Howell’s Doula Services

02/23/2026

.
Heal? Yes.
Recover? Yes.
Integrate? Yes.
Prioritize health? Yes.

But try to look or feel like they never happened? Like body, mind, heart, soul wasn’t ripped wide open and brought to challenge, beauty, and heights it never knew possible? Like the Cross was just for show? Like the transformation of motherhood is a liability?

Nah.

No time for that. Give us the transformation.

(And yes, applies well beyond just pregnancy and birth here.)

🤍

02/23/2026

Saying the breast is “full of milk” is like saying lungs are full of air. It sounds right, but it is physiologically wrong.

The breast is not a storage bag. It is a living organ with blood vessels, lymphatics, nerves, and milk making tissue. Milk is produced continuously in the alveoli in response to hormones and milk removal. It is not “sitting around” waiting in ducts like liquid in a bottle.

That’s why engorgement is not just milk “backed up in ducts.” Engorgement involves vascular congestion, interstitial edema, and lymphatic compression. The swelling you feel is largely fluid and tissue pressure, not simply just milk volume. This is also why cold therapy works. Cold reduces blood flow and inflammation. If engorgement were only milk sitting in ducts, cold would do nothing. Relief would come only from emptying. But clinically, we know cold decreases pain and swelling even before milk is removed. Milk removal helps, yes. But it helps by reducing pressure and improving circulation and drainage, not because pus or inflammation is being “released.”

Language matters because it shapes care. When we reduce the breast to a container, we miss the biology and we give the wrong solutions. Physiology deserves more than shortcuts. 😮‍💨🤷🏼‍♀️💗

02/23/2026

Just a gentle reminder from one mom to another 💛

Not every breastfeeding image or reel you see online is accurate. AI has gotten incredibly good at generating beautiful, convincing visuals but some of the anatomy is flat-out wrong. Milk ducts drawn like straws. Ni***es positioned unrealistically. Babies latched in ways that would never transfer milk. And sometimes it’s less about education and more about engagement.

While AI can sometimes be easy to spot, other information can feel true and like it needs to apply to every mom: like the ridiculously high volume pump and pour videos from “influencers”. Yes they are really women with real milk supplies, but their volumes are unrealistic and not often biologically typical. Judging when applies to you can be difficult when you’re surrounded by videos and images that don’t match your journey. If you’re struggling with feeding your baby, reach out for individual, in person help from a lactation consultant.

02/09/2026

When your provider says:
“We are going to…” 🚩
“Would you like to…?” ✅

01/30/2026

01/30/2026

Midwives don't take snow days. Here is a photo of two midwives (and a third midwife taking the photo) in south central Kentucky returning home today from attending a birth. They went to the mother's home in a 4x4 vehicle carrying all necessary supplies. The mom never had to leave the warmth and comfort of her home.

Visit our website for more info on our efforts to license Certified Professional Midwives in Kentucky. http://kentuckyhomebirthcoalition.com/

01/30/2026

01/30/2026

YES!!!🩷💙

01/30/2026

Membrane sweeping is a form of induction of labour.

A membrane sweep is also called a stretch and sweep, or sometimes just "a sweep."

It's an intervention that you may be offered towards the end of pregnancy.

As with all interventions, it's up to you whether you have it or not.

How does it work? A midwife or doctor will, while doing a va**nal examination, sweep a finger around and/or within the opening of your cervix (the lowest part of your womb).

As with all interventions, there are pros and cons. Membrane sweeping can cause pain, discomfort, bleeding and infection.

We don't really know if it works. Some studies show it may work. Others don't. The evidence is of low quality.

It is always a good idea to get informed
before you decide what's right for you.

If you'd like to know more, there's a blog post on membrane sweeping on www.sarawickham.com

It's called "What is a stretch and sweep?" and you can find it at https://www.sarawickham.com/articles-2/what-is-a-stretch-and-sweep/

In it, I explain more about membrane sweeping, the pros and cons and some of the things you might want to know before you decide whether or not it's right for you.

I hope it helps.

09/11/2025

Your baby’s tummy is small, but your body knows exactly how to meet their needs.

From those first tiny sips to bigger feeds in the weeks ahead—your milk is designed to be enough every step of the way.

Save this for encouragement & share it with a new mama who needs this reminder.

08/21/2025

Grown woman talk: the original cortisol cure!

When women connect in safe, supportive spaces, something remarkable happens: our oxytocin rises, our cortisol falls.

Psychologist Shelley Taylor calls it tend and befriend—a stress response as real and i mportant as “fight or flight.”

I’m so passionate about this that I devoted a chapter to it in both The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution and Hormone Intelligence.

Why? Because cortisol on overdrive - as it is for so many of us- impacts everything from our menstrual cycles and fertility to our thyroid, metabolism, and even how we sleep and age.

When cortisol stays high, it can disrupt ovulation, worsen PMS, fuel weight gain around the middle, spike blood sugar, and contribute to anxiety, depression, and burnout. Think inflammaging and an extra dose of symptoms, too!

Lowering it is powerful medicine that doesn’t come from or the Pill. It’s an inside job.

✨ A few ways to bring cortisol down:
• Make regular time for connection with friends. Don’t worry about sharing your honest challenges - both giver and receiver actually benefit (within limits of that friend who is always venting!)
• Spend time in nature.
• Practice slow, deep breathing or meditation especially if you wake up at night!
• Prioritize restorative sleep.

💬 Who is your anytime, anything person who makes you feel safer and lighter? Tag her in the comments so she knows!

📚 Learn more about cortisol in The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution and Hormone Intelligence—both have an entire chapter on this truly life-changing science.