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Empowered Birth & Doula Services, Joplin, MO (2025)

12/21/2021

Hi, friends! I hope you all are surviving the chaos that can come with the holiday season! I have received a large number of messages in recent times and feel inclined to clarify something..

I have put endless amounts of time & money into my training and I am at a point where I must respect the work I’ve put into it and my knowledge.. and I cannot and will not work for free. As much as I love the work that I do, it is work. It is my job and I have to treat it as such.

If you are seeking more information on services or just need quick advice, I am happy to chat with you over it! But being on call for people who have not hired me is unfair to me and my time as well as the clients who have paid for my services. It is a bit disheartening to support people throughout their entire pregnancy under the pretense that I would be paid, only to be ghosted when the time comes. With that being said, until you have paid the deposit and signed a contract, I will not have you in my books as a client.

I hope that this doesn’t come off as rude, but it was time to set the boundary. ❤️ Have a wonderful rest of the year!

10/31/2021

Encapsulate a placenta with me! A long & tedious process condensed down to 20 seconds.

I’m going to make an effort to start recording more. What kind of stuff would you folks like to see or learn more about? ✨

10/15/2021

CW: Pregnancy & Infant Loss

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October 15th is pregnancy and infant loss awareness day.

We need to treat grief with tenderness & acknowledgment, not isolation & minimization.

I am holding space for each of you who have suffered from such a loss and all of the heaviness that comes along with it. I welcome you to share their names, a precious memory, or photo below if you feel comfortable. ❤️

10/13/2021

Validation is nice but don’t stop there! It can be hard to know how to help when many parents are too embarrassed to ask for it or downright deny needing it. Want to do more for your loved ones in the postpartum stage?
Here’s a few ideas!

1. Hire a cleaning service or help clean yourself! Even just running the dishwasher will be a huge load off for them. Don’t ask, just do it during your visit.

2. Feed them! Sometimes cooking a nourishing meal doesn’t feel possible with a new baby. You can bring a homemade meal, fruit & veggies trays, gift cards, or send food delivery!

3. Organize a date night! You could give a gift card to a theater or restaurant or provide a sitter. If getting out without the baby isn’t an option yet, you could bring the date to them. Snacks, movies, wine, board games, and dinner are all options!

4. Make a self-care basket! Self-care is more often than not neglected during these times despite being more important than ever. You could include bath items, lotions, essential oils, facial masks, or a cozy robe or cute lounge set for the days where getting dressed just isn’t happening!

5. Let them rest. Offer to watch baby while they nap, take a bath, or just having time to exist in silence. This is an underrated luxury! Remember that sometimes people are not comfortable with being away from their baby yet and other acts of service may be ideal. Respect that.

6. Finally.. don’t forget about who they are as a person. A lot of people feel ignored and like they’re losing their identity outside of being a parent. Everyone is understandably very excited about the baby and parents are often forgotten. Keep inviting them even when they can’t come. Come over even just to hang out with Netflix on. Talk about things other than the baby sometimes.
Parents need love, support, and attention too!

While “I’m here if you need anything” is a nice gesture remember that many will not reach out. Maybe they are too consumed by everything going on to think of it or maybe they’re embarrassed about the situation even when they are drowning. Lend a hand and help lift them up. ❤️

10/11/2021

❤️❤️❤️

09/23/2021

🌱 Interview ready! 🌱

An interview is an absolutely necessary part of finding a doula. This is an excellent chance to ask questions, find out more about their philosophy on birth, and most importantly see if you both click. Pregnancy and birth is an incredibly intimate experience and it’s important to find someone you can trust and comfortably spend an extended period of time with!

Some good questions to ask a doula before proceeding with services:

• What type of training have you received? From where?

• What does your experience look like? How long have you been practicing?

• What is your total fee? What does that include?

• Do you offer any other services such as placenta encapsulation or photography?

• Do you attend births at home? Hospitals? Birth centers? How far will you travel?

• Will you attend a planned epidural or cesarean birth? Are there relevant practices you would be unable to support?

• What steps have you taken to make your practice more inclusive? Do you serve single parents? LGBTQ+ families? People with different religious backgrounds? Etc

• What made you want to become a doula?

• What comfort techniques do you like to use?

• What does your involvement normally look like during pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum?

• What happens if you can’t make it? Do you have a backup? What is your refund policy?

Ask YOURSELF:

• Did we click?

• Can I see this person at my birth? Can I envision trust and a bond being formed?

• Do our ethics align?

• Do I feel like I need to do things a certain way to be supported by this person?

• Did they truly listen to my concerns?

Finally, trust your gut!

Considering a doula? Ready to set up an interview? Send me a message! ✨

09/14/2021

Hi friends! Did you know that you can still have your placenta encapsulated even if you have an epidural, pitocin, or a cesarean? That’s right! You do not need to have a medicine free birth in order to reap the benefits of this amazing organ!

