorkers have all known someone who stayed in a relationship longer than they should have in order to reap the benefits of shared rent. Well, since I am now running my own business and can make my own rules, I have decided that single people embarking on parenthood will get a 25% discount on all of my Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Classes. I won't make as much money, but you know what, it feels good regardless. If you know a pregnant single parent looking to take a childbirth class, please send them to my way (www.juniperbirth.com) or see my link in bio. Enter CODE: SINGLE upon checkout. :)

01/08/2021

I saw this banner in the window of a local shop during pre-vaccination Covid times and it really struck me as a great reminder that although quarantine was in effect, we were all still in the mess of a pandemic together and would have to find ways to depend on each other - without meeting in person - in order to get through it (thanks for the delicious takeout ). The banner resonated with me so strongly that I found it online () and bought it for my cloffice (closet+office for those who don't know). Around a month ago, I noticed that the store had taken the sign down and as I got more confident with interpersonal interactions post-vaccination, I wondered if I might do the same. Ultimately, I decided to keep it where it was, because its message related to the work I do as a labor and delivery nurse, the work I do as a doula, and the work we all do together as interdependent human beings. Sadly though, the banner's original intent - about getting through the pandemic together - has recently become as relevant as ever with the Delta variant picking up transmission speed and causing ever more serious illness. So I keep the sign up and share the sentiment of it with you as we navigate the mess and recommit to the notion that "Together We Will See it Through."

25/07/2021

When I ask people how they chose their obstetric provider, I often hear "by who my friend used," or "I picked one randomly from the list my insurance covers," or "because their office was close to home or work." Rarely do I hear, "I interviewed a bunch of them and chose the person whose approach to birth aligned most with my own." And that's unfortunate, because later in the pregnancy, when it becomes clear that there's a mismatch, it's often too late to switch.

I highly recommend choosing your birth team with intention. And by that, I mean, by researching the differences between OBs and Midwives and interviewing a few with open-ended questions like, "how do you feel about people wanting to labor without pain medicine?" or "what are your thoughts about water birth?" or "what kinds of books or classes do you recommend as I prepare for birth?" You can get so much information this way. If the provider is dismissive or condescending about your questions or request for time to talk, well, that's a huge red flag. Better to find that out earlier than later.

This is all easier said than done, of course, but the benefit of choosing your team intentionally is not just about matching philosophies; it's about that visceral sense of safety that comes from being around people you like and trust. With that in place, the hormones of labor should be able to flow freely and allow for a physiological birth.

25/07/2021

Download this free PDF for researching the birth statistics for your birth location!

It can be surprisingly difficult to track down the answers to questions like, "What's the cesarean birth rate at my local hospital?,"…

21/06/2021

After starting my career in birth work by training and working as a doula I went on to train and work as a Labor & Delivery nurse. Thirteen years and around 1500 births later (wearing one hat or the other), I've decided to return to where my heart has always been - birth doula work. I'll still be teaching childbirth education classes and for a short period of time will be discounting my students' class ticket price from my doula fee. Availability in the Hudson Valley of NY for due dates in October, November, and December at this time. Check out my website (link in profile) for more information about me or message me privately to arrange a free consultation! :) Jen

20/06/2021

I've been a birth nurse for 11 years in 3 busy NYC hospitals and I don't think I've ever asked a couple where they took their childbirth education class, so reading this message from one of my students really meant a lot to me. This couple even took the class remotely from each other because one of them was stationed abroad in the military. If that doesn't speak volumes for this class (and that rockstar couple), I don't know what does!

08/06/2021

I'm excited to announce that I'm gathering folks for another session of the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class for Single Parents by Choice. This class offers a special opportunity for single parents by choice to learn about childbirth (comfort measures, advocacy skills, and the most up-to-date evidence) surrounded by others on similar paths. Students will enjoy camaraderie and hold (virtual) space for each other as they embrace the joys and challenges of their journeys. The class is 100% virtual and starts July 31st, 2021 (link in bio for tickets and more details). It'll be more than you imagined a birth class could be! Also, *it would be incredible if you could share this announcement* far and wide to help me reach the most SMBCs and their friends so that we can fill the class (limited to 6 birthing people). Thank you so much in advance!! xo - Jen

30/05/2021

Your friendly childbirth educator waving hello!

09/04/2021

Those of us entrenched in the birth world know that a visit to new parents with a baby should be quick and include helping out with a chore around the house, but it's challenging to figure out how to communicate that in a gentle way to people who, by no fault of their own, don't think of these visits like that. In this country, we expect new parents to hack it all on their own and when visitors come over they get to sit back, hold the new baby and chat, often disrupting sleep and routines... and then hand the baby back when it cries or needs a diaper change. They might even expect you to have snacks available for them. In other cultures, it is much more common to respect and support this tiring transition, but we have a long way to go in the US (ahem, how about 6-12 months paid leave for BOTH parents?!).

In the childbirth class that I teach, I recommend that my students consider giving visitors a job to do (dishes, laundry, cook a meal, watch the baby while they go out for a walk, etc), but in reality, figuring out how to do that in a gentle way is challenging for them. Yesterday however, I was looking through a great book called, The Fourth Trimester, by Kimberly Ann Johnson, and found the above sample note to attach to the outside of the new parents' front door. I love it and think it explains what new parents need in a gentle, loving way.

Do you have any other suggestions? What guidelines might you add to a note like this in the way of Covid safety expectations?

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