Have any questions? Want to know more? Ready to book? Let’s chat! ✨

08/10/2021

Anger is a distress signal. ⁣⁣
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Anger in the postpartum period is a red flag that is being overlooked and misunderstood. ⁣⁣
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Studies have shown that moms struggling with PPA/PPA are more likely to have symptoms of rage. ⁣⁣
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This rage is often intense, hard to control and feels very uncharacteristic. ⁣⁣
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Here is a short excerpt from Jill Bucher of ⁣⁣
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“Anger is indeed a normal emotion that we can all have, but being prone to anger can indicate there’s something going on that needs to change.” She [Christine Ou] adds that there is some evidence that shows that if a woman is both angry and depressed, the depression can last longer and be more intense.⁣⁣
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The things that moms are angry about postpartum aren’t earth-shattering. Some feel trapped or helpless as they shoulder so many new responsibilities caring for a new baby while their own needs are left unfulfilled. Others find the reality of motherhood and the supports they receive don’t live up to their expectations. And many feel guilty that they aren’t the picture of the idealized self-sacrificing mother that’s upheld in our society.⁣⁣
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What’s more surprising is that no one’s thought to look at anger as a red flag for postpartum mood disorders sooner. Ou has a theory as to why it has been overlooked: “Culturally, we often aren’t comfortable with the emotion of anger because it can imply that you’re not in control—especially for women.” And women who’ve just had babies are expected to be particularly blissful.⁣⁣
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If you are struggling with postpartum rage please visit . They have several resources and a directory that can help you find a maternal mental health provider in your area. ⁣⁣
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https://www.todaysparent.com/baby/postpartum-care/postpartum-anger-is-the-red-flag-no-one-is-looking-for/⁣⁣

08/04/2021

Good morning, friends! I need to process a few placentas to complete my certification so I am offering $50 off for the next 3 people who book with me! Making your price $150 for an encapsulation. I will add on a placenta print and umbilical cord keepsake for free as well if desired!

✨Potential benefits of placenta encapsulation✨

•Help balance hormones postpartum

•Replenish depleted iron levels

•Increase milk production

•Help with PPD or baby blues

•Reduce postpartum bleeding

•Increase energy levels

Shoot me a message to discuss details! It’s never too late or too early in your pregnancy to get booked with me!

07/28/2021

For Breastfeeding Celebration week, a reminder that all breastfeeding journeys are valid.

How often do we say this? How often do we hear this?

'I desperately wanted to breastfeed but I only manged to for.....'

If you breastfed, then you breastfed. It doesn't matter if it was for an hour, a day, a week or a month. You didn't try to breastfeed, but not manage it. You did it.

And I know if you wanted to breastfeed for longer than you got, that hurts. I know if breastfeeding went differently from how you hoped, maybe you had to give supplements, maybe you had to exclusively pump, that can hurt too.

It's so easy when things don't go the way we hoped to focus on what we didn't get. To focus on what we lost.

And, to an extent, it's OK to do that. It's more than OK to let yourself feel pain, and grief, and to process that. That's essential to healing.

But permanently looking only at what you lost is only going to bring more pain. It's also important not to let that pain eclipse what you had.. So also focus on what you did get, on what you achieved.

You didn't try to breastfeed.

You didn't only breastfeed for x amount of time.

You breastfed. Own that. Be proud of it. Celebrate it.

07/26/2021

I don’t know who needs to hear this, but attachment parenting in a detached society is exhausting.
No. It’s not your baby.
There is nothing wrong with them if they want to be held all the time.
No. It’s not you.
You’re not doing it wrong.
Your feelings of exhaustion and depletion and being touched out are normal- considering the weight you’re carrying. Those feelings, and the deep ache underneath them - are a reminder that you were never meant to do this alone.
Babies want to be held. And we want to hold them close. Exclusive/extended breastfeeding, cosleeping, babywearing- all of these are intuitive, ancestral practices that have kept our species alive throughout history. Attachment parenting is just parenting!!
But never before have we parented in such isolation. There were always other hands stirring the soup pot, other aunties, and sisters, and uncles and grandmas, and cousins, and neighbors helping with the daily tasks and child rearing. Other arms carrying the weight of raising humanity. Together.
And now, it’s just you. Alone in the kitchen, trying to stir the soup and bounce the baby and play with the toddler and keep an eye on the big kid and answer the phone and sweep up the mess and tackle the laundry and .....
No matter how magical your baby wrap is — it can’t take the place of a whole village.
So no, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just trying to stay connected in a world set on tearing you apart.
But don’t give up mama. I know you’re tired and touched out, but you’re giving your baby exactly what she needs. And maybe one day, when she’s raising her own babies,there will be a village around her, helping her hold it all together.

Beautiful words and Pic by on Instagram

06/30/2021

Great News! 🎉🎉🎉 The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition received an Impact Grant from Kansas Health Foundation to create “Color-filled Breastfeeding: Clinical Lactation Training Program.” This lactation consultant clinical training program will offer individuals an opportunity to receive hands-on clinical lactation experience. Students will be paired with an experienced mentor at local hospitals, health departments, and other settings in Kansas. Sapphire Garcia-Lies, Program Coordinator, has already begun recruiting clinical sites and students for the program.

Color-filled Breastfeeding is open to all Kansans. To ensure families receive culturally congruent lactation care, scholarships will be provided to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students. This new program reflects the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition’s commitment to addressing inequities in breastfeeding rates. Breastfeeding rates in Kansas are on the rise. Yet, a “rising tide” does not raise all boats. Inequities persist between races and ethnicities. Kansas birth certificate data for the period of 2017-2019 shows breastfeeding initiation rates for Black families was 8.6% lower than the state average.

Click here for the full story and press release: https://ksbreastfeeding.org/kansas-breastfeeding-coalition-awarded-grant-to-create-clinical-lactation-training-program/

06/22/2021

Spitting up is common in healthy babies! During the first 3 months, about half of all newborns experience spitting up- when the contents of their stomach come back up into the esophagus- a condition known as gastroesophageal reflux, GERD, or infant reflux. The small muscle between the esophagus and the stomach (lower esophageal sphincter) keeps stomach contents where they belong. In newborns, this muscle is still growing. Until this muscle is fully mature, spitting up might be an issue — especially if your baby is full.

Here is the thing! The amount of milk or formula your baby spits up can be deceiving! After a spit up, it can feel very overwhelming to see what looks like an entire feed splattered on the floor or soaking into fabric. What looks like an entire feed is likely only a small amount.

Take a look at this graphic. Especially on fabric, spit up can spread quickly and look like far more than is actually present. One tablespoon of fluid soaks through the entire chest area of a multi layer swaddle within moments. One tablespoon is only 1/2 an ounce or 15ml, a small fraction of a feeding for most newborns!

Spit up is very common in many healthy newborns. As long as baby spits up without discomfort, it comes out with ease, and baby is gaining weight, this is what I refer to as “a laundry problem” more than anything else. If baby is difficult to soothe or is in pain, is refusing to eat, if spit up is discolored (green or bloody), or if baby is having trouble gaining weight then it is time to consult with your pediatrician for further evaluation.

A few tips if your little one is a “happy spitter”:
-Keep your baby upright. Let gravity be on your side! Feed your baby in a more upright position. Follow each feeding with extra time in an upright position, avoiding immediate active play or bouncing.
-Avoid overfeeding. Feeding your baby smaller amounts a bit more frequently may help.
-Take time to burp your baby. Frequent burps during and after each feeding can keep air from building up in your baby's stomach.

06/20/2021

Father’s Day can be an emotional day for many people. Whether you’re feeling happy, sad, angry, confused.. those feelings are valid.
Happy Father’s Day. 💗

06/19/2021

I’m not crying, YOURE CRYING.
Okay, I might’ve shed a tear.. or two.
Birth can be a very emotionally intense and overwhelming experience. Not only for the person giving birth but for birth partners as well. Many people believe that a Doula might not be useful because they have a birth partner.. but partners (whether a parent, grandparent, or friend) need support too! ✨

06/19/2021

If you’ve lived through a traumatic event, it’s natural to think that as time passes, you’ll get over it and move on with your life. But that doesn’t always happen. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur right after a terrible event, or they can emerge weeks, months, or even years after a traumatic incident. PTSD can also be chronic after years of abuse or growing up in an unpredictable and stressful home, such as with an alcoholic or drug-abusing parent. Persistent early childhood trauma can set kids up for PTSD later in life.

Because PTSD symptoms may not emerge immediately, you may not connect your distressing symptoms with the trauma you experienced.

1. Memory Issues

PTSD can impact your memories in a number of ways. You might experience recurrent upsetting thoughts or dreams of a past traumatic event. Flashbacks can pop up at any time—even when you’re in a familiar place—and make you feel like you’re experiencing the trauma all over again. You may find that you’re unable to stop thinking about the event, and distressing thoughts loop incessantly in your head. In other cases, you may have lapses in your memory regarding certain aspects of a traumatic event.

2. Increased Anxiety

It’s common for people with PTSD to feel constant anxiety or to experience panic attacks. You may be easily startled or feel like you’re always on guard, expecting something bad to happen at any moment. Some people with PTSD say they feel “jumpy” or “jittery.”

3. Avoidance

If you purposely steer clear of anything—people, places, or things—that reminds you of the traumatic event, it could be a sign of PTSD. You may avoid talking about the event and refuse to share your feelings about what happened.

Treatment recommendations in detail on www.amenclinics.com 👏🏻

Picture by .mentalhealth

Empowered Birth & Doula Services

12/21/2021

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